Location: 1615 Sulgrave Ave, Baltimore, Maryland 21209. Ethel's Creole Kitchen is located in the heart of Mt. Washington Village. They are accessible via Light Rail (2 min. walk from Mt. Washington Stop) and via I-83 (a 4 min drive from the Northern Parkway East exit). Mt. Washington offers fantastic walking, shopping, and dinning options for those who are interested. Everything from a Whole Foods Complex to numerous restaurants, boutique shops, and bars are all just steps away from each other in Mt. Washington. Valet parking is available.
Prices: Our total bill was around $32. Lunch sandwiches range from $10-$15 and are served with chips- same with the lunch entrees. Dinner appetizers range from $9-$15 and entrees range from about $20-$29. I can vouch that the lunch entrée proportion was large and so I can only imagine the size of a dinner entrée. Compared to a chain restaurant, you are going to obviously spennd a few extra dollars but this is fresh authentic creole made by artisans and to me it is definitely worth it! Compared to other downtown restaurants, it is right on point.
Food: We were there for just a quick lunch during the work week so we opted out of drinks and an appetizer which we normally do when we go out to eat. Instead we each got a lunch entrée and that filled us up quite a bit... we even had enough for a take home box! I decided to go with the crab cake sandwich. I can honestly tell you it was the best I've ever had. It starts out with fresh toasted ciabatta bread which is prepared daily {so so good}. Next is the 6 oz. crab cake topped with lettuce and tomato. Finally, a remoulade sauce is served on the side. I wasn't sure if I would like the remoulade so I tried a small amount first. It was delicious and really tied in all the flavors so I loaded my sandwich up with that!
Jon went with the andoullie and chicken gumbo. Our server recommended it and told us it was the best in town. He was not wrong! It impressed Jon so much that he wants to go back for dinner to try the jambalaya and the creole shrimp boat. The gumbo is a slow simmered, rich Louisiana stew made with a dark roux, 4 different stocks, okra, and andoullie sausage At least that's what the menu says. To me it was pure goodness! It was my first time trying gumbo and I absolutely enjoyed it. Definitely a must if you're going to eat at this restaurant.
Ambiance: I felt like I was in Louisiana when I stood in front of the restaurant. The small street and cute buildings reminded me of something you would find in New Orleans. The tables are set casual and bistro style. We sat on the main floor where there is a small bar and window to see into the kitchen. We did not get a chance to see what the upstairs looked like but as you can see from the outside, they offer outdoor seating on the balcony! Our server was very nice and welcoming. He gave us a little background of the restaurant and menu since we were newcomers. He also gave very great and accurate recommendations on the food. We were not disappointed!!! And we will be back :)
XoXo
