PAZZA LUNA, Maryland

Located in Baltimore's Locust Point area, Pazza Luna is a fun place to enjoy good Italian food with good friends. Tonight, Vicki, me, Robin, Marci, Marguerite, Diane, and Susan treated Georgia to dinner there to celebrate her birthday. We've patronized this restaurant before, however this was our first visit under the new ownership. Our group always sits at the large table next to the kitchen on the first level. I can't tell you if that is typically a loud spot because we are a boisterous group. On the other side of the restaurant sits the bar and a few smaller tables. There is additional seating upstairs. Tonight happened to be "ten dollar pasta night". I chose capellini with mussels in a red wine sauce. Very tasty. I couldn't help but notice how busy it was for a week night, which to me, says good neighborhood support. That and the new owner walking around to meet his patrons were good signs.

Pazza Luna
1401 E. Clement Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
P: 410-962-1212

BON AIR COUNTRY CLUB, Pennsylvania

Love the changing colors of Fall? I do. Since I don't have time to drive south on Skyline Drive, I did the next best thing - I spent the day on a golf course. I haven't played golf for two years, but today all the conditions were too right to not try. Forget the bad knees, forget the swelled thumb, just do it! I was a guest at the Bon Air Country Club in Pennsylvania, not far from New Freedom. It was the perfect day to be there. The sky was clear, the air was fresh, and the trees were beautiful. My game was in the toilet, but that was expected, and second to the importance of the day. I have forgotten how beautiful golf courses can be, and as a

city girl, it used to be my main commune with nature. Thank goodness I gave it a "shot" today!

Bon Air Country Club
2287 Club House Road
Glen Rock, PA 17327
P: 717-235-2091

LA SCALA, Maryland

How do you say PERFECT in Italian?? La Scala. I've heard a lot about this restaurant in Baltimore's Little Italy area and tonight I finally got an opportunity to experience "the experience" first hand. My friend Diana is a huge fan of La Scala and now I know why. We were warmly greeted at the door and taken to our table. I couldn't help but notice the bar on my left and an indoor bocce court downstairs on my right. How cool is that? Once seated, we started off with a bottle of wine from Diana's private locker upstairs. Willie, our server, described tonight's Specials explicitly making it hard for me to decide what to order. Then Chef/Owner Nino graciously greeted us and helped us get started with some appetizer suggestions. We split the grilled caesar salad and the shrimp toast. Yummm. After a little more wine and some bread, we received our entrees. Diana got her favorite, Bronzini, a whole fish grilled and drizzled with olive oil and lemon. As always, she loved it (and so did I thanks to her putting some on my plate). I chose one of the Specials, Chicken Rotilini. It consisted of chicken filets wrapped around fontina cheese, sage, bread crumbs, and I'm sure an assortment of hidden ingredients, all resting on marinara sauce, contributing to a delicious dinner served with a side of pasta. Wow! We had plenty to eat and it was a pleasure to not be rushed. Although we had no room left for dessert, Nino gave us complimentary after dinner drinks. Our Friday evening was so relaxing, we even had time to ask for a second bottle. It was the perfect way to spend a chilly, rainy night - or for that matter - any night!


La Scala
1012 Eastern Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21202
P: 410-783-9209

ALIZEE, Maryland

Are you a martini lover? If so, this is the place for you on a Thursday evening between 5 and 11pm. It's a favorite spot for me and my friends, Lizette and Marilynn. We love to meet there and unwind with a half-price cosmopolitan and a burger. The food is quite good, prepared by chef Christian deLutis. Alizee, in the Colonnade, in Guilford, houses a lovely restaurant, but we prefer to sit at the bar and socialize with our favorite bar person, Judy. It's a great place to relax with good food and drink!


Alizee
4 West University Pkwy.
Baltimore, MD 21218

P: 443-449-6200