Fine Dining – Road Warrior Dining

Laurienzo Brick Oven Cafe

Laurienzo Brick Oven Cafe in Mt. Airy is a Fine Dining Hidden Gem, Hands down the best pizza in the area. Not to mention their mouth watering Entrees.

Usually when I travel to Mt. Airy MD, it’s a quick there and back trip. On these trips I have to admit, I don’t have time to sit down for a meal. So, BK it is. This last week, I had a little time to kill while waiting for my appointment, so I started looking at dining options. I did not realize Mt. Airy has an old town section with a number of excellent restaurant choices. The restaurant that stood out to me was Laurienzo Brick Oven Cafe.

I’m not certain how I would classify Laurienzo’s. They serve gourmet pizzas. They have a nice selection of pasta’s. But, when you review their entree’s, you

I’m not certain how I would classify Laurienzo’s. I don’t know that I would call them an Italian restaurant. They serve gourmet pizzas, with a nice selection of pastas. But, when you review their entree’s, you see dishes such as French Onion Pork Chops, Sesame Ginger Mahi Mahi, and a dish I settled on, Chicken Evelyn.

The interior of Laurienzo’s is perfect for an intimate dinner for two. At the same time, they have Family Style tables, with a menu section titled Family Style. This is perfect for Business Team Meetings or an outing with the family.

The first night I went to Laurienzo’s was with a singular purpose. I was interested in trying their Wood Fired Pizza.

Hands down, this is the best pizza in the region. Maybe in the entire state of Maryland. Given that this is not my first Rodeo when it comes to dining on Wood Fired Pizza’s, I expected the crust to appear well done. Laurienzo’s even has a note on their menu stating the nature of Wood Fired Pizza’s. The edges usually appear dark.

I ordered their Carnivore Pizza, my first bite sent my taste buds into overdrive. So many flavors melting together. My first thought was they do not skimp on the quantity or the quality of their toppings. The sauce is not an afterthought. Laurienzo’s actually uses spices in their sauce. Having said this, the spices are not overwhelming. This is one outstanding pizza.

It is a rare occasion that I will return to a restaurant two days in a row. Especially when it’s an hour drive, but I went back for lunch the next day. I had to try their entrees.

Laurienzo Brick Oven Cafe Corn Chower — Laurienzo’s Corn Chowder

When it comes to soup, one of my passions is Corn Chowder. Seeing Corn Chowder on the menu I had to try it. In their description of the ingredients, they call out spiced cream, sherry, fresh corn. Once again, I can’t say enough about the flavor of this soup. You first taste the corn flavor in the broth, then you get hit with a little heat. If you don’t like spicy food, not to worry, the spice is subtle, but definitely makes this a unique interpretation of Corn Chowder. I could go back just for this soup. When they say fresh corn, I saw someone carrying in ears of corn.

Laurienzo Brick Cafe Chicken Evelynn — Laurienzo Chicken Evelyn

So far, I’m batting a thousand. With the Carnivore Pizza fresh in my mind and having finished the Corn Chowder, could they go three for three. Once again Laurienzo’s prepared a dish, I cannot say enough about; Chicken Evelyn.

Chicken Evelyn is a chicken breast that is stuffed with prosciutto, that is served with garlic mashed potatoes, wilted spinach, goat cheese, and a lemon dill sauce. Every component of the dish could stand on it’s on. Together it makes a fantastic bite. Not one aspect overpowers the other. I’m not one to eat spinach on its own, but when combined with the chicken gives you a pleasant tart after taste. I’m a huge fan of lemon dill sauce. Not to overuse the term balanced, every component of this dish works together. The portion is large enough to where you should plan on a doggy bag.

Good food worth driving for is the motto of this site. Laurienzo Brick Oven Cafe, fills this bill perfectly. The next time I’m in the mood for a good meal, I will make the trek to Mt. Airy.

As you gathered, I am highly recommending Laurienzo Brick Oven Cafe. Have you been to Laurienzo or do you have a favorite restaurant that features Wood Fired Foods.

Fratelli’s Italian & Seafood

Top notch service combined with excellent food, makes Fratelli’s in Hampstead MD, my choice of one of the best Italian restaurants in the region.

