GERTRUDE'S STORY

Chef/owner John Shields is a Baltimore native, and he named the restaurant after his grandmother, Gertrude Cleary, who taught him to cook as a child. John is a cookbook author and television cooking show host as well: Chesapeake Bay Cooking with John Shields, the book and TV show, were released in 1998. His latest project is Coastal Cooking with John Shields; the book is available for purchase in stores and online, and the TV show will be seen on public television in early 2005. For more information, visit www.johnshields.com.

The Eastern Shore-Inspired dining room seats approximately 110 guests with additional seating at the bar. During the warmer months, almost 80 additional seats are available on the terrace surrounding a fountain and reflecting pool. This outdoor seating is prized by the locals, and earned a “Best of Baltimore” award from Baltimore Magazine. Gertrude's dishes up a menu of regional (i.e. Chesapeake) foods for lunch, dinner, and a very poplar brunch menu.

What is “Chesapeake" cuisine? Crab Imperial, Single-Fry Oysters, Rockfish, PanFried Chicken, Corn Fritters and Crab Soup are just some examples. And while summer produce from the Eastern Shore (tomatoes, Silver Queen corn, cantaloupe, peaches) is popular when served here at Gertrude’s, nothing can compete with the restaurant’s #1 seller: Crab Cakes. We offer our crab cakes in three variations on any given day, but our Gertie’s Crab Cake, the most traditional, is always the most popular. Farm to Table concept is one that Gertrude's excels at defining through its five restaurant-maintained gardens and numerous local suppliers. And of course, John Shields believes in using local, organic ingredients whenever possible.