Rehearsal Dinner: a level above the rest

Tonight, I had the pleasure of attending an epic rehearsal dinner at level, a small plates lounge on West Street. We arrived hungry. In the spacious loft area upstairs that was reserved for our private party, the windows were open, letting in the sunshine and a soft breeze. Each table had water glasses and label-less wine bottles full of cool water. Over three hours and five courses later, we were all stuffed, chatting, a little tired, and happy. What more could you want from a great party?

But I'm sure what you really want to know about is the food. Some comments on the dishes I tried:



Impressions

The grilled bison satay was a bit spicy with a good Asian soy flavor.

Level's arugula salad made for a great palate-cleanser, light with a good balance of flavors.

Tart feta cheese really stood out on the cheesy pizza, but the fresh basil leaves helped to counter that tartness with some herbal freshness.

Spicy and smoky were the dominant flavors of the meaty beef short ribs.

I really enjoyed the delicate citrusy marinade on the rockfish.

The taste and aroma of fresh ginger made the grilled chicken thighs an awesome dish, even so late in the game.

But I have to save my favorites for last. Lamb osso buco stole the show, as lamb dishes often do. The meat was buttery and tender, falling apart at just the gentle poke of a fork. No flavors competed with the pan reduction, the meat stood out on its own. The cut was perfect, with just enough fat to flavor but no bites of gristle. I invite anyone who loves lamb to bask in this dish.

And then there's the milk and cookies. Our meal was long and heavy, so this dessert proved too much for us and one-and-a-half of the two huge chocolate chunk cookies came home with us - but I would imagine after sharing several small plates, this just might be the perfect way to end. The cookie is good, but the milk is the true star. Local chocolate milk is topped with cookie dough flavored whipped cream. Don't ask me how they do it, but the foamy topping tastes just like a log of tollhouse cookie dough. If you like sweet, this would be for you. But most of level's dessert offerings are of a lighter variety, highlighting fruit flavors without sweeteners.

Menu

five cheeses from our artisan selection, with sweet, salty, savory

seared sea scallops, roasted garlic agave

grilled bison satay, ginger, soy, scallion, organic agave marinade

arugula salad, white truffle vinaigrette, fresh pomegranate, walnuts

cheesy pizza, olive oil, garlic, feta, mozzarella, parmesan, fresh basil

braised short rib, free range beef, pan jus reduction, heirloom tomatoes

grilled calamari, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, crispy capers

sautéed seasonal greens, garlic, white wine, shallots

zesty pizza, spicy red sauce, salami, garlic, mozzarella, feta, fresh basil

grilled japanese eggplant, feta, olive oil, lemon, tea smoked sea salt

rockfish, yuzu tartar sauce

braised lamb osso buco, pan reduction, lemon, thyme, olive oil

green garlic risotto, porcini, morel, chanterelle, parmesan, thyme, parsley

grilled ginger chicken thigh, ponzu broth, garlic, seasonal vegetables

warm chocolate chip cookies, local chocolate milk with cookie dough foam

Gallery


I tried to grab as many photos as I could, before food disappeared and in between shots of family and friends. Since I was taking pictures of food anyway, I ended up playing the 'crazy lady with a camera snapping photos of everyone' by default.

First of all, I wish I'd thought to take a picture of the bare wine bottles filled with cold water. Such a simple idea, but I cannot stress enough how we all appreciated the gesture... and took advantage.

I can't really speak to the affordability of the restaurant since I was a guest tonight of the groom's family. However, from just a quick glance at the menu, some of my favorites seemed within reason to try again, (see:milk and cookies for a late night snack after bar-hopping) so I'm hoping to stop back.


What an ingenious idea for a rehearsal dinner. The small plates came out family-style, forcing the table to communicate and get to know one another as we shared the same food. The variety of flavors sparked conversations and the signature cocktails provided the social lubricant expected from such an evening. I hope this becomes a trend in hosting this traditional wedding event.

As the night wore on, the room was buzzing and all the movement was causing the heat to rise. Still open, the windows provided a refreshing nighttime breeze. Over french-pressed coffee and artisan teas, we said our good-byes until tomorrow, the wedding day.


This will definitely be a rehearsal dinner to remember, forever known as the night of the never-ending feast!

April 30

It's like everyone and their mother decided to host all the best events this Saturday. Here's just a few:

• 29th Annual Croquet Match

The Johnnies and the Midshipmen take to the lawn of St. John's College for a croquet match, but the real party is off the field-of-play. Alumni, students, parents, and Naptown locals set up impressive spreads, marking territory with blankets, lawn chairs, and sometimes even tents. Wine flows liberally and picnic baskets reveal gourmet food. It really is the social event of the Spring for Annapolitans.

• Annapolis International Food, Wine, and Hops Festival

New this year, West Street will be closed to traffic and at least seventeen local restaurants will host cooking demonstrations, tastings, and entertainment.

• 33rd Celtic Festival of Sourthern Maryland

Jefferson Patterson Park (affectionately known as J-Pat to the historical crowd) will be transformed into a stage for 50 clans to share information, highland games, Celtic dancing and music, and a marketplace. It's your one-stop shop for everything Celtic.


Unfortnately, I won't be able to attend any of these wonderful events as I will be bridesmaiding on Saturday in one of my very best friend's wedding. It'll be a party just as fun as all these other events, but invite only.

I can't wait! Though, this will be the first time in four years that I've missed the Croquet match, so please tell me how it goes.

