Photography by Tony Lewis, Jr.
General Manager John Buda.
Mack Lewnes and Adam Pusateri vowed as kids to start a joint venture, not long after Mack’s father, Charlie, began operating an Eastport steakhouse in 1994 (on the site of many family food businesses since 1921). Mack and brother Sam took it over in 2017 after Adam, with recipes gathered on global excursions, became a successful Las Vegas caterer. In 2020, Adam and Mack’s Uncle Peri created InGrano Bistro Bakery, a trendy Parole café pouring exquisite coffees, brewed teas, wines, and beers served with European, Latin American, and Asian-inspired salads and sandwiches.
In 2024, Mack and Adam’s pledge finally became a reality when they transformed the West Annapolis space formerly occupied by Flamant into InGrano Restaurant & Events, retaining General Manager John Buda and the overall décor. Fusing a Greek, Italian, French, and Japanese-inspired menu with high-quality gourmet standards, dazzling plating, and Vegas-style festivities, the result is an excursion into the new realm of “eatertainment” where fine dining and exciting activities intersect. This eclectic approach has redefined traditional concepts of nouvelle cuisine.
On a cool November evening (sans kids), the front door beckoned us past a seated patio—heated by a fire table’s flickering flames—into the restaurant. Beyond a host stand and overlooking the kitchen’s chefs busily constructing exotic creations, two corridors go in opposite directions. To the left is a spacious dining area where glass doors facing the street fully open when the weather is nice. To the right is a lounge that leads to a rear seating section where, nestled in the corner, is an enclosed, windowed gala chamber for special occasions. Tonight’s was a chef tasting, offered nightly but usually occurring weekly.
Photography by Tony Lewis, Jr.
Bookcases lining the walls were filled with flowers, plants, crockery—and a giraffe portrait! Our ebullient server, Jess, greeted us with water and passed out a menu separated into five categories. Specialty drinks include seasonal cocktails and wines—with alcohol-free options—and bottled beers. Our choice: The Espresso Martini, boasting McClintock vodka, Mr. Black coffee liqueur, coffee essence, and the Bistro Bakery’s rich, flavorful espresso.
Soon, four samplings from three of the five menu headings appeared, starting with two “For the Table” selections. The inviting Pan Con Tomate was a deep skillet filled with cool, chunky, red, vine-ripened, grated tomatoes and smoky Maldon sea salt (less bitter or “salty” tasting), topped with a dozen round garlic puree dollops evenly spaced apart in concentric circles, and accompanied by the Bistro Bakery’s moist, sourdough bread. The bread is “charcoal-activated” for this location only; a digestion-assisting addition in the baking process that thoroughly colors it a beautiful dark gray without changing its wonderful taste.
The Board of Spain centered two clusters of Castelvetrano olives and crunchy gherkin pickles. Beside them were two distinctive piles of tasty, thinly sliced, Spanish Iberico ham—one a softer, succulent portion that melts in your mouth pulled from the lomo, a rear loin region, and the other a firmer, delectably chewy parcel drawn from the meaty legs. Focaccia slices and warm Manchego puffs—a tubular, airy, pastry—also sat atop the board, as did a tray of crackling Marcona almonds and a square vessel of orange, velvety, Syrian muhammara—a simply luscious, sweet and spicy dip made from roasted red peppers, crushed walnuts, powdered bread crumbs, chili flakes, and pomegranate molasses.
Complementing our tableside treats were two “Small Snacks” (Cicchetti). The Hamachi Crudo is an array of perfectly aligned, buttery, yellowtail sashimi on a long, oval plate, surrounded by a delectable Calabrian chili pepper and coconut puree. The dish is dotted with uniform spheres of silky, green cilantro oil and sprinkled with shaved fennel and red pickled shallots. All deliciously accentuated the fish in a ceviche-like manner.
The multi-layered masterpiece, Surf & Turf, consisted of eight savory wagyu meatballs perched two apiece atop four baguettes across a rectangular platter. Each paired nugget, united to its partner by red tomato pearls, is drizzled with a creamsicle-colored poached lobster nage sauce and dusted with finely ground, Italian Parmesan Reggiano. This delightfully enticing archipelago of zesty reef and beef, encircled by a sea of green basil oil, was one of two “Cicchetti” offerings, plus an additional “Japanese Wagyu” menu category (that includes Short Rib Wellington and Ribeye) featuring highly-marbled wagyu delicacy from Japanese cows.
Our “Pasta” entrée was Duck Carbonara, a hearty serving of hollow cavatelli noodles and a generous helping of tasty, maroon duck prosciutto, immersed in a thick and creamy yellow carbonara sauce. All ladled into the core of a bubble-designed plate and covered in more of that aromatic Italian Parmesan Reggiano and a pinch of black pepper, it was a piquant symphony with each bite reaching crescendo to a slightly delayed, pleasantly mild kick.
Our “From the Sea” choice, Cioppino, is presented in an angled bowl with an ample amount of juicy, medium-sized mussels and clams, a briny, ruby red half lobster tail, and tender morsels of scrumptious white fish. The seafood rested in an auburn-colored fennel broth filled with round fregola, saffron, garlic, chili flakes, and that incredible basil oil. The dish was garnished by two crispy pieces of focaccia (Jess kindly brought us extra bread to soak up every drop!).
Photography by Tony Lewis, Jr.
Between longing gazes at the chef tasting—where each new item ushered into the “fun suite” captivated its participants—we chose our desserts. The Flourless Chocolate Torte was a monument to confectionery bliss anchored on a raspberry semifreddo-lacquered dish and topped, in order, with a firm chocolate ganache icing, a coating of white chocolate snow, a crown of strawberry cheesecake, and a vertically inserted bar of chocolate birch.
The Pavlova was an artistic expression painted on a wide plate; a yummy, yellow, yuzu curd crescent moon, bisected with raspberry pistachio shavings, illuminating a large, soft yet flaky ivory meringue, sprouting from a magenta mound of strawberry moose alongside three plump, ginger-soaked, orange supremes.
The Affogato, also served at the Bistro Bakery, drips their robust espresso over a bed of vanilla ice cream. As the chef tasting dispersed, we realized we’d been there for hours watching alluring meals emerge from the galley, reveling in every bite, and hearing fascinating ingredient descriptions by Jess and others. This wasn’t merely a dinner out—it was a night out. For Las Vegas-style “eatertainment” without the gambling, head to InGrano Restaurant Events, where mesmerizing, theatrical banquets are a sure thing.
InGrano Restaurant & Events | 17 Annapolis Street, Annapolis; 410-980-5514; ingranoannapolis.com
Mark Croatti has worked across the country from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. as a caterer, prep cook, and food server at both specialty restaurants and major chains, including preparing meals for major figures in the entertainment industry and professional sports.
