Monday, December 8, 2008

The Charles Theater

The Charles Theater
1711 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD
410-727-FILM

We've driven by this theater many times and have always said, "We should go see a movie there" but never had the chance to go. After a year of living in Baltimore, we finally made it to The Charles to see a movie. Tickets are only $8.00 during the evenings and the concessions are also reasonably priced. We got a large popcorn and 2 bottles of water for a mere $9.00! Compared to the prices at the Landmark Theater in Harbor East, this place is a deal! However, this place is cash/check only so be sure to bring money with you! The theater is in an old, renovated building that once housed cable cars and street cars. It's got great character on the inside and is a great local business, unlike most of the corporate type movie theaters around town. Our first movie was Milk, starring Sean Penn. The movie was pretty good but we got there late and had to sit in the 2nd row, not all that great. Overall, I really like this theater and hope to go see more movies here soon!

Monday, December 1, 2008

The Brewer's Art

The Brewer's Art

1106 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-547-6925


Mon - Sat 4:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Sun 5:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Full Dinner Service at 5:30 PM


In honor of our one year anniversary of living in Baltimore, we dined at The Brewer's Art for the first time! Located in the Mount Vernon neighborhood, this restaurant has 3 distinct sections. The lower level is dedicated to a bar while the upstairs houses a lounge and a restaurant. We decided to get our dinner from the restaurant portion and we were not disappointed! We started out with the Duck Liver Mousse on Grilled Bread with Apple Chutney ($7) and the Pumpkin Risotto ($7). Both were good but the risotto was a little undercooked and the portion was a bit large for a starter. Second course was salads for us both, the Brewer's Art Caesar for Mr_BTM ($7) and the Roasted Heirloom Apples with Candied Nuts, Cheddar Cheese Brittle and Apple Cider Vinaigrette ($7). My salad was good but the Cheddar Cheese Brittle had no place on that dish. The cheese flavor didn't blend well with the bitter greens and the sweet apple. The Mr liked his Caesar and had it with extra anchovies. For our main course the Mr went for the Steak Frites with Rosemary Garlic Fries ($26) and I had the Baked Butternut Squash Ravioli served on a bed of winter greens ($18). The Mr's steak was a little tough but was cooked well and my ravioli was good and was delighted with the addition of the winter greens. The meal was good and the service was excellent. And the menu does change from time to time so next time there will be different selections, which I like.

But enough about the food, how was the beer? We both started with a pint of the St. Festivus, a brown ale brewed for the fall. The flavor was good but lacked depth and bite. For the second round I got the Resurrection Ale and Mr_BTM got the guest tap brew, which had a nice smooth taste and a strong aftertaste. It was the best beer we had all night. However, after living in the local brew pub capital of the world (I deem that place Portland, OR) the beer selection wasn't all that great but the few we did have were good enough but not great.