Pier 1 by Apryl Parcher

At Pier 1 Restaurant in North East, you can have breakfast, lunch or dinner any way you like. Belly up to the dining-car-style bar, have a seat in the sunny nook that looks out on Cecil Street, or slip into the larger dining area in the back. You can be sure to get a smile from the staff, even when they’re busy!

Pier 1 has been around since 1997. Before that, Vinny and Pam Cirino ran Frank’s Pizza just up the street while raising their family. Vinny was born in Ischia, Italy, and all the family recipes stem from his ties to southern Italian cooking. “All our sauces are homemade,” says Vinny’s son, Anthony, now the chef at Pier 1. As with many family-owned and operated restaurants, the Cirino kids were involved from the beginning. Anthony, now 28, remembers when he and his sisters, Stella (29) and Brittany (18), slept in bread boxes at Frank’s while their parents worked late into the night. The family still works together (but nobody sleeps in bread boxes anymore).

Stella made sure we were comfortable, and while Ken and I looked over the menu, our server, Carol Halsey, took our orders. I wanted to try the cab cakes, but Ken couldn’t decide…should he try the surf-n-turf or a pasta dish? Carol suggested Vinny’s Eggplant Parmesan, which she said we should try with the crab ball appetizers, or perhaps crab-stuffed mushroom caps. We chose both.

Ken relaxed with a draft beer, and I sipped a Zinfandel while we gazed about at the nautical décor—which includes a nice pair of antique (and dangerous-looking) harpoons, and a bigger-than-life-size painting of a grey goose (which I later found out was “Charlie,” the town mascot). Patrons greeted each other pleasantly as they came and went, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

“We do all the preparation ourselves. We don’t use pre-sliced vegetables or breaded patties of anything. I even roast the garlic myself."

Soon our appetizers came. The crab balls were tiny, tasty versions of Vinny’s legendary crab cakes—deep fried to a golden brown and served with cocktail sauce, and the mushroom caps were quite tender, overflowing with buttery crabmeat. Before we could finish those, Anthony sent out a sample of his Coconut Shrimp to try—tender shrimp coated in delicate coconut and a home-made mango-peach sauce for dipping. Delicious!

We then found out why Pier 1 crab cakes are legend…mine came piping hot, broiled to perfection—a mound of three different types of crabmeat: lump, backfin and special, held together with a hint of breading and spiced with Old Bay, a little onion and Paprika. The texture was melt-in-your-mouth, and people who try them are instantly hooked. Many ask Vinny to freeze them if they have a long trip home, and order more to go.

Ken’s eggplant parmesan was a work of art—thinly sliced eggplant lightly battered and fried, folded in a rich Marinara sauce that I’m told is herbed from the Cirino “pickle-bucket kitchen garden” behind the restaurant. “They grow their own basil out there,” said Carol proudly. “It grows like crazy,” confirmed Anthony, who insists on using fresh everything when preparing their dishes.

He sent out one of his new creations; Chicken Antonio--chicken breasts pounded thin and cooked in a roasted garlic cream sauce, skewered with tender scallops. After taking one bite, Ken’s eyes lit up and he said, “Wow…I’ll have to taste that again.” It was truly heaven on a plate.

“We do all the preparation ourselves,” said Anthony. “We don’t use pre-sliced vegetables or breaded patties of anything. I even roast the garlic myself. One of our suppliers calls us ‘The Last of the Dinosaurs,’ but we’re proud of that.”

Recently married (in October of 2006), Anthony and his wife Tracy honeymooned in the old country where Vinny was born, and were inspired by the Italians’ love of food and their sense of community. Over the years the Cirinos have inspired their neighbors in North East as well. One repeat customer, Edmond Elburn, who has lived in the town for 15 years, stopped by our table to say hello to Vinny and Anthony on his way home. His family first came to Pier 1 when his kitchen was being remodeled years ago, and just never stopped.

“We still barely use the kitchen—we prefer to eat here. I think it’s the family that makes it successful,” he said.

“It’s definitely a family operation,” said Vinny, who also praised his staff, many of whom have served for years. Anthony agreed, and smiled at his father, his eyes dancing, “Yep…and Tracy and I are hoping to generate a new crop of employees soon to help in the restaurant.”

Family operations like this are hard to beat, and Ken and I enthusiastically give Pier 1 Restaurant four thumbs up. We’ll definitely be back to sample more of their delicious fare, and will be sure to let you know when the new “employees” arrive.

Photos by Travis Hill