Maryland restaurants have recently stolen the spotlight. James Beard-nominated chefs were recognized for their mainstay restaurants, Cindy Wolf for Charleston and Spike Gjerde for Woodberry Kitchen, while the Baltimore neighborhood of Hampden, a fun enclave full of artists and entrepreneurs, has become a hotbed of culinary activity. The restaurants and bars that occupy Hampden’s famous 36th Street range from upscale (The Food Market) to funky (Golden West Café). Celebrity chefs have bet big on Maryland by opening their own personality-driven restaurants at The Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore. Food Network superstar Giada De Laurentiis opened her casual GDL Italian with much fanfare, while internationally renowned firebrand Gordon Ramsay brings a little bit of London to his namesake Gordon Ramsay Steak alongside Guy Fieri’s Flavortown at the Horseshoe. For more TV star power, check out the Voltaggio Brothers Steakhouse at MGM National Harbor and Bobby Flay’s Burger Palace at Maryland Live Casino. TOP RESTAURANTS FOR FOODIES Clockwise: Corner BYOB, Hampden; Crab Cake at Charleston, Baltimore; Chesapeake Oysters; Aldo’s Ristorante Italiano, Baltimore Maryland has its own spin on barbecue. With a smoky, charred exterior and the interior of perfectly cooked prime rib, Maryland pit beef is delightful street food. Sliced thin, piled high on a Kaiser roll and traditionally topped with onion, barbecue sauce and horseradish, this sandwich is a meat lover’s dream. It can be found at many a roadside stand or at Fast Eddies Pit Beef in North East. And for chocolate lovers, Smith Island Cake—the official state cake of Maryland—is a simple, indulgent arrangement of eight to ten thin layers of yellow cake with chocolate frosting in between. DOWNLOAD THE BLIPPAR APP FOR MORE TRIP IDEAS MARYLAND MADE Dig in at the Best Places to Eat Blue Crabs Maryland Blue Crabs are on every visitor’s must-eat list, so stop at top spots for delicious steamed crab, crab cakes and crab soup. DESTINATION MARYLAND ✥ 33
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2019 Maryland Official Visitors Guide: Page 33
