Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Dining in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor

Baltimore is one of America's oldest seaports, dating from the 1600s, and is today an important landmark and popular tourist destination. Rent a bus, coach bus, party bus, mini bus, passenger coach or school bus from Baltimore Bus Rentals and follow the brick promenade through this bustling complex of eateries, stores, museums, entertainment and children's attractions, sampling the fresh seafood right out of Chesapeake Bay

Rental bus visitors to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor should drop by the Oceanaire Seafood Room to enjoy cocktails in the lounge, oysters at the raw bar, and ultra-fresh, sustainably harvested fish at this restaurant, designed to recall a classic 1930s ocean liner. The menu changes daily to take advantage of the freshest of the catch, and the executive chef prepares regional specialties as well as the classics. In Baltimore, that means such dishes as grilled Chesapeake Bay oysters, rockfish stuffed with spinach, bacon and shiitake mushrooms; and crab cakes with creamy mustard mayonnaise take center stage on the menu.

Fine dining no longer necessarily involves white tablecloths and waiters in formal attire. Rental bus diners can find some of the city’s most interesting food in casual bistros, such as Ryleigh's Oyster Food & Spirits, a handsome Federal Hill restaurant and bar. Ryleigh’s fine-dining experience shows even in burgers and other standard bar fare, but seafood is what rental bus diners come for, and the signature ingredient shines in such dishes as “Maryland Heritage” oyster stew, char-grilled oysters with herb butter and Parmesan, and fried oyster tacos, and a goodly selection of the freshly shucked goods are available at the slate raw bar in back. There’s also a romantic loft complete with a wine bar, and in warm weather retractable doors turn the front of the restaurant into a sidewalk café.

Rental bus diners will not find fresher seafood anywhere in Baltimore but at the Black Olive. Head into the kitchen to view the day’s catch, and your choice of fish will soon be at your table, burnished by the grill and garnished with little more than a hint of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a couple of capers. Sides are simple, just an orzo salad, say, studded with sun-dried tomatoes and olives, along with some lightly sautéed squash. The Spiliadis family, owners of this expanded Fells Point taverna, knows the secret: fish this fresh needs nothing more to show off its inner beauty. Start with the melitzanasalata, just eggplant, lemon and garlic with a big basket of house-made bread for scooping it up. Add an intriguing bottle of Greek wine from the carefully compiled list. Then finish with a little baklava and the fresh fruit plate.

For a gastronomic dining tour of Baltimore’s Inner harbor, give Baltimore Bus Rentals a call to find out how they can help you plan your trip with a selection from their fully equipped fleet of rental buses, and friendly, personalized service.

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