My oldest son spent a summer in Baltimore. It was one of the most depressing places I've ever visited. Found an Irish pub that had pretty good food, and that was about it on the positive side of the scale.
As for Flying Dog, I completely agree. Raging Bitch is very hoppy, citrusy finish, very distinctive. Snake Dog is a little less demanding but pleasant. I'd drink either one in preference to most IPAs.
Oh, and pickles ... wolf, you just need to open your mind and taste buds to the complexities, the garlic and the dill ...
I didn't eat pickles until I met my ex; my very wasp family considered them too ethnic except when eaten with a Montreal corned beef sandwich. It may be a genetic thing, though - while I enjoy pickles, I don't go out of my way to eat them; my kids, on the other hand, LOVED them literally from infancy. They would try to eat them before they had teeth. I have some great photos of them knoshing down.