Honey Bunny!

My honey bunny is here! Great Harvest Bread Company is just around the corner from us, which is lucky around holiday time as they always have a special bakery item for you to take home for your very own. Ordering and paying in advance means that you just show up and pick up the day you choose, when you will have inevitably already spent your budget on other grocery items. So convenient.

The only thing that bothers me about my big bunny is the placement of his ears. And here's why:

The whole reason I wanted Mr. Bunny was thanks to the recipe on this flyer. But with bunny's ears lying  right over the 'bowl' of his body, cutting his back out for the dip is going to prove a tricky task.

I'm hoping I can maneuver his ears out of the way so that everyone can at least see what he's supposed to be before devouring the delicious rabbit.

The worst part is the waiting. I really just want to rip him apart and taste, but I must refrain until I can share him with my friends and family. I'm also still up in the air about the dip I want to fill him with; spinach is not my favorite, but a good back-up.

On another note, Happy Earth Day! Today, Starbucks offered free brewed coffee or tea if you brought in your own reusable container. I'm always looking out for little freebies like that. We were out and about during this dreary, rainy day, so I guess we saved some energy that way. But, I'm unfortunately being a bit of an energy hog this evening and self-cleaning the already scrubbed oven which was still smoking when I tried to attempt popovers again. And just about dying from the fumes. Ughck! It's times like these when I wish our tiny apartment had more windows.

Adventure Carolina

We celebrated Easter a little early over the weekend with our nieces and a good old-fashioned easter egg hunt! While visiting the Charlotte area, we just had to take in a bit of the local fare.

Straight from the airport from an early morning flight, we greeted our first day at Skillets, a breakfast eatery.

I was intrigued by the house specialty, pecan-encrusted french toast. Just based on the name, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I think my mind's eye pictured toast dipped in a batter with ground pecans. When the french toast came out, turns out encrusted was a pretty good adjective. One side of the bread was completely covered in a cinnamon-sugar smothered pecan crust. A good pour of maple syrup made for a rich, crunchy, sweet dessert-before-breakfast.

The next day, I had to feed the craving for sweet potato tempura maki rolls, which could only be fulfilled at the asian-fusion restaurant Johnny's red bowl.

We called in our carry-out order and when we arrived, we were immediately enchanted by the floating parasols hovering above the whole restaurant.

The owner explained that his friend is the manager of a props studio for a local theater and always lends seasonal decorations to the restaurant for a lively and modern decor. I just thought back to my mother suggesting the same idea for our wedding, but getting turned down by the venue in favor of the simpler chinese lanterns. Between parasols hanging from the unfinished ceiling and the waterfall behind the bar, red bowl had a definite zen feel. We also learned that the restaurant will be opening a second-floor patio for outdoor dining.

Oh, and the sweet potato tempura rolls were pretty good, too. 

Mourning the Loss: Aroma d'Italia

On our honeymoon in Italy, we had the privilege of tasting delicious limoncello gelato on the Amalfi Coast with all the sunny splendor of those giant sweet Amalfi lemons. So I can tell you, at least in my humble opinion, that when Aroma d'Italia said they have the "best gelato outside of Italy," their limoncello flavor really does live up to that title.

Amalfi Coast lemon in Positano

Walking down the city dock on a sunny day, looking at the boats and licking away at gelato would take us back to Napoli and our Italian adventure. But now, it seems Aroma d'Italia is leaving Annapolis.

Just like any loss, I start thinking if I'd only known... I would have gone more often, or at least one more time!

Aroma d'Italia will be missed by this Annapolitan.

See Article: Popular Gelato Eatery has Closed on patch.com

Beer Release: Dominion Double

The Ram's Head restaurant group released an IPA into the Fordham family today with the new Dominion Double. We arrived at the Roadhouse just after the release party, but still managed to snag some sweet commemorative glassware.

How was the beer? The husband liked it, but neither he nor I are IPA fans. This beer has a huge hops flavor, which should appeal to IPA lovers - like my father... I'm still waiting to hear his appraisal.

Roadhouse, as usual, was busy even after the event. The bar was hopping, but we still received good service for our beer tasting and obligatory snack: two burgers that satisfied our beef craving.

So sad we missed the launch party for our favorite Fordham release, the Queen Anne's Kolsch, but I look forward to it next year.

If you've been long-awaiting an IPA release from Fordham, check out the Dominion Double on taps this month.

Waiting... or why I hate Lent

I'm usually pretty hard on myself for the season of Lent. I'll give up something I really love to test my willpower.

This year, it's crepes. So not only did I miss the Crepe cooking class at the Whole Foods Culinary Center, and not only has my (late wedding gift) crepe pan from Williams-Sonoma sat untouched, but I also must resist the allure of Sofi's Crepes until Easter. I thought I was going a bit easy on myself this year, but I didn't know how many tempting offerings there would be! After going without for so long, I will be happy to rediscover walking around downtown with that convenient folded foil package once again.

The countdown is on. About halfway through and looking forward to Easter!

Unofficial Anniversary

It's been a year since we unofficially moved to Annapolis and started visiting the grocery store late at night, dancing in the aisles to cheesy 80's music.

One year of cooking, dining, and exploring in our new town. Annapolis is home to three centuries of history (and politics), great restaurants, a vibrant music, arts & culture scene... and us!

Just two night owls discovering historic Annapolis, one bite at a time.

Your Annapolitan, Amanda

will take you on this journey with her

as we live and learn

in the

City of Anne