I am so past hip that I had to look up the definition of Meme… Her Wreke-ness tagged me with this Meme.

Top 5 Restaurants… I’m going to try and stick to places close to my backyard — Annapolis — because as far as “DC Metro Area” goes, Maryland gets the shaft and as far as Maryland goes, Annapolis is the outer reaches of civilization. People come here to sail, gawk at the plebes, lobby at the Statehouse, and eat crabs but few realize what a fun, funky, vibrant little downtown Annapolis has if you just wander off the well-worn tourist path. Road not taken and all that…

Here are the rules:

• link to the person who tagged you.
• include the state and country you live in.
• list top five favorite local restaurants.
• tag five other people and let them know they’ve been tagged.

1. Lemongrass Annapolis, MD I work in Chinatown in DC and was irritated to no end that until 2 years ago, there was no decent Thai restaurant there (the crappy place that closed 5-6 years ago on the corner of H and 4th didn’t even qualify as edible. Now we have Kanlaya, which is fine in a pinch.) Crystal Thai is a serious schlep for me so thank FSM I found Lemongrass. Curries, Pad Thai, crab fried rice, lettuce cups, papaya salad, lemongrass soup… it’s all delish. Nice atmosphere, kid friendly. Ample parking in the garage just behind the restaurant. Small place so expect waits at popular times.

2. Sputnik Cafe Crownsville, MD. Funky, casual-but-upscale Asian fusion with a twist. A really eclectic decor and amazing food. Probably kid-ok, but it’s so relaxing and off-beat we go there to escape our ankle-biters, not entertain them. I think it’s one of the best restaurants in Annapolis. After seeing Ratatouille with the kids on July 4 (awesome kid’s movie… go see it) DH was in the mood for great food – he said “let’s go to Sputnik!” The link will take you to a badly written though positive restaurant review – the restaurant website seems to be down.

3. Cafe Bretton Severna Park, MD. Best. Food. Ever. A fabulous, romantic “occasion” French restaurant. Excellent food, terrific service. Many of the herbs and vegetables are grown on-site in the gardens. The early bird special is a total steal (about $25 for 3 courses) – otherwise it’s a bit spendy but well worth it. Not for the kiddos.

4. The Mexican Cafe Annapolis, MD. Way off the beaten path all the way down Forest Drive near Quiet Waters park. A total local hangout known for fresh salsa and the best ‘rita’s in Annapolis. “Real” Mexican food – very tasty, but not for the faint of heart. Crowded on weekends and after the Wednesday night races. But there’s nothing like sitting outside on a beautiful day at The Cafe!

5. Mike’s Crab House Riva, MD. It’s Annapolis – there had to be at least one crab place! Mike’s rocks – it’s locals-only, none of that touristy Buddy’s Crabs and Ribs crap. Pretty good crab cakes (though you can’e beat Harris’ on Kent Island for crab cakes) and usually well-steamed decent selection of crab sizes. On the water, picnic tables, etc. Forget whatever you’ve heard about overrated Jimmy Cantler’s and go here instead.

And here’s a freebie for you – Chowhound is a great source for local restaurant info, recommendations, questions…wherever “local” is for you!

I have no one to tag – unless Sue will let me tag her. How sad is that?!