The food court that comprises Lexington Market is too large for only one visit, so the next day we returned to search out two more Baltimore must-eats: Polock Johnny’s and Bergers Cookies. We looked and looked for Polock Johnny’s but couldn’t find the place. A security guard told us that it had closed a few months ago but Konstant’s Hot Dogs was just as good. One jumbo spicy half-smoke with everything (mustard, chili, kraut, and ketchup) later, we agreed!

Chris D. opted for a regular dog (above) with chili, mustard, and onions, and he proclaimed it outstanding. Suffice it to say that Konstant’s dogs are much better than the corporate fare sold at Camden Yards down the street. Chris also found Berger Cookies at a little bakery stand in the Market. These chocolate cremes are vanilla wafers whose flat bottoms are iced with a thick layer of chocolate frosting. We bought a box of a dozen but could only eat two apiece—very delicious but very rich!

After the show, we were walking back to the hotel when we stumbled upon The Block, a red-light district on Baltimore Street. What better location to people-watch in the wee hours than at Crazy John’s, a 24/7 sandwich shop with a window grill full of steaming hot dogs! Folks say they do a comparable version of Polock Johnny’s Polish dog with their own Works sauce, similar to the New York-style spicy onion paste. Though we’ve never tried Polock Johnny’s, both Chris & I really loved these chili-and-onion-covered wieners:

The cheese fries were standard but fabulous with the hot dogs and sodas:

And the pizza…well, I adored the pizza. I watched the counterman dress, bake, slice, and display each pie in the front window. When a slice was ordered, he’d place it underneath a little tabletop heater to warm the cheese. It didn’t look like much, but I have a soft spot for the simplicity of bakery pizza, and this slice reminded me of Tripoli Bakery back home in Lawrence, Mass.

The chili dogs and pizza were so good that we returned two more times late at night during the course of the weekend!

Next: pit beef and pies galore!