Maryland. More than a Blue Crab.

We spent our summer exploring the Chesapeake Bay region and Maryland—from Frederick out west to Hunts Valley and Hyattsville and onto the old and vital port of Baltimore. Neighborhood by neighborhood, we found a Charm City that has gentrified. But even though almost all the colorful row houses are renovated and the inner Harbor is now a major tourist destination, Baltimore has lost none if its character and grit. The spirit of the city—unpretentious, unafraid, eccentric—is in the people, and Mobtown chefs, somms, bartenders, butchers, roasters, chocolate makers, and even fermenters are no exception.

We also found a renewed Chesapeake that is once again teeming with oysters, like the ones we had in Huntsville. From Baltimore to Hyattsville we sipped into the Bay State’s percolating coffee culture, as well. And in Towson we came upon modern, approachable fine dining. Turning westward, we visited an old favorite that never gets old, too, in the colonial crossroads town of Frederick.

From the Artisans to myriad beverage professionals and the established chefs to the Rising Stars of the state, Maryland is at the core of the Mid Atlantic food industry, and the Chesapeake is its heart—alive and beating with bivalves! Here’s where to eat, drink, and stay.      

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