A few weeks ago I nabbed an amazing deal from Restaurant.com via The Today Show. $500 worth of dining certificates for only $30! Wow! We made our maiden voyage to Alexander's Tavern in the historic waterfront area of Baltimore called  Fell's Point. Tom checked the tavern's score on UrbanSpoon and it was rated 93% so we figured it was a pretty good bet.

It's located on Broadway across from the Broadway Market and next to CapitolMac (looks really cool in there). When the weather's nice you can sit out front under a bright red umbrella. It was chilly so we went inside. The interior is rustic with exposed brick walls, wood floors and black & white photos of Baltimore as it was years ago. Tom sat next to the little toasty fireplace.

We immediately liked our waiter, Brian (who was skillfully manning the entire dining room). He patiently recited their on tap beer list (twice) and when Tom wasn't sure if he'd like the Old Chub Scotch Ale, Brian quickly went and got a little sample. Turns out he really liked this brew made by Oskar Blues in Colorado. I ordered a Blue Moon on tap with an orange slice and that tasted nice as well.

Our appetizers were excellent. The Tuna Takati (Seared Ahi tuna slices served with cucumber salad, thai chili sauce and wasabi mayo) was absolutely delicious and substantial. This, with a little side salad, would be a perfectly light meal. I forgot to mention our $25 certificate stipulated we needed to order $50

of food (alcohol not included), so we didn't stop there. Our table quickly filled up with a bowl full of Sweet Potato Tots (yum), a Falafel Pita Sandwich and a plate of Fish and Chips. I wish I could say our entrees were as successful as the appetizers. In hind sight I wished I had ordered the Veggie Burger or the Cubano Panini as recommended by other satisfied diners on UrbanSpoon.

Overall it was a nice lunch. James Brown was playing in the back ground, plenty of fun people watching, the bathroom was clean and Brian was great. I think he noticed we were taking pics and I was writing notes. Not sure if that prompted this kind gesture, but he gave us a free Dale's Pale Ale beer glass.

A little tip: rather than paying to park on the street we landed a free 2-hour parking spot on a nearby side street. After lunch we walked around a bit. Broadway Market is a great place to get fresh seafood, grab a slice of pizza or a fresh pastry.

"Established in 1786, Broadway Market was the first of three markets built to accommodate the dispersed population of Baltimore’s boom years. The market,

out with $3 and a glass bowl I really needed to complete a broken set!

I love Fell's Point with it's cobblestone streets, funky stores and tug boats. There are plenty of fantastic restaurants and bars spewing live music out onto the sidewalks. Unlike New Orleans, you can't walk around with alcohol, but it's the

closest thing we have. For those who don't know, this neighborhood was home to the acclaimed TV show, Homicide: Life on the Streets. The faux police station door and lamp posts still exist on the monolithic building and an official plaque immortalizes the location as if it was part of the civil war or something. I hope this and the gritty drama, The Wire, won't deter you from visiting Fells Point and Alexander's Tavern...