Tag Archives: Baltimore

On The Avenue

Posted in Maryland, pizza by

slyce

Since being around the Baltimore area for the past 15 years, I’ve always been sentimental to White Marsh. So it’s about time I review a pizza place nearby. And this brings us to Slice Pizzeria on The Avenue.

slyce2

What stood out right away was how tiny the inside was.  It only seats a few people indoors and there are tabletops outside for dining when the weather is nice. They also have a side entrance where you can order from the outside (as seen pictured above), which gives it a local shoppe feel.  I find that awesome.  In the nearly two years they’ve been open, they have developed quite the following.  And being next to the movie theater is a plus.

Unfortunately, I feel their pizza has become movie theater quality.  When I was originally going their slices were quite tasty. They lived up to their New York Style thin crust reputation.  In my past few visits, I have noticed a decrease in goodness. The slices I will review were based on my most recent stop.

slyces

First up was The White Pizza.  I just didn’t get much from it.  It was ok.  The crust was fine.  The cheese just seemed lacking.  It didn’t have the usual flavor I have come to expect.  It tasted more like cheese on toast.

Next in line, we had The Shore Pie Pizza.  And boy did this look promising.   The ingredients are grilled chicken, butter, Old Bay, mozzarella, and blue cheese. Now you would think this would be a recipe for success.  I really wanted it to be.  But again, it just didn’t come together.   I really like the idea of butter as an ingredient.  But I never felt like I tasted it. In addition, the Old Bay and blue cheese didn’t seem to click.  I can imagine for many, this is a match made in pizza heaven.  I just wasn’t feeling it.  And the chicken was ok.  I’ve had better pieces of chicken on a pie. Again, this was an ok slice.  But I can’t say I’d try it again. bacon

And lastly, we have the Rancher Pizza.  We got bacon on this one, so it’s gotta be great right?  There’s grilled chicken again, barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, and the aforementioned bacon.  This just didn’t work. I had a hard time eating this one.   I didn’t love the bbq sauce.  It was too sweet for me, but that is what wasblisted.  I found this one the most disappointing. Since they have one of the most creative and inventive menus I’ve seen, I will give it another go.  I just recall their pizza tasting a whole lot better. Some of their slices are over $5, which is a bit steep for me.

There’s a lot of positives though.  The staff is always friendly and happy to assist with questions about the unique entrees. Every time I’ve gone in, they’ve been smiling.   In addition, their slices are of generous proportions, which could justify the price somewhat. Just because I didn’t love it doesn’t mean you won’t.

And judging by reviewers, a lot of people are fans. I do wish Slice all the success and look forward to trying another concoction again. Thanks so much. Best, Ideen

New Sensation

Posted in Maryland, pizza by

Italian Sensation

Happy Opening Day in Baltimore.  For many this feels like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and other festive days, all rolled into one. Life is good.  Everyone is happy and feeling like a million bucks.  As we should.   Now in keeping with the tradition of today, I did go local on today’s review.

My pizza journey this week led me to Italian Sensation in Fallston.   I go through a running list of places I want to check out and listen to suggestions from my fellow pals.  But, the funny thing here is I had no idea they had a local creation, until perusing their menu.  You could call it coincidence, happenstance, or fate.    The inspiration and stories find us.  I was to go about this pizzeria like any other.  And of course with different analysis.  But serendipity finds me again.  Of all days to write about their spot, of course it had to be today.  And I’m glad.

Have I stretched this out long enough?

Baltimore

The Baltimore, pictured above, looks so beautiful doesn’t it?  With sauteed shrimp and crab meat, it’s a locals dream.   The olive oil, garlic, and mozzarella are a good complement to this pizza pie.  Now I say good.  In my opinion, it’s not amazing.  I didn’t have any expectations going on, and I wasn’t disappointed nor was I blown away.  The shrimp is incredible.   I could pick those off and eat those myself.  Actually, a few times I did.   Something about the crab meat didn’t entirely work for me. Maybe I didn’t enjoy it on my slice?  If this were just loaded with shrimp, I would be heaping for praise.   The pizza otherwise tastes pretty good.  If you take off all the toppings, it’s essentially a white pizza, without the ricotta. And it tastes alright.   The crust is magnificent though.  It’s just a little crunchy, but mainly soft and chewy that it ranks up their with the best of them.  And I love when the cheese crunches up near the end of the crust, and becomes one with the pie.  Lovely. I’d say it’s a good pizza, but not a great one overall.  It’s maybe a case of the whole not equaling the sum of it’s parts.

