A few questions from a Texan

[CW TX]

BTW, are Houston fans still over-confident about
winning?

Not me. Don't get me wrong I'd love to see it but I've seen how wrong things can go when they play your team.

[MarkS]

This!
Koco's are the best I've had as well. Good beers on tap too.
As for Phillips, stay away, far away. They don't use blue crab, they use that Asian swimming crab for their cakes.

I love Koko's, but they're only my 2nd-favorite, behind Mo's Fisherman Exchange in the Satyr Hill Shopping Center (Parkville).

[Ravenswintitle]

If you're getting in that morning, go to the stadium area. There's plenty to do and you won't miss any of the action. Spend a lot of money.

[AirFlacco]

Hey man, thanks for that MOs info. I've been looking for a new one near here since it closed on Rt 1. Parkville is close. They have the best sea food and a kick ass crab imperial and stuffed lobster tail with crab meat complete with steam shrimp on the side or they used to.

[Texans_Chick]

Greetings, my name is Steph. Run a Houston Texans blog at the Houston Chronicle and you can find me on Twitter @StephStradley. Also a message board moderator over at TexansTalk.com which I think (actually know) is the best Texans MB. Not intending to link spam you, but if you want to find out tons of Texans info, those links are a fine start.

Been to Baltimore once, had a fun time, saw your stadium, wanted to visit it, and will be attending my first road game ever this Sunday. I can't tell you how enthusiastic I am about this in words, so I won't. Just imagine extreme fan happiness.

Not sure how many Texans fans will travel for our first playoff road game ever. Lots of drunk people in the tailgates after last game making drunk people plans to go to the next game. It was big fun.

I come in peace. You can't really hate Texans fans because your team has beat ours so much, Houstonians hate the Steelers too, plus we understand what it is like to have your NFL football history stolen from you. (Earl Campbell was NEVER a Tennessee Titan). I very much respect the Ravens. It is extremely difficult to have a defense that plays that well for that long, and I find it amazing that Ray Lewis has been in the league longer than Houston was given a new franchise.

In any event, I am looking for suggestions of the following:

1. Seafood, crab cakes in Inner Harbor area for groups of people to go to. No sense us traveling very far from the tourist areas because 1. We won't be in town long; 2. Most Texans couldn't tell the difference between a great crab cake and a bad one though Houstonians do appreciate quality food. Local craft beers a must because otherwise what is the point of traveling anywhere.

2. A good place to watch the Denver-Patriots game Saturday night. Close to Inner Harbor where most people are staying. I won't be in town by then, but I have friends who will be. I think we can all agree on that go Tebow thing for this week.

3. Texans fans appreciate a good tailgate. Our team very much supports tailgating because in the early years all we had was David Carr and beer. And there was never enough beer for that. I know of some Texans tailgates I direct out- of-towners to who are friendly and welcoming to opposing fans. Are there any particular Ravens tailgates that you would feel good about directing Texans fans to? I have a Redskin fan friend who says that Redskin tailgating blows, but that the food quality, party for the Ravens is big fun.

4. Best places to go post game? At Reliant, there's no areas close by that people walk to because there is nothing worth walking to outside of the Reliant complex. Any places not particularly safe to go?

Thanks everso for your help. I wish for a great game, no injuries and a Texans win of course. We can agree on two of the three things. If you have any Texans questions, please let me know. I'll check here, but I'm easiest to catch on my blog or Twitter. Lately things feel rather surreal. -Steph

[ed from Bel Air]

Greetings, my name is Steph. Run a Houston Texans blog at the Houston Chronicle and you can find me on Twitter @StephStradley. Also a message board moderator over at TexansTalk.com which I think (actually know) is the best Texans MB. Not intending to link spam you, but if you want to find out tons of Texans info, those links are a fine start.

Been to Baltimore once, had a fun time, saw your stadium, wanted to visit it, and will be attending my first road game ever this Sunday. I can't tell you how enthusiastic I am about this in words, so I won't. Just imagine extreme fan happiness.

Not sure how many Texans fans will travel for our first playoff road game ever. Lots of drunk people in the tailgates after last game making drunk people plans to go to the next game. It was big fun.

I come in peace. You can't really hate Texans fans because your team has beat ours so much, Houstonians hate the Steelers too, plus we understand what it is like to have your NFL football history stolen from you. (Earl Campbell was NEVER a Tennessee Titan). I very much respect the Ravens. It is extremely difficult to have a defense that plays that well for that long, and I find it amazing that Ray Lewis has been in the league longer than Houston was given a new franchise.

