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Brewer's Art
The Top List of Delicious Hideaways - Baltimore, MD
The charms of Charm City for all budgets
by Loretta Chilcoat Jergensen& Lisa Harlow
With so many unique neighborhoods peppered throughout Baltimore, it's no wonder that many of them are home to delicious restaurants and cafes that remain secret except to the locals. If you're just visiting Baltimore or if you've lived there all your life, you're bound to stumble upon a great place to eat where you'd least expect it.
SALT
2127 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21211
410-276-5480
Hours: (Mon-Sat) 5 pm-the last diner leaves
If you don’t have an aversion to the color green, by all means get yourself to this tasty bistro--a newcomer on the Baltimore scene, Salt swept several 2006 categories to win best restaurant in the city. The warm, worn brick walls and slick black tables are unusually accented by lines of glow-stick green lamps hanging from the ceiling. However, under this glow you can bask in a creative selection of dishes like Braised Veal Cheeks (with pancetta, sage and barley "risotto" fig compote), Sugarcane Skewered Pork Tenderloin (with sweet potato and andouille sausage hash, and ancho bourbon glaze), and a Coriander and Pepper Crusted Tuna (on seaweed salad with spicy tuna pot stickers and ginger soy glaze). Order the savory duck fat fries for the table and a bottle of wine from the surprisingly extensive list. Light jazz and local artwork for sale round out this eclectic corner restaurant. The only drawback is their no reservations policy (unless you’re a party of six or more).
Estimated cost per person for lunch/dinner=$11-$24
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Open, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Open, Thanksgiving - Closed, Christmas Eve - Open, Christmas Day - Closed, New Year's Eve - Open
BIRCHES
641 South Montford Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224
410-732-3000
Hours: (Mon-Thur) 5 pm-11 pm, (Fri & Sat) 5 pm-midnight; Lunch by reservation only
Birches is a true find hidden away in the residential section of Canton. A white-tablecloth establishment, Birches offers upscale, inventive American entrees in a completely casual atmosphere. Dishes include wood-grilled shrimp and scallop risotto, an intriguing “Ashleydilla” (grilled shrimp and black beans smothered with oven-roasted Roma tomatoes, avocado and Colby jack cheese baked in a flour tortilla) and an off-the-charts home-made mac-n-cheese you can stuff with lobster and bacon. They’re particularly noted for their outrageous selection of pommes frites like Potato Boat Frite (applewood smoked bacon, Colby jack and Vermont cheddar cheese, scallions and sour cream), and-appropriately in Baltimore-Crabby Ass Frites (backfin crab au gratin with Gruyere and mozzarella cheese). Chocolate lovers should order the sinfully warm “All Fired Up” in advance to complete a delectable evening out. If you still want to linger in the Birches experience after dessert, have an after-dinner cordial at the bar and chat with the locals.
Estimated cost per person for lunch/dinner=$12-$30
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Closed, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Closed, Thanksgiving - Closed, Christmas Eve - Closed, Christmas Day - Closed, New Year's Eve – Open
TAPAS TEATRO CAFE
1711 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
410-332-0110
Hours: (Tues-Sun) 5 pm - 2 am
Located in midtown Baltimore next to an artsy movie theater, Tapas Teatro probably doesn't dominate the Baltimore tour books, even though it should. Tapas Teatro offers a large variety of trendy tapas dishes-small plates of food that you can nosh on with drinks or eat several of to get a complete meal. If the weather's nice, have a seat at a sidewalk table and watch the local flavor as you sip sangria and enjoy the Spanish and seafood samplings. It's best to come with several friends and have everyone order a couple of dishes for the table to try, and then keep ordering until everyone is happy. Some of the tastier delicate dishes include the eggplant with a yogurt mint sauce, grilled lamb chops with a tart rhubarb sauce, beef tenderloin with mushrooms and blue cheese, and a mini serving of seafood paella. Try a little of each, but save room for dessert-flan is a must, along with homemade vanilla ice cream flecked with mangoes, dates, and figs.
