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Baltimore Magazine; In Good Taste; Suzanne Loudermilk
January 21st, 2009

Reinvention of The Brass Elephant

Who knew? A new chef has taken over the kitchen at one of Baltimore’s grand dames, The Brass Elephant, and unveiled a menu for our times—entrées for $25 and less. Chef Marcus Olson, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Portland, Oregon, and worked in London, Paris, and New York, calls himself a neo-classic chef, a “modern guy,” he says.

Now, you’ll find creative dishes like native American mixed grill, braised pork shank, and an American shellfish quartet for reasonable prices. And being a modern guy, Marcus insists on fresh, made-in-house products. Plus you get to dine in the wonderfully romantic atmosphere of the charming 1850 townhouse with architectural details like carved fireplaces, Teak wood, and stained glass. There’s free valet parking, too.

Marcus also has a great menu planned for Baltimore Winter Restaurant Week (Jan. 23-Feb. 1) and Valentine’s Day. He calls his Feb. 14 spread, “Love It, Hate It!” The folks who love Valentine’s Day enjoy a feast in the dining room. The people who hate all that mushy stuff can pig out in the bar. “I’m a quirky guy,” the chef says. Sounds like he’ll fit right into Charm City.

Baltimore Sun, Elizabeth Large
January 28, 2009

Price dip When I reviewed the Brass Elephant (924 N. Charles St., 410-547-8480) and its new chef, Andrew Maggitti, last May, I was taken aback that entree prices ranged from $27 to $36. That seemed a little high, even for as nice a restaurant as the Brass Elephant is.

How time and a recession have changed things. Mount Vernon's most beautiful restaurant has a new chef, Marcus Olson, and a menu with entrees that now cost $25 or less. This is basically what two other fine-dining restaurants, Corks and the Bicycle, have done. If you believe three's a trend, we have a trend here, folks - one that benefits diners.

Olson is a native of Seattle and most recently ran the kitchen of the Bull Run Restaurant and Conference Center on New York's Wall Street. His new menu is a departure from the northern Italian food of the Brass Elephant's last chef.

Olson's culinary style is described on the restaurant's Web site this way (take several deep, calming breaths): "classic cuisine items are deconstructed and then re-built from a totally modern perspective."

At least he has a sense of humor. A typical dish is the Peppercorn Quail Envies Duck (Celeriac & Louisiana Crawfish Hash).

As for the new prices, I don't want to get you too excited. While it's true that $25 is as expensive as entrees get, it's also true that all the entrees are $25 except for a stuffed chicken breast ($23) and a stuffed portobello mushroom ($19).

Examiner, Tamar Fleishman
February 28, 2009

So, when was the last time you dined at one of Baltimore’s gems, The Brass Elephant (www.brasselephant.com )? Everybody oohs and ahhs about that New Year’s Eve or anniversary they went to the gorgeous townhome in Mt. Vernon, but for some reason… they spend the rest of the year at a chain restaurant. The Brass Elephant has made their Restaurant Week prix-fixe menu semi-permanent, with a $30 and a $40 menu. Plus, on Fridays, all their wines offered by the glass are half-off! They have many champagnes, international wines, and ports to choose from, too. So, if you’re not convinced yet that you’ve been missing out on something special, read on.

The Brass Elephant has their own valet parking and they’re right on Charles St. So, it’s easy-peasy to get there. The décor is irreplaceable and museum-level, with Waterford crystal, Rheinhart white marble fireplace mantles, and Louis Comfort Tiffany skylights. Yeah, no boomerangs or sepia fake family photos decorating the walls here – the Brass Elephant is a hold-out from when Baltimore was at its most elegant, complete with duchesses. And yet, it’s comfy and not stiff. Wait staff are not in tuxes anymore, if it’s been a while since you last came. The lighting is not dark or subversive, so you can go with pals and not come off like you’re about to marry them. The place feels like home, if you “came into a little money”.

But let’s face it, people go to restaurants primarily for the food… and here, you will be delighted.

They have a new chef, Marcus Olson. This young chef has already conquered restaurants in Seattle, Juneau – working with the finest seafood available – as well as in London, Paris, and Manhattan. What kind of food did they have before at the Brass Elephant? It was kind of Italian-ish or something? Yeah, that’s the thing. You couldn’t pinpoint what was going on and it didn’t fit into the surroundings. Now, a concerted effort is being made to use local – following that hot “localvore” trend – ingredients in classic dishes, but with exciting twists.

So, no, you aren’t going to get crab cakes here, but you can get delectable and perfectly prepared Rockfish “Parmentier,” with a crunchy potato crust and velvety, rich leek sauce. Every aspect, from the presentation to the texture, is a labor of love. Nothing is goopy or tough or blah.

The prix-fixe menu offers a number of different selections, unlike many prix-fixe menus which give you a “this or that” choice… with the “this” often running out. You will even find well-considered vegetarian options. One appetizer that gets everyone in the restaurant craning their necks and asking what you ordered, is the sautéed calamari with garbanzo beans and bacon lardon. It’s not heavy like a cornmeal breaded and fried calamari. The beans add a great texture and the sauce demands dipping.

At many chain restaurants, it’s like the desserts are designed for an after-school daycare. You can almost hear the babysitter barking, “Here! You like goopy! You like a brownie! Here’s a big tub of ice-cream. Now, eat it!” Trust me, Brass Elephant’s desserts are sophisticated and made on-site. The apple tarte tatin has a subtle and piquant caramel sauce.

I also tried the trio of cheesecakes. Now normally, I leave my cheesecake eatin’ to rare sojourns up to New York. I mean, cheesecake is all the same or less than you remembered, right? WRONG! This trio consists of a marscapone, goat cheese, and Gorgonzola cheesecake. It runs from sweet and mild to intriguingly salty, like a high-end caramel. It’s garnished with a hazelnut and pignoli toffee.

Baltimore Magazine; John Farlow, Henry Hong, Suzanne Loudermilk, Karen Nitkin, Bianca Sienra, and Martha Thomas
March 2009

Ranked 34th: The Brass Elephant

The Mt. Vernon restaurant remains a bastion of grace and fine dining. The regal décor and superbly professional service exude class and sophistication, while the seasonal menu by new chef Marcus Olson offers an intelligent but approachable, very American take on carefully sourced seafood, meats, and game. Native American mixed grill is a handsome montage of bison and wild duck, flanked by deliciously crusty mushroom bread pudding, silken squash flan, grilled asparagus, and an intensely earthy, bison pan-reduction sauce—a study in straightforward New World refinement—while the miso-glazed Alaskan cod with dumplings and bok choy provides a bit of a detour. Appetizers display yet more whimsy—pickled strawberries accompany a rich duck breast, calamari sautéed with bacon and garbanzo beans is addictive, and a tart of sweet onion and pear is elevated by basil pesto and a mild Gorgonzola. As staff, bedecked in crisp black and white, glide about facilitating course transitions, we are reminded of just how uncommon such elegance in dining has become, and silently chide ourselves for not shining our shoes.