Woodberry Kitchen

My last food adventure was a Cochon and Charcuterie workshop that took place at Woodberry Kitchen Restaurant in Baltimore, MD. The biggest surprise was that the workshop took place in the restaurant’s pastry kitchen! So it was two days in which I was surrounded by my two loves: charcuterie and baking.

It is hard to be part of a workshop in a working kitchen, you find that you are always in someone’s way. But at the same time it is amazing. You feel like you are in the midst of things: stock simmering, biscuits baking, macarons drying, breads coming out of the oven… and all of these things are happening while I had a long, thin, butchering knife in my hand and was trying to concentrate on the pork in front of me.

We had three delicious meals at Woodberry Kitchen, all served family style for our group. The first day, the staff invited us to partake from one of their staff lunches. It was nothing short of brilliant: moist and flavorful meatloaf, roasted potatoes & root vegetables, and green salad with smoked fish, ranch dressing and croutons.

Late in the evening, we sat down for a dinner that included smoked pecans with pepper and thyme, deviled eggs, charcuterie boards, oysters, flat breads with toppings, steak with roasted radishes and greens, and sides of polenta, black-eyed peas, and creamed greens. Dessert consisted of a huge platter of miniature cookies, buttermilk sherbet, and malt ice cream. That malt ice cream is the best ice cream I’ve ever had.

The second day we had a lunch of fish sandwiches, charcuterie sandwiches, house-made chips, pickled peppers, beet salad with goat cheese and orange supremes. Dessert was strawberry sherbet (that was made in the kitchen right in front of us while we were busy with our workshop) and warm chocolate chip cookies (see the cookies before they were baked below).

I regret not having any photos of our meals, but I was so tired when we sat down to eat that I just wanted to sit down and relax if I had the chance. But just let me say this, everything was delicious. I would want to go back and have everything I had again.

Woodberry Kitchen is one of those rare restaurants where you go and have a meal made from seasonal ingredients that are fresh, dishes that are well executed and flawless, and prices that are reasonable. If it was located in DC that would be where you would find me every time I went out to eat. They support local farmers and make everything from scratch. Their kitchens (more than I could count) are spotless and incredibly well-organized. Everyone I met on their staff was helpful and nice. I can’t wait to go back!

Here are some photos:

One of the buildings in the Clipper Mill area

Daffodils just outside Woodberry Kitchen

Building where Woodberry Kitchen is located

Wine, glasses, and wood

Copper mugs hanging at the bar

Breads are baked daily. When I arrived on both days, I was greeted by the scent of freshly baked bread. I wanted to pinch off a piece, but since I couldn’t do that I took photos instead.

Rustic white bread

Multigrain bread in the kitchen

Rye boule, and semolina bread

Ciabatta

Charcuterie

Dominique and Kate looking at goodies in the walk in charcuterie cellar

Baby carrots and Jerusalem artichokes in the kitchen

Spotted: “Mickey Rooneys”

I squealed in delight when one of the pastry chefs offered us some macarons (maybe she caught me ogling at the “Mickey Rooneys” above?) , peanut shells filled with chocolate ganache. This was the last one. I confess, I ate it.

The next day I could not believe my luck, they were making more macarons. Hey, I love pork, but macarons are still my first love. Here they are drying before going into the oven.

And here they are cooling after baking. I was offered one fresh out of the oven, of course I did not turn it down!

Mini-chocolate chip cookies before baking.

Sticky toffee pudding cooling.

All the Cochon and Charcuterie participants at the dinner table.