A Stop Along the Way: Miss Shirley's, Baltimore

If there was one food I could eat 24/7, it would be Southern food. Though Baltimore is not in the South (apparently) I enjoyed seeing my fair share of chicken and waffles on menus. I was in Baltimore for a little over 24 hours earlier this week for the Girl's Life fashion bash (more coming up next week on that) and had an incredible time. Baltimore is filled with interesting cuisine, a pretty laid back style, and a stunning inner harbor. I'd go back in a heartbeat!
On Wednesday, a few hours before my flight, my friend and I ventured to Miss Shirley's to see what the hype is about. MS has 3 restaurants across Baltimore, and luckily for me, there was one only a few blocks away from my hotel, making the journey an easy hit. What originally attracted me to this joint is their large menu of gluten-free options, including pancakes and sandwiches. Miss Shirley's also has a wide range of very healthy options (they aren't all drowned in flour, butter, and chocolate!) making it a great spot for a morning meeting or coffee date with a friend. Since I'm only in Baltimore once…you could definitely say we decided to splurge. The restaurant is quite large, yet cozy and with a diner vibe. Prices are very reasonable, and I didn't get charged any extra for my gluten-free request.
Appetizers range from monkey bread (a mix of butter, sugar, chocolate, and fried bread, pictured below), to true Southern cornbread, and crispy sweet potato fries. My best friend, Kailey, immediately had her eyes on the monkey bread, so that was our decision for the appetizer, though if I'm back in the future I will definitely be trying this cornbread!

My first time trying monkey bread was definitely not a good idea. I can't stop thinking about it now! This bread feels like you're floating on a cloud. The banana was a sweet addition, but the chocolate drenched over it is warm and melts in your mouth, as you take a bite of the heavenly, butter filled bread. Everyone around us ordered this for the appetizer too, meaning Miss Shirley's knows what's up.

Y'all KNOW my absolute adoration for pancakes, meaning I wasn't passing up any gluten-free pancakes in sight. All of the pancakes on the menu can be made gluten-free, and they have several flavors including a flavor of the month. I went for the cinnamon icing pancakes, which were some of the best gluten-free pancakes I've ever had. Moist, fluffy, and indulgent, and definitely not a sticky, gross gluten-free pancake some restaurants manage to bring out of the kitchen. Though I do wish the cinnamon bun concept had been carried throughout the pancakes (there was just icing on the top, but the pancakes underneath were simple buttermilk ones) I'm not complaining. You can put syrup and butter on these babies plain, and they'll still taste fantastic.

Kailey ordered the coconut stuffed french toast, which she only managed to devour 3 bites of since she ate most of the monkey bread, it was THAT bangin'. I loved the french toast, mainly because not one bite of it tasted like french toast (I despise eggy tasting french toast- why not just cook up a few eggs if you're looking for that kind of breakfast?) The french toast was devoured in an uber sweet coconut cream stuffing, with caramelized bananas and fresh fruit all over. If you're at Miss Shirley's with a major sweet tooth, this is your candy land breakfast. Expect perfectly crisp bread with a fluffier inside.
If you're in Baltimore, MD, don't forget to stop on over to Miss Shirley's. You will NOT regret it.
P.S. I'm working on a follow-up article to my last post on body image, keep an eye out!
xoxo
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