What's Up Magazines

Guide to Good Dining
Trattoria Alberto
1660 Crane Highway
Glen Burnie, Maryland
(410) 761-0922
www.TrattoriaAlberto.com By Gilles and Cathy Syglowski

On a crisp fall evening in the middle of the week, we made a trip to Glen Burnie with our old friends Has and Kate to dine at Trattoria Alberto.

Located in a small strip mall, the restaurant looks unassuming from its exterior, but inside it was surprisingly warm and welcoming. Furnished in the traditional Mediterranean colors of yellow "clay" and red "rust" with comfortable European-style modern furniture, it has a charming ambiance. The room has an airy, clean feeling and the furnishings add a chic twist.

We were impressed by the menu's balance and the options of so many Italian specialties from which to choose.

There were five or six appetizers, four salads, plus an abundance of pastas, veal selections, and beef entrees and a half dozen fish and seafood entrees. Every day there are several daily specials. Starters and salads are priced from $5-13, while the entrees run from $15-35.

We started our meal with mozzarella in carozza, lightly breaded mozzarella fried to perfection and served with marinara sauce. It was delicious. Our other choice was bresola del maestro: cured thin slices of beef tenderloin with shaved Parmesan, which was outstanding.

We also tried two salads: a light and crisp Caprese and a Caesar salad with a tasty original dressing and tender croutons. Our waiter, Mauro, who has been with Alberto's for 3 years, was thoughtful and attentive.

The entrees were all wonderful. The raviola alla crema is a homemade square of pasta filled with spinach and ricotta cheese in a creamy Parmesan sauce. Rich and brimming with cheese flavor, the raviolis were cooked to just the right consistency. The veal chop Nodina was a thick, tender, juicy cut of veal perfectly seasoned, seared, and roasted. Finished in wine with a light demi-glace sauce it was absolutely perfect. Veal sorrentina is scalloped cutlets of veal pounded thin, sautéed, and topped with prosciutto and fresh mozzarella. Laced in its own juices, it was absolutely delectable. Of course we had to try one of the daily specials, fresh pompano sautéed in pure olive oil with fresh tomatoes, spices, and some secret ingredients under a lemon white wine sauce. The dish was excellent.

We were so pleased with our appetizers and entrees we had to try a few desserts. The homemade tiramisu was light, creamy, sultry, and moist, but not overpowered by the taste of liquor. The lemon tart was flaky and its taste provided the perfect balance of flavors for the conclusion of a delightful meal.

Owner Alberto Contestabile had one mission in opening his wonderful restaurant 22 years ago: to give his clients a delicious authentic Italian dining experience. Over the years he has believed in his philosophy and stuck to it. You will find the same quality dinner and service today as he offered 20 years ago. His chef, also named Alberto, was initially trained in Italy and has worked in both New York and Washington, D.C. Together, the two Albertos have perfected the offerings of this unassuming, delightful restaurant.

Having invested so many years in the restaurant industry, Alberto Contestabile is looking forward to retirement; although he assures me he will be around for a few more years, the years pass quickly. So don't delay in making a visit or revisit. Mr. Contestabile is grateful to all his patrons and asked me to remind everyone that he will create special menus appropriate to wine tasting and other events. We certainly had a delightful evening and plan to return to Trattoria Alberto soon.

Gilles Syglowski is a chef, culinary instructor, and food services consultant. He is a graduate of the Lycie d'Eseignement Professional Hotelier in Metz, France. He and his wife, Kathy, a member of the International Wine Society, have more than 45 years' experience in the restaurant industry.

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What's The DISH?
O'Learys
By Barbara McGarry

"Cooking techniques, quality ingredients, and presentation are all important," says executive chef Brendan Keegan of O'Learys Seafood Restaurant in Eastport. O'Learys features traditional foods and cooking techniques but is known for innovative combinations that use fresh, quality ingredients and highlight seasonal foods. Keegan likes to describe his menu as having "classic dishes with a modern twist." He does, however, value both harmony and balance when pairing his ingredients.

Keegan describes how he comes up with his recipe creations. "I have a system. I start with the protein and work from there."

