Baltimore Restaurants

Charleston is outrageously expensive but hands-down the "best" restaurant in Baltimore. I mean we're talking $600 for a couple, and that's even if you're trying to be relatively conservative on wine. It's intended to be in that French Laundry kind of vein and you'll get the most refined meal that can be had in Baltimore. Petit Louis is by the same group and is a very reasonable bistro. It's far more reasonably priced, though certainly not cheap. Execution of dishes should be up to a national standard. I personally think the Black Olive is the best kept secret in Baltimore. It does get great reviews but it never looks as crowded as it ought to be. The fish is outstanding. It's where I'd steer you to go first. Woodberry Kitchen and Dogwood get high marks (they're both in that slow-food movement, regional southern-influenced cuisine) but I have not been to either and so I can't vouch personally for either. Salt is also highly recommended by people who ought to know but I haven't been there either. It's much more casual, and might be fun. If you can get to Frederick, which is about 50 miles west, you can go to Volt, which is Brian Voltaggio's (of Top Chef fame) restaurant. Unfortunately, Baltimore is not a great restaurant town. There are plenty of other places you can go that are fun and even have a great meal, but most are highly variable and you might have a big letdown your next time around, so I hesitate to mention places like Cinghiale, Pazo, Kali's Court, and a handful of others. It's just not a town that's up to the high precision standards of, say, NYC or Chicago or SF or LA.

Hands down, the Brewer's Art.

This thread is supports my interest. I always thought the Charleston was less than 150 for three course with wine pairings? But you should know since you went. oh well, no lunch for me!

It's been a while since I was at Charleston, so it's possible recession pricing has set in, but the meal was so expensive I've been scared off and their website doesn't exactly advertise their prices. When I went I think we ordered the 5 or 6 course tasting menu and it was probably $150-180 or so PP, but that doesn't include any wine pairings. I think I ordered 2 half-bottles even though they were trying to push a bottle on us for every course or two. With coffees and pre-dinner cocktails the bill was well over $400, so with tip it was like $500, and I considered myself to have been extremely restrained in my wine consumption (and selections), so I think my estimate is probably pretty fair, at least for where it was at the time. That said, even though I haven't been back, the food was really a revelatory experience for me at the time. There's no other place with that kind of precision in Baltimore. Not really even close. Brewer's Art is a fun bar, good beer, and the food is well-executed. I like it. But to say it's hands-down the best restaurant in Baltimore is, well, really stretching things.

i pretty much prefer to dick around with my friend and try out new places. Might try my luck at Black Olive if it isn't far out my driving path. Loving the recommendations, I used to type baltimore in the search engine but it only brings back a few worthwhile posts.

Talara in harbor east about a block from Charleston. moderately priced civiche and Peruvian. Trendy spot and the food is well prepared. go for the "fire and ice w/ yellow tail", "Asian TarTar with tuna" "goat cheese croquet" and the "chimichurry pork" those are my personal fav's but everything on the menu is great.