Marchionda's: A New Place in Town

If you've been around this town for awhile you'll probably remember Angelina's on Harford Road.

For years it was a highly successful restaurant. People went there from many miles away, most for the crabcakes. Unfortunately it closed in 2008. 

That's the bad news. Here's the good news: There's a new restaurant at that location and it's definitely worth your time. It's called Marchionda's, at 7135 Harford Rd, Parkville.

The recently opened restaurant is owned by Tonney Crews and Marchionda is his mother's name.

It's certainly a plus for the Parkville area and also for the immediate area. Why? Three reasons: the food, service and the comfort you'll feel when dining there.

It is open seven days for lunch and dinner. There's seating for about 90, valet parking daily ($8) and a dining room upstairs ideal for a private function.

This is a restaurant that has the neighborhood feel, yet it shouldn't be missed by those living out of the Parkville area.

There's a bar on the lower level perfect for watching sports, simply hanging out for awhile, or eating. Lunch offers a deli board with a vast array of choices: tuna, chicken, ham, turkey, shrimp and cheeses. You can try the build-your-own burger and an assortment of sandwiches that include the club, crabcake, meatball sub and The Godfather.

Also available are soups, salads and paninis. For dinner we get a bit fancier.  You can begin by selecting from a number of small plates, for example, the calamari fritti, crab dip gratin, clams casino and scampi.

Some of the house specialties include the grilled ribeye steak, grilled salmon, pesto eggplant, chicken Milanese, baby rack of lamb and the grilled filet of beef. Pasta dishes are also on the menu.

And then there are desserts. I dare you not to order one. Your selections include the tiramisu, cannoli, pistachio cheesecake and the chocolate fondant cake. And yes, they do a have a wine list.

While there I had the pleasure of meeting many of the staff. It was fun chatting with Executive Chef Frank White, the Sous Chef Jamie Buschman and Sales Manager Jennifer Lesko Quinton. All are working together to make Marchionda's a top-flight restaurant.

I was told by my dining companion to be sure to mention the items brought to the table before we even ordered. First of all, there was the polenta--excellent and made in house.

By the way, many of the menu items are. Also brought to the table were olives with roasted garlic. The sourdough rolls served with dinner, hot and delicious.

And one other positive thing to note, at least for me. During my visit Sinatra was playing on the sound system.

Hard to beat a good meal with Frank doing the singing.

You can reach Marchionda's by calling 410-444-5545 or by going to marchiondas.com.