So last night, when we realized we’d be cruising through Frederick, Maryland at around 8:00 p.m. without having had a chance to eat dinner first, we realized—hey, this is finally our chance to eat off Family Meal‘s dinner menu!

Irene and I have had many brunches and lunches there, starting last July right after they opened. But for a variety of reasons, dinner remained elusive. And so, as we neared Frederick on our way home from a day down county, we thought—gotta be Family Meal!

Turkey pot pie fritters

We’d had chicken pot pie fritters during our second lunch at Family Meal, but never the turkey ones. Glad I finally got to pop a few of these in my mouth. Best delivery method for pot pie filling ever. Better even than pot pies themselves!

Onion rings with sriracha ranch aioli

Irene worried that the drizzle of sriracha ranch aioli would make these too spicy for her, but as it turned out, our server was right in his assertion she’d have no trouble with them. It gave the rings just the right amount of tang. And made the dish pretty to look at, too.

Braised pork shoulder mosaic, sweet potato, Swiss chard

I was torn between this and the braised lamb shank. I love lamb, but I love pork more, and besides, I’d had a dream yesterday morning about me and Stephen Colbert squeeing over a cute baby pig (that’s squeeing, not squealing), which likely meant that I’d been subconsciously hungering for pig all day. Also, I needed to learn what the heck was meant by “mosaic.”

Turns out the cylinder of pork was made of tender chunks pressed together. Look closely and you’ll see the seams. It broke apart to the touch of my fork, and eating it once more proved that pigs are the true candy.

Crab cake sandwich: Maryland blue crab, spicy aioli, fried potatoes

Irene’s sandwich, to her surprise, was spicier than the onion rings, perhaps a little spicier than she would have liked, having a sensitive palate. But she tells me it was a good crab cake nonetheless. And the bun was excellent, as are all breads at Family Meal. Or any other Bryan Voltaggio restaurant for that matter.

Apple cobbler, lemon lavender ice cream, oat cashew struesel

The lemon, the lavender, the apple, the struesel—great (sometimes strong, sometimes delicate) combination of flavors here.

Not pictured—Irene’s chocolate milkshake, which she couldn’t stop raving about throughout the night and into today. And Irene is very picky about her milkshakes, so you know how good it must have been!

And I should add that the service was excellent. For example—we never once had to ask for more water. Our server, Connor, as well as other staff members whose names I didn’t catch, were continually popping by to top off our glasses. Considering what passes for service in so many other local restaurants, it’s good to find a staff so attentive in that and many other ways.

Glad that Fate finally allowed us to have a Family Meal dinner, and (as always) I’m hoping to get back soon. If you haven’t given the place a try yet yourself, you should do so. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, or anything in-between, it doesn’t matter—believe me, it’ll be worth the road trip.