{"id":2799,"date":"2018-04-30T07:12:15","date_gmt":"2018-04-30T07:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/?p=2799"},"modified":"2018-04-29T00:16:40","modified_gmt":"2018-04-29T00:16:40","slug":"five-places-to-dine-in-downtown-baltimore-that-you-may-never-heard-of","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/five-places-to-dine-in-downtown-baltimore-that-you-may-never-heard-of\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Places to Dine in Downtown Baltimore That You May Never Heard Of"},"content":{"rendered":"<p dir=\"ltr\">For the last year or so, I\u2019ve been taking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citywalkerapp.com\">City Walker<\/a> readers on fairly lengthy walking tours of various <a href=\"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/category\/baltimore\/hampden\/\">Baltimore neighborhoods, Hampden<\/a> being the most recent. I feel it might be time for something shorter as a palate cleanser: a listicle. I\u2019m going to hazard a guess that most visitors to Charm City are staying at a hotel somewhere in the downtown area, so the restaurants on this list will be within walking distance for many of them. Also, they could possibly be somewhat unfamiliar. No, this isn\u2019t a dives and diners kind of list, however, the world doesn\u2019t need yet\u00a0another writer urging folks to go to Charleston in Harbor East or the Rec Pier Chop House in Fells Point.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">I\u2019ve listed the restaurants by neighborhood, from the areas farthest away from the Inner Harbor to the nearest.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block; text-align: center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5121948059520287\" data-ad-slot=\"8454780149\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Mount Vernon Marketplace<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/mtvernon.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2855\" src=\"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/mtvernon-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"980\" height=\"735\" srcset=\"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/mtvernon-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/mtvernon-555x416.jpg 555w, https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/mtvernon-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/mtvernon-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 980px) 100vw, 980px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Once the site of the grand old Hochschild Kohn department store warehouse, 520 Park is now a mixed-use building housing apartments and a food court. I really hate using the term \u201cfood court\u201d as it conjures up images of lame shopping mall food, but I think it\u2019s a more apt term than \u201cmarket\u201d in this instance. While you won\u2019t find raw chicken or produce vendors here, you will find a nice variety of eats and drinks for lunch and dinner. Crave potstickers, bibimbap, tacos, ramen, raw oysters, or a nice juicy burger? You can get all of them at Mount Vernon Marketplace, as well as crepes, cookies, and cocktails. Being in this neighborhood also gives visitors a good reason to check out the nearby Walters Art Museum, or vice versa.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/?q=520+Park+Avenue+Mount+Vernon&amp;entry=gmail&amp;source=g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">520 Park Avenue,\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/category\/baltimore\/mount-vernon\/\">Neighborhood: Mount Vernon<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\">The Helmand<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Helmand, the first restaurant in Baltimore to serve the cuisine of Afghanistan, has been going strong for just shy of 30 years. If you\u2019re not familiar with Afghan cuisine, it has similarities to the food of the Middle East and Greece, but also India and Persia. It\u2019s also very much its own thing. My favorite dish is the kaddo borwani, an appetizer of sweetened pumpkin served with a garlic yogurt sauce, but the aushak (Afghan ravioli, available as app or entree, with or without meat) comes a close second. Don\u2019t forget to order dessert, particularly the cardamom-flavored Afghan ice cream with dates, dried figs, and fresh mango.<\/p>\n<p><b>\u00a0<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/?q=806+N.+Charles+Street+Mount+Vernon&amp;entry=gmail&amp;source=g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">806 N. Charles Street,\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/category\/baltimore\/mount-vernon\/\">Neighborhood: Mount Vernon<\/a><br \/>\n<script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block; text-align: center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5121948059520287\" data-ad-slot=\"8454780149\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\">B&amp;O American Brasserie<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Though situated in the Kimpton Hotel Monaco, the B&amp;O American Brasserie is not a typical hotel restaurant. Their creative menu and bar program makes the B&amp;O a destination for everything from happy hour with officemates to a special dinner for two. I\u2019m hard-pressed to pick a favorite dish from chef Scott Hines\u2019 current menu, though the salmon tartare with caviar and \u201ceverything\u201d potato chips is pretty great (this coming from someone who\u2019s not a huge fan of raw salmon). I also happily helped friends devour half a pig\u2019s head, which comes with corn tortillas and other taco fixings. Cocktails at the B&amp;O, whether imbibed at the bar or at a table upstairs, are inventive and always delicious, especially if they\u2019re the creation of head bartender Brendan Dorr.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/?q=2+N.