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Abbondanza!: Five of Our Favorite Area Pizzas

August 18, 2009

Are you lucky enough to have a kid who, if you'd let her, would eat pizza at every meal?  Because I have a kid like that, and, as much as I enjoy the pizza, I rather wish she'd expand her culinary horizons a little.  You know?  Anyway, as I said, I'm pretty fond of pizza, and I do like-on occasion-to go out for the cheesy, doughy stuff.  So, where do we go when we're craving some pizza?  Well, here are five of our favorite spots:

 

Matthew's Pizza

If you have a good memory, you may recall that I've written about Matthew's before, not long after we, much to our palates' content, discovered it.  Matthew's is the real deal, without the fancy-schmancy toppings; if you're looking for what, in my humble opinion, is the best pie in town, this is where you're going to find it. 

 

Egyptian Pizza

With, like, about 7,000 varieties of pizza on the menu, Egyptian Pizza has a pie for everyone. And if you're hankering for something other than pizza, no problem, because Egyptian Pizza has plenty of other stuff, including some excellent Middle Eastern specialties, too. 

 

Fazzini's  Italian Kitchen

Hidden away in a strip mall in suburban Cockeysville, Fazzini's serves up some of the crustiest, most delicious pizza that you'll find anywhere in town.  For something a little different, try the homemade focaccia, which is made with Romano and sharp cheddar cheeses.  Yummy.

 

Brick Oven Pizza (BOP)

There's something about BOP's hustle and bustle that keeps us going back for more.  I can't say that the pizza is exactly outstanding, but the Fells Point location and friendly service make it more than worth the trip.  Plus, the lunch specials are pretty  reasonable.

 

Fortunato Brothers Pizza - 6374 York Road, Baltimore, 410-377-7300

Another suburban pizza joint that offers far-better-than-average pies.  And it's cheap!  Try the tomato bread, which is sort of like Fazzini's focaccia, for a twist on the pizza theme.  One suggestion:  The place is rather light on ambience; plan on taking your pizza to go.

 

Know of a fantastic pizza place that I've forgotten?  I'd love to hear about your favorite! 

 

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Delicious Diners: Five of Our Local Favorites

June 02, 2009

Sometimes, instead of fresh fruit and whole grains and low-fat yogurt and whatnot, all we really want is diner food, in all of its glucose-raising, belt-tightening glory.  Because what, when you get right down to it, really compares to French fries and chocolate milkshakes?  What could take the place of a once-in-a-while patty melt washed down with a cold Vanilla Coke?
 
Following, just in time for bathing suit season, is a list of five of our favorite diners.  Prepare to engorge! 
 
The Hollywood Diner - 400 E. Saratoga Street, Baltimore, 410-962-5379
This diner is a classic--so classic, in fact, that it was the setting for Barry Levinson's 1982 film, "Diner"--and if you're interested in introducing your kids to the whole diner aesthetic (as well as to a greasy, delectable meal), this is an excellent place to start.  The chrome exterior will definitely get you in the diner spirit, and knowing that the place is operated by the Chesapeake Center for Youth Development, an organization devoted to teaching job readiness skills to "at-risk" kids, will put in an even better mood.  Be aware, though, that the hours--Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.--are a little non-traditional.  Plan on stopping in for breakfast or lunch.
 
Double T Diner - Several locations, including 6300 Baltimore National Pike, Catonsville, 410-744-4151
Established in 1959, the Double T has been around so long that they've got the whole diner thing pretty much down to a science.  Mini-jukeboxes at each table?  Check.  Superb milkshakes?  Check.  If the quintessential diner experience is what you're after, then the Double T is the place to go.
 
Papermoon Diner - 227 W. 29th Street, Baltimore, 410-889-4444
Papermoon isn't super-cheap, especially by diner standards (though, to be fair, none of these places are super-cheap), but the good food and inimitable atmosphere make it a restaurant worth visiting.  The walls and ceilings, all adorned with Barbie heads, Pez dispensers, metal trains, and just about any other toys you can think of, will keep the kids entertained while you wait for the food.  And how about the food?  At the Papermoon, you can order many of your diner favorites, plus some more eclectic items, including some nice vegetarian options, that you won't find at just any diner.
 
