Eat Special Issue
Harbor East
Michael Northrup
Talara
A GUIDE TO THE ICONS
$ = Inexpensive; “entrees” barely crack $10.
$$ = Entrees in the $10-$20 range, other than a few specials or the crab cakes.
$$$ Entrees $20 and up.
BYOB = The restaurant has no liquor license but allows you to bring your own booze. You may have heard of this.
P = On-site parking, i.e. a dedicated lot or garage.
T = Valet parking (for most places, this is weekends-only).
Out = Outdoor dining in season. Note: It could be a lovely deck, but it may be just a couple of tables on the sidewalk.
10pm = Serves food after 10 p.m. Many local restaurants will serve until 11 p.m. on weekends, but spots bearing this icon go further somehow.
B = Breakfast.
L = Lunch.
D = Dinner.
Br = Brunch on weekends.
Vg = Specializes in vegetarian/vegan friendliness. Almost all restaurants these days offer vegetarian options, and when asked by someone compiling a dining guide, many restaurants say that they can accommodate vegans on request, but this icon indicates vegetarian/vegan friendliness as a primary mission.
Rsv = Reservations are suggested, particularly for weekend dining.
Del = Delivery to a limited area, though many restaurants that don’t do phone-order delivery use web-based services such as carryout.com.
Published: March 2, 2011
BAGBY PIZZA CO.
1006 Fleet St., (410) 605-0444, bagbypizza.com
$$ Out L D
Bagby is the pizza place you wish was in your own neighborhood. Pie crusts are cracker thin, pastas and salads are homemade and generous, and service aims to please.
CHARLESTON
1000 Lancaster St., (410) 332-7373, charlestonrestaurant.com
$$$ Vg Out D Rsv
Cindy Wolf’s home-skillet goes posh via small-plates-ish “improvisational dining,” arranged into general unordered courses. Choose well, and you’ll be rewarded with rich, saturated, strong flavors, with enough flamboyance to hold your attention.
CHIU’S SUSHI
608 S. Exeter St., (410) 752-9666, chiussushi.com
$$ Out L D
With its kimono-clad servers, warm-cloth service and soothing decor, this friendly and competent Japanese restaurant almost overcomes the ambient restrictions of its storefront location.
CINGHIALE
822 Lancaster St., (410) 547-8282, cgeno.com
$$$ Vg Out L D Rsv
From Tony Foreman and Cindy Wolf, Northern Italian fare with small smoky and cheesy things in the big, brassy wine bar (Enoteca) and bigger meatier things in the somber dining wings (Osteria). Fritto misto for everybody.
FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE AND WINE BAR
720 Aliceanna St., (410) 332-1666, flemingssteakhouse.com
$$$ Vg D Rsv
Most of the menu is the wine list, and most of the food is beef. The petit fillet is fine, but the best cut is the jumbo pork chop. Even veggies come in gargantuan proportions.
GRILLE 700 IN THE WATERFRONT
Baltimore Waterfront Marriott, 700 Aliceanna St., (410) 895-1879, grille700.com
$$$ Vg B L D Br
A menu of familiar lunch and dinner classics with the requisite crab dishes front and center.
JAMES JOYCE IRISH PUB AND RESTAURANT
616 S. President St., (410) 727-5107,
thejamesjoycepub.com thejamesjoycepub.com
$$ Vg Out L D Br
James Joyce provides the chance to score a proper pour of Guinness in Harbor East, and the Irish staples, such as fish and chips and a solid shepherd’s pie, are worth checking out.
LEBANESE TAVERNA
719 S. President St., (410) 244-5533, lebanesetaverna.com
$$ Vg Out L D
An elegant but comfortable Mediterranean restaurant with budget-friendly small-plates and more ambitious entrées.
THE OCEANAIRE SEAFOOD ROOM
801 Aliceanna St., (443) 872-0000, theoceanaire.com
$$$ Vg d Rsv
Luxe seafood dining. Crab cakes are succulent, delicate, faintly sweet, and totally refined, and the fish is perfectly fresh and expertly cooked.
PAZO
1425 Aliceanna St., (410) 534-7296, pazorestaurant.com
$$$ Vg D Rsv
Full-size entrées now grace this small-plates menu, although the tapas remain the key draw: beef tartare and seafood carpaccio are very beautiful.
RA SUSHI
1390 Lancaster St., (410) 522-3200, rasushi.com
$$ Vg Out L D
This sleek local outpost of a national chain serves up an expansive battery of artful sushi.
ROY’S
720B Aliceanna St., (410) 659-0099
$$$ Vg D
It’s a chain, it’s pricey, and the staff bellows “ALOHA!” as you walk in, but the food is very good. Half the menu changes nightly, but classic Asian dishes tend to be very good.
TALARA
615 S. President St., (410) 528-9883
$$ Vg Out L D
This restaurant transports diners to South Beach with bright colors, salsa music, and a Latin-inspired menu. Ceviche is the star here, plus a generous choice of seafood, both raw and cooked.
VINO ROSINA
509 S. Exeter St., (410) 528-8600, vinorosina.com
$$ Out L D Rsv
An inventive menu offers dishes like a 16-legged burger made from beef, bison, pork, and lamb, and a richer-than-rich rabbit lasagna. A scary-smart wine list and personable service only add to glow.
To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.
Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.