He explains that he draws upon a mental repertoire of food patterns; reflects back on food memories; and thinks about readings and experiences, geographic regions, and the time of year to trigger ideas for ingredients. Then he develops combinations for a main dish. "But it all comes back to harmony and balance," he reiterates, "and if it's out of whack, there's no sense serving it."

O'Learys, at 310 Third Street and open daily for dinner, offers fine dining with fresh fish and seafood and also land fare. Beef as well as chicken, pork, and/or lamb are offered "to cater to those who want alternatives to fish and seafood," Keegan says.

The menu is designed to appeal to both tourists and local patrons, and it changes with the seasons, Keegan explains. While choices may vary with availability of fresh foods, currently two of the several appetizers on the menu are large, steamed, Duxbury mussels served with sautéed spinach, currants, Granny Smith apple, pine nuts, and mustard cream and seared, dry-packed, sea scallops with creamy risotto, tomato coulis, white truffle oil, and shaved pecorino-an Italian cheese made of sheep's milk.

Fried calamari is an appetizer on the menu year-round because of customer preferences. "Squid is almost like an American staple," Keegan comments. "We get fresh squid and fry it to perfection." At this time of year, corn flour-fried calamari is served with chili garlic sauce and cucumber salad.

Keegan joined the O'Learys staff in June 2003 and has been executive chef for more than 1½ years. The 32-year-old, a native of Washington, D.C., has been in the restaurant profession for 10 years. His earliest experiences in the kitchen were as a youngster helping his mom and grandmother prepare dinner. While growing up, he liked to try to make foods he had enjoyed at restaurants, and he held summer jobs in food establishments. Keegan made a decision to pursue a culinary career a year before his graduation from Gettysburg College.

He's worked at some top-ranked, Washington, D.C., restaurants, including Kinkead's, l789 in Georgetown, and a small bistro in Adams Morgan, where he served as chef.

A stint in New York City while Molly, then his girlfriend and now his wife, attended Columbia University gave him, "an incredible opportunity and experience" to work at the restaurant Prune under well-known chef and owner Gabrielle Hamilton.

"When Molly graduated, after living in New York City, we decided we wanted a slower pace, a town near D.C., and chose Annapolis. I did the rounds of the good restaurants and fell upon O'Learys," he says.

At O'Leary's the menu changes seasonally. For winter entrées there are tempting chef specialties. One is zuppa di pesce, an Italian fish soup of lobster tail, shrimp, squid, mussels, and fish simmered in a tomato broth with orange and fennel and served with an aioli crouton. Another is a Berkshire pork chop. It's brined, coated in Japanese bread crumbs, baked, and paired with homemade applesauce, pancetta macaroni and cheese, and sautéed greens.

Crispy Florida grouper with fresh gulf shrimp is an entrée that Keegan said is so popular he has to serve it year-round. Jumbo lump Maryland-style crab cakes are another mainstay. At this time of year, they're presented broiled with butter and served with celeriac mashed potatoes, leeks vinaigrette, haricot verts, and warm Dijon cream.

For What's Up? Annapolis he provided a recipe that shows how he combines complementary foods. Fried oysters with curried butternut squash purée makes use of the Bay favorite of oysters, now in season, and accents them with a butternut squash purée.

Barbara McGarry is an Annapolis-area freelance writer and editor with degrees from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

Fried Oysters with Curried Butternut Squash Purée Presented by O'Learys Chef Brendan Keegan (Serves 6)

