By ANNE CHOVEY

Special to The Herald-Mail

I knew that Dimensions was a local caterer, but I didn’t know that it was also a full-service restaurant called Next Dimensions. A friend of mine said that she had lunch there so I told my friends Pap Ricka and Mack Aroni we should try it out.
To be honest, the restaurant looks a bit odd from the outside. It is a huge industrial-style building that looks more like a fraternal lodge (from its days as the local Moose) than a restaurant.
But the big space is available for the rental hall where up to 350 guests may be seated.
We entered through the front door and proceeded into the restaurant area. We were met immediately by the hostess who asked if we wanted to sit in a booth in the bar area or at a table in the dining room. We opted for a booth.
The bar was impressive. It was massive and dominated the area with dozens of stools lining both sides. The room was brightly lit with booths along one wall and a few tables and chairs in the middle.
In the back corner, a bit out of sight, was a pool table and we could hear the smack of balls being racked and hit.
Neon signs and other beer posters and artwork hung on the walls and flat screen TV’s were strategically placed throughout the room. Overall the impression was clean, spacious and lively.
I peeked in the dining room on my way to the restroom just to check it out. It was off to the left of the bar area and was screened off by lattice “walls.” It was full of tables and chairs and also looked cheerful and pleasant.
Our waiter came over promptly and took our drink orders. While he was getting them, we had the chance to check out the menu.
It had an impressive list of martinis, draft and bottled beer, margaritas and daiquiris. The “starters” looked yummy including many things typically served as bar food:  several types of fries, nachos, wings, onion rings and quesadillas. Some items were available in full or half orders.
The menu had a variety of fajitas and salads. There were also pasta dishes many with chicken (chicken Parmigiana and chicken broccoli alfredo) or seafood (crab pasta, mussels with linguine and shrimp scampi). Dinners included a number of steaks, all sorts of chicken dishes and seafood platters.
But what caught our eye was the list of sandwiches and burgers. Pap absolutely loves the flavor of buffalo chicken but doesn’t much like the mess of eating wings.
So when he sees a buffalo chicken salad or sandwich he gets excited. Mack is the picky eater among us. His taste usually centers on fettucine alfredo, but he prefers it without anything green or even remotely resembling a vegetable, so he was happy to order a chicken quesadilla.
As for me, I knew I wanted a burger. After all the fussy little appetizers, cheese balls and sweets of the holiday season, nothing sounded better than a big juicy burger.
But which one? The Cuban: topped with honey baked ham and swiss cheese, served on a pressed corn dusted roll with dijongarlic mayo, pickle chips, shredded romaine and sliced tomato? Or maybe the Old Hickory: topped with grilled vidalia onions, hickory barbecue sauce, melted cheddar cheese, and apple wood bacon. Or the chili burger: topped with homemade chili, grilled red onion, melted cheddar cheese and pico de gallo served with a side of seasoned sour cream. All of them looked amazing but what I decided upon was the Black and Blue: a burger with blackened seasoning and crumbled blue cheese. And while I was at it, I threw in an order of onion rings.
Pap ordered a side salad, which was quickly brought out. It was crispy romaine lettuce with cucumber, carrots, purple cabbage and red onions — very colorful. It was topped with seasoned croutons and chunky blue cheese dressing.
Our waiter brought out our sandwiches and refilled our drinks. Mack had requested that there be no pico de gallo sauce on his quesadilla so our waiter explained that he had provided both a seasoned sour cream as well as a plain one on the side. The quesadilla was a wonderful gooey mess, full of melted cheese, chicken, bacon and salsa. It was spicy and good.
Pap’s buffalo chicken sandwich featured a big slab of breaded chicken drenched in the familiar bright orange buffalo sauce. It was clearly a real piece of chicken as it hung over the edge of the bun, not formed to match up perfectly. The chicken was moist with just the right amount of heat. Pap also got french fries — crisp and hot.
But everyone was jealous when they saw my burger. It was a big patty covered with the blackened seasoning and topped with a load of melted blue cheese crumbles and grilled onions. On the bottom were lettuce and tomatoes.
What a fantastic combination: spicy, sweet from the onions, salty from the cheese all with that wonderful slightly greasy beef flavor that makes up the perfect hamburger. I think I moaned with delight.
I shared it with Pap who also made moaning sounds. I managed to scarf down some of the onion rings. They were breaded with a very thick coating almost like a fried chicken batter. There were served with a seasoned dipping sauce. Different and yummy.
Our very attentive waiter came back to check on us several times and asked us about dessert, which included items such as a brownie sundae and red velvet cheesecake, but we were stuffed.
When we complemented him on the burger, he let us know that they are on special on Wednesdays, when all burgers are $5 all day long. We will definitely go back on a Wednesday. You should, too.

Anne Chovey is a pseudonym for a Herald-Mail freelance writer who reviews restaurants anonymously to avoid special treatment.

Restaurant review

Next Dimensions
4 (out of 5)
Food: 4
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3 1/2
Value: 4

Address: 132 Old National Pike, south of Funkstown
Phone: 301-739-7260
Hours: Closed Mondays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Food:  Traditional bar food, steaks, chicken and seafood. Very few vegetarian options
Bathrooms: Clean and large
Parking and handicapped accessibility:  Large parking lot in front of the restaurant. No accessibility issues.
Reservations are not necessary.
Online: DimensionsDining.com and on Facebook

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.

