Monocacy Crossing

It doesn't look like much from the outside, located south of Frederick, MD on 355 just far enough away to feel like it's in the middle of no where. Inside, it's pretty rustic and to me, that's the charm of the place. We ate here over a year ago and it was one of our best dining experiences ever. Unfortunately, this return visit didn't quite live up to our original hype. I should preface that with the fact that we went on a Sunday night and 30 minutes before closing.. so I'm sure we did not get their A team or at least not their A game. Our first experience here will definitely bring us back in the future.. but next time we'll go on a Saturday night. One complaint I don't have was how nice it was to have the restaurant nearly completely to ourselves.

 Artichoke Beignets with Feta and Pesto

We opened with some artichoke beignets, laced with some pesto and feta atop some marinara sauce. This was the highlight of the evening, perfectly balanced and extremely tasty. I'm really loving the combining of pesto and marinara lately, and the artichokes lightly fried in dough were an excellent complement to the sauces and feta.

 Low country BBQ Shrimp with Lobster Infused Cheese Grits

On a shrimp and grits kick, I had to give theirs a go. The BBQ sauce they made for the shrimp was really nice. Light, sweet and tangy, it complemented the cheese grits. The "Lobster" part was not that evident, but I was ok with that. The side of broccoli was fine, but definitely not exciting. It was a decent dish, but not something that would cause me to keep coming back for more.

Crab Cakes topped with Old Bay Aioli

 Last time we came, the crab cakes were exactly what was going to keep us coming back over and over. They were some of the best I had ever had, but this time they fell flat. There seemed like there was too much crust on the outside and it seemed a little overcooked. The rice was nice, clearly cooked in some decent stock and again with the same unexciting broccoli.

All in all, it was an ok experience. They place is not overpriced at all, and given we went late on a Sunday night, I guess I will forgive them, but only because the last time we went (on a Saturday) it was sooo good!

Since this was our anniversary diner, returning to the area we got married in, we skipped the desert and ate our wedding cake from Ed's Bakery... sorry!

Monocacy Crossing

4424 A Urbana Pike  Frederick, MD 21704

 (301) 846-4204

New Belgium - Hoptober

I'm probably a little too late on getting this review up, as we're well into November at this point. However, if you love Oktoberfest style beers, and you see this still on the shelves at your local beer store, it's worth grabbing a few.

I have a hard time finding Oktoberfest beers I'm in love with. I'm also not a fan of any of those pumpkin beers and I usually find the true German Oktoberfest beers not to my liking, though there are some out there. I do love fall though and a nice fall beer gives me a good feeling and takes me places.

New Belgium is best known for their Fat Tire beer, and any beer fanatic has probably given that a go at some point. They know their stuff, so I look forward to trying their other offerings, including their winter brew, Snow Day.

This is their take on a Oktoberfest Golden Ale, with those traditional hoppy and malty characteristics. It was somewhat light, easy drinking and lightly hoppy with a malty finish. Definitely a beer I will be looking out for next year. Give it a try this year if you can still find it!

Enjoy!

Spy Valley - Pinot Noir 2010

I was heading towards the register at Total Wine a month ago and saw this on the shelf. The tag said Wine Spectator gave it a 92, and at $24 I had to try it out. From all the reviews posted on the tags at Total Wine, Wine Spectator is the one I trust the most. Anything 90+ in the sub-$25 category is worth trying, in my book.

Spy Valley, out of New Zealand, started their Pinot Noir bottling in 2003, and this 2010 shows years of perfection or at least one perfect year. Proof some really great things come out of New Zealand.. shout out to Jemaine and Bret!

My wife and I both loved this wine, and look forward to having it again in the future. It was fruity, but not over the top fruity. Cocoa-y, a little spicy, super soft tannins so it won't leave that dry taste in your mouth. Give this a try and you'll love it!

I highly recommend.. great for a special diner and will work well with whatever you eat.

critical acclaim:

"Digs deep into the spice box, with nutmeg, clove and allspice flavors that perfectly frame the ripe, supple wild black cherry and raspberry notes. Comes together on a supple frame, with plenty of staying power on the finish. Drink now through 2015. 13,000 cases made. "

92 Points

Wine Spectator

Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Here's an easy way to spice up your midweek meals by making something different. It takes a little work, but it's not that bad and once you get the hang of it, you can whip this up pretty quickly.

Ingredients:
Box of large shells
1 Jar pasta sauce (24-26oz)
1 lb. Fresh raw spinach leaves (big rectangular plastic box)
16 oz. Ricotta cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
some olive oil to saute the spinach

Steps:
Preheat the oven to 350.

1. Boil a large pot of water in order to cook your shells. Follow the instructions on the box and cook them till they're just tender, roughly 10 minutes. You'll be handling them after, so once they are done rinse them under cold water to prevent them from sticking to each other and to cool them off for stuffing them.

2. Heat some oil in a large everyday pan (12" with a lid), over medium heat. Once ready, cook half your spinach down for about 5 minutes, stirring to rotate around the leaves. They should cook way down, and look appetizingly done.. nothing like the frozen stuff. Set aside batch one and cook the other half the same way.

3. In a large bowl combine your ricotta, spinach, basil, garlic, onion, salt and half of the Parmesan. You should wind up with a mixture similar to this picture.

4. Dump your jar of sauce into a 9x13 glass baking dish.

5. One by one fill the shells with the mixture and place in the glass dish. Use a metal spoon to get a good amount, and while the shell is cupped in your hand, scoop the mixture inside, using the lip of the shell to push the mixture off the spoon and keep it inside the shell. You'll get the hang of it after a few.

6. Sprinkle the remainder of the Parmesan over the top of the stuffed shells.

7. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes on the middle shelf. I like to then put the broiler on for around 4 minutes to put a nice brown on top.

Enjoy!