Baltimore, MD: Kali’s Mezze

Everyone in New York knows to get great, authentic Mediterranean food head over to Queens. I was not expecting to find equally authentic Mediterranean food in Fell’s Point.

I ordered the Shrimp Raki, described as Mediterranean style Shrimp, which really means it’s not over seasoned. Shrimp Raki is a dish consisting of tomato sauce, rice, and jumbo shrimp. The flavor comes mostly from the shrimp.

Mezze serves only tapas style dishes, however their “tapas” portions are quite large, so I appreciated getting full on one dish at only $7.95. They also offer unlimited refills of freshly baked pita bread sliced in triangles and sprinkled with a paprika flavor.

Mezze continued to impress me with their extra generous serving of baklava. I would recommend sharing the baklava as they stack the baklava high, and garnish it with fresh whipped cream.

My sister ordered the grape leaves, served warm. They were delicious, and a great steal at $6.95. If you’ve never had grape leaves before, don’t get thrown off by the obscure name. Grape leaves are a dark, long leaf, served wet, and stuffed with Mediterranean seasoned rice.

There’s always a reason why a Food Find is a Food Find. Something has to give, and it’s usually the ambiance. However, Mezze does not get cheap on anything. The food was fresh, the ambiance, was typical fell’s point, chic furniture, candle lit tables, and conversational noise. Even the location, was conveniently nestled in fell’s point. Mezze is a wonderful Food Find.

$ | Kali's Mezze | 1606 Thames St, BALTIMORE, MD 21231 | (410) 563-7600 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (410) 563-7600      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Baltimore, MD: Cafe Hon

Last fall my sister and I swung by Cafe Hon after watching Hairspray. We decided we couldn't fully enjoy Baltimore unless we soaked up that 60's Campy environment portrayed so well in the movie Hairspray. So we went to Cafe Hon, a popular diner-Esq restaurant well known among locals and tourists.

Cafe Hon is the mecca of 60's camp culture. The larger than life pink flamingo on top of the restaurant has been taken down and put back up again thanks to government controversy, although as of now it's back up again. Upon walking inside you're greeted by a gift shop with cat frame glasses, bee hive wigs, and retro style accessories.

I ordered the biscuits & grits with sausage gravy and eggs. I can't remember the last time I had such fluffy, buttery biscuits. They were homemade, and fresh from the oven. Sandwiched between my yummy biscuit was a creamy layer of grits, eggs, and a rich sausage gravy.

The portion was so generous and filling it kept me full for a full day of site seeing, which is a steal for a dish that cost about ten dollars.

There's nothing better than eating a meal that defines the neighborhood. My dish was pure southern in a trendy, funky, ambiance with animal print walls, vibrant colors, and a large pink flamingo greeting patrons at the entrance. If you're ever in the Hampden area stop by.

$ | Cafe Hon | 1002 W. 36th Street | Baltimore, MD | Maryland 21211 | 410.243.1230 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              410.243.1230      end_of_the_skype_highlighting