Insider Stories

advice for best local travel experience

Five Places to Dine in Downtown Baltimore That You May Never Heard Of

For the last year or so, I’ve been taking City Walker readers on fairly lengthy walking tours of various Baltimore neighborhoods, Hampden being the most recent. I feel it might be time for something shorter as a palate cleanser: a listicle. I’m going to hazard a guess that most visitors to Charm City are staying […]

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Hampden, Part Five, Baltimore Maryland

We’re back to walking down Hampden’s “Avenue,” otherwise known as 36th Street, and coming to its end. That is, while the road itself continues on for another quarter mile or so, the 1100 block is the last with any notable restaurants. My favorite Hampden shop, Caravanserai, is on this block, too. Purveyors of goods from […]

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good stuff eatery

Bargain Bites Across the District

You don’t have to spend an entire paycheck in order to eat an incredible meal in Washington, DC. The district has spawned a host of successful fast-casual eateries from sweetgreen, District Taco, &Pizza, CAVA  and is also home to affordable restaurants that have practically become institutions in the city. Next week we are adding Bargain […]

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noodle dishes, and bibimbap in New York City

Manhattan’s Koreatown in New York City

I’m going to let you in on a secret: I am not a New Yorker. However, I visit on business (and occasionally pleasure) several times a year and always try to stay in the same hotel. Or at least in the same neighborhood–Koreatown. This little one-block square area in Midtown Manhattan runs from 5th Avenue […]

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crab cake and shrimp salad Baltimore

Hampden, Part Four, Baltimore Maryland

We’re continuing our tour of Hampden’s “Avenue” on the 1000 block of West 36th Street. There aren’t as many restaurants in this block as in those prior, but there are at least two that any visitor to Baltimore should experience. The first of these is Café Hon, on the north side of 36th near Roland […]

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avenue happy hour Baltimore MD

Hampden, Part Three, Baltimore Maryland

While the 800 block of 36th Street, aka Hampden’s “Avenue,” is fairly packed with restaurants and shops, the 900 block seems a bit spartan by comparison. There are a couple of major contenders for your dining dollars, however. The first of these is Five and Dime Ale House, which bills itself as a “new take […]

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duck at Corner Hampden Baltimore

Hampden, Part Two, Baltimore Maryland

Hampden’s 36th Street, aka The Avenue, is perfect for aimless afternoon wandering. Sometimes I like to start out with a scoop of ice cream–yes, Old Bay Caramel!–from the Charmery on the corner of Chestnut and 36th, then poke around in various shops on my way down the street. Like Charm City Chocolate, a few doors […]

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pizza Hampden Baltimore

Hampden, Part One, Baltimore Maryland

I’m somewhat jealous of the folks who live in Hampden. Not that the homes there are particularly spectacular; most are small and all are packed together with not nearly enough parking spaces to go around. What makes Hampden great is that there’s always something going on, from Summer’s HONFest, to Hampdenfest in the Fall, to […]

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sausage pizza at heosh's in Baltimore Maryland

Spotlight on Hersh’s in Baltimore Maryland

Why I love Hersh’s in Baltimore Maryland. When I was much younger, Baltimore was a pizza wasteland. Sure, restaurants touting their nightmarish “fresh dough” pizza were all over the place, and yes, I ate my share of it, always hoping to find a slice that actually tasted good. The whole ‘fresh” dough thing was quite […]

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ultra-light potato gnocchi in a rich gorgonzola cream sauce with hazelnuts

Spotlight On: In Bloom – Baltimore Maryland

In November of 2012, Chef Kevin Perry and his wife Cecilia Benalcazar opened Liv2Eat to high praise from local foodies and restaurant critics, even winning the 2013 “Best New Restaurant” award from the Baltimore City Paper. In just a few short years, Perry and Benalcazar shuttered their restaurant….but only briefly. They opened a few weeks […]

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