Whenever I asked friends for restaurant recommendations in Annapolis, Maryland, Jalapeños was always on the list. They serve a combination of Spanish and Mexican food, and that includes tapas. Because of the tapas I held off going there until I had a group, in order to get a good sample. I have finally done so.
Rustic dining with fantastic fresh seafood and a great beer selection can be found at Lures Bar & Grill in Crownsville Maryland, just a few miles east of Annapolis. The seafood is so fresh that the rumor has it that they don't even have a freezer.
The Maryland Department of Agriculture started the Maryland Ice Cream Trail in 2012 in order to promote family owned farms. The trail features farms from every corner of the state. I recently visited several of them, all clustered in Northwest Maryland not too far from Frederick. Worth the drive? You bet.
When Guinness opened its brewery in Baltimore in 2018, it was the first time the company had produced beers in the US in 64 years. As soon as you walk in, you realize that the place was designed to be a showcase. If you ever wondered what an industrial scale craft brewery would be like, look no further. This is it.
I love ice cream. I’ll go out of my way to have it. Or make excuses to go out and get some. But sometimes, I'll just see a place while driving by and I'll stop to get some. I've written about my favorite places to get ice cream in DC. Here is a collection of other ice cream parlors I've visited in the past couple of years.
If you can't get ice-cream straight from a cow, the next best thing is at a shop in the middle of farm country. That is the case for Norwood Ice Cream & Candy Company, located on the historic Main Street in downtown Sykesville, Maryland,. It has become my favorite place to get ice cream.
A relaxed bistro near the center of old town Kensington MD, serving food that is just superb.
Texas style barbecue is hard to get in the Washington DC metro area. While there are a couple of places, it's hard to find one my friends from Texas consider authentic. Enter 2 Fifty BBQ, in Riverdale, MD. They not only do Texas style BBQ, they do it well.
I love eating at diners. They are not only great places to get comfort food, but also a good way to experience a city's local culture. Over the years, I have been to many diners at many places throughout the US. Here are my favorites.
The year 2020 has not been good for restaurants. As a consequence of the pandemic, many long standing institutions have been forced to close. Here are some personal favorites that have closed and links to articles that provide tributes both to them and to others.
Jim's Dining Guides 