Rigatoni's replaces Hampton's of Towson

Two Greek brothers, George and Spyros Mamalis, have just opened an Italian-American restaurant where Hampton's of Towson used to be. Rigatoni's, in the apartment house at 204 E. Joppa Road, offers a range of dinners from pastas to crab cakes and steaks. The house specialty is combination dinners, with three items on one plate, such as a petit filet, chicken marsala and scampi, or an all-Italian combo. Entrees run from $7.95 to $21.

Rigatoni's is open every day for lunch and dinner, and for Sunday brunch. Tuesdays and Saturdays there's live piano music.

Tomato-based

Tomato -- with the strange slogan of "So good you'll leave with a red face!" -- has opened in the location where Donna's and then the Garden Spot Cafe used to be at 22 W. Allegheny Ave. in Towson. The menu features elaborate breakfasts, sandwiches, salads and a few dinners. Prices are more than reasonable: Grilled salmon, for instance, with hollandaise, garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli (and a small salad or tomato soup) is $7.99. That's the most expensive dish on the menu.

Tomato is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day except Sunday, when it closes at 4 p.m.

Updating pub grub

G. L. Shacks, the popular Catonsville bar-restaurant at 583 Frederick Road, isn't exactly going upscale; but it does have a new chef and new food. Dave Martin, who used to be in the kitchen of Morgan Millard before it closed, is now overseeing a new menu. It's made up of specials that have been popular over the past year, such as sweet bourbon barbecued ribs, crab cakes and meat loaf.

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