Highlandtown Strong

Posted in Baltimore, pizza by Ideen Barimani

This past Saturday, September 5th, 2005 was a day I made sure to mark down on my calendar. I didn’t believe it ahead of time, but it was National Cheese Pizza Day. Yes there is a day dedicated to one of the most enjoyable things to nosh on.

In honor of this historical fact I wanted to find a place that would be befitting of such a monumental day in history. This also means there will be nothing artisanal, farm-to-table, or overly pretentious.

It’s about good old-fashioned cheese pizza that is no thrills but full of deliciousness!

Nearly a month prior I visited Filippo’s in the Highlandtown neighborhood of Baltimore.

If you had been going here before late last Summer, you saw the old Filippo’s. It had a feeling of a very old and sketchy neighborhood bar and restaurant. The times I had visited then felt so disorganized and disheveled that I actually found it refreshing to some of the more pretentious joints popping up all over the place. Nevertheless, it still felt uneasy being in there that I never felt good about my purchases. And they weren’t always up to par, food or drink.

Transformation is a wonderful thing. Nearly a year ago the restaurant and bar has been refurbished to the point of being unrecognizable. And that’s meant as the highest compliment. It’s a place locals and visitors from farther away can be proud to say they’ve frequented.

The pizza up until a year ago was mediocre-to-decent at best. Again, what a little hard work, belief, and rejuvenation can do!

Of course a large cheese pizza was on the menu and that’s what was purchased. I believe we got the 16″ for the price of $13.99, and it was well worth what the asking price was.

What a vision of beauty that is! When I think of a very good pie that doesn’t try to be something it isn’t, this would be a strong example of that.

The crust was the right mix of crispy with just a little softness to make a perfect balance per slice. The cheese tasted like a great mozzarella would. And there’s always room to mention how awesome the cheese looks baked into the crust. It’s done with precision. And the sauce was just right. This makes this one of those quintessential pies that is worth seeking out for.

It’s not going to win any awards but maybe that isn’t their intent. It’s just a delicious pie, in a thriving neighborhood, that deserves praise.

I enjoyed my slice with a glass of wine and drizzled some parmesan cheese in for good measure.

For a pizza pie to commemorate on National Cheese Pizza Day, this is one I’m grateful to have tried.

I will add that the vibe and energy inside has increased ten-fold since they’ve redone the place. The bartenders have always been friendly and the outdoor seating has a cozy small-town feel going for it.

If there is a complaint, the pie took a while to come to us and it wasn’t too busy of a night.

They do have plenty of specials on drinks as well, more can be found here.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a review of a spot in Baltimore. More is coming and some are going to be very familiar with the locals…

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

4Sep2015

Living In America

Posted in beach, holiday, pizza by Ideen Barimani

This Summer has been one for the ages! And I don’t want it to end. It’s not only been fun writing about pizza. It’s just been fun in general. The whole reason for doing this is to feel good, enjoy life, and to make some pals along the way. That is what life is all about.

An added bonus in my pizza travels, is that I get to be extremely random. I can write about anything pizza related and hopefully find the positive and sometimes spiritual in every situation.

It’s only fitting that on this unofficial final weekend of my favorite season, that we celebrate what is good and symbolic about this holiday. Were these three paragraphs a little too melodramatic? Then good! 🙂

I had to take it back to the beach and this time I found myself in Rehoboth to be more specific. There’s a lot to love about this cozy and charming resort town.

There’s great restaurants, shopping, bars, people watching, and of course the beach and boardwalk itself. So what about the pizza?

Well there’s plenty of that. I had a list of places I wanted to check out and they were all in close proximity of one another, but fortunately plans don’t always go accordingly and something new throws you for a loop. I’m happy it did.

This lead me to America’s Pie At The Beach. And what a wonderful surprise awaited me and awaits anyone else that tries their pizza!

The staff could not have been more friendly and approachable. They had some unique selections to go with their cheese, pepperoni, white, etc.

They could tell it was my first time as I was eager to try a couple of random slices. So without any further adieu, here were my two orders :

First was one they had literally just created that day. It includes bacon, red onions, and peaches! Yes peaches! And it was then topped with greens. You must pardon my excitement, I may be missing or incorrectly typing a topping or two but that’s the gist of it. I don’t believe they even had a name for it.

