And plan on visiting the DC area. Someone tell me please, what is THE THING to eat in Baltimore? Is there a great restaurant I’d be stupid to miss?
Thanks in advance,
ouisey
You have my deepest sympathy.
I went there once.
NEVER again.
Didn’t feel safe for one instant while trapped there and desperately looking for an onramp to the freeway to get the hell out of there.
Compared to Baltimore, Gary, IN is a paradise.
Stay safe. Stay away.
Nice, maskedman.
We live in Baltimore. I’ll get Dave in here to point you to the good stuff.
As a staunch defender of Baltimore on these boards, I hope maskedman won’t mind if I suggest that he get stuffed.
I used to like to go to Phillip’s seafood buffet at the Inner Harbor. It’s in a mall, so it’s not the classiest atmosphere you could ask for, but if you like eating lots and lots and lots of seafood, that’s your ticket.
I don’t know of any “must-eat-at” places, but stroll through Little Italy and you almost can’t miss. I’ve never had a bad meal at any of the Italian restaurants there.
Crab. Crab crab crab crab crab crab crab. Qadgop and Mrs. Mercotan never come down here without getting crab. Phillip’s (Phillips’?) isn’t too bad, and it IS easy to find. How long will you be in Baltimore? Where are you staying?
maskedman, Baltimore isn’t THAT bad, seriously. I wouldn’t recommend WALKING around late at night for people who don’t live here and thus don’t know how to avoid the most dangerous stuff, but if it’s during the day or you’re driving, you ought to be fine. What HAPPENED to you? Anything?
elfbabe, you’re right about crab! And I agree that Philip’s is the easiest place to find it - and there are a couple options in the Light Street Pavilion.
I can also recommend a couple of pubs in Fells Point that have decent light fare, plus there’s Crabby Dick’s on Broadway - it’s an easy walk from the water taxi stop in Fells Point. Dang, if I was up there for a conjugal visit, ouisey, I’d take you to one of my favorite places. It’s a bit out of town, tho.
Enjoy. Have some crabs. Or a crabcake at the very least!
drool…
oooh, I love crab.
We’re staying with a friend who lives in an old terraced house in downtown Baltimore. I’m not quite sure exactly where it is, but I don’t think its in a really terrible area.
We want to take our friend out for a nice meal in thanks (I’m thinking $20 - 30 an entree), where should we go in Baltimore?
Is DC really far from Baltimore? We wanted to see the Smithsonian and maybe go out for a meal in DC, too.
I am heading out to DC and driving through VA in a couple weeks as well…anyone care to give some more advice on must see places and or good restaurants/hotles…thanks…
D.C. is 40 miles from Baltimore. It’s somewhat more than an hour’s drive from downtown Baltimore to downtown D.C.
DC is what, maybe an hour drive from Baltimore? Not sure exactly, as I don’t have my car down here yet (college student). I take public transportation into DC regularly to visit friends who go to GW and UMD, and it’s about a 45 minute train ride directly into Union Station, which connects to the Metro, which gets you anywhere and everywhere.
Also let me second the Little Italy suggestion for eating. Love pretty much everywhere I’ve had the opportunity to check out down there.
-K.
All About Crabs
Though I’ve only lived in Charm City for a short while, our numerous visitors have helped me become acquainted with several nice stops and eateries:
[ul][li] For steamed crabs, Obrycki’s at 1727 E. Pratt Street is a great bet.[/li][li] For crab cakes, I recommend Gertrude’s, the restaurant at The Baltimore Museum of Art. They serve a $10 entree menu on Tuesdays. You should also check out the art. Tell them I sent you. ;)[/li][li] If you’re spending a day at Fell’s Point or the Inner Harbor (must see: National Aquarium), do take one of the water taxis. It’s a nice way to get off your feet and still peruse the city’s waterfront. And much more dignified than the Ducks.[/li][li] Also, there’s the American Visionary Art Museum, if you like that sort of thing. Their restaurant, the Joy America Café, is also much recommended. Nice view and outdoor dining available.[/ul][/li]
DC’s not a far distance, though I prefer taking the parkway to 95. Maybe an hour’s drive?
Have a great time! 
If anyone with you doesn’t like crabs (I find them to be too much effort to eat), they can order steamed shrimp instead when you go to a crab place. I always ask for some extra Old Bay Seasoning. I’d offer to organize a special Dopefest for you when you come here, but I’m going to be pretty busy next week, so I can’t swear that I’d be able to make it.
There’s a place in Canton I used to go to that had awesome steamed shrimp in beer with onions and old bay seasoning. And they had the best Maryland crab soup. I’m drawing a blank on the name and it’s been a long time, but it’s right near the Hardees (if it’s still there); try near the intersection of Cambridge and Aliceanna.
For crabs I always liked O’Brycki’s, but a lot of true locals go to some places more up north.
Anyone who doesn’t like crabs really shouldn’t be trusted.
Also, raw bars are pretty big in Baltimore. And there is an excellent Afghani restaurant, the Helmand up on Charles street. This is a good option if you’re allergic to seafood. Try the brown rice with lamb, cinnamon and raisins. Also the baby pumpkin appetizer with yoghurt sauce.
I practically grew up on Obrycki’s (interesting spelling there, Shibb - they used to be located right up the street from my grandmother, next door to my great Aunt Eleanor. I can remember walking up Register street with my grandfather to pick up the paper bags full of hot steamed crabs, carrying them back to their house for a feast!
I’m thinking I need to check them out again on my next visit.
For restaurant recommendations, it really depends on where you’ll be staying (what part of the downtown), whether you’ll be driving, what days of the week, etc., since you haven’t given too many details. I live in Mount Vernon (the area directly north of the business district), which has a lot of nice ethnic restaurants including the Helmand that ShibbOleth mentioned. Feel free to e-mail me if you don’t feel comfortable posting such details here. My next week is also really full so I can’t make any promises about Dopefesting.
As far as the DC trip goes, expect to make it a full day trip, especially if it’s a weekday. The DC traffic is pretty bad, so I’d suggest taking the Metro, if you don’t mind fighting commuters the whole way.
If you like Moroccan/North African food, go into DC and visit “Marrakesh”. The B’Stella and Tajine of lamb are excellent!
http://www.marrakeshwashington.com/
But, keep these things in mind…
-It’s best to go with a group… certainly not by yourself.
-Go on a Friday or Saturday night… there’s likely going to be a belly-dancer.
-Make reservations.
-They do not acceept credit cards!
-Verify the price when you make your reservation. The meal is one price and beverages are extra.
And, when you’re there and walk to the restrooms; take notice of the ‘wall of fame’. That is, photos of famous people who’ve eaten there. And when you see the photo of the proprietor standing beside Danny Thomas behind a glass-topped table, try not to laugh.
I had the best time ever.
We stayed right off Patterson Park. The neighborhoods seem to be really hit and miss. One block is really well taken care of, the next has crack vials on the sidewalks. I sat on the stoop a lot and talked to the locals who were incredibly friendly.
We ate at Ciao Bella’s in Little Italy. It was OK, but sort of uninspired. We ate at Obrycki’s, which was OK, but again, not fabulous. We wanted to go to a strip club afterwards, but no one knew of a good one.
The best night of all was Monday night at Marrakesh. I swear to God it was the best meal I’ve ever had. The belly dancer was there, too:). We stayed for four and a half hours, got completely drunk, and ate loads of food. Its great to be able to lay down after each course.
Thanks everyone for the recommendations! We had a really good time.