Looking for some Very Specific Food & Drink Recommendations

Submitted by Majestic_Clam t3_ye4fau in baltimore

Hi everyone! We're visiting next week (~10 days) to explore neighborhoods and get a feel for things ahead of moving to the city (2023). Hoping for a more authentic/less touristy experience, but we're open to what's good!

If you have a favorite place to get any of these things, I'd looove to hear about it! Thanks!!

Fave Foods:

  • Mattar Paneer
  • Soondubu Jjigae
  • Bodega breakfast sandwiches - nothing fancy - just a fried egg, cheese, and hot sauce on a slightly greasy roll, wrapped in tin foil. Cures any hangover, costs less than $4. (Might be a NY-specific thing, but worth asking!)
  • Any kind of (preferably creamy) seafood soup in a bread bowl (this is definitely tourist food in other places I've lived, but damn, I can't get enough)
  • Spicy Udon soup
  • Legit (but affordable) sushi
  • Tom kha, pad thai, and any kind of curry
  • Banh mi (w/ tofu)
  • Maduros
  • Elote (and really any plant-based street food)
  • Falafel and hummus
  • Pierogies
  • Borscht
  • French fries... that aren't made with duck fat (we're pescatarians, womp-womp). Extra points if they're served with some kind of delicious aioli.
  • Any interesting vegetarian or vegan places?
  • A reliably good diner (for breakfast, especially)?
  • A (preferably discount) cheese shop with a knowledgable cheesemonger?

Fave Drinks

  • Bloody Marys (the good, dense, spicy kind that seem more like a food than a drink)
  • Horchata (real cinnamon > candy cinnamon flavor)
  • Bodega coffee - we've already found fantastic "fancy" coffee (Ceremony?), but I'm looking for those diamond-in-the-rough gas stations, bodegas, and delis that brew a mean cup of black coffee that only costs a few bucks

New Things

  • My family loves crab, but we've have never had a crab feast! We have no clue how to get the meat out of the shell, and would love to try a place with staff who are patient enough to show us how things are done! (If such a place exists.)
  • Any Baltimore-specific delicacies, whatever they may be!
  • Any other foods or restaurants that we should try!

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We can't wait for our visit!! Thanks, everyone!

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Comments

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jessiewicz t1_itvuane wrote

For your bodega breakfast sandwich - Belvedere bagels in mount vernon.

Cheese shop - cheese galore and more in Federal Hill

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Majestic_Clam OP t1_itvxyls wrote

MY HERO!!!!!!!!!

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jejunebug t1_iu4xj0l wrote

I know the sandwich youre looking for. Please report back if Belvedere is the spot, cause I haven't been able to find it anywhere else.

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selectbar345 t1_itw89sk wrote

Pho Bac - for your Banh mi. I haven't had the tofu one yet but the other ones have been good.

Mayuree Thai - for pad thai or curry

Bar 1801 - for french fries

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whatsapotato7 t1_itw5b50 wrote

The best Indian food is at Kumari on Charles St.

Papi's (locations in fells point and Hampden) has a good plant based menu, including vegan elote.

There's a spot in midtown called Soups On. They are obviously a soup place but they have a banging tofu bahn mi.

For vegan food generally, Liora by the harbor and Land of Kush in midtown.

I'm surprised no one has told you to go to Ekiben yet. I personally don't get the hype but people on this sub are insane about it.

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Majestic_Clam OP t1_itwbnhn wrote

>They are obviously a soup place but they have a banging tofu bahn mi

This is all GREAT info, but I'm especially excited about this banh mi situation! I would literally never have gone to a place called "Soup's On" in search of a tofu banh mi, but now I know! YAAAAAAY!!!!! Thank you!!

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why1200 t1_itwd9bb wrote

kumari does not have mattar paneer. very few in baltimore do.

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CurrentParking1308 t1_itwl2i9 wrote

For breakfast sandwiches check out Marty’s in Pigtown. Food’s great but the people are greater, they know everyone who comes in by name. I always leave with a smile on my face.

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Majestic_Clam OP t1_itwuy6w wrote

Yes!! This is the dream!!!!! Thank you!

