Welcome to Baltimore Liquid!

Now that two reviews have been posted on this site, I suppose it would be useful to clue my reader (I am not yet assuming anyone is reading this but me…hopefully, soon I can say, ‘readers’) in to my methodology and format for judging and writing about the most interesting watering holes in Charm City.

First off, I should describe the purpose of this blog. Far too often, Baltimore’s bar scene (particularly with respect to bar food) can most aptly be described as “close, but no cigar”. A friend of mine wanted to replace “Believe” with “Almost” as the city’s slogan. This comment will likely offend some Baltimoreans who instinctively have a massive inferiority complex concerning comparisons to other cities.

As a Baltimorean of five years, I can safely say that Baltimore is a “B” city. That stated, there are many “B” and “C” cities that have awesome bar scenes and ever-improving restaurant scenes. For this to occur, it is crucial that, as consumers, WE DO NOT SETTLE!!! There are plenty of people who live in this city that have traveled the world, and have tasted authentic food and drink. Many of us know what ‘it’ is, yet many do not believe they can get ‘it’ here. The ensuing apathy is crippling to a supposed evolving cultural scene.

In many cases, local food critics are afraid to tear a place in half if their food, atmosphere, service, and drinks are not excellent. I am not a journalist, and I do not have superiors, so I will not have any compunction about writing a scathing review of a place because the owners demonstrate the above-described attitude of indifference. The result will hopefully manifest itself in better places to eat and drink.

I will try to visit new places soon (but not too soon) after they open. However, since the mission of Baltimore Liquid is to describe and rate the most interesting places here in Baltimore, these will not always be new. In some instances, I will review a place that has been in existence for years. Whenever possible, I will go with 1-2 friends and sit at the bar to eat and drink.

I will organize the reviews usually with a simple introduction, followed by my take on the crowd, the atmosphere, the drinks, the service, the food, and a take home message. Each will be assigned a grade.

I hope you enjoy-