Foodie Review: Blue Dolphin Seafood Bar and Grill

On Sunday night, we ventured east on route 50 and ended up in Crofton, MD. We ended up at The Blue Dolphin Seafood Bar and Grill. The Blue Dolphin sits off MD- Route 3 in a small strip mall. When we pulled up, I didn't really know what to expect. On the ride there, I was thinking fine cuisine so the strip mall threw me off for a little. I would be shocked and amazed at how good the food and drinks were. When we walked in, we noticed the posted hours were until 2am! We decided to sit at the bar. I took a good look around, it was a cozy atmosphere. This spot is perfect for a dinner date, family dinner or even dinner and cocktails. I ordered my favorite Patron Margarita, Tyree ordered a Long Island and Jay ordered Kettle One and pineapple. Our bartender nailed the drinks. My margarita was THE BOMB.

The menu is pretty extensive. This normally annoys me but everything on the menu sounded great. The long list of tasty appetizers features crab balls, crab dip, carpaccio, oysters, clams, Thai spring rolls, mussels and the king of all appetizers, The Blue Dolphin Sampler- Shrimp, Scallops, Crab Balls, Sirloin Beef Tips served with various veggies. Tyree ordered that. I browsed the soups and salad menu and picked a cream of crab soup. My soup was pretty tasty- lump crab meat with a creamy white sauce. My only complaint would be that the sauce was a little too creamy for me.

The entree menu featured seafood (of course), steaks, veal, chicken, pastas, sandwiches, maki rolls, and various combo platters. Tyree ordered Stuffed Lobster tail, Jay ordered Crab Imperial (which he had NO idea what a crab imperial was!!! We ended up taking that to my Aunt and he ordered crab cakes.) I ordered the Surf and Turf, Filet Mignon and a lobster tail. A few drinks later, our food came. Everything was extremely good. My steak, which I ordered medium well was cooked well done. I thought about ordering another steak, but I shrugged it off. I was pleased with our meal. I tasted Jay's crabcakes.. and geezus they were good. No fillers, all JUMBO LUMP CRAB MEAT. I would consider the Maryland Crab Cake to be my all-time favorite food. These crabcakes would probably come in 2nd place of my best tasting cakes.

All and all, I would definitely go back. I've done a little research and read that there is a happy hour Monday- Friday, 3-7pm which features domestic and imported drafts, $1.00 off all cocktails, 1/2 price appetizers and 1/2 price bottle of wine (offered all day and night Monday to Friday). They also have weekly specials Monday- Thursday.

Check out The Blue Dolphin Seafood Bar and Grill. Great food, great drinks.

Foodie Review: Smith Commons

On Sunday, I had brunch with a girlfriend at a spot I've never been to, Smith Commons. This dapper bistro in the middle of the newly booming H St corridor was quite a pleasant surprise. There was a small wait, but the host was very accommodating. I arrived before Ashley and was unable to sit but when she arrived we didn't have to wait the 30-45 minutes for our table. Right away, our server offered us the $15 bottomless mimosa. What's brunch with girlfriends without Mimosas? They were very tasty... had a kinda peachy taste. Ashley frequently dines there and was familiar with the menu. She ordered the Shrimp and Grits, I played it safe and ordered Waffles, home fries and bacon.

When my waffles arrived, I enjoyed the basic, yet warming presentation. Fresh fruit and powdered sugar atop the 4 cut pieces of waffles. It was very tasty. The homefries had tons of flavor. The bacon... a little too crispy for my liking. We ended up sitting for 2 hours enjoying mimosas and conversation. In the background, they played a variety of different music genres... we noticed the 90s jams (lol)

Smith Commons offers an assorted, yet approachable menu. They even offer "bar food" for the less adventurous. If you love beer, you would definitely want to stop in. They have a extensive list of beers, some from breweries in the area. According to their website they have CommonMondays, which is their version of Happy Hour. The H st corridor is becoming an happening place and this is definitely one spot to check out. Check out Smith Commons.. you'll probably catch me there a few more times!