Faidley's, Berger's, Caroline's Cupcakes, Dangerously Delicious Pies, Baltimore MD

We’d wandered the aquarium for four hours, the Visionary Art Museum for two, and also been to the Poe Grave – the next stop on our 12 hour visit to Baltimore would be the “World Famous” Lexington Market – one of the oldest community markets in the United States and more importantly the home to two of Baltimore’s most well known establishments – Faidley’s Crab Cakes and Berger’s Cookies. Without getting into too much detail I will note that the market itself and the area surrounding it are not savory at all…as a matter of fact I've never seen so many unsavory, shifty, and downright frightening persons...traveling with three women I felt uneasy throughout our visit that someone's purse was soon to go missing.

Making our way through the various ethnic eateries of the market (largely heat lamps and buffets of unappetizing foods) and browsing the unique selections such as Scrapple we found Faidley’s with minimal difficulty – there are quite a few signs. Arriving at 3:30pm we’d missed the lunch line and made our way straight to the front of the line where we met the owner, Nancy, a pleasant and helpful lady who recommended the Lump cake stating “if you’re going to try one, make it the best of ‘em.” At $13 the bar was set high.

Walking to one of the standing bar/tables in the middle of the area we chatted for a few moments before the Crabcake was delivered – a thick baseball of a cake loaded with buttery and succulent crab, bound with a creamy breading somewhat akin to cornbread and speckled with pepper and Old Bay. Diving the cake into fourths we were each afforded 3-4 bites and while different, I can say it rivals my previous favorite cake from San Francisco Ferry Place Seafood for best all time.

Making our way further into the market our next (and last) stop at the Market was Berger’s, a nearly 175 year old family owned bakery known predominantly for their German Vanilla Wafer cookie topped with thick fudge. As opposed to trans-fat as I am, I figured I should give the cookie a taste given its longevity and fame – for $1.25 we received two of them. Tasting largely like a soft sugar cookie topped with a rich ganache of pure fudge there was certainly nothing wrong with the cookie – it was good, as good as a Black and White cookie minus the white can be, I guess – but for the gram of trans fat and 140 calories I’d sooner have eaten something else. Inquiring about their Red Velvet cake I was told it did not use Cream cheese frosting, but rather “sugar frosting,” and as such I passed and we left the market for more quick bites around Baltimore.

Having done some of the Baltimore browsing my Aunt suggested something sweet – Baltimore Cupcake Company. Setting the GPS we made our way to the storefront only to find them closed…fortuitously a new shop called Caroline’s Cupcakes had opened only two doors down two weeks prior – making our way in the door we were greeted by a pleasant young woman who described the premise of the company to us – quality ingredients, small batches, and unique creations atop of a core “collection” – a concept similar to most cupcake shops but with average sized cakes for a good price – we selected four and made our way to the car.

Titled Vanilla Wonder and Pink Wonder, two of the cakes were quite similar – a buttery and thick Vanilla “wondercake” (essentially a buttercake or vanilla accented poundcake in texture) topped with frosting – rich vanilla bean in the case of the vanilla and a sugar-sweet and somewhat citrus/berry accented version atop the Pink. While my family quite liked both options and I loved the cake I felt the frosting was a tad overwhelming (and ample.) For my taste, the other options were vastly superior, first the PB&Joy featuring a fabulous salty and textural peanut butter cake and rich chocolate frosting with a chunk of peanut butter cup I would not be surprised at all of the cake contained more peanut butter than flour. The second option, the standard by which I judge a cupcakery, was a moist and deliciously cocoa accented Red Velvet with the smoothest and most subtle Red Velvet I’ve had since Sweet Revenge in NYC. Definitely a formidable selection given the young age of the store I hope Caroline does well as she tweaks and refines recipes.

