829 Frederick Road
Catonsville, MD 21228(410) 788-0005
catonsvillegourmet.com Erin and I had heard rumblings about this relatively new place for a few months. I had read a brief review of Catonsville Gourmet in the Baltimore City Paper at the beginning of September. Erin had gotten a recommendation from a co-worker. So, we finally decided to see what the buzz was about. This review covers two separate visits within 3 weeks of each other. We liked it so much; we had to come back again.
The restaurant occupies a space that used to be a hardware store in old Catonsville. There is plenty of easy street parking and a medium size lot behind the restaurant. The décor is fresh and welcoming. The host stand wasn’t occupied on either visit, but within 60 seconds of entering, we were greeted. On our first visit, it was a slow evening, so we were sat immediately. Our second visit was on a bust Saturday night. We were quoted a 30-45 minute wait. It ended up being only 15 minutes. We hung out at the bar area while our table opened up. Now would be a good time to mention that Catonsville Gourmet does not have a permit to sell alcohol. But they allow you to bring your own. Excellent! We knew this prior to our first visit, which was another reason we were eager to try it out. There is a flat $5 per table fee for being served your own beer and wine. In my opinion, that is a very reasonable charge. The server will happily keep your beer or wine on ice in the bar area while you eat. This makes me very happy, as many great restaurants in this area have a less than stellar beer selection. We did feel silly walking in with a mini-cooler. But, everyone else comes equipped as well.
On to the food! Please remember this encompasses two separate visits. We started with appetizers on our first visit. We got the East Coast Oyster Sampler, which gave us two each of the following: Beau Soliels (New Brunswick Bay), Chincoteague’s (Tom’s Cove, VA), Conway Cups (Foxley River, PEI), Island Creek (Duxbury, MA) and Mystics (Noank, CT). These were served on ice, in alphabetical order moving clockwise, with a side of fresh lemon and spicy cocktail sauce. They oysters were all extremely fresh and tasty. Though, a few were a bit gritty and had shell fragments toward the lip. I would have appreciated a shucking job that was a little more careful. For another appetizer we split the Clams & Mussels Andouille. We are fans of steamed mussels with broth. So, adding clams and Andouille sausage to the party made this a no-brainer. The clams and mussels were steamed, and each had a nice fresh taste to them; rich and sweet on both accounts. I was really pleased that they used real Andouille, at least it seemed this way.. Many restaurants simply use a spicy kielbasa or some other generic sausage; this is certainly not the case with Catonsville Gourmet. The garlic butter was ok. A side of fresh bread to dip into the broth accompanied this plate. We have definitely had better. In fact, if you like steamed mussels, go to John Steven’s Ltd. in Fell’s Point for the best around! But, if you took the broth from John Steven’s and added the mussels, clams and Andouille from Catonsville you’d have the perfect appetizer, in my opinion.
For an entrée on our first visit, we split the Halibut St. Martin from the daily specials menu. We were told that this always seems to be on the specials menu, so it may eventually become a full time menu member. The halibut was pan seared and crusted with macadamia, almond and kettle chips. The fish was a nice healthy fillet. The texture of the crust combined with the moderate density of the fillet was just a perfect combination. A topping of “Caribbean salsa” was a nice sweet touch. As a side, this was served with fingerling potatoes and a vegetable medley. Both were nicely seasoned and perfectly cooked.
As stated before, our second visit brought us back three weeks later. This time with friends who have been here several times. We skipped appetizers this time around as we had wine and cheese with our friends prior to heading out for the night. We ordered and split the Sesame Sea Bass and the Maryland Soft Crabs. I have had sea bass several times, and it remains my favorite fish. We were told by our waitress that this is the best dish they serve. The fish is crusted with white and black sesame seeds and topped with an “Asian BBQ and Cusabi drizzle”. This fish was crusted and cooked perfectly. The sauce had a sweet-soy-ginger taste to it. This reminded me of an Ahi Tuna dish that a chef at one of our favorite restaurants (Oz. Chophouse in Fulton, MD. R.I.P.) had prepared for our wedding reception. I would never have thought to cook sea bass with this Asian influence. This was really well prepared. I would order again without hesitation. The soft shell crabs have always been a fear of mine. I am a Maryland boy, through and through. Steamed crabs in the summer is a regular thing for me. But, the softies always freaked me out. Just imagining the texture kept me away. You eat the whole thing, shell and all? But, knowing the quality of the ingredients and the talent of the kitchen here in Catonsville, I figured I’d given them a shot. Two medium to small crabs were lightly fried with a tempura batter and served with a Creole mustard aioli sauce. These were spectacular. The crabs were meaty for their size and the light crispiness of the batter did not overwhelm the taste. The sauce drizzle added just enough kick to keep things interesting. Balance is key here, and this one delivered.
Deserts are not made in house; they are contracted out through Sugar Bakers (www.sugarbakerscakes.com), another Catonsville business. I like the idea of small local businesses teaming up. On our first visit we order the Smith Island Cake and the Chocolate Top Cheesecake. With Smith Island cake, we are sort of biased. Erin is from the Eastern shore and knows what the real deal is. I have had the real stuff made by the ladies of Smith Island a few times myself. Seven to eight layers of thin yellow cake with chocolate fudge icing. If we had no prior experience with the style of cake, we’d have given this version a solid A grade. But, knowing the real thing, this was simply mediocre. The cheesecake was pretty good. Graham cracker crust and chocolate ganache with a very rich and not too-sweet cheesecake makes this one a winner.
I will revisit the BYOB policy here. We asked our server about their plans to get a liquor permit. She said that there were no immediate plans to pursue this as they have gotten a lot of business as a result of this BYOB policy. Patrons are willing to spend more money on food by ordering appetizers and dessert since they aren’t spending as much on drinks. I also imagine that the tips add up more as well. $5 flat fee is really cheap. You can bring and drink as much as you like, whether it’s 2 people or a table of 12. For both visits we brought several bottles of some of our favorite craft beer. These are brews that most places won’t have in bottles, let alone have them flowing on tap. This policy alone makes me a loyal customer. Finally, a place for a picky beer snob!
Overall I would give our combined experiences here a grade of A-. The items keeping this from a solid “A” would be the mediocre Smith Island Cake (which isn’t made in house) and the appetizers which leave some room for improvement. I’m really being picky here, so don’t let that keep you from visiting this fine establishment. Everything else was fantastic. We can’t wait to go back soon!
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