The Polo Grill is a triple treat, serving wonderful food and near-perfect service in warm, hunt-clubby environs. Creamy corn-and-crab chowder is infused with essence of crab, the woodland mushroom tart is sensual as a forest floor, and the quail appetizer is tantalizingly savory and sweet. As for entrees, a veal porterhouse and lamb chops in currant-port sauce may make you beg for more. Top this with a fallen soufflé-like chocolate pudding served with honey ice cream, and you have more than enough reasons to make this your favorite splurge.

Why go: To see, be seen, and dine well along the way.

While you’re there: Comb that wine list for something wonderful.

The Prime Rib
Horizon House, 1101 N. Calvert St., 410-539-1804. Very expensive.

The appeal of this sleek Duesenberg of a steak house goes beyond simple high-dollar indulgence. The look is Rat-Pack swank, the crowd glitters, and the cooking never competes with the patronage for center stage. This is Steakhouse 101: decadent crab cocktails, pillowy pink slabs of prime rib, buttery broiled rockfish. Some menu items have aged with more dignity than others (skip those thin, greasy Greenberg Skins). But for champagne-and-caviar with a Baltimore twang, Prime Rib remains the place to go.

Why go: Because you’ve earned it, or at least the waiter will pretend you have.

While you’re there: Eavesdrop on Albert Belle’s contract negotiations.

Ransome’s Harbor Hill Cafe
1030-32 Riverside Ave., 410-576-9720. Moderate.

Every neighborhood should have one: a lively bar with friendly service and a cozy dining room for a real sit-down when you feel like it. Seafood and Italian specialties are the mainstay of this Federal Hill spot. Start with the garlicky shrimp or the heavenly sautéed squid appetizer special, then try grilled salmon glazed with mustard sauce or a delicious saffron-infused cioppino.

Why go: For unpretentious fun and food in charming digs.

While you’re there: Check out the excellent roster of wines by the glass.

Rudys’ 2900
2900 Baltimore Blvd., Finksburg, 410-833-5777. Expensive.

This Old-World enclave has long been Finksburg’s favorite Big Night Out. Credit manager Rudy Paul’s hosting skills and chef Rudy Speckamp’s flair for the fancy; the pair do Continental with restraint and delicacy. Dover sole is a simple luxury—expertly filleted with a tableside flourish and draped in a few satin spoonfuls of lemon-butter sauce—but the chef’s German roots shine in heartier fare like venison loin with spaetzle. There are flashier dining rooms around, and ones with more contemporary flavors. Few, however, can top the Rudys’ take on the classics.

Why go: Because sometimes the best way is the old way.

While you’re there: Thrill to the wandering tenor who sings opera in the dining rooms on Wednesday evenings.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House
600 Water St., 410-783-0033; 301 Severn Ave., Annapolis, 410-990-0033. Very expensive.

With a new Annapolis location, these red-meat franchises are winning new friends. And little wonder: At either outlet, beaming owner Steve deCastro may be waiting to greet you at the top of the stairs. And both locales are handsome—the Annapolis one boasts waitstaff clad in jaunty captain’s jackets. We love the New Orleans-accented appetizers (shrimp rémoulade, seafood gumbo) and the giant lamb and veal chops. There’s a well-appointed wine list, too. But let’s face it, you’ve come for the steak. As ever, it arrives sizzling, juicy, thick, buttery, heavenly.

Why go: Because you’re not on a diet.

While you’re there: Save room for the flaming Bananas Foster. It’s not just a dessert, it’s an adventure.

Sobo Cafe
6 W. Cross St., 410-752-1518. Inexpensive.

Lay you burdens down at the door of this Federal Hill hotspot; from the blazing yellow walls to the colorful something-for-everyone cuisine to the chummy regulars at the bar, Sobo’s energy is infectious. You’ll always find standards like flaky chicken pot pies and Cincinnati chili, but every night brings a new collection of festive entrees, like a spicy peanut stir-fry or risotto-stuffed sweet peppers in a kicky tomato coulis. All this, plus an affordable wine selection and low-key, friendly service.

