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Crofton Maryland Restaurant Review - Italian Market
March 28th, 2008 Categories: Crofton Restaurants
When Larry and I moved to Crofton, Maryland, in the 70’s, there were just two commercial dining establishments: Pigeon House (at the site now housing Jasper’s) and the Sly Horse Tavern on the Crofton Village Green. No McDonalds, no pizza carry-outs, and no franchise restaurants at all.
A lot has changed in Crofton since then, and the joy of eating out without driving to Annapolis is one of the changes we really appreciate. We do so often, but we had never been to Italian Market.
Then, while Larry was out of town a few weeks ago, I tried the Italian Market while running errands at the Village of Waugh Chapel.
My first indication this might be a good choice was the long line waiting to order carry-out. Instead of sighing and heading off to my old stand-by, Vince’s Deli, I decided to hang in there and find out what all the fuss was about.
‘Glad I did because my Italian Sub was excellent, and it wasn’t long before I went back again. Now you could almost call me a regular (Sorry, Vince’s, but you can’t hold a candle to Italian Market!). Take a look at the menu online to see the long list of entrees, pasta dishes, pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and desserts they offer.
While I’m a take-out girl so far, there’s a large clean attractive eating area and a second semi-separate dining area that would probably be ideal for an office or team party. And there’s a store featuring authentic Italian products including sauces, pastas, specialty items and wine.
Besides the regular dine-in / carry-out menu, there’s a separate catering menu that could come in handy the next time you’re responsible for the food at a family party or office event. I’ll certainly be ordering from Italian Market in fall when it’s Terps tailgating season again!
If you haven’t eaten at the Italian Market yet, give them a try. In addition to the location at Village of Waugh Chapel, there’s a second one on Md. Rt. 450, on the left before you get to Annapolis Mall (coming from Crofton).
Enjoy!
RELATED LINK: Crofton Restaurants and Carry-Outs
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Have You Dined at McCormick & Schmick’s in Annapolis?
February 11th, 2008 Categories: Crofton Restaurants
Larry and I eat out often, as I’ve mentioned before, and this weekend we decided to check out a new restaurant in the Annapolis Mall expansion, just 20 minutes from Crofton. McCormick & Schmick’s was our choice, and we thought early dining (5–ish) would mean no wait for a table and, therefore, good service.
Well, the service WAS outstanding, but we were wrong about the wait.
Reservations are the norm, not the exception – made easy by their online reservation tool – something we didn’t expect. We waited almost an hour for a table, but it was well worth it! Next time, however, we will make reservations, and I highly recommend you do so, too. The waiting area is cramped with no seating or stroller parking.
An elegant environment is created by the dark wood pillars, furnishings and trim, and several tables are separated by little walls with dark green drapes that close for private dining and conversation. The up-scale feel is enhanced by the beautiful overhead lighting fixtures, carpeted floors, nicely framed local photos, and a layout that makes each section of the restaurant seem intimate.
To the left of the door is the bar, where drinks are made using “fresh-squeezed juices and hand-crafted, with special interest and thought given to the quality of every drink served.” We didn’t visit the bar, on this visit, but they serve classic drinks, such as martinis, Irish coffee, single malt whiskeys and bourbons, complemented with modern favorites like lemon drops, cosmopolitans and more. They feature a selection of craft-brewed and quality imported beers and an extensive selection of fine Northwest, California, regional and international wines.
The menu changes twice daily to list the freshly delivered seafood varieties, ranging from Alaska halibut to New Zealand grouper to Maryland blue crabs, depending on availability. In fact, there are more than 80 menu items “sure to please each guest’s taste”.
Larry and I both ordered fried shrimp – a favorite that has never quite measured up to our standards in other local restaurants. No disappointment here! We enjoyed a plate of ten delicious jumbo fried shrimp, coleslaw, and fries, as well as some excellent bread with butter soft enough to spread (a small but important little detail). We passed on the appetizer and dessert this time, but I have no doubt anything and everything on their menu is good, and we’re looking forward to making McCormick & Schmick’s a monthly treat.
And thanks, Darren, for such great service! You were “there” when we needed you, but not hovering and interrupting us throughout the meal.
Except for the wait (our fault, because we didn’t take advantage of the online reservation tool), this was another perfect dining out experience in the Crofton area!
RELATED LINK: Crofton Restaurants and Carry-Outs
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Is There Any Such Thing As a PERFECT Dining-Out Experience?
January 21st, 2008 Categories: Crofton Restaurants
Crofton is home to many restaurants and we patronize them several times a week – from Ledo Pizza at Eddie’s Place to Damon’s, and then beyond Crofton to nearby restaurants in Bowie and Annapolis. The food and service meet or exceed our expectations most of the time.
Tonight, however, Larry and I did enjoy a rare “perfect” dining out experience -from the parking to the people who worked there to the food.
1) Convenient Free Parking – We had our choice of several nearby parking spots.
2) Friendly Greeting – Five smiling faces greeted us as we entered the restaurant. They actually looked like they were having a lot of fun, and they made us feel welcome.
