John Waters, brunch & frogs: 10 surprises I encountered in Baltimore
The Charm City deserves a spot on every queer traveler's radar.
Mark
Before a recent weekend trip to Baltimore, Maryland, I knew the 30th-most populous city in the U.S. as the titular town in “Good Morning Baltimore” and queer Hairspray director John Waters’ birthplace, and that was about it.
Of course, I heard the same thing from Uber drivers, locals, and internet guides alike: “It’s not like The Wire.” But thankfully, I’d never seen the hit HBO crime drama, so I had zero expectations and an open mind to everything this cherry blossom-covered gem had to offer.
As far as LGBTQ+ travel destinations go, the Charm City might not be the first place you think of, but 48 hours in the historic port city was more than enough to convince me it deserves a spot on every queer vacationer’s radar.
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Between its burgeoning restaurant and bar scene, rows of boutique shops, expansive museums, and scenic harbor views, there’s a little something for every type of traveler. And while there’s no official “gayborhood,” you’d be hard pressed to find any establishment that didn’t welcome the LGBTQ+ community with open arms and a Pride flag on the door.
With only an iPhone camera, my partner, and a packed itinerary, I set out to discover as much of the city as possible in a weekend, and boy, was I delighted and surprised.
Here are 10 things I did in Baltimore that I never expected.
1. Had the best view in the entire city
One night at Hotel Revival in Mount Vernon, and you’ll understand why Baltimore is called the Charm City. At times, it felt less like spending the night in a hotel and more like scoring an after-hours key to a contemporary art museum. Every nook and cranny is filled with inspiring paintings, intriguing sculptures, surprising details, and callouts to the city’s rich history and queer-friendly culture. (There’s even a sneaky speakeasy, accessible only by jukebox.)
The view from our hotel room looked out at the glowing Washington Monument, and was only bested by the panoramic sights at their glass-wrapped rooftop restaurant, Topside. A busy mixed crowd of hotel guests and hip Baltimore socialites filed in and out as we watched the sunset and dined on trout, gnocchi, tender steak, and craft cocktails named after pop classics like “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith and Britney Spears’ “Email My Heart.” Special shout out to our waitress, Sue, who gave us the best menu recommendations and made sure we didn’t leave without trying the Honey Graham Ice Cream, a specialty flavor by Baltimore’s own Taharka Brothers.
2. Bought a zine
As long as there’s still Xerox machines, there will still be zines, and Atomic Books will still be selling them. Nestled in the queer-friendly Hampden neighborhood, the hip bookstore-slash-bar is filled to the brim with DIY booklets scrawled out in Sharpie — I purchased one focused on the dining experience at fast food restaurant, Raising Cane’s, naturally — as well as comics, best-sellers, and brews.
Pro-tip: There’s also a reliable stash of autographed John Waters books and DVDs. (It is where the King of Filth gets his fan mail sent to, after all.) That said, the Baltimore legend’s influence can be spotted throughout the city, like at tropical tavern Pink Flamingo, where the James Beard-recognized cocktails come in bird-shaped glasses, or the gender-neutral John Waters restrooms at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Makes sense because he’s kind of a potty mouth, right?
3. Ate fried chicken from a Bunny
IDK who on the staff at Bunny’s Buckets & Bubbles was stalking my Spotify playlist, but the cutesy Fell’s Point gem had pics of Bad Bunny on the wall and played enough consecutive Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, and Madonna songs that I started to get suspicious. At the very least, the comfort food connoisseurs know their audience.
They also know their poultry, too. Their award-winning fried chicken came on a blue cafeteria tray with pickles, a biscuit, finger lickin’ good honey butter, and, thankfully, wet wipes. That said, their deviled egg sampler was so sophisticated, I think it’s singlehandedly elevating the potluck staple’s reputation.
4. Touched art that touched me back
They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but the exterior of the American Visionary Art Museum, comprised of tiny shards of reflective glass on the walls, a towered windmill of spinning wheels, and a blow-up doll biker chick perched upon the entrance, does a pretty decent job. This place is weird, in the best way possible.
Specializing in self-taught and intuitive artists, their collection is a treasure trove of wonder: dinosaurs sculpted from trash, a step-on-a-fart pedal in an exhibit dedicated to the history of passing gas, a collection of Pez dispensers, an emotional collage exhibit created by a woman injured during a medical procedure. Every piece, from the revolving statue of Divine, the giant poodles on casters, and the shining egg, had an often intense and powerful story. I felt inspired to create and convinced that I should never throw a bottle cap away again.
