Woodberry Kitchen is an example of a restaurant done right. They have the hook (Organic and Local) and they do it right. They use simple ingredients with intriguing flavor combinations yet not so intriguing that over-complicate the plates -- they smartly let the quality of their ingredients shine through. Wrap it all up with some fine service and a beautiful setting and you got something special. A little too expensive for a 5 star review, but oh so close.

The menu at Woodberry doesn't start off with appetizers, or even cold plates. No, it presents you with snacks. Then cold plates, then warm plates, then oysters... you get the point.

Luckily, the "Potato Chips and Dip" instilled confidence in the apps and entrees to come. It was a crispy mix of Russet and Sweet, piled next to a bacon-y gourmet take on sour-cream and onion. Next up was the house-made Lamb Sausage appetizer from the specials menu: juicy, well-seasoned (local!) ground lamb, paired nicely with grainy mustard. The warm sauerkraut underneath it was a wee too sour for my taste, but then again, Germans would probably love it.

On to the entree! Torn between 4+ selections (Codfish and Chips, Shad and Roe, Bacon and Egg Fried Rice...), I finally settled on another special - the halibut. This sizable piece of fish came perfectly cooked (just barely opaque in the middle), perfectly seasoned, and perfectly fresh.

Not content to just serve food, Woodberry is also a crusader for using local organic ingredients. This means that every dish is going to be simple and unfussed-with. You may feel like you're paying too much for all that white-space on the plate. But remember: we do not need to drench everything in sauce, and even ingredients from Baltimore can be quite tasty coming from the right kitchen.

Update: finally tried their always-present-but-always-changing Fish and Chips plate! This particular night, it was two massive tilapia fillets enveloped in airy crispy-crunchy goodness. Also worth mentioning was the intense burnt orange ice cream that accompanied the warm chocolate tart.