3) Prompt Seating – Immediate is even better, and that’s what we had. When my husband asked if the table was located in a place that would allow him to keep an eye on the Chargers-Patriots game, the hostess changed our seating assignment to accommodate that and offered to stop back periodically to let him know if there were any changes in the score.
4) Prompt Friendly Service by a Well-Groomed Waiter/Waitress – Renee waited on us immediately after we were seated and she served us with a genuine smile and pleasant attitude; she didn’t rush us, and she kept the drink refills coming without prompting; she also served the meal promptly when it was ready, so the food was hot. And, I might add, she did not constantly interrupt our conversation to ask if everything was okay – Don’t you hate it when servers do that?
5) Menu – I’ll be honest… we don’t even look at the menu any more when we go to this restaurant because we both know what we’re going to order:
We will start out with Wild West Shrimp (a generous portion of batter-fried popcorn shrimp tossed with sliced cherry peppers, garlic butter and Prairie Dust™ and served with ranch dipping sauce.)
Larry will order the Cowboy Pork Chops (two 8 oz. center-cut, bone-in pork chops grilled and seasoned with Prairie Dust™ and served with seasoned French fries and your choice of one side dish) with salad, and please substitute vegetables for the cooked apples.
I’ll have The Renegade (hearty, USDA Choice top sirloin, seasoned with Prairie Dust™.) cooked medium rare, with mashed potatoes and a salad.
6) Quality of the Meal – Our dinner arrived quickly, hot, exactly as ordered, and perfectly prepared. Wow! Great food in addition to good service!
7) The Check – It’s pretty annoying when you have to wait longer for the check than your dinner – that did not happen tonight. Renee was nearby, when we were ready for the check, and she had it ready for us. Not only that, it was accurate.
What else could anyone ask for or expect in a restaurant? I’m usually pretty conservative when it comes to rating anything, but I don’t see how this could be anything lower than a solid “10”.
I guess there IS such a thing as a PERFECT dining-out experience, because we enjoyed one tonight at LongHorn Steakhouse in Bowie New Town Center, just ten minutes from Crofton.
RELATED LINK: Crofton Restaurants and Carry-Outs
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Little-known Facts about Crofton’s Ledo Pizza
November 15th, 2007 Categories: Crofton Restaurants
Crofton loves Ledo’s at Eddie’s Place, that’s for sure!
Several months ago, I held a pizza contest on another website and invited people to post a comment about their favorite place for pizza in Crofton. Ledo’s won, hands down over Dominoe’s, Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s. Louise Lear was the lucky winner of a drawing for pizza at her favorite pizza restaurant or carryout, and she was a Ledo’s fan – like most of the participants.
Many of us have enjoyed a long love affair with Ledo’s, having fond memories of our late-night visits to the original restaurant in Adelphi, near The University of Maryland.
Even if you have enjoyed Ledo Pizza for several years, though, you may not know these interesting facts:
* Ledo’s slogan, “We’re square because we don’t cut corners!” comes from the use of rectangular pans, which were more readily available and less expensive than round ones when Ledo Pizza opened in 1955. Customers seemed to like their rectangular pizza, so Ledo’s still serves them even though round pizzas are the norm for most pizza restaurants and carry-outs!
* Fresh handmade pizza dough is hand-rolled when you order your pizza - not tossed, like most pizza dough. Ledo’s pizza dough is made fresh every two hours, and never frozen.
* Thick slices of locally-made pepperoni are another trademark of Ledo Pizza. Cooks cut the pepperoni slices by hand in the beginning, so slices were thicker than machine-cut pepperoni. Again, customers really loved their pepperoni pizzas at Ledo’s, so you can still get them just the way they were served in the 50’s at the original family restaurant.
* Smoked provolone cheese is used on Ledo Pizza, rather than mozzarella. That’s why there is a saltiness to it, enhancing the flavor of pizza at Ledo’s and making it unique.
* The Marcos family, one of the founding families of Ledo Pizza, still owns and manages the original restaurant in Adelphi, Maryland.
* Ledo’s Pizza System, under Bob Beall (grandson of the other founder of the restaurant), now owns the Ledo brand and franchise rights and, since 1989, Ledo Pizza has spread to Washington, D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and, of course, throughout Maryland.
* In November 2006, Oprah Winfrey featured Ledo Pizza as one of the best pizzas in America. Her friend, Gayle King, attended the University of Maryland during the 70’s, and never forgot her Ledo’s Pizza at the original restaurant.
A lot of people in Crofton feel the same way. The voting in my pizza contest proved it!
RELATED LINK: Crofton Restaurants and Carry-Outs
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Crofton Restaurants & Carryouts
October 3rd, 2007 Categories: Crofton Info, Crofton News, Crofton Restaurants
Crofton’s Sly Horse Tavern and Pigeon House, Rip’s in Bowie, and Kaufman’s in Gambrills were just about the only places in the area to eat out when Larry and I moved to Crofton in 1971.
