Pizza Time At Luna Bella -- Crisp Crust, Fresh Toppings, And All-The-Parmesan A Kid Could Eat

Luna Bella's pizza -- with parmesan topper

When the woman leaned over and busted me as HowChow, she said it was the Parmesan cheese that had given us away.

Luna Bella is a long-established Columbia restaurant, and I figured that Lil' Chow and I could slip inside on a weeknight.  Luna Bella does a full Italian menu from salads to fish, pastas to chicken parm, but I've always gone for pizza.  That was the choice that I gave Lil' Chow as we stepped from the parking lot into the Hickory Ridge village center -- "Chicken or pizza?"

He went pizza, so I'll see next time if he'll explore yucca fries and Peruvian chicken.

Lil' Chow got his own kid's-size pie.  I went with a vegetable stromboli.  I wanted the bite of provolone instead of mozzarella, and I wanted veggies over meatballs because I lack the discipline to eat only half.

Stromboli

I really recommend Luna Bella, especially because the Hickory Ridge village center lets you hang out after dinner near the fountain or run a toddler around with a cup of chocolate ice cream from Meadows Frozen Custard.  Amid a white-table-cloth joint full of adults, the Luna Bella folks treated me and Lil' Chow perfectly -- immediate ordering, quick delivery, and really nice food.

Our crusts had the crispness that you get from a wood-fired oven.  I think it's a step above most pizza around Howard County, even if it isn't a match for the charred crust and specialized ingredients on a Facci pie.  I saw several salads that looked delicious, and folks next to us had a calamari appetizer that made me wonder if I could get Lil's Chow to eat fried squid.

My stroboli came stuffed with squash, mushrooms and onions.  I dipped up the entire side of marinara.  Lil' Chow's pizza worked for me, but he felt that it didn't have enough cheese.  By which I  mean, that he removed the mozzarella and replaced it with shredded Parmesan.  Two deliveries.

That was when the woman at the next table asked if I wrote the blog.  She said she had suspected, but become convinced when she saw Lil' Chow's love of cheese.  The recent Facci post had discussed Lil' Chow's all-you-can-eat love for Parmesan.  Plus, we're a matching pair of middle-aged white guy and two-year-old Korean immigrant.  I laughed and fessed up.

Next time, I'm going to sit outside and try Luna Bella's meats.  They put sausage and pepperoni right at the front of the list of ingredients you can add to a calzone.  I'll promise myself to save half for lunch, and I'll go full glutton with sausage, pepperoni and caramelized onions.  But then, there are also meatballs . . . . .

Has anyone had Luna Bella's sandwiches?  I hadn't realized that they did sandwiches, but their menu on-line talks about some heavy-duty options like a meatball hoagie, a chicken parm sub, and a chicken cheese steak.  I love them all.  But I only want exceptional because a bad chicken parm sub would be a softball in your stomach.  I'm included to try Luna Bella's sandwiches one day for lunch.

While I've Been: Facci Ristorante Surprised Us With Even-Better Pizza And Even-More Pasta

Pizza and pasta at Facci

While I've been out, Facci Ristorante turned itself into an even-better restaurant -- and surprised us into making it one of our go-to dinners.

The Italian restaurant on Johns Hopkins Road has been a popular spot since it opened more than five years ago, but it never welcomed or excited us as much as we expected -- especially since it is one of our closest options.

While I've been slow with the blogging, we have eaten a few times at Facci, and we loved all the dishes.  First, we remembered that wood-fired pizza is so much better right out of the oven.  We've done take-out a few times.  It's good, but Facci's pizza is crunchy magic when it skips right from the fire to your plate.

The wood-fired oven

All of these gourmet pizzas depend on the skill of the specific person who throws your pie.  As I have written about other places, quality can vary.  But Facci's quality has run recentlyfrom really good to absolutely perfect.  They do a pistachio pizza with sliced red onions that came out slightly charred and perfectly topped.  The crust was still hot and crisp that I was pleased when Lil' Chow declined a slice.

This is part of my "While I've Been Out" series to restart the blog.  Late last year, the blog got some serious competition.  I'm still working out how to keep writing while I'm doing so many other new things as well.  Tomorrow, my suggestion for a great local adventure for exercise and delicious food.  (Plus puppies!!!)

