Baltimore Pho lights up Hollins Market area

Restaurant Review

Food *** (3 STARS)

Service *** (3 STARS)

Atmosphere *** (3 STARS)

In the evening, Baltimore Pho is a bright oasis in the deserted Hollins Market area. During the day, the market may be bustling; but at night the neighborhood is quiet, and you notice the empty sidewalks and boarded-up storefronts. (No parking worries here.) Then suddenly you spot the colorful facade of the city's newest Vietnamese restaurant.

The owners took their time to renovate what was Mencken's Cultured Pearl. They did a good job of it, creating a serene space in red, black and white. A bar runs along one side, a long dining room on the other. The contemporary decor has Asian notes but is still grounded in Baltimore (the exposed brick wall, the tin ceiling).

Poor:]