4 Ways to Keep the Summer Vibe
Michael McCarthy | Modern Luxury DC
Four Seasons Baltimore isn’t surrendering to the calendar—the property takes advantage of warm fall days with summer fun alongside the Inner Harbor.
For reasons that have always confounded me, Labor Day typically delivers an abrupt end to most of the delights of summer. Which makes absolutely no sense. After all, the calendar—at least in these parts—doesn’t dictate those humidity-free, 75-degree evenings. Gorgeous weather, including some of the best of the year, lingers until Halloween.The Four Season Baltimore figured out this equation and delivers unmatched ways to enjoy the next 45 days. Here are four ways to begin:
1. Dine outdoors at Maximón. The property’s restaurant debuted just before Covid-19, and when I visited in late winter, the design team was mapping out its expansive outdoor dining area long before anyone knew the alfresco route would be a boon to any property. This one, designed by local visionary Patrick Sutton and overlooking the Inner Harbor, is nothing short of a showstopper. The restaurant is a culinary homage to South America and Mexico. Colin King, who worked at Jose Andres’ Oyamel Cocina Mexicana in DC and most recently for New York City-based Empellon, leads the kitchen. Much like Andres, King dives deeply into regional dishes south of the border, including hamachi (ají amarillo leche de tigre, honey nut squash, apple, black mint) and pozo rojo (crab chicharrón). But King is also wise enough to take advantage of sourcing from the Chesapeake watershed. Immediate hits include rockfish ceviche, fried Chesapeake blue catfish and whole roasted black bass with ají amarillo, black mint, yucca and green beans. The outdoor space is inspired by Sutton’s travels throughout the Yucatan Peninsula and Oaxaca. Classic Spanish colonial-style tile lines the expansive area. Cedar shingles—mirroring beach palapas—cover the bar, and bamboo trellises shade banquets. With pops of fuchsia and magenta, coupled with lush plantings and fruit trees, Sutton has created a destination inside a destination.Four Seasons Baltimore isn’t surrendering to the calendar—the property takes advantage of warm fall days with summer fun alongside the Inner Harbor.
For reasons that have always confounded me, Labor Day typically delivers an abrupt end to most of the delights of summer. Which makes absolutely no sense. After all, the calendar—at least in these parts—doesn’t dictate those humidity-free, 75-degree evenings. Gorgeous weather, including some of the best of the year, lingers until Halloween.The Four Season Baltimore figured out this equation and delivers unmatched ways to enjoy the next 45 days. Here are four ways to begin:
1. Dine outdoors at Maximón. The property’s restaurant debuted just before Covid-19, and when I visited in late winter, the design team was mapping out its expansive outdoor dining area long before anyone knew the alfresco route would be a boon to any property. This one, designed by local visionary Patrick Sutton and overlooking the Inner Harbor, is nothing short of a showstopper. The restaurant is a culinary homage to South America and Mexico. Colin King, who worked at Jose Andres’ Oyamel Cocina Mexicana in DC and most recently for New York City-based Empellon, leads the kitchen. Much like Andres, King dives deeply into regional dishes south of the border, including hamachi (ají amarillo leche de tigre, honey nut squash, apple, black mint) and pozo rojo (crab chicharrón). But King is also wise enough to take advantage of sourcing from the Chesapeake watershed. Immediate hits include rockfish ceviche, fried Chesapeake blue catfish and whole roasted black bass with ají amarillo, black mint, yucca and green beans. The outdoor space is inspired by Sutton’s travels throughout the Yucatan Peninsula and Oaxaca. Classic Spanish colonial-style tile lines the expansive area. Cedar shingles—mirroring beach palapas—cover the bar, and bamboo trellises shade banquets. With pops of fuchsia and magenta, coupled with lush plantings and fruit trees, Sutton has created a destination inside a destination.