+Charles+Street+Downtown&amp;entry=gmail&amp;source=g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2 N. Charles Street,\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/category\/baltimore\/\">Neighborhood: Downtown<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\">Cafe Gia<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">There are plenty of good restaurants in Little Italy, but Cafe Gia is my personal favorite. The owners of this charming cafe are Gia Fracassetti and her mom, Giovanna Blatterman, who, like many Little Italy residents, come from a family that has lived in the neighborhood for generations. Their roots are in Sicily, while those of the chef, Gianfranco (Gia\u2019s husband), are in Lombardy, but the food they serve is classic Italian-American. Try favorites like the lasagna bolognese, eggplant parmigiana, and osso buco at dinnertime, or grab a piadina (a stuffed flatbread not unlike a quesadilla) at lunch. The family also owns Pane e Vino next door, a fine place to enjoy a cocktail and snacks.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/?q=410+S.+High+Street++Little+Italy&amp;entry=gmail&amp;source=g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">410 S. High Street,\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/category\/baltimore\/little-italy\/\">Neighborhood: Little Italy<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\">Ekiben<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/ekiben..jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2856\" src=\"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/ekiben.-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"980\" height=\"980\" srcset=\"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/ekiben.-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/ekiben.-160x160.jpg 160w, https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/ekiben.-555x555.jpg 555w, https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/ekiben.-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/ekiben.-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/ekiben.-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/ekiben.-500x500.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 980px) 100vw, 980px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">While UMBC enjoyed a few moments of nationwide fame from its March Madness victory, the school should be even more proud of the three graduates who own Ekiben. Ever since they opened, fans of the tiny storefront restaurant have been flooding Instagram with images of Ekiben\u2019s photogenic steamed bun sandwiches and bowls packed with sexy Taiwanese curry fried chicken thighs, or tofu in spicy peanut sauce. The tempura broccoli with Chinese sausage is my favorite thing on the menu, but others swear by the crispy catfish and rice \u201ctackle box.\u201d You can\u2019t go wrong, no matter what you order.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/?q=1622+Eastern+Avenue++Fells+Point&amp;entry=gmail&amp;source=g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1622 Eastern Avenue\u00a0<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/category\/baltimore\/fells-point-baltimore\/\">Neighborhood: Fells Point<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Minxeats Baltimore food blogger and Co-author of the new book,\u00a0<a class=\" NFClass\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1493017918\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1493017918&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=minxmonthlycriti&amp;linkId=2311db3202129434917aac2e112c5175\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Maryland\u2019s Chesapeake: How the Bay and its Bounty Shaped a Cuisine<\/a>, plus\u00a0<a class=\" NFClass\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0762781092\/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0762781092&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=minxmonthlycriti\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Food Lovers\u2019 Guide to Baltimore<\/a>, and\u00a0<a class=\" NFClass\" href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/1lpymtl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Baltimore Chef\u2019s Table<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Editors Note:\u00a0One thing we like to do when launching in a\u00a0city is to partner with local writers. This is a key part to the City Walker experience, we don\u2019t only want our app (<a class=\" NFClass\" href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/VbVcjZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">iOS<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a class=\" NFClass\" href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/7X79LQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Android<\/a>) to have a local prospective, we want our blog to have it too! This gives the authentic personal prospective that no one other than a local can offer. We are honored to have\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/category\/minxeats\/\">MINXEATS\u00a0be a guest writer<\/a>\u00a0for City Walker in Baltimore.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the last year or so, I\u2019ve 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\u2019m going to hazard a guess that most visitors to Charm City are staying [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2857,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[166,243,245,185],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-baltimore","category-local-pov","category-minxeats","category-pov"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/bando-e1524960291542.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9buia-J9","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2799"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2799\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2860,"href":"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2799\/revisions\/2860"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citywalkerapp.com\/cw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}