Aida Bistro & Deli

Out of the way, but worth the trip! Discovered this restaurant while looking for someplace between Bethesda and Baltimore. The menu is classic Italian with a little bit of a twist.

The meal started with their Flat Bread which was a pizza dough with fresh tomato, mozzarella cheese, pesto and balsamic vinegar. Several tastes at once but a nice way to start the meal. For my entree, I opted for the shrimp scampi with linquini. The lunch portion at $13 came with 4 good sized shrimp and what tasted like a homemade linguini covered with a just right buttery garlic sauce with a hint of lemon. I tasted the eggplant parmegiana as well and may have to get that next time!

To end the meal, I opted for their homemade canoli, which despite the fancy presentation with some extraneous whipped cream was just the right balance of sweet with a light crispy shell. My espresso was right on target as well.

In addition to a tasty meal, the service was attentive throughout. It has been ranked by Baltimore Magazine as one of its top 50 restaurants for 5 years in a row – not bad considering it has only been open for 6!