Great little bar in the heart of Hampden, cheap drinks and some pretty interesting bar food. Love the bulgogi, banh mi and mini veggie burgers (wimpies!). Diverse crowd, and lots of options for seating. Cleanliness is not RTV's strong suit. The bathrooms are grimy at best... Pee at home or wait to break the seal until you've left Hampden. Nary a nice bathroom in the whole hood. Don't miss: bulgogi and RTV's hair of the dog brunches!

Oh, Joe. I wanted to love you. I did. I wanted to love ANY pizza in Baltimore. Sadly, this city is without a seminal pizza go to pizza place, even though many claim Joe Squared is it. The crust is like lavosh bread, not pizza dough. This is NOT pizza, people. I will give the power plant location twos star for it's proximity to Rams Head Live, making it a good place to get a beer before you see a show. Otherwise, good pizza seekers, beware.

First thing's first- I don't drive to Columbia for very many things. As a matter of fact, Aida Bistro is the only reason I ever go to Columbia. This gem of an Italian restaurant is tucked away, like most of Columbia, behind an office park. (Complete side note- why is it so hard to find gas station in Columbia- they keeps those things under wraps). Back to Aida, she of a beautiful wine list and generous bread offerings, had me at hello. The food reminds me of some of my favorite BYO restaurants in Philadelphia, especially with the attention they pay to seafood. Don't miss- the scallops, fresh pastas and if you are feeling like a carb binge- their flatbreads. Yum. Dessert is hit or miss, but everything else is wonderful. Truly.

You know that restaurant which somehow becomes your go-to for a great weekend meal out? The restaurant where everything is good, even though you can't always remember exactly what you had? Petit Louis is that restaurant for us- mostly because of its ambience- which is not at all stuffy but proper in a properly French way.It is a true French bistro with great steak frites, and the best profiteroles I've ever had. Extra points go to the affordable and well edited wine list... Petit Louis is tucked in beautiful Roland Park, which makes it a great meeting place for city and county folks alike.

Best burger in Baltimore. I'd do bad things to get that burger. Sometimes the wait for table and the Resurrection Ale on tap can cause you to do bad things. I'm not saying I've ever done a bad thing on or near Hartford Road in the vicinity of Hamilton Tavern but, damn, that is a mighty fine burger.

I was a die hard Miss Shirley's fan when I moved to Baltimore. Die hard. Every weekend breakfast. Maybe I burned myself out? The only thing worth ordering here that tastes better than diner fare are the blueberry pancakes. Light, fluffy and packed with fresh berries, they are some of the best I've ever had. On the flip side, service is spotty, the managers are grumpy and the quality of the food does not match the price. I'll pay $18 dollars for a salad... at the Four Seasons, but not at a breakfast and lunch place on Cold Spring Road.

Surprised by Pazo- we love tapas and thought nothing could measure up to our beloved Amada in Philadelphia. Pazo comes close- fantastic meat and cheese plate, lots of seasonal menu items (zucchini and squash were big on our last visit) and a pretty spectacular wine list. We loved the arroz bomba, which was a perfect paella chock full of lobster and shellfish. The decor is a little on the cheesy side- I could do without wrought iron suns and a giant fresco on the wall, but the service is fantastic and the food won't disappoint.

Meh. Meh. Meh. Sub par food, with the exception a of a few sandwiches. We are gluttons for punishment though and returned more than once since we live around the block. However, we drew the line on our last visit and probably won't be returning. I'm fine with hipster servers, but the older gentleman host/manager would not seat a party of five of us in an empty restaurant at 530 pm. He told us it would be a 45 minute wait. Since I waited tables for years, I'm well aware that he only had one server on and probably didn't want to put that server in the weeds (though there were only three tables in the restaurant). His attitude was the worst part unapologetic or even remotely interested in serving us. So off we went. Never to return. Also- don't order the fresh baked cookies, they never come. My husband ordered them three times (the last time being a joke) and each time the server either forgot to ring them in or they were out of cookie dough.

I'm hesitant to give any restaurants five stars, ever. Anywhere. But WK deserves it- from start to finish a meal at Woodberry is unlike any other in Baltimore. Unbelievable locally sourced produce, organic proteins and some of the best drinks I've had anywhere. Don't miss: The Gov't Mule cocktail and any of the brunch punch pitchers they serve. Also, must have their flatbreads and the CMP for dessert. Brunch is as good as dinner (shirred eggs and the bake shop in a basket- oh my!) and you'll need a reservation for both. Tip for families- we often head to WK right at 10am for brunch and can be in and out in less than an hour (that's the only time I find it to be a kid appropriate dining situation)