Noted restaurant critic visits

John Mariani came to Baltimore for a few days and writes about his experience in the newsletter Virtual Gourmet. Mariani, a well-known columnist for Esquire and Bloomberg News, has been an author and journalist for 30 years.

Dara Bunjon shared Mariani’s thoughts on her blog Dining Dish today. I hope you’ll check out what he has to say about his visit, too.

He’s pretty upbeat about the city, though he wasn’t too impressed with most of the restaurants in Little Italy, quipping, “All the menus are the same.”

He was wowed by Aldo’s, dining room pictured, and nearby Chazz: A Bronx Original. Both restaurants have the Vitale family in common.

Of Aldo’s, Mariani writes, “Don’t take my word for it: Both Baltimore magazine and Baltimore City Paper say Aldo’s is the best Italian restaurant in the city, which means one of the best, period, an opinion I readily share.” (Nice mention of our magazine and City Paper!)

Of Chazz, he says, “Palminteri and the Vitales have got all the flavors nailed, starting with pizzas that have the perfect crust, the ideal char, the bubbles, and the good ingredients to compete with the best in the U.S.”

The national attention is great for all the restaurants in Baltimore.