Tag Archives: fun

Down To The River To…

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namastepie2

This is a Small Business Saturday special.   But for me, supporting small business, when it comes to pizza, or other ventures, is what I’m proud to support the most.   However, there are mom and pops, brick and mortar, or whatever you want to call it, that strike a nerve just a little more.

All of a sudden it’s December.  How did this happen?   Last Saturday felt like it was minutes ago.  But in the spirit of that, I take it to a town that has meant so much to so many of us, Ellicott City, MD.

riverhouse2

I was going to write about River House Pizza Co last summer, but things didn’t work out that way.  I stumbled upon their courtyard right smack dab in the heart of Old EC, where I had been many times before.  But this one felt special.  The weather was glorious, the live band (yes there was a band) was rocking, the crowd was enjoying themselves, and eating some great pizza to boot.  I say great, but am I getting ahead of myself?   The wait times were upwards of 20 minutes for a pie, and I didn’t have time to wait.  At least that’s how I try to rationalize it.

But the planets aligned and this was meant to be a special for the holidays.  And how special are these pies?   In a chestnut shell, these pizzas taste like perfection for this time of year.  They taste like Christmas, or they taste like anything you might celebrate.  It’s one of the most comforting and endearing pizzas you’re ever going to have.

To mark the importance of this, there will be two pizzas reviewed over two visits.  How cool is that?  Yes the pizza is hot and cool, at the same time.  That’s enough of the cheesy puns.  Wait I’m not even sure if that’s a pun.

riverhousedisplay

The first stop was a fortunate visit to the local library’s farmers’ market.  And what do you do know, this would be their last day here, for a while.   Funny how that works out.

riverhousemarketpie3

In the tradition of my play on words and then my love of pesto, I went with the Market Special.   This pizza is so simple yet so extraordinary.  That dough is so chewy and gooey and as I alluded to, tastes like the holidays.  It’s on the level of that cheesy bread you may find at your national chain pizza.  But this blows it all away.  I can’t rave enough about how amazing this soft dough is.  And the balsamic glaze really shines through.  It may be the highlight in a sea of highlights.  The chicken tasted fresh, the pesto homemade, and that cheese is a pure delight.  At only $12 this pie is a bargain.

riverhousemarketslice

I saved half of this for lunch the next day, and tasted equally as good.   I’m salivating at the thought of having one right now.  It’s inspiring.

namastepie

So that was two weeks ago.  We move along to that Saturday after Thanksgiving.  After that remarkable display of wood fired fierceness, how do we top this?  I’m not sure but the Namaste I got at their Courtyard is on par.  And if you look closely, both pizzas complement each other in the spirit of Christmas.  I love that so much.  I didn’t even plan for that.

namasteslice

I’ll admit, I ordered the Namaste for the name alone.  The spiritual connotation was enough for me.  And once again, that dough was insanely good.  You’ve got to be kidding me.    The marinara and red peppers add to the holiday visual.  And those caramelized onions, mmm mmm mmm I’m in love.  Was that even a sentence?  But mmm….This was tremendous.  And I continue to find that portabella mushrooms add to most meals and of course that means to most pizza pies.

Needless to say this pizza didn’t stand a chance.  I finished it in one sitting.  Yes, I was hungry but it was more than that.  This was spiritual experience at the courtyard.  I was alone, but I wasn’t.  There were a few other tables occupied but that wasn’t it.  It was just cold enough that being inside was feasible, but the warm energy around me was enough to let me know I was surrounded by spirits.

And with positive spirits comes positive vibrations.  And the vibes that radiated from all the shoppers in downtown Ellicott City made me feel so good.  I had no problem waiting a few extra minutes to find parking and appreciate all the people going over the crosswalks.

This is what the holidays are all about.  Well maybe not all about.  This is just a small sample size within one story.  We all have those stories that tug at our heartstrings and creative a memory that will resonate with us forever.  As time goes on, I’ll appreciate this experience even more.

At the end of this post I’ll share with you some of the images I took in downtown EC. Some were taken from my car, so they may look a bit awkward, but it almost seems fitting.

Pizzas like this only come ever-so-often.  And supporting local is the way to go.  For those in the area, their winter weekend hours are posted here.  Their intent to stay open the entire time.   Here is their courtyard menu.   Finally, if I haven’t sold you on their pizza yet, here is the chef’s bio.

As an added bonus, Midnight Madness is tonight! 

Here are my two previous visits to Ellicott City gift wrapped to you, in door #1 and door #2! 🙂

I want to review all their pizzas, so this may just be the beginning.  And I’m going to safely assume they will all bring joy and make great memories for you and your loved ones.  I hope this is just the beginning, and I would like to say I’ll be back soon.  This will be a cherished part of my holiday memories and I hope the same happens for you.

