Pizza – 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.

Food 101

Food 101 is a Foodies Paradise. From their Fresh Salads, to their Artisan Pizzas, and Gourmet Sandwiches. You can’t go wrong dining at Food 101 in Gettysburg.

Food 101 is a Foodie destination in Gettysburg, PA. They have taken comfort food classics and injected them with flavor. For months now, I have been wanting to try Food 101. They come highly recommended and now I understand why.

If you are a people watcher, you will like Food 101’s location. Sitting on the corner of Chambersburg and North Washington, you have huge windows to look out and see the tourist walk by. Inside Food 101 you will fine a clean smartly decorated restaurant.

Food 101’s menu screams, you have sampled our lunch, come back for dinner. Served after 4:00 P.M, they have selections like, Norway Lobster Pappardelle, Basil Chicken Ratatouille, and for me, the eye-catching Pork Ribeye. Intriguing on their lunch menu was the Tuna Burger, la Cubana, and my selection, the Club 101. If you are a vegetarian, they have a Vegetable Powerhouse sandwich.

Looking for something light and tasty, I decided upon the Club 101. The Club 101 has house roasted, hand carved turkey breast, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, chipotle mayo, on wheat berry bread. I chose to complete my meal with house made chips. For a little extra, I could have tried the Truffle Fries.

Food 101 knows how to carve turkey. The Turkey was sliced thicker than what you find on your typical deli sandwich. Biting into the Club sandwich the first thing I noticed was how good the turkey tasted. You would think this was coming from your Thanksgiving leftovers. Except for the Turkey was tender and juicy. You can’t go wrong with avocado on a club sandwich. The Turkey was the star, but a close second was the chipotle mayo. It added just enough spice, but not to much too distract from the sandwich.

Food 101 Strawberry Chocolate Tart — Food 101 Chocolate Strawberry Tart

Food 101 does not bake their desserts in house. But they do have a personal baker that makes all of their desserts. Unfortunately, they only keep limited quantities, so the only thing they had left when I went to order was the Chocolate Strawberry Tart. It tasted as good as it looked. I’m not a fan of Chocolate desserts, but if I was in a mood for a dessert, I would order this again.

Food 101 is definitely a place I will go back to. Looking at the menu, I see several trips in my future. I will make sure I am there after 4:00, so I can indulge in the Chef’s Selections.

Needless to say I recommend Food 101 on your next trip to Gettysburg. Have you been to Food 101 or have a favorite Gettysburg restaurant, leave a comment below.

Veneto Wood Fired Pizza and Pasta

Veneto Wood Fired Pizza and Pasta in Rochester NY, is a must visit Italian Restaurant. The food is made fresh in a kitchen where you can watch your food being made.

Truthfully, if Veneto Wood Fired Pizza and Pasta in Rochester NY, had not been recommended to me, I’m not sure I would have stopped. The old saying is, don’t judge a book by its cover. Veneto is a must visit Italian restaurant. There is a lot to be said about a restaurant where the food is made fresh in a kitchen where you can watch your food being prepared.

One of the things that struck me was that Veneto was packed on a Wednesday night. I was lucky enough to find an open table. They have live music on Wednesday nights, but I’m certain that it was the food that was drawing in the crowd.

Veneto is not your standard pizza joint. The menu reads as if you are eating at a finer dining Italian restaurant with selections such as Pasta con Funghi and Prosciutto with Peas Alfredo. I’m not sure if Lasagna is something you would expect to be served in a fine dining Italian restaurant, but it’s definitely not on the menu at Veneto. It took me a while, but I finally settled on the Veal Piccata special.

Veneto Veal Piccata — Veneto’s Veal Piccata

The Veal Piccata at Veneto is not a menu item. Fortunately for me it was one of the specials on the night I visited. Veal Piccata is simple, yet a complex dish. The thinly slice veal, is breaded and cooked to a golden brown, then laid over pasta. They finish the dish by coating the veal with a buttery, tangy lemon sauce with capers. In Veneto’s rendition of Veal Piccata, they have added spinach. This was a perfectly balanced dish. The veal was cooked to perfection and I could not get enough of the sauce. Veneto makes Bucatini pasta in house. With the center of the Bucatini pasta being hollow, allowing the sauce to penetrate the pasta. This makes for an exceptional bite.

