Grand Cru

(05/30/2013)  Nice little place in a storefront at the Belvedere Square.  The whole market area strives to be upscale, suburban, and chi-chi (while just being inside the City line and an oasis that straddles the historic and low-rent areas.  
 
The small plates are designed to complement the selective beer and wine selection.  The Alsatian flatbread we tried was a hit; buttery, flaky, paper thin, crisp crust but still with a nice chew, and some salt to it.  The "Nature" (bacon, carmelized onion, creme fraiche, fresh cracked black pepper) is a classic combo in this Rhine region.   The Pheasant Sausage was juicy and fatty (obviously plenty of pork fat ground into the mix), gamey, well-seasoned, black pepper, with a tart/pungent mustard sauce and savory onion jam.  The Pennsylvania Farmed Mushrooms were fresh, plump, sauteed, but unclear what the "house special sauce" was; rather unexciting and bland.  
 
The service is a little spacey (just how many times do you have to tell us you forgot our order) earnest.  The place doesn't stay open late, probably the suburban clientele has to get home to make sandwiches for the kids and get to work the next day, but they do a bustling business right up to the line.  Great place if it's in your neighborhood and conveniently connected to a gourmet market.

This place has the best beer in north Baltimore. The environment is pleasant, and you can even bring in food from Atwaters next door.  That being said, it isn't enough to make up for the horrible experience you will have while drinking and eating.

The service is terrible, the owner is rude, and these factors have ruined many visits for me. Even when you sit at a table, you have to go to the bar to get service from one of the 4-5 people standing behind the bar chatting with one another.  And then, you are either ignored or on the receiving end of attitude. The draft beers are very expensive, and the carry out beer is several dollars more than even the most expensive liquor store.

Craft beer is important to me, and this is why I have visited Grand Cru on many, many occasions over the past ten years: there literally is nowhere else nearby. However, I am done with this place: they have been rude to me one too many times.  I will now drive to Hampden where there are several great places with draft beer and good food: 13.5%, Food Market, and Woodberry Kitchen.  If you're willing to go further afield, Heavy Seas Alehouse, Metropolitan, and Red Star have not only great food, great food, but also great service.

This is on of my favorite go to locations for Friday happy hour. They have a great selection of wines and mixed drinks, it is a little on the pricer side, but in this area the alternative is a bunch of dingy college bars. They have a nice selection of mixed drinks and 6 solid rotating beers. One is from Maryland, one is regional, a few from Europe and then something off the wall and strange..  Never have I been in here and have tried all the beers, always something new to try. I normally opt for some of the very reasonably priced glasses of wine, or a manhattan. They make a delicious manhattan.

The crowd is slightly older but that is a nice change of pace, no one is in a rush and they are always in a super chill laid back mood. One day the Mayor even stopped in, btw, she is even prettier in person!

One cool thing to note re: food is that you can order and pay for food in any of the other market "food shops" inside the attached market and they will bring it to your table in Grand Cru. I think this place is solid and never disappoints.