ROAD TRIP MERCANTILE

As a child, Maria Lane traveled across the United States four times with her parents and siblings. Lane’s parents understood the importance of travel, she said, and they knew the most economical way to do so was via road trips in a camper.

Over the years, the family immersed themselves in new locations, taking in the sights, trying local cuisine and talking to residents.

Lane and her husband, Mike, continue the traveling tradition on frequent day trips, weekend getaways and cross-country adventures. Through their travels, they’ve developed a passion for exploring small towns. And in June, they started The Road Trip Mercantile, producing a variety of affordable and eco-friendly products such as apparel, drinkware, ornaments and accessories emblazoned with art showcasing special spots in small towns.

“We felt the need to promote these small towns that we love so much,” Lane said.

Their collection includes artwork of the C&O Canal, the City of Frederick, the City of Brunswick and the Great Allegheny Passage, with new destinations coming in 2022. “We like to highlight the charm of each individual small town,” Lane says. “These are not cookie-cutter designs created from afar. ...We have designs that uniquely reflect what there is to do there.”

As a way to help the destinations they are promoting, the business donates 4 percent of sales to organizations that help each location, such as the Canal Towns Partnership (CTP) and Main Street Maryland organizations in Frederick County. Lane notes the C&O collection raised more than $500 for CTP in just six months.

Since their designs are created to be uniquely reflective of a community, Lane notes she most enjoys visiting the towns and finding inspiration. When people put on a C&O Canal history shirt or take a sip out of a Frederick pint glass, she hopes people will be excited to be able to show pride in small town destinations that they love. -by Gina Gallucci-White

The Road Trip Mercantile 327 E. Ridgeville Drive, Mount Airy RTMerc.com F facebook.com/ rtmerc d @theroadtripmercantile

In Search of the Best Pizza Pie

in Frederick by Shuan Butcher Best Pizza Pie Frederick has no shortage of culinary destinations to tempt one’s taste buds, especially if you are looking to get a piece of the pie — pizza pie, that is.

Everyone probably has their favorite pizza place and lots of reasons why it’s the best. Whether you favor thin crust or deep dish, dozens of toppings or plain cheese, if you’re looking for something other than your go-to pizza joint, here are five Frederck County establishments where you can get your fix of this Italian-American staple.

PRETZEL & PIZZA CREATIONS

210 N. Market St., Frederick Pretzelandpizzacreations.com

This Downtown Frederick restaurant serves up pizza, with a twist. Pretzel & Pizza Creations makes their signature product with pretzel dough, hand blended in house. Their sauce is house-made as well.

“It’s my mom’s recipe,” says Catie Serio, who owns the business with her husband, Carlo. Catie’s mom, Natalia, opened up Pretzel & Pizza Creations in 1991, and it’s been in the same Market Street location for 30 years. Inside the 19th century building with exposed brick and original ceiling tiles, you’ll find a mix of clientele, from Frederick’s young creatives and families to retired downtown residents and everyone in between.

The pizza here is definitely a niche product, with a crust topped with butter and parmesan.

“It is on the sweeter side,” Serio said.

Pizzas feature fresh ingredients. A variety of choices are available — veggie, cheese, and vegan cheese, and on the flipside, a meat combo, buffalo chicken and a chicken pesto. Special pizza combos include the Hawaiian, marguerite, Bianca (beware, the garlic sauce is strong!) and a bubbly cheese (a blend of cheddar, American, provolone, swiss and mozzarella).

Note, this place isn’t just for pizza. It’s worth trying some of their other menu items, particularly their soft pretzels (add on your choice of sauces or toppings) or any of their county-fair-worthy desserts.

PISTARRO’S RISTORANTE PIZZERIA NAPOLETANA

221 N. East St., Frederick Pistarro.com

Pistarro’s is considered to be Frederick’s first restaurant specializing in traditional Naples-style wood-fired pizza. The name is a play on co-owner Nezih Pistar’s last name and is the nickname given to him by some family and friends.

Ths shop’s pizza oven was hand made in Naples with volcanic clay. This results in a top-notch crust for every pizza. Dough is prepared from a classic recipe featuring OO Italian-milled unbleached flour. For the sauce, tomatoes used are imported from San Marzano, Italy.

Pistarro’s offers about 20 different pizzas, including three vegan options. And you can’t go wrong with any that you pick. Two favorites are the Margherita with tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil, or the Donatella, which is a pizza Bianca with prosciutto, arugula and parmesan.