Tamber's Nifty Fifties Restaurant - 3327 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore, 410-243-5777
As much as I love the diner food--and I think we established that a few paragraphs back--there are times when the kids want the diner-style cuisine a little more than I do.  Which is why Tamber's is such an awesome place, because they serve both traditional diner fare and delicious Indian food.  I challenge you to find another restaurant in Baltimore that can whip up a meatloaf and a saag paneer with equally yummy results.  Accept my challenge!  Go ahead and try!
 
The Nautilus Diner - Two locations, including one at 2047 York Road, Timonium, 410-561-9236
The Nautilus is your basic, no-frills suburban diner, with good food, friendly service and a nice, roomy parking lot.  And though it's by no means the kitchiest of the diners on the list, what it lacks in quirkiness and old-school diner ambiance, it more than makes up for in tastiness and convenience.  Be sure to try, if you're feeling more Mediterranean than American retro, one of the many excellent Greek specialties.
 
Great.  So now I'm dying for a French dip and a strawberry milkshake.  And you?  Am I safe in assuming that you're not fantasizing about raw cauliflower and bran flakes right now? 
 
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Here's the Scoop: Five of Our Favorite Local Ice Cream Joints

May 12, 2009

Ice cream.  There is no compound word in the English language that quite compares to ice cream.  Say these words--"Hey, do you wanna go for ice cream?"--to your preschooler and see if you can count to one before the bouncing and squealing and cheering start.  My kids, who get excited about lots of things, including leopards and diesel engines and bubbles and Ferris wheels, will lose it to an almost startling degree at the mere mention of ice cream.  The thing is, given our family's history of heart disease, I don't treat them to the creamy, yummy, squeal-inducing stuff very often, and when I do, I'm pretty selective, because I can't justify wasting our once-in-a-while ice cream indulgence on a mediocre product.  Following are five of our favorite local ice cream establishments.  Please, by all means, chime in with your own favorites.

 
There's so much to love about Taharka Brothers--the fact that the ice cream is homemade and spectacular; the fact that the business is run by formerly "at-risk" young people who are striving to give themselves and others like them better lives--that we would go there, like, every day if ice cream were just a little better for us.  Try off-the-beaten-path flavors, like coconut chip and lemon cookie custard, or old standards like chocolate and chocolate mint chip.  Whatever you get, it will be delicious, and you'll feel good about helping entrepreneurial young adults to break the cycle of poverty.
 
Moxley's (Available at Bon Bons of Belvedere Square, and at several other locations around town)
Not long ago, as recently, I think, as last summer, the delectable and delightful Moxley's Ice cream Parlor was still doing business on Allegheny Avenue in Towson.  But then things changed and Moxley's began to concentrate more on their wholesale operations, leaving a great emptiness in my heart and in the waist of my capri pants.  Fortunately, however, Moxley's can still be had, both in pint form at numerous spots around the area
(check Moxley's Web site for a list of locations) and in its hand-dipped glory at other places, including Bon Bons.  Not quite as awesome, maybe, as getting it straight from Moxley's, but mighty tasty just the same.
 
Lee's  (Inner Harbor) 
The Inner Harbor, prime destination for both tourists and locals with kids, suffers from no shortage of ice cream vendors.  The best of these, at least in my opinion, is Lee's, where the ice cream is fresh and locally made and where you can relish the fact that you're supporting a Baltimore-based business.  Mmmmm . . . .
 
Nothing says "I'm having fun with my kid in Fell's Point" quite like a run up the pier to admire the boats, followed by an ice cream cone in the square.  Maggie Moo's can get pretty crowded, particularly in the thick of summer, but their ice cream is worth the wait and is best enjoyed while sitting on a bench and people-watching.
 
