Top 10 Picks For Baltimore Restaurant Week

By Vicki Arkoff

Baltimore has become a culinary destination for more than just crab. The city is has long been known for two things: local seafood (I'm looking at you, Maryland Crab Cakes), and classic Italian specialties, both of which are available in abundance. But thanks to a growing number of ambitious chefs and inventive menus, Charm City can no longer be seen as a gastronomically tame town.

To explore the city's variety, this month diners can expect great bites at a great price during Baltimore's Restaurant Week, July 22-31, 2016. The 10-day food event features some of the city's most decadent and creative eats on special prix-fixe menus at more than 90 restaurants. From award-winning chefs to some of the East Coast's oldest and most beloved pubs, Baltimore Restaurant Week features two-course lunch and brunch menus, most for $15 or $20, and three-course dinner menus for $35.

For a full listing of participating restaurants and menus go to: www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com. To help you narrow the field, here's a taste of our top picks:

AGGIO: Baltimore's best most imaginative Italian menu is curated by a Top Chef alumnus and James Beard Foundation Award finalist, Bryan Voltaggio. Five-course tasting menus normally clock in at $75 here, but for restaurant week, Voltaggio's three-course dinner – including Crudo, Tonnarelli Nero, Day Boat Scallops and Local Fluke options, and Olive Oil Cake — is a rare bargain at $35. With your savings, go ahead and spring for a selection from the notable wine list. www.volt-aggio.com

B BISTRO: This venerable Bolton Hill favorite has a friendly, European vibe. The pretty patio is a great place to partake of fine comfort food, namely Fried Oysters, Beet Salad, Shrimp and Grits, Pork Tenderloin, or Chicken Ratatouille. Lastly, their outstanding house-made ice creams and sorbets are musts, so why not have a scoop of each? www.b-bistro.com

BIRROTECA: This cool, hipster haven makes some of the best artisan pizza and pasta in Baltimore. Combine that with one of three first courses (hello, Roasted Red Pepper Arancini) for their 3-course Italian dinner special. www.bmorebirroteca.com/home For stellar pizza in the Canton neighborhood, our runner-up suggestion is Verde. www.verdepizza.com

BLUEGRASS TAVERN: After honing his talent at Baltimore International Culinary College, Chef Antonio Rice set up shop in Federal Hill to elevate southern comfort food. His fine dining $35 4-course dinner includes options like Mississippi Caviar, Catfish Po'boy Sliders, Shrimp and Scallop Etouffee, Southern Chicken and Dumplings, and a Deconstructed Apple Pie a la mode. www.bluegrasstavern.com

BREWER'S ART: Baltimore has had a serious bar scene for ages, but this newish brew pub is taking things to the next level with fine beers on the premises, plus a deep selection of beer, wine, and spirits. The dining room offers more than the usual pub grub. The tough Restaurant Week choices include Crispy Fairytale Eggplant, Choptank'd Steamed Mussels, Moulard Duck Schnitzel, Roseda Farms Dry Aged Steak Frites, and Upside Down Peach Cake. www.thebrewersart.com

ENCANTADA: Located within the American Visionary Art Museum, this artistic adventure is reinventing modern American dining. Drawing on the importance of "roots," both creative and culinary, they support regional farms, ranches, and aqua-culture in bold, fresh, and entertaining ways. Go for lunch or dinner during Restaurant Week, but do make sure you a day of it, exploring Encantada's creative flavors as well as AVAM's wild and wonderful outsider-art galleries. www.encantadabaltimore.com

PETIT LOUIS BISTRO: This fine French restaurant in Roland Park is offering a tempting short-list of dishes including Vichyssoise, Eggplant Napoleon, Bavette Steak, Rockfish, and Crevettes Grillees with Merguez Sausage with Couscous, Spinach and Saffron Beurre Blanc. www.petitlouis.com

SALT: This new American tavern serves innovative renditions of the classics that are "guaranteed to bring back nostalgic memories," says Executive Chef and Co-owner Jason Ambrose. Three-course hightlights include: Cucumber and Grape Gazpacho, Roast Chicken, Arctic Char, and Braised Beef Cheeks. www.salttavern.com

SOTTO SOPRA: This slice of Northern Italy in a romantic Mt. Vernon townhome is a dramatic night out, and on Opera Nights is literally a theatrical event . Chef Riccardo Bosio studied in Italy, and practiced his craft in from London to the Black Sea before establishing his Washington DC and Baltimore restaurants. His resume is nearly as long as his extensive Restaurant Week Menu of 40 items. www.sottosoprainc.com.

TIO PEPE: This classic Mr. Vernon spot has served authentic Spanish cuisine for nearly 50 years. For fine dining at a nice price, make a reservation for the 3-course dinner with options including Paella a la Valenciana, Lomo de Cerdo a La Andaluza, and Pechuga de Pollo a la Riojana. www.tiopepebaltimore.com

And for those who insist on ordering crab, dozens of Baltimore Restaurant Week participants are more than happy to oblige. The Oceanaire Seafood Room (www.theoceanaire.com) and the harbor-side Rusty Scupper (www.rusty-scupper.com) will offer different variations of local Crab Soup and Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes. Mother's Federal Hill Grill (www.mothersgrille.com) has a lovely Maryland-style lump crab cake for lunch or dinner. And in the popular Inner Harbor McCormick & Schmick's Seafood (www.mccormickandschmicks.com/locations/maryland/baltimore-maryland) offers a Crab Cake Sandwich, Crab Flatbread, and Alaskan King Crab prepared one of three ways.

Baltimore Restaurant Week is passionate about helping raise awareness for the Maryland Food Bank, which currently distributes more than 120,000 meals each day.