But this was a very charming slice. I thought the lettuce (which I’m going to say was red leaf) would be too much, but it was a fantastic addition to this wonderful slice. I must say the peaches did it for me. This all came together superbly. If it was just a white pie with peaches I’d be happy too! Red onions were a welcome addition too. And the crust was heated so perfectly! What a wonderful crunch. And the way the cheese, and the toppings baked into the crust is aesthetically pleasing. This was creativity at its peak!

Here is a picture with the lettuce off to the side, so you can get a great visual of what’s below! Magnifico!

I did my first peach festival a few weeks ago, so I felt warm and fuzzy having this one too. This was a symbolic gesture from the universe and to myself as well.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get anymore inspiring, we have the New Orleans! I visited New Orleans for the first time earlier this Summer, so this was more of a sentimental choice than anything.

I was able to get a cheat sheet off the menu for this one. I was too excited at the time to remember all the toppings for this soulful slice.

It’s amazing how one or two toppings can make or a break a slice. This one falls on the former. The mozzarella with the pepper jack cheese is a heck of a duo. I would have been happy with the slice as that. But even better, the honey dijon mustard and cajun chicken gives it some authentic New Orleans flavor. And again, it’s heated to perfection.

As you can see their website is under construction but the pizza is anything but. There were so many unique pies and slices to try that I hope I get to visit again very soon. It also seems they create stuff on the fly and that day. Like the first order I referred to, I was so excited I didn’t even get the name. I’m not sure if there even was one. Regardless, they were both wonderful.

For more on my love of peaches, click here. And for my love of New Orleans, you can follow this link.

I found out the place has only been open a month but they’re making a strong case for one of the best pizzas at the Eastern Shore. And I wish them all the best!

And on a personal level these two slices were incredible representations of two of the more wonderful experiences I had this summer. (New Orleans and the Peach Festival) I doubt that’s a coincidence.

Happy Holidays.

Best,

Ideen

28Aug2015

Born To Za!

Posted in Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey, pizza by Ideen Barimani

Of course I find a way to incorporate Bruce Springsteen into the pizza discussion. This past Tuesday we celebrated the 40th Birthday of Born To Run! And what does any sane person do? They take a drive to Freehold, NJ and eat at one of the pizza places The Boss has been known to frequent. But there’s more!

After doing a little research and asking friends, I took the two-hour drive up the New Jersey Turnpike and made my first ever visit to Freehold.

This had such a good vibe from the get go. There’s a very small town feel and energy that would only make sense, based on where I was. We had a plethora of local shops, restaurants, and services, with a limit on chains. And I like the sound of all of that. It was an easy town to navigate. And after a little bit of exploring I stopped in at Federici’s.

The feeling inside and out was just as authentic as the town itself. No bells and whistles, no hoopla, just a good energy with folks enjoying their meals and the company they were with. Or you have someone like me, enjoying their meal in solitude.

I did a quick scan of the menu and decided on the Chicken Parmigiana t o go. The thin crust was outstanding as well as were the ingredients. This came together perfectly. This was a joy to eat! Needless to say, for an individual pie, this didn’t have a chance. I savored many bites as slowly as I could to appreciate what I was experiencing. What an absolute pleasure this was. The cheese was baked in perfectly as was the chicken. And this tasted like real breaded chicken. And I could go on all day about that sauce! Holy moly! Incredible stuff!

This was masterful work. I should have had another. I was full and satisfied. But I don’t come around too often that I wish I had another to praise and laud. It’s been a week but now I can’t stop thinking about how amazing this pie was. There was a great soul behind the making of this pie. Oh my goodness.

And the staff was incredibly friendly, even though the restaurant and take-out lines were starting to get hectic. There were pictures of Bruce visiting on the wall, but I never could come across them. Next time.

For more on Federici’s and their story, you can go here and always my favorite is the community section of any website.

Of course when I’m visiting a new place, I do need to make some touristy moves.

