Atwater’s
Belvedere Square Market, 529 E. Belvedere Ave., (410) 323-2396 (and various other area locations), atwaters.biz
$, b, L, D, P, OutIt sells home-style breads and tasty sandwiches at its multiple locations (and the cream puffs at the Belvedere Square bakery are to die for), but nothing beats the sheer variety and high quality of the soups.
Café Zen
438 E. Belvedere Ave., (410) 532-0022, cafezen.us
$$, L, DNot your usual American-Chinese too-sweet glop. Fresh aromatics and lighter preparations please. Gow bahs, stews served over crisped rice, are terrific, as is the sweetish garlic spinach.
Crush
510 E. Belvedere Ave., (443) 278-9001, crush-restaurant.com
$$$, L, D, Br, P, OutCasual fine dining? Crush’s menu allows for a variety of options, from small plates to traditional entrées to sandwiches. Lunch and dinner Sundays only.
Demi
510 E. Belvedere Ave., (443) 278-9001, demirestaurant.com
$$, dDemi is a restaurant inside a restaurant, a tiny alcove by an open kitchen inside Crush. Likewise the concept involves thinking small: a series of small plates offered as part of an ever-changing tasting menu. For food nerds focused on invention, taste, and even wit, there’s nothing else like it around.
Grand Cru
527 E. Belvedere Ave., (410) 464-1944, grandcrubaltimore.com
$$, DGrand Cru started out as a wine and beer shop with a few seats at the bar, but it’s now a rather happening spot for a certain stripe of North Baltimore. Top-notch beer and wine selections are still the rule, along with excellent nibbles foraged from the Belvedere Square Market.
Greg’s Bagels
519 E. Belvedere Ave., (410) 323-9463
$, B, LLocal foodie forerunner Greg Novik oversees the making of every batch of gourmet bagels, flies in all manner of custom-smoked fish from faraway places, and comes up with all manner of bold flavor combos in place of the usual schmear. You can taste the love.
Neopol
Belvedere Square Market, 529 E. Belvedere Ave., (410) 433-7700, neopolsmokery.com
$$, b, L, D, P, OutNeopol serves smoked gourmet everything. Its sandwiches and savory cheese pies are well worth a nosh, as are its various smoked meats, but don’t miss its brunch.
Ryan’s Daughter
Belvedere Square, 600 E. Belvedere Ave., (410) 464-1000, rdirishpub.com
$$, L, D, Br, P, Out, 10 p.m.Sprawling Irish bar/restaurant manages to accommodate families and youthful imbibers. What’s to eat? A corned beef sandwich, beef stew, a shepherd’s pie in puff pastry, and killer fish and chips.
Sofi’s Crépes
Belvedere square, 5911 York road, (410) 727-5737, sofiscrepes.com
$, L, DTiny Sofi’s serves a variety of dessert crépes alongside a menu of heartier savory crépes that are big enough for a smallish meal.
Zen West
5916 York Road, (410) 323-3368, zen-west.com
$$, L, D, BrStraightforward Tex-Mex food served up amid a roadside America theme for a sports-watching, college-attending bar crowd.