"Beyond the ledges of concrete restaurants fall into dreams with candlelight couples."
- Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Any true Baltimorean will know the household names of local restaurateurs Spike and Charlie Gjerde, owners of such eateries as Joy America Cafe, Spike and Charlie's Restaurant and Bar and the choice of tonight's destination, Atlantic, in Canton. Its location is less than ideal; it's in the middle of Baltimore culture; good restaurants, bars, drug dealers, clubs, cheap lovin', etc. Anyway, Atlantic, a trendy seafood restaurant, with modern decor, good lighting and a cool glass-plated staircase leading to the second level, was alas, not everything I wished for and more. That being said, it was still a thoroughly enjoyable experience, but I think my expectations were too high.
I went to Atlantic on a Friday night with my friends Matt and Akane. When we arrived, we were greeted by a very enthusiastic hostess with the kind of cheerfulness that seemed a bit drug-induced, but who knows, maybe a genuinely friendly person exists in Baltimore. We were seated on the upper level, surrounded by chrome and paintings of abstract water scenes. All the tables were adorned with blue glass dinner settings and tea candles, with straw-woven, metal-framed chairs. Everything looked very cool, with a mix of jazz, blues and new age dinner music. Our server was very attentive and efficient; our drinks were always full, he promptly and unobtrusively cleared away extra dishes. Also, Atlantic pays great attention to little niceties and amenities. In retrospect, the service was probably the best part of our evening there.
The bad part was the food. Not to say that the food was bad, most of it was very good, especially fantastic dessert, but for what I was expecting, I was a little disappointed. We started with a wire-mesh basket of bread, French and sesame. It wasn't warm, but it was chewy and crusty. We were given separate bread plates and portions of butter, which I really like in a restaurant. We ordered the fried calamari at $7.75 per appetizer, with ponzu and marinara sauces, giving favor to the marinara. The calamari was lightly battered and for the most part tender and virtually greaseless, but the portion was a bit small, with more rings than tentacles. Matt got the Crabcake Atlantic ($24.00 that day, but at market value), which came with sweet potato gratin and the vegetable of the day, a fresh slaw of cabbage, ham, red onion and carrots all tossed in a light, well-balanced vinaigrette. Akane ordered the Atlantic Paella ($22.95), seafood, duck and sausage in saffron rice with beans and tomatoes. I ordered the most expensive entree on the menu, Wind and Water ($27.00), duck breast, crab cake, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and the veg of the day.
Each entree had its ups and downs, the best being the duck. Akane's dish was the least successful, an odd complaint, but one that was warranted: the saffron flavor was too strong and the andouille overpowered the delicate shellfish and rice. She did like the mussels, a generous portion in her dish. They were juicy and perfectly cooked. My entree was a tough call because it was quite good, the duck medium as requested and so tender and moist, but the crab cake had a couple of problems. Though there weren't any extraneous fillers, like peppers, scallions and what have you, it was too creamy, meaning that more crab could be added and the crab that was in the cake was more shred than lump. The taste was good though mild, well seasoned, accompanied by Old Bay-dusted breadsticks. While we were waiting for dessert, the rest of the dinner took a turn for the better.
The owners, Spike and Charley, try to create a more casual atmosphere, that can "move with the time," they do this by redecorating every three months through a neighboring business, the Can Company. They also try to attract a younger clientele in addition to the 20 to 30 professionals that patronize the restaurant. They have an after-dinner hip-hop night club in the restaurant the first Friday of every month. Also, they give 20 percent student discounts, which was music to my ears and poor pockets.
We finished off our meal with dessert, which included the Sand bars, chocolate wafers topped with chocolate mousse; pecan bourbon bread pudding with pumpkin ice cream; and a pastry chef's inspiration, chocolate amaretto flan. The Sand bars were the best of all the desserts. The ice cream was really good too. Next time, I'll get the ice cream and sorbet selections. We took one last forkful of Sand bars and headed off, content and satisfied with the evening. I came in with very high expectations and, though they were not completely met, I had a good experience at Spike and Charley's restaurant, Atlantic.
