Tag Archives: hot

…Then It Must Be True…

Posted in pizza by

MariosChickenPizzas

There was some exciting information featured in a prominent spot, as soon as you open the doors of Mario’s Original Pizza & Pasta.

MariosOriginal

I don’t need to go into specifics, but the front of their website (menu here) provides the link here.

MariosMenu

To say something is the best anything is all perspective.  Best in the universe, best in the world, and best in the state are all solely on opinion, conjecture, and all that stuff.  But there’s always something bigger than us.  That’s that universe talk.

I never thought of Mario’s as the best anything.  That’s not meant as an insult.  I just thought of it as a charming location adjacent to Belvedere Square that was convenient and affordable.  Most slices are $3 and under.  Fantastic.

I also think of it as great pizza.  I can’t say it’s been my favorite because there’s random days I can go here or anywhere, and some of the slices might be off.  Everyone has an off day.  You don’t want to judge a pizzeria or restaurant on one visit.   You also can be mislead if the food was larger than life.  But that’s the thought and feeling most of us would prefer to hold on to.  I mean right?

Someone other than some experts must really like these slices, because at lunch time the whole area seemed decimated.   I’m grateful there was enough to get a fair perspective.  And no I didn’t eat this all at once.

MariosChickenPizzas2

Between the cheese, the pepperoni & sausage, the shredded buffalo chicken, and the chicken parmesan, you can’t go wrong with any.  That means right and yay, and all the superlatives you can throw at them.

MariosCheese&PepperoniSausagePizzaSlices

There’s no need to necessarily review slice by slice.   I will say if there is a weak link, it would be the pepperoni and sausage, and that’s strictly just by my opinion.  I have never loved the heavier red meats on a pizza.  It’s just a thing for me.  I will continue to try them and offer thoughts, without my bias.  But sometimes it’s hard.  I still thought it was really good, and once again enjoyed picking off the toppings and appreciating them on their own.

So that meant I had the equivalent of two cheese slices.  What can you say?  Cheese is cheese, and when a crust is heated and reheated just right, with where I thought I tasted some butter, along with a comforting dough, all is right with the world.  And that universe I keep speaking of.

MariosBuffaloChicken

The chicken based slices really do stand out.  As you can see the shredded buffalo chicken is different than how many pizzerias present buffalo chicken.  Sometimes you see it diced, sometimes you see strips. and sometimes you see it in it’s purest form, shredded and pulled style.   The visual makes it almost look too good to eat, but it’s stellar.

MariosChickenParmesan

The chicken parmesan is almost on that level, but I once again liked their strips actually on their own.  Yet all the complementing topping and seasonings were fine as a pizza by themselves.

So that’s kind of that.  This is a great pizzeria, that has plenty of seats and a pretty view of the outside world and the city streets.  I like that.  It’s a place that feels safe but there food is anything but.  It’s adventurous yet approachable, and affordable.  Those are the A’s that we like.

I like this place.

Peace Be With You.  Always.

Love,

Ideen

 

Advertisement

Say Hello To Everybody

Posted in food, pizza by

SammysFourPizzaSlices2

That’s the feeling I got when I walked into Sammy’s Italian Pizza Kitchen, in the Eastport neighborhood of Annapolis.  I’ve talked at length (history can be found here), about my fondness for our state capital.

Here’s Sammy’s menus, contact info, and more on their story can be found at the bottom of their main page.

SammysItalianPizzaKitchen

I’ve been to Sammy’s many times before, initially out of curiosity, but then out of convenience.   The shopping center itself has a feel from decades ago, and once again takes me back to being a kid, and going out to lunch on a Sunday with my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and you get my drift.

It’s a feeling of comfort and familiarity that is a great reminder that restaurants don’t need to be fancy and over-the-top to produce quality food, service, a warm atmosphere, and a positive dose of energy.

Now in every town, you have your bakery, post office, general store (do those still exist?), local bank (one can only hope), florist, and many other mom-and-pops.  That does include plenty of good food, and of course pizza.

That’s the sense I got the first time I drove through this part of Eastport, and discovered this, among several other hidden gems.

What’s funny is there’s been many instances where I have not been enamored with their pizza.  I thought it was good, but nothing to necessarily write home (or write a blog/story) about.  I have an ongoing list of places I’ve been meaning to talk about, and Sammy’s among others was on that list, but I either never felt the time was right, or just wasn’t feeling it, good or bad.

You’ve got to feel it, positive or negative, or what’s the point?

But something about a recent visit felt different.  Maybe it was me, maybe it was the mood I was in, or maybe there’s just something else inexplicable, where I should just let it just be, and allow the best experience to come to me and find me.

That’s exactly what happened.

I love how you can’t see the inside of the restaurant from the outside.   There’s something mysteriously beautiful about this, that will draw many in, and I’m sure scare a few people off.  I promise you nothing about what I’m saying is to be feared or be made to feel afraid of.

