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Baltimore Curated

Baltimore Curated

We’re local and we have our favorites in Baltimore and beyond. Get to know The Baltimore Banner staff through our curated lists of the best area food, shopping, experiences and more.
Baltimore Curated illustration
Illustration by Rey Velasquez Sagcal For The Baltimore Banner
The space at Pure Raw Juice.
Ditch the home office: 7 of Baltimore’s best cafes and eateries for working remotely
Switch up the home office for hopping hot spots with food social media influencer Chris Franzoni’s recommendations for the best Baltimore cafes and eateries for remote work.
The espresso martini at CookHouse in Bolton Hill.
You’re going to want an espresso martini after reading this
The coffee-flavored cocktail is here to stay. Here are five restaurants and bars where you can start your espresso martini journey across Baltimore.
Have a brat summer at Stuggy's.
Brat summer: The ultimate guide to Baltimore-area hot dogs and sausages
Food social media influencer Chris Franzoni recommends his top Baltimore-area spots for hot dogs, sausages and bratwursts to complete your Charli XCX-inspired, very brat summer.
A cheesesteak and tater tots from Cheesesteak & Co.
Our cheesesteaks are better than Philly’s. These 9 restaurants are why.
Food social media influencer Chris Franzoni recommends his top cheesesteak spots in the Baltimore area, from no-frills joints to family-owned restaurants.
Soy garlic spicy wings at Godakk at Mount Vernon Marketplace on August 15, 2024.
Craving Korean fried chicken? Try these Baltimore-area spots
Six Korean restaurants in the Baltimore area serving up Korean fried chicken, aka KFC.
The three-meat plate at Blue Pit BBQ in Hampden. (Ramsey Archibald/The Baltimore Banner)
Five barbecue spots in and around Baltimore even a Southerner can love
As a Southern transplant, I was skeptical about barbecue in Baltimore. These five spots had me pleasantly surprised.
Ministry of Brewing's operations are located in the former St. Michael’s Church on Lombard Street making for a picturesque brewery experience.
Where to get the best beers in Baltimore
Where to go to find the most delicious beers made right here in Baltimore City.
There are great places for waterfront dining in Anne Arundel County - and they all aren't in downtown Annapolis.
The best al fresco dining in Anne Arundel County off the beaten path
There are the obvious places to eat outdoors in Anne Arundel County. Try dining al fresco at these places instead.
Cap’n Crunch French toast at Blue Moon Too.
The perfect way to spend 24 hours in Baltimore, according to one food blogger
Looking for where to take your out-of-town guests? Food blogger Chris Franzoni has his own recommended 24-hour itinerary of Baltimore restaurants and activities.
Oysters from Watershed.
In the mood to slurp down oysters? Try these 6 Baltimore restaurants.
Gems like The Urban Oyster, True Chesapeake Oyster Co. and more offer an array of delightful bivalve dishes, whether raw or roasted, according to food social media influencer Chris Franzoni.
Looking out at the Harborplace pavilions.
7 Inner Harbor restaurants and bars you can (technically) swim up to
Food social media influencer Chris Franzoni recommends his top restaurants by the Inner Harbor that you can — technically — swim up to.
Members of Baltimore’s dirt bike community outside the B&O Railroad Museum.
The 7 things you have to spot to call yourself a true Baltimorean
From a certain running man to a certain revving bike, there are seven Baltimore totems you have to see before you can claim resident status.
A grapefruit rosemary crush from Charly’s Waterfront in Essex.
7 restaurants and bars with outdoor seating to soak up the sun
Food social media influencer Chris Franzoni recommends some of his favorite outdoor restaurants to eat and drink at in Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Carroll County.
Lewis waits for trains to roll by near Baltimore's historic Penn Station. (Julie Bykowicz/The Baltimore Banner)
How to dork out on trains in Baltimore
Some of the country’s oldest, most storied train companies — including the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Northern Central Railway — were headquartered here.
Exploring a state park, like Jefferson Patterson State Park in Southern Maryland, is one of my favorite ways to get outside and spend time with the family.
Our favorite trails and swim spots in Maryland State Parks
One of my favorite ways to explore all that Maryland has to offer is by visiting state parks. You can enjoy hiking, camping, fossil hunting and playgrounds galore.
