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Baltimore loves seafood, and, in particular, crabs. Soft- or hard-shell crabs, crab cakes, crab dip—the city's passion for clawed crustaceans seems to have no end. Flag down a Baltimore native and ask them where the best crab joint is and you'll get dozens of different options.
But crabs aren’t the only thing on the menu. Baltimore's burgeoning restaurant scene features a world of flavors: Afghan, Greek, American, French, Italian, Korean, and other ethnic cuisines. In recent years, Baltimore’s culinary cred has grown, thanks to the efforts of standout restauranteurs such as Spike Gjerde, Tony Foreman, and Cindy Wolf.
Most of the Inner Harbor has chain and hotel restaurants, so if you want to eat well, spread out. Harbor East is the city's newest center for fine dining. A few blocks east of the Inner Harbor, Little Italy has a host of Italian restaurants, most of which serve classic southern Italian, spaghetti-with-garlic-bread fare. Yet father east, Fells Point has some renowned local restaurants. Or, head north. Charles Village, near Johns Hopkins University, Hampden, to the northwest, and posh Roland Park, at the city’s suburban limits, have outstanding dining options. Note that most places generally stop serving by 10 pm, if not earlier.
Chef-owner Cindy Wolf's cuisine has a South Carolina Low Country accent with French roots—and the results are unparalleled. Inside the glowingly lit dining room, classics like she-crab soup and shrimp and grits complement more elegant fare, such as a lobster bisque spiced with curry or wild salmon with avocado.
An expansive 19th-century warehouse is home to this fashionable, two-level restaurant that celebrates Italian cuisine from regions south of Rome. Select a few appetizers: they are made for sharing. Spicy pork sausage adds heat to a tomato and Buffalo mozzarella (okay, that's a little east of Rome) pizza. In the rich, wine-hued setting, candles on tables and giant wrought-iron chandeliers illuminate the space, creating a downright sexy atmosphere. The choicest seats are upstairs in the mezzanine. Excellent service is a Foreman/Wolf trademark.
A few steps below street level, this small restaurant is usually crowded and always filled with pungent aromas and the sounds of Indian music. Among the vegetarian dishes, alu gobi masala, a potato-and-cauliflower creation, is prepared with onions, tomatoes, and spices. Tandoori chicken is marinated in yogurt, herbs, and strong spices, then barbecued in a charcoal-fired clay oven. The lunch buffet is another good choice.
A Tudor-style dining room in a 1930s apartment building is the setting for superb Indian fare. Go for the classics such as chicken tikka masala (grilled chicken in a sauce of red pepper, ginger, garlic, and yogurt) or alu gobi (spicy potatoes and cauliflower).
The owners of Baltimore Little Italy mainstay Chipparelli's recently opened up a second outlet in the Old Chesapeake Hotel, an elegant historic building in the heart of Havre de Grace that dates back to the 1890s. In addition to serving up old-school favorites like Homemade Gnocchi and Spaghetti Toscanini, the location offers guest accommodations—not a bad ideal after all that pasta.
The spotlight is on wine at Cinghiale (pronounced ching-GYAH-lay), an open, inviting space with tall, wide windows. Enjoy hand-cut pastas such as tagliatelle with tender chicken, greens, and walnuts or lasagna with veal ragù. Cinghiale is split into two sections: the elegant osteria and the less-formal enoteca.
The lofty space and black-and-white tile floors give this casual spot a feeling of classic grandeur. Come here for American fare with a creative twist—shrimp and grits carbonara or juicy lamb burgers. Another standout is the grilled Atlantic salmon with cannellini beans. Service is warm and efficient. For dessert, order the affogato: it's made with salted caramel Taharka Bros. ice cream and served over a steaming cup of espresso. Weekend brunch is very popular.
You can choose the atmosphere you want at Fleet Street Kitchen, which is housed in a former furniture factory. The downstairs is a casual Tavern Room; while upstairs, there's an elegant dining room. Chef Nate Magat creates beautiful New American dishes that speak to the season, such as hand-cut linguine with a garlic cream sauce and tomatoes from the restaurant’s Cunningham Farm. The popular slow-roasted pork is a winning bet. For dessert, the dark chocolate semi-freddo is as intense as it gets.
