Dining Out: Great seafood, but Kali’s should court vegetarians too
by Lynn Williams
maindish@baltimoreguide.com
“You can’t break up with me! I took you to Tio Pepe!”
A friend of mine received this complaint when she dared to dump the boyfriend who had fêted her at that era’s big-deal restaurant. And I would imagine that a man of today would feel similarly aggrieved were he to get the bad news after a dinner at Kali’s Court.
Kali’s is, first of all, richly romantic; its dining room is one of Baltimore’s most elegant, from the theatrical red velvet curtain at the entrance to the wealth of dark Victorian mahogany, but in the warm weather the place to be is beneath an umbrella on the sigh-worthy flower-decked patio. (I’d venture a guess that this spot has prompted many a proposal.)
Then, too, there’s the fact that a dinner at Kali’s is quite an investment. With four suggested courses, entrees in the thirties and a caviar du jour, you’re certain to drop a large chunk of change here. On my most recent visit there were seven of us, including four musicians equipped with the gift certificates they had earned for playing a wedding. We had $300 in certificates, but still managed to go over budget by $200. Oops.
The good news is that we all thoroughly enjoyed our meals—with the exception of my vegetarian teen. While Mezze, Kali’s’ sister restaurant next door, offers abundant vegetarian fare, choices here are limited to an appetizer, a la carte vegetables, and a couple of fancy salads. While the cheese ravioli app had a lot to recommend it, including a light and beautiful herb coulis and meaty strips of trumpet mushroom as garnish, the filling was a goat cheese. Although chevre is no longer a rarity, it really should be specified on menus, as people who don’t like goat cheese really don’t like goat cheese.
As Kali’s is billed as a seafood restaurant with a Mediterranean flavor, most of our selections, appetizers and entrees alike, involved fish in some form. My husband lucked out spectacularly with the marinated grilled calamari, slightly smoky and exceedingly tender, tossed with red-onion and apple “slaw.” I wasn’t quite so fortunate with my albino anchovy salad; I adore anchovies, and these were the best I’ve tasted, but the truffle vinaigrette-dressed greens lacked oomph.
Our entrees—his pasta with shrimp, my soft crab duo—both boasted enormous, impeccably fresh shellfish, simply but expertly sauced. I also managed to also cadge a bite from one of our dining companions, who ordered the lone meat item, a pairing of filet and short ribs. They melted in the mouth, but I wouldn’t be tempted away from the seafood. In fact, I think the happiest people at the table were the three who ordered the fresh whole fish, grilled with oil and lemon in the Greek manner—the dish that made Kali’s famous.
Baklava might have put a traditional finish on our dinner, but when the alternative is crème brulée with molten chocolate beneath its crunchy shell…well, decadence trumps tradition every time.
The Latest Dish…
In the summer, don’t we all wish we could have a long, leisurely working-day lunch down by the harbor? If you’re lucky enough to manage it, you’ll find a new place to dine: Lebanese Taverna, the family-owned Middle Eastern chain that opened this spring at 719 S. President Street, has started doing lunches. Lunch hours are noon to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; a special lunch package offers a sandwich, house salad, fries and a soda for $9, but you can also choose from an extensive menu of mezza and entrees. There’s even a children’s menu!
We were saddened to read about the recent death of Michelle Dean, co-owner of Fells Point’s Timothy Dean Bistro, and wife of its namesake chef. Saddened, and a little shocked too, as Mrs. Dean was only 38 years old. Condolences to the family, and to the Deans’ many restaurant friends.