What sets Monkton Village Market apart from the others, honestly, is more the location than the quality of their ice cream.  Not that their ice cream isn't very good; it's just that their location, right on the scenic North Central Railroad Trail in Monkton, is even better. Be sure, too, to check out the market's wide array of vegetarian and vegan lunchtime offerings.
 
Honorable mention goes to the always-elusive ice cream truck, if for no other reason than the ice cream it carries is akin, as far as my kids are concerned, to winning the lottery or finding the Holy Grail.
 
And now I'm hungry, not surprisingly, for ice cream.  Seems to me that the kids have been very, very good and are in need of a little treat.  Don't you think?   
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Family Date Night: Matthew's Pizza

March 16, 2009

Though I've lived in Baltimore for most of my life, somehow, until several weeks ago, I'd managed to miss out on Matthew's Pizza.  How I achieved this I'm not entirely certain, as the place, in all seriousness, is a Baltimore institution, with so many "best pizza" awards to their credit that I feel as if I must have been under a rock.  I mean, sure, I had heard of Matthew's, but I'd foolishly thought that pizza was pizza, and that a decent pie here or a decent pie there didn't really make that much of a difference.  But oh, I'm here to tell you, it does make a difference; Matthew's, no matter where you live, is absolutely worth the trip.  It's cheap, it's friendly, and it's super, super yummy, and if you still need confirmation that this place is worth visiting, consider the fact that they've been cheesin' up dough at this same Eastern Avenue location since 1943. 

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Family Date Night: The Golden West Cafe

by Laura Stallard Petza

February 02, 2009

The Golden West Cafe , now in its second and far roomier location, has been serving up delicious food for about the last 10 years. And while its quirky interior and Hampden address make it very appealing to the young, hip and childless, these same features, coupled with the yummy, eclectic menu, attract people with children, too. It's true that the place can get quite  Read more...

The Weather Outside Is Frightful, and My Toddler's Being Spiteful (Volume Two): Five (More) Things to Do in Baltimore on a Less-Than-Perfect Day

by Laura Stallard Petza

January 20, 2009

Winter. At its best, it's a season of light snow, of candy hearts, and at its worst, well, it's a season of boredom. There hasn't been much in the way of snow this winter, and it's too early, of course, for candy hearts, so what's left for you to do with the kids? Sure, there's ice skating--I wrote about skating venues a few weeks back--but perhaps you're still looking for a few activities that  Read more...

Clementine

by Laura Stallard Petza

January 12, 2009

I love Clementine, the spectacularly good restaurant that opened, to much acclaim, on Harford Road in Hamilton last year. I love it, first and foremost, for the food (everything I've tasted, from the creamy macaroni and cheese to the zippy basil-lime elixir--plus a bunch of yummy treats in between--has been exceptional), but I also really enjoy the atmosphere, which is inviting to singles and  Read more...

Family Date Night: Amer's Cafe

by Laura Stallard Petza

December 01, 2008

Had it up to your gizzard with turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes? Then why not head over to Amer's Cafe in Fullerton, where you can get some hummus, a kabob, a salad or a pizza, without blowing through your whole wad of holiday cash? And best of all? Amer's is ridiculously family-friendly, to the point that, after dinner, you might have to drag the kids out. Think I'm kidding? Let me  Read more...

More of Our Favorite Activities and Things to Do in baltimore

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Creatures & Critters:
Our Urban Jungle

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Do, Re, Mi! Places to Hear, Sing & Play a Tune

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Artistic Endeavors:
Our Favorite Art Venues

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Room to Run:
Run, Jump & Wiggle Outdoors

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Rainy & Quiet Days:
Cozy & Crazy Indoor Fun

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A Sense of History:
Our City's Stories

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Tot's Science Fair:
Science & Nature Sites

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The Most Fun in Life Is Free!

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The Best of... Our Top Can't-Live-Without Spots

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Laura Stallard Petza

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