There are a lot of good Italian restaurants in this country. So, what sets them apart? To start with customer service. Fratelli’s Italian & Seafood restaurant in Hampstead MD has customer service you would expect in a fine dining establishment. At Fratelli’s the staff is over the top in their customer service. I can’t remember the last time I ate at a restaurant and my table stayed so clean. When I finished eating there wasn’t even a crumb left on the table. Customer service means nothing if the food is bad; not an issue at Fratelli’s. The couple that recommended them to me was spot on. They told me they serve the best Lasagna around. I whole heartily agree.

Out of politeness, I let the waitress run through the specials, but I knew my order before walking in the door. I wanted to see what my friends considered the best Lasagna around. To start with the portion was good sized. In my first bite I noticed the sauce had a perfectly balanced spice level. My biggest complaint when I eat Italian food is when the sauce has a strong tomato taste and not much else. This was not the case with Fratelli’s Lasagna. The next thing I noticed the ricotta cheese was not overpowering. The ricotta cheese was perfectly proportioned. My final observation was even the ground beef was season just right. After eating Fratelli’s Lasagna, I’m looking forward to telling my friends they are right; I can’t think of a better Lasagna served anywhere?

Fratelli's Cesar Salad — Fratelli’s Cesar Salad

The Cesar Salad at Fratelli’s is good, but if I have one complaint, I would serve it with shaved parmigiana cheese instead of shredded parmigiana. I realize this is a preference, but most fine dining restaurants used shaved parmigiana. I do like that the salad was tossed. It drives me crazy to have the dressing served on the side. Score another one for Fratelli’s.

Hampstead MD is home to an Italian restaurant that is fine dining, without the fine dining prices. I will definitely be returning the next time I’m in the mood for Italian food.

Have you been to Fratelli’s or do you have a favorite Italian restaurant. Leave your comments below.

Firestone’s Culinary Tavern

Firestone’s Culinary Tavern in Frederick, MD eclectic mix culinary experience.

Frederick Maryland’s old town has a thriving restaurant scene. Part of this restaurant scene is Firestone’s Culinary Tavern. The best way to describe Firestone’s is that they are an eclectic mix of culinary experiences. My first impression was they are a fine dining restaurant, but after being seated I wasn’t sure. The service was excellent, but the meal was a roller coaster.

Firestones Smoked Bacon Starter — Firestone’s Smoked Bacon and Polenta Starter

After ordering our food and wine, the waiter brought out a Smoked Bacon and Polenta Starter. This little bite was quite good. My first thought this meal is starting off promising. My appraisal was enhance by their excellent selection of wines by the glass. My Riesling was a nice balance, not to sweet, not to dry. Their Pinot Grigio was not dry, pleasantly balanced.

Firestones Steamed Mussels — Firestone’s Steamed Mussels

The challenge of Firestone’s is when it came to the main course. My dinner guest had ordered Steamed Mussels and I ordered their Wagyu Sirloin. If you have been following my blog, you know how I feel about having to add salt to food, to bring out it’s flavor. The Steamed Mussels were bland. One of the pleasures of eating Steamed Mussels is lapping up the sauce with the Grilled Baguette. Unfortunately even salt could not help this sauce. I don’t know if our waiter said anything to the Chef, but he needed to know a patron was adding salt to his dish.

Firestones Wagyu Sirloin — Firestone’s Wagyu Sirlion

Now to flip the script, the Wagyu Sirloin was excellent. From my first bite to my last, I thoroughly enjoyed the Wagyu Sirloin. Cooked to a medium rare and seasoned to perfection. The Wagyu Sirloin was served over a Potato Pave, Haricot Vests, Roasted Carrots, and Cipolinni Onions. To top this off, they drizzled a Port Wine Demi. Besides being cooked to perfection, the Wagyu beef was tender and had it’s unique flavor. This was the first time trying this steak. The steak lover in me could not get enough of this steak.

To finish off the meal we went with Firestone’s Salted Date Bread Pudding. The bread pudding was good, but it wasn’t as advertised. I couldn’t taste the Rum Butter Sauce and I’m not sure if there were dates in my bread pudding. The Vanilla ice cream was very good. The problem was the dish did not live up to my expectations.

Firestone’s Culinary Tavern is not a place I will be returning to anytime soon. I’m not saying people should not try it, it’s just that there are too many restaurants in Frederick MD to try. Plus I want consistency in my meal. Have you been to Firestone’s? Do you have a favorite fine dining restaurant I should try? Leave a comment below.