3 Maryland Restaurants Among Most Romantic In US: New List

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Some of the most romantic restaurants in the country are right here in Maryland, according to OpenTable. The three who had the list are familiar to folks who love fine dining in Baltimore and Annapolis.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and if you’re still looking for a restaurant to take your loved one to on Feb. 14, a new list from OpenTable can help. The company released its list of 100 of the most romantic restaurants in the country Tuesday.

The list was compiled using more than 12 million verified reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for over 26,000 restaurants across the country. According to OpenTable, American flavors dominate at these restaurants but Italian and French cuisines are also popular.

North Carolina, along with Ohio and Virginia, had the most number of romantic restaurants on the list. OpenTable says their list “features an assortment of intimate restaurants located on charming properties that provide the perfect backdrop for the occasion.”

The Maryland restaurants that made the list are:

• Charleston, Baltimore
• Lewnes' SteakHouse, Annapolis
• The Prime Rib - Baltimore (The Original), Baltimore

According to OpenTable’s insights, the best time to have made a reservation for your Valentine’s Day meal was over the past weekend. If you haven’t gotten your reservation yet you still have time, but don’t wait too long. In 2017, 40 percent of diners made their reservation in the week leading up the holiday.

A best-of restaurant roundup in December by The Daily Meal tagged Charleston as the most expensive restaurant in town, but worth the price. "Open since 1997, restaurateur Tony Foreman and chef Cindy Wolf's Charleston has been the go-to destination for well-to-do Baltimoreans. The tasting-menu-only restaurant's prices start at $79 for three courses ($135 with wine pairings), and stretch up to $124 for six ($212 with wine pairings)."

Billed by the Daily Meal as the best steakhouse in the state, Lewnes' Steakhouse was "dubbed an Annapolis legend, the menu features steakhouse classics like shrimp cocktail or "stellar jumbo lump crab balls, follow it up with a New York strip or rib-eye with some hash browns and sautéed spinach, and chase it down with a selection from their ample wine list. A couple Greek specialties, like garides scortholemono (Aegean-style shrimp) and a popular Greek salad, are nods to the owners' heritage."

Here's how The Prime Rib describes the venue on its website: "Designed by brothers Buzz and Nick BeLer to evoke the elegant supper clubs of 1940’s Manhattan, The Prime Rib Restaurant opened in Baltimore, Md. in 1965. The Prime Rib quickly became a favorite destination. Our menu of prime meats, fresh seafood and thick chops was as appealing to diners in the 1960’s as it is today. Everything about The Prime Rib, from our tuxedoed waitstaff, top quality food, and live piano and bass music nightly was intended to make every occasion feel like a special one."

You can see the full list from OpenTable here.

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