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August 19, 2022 - Dining Out by Fay Jacobs

Aqua Grill: Still Hot for Happy Hour
But Creating Great Buzz for Its Food

 


We all know that Aqua Grill along Baltimore Avenue is a fabulous venue for drinks, happy hours, meeting up with friends, and great music. But I’m telling you that it has boosted its reputation in the restaurant department—way up. And the apps and entrees (not to mention house-made desserts) I had there recently rival the best kitchens in town.


Our table of four started with crazy good appetizers like crunchy Brussels sprouts, fresh, never-frozen Chicken Tenders, and Warm Artichoke-Spinach Dip with pita and veggies. 

We all think of chicken tenders as a go-to kids’ meal, but let me tell you, these deliciously crusted, lightly fried morsels of chicken were yummy and tender without being anything like the tenders you find everywhere else. 


And cheers for the Brussels sprouts, glazed with siracha-soy sauce and served hot and crispy. Rounding out the quartet of appetizers was house-breaded Crispy Calamari, served with tartar, marinara, and lemon sauces.

Of course, our cocktails—for me, a perfectly balanced Rose Kennedy (vodka-cran-soda) and for Bonnie, a Rob Roy (a Scotch Manhattan)—complemented it all. 


I’m going back this weekend to check out the Aqua Loaded Fries—I saw them on an adjoining table and lusted. They were waffle fries with melted beer cheese, smokey bbq ranch, bacon, pickled jalapeños, and scallions. That’s a lunch waiting to happen.

Perfectly suited to the huge happy hour crowd at Aqua, their list of delicious appetizers is endless. Also available are Aqua Nachos with melted beer cheese, black beans, corn, pickled jalapenos, shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa, cilantro, tomatoes and pickled onions. More choices include Seasonal Hummus, Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls, and more. 


As if we needed entrees after that appetizer feast, our dinner selections arrived hot and hearty. The table, sporting its beautifully plated Crab Cakes, Soft-shell Crab, Shrimp Tacos, and Tuna Bowl, was more seafood fine dining than happy-hour hangout. Actually, it’s both, which is great news for everybody. I loved the Honey Cajun Shrimp Tacos with pineapple pico, Cajun aioli, and cilantro in a flour tortilla—rice and beans on the side. The tacos were sizable and the shrimp was a knockout. 


Bonnie’s favorite was the Tuna Poke Bowl with ahi tuna, pickled ginger, edamame, carrot, cucumber, seaweed salad, wasabi, avocado, sesame glaze, and sushi rice. But while we were at it, we also got to taste the special Aqua jumbo lump crab cakes, made in-house daily—very Baltimore-like, the way they should be! 


The soft-shell crab sandwich we all shared was also exceptional. If you are gonna go for crab, go for it at a place that gives you a great meal for your money, and that’s Aqua. 


And of course, along with the great food and conversation at our table, we got to see all manner of folks we knew stroll by, stopping to chat, including CAMP Board President Wes Combs and Board Member Mike DeFlavia. For a Monday evening, the place was hopping with an extremely diverse crowd. I loved it.


Dessert, you ask? Well, we had our arms twisted and were thrilled we did. The Key Lime Pie was a lovely treat, but it was the cheesecake that got me. I took one bite and announced “Okay, this is a real New York Cheesecake. A New Yorker made this.” Yup, Patti Small, from Long Island, New York, created the fabulous cheesecake in-house at Aqua. Patti was cooking on the night of our visit, in the Aqua Grill kitchen run by chef Kevin Burns—who clearly has done a grand job with the menu, presentation, quality, and preparation of the food. 


Sure, keep going to Aqua for cocktail hour and all the fun. But treat yourself to the delicious food as well—brunch, lunch, or dinner. You’ll be happy you did. ▼
 

‹ August 19, 2022 - Celebrating Tom Wilson by Eric Peterson up August 19, 2022 - The Real Dirt by Eric W. Wahl ›

Past Issues

Issues Index

  • February 4, 2022 - Issue Index
  • March 4, 2022 - Issue Index
  • April 1, 2022 - Issue Index
  • May 6, 2022 - Issue Index
  • May 27, 2022 - Issue Index
  • June 17, 2022 - Issue Index
  • July 8, 2022 - Issue Index
  • July 29, 2022 - Issue Index
  • August 19, 2022 - Issue Index
    • August 19, 2022 - Cover to Cover with Issuu
    • August 19, 2022 - From the Editor by Marj Shannon
    • August 19, 2022 - In Brief
    • August 19, 2022 - President's View by Wesley Combs
    • August 19, 2022 - SUNFESTIVAL Auction 2022
    • August 19, 2022 - Judy Gold Headlines SUNFESTIVAL 2022 by Nancy Sakaduski
    • August 19, 2022 - CAMP News
    • August 19, 2022 - Out & About by Eric C. Peterson
    • August 19, 2022 - The Way We Were by Fay Jacobs
    • August 19, 2022 - Community News
    • August 19, 2022 - Training CAMP by Jon Adler Kaplan
    • August 19, 2022 - Words Matter by Clarence Fluker
    • August 19, 2022 - Health in Our Community
    • August 19, 2022 - Health & Wellness by Robb Mapou
    • August 19, 2022 - Health & Wellness: Classes + Events
    • August 19, 2022 - Guest House Chronicles by Tom Kelch
    • August 19, 2022 - Volunteer Spotlight by Glenn Lash
    • August 19, 2022 - Head Out on the Highway by Michael Gilles
    • August 19, 2022 - It's My Life by Michael Thomas Ford
    • August 19, 2022 - Celebrating Tom Wilson by Eric Peterson
    • August 19, 2022 - Dining Out by Fay Jacobs
    • August 19, 2022 - The Real Dirt by Eric W. Wahl
    • August 19, 2022 - Celebrity Interview by Chris Azzopardi
    • August 19, 2022 - Historical Headliners by Ann Aptaker
    • August 19, 2022 - CAMPshots
    • August 19, 2022 - The Sea Salt Table by Ed Castelli
    • August 29, 2022 - OUTlook by Beth Shockley
    • August 19, 2022 - Spotlight on the Arts by Doug Yetter
    • August 19, 2022 - Booked Solid by Terri Schlichenmeyer
    • August 19, 2022 - Straight Talk by David Garrett
    • August 19, 2022 - View Point by Richard J. Rosendall
    • August 19, 2022 - Deep Inside Hollywood by Romeo San Vicente
    • August 19, 2022 - Dog Days by Pattie Cinelli
    • August 19, 2022 - We Remember
  • September 16, 2022 - Issue Index
  • October 14, 2022 - Issue Index
  • November 18, 2022 - Issue Index
  • December 16, 2022 - Issue Index

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