Australian Abroad- No Reservations: Baltimore and the Rust Belt

I have long been a fan of Anthony Bourdain’s tv show No Reservation and the subsequent Layover show on the Travel Channel. It has always taken to me to great restaurants in New York  and the North Eastern United States.

During my trip to Baltimore I went to two of the restaurants featured in the Rust Belt episode.  The first stop was in Downtown at Mo’s Crab and Pasta Factory. Here I ordered the Maryland crab soup and the clam’s casino. I had never tried a clam’s casino and absolutely loved it. The mix between the salty seafood and creamy cheese was wonderful. 

The next stop was out in the suburbs of Baltimore to the Lake Trout restaurant. This restaurant features traditional Southern cooking so I went straight for the fried chicken wings with a side of  mac and cheese and collard greens. It was really nice and one of the better Southern meals I had tried.

Australian Abroad and Baltimore

In September I took a day trip down to Baltimore, the capital of Maryland. The city is situated on a natural harbour of the Patapsco River, which flows into Chesapeake Bay. I started my journey in their Little Italy area. From there it is a short 5 minute walk to the harbour. Downtown Baltimore is all situated around the harbour so it is an easy walk between the key tourist areas. Close to the harbour in downtown Baltimore are the stadiums for the Baltimore Orioles and the Baltimore Ravens. From there I caught a subway out to the suburbs to Rogers Station in Woodmere. The city has faced troubles since the economic downturn and it was easy to see that compared with the inner city. I would have loved to stay longer to see a baseball or football game as the fans for both teams are very passionate.