Hitchhiker’s Guide: Baltimore
For a small website we are pretty well spread out. There’s Rookers in California, Rookers in Texas, hell even some in Arizona. And a common thread among us, is that we like to travel. So in keeping with the needs of our Rookers to share their experience we’re adding a new segment as seen by the title above. We can’t promise it’s the best way enjoy these places we visit, but it’s definitely the way we enjoyed them.
I recently went to Baltimore during a weekend for a wedding. I had only been to Baltimore once before that weekend when I was a child. I remembered that Baltimore was a beautiful city. While it was not as great as I remembered it, there were still some places I really enjoyed within the city. Below are thoughts on some of the main attractions of the city and some recommendations.
Blue Moon Café (1621 Aliceanna Street)
This café was the highlight of my trip. Its specialty dish is the Captain Crunch French Toast. I normally do not order French toast and Captain Crunch is not a cereal I generally eat. However, it is no ordinary French Toast. I loved everything about it. The crust is crunchy and perfect. The dish is topped off with whip cream, strawberries, bananas, apples, and blackberries. Despite appearances, it is actually not overwhelmingly sweet. Last September, I tried Crunchy French Toast at Blu Jam Café in Los Angeles that was amazing. Nevertheless, I have never tasted anything like the Captain Crunch French Toast at Blue Moon Café. Without a doubt, it is the best breakfast dish I have ever eaten. It is so good that I could not resist going back the very next day. The waitress remembered that I was there the day before and did not need to ask what I was going to order. She knew exactly what brought me back. The hash browns were also very crunchy and excellent. Another popular dish at the Café is the Sweet Baby Jesus. While I did not try it, it looked excellent. It is layers of hash brown and crab meat topped with eggs. The diners that ordered it were completely satisfied.
Unfortunately, the Café is very small and has about 7-8 tables with 4 more seats at the bar area. As you can imagine, the wait time can get very lengthy. I got there between 8:30 AM-8:50 AM both times. The wait time was already over an hour. On Sunday, the wait time for groups of 4 to 6 was approximately an hour and a half. As such, you will probably have to get there around 7 AM to avoid a long wait. It is also open 24 hours during the weekend so a middle of the night run might be best if you do not mind it. My friend who recommended the place said he waited as long as 2 hours one time to eat there. However, we would both tell you it is worth it.
Fogo de Chao (600 E Pratt St)
I did not know what a Brazilian Steakhouse was for most of my life. I was enlightened two years ago in Washington D.C. when I tried Fogo de Chao. If there was a heaven on earth for meat eaters, it would be Fogo de Chao. Texas de Brazil is also excellent but there is nothing like Fogo de Chao. I have also tried its location in Miami. For anyone unfamiliar with a Brazilian Steakhouse, it is all you can eat. However, you do not have to get up unless you want to go to the salad bar. The salad bar is also very good with traditional salad bar items and excellent smoked salmon. In terms of the process of getting meat, you are given a card with a red side and green side. If you want meat, you flip it to the green side. Gauchos, servers, will come over with meat on skewers and serve you table side by cutting the meat right on to your plate. While buffets usually have quantity over quality, Fogo de Chao has quality meat as well. The steaks I was served were ridiculously tender and full of flavor. It ranks among the best steaks I have ever eaten. The warm cheese bread is also amazing. The restaurant also gives you sides: polenta, mashed potatoes, and plantains. The polenta was amazing, the plantains are good, and the mashed potatoes were good but a waste of space as the other food is out of its league. I also recommend the Guaraná Brazilian soda. It tastes like a combination of ginger ale and fruit. It is the best soda I have ever drank in my life.
It costs $32.50 for lunch and $49.50 for dinner. It is also located in the middle of Inner Harbor.
Inner Harbor/ National Aquarium (501 E Pratt)
It is a nice harbor. There are plenty of shops and restaurants as well as a couple of shopping plazas. It is not a breathtaking view but it is a nice walk. The biggest attraction within the Inner Harbor is the National Aquarium. As a child, I remembered loving the aquarium. However, it does not hold up as well now that I am an adult. It is great for children because they have a lot of fish. However, it all starts looking the same once you have seen a few exhibits. The aquarium does have a good amount of sharks which you can get an up close look at through the glass of the tanks. The biggest attraction within the aquarium is the dolphins. If you go to the dolphin pools at the scheduled trainings, there are shows where the dolphins will do tricks such as flips and splashing the audience. It is definitely the best part of my visit.
However, it is not cheap admission as it is $34.95 for an adult and $21.95 for children. It is also an additional $5 per person if you want to see a 4D movie. One of the movies is Happy Feet. I tried to buy tickets for the aquarium on Saturday around 1 PM. However, tickets were sold out till 5 PM so I went back on Sunday. As the aquarium is popular, you have to make sure you get there as soon as possible to buy tickets.
Crab Cakes
My friend from Baltimore gave me the following link for great crab cake spots around Baltimore area:
http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/food-and-dining/2009/07/crab-ilicious
However, I did not venture out of the Inner Harbor to get crab cakes. A popular spot within the Inner Harbor is Phillip’s. It is not spectacular but it is a decent spot to eat Maryland crab. I was also recommended to go Faidley Seafood in Lexington Market, which is about a 10-15 minute walk from the Inner Harbor. However, you will have to be adventurous as it is not in the best part of town. If you Google Lexington Market, it is described as “crab cakes and crackheads”.
Camden Yards
The home of the Baltimore Orioles is right by the Inner Harbor. It is a very beautiful park. You do not have to attend the game to see the ballpark. I walked over to Eutaw Street a few hours before the game and could see right into the stadium.
Parking
Street parking is a nightmare in Baltimore and Washington D.C. In order to make it easier for their residents to find parking, they have a color system for most streets for specific permits. The time slots for non-permit holders are very tough on the weekdays but better on the weekends. However, I would just find a parking lot within Little Italy. I was able to find all day parking for only $3 total on the weekend. The address of the parking lot I went to is 501 S Eden St. I made the mistake of parking in the Inner Harbor when I first got there on a Friday. I had a 2 hour lunch and my parking cost $20. The parking lots in Little Italy are a much better deal. It is also only a 10-15 walk to the Inner Harbor from those lots.
Movie Theater
If you are in the area and looking to see a movie, I went to AMC Columbia 14 (10300 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia, MD 21044). It is a decent place to see a movie and also has an IMAX. It is also attached to a big mall.
Proximity to Washington D.C.
I did not run into rush hour traffic. As such, it took my about 50 minutes to get to D.C.
My Recommendation
Baltimore is a city you can see in one day. I would definitely recommend Blue Moon Café for breakfast before spending your day in the Inner Harbor. If you are feeling some crab cakes, try out Phillips. For dinner, I would definitely recommend Fogo de Chao. A baseball game at Camden Yards would also be a good experience, especially if your team is in town.
However, if you are pressed for time and looking for the most beautiful city in Maryland to visit, Annapolis is the city you want to visit.