Mount Vernon/Bolton Hill/Station North

ABACROMBIE FINE FOODS AND ACCOMMODATIONS

58 W. Biddle St., (410) 837-3630, abacrombie.net

$$$ D B Rsv

This basement spot has long held a culinary reputation that dwarfs its intimate size. It’s current menu of care-taken upscale comfort foods upholds it. Reservations are key during symphony season.

AKBAR

823 N. Charles St., (410) 539-0944, akbar-restaurant.com

$$ L D Br

They know what they’re doing at this intimate Indian restaurant: it’s quiet inside, elegant, almost, and the staff will make you feel like a regular even on your first trip. Keema naan to start (lamb-stuffed flatbread), then tandoori shrimp, and/or anything korma.

ALOHA SUSHI

1218 N. Charles St., (443) 759-8531, alohasushimd.com

$$ L D

Everything about Aloha Sushi is just right. The quiet dining room is dressed simply, service is friendly and prompt, and the food is pleasantly affordable.

B, BOLTON HILL BISTRO

1501 Bolton St., (410) 383-8600, b-bistro.com

$$$ Out D Br Rsv

B is one of those neighborhood restaurants that feels like a well-kept secret even though it’s been around for years. The ever-changing array of homemade ravioli and seasonal fare impresses.

BAN THAI

340 N. Charles St., (410) 727-7971, banthai.us

$$ L D

The mee krob, “sweet and crunchy noodles with pork, shrimp and bean sprouts,” is a brilliant bit of almost-certainly-bad-for-you goodness. The menu is extensive, from the mild pad woon sen to several pleasingly hot dishes like kratiam prik Thai.

BREWER’S ART

1106 N. Charles St., (410) 547-6925

$$$ 10pm d

The bar menu has been streamlined, but the real action is the exquisite main dining rooms of this stupendous Mount Vernon townhouse. Don’t miss the steak frites (and the rosemary garlic fries) .

CAZBAR

316 N. Charles St., (410) 528-1222

$$$ Vg L D

This handsome midtown Turkish restaurant scores its biggest points with luscious eggplant-based appetizers and with its pides—boat-shaped pizzas.

CITY CAFÉ

1001 Cathedral St., (410) 539-4252, citycafebaltimore.com

$$$ Out L D Br

Other Baltimore neighborhoods would be lucky to have such an adaptable neighborhood spot, from quick breakfast pastries and coffee on the go to good lunch staples to an increasingly ambitious dinner menu.

DIONYSUS

8 E. Preston St., (410) 244-1020

$$ Out 10pm D Br

Word doesn’t seem to have spread about the dining room at Dionysus. Entrées include tenderloin of beef, crab cakes, a chicken dish, two fish plates, and an eggplant manicotti. And appetizers are stellar.

DOUGHERTY’S IRISH PUB

223 W. Chase St. (410) 752-4059

$ 10pm L D

Your typical neighborhood bar, a bit dim though spacious. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the pub grub that fills out the menu here: burgers, fish and chips, and hot and cold deli sandwiches.

DUKEM

1100 Maryland Ave., (410) 385-0318, dukemrestaurant.com

$$ Out L D

Delicious, satisfying, and inexpensive Ethiopian cuisine in an setting marked by cramped conviviality and the lovely urban weirdness of exotic food in a corner-bar space.

EDEN’S LOUNGE

15 W. Eager St., (410) 244-0405, edenslounge.com

$$ Vg Out 10pm D

A swank club attracting a steady, well-dressed crowd in the evening, Eden’s also offers a small-plates menu, with dishes that are promising and niftily presented.

FEAST

4 E. Madison St., (410) 605-2020, 4eastmadisoninn.com

$$$ Out D Rsv

Located in the snug dining room of 4 East Madison Inn, Feast offers homey, sustainably sourced comfort food with a gourmet twist and sweet service. Desserts prompt a “just like Mom used to make” thumbs ups.

HELMAND

806 N. Charles St., (410) 752-0311, helmand.com

$$ d

Baltimore’s beloved Afghan restaurant is also consistently one of the city’s best. Dishes such as aushak, kaddo bolani, and shornakhod are deliciously different.

IGGIES

818 N. Calvert St., (410) 528-0818, iggiespizza.com

$$ BYOB Out L D

The crust at this pizza restaurant is thin with a good balance of crunchy and chewy, but really it’s mostly a vehicle for the gourmet toppings.