Directly across the street is the Columbia Triumphant statue. Where you see that, you see a bunch of Jersey-related icons with their names on the bricks. I was informed that Bruce had one with a special kind of cement in its spot in case anyone felt compelled to be bad and steal this piece of history. I found it and got real up-close-and-personal photo! Woohoo!

Here is where I get a little cuckoo. I had caught wind of the fact that the house, at 39 1/2 Institute Street, Springsteen grew up in from age five to the eighth grade was close by. And thanks to help from a dear friend, I found it. And I got some great up-close photographs!

This street was so eerily quiet I was a tad nervous at times. Literally, there was no one walking or driving by. Maybe that’s how it was meant to be. I spent a good few minutes appreciating this piece of history.

The tree is the famous one that Bruce posed with for a photo shoot for the “Born in the U.S.A” album over 30 years ago. Think I got enough of the tree and the house?

I could have stayed here for a while and done some more inspirational discovering, but I left on a very high note. And that just means I’ll have to come back.

Everywhere I went I felt the energy of something powerful. It could have been the amazing pizza, being in a new place for the first time, how I was feeling at that very moment, or maybe just appreciating one of the New Jersey and this country’s greatest icons.

Thanks so much. And Happy Birthday, Born To Run!

Best,

Ideen

21Aug2015

Mione’s – Back To The Beach

Posted in pizza by Ideen Barimani

I was really hoping to like Mione’s on my first visit, but that didn’t happen. I was also hoping to write about another great pizza joint at the Eastern Shore, but that didn’t happen either.

I love Ocean City and there’s good pizza to be had, like I mentioned in a previous post. But this was not it.

I’m all for trying something new, and going to places that may not be the most prominent of names is a part of that.

I hadn’t heard of Mione’s until driving through the resort town last year, and I had a couple of slices that day. I recall they weren’t that memorable. This go around took place on a busy weekend in July, and this visit was much worse.

I don’t know how else to put it. The pizza and service left so much to be desired. I understand during the Summertime that slices and certain preferences can be unavailable at any time. However, during my visit, no standard slices were available. There was no cheese, nor pepperoni, nor white. The wait time on the former to come out, I was told, was nearly 30 minutes. Not many people trying to get a slice, or most foods to go, would be willing to wait even half that time.

My negativity is not necessarily based on the lack of slices, but on what was available.

Thankfully, the chicken and vegetable pesto, white pizza was available. And a white veggie which included eggplant was also one of the few slices ready to be heated and eaten within minutes. Now I understand why.

Both slices were disappointing. The dough and crust didn’t taste right. It was crisp but not in a good way Pieces of crust were falling off and tasting like it was burnt toast. Good pizza is good pizza, and it can withstand being heated and then reheated many times over. I imagine the reheating process made both of these worse over time.

The chicken didn’t taste fresh and neither did the vegetables that came with it. The roasted red peppers didn’t have much flavor. The silver lining was the pesto. Pesto is always good and even this wasn’t the best tasting pesto.

The vegetable slice was much worse I’m glad I was forced to try a new slice with the eggplant but the results were abysmal. The eggplant, red peppers, and I think those were mushrooms, did not make a good melange of anything.

Needless to say, I barely ate a third of either slice. I don’t like wasting food but I didn’t feel good eating this and saw no point in forcing the issue.

Despite my harshness, I will be willing to try some other slices. There is much on the menu to choose from, in term of pizza, so next time I’m back, I’ll give ’em another shot. And the fact that the staff was so friendly albeit stressed and seemed rush plays a factor in why I will go back, and also why the pizza was disappointing based upon this visit.

The pizza this time around wasn’t good, but they all can’t be winners.

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

14Aug2015

Brick N Fire Fridays

Posted in Maryland, pizza by Ideen Barimani

I had heard so much about BrickNFire Pizza out of Catonsville, MD, that I knew I was destined to try it. How or where I would have my first encounter would be purely unplanned.

As luck would have it, I was enjoying myself at a wine festival last Friday, and I was happy to see they were serving up their pies as part of the event.

In talking to people in the past, the great majority of them have sung the praises of their pizza. They’ve said how great the crust tastes. And that the overall flavor and presentation is distinct. Their toppings are homegrown which is always a plus. And they make their own sauce. Everything sounds amazing here. And in just the one year they’ve been operating, they have made a wonderful impression on a lot of pizza lovers. Sounds like a recipe for success.

