Baltimore Magazine Best of Baltimore Party lives up to its name

Purloined pages complete a perfect Poetic display at the Birroteca table. (Anthony C. Hayes)

Thursday night, the Hippodrome Theatre was alive with Baltimore Magazine’s annual Best of Baltimore Party.

The once-a-year blowout celebrated the best of food and drink in Baltimore by bringing together dozens of the region’s top bars, restaurants, and liquors.

All three levels of the Hippodrome were packed to the brim with eager party-goers, some in costume matching the party’s Edgar Allan Poe theme, ‘Everyone is RAVEN About It!’ A pop art image of Baltimore’s beloved poet adorned the party, with a twist… he was a bit ‘cooler’ looking; wearing a pair of green sunglasses.

Upon walking in the front door, one was greeted with a black-lit hyper-colored mural announcing that you were there and setting the mood for the event. You were then given black and purple beads (a la Mardi Gras) and a pair of similar shades to that which EAP himself was wearing. With everyone immediately in party mood simply because of his or her newly acquired gear, the feasting began.

Five yards beyond that, one was greeted with a choice, get a temporary tattoo and some incredible fried comfort food (and a temporary tattoo) from local favorite The Food Market, or begin drinking with Prairie Spirits.

Wandering throughout the hall, one quickly ran into everything that’s great about eating in our town; classic dishes that we’ve come to love like Ryleigh’s Oysters, Rusty Scupper and what seemed to be an endless line for juicy steak from Ruth’s Chris Steak House and new favorites like Birroteca’s crisp pork belly and Sobo Café’s flavorful Chilled Corn Soup. A highlight for many was The Wild Pea’s Hummous, who abandoned traditional hummus flavors for new levels of sweet like cinnamon raisin and new levels of spice with Asian Fire.

Mixed in with the savory were the sweet: La Cakerie brought enough calories to send anyone into a delicious diabetic coma and the Ace of Cakes, Charm City Cakes that is represented their hometown with their incredible art and pieces of four different types of their cake.

To wash everything down, party-goers had a choice of the top liquor and beer in the region. Whether it be Whisky from Cutty Shark, smooth tequila from Maestro Dobel, Hard Cider from Smith & Forge or beer from Peroni or Blue Moon, there was something from everyone.

Each booth was decorated to fit the theme, completing a more grim image for themselves that included skulls, pages from the famous poet, body art, and even a real life grim reaper who was on-hand to scare patrons into eating even more.

Those who spent a few more dollars to enter the party as a VIP were allowed in 30 minutes prior to general admission and were treated to an extra unique Poe-like experience: a freehand-scissored silhouette from local artist Lauren Muney. Muney, one of 12 scissor silhouette artists in the country, would masterfully cut out VIP’s shadow portraits in just a few minutes. VIPs were also given exclusive give-aways and special seafood offerings from The Oregon Grille that included sushi, sashimi and lobster dip that everyone was raving about.

At some point everyone in the Hippodrome was driven to the ballroom where the party continued with dancing to music from DJ Kopec and Kristen and the Noise. Editorial note: Kristen and the Noise’s cover of Paramore’s, “Ain’t it Fun,” was arguably better than a live version from Paramore themselves.

Eating, drinking and partying aside, the real reason for the evening was to give back to those in need, The Family Tree, one of Maryland’s top child abuse prevention organizations. Portion of the night’s proceeds went to the non-profit that has been serving the state by providing child abuse and neglect education since 1974.

The night seemed to be a great success for all, with a completely packed Hippodrome full of happy party-goers all around. If you’ve never been, it’s a great opportunity to enjoy many of the top food and drink spots in Baltimore in one night while doing a bit of good.