Top 50 Best Restaurants of 2006
Baltimore Magazine [2006]
By John Farlow, Hannah Feldman, and Bianca Sienra
The competition to make the top 50 heats up.
For years, one word summed up Baltimore's dining scene: tradition. We had our tried and true institutions, serving dishes our grandparents had ordered before us, and we tasted history and familiarity in every bite. But things have been changing lately. This past year saw the disappearance of many old favorites: Jeannier's, Rudys' 2900, and (unless Peter Angelos wants to tell us differently) Marconi's, that granddaddy of them all. In their place, new ventures have sprung upóedgy, energetic places like Pazo and The Wine Market, or modern bistros like Limoges and Brasserie Tatin (the latter of which was too new to be considered for this list).
And suddenly, tradition just isn't enough. Sure, many veteran establishments are still on the list this year. But longtime readers of this feature will notice that several others are not. That's because the newcomers have upped the level of competition. It makes it an exciting time to be a food criticóthough a difficult one, as well, since tougher competition leads to correspondingly tougher decisions. After two months spent trying out each of some 70 candidates, weófood and wine writer John Farlow, Associate Editor Hannah Feldman, and dining critic Bianca Sienraóagonized over the final list. We weighed each restaurant's strengths based on four criteriaófood, ambiance, service, and valueóand finally asked ourselves this vital question: Would we spend our own money there? In the case of all 50 of these restaurants, the answer is yes.
But all such decisions are, by nature, subjective. We realize that our own experiences and preferences color our judgment. Obviously, we can't say too much about ourselvesóafter all, we have to stay anonymous when we dineóbut we thought we'd give a little background about some of our earliest food experiences to let you understand what's important to us. A little glimpse into the pastówhile the list itself offers an exciting map of the region's new dining present.
Annapolis is chock full of delicious places to eat these days, and we're relieved that it remains pretty free of big-franchise dominators. Most visitors focus on what's going on near the City Dock, but venturing a bit further afield can yield very good results. The Wild Orchid is one such gem, a restored bungalow tucked away in a residential area on Bay Ridge Avenue. Its light, easygoing interior refreshes, with simply dressed windows and uncluttered walls. You may choose to dine off the regular menu, order the daily prix fixe, or delve into their occasional holiday menus. On one recent visit, we feasted on their signature butternut squash soup, venison scallopini with house-made pumpkin spaetzle, and braised veal shanks. We enjoyed the shanks particularly, as they were accompanied by a heady, earthy dollop of truffle risotto. We appreciate the wine list that, while not fancy or very adventurous, nonetheless offers plenty of solid choices. We also have to give Wild Orchid kudos for serving up several interesting vegetarian offerings. Desserts aren't entirely their strong suit, but we bet you'll be full enough by then not to mind.