JOE SQUARED PIZZA AND BAR

133 W. North Ave., (410) 545-0444, joesquared.com

$$ P Out 10pm L D Br

Joe Squared’s signature square pizza is baked in a coal-fired grill and comes in a slew of adventurous and bizarre combinations—say, Irish pizza with corned beef on it.

JOUNG KAK

18 W. 20th St., (410) 837-5231

$$ 10pm L D

One of a few remaining full-scale restaurants in Baltimore’s Koreatown, this family-style, plain-spoken joint specializes in fiery barbecue, plus hot pots, noodle dishes, etc.

JOSS CAFÉ AND SUSHI BAR.

413 N. Charles St., (410) 244-6988, josscafe-sushibar.com

$$$ L D

Joss is just the kind of mod, hip sushi bar Baltimore has been lacking. Fish is fresher than fresh, and the selection goes beyond spicy tuna or California roll. If the wasabi shumai are any indication, cooked food here is no afterthought.

KUMARI RESTAURANT AND BAR

911 N. Charles St., (410) 547-1600

$$ Vg Out 10pm L D Br

Nepalese restaurant Kumari does most of its work in the tandoor, or creamily kormaed, very Indian style. The crispy breads are a real treat.

KYRO PIZZA

900 Cathedral St., (410) 962-8859, kyropizza.com

$$ BYOB L D

Different name, same reliable menu of Middle Eastern faves and pizzas with gourmet toppings (e.g. tandoori chicken). Anything that comes out of the wood-burning oven is worth eating.

LUMBINI RESTAURANT

322 N. Charles St., (410) 244-5556, lumbinirestaurant.com

$$ BYOB L D

The northern Indian food is just fine, but the Nepalese dishes, especially the chicken momo (big, fluffy dumplings) and the sukait, a cured lamb appetizer, are fascinating and delicious.

MAISY’S

313 N. Charles St., (443) 220-0150, maisysbaltimore.com

$$ 10pm L D

Casual fare affordably priced is Maisy’s raison d’etre. All entrees, except the crab cakes, are under $20, including generously-sized pizzas from the restaurant’s wood-burning oven.

MARIE LOUISE BISTRO

904 N. Charles St., (410) 385-9946, marielouise-bistro.com

$$ Out L D Br

Reasonably priced and casual French-American food prepared with thought and care is the restaurant’s bailiwick, but the unassuming space adds a comfortable upstairs bar, a mini-pâtisserie, and a brunch menu.

MICK O’SHEA’S

328 N. Charles St., (410) 539-7504, mickosheas.com

$$ 10pm L D Br

This Irish standby adroitly accommodates pub grub with solid light fare and sandwiches. The fish and chips are terrific.

MIDTOWN YACHT CLUB

15 E. Centre St. (410) 837-1300

$ 10pm L D Br

More than decent Tex-Mex-accented pub fare, peanut shells on the floor, sports on the TV, good times always. The Sunday brunch buffet is a carnivore’s picnic.

MINATO

1013 N. Charles St., (410) 332-0332, minatosushibar.com

$$ L D

The menu at this innocuously stylish sushi spot offers a dependable assortment of deliciousness. Start with an octopus and seaweed salad, then order an assortment of rolls and individual pieces. Friendly, efficient, and noninvasive service.

MUGHAL GARDEN

920 N. Charles St., (410) 547-0001, mughalgarden.com

$$ L D

The interior is so ’60s its almost fresh. Attention is paid to the Indian cuisine basics, and the lunch buffet offers a wide and consistent variety.

NAM KANG

2126 Maryland Ave., (410) 685-6237

$$ 10pm L D

This homely basement-level eating den is still one of best late-late-night destinations in town. Banchan come out soon enough, and then bulgogi, seafood pancakes, octopus casseroles, and hot pots. The lunch specials rule.

ON THE HILL CAFÉ AND MARKET

1431 John St., (410) 225-9667, onthehillcafe.com

$ BYOB Out B L D

Inexpensive soups, sandwiches, burritos, and salads are the mainstays of the menu, but rounding it out are homemade quiches, savory and sweet tarts, meat pies, burgers, and a couple of vegetarian sandwiches.

