Something really special is happening in Baltimore. After spending decades in the shadow of the DMV, this city now has a vibrancy that I haven’t seen for some time. Foodies and influencers are making the trek here to sample treats from Rooted Rotisserie, Café Dear Leon, Ekiben, and more. Small businesses, many owned and operated by women and people of color, are sprouting up. Despite many of the hard realities we face, there’s a lot to feel hopeful about right now.
This issue is our way of capturing part of what makes this city so special right now: its food. Baltimoreans have always asserted that this city was underrated for its culinary offerings, and now more people are seeing that. What we wanted to do with this issue is highlight the soul of Baltimore’s food culture: the mom-and-pop small businesses that keep our bellies full. We also wanted to make it as accessible to everyone’s budgets as possible.
For our Baltimore Beat picks, our staff spent the summer trying food from around the city to pull together their recommendations for some of the city’s most iconic and classic meals. You’ll find our suggestions for chicken boxes, crab dishes, late-night munchies, vegan options, and more.
We also asked some of the Black chefs in Baltimore what they reach for when they’re hungry.
What we eat is shaped by the world we live in. In these pages, Bry Reed writes about the meals that kept Black, working-class Baltimore fed. Shae McCoy captures images from urban farm Strength to Love 2, and writes about her work there and rediscovering her own family’s roots in the soil.
In keeping with our theme, Dominic Griffin revisits the 1997 kids’ classic “Good Burger,” starring Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell.
Be sure to also check out Eze Jackson’s latest Best Beats column, which highlights new releases from Von Vargas, John Wells, and Dirk Schwenk.
Also, keep an eye out for news about the Baltimore Beat documentary coming this fall: “A new documentary exploring the mission of the independent, nonprofit news outlet Baltimore Beat is set to debut this fall. “The Beat Goes On: The Story of the Baltimore Beat,” chronicles Editor-in-Chief Lisa Snowden and her team as they build a news outlet for all of the city. The film explores Baltimore’s legacy of Black journalism, the end of 40-year-old cultural institution Baltimore City Paper, and police accountability in the wake of the 2015 uprising sparked by the death of Freddie Gray.”
Thanks for reading!