Namaste,

Ideen

Keeping It Simple

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mammaluciawaverlybuffchixandwhiteveggie

For years I’ve driven by Mamma Lucia Italian Eatery in Waverly and though to myself, this place looks intriguing.  There’s a charm about it and I really can’t put my finger on it. There’s an old school, old feel, and old soul aura about it.  It’s also old Baltimore to me. But old doesn’t mean bad.  It usually means quite the opposite.  It shows character, experience, and a distinguishable look that stands out from many of the cookie-cutter pizzerias and restaurants popping up everywhere.

mammaluciawaverlyfront

Sitting right in the heart of 33rd and Greenmount (3240 Greenmount Avenue), this establishment has been serving its clientele for years.  And that clientele can only be described by me as real Baltimore.  It took this blog for me to finally walk in.  So why the hesitation?   I can only justify it as saying its out of my comfort zone.  Johns Hopkins University is literally footsteps away. But the pizzeria is away enough that it looks like a completely different universe.  And that may be an understatement.

I had meant to write about them over a year ago but maybe I couldn’t come up with the right words to say.  I was over-thinking things.  What I did notice in past photos that I only found myself ordering the same three slices, over several visits.  Yes there were a few trips to this staple of Historic Waverly.  And I feel fortunate to write about them now.

The easy part is their cheese, buffalo chicken, and white veggie are all so similar even if they’re full of different flavors.

This is not the best pizza you’ll ever eat.  It doesn’t come close.  But it’s solid. The one thing I’ve noticed across the board is the crust was legitimately crunch.  It was New York Style taken to new heights.  I don’t know if it was by accident or what, but the crust was incredible.  And the irony is, a year ago in the same place, I would be complaining about how this isn’t pizza.  And that this crunch was born out of laziness and an accident from the oven.  Maybe that’s why I chose not to write about it before.  I felt I needed to expand my horizons and pizza dining experience across-the-board.

But I will say the flavors of the pizza aren’t anything that will win any awards.  But once again, they’re decent and will satisfy their customers.  And two slices and a soda for $7 doesn’t hurt either.

And I’ll tell you something about their customers.  It’s full of some of the most authentic people in Baltimore I’ve ever seen.  I’ve sat inside multiple times and have overheard conversations I wouldn’t hear in a more supposedly posh.  That sounds like I may be demeaning the locals who frequent Mamma Lucia, but the opposite rings true.  This is a breath of fresh air.  I’ve even had a impromptu discussion or two with some of the regulars and it’s been refreshing.   It has only enhanced my awareness and gives me more of an appreciation for one of the originators of Baltimore.

This city has grown so much but it’s always important to support local.  With the holidays here that message is even more vital.

This may not have been the most glamorous pizza place to write about but this is one that has sentimentality to me.  The decor is simple and as long as there’s pizza to be had, friendly folks behind the counter, and a sense of relaxation.  That’s all I can ask for.

For my friends in Baltimore, if you happen to drive by, maybe pop in one day.  It’s not the most alluring but its perfect to me.

Happy Holidays,

Ideen

 

A Dundalk Institution

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squirespie3

It’s National Pizza Month.  Yes this is a thing.  It seems like you could come up with a day, holiday, or month long celebration for just about anything.   When it comes to pizza, if everyday was pizza day and every month pizza month, I doubt you would get many complaints.

I wasn’t necessarily going to try and make these posts a bit larger than life because of said event, but a dear friend suggested we brainstorm and take this to the next level.

squiresfront

With that we go to one of those big time places in the Baltimore area, Squire’s Italian Restaurant.

Right outside the city, in Dundalk, this is considered by many to be an institution.  I actually heard that phrase, in regards to this place, by a good friend tonight, that I had to use it for the title.

I knew the place existed for a long time, but I didn’t know their family went back nearly 100 years. That will make anyone sentimental, nostalgic, and think of this place as a second home. Here’s a history lesson for you, and for me too!

I’ve only been here a handful of times, but never actually ate their pizza.  Maybe it was all leading to this moment earlier today.

My previous visits had to do with playing social sports nearby and coming by for a drink, some appetizers, and not much else.  I knew they had pizza but never actually had any myself.  For people in the area that sounds weird.  I take it as it wasn’t meant to be until now.

squiresonionrings

My pal and I were seated in effortless fashion and we decided on some onion rings for the appetizer.  Nothing out of the ordinary but they did taste better than most onion rings I’ve had at similar restaurant set ups.   So they were really good nonetheless.

