And boy am I excited! Baltimore Restaurant Week (January 20-29) is here again and as always, serves as an opportunity to either experiment at new places or check out ones that are out of the budget otherwise.

This year I think I’ll opting for the former and going somewhere new and exciting to Charm City! One serious frontrunner is a new, charmingly elegant and quirky spot in Hampden, hon. Alchemy offers a wide array of gourmet cuisine that has an innate sense of comfort food cooked into the dish. 

Right on the Avenue of Hampden, Alchemy offers a great option for those looking for a bit more upscale than Cafe Hon and not quite as white table cloth as some. It’s effortlessly sophisticated environment is as welcoming as it is warm-think animal print chairs for dining (it would be remiss to exclude that in Hampden).

For starters, their crab bisque is one to try. Always a connoisseur of the crab, it was loaded with chunks of meat, a tiny touch of sherry, and fresh thyme decorating the dish. 

For a cold January day or night, this is a great starter to showcase Alchemy’s ability to take something that can be interpreted dozens of ways but done perfectly here. 

With a great selection of starters and lite fare, their flatbread choices mix together only the freshest and most creative combos that make for a fun way to kick off the meal.

Their flatbread chock full of Farmers Chevre, filled with caramelized onion, avocado, basil, and aged balsamic glaze was a healthy and tasty beginning. Only having a square (I at least made an attempt to save room for the main meal), the bread was crispy, the avocado perfectly ripe, and the onion a nice, sweet touch to a well rounded appetizer.

How fun is the presentation? Colorful and a nice balance of summer and winter in my opinion, it really resonated how Alchemy can take great food and combine them to make the perfect creation of the season. 

As for main meals, I had been told that one of the best burgers was found here. The bar was high and expectations were above and beyond exceeded. 

The Alchemy Burger has ground sirloin, tobacco onions (which I requested to hold), baby arugula, tomato, roasted garlic and red pepper aioli, all on a toasted Brioche with my choice of cheese (cheddar). 

I don’t know if it was the bun, the fresh sirloin, the sharp Cheddar, or the delicate flavors of the aioli that made this burger hit a home run in my book. I can’t tell you how challenging it is to decide what to get at Alchemy (from beautiful sounding salads, to fresh chicken and pork dishes to crab cakes)-but one can never go wrong with the Alchemy Burger.

As for dishes had by others, their Crab Mac & Cheese is the most delicate, subtle and delicious side dish one can have!

Rich flavors of baked mascarpone, jumbo ( I believe Colossal is the word they use) crab meat, and white cheddar mornay make it a great little dish to be split. I don’t think this could be a better comfort food to have in the cold winter months. Everything in it works well against each other and the crab takes what would otherwise be a rich and hearty mac & cheese and turns it into a delicacy.

Another dish ordered was their Scallops Provencal on Olive Toasty. While this is an appetizer, it easily makes for a filling lunch. Sea scallops, vine ripe tomatoes, olive relish, capers, cream and sweet vermouth make this dish.

Finally, another great Alchemy touch is the home made potato chips that accompany the burger.

Normally, I would just push aside any potato chips that come with my lunch in efforts to save calories. However, these were amazingly fresh and tasty and light enough that a few could never hurt!

Alchemy is a hidden Hampden gem with a fun menu, a dining room that is filled with charm and class, and prices that are extremely on par with the exceptional dishes coming out of the kitchen.

Run, do not walk, to Alchemy for Restaurant Week and try something new and different on for size! The menu has something for everyone and a standard price of $30 for 3 courses which serves as the ideal opportunity to come in for crab soup, a delicious burger or prime rib, and let’s not even begin to discuss their dessert options on the table. Alchemy is making all kinds of magic on the Avenue-and I’m fairly certain it’s the good kind!

A true flagship of Baltimore, Cafe Hon is my hotspot for comfort food, friendly staff, warm coffee, and, of course, beehives, winged glasses, and hot pink boas. 

I had the lucky fortune of hitting the Hon Bar this month with my work and got to try their chicken salad and to kill for chocolate cake. The peppy pink and green motif, paisley wall paper, and retro style bar is an instant mood lifter for any glum, winter day. Believe it, hon. 

Of course, while their lunch is always a sure fire hit (whether you try their homemade BLTs, soups, and entrees), for me, it’s always the breakfast that I crave for on the cold December days. Nothing beats their warm and toasty cinnamon hon bun on a lazy Saturday accompanied with a warm cup of Zeke’s coffee, to boot. 

This particular Sunday, it was their hearty chipped beef platter (which is anything but skimpy) and a seasoned side of potatoes that I ordered. Ponying up in one of their boots on the restaurant side, the best thing to do while waiting is people watching and eyeing up the funky inventory that’s for sale! Flamingos painted like Harry Potter, Ravens’ players, and other creative motifs fill the walls, ceilings, floors, bathrooms, you name it!

Despite my level of fullness after the truly homestyle breakfast, I had to order one of their delicious cinnnamon Hon Buns to go. Warm, gooey, cinnamony, and chock full of childhood dreams, the bun is something to get and devour on scene or save for later zapped in the microwave and curled up in all of its coziness.

Apart from these menu items, Cafe Hon boasts of standard fare such as eggs stuffed with bacon and sausage, Texas style French toast, and The Avenue Breakfast ( two pancakes, two eggs, two slices of bacon, sausage, and their Hon potatoes). Seriously-for the lover of breakfast, make this a must on an early weekday or a late weekend brunch.

After I ate, I made a point to walk the rounds of the Avenue. From Red Tree, which has the gift for the person with everything, to Ma Petite Shoe (shoes & chocolates. Done.) and Avenue Antiques, the Avenue is ideal for milling around, seeking out unique gifts for yourself and friends, and swinging by for a quick bite a true Baltimore stomping ground (just ask John Waters)!