Why go: Better-than-home cooking in hipper-than-home environs.

While you’re there: Start an art collection; the paintings by local artists are all for sale.

Sotto Sopra
405 N. Charles St., 410-625-0534. Very expensive.

This midtown Italian is Baltimore’s answer to New York chic: The crowd is spiffy, the decor spare, and the food inventive. (We love the pillowy gnocchi and the pepper-crusted tuna.) The mostly-Mediterranean waitstaff’s ministrations stop just short of troppo: A solo diner might get introduced to another, and the waiter’s opinions about your choices may be voiced deferentially, but they will be voiced.

Why go: To feel like a minor but pivotal character in an Italian film.

While you’re there: Pronounce gnocchi properly (NYOH-key) to see if the waiter says, very quietly, "bravo."

Spike & Charlie’s
Restaurant & Wine Bar 1225 Cathedral St., 410-752-8144. Expensive.

The phrase "save room for dessert" takes on urgency at Spike & Charlie’s. The preceding courses at this midtown wine bar are always inventive; we recently enjoyed a saffron-steeped mussel stew and peppery seared rare tuna. But chef Spike Gjerde pulls out all the stops on sweet stuff like lush, flaky pear strudel with honey-tinged ice cream. Pair it with a spicy dessert wine and you’ve got the best third act in town.

Why go: To be surprised.

While you’re there: Sign on for one of the Wednesday wine tastings.

Tersiguel’s French Country Restaurant
8293 Main St., Ellicott City, 410-465-4004. Very expensive.

Visiting this stately Ellicott City inn is a bit like joining an ante-bellum house party; diners can hear the festive sounds of laughter drifting in from other rooms. Chef Michel Tersiguel’s hearty French fare helps set the scene; his seasonal menu offers temptations like sautéed veal sweetbreads in truffle vinaigrette, grilled quail and roast venison with pumpkin risotto, chateaubriand for two. Some produce—plus smooth, housemade goat cheese—comes fresh from the restaurant’s Anne Arundel County farm.

Why go: For a city-fancy dinner with countrified cuisine.

While you’re there: Indulge in fanciful housemade ice cream.

Thai Landing
1207 N. Charles St., 410-727-1234. Moderate.

We’re addicted. We can’t resist the mouth-burning, eye-watering rush. But it’s not just the fire, it’s the flavor. As in the two-star-hot yum pla mueg—tender squid spicy with chili paste and refreshing with lime and lettuce—or the three-star gai pad kra-prao—basil-laced chicken stir fried with searing hot peppers. If that’s too intense, try thom yum gai, a delicate lemongrass soup, or neua gratiam prik thai, beef in a mild garlic sauce. But that’s not quite as much fun, is it?

Why go: For a waitstaff that tailors the heat to suit your tolerance.

While you’re there: Extinguish the fire with cool mango and sticky rice.

Low prices and huge portions of Neapolitan favorites make these Rockville-based pasta palaces the place for a rollicking evening with a vanload of friends, a magnum of wine, and an abundance of family-style food. Even solo portions of gut-busting entrees like the Giambotto—an aromatic platter of spicy sausage and herbed chicken—are big enough to split. Later, when the massive chocolate torte arrives, you’ll be glad you know how to share.

Why go: For infectious good cheer bouncing off the open-beam ceiling.

While you’re there: Avail yourself of the mouthwash dispensers in the restroom, garlic-breath.

Tio Pepe
10 E. Franklin St., 410-539-4675. Expensive.

Carmen DeLeon Sanz
hatcheck attendant,
Tio Pepe
"I’m from the Canary Islands. My husband is chef here, he is cousin to Miguel Sanz, the owner. I never thought I’d work in here because I didn’t speak English. Miguel said, ‘You like to work in here?’ I said, ‘You crazy? Me speak English?’ He said I could work in that little place [the hatcheck], take the coats and hats.