My only complaint was that I ate a full-sized salad and was not able to finish my Veal Piccata. While waiting for my food, I was watching some of the other dishes being served. There are a lot of meals I want to try. At the top of my list is their Wood Fired Pizza. Pizza was the reason I went to Veneto in the first place.

I highly recommend Veneto Wood Fired Pizza and Pasta in Rochester NY. If you are in the Rochester area check them out. Have you been to Veneto? Do you have a favorite Italian Restaurant in the Rochester NY area? Please leave your comments below.

Rad Pies

Rad Pies in Williamsport MD has the most flavorful pizza in the region.

I’m always on the search for new pizza restaurants to try. In the case of Rad Pies, My doctor recommended them. When she said try Rad Pies, my brain said this is the same woman who just said I need more exercise and cut back on the carbs, so she peaked my curiosity and I had to try them. Williamsport is not exactly close to me, so this was definitely going to be a destination drive.

A few things struck me when looking for Rad Pies, first of all they are not off a main drive, if you weren’t looking for them, there is probably not a chance you will stumble on them. Secondly, they are located in an industrial park. Finally, Rad Pies is co-located in the Cushwa Brewing Co.

Walking in the door, I was struck by how sterile everything was. There is a bar to order your beers, but ordering your pizza and other food takes place at a kiosk. There is no wait staff, you receive a text when you food is ready and you pick it up at the counter. I hope this is not a trend of the future.

Let’s talk pizza! Rad Pies’ Detroit style pizza has to be the tastiest pizza in the region. I mean, Man! this is good pizza. The pizza seasoning blend is killer and it’s not only in the sauce. The thick crust is seasoned with the same Italian seasoning blend. I instantly took a liking to the caramelized cheese acting as a crust. The toppings and cheese are spread over the crust and the sauce is drizzled across the top. I chose to build my own pizza, I selected Italian sausage, bacon, and pepperoni. If I have a bone to pick with them, it would be this: great tasting pizza but where are the toppings. I’m not a fan of ground up sausage and they seemed to go a little lite on the pepperoni. Even with the toppings being lite, this is a very good pizza.

Rad Pies is not what I call a family friendly restaurant, unless you are ready to put out a good deal of cash. I was surprised by the size of the pizza and how much it cost. The pizza was four slices and more than $30.00. Cushwa Brewing Co. is good place to meet up with friends. Just bring your wallet, the beer cost almost what the pizza cost.

If you are in the Williamsport area and want a good pizza, give Rad Pies a try. I will not be making the 53 mile drive anytime soon, but given the opportunity I would like to try their thin crust pizza as well. Have you been to Rad Pies or have a favorite pizza restaurant you think I should try, leave a comment below.

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.

Tommy’s Pizza

Best Pizza in Pennsylvania??

When my mind wanders at work, at times I will cruise the internet and see what catches my eye. There was an article on the Best Pizza Restaurant in each of the 50 States. According to the article, the best pizza in Pennsylvania was just 9 miles from me; Tommy’s Pizza in Gettysburg. So of course, I had to try it. When I visited Tommy’s it was hopping, talk about busy. You place your order at the counter when you walk in and then find a seat. One of the things I appreciated is their menu is fairly simple. A lot of places try to do too much, but not at Tommy’s. They serve Pizza, Subs, Gyro, Stromboli, Salads, Wings, and they have your usual side orders. When it comes to pizza, they serve one style, thin crust, with about 30 different topping options. If you don’t feel like creating your own, they do have their Specialty Pizza’s, which include, Veggie, White, Greek, Supreme, Meat Lovers, and Gluten Free. I’m certain they can satisfy most of the pizza lovers amongst us.

