When I ate at Ullswater in south Baltimore last week, I was struck by the number of folks eating at the bar, even though there were some tables empty. Especially at a neighborhood restaurant, that makes sense to me.
You may well end up in a conversation with someone you know without having to plan to meet anyone. If not, the bartender will keep you company.
We've talked before about the pleasures of eating at the bar. I think the reasons to do it are more numerous than ever before. ...
Restaurants with dining room menus that are a bit more expensive than you can afford on an ordinary night often have less pricey bar menu these days. I'm thinking of some of the upscale steakhouse chains.
And, as we pointed out earlier, one of the food and restaurant trends of the last decade was the upscaling of bar food, so eating at the bar doesn't mean you have to have wings or a burger.
Are there better and worse bars to eat at? I like eating at the bar at Peter's Inn, where the bartender folds a napkin to make a place mat for you. And that way you don't have to fight for a table.
(John Makely/Sun photographer)