I have been working in here for 15 years. I know the people coming on Friday, the people coming on Saturdays. A lot of people do not need their ticket for the coat, and say ‘How did you remember it was me?’ I notice the coats.

Sometimes I’m shy, more times I’m friendly. If I have a little mistake at work, then I can’t talk English. Sometimes the customer makes a mistake. They say ‘No, this is not my coat.’ And when they reach in pocket, they say, ‘Oh I’m sorry, this is my coat.’ Sangría makes them forget.

When I retire I will move to my country. But work makes me very, very happy. When I come here, my body is changed. I am very happy with my job. I can’t explain."

Maybe it’s something in the sangría, but this 30-year old favorite still delivers dependable fun for all who descend into its whitewashed basement digs. So get in line for chef Emiliano Sanz’s baroque Continental-Spanish cooking: shrimp soaking in garlic sauce, crisp-skinned roast suckling pig, intensely creamy flan. If you’re one to complain that the pearly morsels of lobster are smothered by that blanket of rich sherried cream, then get out of the basement. Plenty of others will happily take your place.

Why go: You just paid off the car loan and you’re looking to party.

While you’re there: Ask for the reserve red wine list, the fried potato puffs, the mixed appetizer plate, the chocolate soufflé--all the semi-secret stuff the menu doesn’t tell you about.

Trattoria Alberto
1660 Crain Hwy., Glen Burnie, 410-761-0922. Very expensive.

It may cost you (ask how much each dish is or the tab can mount beyond reason), but dinner will be wonderful: silken octopus salad with lemon and olive oil; linguine alla Matriciana redolent with pancetta and tomato; a simply prepared whole pompano, boned at table. One might want a better wine list, but the meal itself will not disappoint.

Why go: Excellent Italian food, and the happy incongruity of finding it in a Glen Burnie strip mall.

While you’re there: Make a reservation for Sunday dinner with Alberto.

Tuscany Grill
2047 York Rd., Timonium, 410-252-3353. Moderate.

Bringing affordable, cosmopolitan Italian to the suburbs, Tuscany Grill beckons with sleek appointments and terrific food. Appetizers in particular shine, from paper-thin carpaccio to pesto-kissed planks of grilled eggplant with roasted red peppers and smoked mozzarella. The grilled lamb steak and potato-crusted rockfish could inspire a cult. Even the chicken Parmigiana, stuffed with spinach and served with a fresh tomato sauce, has a song to sing.

Why go: For a really good meal in the land of fast food.

While you’re there: Splurge on house-made dessert.

Ze Mean Bean Cafe
1739 Fleet St., 410-675-5999. Inexpensive.

If you grew up in a town where kielbasa was the coin of the realm, you’ll appreciate Ze Mean Bean. This is a place with coffeehouse trappings (exposed brick, local art, no liquor license) turning out hearty Slavic fare that tastes of church kitchens and corner taverns. Taste new chef Kevin Miller’s bigos—a stew of roasted potatoes, sauerkraut, pork, and kielbasa. Polish off a plateful of pierogi. Have a big helping of holupki (stuffed cabbage). You bet your dupa—this is the real thing.

Why go: Home-style food, warm atmo, and rock-bottom prices to boot.

While you’re there: Do not miss the fabulous bread pudding.

Zorba’s Bar & Grill
4710 Eastern Ave., 410-276-4484. Moderate.

You might feel like you’ve stumbled upon a Greektown social club meeting, but take a table by the wood-fired grill, order a carafe of the house red or a bottle of bone-dry Mediterranean white, and dunk your crusty bread into the combination platter of taramasalata, octopus, and garlicky eggplant salad with feta. Then dive into spit-grilled lamb or lemony whole rockfish with hefty Greek potatoes. Next time, you’ll feel like a member of the club.

Why go: For affordable Greek in an unpretentious atmosphere.

While you’re there: Watch some Greek television at the bar.