Lil's Chow never declines noodles.  So he has been pleased by our second discovery:  That Facci now makes many more pastas in-house.  I assume Facci expanded the pasta-making when they opened a second location in Turf Valley in Ellicott City.  Instead of two or three options, there is an entire menu section -- from simple fettuccine through gnocchi and stuffed ravioli.

Spaghetti with all-the-parmesan-he-can-get

Your first try should be the sacchetti cheese pears.  These are small pockets of pasta filled with pears and gorgonzola cheese.  There's technique in the pasta-making.  There's 're in balancing fruit with blue cheese.  The pasta was sweet, salty and perfectly toothsome.  It makes me confident to explore other parts of the restaurant because I can tell that they're paying attention to the details.

I'd recommend an exploration even if you're one of the people who hasn't visited in a while.  Facci had rough service in the early years.  I remember being turned away so brusquely that we didn't return for a long time.  But the Facci folks were really great on both visit.  On one visit, our waiter worked with the bartender to find a wine that fit exactly what Mrs. HowChow wanted.  On both visits, folks have catered to Lil' Chow with multiple cheese gratings -- each Parmesan shower making him happier to suck up his spaghetti.

Facci has changed impressively over the years.  They expanded onto a patio.  They added a special bar with artisan meats and cheeses.  I'm not at a happy hour stage of my life, but I recommend it for anything from fancy dates to casual happy hours, from 5 pm toddler dinner to late-night drinks.

The second Facci is in the Turf Valley shopping center.  The original is on Johns Hopkins Road in a shopping center full of food, including Kloby's Smokehouse for barbecue, La Palapa Too for Mexican, and Tandoor Grill for Indian.  In the blog's main political statement, I need to emphasize that they aren't in Laurel.  The post office thinks they're in Laurel, but the center sits west of Rte 29 just south of Columbia.  As I've written, I love Laurel.  This just isn't Laurel.  This is Tribeco.

The $2 Gourmet: Bucatini From DeCecco At Wegmans Or "What I Learned At Italian Shabbat"

DeCecco Bucatini

I love a bargain, but a cheap indulgence can be just as rewarding.

Our friends try to promote a Friday night tradition that they call "Italian Shabbat."  That's a Friday night with friends and Italian food.  They put on terrific food, and I stole the easy part:  a thick, long pasta called bucatini.

That's thicker than spaghetti, but just as easy to make.  It's actually a long hollow tube.  Terrific with the meat sauce that our friends (let's call them "The Cordis Couple") served.  Terrific with all kind of pasta sauces that I have tried since I started buying bucatini in Wegmans in Columbia.

DeCecco's bucatini is a few dollars a box.  That's more than almost every other brand of pasta.  But the noodles themselves are delicious, and there is something fun in splurging on a luxurious shape.

Jersey Mike's Coming To Elkridge At Trader Joe's

A sub chain called Jersey Mike's appears to be opening in Elkridge in the shopping center with Trader Joe's and Perfect Pour -- across from the Costco.

I don't know Mike, but I have received raves from several excited people.  I have always held up Philadelphia sandwiches as a gold standard when I think about good locals like C&B Italian Dely on Rte 40.  It sounds like Jersey Mike's has a South Jersey pedigree, as Zevonista wrote me:

Used to eat these on the Jersey shore - looking forward to their arrival! 

It's been quite a while since I've been to one - but my memory is that they're bigger, with a good amount of meat. Meat sliced as you wait. And the bread is (well, used to be!) great - fresh, baked in store. Hopefully they still do that. 

My experience around here is with pizza places, where they do subs kind of as a backup to pizza. They're fine, but it's not how they make their money. Meats not fresh, bread been sitting around for a bit...

Fresh bread and fresh-sliced meats will make these sandwiches stand up around here.  Marcia confirmed that and said she goes to a Jersey Mike's in Laurel:

I go occasionally to the Jersey Mike's in Laurel.  I don't know if you've been to one, their subs aren't the "stuffed with meat" variety but they use great quality real Italian cold cuts (mortadella, etc) in their subs. T he rolls are nice and crusty.  Head and shoulders above Subway.

This Gateway Overlook center is also the site of the coming-soon Peruvian place Pisco.  That's a few doors down.  Does anyone know the plan or the timing for Pisco or Jersey Mike's?

Hat tip to Randy, Kerri and several anonymous commenters who also saw the signs for Jersey Mike's in Gateway Overlook.

