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A Slice of the Past
Thankfully, not much has changed at Tony's Baltimore Bar & Grill
By Ray Schweibert
--> FROM FAMILY members upholding a longstanding business tradition,
to employees setting new standards for loyalty, to customers following
the shuffle from one end of town to the other, to the nostalgic feeling
one gets upon walking in, Tony's Baltimore Bar & Grill is an
Atlantic City legacy.
The Tarsitano family established the
original Baltimore Grill in the Inlet district of AC, on Connecticut
Avenue, in the 1920s. It relocated from uptown to downtown in 1966, and
the name of original founder's son, Tony, was added to the business
name. Tony's progeny, Michael Tarsitano and Cheryl Huffnagle, are the
current owners along with business partner Janet Esposito.
"I was
looking for a job in the summer of '69 and started here as a busboy,"
says Ventnor resident and head cook Fred Pugh. "I've been here ever
since, and very little has changed since I started. Obviously our prices
are different from what they were 35 years ago, but we've always tried
to keep it where a family could come here and afford to eat."
The
white stucco building and red shutters — with red, white and blue
signage over both the bar and restaurant entrances — make the Grill
an unmistakable landmark. The interior is clean and well maintained but
seems like something out of a time warp. The tables, booths and even the
waitresses' uniforms look like they came off the set of American Graffiti,
accentuated by mini jukeboxes on the wall of each booth (which still
play 45s). The quality of materials used to construct much of the décor
is perhaps part of the reason it remained so well preserved.
"We've
reupholstered the booths and replaced some chairs and stools over time,
but most of this is original equipment," says Pugh, 53, who is joined
by Alex Carfagno and Dave Bowen as Grill employees of 30 years or more.
"The wood paneling on walls of both the bar and restaurant (which
appears to be redwood) is actually from one tree. It was very expensive
paneling when they installed it in 1966. If you look, you can see the
same knothole on each panel all the way around. It must have been a
monster of a tree, obviously."
Many of the Grill's patrons are
city employees who have been regular customers for decades. And while
the arrival of casinos, beginning in the late 1970s, may have bitten
into the Grill's summertime business, they also helped to establish
newer, year-round clientele.
"We have a tremendous following
among local city workers, like police and firemen both on the job and
off, and including their families, who come in three or four times per
week," says Pugh. "We don't advertise at all — not on TV, radio or in
print — and have never needed to. We've always been a word-of-mouth
business, and have survived the word-of-mouth test of time. We've also
had a big influx of casino workers who come here often for pizza and
beers because they can't always afford the prices in their own places of
employment.
"The big wave now are the people who have moved
offshore but still work in town, and still like to stop in and have a
drink and maybe take home a pizza," he added. "The two big draws here
are the pizza, which is the greatest on earth, and the seafood."
The Grill used to win Atlantic City Magazine's
award for best pizza in town so often, the publication retired it as
the undisputed winner. The reason, Pugh says, is that the water, air and
climate of the area are conducive to good dough.
"That's why
you're able to find such good Italian bread and subs in this area," he
said. "A lot of people will take home one of our pizzas uncooked
(complete with a cooking pan available for a $1 deposit) and cook them
at home."
The establishment's name stemmed from the fact that the
original owners used to use a Baltimore vendor for all its seafood, and
the name stuck. The most expensive entrée on its menu is the Baltimore
Grill Seafood Special at $11.45. A plain pizza is just $7.40, and the
Pizza Special (a pie with the works) is just $9.50. A draft beer is
$1.25 ($2 for a pint), and bottled beers start at $2. Wine and cocktails
are also offered at economical prices.
Rich and Conny Wertz are
Dover, Del., residents who occasionally dine at the Baltimore Grill when
visiting their shore sanctuary. Rich, 63, grew up in Pleasantville and
was a regular at the Grill when it existed in the Inlet district.
"The
pizzas are thin, crispy and consistently good," says Conny, "[but] you
can usually cut the smoke in the bar with a knife. Thankfully that will
go away soon [with the passing of a statewide smoking ban to take effect
April 15]."
The Grill's restaurant seats about 200, and the fast
service and affordable prices are what make it such a popular place
among families.
"We used to always take our family to Tony's when
they'd visit us for vacation, but we don't get into Atlantic City as
much anymore," says Brigantine resident Mary Barishek. "I love their
pizza and their spaghetti and clams, and always enjoy a nice cold beer
with my meal. The waitresses are always pleasant, the prices are
reasonable and the food is consistently good."
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