Rec Pier Chop House

Rec Pier Chop House Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: Baltimore’s recreational pier has been many things over the years, even the set for the TV show “Homicide: Life on the Street,” but now it’s home to the luxurious Sagamore Pendry Baltimore hotel and its restaurant, an Italian rosticceria with New York’s Andrew Carmellini as top toque. The room exudes manliness with deep, rich tones, from the brick walls and the wood floor and ceilings throughout. With all that went into creating this amazing room, we question why they would use paper placemats at dinner.

Food & Drinks: The menu offers up 28-day dry-aged beef and Italian specialties, including the house’s Antipasti Fantasia, a chef’s selection of salumi, formaggi and Ligurian vegetable dips for the table; and a Chop House Caesar salad prepared tableside. We recommend the Tuscan foie gras mousse with balsamic gelée, but the two pieces of bread left us wanting for more. Sweet sausage and broccoli rabe orecchiette arrived with generous shavings of cheese and had an enjoyable spicy element. If you are going the carnivore route, choose from a petite filet mignon to a 38-oz. tomahawk for two. The boneless rib-eye was a disappointment in size, the uneven cook and lack of seasoning, although the optional bone marrow au poivre sauce was a very tasty addition. The wine list is extensive with selections from Italy, France and California, or go for one of the cocktails or top-shelf spirits. For dessert, the classic tiramisu, the house bomboloni and the chocolate-Nutella budino are well worth the calories. Staff is well trained, efficient and willing to accommodate.