Mr. Rain's is a terrific restaurant at the top of the American Visionary Arts Museum. We had wonderful food. Fun stuff like a twist on Hawaiian poke where a circle of raw tuna was topped with an avocado ice cream instead of missed with diced avocado. Perfectly cooked stuff like scallops. Delicious stuff like a plate where the meat, the vegetables and the sauces were each something special and nothing that I could make myself.
I had the idea to say that Mr. Rain's is the best restaurant that I never hear anyone talk about. No one walks past. No one could stumble on it. But it's absolutely worth the drive from Howard County. For some reason, that hadn't yet coalesced into a post for me, which is why you should go read what the professional thinks. Richard Gorelick reviewed Mr. Rain's in the Sun and captured everything that I would have wanted to say -- plus writing with the cleverness of Mr. Rain's. This is my favorite section:
This is an excellent restaurant that manages to be both part of a progressive culinary movement and its very own thing. The experienced staff members aren't shy about their sense of fashion, and Buszinski's kitchen isn't afraid of displaying flourishes of wit, just not at the expense of flavor.
Don't get me wrong. I love those wood-and-fire restaurants, where the spirits of the cow and the chicken hover over the plate. But Mr. Rain's is a chance to get out of your flannels, put on a puffy shirt and dine in a sophisticated and serene room where the predominant colors are orange and purple.Consider stretching your evening by looking through the American Visionary Arts Museum. It's a weird space, but it's fun art. The museum gift shop is worth its own 45 minutes with books, art, and lots of crazy little items like colorful hats that we wore to answer the door on Halloween. The one downside is that the museum closes early enough that our anniversary dinner was almost an early bird special. So I could see going for dinner at a normal hour instead.
I simply cannot get past the name. I hate it. It makes me thing of Pee Wee Herman for some reason, but whatever that reason is, I can't bring myself to eat there. And it gets good reviews, including yours.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Marcia about the name--I don't hate it though. I just wouldn't have guessed it's a restaurant review. Good review! Scallops are my favorite. That alone might be worth the drive.
ReplyDeleteAlso, congratulations for winning the Mobbie Award. I was nominated for the same category. I really hate I missed the party too. I had to work.
Cheers,
Alaiyo
Thank you for recommending this. I took my family to Mr. Rain's tonight and we all enjoyed ourselves. The service was fantastic, even letting us know that our entree would be a few minutes longer because the duck was large and required more time. I appreciated them letting us know and they kept bringing those yummy fresh pretzel bites.
ReplyDeleteThe decor was interesting as well, as you'd expect from the location.
As you said, it was worth the drive.