TheCheeseStandsAlone

I also ordered a cheese, as a nice dichotomy to the Baltimore.  And in the back of my mind, I thought it might play second fiddle.  How wrong I was.  This was stupendous.  It’s just as scrumptious and savory as it looks.  I don’t know if the cheese swirled while I was bringing it home, or it was made that way.  But this is almost too beautiful to eat!  But it was enjoyed and appreciated.   And again, the dough is a stand out here.  Magnificent.

Togetherness

Paired together, they look good.  For more of the wine that’s hiding back there, click here.

I haven’t been to Italian Sensation often, but I’ve usually been happy.  I’ve had several of their slices, and always enjoyed them.

locations!woo!

The staff was also very friendly and welcoming.  The Fallston location has a nice aura about it.  The outside looks so charming.  I’ve also been to the Bel Air spot and got the same vibe.  A review of that place is forthcoming. And a drive up to Perry Hall is going to happen as well.

But for now, enjoy opening day, enjoy one another, and enjoy yourselves.

Take good care.

Best,

Ideen

A Hidden Gem

Posted in Mayland, pizza by

Margherita There’s a place to get a slice or a whole pie almost anywhere you look.  I like to change up where I go, so I don’t overdo the same spot and even neighborhood.  There’s an unlimited amount of places to go.  Variety is the spice of life, and pizza!

It’s not just about the big city locales.   The heavy hitters in Baltimore (and in other metropolitan areas) are coming.  As a matter of fact, I wrote about an amazing place last week.   However, l would be doing a disservice if I only talked about those.   There’s treasure in the county.   I posted about one recently.

Today, I will be talking about Margherita’s of Kingsville, MD. And it’s damn good. Honestly, I didn’t know Kingsville was even a town, until a few weeks ago.  And that’s my clumsiness.  I assumed this part of Belair Rd. was an extension of Bel Air.   If you drive past the tiny strip mall, where this pizzeria is located, you will easily miss it. I’ve done it countless times.

Fortunately, one day driving back home from errands, I stopped in and I’m glad I did.  Their nestled in a convenient segue between Baltimore and Harford County.

They do pizza by the slice.  I recall,  during my first visit, getting one cheese and a veggie, and both were wonderful.

For this particular visit, I ordered two whole pies, for me and my friends!  MargheritaPies!

First up, it’s namesake, the Margherita is a very simple, yet delicious offering.   Their homemade tomato sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil tasted just something out of your family’s kitchen. And that’s a good thing.

Next, their White Pie, happily titled ‘Our White Pizza’, was a joy to eat.  This is a six ingredient bundle of joy. The mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan cheeses merging with oregano, olive oil, and garlic, make this a hit.   This could have not have come out any better. Amazing stuff. Every flavor was detected and got superior after each bite. MagheritaPies

For more information, on the wine in the photo above, you can click here.

I noticed on their carry out box, of a location in Bel Air. I thought it was a misprint or a former establishment.  But, they’re coming soon.  And I was able to snag some pictures, that can be seen below. APizzaBoxPreviewsNewOne

If you’re ever near the area or are feeling adventurous, I highly recommend Margherita’s.  I have yet to stop by Pasta Blitz, which is their sister store, but can only imagine it’s equal in quality.

And there’s the fun with writing about food or anything you might love.  The choices are abundant and the sky’s the limit. With pizza, we eat it year round, so there will always be something to talk about. As the weather gets warmer, and more people are going out, the posts will reflect that.

In the meantime, enjoy your weekend and enjoy some yummy pizza!

And Happy Spring!

Best,

Ideen

In Plain Sight

Posted in Baltimore, Canton, food, fun, Parkville, pizza by

pasticcio

There’s a lot of places we go to, because we like it, love it, out of necessity, or out of habit.  And then there’s you don’t even know exist or unintentionally take for granted.   Many of us drive by such locales to and from work everyday.

