The Dough Roller:
Crofton’s as Good as Ocean City — and Closer
by Chatty Chowder
Pancakes to pizza to pina coladas, The Dough Roller does it all. The omelets are good, too.
Each summer when I visit Ocean City, I make special trips to Boardwalk Fries and, for pizza, The Dough Roller. But I hesitated to visit The Dough Roller in Crofton. Would the food taste just as good
with no sandy vacation atmosphere?
Last week, on my way home from delivering Bay Weekly, I decided to give the Crofton restaurant a try. What could it hurt?
The large Dough Roller sign above the building had that reassuringly familiar look. But as I pulled into my parking space, next to Blockbuster Video, I saw no miniature golf courses as in Ocean City.
As soon as I walked in the door, I ran into my weakness. Six desserts lined up to taunt me. Luckily, the hostess greeted us before I succumbed to dessert before dinner.
I wanted everything on the menu. Subs, sandwiches, salads, Italian dishes, pizza, pizza, pizza. Oh, and their famous pancakes, too. The smells wafting close to our table were the familiar oven-cooked aromas of Ocean City Dough Rollers.
Like Dough Roller kitchens in Ocean City, this one was open with a deli-style counter fronting it. But no noise escaped the back, giving this Dough Roller a quieter pizza parlor feeling.
Before I could take in more of the surroundings, the waiter arrived. We were in the mood for sodas and had already planned on ordering a medium pizza. But you can opt for beer (frosted mug $2.75, bottled $2.95, import $3.50), sangria ($3.25), Sutter Home wines ($3.75) and some cocktails, including bloody Marys ($3.95) and toasted almonds ($4.50).
I couldn’t resist scanning the menu. This is always a dangerous thing to do when you have already chosen a meal. I was tempted.
Italian dishes are a favorite of mine, and Dough Roller has plenty. Spaghetti served with zesty Italian sauce ($8.95), homemade meat sauce ($9.95), monstrous meatballs ($9.95), locally made hot Italian sausage ($9.95) or mushrooms and tomato sauce ($9.95).
Seafood? A seafood platter ($19.95) offers flounder, one crab cake, three scallops, clam strips, two oysters and three shrimp. Choose fried or broiled. Or choose any one entree: scallops ($13.95), fish ($11.95), oysters ($13.95) or shrimp ($16.95). My doubts about ordering seafood from Dough Roller faded when another diner’s shrimp dinner passed my table. Dinners come with rolls and butter, and a choice of two items including French fries, cole slaw, potato salad or tossed salad.
But I stuck with pizza. We ordered a medium, promised to serve two to three people. Our choice of toppings was ample. Dough Roller offers pepperoni, Italian sausage, fresh ground beef, Canadian bacon, chicken, onion, mushrooms, sweet peppers, black olives, tomato slices and pineapple. We chose mushrooms and tomato slices.
When you get service that exceeds your expectations, it should be noted. At The Dough Roller, every server seemed to be friendly and energetic. Ours left us smiling every time he left the table, making the meal even more pleasant.
But good things must come to an end. With the remainder of the pizza packed up to take home, we considered dessert. Choices include canoli ($3.25), cheesecake ($3.25), with cherries or blueberries ($3.95), and specialties of the day. Always unable to make one choice, my mother and I went for more dough: slices of cherry cheesecake and chocolate cake.
The Dough Roller
MD Rt. 3 • Crofton • 410/451-3133
Proprietor: Bill Gibbs
Reason to go: When is the next time you’ll be in Ocean City?
Something to think about: The dessert case is to your left when you enter. A room in the back accommodates parties. The one this evening seemed to be having a great time.
Copyright 2000
Bay Weekly
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