However, to my surprise, I did not have the best of experiences. I can take what people tell me and use the information as a basis to form my own opinion. And maybe understand where they’re coming from. But in this instance something fell flat.

I do say this with a disclaimer, I got my pizza in the latter stages of the evening. I ordered the Megan’s, which looked really good on paper. I don’t think I’ve ever had squash on a pie, so I was really excited to try it.

To my disappointment, they were out of their Heirloom Tomatoes, as they told me this was the fastest selling pizza of the night. I can understand that and willing to try something else. The staff there suggested green peppers in place of that and I was ok with that.

It just did not come together well. I could see the tomatoes were a huge part of this one, and the flavor was missing. But, there were a couple of other things wrong. I didn’t taste much in the way of basil on half the pie. The garlic oil and mozzarella seemed non-existent. It just tasted very plain to me. However, the vegetables were great. I really liked the squash and the peppers were fresh but they did not fit in with this pizza at all. And I will not give them demerit points for offering a new topping to replace the tomatoes.

But I will question the $15 for this pie. I understand this being market price but I don’t see the justification in the cost, especially for not having all the ingredients as advertised.

The dough was tasty and the burnt parts really added something. A friend who was with me liked how certain parts were more charred than others, but agreed with me that the pie had been compromised. It was a serviceable yet mediocre creation. I think the soul was missing from here. And that’s just as important as anything else.

I like Neapolitan-style pizza so this made me sad.

I know it was towards the end of the evening, but this was disappointing. They also took a while to making my order by a few minutes longer than promised. I understand they were backed up, but I feel as if I hadn’t come back to check on my food, they may have forgotten about me. Heating it up at this temperature only takes a few minutes.

With all this being said, I will definitely try one of their za’s again. I have mainly heard positive things about their pies, so I was a bit surprised at my troubling experience. Their wood-fired oven looks impressive and I have posted pictures of the massive work of art. I’m not big on first impressions, and I expect my next pie to be nothing short of stellar.

For more on the wine festival I attended, where BricknFire was click here.

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

7Aug2015

Johnny’s On The Spot

Posted in pizza by Ideen Barimani

After last week I may just do beach related pizza posts into September. I shall see where the wind takes me.

Johnny’s is a pizzeria that is one of the newer pizza parlors to surface. When one pizza place opened up, it seems so many followed. If it wasn’t for the to go box pictured below, I wouldn’t have known they set up shop in 2010. But 5-10 years would have been my hypothesis. Now I’m willing to bet the amount of places in OC to get a slice or a pie are in at least in the 100+ range.

Like many of these other comfort food locations, they’re open into the wee hours of the morning. So if a quick slice or two to go is what you’re looking for, they will oblige and with pleasure.

I’ve had slices from here in the past and did not care for them. They were adequate. For after a night of going out they were purposeful but I didn’t like the feeling in the morning. I guess that’s the point.

They have quite the expansive menu and many specialty pies to choose from. For purposes of this visit, I ordered a pie for friends and I to try. I got really adventurous here.

The Thai Chicken Pizza was something else. I had no expectations. It turned out better than I thought. If it seems like it’s just a bunch of items thrown together, then you would be correct. That doesn’t mean it can’t be good. The peanut and ginger sauce was a bit aggressive that it was a bit hard to eat in spots. It was spread randomly all over.

Aside from that I was pleasantly surprised. The mix of mozzarella and cheddar really came together well. And I love onions. They threw a lot of whole pieces on there as you can see. But not only white onions (which are not listed as part of the pie but were included anyways) but the green ones as well. Which are always great. If there were carrots I barely noticed them. Maybe the white onions were the substitute. The peanuts were a nice touch too. It really tasted like a Thai dish or salad.

What really makes this pie however, is the chicken. It tasted a lot fresher than I thought it would. Kudos to that. The crust was a nice mix of crispy and soft that it didn’t detract in any way from the pie.

So in hindsight this was a better pie than I realized. It wasn’t the greatest. But this was a solid indluging that will make me want to come back and try something else.