In any event, I am looking for suggestions of the following:

1. Seafood, crab cakes in Inner Harbor area for groups of people to go to. No sense us traveling very far from the tourist areas because 1. We won't be in town long; 2. Most Texans couldn't tell the difference between a great crab cake and a bad one though Houstonians do appreciate quality food. Local craft beers a must because otherwise what is the point of traveling anywhere.

2. A good place to watch the Denver-Patriots game Saturday night. Close to Inner Harbor where most people are staying. I won't be in town by then, but I have friends who will be. I think we can all agree on that go Tebow thing for this week.

3. Texans fans appreciate a good tailgate. Our team very much supports tailgating because in the early years all we had was David Carr and beer. And there was never enough beer for that. I know of some Texans tailgates I direct out- of-towners to who are friendly and welcoming to opposing fans. Are there any particular Ravens tailgates that you would feel good about directing Texans fans to? I have a Redskin fan friend who says that Redskin tailgating blows, but that the food quality, party for the Ravens is big fun.

4. Best places to go post game? At Reliant, there's no areas close by that people walk to because there is nothing worth walking to outside of the Reliant complex. Any places not particularly safe to go?

Thanks everso for your help. I wish for a great game, no injuries and a Texans win of course. We can agree on two of the three things. If you have any Texans questions, please let me know. I'll check here, but I'm easiest to catch on my blog or Twitter. Lately things feel rather surreal. -Steph

Welcome to Baltimore , hon.

There are 5 areas you need to know coming to Baltimore:

1) the Inner Harbor, touristy, generally more expensive and starting to show its age. Although close to hotels I agree with a lot of posters here it really doesn't give you a good feel for the City.

2) Little Italy, safe, within walking distance of the inner harbor hotels. Great for dinner, mostly reasonable. I like Amicci's, a smaller, eclectic place with great food, reasonable prices. For desserts go across the street to Vaccaro's for the cannolis.

3) Federal Hill, South of the harbor, safe, within walking distance of the inner harbor hotels. A lot of good bars, a good bet for Sunday morning. Before I started tailgating we always went to the Cross St market in the heart of Fed Hill. It is a BMORE institution. Great raw bar, large beers, good mix of folks. Very old School. Not fancy at all. From here it is an easy walk to the stadium. If you walk directly west you will first come to some private parking lots, then Ravens lots G&H. These are ground zero for serious Raven tailgating. Lots of folks in puple, lots of vendors selling t shirts, hats, gloves, hand warmers, Johnny U and Artie Donovan prints, etc. ( even a few visiting teams prints). Probably the best place for visiting fans to start on game day.

4) Canton East of the Harbor, just east of Fells Point. The furthest away from the downtown hotels but my favorite part of the city. It is a 5 minute cab ride from the downtown. I enjoy the Claddagh pub "On the Square", in Canton. Looney's another Irish sports bar has a good upstairs to watch games, and very good food, reasonably priced. A good spot to watch the early Saturday game. Try the crab dip, very good. I love Nacho Mama's across the square and Mama's on the half shell. Ask the local's about Natty Boh on draft, they will love to tell you the history of Baltimore's iconic beer. It will be a great conversation starter, not a bad beer, but definitely not a "craft" beer.

5) Fell's Point. The oldest part of an old City. The original port of Baltimore. Too many bars to mention. Another good place to consider, but I am not as up to date on this area. I live in the 'burbs and its been a few years since I spent a lot of time in Fell's Point. Others can fill you in better than me.

There is a Raven's walk area in front of the Stadium. It is run by the Ravens, close to the stadium, and a safe bet for out of towners who are less ambitious. There is usually a good crowd and good food, but it lacks the feel of an authentic tailgate.


Want to start an argument ? Ask us for the best place to get crabcakes. Everyone has their opinion. As you can tell from the above posts, we are passionate about this. Most Baltimore crabcakes are good because they have to be. Good luck staying in business around here without one. Many of us, me included, are crabcake snobs. We debate filler, spices, size, price, broiled vs fried, chain vs local bar, etc. Don't sweat it, chances are where ever you are, they will be fine. Another thing, want to confirm your a tourist--put tarter sauce or cocktail sauce on it. Locals use salt, pepper and maybe a little lemon juice. (For the record the best crabcake ever was at the old Angelina's on Harford Rd, before they changed hands years ago.) An Angelina's crabcake, a bowl of pasta on the side, and a Guinness is about as good as it gets. And oh yeah---get yours broiled.

(Air the crabcakes at the old Red Fox were great also.)

Hope that helps.

[Mista T]

OK, Texas Chick Steph, here are some short and sweet answers. Because my answers will be the most correct and accurate posted, please deposit six packs of Lone Star, Abita Amber, and Shiner Bock when you visit our tailgate party in Lot J.

