Monday Morning Quarterbacking: Grano
What? You say it's not Monday morning? Well, that's the thing about being on vacation. You feel you don't have to get to work things all that quickly.
This was actually an interesting review to do because at the last moment our companions had to cancel, so my husband and I went to Grano in Hampden by ourselves. That meant we had to go a second time a few days later.
The first time I felt a bit like an outsider. It was very, very busy. All the customers seemed to be old hands, getting up to help themselves to water on the sideboard and so on. ...
It did have the feeling of being in someone's home.
The second time we started feeling more like regulars. We sat at the communal table on the sunporch, and it turned out no one joined us. We had a better time because it wasn't as noisy.
Grano is a nice place, but offbeat, something I happen to like a lot, having eaten at a lot of cookie-cutter restaurants over the years. I've heard people complain that the food is too every day, but that's what Gino Troia is trying to do: traditional, unfancy dishes. It doesn't seem fair to complain that that's what he delivers.
(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)
Categories: Monday Morning Quarterbacking
Comments
I was really happy to read such a positive review of a restaurant in my hometown of Hampden :)
Posted by: NotableM | November 24, 2009 11:31 AM
Love, LOVE that they are keeping open the original Grano location on the corner Hickory/36th.
Been to the new spot and I like it fine too, but the "pasta bar" simplicity of the 1st location works so well and the food is always great.
Some of the best Italian food that I've been lucky enough to enjoy in Baltimore.
Go there at least every other week or more, at least for carry out.
The waiters/waitresses and cook know us by now and they really seem to get true pleasure seeing their customers Enjoy the food they serve.
(I can walk there ;)
I don't believe anyone has ever given Dining@Large as his URL before. Thanks! EL
Posted by: tim | November 24, 2009 11:37 AM
I agree, the takeout can't be beat and I really enjoy the people that work at "little grano". I never ate inside, admittedly. But I live just down the street.
The pancetta sauce? TO DIE.
Posted by: baltimoregal | November 25, 2009 1:36 PM
Actually, EL, a lot of newbies posting their first comment have copied and pasted the current D@L page's web address into the URL box in the past, if for no other reason than that they don't yet know that the URL box is reserved for spammers and shillers.
Captcha: shrimps let-
Posted by: hmpstd | November 25, 2009 1:53 PM
I am just experimenting.
Posted by: markknetzer@yahoo.com | November 25, 2009 7:54 PM
The 7:54 post is spam. Why a construction company wants to spam a food blog escapes me, though.
Captcha: communique outage
Posted by: Hal Laurent | November 25, 2009 8:44 PM
Gee Hal I was just trying out that URL thing. Now I need to figure out how to have my name show up instead of my email address. We have taken over the development near Fort McHenry next to where the Harris Teeter is being built so it may have a slight food connection.
Posted by: Elite Elephant Lover | November 25, 2009 9:19 PM
EEL, I'd be interested in hearing about that development. My email is my first name @ my first name and last name (no spaces).
Is the Harris Teeter thing a done deal? I've heard rumors, but no facts.
Captcha: packs fan
Posted by: Hal Laurent | November 25, 2009 9:25 PM