Cinnamon Tree Restaurant Anniversary Dinner Experience

Cinnamon Tree Restaurant Anniversary Dinner Experience

Later in the summer, right before school started back, my husband and I had the opportunity to discover a hidden gem in Hunt Valley.  Cinnamon Tree Restaurant at the Hunt Valley Inn has been in our neck of the woods for a while and we weren’t aware of it at all.  Since we were celebrating our eighth year of marriage this month I wanted to find something special, Cinnamon Tree was the top choice on our list.

We were fortunate enough to get a reservation on our actual anniversary.  When we arrived the restaurant manager was waiting for us to arrive and quickly seated us in the same spot we sat at during our first visit.

Hubby started off the night with a mixed drink.  This one was different from the last one he tried.  We then choose our appetizers for the night.

My husband went with the Sweet & Sour Calamari this time.  It was even better than I remembered and the aioli was even better than I remembered it from the first time.

I went with my favorite the She Crab Soup, I knew I wanted it the moment I set up our visit back to Cinnamon Tree.  It was just as delicious as I remember and the bread was to die for.  I would visit this restaurant every day just to enjoy a bowl of this delicious soup.

I wanted the salmon since the last time we visited Cinnamon Tree so it wasn’t hard when it was time for me to choose my entree.  I choose the grilled salmon, the salmon is covered in a dijon mustard sauce.  My sides were steamed asparagus and au gratin potatoes.  The salmon was absolutely delicious, it was tender but firm, and seasoned to perfection.  My asparagus was steamed to perfection, and tossed in a light buttery sauce.  I wasn’t a huge fan of the au gratin potatoes, it was softer than I expected but had a cheesy creamy taste.  The portion was larger than I expected so I ended up taking home half of the salmon portion, most of the potatoes and one piece of asparagus.

My husband wasn’t sure what to order so he asked Jinhua, the restaurant manager for her recommendation.  He was torn between seafood and steak but couldn’t decide.  Jinhua recommend the lamb shank curry.

The lamb shank is braised and served with a side of basmati rice.  When the plate arrived my husband didn’t know how to approach it.  The lamb just fell off the bone, he started by taking bites of the lamb, cabbage mix and rice.  It was simply one of the most delicious thing we’ve been tasted.  I grew up eating curry all the time in Trinidad but this wasn’t like any curry I’ve ever tasted in my life.  It was seasoned to perfection.  It wasn’t spicy at all, you could taste the hint of spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.  I couldn’t stop asking my husband for bites of his food it was that amazing.  When the chef came out to talk to us we asked him quite a few questions about this dish.  Jinhua hit this recommendation out of the park.

 

For dessert we both went with different options than the first time we visited.  My husband opted for the Pecan Pie, a southern favorite.  He just loved the pie.  He commented on how it tasted like something homemade he would enjoy during the holidays.  I had the hot fudge brownie.  It was very rich and chocolaty.  If you’re a huge fan of chocolate, you’ll just love how decadent this dessert was.

Before ending out dinner, Jinhua found out it was our anniversary and offered us a champagne toast.  It was the most beautiful way to end a perfect dinner.  Here’s to year eight and many, many more.

If you looking for dinner plans throughout the holiday season and into the new year, Cinnamon Tree Restaurant has special menu options just for the holidays.

• Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Dinner: Santa might pass on the milk and cookies you leave out in favorite of a 3-course meal at Cinnamon Tree. Enjoy Chestnut Soup as an appetizer to warm up from the cold winter weather, followed by a tender Grilled Ribeye Steak with a Madeira Reduction or a Cranberry Apple Stuffed Pork Loin with Black Cheery Sauce for dinner. Forget about icing a cake, instead order a Crème Brûlée for dessert.  (Seatings from 4-8pm; $39.95 per person)
•  New Year’s Eve Dinner: Kick off your New Year the right way, with a glass of bubbly at dinner! Those who make a reservation at Cinnamon Tree will be provided with one complimentary glass of champagne per person. Enjoy a (well-priced) 4-course meal with decadent dishes including a Filet of Beef Rossini Foi Gras with Black Truffle and a Madeira Wine Demi-Glaze, or the Peppercorn Crusted Duck Breast with sautéed Sweet Potato Gnocchi and a Pomegranate Reductio . (Seatings from 5-9pm; $68 per person)

Disclousre: Cinnamon Tree Restaurant provided my husband and I complimentary dinner in exchange for this post, any opinions expressed are my own.