Woodberry Kitchen
2010 Clipper Park Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21211
410-464-8000
www.woodberrykitchen.com

American | $$$

On a recent visit to Baltimore our friend Elizabeth treated us to dinner at Woodberry Kitchen, a fun busy place. From the moment we sat down everything was in motion and our waiter arrived promptly to take drink orders. My iced tea had a wonderful flavor with a hint of lavender.

Bread is made fresh daily and came with a sweet creamy butter.

They offer an array of Chesapeake Oysters iced on the half shell or wood-roasted. Our first appetizer was the wood-roasted Voyager, an oyster with Madeira Cream, Browned Onions, and City Ham. The salty taste of the ham was a perfect complement to the smoky flavor of the wood-roasted oyster.

Our second oyster appetizer was the Mason-Dixon, an oyster with Internal Remedy and Trickling Springs Butter. I do not understand what Internal Remedy is but this smooth buttery oyster was delicious.

Elizabeth had this Wheat Berry Salad with Put-up Tomato Dressing, Shallot, Basil, ‘Feta,’ Miner’s Lettuce, and Bread Crumbs which she liked a lot.

My wife tried the Hoopers Island Oyster Stew with Trickling Springs Cream & Butter, Espelette Pepper, and Oyster Crackers. This was a nice mild creamy soup with the Espelette Pepper not tremendously spicy. I am not a huge oyster fan and after the appetizers and a taste of the soup I was done. Not so for my wife who having grown up on the Bay when Chesapeake Oysters were plentiful was still looking for more.

For her entrée my wife went with a fried oyster dish. My streak had arrived so I didn’t give them a second look. She was quiet and smiling so I’m sure they were as good as the 3 previous oyster dishes.

Elizabeth decided on the Hatteras Island, NC Albacore Tuna with Sweet Potatoes, Mushrooms, Lamb’s Lettuce, and spicy nectarine dressing. What looks like a dead ringer for eggplant is white sweet potato. She said her tuna was very good.

My entrée was the Liberty Delight 14oz New York Strip with Potato & Cheddar Gratin and WK Streak Sauce. The salt and pepper char on my steak was perfect. The Woodberry Kitchen Steak Sauce had a nice flavor but I have always felt quality meats cooked right need no sauces. The last thing I want to do is mask the wonderful flavor. The Potato & Cheddar Gratin was ideal. The cheddar was mild and bound the dish together nicely.

By the time we finished our entrées it was late and there was not enough light for dessert photos. When it comes time for dessert I always ask for Butterscotch Pudding. It is a rare menu item but Woodberry Kitchen offers it. Smooth and full bodied, it was gone in an instant. This is when I realized I had one complaint about Woodberry Kitchen, they need bigger bowls.

From wait staff to kitchen staff everyone moved with precision and speed. You can see the open kitchen from most of the restaurant. I counted 9 staff in the kitchen with the chef. I have no idea how many wait staff there is. Most were men, they all wore plaid shirts, many had beards, and they looked like brothers. Luckily our waiter anticipated our needs and I did not need to scan the restaurant looking for him. The noise level was high at 79 decibels but it was a busy Saturday night. I suspect they are busy most nights so reservations are a good idea and are available through OpenTable.

The restaurant is a great space in the renovated historic Clipper Mill. In North Baltimore just above Druid Park and the zoo, it’s not an easy place to find. Trust your GPS and follow the Uber cars, you can’t miss it.