Baltimore has become a culinary destination for more than just crab. The city is has long been known for two things: local seafood (Maryland Crab Cakes) and classic Italian specialties, both of which are available in abundance. But thanks to a growing number of ambitious chefs and inventive menus, Charm City can no longer be seen as a gastronomically tame town.
To explore the city’s variety, this month diners can expect great bites at a great price during Baltimore’s Restaurant Week from July 22-31, 2016. The 10-day food event features some of the city’s most decadent and creative eats on special prix-fixe menus at more than 90 restaurants. From award-winning chefs to some of the East Coast’s oldest and most beloved pubs, Baltimore Restaurant Week features two-course lunch and brunch menus, as well as three-course dinner offerings.
To help you narrow the field, here are a few of our top picks:
Aggio: Baltimore’s most imaginative Italian menu is curated by a Top Chef alumnus and James Beard Foundation Award finalist Bryan Voltaggio. The three-course dinner includes Crudo, Tonnarelli Nero, Day Boat Scallops and Local Fluke options and Olive Oil Cake.
Bluegrass Tavern: After honing his talent at Baltimore International Culinary College, Chef Antonio Rice set up shop in Federal Hill to elevate southern comfort food. His fine dining four-course dinner includes options like Mississippi Caviar, Catfish Po’boy Sliders, Shrimp and Scallop Étouffée, Southern Chicken and Dumplings, and a Deconstructed Apple Pie a la mode.
Encantada: Located within the American Visionary Art Museum, this artistic adventure is reinventing modern American dining. Drawing on the importance of "roots," both creative and culinary, they support regional farms, ranches, and aqua-culture in bold, fresh, and entertaining ways.
Petit Louis Bistro: This fine French restaurant in Roland Park is offering a tempting short list of dishes including Vichyssoise, Eggplant Napoleon, Bavette Steak, Rockfish, and Crevettes Grillees with Merguez Sausage with Couscous, Spinach and Saffron Beurre Blanc.
Sotto Sopra: This slice of Northern Italy in a romantic Mt. Vernon townhome is a dramatic night out, and on Opera Nights is literally a theatrical event. Chef Riccardo Bosio studied in Italy, and practiced his craft from London to the Black Sea before establishing his Washington DC and Baltimore restaurants.
And for those who insist on ordering crab, dozens of Baltimore Restaurant Week participants are more than happy to oblige. The Oceanaire Seafood Room and the harbor-side Rusty Scupper will offer different variations of local Crab Soup and Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes. Mother’s Federal Hill Grill has a lovely Maryland-style lump crab cake for lunch or dinner. For a full listing of participating restaurants and menus click here.
