Carma’s Café

Carma’s Café

This past weekend (March 23, 2012) I finally tried a local Café that I pass by at least once a week (since 2005), Carma’s Café tucked away in Charles Village community. Is Carma’s Café worth a trip to eat and relax with friends?  The simple answer is…. You have to read the whole review.  Carma’s Café is located in Charles Village on 32nd Street between Charles & St Paul closer to the St. Paul Street.  Seating is available outside or inside, it’s a combination for spring/summer/fall evenings you can sit outside enjoy the breeze. Parking is tricky so be prepared to walk. Once inside the lighting is low but comfortable almost like instant relaxation.  The specials are located off to the right and written on plates.  Along with the breakfast menu is on the chalkboard in the center, which includes Icelandic Granola and frittatas.  They offer several delicious beverages from sweet tea, tea lattes, to Hot Chocolate.  

As I stated previously, I finally decided to stop in and try some of their food.  I have always walked by eying the people who ate there, everyone I saw seemed to enjoying themselves. I would be slightly envious because I was always in a rush to work or school to stop and try the food.  I must say, I love excellent customer service. The cashier was friendly and patient with me, while I decided what to order from the menu for at least 5 minutes. I end up ordering the Apple Alexander Sandwich and a side salad (I am a sucker for apples and cheese combos), Sweet tea with a wild berry syrup, a mini black bottom cupcake and a pink Dalmatians cookie. My entire meal was 10.87.

Now to the good part my salad was cool but was lacking some oomph but it's a field salad with one olive. I was not sure if I was supposed to have more than one olive or not. The sandwich was sufficient the sandwich had granny smith apples, honey and Brie melted on ciabatta bread. I would have loved more apples and honey. The sweet tea with wild berry Morin flavor was sweet and good and the wild berry made feel like I was drinking an special made Arizona tea. 

The best part of the meal was the Pink Dalmatian cookie! It was the best part of all good things sweet! The white chocolate chips were huge but played off the tangy flavor of the cranberries. I loved the cookies so much I went back and brought a dozen of Dalmatian cookies and a hot Chocolate. I am not proud to say this I almost ate a dozen cookies in one sitting. Overall, go try the pink Dalmatian cookie it is amazing.  The food is pretty good for a quick evening meal. I enjoyed the atmosphere of Carma’s Café. They also offer breakfast all day and have some vegan friendly options such as the split pea soup.

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Ra Ra Ra Oh La La... Sushi!

Please forgive the next cheesy expression “Ra, Ra, Ra, ah, ah/ Yum Yum, umm umm/ Gaga oh la la/ Want some Good sushi!” If you noticed this was suppose to be a verse from Lady Gaga Bad Romance. But in turn I talked about Good Sushi! I had the honor and privilege to go to Ra Sushi earlier this month.  From my previous post, one would gather I love sushi. I do love sushi, it one of the few things I can eat due to diet restrictions and I can enjoy it like a fat kid loves cake (line from 21 questions by 50 cent).  My coworker had a ½ birthday gift card from Ra sushi and she invited me. (Another reason to love RA they give 1/2 birthday gift certificates!)

            

When we first arrived, the restaurant seemed busy and super fast paced, the whole restaurant was crowded. I was expecting a long wait, but the hostess quickly found us a table and was pleasant the whole time. We were seated, within seconds our server came over with a smile on her face and greeted us enthusiastically. She showed us the happy hour specials, along with the regular menu, and drink menu. She asked if we wanted anything to drink and offered suggestions such as the "Blushing Geisha" which includes cold lemonade mixed with Skyy Raspberry vodka, raspberry liqueur & Sprite. I was unable to try this one since I had to drive, but it sounds marvelous!

 The cool thing about Ra is they have two kitchens that the food comes out so your entries come out at different speeds. So you never know which item you order will come out first.  The vibe of the restaurant will remind you of a fast pace New York City Restaurant. It is very crowded and loud but still intimate with the lighting. The music played is top 40 with different DJ mixes.  Lets get to the good part of review , the food!!!