The bar and restaurant, along with the carry out area, is usually always packed in the peak months. This means getting there at the right time can be a challenge.

Till the next visit to the beach.

Best,

Ideen

31Jul2015

An Ocean City Favorite

Posted in Maryland, pizza by Ideen Barimani

Whether it’s the locals in town or folks on vacation, people have sung the praises of Trattoria Lombardi’s (or just Lombardi’s for short) in Ocean City, MD.

When I mentioned to my fellow pizza pals that I wanted to focus on pizzerias by the Maryland and Delaware Beaches, Lombardi’s was the top request and suggestion.

I am grateful to only live a couple of hours from the Eastern Shore. And I am grateful to have made a visit to this famous restaurant during 4th of July weekend.

And the fact that it was during the holidays will be taken into consideration.

The interior is very authentic. It’s an older restaurant and I like it that way. There was really no chance to take photos inside, since it was such a sea of humanity. And what I would try to capture would be lost in the shuffle. The place was packed and the lines to get a table or even to order food to go were growing by the minute. There was such a frenzy and I wouldn’t expect anything less during such a hectic time of year.

I ordered three pies to go, for my friends and I to enjoy.

While scanning the menu I was pleased to see a special Summer Pizza. Of course I had to satisfy my curiosity.

Unfortunately this was my least favorite. The tomatoes and basil on the white pie really didn’t click for me. It wasn’t bad. It just didn’t come together how I had hoped. The dough on all three were cooked very well. It was the right about of crispness and softness at the same time. The visuals are a delight. I love how the cheese looked so magnificent melted into the crust. But for this one, maybe it was a rush job. The tomatoes don’t need to be cooked all the way but it felt like they were thrown on at the last-minute.

Next, we have the White Pizza. I didn’t realize until I was eating it that it had onions. I thought it was a mistake or a few onions had spilled over from another order by mistake. It wasn’t until I looked at the menu that I saw this was their special version. And I really liked this one. I found this very tasty and love how the onion is a part of this pie. If you look close you may be able to see them in this picture. This was my favorite of the three.

And finally, it’s the Cheese. So many people have told me this is one of their favorite pizzas at the beach or anywhere in Maryland for that matter. So I had high expectations. They did not reach them. I thought it was good but it didn’t turn out as great as I hoped. I’m not sure what I was hoping for but this was a notch or two below that.

Nevertheless, my buds and I ate this pizza up over the next couple of days because it was very good. And it tasted great reheated. But I don’t think it’s quite the blow away pizza others have touted.

But as I previously stated, I understand this tasting fell on a holiday weekend, so I will definitely give it another go. And I would eat here again anyways, either in-house or carry-out. I found this to be a very good but not quite the amazing feast I felt would happen.

In a way I blame myself for such high expectations. But I can’t way to go back on another day and have those same expectations. I believe the hype!

If you’d like to read my previous resort themed pizza posts, click here and here.

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

24Jul2015

New Orleans Finest

Posted in New Orleans, pizza by Ideen Barimani

The pizza shown here is art. That’s all I can say.

I have been waiting for the right time to talk about the first of several pizza places I visited in New Orleans. There is no right time, but I didn’t want to wait too long. And the Summer is always ideal. I have so much good to say about Reginelli’s that I’m freaking out on where and how to begin. Well I believe I just did!

I need to write whatever I can to do this place justice. Plain and simple this is some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. One in particular was such a stand out, I was genuinely getting goose bumps while I was having this pie.

About a month ago, I made my first ever visit to New Orleans, and of course I enjoyed as much as I can in the limited amount of time. I did a lot of sight-seeing, a lot of eating, a lot of drinking, and a lot of living.

I had researched a few pizza places I wanted to visit, for this blog. And I did get to a couple of those, but the best things in life tend to happen unplanned. And this is what happened here.

After a day of exploring I found myself in the Central Business District just strolling along with no worries, no headaches, and no sense of direction. That last part is not a negative. It’s good to get lost in a place you’ve never been. These are the events that make you stronger and are so liberating.

As I’m walking along I see this charming storefront and I also see pizza! Whatever fate had in mind for me, I was meant to eat here. And eat here I did. I also ended up staying for a couple of hours. More on that shortly.

