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Restaurant ReviewMari Luna – Latin Grille1010 Reisterstown Rd.Pikesville, MD 21208410-653-5151ByNoelleSchifferAre <strong>you</strong> looking for abit of zest to kick off2010? Well I wouldstrongly recommend a quicktrip to the wonderfullycharming Mari Luna Restaurantlocated in Pikesville,MD. Mari Luna infuses justthe right amount of Latinflavor into its dishes to leave<strong>you</strong> hungering for more.In its casual yet upscalefeeling dining room, <strong>you</strong> areimmediately drawn to themosaic tiled bar and gauchoinspireddécor. The air isfilled with the aroma of freshfish and Latin spices. As wewere shown to our table wewere immediately met bythe cordial and warm staffwho presented us with fluffyover-sized popovers withmango/papaya butter. Additionally,a complimentarysalad is brought to each table.After indulging in thesepre-meal delights we were36 <strong>Focus</strong> on Women Magazineready to dive into the manyLatin-inspired seafood offeringson the restaurants wellconceived menu.To begin our culinary adventure,we ordered the Sopade Caracol ($6 bowl/$3.50cup), which is a HonduranstyleConch Chowder withCoconut Milk, and the Sopade Langosta ($7 Bowl/$4 cup),a hearty lobster bisque witha little bit of kick to it. Bothsoups were wonderfully flavoredand contained generousamounts of seafood.With soaring expectationswe moved onto the appetizers.We decided to save someroom for our main entrée’sand split an order of MusselsGauchos ($8). The Blue HillBay Mussels are steamedin DosXX Beer along withgrilled Argentineanchorizo sausage,tomato,cilantro, andlime juice,and areserved withbread chips.This wasone of themost flavorful and appealingdishes that I have had inrecent memory. Absolutely a“must have” appetizer!!Far be it for me <strong>not</strong> totake advantage of a greatdeal. Mari Luna offers a $10lunch special which includesa lunch entrée and soft drink.After perusing the surprisinglylong list of offerings onthe menu, I decided on thePeruvian Charcoal Chickenwith Rice and a sweet andzesty Peruvian sauce. Thiswas a wonderful dish filledwith a flavorful blend ofspices and just enough kickto keep <strong>you</strong>r attention. Wealso ordered the CarnitasUruapan, which is plate ofslow roasted, juicy chunks ofpork with white rice on theside, tortillas, onions andcilantro. This was a<strong>not</strong><strong>her</strong>fabulous, aromatic dish witha nice amount of Latin spiceand high quality meat.Although nearly impossible,we could <strong>not</strong> leavewithout sampling a coupleof Mari Luna’s home-madedesserts. I ordered the Tortede Chocolate, which is a darkMexican chocolate cake w/layers of chocolate mousse,and was <strong>not</strong> disappointed.We also sampled the Dulce deLeche Crepes - crepes filledwith vanilla caramel creamw/ vanilla ice cream toppedwith coconut flakes. Bothdesserts were as decadent asthey were delicious.Food: **** ExcellentPrice **** ExcellentService ***** Top ShelfAtmosp<strong>her</strong>e **** ExcellentOverall **** ExcellentOur visit to Mari-Lunawas a wonderful surprise andI can<strong>not</strong> wait to visit again.Muy fabuloso!!!Mari Luna also has a sisterrestaurant that specializesin Mexican Cuisine.