Dining Out: Duck the specialty pizza
by Lynn Williams
maindish@baltimoreguide.com
Why did my visit to Junior’s Wine Bar leave me feeling so cranky?
Maybe it was too early. The Federal Hill newcomer, which combines the spaces that formerly housed Vespa bistro and Muhly’s bakery, is large and modern, and seemed cavernous in the early evening, before the dinner crowd began to trickle in. The handsome front room, with its tobacco suede banquettes and brushed-copper tabletops, might sparkle at night, but, underpopulated as it was, seemed rather forlorn.
Maybe it was the weather. It was one of those gloomy March days, and the ambient light was pale and murky. Things might have been cozier in the back room, which has a lounge with leather couches, but up front it was definitely chilly. I kept my jacket on during dinner.
Or maybe it was the food. The things we tried were, for the most part, not disastrous, but I never felt I was getting the best that the kitchen had to offer. Hmm, I kept thinking, maybe I should have ordered the roasted Cornish hen, or the lobster ravioli…
A baby arugula salad ($6) featured tangy, well-dressed greens and crisply fried onions, a fetching combination. The tomatoes, however, were pale and tasteless—why do restaurants keep offering tomatoes in winter, and why do I keep ordering them?—and the vinaigrette, while very nice, was certainly not a “roasted tomato gorgonzola dressing.” Gorgonzola is not a mild-mannered cheese. If Gorgonzola is in the house, you know it.
The spring roll with five-spiced braised chicken ($9) was also a bit misleading. This was not a delicate spring roll, but a big, old-school fried eggroll. It was presented more attractively than the usual Chinese restaurant variety, though, with fresh greens and a lovely sauce with sweet gingery top notes and an underlying spicy-mustard burn.
My husband, who adores both pasta and squid, was seduced by the pappardelle with calamari meatballs ($17). The concept sounded sketchy to me, but the meatballs actually worked: they were tender, springy, not overly laden with filler, and actually tasted like calamari. They topped flat ribbons of pasta in a tomato-basil sauce. It doesn’t sound like a rich dish, but the portion, though not large, was very filling.
The braised duck pizza, though, was complete misfire. The crust was obviously hand-shaped, but was bland and leaden, and the toppings (cheese, caramelized onions and rosemary balsamic glaze, dotted with blobs of sweet, fatty, gooey duck) managed to be both cloying and salty. And was the cheese really Stilton? I doubt it; like Gorgonzola, this is not a shy cheese. I managed a slice; my husband ate half a slice. The rest was boxed to go, and given to a homeless guy on Charles Street.
We both liked the apple tart with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. A lot of it was crust, but the pastry was first rate. And then there was the chocolate crème brulée. Now, I wouldn’t kick any crème brulée off the table, but to my mind anything chocolate, especially if it’s served in an espresso cup, should be the color of espresso, not soy latté.
There’s no lack of things to like about Junior’s, including irresistible foccaccia, a young and attractive clientele and, of course, a variety of wine specials. And our waitress, Stacy, was an absolute sweetheart. I’m sure this place has an enthusiastic fan base. It’s just not me—at least when I’m in a cranky mood.
Junior’s Wine Bar
1117 S. Charles St.
Open 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sun.,
Tues.-Thurs.,
5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Fri-Sat.
Phone: 410-727-1212
Our dinner for two: $66.78
The Latest Dish…
Now that the Ides of April are fast approaching, citizens are thinking about how to keep taxes from taking too big a bite out of their funds. The Blue Sea Grill has taken a novel approach to the issue by instituting Tea Party Tuesdays – “tea party” as in tax revolt, not Earl Grey and crumpets. On Tuesdays through Tax Day (April 15) the seafood restaurant, at 614 Water Street, will deduct the amount of state sales tax on each check. For reservations, call 410-837-7300.