The staff could not be more welcoming. I had a nice view of downtown NOLA as I had a cup of coffee, yes coffee, and a glass of water before I was ready to order. They told me take all the time I needed. It wasn’t too busy in there but I appreciate the sentiment. And they were sincere about it. I felt so at home and like a regular. Maybe in a previous life?

I love their setup, I love their menus, I love everything about this place. The interior felt so cozy and so welcoming. I didn’t want to go anywhere. It’s like I belonged here and in this city. It was my last day here and this experience will always resonate with me. This was quite the way to go out.

After everything I just got overly sentimental about, how was the food?

There was so much on the menu I wanted to devour, but I could only get one pie. And a small, personal pie would most likely suffice. The friendly server who waited on me, Danielle, was so kind and so helpful in her suggestions. She said I could do a half-and-half pizza. Funny, that months into writing about these pizza joints, I never thought to do that. Well here we go. As a first timer, I went with the Gumbo, which includes andouille sausage, spicy smoked tomato sauce, crystal marinated shrimp, roasted eggplant, holy trinity and pickled okra. That’s a lot to digest I know. No pun intended. The second half was the Saltimbocca, which has garlic herb sauce, fresh spinach, marinated chicken breast and prosciutto with fresh lemon juice.

Can you guess which one really hit a nerve?

Ironically it was the latter piece. The Gumbo was very good but there was a lot of moving parts that it felt too much to eat all at once. And this is meant as high praise It was scrumptious. The toppings, the sauce, the cheese, and the crust were cooked to perfection. It just seemed a bit rich and hearty for me. That’s not to say I wouldn’t eat again.

But, I need to talk about the Saltimbocca. I could dedicate an entire thesis on this one. This is how a pie is done. All you need a is few ingredients, the right temperature, and the right soul behind it, and you have a winner. The lemon juice really put it over-the-top. I would have never thought to put that or have that added to my meal, ever. It’s such a simple and healthy that I no longer want to take for granted.

The presentation was also out-of-this-world, I wish I could throw up a hundred pictures. The display is sometimes just as important as the pie. I mean you’ve got to be kidding me? This is incredible.

And speaking of not taking anything for granted, I want to thank Danielle for being so kind in allowing me to take pictures and getting her blessing to do a write-up on this place. I think this is the first time I felt so comfortable talking about my blog to the actual spot I was writing about.

In addition, they accidentally gave me a large but charged me for the price of a small. It’s the little details that I wanted to mention as well. They didn’t have to do that. But it’s the sense of family and community I got in there that makes me want to come back.

Maybe I just felt at home, maybe its being on vacation, maybe New Orleans just hit me on a very spiritual level.

I can’t wait to go back. I miss this city so much.

Best,

Ideen

17Jul2015

These Boots

Posted in Maryland, pizza by Ideen Barimani

Just in time for Artscape, I wanted to get around to writing about Two Boots in the Mt. Royal section of Baltimore.

For those outside of the area, if you aren’t familiar with this festival, its massive. Major streets are shutdown and it’s a sea of humanity. It’s really quite the visual.

This pizza establishment, based out of New York, is entrenched in the heart of MICA and the University of Baltimore. Penn Station is nearby as well. Because of the diversity of folks, from locals, students, business travelers, tourists, and passersby, you get a very unique energy when you go inside.

I would like to think that’s usually a positive. But, the last few times I’ve gone it’s been a weird vibration of sort. It could be what I’m seeing or it could be all the moving parts around me. I’d like to think it’s a little of both. It has been uneasy at times.

My most recent visits, have led to 15 minute plus waits for just a couple of slices to be heated up. And it’s with little to any line in front of me, or people waiting for their orders.

However, I have never been the biggest fan of their food. I’ve only had pizza but it as never blown me away. And many times when I wanted a slice, because of the toppings, it would be gone. That’s likely a combination of their popularity and so many people coming in and out getting whatever slice may be available. And that happened to me on the eve of this event, which starts today.

The two I really wanted to get today were unavailable, and there was a 15-20+ minute wait time on the next pie to come out, which is understandable, just frustrating.

