With a touch of serendipity, I found my new favorite corner bar in Baltimore: Annabel Lee Tavern.

I had the pleasure of eating, drinking and making merry at the tavern this weekend, and while I'm not sure that such revelry -- complete with some NCAA action -- is the first thing you think of when Edgar Allan Poe comes to mind, I can't wait to go back. 

The evening started with a great plan: First dinner at Matthews, then head across the street to the Patterson, to see the Creative Alliance's special screening of Metropolis.

But with a 40-minute wait, Pat and I got a little antsy, and decided to find our food elsewhere. Believe me, it was a bit heartbreaking -- when your stomach is set on Matthews pizza, nothing else will really do.

And that's when the quotation on the side of a building on South Clinton Street got my attention: "The happiest day, The happiest hour ...". And I smiled.

Sure, I knew Annabel Lee Tavern was out there, but as a Hampdenite, I'd never really come across it. This was the perfect opportunity to check out the literary-themed bar.

We walked in to find a warm, inviting bar, with just a touch of the macabre: There was '40s music and delicious smells in the air, with Poe's candlelit visage looking over all. There were more words from the man himself painted on the walls, and artwork reminiscent of some of his works. I loved it immediately.

While extremely busy, the staff was attentive, and the food was excellent. I had the cauliflower and cheese turnover, with an appetizer of duck fat fries and a bit of conversation with the couple next to us, all washed down with some Resurrection.

Although I'm going to say it now: Resurrection doesn't hold a candle to the Baltimore-based beer that I discovered that night: The Raven. If you haven't tried it yet, please do!

And then I ended my meal with the tavern's version of the chipwich, because I'm still young enough to enjoy mixing beer and ice cream. It was the best chipwich I'd ever had.

In short, finding Annabel Lee Tavern was exactly the type of experience that makes me love this city -- and a good book -- so much: The story may not always wind up exactly where you expected, but it's a completely satisfying end.