From start to finish, we loved our experience. Food was fresh, our courses were well-timed, and we were pleased with everything about our meal.
My fiancee and I found Bluestone online while looking for possible places to host our rehearsal dinner. Our wedding is in the Lutherville-Timonium area, and we wanted someplace convenient after we are there for the rehearsal. We decided to check it out, and have a meal there.
First of all, I have to say that I was impressed by the prompt response to my email inquiry. Before we even met with anyone, we were provided with a fixed-price menu that was EXACTLY along the lines of what I was thinking. When we arrived, we were greeted by Chuck, an event coordinator. He was very pleasant to talk with, and showed us to one of the group rooms. It's on the first floor (which is good, because my father is disabled and cannot go up stairs where the other room is), and very cozy. In fact, the whole restaurant is cozy! The decor is very classy, with cool colors, although the event room we booked also has a nice warmth to it. We told Chuck that we were happy with the accommodations, and that we would be having dinner and decide based on our meal. He assured us that we would love it and he was so confident in that that he was going to put in our reservation right away.
He was right. We loved it. Every last bite was pure amazing.
First of all, I must compliment the bartender. The long island iced tea that my fiancee ordered was PERFECT. It was not overly syrupy, and not too harsh. My fiancee hates gin - HATES it - but he actually forgot to order his long island without the gin (which he can normally taste as soon as he takes a sip). He got halfway through the drink before he realized he'd forgotten to say "no gin". So, kudos on the mixology skills, Bluestone!
We started with the Thai Calamari, which was light, crispy, and very unique in that instead of the usual crock of marinara that every restaurant seems to offer, it's a light, citrusy vinegar dipping liquid (I can't even call it a sauce). This is especially exciting for me, since I usually prefer just a squirt of lemon juice on my calamari!
Then we had the Bluestone salad. Warm brown-sugar bacon, pecans, and the greens were fresh and crisp! It was lightly dressed too, not overwhelmed by the dressing.
I had the Chilean Sea Bass and he had the Fillet and Crab Cake. Everything was AMAZING! The Chilean Sea Bass was a nice sized portion, flaky and fresh, not dry, with a very nice tomato-cream sauce on top. Honestly, the fish was wonderful even without the sauce (I liked the sauce, but my fiancee wasn't fond it, although he loved the fish once that was scraped aside). The fillet was grilled, had a very nice crust on it, and was cooked correctly. The CRAB CAKE was divine! Very little breading, and lots of large lumps of crab. Not bready, not greasy, and a very nice-sized portion.
Finally - DESSERT. I ordered creme brulee. It was perfect. PERFECT! Without a doubt the best creme brulee I have ever had (and this is one of my favorite desserts). Delicious and creamy, and the top was NOT BURNT! You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find a place that doesn't blacken the brulee. It was just the right amount of char, and a thin, crisp top layer. My fiancee had the strawberry shortcake, which was also well executed. Compliments to the pastry chef!
All in all, a fantastic meal! We will definitely be back! read more