Saturday night in Baltimore/Towson

Staying in Towson saturday night and looking for good, exciting(Not steak) dining in Baltimore or Towson.

Wife and I are from DC and like Ceiba, Jaleo, Cordoury, Grapeseed just to give you an idea.

Does not have to be fancy but has to be good with a good wine list. A neighborhood to walk in afterwards would be a plus as we'll probably be staying in a Towson hotel.

Thanks

[orangecrush]

I ate at the Bicycle last week too, and it I agree, it was great. The new chef/owner seemed happy to abide by the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" theory of restaurant managment. The food was terrific and he made a point to introduce himself when he brought the food out. You made an excellent choice.

[mstreger]

I'd go back soon. It is 45 minutes to Baltimore, 35 to DC from Rockville. DC has no charector at night, Baltimore does.

[mstreger]

I was the orignal poster.

We ate the the Bicycle and it was amazing. The food there is very interesting and special. I had the short ribs and my wife had fish, we both thought it was great and worthy of anything in the DC area.

And the wine list with 18 bottles under $18 was great too.

[ko1]

Thanks for reporting back. I haven't been to Bicycle since they changed ownership. Good to hear.

[Sop]

I see you liked our suggestions.

[amykramy]

i second the peter's nomination...best garlic bread ever. however, do not take those with dietary restrictions. it is a very small menu which changes weekly and is written on a chalkboard in the back (part of the charm for me, but others haven't liked it)...

[juliehf]

I beg to differ. Sabatino's in Little Italy has the most amazing garlic bread! The atmosphere is also great, since it is family owned and has huge black and white portraits all around the restaurant. The house salad there is also a must.

[ko1]

Sabatino's? I wouldn't recommend it.

What about Troia in Towson? Fabulous and exciting Italian food........

i would have to reccommend saffron in mt. vernon. get the white tuna sashimi, blood orange sorbet ceviche, sured salmon on cahrred naan bread. for main course try the steak frite nuevo latino or the ny strip. it's really unique in flavor. cioppino is great as well as the seared halibut w/ sweet pea cream.

In my opinion, the best walking neighborhood for an out of towner is probably Fells Point. As mentioned, it is one of the few areas untouched by the Baltimore Fire, so it is home to some of the oldest buildings and streets. It is right on the water, with many great views & even on a Saturday - quiet strolls on the water. Also, many eclectic shops are open late.

Also in Fells Point is wide a selection of recomended spots to dine & nosh. Favorite restaurants in this Chowhound community are

Pazo - tapas - clubby - hip - moderate $ - good food!
Charlston - tapas - expensive, same owners as Pazo
True - organic
Louisiana - southern inspired
Arcos - gorgeous outdoor courtyard, often with live music
Peter's Inn - small interesting menu
Ale Marys - good pub food - no fryer

I would add the Waterfront to that; they do a dinner menu upstairs that while somewhat limited is very good. They evidently took the cook from Red Star (which is why the Red Star's food IMO has gone downhill).

Closest to Corduroy (love that place) in Baltimore is Charleston, which is slightly better and much more expensive ($70-110 tasting menus).

I would also recommend Abacrombie, a restaurant in the basement of a B&B downtown-ish. Very ambitious and quite good.

I haven't been, but I would trust ko's rec of Saffron as well. Although I would say that Jaleo beats Pazo fairly easily most days.

Also, I would consider some unique ethnic B-more places, like The Helmand (Afghan).

Helmand is a very good, very reasonable rec on the same block as Saffron. I hear good things about Abacrombie, but a walk afterwards might not be a good idea unless you're familiar with the area. BTW, don't eat in Towson.

Vin is in Towson and supposed to be pretty good.
But other than that and Atwaters in Belvedere Square I agree...and I live there!

Forgot about Vin, haven't tried it. Love Atwater's, but it's in the city.

I'd strongly second the Helmand rec. It's unique, delicious, and in a good place for walking around afterward.

Pazo (Spanish and Sicilian inspired small plates with a wine list to match), walking distance to Fells Point, one of Baltimore's oldest neighborhoods. Saffron: Baltimore's best chef came to this location about a month ago, interesting Pacific Rim fusion, in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood, also a nice place for a walk.

I second Saffron. The wife and I went last Friday and had a truly outstanding meal. I would add that there is a noted "Nuevo Latino" component going on here as well. An addition from the old Soigné days.

The service/atmosphere aren’t there yet, but I am confident that they will.

The other thing that hasn’t been noted about Saffron yet is that it is a value. Almost every entree in the $20-$24 range. For this level of cooking you could spend much more.