#14. Chiapparelli's house salad

Weddings are a beautiful thing, especially Italian ones.

This week has really been one to celebrate. My cousin Charles, who I consider an older brother, and his lovely wife Crystal had their lovely daughter Kinsley Denise; my other beautiful cousin Molly Grace married her husband Nick Ferraioli three days later downtown with both large families and a large celebration to follow. As it always goes, the best way to celebrate in my family is always with food.

Nick, in case you can’t tell from his last name, is Italian. His big, wonderful family is about as Italian as Italian can be. They are all from Jersey and came down for the whole weekend celebration. Being that my family loves food and Nick’s family is Italian, the rehearsal dinner was at Chiapparelli’s in Little Italy. Chiapparelli’s is an Italian institution in Baltimore City.

Chiapparelli’s was opened in 1955 by Italian immigrants to Baltimore and is still preparing food according to the same recipes in the very same building. White tablecloths, warm red wallpapered and brick walls, and bread baskets make the restaurant the typical looking Italian restaurant, cozy and familiar. Unfortunately, this time I was not able to attend Chiapparelli’s first hand; I wasn’t in the wedding and I made a visit to the county and didn’t get back until late anyway. I did, however, send my mother out for some field research at the rehearsal. She came back with a famous house salad and some lasagna. That’s what I call field research.

The house salad isn’t exactly gourmet, but it was delicious in (yet again) that familiar Italian way. Iceberg lettuce with tomatoes, onions, hard-boiled eggs and lots of parmesan cheese, topped by a LOT of their house dressing, a parmesan vinaigrette.  The lasagna was a huge portion, and that’s after my mom had had some at dinner. It was the perfect, home-style, my-Italian-grandma-made-it lasagna. Tons of noodles layered with mounds of soft ricotta cheese and meat sauce, baked enough so that the top layer is crispy and the cheese is melted and gooey in the center.

The great thing about Chiapparelli’s is it’s familiarity as a Little Italy institution and its cultural identity as an “Old Baltimore” favorite as well as one of the many authentic, family owned Italian restaurants in Baltimore, an old port city with a plethora of immigrants. The “Old Baltimore” label is one ascribed to the restaurant from waitresses, customers and multiple reviews on the internet. The unchanging atmosphere is the largest reason for this unofficial title; Chiapparelli’s has remained relatively unchanged since it’s opening over 50 years ago. People’s parents and grandparents have enjoyed the same wines, salads and breads for years. The prices at this restaurant are moderate, not too high, and not very cheap. But Chiapparelli’s large dining room makes the restaurant a perfect place for large, special occasion dinners (even their website heavily advertises this fact). That being considered, as well as the delicious food and generations of families knowing and loving this Little Italy favorite, Chiapparelli’s is a go-to for graduations, birthdays, etc. for families from all walks of life.

When considering Chiapparelli’s as a Baltimore favorite, it all boils down to this: it is familiar, it is authentic, it is delicious and it is accessible. Baltimore is not a very cosmopolitan city; what filet mignon and expensive wine may be to some cities, crab cakes and Natty Boh are to Baltimore. That being said, a delicious Italian restaurant with a welcoming and familiar ambience, serving food at reasonable prices is definitely a reason for celebration in Baltimore. And, god willing, my family will have many more reasons to celebrate this year… hopefully with lots more delicious food.

References:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/chiapparellis-restaurant-baltimore
http://www.chiapparellis.com/index.html
http://www.manta.com/c/mm7jk7m/chiapparelli-s-restaurant

Terms:

field research: collecting or creating new information outside of a laboratory, or in the place of study

Recipes:

The "REAL" Chiapparelli's House Salad:
Ingredients

2 lg. heads Romaine lettuce
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 Tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 Onion, thinly sliced
4 Hard boiled eggs, chopped
½ c. Vinegar
½ c. Olive oil
2 tbl. Oregano
2 tbl. Sugar
1 Large can parmesan or romano cheese

Directions

1. Toss salad ingredients together.
2. Mix dressing ingredients and pour over salad.
3. Toss. Add cheese. Toss and serve.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080529175632AAKpc9H