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Taste

Mangia
81 Main Street, Annapolis
410-268-1350

Many a visitor to City Dock has been tempted by the heavenly aroma of brick-oven-baked pizza wafting over Main Street. Lots of them follow their noses to Mangia, the downtown Italian grill and sports café that's the source of these tempting odors.

Good move. A stop at Mangia's can satisfy every appetite, whether it's a quick lunch-hour bite at the counter or a substantial dinner of pasta, seafood, or veal upstairs. Pick up a slice, stromboli, calzone or sausage roll to go (that's what the mids and St. Mary's students do), or settle in at a table for a relaxed meal. To whet your whistle, the second-floor bar serves libations, with beer specials every night. The kitchen follows suit with daily specials from 4-7 p.m.; the Monday all-you-can-eat pasta for $10.99 is a sure bet for big eaters.

The menu is plentiful, with an array of starters, soups and salads, subs and sandwiches, but that's not the half of it. A dozen pasta dishes, crab cakes, calamari, mussels, veal, chicken and beef are also featured-and that doesn't include daily specials like swordfish piccatta or chicken Florentine. Kids under ten can choose pasta and meatballs, chicken fingers, pizza or that hard-to-find favorite, pasta with butter.

Mangia's pizzas come in three sizes, with traditional versions and gourmet choices that stand out from the crowd. Grilled chicken, with a pesto-brushed crust? Fradiavolo, with hot cherry peppers and sweet Italian sausage? Life's full of tough choices.

-Carol Denny