The interior feels more authentic than how many more contemporary restaurants try to portray themselves as.  This just feels real.  And if and when you’re inside, I think you’ll get what I’m selling here.  Nor do I have to sell.  Everything about it sells itself.

SammysFourSlices

To go back to basics, I went with the four most simplest slices there is.   Cheese, pepperoni, white, and vegetable is about as genuine and to the core pizza as you’re going to find.  It’s as if the slices were there waiting for me.  Maybe they were.

The staff working the counter made me feel like home and made me feel good about my visit.  And to feel like a million bucks is not something you ask for or expect, but it’s great when it happens.  The next few groups of people that walked in got that same first class treatment.  It’s good to be feel important.  That feeling should come from within but it’s always gravy when it comes from external sources as well.

Before I go on any further of a tangent, this was the best pizza I’ve had by them in the multiple times I’ve been by.  And it’s not even close.  From what was once mediocre to decent, turned into fantastic.

What makes this all the more intriguing is I got these slices at dinner time.  I don’t know how long the pies were out.  Those are not the questions I should be asking, when the pizza turns out to be this good.  Maybe I answered my own question.

Maybe the reheating from the cold pies made it that much more tasty.  But good pizza is good pizza.  And these four slices really turned out well.

The pepperoni and the white were the true stand outs.   The crust and dough just had a taste about them that once again took me back to my younger days sharing pizza with family and dear friends.   That’s where a long synopsis is no longer necessary.

It’s a simple pizza, with a simple feel, from a creative source.

SammysFourPizzaSlices

What more can you ask for then what I just described?

That’s good pizza, nestled in a neighborhood in one of my favorite places.

If I could write about a place like this every week, I’d be happy.  But then it wouldn’t be so special.  Yet for now, this is to be savored, adored, and appreciated.

SammysItalianPizzaKitchen2

I look forward to my next visit to Annapolis, and a future visit to Sammy’s.

Peace Be With You.

 

 

Seeing The Good…

Posted in pizza by

GoodBurger&Pizza

This whole thing about neighborhoods, cities, and major metropolitan areas evolving is something that’s there.  It exists.  And we can look at it as, it is what it is and there’s nothing we can do about it; or it is what it is and we must adapt.  Can’t say either scenario is mutually exclusive if you see what I’m saying.

It is what…  Oh wait…

The Fells Point neighborhood of Baltimore is going through those changes, whether it’s for the better or something else is all based on interpretation, how long one has lived or spent time there, and just making observations of what’s going on in the world.  It might be bittersweet, but hopefully can be embraced somewhat, and the historic parts can all preserved in spite of everything else.  Or in spite of, aha!

While I recently wrote about one amazing new pizza place in the area, I go in a similar, yet different direction with what I write about now.

GoodBurger&PizzaFront

Good Burger & Pizza has been around for a little while, and seems to inconspicuous in its presence and its aura.  Maybe that’s just my interpretation.   Here is their menu, and online ordering info.

If you recognize the location, then yes, it was the old Little Italy Pizzeria, which was a mainstay for so many years and a stop for folks in the neighborhood and visitors, to grab a slice, a pie, and many other standard carry out items, day or night.  Yes they stayed opened past last call.

While no longer staying that late, Good Burger & Pizza does stay open into midnight on the weekends.  It’s just one of those things that echoes a change in the neighborhood.  It may not be that big of a detail, but it’s something I sense.

GoodBurger&Pizza1

What I honestly didn’t sense is a pizza that would be so good and at such a reasonable price.

I was happy to see a large square pizza for only $11.  And what you get for that is the equivalent of 5-6 meals.  Seriously, it’s fantastic.  And I ordered a half cheese and half pepperoni to share with friends.

And shared with friends I did…

I brought this to a holiday gathering a few months ago, and it didn’t disappoint.   This is greasy goodness at its finest.   This is not going to win any championships or awards, but this is a grower and on the lines of pure comfort food.

GoodBurger&Pizza2

That crust is cooked perfectly and the amount of cheese and toppings placed from above is all most people want from a pizza.   When you’re not worried about details, or even if you are, this is a pie that’s going to sell you without having to sell anything.  It sells itself.

And I really think the square slices are a nice touch.  Yes I know that’s no an original concept, (this place may claim that title, read about it here), but it’s their take and they did a tremendous job.   I must admit, I didn’t have high expectations, and it’s not that they were low whatsoever, I went in with an open mind and I feel good about the results.

It feels like a carry out spot that belongs in the neighborhood and has the aura of a place that’s been around for a long time.  And that’s the good vibes you get from a local business.

So while many local businesses are closing its doors, changing hands, and just moving on; it’s good to see many others thriving.  This is so important to the integrity, backbone, and character of not just this neighborhood, but many.

Here is my ever growing pizza history of Fells Point.

I look forward to writing about many more small, independent, and local businesses to come.

Have a Happy Holiday Weekend!

Best,

Ideen