PRICE:
Frommer's Exceptional

The Charleston is Baltimore's special-night-out place. The food here is the undisputed best in Baltimore. Chef Cindy Wolf has turned southern cooking into an art form. And the menu, with its tasting sizes so you can choose three to six courses (and count on dessert), is oh-so-imaginative. Whether you choose local seafood or beef, you know the food will be fresh, perfectly cooked, with delightful sauces and accompaniments. Service, though, is so smooth, it may be too cool for Baltimore. As waiters glide by, you might get the feeling of being part of a culinary factory. A tiny quibble, perhaps, but with the elegantly appointed dining room and southern-style dishes, you hope for southern hospitality, too. (No grouchiness, of course, just "cool.") Charleston offers a choice of three to six courses: A three-course dinner is $74, a six-course meal will run $109 (wine is extra). The chef's husband and co-owner, Tony Foreman, has selected 600 bottles for the restaurant's wine list, which wins accolades. The couple run a virtual chain in Baltimore nowadays -- if you like Charleston, try Pazo, 1425 Aliceanna St. (tel. 410/534-7296), for tapas, or Cinghiale, 822 Lancaster St. (tel. 410/547-8282), for its wine bar and Italian food.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Maryland & Delaware, 8th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Find Hotel Deals on Yahoo Travel»