The John Allison Public House in Greencastle, Pa., is named for the founder of the city, whose father ran a tavern on the crossroads between Baltimore and Carlisle streets.
It occupies the location of a former Greencastle landmark, the Antrim House restaurant.
My friend, Pap Ricka, and I checked out the menu online and thought it looked intriguing, so we set out for Pennsylvania.
The John Allison is a huge restaurant with several entrances and several designated parking lots. Pap and I went in at the corner entrance and although a sign said we could seat ourselves, we were met by a host who ushered us into the dining room. He thoughtfully inquired if we wanted a booth or a table and whether we wanted to be near the TV or away from it.
In a short time, our waiter came to take our drink order while we looked at the menu. He brought a beer menu with him and explained that the John Allison has a continually changing list of beer on tap. There were a few well-known brands but others were completely new to me.
He also explained that, along with the items listed on the regular menu, there was a happy hour menu.
Items on the happy hour menu were half price during the designated time, but could be ordered at full price any other time of day. He went on to explain that some folks thought that the prices on the menu were on the expensive side, but that all the food was made fresh and using local ingredients, as much as possible.
Pap and I reviewed the menu. We were there for lunch and while the dinner entrees looked great, like chipotle-orange barbecue pork shank with butternut squash, mashed potatoes and creole succotash for $18.99 or black tagliatelle rustica — pancetta, grilled artichokes, sundried tomatoes, capers, prosciutto, basil and shaved asparagus with a citrus chardonnay butter sauce — for $14.99. But we decided something less hearty was in order.
Eliminating the entrees, however, didn’t make our decision about what to eat any easier. The list of appetizers included such treats as rendered pork belly with udon noodle salad and tangerine chili glaze for $10.99 or bronzed U-10 day boat scallops with roasted pumpkin ravioli and spiced, butternut squash bisque for $15.99.
The list of happy hour fare was equally tempting: duck-fat french fries with garlic, herb salt and duck fat for $5 or Maria’s sausage (spicy quince gastrique and cranberry cherry tangerine chutney on grilled crostini) for $9.
There were salads and sandwiches to choose from as well.
After much deliberation, Pap decided on a crab cake sandwich.
“Good choice,” our waiter said. “We use very little filler, so it is mostly crab.”
I chose the Autumn Confit of Duck Leg salad. Something about fall makes me yearn for strong flavors like sausage and root vegetables. So duck seemed perfect.
Then, just for fun, we ordered the lobster mac and cheese off the happy hour menu.
As I mentioned, the restaurant is spacious. In the dining room where we were, there were booths along the walls and tables and chairs in the middle.  There was a large colorful bar in one corner of the room. Pop music played on the satellite radio. The overall feeling was friendly, but the room was so big that the local pub atmosphere didn’t quite fit.
When our food arrived we forgot about anything else. Pap’s sandwich featured a sizeable scoop of crabcake topped with a drizzle of pale salmon-colored remoulade sauce. The bun had been toasted and had lettuce, tomato and onion on it. It made quite a mouthful.
My salad was a work of art. Mixed greens with cranberries, bleu cheese, onions and pumpkin seeds were heaped in the middle of the plate. Alongside was a warm golden-brown duck leg.  The duck was deliciously unctuous, beautifully set off by the vinaigrette. The contract in flavors was delightful.
But undoubtedly, the star of the meal was the lobster mac and cheese. The “mac” was spirals and the “cheese” was pecorino romano with small chunks of lobster.
What made it memorable was the tiny bits of carrot, corn, red pepper and lima beans. It tasted as if some or all of these vegetables had been pickled so that the dish, instead of being overwhelmingly rich, had a piquant twist to it. It was truly unique.
At the last minute our waiter brought out a tray of desserts, all of which were made in house. Chocolate cake, grilled pound cake with seasonal fruit, carrot cake — all looked delicious.  I couldn’t resist and took a piece of Italian cream cake. The cake was nutty with a creamy vanilla frosting. It was served with caramel sauce and whipped cream.
Wow! What a great meal. John Allison would be proud.

Anne Chovey is a pseudonym for a Herald-Mail freelance writer who reviews restaurants anonymously to avoid special treatment.

Restaurant review

John Allison Public House
4 (out of 5)
Food:  4
Service:  4
Ambiance: 3
Value: 3 1/2

Address: 104 E. Baltimore St., Greencastle, Pa.
Phone: 717-643-0218
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Food: Hearty American fare using fresh local ingredients; few vegetarian options.  Many draft beers constantly updated.
Parking and handicapped accessibility: Parking is available in several nearby lots.  No accessibility issues were noted
Reservations: Strongly recommended.
Website: www.johnallisonpublichouse.com.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/johnallisonpublichouse

