Maisy’s
by Martha Thomas
Some locations feel so snakebit it's tempting to assume that the parade of optimistic restaurateurs will eventually just give up, making way for a Chipotle or a chain drugstore. The Charles Street space that until recently housed Copra, warmed by cherry paneling and a wood-burning oven in the back, is worth protecting from that fate. Matt Helme, once the bar manager at Copra, has gamely stepped up to the plate, renaming the place Maisy's (after his young daughter) and designing the kind of menu that few can find fault with. Since it opened last summer, the restaurant has cycled through several chefs, but there's a good chance few noticed: The menu remains a familiar-looking line-up of soups, salads, and entrees, and nothing costs more than $20 (unless you're splurging on a $23.95 pair of crab cakes). It's a far superior take on the stuff you might otherwise find at Applebee's, and that's pretty much the point. Maisy's would like to be an easy lunch spot or the neighborly dinner option when you don't feel like cooking (minus the convenient mall parking).
In true comfort-food style, fried options abound: The calamari fritti are breaded in blue cornmeal and served with tomato sauce; a pair of crunchy egg rolls is filled with braised, chili-spiked duck and drizzled in hoisin sauce. An onion tart is less successful, the onions more sharp than sweet, the pastry thick and chewy rather than light and flaky. Pizza—thin-crust pies from the brick oven—is a better bet, layered with strips of Angus steak and blue cheese crumbles or tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella. A panko-crusted snapper proves to be insanely salty, although the roasted potatoes and sauteed vegetables on the side have a pleasant buttery glaze.
Desserts are oversized and oversweet: Bread pudding, easily half a loaf's worth, is infused with ginger and orange and drizzled in sweet hard sauce, while the chocolate cake is dense but unremarkable. Maisy's secret power is its complete inoffensiveness: Even the wines are friendly, at $20 per bottle. Period. (Lunch and dinner daily. 313 N. Charles St.; 443-220-0150; www.maisysbaltimore.com.)
—Martha Thomas
In true comfort-food style, fried options abound: The calamari fritti are breaded in blue cornmeal and served with tomato sauce; a pair of crunchy egg rolls is filled with braised, chili-spiked duck and drizzled in hoisin sauce. An onion tart is less successful, the onions more sharp than sweet, the pastry thick and chewy rather than light and flaky. Pizza—thin-crust pies from the brick oven—is a better bet, layered with strips of Angus steak and blue cheese crumbles or tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella. A panko-crusted snapper proves to be insanely salty, although the roasted potatoes and sauteed vegetables on the side have a pleasant buttery glaze.
Desserts are oversized and oversweet: Bread pudding, easily half a loaf's worth, is infused with ginger and orange and drizzled in sweet hard sauce, while the chocolate cake is dense but unremarkable. Maisy's secret power is its complete inoffensiveness: Even the wines are friendly, at $20 per bottle. Period. (Lunch and dinner daily. 313 N. Charles St.; 443-220-0150; www.maisysbaltimore.com.)
—Martha Thomas
Related Locations
-
Maisy's
- Downtown 313 N Charles St
-
443-220-0150
- www.maisysbaltimore.com/index.html
-
Be the first to review this location!
Readers' Favorites
-
The Wine Market
- Locust Point 921 East Fort Ave
-
410-244-6166
- www.the-wine-market.com
-
(based on 2 user reviews)
-
Fogo de Chao
- Inner Harbor 600 E Pratt St
-
410-528-9292
- www.fogodechao.com
-
(based on 1 user review)
-
Taco Fiesta
- Inner Harbor 618 S Exeter St
-
410-234-3782
- www.tacofiesta.com
-
(based on 1 user review)
-
Red Brick Station
- General 8149 Honeygo Blvd
-
410-931-7827
- www.redbrickstation.com/
-
(based on 1 user review)
-
Baltimore Pho Restaurant
- Hollins Park 1114 Hollins St
-
410-752-4756
-
(based on 2 user reviews)
Eat with your Eyes
A Piece of the Pie
Apple and pear pie by a local pastry chef and food blogger
“This photo just makes me want to dive right in!...
more »Master Class
Cold Comfort
Freeze the bounty of summer to enjoy in the winter.
Sarah Acconcia, executive chef of 13.5% Wine Bar, offers tips on freezing leftover produce in anticipation of the long winter ahead.
more »
Comments (0)