Tony's Baltimore Grill: Still Cookin'

Something of an Atlantic City tradition, Tony's Baltimore Grill is a slice of old Atlantic City -- a red checkered tablecloth kind of place, with abundant, basic and tasty pasta, fried seafood and even a meatball platter.

 The original Baltmore Grill opened in the 1920s in the Inlet section of Atlantic City; it relocated in the mid-60s to the center of town (near the Tropicana Casino), taking on the original founder's son's first name in the process.

 A basic looking white stucco building with red shutters, the 200-seat restaurant -- which has a bar on one side -- is an Atlantic City tradition with locals and visitors alike. With jukeboxes at each roomy booth and square tables in the interior, it's a bit of a time warp, but in the best possible sense. And it's popular as all get-out on the weekends, especially Saturday nights.

 Tony's has a reputation for the best pizza in town; a plain pizza costs just $7.55 and one with "the works" is less than $10. The most pricey item on the menu, in fact, is the Seafood Special for $11.45 (fried shrimp, crab cakes, scallops, fries and cole slaw). It's not a fancy place-- there are no salad dressings, for instance, just oil and vinegar -- but it's a great place for good home-cooking, served up quick and hot - and a nice change-of-pace from the nearby flashy casino buffets.

Tony's Baltimore Grill is located at 2800 Atlantic Avenue. Call 690-345-5766 or visit: www.baltimoregrill.com