It may not be a scientific fact, but it seems as if 97 percent of the tourists who go to Annapolis for the day have crab cakes or oysters for lunch, followed by ice cream or cheesecake.
For the remaining 3 percent, there are other options. One of them is Mangia, a competent if not outstanding Italian restaurant.
Upstairs, Mangia features a cozy, family-friendly restaurant with sports memorabilia adorning the walls, while a carryout counter does a brisk business downstairs. Mangia's best feature may well be its location -- only a few steps away from the City Dock.
We stuck to Italian specialties, and service was polite and quick.
The fried calamari appetizer ($7.75) was a winner with crisp-fried batter and not overcooked. The accompanying marinara sauce was tangy and good. Bruschetta featured slices of Italian bread that was briefly broiled and topped with a spread of diced tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil. The dish looked wonderful but lacked zip.
A mozzarella-and-tomato sandwich ($8.25) featured big slabs of cheese, roasted peppers and tomatoes, served on a very fresh Italian roll, slathered in olive oil and spices.
Far less successful was the pepperoni calzone ($7.25), which oozed great quantities of cheese grease when my son cut into it.
Mangia advertises "Annapolis' best brick-oven pizza," although I can't think of too many competitors. A very small plain pizza ($6.50) was a rather bland, thin-crust variety, but the troops nonetheless wolfed it down.
Our one real entree, ravioli Florentine ($15.25), combined ricotta-filled pasta with spinach, roasted peppers, peas and prosciutto in a pretty, pink tomato-and-cream sauce. Thanks to the delicate sauce, the dish worked well.
For dessert, we passed on the cheesecake to try a cannoli. The filling was thick and sweet and had a bright-red cherry wedged into each end of the shell. The price: $5.
There are 30-minute meters in front of Mangia. If those are full, the Hillman garage is a short walk away.
Mangia
Food: ** 1/2
Service: ***
Waiting area: ***
Parking: **
Where: 81 Main St., Annapolis
Phone: 410-268-1350
Hours: For carryout: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday (Note: Restaurant hours of operation are different.)
Prices: Italian appetizers, soups, salads, pastas and dinners, as well as burgers, subs and sandwiches, from $5.25 to $18.50; credit cards accepted
Outstanding: ****; Good: ***; Fair or uneven: **; Poor: *
