The Tasting Room – Lunch for Frederick Restaurant Week #FredRestWk

Here it was, Thursday, and this foodie hadn’t made it out to one restaurant participating in Frederick Restaurant Week (March 5 – 11). As I lamented in my most recent Tots2Tweens post, I had a fear that this year I might only make it out downtown if I dragged the kids with me. Grmph.

Have no fear, however, a little ingenuity can go a long way, and as it turns out, Thursday was a fabulous day to fix the problem! I hit not one, but TWO restaurants (more to come later) – the first being The Tasting Room for lunch.  I had plans to meet with folks I share nonprofit work with, and we turned it into a meeting over lunch. Why not?

I love The Tasting Room, as do many other Frederick foodies. I remember the initial buzz that hit when VOLT opened a few blocks to their north, “Do you think VOLT’s gonna hurt The Tasting Room’s business?” The answer was simple. Definitely not. The Tasting Room continues to be one of the few downtown spots that you better have a lunch reservation for, even during the week. And despite this constant “at capacity” feel, their service is bar none – always polite, always put together, and they never give you the feeling of being rushed – which can be a problem for a restaurant looking to turn tables because they’re so busy.

Their Restaurant Week lunch menu has two courses (I added my own third course – how could you go to The Tasting Room and not get dessert?). And feeling rather indecisive last Thursday, I let our server pick two of the choices for me – both the first course and the dessert. Well played, I might add – they were the best of the meal, by far.