In the Baltimore Museum of Art, this casual yet classy spot cooks up creative Maryland specialties. Crab cakes, served with a variety of tasty sauces, are one option, Parmesan-crusted salmon is another. Finish with a decadent dessert.
You may feel like you've stepped back in time when you enter this antebellum parlor. Wood floors and tapestried curtains give rise to a winding staircase. The menu, a mix of French and American, is accompanied by an extensive wine list. The lobster bisque, with a dollop of sherry added at the table by one of Louisiana's servers, is sublime, and the cheese grits, served with big, blackened shrimp, is a worthy follow-up course.
Behind the redbrick facade of a bank built in 1928, MacGregor's occupies two dining rooms on two levels, with glass walls on three sides looking onto the Chesapeake Bay. The interior is adorned with carved duck decoys, mounted guns, and antique prints of the town; there's also outdoor dining on a deck with a gazebo. Seafood is the specialty, and the kitchen claims to have the best crab cakes on the bay.
A favorite of Johns Hopkins students, this low-key restaurant, café, and bar is open morning until night for tasty vegetarian fare. Settle onto a couch or at one of the small tables for a portobello sandwich with caramelized onions and feta cheese, a wild rice and tempeh burger, or One World's version of that Baltimore specialty: a crabless crab cake. Fresh pressed juices, smoothies, espresso drinks, microbrews, and mixed drinks from the full bar fill out the menu.
Blink, and you may think you’re in South Beach: this trendy restaurant has quickly become the city’s most popular, where the suit-and-tie crowd sidles up to the elevated bar or takes a seat on the cushy outdoor terrace. Try the grilled octopus starter, tossed with lemon juice and capers, or the charcoal-grilled whole fish, be it wild sea bass, sole, or snapper.
The ceilings and walls of this funky, colorful diner are plastered with toys and other interesting objects. People come at all hours (it's open 7 am–midnight every day except Tuesday, and until 2 am on the weekend) for the overstuffed omelets, big stacks of pancakes, burgers, nachos, sandwiches and... bacon milkshakes (a must-try). Stop by at midnight on a Friday or Saturday night to nosh on sweet potato fries with hipsters and students from nearby Johns Hopkins University. The servers have a diner attitude—they don't always seem too interested in serving, and the food might take a while—but the place is always lively and entertaining.
The latest creation from Chef/Owners Spike and Amy Gjerde is a real meat market—as in, a butcher shop. Sit at one of the communal dining tables (they also have private dining) and enjoy a family-style meal. At its heart is an open kitchen with an oakwood hearth. The dry-aged flat iron steak is the perfect balance of tender juiciness in a lean cut, served with a tasty shallot and red onion sauce. Salads and grilled vegetables are served at the height of freshness. The chefs commitment to local purveyors is evidenced by the credit they attribute to them on the menu.
A tourist favorite, the Rusty Scupper undoubtedly has the best view along the waterfront; sunset here is magical, with the sun sinking slowly into the harbor as lights twinkle on the city's skyscrapers. The interior is decorated with light wood and windows from floor to ceiling; the house specialty is seafood, particularly the jumbo lump crab cake, but the menu also includes an Angus beef burger, grilled rockfish, and filet mignon. Reservations are essential on Friday and Saturday and for the popular Sunday Jazz brunch.
East of Fells Point is Greektown (20 minutes by car from Inner Harbor hotels), home to Baltimore's Greek population. An informal restaurant, done in clean, classic blue and white, Samos serves excellent Greek fare. Portions are generous, with lamb souvlaki and tender, juicy gyros leading the menu. Be warned: the folks at Samos often take the phone off the hook and stop offering carryout during the lunchtime rush. Samos doesn't offer beer or wine, but you can bring your own.