Pasticcio, in the Can Company part of Canton, might be one of those places.    Until a few years ago, I didn’t know it existed either.    But they have some mighty good slices.   They also have a full menu and a stocked bar, which is set up nicely to the side.

In the half dozen or so times I’ve been in, I’ve always felt a good energy and a good welcoming aura walking in.   The staff has always been friendly, and that’s an understatement.

One of the charms of this place, unintentional or not, by the pizza trays, is there his no signage describing which each pizza is.  So I always find myself asking one of the team members each time what certain pies area.     Always fun.  In turn, their online menu seems limited but in person it’s anything but.   They change their specials daily, and even the big ing.board with their specials list doesn’t feel intimidating.

All I’ve had their are slices, but next time, I would love to get something else.  It all looks so beautiful.

I usually do types of pies, but I was in a great mood, so let’s do another!

elookatthat

The pictures above don’t do this justice.

As I mentioned, the descriptions were not available, so I am going to describe each one, based on what this amazing person told me.

Going clockwise, we have Grandma’s Slice, which is squared shape and with a thicker crust.   And I could taste something  different about it, I just can’t put my finger on what it is.  Maybe it’s left to be mysterious and under the radar.  Seems to be a common theme throughout.  The yummy pesto and marinara are layered over the cheese and that’s it. Simple. Awesome. Delicious.

Next down the line is, the Deluxe, with pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, and peppers.   And I don’t usually eat pepperoni slices, not out of spite, just because it’s not one of my preferred toppings.  But this was wonderful as well.   Everything was baked into the cheese perfectly.  And the thin crust is just as great as the aforementioned Grandma’s slice.

The white pizza, with ricotta, spinach, and mushrooms was next.  This was good, but my least favorite of the three.  I feel maybe since I tried the other two first, that my palate may have been thrown off a bit.   And I’ve also had some amazing whites.   You don’t often see mushrooms added to a white pie, so I loved that very much.

All in all, this was a rousing success, and I like the fact that this is readily available to us, in a wonderful part of town.   This is not something to be taken for granted.

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

Matthew’s – Making Moves?

Posted in Baltimore, dogma, garlic, Highlandtown, pizza, spinach, tomatoes by

Matthews

One of the staples and favorites, of the Highlandtown neighborhood of Baltimore, is Matthew’s.

Before I ever ate here, the amount of times I was suggested to go here was aplenty.   Even though I have heard mainly positive reviews, the negative opinions were also frequent.  I didn’t hear much of a grey area on this.  Perhaps people are sick of hearing about where they should go, because everyone else loves it.  Or because all your friends are going, maybe I should go to.  It’s easy to get caught up in the dogma.  I have been guilty of it myself.

With that being said, the first time I ate here I thought it was pretty good.  It was a few years ago.  I can’t quite remember what I had, but knowing me, it was probably a White pizza.

The last time I went, which was over a year ago, I had the Margherita, and I loved it.   The combination of basil, extra virgin olive oil, and the tomatoes I love so much, was the perfect medley.    I felt good eating it and enjoyed every moment.

This go around, I ordered the Spinach, with some garlic added.   I really wanted to like it, but something felt off.  It was but the mozzarella cheese didn’t taste as good as I remembered.   The crust is really good.  It’s thicker than what you will find elsewhere, but it just didn’t mesh well with the cheese.  But the dough is a winner. The spinach and garlic were great.  But the whole wasn’t as great as the sum of it’s parts, if you will.

I do like the basic way it’s packaged, when ordering to go.   I like the old school packaging paper, taped up, protecting the pizza served on a paper plate.

ToGoMoves

Like I was saying, I really wanted to like my pie, but it didn’t work out tonight.  The way it came out, didn’t look all that appealing either :

Spinach

But we all have our preferences and opinions.   One isn’t better than the other.  I will gladly be back at Matthew’s again, expecting the great tasting pizza we all hear about in Baltimore.  On this visit, it just wasn’t the case.

It’s good to hear the here the opinions and suggestions of others, while still formulating your own.

Take good care.

Best,

Ideen