1. Seafood, crab cakes in Inner Harbor area for groups of people to go to. No sense us traveling very far from the tourist areas because 1. We won't be in town long; 2. Most Texans couldn't tell the difference between a great crab cake and a bad one though Houstonians do appreciate quality food. Local craft beers a must because otherwise what is the point of traveling anywhere.

Phillips Seafood
601 Pratt Street
Pier 4, Inner Harbor

Walking distance to most major downtown hotels and stadiums, safe, moderately expensive, good overall seafood, Eastern Shore style crabcakes.

Clipper City Golden Ale is the best local craft beer. For some idiotic reason, it is being sold nationally under the name "Heavy Seas". You should be able to get it anywhere.

My favorite place for variety of craft beers is The Wharf Rat, 801 South Ann Street, Fells Point, where you can get British bitters among many other drawn beers and ales. You cannot go wrong almost anywhere in Fells Point, which is about a 10 minute cab ride from downtown

2. A good place to watch the Denver-Patriots game Saturday night. Close to Inner Harbor where most people are staying. I won't be in town by then, but I have friends who will be. I think we can all agree on that go Tebow thing for this week.

Since ESPN Grill closed and replaced by Phillips, the biggest and best TVs are gone. Max's on Broadway (Fells Point) gets a mob (if you like mobs), although their TVs are a bit dated.

I'll defer to the local fans on this one.

3. Texans fans appreciate a good tailgate. Our team very much supports tailgating because in the early years all we had was David Carr and beer. And there was never enough beer for that. I know of some Texans tailgates I direct out- of-towners to who are friendly and welcoming to opposing fans. Are there any particular Ravens tailgates that you would feel good about directing Texans fans to? I have a Redskin fan friend who says that Redskin tailgating blows, but that the food quality, party for the Ravens is big fun.

Your Redskin fan is correct: their tailgating in the middle of nowhere Landover asphalt is sad. Not much spirit, and more wine & cheese oriented.

I don't know if you will consider ours up to your standards, what with all that Texas steer I smelled being charcoaled in the Reliant lots. However, our tailgate crowds are more boisterous (and believe that statement or not: I know how you cowboys and cowgirls can get when liquored up!).

Best bet, if you have time: walk a semi-circle counterclockwise, start at Lot J around 9:30 am, follow RR tracks and turn left on Sharp, up to Lot H - the noisiest (but sometimes overpowering speakers). Steps up the Hamburg bridge to the stadium, rub Unitas statue toes (for Ravens good luck), then walk across Street to the Ravens Walk, where you'll find relative cheap beer & grilled sandwiches from vendors and outdoor entertainment.

Too bad its January, since you will miss crabfeasts in the tailgate lots, but you may come across some raw or grilled oysters. Bring small disposable coolers with Texas beers as per above, offer to trade for food (most will decline your beer, offer you food)

4. Best places to go post game? At Reliant, there's no areas close by that people walk to because there is nothing worth walking to outside of the Reliant complex. Any places not particularly safe to go?

My favorite post game is Mother's Grill, 113 S Charles St. at Federal Hill, which is within walking distance to the stadium. Very loud post-game celebrations there. If Mother's is too mobbed, overflow to almost any other Federal Hill tavern or restaurant, or walk a few blocks north to Harborplace.

What can be "not safe" is roaming on foot between the entertainment areas, particularly at night. The major entertainment areas, which ring around the Inner Harbor over a couple miles, are Federal Hill, Harborplace, Inner Harbor East , Little Italy, and Fells Point.

Daytime, these are all walkable, and there is a long walkway lining the harbor, beginning the Rusty Scupper on Key Highway, which you can take fairly uninterrupted all the way to Fells Point. While each of the entertainment areas are safe at night, I strongly recommend taking cabs between most of them. (Rental car in the City would be an expensive liability; just use Light Rail from BWI to downtown, then hoof it or take cabs)

[BmoreKrazy]

Get a room at the Hampton Inn convention center only a couple of blocks away from the stadium and has bars right next to it. I have stayed there plenty of times and loved it great staff and good price

[Ravenblue]

As a 'tourist', when I came over from England for a couple of games in Novemeber i'd definitely agree with Mista T about Mother's for after the game. I had a great time in there, despite travelling alone.

In terms of watching the game saturday night, I found the Pratt Street Ale House near the convention centre to be a lot of fun the Saturday I was there. The divided rooms give a feel of intimacy, with many tvs showing various sports live and there was a lot of available seating. From the pizza I had the food is decent and there was a wide selection of beers.

[HoustonRaven]

Ugh.

T, you know I like you but Max's having "outdated TV's"? There isn't a TV in the joint that isn't smaller than 47" and all are 1080p.

Texans Chick, I will post something later today from the perspective of someone who actually goes to and embraces the city of Baltimore on a regular basis. Baltimore (the city, not the suburbs) was my home before coming to Houston.

