Daytripping: Checking out Pizza Blitz, Chef Paolino Café, Hull Street Blues, Fogo De Chao and Calvert Marine Museum
So the summer is over, news I don’t like, I am a summer person, but as always it is followed by autumn…so let’s move along and look for places to eat, for that, you’ve come to the right place — three more restaurants await your reading and a wonderful museum to consider.
We begin our journey in Pikesville with a visit to Pizza Blitz, 2622 Quarry Lake Drive in a massive development called Quarry Lake, off Green Spring Avenue.
It is closed on Monday, locally owned and operated (the owner, Luigi, is from Naples Italy), has plenty of free parking, a new catering menu, delivery depending on size, and weekly specials. There’s a kid’s menu, hot and cold subs, salads, many choices of pizza, stromboli and calzone, panini, pasta, and wings. No alcohol. My favorites are the Pavarotti salad and either the eggplant sub or dinner….410-415-5644.
Keeping with the Italian theme, we head to Catonsville and Chef Paolino Café, 726 Frederick Road Catonsville. Closed Sunday, locally owned and operated (chef Paul and son Nick), plenty of parking, lunch until 4, catering on and off-premise, plenty of free parking, wine and beer, and cookies you must try. Monday is pasta night, Tuesday is pizza and Wednesday is oyster. Serving Catonsville for over 30 years. My favorites here are the veal marsala, linguine with mussels (red clam sauce), salmon and shrimp combo, and the Coffey salad….chefpaolinoscafe.com…410-747-4949.
Now we head downtown to Hull Street Blues, 1222 Hull Street, off Fort Avenue (Locust Point)… Open seven days, Sunday brunch (11-3 p.m.), bar with TVs, all desserts made on premise, current owner, Don, has been there 40 years (he told me he was 45, I believed him), street parking, check out the nautical themed photos, a new menu out any day, working fireplace, antique shuffleboard game. Monday is burger night, Tuesday is crab cake, Wednesday is meatloaf, and Thursday is surf & turf. hullstreetblues.com….410-727-7476.
Like Columbo might say, just one more thing, before we leave restaurants. Let’s head to Towson and take a quick look at the new Fogo De Chao, now open at the Towson Towne Center on Dulaney Valley Road. Their other Baltimore location is downtown on Pratt Street. This is a Brazilian steakhouse that lives up to that name.
The meat is carved tableside and it’s all you can eat. It opened in early September, is already a big hit, and is perfect for those with big appetites. Open seven days for lunch and dinner with a Sunday brunch ($49.50), free parking in the garage, an elegant dining room, an extensive salad bar (much more than just salad items), and a large alcohol selection. If you’re a meat lover, this is your place. Reservations might be a good idea….410-870-9100.
Okay, we are finished with dining now it’s on to a bit of culture. We are standing at the Calvert Marine Museum, 14200 Solomons Island Road, Solomons Island Maryland. It tells the story of the Chesapeake Bay and is a family destination. Open daily from 10 to 5 p.m., adult admission is $11, and $9 for seniors, AARP, AAA members, and military. This is an active museum. Something is going on almost every day. Guests can pre-select entry time.
No food service but restaurants are near Solomons Island. They do provide picnic tables so you can bring food back or pack a lunch. Only service dogs are permitted in the museum. And yes the otters are there all year. A real treat is a ride on the Wm B Tennison boat. You catch it right there. It holds 40 passengers, tickets are first come, first served, available up to one hour before the boat leaves (2 pm Wednesday-Sunday until the end of October)… $9.00 for adults….410-326-2042.
You can arrive by boat if you know where you’re going. For this, you must call ahead to guarantee space. October 12 is Patapsco River Appreciation Day so there are free half-hour cruises. Memberships to the museum are available. Plan to spend several hours here. When done take the short drive to the ‘town’ of Solomons Island. There’s even a boardwalk.
And there you have it, another epic adventure. If you have a suggestion as to where I might visit, let me know….[email protected]….Happy autumn!
Eddie Applefeld is a Baltimore native and a graduate of Towson University. He has been in the broadcasting profession for over 30 years. Currently he is the Promotions Director of WCBM radio. Before that, he was part of the Rouse & Company show on WQSR, host of a cable TV show called Dining Out and adjunct instructor at Towson.
His past accomplishments include being named a finalist in Baltimore Tourism’s Employee of the Year Program and winner of Toastmaster’s Speaker of the Year contest. He was also twice a heartthrob for the American Heart Association’s gala fund raiser.