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. — My friend, Pap Ricka, and I found ourselves in Shepherdstown, W.Va., recently as Pap wanted to check out the really cool, natural running shoe store there.
As it was lunchtime, we decided to get a bite to eat and went into Kazu, a Thai-Japanese fusion restaurant on German Street.
I have to admit, my knowledge of Thai food is minimal, but I was eager to try it out. Kazu’s in an older building and it looks as if part of the wall between rooms has been knocked out to make two separate eating areas. The first dining room is relatively spacious with booths along the dividing wall and an area in the middle where tables can be pushed together to seat large groups.
We were met promptly at the door and ushered into the second dining room to the left. That room had the sushi bar with tall stools in front of it and booths along the walls.
The menu listed a variety of options both Thai and Japanese. For example, under appetizers, you could get tempura (shrimp and vegetables) and a spring roll if you felt like ordering Japanese or crab puff and a squid ball if you wanted Thai. The dual theme continued with the “Chef Recommended” section of the menu.
Most of these dishes were a bit more expensive, ranging from $18 to $25. Then it divided into traditional Japanese dishes such as teriyaki and tempura, which came with misosoup and rice ($13 to $18), and traditional Thai like shrimp or chicken with basil or garlic or ginger ($13 to $17). There was also a great selection of curry and noodles.
“You order for me,” Pap instructed. “I don’t know about any of this stuff.”
I know Pap likes things spicy so I asked the waitress which was hotter — the red curry or the green curry. Surprisingly, she said green curry was spicier.
Pap also loves vegetables so I ordered him vegetable and tofu green curry. He raised an eyebrow over the tofu, but like me, he is a pretty open-minded eater, so he didn’t complain. I also wanted to try out something traditionally Thai, so I opted for chicken pad thai.
Kazu had some interesting décor. There were touches of Japanese art and by each table was a large mirror framed in rattan which expanded the space. Music played in the background at a volume that muted the voices of others in the restaurant, but didn’t drown out our conversation. Very nice.
As we waited, I noticed that others around us were drinking tea. It was brought to the table in small pots and the cups looked like handmade pottery without any handles. I also spotted a sushi menu on the table along with a small pencil.
“We should have ordered some sushi,” I told Pap.
We agreed and looked at the little menu. I love all the different possible combinations of sushi — so many sound good to me — but we settled on crab with asparagus and Old Bay — definitely a fusion of great ideas.
The food came out all together. The sushi roll was large, packed with crab and asparagus. We negotiated the big pieces in our mouths using the chopsticks provided. These were quite nice — not the usual wooden ones — but a smoother texture. It was probably plastic, but I liked that it was reminiscent of ivory. The sushi was interesting: mild and delicate with just a hint of Old Bay, which enhanced the flavor rather than overpowering it.
Pap had a large bowl of fragrant curry. The smell was exotic and the color a strange pale green. He also was given a bowl of white rice.
“How am I supposed to eat this?” he asked me.
I could see that eating vegetables in broth with chop sticks might prove challenging.
“Put the rice in the bowl, too. It will soak up the sauce and you can eat it with the vegetables.”
He tried it. “Yum.”
I couldn’t resist. The bowl was full of broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini and red pepper. There were also what appeared to be bamboo shoots and either Chinese cabbage or bok choy.  The tofu was firm and flavored by the sauce. I can’t describe the flavor but it was complex and spicy. It was indeed “Yum.”
I tackled my chicken pad Thai. The chicken was cut in small slices and chunks. It was tender and moist and not at all dried out. The noodles were rice noodles — thin and almost see-through.
Large pieces of scallions and some bean sprouts were also tucked in.
The whole dish was topped off by crushed peanuts. It was quite challenging to hoist those slippery noodles to my mouth with chop sticks, but I was determined.
The flavors of pad thai are supposed to include fish sauce and tamarind paste. I don’t know if these were in the dish I ate, but I enjoyed every bite and left no noodle behind.
Pap and I left stuffed and satisfied. It was definitely worth the trip.

Anne Chovey is a pseudonym for a Herald-Mail freelance writer who reviews restaurants anonymously to avoid special treatment.

Restaurant review

Kazu Cuisine
3 1/2  (out of 5)
Food: 4
Service: 3
Ambiance: 4
Value: 3

Address: 120 W. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va.
Phone: 304-876-8798
Hours: Closed Mondays; Tuesday through Thursday — 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., reopen 4:30 to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday —  11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., reopen 4:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday — 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., reopen 4:30  to 9 p.m.
Food: Thai-Japanese fusion.  A number of vegetarian options.
Bathrooms: Clean and accessible.
Parking and handicapped accessibility:  Parking is always a nightmare in Shepherdstown.  There is metered parking on the street in front of the restaurant, but you may need to circle the block a time or two to find something relatively close.  No accessibility issues were noted.
Reservations:  Not necessary.
Website:  Kazu does not have a website. Kazu has a Facebook page, but not much information  is on it.

FUNKSTOWN — Gracie’s Place in Funkstown has a great family history. It was opened by Grace Hartle-Hull, the daughter of John and Margaret Hartle of Hartle’s Subs fame.
According to the Gracie’s Place website, when John and Margaret died, the name Hartle’s Subs was sold, so Grace started Gracie’s Place using many of the techniques of her parents.

