DiPasquales

DiPasquales Market Place

Location: Canton - Highlandtown

DiPasquales storefront

Price: $

How to get there: car, taxi (will be a bit pricey)

Service: self serve, order at counter and sit

 website: http://dipasquales.com

            This might be the best Italian food we’ve had thus far in Baltimore.  If you are in the mood for anything Italian from sandwiches to lasagna to brick-oven pizza, DiPasquales is absolutely the answer. 

            One thing to keep in mind when planning a trip to this quaint Italian market/eatery is the hours of operation.  Open from 9 am to 6pm Mondays through Saturdays, lunch would be the best meal option to plan for.  Sometimes they are open on Sunday for limited hours so be sure to check their website before you go. 

DiPasquales side mural

            You might think you have the wrong address the first time you look for DiPasquales, since it is mostly surrounded by row houses in the neighborhood of Highlandtown just outside of Canton.  If you can drive there, which we recommend, the parking can be spotty, so look for a spot on the road on surrounding streets.  There won’t be a huge sign to look for, but it is really worth the adventure of finding. 

The Rustico Sandwich

            Once inside, you’ll find yourself in one of the most authentic Italian markets in Baltimore.  They stock everything Italian including olive oil, homemade pasta and sauce, wine, specialty candy, and much more (remember to pick something up for dinner during the week!).  Grab a menu and you’ll see why Guy from "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" stopped here.  The whole order of things can be a bit confusing the first time you go.  Order first at the counter, then pay at the front, and then sit and servers bring your food right to you.  It can be very crowded so expect to wait a couple of minutes for a table to clear out – but it’s worth the wait! 

We’ve had the meatball sub, which is large enough to share and unlike any I have had before, the “Real Italian” sandwich, the Rustico, and their signature rice ball.  We are planning to try the lasagna that is supposedly to die for and the dish they served to Guy Fieri.  If you are still hungry make sure to get some dessert to bring home.  The bread pudding made from Italian panettone bread topped with vanilla cream proved to be a good choice.  We recently tried their hand-stuffed pistachio canolis – wow.  Every single thing we have ordered has been better than the last, so DiPasquales rates very high on our go-to guilty pleasure spots.

Pistachio Canoli

The "Real Italian" Sandwich