By Before I continue, (Wait.. Can I start a sentence with before I continue?) the proper name of this establishment is Foraged-A Hyper Seasonal Eatery. I’m making a conscious effort to try more Baltimore restaurants because I interact with a lot of foodies out of that area, and quite frankly their food pictures look tantalizing. Forage is located off of Chestnut Avenue, in Baltimore, MD and is led by Chef Chris Amendola. Forage is also known for its farm-fresh, seasonal plates, beer and wine served in a warm, casual space lined with greenery.
Alright. Enough with all the small talk. I know why you’re here. Let’s get to the details of the restaurant, shall we? First, I’d like to state unequivocally that this is the best fucking restaurant I’ve been to in Baltimore. I’m just going to get it out the way so you don’t have to question whether this place is good or not. It’s fucking fantastic. It’s so fucking good, that my measurable unit “fuck” may or may not be used throughout this review.
During my visit to this perfect establishment (no… I wasn’t paid under the table to “hype” this restaurant, how dare you think about asking me that!) I was able to try about five dishes which were remarkable to say the least. The dishes ranged from Fried Oysters to Duck. I’ll start with the Cornmeal Fried Oysters. It consisted of Bacon Jam and Ramp Aioli. Flavorful, salty, and sweet are all of the words that will hit your tongue to describe how good these oysters were. The presentation of this dish was also commendable as well. I thought that this dish was creative, fun, and well-thought out. Most of the Fried Oysters I order from restaurants are just… Fried. Dassit. Just.. Fried. Like.. Here ya go. Eat up.
The next dish that was ordered was the Short Rib. I’ll be the first to admit that the presentation wasn’t the best looking, but BY GOLLY GEE WIZ this was some good fucking meat. The Short Rib dish consisted of Spinach Puree, Cap Mushrooms, and Veal Jus. This dish was almost like a creamed spinach with moist short rib surrounded by mushrooms. That’s the perfect way to describe it. No knife was needed to cut the tender short rib, but table manners were needed to stop you from licking the plate. YES! It was that good. I thought the Short Rib would be fatty, but I was shocked. It was nothing but meat, but most of the time when I order Short Ribs it’s usually 30% fat and 70% meat. Maybe I should order my Short Ribs from here from now on?
The third dish that was ordered were the Mushroom Stuffed Brioche Buns. It consisted of Mushrooms stuffed in a warm baked brioche bun and topped with goat cheese. Mushrooms are a definite order when I see it on the menu at restaurants, so it was no secret that these wouldn’t be ordered. The buns were soft, moist, and the goat cheese added an extra spice that the buns needed. I thought this dish was interesting for the most part, because it wouldn’t be something I’d normally order. I’m happy that it was ordered.
The fourth dish that was ordered was the Pork Belly. Think of the dinner version of Bacon and Eggs. This was the perfect example of what that would be. It was a nice piece of Pork Belly with a Poached Egg, Charred Ramps, and Pork Jus. One thing I can say about this piece of Pork is that it wasn’t as salty as I’d imagine it to be. It was a little salty but savory at the same time. The yolk flavor of the egg to go along with the Charred Ramps and Pork Jus worked hand in hand with each other. I had to slow myself down while eating this dish, because at times I had to remind myself to look up and breathe. This dish was perfect, and there aren’t too many adjectives for you to understand how well this dish was.
The fifth dish that was ordered was the Pig Snout. A very interesting dish, but was well worth the try. It was accompanied with an egg salad that taste like your grandmother would’ve made it, after waking up from a four-hour nap. I have no idea why I ordered Pig snout, but I’m glad I did. It was pretty fatty, and had the taste of a small piece of rib tip. This was my first time ordering this dish or a dish as similar so of course I had to try something new.
The last dish that was ordered was the Duck Breast. It consisted of duck, baby spring vegetables, and ramp pistou jus. This was my first time trying duck Medium rare, but not on purpose. It was because the waiter didn’t ask me how I’d like my duck prepared, but I take blame in that too because I didn’t inform him how I’d like for it to be prepared. Oh well, I tried it, and I can honestly say I’ll never order that shit again. Well, not the duck, I’m talking about the way it was prepared. The baby spring vegetables were good, a nice healthy side to go with the duck, but the way the duck looked I couldn’t mentally get it over it being medium rare. There were some medium cooked pieces that I was able to try and enjoyed but next time I’ll be more cognizant of how I’d like my meat prepared.
Overall, this restaurant is a please go to! Everything was amazing. There was nothing negative I had to say about this restaurant, and at any given time it sits no more than 26 people at once. Make sure you get there when they open! Also, let me know what you think when you decide to go!
SavoryTravels 