Maryland Official Visitors Guide • 2017 • Culinary & Dining

Fresh, steamed blue crab, plump Chesapeake oysters, delicate, hand-layered Smith Island Cake, and crafted libations brimming with bold, local flavor. Maryland is a foodie paradise.

10 Ways to Eat Like a Marylander

These variations on familiar favorites completely unique to Maryland will intrigue even the most seasoned culinary explorers.

Perfectly spiced heat with a sweet, buttery finish . . . Dig in to the best crabs you’ve ever tasted at a Maryland crab feast—it’s all about fun, flavor and socializing, and can be had just about anywhere in the state, including Deep Creek Seafood in Western Maryland.

With up to 14 wafer-thin layers of delicate yellow cake, each covered in rich chocolate icing, the Smith Island Cake is the pinnacle of the confectioner’s art and Maryland’s official state dessert. Smith Island Baking Company is famous for its classic version.

Traditionally floured, pan-fried and served whole on a roll with crisp lettuce and fresh tomato, soft shell crab sandwiches are a local delicacy. Crisfield Seafood in Potomac serves an elegant example of this seasonal dish.

While Marylanders are proud of their traditional barbeques, pit-beef is the native staple. Savor lean-cut beef cooked over high heat, sliced thin right off the fire and served on a kaiser roll. (Many local stands also offer pit-ham and pit-turkey.) Pioneer Pit Beef in Catonsville makes some of the best.

Turtle soup is such a beloved tradition that the terrapin became the mascot of the University of Maryland. The hallmark of a perfect turtle soup is a dark aromatic broth with a rich, beefy flavor. Though now a rarity, Captain’s Ketch Seafood Market in Easton serves a fantastic bowl.

When local tomatoes are perfectly ripe, thick slices are finished with salt, pepper and a dollop of mayo, then gently pressed into soft white bread to soak up the juices. Gertrude’s in Baltimore features them as a special.

Found everywhere from sidewalk tables set up in neighborhoods to established stands and even on high-end restaurant menus, Snowballs— shaved ice topped with flavored syrup—have been a Baltimore tradition since the early 1900s.

Whole ham scored with deep slits and stuffed with cayenne-spiked cabbage and greens is part of everyday life in Southern Maryland, and is done exceptionally well at St. Mary’s Landing Restaurant in Charlotte Hall.

A truly authentic coddie, or codfish cake, like the one you’ll find at Shore Seafood in Baltimore’s Northeast Market, combines tender chunks of salt cod, mashed potatoes and cracker meal gently fried into a delicate cake.

German immigrant Henry Berger created the Berger Cookie (no “s” when saying it) in Baltimore in 1835—a cakey cookie base topped with an extravagant amount of dark chocolate fudge, available in grocery and specialty shops throughout the state.

Dine Like a High Roller at Maryland’s Casinos

From haute cuisine to low country fare, Maryland’s casinos house some of the state’s best restaurants.

A casual, relaxed vibe pervades this northeast Maryland casino’s restaurants. Celebrity Bar and Grill offers familiar favorites as well as something new every day—from food specials and live entertainment to trivia and paint nights—while Extras provides 24-hour sustenance to dedicated night owls.

In the heart of bustling Baltimore, dining options include two restaurants helmed by Diners, Drive-ins and Dives chef Guy Fieri; a joint venture by James Beard award winners John Besh and Aarón Sánchez; and a luxury steakhouse, as well as casual fare from Baltimore-based restaurants Lenny’s Deli and Heavy Seas Burgers.

The newest casino in Maryland promises luxury on a grand scale, with restaurants by celebrity chefs José Andrés and Marcus Samuelsson, a steakhouse by brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, and an outpost of the venerable Baltimore-based crab cake mecca Pappas Seafood.

A diner’s destination close to Baltimore, D. C. and Annapolis, the Arundel Mills entertainment district, and BWI airport, Maryland Live! Has something to offer for everyone. Anchored by the locally revered upscale steakhouse The Prime Rib, the famous Phillips Seafood, and a burger shop by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, it even boasts a ramen bar.

At this oasis of cosmopolitan luxury nestled in the rolling mountains of Western Maryland, indulge in all-day, buffet-style waterfront dining that comes with striking views of beautiful Lake Habeeb, or relax at a sports bar and grill featuring live entertainment and outdoor dining.

An Interview With The Voltaggio Brothers

“Top Chef” alums Bryan Voltaggio and his brother Michael dish on the Maryland culinary scene.

After individual success, you are both back in Maryland. Was this the plan all along?

Bryan: “We’ve always entertained the idea of working together; however, it took years to find the right project. Partnering with MGM at National Harbor was the perfect fit. The Voltaggio Brothers’ steakhouse concept is Michael and me inviting you to our home for dinner.”

Michael: “We ended up going in different directions yet finding ourselves at the same destination: home. Our goal, too, is always the same—cook great food and take care of our guests.”

Bryan: “Farmers, ranchers and watermen are connecting to the demands of consumers. It’s a great time to cook here.”

Michael: “Food and entertainment collided in a big way, inspiring people to crave something more. It’s up to us to deliver and Maryland has no shortage of great restaurants to keep the bar high.”

Delectable Pearls of the Chesapeake

True treasures of the Chesapeake, our oysters will fill your foodie bucket list by the bushel.

Succulent, sweet, and bursting with the crisp, clean soul of the Chesapeake, our oysters offer unparalleled flavor. Savor them fried with mouthwatering lettuce and tomato in a traditional oyster sandwich; steeped in fresh, local cream and their own savory brine as part of an oyster stew; or simply shucked raw, straight from a skipjack.

Oysters are an important part of Maryland life, and some parts of the state—in places such as Hoopers Island and Smith Island—have an oystering tradition that goes back centuries. Today, we continue a culinary love affair many years in the making at unique Maryland events like Annapolis’ Maryland Seafood Festival in September; and St. Michaels’ OysterFest and the U. S. Oyster Festival and National Shuck Off in St. Mary’s, both in October.

The sources of our oysters are just as diverse as their myriad preparations. While native oysters have nearly vanished elsewhere, in the Chesapeake, they are reclaiming their old territory—making Maryland wild oysters a unique and prized culinary experience. The skipjack, Maryland’s state boat, is more than a remnant of some bygone era; they still ply The bay, the last remaining sail-powered fishing fleet in the nation. Recently, more modern methods have joined the skipjacks, as a new breed of high-tech watermen have begun harvesting wild oysters by scuba diving. Together, these options provide an artisanal wild-caught dining option.

Wind and tide limit the wild oyster season to winter, but Maryland’s pioneering push towards sustainable oyster farming means you can enjoy Chesapeake oysters yearround. Start with a Chesapeake Gold, grown off Hoopers Island, for a deep, salty oyster. Sample Barren Island Oysters, harvested nearby at the confluence of the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, where its fresh waters balance salt with sweet. Enjoy a True Chesapeake Oyster, grown in St. Jerome’s Creek; their clean, light flavor make them nearly a dessert oyster.

Try all these and more, because no trip to Maryland is complete without an oyster.

Maryland Official Visitors Guide - 2017

Culinary & Dining

10 Ways to Eat Like a Marylander

Dine Like a High Roller at Maryland’s Casinos

An Interview With The Voltaggio Brothers

Delectable Pearls of the Chesapeake

Issue List

2026 Maryland Official Visitors Guide

2024 Maryland Official Visitors Guide

2023 Maryland Official Visitors Guide

2022 Maryland Maryland Official Visitors Guide

2020 Maryland Official Visitors Guide

2019 Maryland Official Visitors Guide

2018 Maryland Official Visitors Guide

2017