I arrived fairly late in the afternoon of Friday, June 1, 2007. I would have been in the city earlier except for the fact that it took the better part of an hour for my checked bag to arrive at the airport. The is a "light rail" transit option into the center of the city that is about as convenient to use a such things gets. I dropped me a block from my hotel, the Days Inn Inner Harbor.
I took a brief walk in the area but did not go far due to the very high temperatures. I had a reservation for dinner and managed to get there and back by bus. But the restaurant had changed. Nowadays the locale is an neighborhood Italian featured somewhat modernized versions of traditional fare. I had sausage and broccoli rabe followed by salmon with pesto sauce and vegetables. They served me a good Argentine malbec wine.
Sammy's Trattoria, 1200 N. Charles St, Baltimore 21201.
Phone: 410-837-9999
Day 2 was an art museum day. The Walters is the best in town.
It was another very hot day, and I gambled correctly that it would be air-conditioned!
In the late afternoon it was back to the Inner Harbor for a stroll and shopping.
Dinner was at McCormick & Schmick, Pier V, Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD 21202. Phone: 410-234-1300. (It's on the pier and not on Eastern Avenue, which is the postal address.) I had a very good meal with a view of the comings and goings on the pier and harbor but forgot that this urban chain has a national and not a local menu. It took a little work to get a crab cake! In the end I took the waitress' suggestion to try their mixed grill sampler.
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