OWL BAR AND GRILL

1 E. Chase St., (410) 347-0888, theowlbar.com

$$ P Vg L D Br

Once you get done explaining the significance of the owl statue above the bar, the food is pretty good. The menu ranges from enormous paninis to brick-oven pizzas to pan-seared ahi tuna.

THE PRIME RIB

1101 N. Calvert St., (410) 539-1804, theprimerib.com

$$$ P Vg D Rsv

One of the few survivors of old-school Baltimore fine dining, the Prime Rib possesses that rare confluence of supremely good service, genuinely swank environs, and, of course, utterly superlative cuisine.

RED MAPLE

930 N. Charles St., (410) 385-0520, 930redmaple.com

$ 10pm D

The bar/nightclub’s ever-changing menu of adventurous finger food doesn’t settle on one cuisine and nothing is entrée-sized, but it’s easy to split a variety of small plates among friends.

SASCHA’S 527 CAFÉ

527 N. Charles St., (410) 539-8880, saschas.com

$$ Out 10pm L D

Sascha’s is sexy, with the kind of understated lighting and soaring 16-foot-high ceilings. The menu offers a variety of clever small plates—bison sliders, mini fish tacos—substantial entrees, and even larger salads.

SAMMY’S TRATTORIA

1200 N. Charles St., (410) 837-9999, sammystrattoria.com

$$$ Vg Out L D Rsv

Southern Italian dining with just enough upmarket panache. Pasta dishes are served in big portions, with fresh herbs and smart sauces. Garlicky broccoli rabe, pasta e fagiole soup, and a classically creamy house salad raise the pleasure index.

SOFI’S CRÊPES

1723 N. Charles St., (410) 727-7732; 333 N. Charles St., (410) 727-5737; sofiscrepes.com

$ L D

Tiny Sofi’s serves a variety of dessert crêpes alongside a menu of heartier savory crêpes that are big enough for a smallish meal. Sofi’s is also open inside the Women’s Industrial Exchange, where seating is more bountiful.

SOTTO SOPRA

405 N. Charles St., (410) 625-0534, sottosoprainc.com

$$$ Vg 10pm L D Rsv

Sotto Sopra offers an uptown take on Little Italy with homemade pastas and sauces without heavy-handedness. Gnocchi so light only a smear of sauce weighs it down, or ravioli stuffed with duck rather than ricotta.

TAPAS TEATRO

1711 N. Charles St., (410) 332-0110, tapasteatro.com

$$ Out 10pm D

If Tapas Teatro’s popularity has waned, you’d never know it. This Charles Street favorite still buzzes with the drone of theatergoers lifting pitchers of sangria and nibbling pulpo y papas (octopus and potatoes), electric-green pea fritters, and albondigas.

THAI LANDING

1207 N. Charles St., (410) 727-1234

$$ L D

Spicy or mild, meaty or meatless, there are plenty of choices. Don’t neglect appetizers such as rice cakes with minced shrimp and chicken in peanut-coconut-cream sauce.

THAIRISH

804 N. Charles St. 410-752-5857

$ l D

Thai food counter and takeout joint in Mount Vernon offers a range of dishes in meat and vegetarian categories at very reasonable prices.

TIO PEPE RESTAURANTE

10 E. Franklin St. (410) 539-4675

$$$ 10pm L D Rsv

After 40 years, dinner at Tio Pepe is still an event. Old-school luxury dining featuring lots of classic sauces and the kind of flawless formal service nearly extinct in contemporary restaurants.

TURP’S SPORTS BAR AND RESTAURANT

1317 N. Charles St., (410) 347-0349, turpsonline.com

$$ Vg Out 10pm L D Br

Sometimes you need a place with good food and the game on, and Turp’s and its expansive menu fit that bill in Mount Vernon.

XS

1307 N. Charles St., (410) 468-0002, xsbaltimore.com

$$ Vg Out 10pm B L D

Salads, panini, omelets, gelati, and a menu of sushi and other Japanese standards served up in a soaring four-story space.

ZHONGSHAN

323 Park Ave., (410) 223-1881

$$ L D

The menu focuses more on reliable Chinese staples. Fried taro dumplings and beef tripe with ginger and scallions are standouts among the very reasonably priced dim sum.

