Mangia! Mangia!

It's been a week since my last post because of some internet issues and other things taking up my time. The local restaurants to review are adding up, but I wanted to get in another review from the Annapolis area.

For our last night in Annapolis, I was really craving some pizza. We had seen the typical pizza chains like Domino's and Papa John's, but I wanted to try something different if we could find it. As we were driving around and scoping out our possibilities, we stumbled upon Bertucci's, which was tucked away in a strip-mall parking lot. My dad said he'd been to a Bertucci's in Atlanta and was confident we could get some good pizza here, so we decided to give it a shot. As I've done with quite a few restaurants I've reviewed, I'll give Dad props on this choice.

The dining area was huge. One side of the restaurant seemed to be a bar, while the other side was a large dining area where most tables had views of the open kitchen and brick ovens. It's a step up from the local pizza/sports bar/pub, and had more of a P.F. Chang's/Macaroni Grill/Brio feel. Nice, but casual. Although the dining area was large, it was proportionate and most of the tables were being used. Also, the restaurant had an adequate staff to cover all the tables and provide quality service. Our waiter was prompt, friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful with our orders.  

The Ultimate Bertucci

I was hoping for some great food, especially pizza, and Bertucci's fit the bill. We ordered a couple different pizzas - a large Ultimate Bertucci and a small Stella. The Ultimate Bertucci is for meat lovers with the pie being divided into four corners, each of which is covered with a different meat topping - chicken, sausage, ham, and meatballs. It was delicious. The toppings were great (especially the meatballs & sausage) and the crust had excellent crispiness from being cooked in the brick oven. The Stella was our vegetarian pie, with toppings of mushrooms, eggplants, peppers, & basil. It was also good, but wasn't nearly as popular as the Ultimate Bertucci. The large was huge and could comfortably feed three people, if not four. If you're not in the mood for pizza, Bertucci's offers a number of other Italian dishes - pasta, salads, sandwiches, calzones, etc.

Along with the pizzas, Bertucci's also serves fresh rolls to your table before the meal. The rolls were hot and had a great crust and were served with a dish of olive oil and italian seasonings for dipping. If I hadn't had such a craving for pizza, I would have feasted on the rolls. Truth be told, I feasted on the rolls as well as the pizza. Shameless.

While the price was more than what you'd pay at Little Caesar's or the other major chains, it's not a bad deal. Most large pizzas are around $18, which isn't bad if it's feeding 3-4 people. And don't forget about the pre-meal rolls! The salads and other entrees appeared to range anywhere from $7-$16. I'd say the value is similar to Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill, and other similar Italian restaurants. Overall, I came away very impressed and know where I can get my pizza fix in Annapolis.

Yes We Can!

The past couple times we've been to Annapolis, we have been looking for a great place to get seafood, especially crabs. Our first trip, we ate at a place called Harris Crab House and had a good experience, but it was a bit far away from Annapolis. This last trip, we found what we were looking for - Cantler's Riverside Inn.

Cantler's is located just a few minutes outside downtown Annapolis you have to take a few winding roads that lead you back to this hidden gem of a restaurant that is located right on the water. It's not a big place and it's well known among the locals and typically crowded, so expect to wait for a table. We went for lunch on an early Sunday afternoon and had to wait for about 20 minutes, which I'd assume is fairly common.

There are both indoor and outdoor dining areas and we were fortunate enough to be able to eat outside. Most of the tables are connected together (a la long picnic tables) and you sit on long benches, which means everyone kind of crowds together and enjoys the entire experience as a collective group. People are pounding away and cracking crabs all around you and the smell of fresh seafood fills the air as you look out over the water. Nothing fancy about it - Cantler's is truly authentic.

The menu features a variety of seafood options as well as other things for people who are in the mood for something else. Our group didn't rate high on the variety scale with four of us ordering the lump crab cake sandwich. Branching away from the crab cake party, Nicole ordered the crab legs and my mom ordered the steamed shrimp. We also ordered a basket of steamed shrimp for the table as an appetizer. Everything we ordered was OUTSTANDING! The steamed shrimp were enormous and had great flavor and I don't think I've ever tasted a better crab cake. Not only was it huge, it had awesome flavor with large chunks of fresh crab (delivered straight off the boat to the restaurant's dock) and basically no filler at all. The side of hush puppies that I had with it were very good as well. I'd want to go back and try the all-you-can-eat steamed Blue Crabs, but it'd be tough to pass up another opportunity to get another crab cake sandwich. Honestly, it'd be tough to ever pass up a sandwich that good.

My only complaint about Cantler's would be the service. Nearly everyone we encountered that worked there would fall under the category of rude. The parking attendant, hostess, and our waitress all had trouble being friendly or exhibiting any sort of hospitality. We also had a tough time getting our drinks refilled in a timely manner. That being said, we were so happy with the food that it didn't matter too much.

Cantler's is exactly the type of restaurant we were hoping to find. A local restaurant with a great atmosphere that reflected the culture of Maryland and the coastal/Eastern Shore area. A meal here helps make spending time in Annapolis truly memorable.

