Helen's Garden
This committed, urbane Canton restaurant deploys a comfortable but stylish date-place vibe, an affordable wine list, and well-rehearsed bistro dishes like pan-seared pecan-encrusted trout, blackened beef salad, and lamb brined and sauteed with honey, grapes, and feta. Regulars avoid the packed half-price entree night on Wednesday, a victim of its own success. Impromptu trivia games erupt at the street-level wine bar, home of the self-proclaimed "Baltimore's longest happy hour" and a favorite retreat for more settled Cantonites.