I have been meaning to go to Bona Terra for some time now. But, whenever we feel like inspired local food (which is pretty often) we usually head to Legume. We finally made it to Sharpsburg to try out this often-hyped restaurant and we are convinced that it is basically worth the hype.
Bona Terra is BYOB with a daily changing menu. It focuses on local, seasonal food. Unlike Legume (take note, Chef Dick) Bona Terra doesn't post their menu daily. Instead, you find three sample menus on their website. That leaves overly anxious diners to wait until they get to the restaurant that night to see the menu. Gasp! The menu offered five hot appetizers, three salads, a cheese plate, and six dinner entrees. We went with the waitress' recommendation of the dumplings for an appetizer, though the cracker dusted oysters and the roasted quail sounded good too. The dumplings were made with homemade dough, filled with pork shoulder, and served in spicy broth. They were delicate and quite good. We also had a salad, which was one of our favorite parts of the meal. The salad was served with tender greens, candied walnuts, chevre, and a citrus vinaigrette. It was wonderful! Each component was special on its own, and the combination was perfect. We had the striped bass over lentils and the duck breast with basmati rice for our entrees. Both were excellent - the bass was crispy and browned on the skin side and perfectly cooked otherwise. The lentils were mild and weren't overcooked. The duck was another crispy skinned protein, and was very tender. In between courses, the chef served a mango sorbet (housemade, aggressive and delicious) and a tomato soup with crispy proscuitto (smooth and buttery). We were pleasantly surprised when the waitress asked about dessert, as we hadn't seen any leave the kitchen to that point. The desserts included a lemon tart, an offering of sorbets, and a homemade chocolate cake. We opted for the chocolate cake, which was fabulous. It was dense and rich. And it was served with homemade chocolate peanut butter cup icing. Along with the salad, it was the standout of the night. Oh, and I don't want to forget the bread - housemade herbed ciabatta hot from the oven, served with herbed butter. Sooooo good. So, while I am partial to Legume (are you getting that feeling yet?), and while it remains my go-to for creative local food, there is room in my rotation for Bona Terra as well. Just not as often as Legume...
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What specifically do you like about Legume better than Bona Terra? I am looking to try one of them and only have the time and finances to eat at one of them in the near future, so I am trying to decide which would be better for me. Thanks.
You do need to try both, beause they are both amazing. But, I like Legume better because it fits my style and wants in a restaurant better than Bona Terra. First of all, I think the atmosphere at Legume is more casual. It is brighter and smaller, and details from the table setting (wine is served in juice glasses) to the wait staff "uniforms" (there are none) are simple and casual. Even the receptionist at Legume is less formal. When I called to make a reservation at Bona Terra, they reminded me that the next table seating would be 2 hours after my reservation. I know they probably plan for the same at Legume, and I understand that I'm not supposed to lolly-gag at a BYOB after dinner, but I don't appreciate calling to make a reservation a month and a half in advance and being told that I would have two hours to eat and leave.
Besides the difference in formality, I appreciate the adventure of the items of the menu at Legume. Bona Terra had one unordinary dish in each category (appetizer, meat, poultry/fish), while Legume usually has one ordinary dish in each category. I wouldn't take a picky eater there without checking the menu before I went for the night, but I love to go to Legume and try different things. Check out their menu (which is posted at 5pm daily) for some of the special offerings. On that note, I think part of my passion for Legume comes from their Kitchen Notes. I signed up to receive an email every week for the chef, outlining what things they will be working on for the week. The notes also say where the ingredients and proteins are coming from and what menu ingredients they have made themselves. It's easy to get excited about a meal there when you've been reading about it all week and when you know where your food is coming from.
A little off topic, I love Regent Square in general. It has a laid back, semi-hip vibe and there are great bars to imbibe pre or post dinner. Let me know what you think once you have gone.
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