Purée 1 large butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds) 1 large Spanish onion, diced 1 stick unsalted butter (1/4 pound) 1 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon sugar 1tablespoon Madras curry powder salt and pepper Oysters 36 shucked oysters 4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup cornstarch 2 tablespoons salt 1 tablespoon Cayenne pepper grapeseed or vegetable oil for frying Garnish 1 pound diced Spanish chorizo or other hard-cured sausage 1 bunch Italian parsley Directions: Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop and discard seeds. Roast squash skin side up on an oiled cookie sheet at about 375 ° for approximately 45 minutes or until tender. Allow it to cool. Using a spoon, scoop pulp from the skin and reserve the pulp. While the squash is roasting, sauté onion in a saucepan until translucent. Add curry powder and cook gently for another minute. Then purée the squash with the onion mixture in a food processor. While mixing, slowly add the sugar, melted butter, and cream. (It should yield a soup-like consistency.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. (The purée can be prepared in advance of serving and reheated.) Mix the flour, cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of salt, and cayenne pepper. Dredge oysters one at a time in the mixture, making certain that they are coated completely. In a medium sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat. Add the oysters in batches to the oil without crowding the pan. They will be ready when the flour crust is golden brown. Reserve the fried oysters on paper towels to soak up excess oil. Season them immediately with salt and pepper. Ladle the warm butternut squash purée onto the center of a plate. Stack six fried oysters in a pyramid on top of the pureé. Sprinkle diced chorizo onto the plate, garnish with a sprig of the parsley, and serve.

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Taste
The Big Fish Grille
1260 South Crain Hwy., Crofton
(410) 451-3133
By j.s. houck

One fish, two fish, Big Fish, new fish. The newest offering from local restaurateur Harvey Blonder, the Big Fish Grille presents an appealingly vivid atmosphere and pleasingly large menu of perky offerings that put fish back on the map as the main course for dinner.

Early on a Tuesday evening, our party of two found the mood and service relaxed but on point. We chose the dining room versus the lounge. Upon seating us at a neat and properly dressed table, replete with matching wine glasses, our server, Stephanie, promptly introduced the menu, then courted us with the evening's specials. Tuesday's main attraction is half-price bottles of wine, across the board. One flip of the menu to its backside revealed a plump wine list that features a broad range of wines to properly pair with your entrées, from plebian favorites such as Clos Du Bois Merlot ($33), to atypical selections, including Sena, a high quality Chilean red ($99. Pleasant touches to the list are the inclusion of champagnes and seven Pinot Noirs. By the time we had finished perusing the selections, warm and fresh white bread rolls appeared with smooth, spreadable (thank you!) butter.

Eschewing the tempting entrée specials (sugar-soy seared salmon was difficult to pass up) in favor of menu staples, we began by ordering crab & artichoke dip ($10). It was served slightly hot, and it took us a moment to dip through the delicious layer of melted Boursin and Gruyere cheeses to the very large lumps of backfin crabmeat and tender artichoke slices settled in the thick cream cheese sauce. Other appetizing starters include coconut crunchy shrimp ($10), smoked salmon ($9) served chilled, and steamed Maine mussels ($8), among several more.

For Executive Chef Jonathan Jaquet the house salad serves as a great introduction to the balancing act his recipes perform-between Asian cuisine and European, between salty flavors and sweet. The Big Fish House Salad ($4) features a bed of red leaf lettuce tossed in a light-bodied fruity vinaigrette and topped with chunks of tangerine and very thinly sliced white onion. A sprinkle of fresh ground pepper pulls the flavors together. Big Fish offers three additional salads to choose from, including a Caesar ($6 plain), for comparison buffs.

The most appealing and unique entrée selections may be the daily specials. However, to suit one's own palate, opt for the fresh fish selections (salmon, tuna, rockfish, grouper, tilapia, mahi-mahi, and more), which can be prepared teriyaki grilled, panko baked, blackened, or sautéed. Additional items in the seafood department include an attractive, albeit short, list of sushi and maki rolls ($6-9). However, if turf is your gustatory desire, Big Fish caters, boasting various cuts of beef, chicken, and lamb ($15-34). Stephanie recommended the teriyaki marinated flatiron steak. And yes, the kids, God bless them, can order a hamburger from a children's menu ($4-10) that also sees an eclectic range of items, from grilled salmon to crabby crabcakes and Thai blackened chicken breast to Nemo noodles.

For a sweet finish, ask your server for the full descriptions of the desserts, most of which were weighted toward chocolate this evening.

If tempting starters as delicious as the entrées that follow them and the sweets that end the dining experience is what you seek, then look no farther than Crofton's The Big Fish Grille. The new fish on the block is an instant winner.