After exploring Graffiti Alley, Charles, Tarek and I were starving which meant it was time to head over to one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Baltimore = Nacho Mamas. Unfortunately, when we arrived to Nachos, the place was packed (for good reason). So we put our names on the 45 minute waitlist and headed over to the Canton Waterfront Park nearby to kill some time.
Canton Park is a little further down for the National Baltimore Harbor which means you get the same marina views but with less people. Walking through the park was very peaceful… The sky was just beginning to change colors with dusk approaching.
^^ Look Ma! No Feet!
It wasn’t long before our 45 minutes was up so we headed back to Nachos Mamas and were seated upon arrival.
You’re probably wondering what makes Nacho Mamas so special.
Well… Firstly I have a sentimental connection to this restaurant = My girlfriend, Cynthia, brought me and a few other friends here a couple years ago and we had such a good time that I always want to come back and recreate that same kind of experience when we visit Baltimore with people who have never been (in this case, it was Tarek’s first time eating here).
Secondly…. Their nachos = Sooooo bang. I mean hello, they aren’t named Nacho Mamas for nothing.
Annnnd… Third but not least = Their hubcap margaritas. Yes, you heard right. HUBCAP as in the hubcap one would normally see on a car’s tire but in this instance, filled with margarita “juice.”
Behold… The Hubcap in all it’s glory below.
^^ As you can see, one hubcap was definitely enough to feed us three…
^^ In addition to our margarita hubcap, we ordered crab and corn quesadillas…
^^ Steak nachos…
^^ And chicken tacos. As Charles mentioned, we ordered all the meats haha. But don’t worry, we shared everything that was ordered between the three of us because sharing is caring.
^^ Tarek!
^^ The full spread of deliciousness.
^^ Black and Yellow Side Eye Selfie!
^^ We crushed the food in about 20 minutes. As for the hubcap… We were still working on it a good 30 minutes after our food was consumed.
Once we finally emptied the hubcap and paid the bill, we called another uber and made our way back to the Baltimore Sound Stage to watch Hiatus Kaiyote perform.
For those of you who have never heard of Hiatus Kaiyote, they are a poly-rhythmic, neo-soul band hailing from Australia and I find their music to be so melodically on point. Our friends, Tia and Don, put us on to them a couple months ago and I would describe their sound as a mix of jazz, soul, and electronic music blended together in a way you wouldn’t expect but can’t help falling in love with.
After listening to their most recent album on repeat for a couple of weeks (which you can listen to here – Molasses and Breathing Underwater are my faves), we were pleasantly surprised at the fact that they sound exactly the same performing live at the Baltimore Sound Stage. Their lead singer, Nai Palm, can sannnnnnnnng!
It was unfortunate that we had to wait almost 2 hours before they came on stage tho (esp. in a standing only venue – our legs were tired after walking around all day) but their performance was so good that we definitely want to see them again the next time they come to the East Coast… But next time, we’ll make a point to watch them perform at a venue where there is seating.
If you’re into neo-soul music with an unexpected rhythmic twist, I highly recommend checking out Hiatus Kaiyote. Trust me, they are worth the listen.
