Yesterday was Nick's birthday. For his birthday dinner, he asked that we go to Abbey Burger Bistro in Baltimore. We'd never been there before but a friend had told us about the place a year or so ago and just raved about the burgers. So, we decided to give it a try.
Trips to Baltimore with the kids are always eventful. My favorite family trip to Baltimore goes back a couple of years. We'd taken the kids in to see the Baltimore Symphony's Christmas show and then were cutting through town to get to Fells Point for dinner. As we drove past Lexington Market, Nick looked out the window and asked why no one on the street had Vera Bradley bags. Life in Dayton is clearly a little too sheltered.
Last night we took I-95 up to Baltimore and got off at the Russell Street exit. From there, we cut over the 3 or 4 blocks to Federal Hill. In that short time, I heard two shouts from the back seat of "Look, a gang" as we drove past people who were just walking down the street. I told the kids that, just because you live in the city and you're walking down the street with someone else, it doesn't mean you're in a gang. I don't think I convinced them.
Finally, we made it over to Light Street and I started to parallel park the minivan. I would have hit a guy on his bike in the process if Kim hadn't helpfully yelled "Watch out" while I was backing up. Thanks, Kim. Once we were parked, we headed off to find Abbey Burger Bistro. I knew it was in a little alleyway off of Cross Street but what I didn't know was that Cross Street is divided in two by an enclosed market. Of course, I took us the wrong way at first. In a real sign of my growing maturity, I didn't get angry -- I just turned everyone around and said "It must be the other way." In another remarkable turn of events, they all just dutifully followed me.
We eventually made it to the restaurant and everyone was happy to get back into the air conditioning. Once seated, the waitress gave each of us our own individual checklist and a little pencil. You pick your meat (the special last night was kangaroo -- I passed), how you want it cooked, the type of bun, your cheese selection, and then any toppings you want from a list of 30-40 different items. It was pretty fun. The only bad thing is that the pencils don't have erasers so you have to be absolutely sure what you want before you start making your selections.
After some agonizing, I picked angus beef with swiss cheese, bacon, lettuce, pickles, ketchup, and mayonaisse on a traditional bun. I've had a lot of good burgers in my life. Up until last night, I would have said that Five Guys burgers are the best. Not anymore. Last night's burger at Abbey Burger Bistro was the best burger I've ever had. As I was taking bites, a couple little pieces of beef fell back into the basket. I had to pick them up with my fingers so that I wouldn't miss out on anything. I can't wait to go back and the kids feel the same way -- even if it does mean another scary trip to the big city.