KSpagnol@massey.ac.nz (Ken Spagnolo) (05/19/89)
I've only been away from ol' B-more for six months, so this info should still be current ... Food (a favorite topic): As mentioned, Little Italy is the best place to go for Italian food. My favorite is Caesar's Den, but the best salad dressing in Baltimore is found at Chipparelli's. Gianni's in Harborplace is very good too and close, but quite expensive. Still, if you want a good view of the Inner Harbor while you eat (Northern) Italian cuisine, its the place to go. There are at least three very good Indian restaurants. The Akbar always wins the 'best' awards (on Charles St. north of the G.W. Monument), but I like the newest one best. Its called Bombay Grill and has a tremendous all-you-can-eat buffet lunch; perfect for that between seminar feast. Its near the monument too at the corner of Charles and Monument Streets. Both of these are a short cab ride away from the Convention Center. There is also a very good place called The Taj in Catonsville on Fredrick Ave. It has the advantage of being cheaper than the other two, but being outside the beltway, is not as accessible. The best (only?) Mexican restaurant is the Hacienda on Belair Rd., also not too accessible, but great, although my friends from the West say that its good, but not quite authentic. For cheap, but good TexMex, hit The Cultured Pearl Cafe, known to the locals as Mencken's (sp?) since H. L. was born down the street. Its a great bar, with good tunes, weird artwork, and table cloths of brown paper (crayons included!). My two favorite Chinese restaurants are Tony Cheng's on Charles St. (not far from the Akbar) which is a fairly fancy place, and the Sezchuan on South Charles St. which is definately not. Tony's is expensive and gourmet. But if you want it hot and cheap, with an atmosphere to match, hit Sezchuan. I don't recall the dates, but if you are in town on a Sunday morning, *definately* go for Sunday Brunch at the Hyatt-Regency. It is about the best in Balto. Another all-you-can-eat in a nice atmosphere with roving musicians and great views, but at something like $18 a head. Book as soon as you arrive. For those glutinous consumers of alcohol, the best place to bar hop (known as 'pub crawling' in NZ; a much more descripive term) is the (in)famous Fell's Point. There are more bars per block in FP than anywhere else in the city, and the varity is good too. One can go from a place blaring heavy metal, to one with a live Irish band, and on the way, pass the place on Thames where the bagpipe player sometimes hangs out on the front steps. There are even several yuppie hangouts, for those of that religion (a place called Mellons comes to mind). 'Eat Bertha's Mussels' as the bumper sticker says; a great place to eat, and a nice bar too. For those who know their brew, there's DuDa's, a block east of Broadway (main drag thru FP) on Thames, past The Horse You Came In On, which also has a great beer selection, but at outrageous prices even for a bar. Not only does DuDa's have a hundred beers to choose from, but great food too. Burgers are a speciality, but the soups are good and the salmon cakes divine. Things to do: The O's have been mentioned and the schedule too. Baseball fans would be crazy to miss Baltimore vs. New York (is there a team we hate worse than the Yankees?) and the A's games should be great too. But don't forget that Babe was born in Baltimore and the house is now a baseball museum that is very worth seeing. When I was there in '85, the '83 World Series trophy was on display. There is also a chance that the Baltimore Blast will be playing too, as the Major Indoor Soccar League season is so damn long. I've heard that the Blast are first in their division, and any games in June would be at least semi-finals if not for the championship. Anyway, its quite fun to be inside a sold out Baltimore Arena with 12,500 insane fans! The nicest PDGA Disc Golf course in Maryland is in Druid Hill Park (not far from the Baltimore ZOO), a nice place to toss one and have a picnic too. Baltimore has a long history, and much of it is preserved quite well. Most of the following should be marked on the tourist map: Fort McHenry - Its been mentioned as Francis Scott Key's inspiration to write that song no one can sing very well. Its also quite a fun place to see. The Flag House - The place where the Star Spangled Banner was sewn by Mary Pickersgill (not Betsy Ross). This place has a very interesting display of colonial and early American flags. City Hall - A great old bulding. Do go inside, the dome is even better. Enoch Pratt Central Library (Cathedral St.) - One of the best public libraries on the East Coast, due to its size, content and architecture. The Walters Art Galery - An interesting collection of old stuff (not just art). The Baltimore Museum of Art - another worthwhile afternoon. The Double Equestrian Statue - This really puts Baltimore in an elite class. There are only something like three double equestrian statues in the world. I think this one has Stonewall Jackson in it, but I could be mistaken. Its at the corner of Art Museum Dr. (on which also resides the Balto. M of A) and Howard St. The longest block of row houses in the country (the world?). Just drive out Wilkens Ave. You'll know it when you're there. Edgar Allen Poe House - You can also see his grave at Westminister Church. Don't forget the National Aquarium, which is one of the best around. Have fun! ============================================================================== Ken Spagnolo, Systems Programmer, Comp.Ctr., Massey Univ, Palmerston Nth, N.Z. CSnet/ACSnet/Internet: K.Spagnolo@massey.ac.nz Phone: +64-63-69099 x8587 From North America: K.Spagnolo%massey.ac.nz@relay.cs.net New Zealand = GMT+12 ==============================================================================