Frozen Gourmet Pasta At C&B Italian Dely

Ravioli and tomato sauce

Want a quick dinner from your freezer?  Want a meal straight from Little Italy?

You can have your ravioli and eat them too if you pick up a frozen package from C&B Italian Dely in Ellicott City.

The $6 container from Frank Velleggia's Casa di Pasta isn't officially a bargain where you can buy a box of pasta for under $2.  But the ravioli makes a pretty special dinner for two.  I pulled the container from the freezer.  I pulled a jar of sauce made from Larriland tomatoes, and we ate with almost no work.

Our Casa di Pasta ravioli was stuffed with ricotta.  A real flavor, but mostly mild and creamy.  Definitely a step up from takeout, and you could jazz up the flavor with a more-interesting sauce.  I don't remember if C&B had other pastas in the freezer, but Casa di Pasta makes a bunch of varieties in Baltimore.  I need to check it out next time.

If you haven't visited, C&B Italian Dely is on Rte 40 east of Rte 29.  Consider a sandwich if you visit.  Also check out the Turkish Family Market and its pistachio candy.

C&B Italian Delly In Ellicott City

Italian hoagie from C&B Italian Delly

I don't mean to be a sandwich snob.  I just came of age in Philadelphia.

I lived four years on pizza and hoagies, so I came to expect that regular sandwich shops could assemble bread, meat and condiments into something delicious.  But 20 years of bad rolls and tasteless sandwiches have left me happy to order almost anything else.

C&B Italian Delly in Ellicott City won me back over to the sandwich choir.  Honestly, I only stopped because I was looking for the Ethiopian restaurant that they're going to open down the row. It was lunchtime.  It was only a $6 risk to see if C&B could do anything worthwhile.

And they can.  I went with just the "Italian hoagie" -- a relatively thin mix of cold cuts, a white cheese, lettuce, tomatoes on a long roll.  It's the roll.  We all know that sandwiches rise or fall on the roll, and C&B's roll tasted like Philadelphia.  Some Quaker loyalists will complain that only Philadelphia-baked rolls can taste like Philadelphia, but C&B's bread had a light crust and a chewy texture that would have made me happy on Walnut Street.

With the bread, everything came together.  Some good thin-sliced meats.  Some hot peppers, a little oil and vinegar.  A sharp cheese that I think was provolone.  An Italian sandwich can be a really simple thing, but C&B pulled that off.  Even with generic lettuce and tomato, that sandwich was easily one of my favorites around.

Two years ago, I posted about sandwiches and highlighted Bon Fresco and New York Deli in Columbia.  Bon Fresco remains the gold standard with gourmet breads and delicious ingredients, but C&B's Italian leads in my "traditional Italian" category.  Well worth the effort to check out.

Of course, the real test will be Mrs. HowChow because she grew up in Philadelphia.  You know how those people are.

(Update: Note that Adam hit up C&B in 2010 and posted about pastrami and other sandwiches on Grub Grade.)

C&B Italian Delly
8457 Baltimore Pike (Rte 40)
Ellicott City, MD 21043
410-465-4499

NEAR: C&B is just off Rte 40 east of Rte 29.  The shopping center has some stores actually facing Rte 40, then some behind those.  C&B is in the back section.  You actually need to turn south off Rte 40, then turn into the parking lot.

Quick Trip To California: Prosciutto And Cheese Plates Sitting Outdoors On Facci's Stone Patio

In the Sun, this would be a classy photo of prosciutto and cheese

We had dinner last week in California, or at least that's what I feel like whenever I'm sitting under one of those gas heaters on a patio.

Facci Ristorante on Johns Hopkins Road has created an entire covered patio with a stone floor, canvas walls and heaters to keep the place working into the fall.  They also added a special bar with Italian meats and cheeses that they're offering on make-your-own plates.  We enjoyed both tucked under the warm patio.

The problem with fall is the crisp air comes with early sundowns, and amateurs can't snap good pictures after dark.  At least not with a cell phone in a nice place with low lighting.  So I don't have photos of the prosciutto or the goat cheese that we paired with a mushroom pizza.  

