Summer Menu at UNION in The Press Hotel

A. and I recently had a nice dinner at The Press Hotel's restaurant UNION. We were celebrating—we had eloped a few days before, and UNION turned out to be the perfect place for the two of us to enjoy a quiet dinner. While we made no mention of our reason for celebrating, the restaurant staff found out somehow and delivered several celebratory touches throughout our meal. 

UNION is in The Press Hotel, so called because of its location in the former home of the Press Herald's offices, and has the feel of a high-end home. There's lots of blonde wood, slate flooring, marble bar tops, and interesting light fixtures. Everything feels soothing and like you're in experienced hands. The service, in addition to going above and beyond with the congrats and sparkling toast, was competent and friendly yet unobtrusive. 

We dined on the eve of the switch from the spring to the summer menu, so we sampled items from the newer menu as a preview. We started with a two appetizers: the summer zucchini cakes ($13) and the confit eggplant ($10). 

The zucchini dish was crisp fritters topped with jumbo lump crab meat, crab mayonnaise, and Old Bay pickles. As a Maryland girl, you know I loved this dish—although the chef said serving a blue crab dish to a native Marylander made him nervous. (He passed with flying colors.) The eggplant dish had a touch of spice to it, with the silky eggplant topped with fresh figs, yogurt, sumac, mint, and a sunflower cracker.

Our entrees arrived after we cleared our appetizer plates—the highlight being the salmon in red curry ($27). I loved this dish since any coconut curry is a gimme for me and because I thought salmon was an unusual choice for pairing with curry. But it went really well together, with the salmon being cooked perfectly—flaky and moist with a crunchy top. The curry wasn't too sweet and the fried jasmine rice balls added more crunch. 

We also enjoyed a pasta and meatballs dish with spicy nduja added to the tomato sauce ($22). The dish was featured as the "Market Plate," a rotating special showcasing seasonal ingredients the chef sources that day. But the pasta and meatballs are a regular item on the summer menu. 

I knew UNION's desserts were good, so when the offer came I ordered up the whipped cheesecake. A. debated between that and the eclair and the chef got wind of it and sent out the eclair too. 

You can't go wrong with juicy strawberries, graham cracker crumbles, and cheesecake (I mean, I guess you can, but the kitchen at UNION didn't). The eclair itself was a little tough, but A. made it disappear nonetheless. 

I often view hotel restaurants with suspicion, but with its understated decor, professional service, and an elevated yet familiar menu, UNION manages to transcend the stereotype. With its full bar (including local draughts and specialty cocktail menu) it's also a nice place to enjoy a drink and a snack at the bar. UNION serves dinner daily from 5pm on and also offers a weekday lunch and weekend brunch. 

I was invited to dine free of charge at UNION. I was not compensated in any other way, and the words and opinions in this post are mine alone.