In an effort to step outside of our comfort zone (Federal Hill) my roommate and I decided to head over to Station North and try the new-ish Pen & Quill. I have heard plenty of good things about Pen & Quill and I was excited to try it. In the dining area, it is laid out in such a way that even if every table was full, the restaurant would still appear spacious.

Pen & Quill

After looking over the menu, many more of the appetizers stood out to us than entrees so my roommate and I decided to share a few appetizers and then an entree. The first appetizer that stood out to us was the Soft Pretzel. It came with a porter cheddar sauce for dipping. The pretzel had a nice doughy interior with a crispy exterior and the dipping sauce was delicious. It had a nice kick that complimented the pretzel nicely.

Soft Pretzel

Next, on our appetizer tour of  Pen & Quill, we went with the Candied Bacon Popcorn. Unsurprisingly, the popcorn was insanely sweet but the salty-smoky bacon flavor tempered the sweetness. If we were following the traditional dining experience, this would have been a great way to start our meal.

Candied Bacon Popcorn

For our last starter, we went with the Beef Brisket Steamed Bun. The brisket was insanely tender and the bun was nice and spongy. Inside of the bun was also horseradish cream which has a nice spice that complimented the meat beautifully. I would consider ordering a few of these buns as a meal, they were that good.

Beef Brisket Steamed Bun

For our shared entree, we went with the Steak Frites. The steak was topped with Béarnais sauce and the fries were nice and crispy. Additionally the dish was served with a cajun dipping sauce which I loved as an alternative to the traditional ketchup. The steak was cooked perfectly and better than some of the other Steak Frites I’ve had around the city.

Steak Frites

If you’re in Station North and looking for food with a lot of bold flavors, do yourself a favor and visit Pen & Quill.

Pen & Quill is located at 1701 N Charles St, in Station North.

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Looking for a place to eat? Check out Rachel’s Baltimore Restaurant List.