This is a restaurant that has excellent food and a creative touch, with the small plates and appetizers particularly worthy of note. Located halfway between the Baltimore and DC beltways, this restaurant is local to me but I'd be willing to travel to dine there.
It's a great place to get very good food and drink in a convivial atmosphere.
So Good It's Bad For You
I'll start with the poutine, my guilty pleasure. As near as I can tell their take on this Canadian comfort food is unique and a bit more refined than its progenitor, but all I can say is it's too darn good to be good for me.
Poutine is simply french fries with cheese curds and gravy, but Victoria Gastro Pub has pushed each of the elements upscale: they use duck fat fries, Gruyere cheese, duck confit, duck gravy, and sprinkle some spring onions on top.
(I just made myself hungry.)
I once estimated that this combination probably runs at least 1000 calories, or half my daily intake, since it's really intended for 2-3 people, but I order it every time I go.
Appetizers
The menu varies somewhat, and some of my favorites seem to be either seasonal or temporary. Victoria's strength definitely lies in their appetizers and entree salads, which are flavorful, creative, and often large enough to make a meal in themselves.
I love their Prince Edward Island Mussels, where a beer-based broth is accented with garlic, cilantro, orange peel, and chili de arbol. This combination provides a nice kick to the steamed mussels, and is also great to sop up with the bread.
The pork spare ribs in Mongolian BBQ sauce are also pretty good, if you like a hoisin-style sauce. I've liked most of their other appetizers too, and I thought the cold tomato-based gazpacho soup I had there last week was simply phenomenal.
Entree Salads
I'm such a carnivore that I didn't try their entree salads for a while, but I still remember fondly a salad served with medallions of rare-cooked lamb that was fork tender. I don't care as much for the current incarnation that uses seared tuna, though I might try the duck confit version.
Ultimately, these salads are more like a combined meat entree and large salad, and make for a satisfying repast.
Main Entrees
For some reason the main entrees don't stand out quite as much in my mind. The burgers are excellent, though I've found the steak, fish, chicken, and pasta main dishes to be more good than spectacular. Perhaps it's that they come across as a little more mainstream. Even so I've always enjoyed my meal here.
The Beer Club
I'm a light drinker but I should mention that Victoria Gastro Pub has an extensive if pricey selection of beer and wine, with a beer club that offers rewards for systematically sampling their beers from around the world. I've had some very good beer here but don't drink enough to pursue this.
They claim to have 24 beers on tap and over 100 in the bottle.
The Final Word
Victoria Gastro Pub is one of the places I recommend to out-of-town guests, and they consistently love the food. The menu is varied enough that everyone can find something that suits their palate, though I think it's wasted on kids.
Another thing I like is that they serve food even after 10 pm in the bar, making it a spot I can go for great food late at night. As Victoria Gastro Pub's clientele has built I've found it to be more consistently crowded, but I've yet to make a reservation for groups of 3 or less.
But I usually go off-peak and as Victoria Gastro Pub's popularity grows, reservations are probably a good idea, especially on weekend evenings.
Victoria Gastro Pub
8201 Snowden River Parkway [map]
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 750-1880
Hours:
Lunch: 7 Days a week 11am—5pm
Brunch: Sat. & Sun. 10am—2pm
Dinner: Sun. thru Thu. 5—10pm
Bar Menu 10— 12
Fri. & Sat. 5—11 pm
Bar Menu 11—1 am
No comments:
Post a Comment