Pulling away from Caroline’s the last stop on our afternoon food-trek through Baltimore was Dangerously Delicious Pies – despite their new location in the DC area and mixed reviews my Aunt had heard about them on Food Network and I have to admit I liked their approach – all natural, hand made, sweet and savory both, and a set price of $6 a slice, regardless of type…they even offer vegan friendly options. Reading their humorous website, titles, and descriptions only fueled my desire to check the place out - finding meter parking only 20 yards from the store didn’t hurt, either. Making our way into the store to the sounds of Pisces Iscariot era Smashing Pumpkins we were greeted by a friendly single server who was baking, cutting, and serving pies while also acting as cashier. Browsing the options we decided on two sweet pies, a coffee for myself (Stumptown blend) and a large milk.

Making our way to the back of the shop to eat, our two options were an old classic – Apple, and their signature Baltimore Bomb with Berger Cookies melted down and swirled into a Vanilla Chess pie. Beginning first with the apple – buttery crust, still-warm Granny Smith apples, Cinnamon, Sugar, and more butter…everything an American Apple Pie should be, without the cheese. While I’ve heard some state high prices, I’ll note this was a pretty hefty slice of pie and the ingredients were far above your average diner. Moving on to the Bomb – what decadence – an almost buttermilk flavor combining effortlessly with the cookies to form a thick and creamy cookies and milk experience. Almost egg-custard in texture, but with chunks of the cookie forming a nice contrast with the smooth pie, I have to say I “get” why this is a best seller.

Heading home from Baltimore I was definitely glad we made the trip…while the Lexington Market was a bit of a disappointment and the Berger cookies somewhat overrated on their own, Miss Shirley’s, Faidley’s, Caroline’s, and Dangerously Delicious Cupcakes made for a great foodie visit while the Aquarium, Visionary Museum, and Poe Grave were all worth the time and effort.

Miss Shirley's Cafe, Baltimore MD

Baltimore is a city I did not know much about – sure, Hopkins is there, as is one of the best Aquariums in the world, and Camden – but it was never high on my list of places to visit. Deciding that we needed to add this Aquarium to the ever growing list it was up to me to find a suitable breakfast or lunch – asking around the options seemed bleak but a trusted source who knew my love of Bongo Room and Griddle Café suggested I’d “probably like” Miss Shirley’s…as a bonus is was less than half a mile from our destination, as well. While I will fully admit I have a soft spot for breakfasts that could double as dessert, there are some only a few places where the menu is just so smile-inducing that gluttony seems required – Miss Shirley’s was one of those places.

With a stiff wind and nearly horizontally moving rain inducing a run from the parking garage to the front door we arrived around 8:30am to find Miss Shirley’s approximately half full – greeted by a smiling manager at the door we were quickly led to a large booth, water was filled, and we were offered beverages. Opting for two coffees and two teas I can’t say there was anything terribly memorable about either – what was memorable was our server, a young man named Tim who kept our cups filled and bested the service of many waiters in the fine dining world throughout our meal – even if he didn’t warn us about just how indulgent our order would turn out to be.

Deciding on a couple of appetizers and a “main course” each we realized immediately on arrival of the appetizers that we’d over-ordered. Arriving first, in spectacular fashion, was Funky Monkey Bread – Cinnamon Pull-Apart with Bananas, Chocolate and Pecans, Powdered Sugar. Enormous, literally the size of a full-size Bundt cake pan, the buttery and yeasty dough was pure cinnamon roll. Topping the ring of flaky dough with sliced bananas, chopped pecans, and chocolate chips the center of the ring was filled with a chocolate and pecan dunking sauce – the entire dish excessive in every way.

The second appetizer – arriving along with the Monkey Bread – was a Mini Bundt cake Sampler with Red Velvet and Cream Cheese, Chocolate with Vanilla cream, and Lemon Blueberry with Lemon drizzle. To call these “mini” was accurate – assuming the reference point was the Monkey Bread, however each cake was twice the size of an average cupcake. With all three cakes providing different texture and taste we were assured all were baked from scratch using the owner’s original dessert recipe (appetizer indeed!) and each was quite tasty, warm from the oven. Cocoa nuanced and with a mildly sour cream cheese I liked the Red Velvet best while others fancied the Blueberry Muffin textured version paired with hints of lemon and what I believe was mint. The chocolate option was heavy and dark, akin to a Hostess Cupcake with better quality cocoa.

