One of the newest neighborhood restaurants is a hidden gem: The Reserve.
Chef Sammy Davis will be featured in the upcoming issue of Baltimore magazine as a chef to watch. Recently featured on Chopped, Davis is adventurous in his flavors and presentation. After about 2 months at the restaurant, the menu is still evolving (and don’t expect that to change!) with equal parts modern cuisine and whimsy.
When the chef hand delivers cupcakes to start your evening, you know you are in for a fun time.
Chef Sammy Davis presented us with these wonderful cupcakes. But we forgot to take a picture before. So, this is the after. First scent was real cocoa. The last bite was heaven.
Still slightly warm from the oven, these marbled and moist cakes stalwartly support a cocoa-rich frosting that is reminiscent of mom making homemade brownies from scratch.
You will want to try several things on the menu. Word to the wise, even if you are starving, the BBQ Chicken Nachos are overwhelmingly large. You will need at least 4 people to share them to move on to the dinner round. They are layered well with smoky roasted chicken (tasted like a smoked sausage), spicy barbecue sauce, several types of peppers and cheese on every morsel. I could have done with fewer peppers. The barbecue sauce has enough heft to carry the spice of the dish.
The Jumbo Shrimp appetizer arrived on a beautiful array of fresh carrots, bean sprouts and freshly fried shredded won ton wrappers. Nestled among cucumber barely tossed in a sweet and spicy Vietnamese sauce, the shrimp are flash fried in the thinnest tempura coating imaginable. Perfectly cooked, the flavors complemented the shrimp without being too sweet or too spicy. Imagine an Asian taco salad.
This is a jumbo shrimp dish with a spicy Asian dressing. Danny called it deconstructed sushi. I thought it was an Asian taco salad. Either way, it was lovely.
Lastly (and perhaps some of the last served in the restaurant), the duck tacos are going to be replaced with something new. (Stay tuned!) But worth a note.
Delightful roasted duck tacos.
Warm shredded duck, green onions, spicy Asian reduction and a creamy aioli. Not much to say here except I’m sad they won’t be a fixture.
Keep an eye on both restaurant and chef.
Of equal importance, the beer and wine were well chosen. Something for everyone, and very little of the run of the mill. Federal Hill is known for eclectic beer collections. This place rises to the competition. More on that in a future post.
The Reserve is located in South Baltimore on Light Street. You can follow The Reserve on Facebook for weekly updates.
Devouring Federal Hill 