My friend, Pap Ricka, and I have long been fans of Hartle’s Subs, so we wanted to see how Gracie’s Place compared.
The restaurant is located on the main street of Funkstown in an old house. There is a small deck on the front with a couple of tables and chairs for outdoor eating. The inside of the restaurant is rather small with a few booths and tables and chairs. There is a tall counter for placing orders along with an ice cream freezer. Refrigerated coolers full of bottled drinks line the wall.
Gracie’s Place can’t be called elegant or even cute — and it isn’t decorated with any sort of theme. The floor is unvarnished wood, well worn in places. You get the impression that at Gracie’s Place, they want to let the food do the talking.
We were waited on immediately upon entering, but had to take a couple of minutes to check out the menu that was printed on the wall. Gracie’s is first and foremost a sub and sandwich shop with soup and salads thrown in.
The cold subs include most of the usual suspects including ham, turkey and roast beef ($6.60 to $7 for a whole and $3.95 to $4 for a half). There are also hot subs like steak and cheese, cheeseburger, grilled or crispy chicken ($7.50 for a whole; $5.25 for a half). Along with the subs are steamers, ruebens and gyros. Sides and finger foods like french fries, onion rings and cheese sticks are also on the menu.
If you are in the mood for a salad, you can get lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onions  and cheese topped with steak, ham and turkey, grilled chicken, or crispy chicken ($6.50).
Among the listing for cold subs was the thing I was looking for: the famous cold-cut sub.
I have loved the Hartle’s version over the years and I couldn’t wait to try Gracie’s. We added a chicken salad sub to the order.
There was also an impressive list of burgers. It was hard to decide among the many choices but Pap finally chose a Bleu and Bacon with special sauce, lettuce and tomato.
I am not a huge Steelers fan but the Pittsburger sounded great —  topped with lettuce, tomato, mayo, bacon, fried mushrooms, barbecue sauce and onion straws. We sat down and waited for the food to be prepared.
The clerk explained it might take awhile, which was fine. I don’t mind waiting a reasonable time for food to be fixed. It reassures me that it is fresh and not hanging out on a stove somewhere overheating and overcooking.
Apparently, they were running low on burgers, and that is what was taking so long for our order to be filled. The clerk generously offered us two bowls of soup on the house.
Daily soup specials include slippery pot pie, chicken corn, ham and bean and cream of crab. The soup of the day offered to us was potato. Two piping hot bowls of thick and creamy soup were placed in front of us. It didn’t look especially spectacular — but it was.
The potatoes were cooked perfectly for soup and the broth was delicious, well-seasoned and velvety.  They could have taken all afternoon to make the sandwiches after that. But actually it wasn’t too much longer before the rest of the order arrived.
The cold-cut sub was exactly as I had remembered it: the delicious blend of lunch meats, especially the salami with big peppercorns, tasted great. I was less thrilled with the chicken salad. It had a nice crunch from celery or onions or both, but it also had sweet pickle relish in it. I don’t like my chicken salad sweet. Pap, on the other hand, liked it “a whole lot.”
We were both blown away by the burgers. The Bleu and Bacon had a wonderful salty richness from the combination of bacon and the melted blue cheese.
The Pittsburger was hearty with a sweetness from the barbecue sauce and the onion straws, which were miniature pieces of breaded onion similar to onion rings. Both burgers were cooked well, too:  thoroughly but still moist and juicy.
Gracie’s Place is very friendly and unpretentious. Its food says it all.

Anne Chovey is a pseudonym for a Herald-Mail freelance writer who reviews restaurants anonymously to avoid special treatment.

Restaurant review
Gracie’s Place
3 1/2 stars (out of 5)
Food: 4
Service: 2 (the restaurant is designed to be self-service)
Ambiance: 3
Value:  3 1/2

Address: 3 W. Baltimore St., Funkstown
Phone: 301-393-8088
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Food: Sandwiches and subs, soup, and salads. A few vegetarian options.
Bathrooms:  In need of an update and difficult to locate.  Not accessible.
Parking and handicaped accessibility: Street parking available in front of the restaurant.  As the restaurant is in an older building, accessibility may be difficult.
Reservations: Not necessary.
Website: http://graciesplaces.com. Also on Facebook.

House of Kobe has been in business in Hagerstown for 30 years. It had been awhile since I had visited, so my friend Pap Ricka and I made a date.
The restaurant is on Dual Highway and has a distinctive Japanese look on the outside. Inside, the Japanese theme continues.
Booths and tables with chairs line the main dining room. The tables are covered in white cloths with cloth napkins tucked into stemmed glasses. Japanese art hangs on the walls.
Off to one side is the sushi bar, where you can sit and order sushi a piece or two at a time. Above the counter, the canopy is lined with boards painted with Japanese characters identifying different fish.
Beyond the main dining room is the hibachi. If you have never been to a Japanese restaurant for the hibachi experience, you should go. Guests are seated around a giant grill, and the chef prepares the meal right in front of you. The chef takes pride in entertaining guests as the meal is cooked — producing bursts of flames, twirling his knives and tossing bits of food to diners. It is quite fun.
But Pap and I decided we would like a quieter dining experience, so we settled in the main dining room. We were shown to our table, and our waitress immediately came over and offered us a sushi menu. For about $4 or $5, sushi is offered in every imaginable form, either in pieces or in a roll.
While I love sushi, I thought that I would like to order something from the regular menu. The nice thing about the menu is that you can order a complete dinner with appetizer, soup, salad, and entrée with rice, or you can order each of those things a la carte.
The dinner choices start out with House of Kobe Imperial Dinners ($26.50 to $27.50). These dinners of beef shabu-shabu or seafood Yosenabe serve two people and are prepared at the table in a pot. There are also House of Kobe specials, which include a Japanese seafood combo platter ($21.95) and a teriyaki combo platter of chicken, beef and negimaki (marinated beef rolls stuffed with scallions) for $20.95.
There also are dinner boxes of teriyaki, tempura or sushi ($14.95). Also available are yakisoba and udon, which are noodles, and fried rice and domburi, which are rice dishes.
Other dinner dishes cost $20.09 to $26.95 for the complete dinner. Everything sounds exotic and intriguing.
After some deliberation and consultation with our waitress, I ordered Carashi Buta, a spicy pork dinner with all the trimmings. I could choose between appetizers of Yakitori chicken on a skewer and Hitokuchikatsu, a pork dish. Since my main dish was pork, I selected the chicken appetizer. Pap got the salmon teriyaki dinner box.
The feast began. We were brought clear soup, a light broth with scallions and thinly sliced mushrooms. Its flavor was delicate. Next came our salad: a plate of finely shredded cabbage with shredded carrot and sesame dressing. I love the taste of that dressing. I enjoyed watching Pap navigate the salad with his chopsticks. He did very well. For the less adventurous, a fork was also provided.
The Yakitori chicken was next to arrive — six rather large chunks of grilled chicken on wooden skewers. It was covered with a tasty reddish-brown sauce. The chicken was moist and tender, and there was plenty to share with Pap.
By now, I was almost full, but looking forward to the main event. My dinner came heaped up on a large plate, along with a bowl of white rice. The pork was thinly sliced and came with mushrooms, onions and thinly sliced crinkle-cut carrots. Sesame seeds were sprinkled over the top. It was fire-engine hot! I enjoy hot and spicy food, but, even so, this was at the top of my chart.
Our waitress hurried over to make sure it was not too hot. “I should have told you that you can order it mild,” she said.
I reassured her that the spice level was fine. I had some help from Pap, who likes things really hot. Our waitress kept my water glass filled, so all was well.
Pap’s dinner box was beautiful. One section had teriyaki salmon. The salmon might have been a tad overdone, but the flavor was good. In another section was gyoza, Japanese pot stickers filled with meat and vegetables. White rice filled one corner, while fruit slices were in another. The pineapple was perfectly ripe, and sweet as candy. Pap’s sushi was piled in another compartment: tuna, salmon and shrimp were nestled beside a cucumber roll, along with a fragrant pile of pickled ginger. Pap refused to share the sushi but reported that it was very good.
When we had eaten all we could, our waitress brought over a small dish of ginger ice cream “to cool off your mouth,” she said. It was sweet, but with the sharp, savory taste of ginger. A delightful ending to the meal.
It is easy to see why House of Kobe has been in business for 30 years. The attentive staff offers good food beautifully presented. Next time I will get my own sushi!