Estimated cost per person for dinner=$12-$24
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Closed, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Open, Thanksgiving - Closed, Christmas Eve - Open, Christmas Day - Closed, New Year's Eve - Open
GECKO'S BAR AND GRILLE
2318 Fleet Street, Baltimore, MD 21224
410-732-1961
Hours: (Mon-Sun) 11 am - 2 am
Walk into Gecko's on any given day and you'll feel like you've left the east coast and made a trip to the old southwest. Sky blue walls painted with the occasional cloud and namesake reptile welcome you to this cozy, yet spacious bar/restaurant. For starters, try the roasted corn and crab chowder flavored with smoky bacon, or if your appetite's the size of Texas, sample the BBQ baby back ribs appetizer. Gecko's offers a variety of main course options, including extra large salads, quesadillas, and pasta dishes. The smoked shrimp salad wrap and grilled tequila shrimp are local favorites. Bonus points: you can work off your dinner with a game of pool in the downstairs lounge.
Estimated cost per person for lunch/dinner=$8-$18
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Closed, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Open, Thanksgiving - Closed, Christmas Eve - Open, Christmas Day - Closed, New Year's Eve - Open
THE BREWER'S ART
1106 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
410-547-6924
Hours: (Tues-Sat) 4 pm - 2 am; (Sun) 5 pm - 2 am
The Brewer's Art is a favorite hangout of Baltimore's trendsetters and want-to-be-trendsetters. A place that brews its own beers and then uses them to create tasty dishes such as locally-raised free range chicken marinated in kick-your-butt Resurrection Ale served with German potato salad and wilted spinach. The Brewer's Art is housed in a renovated brownstone in the historic, artsy Mt. Vernon neighborhood. You'll find a large selection of unique appetizers and entrees, from Bavarian-style sausages and semolina-encrusted oysters to spinach and pumpkin ravioli with a hazelnut cream sauce and grilled Chilean sea bass with Israeli couscous. You'll enjoy the scene just as much as the food, whether you have a full sit-down meal in the spacious upstairs dining room or nibble on appetizers at the hip, dark, downstairs bar.
Estimated cost per person for dinner=$10-$25
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Closed, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Open, Thanksgiving - Closed, Christmas Eve - Closed, Christmas Day - Closed, New Year's Eve - Open
EASTERN HOUSE RESTAURANT
3706 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224
410-342-7117
Hours: (Sun-Thur) 8 am - 9 pm; (Fri-Sat) 8 am - 10:30 pm
Located on Eastern Avenue, a local shopping district in the neighborhood of Highlandtown, the Eastern House looks like a simple, unassuming spot to grab a quick bite to eat. But upon entering, you'll see that the décor, as well as the menu, is much more complex than you thought. The dining room features dark wood paneling, elaborate sconces, and large portraits along the walls. The Eastern House offers breakfast and lunch, but dinner is really where it shines. Fresh baked rolls will arrive at your table while you're deciding among the Greek and American seafood specialties. The seafood lasagna offers large hunks of lump crabmeat and tender shrimp and scallops in a tangy tomato cream sauce. The fried oyster platter serves up the plumpest, most flavorful oysters around, and the rich moussaka rivals any found in Greektown. The large portions will leave you thinking you'll pass on the dessert tray, but one look at Eastern House's gooey, flaky baklava may help change your mind.
Estimated cost per person for breakfast/lunch/dinner=$8-$22
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Closed, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Open, Thanksgiving - Open, Christmas Eve - Open, Christmas Day - Open, New Year's Eve - Open
MORNING EDITION CAFE
153 North Patterson Park Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21231
410-732-5133
Hours: (Fri) 9 am - 2:30 pm; (Sat) 8 am - 3 pm; (Sun) 9 am - 3 pm
The Morning Edition Café is a quaint New England restaurant transplanted smack-dab in the middle of inner-city Baltimore. If you have a Tuesday morning craving for pumpkin pancakes, however, you'll have to wait until Friday-the Morning Edition is a weekends-only establishment. But the wait will be well worth it as you enjoy your apple French toast, fluffy three-cheese omelets, and steaming fresh-brewed coffee. Meals are accompanied by generous servings of whatever fresh fruit is in season. Reservations for Sunday brunch are highly recommended, as the Morning Edition is very cozy (okay, small) and customers tend to linger.
