Baker Street

4820 N. Clinton Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46825

(260) 484-3300

http://www.bakerstreetfortwayne.com/

This has been the hardest of all of my reviews to write.  I have had "writer's block" for more than a month.  Why?  Because this simply is the VERY BEST restaurant in Fort Wayne - HANDS DOWN nothing I can type will do it justice.  This is a MUST VISIT establishment.  Put it at the TOP of your dining list and DON'T WAIT ANOTHER DAY!!!!!  

IF YOU ARE EATING ANYWHERE ELSE, YOU'RE WASTING YOUR MONEY!!!!!

What makes this restaurant above almost everywhere else?  Read on - you'll see . . .

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

During our mid April visit, the weather was still volatile to have annual plants in the urns that flanked the front doors so instead of just having ugly urns of dirt, BS had placed beautiful grapevine wreathes around the tops and had beautiful accents in various heights to keep it visually interesting and aesthetically pleasing.  Nice first impression, guys!

The customer service at Baker Street WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU.  Other than EM's, we have not found ANY restaurant during our travels that comes close to the exceptionally high level of service you will experience at Baker Street.  Allen L entered the restaurant and was immediately greeted by the hostess.  When asked if the restroom was in the back, the hostess physically walked her back to it.  That didn't cost anything, but created a great first impression for the guest. We were seated in the bar where we were greeted by a very friendly and knowledgeable bartender.  It's pretty much a 3 Elles mantra - "the quality of the service can make or break an entire dining experience" - Baker Street gets 5 stars, an A +, or 2 thumbs up - whatever your rating scale is, you'll experience the very best service at Baker Street!

MARTINIS

You know how the 3 Elles LOVE their martinis and Baker Street has some of the BEST in town AND at a reasonable price (gotta LOVE Martini Mondays!!!!!).  We started off with a round from their orderly martini menu (kudos - it's hard to believe that just having a menu warrants a pat on the back, but regretfully many establishments in FW haven't quite caught on to the importance of such a minor thing!).  We started off with a "Strawberry Fields" and a "Banyan Tree". The drinks were both delicious, but do you notice anything missing in the photo below?  Long time readers surely answered - GARNISH!  That's right, a small fruity accent "seals the deal" and makes the drink visually appealing.  It is the lack of garnish on our drinks that is our ONLY suggestion for improvement to the BS staff. 

 

The Banyan Tree (left) was very tropical and arrived with a creamy deliciousness that left us desiring a cabana boy in the islands.  The Strawberry Fields martini (right) arrived a little too sour initially, but after a quick remake by the bartender, it was ohh soo sweet and delicious!  You can't go wrong by ordering either one of these delights!  For round 2, we opted for a Vanilla Bean Martini and Momo'Taro.  Wow, if it is even possible, round 2 was more euphoric than the starting line up. Tragically, round 2 also arrived naked :(

The Vanilla Bean Maritni (left) was described by Allen L as " a vanilla cloud of YUM!"  That pretty much sums it up, but just in case you are eager for a more thorough description, here you go.  This pure white glass of heaven is light and airy while having a frothy top coat.  Those of you old enough to remember, this drink will take you back to the "old school" Vanilla French Chew candy.  This is simply a MUST TRY drink!  The Momo'Taro (right) was very good.  It was sort of reminiscent of a Fuzzy navel with it's peach vodka and orange juice.  But this isn't a boring drink -it's punctuated with moscato.  This light, fruity, delicious concoction will leave you wanting more! 

Lastly, we had the fabulous luck to speak with Bart.  Bart was our server during our very first visit.  He was amazing and as a result of his stellar skills, he had been promoted to marketing.  He came to our table and we had a delightful chat.  During our first visit, he suggested that we try a martini that he created - it was unbelievable!  This drink is completely a fruit punch . . . for adults- smooth, sweet, cold, and oh so delicious!  We asked Bart if it was possible to get a round of his specialty drink and POW, it arrived.  We have started a campaign to have this incredible beverage renamed the "Bart-ini!".  Go now to Baker Street, do not pass go, do not collect $200 (okay collect it if you have a chance), but go directly to the bartender and order a Bart-ini!  You will not be disappointed!  It's a winner.  Thanks Bart for stopping by our table and congrats on your promotion!!!