Wasabi Mash Potatoes

I love Mash Potatoes some places either make them too bland, too salty or rely to heavily on seasoning. I will be honest I was skeptical of putting wasabi in mash potatoes but the Chefs at RA proved me wrong. The potatoes were soft and fluffy. The wasabi flavor did not over power my taste buds and was a surprise burst of flavor at the end of each bite. The reaction in my mouth went like this potatoes, hints of garlic and butter than BAM Wasabi!!!!  I loved how each bit followed the same formula. This was one dish that was left spotless. 

PINEAPPLE CHEESE WONTONS

Pineapple Cheese Wontons is a twist on the classic Wonton. It was pineapple over top of cream cheese fried to a delicate crisp factor. I loved the sweetness of the pineapple with a little hint of heat. I wasn’t thrilled by the pineapple dipping sauce was but I the wontons were very delicious and tasty. 

CRAZY MONKEY ROLL

The Crazy Monkey Roll is Smoked salmon, mango and cream cheese topped with avocado, red beet tempura bits & cashews; drizzled with mango and sweet eel sauces. I must be honest the first taste is shocking like its slimy and sweet it plays with your taste buds. I do not remember the Salmon but I do remember the sweetness of the Mango and Avocado. This is for the Brave foodie, if you are not brave than stick with the traditional rolls. I enjoyed the Crazy Monkey but I do not think I will re-order it; there are just too many other rolls to try.  The sauce used on the roll was slightly overpowered by the mango but it was still enjoyable.

GARLIC SUGAR SNAP PEAS

Sugar snap peas were sautéed in an Asian seasoning and garlic.  This was another appetizer that was sampled while at RA. The Sugar Snap were okay, nothing really amazing or great about them. They tasted like sugar snap peas in garlic butter.  I ended up taking most of the plate home to eat as leftovers. If you get an appetizer try the pineapple wontons or the Wasabi Mash potatoes.

I don't know remember which Roll this was so this is the end of this post.

Ra Sushi does have a number of events coming up for February!

Sushi 101 - Feb. 12 at 2PM

RA Sushi’s crash course in sushi. Class includes sushi rolling lessons, a beverage, edamame, miso soup and a pre-stamped lunch card good for a complimentary lunch.

Mardi RA - 2/21

Join us in the RA and celebrate Fat Tuesday as we bring you a taste of the Big Easy. From 7 p.m. to close, dress in your favorite Mardi Gras attire and come celebrate….“Mardi RA” style.

Sushi 102 - Feb. 26 at 2PM

Want to take sushi making to the next level? Introducing Sushi 102, a class exploring the art and technique of sushi making, Japanese etiquette and sake pairings. 

Every Sunday From 8 pm-12 am they have Flying Fish Lounge. 

http://www.rasushi.com/baltimore

Sushi! Sushi! Sushi! A review of Joss Sushi and Cafe'

What the best way to End 2011? SUSHI!!!!

So last year as my last hoorah(sp.) with friends I invited all my close friends out to get happy hour sushi.   I must confess I love Sushi!  I have been to almost 50% of Sushi restaurants in the Greater Baltimore area. Last year I had the honor of going to Joss Sushi located at 413 North Charles Street.  So when you first enter the ambiance is peaceful and quiet. The Sushi bar is located to your right, with tables around the restaurant. Joss has two levels with the restrooms located downstairs. Now in order to get Happy hour prices you have to sit at the bar.  The menu was extensive with some creative items.   Below is the California Hand Roll and signature happy hour drink. The signature Happy Hour Drink was a Raspberry Vodka mixed with Sprite. Both were very yummy, but the hand Roll was delicious. I love how they took a traditional roll and made it like an ice cream cone. I didn’t need any soy sauce and this roll filled me up quite nicely. 

Next up the Scallop Wontons:  When the server brought them out they were artfully placed on the plate with wasabi sauce around them. I must say they came out the kitchen piping hot.  Each wonton burst with flavor and deliciousness. Furthermore, each wonton was just the right amount of crispy and was not over oily. I would suggest this dish to anyone who visits Joss. 

