By Am I the only one that gets excited about a new restaurant opening? You get to see first hand what the place is all about with no recommendations or influence. I hate being impelled in believing that the experience I’m going to have will be a significant one. New restaurants can sometimes be a curse more than a gift. You have one chance to prove that your establishment is worth squawking over, and if it doesn’t blow patrons away, mom always said if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say it at all.
Cured, which is located off of Granchester Way in Columbia, MD, is a fairly new restaurant (from this date less than a month) that approaches the concept of neighborhood comfort food with a fresh perspective. The interior of this restaurant is absolutely stunning. It looks like your typical high-end restaurant. Dim lights, high ceilings, and white table cloths. During my visit I was able to indulge in five items. Avocado Toast, Short Rib Hash, Shrimp and Grits, Cream Chipped Beef, and Eggs Benedict.
I’ll start off with the Avocado Toast and Short Rib Hash. The Avocado Toast consisted of multigrain bread, feta cheese, and baby greens. I’m not sure if baby greens goes along with Avocado Toast due to the fact that the Avocado is supposed to be the highlight of the dish. The toast was surrounded by so many greens that you would’ve argued you were eating a big ass crouton. The feta cheese was fresh, and the multigrain bread was very hearty, but the overall dish didn’t impress me. The toast was a bit hard and would’ve done great for someone who needed to use the restroom regularly. The next dish was the Short Rib Hash. It consisted of fingerling potatoes, caramelized onions, avocado, gruyere cheese, and a sunny side up quail egg. The dish needed more seasoning and spices. Something was missing. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but something was missing. The overall dish was missing meat, which should’ve been the highlight of the show, but was surrounded by a bunch of starch and a slice or two of avocado. The quail egg was a bit over-cooked because when I cut into it, the yolk didn’t run out. If you’re looking for a dish with shredded beef, then this is the dish for you.
The next three dishes consisted of Shrimp and Grits, Chipped Beef, and Eggs Benedict. The Shrimp and Grits plate was a little sloppy and had a bunch of inconsistencies. The grits were lumpy and under-cooked and I’m not sure why baby spinach was added to the dish. The spinach didn’t go with anything that was presented and the tomato bacon jus looked as though it was just put on the dish because it matched the color of the shrimp. No flavor, lack of effort, poor execution. The next dish was the Chipped Beef. This dish wasn’t too bad, except for the biscuts tasted like they were bought at Popeyes. How did I know they were purchased from Popeyes? Because my throat started to appreciate water while I was eating them. The Chipped Beef tasted like virginia ham smothered in gravy, but this dish wasn’t what I expected at all. The last dish was the Eggs Benedict. This dish was my favorite of the day. A perfectly poached egg to go along with prosciutto on top of a house made pretzel. This dish was perfect. Great seasonings, soft bun, and the right amount of yolk to drip out the egg once you cut it open.
Overall, this restaurant is a hard pass. There still needs to be a bunch of adjustments, but I would check this restaurant out at your own risk. That’s the risk of going to a newly opened establishment. Your expectations are high, so therefore, you expect more.
SavoryTravels 