Clavel

For an introduction to Baltimore’s food scene, there’s no better place to start than Clavel—it’s the city’s buzziest restaurant and Maryland’s first mezcaleria. Tortillas are nixtamalized on site, with corn from small producers in Oaxaca and Puebla, and they’re best experienced by ordering the tamales loaded with elote and queso chihuahua, hongos con huitlacoche, and barbacoa de borrego tacos. 

This spot is always busy, so come early for a better chance at securing a wooden stool at Happy Hour for margaritas and queso fundido. The team behind Clavel also runs the speakeasy W.C. Harlan and wine bar Faddensonnen—both are located nearby on West 23rd Street in Old Goucher.