The Animal Collective, which is a spinach and artichoke pie, had been decimated way before I got there, from what I was told. I would like to give that a shot sometime.

And the last slice of Cleopatra Jones was taken by the person directly in front of me. It was a bit disheartening but the early or last-minute bird gets the worm.

So with what was available, I ordered the Mr. Pink and because they were low on slices, a regular cheese. You can always judge a place on their cheese.

The cheese nor the Mr. Pink I found enjoyable. I could barely taste any cheese and I am not a fan of their sauce. For the latter, the creole chicken didn’t taste particularly good. It wasn’t fresh. I was in New Orleans for the time first time recently and tasted some wonderful chicken, along with other meats. This wasn’t it. I’m not all of a sudden an expert on southern cooking. I just want it to delicious and feel good eating in the process. These were both very mediocre slices.

And the cornmeal crust is an interesting topic of discussion. Some of my friends love it more than regular dough. I find it very coarse and rough. It feels funny on my tongue and when chewing it. It’s not likely to be an acquired taste. Good crust is good crust. This isn’t it.

I wasn’t able to finish either slice and found myself pining for something else. And the wait for my two slices was again, around 15 minutes.

With this major festival happening, the wait for your slices and pies will likely be much longer. And a few of my peers love it, as might you.

I wanted to post about this because if you’re attending the festa, you may want something other than food truck or outdoor vendor to snack on. Two Boots, with its wonderful storefront signage and charming names for their za’s will be easy to spot. And I wish them a massively successful weekend!

It’s going to be a great for few days for Baltimore and the local businesses nearby. The positives that will come from this will be infinite.

And because they have so many varieties, I will gladly try them again. And I understand how busy they can be, so that may lend itself to rushed cooking jobs. The staff has always been friendly and show a great deal of patience during busy times.

Most important of all, they have a large community presence and that always feels good to read about.

If you head down, see you at Artscape. Enjoy!

Best,

Ideen

10Jul2015

Tugo, or not Tugo

Posted in Maryland, pizza by Ideen Barimani

Ocean City, MD has always brought me found memories, from when I was a kid. A lot has changed but a lot has remained the same.

There’s a lot more to do as an adult, in terms of bars, clubs, and restaurants. But, this resort town prides itself on being a family destination, first and foremost.

I remember eating Pizzas Tugos when I was a kid and thinking it was the greatest pizza on earth. Actually every pizzeria I ate at felt like the greatest thing in the world!

Either my taste buds have expanded or I just grew up. Because these two slices I got were anything but the greatest.

How great and greasy does that appear? Well it may look appealing to the late night delivery and pick-up crowd, but that still doesn’t make it any better.

I understand this is a small sample size, but it was still disappointing. It was way too loaded with grease and fat. Now or a night after the bars, that might be just fine. But I can only imagine what you’d be feeling the next morning.

It was also very salty. I do like how there was loads of cheese bleeding into the to go (tugo? hehe) box. But the cheese was a big mound of salt and other problems.

The sauce tasted a bit funny too. It just didn’t go with the cheese or the crust. And the latter was a bit soggy. I tried to eat what I could, but I had to give up.

Some of the other problems included the service. There was no line in front of me, and I waited a good 15 minutes for my order. You would think with all that time passing, that my pizza would be either heated up just right or a bit lukewarm, or maybe a little of both. No, this was scolding hot and not in a good way. My tongue burned but fortunately I survived and didn’t need a fire extinguisher to save me.

In keeping up with trying to find positives, I do like that they have their own design paper for carry out, which you can see in the first picture above. Other than that I don’t know. Well, the pepperoni was ok. I picked those off and ate those on its own.

Now when many of us are at the beach, or away on vacation, our goal is not necessarily to look for amazing, knock your socks off pizza. But it should at least taste good. This wasn’t the worst but I found it mediocre and boring. I don’t see the point in coming back to visit anytime soon.

This shouldn’t sway you from not wanting to try them out. You may love it. I know a few who do. Here’s their menu.

Summer is in full swing, so more OC and Eastern Shore reviews will be forthcoming. For a prior review from Memorial Day Weekend, click here.

All The Best,

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