recipes, recaps, and restaurant opinions: Visiting Charm City? You Need to Try This!

When I’m going to NY and go to with my good friend Daisy, she takes me to all one of the best eateries. And I do not imply fancy 3 Michelin star eating places like Le Bernardin. Instead, she takes me to one of the best locations to get banh mi, birria tacos, ice cream, and pizza. In a metropolis like New York, there’s a couple of place to get the “greatest” in just about any class. Here in little previous Baltimore, nonetheless, there are far fewer decisions. Sometimes I feel, if Daisy got here to go to me right here in Baltimore, the place would we eat?  

First of all, we might go to Ekiben and chow down on the hen sandwich often known as the Neighborhood Bird: a fats fried Taiwanese-curry-seasoned hen thigh or two (I’ve even had a sandwich with three!) crammed right into a relatively massive and pillowy bao bun and topped with sambal mayo and a handful of herbs. Another must-order there may be the gluten-free tempura broccoli topped with sliced Chinese sausage, recent herbs, pink onion, and a dose of rice vinegar. Those are my favorites, however to be very sincere…the whole lot at Ekiben is ideal.

Koco’s crab cake, served at dwelling

Koco’s Pub is subsequent on the listing. While I’m positive all their grub is nice, except one is allergic to shellfish, the huge 11-ounce crabcake is necessary. Right now, one cake with crackers, lettuce, tomato, and pickle is a splurge at $36.99; 4 bucks extra will get fries and cole slaw, too. If one is feeling low cost, there is a smaller 6-oz cake accessible (Wed – Fri till 4pm solely) for $22.99. I counsel going for the gusto and getting a 11-oz sandwich, which is loads massive sufficient for sharing. Daisy will in all probability need her personal. Honestly, I feel she has two stomachs. 

steamed crabs from Salty Dogs

We would possibly go for steamed crabs, although not essentially as a substitute of crab muffins. I like getting carry-out from Salty Dogs, however we may dine in at Bill’s Terrace Inn, as a substitute. Bill’s crab muffins are fairly respectable, so we may get each muffins and steamed crabs there. Mmmm…making myself hungry right here.

mushroom “crab” cake at Foraged

Keeping with the crab cake theme, we might in all probability additionally hit up Foraged and pattern their “crab” cake made with lion’s mane mushrooms. So good. And additionally a choice of their pig elements, positively the kool ranch pig ears, perhaps some snout and/or jowl. One actually cannot go fallacious there.

bone marrow crab dip from True Chesapeake

I’d additionally need to take Daisy to True Chesapeake. For oysters a number of methods, after all, but additionally for the implausible crab and bone marrow dip and additionally to eat no matter invasive species they may have on the menu in the intervening time, snakehead or blue catfish or each.

loaded yuca fries from La Food Marketa

We additionally would possibly go to La Food Marketa, the place we might order the yuca fries loaded with quick rib and a fried egg, the reuben quesadilla, the road cauliflower, and any variety of different high quality issues. Or we may go to their sister restaurant, The Food Market, and order just about the whole lot on the menu, however particularly the smooth pretzels and a Baltimore membership.

ice cream cone on the Hampden location of The Charmery

What about dessert? I feel a scoop of Old Bay Caramel ice cream from The Charmery would do properly. Or any taste from Taharka Brothers.

New York has world-class Chinese meals, so there is no place in Baltimore that may be notably spectacular to somebody who lives in Manhattan. Folks from different areas, nonetheless, I’d completely take them to Red Pepper or Kung Fu 12. It appears that half the eating places in NY are Italian, and whereas we’ve got some good locations within the Baltimore space, nothing tops what New York has to provide. The similar for pizza, although I really feel just like the pies at Squire’s are completely different sufficient for a customer to recognize. They’re not NY-style, for positive, and not Neapolitan-style both, with their agency and crisp crust and considerably candy and herby sauce. One can say the identical for Ledo, which some will argue is not even pizza. (Then what’s it?) 

If every other Baltimore-area readers have strategies as to the place to take an out-of-towner for a Baltimore eating expertise that will not be discovered wherever else, I’d love to hear your concepts. Leave a remark!