The past couple of weeks have been majorly busy around here, and frankly, cooking new stuff and going out to eat somewhere we've not been a hundred times wasn't on our docket. However, when Michael's mom came into town this past week, we actually decided to step out of the norm and do some new things, as well as things that we've not done in a while. We wanted to give her some amazing experiences here in Baltimore that she could take home to Texas and smile over for a long time.
In addition to doing cool stuff together, she gave Michael and me the opportunity to go out on a real date. Yes. A no kid date. It's been a while since we've been able to leave the house without a diaper bag, and for that, I was enormously grateful.
But where would we go? It actually was a really simple decision for us. We decided to go to the place we've been eyeing for a long time: Bookmakers Cocktail Club on Cross St. here in the historic Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore City.
Every single time we walk past this place - which is a lot of times since we, you know, live just down the street - we remark how we HAVE to visit. Just from the outside, I knew that it was a really cool place. I mean, I just knew. The exterior brick is painted a dark, smoky grey and the accents of black and brass really give it that speakeasy, secret, member's-only type of a place. You know the type. I had visions of cigar smoke, deep, dark woods and beautifully soft and buttery leathers with Sinatra pumping through the air. My imagination made this place a true gem, with some incredibly creative cocktails and delicious food to go hand in hand with them.
And my imagination didn't disappoint. I mean, no there was no cigar smoke, or even the Rat Pack. But even without those things, it's totally possible that my imagination wasn't even as good as the real thing. But before I get too excited, let's just keep going.
We arrived on a Sunday around 7 p.m., and I hadn't made any reservations for us, but that was OK. They seated us quickly, and left us to pour over the food and drink menus. They also have a HUUUUUGE list of bourbon, rye and other whisk(e)y to choose from. I mean enormous. That wasn't really for us, so we set that one aside, and we took our time making our selections.
We decided to start with some cocktails to get the party going, and relied on our ultra-knowledgable waitress for some help in deciding which to get. Michael decided on THE GRAYSON: G eorge dickel rye, yuzu, fresh ginger, velvet falernum, 1821 japanese chili-lime bitters, toasted cinnamon ($13). I went with A TOUCH OF EVIL: tapatio blanco tequila, yellow chartreuse, jalapeño , strawberry shrub, sparkling rose.
My cocktail was insanely delicious. The flavors of strawberry shrub and jalapeño were muted in the best ways. It wasn't sticky-sweet, and in fact, it was absolutely amazing. I loved how refreshing it was, and how absolutely balanced the flavors were. Yum. Michael seemed really pleased with his selection as well. They clearly know what they're doing behind that bar. It also helps that they use only the best ingredients.
What was really cool about Michael's cocktail was the toasted cinnamon. They used a blow torch to quickly toast a stick of cinnamon before it made its way to the glass, and in doing so, they created a true aromatic treat.
For starters, we went with fried calamari, and it was seriously good. Not only was I happy with how crispy and crunchy the coating was, but I was so happy with the flavor. It was a great way to start our meal.
For our main dishes, Michael chose the special of the day, fish and chips, while I chose their shrimp and grits, made with Anson Mills rice grits, shrimp, chorizo, pickled chilis.
The food was spectacular.
The shrimp and grits were INSANE. I don't even really like shrimp and grits, so I'm not totally sure why I ordered it. Maybe because I saw that it had pickled chilis and chorizo. Maybe because it just felt right. But man oh man, am I glad I did! It was plain and simply put, amazing. The shrimp was perfectly cooked, and there was a super delicious, slightly spicy and extremely vibrant tomato-based Beurre Blanc.
Michael and I also decided to grab a second round of drinks, and this time we both got something different, just to see what else they had. Michael chose a Baltimore classic, the DIAMONDBACK, with pikesville rye, lairds applejack, and yellow chartreuse, and I went with an OH JOHNNY, crafted with applejack, barr hill raw honey gin, yellow chartreuse, apple bitters, cinnamon tincture. Both were super delicious, and perfect accompaniments to our meal.
We decided to go ahead and finish our date-night at Bookmakers Cocktail Club with a bang by ordering their strawberry shortcake for dessert. What an amazing decision that was.
You guys. YOU GUYS! This shortcake was sensational. Everything was so full of bright, dynamic flavor. Which honestly, I find hard since it's a simple strawberry shortcake. I guess this one wasn't as simple as I'm accustomed to. Delicious. It was a great way to end our evening together.
Bookmakers Cocktail Club has successfully created an exquisite retro-hipster-esque environment that perfectly mirrors their bold and sensationally creative grub and complex, artisanal drinks. I'm a huge fan of Bookmakers, and am really glad we were finally able to experience it for ourselves.