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Haunting-Ad-8062 t1_iu04zca wrote

I work across the street and eat there at least twice a week for breakfast or lunch. It’s the best corner deli I know.

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gizmojito t1_ity5slz wrote

My favorite French fries are at a small corner bar/restaurant Shotti’s Point. They’re hand cut fries mixed with sea salt, garlic, Parmesan, rosemary, thyme, balsamic drizzle, and white truffle aioli.

Nepenthe Brewery also has good fries with your choice of a bunch of sauces /aiolis. They have a surprising number of vegetarian and even vegan options for a brewery.

As someone else mentioned, Jong Kak for jjigae.

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PigtownDesign t1_itvy67t wrote

Amicci’s for a pané rotunda, which is shrimp in a cream, butter and garlic sauce in a round bread loaf. Awesomely good!

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why1200 t1_itvzl34 wrote

Mattar Paneer-- Namaste

falafel and hummus--Baba's

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Majestic_Clam OP t1_itwb4oi wrote

YESSSSSSS, THANK YOU!! Mattar Paneer is my #1 fave. Can't wait!!!

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ohitsanazn t1_itxs1ov wrote

There's some Korean spots near Station North that have soondubu jjigae -- I've heard good things about Jong Kak but I've never been myself.

I have been to Ja Kum Sung outside of the city and their Korean food is on point.

EDIT: I know you didn't ask for it, but going to shout out Brown Rice in Mt. Vernon Marketplace for their bibimbap bowls -- they're customizable akin to Chipotle.

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Willbillis t1_itwjnl1 wrote

Bodhi Corner for all things Thai. Mi and You for good ramen. Moby Dick for kebabs and all things Persian. I like the Bloody Marys at Golden West. Firefly Farms in Whitehall Mill for passionate cheesemongering. Best brunch? Petit Louis. Don’t sleep on Chucks Trading Post for excellent fare as well.

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heistmoviesidekick t1_itwmvcg wrote

Golden West Cafe in Hampden has a great vegan menu. I’ve only been during Sunday brunch rush so the service was so-so but the food was bomb

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sxswnxnw t1_itx4kmm wrote

You can get elote at Mount Vernon Marketplace at Cholita's Tacos.

I think David and Dad's makes good bodega sandwiches. The coffee is ok there. The good bodega coffee is at Coffee Land.

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Snickers0803 t1_ity4wrh wrote

Former NYer here, for straight coffee & breakfast sandwiches, my go to is THB (I go to the one in Canton but apparently there’s one in Charles Village as well). Mostly known for bagel sandwiches, but they do have decent Kaiser buns that should hit the spot. Might be more than $4 now though…darn inflation.

For sushi take-out, Mizu is awesome but for a sit down experience Sizka is pretty good.

Concur with the Pho Bac recommendations for Bahn Mi, though I haven’t had the tofu specifically.

For spicy udon soup, this might not be exactly what you want because it’s not technically udon soup at all but it’s so good I feel like I must mention it as a tangentially related food option: Mi & Yu Noodle Bar in Fed Hill is so so delicious.

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Majestic_Clam OP t1_itz0e6w wrote

Thank you!!! I can’t wait to try all these places!!!!!

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pk3v t1_itycto2 wrote

Vegetarian here, chiming into what others have said on a few of these:

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mattar paneer - try Sakoon (charles village). I've enjoyed most of the things I've gotten from them (I'm Indian) but haven't personally tried the mattar panner cuz I'm not a fan lol

tom kha and "any type of curry" - if you're talking thai, try Bodhi Corner (hamden), especially if you're vegetarian! vietnamese or indian or chinese or other curries obv won't be here.

tofu bahn mi - I second/third all the recommendations for soup's on (mt vernon). Best of the those I've had in the city so far!

borsht & peirogies - haven't tried, but have been curious about "europe restaurant" off reistertown rd (pikesville)

bloody mary - try miss shirley's (downtown and roland park)!

diner, especially for out of towners - miss shirleys and paper moon (remington)

vegetarian/vegan friendly spots - my mamma's vegan, liora, zen west, charleston, alma, foraged, soup's on, papi's, helmand, bodhi corner, ni hao,....

other: drop by culinary architecture in pigtown! you won't be disappointed.

