Magdalena is a seasonal american fine-dining restaurant in Mount Vernon, Baltimore.
Magdalena inside the Ivy Hotel is chef Scott Bacon's seasonal American bistro, plating a changing canape board and Chesapeake plates in a stone mansion.
Must order: Whatever lands on the changing canape board, then a seasonal main.
Tip: It sits inside the Relais and Chateaux Ivy Hotel; reserve for the courtyard in warm months.
Address: 205 East Biddle Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
The Prime Rib in Mount Vernon is a 1940s-style supper club with leopard carpet and a piano, serving the city's benchmark prime rib in black tie.
Order: The prime rib, with the Greenberg potato skins.
Tip: Jackets are required for men; a pianist plays nightly in the lounge.
Cinghiale in Harbor East is Tony Foreman and Cindy Wolf's northern Italian enoteca, pairing house-made pasta and magret of duck with a deep Italian list.
Order: A plate of house-made pasta and the magret of duck.
Tip: The osteria side takes walk-ins; the enoteca dining room is the full kitchen experience.
Tagliata in Harbor East is Atlas Restaurant Group's Italian steakhouse, where chef Julian Marucci plates squid ink campanelle with blue crab and uni cream.
Order: The black squid ink campanelle with blue crab and uni cream.
Tip: The dim, clubby room books out on weekends; the bar takes walk-ins for pasta.
The Prime Rib in Mount Vernon is a 1940s-style supper club with leopard carpet and a piano, serving the city's benchmark prime rib in black tie.
Order: The prime rib, with the Greenberg potato skins.
Tip: Jackets are required for men; a pianist plays nightly in the lounge.
Ammoora in Federal Hill is Baltimore's Syrian fine-dining room at the Ritz-Carlton Residences, plating kibbeh and lamb beneath mother-of-pearl decor.
Order: The kibbeh and the saffron-rice lamb shanks with pomegranate.
Tip: The Damascene furniture and inlay are part of the experience; ask for a banquette.
Cookhouse in Bolton Hill is chef George Dailey's restored 19th-century rowhouse, plating pan-seared John Dory with chanterelles and foie-gras croquettes.
Order: The pan-seared John Dory with chanterelles.
Tip: The restored rowhouse parlour is the prettiest dining room in the city; reserve the front room.
The Ruxton in Harbor East is Atlas Restaurant Group's steakhouse, serving prime aged beef and house-made tater tots crowned with caviar near the waterfront.
Order: A dry-aged steak and the tater tots crowned with caviar.
Tip: It is the newest of the Atlas waterfront rooms; the bar pours a deep Martini list.
