Maggiano's Little Italy - The Mall in Columbia

Charles and I were invited to the grand opening of Maggiano's Little Italy at The Mall in Columbia  that included a pasta ribbon cutting ceremony and a VIP luncheon. 

 Maggiano's specializes in made-from-scratch, every day Italian-American family style cuisine, based on recipes that have been in Italian families for generations.

This sounds like our own Italian American family. Since many of our family meals are from recipes handed down from our own relatives in Sicily, Naples and Rome, we were excited to try the meals at Maggiano's. Charles was busy so I went by myself (well, my mom had to drive me). 

The ribbon cutting ceremony was held in front of the entrance next to the awesome outdoor patio. The ceremony was interesting because the ribbon was actually made from 10 feet of braided whole wheat fettucini pasta. I'd never seen that before. 

Howard County Council member Courtney Watson,
me and Howard County Executive Ken Ulman

Maggiano's President Steve Provost,
Council member Courtney Watson
and me  

                                             After the ceremony, I met some important people - Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, Howard County Council Vice Chairperson Courtney Watson, Maggiano's -Executive Chef Matt Delano, Managing Partner Michael Woernle and President Steve Provost. They were all really cool people who treated me like an adult - even though I'm a teenager with braces.

Chef Delano even took me through the kitchen to see where all the action happens. 



Although the restaurant can sit ~300 people, it feels cozy inside with   black leather booths combined with tables covered in red checker cloths that can be pushed together to make room for large parties - like the one we sat at for the luncheon. The dinning room's floor to ceiling windows makes the space feel open and light.

The guy sitting across from me was none other than Reagan from The Mix 106.5 morning radio show. Charles and I listen to that station all the time.  

Before the food came out, the waiters and chef asked if we had any food allergies. They said they could make almost any kind of dish to accommodate allergies like gluten free pasta and sauces. 

Chopped Salad 

Our luncheon was served family style but on the regular menu you can order it family style or as individual meals. We started with delicious warm Italian bread with olive oil dipping sauce. 

Followed by the chopped salad - lettuce, crispy prosciutto, tomatoes, blue cheese, avocado well mixed with their house dressing that had hints of mustard and vinegar. I could have eaten the entire bowl. This salad is offered on the menu as a side or main course. 

Crispy Zucchini Fritte with Lemon Aioli

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with
Roasted Pepper sauce with Arugula and Tomatoes

When I asked Chef Delano what he'd recommend as an appetizer for a hungry teenager like myself, he suggested the Crsipy Zucchini Fritté with Lemon Aioli sauce. I wasn't sure I'd like the sauce but it was creamy goodness with a little bit of fresh lemon. The zucchini was cut very thin which made it light and crispy. He was right that I'd like it.

They are described as "jumbo lump" crab cakes on the menu. They certainly lived up to that claim. The crab cake was a good size portion seasoned with old bay seasoning that didn't over power the crab meat. Combined with the zing of the roasted pepper sauce it was a hit. The dish was served family style, but I liked it so much I went back for thirds.  

Then they rolled out the pasta dishes - their classic Mom's Lasagna and famous Rigatoni "D" dish. 

Considering I'm a HUGE fans of my grandmother Alberta's famous lasagna, I wasn't sure how Mama Maggiano's would stack up.  But with its crumbled meatballs and sausage, ricotta cheese and sweet sauce, it held its own. While my grandmother uses dry pasta, which makes the lasagna thicker, Maggiano's was bursting with thick meaty sauce and tender layers of fresh pasta. Similar to my grandmother's sauce, it had a slight sweetness to it. This is the real deal.

The Rigatoni "D" dish is herb-roasted chicken, mushrooms, caramelized onions in a marsala cream sauce. Did I ever mention how much I love mushrooms and caramelized onions in marsala? Oh yeah, this dish had it going on. All my favorite things in one dish. The only, and I mean only, thing I would change about this dish is to ask for more sauce next time. 

Unfortunately, I had to leave the luncheon before it ended (I went on my school lunch break), so I missed a few more dishes and dessert.  As I was leaving, Maggiano's Steve Provost gave me a bag full of goodies to take home. It made me feel like when we have family over our house for big dinners, my mom and grandmother always make extra to send guests home with food. 

