Angelina's Restaurant   

Think part Italian restaurant and part Irish pub, accentuated by what many have dubbed Maryland's best crab cakes. It may sound like an eclectic mix, but Angelina's succeeds. A Baltimore tradition since 1952, the restaurant's trademark green awning and shamrock-adorned sign, and its cozy, old-fashioned dining room inside have long sealed Angelina's status as a local landmark. And then there are the crab cakes -- famous clumps of jumbo lump meat fresh out of the Chesapeake Bay that beckon to visitors from all over the country. Baltimore takes the cake for crab -- everyone knows that -- and Angelina's cakes, the recipients of numerous awards, reign supreme. There's plenty else decorating the menu, too -- there's a plethora of popular appetizers like the seafood sampler and homemade mozzarella, Italian specialty entrees and seafood galore -- so even the most finicky eaters depart fully satisfied. If you're in the mood for a pint or two, descend the stairs to Angelina's basement pub called the Sherbeen, an authentic "illegal Irish drinking establishment" where frothy Guinness has been poured for years. -- Rachele Lawton