Pho Van
Pho Van, without a doubt, has the best pho in Baltimore. The beef bone based broth is rich, full of beef flavor with the aromatics of cinnamon and star anise balanced perfectly. What meats you choose to go into your pho is diverse and additional portions can be ordered. The small bowl has always been more than enough for me, but a hearty appetite will finish the large. Fresh basil, bean sprouts, jalapeno peppers and wedges of lime are plated beside your pho, letting you customize your pho along with optional hoisin and hot sauces. The nondescript restaurant in a nondescript strip mall west of downtown, 40 West Plaza Shopping Center, is cash only, so come prepared. Service is friendly and fast, the owner greets everyone with a smile. While you are there, try the marinated quail (Chim Cúc). How good is Pho Van’s pho? On each visit, the patrons were mostly Vietnamese who were contented slurping the noodles and broth from their bowls of pho.

Luigi's Italian Deli
Luigi’s is on “the Avenue” in Baltimore, which any true Baltimorean will tell you is 36th Street, the up-and-coming hot neighborhood north of downtown. Luigi’s shares the first floor of one of the numerous houses that have been converted to retail. In the right weather, diners can sit outside on the porch and people watch or enjoy the back patio. Luigi’s is self-serve. Place your order at the counter, give them your name and soon a hot or cold Italian sandwich will be yours. The No. 1 seller on the cold side of the menu is the Italian cold cut packed with Italian deli meats and cheeses; mortadella, salami, capicola, pepper ham, provolone dressed with extra virgin olive oil, field greens, red wine vinegar, tomato, crushed hot cherry peppers and grated cheese. What, no mayonnaise? True Italian cold cuts don’t come with mayo. In fact, there isn’t a drop of mayo to be found at Luigi’s. The Italian cold cut sub is huge, and will easily feed two people -- unless you are a football player or weight lifter.

Wing Hop Sing
The classic version of this dish uses minced beef, but here they finely hand-chop the beef to deliver a more meaty mouth feel. Simply drizzle with a bit of soy sauce, then mix the rice with the runny egg along with the layer of crunchy rice at the bottom – the result of well-controlled heat from the claypot that crisps the rice without overcooking it. Other good choices of claypot rice are chicken or spare ribs.

Soyo Barstaurant
No one knows cabbage like a Korean, but for our money, this country’s ultimate comfort food is the humble chicken wing. Soyo is more of a restaurant than a bar, with cozy booths lining one wall and simple tables with bench seating occupying the rest of the place. (The actual bar only has four seats.) What Soyo also has is classic Korean dishes like ha mul pa jeon (seafood pancake), mandoo dumplings, kimchi fried rice, gamjatang (hangover soup) and bossam (boiled pork with spicy radish salad), along with lots of tweaked and twisted takes on a typical Korean menu. All of these have made it wildly popular with foodies, industry types, and the Asian hipster crowd – all of whom flock here at all hours. (It’s open til 4 am on weekends.) No matter what their affiliation, no one leaves without an order of chicken wings. Two types are offered: sweet and spicy and crispy garlic, and both will have your table fighting for the last appendage. Juicy, sticky, crispy and addictive doesn’t tell the half of it. One bite and you’ll swear off Buffalo wings forever.

Dede
This bustling food stand has crafted a local culinary invention. The "Dede" is an omelet, coated with breadcrumbs and stuffed with a variety of inventive fillings. Choices include a "Dede" with roast beef, mayonnaise, mustard, arugula and tomatoes; a roasted red pepper, goat cheese and pesto "Dede"; and a mushroom, mozzarella, pesto and cream cheese "Dede." The breadcrumbs elevate the “Dede" from an ordinary omelet and the various fillings send it right over the top. Prices start at 6$ for the cheese Dede and go up to 10$ for the roast beef Dede.

1157 Bar & Kitchen
A corner micro bar in Baltimore’s historic maritime Locust Point neighborhood, 1157 Bar + Kitchen serves internationally influenced small plates, sandwiches, entrees and desserts. Seasonally changing menus keep it fresh and local. One can choose from the rotating drafts and cocktails that are chalked up on the blackboards. A recent visit had us start with small plates: Korean fried chicken wings, honey bourbon glazed pork belly on French toast and the P.B.R. steamed mussels. Every dish was on the money, but the mussels, as they call them “The Big Ones,” were big, plump, tender and so good we ordered another bowl. The mussels ($11) arrive swimming in garlic, green Tabasco, shallots and butter with a hunk of crusty bread perched on top to sop up the rich broth. Arrive early for early-bird discounts. Executive chef and owner Jason Ambrose knows how to knock it out of the ballpark with his culinary creations.

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire
Savory ice creams – cauliflower, green bean and carrot to be precise - that are as delicious and compelling as they are baffling are the brainchild of Pierre Gagnaire – the former enfant terrible of the French culinary universe who brings his high-wire cooking to kitchens all over the world. As wonderful as his sole “Petit Bateau” and smoked haddock and scallop soufflé can be (not to mention the things he does with foie gras, spiny lobster and a veal shank) it’s the vegetarian menu that will have you dropping your fork in appreciation. Diners at his French-American fine-dining destination on the Mandarin Oriental's 23rd floor may encounter a velouté of black truffle and sunchokes with bitter chocolate, endive gelee with oranges and spelt with sweet onions and caramelized apples – all of it so fascinating you’ll forget about proteins altogether.

Jaleo
The best way to enjoy the wacky Spanish vibe of Jaleo is to dive in and hold on. Like a traditional tapas restaurant, the joy comes from the blizzard of small plates that appear at your table, each one seemingly more wonderful than the last. Like the nontraditional food of Spain (as interpreted by José Andrés), you will be dazzled, puzzled, but never bored by what shows up at your table – be it his molecular olives, sea urchin with pomegranate air, chicken croquetas (served in a glass shoe, btw), or the best damn ham on the planet. But above all are the paellas. They are simply the best renditions of this dish anywhere in America. A $1-million paella pit (burning local hardwoods) ensures whatever classic or avant garde combination they're cooking will be a life-changing event for even the most intrepid of gastronauts. The version made from ribs of an Iberian pig is the star of the menu and a smoky, seductive, superstar dish that has no equal anywhere in the United States, unless you're going to the original Jaleo in Washington, D.C. And it doesn't hurt that his sangrias and cocktails are some of the best around.

Hofmann
Mey Hofman, one of Barcelona’s most talented chefs, opened her restaurant and cooking school in the ’80s in the Born district. While her renowned culinary school remains, her one sausage and praline sauce. Dining at Hofmann is a great value for the money. However, if you can’t make it to the restaurant, you can try Mey's creations at Hofmann Pastisseria, and her casual cafe, Taverna Hofmann, both in Born.

La Rambla
For those looking for a taste of classic Buenos Aires, this traditional porteño café in the heart of Recoleta is your spot. Old-school waiters decked out in crisp white shirts and bow ties serve hot cortado espressos and succulent sandwiches. The go-to thing to order is the Lomito La Rambla, a filet mignon sandwich topped with ham, cheese, lettuce and tomato tucked between two lightly toasted pieces of bread. The steak is cooked a perfect medium rare and the entire sandwich is delightfully juicy and supremely satisfying. The sandwich costs about 180 pesos, about $12 US