Tommy's Pizza 2 — Tommy’s Pizza Gettysburg

I decided to go with my standard order, Pepperoni and Italian Sausage Pizza. This pizza was cooked exactly how I like my pizza cooked. The crust was slightly crunchy. The cheese along the edge was starting to caramelize. Just looking at the pizza you can see how generous they are with the toppings.

The first bite of Tommy’s Pizza did not disappoint. There is a balance of cheese, sauce, and meat toppings. Some pizzas out there leave you wanting more of something, whether it be sauce, cheese, or meat. Not at Tommy’s.

I can see why this article listed Tommy’s Pizza as the best pizza in Pennsylvania. But, I would like to know what their criteria for making this selection was. There are so many good pizza restaurants in Pennsylvania. Not that there is anything wrong with Tommy’s pizza or the restaurant I don’t think they are the best; I have what I believe is the best pizza in the area a block from my house, which is La Bella Italia . Chiefly the difference is they have three different styles of pizza, my favorite being the Stuffed Pizza. My other reason is I like the sauce at La Bella Italia and Gallo Pizza and Italian Restaurant better.

Any time I can check to see what someone else calls the best, I will. If you are in Gettysburg and looking for pizza, check out Tommy’s. There is a reason they have been in business since 1973. Knowing how expensive it is to eat out, Tommy’s Pizza is a good place to take your family. Have you been to Tommy’s or have a favorite pizza restaurant you want to share, leave your comments below.

Gallo Pizza & Italian Restaurant

Family owned and operated, Gallo Pizza & Italian Restaurant of New Oxford PA, offers a taste of Italy.

It took a couple of tries to finally eat Gallo Pizza, but it was well worth the wait. One of the keys of making a restaurant a destination worth driving to is word of mouth. I was talking to a friend one morning in a coffee shop, when he recommended Gallo Pizza. The first time I tried to go there, the restaurant was closed and family was vacationing in Italy. Then the other day I was in a shop talking with the owner of Dawg Gone Honey. I told her I was looking to eat lunch. She recommended Gallo Pizza. The cherry on top was she told me they were back from vacation.

Gallo Veal Parm 2 — Gallo Pizza Veal Parmesan

I have been looking for a good Italian restaurant in the area for a while now. I have visited Italian restaurants that claim to be authentic; yet they seem to forget something as basic as seasoning. This is not the case with Gallo Pizza. I decided to try their Veal Parmesan. Even before I took that first bite, I was pleasantly surprised by the portion size. There was definitely enough for leftovers. I tried the spaghetti with marinara sauce first. The sauce is balanced, well season, not overly seasoned. It wasn’t watery. The Veal is hand pounded, lightly breaded, and deep fried. My first bite left me looking forward to my next bite. This is exactly what I was expecting. I mentioned leftovers. Not today.

Stuffed pizza, another Chicago original. You might ask, what is the difference between a Stromboli and a Stuffed Pizza. The biggest difference is the pizza sauce is not baked inside the Stromboli, it is normally served in a separate dish. My preference between the two is the Stuffed Pizza. I can’t really say what is my favorite style of pizza. If I had to decide whether to go to New York, the original home of pizza, or Chicago, I would most likely choose Chicago. I do enjoy a good slice, but in Chicago you have both Deep Dish and Stuffed Pizzas to choose from.

Gallo’s Stuffed Pizza is execeptionally good. I wouldn’t be surprised if each slice weighed a half of pound or more. No cheap ingredients here. The meat lover’s pizza featured here has Ham, Pepperoni, Salami, Sausage, Ground Beef, Bacon & Extra Cheese. They finish this pizza off with a light coat of garlic oil on the outer crust. Bite after bite, I could find nothing wrong with this pizza. Not all pizzas are created equal. Nothing worse than a restaurant using cheap tasteless toppings. This is not the issue here, Gallo’s Stuffed Pizza is one of the best in the area.

Gallo Pizza & Italian Restaurant is definitely a destination worth driving to. Just make sure you come hungry. Another plus is they are not over priced, so bring the family. Have you been to Gallo Pizza or have a favorite Pizza Restaurant, leave a comment.