Good restaurants define great cities.
Think about it... A thriving food scene implies taste and sophistication, it underscores the creativity and entrepreneurialism of a community, and it provides places for people and ideas to come together, mingle, and regenerate.
Once known mostly for crabcakes, Baltimore's culinary traditions have been elevated dramatically in the past few years. The Charleston Group alone now has four of the top-rated establishments in the region. And they're keeping some good company.
Innovative restaurants and cafes are springing up all over, catering to all kinds of tastes and price points. So are farmers markets and organic co-ops, that bring the farm right to our tables.
We know from our market research that dining is, by far, the #1 reason people come to Baltimore from the surrounding counties. And it's one of the top things out of town visitors want to do when they're here.
People who haven't been Downtown in a generation are following their stomachs back to town. And, when they do, they're getting a taste of more than just great food. They're experiencing all the positive things that are happening in the city, first hand.
A college buddy of mine came back to town for a visit recently. He's lived in Manhattan, DC, and Boston, and he travels the world for work. But he was blown away by the way Baltimore has grown and become more energized and sophisticated.
Harbor East, where we dined, didn't even exist when he left for grad school.
This sort of thing is why we created the Chefs & Wine experience, and it's why we teamed up with the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (BACVA) to start Baltimore Restaurant Week three years ago. Both events are a way to engage food lovers and encourage them to explore new restaurants and experience this rapidly-evolving city.
Restaurant Week is also a good way to support Baltimore restaurants during what's normally a slow time of year for them.
As the years have passed, the buzz has grown. This year, there are more than 100 restaurants participating in Summer Restaurant Week, and we've expanded the number of weekend days included in the promotion. And we started the first-ever Winter Restaurant Week this past January.
I hope everyone takes advantage of the promotion (you're only cheating yourself if you don't).
-Mike Evitts