But they're absolutely worth going to see yourself.  About five dollars per item gets your choice of something delicious and unusual -- for us, a few slices of rich dry-cured ham and a rectangle of a mild, but flavorful cheese contrasted with small condiments.  (The low light is tough on the waitstaff too.  Our waiter set down our plate and pointed out the cheese, blueberries and olive oil.  Olive oil?  Actually, it was cherries and honey.)

I understand why people fret about Facci's uncaring or even unfriendly service.  I just think the kitchen sources great ingredients and often uses them really well.  The cheese-cherries-honey was interesting and paired nicely.  They're putting whole clams on pizza.  They're making pasta in house. They're putting a wood-oven char on pizzas.  It's not cheap, but I appreciate that it's my choice what to order -- and I can do what I want.  (Although I'd have to concede that the marinated vegetables with the prosciutto had little flavor.)

You can still carry out at Facci.  The eliminated the dedicated takeout counter to install that special bar with the cured meats hanging behind it.  Now, you use the main entrance and walk right back to the register in the open kitchen.

Salamis, Speck And Exotic Slices At Wegmans

Charcuterie case at Wegmans

Everything about Wegmans is boiled down in the deli -- a long counter that runs from standard turkeys and hams down through exotic hot dogs, vaguely European sausages and a few feet of unusual salamis to a $100 piece of pig on the end.

The HowChow part of the Wegmans deli is the center-right.  I don't comment much about standard stuff, but I haven't passed the salamis without ordering a few slices.

The few slices is what makes this amazing. Mark Bittman is my master now, so I'm putting meat on the side of my plate -- Harris Teeter chicken sausage in pasta sauce, bacon from Laurel Meat Market, or a few slices of salami with vegetables and cheese.

Iberico ham

Wegmans sells a line of salamis and other deli meats by Columbus, and I haven't been able to keep track of all the Italian names. I just get six or 10 slices of whatever looks good. It's a great way to experiment for a few bucks. To date, my favorite has been a smokey speck. For $3, I got about 10 slices. Great on a pretzel roll. Great crisped up a bit in a pan, then added to scambled eggs.

To me, this is an innovation for Howard County. Roots sells some nice salamis -- including chorizo, but Wegmans offers a wider variety and makes sampling easier with pay-by-the-slice. The workers are really nice. They'll let you sample a slice of anything.

Now, you do need to keep an eye on the prices. At the far right, you'll see a super-gourmet Iberico ham. That's delicious, but it's also $98 a pound. In one of the early days of Wegmans, Rob ordered a half-pound of prosciutto and a half-pound of ham. He didn't realize the price until he had a $50 packet in his hands.

Meat plates

As a bonus, Wegmans assembles small charcuterie or cheese plates.  They're pretty cool for a small party, ready to unwrap and served on a cutting board.  You could buy and slice your own cheese.  But you'd need to ask for these sample-sized portions of cheese or meat.  (Or check the cheeses on the salad bar at Roots.)  RDAdoc used a cheese plate for a dinner party.  I liked the look of the meat plates during the grand opening.

Link: Aida Bistro On The Bare Midriff Blog

Aida Bistro and Wine Bar gets a detailed, glowing write-up on the Bare Midriff blog where Elizabeth appreciated the food and the vibe.

The Columbia restaurant filled Elizabeth's desire for a trendy, loungey spot with good food.  They ate at the bar, and I loved the sound of the smoked duck flatbread.

Who Has Advice About Italian Restaurants?

Pizza!

A bottle of white, a bottle of red
A bottle of rose instead.

When you want a table on the street, where is your Italian restaurant?

Pasta and pizza are my weeknight basics.  I don't claim to cook special Italian, but I can turn almost any pantry into spaghetti sauce.  Those nights make us look to other cuisines when we head out to a restaurant.

The Hoco360 blog just highlighted the three Trattoria restaurants -- Waverly, King's Contrivance, and Dorsey's Search.  Strobist pushes the pizzas and the ravioli aurora.  The King's Contrivance restaurant has served up some nice pizza for us, especially paired with a Rita's Italian ice.

(Update: As noted below, my original text omitted Portalli's in Ellicott City and Aida Bistro & Wine Bar in Columbia.  Both kitchens have the ambition to be one of the best around, and they're upscale menus -- often with local produce -- that get raves.  I have to admit that we don't eat at that price point often.  I think I omitted them because I started with Hoco360's post about casual Italian and got focused there.  I'd love recommendations about what to order on a special night.)