In fact, the closest grocery store was located in Bowie, but that’s a story for another day.
Be sure to watch for Crofton-area restaurant reviews, coming soon to FocusOnCrofton.com. Meanwhile, here is a list of some local restaurants and carryouts for you to try (and I hope you will add your own review in the comments):
1. Allison’s Restaurant, 2207 Defense Hwy., Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 721-0331
2. American Grill, 1334 Defense Hwy., Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 721-3500
3. Applebees, 2408 Brandermill Blvd, Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 451-6080
4. Atlanta Bread Company, 1334 Main Chapel Way, Gambrills, MD 21054 (410) 721-3883
5. Big Fish, 1260 Crain Hwy., Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 451-3133
6. Blimpie Subs & Salads, 2211 Defense Hwy., Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 4541-8333
7. Boston Market, 1070 Route 3 North, Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 451-8390
8. Burger King, 2217 Defense Hwy., Crofton, Maryland 21114 (301) 261-0859
9. Carrabba’s, 16431 Governor’s Bridge Rd, Bowie, Maryland 20716 (301) 809-0500
10. Chick Filet, 2615 Brandermill Blvd., Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 451-7166
11. Chili’s, 3552 Crain Hwy, Bowie, Maryland 20716 (301) 805-5725
12. Chipotle Mexican Grill, 2503 Brandermill Blvd., Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 451-4161
13. Christopher’s Restaurant, 1286 Rt. 3 South, Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 451-1602
14. Crofton Depot Deli Carryout, 2135 Defense Hwy., Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 721-0220
15. Crystal Hunan Restaurant, 2225 Defense Hwy., Crofton, Maryland 21114 (301) 261-3888
16. Damon’s of Crofton, 2406 Brandermill Rd., Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 721-3883
17. Domino’s Pizza, 2135 Defense Hwy., Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 721-0033
18. Eddie’s Place-Ledo Pizza, 1286 Rt. 3, Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 721-5200
19. Fin’s, 1629 Crofton Center, Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 721-4200
20. Fortune Cookie Express, 1286 Rt. 3, Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 721-8188
21. Four Season’s Grille, 2630 Chapel Lake Dr., Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 721-0225
22. Friendly’s Restaurant, 1673 Crofton Center, Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 721-3007
23. Fuji Steak House, 1314 Main Chapel Way, Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 721-6880
24. Hans Hunan Restaurant, 1659 Crofton Center, Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 721-5272
25. Hunan Express, Crofton Station Shopping Center, Crofton, Maryland 21114 (301) 261-0484
26. Irish Channel Pub, 1053 Route 3 North, Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 451-4222
27. Italian Market, 2404 Brandermill Blvd., Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 451-7140
28. Jasper’s, 1651 Rt. 3 North, Crofton, Maryland 21114 (301) 261-3505
29. Kaufmann’s, 329 Gambrills Rd., Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 923-2005
30. Kentucky Fried Chicken, 1043 Rt. 3 North, Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 451-7140
31. La Fiesta Restaurant, 1043 Rt. 3 North, Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (301) 261-0086
32. Ledo’s, 1086 Rt. 3 South, Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 721–5200
33. LongHorn Steakhouse, 4100 Town Center Boulevard, Bowie, Maryland 20716 (301) 352-9406
34. McCormick & Schmick’s, Annapolis Mall, Annapolis, Maryland (410) 266–8866
35. Mc Donald’s, Conway Rd., Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 721-3305
36. Mi Casita, 1334 Defense Hwy., Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 451-0025
37. My Butcher & More, 1334 Defense Hwy., Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 451-3296
38. Nautilus Diner, 2100 Concord Blvd., Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 451-8062
39. Outback Steakhouse, 6868 Racetrack Rd., Bowie, Maryland 20715 (301) 464-5800
40. Pizza Hut, 1060 Rt. 3 North, Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 721-4141
41. Pizza Bolis, 2177 Defense Hwy., Crofton, Maryland 21114 (301) 858-1300
42. Popeye’s Chicken, Route 3 North, Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 721-7456
43. Rips Country Inn, 3809 N Crain Hwy., Bowie, Maryland 20717 (301) 805-5900
44. Saigon Noodle House, 2171 Defense Hwy., Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 451-9410
45. Sly Horse Tavern, 1678 Village Green, Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 721-4550
46. Taco Bell, 1088 Maryland Route 3 South, Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 721-5598
47. Vince’s Deli, 1268 Rt. 3 South, Crofton, Maryland 21114 (410) 721-2017
48. Wendy’s, 1064 Rt. 3 North, Gambrills, Maryland 21054 (410) 721-4165
When a Crofton-area restaurant or carryout is reviewed, the name will link to the review, and the number of stars awarded will appear next to the name. Stars will be awarded for the overall dining experience based on service (timeliness and friendliness) and food (quality, price, presentation, and taste), according to reasonable expectations for the type of establishment.
In the meantime, I invite you to submit your own personal review of any Crofton area dining experience, using that criteria, in the comments for this post.
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