9 Noteworthy Maryland Restaurants | Listen

By: The Local Palate

Copy to clipboard

Our top 9 Maryland restaurants from tried-and-true classics to new hotspots

From rich, Jamaican flavors to enticing hotel bars, Maryland has a stunning array of local cuisine to discover. In the Local Palate’s 2024 Restaurants Issue, local writer Julekha Dash provides a guide to new and tried-and-true local spots with these 9 Maryland restaurants.

5 New Maryland Restaurants

Rooted Rotisserie | Baltimore, Maryland

Inspired by a trip to Paris where they feasted on mouthwatering roasted chicken, husband-and-wife team Joseph Burton and Amanda Ngangana opened Rooted Rotisserie across from Hollins Market in October 2023. Order a whole or half chicken with preserved lemon, garlic, and herb oil, or a French riff on the classic Baltimore codfish and potato cakes, or coddies, topped with bechamel.

The Empanada Lady | Baltimore, Maryland

Elisa Milan honors her Puerto Rican and Black heritage in her vibrant downtown restaurant serving empanadas stuffed with beef, pork, shrimp, and vegetables and sides like plantains and arroz con gandules (rice and pigeon peas). An assortment of rum drinks fills the cocktail menu, including the anise-and-clove-spiced coquito made with a recipe passed down by Milan’s grandmother.

Konoko Jamaican Restaurant | White Marsh, Maryland

Named for waterfalls in Jamaica, Konoko’s owners, chef Jazz Tucker and Sandy Tucker, invite guests to “Come for the food. Stay for the vibes. Leave Irie,” or feeling good. The White Marsh restaurant serves shrimp simmered in coconut cream sauce and jerk chicken in a sleek modern space accented with a Bob Marley mural, plant wall, and bamboo.

The Coral Wig | Baltimore, Maryland

A tropical ode to the countries where owners Lane Harlan and Matthew Pierce spent their childhoods, the Philippines and St. Kitts, respectively, the Coral Wig debuted in May 2023 in the alley of the boutique stunner Hotel Ulysses. The menu includes classic rum drinks with a twist: Chili and lime leaf brighten up the Manila daiquiri while Sichuan pepper ignites the Painkiller. It’s a good start—or finish—to an evening spent at the hotel’s two maximalist spots, the all-day cafe Ash Bar, which serves refined comfort food, and Bloom’s, reminiscent of an old-school Las Vegas lounge.

CoralWig Dec — Image courtesy of Terragold Photo

Leo | Annapolis, Maryland

Brian and Hilarey Leonard, the owners of two DC bars, debuted their New American restaurant in the heart of the state’s capital last year to celebrate local purveyors and farms. “We pride ourselves in supporting other small businesses to create seasonal menus that change throughout the year,” Hilarey says. She credits chef Matthew Lego for the restaurant’s acclaimed menu, whose standouts include snakehead, an invasive species, and griddled angel food cake with fruit compote.

SV Images Leo — Image courtesy of Stephen Vilnit

4 Tried & True Maryland Restaurants

Magdalena | Baltimore, Maryland

Located on the ground floor of The Ivy Hotel, Magdalena offers a blend of Southern Black, British, and French cuisine headed by chef Ülfet Ralph.

Charleston | Baltimore, Maryland

This decorated fine-dining establishment from James Beard Award finalist chef Cindy Wolf has a menu that’s ever-evolving but always French with Southern and international influences.