Other Italian gets reader raves -- Pasta Plus in Laurel, Tino's Italian in Columbia, the Pasta Blitz on Rte 108.  Other Pasta Blitz's have turned into Anthony's in Clarksville and Vittorio in Glenwood.   Truly, Facci on Johns Hopkins Road is our local.  We tend to split a pizza with either a salad or a pasta.  They make several pastas in house, including ravioli and gnocchi.  When I like blistered pizzas like the mushroom or even the clam pie, it's tough to drive past to try somewhere else.

So what do you recommend?  I do want to try that ravioli aurora, and people should hear about the good Italian even if I haven't tried it.  I need suggestions about what to order at the other places -- favorite dishes, anything off the menu.

Sausage Sandwich At Facci

Sausage sandwich from Faci

Just in time for spring, you need an excuse to get yourself a seat on the patio at Facci Ristorante.

My newest find is the sausage sandwich.   Crumbled sausage in a tangy sauce.  Nice roll that soaks a bit of the sauce, but holds it own.  House-made potato chips.  Delicious, basic ingredients make a kitchen stand out even when it is just dishing up a sandwich.

What else do you need for lunch?  Bring a friend and split the sandwich and a salad.  Mrs. HowChow likes the one with raspberry dressing.

Facci is on Johns Hopkins Road just west of Rte 29.  It's a shopping center with Kloby's, Tandoor Grill and other restaurants.  The post office says that is Laurel, but it isn't.  I have had a political position against the description.  Now I want to push Steve's brilliant suggestion:  Tribeco.  It's a triangle below Columbia.

Link: Tino's Italian On HoCo Rising

People keep saying good things about Tino's Italian Bistro in Columbia, and Tom toasted them Saturday on the HoCo Rising blog.

Tom thinks Tino's has a strong, fairly-priced wine list, and he says that it is quite a package with the food:

Before the patrons of Iron Bridge, Aida, and Tersiguel's get on my case, I acknowledge that Tino may not bring the same firepower as those other places, but for a young couple looking to have a nice dinner without breaking the bank, I can't think of a better place to go.

I just haven't been to Tino's yet.  We eat out way less than most people seem to assume, and pasta sauces are one of things that I tend to whip up on weeknights.  That steers us towards other cuisines when we go out, but we should check out Tino's and make another run to Pasta Plus in Laurel.

Vittorio Opens In Glenwood (Former Pasta Blitz)

The new Vittorio restaurant opened in Glenwood on Wednesday.  This is the former Pasta Blitz, which changed names like several of that small chain.

I haven't been to Vittorio, but I'm happy for every opening, grand opening or re-opening.  The Vittorio folks have a Facebook page.  I'm unclear whether people are commenting in Spanish or whether my weak Spanish actually lets me read more Italian than I'd expect.

Anyone tried the food yet?

Vittorio
2490 Route 97
Glenwood, MD 21738
410-489-5800

NEAR:  Vittorio is on Rte 97 south of Rte 144 and U.S. 70.   It is close to, but south of, the Glenwood Library.

Pasta Blitz Keep Changing - Welcome To The New Anthony's In Clarksville And Vittorio in Glenwood

The local Pasta Blitz chain always seemed like a group that shared a name, but not a coherent identity and apparently not a single set of owners.

The one on Johns Hopkins Road became Facci Ristorante.  This week, the Clarksville location has changed its name to Anthony's -- as shown in the photo that Dave sent me.  Now Gianni has left a comment raving about the Italian wines at Facci and saying that the hostess there said the Pasta Blitz in Glenwood will take on a new menu and name as Vittorio.

Pizza With Clams, And It's Not A Joke; Facci Ristorante Has Created Something Special

The weird part about Facci Ristorante is that I didn't go to a restaurant that I really enjoyed for the better part of a year.

Facci opened in early 2010 on Johns Hopkins Road, and the crowds immediately packed the place for casual Italian and wood-fired pizza that stood a notch above most places around.  It became so crowded -- and the hostesses were trained to be so uninviting -- that we stopped even thinking about the place.

They won us back this year with expansion.  More seating, longer menu.  We tried carry out from the dedicated entrance.  We walked in a few nights.  If anything, the food has gotten even better, and we love a place where you're guaranteed a special night.

