Romantic, reasonable dinner spot in Baltimore

[Lochina]

Preferably downtown or easily accessible. Please let me know if reservations are reccomended.

Thanks!

Edited to clarify: reasonably-priced, that is.

Edited June 5, 2004 by Lochina (log)

[pleiades]

It would help to know a little more about you and what you define as "reasonable," but I'll give this a go....(rezzies recommended at all)

Pricing first. There's no "free lunch" in Baltimore (none with atmosphere, anyways), but there are tons of overpriced ones. You can spend $200 a couple in two dozen area restaurants, but only a few deliver the goods. So I'll mention a couple of those, and then move down the price ladder.

My 1st suggestion is Corks, on S. Charles Street. Russel Braitch is kicking butt in this kitchen right now; combined with a focused N. American wine list and a great selection of American artisanal cheeses, Corks is my current fave. Depending on what you drink, expect to spend between $150-200.

http://www.corksrestaurant.com/

I am also impressed with Ixia lately. Inventive food, increasingly tight service, and a wine list that is lifting itself out of the muck of corporate domination, so prevalent among restaurants these days. Nice digs, too.

http://ixia-online.com

Cozy, with good food, perhaps cheaper, and with a great selection of wine and beer, try Brewer's Art. Belgian-style house brews, an ambitious and generally delicious menu, in an old-school Georgian row...er...townhouse.

http://www.belgianbeer.com/

Saffron is an India fusion place on Charles, just north of the monument. Great interior, menu firming up quite nicely, decent wine list.

http://www.saffronusa.com/

Vespa is quite reasonable. opinions differ on the romantic part, as some feel it gets noisy when crowded. I find that an earlier dining hour eliminates this issue. Surprisingly authenic european dining experience- solidly prepared food, nice stemware, well chosen wine list, satisfying desserts, thoughtful selection of digestifs and after dinner drinks, and a good shot of espresso (at least when the owner is there to watch over it).

Vespa

1117-21 S. Charles St.

Baltimore , MD 21230

Phone: (410) 385-0355

The "romantic" bit disqualifies Helmand, a long time favorite for affordable Afghan. Comfy, but not particularly romantic.

That's about it for all your criteria in the downtown area. Darin ought to be a long shortly; he's single, so he might be a bit more focused on the romantic bit.....my wife and I already have our faves. And also Miss Cindy might care to weigh in.

Edited June 5, 2004 by pleiades (log)

[misscindy]

Pleiades' suggestions are good ones. As he said, it's kinda hard to know what you consider reasonable or what you consider romantic, for that matter. But, I'll try to add to his list.

My husband and I had a very good dinner at Henninger's in Fells Point last night and depending on the night of the week you go, it maybe, possibly could be considered kinda sorta romantic. We shared the RW Apple approved app of pan fried oysters with spinach in a pernod cream sauce. (I'd really like to come back as a better looking RW Apple in my next life, btw.) And, we each had the coriander-pepper tuna entree and four glasses of wine between us. The bill was $90 clams. You can water taxi it over there from downtown. Their website has photos so you can see if you like the looks of it.

http://www.henningerstavern.com

One possibility downtown is Joy America, which is on top of the American Visionary Arts Museum. It is a nice space with a good view.

http://www.spikeandcharlies.com/joy.html

One of the few things I like in the Inner Harbor is having drinks at the Explorer's Lounge in the Harbor Court Hotel. It ain't cheap but it is downtown and they have live jazz.

For me, though, Mt. Vernon is the most romantic neighborhood in Baltimore, because of its stunning architecture. So, one thing you could consider is walking around having appetizers at several restaurants. Ixia and Sotta Sopra are both beautiful spaces and have bars in the back. (Sotta Sopra is Italian and if you stick to pasta, it is reasonable.) Red Maple (http://www.930redmaple.com) serves great small plates and cocktails in a hip, loungey sort of atmosphere before it turns into a dance club later at night. I think the mango martinis are very romantic. In fact, I may be in love with them. And, the bar upstairs at the Brass Elephant, which is in a gorgeous old townhouse, is also worth a stop.

Hope this helps.

Edited June 6, 2004 by misscindy (log)

[Lochina]

Thanks for the reccs. Brewer's Art sounds particularly interesting. In doing a little research, I also came up with the following restaurants; any comments?

- Tapas Teatro

- Samos

- Banjara

- Peter's Inn

- Chameleon Cafe

- Ambassador Dining Room

Thanks.

[misscindy]

Wow. I just love someone who cares enough to do a little research.

Tapas Teatro--I love it. Not everyone does. Good food, good sangria. And, large portions for tapas. Don't know that it fits the romance bill...it is crowded and loud. It is literally connected to the Charles Theatre so lots of people are rushing around trying to get a table and then trying to get out to catch films. But, to their credit, in my experience, the staff doesn't rush you. And, if the crowded and loud part doesn't bother you, it is a fun and happening sort of atmosphere. And, the space is cool.

Samos--A tiny little BYOB Greek place in Greektown. I don't think that anyone would describe it as romantic. Almost a diner sort of atmosphere. Not as cheap as it used to be but the BYOB part still keeps costs down. Almost always packed.

Banjara--I think of it as a typical Indian restaurant, not that that is a bad thing. I haven't been in years. Not because the food is bad, no reason I can think of, really.

Peter's Inn--A little bar that serves gigantic portions of food. Menu online at

http://www.petersinn.com.

It is almost always crowded and it is not romantic, unless you consider eating dinner in a smokey bar with Patsy Cline on the sound system romantic. Don't get me wrong: I like the place. It is hip in a laid back, vaguely bikerish sort of way. And, it is very Baltimore--which to me, is a good thing.

Chameleon Cafe--This is a cute place, kind of far off the beaten path, though. The food is usually good and the people are nice. Could be considered sort of romantic.

Ambassador Dining Room--This has real possibilities for you. It is in a pretty old apartment building near Johns Hopkins University. The dining room is very pretty in a Tudor-ish sort of way and they have lovely outdoor dining in good weather. More expensive than your average family style Indian but still reasonable. I love their Sunday brunch buffet with mimosas...yum.

Let us know what you decide.

[pleiades]

I didn't mention Ambassador or Chameleon because neither is downtown. Cindy's spot on so there's nothing more for me to tell ya.

Oh and yea, thanks for doing some checking!

[bobby29]

I agree with much of the above. Ixia and Tapas Teatro (one of my personal faves) are excellent. Henninger's can also be quite good. However, my most recent visits to Vespa and Corks were not as good as I had hoped.

I will add two more in Fells Point:

Kali's Court - Very romantic setting. Greek influenced menu, think fresh fish prepared a multitude of ways. This could be getting up there in $$$ though.

www.kaliscourt.com

Ze Mean Bean Cafe - Nice setting. Eastern European slant on the menu, but don't think it's all borscht and pierogies. Very reasonable prices. Sorry, can't find a website.

[Lochina]

Update: while in Baltimore, I went to Helmand my first night and LOVED IT--great food, nice space, large portions and very low prices. For our anniversary, my boyfriend and I went to the Ambassador Dining Room, and it was great, as well. We sat in the garden and it was all very nice.

Thanks for the suggestions!