BALTIMORE FOOD GUIDE

My dear friends in Baltimore always take me to the best places to eat whenever I’m visiting, and I want to share my favorites from my past two visits. Picture captions have more descriptions on what I loved from/about each place, but short list of featured spots is below!

• Ekiben | 1622 Eastern Ave, Baltimore | website

• Locust Point (LP) Steamers | 1100 E Fort Ave, Baltimore | website

• Ceremony Coffee Roasters | 520 Park Ave, Baltimore | website

• The Food Market | 1017 W 36th St, Baltimore | website

• Guinness Open Gate Brewery | 5001 Washington Blvd, Halethorpe | website

• Pitango Bakery + Cafe | 903 S Ann St, Baltimore | website

EKIBEN

The Bird (pictured), featuring a huge, juicy slab of chicken, spicy by choice, in a pillowy bao bun or over rice, is Ekiben’s signature dish for good reason… But the tempura broccoli is what had Ekiben at the top of my repeat visit list. Don’t sleep on it!

LP STEAMERS

Maryland-style steamed crabs are a must, and LP Steamers is a no-nonsense place to get the full experience. Have fun going through the different schools of thought on which method is the best for optimal meat retrieval, with a can of Yuengling and wooden mallet in hand. LP Steamers also has a fantastic crab dip and classic buffalo wings (randomly).

CEREMONY COFFEE ROASTERS

I fell in love with the Mt. Vernon location of Ceremony during my first visit due to the beautiful space — calming wooden details, open coffee bar in the center, large windows looking out to beautiful ginkgo trees turning yellow with fall, and quiet with just the right amount of ambient noise — and went back 3 times in the course of the weekend. Baltimore visit #2 led me straight back, except to the Cross Street Market location, which maintains the same quality in a new, modern space. Ceremony takes their coffee seriously and has some unique seasonal drinks, including non-coffee options! Was fortunate enough to taste their incredible plum matcha latte and lavender latte this time around.

THE FOOD MARKET

New American can get old pretty fast to me, but The Food Market does it well and every dish we had was delicious, including the opening focaccia bread and olive oil. You can tell that the freshness and quality is there, and they don’t skimp on the meat portions, making everything well worth it. You might think you’re completely full by the end of your entree, but one bite of the bread pudding dessert will change your mind.

GUINNESS OPEN GATE BREWERY

While not technically in Baltimore, make this a stop on your way to/from the airport since it’s on the way and is the perfect way to chill out before/after your flight. The brewery is HUGE, with tons of chairs and picnic tables scattered on the open lawn, deck, and balcony, and you can take a brewery tour and see the production lines downstairs. Good vibes all around!

GUINNESS OPEN GATE BREWERY

This Guinness brewery is the first in the USA and provides a lot of unique, experimental batches. Getting a flight or taster glasses is recommended to try as many varieties as possible, and be sure to try the Baltimore-brewed Guinness Blonde!

PITANGO BAKERY + CAFE

Fresh loaves of bread line the wall as you wait in line for coffee and a view of even more beautiful pastries. Grab one to go with your drink and enjoy while basking in the sun. This is an ideal place to catch up with a friend, benefitted by its location by the water.