Imagine a pizza with clams on top.  Littlenecks in their shells.  Honestly, it sounded like a gimmick, but it tasted superb.  Sweet shrimp and parsley, then a few dozen clams.  I pulled those off by hand, and they were plump and salty even though the fire had cooked them through.

Tino's Italian Bistro Opens In Columbia

Tino's Italian Bistro has opened off Rte 108 in the former space of Strapazza -- according to several comments on a prior post and a mention by Richard Gorelick in the Sun (third item).

Gorelick quotes the new owner who says that he teamed up with the former chef at Strapazza.  They're doing pizza, Italian food and a wine bar.

Portalli's Lamb Shank Tops The Gourmet's Night

The '34 Act Gourmet can serve up his own standing rib roast, but he likes to get out of the kitchen as well -- and into Portalli's in Ellicott City where he and his wife ate last weekend with friends who drove up from Chevy Chase:

As soon as I arrived, I realized that the restaurant's performance would be sorely tested during Restaurant Week. The abnormal cold plus the prix fixe menu resulted in a packed restaurant and a half-hour delay between our reservation and the time we were seated. However, although Portalli's could have benefited from having more people on staff that night, it was absolutely worth the wait.  The hostess took us up the stairs to a dining room which I hasn't known existed.  A little more than a year ago, we had eat on Portalli's ground floor, which is very cozy but gives no hint to the huge space on the second floor.

Honestly, the only complaint we had (which was relatively minor) was the service was a little slow for drinks to arrive and for our server to provide menus and take our orders. Indeed, by the time the menus were put in front of us, we were inspired enough by other dishes that nobody in our party picked the Restaurant Week menu. 

We started by sharing two appetizers -- baked mozzarella and calamari. The baked mozzarella was delicious - very fresh mozzarella and a dollop of tomato sauce on top of crusty bread. The calamari also was prepared well -- the squid itself was very fresh and the batter was very light.

Facci Ristorante In Laurel (Truly South Columbia)

I can't applaud Facci Ristorante enough, but I'm worried that I won't get to eat there again now that people have discovered this new treasure off Rte 29.

In January, Facci replaced a Pasta Blitz on Johns Hopkins Road.  The practical differences were obvious -- a wood-fired oven, new design, and a menu titled towards house-made pastas and pizzas aspiring to live by the rules of Naples.

In several months of meals, Facci has never disappointed.  Like Bon Fresco or Victoria Gastropub, this is a casual place that pays close attention to ingredients.  So you just order what you prefer, and it makes for fun meals, whether you're blowing out with wine and three courses or you're splitting three pizzas among four adults just to escape your snow-bound homes for an afternoon.

Facci fills a valuable niche -- interesting food, affordable prices, and a decor that feels more like a date night than a shopping center restaurant.  That makes it a restaurant that I want to visit again and again -- a weeknight with Mrs. HowChow, a "snow day" afternoon with neighbors, the Saturday night when my parents drive up from Virginia.

The problem is that I can't get inside.  Facci is packed, and they take no reservations.  Last night, we waited 20 minutes.  The Saturday night when my parents were here, my father and I circled the parking lot for 15 minutes just to find a space, and the wait was still 75-90 minutes once we got to the hostess.  We ended up eating southern Indian food instead of southern Italian that night.

When I get my parents back, we'll probably start with the "Italian boat" antipasta.  As I wrote in my first thoughts on the soft open, you get a platter of meats, cheese, toasted bread, grilled zucchini and roasted peppers. It's an auspicious start because each piece was delicious, and each offered a distinct flavor -- charred zucchini, sweet peppers, salty cheeses. The zucchini was tender with a vinegar bite. The bread was perfectly brushed with oil, then toasted. Five minutes into our first meal, we were talking about summer nights on Facci's patio with that antipasta and a drink.

Then, we have grazed the pasta and pizza.  The pasta highlights are ravioli and gnocchi made in the kitchen.  They come drenched in sauces -- maybe even too much sauce for Mrs. HowChow -- and they have the firm consistency and the flavor that stand out from Italian places.  Normally, I'd rather make pasta at home and order something else in a restaurant, but Facci's pastas are the exception to that rule.  But don't leave without a pizza.  Again, this is about personal taste.  All the pies come with the charred crust of the brick oven.  Personally, I'm infatuated with the "mamma lina" with gorgonzola, mozzerella and speck and the monteso topped with arugula, but I will work through the entire list.

