By Anne Chovey
Special to The Herald-Mail
It is always fun, as a new year begins, to look back at the year just past.
Pap Ricka and I sat down the other evening and reminisced about the restaurants we reviewed in 2011.
I visited 22 restaurants last year, most of which were in Washington County.
I ate some really good meals and some that were not so memorable. I had Mexican, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Indian and Thai.
And subs. Lots of subs.
Here is my list (with help from Pap) as to our favorite places of 2011.
Best ethnic restaurant
Of all the different types of food we ate, our favorite for 2011 was Sitar of India, 110 Railway Lane, Hagerstown.
The food is exotic, tasty and totally different from anything else.
The vegetable pakoras induced a craving that made us visit again and again.
We both loved the little condiment tray of the hot green sauce, the smoky red sauce and the pickled red peppers that accompanied the pakoras.
The atmosphere also gets a thumb’s up. It is sleek and formal with Indian music playing in the background.
Best place to go with friends
Pap and I very much enjoy going to Café del Sol, 1481 Salem Ave., Hagerstown, when we want an affordable meal, a beer or a glass of wine, and the chance to linger.
We have eaten there with many friends and always find the food delicious and plentiful and the service thoughtful and attentive.
My favorite dish is the Cabo flatbread, which has so many complex flavors and textures that I tend to order it again and again.
But what I really like is that they bring the wine bottle to the table to pour your glass and it is a healthy pour.
Best sub or sandwich
Wow. That is a really hard one. In fact, it is impossible. So here are my favorite subs and sandwiches of 2011.
- Hartle’s Subs, 635 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. For a classic, cold-cut sub Hartle’s is hard to beat. It is not fancy but totally satisfying.
- Freddie’s Subs, 18206 W. Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, is known for its steak and cheese, but what we liked best was its grilled vegetarian sub. As I said when I reviewed it, this sub celebrates vegetables and made them the star.
- Bagel-Lisious, 761 W. Wilson Blvd., Hagerstown. Making sandwiches on a bagel gives them a unique twist but my favorite was a wrap, the Berry Maine — turkey, spinach, cream cheese and whole cranberry sauce. It not only tasted good, it was a colorful feast for the eyes.
- Burkett’s Deli, 23 N. Locust St., downtown Hagerstown. Without a doubt, my favorite thing at this place was its original and inventive hot dogs. I loved both the Seattle dog with cream cheese and sauerkraut and the Deputy dog with bacon, cheddar and coleslaw.
And my tour of sub shops would not be complete without a stop at Gracie’s Place, 3 W. Baltimore St., Funkstown. It is a very friendly place and its burgers cannot be beat.
I loved both the bleu and bacon burger as well as the Pittsburger. Both had a variety of flavors and textures for winning combinations.
Best small town eatery
There is no contest for this one. Desert Rose Café, 21 N. Concococheague St., Williamsport, combines good food made from fresh ingredients with the friendliest service in the whole area.
Co-owner Rose Harris and her family made us feel like their friends as soon we entered the door.
Bicyclists pedaling up from the C&O Canal are frequent patrons, but everyone feels the love. My favorite thing there is that with your sandwich you can get a little bag of veggies with dip instead of chips. A nice touch.
Here’s to more eating adventures in 2012.
Anne Chovey is a pseudonym for a Herald-Mail freelance writer who reviews restaurants anonymously to avoid special treatment.
