DMV Empanadas made its mark on Baltimore area farmers' markets before opening a brick-and-mortar location at Cross Street Market in Federal Hill.



"Bolivia natives Marco and Nacho Amaraz started DMV Empanadas [eight] years ago. Marco Amaraz had a house cleaning service and said he was tired of being around all the chemicals, so he decided to use his mother’s chicken empanada recipe and set up at local farmers’ markets around the Washington, D.C. area.," according to SouthBmore.com.



DMV Empanadas offers more than 20 different empanadas that are a mix of Bolivian, American, and Maryland flavors. Fillings include chicken, beef, BBQ pork, spicy pork, spinach and cheese, Old Bay shrimp, cheeseburger, and more.



I ordered a couple different kinds, and it was pretty clever that the type is crimped on the edge for easy identification. Because from the outside, they are all (very) dark golden brown half-moon shapes.





I tried the cheeseburger, which had a cheesy ground beef filling. The exteriror was a bit too hard to bite into, but the interior was delish. I also did the "Masaco Empanada," which has pork, plantains and cheese. Very soft filling. Finally, the shrimp and Old Bay with mozzarella cheese, bell pepper, onion and celery. When in Baltimore, have the Old Bay, right? I enjoyed the creativity of this one, but I decidedly prefer my shrimp cool, not warm.



Grade: B

Zeke’s Coffee is a local, Baltimore-based, small batch, family-owned coffee roastery that is a favorite around the city.



"At Zeke’s, we use a fluid bed coffee roaster. Invented by Mike Sivetz, a physicist from Oregon in the 1970’s, fluid bed coffee roasters use hot air to create a fountain of coffee beans. This technique roasts more quickly and uniformly than a conventional drum roaster. We roast to temperature, giving us a more consistent product. Chaff escapes the roast chamber easily, leading to cleaner tasting coffee with more distinct regional flavors. We roast in small batches. It guarantees freshness. It keeps us honest. Our roaster holds 30 pounds of coffee, compared to the 150 pounds that a standard roaster holds. Because of this, we put more time, more labor, and a little more of ourselves into each bean. You can taste the difference."



At the Pigtown Cafe, I enjoyed an iced caramel macchiato, which contains espresso, steamed milk, vanilla syrup and caramel sauce.



This drink was wonderful. I didn't get those bitter notes that are sometimes super prevalent in coffee. It was sweet without being overly sweet - all with a roasty punch.



A poppyseed pastry accompanied my drink. A bit dry, but I appreciate the nutty flavor.



And the great thing about Zeke's is that many places in the city serve it - not just at the cafe itself.



Grade: A

Crepe Crazy is a Deaf-owned crepe restaurant in Baltimore, as well as a couple locations in Texas. After emmigrating from Russia and the Ukraine, owners Vladimir and Inna Giterman moved to Austin, Texas, so that their two children could attend one of the best schools for the Deaf. They started as a food truck before expanding to the brick-and-mortar restaurants that employ Deaf staff.



When I walked up to Crepe Crazy, I started jabbering away my order. After a few moments, the kind woman behind the counter pointed to the sign telling me to instead point to the menu items I wanted because she was Deaf. It was then that I apologized profusely and redirected my ordering by pointing to the menu in front of me.



I opted for the Florentine, which comes with garlicky sauteed mushrooms, spinach, ricotta, feta and parmesan. A light spring mix salad with a lemon-garlic vinaigrette accompanied it.



The crepe was pretty good - nice and full of ingredients, which of course sogs out the crepe a bit. But bold garlic and herb flavors throughout, which I appreciate.



Grade: B

Thyme After Time is a restaurant and caterer in the Charleston area that has been around in a few different forms on the East End.



First, I visited them when they were located on Ruffner Street. I ordered carryout from the menu - a bbq pulled pork sandwich with truffle fries - and mac & cheese.



This was very tasty comfort food. Just simple food done well and full of flavor. Familiar flavors but very good.



They moved to Washington Street and toward a buffet format. It was much of the same type of food, but in a ready-to-go format, rather than made-to-order.



Quality can suffer a bit with buffets, but you do get the variety, which is nice.



While the restaurant is currently closed, I believe they are still catering and we'll have to stay tuned for their next chapter.



Grade: B

Founded in 1886, Faidley Seafood is one of the oldest and best-known purveyors of fresh and prepared seafood - especially crab cakes - in the Chesapeake region. Faidley’s is headquartered at its original location in the “World Famous Lexington Market" in Baltimore, Maryland.



I had to order one jumbo lump crabcake, which comes at market price. And all that money goes straight toward crab - no filler, no frills. Just a slice of tomato and some lettuce formed a bed underneath.



The crabcakes are plump with a slight crustiness on the outside with jumbo lump crab meat inside. They are moist and full of flavor.



I also had to try a Baltimore-specific seafood item: the coddie. The coddie is a "Homemade Salt Codfish Cake."



"Coddies are usually eaten sandwiched between saltines with yellow mustard. The food is somewhat of a local delicacy in Baltimore, and is commonly served in the city's delicatessens and seafood markets, including the historic Lexington Market," according to Wikipedia.



These little salt balls definitely have more filling than the crabcakes, but they are still tasty. You do get the fish flavor, but the texture is soft - save for the crunchy breaded exterior. Oh, and a Natty Boh for good measure.



Grade: A