4844 Butler Road
Glyndon Square
Glyndon, MD 21071
410-526-5711
www.miacarolina.com
An Italian Masterpiece right in our midst.
Our most recent visit to Mia Carolina was the first since I started writing this blog and has made me sorry that we have not gone there more often as it is but 10 minutes from Finksburg. This trip was inspired by some seats we had for a concert at the BSO and wanting to improve on the fare that is served at restaurants near the Meyerhof Hall. Sure there are plenty of good restaurants in Baltimore but we haven’t found a worthy one in walking distance and with already having to pay for parking next to the concert hall I have not wanted to spend an additional $10 for the privilege at a restaurant.
So it is we decided to experiment by eating locally and driving to the BSO without any traffic issues, arriving closer to the usual 8 PM start. When we arrived at Mia Carolina we asked our excellent server to make sure we did not order anything that took exceptionally long for the kitchen to prepare. She assured us we would be out within an hour and sure enough we were, comfortably so with a relaxed by promptly served meal.
Mia Carolina has an excellent assortment of appetizers and I’m particularly fond of both the regular Antipasti di Mia Carolina and the Antipasti Frutti de Mare Griglia, both are large servings suitable for two. I believe the house specialty antipasti of meats, cheeses, and roasted vegetables is enough to make an excellent entrée for one. This trip I forgo the appetizer course and have a simple Caesar salad instead. The restaurant itself is a very comfortable tratoria with fresh flowers and white lines set on each table and an eager, knowledgeable staff waiting to serve diners. The bread, actually a fresh roll, arrives warm and is accompanied with a wonderful trio of accompaniments – fresh butter, an arugula and garlic paste and a particularly nice dish of olive oil/tapenade that the term “zesty” doesn’t do justice.
My partner in crime decided to have the more traditional of our dinners, settling on a well prepared Veal Parmigiana. The veal cutlet was a very nice portion and served with cappellini pasta and a tomato sauce. A restaurant that shall remain unnamed, in proximity of the Meyerhof, managed to blow the preparation of this most standard fare of Italian eateries while throwing in rushed, sloppy service with their limited BSO night menu. That meal made us appreciate the one at Mia Carolina all the more.
My entrée was ordered with low expectations but turned out to be a spectacularly flavorful treat, the chicken with an assortment olives, artichoke hearts, and sundried tomatoes over fettuccini pasta. Wow, this dish really shows off Executive Chef Jay Cohen’s talent and the capabilities in the Mia Carolina kitchen. This simple dish, served with two nicely sized chicken breast cutlets is loaded with different tastes in every bite. The very moderately priced bottle of Barolo wine we shared actually stood up well to the sharp tastes in the dish that the olives and artichoke lend it. I was also pleased to see a dish that was not smothered in a red tomato sauce – this dish does not need a heavy sauce to bring in any more flavors. We shall return again soon so I can order the grilled veal chop and it will probably be on a slow Thursday night when Mia Carolina offers its very nice wine list at half price.
This fine restaurant is within a comfortable drive time for even the most remote corners of Carroll County and gets a two thumbs up recommendation regardless of the drive. The chef here has mastered my keys to Italian cooking: the olives, the oil and the balsamic.Reservations are recommended and I’m so glad when compared to being given a blinking toy to hold while you wait like a passenger on the Titanic for a seat on a lifeboat at the likes of an Olive Garden. Why settle for franchise food at prices hardly any less expensive when you can get excellent service, fresh linens, flowers & a comfortable trattoria atmosphere along with a real menu of delicious fare at Mia Carolina.
