Course hopping isn’t referring to classes

With two tired working parents, eating out has been a regular thing for my family. My parents and I are big foodies. After living near San Francisco, which offers every type of food possible, I was extremely disappointed with the selection of restaurants near campus. I’ve since found that Inner Harbor has a lot of different restaurants, but it’s really time consuming to go every week, especially without a car.

Last week, I watched a Desperate Housewives episode and in it the characters hosted a dinner party where they course hopped from house to house, meaning they had appetizers at one place, entrees in another, and dessert at a different house. I thought this idea would be a fun way to try out many different restaurants in the Inner Harbor all within one trip.

So, after taking the JHMI and the Circulator to Inner Harbor, my friend and I started restaurant hopping at La Tasca, a Spanish Tapas place for appetizers. We ordered chicken empanadas and fried calamari. The empanadas had a delicious savory filling and the flakiest shell I’ve ever had. The fried calamari came with a sweet, zesty marinara sauce. After licking the last drop of the marinara sauce, we asked for the check. The waiter looked at us and asked, “Just fried calamari and empanadas?” We nodded. He asked us again, “just the two?” and we said, “Yes please.”

Our next stop was Fleming’s for entrees. I’m not a big steak person and had not been impressed by the Fleming’s in the Bay area. However, my friend loves steak and was dying to try it so I reluctantly agreed. On a price scale, Fleming’s is definitely on the expensive end. However, the service, the complimentary bread (so fluffy, so good) and the décor are definitely worth the extra money. I got a medium Filet Mignon and was instantly converted to a steak lover. Every bite left me drooling for more.

Dessert was next and since I have a big sweet tooth, my friend let me choose the place. I love bubble tea and have pretty high boba standards. Hopeful for some good bubble tea, I found Teavolve, a cute café. Though a bit pricier than other bubble tea places (about a dollar more),  the green tea smoothie with boba tasted just like the tea from home! I was pleased especially because my friend and I have been looking for quality boba in Baltimore for a year now.

Restaurant hopping was pretty pricey so for those more on a budget, I would recommend places like RA sushi (during happy hour), XS (Mondays are half off vegetarian, Tuesdays are ¼ off maki, Wednesdays are ½ off desserts), the Spot, and Amicci’s. I definitely recommend restaurant hopping for other foodies. It’s a quick and fun way to try different types of foods all in one trip!