Lexington Market Delivers Local Flavor

Preface: Paul and I took last weekend off to visit family and friends in Boston, Massachusetts. Rather than skip a posting, we decided to give you this add-on for any Baltimore trip you happen to take (Museum of Industry, American Visionary Art Museum, Heavy Seas Brewery, Babe Ruth’s Birthplace and Camden Yards). Enjoy!

Destination: Baltimore, Maryland

Where else can you buy lobster, mussels and cod alongside muskrat, alligator and (sorry, University of Maryland fans) terrapin? Founded 125 years ago to bring the best of the Bay to Baltimore, Faidley’s Seafood is a landmark within a landmark.

Lexington Market was established in 1782 at its current location between Eutaw and Greene Streets, and it’s grown from a handful of farmers purveying produce right on the street to a collection of over 140 vendors sprawled inside two huge buildings.

If you’re in Baltimore visiting the Museum of Industry, you may want to stop by and see where Baltimoreans shopped during the city’s Industrial Revolution. While the market has undergone both a series of planned changes and a process of haphazard evolution over the years, it has managed to escape the gentrification of similar shopping venues across the country.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace it ain’t, so you’re unlikely to see words like “artisanal,” “heirloom” or “infused” here. Lexington Market sells real food to real people in real Baltimore. And since the world’s largest continuously operating market is slated for a major renovation soon, you may want to stop in for a lunch sooner rather than later.

This place is all about food. Fresh or cooked. Baked, fried, steamed or broiled. Italian, Greek, Chinese. But in Baltimore seafood rules, and one briny bivalve leads the pack.

Over 1,000,000 oysters are sold annually by the unpretentious fish monger known as Faidley’s, along with copious amounts of every other seafood imaginable. Be sure to try Nancy’s award-winning jumbo lump crab cakes, lauded by Gourmet Magazine and The New York Times as some of the best around.

Their set-up is oddly beautiful, with a Raw Bar plunked right in the middle of the restaurant to feed oysters, clams and beer to a bunch of locals discussing everything from the state of the economy to last Sunday’s football game.

The bar is flanked by a fresh fish case on the left and a “you-order” counter on the right. Tall, glossy wooden tables next to the Raw Bar allow diners to stand up while digging into their bounty of seafood. Sip a Raven beer and chat with your neighbors at a communal table for the true Baltimore experience.

Faidley’s shares its past and its pride with a display case of awards, photos and memorabilia dating back to their founding in 1886, reminding us that this isn’t a chain restaurant, it’s the real deal.

If you’re still hungry, venture into the marketplace and grab some Italian cookies or a slice of carrot cake from one of the dessert stands and take in the sights, sounds and smells of today’s Lexington Market.

The West Side of Baltimore Renaissance Project is in progress, having recently transformed the nearby historic Hippodrome Theatre into a center for the performing arts. Similarly, Lexington Market will reinvent itself to meet the needs of locals and visitors

While the renaissance will surely put the shine back on this gem, it’s always interesting to see the “before picture,” in case something gets lost in translation.

When you go …

• The market is at 400 W. Lexington Street.
• It’s open from Monday – Saturday from 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. (closed Sundays).
• A 4,000-space parking garage is adjacent to the market.
• The closest Metro stop is at Howard Street.
• Annual events include the Chocolate Festival, Preakness Crab Derby, and Lunch with the Elephants. For additional information visit www.lexingtonmarket.com.