Sign up for our newsletters   

Baltimore City Paper home.
Print Email

Eat Feature

R is for Romantic

Corks · Pierpoint · Banjara · Ambassador Dining Room · Tersiguel's

Michelle Gienow

Eat Special Issue 1999

Alphabet Soup We know where we like to go for a good burger--and we'll bet you do too. Or a good omelet. Or a good...

A is for Appetizers The Helmand · Café Madrid · Henninger's Tavern · Café Zen · Grand Palace · Morgan Millard · Al Pacino Café · Sarah's Café · Iola Café

B is for Breakfast Jimmy's · Blue Moon Café · Golden West Café · Morning Edition Café · Helen's Garden Café · Hull Street Blues Café · Loco Hombre · Weber's on Boston · Suburban House

C is for Carry-out DiPasquale's · Cosmos · Rotisseria · Chow Mein Charlie's · Chokchai · Thairish · Caribbean Kitchen · Viccino's · Michaelangelo's · The Roost

D is for Dessert Vaccaro's · Cheesecake Factory · Adrian's Book Café · Moxley's · Louie's Bookstore Café · Coney Island

E is for Expensive Charleston · The Black Olive · Milton Inn · Polo Grill · Chart House · Oregon Grille

F is for Frugal Pete's Grill · Trolley Stop · Fazzini's Italian Kitchen · jr. · Rallo's · Mamie's Café · Caribbean Food Carry Out · Silk Road Café · Frisco Burritos · Winterling's · Valley View Inn · Fresh

G is for Guilty Pleasures Anne's Dari-Creme · Howard's Delly · Maria D's · Johnny Rockets · Thrasher's · Steak Out Express · New System Bakery · Krispy Kreme

H is for Happy Hour The Brewer's Art · Mick O'Shea's · Brass Elephant · Speakeasy Saloon · Calvert House · Nick's Inner Harbor Seafood Co.

I is for Incendiary Sushi Café · Ko Hyang · Joung Kak · Thai Landing · Sisson's · Café Tattoo · Austin Grill

J is for Java Needful Things · The Hidden Bean · City Café · Donna's · Empire Café · Xando · The Daily Grind

K is for Kids Friendly Farm · Hacienda Mexican Restaurant · Fuddruckers · Overlea Diner · Funk's Democratic Coffee House and Bistro · Mount Vernon Stable and Saloon

L is for Lunch Women's Industrial Exchange · Sascha's Daily · Mughal Garden · Akbar · Bombay Grill · Nate's and Leon's · Snyder's Cafe and Deli

M is for Meat Prime Rib · Shula's Steakhouse · Ruth's Chris Steak House · Alonso's · The Crease · Bill Bateman's · Lenny's · Attman's · Boomerang Pub

N is for New School Joy America Café · Spike and Charlie's · Sotta Sopra · La Tavola · Opa! · Viccino Bistro · Café Pangea

O is for Old School Haussner's · Tio Pepe's · Ikaros · Acropolis · Bo Brooks · Forest Diner · Angelina's · Kawasaki · Thai Restaurant · Perring Place Restaurant · Sanders Corner · Sabatino's · Matthew's Pizzaria 

P is for Pub Grub Peter's Inn · Simon's Pub · Duda's · Sobo Café · Koco's Pub · Kisling's · McCabe's · Dougherty's Pub · Charles Village Pub

Q is for Quirks Holy Frijoles · Ye Olde Malt Shoppe/Earl's Beauty Inn · Tamber's Nifty Fifties Dining · Captain James Landing

R is for Romantic Corks · Pierpoint · Banjara · Ambassador Dining Room · Tersiguel's

S is for Seafood Gunning's Crab House · Gunning's Seafood Restaurant · Faidley's Seafood · Legal Sea Foods · John Steven Ltd. · Anne Arundel Seafood · G&M Restaurant · Mo's Fisherman's Exchange · Bill's Terrace Inn · Bay Caf

T is for Tourists Waterfront · Hollywood Diner · Café Hon · Obrycki's · Bertha's · Lista's · McCormick and Schmick's · Wharf Rat · Gallery Sandwich Shoppe · Hard Rock Café · Planet Hollywood · ESPN Zone

