strawberries in paris

Beneficent Birches

On Saturday night before the very depressing Ravens football game, we (meaning I) decided that Ned and the crew would chow down at Birches before we headed to the Canton square! This idea came from positive recommendations from Bobby my cousin! He loves this place because of the great beer selection (read – Resurrection!), the great crab dip and awesome burger menu. I liked the relaxed atmosphere and sweet tunes (Decemberists and Counting Crows!), the bartender was relatively friendly and the food was just very good.

Victor, Megan and Luke got the burger choice, Ned got a buffalo chicken sandwich and I got the huge ceasar salad! Everyone chose different awesome beers and I stuck to agua, but surprisingly got some tea at the end of our visit! Who gets tea at a bar?? Well me. Check out some pictures and our grub below!

Here was a really cool plate hanging behind the bar. Some nice artistry on this one.

Here was one of the burgers! It comes on an english muffin (actually all of their sandwiches do) and they got swiss cheese and sauteed onions. Victor loved the fact that it was so juicy. This juiciness (described on the burger menu) comes from the fact that it takes 20 minutes to cook! Ned and I were surmising that they sous vide the meat and then grill it up on the end to get a nice sear.

Ned’s chicken sandwich was also pretty darn juicy and drastically better than any other bar served chicken sandwich he has ever gotten because it was not dried out! Ned loved the fact that it came on an English muffin. It really allowed the meat of the sandwich to stand out, rather than a huge chunk of bland bread overwhelming it. Also, the ‘buffalo’ness of the sandwich was apparent, but didn’t muddle the other flavors on the sandwich. The fries were good, nice and crispy matchsticks and were seasoned well.

Here was my mammoth salad! Now when you think mammoth salad, that doesn’t usually translate to uber healthy. But actually this one worked out very nicely and that is crucial for sticking to my cutthecake challenge! It was a caesar, but very different from caesar salads that I am used to. They grilled up tomatoes and red onions, made a balsamic vinaigrette and threw in some garlicky croutons. There was a ton of romaine on the plate and the grilled flank steak was so tender and perfectly cooked to order! I think the steak could have used a bit more salt, but it was perfect for helping me to replenish the iron I had lost giving blood earlier in the day.

All in all, this bar/restaurant was welcoming and warm, perfect for cozying up with a nice pint and some expertly cooked food. I loved the fact that the bartender went and boiled some water in the kitchen so that I could have tea as the perfect finish for my meal. When I think about other similar favorite venues of mine, like Annabel Lee or Brewer’s Art, it doesn’t quite evoke the same level of satisfaction, but maybe that is because I know the bartenders at those places and feel more at home. If you are ever in the neighborhood, definitely check this place out!