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Grille 700 at Baltimore Marriott Waterfront
The Baltimore Marriott Waterfront has to be one of the most convenient locations for a hotel around the Inner Harbor. Located in Harbor East, it is centrally located for guests to walk as far as Canton or Federal Hill in either direction without the need to use public transportation (although if it's a hot day, you may want to take the Circulator, especially if you're looking to go up around Mount Vernon/Charles Village). With all that there is to see and do in the area, one might scoff at eating in the hotel. And in our opinion, we'd recommend venturing out and experiencing the true B'more crab establishments. But if the weather isn't cooperating, or you've already been out and about (that walk from Federal Hill to Canton can be brutal to the uninitiated!), then you might want to consider staying in. There are other seafood options in Harbor East, so is it worth hanging out at the Marriott, or should you go elsewhere? Follow along and find out!
Menu may vary from day to day. Sample menu on the website does not reflect current pricing or selection. Only crab cakes on offer at the time of this review was the Maryland Crab Cakes platter, which serves 2 large jumbo lump crab cakes over wilted spinach, topped with a lemon mustard aioli and a choice of one side. Crab dip and butter is served alongside bread, which wasn't too bad.
After you scoff at the price and get your meal, the first thing you notice is the size of the crab cakes. Nice and big! (Doesn't hurt to get your money's worth in today's economy!) Once you sink your fork into the first one, you'll the notice the jumbo lumps of crab. Sweet, sweet Maryland blue crab. Overall, this is what we would consider a "saucy" crab cake, filled with lumps of jumbo crab, bread crumbs and sauce. Breadcrumbs are kept to a minimum, but not minimal; overall the texture and flavor goes well with everything. The sauce is a tad bit spicy, but not overpowering. There were some hints of onion that were a bit overpowering in those few bites, but the flavor isn't in the cake itself but transferred from the wilted spinach. While the aioli is drizzled over everything (spinach, crab cakes, asparagus), it really doesn't have much of a flavor, just more for presentation.
Overall, the cake is very well done. Could tone down the spice a little bit, as it does come across as a bit salty. Otherwise, the only other option is to use a little less sauce (but then you run the risk of serving a dry crab cake, which isn't ideal). Maybe just reduce it a smidge. Only other complaint was with the onion flavor from the spinach coming in contact with the crab cake. The onion is a bit overpowering, and if they could keep it separate from the cake, then it can let the diner choose if the flavors mingle or not.
Additional Info
- Restaurant Name: Grille 700
- Address: 700 Aliceanna St Baltimore, MD 21202
- Neighborhood: Harbor East
- Restaurant Type: Local
- Website: http://www.grille700.com
- Review Date: 05/19/2011 7:42pm
- Atmosphere: Not Busy
- Item(s) Ordered: Maryland Crab Cakes
- Cooking Style: Broiled
- Other Styles Available: No
- Available by mail order?: No
- Price: 33.00
- Order Type: Double Platter
- Crab Content: Jumbo Lump
- Filler: Average
- Spice: Above Average
- Overall Impression: Very Good
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Rating (out of 5 crabs):
