Fort McHenry Burger at Hull Street Blues
Sometimes when you take your first bite of something, all the feels hit you right away. That was the case when I bit into the new Fort McHenry Burger at Hull Street Blues.
This thick burger has crab dip, fried onion rings, bacon, and cheddar on a brioche roll. Putting crab dip and bacon on food is like a cheat code to make any food great… and this burger has both.
The beef is really good, the crab dip is great, and the bun is just right. The more this thing smashed down and blended together as I was eating it, the better it got. Hull Street Blues’ side of fries were as delicious as usual.
I’ll be ordering this again soon. And, probably soon again after that.
Bowls at Gyroll
Shawarma shop Gyroll opened at Cross Street Market in Federal Hill in November and it’s already pretty common to see a line of people waiting to build their own bowls, wraps, and platters. Brothers Bashar and Fares, who were born in Jordan, brought their recipes from home and are now serving them up in South Baltimore.
I have eaten at Gyroll twice and got two pretty different things. The first trip I ordered a rice bowl with their chicken shawarma off the lava rock skewer and the beef and lamb mixture off the skewer, and topped it all with veggies and housemade sauces. This was a flavor bomb, and the meat was super tasty and tender.
On my next trip I ordered the falafel salad. Their chickpea-filled falafel was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and super flavorful. The salad had lettuce, sumac, parsley, and tahini. I loved it all!
Banh Mi at Theo’s Bowls and Rolls
Vietnamese concept Theo’s Bowls and Rolls opened at Cross Street Market in Federal Hill in August by Kaitlin and John Castor. It started out offering Bahn mi sandwiches and Bahn mi-inspired bowls. They recently added pho.
The Bahn mi sandwiches at Theo’s are really great. It is on bread from Lyon Bakery and diners can choose proteins such as pulled pork adobo, Korean pork belly, Korean beef bulgogi, fried chicken, lemongrass chicken, fried shrimp, and tofu. The sandwiches are topped with pate spread, mayo, jalapeños, cilantro, and pickled carrots and radish.
I’ve had the pulled pork and lemongrass chicken, and both had many hits of zesty and delicious flavor. And, the bread was super tasty. These sandwiches are now in our regular rotation when visiting the market.
Chimney Cakes at Buns & Roses
Deirdre Campbell took her love of Hungarian chimney cakes and turned it into a Federal Hill business called Buns & Roses, which opened over the summer. Chimney cakes are a daily-made fresh dough rolled on to a wooden spool and cooked in a chimney cake oven. They are then filled with ice cream drizzles, toppings, and glazes.
On my visit to Buns & Roses, I got the Strawberry Crunch with vanilla bean ice cream, a strawberry crunch chimney cone, a fresh strawberry, strawberry crunch, and a white chocolate drizzle. And, wow, that thing took dessert to the next level! It was like getting a great donut and a delicious ice cream cone all at once. I’ll have to treat myself again soon.
