feb17_b.indd February 2017 89 C&RL News ACRL 2017 Baltimore is well-known for its steamed crabs and crab cakes. We’re also not shy about putting Old Bay on everything, even in our ice cream. We’re not just about crabs anymore, though. We have restaurants that foodies should not miss by James Beard finalists and award winners Spike Gjerde, Cindy Wolf, and Bryan Voltaggio. Baltimore is also home to a wide array of ethnic cui- sine including Afghan, Indian, Turkish, and Lebanese. For those a little less adventurous, you can still get a good burger or enjoy some delicious Italian food in our Lit- tle Italy neighborhood (don’t forget the amaz- ing Italian desserts). Open since 1782, Bal- timore also boasts one of the longest running food markets in the country. You’ll never want for something delicious to eat during your visit to Charm City. (Each $ represents $10, and price ranges indicate what you can expect to pay for an entrée.) Near the Convention Center/Inner Harbor Restaurants near the Convention Center and the Inner Harbor are within a short walk of the Convention Center. Phillips Seafood and Aggio may also be reached on the Orange Line of the Charm City Circulator. • Aggio ($$-$$$). Bryan Voltaggio, Top Chef and James Beard Foundation Award Liz Johns and Danielle Whren Johnson Beyond crab cakes—Charm City’s culinary culture Baltimore’s restaurants, breweries, and bars finalist, serves up a locally sourced, sea- sonal Italian menu with a focus on pasta. • AleWife ($-$$). A gastropub serving upscale bar food, AleWife also boasts 40 craft beers on tap. Try to get the table in the “vault,” for a different dining experience in this building that once served as a bank. • Lexington Market ($-$$). Lexington Market, open since 1782, bills itself as America’s oldest market. With more than 100 vendors, there is a wide variety of food options, including Faidley’s Seafood, which is consistently voted Baltimore’s best crab cakes, and the Berger Bakery serv- ing up Baltimore’s fa- mous Berger cookies, a shortbread cookie piled high with fudge frosting. (Open 6:30 a.m.–6 p.m.) • Phillips Seafood ($$$-$$$$). Serving up seafood since 1914, Phillips is a well- known Maryland chain. Their Inner Harbor location is a popular destination for tourists looking to enjoy a delicious Maryland crab cake. If you need a souvenir, you can even Liz Johns is learning and technologies librarian at Johns Hopkins University, email: emjohns@jhu.edu, and Danielle Whren Johnson is copyright and special projects librarian at the Loyola/Notre Dame Library, email: dwhren@loyola.edu, both serve on the ACRL 2017 Local Arrangements Committee © 2017 Liz Johns and Danielle Whren Johnson C&RL News February 2017 90 have some of their crab cakes shipped to you. Quick lunch spots If you want to get out of the Convention Center and grab a quick lunch nearby, there are a number of well-known chain restaurants within walking distance, includ- ing Potbelly, Chipotle, Panera, and Nando’s Peri-Peri. Shake Shack, Chick-fil-A, and Nalley Fresh are a little bit farther away. Harbor East/Little Italy Restaurants in Harbor East and Little Italy can be easily reached via the Orange Line of the Charm City Circulator. • Amicci’s ($$). A casual Italian restau- r a n t i n L i t t l e Italy serving up traditional Ital- ian food. Don’t miss their signa- ture appetizer, the Pane Ro- tundo, a round Italian loaf of bread, brushed with garlic but- ter, toasted, and t o p p e d w i t h s h r i m p i n a creamy scampi sauce. • Cinghia- l e ( $ $ - $ $ $ ) . J a m e s B e a r d Foundation Award nominated chef Cindy Wolf presents traditional Italian food. Also known for its award-winning wine list. • Lebanese Taverna ($$). Traditional Lebanese food served in a modern setting overlooking the water. • Sabatino’s ($$-$$$). A classic Ital- ian restaurant in Baltimore’s Little Italy neighborhood. Known for their Bookmaker salad, featuring their signature homemade salad dressing. • Vaccaro’s ($). No night out in Little Italy would be complete without a stop at Vaccaro’s for dessert. Indulge with Vaccaro’s decadent Italian cookies, pastries, cakes, and gelato. Beware portion sizes, many desserts are best shared between two or three people. Fell’s Point Fell’s Point is the place to go if you’re looking for a late night out with a lot of his- tory. Take a water taxi from Harbor Place to Fell’s Point, or hop on the Charm City Circulator Orange or Green lines. • Alexander’s Tavern ($$). When you’re in the mood for tater tots, get them at Alexander’s Tavern to get in your carb fix with your crab fix in one bite. Their ex- tensive menu ( i n c l u d i n g a g l u t e n - f r e e option menu) m a k e s t h i s a g r e a t p l a c e for anyone for lunch, dinner, and brunch. • Max’s Ta- phouse ($$). With more than 1,000 different b o t t l e s , 1 0 2 taps, and five c a s k s , M a x ’ s Taphouse has a beer for ev- eryone. Casual pub fare makes Max’s a good anytime choice, but it does get more crowded the later it gets. • The Horse You Came in On Saloon ($$). Established in 1775, The Horse You Came in On is America’s oldest continually operated saloon. Enjoy live music starting at 1 p.m. while sitting in a saddle at the bar enjoying casual pub fare and specialty Jack Daniels cocktails. Stay late enough, and you may even catch a glimpse of the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe. Italian cookies at Vaccarro’s. Credit: Danielle Whren Johnson February 2017 91 C&RL News • Todd Conner’s ($$). This is a no-frills bar serving up good food at a reasonable price. It’s ideal for unwinding at the bar with