Three-course dinner for $30?! Yup, you know I had to participate in Baltimore Restaurant Week! First stop: Maggie's Farm, a farm to table spot a bit away from the city in Harford. They have outdoor and indoor seating, and a dimly lit bar area inside. They apparently have a prix fixe menu for $30, every night- what a steal!
My friend and I started off with the "Nashville Hot Chicken Bun" and "Crispy Brussels Sprouts." I was a bit disappointed with the bun, it's literally one piece of poorly fried chicken nugget mashed into a small bun. I definitely recommend getting the brussels sprouts- perfectly crispy in every bite, and the grapes surprisingly complement these edible buds.
For our main course, my friend picked the "Curried Mussels" and I opted for the "Coffee Roasted Brisket." My friend loved the nicely seasoned mussels and fried rice hidden underneath- they definitely don't skimp out on the portion. My meal on the other hand, wasn't bad, but I've had better brisket. The sauce on top of the brisket is amazing, but it's only at the top so I was out of luck towards the end of my meal. As a Korean, I must say, the kimchi-chard slaw that came with my meal was actually pretty good. I'm typically not a huge fan of slaws as I am not a fan of mayo, but the kimchi masked the taste. Sadly, I was pretty disappointed on the cornbread...very, very dry and flavorless.
And of course, we ended with dessert. It's nice to see they brew local, Zeke's coffee. My friend got the ice cream scoops and I went all in with the peach cobbler. Both were amazing! You could tell from the vanilla beans visible in the ice cream that it was homemade. Not to mention, the peaches in my cobbler were so fresh and plump! Overall, I'll give this restaurant a 4/5 rating. I definitely want to go back for brunch... heard they have donuts!
Second stop: Aggio. A bit tucked away near Power Plant. As soon as I step into this two-story Italian restaurant, I feel like I'm inside a fancy, schmancy Italian restaurant in New York City.
For starters, my friend got the Caesar Salad and I got the Octopus. I have never seen a caesar salad with fried oysters used as croutons- yum! And my octopus was amazing- perfectly prepared. I was not a fan of their savory funnel cake they gave us to nibble on though- very bland, same with their tasteless rosemary bread. I would have been fine without these two freebies.
For our meals, my friend got the chicken- perfectly seasoned and cooked, and they were generous in her portion. And of course, I had to get the scallops- the real reason why I went. And I must say, I was a HUGE fan of the risotto underneath- perfectly seasoned and cooked (al-dente). I literally almost licked the plate.
Lastly, dessert! My friend got the chocolate dish, which came with pistachio ice cream. And I went for the tiramisu. I have to say, I've never had tiramisu quite like this. Pretty hard to describe, but imagine a cube of hardened whip cream with pieces of tiramisu cake in between...YUM! And to end, they gave us a lemon, meringue cookie to cleanse our palette. I have to give this restaurant a 5/5 for sure!
I end with a sweet tip... Baltimore Restaurant Week is extended till August 9th! For a list of restaurants participating, check here:
XOXO <3
-Margaret