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Majestic_Clam OP t1_itz0o0z wrote

Thank you for such a thoughtful response!! I can’t wait to try all these places!

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antoine2497 t1_itzj5uu wrote

You can get very good matar paneer at pavan foods. It’s a cheap spice shop that’s sells some home-style (only vegetarian) indian snacks and food. Def worth a try if you are cooking for simple matar paneer, chole poori etc.

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zeroxicide t1_itw5evg wrote

If you want some BBQ try Andy Nelsons.

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mightyIllusion t1_itwd2fh wrote

Not as good quality anymore IMO. He should go to Big Bad Wolf or Jake's Grill instead

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krpfine t1_itxupar wrote

Still has the best pulled pork and pulled pork sandwich IMO. For brisket and ribs I'd look elsewhere.

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den-of-thieves t1_itxh0zg wrote

Not horchata proper, but would recommend the horchata latte (and everything at) Cafe Los Sueños!

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mulderwithshrimp t1_itzmsbu wrote

Rocket to Venus in Hampden has a menu that’s all over the place with some good vegan options! Brewers Art has excellent garlic parm fries. The hummus at Cafe Fili is delicious!

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Majestic_Clam OP t1_iu069fy wrote

We've been to Rocket to Venus and we loved it! The vegan hot wings were pretty great. Excited to try these other places, too! I love a good garlic parm fry!

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Token_BlackGirl t1_itzup4o wrote

The DMV and Baltimore have a huge influx of Ethiopian/Eritrean immigrants so the Ethiopian food is leagues better than a lot of places in the country. My fav is Tabor, it's downtown.

You're gonna want to try a chicken box (Chicken wings and fries) my favorite place is Sonny's right on Morgan's campus, but you can find a decent chicken box anywhere, including royal farms.

As far as your bodega sandwich you'll want to hit a carry-out that's open at 6am. Almost every neighborhood has these and a recommendation would depend on where you're located. The biggest part of the bodega sandwich is the convenience honestly.

The crab bit is tricky. You may want to wait until you get invited to a neighbors/coworkers cookout next year for crabs. Most people just get crabs from a crab house and eat them at home. Crab feasts in restaurants usually feature small crabs which are honestly horrible for people who don't know how to pick.

I live in Philly now but grew up in Baltimore and go back often. For me personally the Indian food hasn't been very good in comparison to the Indian food in Philly/jersey so I cannot make any recommendations.

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Majestic_Clam OP t1_iu06qye wrote

>The biggest part of the bodega sandwich is the convenience honestly.

Yes, THIS! We don't know exactly which neighborhood we'll be moving to yet, but I think just knowing that this type of place exists is what I was hoping to learn. That's great news.

Do you have any favorite vegetarian/pescatarian-friendly dishes at Tabor? If so, I'd love to hear about it. Thanks for all this info!

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LadyBeebo t1_iu11cpo wrote

Okay I’m gonna expose my spot a little on this and hope it doesn’t backfire BUT for bodega breakfast sandwich, Canton Market Liquors on Boston St. has a banging bacon egg and cheese. They open at like 9 on Sunday’s and we snag one while we’re walking the dog, their deli as a whole has great (but very basic) sandwiches.

Spicy udon soup from Mi & Yu. Can’t vouch personally for their veggie broth tho, I always get the spicy duck.

Sushi in Fell’s on the water at Nanami, or cheap takeout from Naked.

A 2-for-1 — diner and great vegetarian/vegan spot is Golden West in Hampden.

Horchata from good neighbor in Hampden.

I’ve yet to drive reliably good Thai, but Bodhi corner can hit the spot.

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Interesting_Loan_425 t1_itwpa3c wrote

We have cheap coffee and breakfast sandwiches too lol, this is still America. Why do New Yorkers think convenience stores and delis are some unique cultural heritage.

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todareistobmore t1_iu0tgck wrote

The absolute dumbest form of local pride is getting defensive about Baltimore delis. We're a shitty bread town, probably mostly because H&S is here.

I think Maranto makes kaiser rolls, but god knows who carries them/uses them since the Korean place at Broadway market shut down. But most places you can get an egg sandwich in Baltimore, you're paying more, waiting longer, and getting a worse thing to eat than you'd get at a random bodega in NYC.

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