APPETIZERS
Per our usual, we started things off with Bruschetta.  This was extremely delicious.  It has a fantastic consistency packed with intense flavor.  It's beautiful presentation got our mouths watering even before the plate hit the table.  I know you are looking at that picture and wanting an order right now - call them, make reservations for tonight - tell them the 3 Elles sent you.  You'll have no regrets!

 ENTREES
 Sitting in the bar, we had access to order anything on the menu (unlike another restaurant on Jefferson which will remain nameless. . . for now), though on this night, we opted for their special - bison burgers!  We could get it topped with whatever we wanted.  We selected blue cheese, bacon, sauteed onions and mushrooms.  It was presented with lettuce, tomato, and red onion.  The top photo shows it being paired with Bistro Chips while the bottom photo the gigantic low-fat burger is paired with their Colossal Onion Rings.  The burgers were prepared to perfection.  Although we ordered them well done, they were anything but dry.  The chef took special care to ensure the meat remained juicy and delicious.

 The Bistro Chips arrived warm and paired with a homemade condiment.  Not familiar with the BS Bistro Chips?  Most importantly, they are freshly made to order.  They are not as greasy as regular potato chips and not as thick as kettle chips.  They were made from over sized potatoes and were crisp and fun to eat. 

 You absolutely MUST try their onion rings.  This is our 3rd visit to Baker Street and the rings are just a "given" that they will be ordered.  They are huge and could easily feed a small nation, but worth every single calorie.  The complimentary condiment pairs oh so nicely! 

DESSERT
 This is likely the hardest part of the review to write.  There are no words for service that was so far above and beyond that I'm sure it was seen in outer space.  Per our usual, we asked to speak with the manager in order to let him know that we had enjoyed our service and food up to this point.  James, the manager, is just fantastic.  He is kind and fun, but also mature and wise.  We enjoyed our conversation and were thrilled that he came to our table.  You can tell that James really enjoys his job and is passionate about creating exceptional memories for people.  When he found out it was my birthday, he immediately said, "I want to have the chef create this special apple dessert for you."  James told us the story of how his culinary staff created this special surprise for a couple who had left another restaurant in order to have dessert at Baker Street - and it was such a HUGE hit that he wanted to have it made for me to get our opinion.  2 words - HOME RUN! 

It was absolutely delightful. The puff pastry  and caramel apples paired with vanilla ice cream topped with cinnamon brown sugar crumbles was unbelievably inspired and the perfect ending to our perfect meal during our perfect visit.  The caramel drizzle was just the punctuation needed to set this apart from everything else in the Summit City!  Thanks James and the chef for working overtime to create this special dessert in honor of my birthday.  You all ROCK!

SERVICE

We were lucky to be taken care of by Amanda (the original she says, not to be confused with Mandy who I'm sure is very good also).  Unlike EM's where they have water boys, at Baker Street, your server takes care of your every need.  Despite having a packed bar, Amanda constantly kept our water glasses full - you know the 3 Elles are heavy water consumers!  Not only was she very knowledgeable about the menu and restaurant, but she was very personable and engaging.  She was humorous and polite and perfectly comfortable dealing with the diverse dining patrons.  Definitely ask to sit in her section - you'll leave feeling completely pampered!

FINAL THOUGHTS
This is undeniably the best restaurant in FW.  There are some close 2nds, but for food, service, and value, Baker Street stands head and shoulders above the rest!  Make reservations and enjoy this fine dining and fun establishment today!  Tell them the 3 Elles sent you!

Until the next bite -