Hon and I went to Brasserie Tatin for a celebration dinner. (I finished the first draft of my first novel.) I had been wanting to try it since moving to Baltimore more than a year ago, and I’m so glad we finally checked it out.

It was a very quiet night … maybe three or four other tables were occupied.  It was also a very cold night, so walking in and seeing a fireplace at the far end of the dining room was warming and welcoming.  The decor is fairly low key … modern, elegant, but not stuffy.  It was a comfortable environment, although on a busier night, I can imagine that it feels overcrowded as the tables are close together.

The service was very good, friendly and knowledgeable. I got the sense that even if it had been a busier night, our server would have been just as attentive.

Now for the food.  For starters, I got the French Onion Soup or Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée.  It was perfect, and if it hadn’t been such a classy joint, Hon and I probably would have licked the bowl.  Hon got the soup du jour, which was a cream of parsnip soup.  Sounded positively awful to me, but he loved it.  Said it was a very rich, full flavor.

On to the entrees: I was looking forward to the veal scallopini that is (still) listed on their online menu.  I was disappointed to see it wasn’t on the regular menu. Instead, I went with a standby favorite, the New York Strip steak.  When the server brought it out I almost started laughing. I know that some people believe size matters, but this steak was enough to feed three people.  It was served on top of mashed potatoes and squash with bernaise on the side. I was a little concerned that the steak might be tough or not cooked well enough because of the size, but every bite of it (including the bites that lasted for two more meals!) was delicious and perfectly done.  Even when I think back on it now, I laugh because it looked like an entire side of beef on my plate!

Hon got the Seared Diver Scallops, which were also Amazon-sized. Again, there was a concern about them being too tough or chewy, as larger scallops can be, but these were fresh, tender and delicious.  They were seasoned just right and the sweet succulence of the scallops really came through with the flavor of the buerre blanc sauce.

After such a wonderful meal, I was very excited about dessert.  We selected the seasonal sorbets, which, pardon the pun, left me cold. The tastes were either too strong, too sweet or too strange for me.  We also got the restaurant’s namesake, and the reason for my wanting to check this place out … the tarte tatin, which, after creme brulee, is my favorite dessert.

I almost don’t want to say it, but I was disappointed in it.  It had a bit of a leftover taste to it..  The pastry wasn’t flaky and light the way it should be.  It was more dense, cakelike and soggy. The caramelization had gone a touch too far and seemed overly sweet and crystallized.

You definitely pay for the experience of dining at Brasserie Tatin, it is expensive, but we were celebrating and Hon was splurging on me, so we dug in and enjoyed it!

I don’t want to end this review on a bad note, because overall it was a very good experience.  I’d even be willing to try it again, but next time we’ll finish off with the creme brulee.

Brasserie Tatin is located at 105 W 39th St., Baltimore, MD 21210. They are open Sunday and Monday, 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.; Tuesday to Thursday, 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. They serve Sunday brunch from 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 443.278.9110. www.brasserietatin.com