Golden West Cafe is a southwestern restaurant in Hampden, Baltimore.
Golden West Cafe on Hampden's Avenue is a longtime counter for green chile, breakfast burritos and Southwestern plates with strong vegetarian options.
Signature dishes: Green chile, Breakfast burrito, Huevos rancheros
Must order: The green chile, ladled over eggs or a breakfast burrito.
Tip: Weekend brunch lines form on The Avenue; the vegetarian and vegan options run deep.
Address: 1105 West 36th Street, Baltimore, MD 21211
Sotto Sopra on Charles Street in Mount Vernon plates house-made pasta and an opera-night supper, a long-running Italian room with a deep wine list.
Signature: House-made pasta, Opera-night dinner, Branzino
Order: A plate of the house-made pasta, plus the branzino when it runs.
Tip: The monthly opera nights are the room's signature; reserve well ahead for those.
Johnny's in Roland Park is Foreman Wolf's relaxed neighbourhood diner, plating a tuna melt, raw-bar plates and a wood-fired all-day menu daily.
Signature: Tuna melt, Raw bar, Wood-fired plates
Order: The tuna melt at lunch, or a raw-bar spread before dinner.
Tip: Johnny's Downstairs is the more grown-up cocktail-and-dinner room below the cafe.
Of Love and Regret in Brewers Hill is a gastropub from the Stillwater beer team, pairing a tight craft tap list with seasonal plates and Belgian pours.
Signature: Belgian ales, Craft beer, Seasonal plates
Order: Whatever Stillwater or rare Belgian is on draft, with the seasonal plates.
Tip: The tap list rotates fast and leans Belgian and sour; ask the bar what just landed.
Dooby's in Mount Vernon is an all-day Korean-leaning cafe, plating breakfast sandwiches by day and a ramen and Korean dinner menu after dark.
Signature: Breakfast sandwich, Ramen, Korean dinner plates
Order: The breakfast sandwich early, or a bowl of ramen later in the day.
Tip: It is part cafe, part bistro; the daytime counter and evening dinner service feel like two places.
Vaccaro's Italian Pastry Shop has filled cannoli to order in Little Italy since 1956, a sit-down dessert counter for gelato, espresso and Italian cookies.
Signature: Cannoli, Gelato, Espresso
Order: A cannoli filled to order, with an espresso to follow.
Tip: The cannoli is filled to order so the shell stays crisp; expect a line after dinner hours.
Attman's Delicatessen has anchored downtown's Corned Beef Row since 1915, piling hand-cut corned beef and pastrami high in a no-frills lunch counter.
Signature: Corned beef sandwich, Pastrami, Potato knish
Order: The corned beef sandwich, hand-cut and piled high, with a potato knish.
Tip: Order at the counter, then grab a seat in the Kibbitz Room out back; cash moves the line fastest.