On some visits, the service has been inconsistent, but it always come with a casual energy that makes Facci feel friendly even while we're waiting too long for food or the check.  I'm hopeful that energy will carry Facci into the future.  To me, it's a pleasure to pay $12-14 an entree for something unusual and delicious, but I recognize that Facci is taking the road less travelled between "reservation restaurants" like Iron Bridge Wine Co. and the casual joints like Kloby's a few doors down.

If you have the choice, consider asking to sit in the dining room so that you avoid the televisions that overlook the entire bar.  And, if you have the self-control, save a little space for dessert.  We had canoli the first night, and Mrs. HowChow thought it rivaled the best in Baltimore.  So far, we have stuffed ourselves at every other visit and been too full to want a sweet.  Next time, I'm planning ahead.

In all seriousness, the hostess told us last night that the way to avoid waiting at Facci is to come before 6 or after 8.  They're so packed at dinner time that they haven't offered takeout.  They literally don't have enough people to stand around.  If I can get this Wegmans open, I might bring my cordless drive to Facci and help them expand into the empty store next to them!

There have been a string of comments with detailed reviews on my initial post by Cathy and others and on my post about the opening by Stacy Lyn, Jason and others.  They're a fine source for reviews of specific dishes, and you should read the Pizzablogger's comment about how Neapolitan pizza can be "wet" in the center.  The PB talks about "tip sag" and suggests how to eat it.

In addition, the Hungry Wanderers blog has a bunch of photos and a detailed review, and Facci has had quick pieces written by both the Sun and the WPost.

Facci Ristorante
7530 Montpelier Road
Laurel, MD 20723
301-604-5555

NEAR:  The key fact is that Facci isn't in Laurel.  It's in a shopping center on Johns Hopkins Road just west of Rte 29.  This is the same shopping center as Kloby's for BBQ or La Palapa Too for Mexican, so expect the lot to be full at prime dining times. This sliver of land is south of Columbia and north of Fulton and Scaggsville, but it certainly isn't Laurel.

 

Facci Ristorante -- First Thoughts On The Soft Open

Facci Restaurant opens tonight with wood-fired pizza and Italian off Johns Hopkins Road, but Mrs. HowChow scored us seats on Saturday during the "soft open."

Facci's arrival should be big news.  The owners renovated a Pasta Blitz branch to add a bar, a wood-fired pizza oven, and an Italian menu aiming for a middle ground with prices low enough for casual nights but quality high enough for special food.

We got inside Saturday because Mrs. HowChow stopped that afternoon to stare in the windows, and the manager stepped outside to introduce herself.  She invited us to the "soft opening" where the chefs were learning recipes and the waiters were learning the ropes.

We gorged ourselves.  Started with the "Italian boat" antipasta platter.  Meats, cheese, toasted bread, grilled zucchini and roasted peppers.  It's an auspicious start because each piece was delicious, and each offered a distinct flavor -- charred zucchini, sweet peppers, salty cheeses.  The zucchini was tender with a vinegar bite.  The bread was perfectly brushed with oil, then toasted.  The stone and wood create a cozy spot, but, five minutes into dinner, we were talking about summer nights on Facci's patio with that antipasta and a drink.

Then, we moved on to white pizza and pesto-covered ravioli.  Again, stand-out flavors.  The pizza came with terrific cheese, broccoli rabe, and a unique sausage.  The ravioli were stuffed with smoked mozzarella and coated with a creamy pesto.  The pesto tasted like July.  Basil that put me again to thoughts of warm nights on the Facci patio.  Mrs. HowChow picked the ravioli because they were made in-house.  The kitchen makes the ravioli, the gnocchi and some of the other pastas.

They also, of course, make the pizza.  Facci imports tomatoes, flour and more from Italy, and they char the pies in a wood-fired oven.  They imported the oven as well.  The pizzas aren't huge.  They're $9-14 for six slices, and they come with an array of cheeses, meats and vegetables.  I loved the pizza.  I also photographed the crust for the Pizzablogger, who saw promise:

It's hard to tell. The pic certainly shows the pizza was most likely cooked at an adequate/good temperature (700-800°F floor likely) from the char...which appears to be pushing being burnt in the upper left of the pic. More importantly is the overall golden tone of the slice in your pic. This is (hopefully) indicative of a good amount of sugars being naturally released from fermentation and being present at the time of firing the pizza.....those sugars being what caramelize and color the crust that color, which would most likely mean some degree of developed flavors in the crust from fermentation by-products.

