Waterfront Kitchen
www.waterfrontkitchen.com
1417 Thames Street
Baltimore, MD 21231
Melissa and I were very excited to try Waterfront Kitchen
which is located exactly between Harbor East and Fells Point. Melissa had the opportunity to hear the owner/head
chef speaking on NPR and based on what she heard really thought that we should
try it out. The website is very exciting (not only does Waterfront Kitchen
offer brunch, lunch and dinner, it offers cooking and grilling classes, and
cruises followed by a three course dinner with wine pairings). Unfortunately
once we visited we agreed that this might very well be the only exciting thing
about it… well next to the view of course. Even though we were unable to sit
outside, we could see that the view was spectacular, which honestly only made
the mediocrity of the food that much more glaring.This dining experience
completely missed the mark. First, the service was among the slowest in
history. Though our waitress was very pleasant, we had to wait about 45 minutes
between each course, and she disappeared for long periods at a time. It was so
bad that we did not even order dessert due to the lateness of the hour and not
wanting to have to wait ANOTHER 45 minutes for it to come out. There was
absolutely no reason we could think of that two appetizers and some house made
charcuterie should take 45 minutes to come to the table.
The décor was pretty eclectic. Two of the walls
were padded with a fabric reminiscent of a kind of refined burlap. The ceilings
were hardwood and the floors were some sort of stone or cement. The backside of
the restaurant is comprised of two glass floor to ceiling windows out of which
you can see the Inner Harbor and the outside seating. The restaurant had an
upscale wharf feel. There were interesting chandeliers and other lighting
fixtures peppered throughout the restaurant.
There were different kinds of seating; outside, bar, floor and a
combination booth/floor.
This restaurant had so much potential and it was
such a disappointment that I would not really recommend it at all. But if you
decide to try it, as I stated above, they have brunch, lunch and dinner. You
could go with anyone for any occasion and at the very least enjoy the beautiful
view, with one caveat; I would not really recommend bringing the children as
the menu is probably a bit too “high-brow.” Parking was bit of a chore as well. You will have to find parking on the street
or in the parking garage across from the restaurant. You do have to pay to park in the
garage. All in all, we give Waterfront
Kitchen ♪ and one half-note.
Three
Local Cheeses
The cheeses
were served with dried fruits, local honey and crostini. The day
we were there, they served a blue that was sort of salty but also floral; a
semi-soft, sort of like a Merganthal, that was very floral and tasted of wine;
and a goat brie… which pretty much says it all.
The dish was pleasant but nothing to write home about.
Roasted Pork Belly
The pork belly was served with apple cider braised mustard
greens. The greens were nicely flavored but were very spicy as well. We often
coughed and had to drink water to catch our breath. The pork belly had a nice sear but was way
under flavored and had too much fat and too little meat.
House Made Charcuterie
Chicken liver pate and Duck prosciutto
The chicken liver pate had a woody, earthy flavor and a
rich, smooth texture. However, there was too much fat left behind that was sort
of congealed atop the dish. The duck prosciutto was too salty and the crostini
that was served along with the dish was stale.
How does a great chef serve stale crostini??? How embarrassing!
Day Boat Scallops
The scallops themselves were tender and their sweetness came
through, however they were not seared, which is always a problem for us. The
poor scallops were limp and appeared to be suffering from an acute case of
melancholy. They were served with
fennel, blood orange, tarragon and mustard seed vinblanc. The mustard seed
vinblanc was way too heavy and spicy to be paired with scallops. No wonder the
scallops were so very sad.
Black Truffle Studded Meatloaf
The meatloaf was served as two thick slices of beef placed
atop a mound of silky mashed potatoes and topped with mushroom gravy. This dish
should have been wonderful. Unfortunately, though the potatoes were definitely
silky in texture, they had no flavor. The slices of beef had a nice enough
texture except for being hard on the ends. The beef was also not properly
seasoned and you really couldn’t taste the truffles though they was liberally
sprinkled throughout the beef. The
mushroom gravy was made with fresh mushrooms and lots of them but it too had
little flavor.
This dish had just great potential, yet left us so disappointed.
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