Chain Reaction

Some people dismissively call Liberatore's Ristorante a chain—that's not necessarily a bad thing. There are six restaurants in the group, but they are owned by a local family and deserve a look now and then. When a reader reminded us of the newest offspring in Perry Hall, we headed to Honeygo Village Center to check it out. The latest version (5005 Honeygo Center Drive, 410-529-4567) fits right in with the rest of the suburban shopping outpost—a mini wannabe of The Avenue at White Marsh—with its sleek lounge, bistro dining room, and carryout area. But the food is Old World Italian—hearty, saucy fare with lots of pasta—and much of it is very good, like the spicy shrimp fra diavolo and veal Liberatore with tender veal medallions and lump crab in a delicate cream sauce. Those delicious entrees made up for our lackluster start with too-chewy clams Posillipo and too-cold crab bruschetta with flavorless Asian lumps. A step back in time is the oh-so-80's dessert tray. Don't dismiss it, though. The house-made coconut cake is two fat layers of fluffy yumminess, and the airy peanut-butter pie does all the right things with peanut butter and chocolate.