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East County Times Dining Guide |
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Dining Out at: Dellis Bar and Grill Article & photos by Devin Crum A coworker and I recently decided to go to Dellis Bar and Grill for lunch, since I had never eaten there, and I came to one overall conclusion: outside and in, this place has charisma. The 20 flat-screen televisions with nonstop sports and some kind of live entertainment Tuesday - Sunday give the feeling that this is a great place for fun and a few drinks. And the calm, cozy dining room creates a comfortable atmosphere for a nice family dinner. I'm sure being family-owned contributes to this feeling and is in no way an accident. Owners Chris and Marcia Spanellis are no strangers to the restaurant business and have owned or operated three others before buying Dellis in July 2003. Needless to say, they know what they are doing. Chris has always been a chef and Marcia runs the numbers for the business. Their two sons work there as well, one as a chef and the other as general manager. Were very family oriented, and we enjoy being a favorite neighborhood eatery, Marcia said. Part of being a neighborhood favorite is freshness and quality of ingredients, and Marcia was proud to say all their produce is purchased from local farmers when its in season. The restaurant has a big following too, according to Marcia, because of the quality of the entertainment and atmosphere. Its nice to know people come here for special occasions, she said. She added, though, that her favorite thing about the business is making the customers happy. Well, the food here definitely did the trick for me! One great thing about this menu is that so many things have delicious crab in them! Our appetizers revolved around crab with the Cream of Crab Soup, Crab Skins and Stuffed Mushroom Caps. The Cream of Crab Soup was so thick, creamy and delicious I couldn't stay away! It was perfectly seasoned with excellent lumps of crab, but as difficult as it was, I had to save room. Like Potato Skins as an appetizer? Why not go Maryland-style and add some crab on top? They were so cheesy and delicious, and crab is a little healthier than bacon anyway. And the Stuffed Mushroom Caps were huge portobellos stuffed with crab meat and glazed with an imperial sauce. It was almost like a crab cake inside a mushroom! Now on to the main course. For our entrée, my coworker ordered the Chicken Chesapeake, and I, being a steak lover, ordered the Delmonico Steak. The Chicken Chesapeake consisted of two pieces of juicy chicken breast topped with an enormous (and I do mean enormous) crab cake! It was then covered with that same imperial sauce, which makes all the difference in a dish like this. I like this crab cake better than any I've had anywhere else, my coworker said. She also got the Greek String Beans for one of her sides which were just great! I normally wouldn't rave over vegetables or a side dish, but these were steamed green beans with tomatoes, onions and a stewed tomato sauce. It was almost like eating pasta, except the noodles were the beans! She said Dellis has her favorite Greek String Bean recipe as well. The Delmonico Steak was a huge 16-ounce, perfectly seasoned, grilled and tender plate full of delicious flavor! I've said before I love steak, but I was in heaven eating this thing. My only regret was that I ate all the other sides so I didn't have room for it all; and believe me, you'll need the room if you want to attempt this plate. Amazingly, we were able to save just a little room for a few bites of dessert, and boy was it worth it! We decided on the Oreo Bash Pie, which was so rich, chocolaty and delicious. It was almost like chocolate fudge, Oreos and cheesecake combined. If you need a chocolate fix, this will definitely do it for you, my coworker said. I have to agree. It was an exquisite delicacy, and so good. Aside from all the excellent food, Dellis offers a charm you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. The entertainment is usually small, local bands who bring in their following, so it has a hometown feel. They also have food and drink specials to go along with the baseball games on the TVs (and football games during football season). The restaurant does not currently have a private room for parties, but can accommodate semiprivate events up to about 30 people. They also host karaoke every Thursday night and an Oktoberfest event every year, which consists of food and beer specials for 10 - 12 days in mid-October. Dellis Bar and Grill is located at 8776 Philadelphia Road in White Marsh. To book your next event or to find out the nights specials and entertainment, call 410-918-1600 or visit them online at www.dellisbarandgrill.com.
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If you manage
to save room, the Oreo Bash Pie will meet the need for anyone with
a sweet tooth and a chocolate fix. 