House of Kobe

4 stars (out of 5)
Food: 3 1/2
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4
Value: 3 1/2
Address: 757 Dual Highway, Hagerstown
Phone: 301-797-6979
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday; 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday; 3 to 9 p.m. Sunday
Food: Japanese, including sushi, hibachi grill, teriyaki and tempura. Many vegetarian options.
Bathrooms: Clean and accessible.
Parking and handicapped accessibility: Plenty of parking in the lot outside the restaurant. No accessibility issues were noted.
Reservations are not required, but are recommended for groups larger than four.
Website: www.thehouseofkobe.com

Tony’s Pizza & Italian Restaurant is off the bend in the road on Pennsylvania Avenue, not far from the Hagerstown Regional Airport.
My friend, Pap Ricka, and I decided to eat there one recent evening.
The sign outside advertised that a pasta dinner buffet was available Monday through Thursday — a dangerous choice for folks who love Italian food as much as Pap and I do

.
We entered Tony’s through a small entryway into the dining room. There was a small, private room to the left and the buffet was directly in front along with the salad bar.
We were promptly greeted and invited to take a seat wherever we wanted. There were booths lining the walls and tables in the center of the room. There was also a second dining room off of the first and that is where we headed. The atmosphere was friendly and appealed to folks of all ages. We saw a couple of senior citizens as well as families with young children.
No doubt about it, Tony’s is an Italian restaurant with all the wonderful choices synonymous with that title.
The menu has a long list of pasta dishes including some intriguing ones like “spaghetti bianco”: fresh garlic and black olives sauteed in olive oil ($9.45)  and “tortellini alla panna,” which is tortellini pasta served with a while cream sauce ($12.90).
Of course, there were more ordinary selections like spaghetti and meatballs ($11.45) and fettucine alfredo ($13.15).
There was also a list of baked pasta: cannelloni, manicotti, stuffed shells and lasagna ($11.85 to $12.99) and entrees such as eggplant parmigiana, veal marsala, “pollo alla cacciatore” otherwise known as chicken cacciatore, chicken sauteed with fresh mushrooms, San Marzano tomato sauce and a touch of wine. There were seafood specialties of linguine and shrimp ($12 to $16.29) and steaks ($14.29 to $19.49) and crab cakes ($16.39).
If, for some reason, you went to Tony’s and were only slightly hungry, there were a number of sandwiches, stromboli and hoagies available.
Oh, and there is pizza, too.
And fried chicken.
When I was in college, my roommate had parents from Italy. There was nothing better than being a starving student and going to her house where her parents shouted at me to “Eat! Eat!” while they stacked my plate with lasagna, spaghetti, bread and salad. Looking at the menu at Tony’s felt a bit like being there.
Pap and I started out with calamari rings. They were brought out very quickly and were piping hot just out of the fryer. The flavor was a bit bland and the dipping sauce, which was prepackaged, didn’t add much. But they were nicely cooked: tender and not at all rubbery so we ate every single one.
Our dinners came with salad so we helped ourselves to the salad bar. The main bowl was filled with a variety of lettuces, all crisp or tender and very fresh. There were lots of choices to add including a couple of Italian toppings: peperoncini, mildly hot peppers, and giardiniera, hot-picked vegetables like cauliflower, celery and olives.
For our main course, Pap chose the “linguine alle vongole” better known as linguine with clam sauce. He had the option of white or red sauce and he picked white.
I decided on baked ziti, which had tube-shaped pasta with ricotta cheese and tomato sauce and then topped with mozzarella cheese and baked.
We could smell Pap’s dinner before it hit the table.  It was a wonderful garlicky scent that set our mouths’ watering. Linguine with clam sauce is not particularly not pretty to look at, but the smell was enticing.
My ziti was in a silver dish with the mozzarella cheese, melted and golden brown, covering the top. Everything was quite hot so we grabbed a piece of garlic bread while things cooled a bit. The bread was crispy but much less garlicky than the linguine.
When we were able to wade in without scalding our mouths, we dug in. The ziti was good. The predominate flavor was the mozzarella cheese. The tomato sauce was tasty but was used sparingly so that it flavored the pasta without drowning it.  The ricotta was less evident, but overall a very pleasant and satisfying dish. I made my way through about half of it, before calling for the box and it made a great lunch the next day.
Pap’s linguine was simple but good. It was very wet, but in the best possible way.  The clam broth made the noodles delicious and was perfect for dipping the bread. He ate every bite and the rest of the bread, too. If you don’t like garlic, this is not the dish for you, but if you do, you will love every bite.
We left Tony’s quite happy and pleasantly stuffed. My college roommate would have been right at home.