That overall golden tone could also be indicative of sugars being added to the dough while mixing, be it cane sugar, honey, diastatic malt or some other additive....which could lead to an overly sweet tasting crust.

In short, the pic shows some promise and I am looking forward to going there very soon!

Facci is aiming at an exciting niche.  Less expensive than Greystone Grill or Azul 17, but more unique  than straight casual places like Bon Fresco and An Loi.  Appetizers and salads run $5-11.  The pastas run $9-14, and the meat dishes top out at $13-18.  It's a place you could justify any day, but delivers enough for date night.  (Seriously, Mrs. HowChow loved the ladies room.  Modern sink and cool open faucet.  It's a date-night bathroom.  Just ask for a date-night table in the dining room because the bar televisions loom over the other half of the room.)

We went to Facci with no expectations, and it was a terrific experience.   Stuffed with that much food, we have turned down dozens of fine desserts.  I was headed that way until Mrs. HowChow heard that Facci makes it's own canoli.  Crisp shell and a filling that tasted of vanilla and cream.  A strawberry sauce that tasted like fruit.  A spectacular end, and we were already planning on a return with RDAdoc and family.

I look forward to other people's views on Facci Ristorante.  It's unique  in my eyes, and I hope they can keep the quality up every day.  The Pizzablogger recently posted about the inconsistent pies at Coal Fire Pizza, and I'm really aware that serving good food can be hard business.

Facci Ristorante (as of January 2010)
7530 Montpelier Road
Laurel, MD 20723-6014
(301) 604-5555

NEAR: This is on Johns Hopkins Road just west of Rte 29. It is a shopping center that includes  La Palapa Too and Kloby's Smokehouse. This is just south of Columbia and just north of Fulton.

Facci Ristorante -- Wood Fired Pizza Replacing Pasta Blitz In Laurel

A piece of the local Pasta Blitz chain will be changings its name and menu -- and they're bringing wood-fired competition to Coal Fire Pizza.

Beth sent me an email yesterday about stopping at Pasta Blitz on Johns Hopkins Road to discover people building a wood-fired pizza oven and planning a January name change to Facci Ristorante:

I stopped in at my local Pasta Blitz today to get a gift certificate today and the owner (Mr. Gino Palma-Esposito-per his business card) told me that the name and menu are changing January 6th. It will be Facci- ristorante-wood fire pizza-winebar. The fire hearth was being built as I stood there.

He assured me that the gift certificate will be good at the new place and that they will make anything from the current menu that's not on the new menu. Great for my elderly neighbor who loves the place.

Pasta Blitz is a big deal around here, although it hasn't been a regular place for me. So I broke my "no reporting for the blog" rule and called the Clarksville Pasta Blitz where Esposito was happy to talk about the new Facci Ristorante.

The Pasta Blitz on Johns Hopkins Road will be changing to Facci and going for a "city feeling," according to Esposito. They're going to have a bar and full service. He says they're trying to keep prices down, but they sound like they're aiming to compete with casual dining places like La Palapa Too, Victoria Gastropub, etc. They're aiming for a private, soft opening on January 6 and a public opening around January 11.

Facci's wood-fired pizza oven could be spectacular. Esposito is from Naples, and he is importing tomato, cheese and flour for an authentic taste that he says require Italian ingredients. Think $10 for a personal margherita pizza. As I have written before, I know it is hard to deliver reliable, great food. But I'm a fan of Coal Fire on Rte 108 even when it isn't perfect, and Johns Hopkins Road is close enough that I could walk there in the next blizzard if the pizza is good enough.

Again, Facci is only replacing the Pasta Blitz next to the JHU Applied Physics Lab. Officially, it's Laurel, but it is really caught between Columbia and Fulton. If Facci is a hit, Facci said he might change the Clarksville location, but that's in the future. First, we'll need a review of Facci by the Pizzablogger.

Facci Ristorante (as of January 2010)
7530 Montpelier Road
Laurel, MD 20723-6014
(301) 604-5555

NEAR: This is on Johns Hopkins Road just west of Rte 29. It is a shopping center that includes La Palapa Too and Kloby's Smokehouse. This is just south of Columbia and just north of Fulton.