My fellow Ravens brethren mean well, but with respect to them, there is more to the city than the touristy / generic stuff close to the stadium. You CAN get a feel for the city in a couple of days and it's found in the neighborhoods, not the harbor.

[Texans_Chick]

OK, Texas Chick Steph, here are some short and sweet answers. Because my answers will be the most correct and accurate posted, please deposit six packs of Lone Star, Abita Amber, and Shiner Bock when you visit our tailgate party in Lot J.

So, then, what I need to ask is what is the best way to transport bottled beer on a plane?

Though Shiner Bock is fine, Lone Star is not acceptable unless you like drinking tin can.

My gameday beer of choice is St Arnold's of various types or my buddy Stemp's homebrew. St Arnold is the patron saint of beer, and the St Arnold brewery is located in downtown Houston. (worth a visit). St. Arnold's throws a fabu tailgate a couple of rows from mine, and I think some folks from St. Arnolds will be coming to the game. Maybe they know the best way to transport it. I will ask. For game day, I am fond of their Amber Ale.

[pyite32]

Ugh.

T, you know I like you but Max's having "outdated TV's"? There isn't a TV in the joint that isn't smaller than 47" and all are 1080p.

Texans Chick, I will post something later today from the perspective of someone who actually goes to and embraces the city of Baltimore on a regular basis. Baltimore (the city, not the suburbs) was my home before coming to Houston.

My fellow Ravens brethren mean well, but with respect to them, there is more to the city than the touristy / generic stuff close to the stadium. You CAN get a feel for the city in a couple of days and it's found in the neighborhoods, not the harbor.

Texans_Chick, I agree with houston. I live in the city and don't have an outdated perception of it unlike the suburban fans posting here. (Sorry T, no offense intended). Anyway along the water from (closest to the stadum in this order Federal Hill -> Inner Harbor -> Harbor East -> Fells Point -> Canton, there is not one area that I would be affraid to walk at night.

Best places for local craft beers,
Max's on broadway (Fell's Point),
Mahaffey's Pub (corner of Binney St, and Dillon St in Canton)
The Brewer's Art (Mt. Vernon, Monument St)
Abbey Burger Bistro (Federal Hill, cross St.)
Pratt St. Ale House (Downtown, near convention center Pratt St.)

Best local craft beer brands, Heavy Seas (Catonsville, MD), Flying Dog (Frederick, MD), Brewers Art (Baltimore, MD), Dogfish Head (Milton, DE), Flying Fish (Cherry Hill, NJ)

National Bohemian used to be a local baltimore beer and is still an icon, it is a pilsner and is made by the same people who make Papst now. I am suspicious that it is exactly the same beer in a different package, b/c they taste exactly he same.


Other than that please refer to my post from earlier below.

There are no longer any crappy blocks between the harbor and Fells, with the growth of "Harbor East" it's a nice walk.

My suggestion:
If you are here Saturday, walk around the harbor through Harbor east to Fell's Point and bar hop/walk around. For Crab Cakes go to Thames St. like houston said, they are the best in Fells, or if you keep walking Mama's on a Half Shell in Canton serves a mean crab cake. Basically it's best to stick to a seafood specific restaurant as it will usually be fresher. For good Beer, go to Max's, Bertha's has some good Mussels, there a lot's of decent bars there with good food. The thing that's really nice about Baltimore is we have multiple culinary schools down town and not enough fancy restaurants for all the chefs to work, so there is a lot of good food at the neighborhood bars.

Sunday, walk the other way around the harbor to Federal Hill, go to the area near Cross St. Market. Lot's of bars with people pre-gaming, plus it's an easy walk across one of the two bridges to the Stadium when you are ready.

My reviews:
Cross St Market: No where to sit, really good seafood counter service and 32 Oz beers

Mother's: Worth checking out the mayhem but a little crowded and overpriced for my tastes. They are one of the only bars open before 10 AM however and won't get crowded until after 10. They have a decent breakfast menu.

McGerk's: Best Cheese Steaks in town, other than that a pretty normal bar that will be crowded.

Now if you walk up the side st along Cross St. On the McGerk's side:
Stalking Horse: It's a vodka bar but they have a few decent beers, and basic bar fare. It will not be too crowded and you should be able to get a seat at one of the 2 bars or a table.

Abbey Burger Bistro: This is my favorite place down there, not too crowded, the food is fantastic. They have a great selection of beers, plus alcoholic milk shakes!! To find this place go up the st past McGerk's along the side of Cross St. Market, after you pass Stalking Horse there will be a wide alley where you will see a velvet rope, that is the entrance. They don't open until 10:30 I think though, so go there for lunch.