Estimated cost per person for brunch=$5-$12
Holiday Schedule: Holiday schedule varies. Please call ahead.
MANGIA! MANGIA!
834 South Luzerne Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224
410-534-8999
Hours: Sunday through Thursday 5 pm - 11 pm, Friday & Saturday 5 pm - 12 am
EAT! EAT! is how the name of this quaint Italian restaurant translates, and eat eat you will. Located behind the touristy American Can Company complex, Mangia! Mangia! offers Italian specialties off the beaten path. For starters, try "the mangia," a spinach, artichoke, and crab dip that is out of this world. Mangia! Mangia! offers several different types of pasta daily, and you pick your own sauce to complement. From mild-mannered marinara to duck sauce (not the Chinese version, but a duck breast topped with crimini mushrooms, sage, onions, and sundried tomatoes smothered in marsala romano cream), there are more than fifteen ways top your nude noodles. Mangia! Mangia! also features light salads, hearty sandwiches, and thin and crispy pizzas, such as sausage and pignoli nuts and four 'shrooms. Even though you'll be busy eating eating, take a moment to notice the funky décor-brightly painted old doors adorn the walls and the mismatched tables are set with dish towels instead of cloth napkins.
Estimated cost per person for lunch/dinner=$8-$18
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Closed, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Open, Thanksgiving - Closed, Christmas Eve - Closed, Christmas Day - Closed, New Year's Eve - Open
ANGELINA'S
7135 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21234
410-444-5545
Hours: (Tues-Thur) 11:30 am - 10 pm; (Fri-Sat) 11:30 am - 11 pm; (Sun) 11:30 am - 10 pm
If you look in the dictionary under "crab cakes," you'll see Angelina's. But despite the fact that these Baltimore delicacies have even been featured on The Food Network, many visitors to Baltimore may not even hear about Angelina's because it's not located in the downtown tourist district. A 15-minute cab ride north to Parkville is well worth a chance to sample the seafood and Italian specialties offered at Angelina's. If you're not allergic to shellfish, there's no reason to look beyond the aforementioned crustacean creations on the menu. While you're waiting for your table, sit back and enjoy a drink at Angelina's Irish pub-yes, an Irish pub in an Italian restaurant. Yet another reason Angelina's can't be missed!
Estimated cost per person for lunch/dinner=$12-$35
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Closed, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Closed, Thanksgiving - Closed, Christmas Eve - Closed, Christmas Day - Closed, New Year's Eve - Open
TUTTI GUSTI
3100 Fait Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224
410-534-4040
Hours: (Mon-Thur) 11 am - 10 pm; (Fri-Sat) 11 am - 11 pm; (Sun) 12 pm - 10 pm
Located in Canton, one of Baltimore's hottest neighborhoods, Tutti Gusti is situated in a mainly residential section, far from the hustle and bustle of Canton Square several blocks south. This little Italian spot features a nice size menu, with a wide variety of pizzas, pastas and panini (subs) from which to choose. Not your typical neighborhood pizza joint, Tutti Gusti's gourmet pizzas include the Quattro Stagione, with ham, roasted peppers, artichokes, olives, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Or you can choose your own toppings on a thick or thin crust. If you're up for a more sophisticated pasta dish, try the Chicken Fiorentina, a chicken breast in a white wine sauce topped with spinach and mozzarella served with a side of spaghetti. From the salads and pastas to the sides and slices of pizza, everything is served in generous proportions, so be sure to save room for a cannoli or two.
Estimated cost per person for lunch/dinner=$6-$12
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Open, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Open, Thanksgiving - Closed, Christmas Eve - Open, Christmas Day - Closed, New Year's Eve - Open
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