Anne Chovey is a pseudonym for a Herald-Mail freelance writer who reviews restaurants anonymously to avoid special treatment.

Tony’s New York Pizza & Italian Restaurant

3 1/2 (out of 5)
Food:  31/2
Service: 3  1/2
Ambiance: 3
Value: 3

Address: 14224 Pennsylvania Ave., Hagerstown
Phone: 301-739-8669
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Food: Italian dinners, pizza and sandwiches. Many vegetarian options.
Bathrooms: Clean, but could use updating. No accessibility issues noted.
Parking and handicapped accessibility: Parking is available in the lot directly outside the restaurant. There is a ramp to the front door. No accessibility issued inside; however, there is a slight incline into the back dining room, which is not clearly marked.
Reservations are not necessary.

The website for Fratelli Italian Pizzeria & Grill states, “Fratelli Restaurant is here to serve good food in a family atmosphere.”
That sounded like a good invitation to me, so my friend Pap Ricka and I stopped in for dinner.

Fratelli’s has a cheerful exterior in one of the units in the South Pointe Shopping Center, on Oak Ridge Drive in Hagerstown. To the left of the front door is an outdoor eating area with tables and chairs under umbrellas. We walked in and were greeted immediately by a friendly fellow who led us to a booth.
The dining room is large, with booths around the sides of the room and tables down the center. Off to the left, behind the outdoor patio is a bar area. The night we were there, the bar was the center of a children’s birthday party complete with balloons and lots of kids.
The menu for Fratelli’s is extensive. One side has appetizers, sandwiches, subs and pizza. The other has Italian dinners, Mexican dishes and salads. Many dishes had a little chef’s face next to them indicating they were “best sellers.”
Among the best-selling appetizers were bruschetta and waffle fries, both $8. The sandwiches included paninis ($6 to $7), burgers and chicken sandwiches ($5.75 to $6.25), hot and cold subs ($5.95 to $6.75), calzones, Stromboli and pizza.
With pizza, you could either “create your own” with a list of toppings that included broccoli, sundried tomatoes, pineapple and anchovies, along with more usual choices, or you could get a “specialty pizza.” These included barbecue chicken, quattro stagioni (artichoke hearts, mushrooms, green peppers, ham and tomato sauce), and vegetarian (sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli, sauteed onions, mushrooms, grilled red peppers and eggplant).
The flip side had traditional pasta dishes such as spaghetti and fettucine ($8 to $12) and baked dishes like ziti, manicotti and stuffed shells ($9 to $11). All the Italian dinners came with salad and garlic bread.
The Mexican menu included fajitas, tacos, quesadillas and enchiladas. The salads looked really delicious: “Antonio’s” had dried cranberries, apples, glazed pecans, bleu cheese and chicken on mixed greens ($10). The “Aegean” had lettuce, black olives, feta cheese, tomatoes, onions, croutons and Greek dressing ($6.50).
After much deliberation, I chose the chicken pesto panini and Pap picked the Tour of Italy, which is homemade lasagna, manicotti and chicken parmigiana. We also picked a best-selling appetizer: crab dip.
So far, Fratelli’s was living up to its name. There were families with small children, young people on dates and older couples (like Pap and me), as well as those attending the birthday party.
Shortly after we placed our order, our waitress brought Pap’s salad. I was surprised that his salad came before the appetizer we ordered. But the salad looked great — it had a mix of lettuces, cucumber, red cabbage, tomatoes and croutons. It was cold, fresh and crunchy.
We waited some time for our appetizer. In fact, we were beginning to wonder if our waitress forgot to put in the order. But then the crab dip appeared. It was in a large, long, baking dish surrounded by slices of baguette. The crab was piping hot and smothered in layers of melted cheese, and topped with a sprinkling of Old Bay.
“Now, I understand,” I told Pap. “They had to bake this.”
There were lovely pieces of crab in the dip and we slathered our bread thickly. Although clearly overshadowed by the dip, the bread was truly delicious, with a crisp crust on the outside and soft bread on the inside.
Pap’s Tour of Italy and my panini came as we finished the dip. The panini had pieces of grilled chicken breast and melted Swiss cheese oozing from the side. The bread was thin and crisp just as a panini should be.
On the inside, the chicken was very moist. It had a distinctive flavor that I could not quite place — tarragon, maybe? It was topped by pesto and red onion. Frankly, I thought the red onion was too much. It was cut thickly and its strong flavor overpowered the more delicate ones in the sandwich. I took it off the second half of the panini and liked the taste much better.
Meanwhile, Pap was plowing through his tour of Italy. He allowed me to sample each of the dishes. The chicken parmigiana featured golden brown, breaded chicken. It was nicely seasoned and the chicken was tender. The manicotti was stuffed with ricotta cheese. I loved its grainy, rich texture. The last bite was of the homemade lasagna, in which I was a tad disappointed. There were a lot of noodles compared to the filling. All the dishes were topped with a tasty, if not memorable, tomato sauce.
Our waitress, unfortunately, also had to tend to the birthday party crowd, so we were well into our meal when the garlic bread arrived. But, like the other breads in our dinner, it was great.
As I finished my panini, I looked over at Pap, who was scraping the last bits of cheese and sauce from his plate.
“Did you eat the whole Tour of Italy?” asked the friendly fellow who rang up our check.
“Wow!” he said to Pap’s confirmation. “I’m impressed. That’s a lot of food.”
Good food, good atmosphere, outstanding bread. That’s my take on Fratelli’s.