Still working on the appetizers after 15 minutes our mains began to arrive – not since Bongo Room would there be quite this many sweets on the table at once – Tim joked that we had our work cut out for us – I agreed.

Beginning with my option, listed at MP on the menu, the $18.99 Crab Cristo with Jumbo Lump Crab Meat, Smoked Ham and Swiss Sandwiched between French Toast, Deep Fried until Crispy, Drizzled with Honey Mustard and Citrus Aioli, Dusted with Powdered Sugar and Old Bay. It is hard to gauge size from a picture, but suffice it to say that I have large hands and each half of the sandwich was thicker, longer, and wider than one of my hands. With vanilla loaded French Toast on each side, the bread was layered with a slice of cheese, then a slice of smoky ham, and finally stuffed full with fresh picked blue crab meat before being dipped in the deep fryer to form a golden and crunchy crust. Topping the dish with a combination of sweet sugar and savory Old Bay (I opted against the Honey Mustard) plus lemon and chive aioli there was a whole lot going on, but somehow it worked – it was fantastic and drew a humorous degree of curiosity from neighboring tables given its size…and more curiosity as to how “someone so skinny could eat so much.”

For my mother, a fan of coconut but already full from Eve the previous night, the plate du jour was Joyous Almond Cakes with Coconut, Chocolate Chip, Toasted Almond. As expected from the name the dish itself tasted like a warm cake made with melted Almond Joy candy bar. Excellent on its own I was surprised when Tim brought the syrup – pure maple from Vermont – and although my mother didn’t feel it was necessary the bites I tasted were very nicely complimented by the spicy and thick maple flavor. Despite not eating much of the appetizers (too full) mom managed only two of her three pancakes…my sister and I managed the rest.

My aunt’s options were decent, but not fantastic – in general she has an uncanny ability to order poorly at breakfast, mostly because she hates maple syrup and egg dishes and therefore attempts to fruit based options – even when those fruits are neither regional nor in season. Opting for two short-stacks of 2 pancakes her choices were Raspberry White Chocolate Pancakes and Upside Down Pineapple Cakes – Brown Sugar Caramelized Pineapple and Cinnamon. With fluffy buttermilk pancakes forming the base, these options were simply pancake + topping, and while both toppings were nicely done, both were rather tame and would have benefitted from more in-season fruit toppings. 1/2 of her Raspberry pancakes was the only thing that went back to the kitchen uneaten.

For my sister – the girl definitely knows how to order at breakfast – the choice was Coconut Cream Stuffed French Toast with Cream Cheese, Mascarpone, Flaked Coconut, Bruleed Banana, Powdered Sugar and Cinnamon. As large as my sandwich and equally golden brown the dish featured a whole banana, two enormous slices of bread, copious flaked coconut, and easily 3-4oz of the smooth and sweet cheese blend. Swimming in a sauce of Strawberry the flavor of this French Toast was fantastic – and aside from a couple bites shared with the family she managed it almost entirely on her own…a true maple syrup junky (see also our meal at Norma’s in NYC) she even topped this dish with it and actually, it made it even better.

Settling the tab and leaving an ample tip for Tim’s stellar service I asked him if they had a dessert menu – both he and the neighboring table cracked up. Filling out the comment card and dropping it out front I strongly suggested they consider building outside the Baltimore area – perhaps in Columbus Ohio – I hear there is an enormous college campus there and an extremely sub-par breakfast/brunch scene. Then again, perhaps it is better they stay in Baltimore – I quite like my wardrobe and don’t really want to have to buy pants with a bigger waistline.