Coal Fire Pizza

Full marks to HowChow for being all over the recent opening of the Coal Fire Pizza restaurant in the Shipley Grant development of Ellicott City. This place is a welcome addition to the local restaurant scene and I agree it jumps near the top of the list for best pizza in Howard County.

The thin, handmade pizzas feature fresh sliced mozzarella and a choice of three tasty sauces. The 580-degree coal fire oven produces a crisp, bubbly, slightly charred pie that's distinct from any others in the county. The selection of toppings is limited, but Coal Fire suggests no more than two toppings per pie "to ensure a perfect bake." I haven't gotten beyond the pizzas yet, but the pastas, sandwiches and wings look intriguing and worth a try.

The restaurant itself is suburban modern, with the oven prominently visible. It's fun to watch your pizza being made and see the coals glowing. Coal Fire Pizza is not especially exotic, but offers good quality everyday eating and is off to a strong start in its first few weeks.

Reviews

• HowChow has an excellent review that has generated 10 additional comments as of 5/2/09.
  
• Chowhound has a lengthy discussion of Coal Fire Pizza with 15 replies as of 5/2/09.
  
• Urbanspoon readers give Coal Fire Pizza 100/100 based on two votes and has one user review as of 5/2/09.
• Yelp readers gives Coal Fire Pizza 5/5 stars based on 1 review as of 5/2/09.
  

Location

5725 Richard's Valley Road

Ellicott City, MD 21043

Phone: 410-480-2625

Website: not yet

The Shipley's Grant location is on Route 108 between Snowden River Parkway and Route 100.

Vesuvio Italian Bistro

Vesuvio Italian Bistro is in the former location of the Lucerna Grill, near the Glenwood Library and Community Center. It's a friendly place for a decent Italian lunch or dinner in western Howard County. It's been under the current ownership for perhaps a year and has an informal, neighborhood vibe.

There's no web site at the moment, but the menu is a collection of Italian bistro standards, centered around pasta dishes or entrees of chicken, veal or shellfish. Two dishes have kept me coming back. The Shrimp Fiorentina appetizer, with large shrimp, fresh spinach and garlic smothered with mozzarella, is plenty to share. The Pollo Pinali chicken breast with pine nuts, artichoke hearts, basil and lemon over capellini is distinctive.

Prices at dinner, with most dishes in the $14-18 range, strike me as a little steep for an everyday kind of place. The lunch menu, which is basically the entire menu in slightly smaller portions with a selection of sub sandwiches also available, is more reasonable. I'd like Vesuvio even more if the lunch menu was available all day.

Vesuvio Italian Bistro
2465 State Rt. 97
Glenwood, MD 21738
Phone: 410-489-6001

PastaBlitz To Go Open in Glenwood

The sign has been up for a long time, but the PastaBlitz To Go is now open on Route 97 in Glenwood. That's good news for pizza and pasta lovers in western Howard County (like me, for one). A cousin of the PastaBlitz in Clarksville (and two in Laurel), the Glenwood location has a few tables and chairs, but it's basically a carry-out operation. It's got a full menu (10Mb .pdf) of Italian favorites available for lunch or dinner.

PastaBlitz To Go
2490 Route 97
Glenwood, MD 21738
Phone: 410-489-5800

Serafino's

A long-time Howard County eatery, Serafino's has been in its current location near the Crab Shanty on Rt. 40 for several years. It's a decent source of pizza and pasta specialties -- not high cuisine but solid family fare.

The pizzas are hand-tossed and cooked in the wood-fired oven that has a featured location in the restaurant. They're usually quite good though a recent Margherita had too much mozzarella for my taste (which I wouldn't have thought possible). A linguine with clams order was chock full of clams and garlic and very tasty. The Caprese Sliders are an appetizer that suffices for a meal, or a good choice to share.

The restaurant's ambiance is industrial but functional. The fireplace is pleasant in winter and the separate bar is roomy. Serafino's handles the basics pretty well and makes for a good weekday or family choice.



If you like Serafino's, or are closer to the eastern side of the county, give Mamma Lucia's a shot.

Mamma Lucia

Located in the Gateway Overlook shopping center near Trader Joe's and Costco is the Howard County and newest branch of the regional Mamma Lucia empire. The original Mamma Lucia opened in Rockville in 1997 and there are now ten restaurants in Maryland and Virginia serving "down home Italian cooking."

Mamma Lucia's is one of the better places in the area for family friendly Italian cooking. The menu is extensive, with a full complement of pizzas, pastas, chicken, veal and seafood dishes. The portions are large and the quality is pretty good. It's not fine Italian cuisine, but they do the basics well. We liked the complimentary garlic bread and dipping oil that appeared just after we sat down. There's a full bar slightly separated from the dining area, service is friendly and the decor is pleasant in a pre-fab kind of way. Mamma Lucia's is also a good place to visit at lunch, when prices are lower and portions a little more manageable.

Aida Bistro and Wine Bar

Aida Bistro and Wine Bar, Columbia
The Barbera family runs this Italian and Mediterranean outpost in an unlikely office park setting. Once you're inside, the pleasant atmosphere and seasonal menus of small plates and entrees make for a very enjoyable experience. Knowledgeable servers help navigate the extensive selection of wines by the bottle or glass. And there's an option of fixed price menus with wines or beers matched to each course.

Aida Bistro makes our list of Howard County's Best Restaurants.

Update: Aida Bistro regularly holds special dining events. Check for them in our Monthly Restaurant Events listings.

Update: Aida Bistro is one of four Howard County establishments on Baltimore Magazine's Best Restaurants list.