• Pleased? Eat: City Paper's Annual Dining Guide | 3/2/2011
• Federal Hill ABBEY BURGER BISTRO 1041 Marshall St., (443) 453-9698, abbeyburgerbistro.com $$ 10pm L D A bar devoted to gourmet burgers, not French fare. And we’re grateful, because who wouldn’t savor local Roseda beef topped with a drippy fried egg (or foie gra | 3/2/2011
• South Baltimore BARRACUDAS: A LOCUST POINT TAVERN 1230 E. Fort Ave., (410) 685-2832, cudabarracuda.com $$ L D Br This small Locust Point neighborhood spot serves pubby standards with a few beachy twists (jerk chicken salad) and some serious local flavor (coddies). | 3/2/2011
• Canton/Highlandtown ACROPOLIS 4714-4718 Eastern Ave., (410) 675-3384, acropolisbaltimore.com $$ L D There’s hearty and wholesome fare for Olympian appetites at this casual and cavernous Greektown mainstay. Lamb, seafood, and crab cakes are the house specialties, and al | 3/2/2011
• Fells Point ALE MARY’S 1939 Fleet St., (410) 276-2044, alemarys.com $$ Out 10pm L D Br You can get tater tots as an appetizer or alongside any of the well-crafted sandwiches in various states of loaded-ness. The menu ranges from bar food standards to more ambi | 3/2/2011
• Little Italy ALDO’S 306 S. High St., (410) 727-0700, aldositaly.com $$$ Vg d Rsv This Little Italy gem assembles choice ingredients in flawless preparations, nimbly negotiating the terrain between respectfulness for old-world tradition and mindfulness of contem | 3/2/2011
• Harbor East BAGBY PIZZA CO. 1006 Fleet St., (410) 605-0444, bagbypizza.com $$ 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. CHARL | 3/2/2011
• Downtown ALEWIFE 21 N. Eutaw, (410) 545-5112, alewifebaltimore.com $$ L D Alewife’s biggest draw may be its 40 beer taps, but the newest pub to fill the space across from the Hippodrome offers decent gourmet sandwiches and entrees too. Look for various in-ho | 3/2/2011
• Mount Vernon/Bolton Hill/Station North ABACROMBIE FINE FOODS AND ACCOMMODATIONS 58 W. Biddle St., (410) 837-3630, abacrombie.net $$$ D B Rsv This basement spot has long held a culinary reputation that dwarfs its intimate size. It’s current menu of care-taken upscale comfort foods uphold | 3/2/2011
• Charles Village/Waverly ALIZÉE 4 W. University Pkwy, (443) 449-6200, alizeebaltimore.com $$$ P Vg B L D Br Alizée has gone from fusion to high-concept comfort food. The menu changes seasonally, but look for bistro-inspired fare—roasted chicken, lamb confit, rabbit—all done | 3/2/2011
• Roland Park/Mount Washington ALONSO’S 415 W. Cold Spring Lane, (410) 235-3433, alonsos.com $$ L D There’s been an upscale revamping and the pizzas have been gussied up. The immense burgers, though, are still here. BANSKY’S Cafe Lake Falls Village, 6080 Falls Road, (410) 377 | 3/2/2011
• Hampden/Remington 13.5 WINE BAR 1117 W. 36th St., (410) 889–1064, 13.5winebar.com $$ Out 10pm D The Avenue gets a very well done wine list, along with a very well-turned-out menu of gourmet nibbles, pizzas, and entrees. ALCHEMY 1011 W. 36th St., (410) 366-1163, a | 3/2/2011
• Belvedere Square ATWATER’S Belvedere Square Market 529 E. Belvedere Ave., (410) 323-2396 (and various other locations); atwaters.biz $ P Out L D It sells home-style breads and tasty sandwiches at its multiple locations (and the cream puffs at the Belvedere Square ba | 3/2/2011
• Hamilton BIG BAD WOLF’S HOUSE OF BARBECUE 5713 Harford Road, (410) 444-6422 $$ Out L D Hamilton carry-out joint dispenses tender animal parts in classic regional sauces—Kansas City sweet and spicy, Carolina mustard or vinegar, and Texas pit style, our favor | 3/2/2011
• County ANDY NELSON’S BARBEQUE 11011 York Road, Cockeysville, (410) 527-1226, andynelsonsbbq.com $$ P Out L D Everything is slow-smoked over hickory wood. Ribs are a must-eat, the pulled-pork sandwich is orgasmic, and all the homemade sides are fantastic. W | 3/2/2011