Imagine if they had a restaurant guidebook with a clear designated section based on “vibe”. I don’t just mean who goes there. I mean, how people are treated when they come.
There are a few places in my area where the vibe has just taken a nosedive over the last few years: I don’t care if they have $100 on a plate for $10. Some have gotten way too salty about their political views. Ok, we already clocked you with your tats long ago, but now you’re just proselytizing with your Fritos dip. Or you treated people like effluvia during the pandemic with your temperature taking and I can’t quite get back to seeing you as fine dining at a finer dining price. Or I was testing out the waters on your oyster night, scraping together a few extra dollars during the hard times and because I was by myself or with other single ladies, you couldn’t be bothered to serve me.
No wonder Uber Eats got so popular. But those deliveries suck in presentation and quality. I recently had a no-way-to-predict-this incident where a load of stainy sauce got all over me, I stripped off my shirt to soak it, went to set it outside on a rainy night when my gold ring popped off and flew over to Boo Radley’s house.
Meat never comes the way you asked, unless you asked for “shoe leather”. Stuff comes soggy. You become more and more isolated.
And then, doesn’t it sometimes feel like an all-or-nothing proposition? It seems like the style now with the girls is to have “the girls” all hanging out at all times, with fake everything, before being allowed out the door. It takes me 2 hours to get out of Reverend Jim hair mode, so I mostly don’t. Also, I have some facial disfigurements from a fire that are sometimes more visible than others and I don’t always feel like globbing on the spackle. What if you just want to be treated well without becoming part of the entertainment?
I had decided to take myself out to a reasonable feast that I had picked out during the Memorial Day holiday, but shifted things around after I peeked into Brooklandville’s Scittino’s on Saturday.
I generally keep my driving to the Falls Road corridor and so, never made it to the 50-year-old Catonsville branch. I saw that they had set up shop in my neck of the woods a few months ago, but I always either had something else to do or got discouraged by the jam-packed parking lot. It’s a little tight in there in the new strip mall that I swear was just wild grass not too long ago.
But with the holiday weekend and I was there on an odd-ball hour, the parking lot had some spaces. So I decided to peek in after my errands/waking up at the crack of noon.
The second I walked in, the vibe was hitting me just right. I also didn’t have any idea what-all was in there. I thought it was just a simple Italian deli with some pastas and sauces . . . and that’s another thing. The starches don’t merely dislike me in a bathing suit way, they’ve grown to dislike me more in a toe-tag kinda way. Boo. I love them, they hate me. So, I had mistakenly figured I didn’t need to rush there.
Wrong-o! I saw that something was up with a bit of outdoor seating. I walk in to all kinds of things for making dinner — including milk and Italian butter products — but also, a cafe’ section with indoor seating. I walk a little further down the aisle and see — what? — a full bar and restaurant, as well as package goods!
I checked out the deli stuff first. I would say prices are middle of the road: not as low as another Baltimore fave, but comparable to some grocery stores. The selection of imported coffees, preserves, olive oils is incredible. One thing they did not have in the DeCecco pasta section (guys, you gotta get it!) is the racquet-shaped pasta that is so cute with fresh peas.
I first saw these pin-up girls pops in a deli in Canada in “a different life,” when I was only “allowed” to get 2, though they were only $2 CND. Years later, I ordered some vintage ones for decoration and paid $100 on eBay.
This is the butter leftover from making Parmesan cheese and if you don’t get some for making Alfredo sauce, you are nuts.
I’d end up eating a whole jar of these with a little spoon in front of the tv, so I probably shouldn’t start.
You get one of these and people will think you are quite the chef. They were out of something in the freezer case — ravioli with goat cheese and apricot — which they say is good just with garlic butter (!) and Parmesan. No doubt!!
There”s a fresh deli section with all kinds of salami and cheeses, sure. But there’s also fresh fruit and fine meats! Now that’s what I’m talking about. You can create Italian delicacies without the salt and preserved stuff if you like and I definitely like.
Something you used to see everywhere, now you see nowhere, are those stuffed hot cherry peppers with the provolone and prosciutto, “hot shots”. They have them! I got some. They are very much too salty for my taste, but maybe it was just that batch. I’d try another one again. They counterman asked if I wanted them packed with some of their packing liquid (to keep them nice). You bet!
I checked out the restaurant menu for future reference, expecting sandwiches and pastas. Sure, they have that. But there’s also fresh fish and steaks — even ribeye! — on the menu. I looked around and felt the vibe. Holiday dinner was gonna be right here and now.
I started out with a double espresso, because one of my greatest flights of freedom is staying up all night, without phones or demands to deal with.
They served a beautiful mini-loaf of crunchy Italian bread. I indulged in a wee piece, accompanied by dipping olive oil with dried herbs and crushed red pepper flakes.
With the steak, you get a choice of 2 sides. I got wild mushrooms and French fries, because I didn’t know what else I would like. They did have roasted Brussels sprouts and pasta in marinara sauce as other options. Maybe they will have some other choices in the future.
The wild mushrooms (and they were the gourmet, unusual kind, not portabella or what-have-you) had herb and garlic seasoning.
The steak was absolutely luscious, perfectly seasoned and cooked. It was a generous cut, not too salty or weirdly charred. It wasn’t presented fancy, but just simple, delicious cooking.
Other people in there were come as you are, as well. I saw all ages, doing as I did: enjoying themselves without big fuss.
Luxe & Down-Home Cuisine/Culture/Travel/Style 