Daytripping at the Peale Museum and dining out at Bonefish Grill, The Bowman and The Avenue Kitchen and Bar
This is our last road trip of the year. Looking back at 2023 I found it to be a good year, at least when it concerns the restaurants I visited.
So I might as well continue a good thing and make this edition a fond salute to the past year. You’ll find three very fine restaurants and a Baltimore museum you probably have not been to. Once again find a good spot and come along.
First stop, Bonefish Grill, 10906 Owings Mills Blvd, Owings Mills. The dining room and bar are newly renovated and more than ready to serve the public. Open daily for lunch and dinner (when it first opened it was dinner only), brunch on Sundays (11-3), daily specials, plenty of free parking, a full bar (meaning wine, beer, and alcohol), catering on and off premise and a Social Hour (3-6) every day. Yes, weekends too.
Here you’ll find a huge selection of seafood such as tuna, crab, mussels, calamari, fish, lobster, and shrimp. Perhaps their signature item is the Bang Bang Shrimp tossed in a creamy, spicy sauce. My favorite item is the Atlantic Salmon, wood-grilled and served with your choice of two sides. Let me be so bold as to suggest the cole slaw and jasmine rice.
Of course, you’ll also find food from the land – burgers, pork chops, steak, and chicken. For dessert, let me again suggest the macadamia nut brownie, flourless brownie, raspberry sauce, vanilla ice cream, and nuts. Who in their right mind can say no?
Reservations are recommended on weekends and maybe any day this time of year….410-654-5500…bonefishgrill.com…(locally owned)
Let’s scurry along to Harford Road, 9306, and drop by The Bowman. It’s open seven days, has a bar area with five TVs, and happy hour Monday-Friday (3-6), lottery is available, entertainment March through October on the patio, and banquet room, and reservations are accepted. Friday is karaoke night and Wednesday is Trivia night, free parking, specials, and a comedy club on the lower level. The menu is full of items from soup to nuts. The crab cakes here are a favorite. But don’t dismiss the salmon, BBQ ribs, roasted chicken, New York strip, Chicken Parmesan, and salads, soups, and appetizers. This is a popular neighborhood destination open to all of course.
Locally owned…410-655-8600…bowmanrestaurant.com
Now we head to the city and The Avenue Kitchen and Bar, yes Hampden and Daniela, 824 West 36th Street. This is authentic Sardinian cuisine. Daniela (chef and owner) is always in the kitchen preparing the menu items from scratch. (Can anyone tell me how they came up with that word?).
Closed Monday, outside dining on the porch in season, a small private room available, dog-friendly on the porch, seating for about 100, reservations a good idea on weekends (it is small), specially made and designed birthday and wedding cakes (in advance) and family- style dining available by calling in advance.
I can’t suggest any particular item since I tasted many of them and can’t decide which one is better. Remember everything is homemade Just go online and check out the menu…443-759-9320…danielaristorante.com.
After dining take a walk on The Avenue and this month stroll over to 34th Street for the holiday lights. By the way, Sardinia is a small island to the west of Italy.
Okay, that’s it for the eating portion. Now let’s get educated. For that, we’re going to the Peale Museum, 225 Holliday Street. The mission is ‘to evolve the role of museums in society’. They had their grand re-opening in August after a five-year restoration. The museum was imagined by American artist Rembrandt Peale (1778-1860) and designed by Robert Cary Long. The building at one time served as City Hall (1836-1865).
Its history includes being the first high school for African-American students in Baltimore. It was also the first building in the city to have gas lighting.
Current exhibits include Through a Glass Darkly: Baltimore’s Stained Glass Makers, and Moses Williams: Cutter of Profiles.
Self-guided tours are offered or you can be escorted. Five dollars per person for the tour. There is also a garden in the rear. Closed Monday through Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 3-7, Saturday & Sunday 10-4. Closed December 22 through January 2. Definitely worth a trip
See you on our day trips in 2024.
Happy New Year!
Eddie Applefeld is a Baltimore native and a graduate of Towson University. He has been in the broadcasting profession for over 30 years. Currently he is the Promotions Director of WCBM radio. Before that, he was part of the Rouse & Company show on WQSR, host of a cable TV show called Dining Out and adjunct instructor at Towson.
His past accomplishments include being named a finalist in Baltimore Tourism’s Employee of the Year Program and winner of Toastmaster’s Speaker of the Year contest. He was also twice a heartthrob for the American Heart Association’s gala fund raiser.