Move over Maria D's, there's a new pizza shop with a cocktail and small plate twist in Federal Hill at 1843 Light Street! Josh Hershkovitz and Stephanie Hershkovitz have opened Hersh’s Pizza & Drinks in the old RUB BBQ space in Riverside, just blocks south of Federal Hill. They have hired Bill Albritton formally found at The Charleston for 6 years, as Hersh's capable General Manager.
Having undergone a complete transformation from the former Texas-themed restaurant by Michael Marx of MIGUEL'S, which occupied the building. Hersh’s is an 'updated riff,' states Stephanie, 'on the classic American tavern.' Vintage schoolhouse light fixtures and a back bar fashioned from a locally-salvaged post office window blend with tables made from reclaimed industrial palettes. Life-size drawings by Baltimore artist Kerry Cesen, which are wheat-pasted on the restaurant’s exposed brick walls, bring the wit of street art to the traditional tavern vibe. Outdoor seating will be available seasonally.
The lively, urban restaurant and bar features rustic Italian and Mediterranean small plates and handmade pasta and sausage in addition to Neapolitan-style pizza baked in an Italian wood-burning oven. With craft beers on its ten taps and an emphasis on spirits from small American distilleries in its vintage cocktails - as well as an all-the-time happy hour on Baltimore’s best-loved canned beers - Hersh’s is both a fun neighborhood establishment and a destination for lovers of thoughtfully-produced food and drinks.
The star of Hersh’s Pizza menu is the 11” Neapolitan-style pizza, which spotlights a light, puffy crust resulting from a 24-hour dough fermentation process and an 800 degree Valoriani oven. Hersh’s uses only specially-milled 00 flour imported from Italy, and its sauce is made in the tradition of the best pizza shops in Naples. The pies are topped with fior di latte mozzarella; this means ‘flower of the milk’ in Italian. So be prepared to have your palates pleasantly surprised by just how rich and creamy it is.
The simple centerpiece of the pizza menu is one of my favorites, the Margherita, but Hersh's also tops with gran padano cheese, fresh basil and extra-virgin olive oil. Traditional toppings such as homemade Italian sausage, prosciutto, fresh mushrooms and anchovies may be added.
Now, this is not just a city pizzeria, Hersh’s serves a selection of well –priced small plates which can be eaten as a prelude to pizza or mixed and matched to assemble an entire meal. This part of the menu includes a ‘fritti’ section, named for Italy’s fry shops and which showcases melt-in-your-mouth prosciutto balls, pungent sage and anchovy fritters and the ubiquitous beer companion – french fries. Fettucine with lemon and pistachio and pappardelle with pork ragu both pop with the flavor of pasta made in-house. Ricotta meatballs swim in an ugly but delicious broken milk sauce, and tender braised chickpeas with feta and rosemary will delight our vegetarian diners.
A downstairs bar - at which you can be seated to dine or just to imbibe, offers classic cocktails composed of artisanal spirits and housemade mixers, as well as draft beers from American craft producers. A carefully-curated twenty-bottle wine list, many by wine expert, Gregory Box, has ten wines by the glass, provides the perfect complement to pizza. Pony beer specials during happy hour or try a draft beer.
Let's give a huge welcome to Baltimore City's newest pizza joint! But don't kill my Iggie's, they rock and are BYOB/Wine or Joe Squared Pizza opening a new location to rave reviews at POWER PLANT LIVE!
Details:
Hersh's is open Thursday – Saturday 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. and Sunday, Monday and Wednesday 5 p.m. – 10 p.m., with food served until closing.
Coming next is a review of COWBOY's and REDNECK's aka C&R Pub-taking place of the former TAVERNA CORVINO, formally, VESPA's. Of specific note is the fabulous garage door that opens up allowing no seperation between outside and indoors. Expect steaks, burgers and upscale tavern food. The renovation has been long and detail oriented, spearheaded by "Guy." More soon but they say on their facebook page"
WE ARE OPEN! Happy Hour 3-6, Dinner 5-11, Pub open until 2 AM."Though it also appears it is a soft opening, but the way some comments read. Might want to give it a couple weeks to try.
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