I thought the "extra" food was special because of the VIP luncheon, but I learned it's actually part of the normal experience at Maggiano's. It's called the “On The House Classic Pasta,” which sends any guest who orders one of eight handmade pastas home with a second Classic Pasta of their choice, compliments of Chef Delano.  I was happy to hear that. 

As I was walking out, I noticed a separate section in Maggiano's just for take out orders. The person there told me they also deliver and sell pasta sauces by the jar. The best thing I learned was they take reservations - which on a busy Friday or Saturday is terrific because nearby restaurants like Cheesecake Factory don't take reservations. 

I am definitely coming back and bringing Charles and my family. There are so many things on the menu that I want to try such as the steamed mussels, honey mustard salmon club sandwich, mushroom ravioli al forno and salmon oscar. 

If you visit Maggiano's let us know about it. And if you see me and my brother eating there, come say hi.

- Thomas

David's Natural Market Cafe - Columbia, MD

Located in Columbia's Wilde Lake Village Center, David's Natural Market is a health food store that sells fresh produce, vitamins, meats, dry goods, hair and body products and much more. It has been a family owned and operated business for over 37 years. 

Inside the store, there's David's Cafe where chefs Barbara Wright and Ben Austin cook homemade, all-natural and vegan lunch specialties from Monday through Saturday. 

When I was little, my mom started shopping at David's because I had a sensitivity to diary and soy products.  Chef Barbara and store nutritionist Courtney Carptenter helped my family to shop and cook for my special diet.  Over time, I gradually outgrew my diary and soy sensitivity but I never outgrew my love for David's.

The cafe is located near the produce department.  The daily specials are written on a dry erase board. There's also a standard menu that includes sandwiches, salads, soups and sushi. 

Our favorite Cafe sandwich of all time is the Powerhouse ($4.95). It's a an over stuffed sandwich with organic sliced tomato, lettuce, Monterey Jack cheese, Vegenaise mayonnaise, alfalfa sprouts and seasoned with garlic power and Italian seasoning on sprouted seven grain bread. 

Powerhouse Sandwich

We never get tired of this sandwich.  It's always so filling, healthy and delicious. It's great for lunch, dinner or a snack. The sandwich is especially excellent before athletic events to give us a big surge of energy.  When you order the Powerhouse at the cafe counter it comes with chips. 

But you can also get the sandwich already made in the Grab-n-Go refrigerated glass case directly across the cafe. 

  

When I'm not consuming a Powerhouse sandwich, I'm devouring David's tuna melt ($6.50; picture above) It's essentially the same as the Powerhouse sandwich but with tuna salad and melted Monterey Jack cheese.  The tuna salad is moist but not soggy, well seasoned and packed with tuna. This is another huge sandwich. 

Tip - you can buy all the ingredients to make both the Powerhouse and Tuna Melt sandwiches at home - and it's cheaper.  Here's where to find the ingredients - from the produce section (lettuce, tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts), refrigerated case (Shiloh Farms organic seven grain bread), condiment aisle (Vegenaise mayo, Italian seasoning and garlic powder) and form the cafe counter (sliced Monetrey Jack cheese). 

The sushi bar is just as awesome. All the sushi is made fresh daily - sometimes it's made right in front of us as we're waiting for our cafe order.

 My Aunt Cindy loves the vegetarian roll and my Grandpa Charles loves the raw sushi like the tuna roll.  He said the fish is always fresh and tastes just as good as some high priced sushi restaurants but at a much better price. Charles and I don't eat raw fish sushi but we do like the California roll. 

Check out David's Natural Market's located at 5430 Lynx Lane in Columbia. The village center is under construction but they are open during the work despite the road detour. Take Cross Fox off of Twin  Rivers road, go up the hill (passed the tennis club) and turn left to the store parking lot. 

- Thomas
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Boston Chowda Company- Boston, MA

I traveled to Boston recently for a school trip. During my time there, my friends and I found some great restaurants inside the Prudential Center food court. One of them was Boston Chowda Company, a small eatery known for their award-winning Clam Chowder which is a two-time winner of Boston's annual ChowderFest. However, I discovered they also make fantastic sandwiches. 