After some careful deliberation, we decided to go with the Seafood Pizza. And not just any seafood pizza but the Signature Seafood Pizza. In hindsight I can see why.  It seemed fitting. We didn’t want any heavy protein and loads of vegetables didn’t feel right either.

squirespie2

Those pieces of shrimp and crab meat and shrimp were profound and all over the place. I’m grateful it wasn’t a halfway amount of seafood that you may find in other establishments.

squirespie5

And man were those chunks of shrimp and crab meat scrumptious.  This was absolutely fantastic.

squiresslice

The crust was somewhere between thin and Sicilian style, so it was refreshing and a change-of-pace to what I’m used to.  I appreciate how our medium pie was cut into smaller pieces.  We had two slices apiece, so there is something to be said about portion control, even if was unintentional.

squiresslice2

Yes I did like the crust.  I had my two slices rather quickly.

If there was one initial issue, it was that I felt the seafood didn’t gel with the tomato sauce. I thought it was standard tomato sauce at first.  But if I remember the menu, it did say spicy red sauce.   And that spice kicked in a few seconds after the first bite and it’s still resonating with me as I write this a few hours later.   I had thought that maybe a white clam sauce would work better, but now I don’t see it.  It might have been to rich and the seafood we love, along with the crust, and a certain Baltimore spice would have gotten lost in the shuffle.   Speaking of which…

…I almost forgot there was Old Bay as well.  That might be that be a hint of Old Bay, but nevertheless this pie came together like clockwork.  The whole equaled the sum of its parts.  Everything about this pizza meant something and it wasn’t overloaded with toppings of spices.  This is just a straightforward pie with some of the staples of this area, but without all the bells and whistles you may find elsewhere.

Now I was reminded why locals and folks from nearby neighborhoods are drawn to this place and keep coming back. It’s the simple things. The service was friendly, the atmosphere was simple, yet cozy, and the overall vibe was approachable and unpretentious.  More of this please and nothing else.   What took me so long?

And I love that my leftovers still had that amazing taste while lukewarm. The cheese hardened and with the seafood still in tact, it made for wonderful seconds at dinnertime. And speaking of another meal…

Lets do it again sometime soon, shall we!

squiresthennow

I love the photo of Squires, past to present.  I’m glad I got a snapshot.

squiresvino

What a fantastic experience!

All The Best,

Ideen

 

 

Hailing From New Haven

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petesnewhaven

I’ve decided to go in a different direction this week.  Well not entirely.  I was all set to do another one from Philly.  That will happen at a later date.  I don’t have the entire word at my disposal yet.  But I do have significant parts of the northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

petesstorefront

This weeks brings be back to our nation’s capital, Washington, DC.  And just when I had a place in DC lined up.  I changed my mind this week after an unplanned visit to Pete’s New Haven Style APizza.   And I was pleasantly surprised about so much.

The Village of Friendship Heights neighborhood where this Pete’s is located is right on the DC, Maryland line.  And this is one of the the more cozy parts of the city.  I like it.  In a town of transplants and what-do-you-do’s, this is one of the more folksy and approachable versions of DC you’re going to find.  Is this even real?  Maybe I’m being delusional but it’s fun to just believe.  Even if it’s a fallacy.  Well onto the pizza.

What is New Haven Style exactly?  Well I’m glad you asked.  I just put added the link two sentences ago, and right here for your edification.

If you had asked me two years ago what I  thought about this style, I would say no thanks. I would say it’s not real pizza, it’s a cheap imitation of the real thing.  How ignorant was I?

petespies

I had all the expectations of ordering a pie but when I walked in I was pleased to see a display of slices at the counter, and at affordable prices.  This is DC we’re talking about where things can be exorbitant.  I believe both slices totaled only $6.  Fantastic.

petesmenu

For the sake of my first visit here it was only right to go with the New Haven and the plain cheese, which didn’t have an alluring name.   Here’s the menu with all the captivating titles.

petesboth

The New Haven is something that will need time to grow on me.  I love white pizza but clams is an acquired taste.  I love seafood and I love it on my pie.  And even though I’m a still a newbie to these kinds of pies, it was still a surprise when I got a double shot of crunch with from the thin crust and the clams themselves.  Again, to folks who are used to this kind of pie, this is the norm.  For folks used to traditional thicker crusts or New York Style this is an atypical apizza.  Ha I can be funny.    I was so deep into the clams that I hardly noticed the garlic, olive oil, or anything else.