U is for United Nations Restaurant · Silk Road · Braznell's Caribbean Kitchen · Orchard Market and Café · Ze Mean Bean Café · Saigon · House of Kabob · Desert Café · Restaurante San Luis · Little Havana · Café

V is for Vegetarian Golden Temple · Liquid Earth · One World Café · Wild Mushroom · Puffins · Sin Carne · Village Market

W is for Worth the Drive Captain Billy's · Captain John's · Cantler's Riverside Inn · Gabler's · Baugher's Family Restaurant · Rudy's 2900 · Olney Ale House

X is for XXL New No Da Ji · The Yellow Bowl · Micah's Cafeteria · Cactus Willie's

Y is for Yeast Baltimore Brewing Company · Big Sky Bread Co. · Stone Mill Bakery · Ellicott Mills Brewing Company · Capitol City Brewing Co.

Z is for ZZZ Sip & Bite · Double T Diner · Valentino's · Star Light Diner · Bel-Loc Diner · Gampy's · Nam Kang

Posted 2/24/1999

When you're in love, even McDonald's is romantic. But if you're not yet at the stage where holding hands over a pair of Big Macs does it for you--or if you've been there, done that, and need a little help re-sparking the flame--it's time for an Intimate Dinner at a bistro such as those that follow. Think candlelight. Think wine. Think about how much better this is than McDonald's.

A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou--what's more romantic than that? You'll have to supply your own "thou," but otherwise Corks (1026 S. Charles St., [410] 752-3810) has the bases covered (although for the loaf of bread we'll substitute an order of their best-in-town bread pudding), especially in the wine department--they don't call this place Corks for nothing. The cozy, well-appointed dining room is also conducive to pitching woo, especially when the enclosed rear deck is open for business.

Love is all about intimacy, and Fells Point's Pierpoint (1822 Aliceanna St., [410] 675-2080) has got intimacy in spades. The tiny (make reservations), deco-decorated space invites whispered confidences and tender nuzzles over smoked crab cakes and the other inspired twists on traditional Maryland cooking that have won chef Nancy Longo national acclaim. Of course, love is also about sweet indulgence, which is certainly what's involved in sampling the rich, made-on-the-premises occupants of Pierpoint's dessert tray.

In our book, candlelight is the number one mood-setting device for romance. Mainly because it improves your looks, see? Well, in addition to the delightful Indian cuisine and about a kabillion different kinds of bread, Banjara (1017 S. Charles St., [410] 752-1895) is all about some mesmerizing, mood-setting candlelight at the table, twinkly little stars in a dim, intimate firmament.

The Ambassador Dining Room (3811 Canterbury Road, [410] 366-1484) advertises its fare as "royal Indian cuisine." We're not sure what that means (although the shimla mirch, vegetable-stuffed peppers in a rich cream sauce, makes for some regal eating), but you'll feel quite royal in this Roland Park restaurant's gorgeous dining room, a large, moodily lit space done up like the mansion of some British Raj governor-general. For a truly kingly experience, try to get one of the smaller tables with their thronelike overstuffed chairs, or (weather permitting) dine fountainside under the stars in the Ambassador's pretty courtyard.

Sure, many people consider the French annoying, but few would deny they know a little something 'bout this thing called love. Maybe that's why Tersiguel's (8293 Main St., Ellicott City, [410] 465-4004) seems so perfect for a romantic tête-à-tête. This 19th-century rowhouse oozes charm, as does owner Fernand Tersiguel as he ushers you and yours to a cozy, candlelit table for two, where a waiter will discourse knowledgeably about the restaurant's wine selection and bring you French country food par excellence--perhaps some of the house-smoked salmon to start, followed by coquille St. Jacques, or maybe a chateaubriand a deux. L'amour, toujours l'amour.

Related stories

Eat Feature archives

More Stories

Price Point (3/3/2010)
EAT: City Paper's annual dining guide

Central (3/3/2010)

Harbor Area (3/3/2010)

Comments powered by Disqus

Calendar

Restaurants