Finally the best part of the meal dessert.  I shared a dessert with one of my friends which were the Fried Banana Tempura with Vanilla Ice Cream.  I am not a fried banana person, but this was actually quite tasty. Again the dessert was brought out still hot and fresh out of the kitchen. The banana held its flavor and did not just taste like fried dough.  I actually enjoyed every bite and would go back to get this a second time or at least try the fried Cheesecake which also was on the menu. 

So overall I really enjoyed everything on the menu I ate. My Friends seem to enjoy their food also. For service I will say 3.9 out 5 smiles. The server was very knowledgeable and was prompt.  The chef at the bar was also nice. I must be honest I made him blush several times either from embarrassment or because of my jokes. I would definitely suggest Joss Sushi as a first date place it quiet and it would be easy to hear each other.  During Happy hour the prices are decent it will not break you budget, but in order to get Happy Hour Prices you must sit at the bar. The drinks are okay not too strong but nothing super memorable.  The food and company was the shining spot of the night.  If you want a chill first date during early spring and even summer this is an excellent place to go. You can go for a walk up to the Washington Monument and sit and talk.  I hope this review is helpful and I hope you will go try Joss Sushi and Café. 

Joe Squared Pizza, huh?

So, what do you do when you have a broken fridge, no food in the house, two hungry warriors, and one food Groupon? You use the Groupon and yay lovely food! Luckily yesterday Groupon had a great deal for one 16in pizza and one 2-liter soda from Joe Squared pizza for $14. I have always wanted to try them out, but never had the time to go to their North Avenue location. Now they have a new location in Power Plant Live and our Groupon was set for this one; perfect opportunity to try some good pizza. Well that's what I thought anway.

I don’t know who crowned Joe Squared the best pizza in Maryland, but I feel like I need to ask them where they have been getting their pizza from. This was a sad sad foodie moment for me, because I truly was excited to try their pizza only to find that it was not worth the hype. This sad story starts with us ordering our items over the phone and driving down to pick them up. The ordering process was painless; the girl took the Groupon with no issues. We ordered their meatballs and spaghetti pizza, mozzarella balls, and sausage and carrot risotto. I was a little sad with the lack of any sweets on their menu, but honestly when you go to a spot like this you’re more interested in the alcohol and hot chicks waitressing then you are the food. No I mean you HAVE to be interested in something else because this pizza was uninspiring. I’m going to take this review slow just so you can get a feel of how mad kid I am over this.

I will start with the spaghetti and meatball pizza which is one their signature pizzas. It’s a thin crust square pizza with red sauce, oregano, meatballs, onion, roasted red peppers, spaghetti, parmigiano, romano, asiago and mozzarella cheeses. With all of this on it you would think this pizza would have some kind of taste to it, but it was bland. This was probably due to the spaghetti to sauce ratio. They had too much pasta and not enough sauce or season to counteract the blandness of the pasta. I’m sure the “meatballs” was supposed to help with that, but their meatballs were just ground hamburger sprinkled lightly across the pie. I mean come on if you’re going to try something different and call it a signature item then that signature item should be spot on every time. This made me wish I would have just ordered Papa John’s and called it a night.

The mozzarella balls were just as tasteless as the pizza. It comes with a generous amount of red sauce to coat them on, but it really does not save the taste. The star of this whole meal was the sausage and carrot risotto. This small little tube of creamy goodness SAVED this meal for me, and is the only reason I will ever grace Joe Squared doors again. It was cooked perfectly with a nice creamy smoked Gouda and tasty amount of sausage that kept my tummy so happy.

All in all I am underwhelmed by this place, and I have GOT to ask why anyone would vote this best pizza in Maryland. Zella’s Pizzaria is not too far from Power Plant Live, you can hop on the orange circulator to get to it. Their piazza is AWESOME and oh so under talked about; probably because of the location of their venue or maybe because they don’t pander too much to the drunken college crowd? (Yes they do have a bar that serves alcohol, but you don’t have to put with the asses that I had to put up with just trying to get into Joe Squared. Plus Zella’s has dessert, you can’t beat dessert.) I don’t know what it is, but you have to be drinking something funny to think this pizza is the top anything in this city let alone all of Maryland. Thanks guys… thanks for wasting my Saturday. ::sadface::