It was raining Sunday morning and only got worse as the day progressed. I had made reservations for brunch in Little Italy and made it there without getting too wet. It was a buffet that had both "hotel brunch" food and well-made dinner choices, which is what I had. I had a huge meal, and the choices included some very good shellfish.
The rain got heavier, and there was little to see in Little Italy (Picollo Italia per the signs), so I headed back to the Inner Harbor and visited the USS Constellation. It's the last US Navy ship built for sail with no engines. The visit was quite interesting, in part because it showed on a rainy day how much water was a part of daily life. I am 5' 8" and found the decks to be low. There was little privacy. Even the Captain's cabin had room only for a small bed and little desk But he had a private "loo"! He dined at a large table with the officers, who had equally tiny cabins.
Dinner was a quandry. The closest restaurant was California Pizza Kitchen, and I had a very good Shanghai noodle dish.
Gladly the weather was much better on Monday. I took a bus most of the way to Fells Point. I thought it was an interesting neighborhood. I found a few nice shops and recently rehabbed homes, but the only interesting thing was the real police station used as the set for the TV show "Homicide - Life on the Streets". Monday seemed to be the day of rest. I got mildly lost and took a long walk for lunch in Little Italy.
Lunch was at Amicci's, 231 S. High Street, Baltimore 21202. Phone: 410-528-1096
It's a simple and inexpensive place. It's been there forever and is locally popular. For lunch I had very good tortellini with alfredo sauce, frozen peas, and pancetta. I think the price was $8.50 for a huge bowl.
In the afternoon I visited the city's cathedral. It's the oldest Roman Catholic Cathedral in the country. (Maryland was founded by Catholics.) The domes are Byzantine in style, and the entrance has Greco-Roman columns.
It has all been renovated quite recently and is beautiful.
Lunch was at Amicci's, 231 S. High Street (Little Italy), Baltimore MD, 21202. Phone: 410-528-1096.
It's a simple place but locally popular. Apparently they have been serving good food at modest prices for ages. I had a large dish of tortellini with Alfredo sauce, lots of proscuitto, and frozen peas.
Dinner was back to Little Italy at A Germano's (Trattoria), 300 S. High Street (at Fawn), Baltimore, MD 21202. Phone: 410-752-4515. www.germanostrattoria.com
It's a small, simple place that has apparently been in the same family for ages. It's Tuscan, so it's not the usual southern Italian fare. I had a good salad followed by well-prepared risotto with duck confit. The service is friendly and helpful. The limited decor is French and Italian posters.
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