All Present & Accounted For

As I mentioned in the previous post, we spent the past weekend in Annapolis and had a great time. Nicole and I went up with my mom and dad, and Brent's friend, Makenzie, came along with us. We left Roanoke on Thursday afternoon and stayed up there until Monday morning. It was good to be able to spend a legitimate of time there instead of constantly being on the road.

Brent & Mac - Don't Ask

We were able to spend most of the weekend with Brent, which was his first break from the grueling process of Plebe Summer. He was released on Friday at lunchtime and was able to hang out with us for most of Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. It was obvious that he was ready to have a break and get away from the academy for a bit, but I could tell that he seems to have adjusted and enjoys as much of it as he can.

Maryland Blue Crabs

After his release on Friday, he took us up to his room and we met his other two roommates. It was crazy to see how clean they are expected to keep their living quarters and all the small details they have to be aware of  (like requirements for the blinds on the window). His roommates seem to be good guys and Brent likes them because of their willingness to work hard. It was also awkward to meet his detailers and company leaders - the people who have been yelling at him all summer. I know they were trying to be friendly but I didn't know how to talk to them other than to say, "Sir, yes, sir." 

Once we got away from the academy, we went to Brent's sponsor's house for lunch. A sponsor is someone who "adopts" a few midshipmen during their time at the Naval Academy and acts as a sort of host family for them. Brent is fortunate to have an AMAZINGLY sweet lady as his sponsor and he's going to be in great hands during his four years with her. She hosted us for lunch and had an awesome spread on the dining table, including her famous crab dip. After eating half the dip by myself, I'm trying to figure out how she can be my sponsor.

The rest of the weekend was pretty relaxed. We tried some local restaurants that were very good (food posts are coming) and walked around downtown Annapolis a good bit. We didn't want to plan too much because we wanted Brent to enjoy his free time and it was good to take things easy. It was also fun to sit around and listen to all his crazy stories from the summer. Other than that, it was a lot of short little trips around Annapolis and walking around.

Makenzie holding Herschel

One last thing...Nicole and I have a new pet. We talked for the past few months about getting a hedgehog and finally picked one up on our way home from Annapolis. He's a tiny little fellow (fits in the palm of my hand) and now calls the Aldridge house home. There were a lot of different ideas for names but after watching how much he liked to scurry around and his interest in digging, I decided 'Herschel' was quite appropriate. Nicole has decided not to commit to a particular name and will call him whatever she feels like at the moment. Whatever his name is...he's ours!

Parents Weekend

Dahlgren Hall

I have been out of commission with the blog over the past week because it was a very busy weekend. We went to Annapolis for the weekend to visit my brother for Plebe Parents Weekend at the Naval Academy and had a great time. Lots of laughs. Lots of stories about his summer as a plebe. Lots of excellent food. And lots of pictures. I'll post more of our pictures (that we were able to take with a NEW CAMERA!) soon and, as usual, provide some reviews of the great food we had.

iDay

I've thought a great deal about what to say of my time in Annapolis last week, and it's very difficult to put into words. Last Thursday, my brother was inducted into the United States Naval Academy, and he's now a week into the horrible experience known as Plebe Summer. It was tough to see him go, but I don't think any of us could be more proud of him.

People that know Brent usually have some very strong words to describe him. Adjectives such as driven, motivated, competitive, committed, and leader usually come to mind and they don't really tell the entire story. I have never seen anyone work harder at reaching a goal and do whatever it takes to be the very best at everything he participates in. Going to the Naval Academy has been Brent's goal for the past 3 years and it's incredible to see everything he did to make sure he accomplished that goal. 

At one point, his schedule included waking before 6:00am to drive to school to catch the bus to go to Governor's School, spending all day in the most difficult classes possible until 3pm, going to cross country practice until 5pm, driving all the way across town to soccer practice with his travel team until 8pm, and coming home to study and work on homework until 1 or 2am. He was also extremely involved with church youth activities and helped out in numerous ways with his Senior class. Actually, it's possible going to the Naval Academy might help Brent slow down a bit.

The funny part about all the stuff he did to get to Annapolis...it doesn't mean a thing now. As a plebe at the academy, he is treated like dirt. Within his first few hours of being there (when he checks in with nothing but the clothes he's wearing), he had his head shaved, received a hideous uniform, and was already being yelled at along with the other 1300 members of his freshmen class. Plebe summer is one of the challenges and processes of joining the academy that breaks you down and helps shape you into becoming a naval officer. It is physically, emotionally, and mentally demanding in every way. The program lasts until the second week of August, which is the first time we can come see him at the academy for "Parent's Weekend." At the Induction Ceremony, the plebes take an oath to do everything asked of them to protect our country, and that oath is taken with the utmost seriousness. Plebe summer is the first step in those individuals becoming the leaders of our Navy. 

While it was unbelievable to see Brent take his spot in the formation line to march off following the induction ceremony, I know he is in the right place. He went to a place where excellence is required and where anything but your best is unacceptable. He went to a place where they take the best and make them even better. He earned a spot at the United States Naval Academy. He went where he belongs.