Good Bites in Baltimore

An afternoon jaunt to Baltimore this weekend meant I only had a few hours to explore, so I didn’t feel like getting tied down to table service at a restaurant. Nope, I preferred to graze, and found a few great places to grab some snacks before getting back on the road to Washington.

My first stop was the Lexington Market, a city institution which has served Baltimore since 1782. Admittedly, I was put me off at first by its relatively shabby exterior and the few shady folks who were loitering outside, and to be honest, the interior wasn’t much nicer; it’s definitely seen better days. But we were there for a reason: Faidley’s Seafood, which is home to arguably the greatest crab cake on the East Coast (and it’s not just me that’s making that argument, but a litany of food critics who have piled accolades upon the eatery for decades). The baseball-sized mounds of jumbo lump crabmeat are all made by hand by owner/chef Nancy Devine, who is a descendant of the original Faidley family, which has operated the seafood shop since 1886. And the taste is indeed divine, with a blend of spices and herbs and its exterior broiled to crispy perfection. One crab cake is big enough to split, which made it easier for us to move onto the next stop…

Stuggy’s Hotdogs in Fell’s Point has been open a mere blip compared to Faidley’s, but their inventive hotdog options lead me to believe they’ll be around awhile. Their menu of more than a dozen dogs

pairs all-beef kosher franks with an array of toppings, including fried eggs, bologna, blue cheese, pulled pork, the special of the day (and my order) mac and cheese, which was sprinkled with Old Bay and as delicious as it sounds. They also serve bison sausage and Bauernwurst (a mustard-infused link), plus snacks like deep-fried Oreos and pickles, and ice cream sodas to top things off.

But if you don’t spring for an ice cream soda at Stuggy’s, wander across the street to Pitango Gelato for a sweet treat instead. The thick, creamy gelato is all natural, and comes in flavors like Bourbon vanilla, cardamom, and chocolate hazelnut. I have to say that I didn’t managed to save room for Pitango on this trip (though I have indulged before), but luckily, it also can be found in Washington, with a P Street location that is dangerously close to our National Geographic offices (there’s also one in Reston, Virginia, and an upcoming storefront opening in D.C.’s Penn Quarter). Looks like I’ve got another excuse to graze.

Faidley’s Seafood: 203 North Paca Baltimore, Maryland;

+1 410 727 4898.
Stuggy’s Hotdogs: 809 South Broadway, Baltimore, MD; +1 410 327 0228.
Pitango Gelato: 802 South Broadway, Baltimore, MD; +1 410 702 5828.

For more on Baltimore, check out our blog archive, free city guide, and a walking tour of the Harbor East neighborhood.

Photo: Above, crab cakes at Faidley’s Seafood in Baltimore by bittermelon via Flickr’s Commons License; Below, Stuggy’s mac and cheese hotdog, by Janelle Nanos.