Discovered this hidden gem in Baltimore, couldn't be happier! #birroteca #baltimore #md #craftbeer #pizza #bmore @birroteca_bmore (at Birroteca)

#bertiesbistrot via Dei Mille Nola #pizza and #grill #winebar & #birroteca prenota il tuo tavolo al 081.512.7000 WhatsApp 334.200.1949 #birra #birraartigianale #vino #vinorosso #vinobianco #pizza🍕 #pizzanight #pizzanapoletana #clubdelgusto #panini #grilled #grilling (presso Bertie'S Bistrot)

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The day we discovered a new pizza spot had opened in the Hampden/Woodberry area in Baltimore, we had our OpenTable reservation in.  We’re just fat like that. (Note: Thanks to Baltimore Pizza Club for their great blog and adequate coverage of this new restaurant.) We went last Saturday, and we decided to park on a street in Hampden and walk the mile and a half to Birotecca – not only would we get some much-needed exercise, but we’d have an opportunity to drop-in to 13.5 wine bar for a few drinks along the way.  It turned out to be a good idea, and by the time we got to Birotecca we were only a tinge of drunk and extremely hungry. Approaching the place on foot from under the 95 ramp is something of an experience not to be missed, as you’ll find yourself in a neighborhood that resembles Port Deposit and Philly and a street from a Charles Dickens novel.  Quite a good combination in the weeks leading up to Christmas, we thought.  From the outside, Birroteca looks like any other warehouse from the Woodberry area, but with a mural painted on the side: Walking around the rock dust-lotted building, you enter from the back, where there’s a porch and an odd feeling that you’re about to enter an old-folks’ colonial-style restaurant from your childhood.  Inside, it’s a completely different feeling.  Exposed stone walls and wooden beams are set against the trademark farm to table indicators: industrial lighting, chalkboard paint, awkward wooden seating (this one had church pews), and of course, tea towels on the table in place of napkins.  Also on the table: a paper tablecloth and pencils for drawing. All of those things spoke to us, and they were telling us that we were about to have a damn-good meal.  We each started with a cocktail – I chose the Maple Rye Fizz (R1 Rye whiskey, maple syrup, egg white, bitters), which was very sweet and very delicious and a bit expensive ($12).  Nikc went with the Boureye Old Fashion (Boureye bourbon, bitters, and muddled orange and cherry) – Nikc says it good but needed a stir cause all the sweetness had gone to the bottom. We decided to start with the calamari alla plancha and the meatballs.  The meatballs were decent… extremely tender in a plain tomato sauce (I found it a little bland, but Nikc loved it).  We agreed that the pecorino romano on top made the dish. The calamari, however – listen, you must get the calamari if you find yourself at Birroteca.  This was the best calamari I’ve ever had in my life, and here’s why: it’s not fried, and it’s not grilled as I overheard a waitress telling several other diners.  It’s actually sautéed, as I heard a different waiter telling diners.  It’s sautéed in such a way that it is tender like a perfectly al dente tortellini.  A temperate accompaniment of lemon, garlic and parsley keep the focus on the delicate rings and a sprinkle of chewy tentacle tips keep the dish interesting. GET THE CALAMARI. After much debate, we decided to order a Spicy Fennel Sausage pizza – as advertised, it came with fennel sausage (the spicy factor is debatable), fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, and mushrooms.  The presentation was excellent – the pizza was brought out on a silver footed pedestal.  The crust gleamed in the dim light, which leads me to believe that an egg wash came into play, as it wasn’t the slightest bit oily. Birroteca’s interpretation of pizza crust is not so different from our own; it’s very thin, like we like it, and not at all bubbly.  I prefer a bubbly crust but understand that time and other factors come into play to accomplish such a feat, and so I settle when I’m making pizza at home.  I would expect a bit more time and care on pizza crust from the professionals – and from an Italian-themed restaurant – but I also consider $14 for a pizza to be a deal with such quality toppings.  And the toppings were great on this pizza – the house-made fennel sausage did indeed taste of fennel, and the mushrooms were roasted and delicious.  This pizza was as good leftover the next day as it was fresh from the oven. About halfway through our first slice, we both decided that we needed to try another pizza, in order to give the best possible review of the place (if you’re laughing right now, you obviously see right through that claim).  So we went with the Duck, Duck, Goose.  The Duck, Duck, Goose was brought out and we had the rest of the other pizza boxed up.  This one looked extremely heavy, and turned out to be so, but also, something we didn’t expect – a sugar bomb.  Yes, we are both now on ‘betis-watch after eating this pizza, as it was extremely sweet.  We surmise that this is from the fig-onion jam that is lumped onto the top of this pizza.  No, we did not care for this one, although we both tried very hard to like it.   (Note: Somehow much better the next day.) Overall, this place is great, but keep in mind that it is still very new, and not quite a well-oiled machine just yet (contrast to Woodberry Kitchen).  See: discrepancies in the wait staff’s knowledge of the food (grilled vs. sautéed calamari).  The timing of the food was off (too quick on some things, too slow on others).  I ordered a glass of San Marzano red wine and, after a considerable wait, was poured a glass of white.  After I pointed out the mistake, and after a longer wait, I was told they were out of the red I had ordered. All of these incidences we would rate as much less important than the quality of the food, and we agree that the quality was there.  However there were some inconsistencies, and we both agreed how glad we were that we tried several things from the menu.  Had we only ordered the meatballs and the Duck, Duck, Goose pizza, we’d have been disappointed. Pizza: Spicy Fennel Sausage Toppings: “spicy” fennel sausage, mushrooms, fresh mozzarella Sauce: Tomato Sauce Dough:  White Price: $14 --- Pizza: Duck Duck Goose Toppings: Duck Confit, fontina and asiago cheeses, balsamic drizzle, duck egg Sauce: Fig-Onion Jam Dough:  White Price: $17 --- Birotecca Address: 1520 Clipper Road, Baltimore, MD Prices: $10-$18 per large pizza (about 16”) Oven: wood-burning

SCOUTED|| Brodetinno @birroteca_bmore #birroteca #salmon #calamari #mussels #eatlocal #italianfare #stew #tsgbaltimoreannapolis

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