Luigi DiPasquale arrived from Corropoli in the Abruzzo region of Italy at age 14 and opened a small corner store on Claremont Street in Baltimore’s Highlandtown neighborhood in 1914. He sold chickens tied to the light pole out front, made his own bleach, and stocked groceries and household goods for the Italian immigrant community settling around him. Four generations later, the Di Pasquale family is still there. The market moved one block to Gough Street in 1988, installed bread ovens, added a sit-down dining room, and eventually became one of Baltimore’s most recognizable food institutions. It appeared in Season 5, Episode 2 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Real Deal Italian,” which aired November 17, 2008. Guy Fieri devoured the arancini — Sicilian fried rice balls stuffed with ragu and peas — calling it “winner-winner rice ball dinner.” The DDD appearance brought lines out the door and turned the kitchen into a full-scale production of lasagna and mozzarella. Di Pasquale’s has since been featured on The Zimmern List and in Lidia Bastianich’s cookbook “Lidia’s Italy in America.” The market has since relocated to 3700 Toone Street in Brewers Hill, one mile from the original Highlandtown location.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Di Pasquale’s Italian Market
City: Baltimore, Maryland
Cuisine: Italian Market / Sandwiches
DDD Season: 5
DDD Episode: 2
Episode Title: Real Deal Italian
Original Air Date: November 17, 2008
Address: 3700 Toone St., Baltimore, MD 21224 (current location)
Phone: 410-276-6787
Website: https://www.dipasquales.com
Status: Open (relocated to Toone St.)
About Di Pasquale’s
The current Toone Street location in Brewers Hill is larger and better equipped than the original Gough Street building, with more parking, indoor and outdoor seating, and all the same Italian market staples that built the family’s reputation: imported cheeses, specialty grocery items, house-made bread, fresh pasta, and the kitchen that feeds the dining room. The market has expanded to four locations and ships specialty items nationally. One customer once sat down to eat a sandwich — about 25 years ago — and prompted the family to add tables permanently. Those tables multiplied. The dining room is now a full-service lunch and dinner operation. The Joe Flacco/Dennis Pitta pre-playoff meal story has become a Baltimore legend.
What to Eat at Di Pasquale’s
The Arancini — Sicilian fried rice balls with ragu and peas — is the DDD signature. The Real Italian Sub is the sandwich most regulars order on every visit: mortadella, capicola, salami, provolone, and the house dressing on fresh-baked bread. The Lasagna is the other DDD standout. The Crab Cakes with Lemon and Mascarpone, a Maryland-Italian hybrid, have been covered separately by Maryland Public Television. The Eggplant Parmigiana, Pasta Bolognese, and homemade pizzas complete a menu that covers the full Italian-American canon.
Bring the Di Pasquale’s Italian spirit home with Guy Fieri Cookware for serious stovetop pasta work and Guy Fieri Food: Cookin’ It, Livin’ It, Lovin’ It for 150 original recipes with the same bold Italian-American energy.
Plan Your Visit
Check the website for current hours and location details. The Toone Street location in Brewers Hill has improved parking compared to the original Gough Street site. Find a Baltimore hotel on Booking.com.
Address: 3700 Toone St., Baltimore, MD 21224
Phone: 410-276-6787
Website: https://www.dipasquales.com
Status: Open
Triple D Essentials
Stream the Real Deal Italian episode on Amazon and pick up More Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives to plan your full Baltimore DDD tour.
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Di Pasquale’s Italian Market appeared in Season 5, Episode 2 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Real Deal Italian,” originally aired November 17, 2008. The DiPasquale family has been operating in Baltimore since 1914. The market has since relocated from its original Gough Street location to 3700 Toone Street in Brewers Hill.