Leah Brennan learns how to line dance.
Here are 5 great places to dance in the Baltimore area
Want to learn salsa, swing dancing or the two-step? The Baltimore area has plenty of places to sharpen your dancing skills.
Clavel’s queso fundido con chorizo.
8 Baltimore restaurants that are great for Cinco de Mayo
Food social media influencer Chris Franzoni recommends some of his favorite restaurants to order from on Cinco de Mayo, from hidden gems to lively eateries.
I had a tasty sweet potato bread slice and a Honey Bee Latte at Bean Rush Cafe on Generals Highway in Crownsville.
Looking for warm and cozy coffee shops in Anne Arundel? Try these cafes
I explored cozy coffeehouses in Anne Arundel County to find hidden gems, enjoying unique drinks and bites at each location.
Build-your-own poke bowls from Poke Fresh in Elkridge.
Five Howard County lunch spots to break up your workday
No sad desk lunch here: Stave off the 2 p.m. slump with an ever-growing list of food options near the Columbia business district in Howard County.
Ben Zimmerman of Fadensonnen at 3 W. 23rd St. in Old Goucher, pours a glass of wine from the Pendes region of Spain.
A sommelier picks his favorite Baltimore wine spots
One of our editors is a certified sommelier. Here’s where he likes to shop and drink wine in Baltimore.
Stepping into Kelsey’s Restaurant, Irish Pub & Banquet Room, it feels like St. Patrick’s Day every day. Enjoy a cold Guinness with some traditional Irish fare.
Looking for a cozy spot to grab a bite in Howard County? Try these places.
We explored Howard County to find some lesser-known but delightful restaurants, shops and places to gather. Here are a few hidden gems we found.
In their new location, The Urban Oyster will offer an array of foods from lobster cavatelli to oysters and deviled eggs.
How to enjoy Charm City like a pro
Baltimore is filled with must-visit places. In response to BuzzFeed’s list of things to do in the city, check out these equally great gems the next time you’re in town.
Paul Butler (left), Jeff Hall (right), and Sauron at Games and Stuff in Glen Burnie.
How to find, buy and play the best board, card and role-playing games around Baltimore
Gaming isn’t just about Monopoly and Candy Land anymore — a new generation of board games, collectible card games and tabletop role-playing games has exploded in popularity.
David White shucks oysters at Wild Country Seafood in Annapolis. The small shop specializes in Fatty Pattys, oysters grown on 40 acres in the Rhode River.
Slurping toward Annapolis: A guide to hidden oysters in Maryland’s capital
The Annapolis area is a great place to explore oysters, for the uninitiated and the experienced. February and March are perhaps the best time to do it.
Peerce's restaurant in Towson makes the list of author Julie Scharper's hidden gems in northern Baltimore County.
9 hidden treasures in Baltimore County
Lutherville. Timonium. Cockeysville. I never thought that I'd move back to the 'burbs where I grew up, but then I did-- and discovered the area is full of hidden gems.
An old steeple breaks the skyline with clouds overhead.
Where to find Baltimore’s great steeples
Repping religious origins, eccentric architecture and the legacies of Vietnam War dissenters and Civil Rights pioneers, these spires serve as soaring landmarks in both the geography and history of Baltimore.
Alexander’s Tavern in Fells Point offers a separate gluten free menu, which includes many of the same items are the regular menu with gluten free bread and crust substitutes.  The salmon BALT sandwich comes with a gluten free flag.
Where to find gluten-free food in Baltimore
There are plenty of options for gluten-free goods in Baltimore.
Creative cupcakes from Cakes by Cynthia.
Five of our favorite Black-owned businesses in Baltimore
If you’re looking for places to eat, shop and visit, then follow this guide to some favorite Black-owned businesses in Baltimore.
Annie's Playground in Fallston
The best playgrounds in the Baltimore area for kids
Some playgrounds are perfectly fine; others are practically theme parks. This list is the latter — the destination playgrounds worth packing up the car and making a day of it.
Downtown Annapolis dresses up for the holidays, with Midnight Madness on Thursday a key event in he schedule.
Where to take friends in town for the holidays
Hosting this year? This list is for you.