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I’m enveloped in nostalgia the moment I step foot in Tony’s Baltimore Grill, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The dark paneled walls remind me of warm, loving, squishy Great-Aunt hugs. The restaurant has family-basement-rec room décor. As we settle into our booth, I hear echoes of past family parties. Parties filled with laughter and praises for Aunt Francis’s meatballs. My head is occupied with images of my cousins and me, sitting on cold linoleum floor tiles, admiring each others sticker books.
“Hey, that’s the place with the sign,” we exclaim as Tony’s Baltimore Grill flashes on the television screen. We are watching the New Jersey episode of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown.
A night in Atlantic City was a popular weekend activity during our college days. We enjoyed the
kitschy theme-park-like fun. New Orleans sequence and feathers at The Showboat. A ride on the moving walkway to Resorts Casino. The animatronic miner and mule at the Wild West Casino. As twenty-somethings, we’d drive by the Tony’s Baltimore Grill sign, chuckling at the words, “Spaghetti Pizza.” Of course, it advertised two separate dishes, but we’d muse over how one would eat “Spaghetti Pizza.” Hungry college kids, we were on our way to one of the casino
buffets, not knowing we were driving past a piece of history. Maturity and Anthony Bourdon
encouraged us to go beyond the boardwalk and explore Atlantic City’s authentic culinary scene.
Why does a restaurant in Atlantic City, New Jersey, have “Baltimore” in the title?
When it opened in 1927, Philadelphian Joseph Tarsitano advertised that the restaurant’s seafood came from Baltimore.
Though the restaurant has changed hands over the decades, the old-school décor and the majority of the menu remain the same.
If traveling along the Boardwalk, ride sharing, or riding one of Atlantic City’s Jitneys (the local tourist bus), Tony’s Baltimore Grill is located closest to the Tropicana Hotel and Casino.
Atlantic City has a chaotic city atmosphere. It’s not a calm, chill, beach resort. When navigating
around Atlantic City, stay aware of your surroundings and make safe choices.
Before eating, we visit the mural. To honor the man and his visit to Tony’s Baltimore Grill, artist
Scottie Marsh painted Atlantic City’s The Anthony Bourdain Mural. The mural is located on
Stenton Place, in the alley behind the restaurant.
Some like us search it out. Others stumble upon it in passing. I think Anthony Bourdain would appreciate the mural’s unpretentious back alley location. Aside from memorializing a human who skillfully combined food and poetic prose, the mural’s purpose is to spread the message that food connects us and that no matter what you are going through in life, you are never alone.
We are not the only people milling outside the restaurant, waiting for 3 pm. Sunday through
Thursday from 3 pm-5 pm, Tony’s Baltimore Grill offers a 3-course Value Meal.
Sliding into black vinyl seats, we do the obligatory flip through the wall-mounted jukebox.
Most of the servers at Tony’s Baltimore Grill have worked there for decades. The friendly servers move around the restaurant with a admirable hustle. The only time I see them sit is to roll silverware in napkins, while having a spirited conversation about their favorite Oreo flavors.
First Course
The Value Meal’s first course is soup or salad. I pick the salad. Thick- cut cucumbers, tomatoes,
and carrots precariously balance atop a thin wooden bowl of lettuce. In a world of trendy
gourmet salads, it’s wonderful in its simplicity.
Shannon orders one of his favorite dishes, chicken noodle soup. He deems the soup a homemade cozy embrace.
Second Course
The Value Meal’s main course is a choice between Fried Shrimp, a 12-inch pizza, or the
Spaghetti with Meatballs or Sausage. Tony’s Baltimore Grill’s vintage wood paneling, vinyl
booths, and dark linoleum flooring demands the Spaghetti and Meatballs.
The homemade meatballs have an ideal meaty texture. They are not mushy, spongy, or too
crumbly. The sauce tastes fresh and is savory with a slight spicy zip. The spaghetti is cooked
perfectly. Thick and a little chewy. You have to work quickly to get the twirl of noodles from
your fork to your mouth before the ball of pasta unfurls.
Third Course
The final course is the house dessert. The dessert course changes depending on the day. On the day of our visit, the dessert is cheesecake. Along with our cheesecake we are served a cup of fresh hot coffee. The slice of cheesecake, is an excellent size. Enough to relish a few bites
without feeling stuffed. It’s creamy, not overly sweet, and ends the meal with a nice pop of
sugar.
The Value Meal at Tony’s Baltimore Grill tastes like being curled up on a cushy chair with a snuggly warm blanket, binge watching a favorite television show (extra points if it’s one of Anthony Bourdain’s).
Our quirky 90s Atlantic City unsuccessfully tried to evolve into a glamorous party scene. Resorts Casino’s walkway was demolished. Showboat’s sequences and glitter were gutted. The Wild West miner was silenced. No matter past changes or changes to come, it’s nice to know that Tony’s Baltimore Grill endures, waiting to embrace you with good comfort food and loving old-school, no frills family feels.
FIND A GREAT PLACE TO STAY IN ATLANTIC CITY
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