5. Took over the aux at a gay bar
There’s no shortage of queer-friendly spots to get a stiff drink in Charm City, though I’m partial to the city’s oldest continuously-run gay bar, Leon’s of Baltimore, where skeletons decorated the bar, a steady crowd of LGBTQ+ people danced freely, and every vodka cran is poured with that little extra oomph you can only get from a gay bartender. Basically, it felt like home.
In the back room, an AMI digital jukebox allows patrons to take over the music via an app, and we cycled through a playlist as diverse as the room itself: Uncle Kracker, Doja Cat, Bad Bunny, and Cher. I often think the difference between a “good” and “great” night out is hearing your song, and that’s a guarantee at Leon’s.
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6. Got greedy with a disposable camera.
After a stop at R. House, a delicious food hall in the Remington neighborhood with a wide variety of cuisine and a dependable house lager, we ventured into Greedy Reads, an indie bookstore with a bright green exterior, a Progress Pride Flag hanging on the wall, and a surprisingly social dog that wandered the shelves.
Their diverse selection, highlighted by handwritten notes from staff members, featured queer memoirs, indie titles, and plenty of copies of Heated Rivalry. The best part was the checkout, where I was encouraged to take a free “Hot to Go” pin and snap a photo on their disposable camera showing off my purchase.
7. Woke up early enough to get pastries
Early bird gets the worm, and the best pastries at La Maison by Cafe Dear Leon. This buzzing and spacious spot bakes by the hour: croissants, danishes, and breads at 9 a.m.; sandwiches, cheesecake, cold sandwiches at 11 a.m.; and a more fleshed out lunch menu as the day continues. And when they’re out, they’re out for the day.
Thankfully, I was able to snag a creme brulee, chocolate croissant, and Japanese Iced Coffee even running on Gay Time. (Read: Moderately behind schedule.) And it’s a good thing I got there when I did — a line stretched past its counter and out the door by the time we left.
8. Visited Sandy’s Bargain Center
OK, this discount shop in Hampden might not be the first place you think of when charting out a Baltimore itinerary, but I had a delightful time browsing the collection of odds and ends — namely Orioles merch and hand towels that said isms like “I f*cking love wine” — and chatting with the owner about the Baltimore community, traveling, and her unforgettable experience on the Rosie O’Donnell cruise in 2006. (Gay recognizes gay, what can I say?)
This quick stop for cheap sunglasses not only showed me how friendly Baltimore can be, but the beauty in venturing off the beaten path, like when a wrong turn landed us at Charm City Cakes, of Ace of Cakes fame, and a coffee break at Dooby’s that inadvertently led to tasting the best bao buns in town.
9. Made friends with a frog
I was amazed by the number of museumgoers who popped a squat on the benches next to Raúl de Nieves’s larger-than-life creatures and seemed to be completely oblivious to the kitschy rainbow-colored sculptures next to them. The queer Mexican artist took inspiration from his culture, Catholicism, and the art of flamboyance in crafting the pieces in the Baltimore Museum of Art lobby, and I could not take my eyes off their beaded, campy splendor.
During my visit, the museum was hosting Amy Sherald’s solo show, American Sublime on the heels of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery turning down the jaw-dropping exhibit due to its inclusion of Black transgender artist Arewa Basit. Although tickets were sold out — thank you, patrons of the arts! — we spent some time with Matisse and van Gogh down the other halls. And of course, I took a photo with the frog.
10. Ate a brunch that told a story
If you thought Baltimore cuisine was all Old Bay and crab, you’re sorely mistaken. OK, yes, you’d be hard pressed to find a souvenir shop that didn’t have some sort of paraphernalia dedicated to the zesty seasoning, but it’s a diverse and adventurous foodie paradise for those who know where to look.
Case in point: Mera Kitchen Collective. If you can take your eyes off the impressive collection of dangling houseplants in its front window for a second, you’d see its mission plain and simple: “Story worthy food from around the world.” The business’ passion for both LGBTQ+ and minority communities was on proud display from picture frames, to crowded bulletin boards of forthcoming events. (“They help us out and let us try things, so we want to help them out,” one of the co-founders, Emily Lerman, told me.)
Accordingly, the worker-owned restaurant and community space has both a go-to and rotating menu, which showcases the cultural and histories of those who’ve built it. On the day we visited, they were serving up Belize and El Salvador-inspired dishes from the culinary memories of Vilma, a food runner at the eatery. The pupusas were a hit across the room, although I opted for the shrimp and banana boat sandwich and washed it down with a strawberry and chia agua fresca. When they brought out the Belizean Cold Cake, an ice box cake adorned with sweet cream and fruit, I nearly burst into tears of happiness. What can I say? I like it fruity.
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