So Valentines week is also my wife's birthday and our wedding anniversary. To be blunt, our dining experiences in Frederick's fancy, trendy restaurants over the past 7 years (pre, during, and post Pandemic) have been mostly lackluster. In my opinion it's due to overreaching and establishments duping customers into believing that inflated prices equal a premium experience.

ANYWAYS, my wife picked Gladchuk Bros. for her birthday dinner this year. All the lifetime Frederick locals I talked to in the kitchen I work in rolled their eyes and kinda insinuated it mostly catered to a much older clientele, but nobody had been there recently.

My wife and I made a reservation for 6:00 and got there and got seated early. We ordered a spiced pear vodka drink. Appetizers were jumbo lump crab stuffed mushrooms, oysters Rockefeller, and the roasted beet salad. For entrees we ordered the crab stuffed cod for her and sautéed chicken livers for me. I didn't see options for sides and both of our entrees came with a perfectly steamed fresh vegetable blend and homemade scalloped potatoes. It was hands down the best dining experience we have had in Frederick. In fact, we had a hard time remembering a better experience anywhere.

First, the food was all simple ingredients and lightly seasoned but all cooked perfectly. I cook professionally and can't help myself by making notes of how a dish can be improved next time (especially when it's something I've made). I had no notes on ANYTHING we ordered. It was all perfect. In fact, I got visible goosebumps when I tried my chicken livers. I like chicken livers just fine, but I never thought they would be part of such a great dining experience. The food was perfect.

Our server was attentive without being invasive. He was polite and knew what he was doing. We always try our best to be low maintenance, so we didn't have a bunch of questions. Again, perfect.

As far as the atmosphere, I can't remember the last time I ate somewhere this COZY. A hearth in the entryway. Comfortable lighting without being dark. Bookshelves, fun artwork, and classy vibes leaning far more towards laid back than stuffy. It made us both nostalgic for nice family dinners out from our childhoods. Makes sense since Gladchuk Bros. has been here since 1988.

To say this is a strong reccomend is an understatement. The price of everything matches up with quality and comfort. It's a no-nonsense elevated dining experience that I feel people need to revisit.

PS - We were there on a Tuesday night at 6:00. They were filling up by the time we left. Make a reservation!