Best Pizza!

Kyro
(Mt. Vernon)
After trying a good amount of pizza in 2011, Marty's hands-down favorite was the pizza at Kyro in Mt. Vernon.
900 Cathedral St. • 410.545.5112 • KyroPizza.com

Best Presto-Chango!

Waterstone Bar and Grille
(Mt. Vernon)
The conversion of the former lesbian bar, Coconuts, into a wonderfully attractive café with tasty Mediterranean inspired food and a welcoming attitude had our companion exclaim "This is a gem!" Runner up? Feast@4 East was a former doctor's office!
311 W. Madison St. • 410.225.747 • WaterstoneBarAndGrille.com

Nicest Owner!

Chazz
(Harbor East)
Chazz Palminteri, co-owner and star of stage, film and TV was gracious and charming during an hour interview he gave us. His insights about playing a character on Modern Family mistaken for being gay impressed us to no end.
1415 Aliceanna St. • 410.522.5511 • ChazzBronxOriginal.com

Best "Home Style" Italian!

Emporio Grano
(Hampden)
Not to be confused with its tiny namesake on the Avenue, Emporio Grano impressed us with its casual Italian ambience, delicious food, and exceptionally friendly staff.
3547 Chestnut Ave. • 443.438.7521 • GranoPastaBar.com

Best View in Baltimore!

Grandview Penthouse
(Hampden)
While we haven't dined yet at the new "Grandview Penthouse" (which replaced "Dizz Grandview"), you can still enjoy the spectacular "for miles" view of Baltimore for the cost of a sandwich and a soft drink under $10!
3838 Roland Ave. • 410.467.4040 • GrandviewPenthouseRestaurant.com

Best Dessert!

Freshii
(Charles Village)
The frozen Greek yogurt is wonderfully unlike any we've ever had, and the $5 portion is big enough for two to share. (Freshii's soups and salads earned our thumbs-up too!)
3113 St. Paul St. • 410.467.3737 • Freshii.com

Best Restaurant Name!

Mr. Rain's Fun House
(Federal Hill)
On top of the incredibly quirky and intriguing American Visionary Art Museum, the restaurant name is fittingly quirky and intriguing.
800 Key Highway • 443.524.7379 • MrRainsFunHouse.com

Best Lentil Soup!

Café Troia
(Towson)
We've seen that lentil soup can vary widely from one restaurant to another. This unusual version, which has lentils as part of a hearty vegetable soup (and was served piping hot) stood out from the rest.
31 Allegheny Ave. • 410.337.0133 • CafeTroia.com

Best Burger BargaIn!

Glory Days
(Towson)
The "Monday Night only" $5 burger special includes fries or our favorite whole red skin potatoes and is a true bargain. Runner up? Tuesday night $7 "burger & beer" at Mother's in Federal Hill.
1220 E. Joppa Rd. • 443.901.0270 • GloryDaysGrill.com

Most Impressive Chicken!

Bahama Breeze
(Towson)
With thin layers of fried chicken breast sandwiching multiple layers of garlic mashed potatoes, spinach, tomatoes and melted cheese, the "Buttermilk Fried Chicken" ($12) left us envious and drooling. (Ahem… This award is not about Marty's favorite waiter!)
100 E. Joppa Rd. • 410.821.7090 • BahamaBreeze.com

Best Bruschetta Marty Never Tried!

Gianni's
(Arbutus)
John never found a bruschetta that he could get excited about before his buddy Tom maneuvered him into trying it at Gianni's. Three huge chunks of Italian bread heaped with diced tomatoes, celery, red onion, a bit of fresh basil and drizzled with olive oil made for a life changing moment!
3720 Washington Blvd. • 410.242.4555 • GiannisItalianBistro.com