Speaking of that crust, that has grown on me.  I like all kinds and for the many who want less carbs and less bloat, these slices will benefit a lot of us.

petesplain

With that being said the tomato sauce on the plain is still something I can’t completely get into.  I know folks that love it and many of my friends from the metro area love this place. I see why.  There is an appeal.  It’s non traditional for what many of us are used to.  I am being careful as you can see, how I approach what might be traditional may be out of the norm for others.

The positive energy I got from the shoppe make so much sense.  Their community based efforts can be found here.  And here’s a little more.

Locations and contact info can be found here.

petestogo

Speaking of locations, whether I’m back at Friendship Heights or another one will likely be at random.  There’s so many more slices and pies to try that this must be revisited.  I know I’ve said that before about other pizzerias.  I hope I can get back to this one at a reasonable time frame.

I had a good feeling before I even walked in and an even a better one after writing about it.

More to come,

Ideen

 

Mary Queen of Fells

Posted in Baltimore, pizza, wine by

AleMarysPieWine

After a delay and hopefully a lot of patience, the Fells Point Fun Festival commences this weekend.

My sincerest hope is that we get some good weather and that the original postponement won’t hinder folks from coming down in the usual masses that we are accustomed to.  And the hope is that local businesses and vendors get some great exposure and boost their bottom lines.  Many deserve it and many are fantastic people.

Speaking of fantastic, it’s my pleasure to write about what could be my last neighborhood pizza review for the calendar year.   A few extra weeks have been fun and I hope I’ve been able to capture some of the essence of this place of wonder and joy.

Ale Mary's

Ale Mary’s is the quintessential neighborhood bar.  It’s a haunt that I wish I frequented more often.  The set-up, ambiance, and dim lights are right up mine and many others’ alley.

The times I’ve eaten here have always been pleasant. It’s great bar food that doesn’t pretend to be anything overly pretentious or unapproachable.  And more times than not, that’s all we want. It’s just close enough to the commotion and heart of Fells Point, while also a safe house for many that want to avoid that.  It’s the perfect balance and especially for this weekend, the perfect pizza.

AleMarysPizzaMenu

I was in here over a month ago, and when examining the menu, I never realized they served pizza.  Even better, they tout it as personal Bowlin’ Alley Pizzas.   An instant light bulb and cheesy television theme music went off in my head.   I had to come back and try a pie!

The very likeable bartender suggested the Fresh Veggie with mushrooms added on.   How could I say no to that?

AleMarysPie

I had no idea that there’s parmesan already thrown on top of the pie.  And with all the vegetables piled on, it was a splendid addition that enhanced the flavor of my pizza and the vegetables.   This is a piece of information I was pleased to discover.

The crust was so crisp and so crunchy, that I had to slow myself down and appreciate what I was having. The melange of cheese, sauce, and the veggies makes this such a charmer.  This is a really fun pizza.

AleMarysSlice

I don’t remember what bowling alley pizza tastes like or is supposed to taste like.  I don’t recall the last time I’ve had pizza at a bowling alley, if ever.   I don’t have that to compare it too, but I do know that this was so enjoyable, I could have had another.  This pie was decimated in minutes.

AleMarysPieEaten

And as always, it paired well my vino.

AleMarysSliceWine

I’m grateful to have Ale Mary’s as my day of festival post and highly recommend checking them out if you’re in the neighborhood this weekend and looking to venture outside the chaos at Broadway and Thames.  The regulars, who always seem so friendly, don’t need to be sold. They’ve appreciated their visits time and time again.

This may be the penultimate post for the neighborhood this year or this might be it.  I do have one more place in mind that I really want to talk about.  I hope and aspire to get to it.

I’ve really enjoyed visiting some new places, giving some old ones their just due (or justified critiques), and enhancing my love for one of the greatest places I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing.

Hope to see you this weekend on the cobblestone streets of Fells!

Best,

Ideen

We Take Care Of Our Own

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PizzaPartyFriendsFirst

For a while now, we knew we wanted to make our own homemade pizzas, and were just looking for the right occasion to do it. Along with celebrating my birthday, a friends raise and their job, and the Summer, it’s always fun to cook at home.  And it’s always more fun with friends.

We each picked out the proper ingredients like cheese, sauce, oils, and toppings.   It can get exciting but can also be pressure packed to make a good pie.

As I was reminded, it’s always better to keep it simple.   It’s also good to be creative.  Most importantly, it’s about having fun and learning from mistakes and experience along the way.  As I learned here, less is always more.

ArchivistWithGlasses

We each made two pies a piece.  And they were all from delicious whole wheat dough.   Thanks to Wegmans for the majority of our ingredients.  For more on the wine pictured above, click here.

