A crush on Crush
I wish I had a better illustration for this excellent Shallow Thought Wednesday guest post. It's the only photo of the Crush bar we have. You have to admit it's a fascinating picture, though. Here's our Shallow Thought guru John Lindner. EL
I visited Crush last Friday evening with a friend who’d recently lost a dear friend. We went to mourn, laud and remember over martinis. ...
Based on what I could gather from EL’s review of the place, Crush entered the market as a “neighborhood” restaurant in Belvedere Square. Like EL, I wonder at that designation. I’d classify it as casual fine dining, and maybe not the very first place you’d think to sit shiva. In any case, I wish Crush were in my neighborhood.
We arrived around 7 p.m. to a brisk business. No room at the bar, no vacancy in Crush’s barroom-cum-lobby. (Interesting space.) We considered leaving, but one of the hosts informed us that patrons at a nearby table had just pulled a credit card. We hovered conspicuously and after a short wait were seated. By 8 the joint was packed. Still, we were able to hold a conversation without raising our voices. Crush acoustics: good.
Our server was cute, adroit and dressed homey casual. I didn’t realize she was a staffer till she asked for our drink order. We hadn’t planned to eat, but we wisely ordered a couple of appetizers.
The martini was fine. Not as frigid as I prefer, but then I didn’t give strict instructions, and it was delightfully larger than I anticipated. Add bonus point for cool olive spear.
The appetizers expressed invention, care and quality: scallops with blue cheese and bacon; shrimp on grits with andouille sausage. More, please.
Crush strikes me as a place that’s capable of eschewing pretention without shedding style. Deliciously hip.
We arrived around 7 p.m. to a brisk business. No room at the bar, no vacancy in Crush’s barroom-cum-lobby. (Interesting space.) We considered leaving, but one of the hosts informed us that patrons at a nearby table had just pulled a credit card. We hovered conspicuously and after a short wait were seated. By 8 the joint was packed. Still, we were able to hold a conversation without raising our voices. Crush acoustics: good.
Our server was cute, adroit and dressed homey casual. I didn’t realize she was a staffer till she asked for our drink order. We hadn’t planned to eat, but we wisely ordered a couple of appetizers.
The martini was fine. Not as frigid as I prefer, but then I didn’t give strict instructions, and it was delightfully larger than I anticipated. Add bonus point for cool olive spear.
The appetizers expressed invention, care and quality: scallops with blue cheese and bacon; shrimp on grits with andouille sausage. More, please.
Crush strikes me as a place that’s capable of eschewing pretention without shedding style. Deliciously hip.
(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)
Comments
Crush is AWESOME! They also have a delicious brunch, and they're kid friendly.
My nephew, who is 5, loves the French Toast so much that anytime we talk about going out, he demands that we go to Crush.
Posted by: Catherinette Singleton | February 3, 2010 1:01 PM
is deliciously hip a good thing (ducking and running)
Posted by: Joyce W. | February 3, 2010 1:21 PM
I, too have a crush on Crush. It IS in my neighborhood and we went there last week for RW dinner after guitar lessons. Lessons not for me -- I drive, my son has lessons, met my husband there. Yes, we take our child out to dinner - he is almost 10, has nice manners and in this case was reading a book he picked up in school that day.
Anyway, Erin was our waitress, her brother one of the Chefs. Lovely service, risotto to die for, martini almost just right (I agree it needs to be more frigid), nice wine list, plenty of wine by the glass and, according to son - "Fresh chicken tenders AND refills on the Shirley Temple. That's what I call a good American restuarant."
It's in our 'hood and we love it.
Posted by: PlainJane13 | February 3, 2010 1:28 PM
I to have a Crush on Crush and they are my neighbor! Went twice last week for restaurant week and besides blowing the new years diet the portions were generous, the choices made me eat something cool, no salad...what a great place. No skimpy menu here.
Posted by: Steven Appel | February 3, 2010 4:09 PM
Joyce, good question. The answer may vary depending on definition and mood.
I'd say yes it is a good thing, which is a thing I always try to get too much of.
Posted by: jl | February 3, 2010 9:04 PM
I went for lunch the other day and very much enjoyed the pretty "Seafood UnCob" salad from the RW menu. Didn't enjoy the woman nearby talking on her cell phone on speaker, but sometimes that's Restaurant Week for you.
Posted by: Kate | February 4, 2010 5:35 AM
Crush is great!!! Not only is the restaurant week menu fantastic, but check the place out on Monday nights! If you don't mind sitting in the bar area you can enjoy enmorous and delicious appetizers for half priced! What a deal! Combine that with the half priced bottles of wines they offer on Mondays and you can't find a better deal in Baltimore! And for all the fans (or should i say used to be fans) of Christopher Daniel in Timonium who wondered just what happened to the quality of food and service( I mean they started putting wrinkled white paper on tables and the fish all has that previously frozen texture) please try Crush. Apparantly when Chef Daniel Chaustit left Christopher Daniel so did all the talent from the kitchen and the attention to details!
Posted by: Fooodie101 | February 5, 2010 1:54 PM
Crush is GREAT!!!!! no really it's GREAT!!!! I'm not kidding GREAT!!!! GREAT!!!!
Posted by: RayRay | February 5, 2010 1:57 PM
after the glowing, possibly pre-paid-for Krush-Kudos, {ZINGER!}
we will have to go back. Normally we hang at the other Cru{sh}, Grand Cru that is, across the street, but of course the Crush menu you would expect to be many times more satisfying.
Also Mondays need all the help they can get, thanks for that tip.
Note to self: gather thoughts more thoroughly next time {if there is one}.
PS, and OT: went to Wine Market last night, loved the food & service, can remember a couple years ago when I was not too impressed, but that has changed. I got the Seared Grouper {is that a Real Grouper or a Sears Grouper?, apologies to F. Zappa}, anyway the fish was de-lish. DW got the salmon.....very generous RW menu {sexist term: note to self: use humanu from now on}.
Cap: would mincing {help? probably}.
Posted by: double-dip dave | February 5, 2010 2:16 PM
Man, Foodie101 is trying to school us in shilling, aren't they?
double-dip dave, would it help if I explained why the word "man" is actually really gender neutral?
Posted by: Lissa | February 5, 2010 4:20 PM
@Lissa: uh-oh, who's shilling now?
Cap: exhausting dauphin {yes & no}.
Posted by: double-dip dave | February 5, 2010 5:20 PM
are you kidding me that place SUCKS.Well if you were khaki pants and your date has frosted tips and french nails then i'm sure you will love it
Posted by: Langford Johnson | February 6, 2010 11:42 PM
Langford, if I were a pair of pants, I'd love it?
Posted by: sean | February 7, 2010 9:13 AM
My brother never finished his kitchen remodel because he couldn't find nails made anywhere other than China. I would be very interested in finding out where to buy
French nails.
Posted by: Elite Elephant Lover | February 7, 2010 3:24 PM
What's 'homey casual'?
A. homosexual casual/metro-sexual casual.
B. ghetto/urban casual.
C. Martha Stewart/home is where the heart is casual.
Posted by: Rube Goldberg | March 12, 2010 2:25 AM
I like Crush as well, but I never felt like it should be "kid friendly". I mean they have a wall of wine bottles for goodness sake. But people bring the little ones all the time. I had to stop going there. The tables are too close together for me to sit next to a family of four with screaming kids while I try to enjoy my $25 entree and bottle of wine.
Posted by: Bubbles | March 12, 2010 12:31 PM