Off the Waterfront

For years, Victor's Cafe in Harbor East was a favorite place to dine al fresco while looking out on the Inner Harbor. But recent development in the area forced the waterside restaurant to close. Now, owner Victor DiVivo has re-opened in a new location in the Timonium Crossing Shopping Center (2080 York Road, Timonium, 410-308-0620), next to the Baja Fresh. Other than the name and DiVivo himself, however, this new venture has little in common with the old one. For one thing, it's not a full-service restaurant; it's more of a quick-casual place, where you order at the counter and the food is brought to your table. Sodas (no liquor license) come in paper cups. This Victor's offers a range of sandwiches, salads, and hefty pasta dishes. Also, pizza rustica, which features a distinctively thick, almost focaccia-like crust. "What I did over here, it's Victor's Cafe on a small scale," says DiVivo. "It's more for the neighbors who live around here, because we don't get tourists around here. And the response is unbelievable. All the people who used to come to the old Victor's Cafe, they come here."