I lived in Gaithersburg (AKA Gaitherstucky) for a couple years and never knew this place existed. On a recent trip back to the area my coworkers took me to this little Italian market in a strip mall. It’s got all sorts of products for for sale (beverages, frozen desserts, spices, dried pasta, wine, and so on and so on). They’ve also got plenty of sandwich, pasta, and pizza options for the lunch crowd.

On the recommendation of one of my friends (someone who’s food rec’s I respect) I opted for the chicken pesto panini. It more than lived up to his hype. A large sammie worthy of it’s $8 price tag, the bread was perfectly crispy, the chicken juicy and tender, and the homemade pesto outstanding. It’s a must if you’re ever in this neck of the woods.

I have no idea who owns this joint. The guy behind the counter was Asian and the girl at the register was Asian. Maybe they were just employees at this fine establishment. Maybe they’re the owners. Who knows. I don’t even care about authenticity. Although this could possibly be the most authentic asian owned-Italian place I’ve stepped foot in. The food is so good it really doesn’t matter.

4 Stars

12169 Darnestown Rd
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
(301) 926-9236