High ceilings, warm yellow walls hung with paintings, and a giant crystal chandelier add drama to this spacious, artsy spot near the Walters. Choose from an eclectic menu of "bites" (appetizer-size plates), and tasty "big plates" such as shrimp and sausage grits, or bison sliders served on brioche. At lunch there's counter service only, with a choice of fancy sandwiches and enormous chopped salads. If you go for dinner, be sure to check out the extensive wine list.
This hot dog specialist a block from the Fells Point waterfront earns a large share of the lunch and late-night crowds with specialties like the Bmore Dog, with grilled baloney and deli mustard, and the Wild Thing, a Bison dog with blue cheese and diced raw onions. For dessert, the fried Oreo cookies have a certain charm. There's a second location in Federal Hill (at 17 E. Cross St.)
Connected to the Charles Theater, the place for art and indie films in Baltimore, the Tapas Teatro is a popular pre- and post-movie spot. It's often a scene, especially in warm weather, when the glass front is open and tables spill onto the street. Tapas include roasted potatoes, spinach sautéed with crab, and lamb tenderloin. There's also an extensive list of wines by the glass, and if you don't finish them with dinner, you can carry drinks into the Charles. But be careful: it's so much fun to keep sampling that it's easy to run up a hefty bill.
Like many historic buildings in Fells Point, Thames Street Oyster House has lived several lives, functioning as a brothel, saloon, and gift shop before opening in 2011 as a seafood restaurant. This might be its best incarnation, yet. The raw bar features a mouth-watering array of oysters, caught in regional, Atlantic, and Pacific waters. Also available are mussels, crab claws, scallops, quahogs, and lobster tails. Speaking of lobster, the delectable Maine lobster roll comes stuffed with poached lobster and is served on a buttered hot dog bun. The antique black bar and white-tiled floor impart a classic, yet comfortable vibe. The stained glass windows and exposed brick are original to the building.
The Black Olive specializes in impeccably fresh seafood. Let the waiter give you a guided tour of the catch of the day, which reclines on a bed of ice in the kitchen case. You can have your selection simply grilled, lightly dressed, and filleted for you table-side, accompanied by a glass of wine from the list's thoughtful selection of oft-neglected Greek vintages. For an appetizer be sure to try the calamari, stuffed with feta and manouri cheeses.
Part brewpub, part restaurant, and part lounge, this old brownstone has a young, urbane following, who appreciate the ambitious menu, select wine list, and the home-brewed Belgian-style beers. Try the potent, delicious Resurrection ale. The upstairs dining room serves seasonal dishes with high-quality, locally available ingredients to create European-style country fare that is both hearty and sophisticated. In the dungeonlike downstairs bar, the menu and decor are more casual. Made with rosemary and garlic, the classic steak frites are a best bet.
Owned by Hamid Kharzai's brother, Qayum Karzai, The Helmand serves outstanding Afghan fare in a casual yet elegant space. Beautiful woven textiles and traditional dresses adorn the walls, adding color to the simple white table settings. Stop by for dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
Bustling and crowded, this luxuriously dark dining room is just north of Mount Vernon Square and a five-minute drive from the Inner Harbor. The leopard-print carpet and live pianist lend a swanky 1960s feel to a place that seems untouched by time, including the meat-heavy menu of steak-house classics.
Candles light up the whitewashed walls of these cellar dining rooms, where the menu covers all regions of Spain. The staple is paella à la Valenciana (chicken, sausage, shrimp, clams, and mussels with saffron rice); a less-well-known Basque preparation is red snapper with clams, mussels, asparagus, and boiled egg. Make dinner reservations in advance; walk-in weekday lunch seating is usually available.
The Latino enclave just north of Fells Point, called Upper Fells Point, is fast becoming a foodie destination with many low-cost, authentic variations on Mexican and South American cuisine. This tiny but charming hole in the wall—mostly a take-out operation, although the counter space and in-house food presentations are lovely—is the best of the bunch. The homemade corn tortillas are the perfect platform for delectable tacos with fresh fish, pork, chorizo, or tongue. This is also the city's best place for tamales.
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