Comments:
Arcos
Ally and I had previously noticed and were curious about Arcos (on Broadway
between Pratt & Lombard), but had never made it inside. Then the City Paper
gave the restaurant an excellent review and that was all the kick in the
butt we needed. We went on Friday, along with my friend Bryant from
Colorado, and were immensely impressed with not only the restaurant as it
currently stands, but for the potential that lies in what may become
Baltimore’s best spot for Friday night summer dinner and drinks!
Arcos is immediately welcoming and feels very “Spanish” or Latin American.
There are many brick arches in the inside of the restaurant and these brick
arches contrast nicely with the very heavy and deeply stained wooden beams
that predominate the front bar area of the restaurant. Spanish tiles are
mixed into this combination and the whole inside ties together quite well
and feels both substantial and airy at the same time. Even more impressive
is the fact that all of the materials used to build Arcos are recycled
materials from buildings and demolition work in the nearby area. Before I
forget, the bathrooms were very tidy and nicely lit- predominately with
candles.
The place was packed when we arrived and after a 5 minute wait, the
bartender, Fernando, offered us a bar table by the window. After plopping in
our chairs he took our drink order and talked to us briefly before hustling
behind the bar to whisk up drinks and direct traffic- a great and friendly
bartender. The City Paper review mentioned that Patron was the default
tequila used in Arcos’ margaritas and Ally and I were floored by this! Would
this turn out to be the proverbial “shot across the bow” of Blue Agave
(which impressively uses Herradura Silver as its “rail” tequila) in the
beginning of Baltimore’s Summer of 2005 Margarita War?
Fernando reached for the big bottle with “1800” emblazoned on it (Jose
Cuervo 1800) and I was curious. Questioning later, Fernando informed me that
Patron is poured by request, but that Cuervo 1800 was the base tequila
(which is not swill either). Regardless, our margaritas arrived quickly and
tasting tart and oh so good. No sickeningly sweet rubbish using a bottled
mixer and/or orange juice here. The margaritas at Arcos have an excellent
balance of tequila, fresh lime juice, and triple sec. Delicious and some of
the best to be had in town. Not to mention that our margaritas arrived with
a deliciously fresh salsa and what are hands down the best chips I have had
in Bawlmer. Light, airy, puffy, and virtually greaseless.
The menu is indeed very small, for now. There were only 6 selections to
choose from, including only one non-land meat dish, a shrimp cocktail. The
owners informed me that more choices would be offered in the future,
including some more vegetarian dishes. Still, there are no plans for a
monstrous menu- just a focus on a small to moderate selection of high
quality dishes.
I ordered the Enchiladas de Pollo, hoping that I wouldn’t get the usual
overly salted and mediocre quality meat smothered under a heavy blanket of
melted cheese that makes me wonder how places like Nacho Mama’s stay in
business. My worries were assuaged when my four enchiladas arrived plated
rather smartly and sitting on top of a very earthy brown mole sauce with a
light sprinkling of cheese.
At $6, this was a steal! No soggy mass of heart stopping madness here! It’s
funny to hear me ramble about a friggen enchilada, but they were fantastic.
The enchiladas were lightly crispy without being greasy. The chicken looked
to be slow cooked and the enchiladas were filled with a heavy amount of very
fresh and slightly smoky tasting shredded chicken. This was all balanced by
a fabulous mole sauce that was subtlety complex to the point where both my
friend Bryant and I enjoyed more with each bite.
The food is very good, the waiters spoke clear English and were friendly,
and from watching them work the floor, they are attentive in their service.
I’m looking forward to more menu selections and for the place to iron out
the occasional growing pain as they finish their kitchen and get to full
capacity.
The real show stopper however, is the back patio. This may turn out to be
one of Baltimore’s hot spots. The brick arches carry to the outside patio.
There is a newly brick floored and walled patio out back with a nice sized
central area with two narrow alleyway/portage ways that shoot off to the
right and left. The alleyway to the right goes to Pratt Street and has
brick arches occasionally breaking up the open sky over the narrow lane. In
between the columns that support the arches are padded little nooks for
seating. The seating area to the left of the main patio is actually sunken
down about 3 feet and runs back alongside the restaurant’s exterior. The
sunken area is long and narrow, is covered by a roof, and has smart couches
and tables for relaxing and eating. The main patio has a new and very large
stainless steel grille with a rotisserie attachment on it.
Arcos hopes to have this back patio filled with grilled food, Salsa and
Mariachi music, sangrias, margaritas…..and you this summer. Our
neighborhood needs a place close by that offers outdoor seating and a scene
that requires more than blue jeans and shorts, but less than stiff suits and
stuffy attitude. I can picture Friday evenings with guys in linen pants and
shirts and women in sundresses dancing and relaxing in the twilight as the
music pulses along. My guess is we’ll have to show up early to get a spot.
I’ll definitely see you there! --Kelly Beckham
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