Anne Chovey is a pseudonym for a Herald-Mail freelance writer who reviews restaurants anonymously to avoid special treatment.

Restaurant review

Fratelli Italian Pizzeria & Grill
3  1/2 (out of 5)
Food: 3 1/2
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Value: 3 1/2

Address: 120 E. Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown
Phone: 301-393-8733
Hours:  11 am. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday; noon to 9 p.m. Sunday
Food: Italian, pizza and Mexican. Many vegetarian options.
Bathrooms: Large, but a bit worn. No accessibility issues.
Parking and handicapped accessibility: Plenty of parking outside the restaurant in the shopping center.
Reservations: Not necessary.
Website:  www.fratellipizzeriaandgrill.com

My friend, Mack Aroni, loves the pizza at Rocky’s New York Pizza on Virginia Avenue, in the Old Orchard shopping center.
I had never been in there, although I do admit to sneaking a couple of bites from the pizzas Mack has left behind. So I decided it was time to make a visit.
I invited Pap Ricka to join me for lunch. We entered the shop through a hallway and went into the restaurant.
Immediately to the left is a chest-high counter where orders are placed. Behind the counter are the pizza ovens and beyond that is the kitchen.
The menu at Rocky’s is huge. There, of course, is the New York-style pizza, which can be purchased in 12-inch, 14-inch, 16-inch and 18-inch sizes ($8.52 to $11.33)and Sicillian thick-crust pizza ($14).
But there is also a long list of specialty pizzas such as barbecue chicken and steak; bacon ranch with bacon, cheddar and ranch dressing; and taco with cheddar cheese, beef, lettuce, tomato, onion and jalapenos. The specialty pizzas come in three sizes: 12-inch ($12.25 to $13.21), 14-inch ($13.75 to $15.57) and 16-inch ($15.25 to $17.45). Strombolis and calzones come in 12-inch and 16-inch sizes and many varieties.
There are lots of hot subs, including many types of steak and cheese, all sorts of Parmesan-style sandwiches (chicken, veal, meatball, eggplant), grilled chicken and a pizza burger. The small is 8-inch ($4.95 to $5.42) and the large is 12-inch ($6 to $6.90). There are also some cold subs and sandwiches as well as a long list of side orders like fried mushrooms, mozzarella sticks, chicken wings and bread sticks.
Rocky’s also offers Italian dinners served with garlic bread and salad. They include chicken, eggplant, veal Parmesan; spaghetti with marinara or meat sauce; lasagna; ziti and manicotti. Most of the dinners are $8.50 with a few at $10.85.
But just in case you want more choices, there is also a Tex-Mex food menu of quesadilla, fajitas and burritos and salads including antipasto, chef salad or grilled chicken.
Wow! It was hard to choose. Pap and I decided to go for it and then enjoy leftovers.
I ordered a special Italian calzone, which is stuffed with pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage, onion and green peppers. Pap got the chicken Parmesan sub. We also ordered a white pizza to take home for dinner. It has chicken, garlic, ricotta cheese and mozzarella.
Once we placed our order we sat down to wait. There are six booths in the front room. An effort had been made to decorate Rocky’s as there were stained glass-style wall hangings depicting Italian locations and food. Along the hallway were pictures of family and some large, framed religious posters. Rocky’s is a bit battered and worn, but overall the atmosphere reminded me of a college town pizza place: The emphasis is on the pizza not the décor.
Our food arrived promptly. Pap’s chicken- Parm sub was two huge rolls of oozing cheese with bits of chicken and tomato sauce peeking through. He waited a bit before plunging in as they were piping hot.
He cut off a bite for me. The chicken was breaded with a light, spicy coating. It was moist and tender. The tomato sauce was delicious: deep and rich and not too sweet.  The rolls were crispy and stood up to the load of filling piled onto them. Yum.
My calzone was supposed to be a small, but it looked gigantic to me. There was a small hole in the top to let out the steam so the whole crust remained crisp. I cut into it. It had a great combination of flavors, with pepperoni and sausage providing the spice along with the mushrooms and onions. The green peppers were not cooked through so they stayed crunchy, which was a nice contrast to the thick mozzarella and ricotta cheese. There was also a small container of the tomato sauce, which topped it off beautifully.
While we saved most of the pizza for later on, we had to taste it fresh out of the oven. The crust was thin and crispy. The mozzarella and ricotta picked up the garlic flavor. Topping it all was thinly crumbled or sliced pieces of chicken. The chicken was nicely seasoned and as it was so thinly sliced, it had a crisp, almost bacon-like quality to it. I enjoyed a different take on a pizza that didn’t use tomato sauce as an essential ingredient.
If you want the taste of a real home-style Italian pizza and not the “one-size fits all” big chain restaurant pizza, check out Rocky’s. You will enjoy it.

