When I travel I also scope out a late night munch spot before I go. It’s just so fun and a big part of my travel experience and Jong Kak in Baltimore did not disappoint. Open till 4am and I was in there at 2am enjoying some delicious Bi Bim Bop. So fresh and so good. They also have tables with the grill in the middle so you can do your own Korean BBQ. Fun and tasty spot.
Mmmmm. What a great way to start my trip in San Diego. Blue Water Grill is a KILLER Triple D joint! Seafood is sooooo fresh. Great place for lunch. Fresh Halibut Tacos and the Fresh Opah sandwich. Tasty!
In the gritty/cool Station North Neighborhood of Baltimore is Bottega. This is a special place folks. Tuscan-style Italian food. Seat 28 tops. BYOB (gotta love this!). Menu is on the chalk board and changes daily. And the food is outstanding!!! Plus it is cheap because you are not buying expensive drinks. I had the Crostini with slow eggs, pea shoots and anchovies. Tagliatelle with asparagus and cured eggs and the Malfatti with spinach ricotta and butter sage. Whoa! Ridiculously good. Go!
Wit & Wisdom sits just off the lobby at The Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Very cool bar and restaurant. Well, it’s in the Four Seasons so I guess I would expect it to be good and it was. I had lunch there on a beautiful day so we sat outside which is right next to the water. And the food was outstanding. I mean, really top notch. My crab cake sandwich was all crab baby and the bun was soft and chewy. And hey, start of with the lobster corn dogs. They were different and good. The lobster roll was also a hit and they put popcorn on top. Weird but good. I typically avoid hotel restaurants but not this one!
When in Baltimore you gotta do a crab feast. It’s just what you do. And Captain James Landing is a fun place to do it. First of all, make sure the crabs are in season otherwise you will be eating crab flown in from Texas. We went there and had a blast. Now is it a little cheesy? Yes. Besides the crab is the food good? Not really. Is it a lot of work to get a few bites of crab from each one? Yes. But if you go on a warm night and sit on the bay side it is still a blast. You are sitting outside next to the water. Good music is playing. Breaking open crabs with mallets. Great beer to be had and if you go with a good group of people it is just a great time. We went with a group of 25 work colleagues and every had the best time. Have fun!
Mama’s on the Half Shell is in the Canton Neighborhood of Baltimore. Fells Point gets a lot of the attention but this neighborhood is really cool. I like it a lot and Mama’s is a great joint. Excellent oysters and stick to your ribs seafood. I had the Blue Points which were super fresh and tasty and the Shrimp Salad Sandwich which was really good. I sat outside because it was a beautiful day but the inside has a great vibe and a cool bar you can belly up to and eat. Open for lunch and dinner and they stay open till 2am and serve brunch on the weekends from 9-2. Just go!
Thames Street Oyster House is another great place to go in the Historic Fells Point Neighborhood of Baltimore. This place has local written all over it. It’s a joint. Small, great atmosphere, big wooden bar and some tables around it. It’s loud but not too loud. And fantastic oysters, shrimp, crab cakes and more. Just a killer local seafood joint. I will go back here every time I am in town!
Not far from the historic Fells Point neighborhood in Baltimore is The Fork & Wrench. A super hip little dive bar serving up killer craft cocktails and food. The first floor is the bar which has a great atmosphere. Quiet, rustic and dark. They have a dining room upstairs as well. I ate in the bar. It happened to be Cinco de Mayo so the bartender was serving up Basil Jalapeño Margs. I happen to love a good marg and this was one of the best I have ever had! Food was outstanding as well. This Veal Tartare with crispy falafel, sesame seeds & harissa vinaigrette was outstanding. Great joint.
My wife and I wanted to avoid the crowds in Boulder, CO so we headed to Longmont next door for dinner. Sugar Beets is a newer restaurant and it’s in an industrial area which is pretty cool. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere was a little cheesy but the food was outstanding and the service great. Leslie and I shared a bunch of apps and this Fresh Burrata · vine ripe Golden Tomatoes · crispy capers · pine nuts · crostini was so good. We will definitely go back but instead of eating in the dining room we will belly up to the bar and eat. I think that’s the call.
If you are in the Salt Lake area, Oak Wood Fire Kitchen is worth the trip. I went there for lunch and wouldn’t hesitate going for dinner as well. Nice atmosphere with big screen TVs if you are into watching a game. The wood oven pizzas are great. I had the Sriracha-Honey Wings which were outstanding and a killer sandwich called Jam Turkey Sandwich with turkey, ham, bacon jam, provolone, lettuce, tomato. Really good. Thanks to my friend, Carrie, for turning me onto this place.
