Restaurant Review: Cibo Bar & Grille (near Baltimore, Maryland)

Located just north of Baltimore, in the bustling suburban community of Owings Mills, Maryland is a surprisingly trendy and upscale dining destination called Cibo (pronounced CHEE-bow) Bar & Grille. Last week, a friend and I decided to celebrate the receipt of our tax refund checks by going out for a night on the town, and we chose to dine at Cibo. From the moment we got there, we knew that we had found someplace out of the ordinary.

The inside of the restaurant could be described as moderately upscale. The design of the restaurant is definitely sleek and contemporary, with lots of black walls, tables, countertops and funky shaped furniture. The staff seem to blend into the overall modern theme of the restaurant in hip, all-black uniforms. Of course everything was pristinely clean, as I'm sure their clientele would expect nothing less. Cibo has tables, booths, and a full-service bar. We decided to sit at the bar for our evening out.

Immediately upon sitting down, the hunky, dark-haired bartender came over and introduced himself. We intended to drink for a while, and the friendly bartender had no problem suggesting just the perfect drink, time and time again. They had one of the most well-stocked bars I've ever seen, and with every mixed drink I had my choice of a variety of liquors available at various price points. The drinks were moderately priced, with most cocktails between $7 and $10 and beers around $5. The other patrons all seemed friendly and everyone was having a good time.

After a few drinks, we decided to order some food. The bartender was able to offer some excellent suggestions, and pointed me in the direction of some of the various vegan options on the menu. Not being very adventurous, we decided to stick to the basics...I ordered a Mediterranean Vegetable Pizza (minus the cheese) and my companion had the Chicken Parmesan.

We were impressed when our entrees arrived piping hot just 10 or 15 minutes after we had ordered. The waitress who brought our food out was very polite and made sure we had all the silverware and condiments we needed. The food was pretty good. I enjoyed my pizza...you could tell that the vegetables were very fresh and sauce was a fantastic blend of sweet and savory flavors. Being vegan, I can't speak much about the chicken, however my friend said that she liked it very much and it was some of the best Italian food she had enjoyed for a while.

The bill was a little expensive, but not outrageous. Our dinners were in the $15-$22 range, and our total bill, which included a total of two entrees and six drinks was $102. The service was great so we left a good tip, and we would definitely consider going back in the near future.

If you're looking for someplace trendy and hip to hang out in the Baltimore suburbs, Cibo Bar and Grille might be your place. I hear they get quite the "happy hour" crowd, and if you're looking for a place to kick back and have a few drinks with some friends or colleagues, this might be just the place you've been looking for.