Whether you are in Baltimore, Maryland, to catch an Orioles baseball game or Ravens football match, to enjoy the Preakness or to attend a convention, the city offers a variety of activities and restaurants for all tastes. Explore the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum, Edgar Allan Poe Museum or Fort McHenry National Monument. The Inner Harbor, a major port along the East Coast since the 1700s, draws visitors and residents with its historic neighborhoods, museums, cultural activities, nightlife and fine dining establishments.
According to Zagat's Ratings & Reviews, Tony Foreman's Cinghiale Italian restaurant and wine bar in downtown Baltimore offers exceptional food and wine. Cinghiale is Italian for "wild boar." According to its website, the restaurant celebrates the "richness and style of the Italian table." Menu selections by chef Julian Marucci range from the four-course "Prezzo Fisso" -- fixed-price -- menu to the casual "Grandmother's Kitchen" meals. The menu changes daily and seasonally. More than 600 Italian wines are available by the glass or bottle.
The Charleston Restaurant in Baltimore's waterfront district features a wide list of three- to six-course prix fixe meals and 600 wine labels from around the world. Co-owners Cindy Wolf, executive chef, and Tony Foreman, wine director, select the finest wines to complement the menu choices. Wolf's low-country, South Carolina-styled offerings include grilled rabbit loin, cornmeal fried oysters and pan-roasted wild rockfish. Opened in 1997, the Charleston carries a four-star Mobile rating.
Downtown Baltimore's Wine Market presents a casual atmosphere for wine-tastings or a complete meal. More than 30 wines by the glass, "craft" beers and an assortment of small and large plates are available. Menu items include cheese plates, oysters, local duck and chicken dishes, salads and desserts. The wine store features more than 900 bottles of wine for take-away purchase, or for a small corking fee, to be enjoyed in the cafe or courtyard patio, weather-permitting.
Featuring more than 100 wines by the glass, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse in downtown Baltimore also offers seafood, cocktails and wines. From 2001, the American chain of restaurants has consistently received honors of excellence from "Wine Spectator" magazine. The Baltimore location's chef/partner Eric Littlejohn and operating partner Richard Haskell recommend menu choices such as bone-in rib-eye steak or Australian lobster tail. Fleming's also offers private dining rooms for special occasions or meetings and a courtesy shuttle bus.
