The Dinner Party: Baltimore magazine’s Best Restaurant Experience

On March 15, fifty of Baltimore’s avid food scene followers gathered for an upscale four-course meal curated by Executive Chef Mark Levy of Magdalena. The best part: no one knew the location of the dinner until the morning of the event (though we made sure to give a handful of helpful hints along the way!). The restaurant, which is nestled on the first floor of the boutique Ivy Hotel, has been named a Baltimore magazine “Best Restaurant” every year since the restaurant opened its doors three years ago. And last week, our Dinner Party guests now know why.

Our VIP experience guests began their evening with an intimate meet and greet with Chef Levy in his world-class kitchen. While guests delighted in canapés, Chef Levy gave a personal tour through Magdalena’s back of house and showed all where the culinary magic happens. A highlight on the tour: Chef’s Molteni oven-range which was crafted by hand in Saint-Uze France to the personal specifications of Chef Levy. Following the tour, VIP diners were whisked off to the “wine cellar,” an inviting cozy niche that houses Magdalena’s fine wines.

We welcomed three additional intimate dinner seatings, all staged in different, and uniquely curated rooms within the restaurant. Upon arrival, guests were welcomed by a smooth jazz duo from Entertainment Exchange and invited to take a brief respite at Magdalena’s bar to enjoy their Ketel One  “Dutch 75” specialty cocktail before their dinner seating. Once all guests arrived, each group was escorted to their reserved space. Paired with delicious wines from Great Frogs Winery,  guests truly savored every bite of the unparalleled dinner menu, which included dishes such as terrine of Maine lobster, foie gras tortellini, a filet of European turbot, and finished with a whiskey and raspberry jelly dessert.

Photo credit: Urban Row Photography