Anne Chovey is a pseudonym for a Herald-Mail freelance writer who reviews restaurants anonymously to avoid special treatment.

Rocky’s New York Pizza

3 (out of 5)
Food: 3 1/2
Service: 2 (restaurant is designed to be self-service)
Ambiance: 2
Value: 3 1/2

Address: 17605 Virginia Ave., Hagerstown
Phone: 301-790-2140
Food:  Pizza, subs and Italian dinners.  There are a number of vegetarian options
Bathrooms: In need of an update. Not handicapped accessible.
Parking and handicapped accessibility:  Parking is available in the shopping center in front of the restaurant. The restaurant is not designed well for wheelchair access.

Byers Stop-N-Go, 152 Burhans Blvd., is hard to describe.

The shop stretches across several store fronts.

It is part grocery store, part deli, part ice cream shop and part check-cashing service. Somehow it all works. A friend of mine recommended the chicken at Byers so I thought I would check it out.

I found the front door and entered into a very busy place.

To the right was a large room that contained the check-cashing, coin-counting and bill-paying services. Further to the right is a new addition with tables to sit and eat. To the right was the food part.

More than just a bread and milk place, Byers has several aisles of groceries.

In the middle of this room was a large heated case filled with all sorts of food. Beside it was another case full of meats and cheeses.

A large sign at one end directed me to place my order there.

I picked up the photocopied menu. One side had “Byers Famous Subs and Sandwiches” appetizers and sides, soups and salads, and pizza.

The other side of the menu had breakfast items, chicken and ice cream.

I was hungry for lunch so I looked at the sandwich menu first.

There were both hot and cold items with the choice of sandwiches on white, wheat or rye, croissants, half or whole subs.

The selections included cold cut, Italian, baked ham and cheese on the cold list and pork BBQ, pizza burger and meatball and cheese on the hot.

Prices ranged from $1.79 for a steamer up to $9.99 for a whole club sub.

What caught my eye was a hot sandwich called “Big Catch Fish.” I ordered it on white bread with lettuce and mayo.

I was also tempted by the homemade salad: chicken, egg, ham and tuna, but I stuck with the fish.

It occurred to me that my family was out and about and I was on my own for dinner. I decided to look at the chicken. Chicken can be bought by the piece (a leg costs $1.29) or by the container (eight pieces are $8.29 while 50 are $49.99.) It was also offered as a dinner with two side dishes and a roll.

I have always liked dark meat the best, so I got a two-piece dinner (a leg and a thigh) for $4.99. It was fun to pick my two sides.

I don’t often eat fried chicken since my friend Pap’s mother died. We all agree hers was the best. But there was a big pile of golden brown chicken in the case and it looked pretty darn good. So what goes best with fried chicken?

For me, it was easy: macaroni and cheese and baked apples.

While I waited for my food, I stood by the food case and looked. There were several small bowls heaped high with small crunchy-looking fried balls.

I checked the menu: chicken hearts, chicken gizzards and chicken livers. Wow! I wished I had seen them earlier.

I took my food and brought it home to eat.

First, I ate my fish sandwich. It was steaming hot. The fish was large and thick, and golden brown.

It made a satisfying crunch when I bit into it. It was everything a fish sandwich should be: Mild and moist on the inside, crispy on the outside.

I couldn’t wait until dinner for my chicken. There were two wonderfully browned pieces.

The coating was just right—not too thick and not too thin, not too hard and not too soft. It kept the chicken juicy and delicious.

The mac and cheese was good, too.

I suppose that people have their preferences about macaroni and cheese: some folks like a bread crumb crust on top. Some like a cheese sauce that is almost grainy in texture. Some like a sophisticated gruyere-and-cream sauce.

Byers’ was right out of my childhood. It was super cheesy, super creamy and a tad salty. I gobbled it up.

The baked apples looked yummy, too. They were like apple pie without the crust: large pieces of apple with cinnamon and sugar. The apples were cooked until soft but not mushy.

As I ate them though, there was a bit of an aftertaste that I didn’t care for. Still, it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of them.

Byers Stop-N-Go can’t really be called a restaurant. But if you are looking for the taste of a home-cooked meal, stop in, pick up your dinner and then go home.

Anne Chovey is a pseudonym for a Herald-Mail freelance writer who reviews restaurants anonymously to avoid special treatment.

Byers Stop-N-Go

3 1/2 (out of 5)

Food: 3 stars

Value: 4

Service: Self-service with orders placed at counter

Ambiance: Grocery-store environment

Food: Fried chicken, pizza, subs. Some vegetarian options.

Parking and handicapped accessibility: A large parking lot runs in front of the store. It is very busy. No accessibility issues were noted.

Address: 152 N. Burhans Blvd., Hagerstown

Phone: 301-797-1224

Hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week