a drink and appetizers. Federal Hill Restaurants in Federal Hill are mostly with- in a mile walk of the Convention Center or can also be reached via the Purple route of the Charm City Circulator. • Abbey Burger Bistro ($-$$). Abbey Burger Bistro’s original location (second lo- cation in Fell’s Point) features a wide range of custom burger creations or, if you’re not feeling ad- venturous, build your own. Both vegetarian a n d m e a t o p t i o n s are avail- able. Also i n d u l g e y o u r s e l f with one of their spiked milkshakes. • B l u e Moon Too ( $ - $ $ ) . Wildy popular restaurant serving up brunch daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Blue Moon Too and their original location, also open in Fell’s Point, are known for their Cap’n Crunch French Toast and biscuits and gravy. • L. P. Steamers ($$-$$$$). If you don’t want to leave Baltimore without the full Maryland crab experience, L. P. Steamers is for you. One of Baltimore’s best crab houses serving up Maryland crab cakes and steamed crabs year round. • Metropolitan ($-$$). Metropolitan Coffee House and Wine Bar serves up a large menu of delicious food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. • Mi & Yu Noodle Bar ($$). A fast, casual restaurant open for lunch and din- ner for dine in or carryout. Build your own noodle bowl with your choice of protein, noodle, and broth or enjoy one of their delicious bao (Chinese steam bun sandwiches). • Regi’s American Bistro ($-$$). Serving up American food since 1978 in a cozy rowhouse, Regi’s is a South Balti- more staple. They are best known for their weekend brunches, but their crab cakes have also won multiple awards. •Spoons ($-$$). Another favorite break- fast/lunch spot serving breakfast all day, Spoons has been voted best biscuits in Maryland and best coffee h o u s e i n Baltimore. ( O p e n 7 a . m . – 2 p.m.). Mt. Vernon T a k e t h e C h a r m City Circu- lator Pur- ple Route to catch a glimpse of the origi- nal Washington Monument in Baltimore’s cultural center, which is both a National Landmark Historic District and a city Cul- tural District. • Akbar ($$-$$$). Don’t let its base- ment location fool you. Akbar serves up some of Baltimore’s tastiest Indian food. Try out their lunch buffet or dine on tradi- tional Indian dishes for dinner. • Brewer’s Art ($$-$$$). Just north of Mount Vernon, this brewpub serves bar fare such as baked mac and cheese, corned beef and beer brats, as well as pasta, fish, and other comfort food, but they’re probably best known for their rosemary garlic fries. Make a reservation for the dining room, or grab a seat in the bar for drinks and dinner. If you can’t stop by for the full experience, Cap’n Crunch French Toast at Blue Moon Too. Credit: Danielle Whren Johnson C&RL News February 2017 92 you’ll find their brews at many other Baltimore establishments. • Brew House No. 16 ($$-$$$). This hot spot often needs reservations, even on weeknights, but even if you don’t have one, take a seat at the bar for a drink while waiting. This former fire- house serves beer brewed on site and farm to table cuisine. • Cazbar ($$-$$$). If you’re looking for authentic Turkish cuisine, including a large variety of kebap (try one or try a variety in one of their combo plat- ters), Caz- b a r i s f o r you. There a r e p l e n t y o f o p t i o n s for vegetar- ians, too. If y o u w a n t a little en- tertainment w i t h y o u r meal, there a r e b e l l y d a n c i n g s h o w s o n Friday and Saturday nights (reservations recom- mended on show nights). • The Helmand ($$). Make a reser- vation to try fine Afghan cuisine in the mid-Atlantic. Middle Eastern spices flavor beef, lamb, and chicken dishes, and the vegetarian platter gives you a full range of Afghan cooking and flavors. Hampden The Charm City Circulator Purple Route will get you most of the way to Hampden (pronounced “Ham-den”), but it ends at Johns Hopkins Homewood Campus. You can also take the Light Rail to the Wood- berry stop. Woodberry Kitchen is near the stop, but the remaining restaurants are about a mile walk. The best way to get to Hampden is via Uber or taxi. Be sure to leave some time to pop into some local shops before dinner. • 13.5% Wine Bar ($$-$$$). This cozy wine bar offers flights of wine and excellent cheese and charcuterie boards. If you’re looking for a full meal, share a few small plates with colleagues or get an entree for dinner. • C h a r m e r y ( $ ) . Finish up your evening in Hampden with a scoop (or three) of local ice cream. Flavors change daily, so try s o m e t h i n g a d v e n t u r - o u s s u c h as Old Bay C a r a m e l , T h a i T e a , o r B l a c k Sesame. • D e K l e i n e Duivel ($- $ $ ) . T h i s B e l g i a n beer bar of- fers an ex- tensive list o f b e e r s , each served in the properly shaped glass for each style. No food here, though, drinks only. • Golden West ($$). Vegans, veg- etarians, Tex-Mex lovers, and waffle en- thusiasts alike will all find something at Golden West. Stop in for brunch, or head down for a handcrafted cocktail before dinner after a long day at the conference. Or, grab a taco to go from the take-out window as you stroll along The Avenue. • Wo o d b e r r y K i t c h e n ( $ $ - $ $ $ ) . James Beard award-winning chef, Spike G j e r d e , d i s h e s u p h i s o w n t a k e o n Chesapeake Bay favorites with as many locally sourced ingredients as possible. Woodberry Kitchen often shows up on lists of the country’s best restaurants as well as local Baltimore best of lists. Steamed crabs with Old Bay, a Baltimore staple. Credit: Danielle Whren Johnson