All the pizzas here have an artisanal nature, something you would expect to get on vacation. But instead of traveling around the world, you can stay right here in Frederick.

If you want a truly unique tasting experience, get the Blue Fico. Ingredients include gorgonzola, blue potato, figs, mozzarella and rosemary oil.

BELLISARIO’S

934 N. East St., Frederick bellisariospizza.com

Nikki Bellisario grew up in a pizza shop. At the time, her family owned seven or eight Bellisario’s locations in Pittsburgh, some of which are now 50 years old. Three sites still exist, now run by the second generation.

This is a family business with a family recipe for great pizza.

When she moved to Frederick, Nikki swore she would never get back into the pizza business again. But in 2000, she learned of a property that was for sale, and the rest is history. Her East Street pizza shop opened to the public on June 29, 2000.

Bellisario’s dough is made daily, in house. They make fresh sauce and grate the cheese at the restaurant as well. Some folks have described their pizza as New York style. Others have described it as Pittsburgh style (whatever that might mean).

“It’s not New York, It’s not Chicago. It’s the best,” Nikki says.

The dough is the key — it is a little thicker than New York style. And you won’t find any conveyor belts here. The pizzas are personally turned in the oven. It is that personal attention to detail that sets Bellisario’s apart.

They know what they do and do it well. It’s a small shop with some seating. But if you are a Ravens fan, beware. The shop is full of Steelers paraphernalia. After all, the owner hails from Pittsburgh.

ILFORNO PIZZERIA

1035 W. Patrick St., Frederick ilfornopizzeria.net

This neighborhood pizza joint is regularly voted the best pizza in Frederick.

Il forno Pizzeria, founded in 1990, is located along the Golden Mile on the western end of Frederick. The three co-owners, JP Perrin, Mike Bateman and Dave Tucker, are like family, as they all attended Frostburg State University together. Their loyal customer base is like family as well.

Il Forno’s delicious pizzas are hand-tossed and topped with housemade, home-style chunky tomato sauce and whole milk mozzarella. The sauce is fabulous!

More than two dozen pizzas reside on the menu and are baked in an Ambrogi Italian wood-burning stove.

You won’t regret ordering their margherita pizza. Another favorite is the barbecue chicken. But if you are up for an adventure, order the Carnivore’s Dream, which includes tomato sauce, mozzarella, ham, pepperoni, ground Italian sausage and meatball, or the En Fuego, which has tomato sauce, mozzarella, chorizo, jalapeno and onion.

Two distinct seating areas are available inside. Family-style seating is available or you can grab a seat at the bar and take in a football game. Multiple television screens are always on. In warmer months, outdoor seating options exist, too.

MAGPIE PIZZA COMPANY

2A W. Frederick St., Walkersville magpiepizzacompany.com

In Walkersville one of the newest pizza places to open in the region is Magpie Pizza Company.

Magpie opened in the summer of 2021 in an effort to introduce an option that was more than “just another pizza place.”

They’ve taken that one step further by creating a colorful and fun vibe to add to your experience while visiting. The ambiance includes sofas, upholstered chairs, farm chairs and nooks for customers to make themselves at home or read a book. Arcade games are also available for some fun times.

Here, the pizza would be described as Connecticut style wood-fired matched with a gourmet chef's specially seasoned crust. The most popular options are The Magpie, a spin on the “supreme” pizza and the One Hot Honey, a pepperoni pizza with jalapeños, garnished with a hot honey drizzle.

There are so many more pizza options in the region, and they would not all fit here! In Frederick, check out White Rabbit Gastropub for Detroit style deep dish, Cucina Massi for white pizza, or Blue’s BBQ Co food truck, for mobile slices. Outside of Frederick, you can try King’s Pizza in Brunswck, Laurienzo Brick Oven Café in Mount Airy, or in New Market, there is Pasquale’s.

FREDERICK (TJ) OFFICE 87 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 101, Frederick, MD 21702

HOURS: Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm; Walk-Ins 8-8:30am Saturday, 9am–noon (by appointment only) PHONE: 301-694-0606

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BALLENGER CREEK OFFICE 6550 Mercantile Drive, Suite 106, Frederick, MD 21703 HOURS: Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm PHONE: 301-668-6347

MOUNT AIRY OFFICE 1311 South Main Street, Suite 304, Mount Airy, MD 21771 HOURS: Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm PHONE: 301-829-6146

URBANA OFFICE 3500 Campus Drive, Suite 101, Urbana, MD 21704 HOURS: Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm PHONE: 301-874-6107

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