Olney, Maryland is a small hamlet about 20 miles north of Washington, DC.  I am often in town for a show and there are several places I like to have dinner at beforehand.

Ricciutis

Ricciutis is a nice little Italian restuarant near the center of town in a lovely historic house.  It is known for it’s pizzas, but it has a variety of other dishes as well.

The meal is served with fresh bread, which I very much enjoyed.  A variety of soups and salads are also available.  I has the fresh green salad, which was quite good, while my companions had the beet salad and the pea soup.

For my entree, I had the deep fried soft shelled crab, while my companions went for the pizza and pasta.  I think I had the best meal, as the crab was soft and tender and had good flavor.

For dessert, I went with the bread pudding, which I found creamy and delicious.  Other options were the chocolate mouse cake and a lemon tart.

al Sospiro

Another Italian restaurant in Olney  is a tiny little place called al Sospiro.  I feel that it is the finest restaurant in town.

I started the meal with an arugula and mozzarella salad.  Freshly made and served with a simple vinaigrette, this was quite tasty!

For my entree, I had the sausage stuffed quail, served with polenta.  This was nicely cooked, with the stuffing being cooked through while the exterior was still tender.

For dessert, I had the chocolate mousse.  This was the one disappointment, as there was more cream than mousse in the bowl.   The mousse that was there was good, but did not taste like it was freshly made.

Corn Beef King

Corn Beef King would have earned the title of best restaurant in Olney, except that it is moving to Rockville!   Formerly located in a gas station, it now has food truck service only.   Nevertheless, it remains one of the best sandwich places around.