Oh Say Can You #TasteBaltimore?tikichris

Big on flavour but convention not so much, Baltimore served up just the sort of yummy fun I love to write about.

Edgar Allen Poe, John Waters, David Simon: Baltimore has spawned and inspired some of America’s greatest storytellers. I mean even The Star Spangled Banner – penned by Baltimorean Francis Scott Key – was written as a poem about an especially wild night out on Baltimore’s harbor as much as it was an anthem of national pride.

Some might say there’s something in Baltimore’s water making people there so creative and keen to tell a tale. But I reckon it’s in the food … and the booze. Or at least I discovered delicious revelation in the eats and drinks I had during my early June visit to this historic hub of East Coast eccentricity.

And now I aim to tell a few tales myself about my foodie prowl around Charm City and the most monumental bites and slurps I had while there. So stay tuned for more posts soon in my Taste Baltimore series.

Getting There

I flew via Gatwick to Baltimore with WOW Air with a layover outbound and return in Reykjavik, Iceland. For a long haul budget airline flight, my journey was a pretty comfy one and departure and arrival times during decent slots during the day. I’d fly with Wow again and will keep an eye out for special rates. Find out more at wowair.co.uk.

Staying There

While in Baltimore I stayed at the Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore. Located in Inner Harbor along the waterfront, the hotel is in a safe and convenient spot for nightlife, walking around and sightseeing.

Arriving there the late evening after my flight, I ordered room service from the hotel’s restaurant, Explorers. It was really good. A starter course of Crab Margarita Flatbread (with artichoke, crab meat, Portobello mushrooms, fresh herbs, mozzarella, and a drizzle of olive oil, £14) was particularly noteworthy and appropriately indicative of the tasty times ahead.

All members of staff were polite and friendly. I loved starting each day with a few laps in the hotel’s indoor pool.

When you book your room at the Royal Sonesta, see if you can get a harbor-facing suite on the eighth floor. That’s where I stayed and very much enjoyed admiring the glimmering lights on the water at night and the sunrise show in the morning from my spacious home away from home.

Find out more at sonesta.com/us/maryland/baltimore/royal-sonesta-harbor-court-baltimore.