McCormick and Schmick's
Baltimore (Inner Harbor), MD
 Price:$$$$ Decor: Casual to fancy
 Summary: Wide choice of seafood with a view
(3 crabs out of 5)

Karen-McCormick and Schmick's has a lovely view, a truly gorgeous glittering
waterscape that rivals The Hampton,s cityscape for best view in a Baltimore
restaurant. So the trip is worthwhile if just for the ambiance of water
water everywhere and a classy décor in between. However, if your fishy
appetite craves for more than just a wide variety of the creatures from Mahi
Mahi to Bass, you might be a little disappointed. Paul and I came with high
expectations for McCormick's, maybe just because we expected their boatloads
of leftover spice to make for a well-rounded meal. But for the food we got,
which was admittedly a small sampling of their menu, the courses were just
adequate for the price, without any real surprise or flair.
That trend showed itself right at the start in a heel of sourdough bread we
were given. Sufficient? Yes. Ample? Yes. But for a restaurant of that
caliber, nothing to write home about. Our raw oysters were likewise pretty
good, although at more than a dollar a piece somehow I expected more. The
slippery little devils, intricate display and impressively scrubbed shells
looked nearly untouched after we downed them one by one.
I got a $9 Black Bass lunch entrée, which our waiter none-so-subtly hinted
would not be as good as the $20 Chilean variety also on the menu. That I
have to hope for, because the lump of fish covered with thin, dark crumbling
was rather dry and a little uneventful. Buttery veggies and a bland rice
pilaf accompanied as well as a liquidy sauce-in-a-cup which stung with hot
spice and coriander.
Simpler though it was, I preferred Paul's choice (there's a big surprise!)
of a fried cod sandwich, which was light and flaky with a raised battery
layer. The french fries accompanying were something of a different kind,
however"long, just chewy enough, and zinging with spices, I had to refrain
from making sorrowful comparisons to my rice pilaf.
Our dessert, we were warned again by the caring waiter, is sometimes not
sweet enough to peoples, taste. We got a mass of berries mixed together
somewhat like a pie, but covered in a thick sugary baked dough and a scoop
of ice cream. With the ice cream the mix produced the desired creamy fruity
taste with the backbone of pastry, but its rather impressive looks made me
at least overshoot expectations.
I might give McCormick and Schmick,s another try, particularly at their
happy hour in which you get to taste many different food items for about $2
and the cost of two drinks. But until then, I think we might be better
served taking lunch over in a picnic to McCormick,s sidewalk when it gets
warm.

Reviewed-January 2002

$$$$$-over 20 dollars
$$$$-15 to 20 dollars
$$$-11 to 15 dollars
$$-5 to 11 dollars
 $-Below 5