Baltimore boasts one of the nation’s oldest public markets (you know, places like Seattle’s Pike Place and the Los Angeles Grand Central Market). Baltimore’s Lexington Market dates back to 1782, though the building that houses it has gone through several iterations.
In its current form, the Lexington Market hosts about 50 local food vendors selling everything from fried chicken to seafood to baked goods. It’s a relatively vibrant place, drawing residents from the surrounding neighborhoods, workers at local businesses, and students from the nearby university campuses. This weekend it also hosted PoeFest, which, I must say, seemed to clash with the local vibe.
Anyway, you can probably guess where this is heading: Among the many food purveyors at Lexington Market is a place called B’More Twist, which sells soft pretzels!
Even though it looks like an airport fast food joint, these things are the real deal. They make the dough, roll it out, tie it into pretzel knots, soak them in a baking soda bath, and bake them, all right in front of your eyes. Here’s a glimpse of the process that I managed to film before security approached:
So, the freshness of these pretzels is beyond question. So I ordered one up and got to work.
Now, this did not come with beer cheese, but for $3.95 I really can’t complain. I took my first bite and it was clear that this is not an authentic Bavarian pretzel. Instead, it’s closer to an Auntie Anne’s mall pretzel. I think this owes in large part to the fact they brush it with a heavy dose of butter, giving it a greasy mouthfeel not unlike a slice of Domino’s Pizza. In other words, it was delicious. It practically melted in my mouth, and delivered a salty, sweet, and savory flavor. I scarfed it down in under a minute, enjoying every greasy, lardy bite.
So, again, this really wasn’t a proper Bavarian pretzel, and it lacked the all-important beer cheese and/or mustard. But it was satisfying in the same way that a Jack In the Box nachos are satisfying: As honest junk food.
PRETZEL TRIVIA
Speaking of Auntie Anne’s: Can you recognize the smell of their baking pretzels when you’re in a mall? And do you find the aroma pleasant?
Auntie Anne’s is betting that you do. And therefore they launched a perfume called “Knead: Eu de Pretzel.” And I am not making this up.
According to their press release from August 2024, “The perfume transforms the iconic aroma fans love into a wearable scent infused with notes of buttery dough, salt and a hint of sweetness. Each spritz evokes the experience of passing an Auntie Anne’s store and inhaling the nostalgic aroma of their pretzels.“
Alas, it was a limited run of 2,500 bottles, and they sold out in the first 10 minutes. But if you really need this to be your new signature scent, there’s a one-ounce bottle currently available on eBay for $299.
