While strolling along Baltimore?s Inner Harbor one night, we decided to stop by J. Paul?s Dining Saloon for some American fare.
We were immediately seated on the outside deck by request, where we were afforded a spectacular view of the Inner Harbor. There was a nice breeze.
Our waiter was attentive and enthusiastic, spouting off the day?s specials immediately after serving our drinks.
J. Paul?s refuses to serve bread and butter like everyone else. Instead, we received two large soft pretzels, sprinkled with sea salt, and a large plastic cup of tangy mustard. We munched on the pretzels while people-watching and enjoyed our view of the water.
Our appetizer arrived shortly after we finished the pretzels. The chipotle chicken quesadillas were full of cheddar cheese, peppers, onions and spicy chicken, and plated with salsa, sour cream and guacamole. The tortillas were the right consistency, soft and chewy. The taste, although pleasant, was nothing to rave about, especially since the chef scrimped on the chipotle sauce ? only a tiny line of the zesty stuff was squirted onto each triangular wedge.
Our entrees were large but not overwhelming.
The jumbo lump crab salad, a daily special, included a bed of crisp mixed greens, corn, chopped onions, cucumbers, green and red bell peppers and, of course, mounds of delicious morsels of crab meat. A perfect amount of light dijon vinaigrette topped off the satisfying dish.
The spicy teriyaki salmon was served over a heap of mashed potatoes with a side of lima beans and corn. A large portion of Asian fried noodles was sprinkled over the top. The salmon was flaky and fresh but was layered with too much teriyaki sauce. The tangy, sweet topping took much away from the natural flavor of the fish.
The potatoes were a little lumpy and tasted good but were nothing to write home about. The lima beans and corn were steamed well, not mushy.
Our dessert, called a chocolate smutz, sounded a lot more interesting than it actually was. Two fudge brownies covered in nuts sat plainly atop a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A dollop of whipped cream and chocolate sauce was plopped on top, and crushed Oreos were sprinkled around. The ice cream was refreshing, but the brownies and chocolate sauce looked and tasted store-bought.
