I like The Reserve. I like the idea of The Reserve. I like all that it is. It is forging a path in the wild west that is South Baltimore. I mean, let's be serious. Let us brass tack things. Randall and Light is South Baltimore. It's not Federal Hill. But, that's fine. Who do we need to impress? If you are on the south side of Fort Avenue, you're South Baltimore. It's still a little rough around the edges. It's still a little ride or die, but I think that brings inherent charm. And it's that tarnished charm that makes The Reserve that much more of a bright spot.

Sure, I think it would be a shining star in any location. It has wonderful atmosphere, a look and design that is both upscale and welcoming. I feel comfortable enough having a nice, wine-driven dinner as I do wandering in for a beer and a completely ignorable, televised sporting event.

It fits in this category that I think Baltimore is taking ownership of and does so well at providing, called Casual Fine Dining. It's not so much come as you are, because we want to keep things legit. However, don't go crazy. Wear what you would on a casual work Friday and enjoy a meal from a menu that is as surprisingly eclectic as it is totally non-bar food.

It's an exciting place. You get the sense that things are happening there. They are pioneers in a number of senses. They are Lewis and Clark, bridging the pass between the southern outposts (Rub) and the northern boundaries (Don't Know). They are trying things with their menu. The Bison Burger requires sock removal in advance. Otherwise, they could be blow off to disastrous effect. They are willing to experiment behind the bar. They crush a lot of things. Some good. Some delicious. Others... an A for effort. Again, all of it is exciting.

It might be out of your normal loop. It might require a few extra blocks of walking. However, it is well worth it and well worth the adventure on a week day night. Don't just save it for the weekend. To their credit, it already does get pretty bumpin' in there on a Friday and Saturday. So, pick a Tuesday. Carve out a Wednesday. Step out of what may be that comfort zone and go a little bit farther down the trail.

I don't know... maybe something cheesy like "There's a spot reserved for you?" I'm not writing ad copy here, folks. I'm just trying to say the place is pretty swell.

UPDATE: I went three times this week. Tuesday (PBBB), Friday (Turkey from the menu), Saturday (Bison as made by me). On Friday I took my Dad who was in town from California. He's a man that has sampled burgers all across this great land of ours. He took one bite, looked up and said, "Wow."
________________________________________

I hated Sky Lounge. Loathed it. I have one friend that shall go nameless in this review that would imbibe a bit too much, swing a smoke high in the air and demand that we leave a good time so that she could dance. In Federal Hill, if over the age of 27, that meant Sky Lounge. And it also meant that's when fun would die for the evening. I hated Sky Lounge.

To see a place that so frequently squashed my fun be reborn into something like The Abbey, I immediately gave it 3-stars. Sight unseen, 3-stars, based on the simple fact that it wasn't Sky Lounge (I hated Sky Lounge).

The last two stars were added on two separate occasions. The first came after the Thanksgiving Day Parade. A friend and I found ourselves wondering back to Federal Hill for lunch. My initial thought was to go to tried and true standards, Mother's, Ryleigh's, or MaGerk's. On the way down Cross St. a sign in the sidewalk halted our progress and diverted us the alley alongside No Way Jose to The Abbey.

"Oh, hey. This the new burger place that I read about 600block.com. Let's give it a whirl," I said.
"Ok," my friend replied. "If it sucks, you're buying."

That early on a cold Saturday after being opened only a few short weeks, it wasn't very crowded. Only a few people were scattered about the place. We picked a table near the bar and I immediately recognized that we were sitting where the bathrooms were. The layout had been opened up and the space seemed far less cramped up front. Plenty of room for people to eat at the tables and weekend revelers to enjoy their drinks at or around the bar.

Mike, I think, came over to chat it up and take our order. We started with a schooling on their rich, non-typical, selection of beers. The menu of ales seemed to have had a happy arranged marriage with the artful selection of burgers. I picked an IPA that was delicious. Not sure of the exact name, but my second time in I said "IPA" and got the same beer.

The menu was full of tempting burger combinations. The one that most stood out was a burger with bacon and peanut butter. What? Who does that? I shied away and went to the make-your-own burger menu. It was full of everything from your choice of meats to fancy cheeses, a variety of toppings and breads. I went turkey burger, [insert fancy name] cheddar, and alvacado. Side of sweet potato fries.

Delicious and I was left surprisingly functional afterward. It wasn't a monster burger. A lack of flavor and goodness wasn't masked by sheer size. It was just enough and tasted awesome. Do I credit my concocting or the griller and assembler? OK, it was all me.

That experience left me both excited and confident for my second visit where the fifth and final star would be added.

I rolled in a couple days ago ready for that same beer because I like delicious beer and it had been one of those days where Miller Lite just wasn't going to cut it. Likewise, I was ready to tangle with a real burger. Something a notch above. "GIVE ME THE PEANUT BUTTER BURGER," I bellowed.

Quick, look in the mirror. What does your face look like? Are all your features moving to the center of your face as you think, "Peanut Butter Burger." That's natural, I suppose. It's an odd combination. However, I am here to tell you it's fantastic. It's a flavor experience. The peanut butter doesn't hit you immediately. It waits its turn. Burger, bacon and then peanut butter. In that order, it is awesome. It's rich, flavorful and burger-tastic with each bite. If you are at all an adventurous eater or curious, I highly recommend. Just saying that you had one seems to be fun, in concept.

So, yes. This new addition to Federal Hill is very exciting. It goes along side of a wonderful collection of restaurants that continue to give residents and visitors delightful dining options across any scale experience.

I hated Sky Lounge.

I don't suppose a single good drink warrants a glowing review of an entire restaurant, but... seriously, it was a good drink. I stopped into Luca's Cafe on an abbreviated Fort Avenue pub crawl on my way home from the Star Spangled Salute to Michael Phelps. Here is the part where I would be sarcastic and poke fun at the event, but it wasn't bad. It was executed nicely and the fireworks were pretty impressive for a non-4th, non-New Years event.

Anyway, my first stop was Luca's. I had never been in there before and only barely recalled its predecessor, Truman's. The bar itself didn't jump out at me as particularly fancy or dive-y. It was right there in the middle or, possibly, leaning or nodding at the taste of the good life. It was a little Idle Hour and Captain Larry's with a dollop of The Wine Market. It felt good.

Looking for an adventure, I opted for one of the drink specials that was announced by the bartender. Pomegranate something or rather didn't strike a chord, but the Pumpkin Spiced Vodka hit home. It's fall. It's chilly. It's the time for pumpkin things.

I had no idea what I was getting. It was just vodka infused with pumpkin spice. What does that look like? What I got was martini glass with a slurry of of pumpkin pie colored liquid. It had some weight to it without being of daiquiri consistency.

I dove in. After the first sip, I thought about what was happening, expecting to be knocked about by some sever flavor. I was still on my feet. And what I found was a pleasantly sweet, pumpkin pie-like taste. Not overwhelmingly vodka tasting or bizarre and unplaceable. It was pumpkin pie.

I devoured the drink and would have stayed for more if the rest of Fort Avenue had not beckoned. I left with the idea that I would be returning for the drink and to test out the food. I figured if they could manage such a splendidly odd drink experience, they might be able to whip up some decent viddles.