I'd had my fair share of Clam Chowder in Boston the day before, so I decided to try a sandwich because it looked so good. 

Boston Chowda Company serves up delicious sandwiches and melts such as the Maine Lobster Roll and the Applewood Smoked Bacon and Tomato Melt along with signature soups, New England Pot Pies, and wraps.

They're known for original family recipes prepared with quality ingredients and passion.

I ordered the Chicken Pesto Melt- roasted chicken breast, sliced plum tomatoes, cheesy mozzarella,  fresh basil and pesto sauce, on sliced rustic Italian bread, buttered and then grilled to perfection.

It was a substantial portion of breaded chicken, flavorful pesto, velvety mozzarella, and succulent plum tomatoes. Although there was a substantial amount of chicken, I would have preferred a thin chicken cutlet rather than a thick one. 

Even though I didn't get to try the Clam Chowder,                             Service was super fast and friendly
I strongly recommend trying it. The "Chowda"
looked terrific!

-Charles

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Scittino's Italian Market- Catonsville, Maryland

It may be off the beaten track in downtown Catonsville but Scittino's Italian Market is a little slice of heaven for those searching for a classic New York style Italian eatery and market. "Authentic Italian food made from scratch" is the store's motto and it lives up to its name.

Since 1973, the store has been owned and operated by the Scittino family- Frank and Tina, and their children Leonardo, Salvatore, Josie and Frankie, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1958 from Sicily, Italy, with the first of their four children.

Seemingly this store has it all -  pizzeria, pastry, cake and cookie display case, deli, butcher counter, homemade pastas to-go freezer, Italian dried and canned goods, carry-out, small dine-in section, and catering menu. Click here for their deli menu. 

Single serve desserts

Pastry and cookie display case 

cannoli - regular and chocolate covered 

Shelves lined with imported Italian canned and dried goods. The deli and butcher counter (in the background) carries Boar's Head products, homemade sausages, meats, seafood, olives and imported cheeses. The freezers (on the right) house homemade ravioli and pastas, plus family style meals like lasagna and meatballs to-go. 

The butcher shop includes over 10 different homemade sausages including Italian sweet, Italian hot, Italian with fennel,
Italian lamb with rosemary, Portugese Linguica, Polish Kielbasa, German Bratwurst, Irish Bangers, Spanish Chorizo and French Andouille








There are freezers full of homemade pastas to-go. Some really interesting ones like ravioli filled with mushroom stuffing and squid ravioli.

Also in the freezer section are cakes such as the Lemoncello mascarpone cake.

After browsing around the store, we decided to order a few things and eat in.  It was really hard to chose because there were so many different items on the menu.

First, my family decided to taste the pizza. We ordered a 20 inch pizza pie with mushrooms. It was so massive it was presented to us at our table on a folding tray.  It was terrific.

 It had gooey thick cheese, large, plump mushrooms, the perfect amount of tomato sauce and an incredibly soft, tasty crust.

My grandfather ordered the sausage lentil soup made with the store's homemade fennel sausage. As you can see from his face, he liked it. He said it was one of the best he tasted... and he's Sicilian. 

Then we spilt a dish of chicken parmigiano with spaghetti. Wow! This was authentic. We all loved the sweet tomato sauce with the breaded chicken smothered in mozzarella cheese.  

Fried chicken 

Stuffed flounder 

We also tried two more items - the flounder stuffed with crabmeat and the fried chicken.  Yes, fried chicken.  We didn't expect to see it on an Italian menu.  But it looked so good displayed in the glass warming case, we had to try.

The chicken had a light, seasoned, crispy skin with moist juicy meat underneath. They sell it by the piece (like we ordered it) or as a platter with fries or in boxes for large quantities. We envision ourselves getting a box of fried chicken for a summer picnic with friends.

Although it took an extra long time to prepare (we were finished with our other items before the fish was served) the flounder was worth the wait. The fish was fresh and tender, the stuffed crab was well seasoned but not too spicy and the sauce tasty. My mom thought the sauce was a bit thick for her liking but she would order it again with less sauce.

Before we left we ordered some Italian cookies and cake slices to-go.  And it was hard to go. We really liked Scittino's.  They are opened 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I know we will be back soon and often.

- Charles
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