Here are the results of round one :

PizzaPartyMyFirst

Mine was a pesto base with cheese, mushrooms, olives, peppers, onions, and sun-dried tomatoes.   This was an adventure and maybe not the best one.   The ingredients were fine but the whole didn’t equal the sum of its parts.  The tomatoes didn’t need to be included and I picked those off the pie and ate them on their own.   I think a pesto base is great.  I adore pesto.  But just didn’t work here.  I was able to finish it, but it was a minor struggle.

My friends kept is simple for their first entries.

PizzaPartySimpleCheese

A basic cheese was made with pizza oil, and the results were better.  This was in the similar style to a white pizza.  You can see the cheese baked in the dough like a professional would make.   I got to try a piece and thought it was fantastic.

PizzaPartyAFriendsFirst

The final creation for the first go around was a tomato sauce base with cheese, peppers, onions, and chopped pepperoni. This turned out very well, as this was also kept simple.  The pepperoni pieces were a great add-on, as you’ll read about in our second set of masterpieces.

For round two, it was a combination of being creative and keeping it simple.   I chose the latter.

PizzaPartyMySecond

I learned quickly from my first undertaking to get back to basics.   This time I used tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, and fresh basil for my pie.   The basil was growing by the kitchen window, and was found upon instinctively while we were making our meals.  I was happy with how mine was looking, but the basil really put it over the top.  After mine came out of the oven, I was pleased.   The shape of both of my personal pizzas weren’t the best, but that will be learned with experience, patience, and repetition.  But overall I was heartened with mine.

PizzaPartyFreshBasil

One of my pizza pals had a similar pie for theirs except no pepperoni. And he put the cheese on first, then the sauce (and a lot of it), and basil.   He was happy with that one.

PizzaPartyStromboli

And finally, my other fellow pizza pal turned hers into a calzone.  How cool is that?   This is a perfect case of knowing to be creative, but to also keep it simple and yummy.  She was pleased with hers as well.

We will be doing this again, either to celebrate, or for no reason at all.  It’s good to change it up a bit, and see if our meals can measure up to the outside pizzerias.  I was happy with this and can’t wait to do it again!

Keeping it simple, fundamental, and then taking the right chances is the way to go.

PizzaPartyAerialView

Have a great day!

Best,

Ideen

Wegmans, A Place For Friends

Posted in cheese, friends, fun, pals, pepperoni, pizza, salad, sandwich, soup, sushi by

wegmans

Or maybe a place for pals, if that’s more to your liking.  I sure do love Wegmans.   I think I visited my first one, when it opened up in Hunt Valley, MD about 10 years ago.  Originating nearly 100 years ago from Rochester, New York, they are growing in popularity and locations.   If you’ve been inside, you know it’s like the Disney World of food stores.  But, It’s more than just that.  It’s a place of joy, inspiration, and happiness.  And of course it’s a place where plenty of wonderful things can be purchased.   Let me not get too carried away here.  The heck with it, let’s have fun. It’s time to evoke emotions.

Anything you want to go, is here; from sandwiches, sushi, salad, soup and of course the hot bar with international foods from all over this wonderful planet.  But this is a pizza blog.  Time to make moves.

I must say, I love their cheese, white, and pepperoni pizza.  Perhaps in the future I will review those.  I will just say they are great.   And there will be more posts regarding Wegmans pies soon.

The specific store I visited for this installment was at Boulevard At Box Hill in Abingdon, MD.

This post will be about the Chef’s Creations, and they are constantly changing :

Slice #1 : The Bacon Cheese Blue Cheeseburger (pictured at the top of this post, on the left) : Oh my goodness.  This was heavenly.   I find their pizza dough to be exquisite.  It’s cooked in their ovens to perfection.  It wasn’t too crunchy nor too soft either.  It tasted like I was eating a naan or pita bread.  And that’s how their dough has resonated with me.  And the mozzarella and blue cheese melted together, with the bacon and hamburger meat is an incredible combination.   Phenomenal stuff.

Slice #2 : The Spinach Ricotta (pictured on the right) : Well something went wrong here.   I could tell it was siting on the tray for a while, as it was starting to look a bit old.  The pizza tasted great, but the crust was too crunchy.  The ingredients were great but needn’t have been out this long. I won’t fault the store, but I will fault time.  It just felt like eating potato chips.

But this will not discourage me from coming back.  In my opinion, they have some underrated pizza.  Maybe because it’s a grocery store and not a specific place to get an amazing slice or pie.  I will be returning and hope to bring another inspirational take on the Wegmans experience.  And with more pictures.

Best,

Ideen