Beating the Heat in Baltimore

A friend of mine was in town last weekend, and despite the heat I still wanted to show her a bit of the city. So, what did we do?

Friday night we had an early-ish dinner at Pazo, one of my favorite restaurants in Harbor East. We started by sharing a carafe of sangria, which tasted perfectly refreshing after walking through the sweltering haze outside. The restaurant has an extensive menu, and diners can try a variety of dishes by ordering tapas, get a three-course dinner with the prix fixe option, or order starters and main dishes a la carte. I had a summer bruschetta with local zuccini and ricotta, an order of the (fabulous!) wood-grilled mushrooms, and small pizza with buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. My friend had a small plate of sea scallops and the seafood paella.

We decided to skip dessert in favor of a treat at our next stop–Landmark Theatre Harbor East to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Just a few blocks from Pazo, the Landmark Theatre has the usual movie snacks, plus unexpected fare such as crab cakes and funnel cake fries. It also has a full bar, comfy seats, and perhaps most importantly that night…air conditioning.

On Saturday, we ventured back downtown to the Inner Harbor. We’re both bibliophiles, so we spent some time (and money) in the Power Plant Barnes and Noble. After wandering in and out of the Harborplace Shops, we discovered the secret to staying cool when we hopped on the Water Taxi. As the breeze blew through my hair and cooled my sweaty skin, I thought the $10 ticket was the best money I’d spent all day. We had a lovely lunch at The Rusty Scupper, then took the taxi back across the harbor just in time to get my friend to the airport.

Even with the 100 degree temperature, we had a great time. It’s always fun to play tourist for a day, and I was glad I could show my friend a few charms of the city during her brief stay.