Italian Steak at Zella’s
Italian places and a great steak sandwich seem to go hand in hand, and Zella’s in Hollins Market certainly has a great take on this popular item. Their sandwich comes with a well-prepared and juicy steak, plus mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, onions, red peppers, lettuce, tomato, and a creamy Italian dressing on fresh baked bread.
The creamy Italian gives it a nice boost and all the ingredients combine for one great sandwich.
Peruvian Chicken at El Pollo Real
Peruvian-style chicken or pollo a la brasa is growing in popularity in the area and El Pollo Real brings Federal Hill its first restaurant serving the coal-fired rotisserie chicken. Already a fan of Peruvian chicken, I was excited when I heard El Pollo Real would open at the former Cross Street Kabob House.
The 1/4 chicken comes with two sides – I went with black beans over rice primavera and salad – and everything was delicious and was ready very quickly. El Pollo Real is a great fast casual addition to Federal Hill.
Merguez Sliders at SoBo Market
SoBo Market, located at the former Rayzers and the sister restaurant to SoBo Café, is now serving food and it is off to a great start. We stopped in last week and got several different plates that were all very good, especially the Merguez Sliders – two spicy lamb burgers with pickled carrot, cilantro, and chermoula on a fresh baked sesame roll. The sliders were bursting with flavor and went well with the rest of our meal.
Also available at SoBo Market is South Baltimore-based products such as Charm City Meadworks, Gundalow Juice, and Mobtown Meat Snacks, as well as many unique items made in the region.
Bahn Mi at The Local Fry
Being a huge fan of the popular Vietnamese dish pho, I was looking forward to trying Bahn Mi, a Vietnamese-style sub. The Local Fry in Federal Hill has started serving Bahn Mi recently and I’m a fan.
I’ve tried the Vietnamese Pork and the Crispy Chicken, both of which come on a french roll with pickled daikon and carrot, pickled jalapeno peppers, cucumber, cilantro, and mayo. The sandwich comes with great ingredients and boasts a fresh and zesty flavor that makes this style of sandwich so unique.
Onion Jam at Shotti’s Point
I always love a good french dip sandwich and Shotti’s Point does this well with the Stoked Dip, as well as the Onion Jam. I recently got the Onion Jam and it was a peppered french dip topped with a caramelized onion sauce. It was a great sandwich which you can get with a side of balsamic brussels sprouts, which I also highly recommend.