By Bruce Klauber
There was a time when there were lines of people that stretched around the block, all waiting to get in to eat at Tony’s Baltimore Grill. While that may not often be the case today, the 90-year-old restaurant continues to update and thrive, and thankfully keep its rich tradition alive.
Some of the wait staff have been there for decades, the booths with the old-style mini-jukeboxes are pretty much the same, and the menu, though updated somewhat to reflect contemporary tastes, hasn’t changed too drastically from the time Tony’s opened in 1927.
In that year, Philadelphian Joseph Tarsitano opened the Baltimore Grille at 604 Atlantic Ave. The first menu featured pasta and fried seafood from Baltimore. As the story goes, son Tony was asked to help his father in the kitchen, and in the process, Tony came up with what they called the tomato pie, said to be the first ever made in Atlantic City.
Upon Joseph’s passing, his brother John owned and operated the restaurant until Tony returned from service in World War II. Tony and his younger brothers bought the place from their uncle John and renamed it Tony’s Baltimore Grill. In December of 1964, Tony and two partners bought what was Paddy McGahns Cafe and Musical Bar, and converted it to the present-day Tony’s Baltimore Grill as a part of the city’s 1964 Urban Renewal Project. The formal opening on 2800 Atlantic Ave. was on April 1, 1965 and it was reported that the lines stretched for blocks.
Tony’s has weathered a lot of storms through the years, including the many changes in Atlantic City, but one issue the restaurant could not surmount was bankruptcy, filed in 2016. The reasons for the bankruptcy, according to the Tarsitano family, were a $715,000 charge for withdrawing from a union pension fund as well as government liens for unpaid bills. The restaurant remained open nonetheless.
The following year, the restaurant was sold to an ownership team headed by veteran Tony’s cook Fred Pugh. Nothing much changed under the new management in line with the décor and the menu.
“It really all does come back to great food at reasonable prices, and we still try to keep the prices moderate and try to appeal to the blue-collar customer,” Pugh told Shore Local’s Scott Cronick, in a 2018 piece Cronick wrote for the old Atlantic City Weekly. “It’s basically us and the White House Sub Shop. We have outlasted everyone. There’s just something about us, and it always was from the very beginning. People just love our food. I think it’s that simple.”
In 2021, Tony’s changed hands again. The buyers were Ronald Nolan Aspell and his wife, Julie. The Aspells not only updated Tony’s menu somewhat and instituted a daily happy hour, but they made a big media splash in these parts when they bought and revived the shuttered Italian spot, Angeloni’s II Restaurant and Lounge.
Broadcaster/columnist Harry Hurley, in April, 2024 wrote for the WPG Radio web page: “Ronald and Julie have already done great things with Tony’s Baltimore Grill. They have successfully demonstrated the capacity to acquire iconic establishments and thread the needle by respecting the rich history, while putting their own touch on things at the same time. It’s a winning formula.”
Tony’s through the years has always been the perfect family spot and, to this day, it’s a place for late-night eats, as the kitchen is open until 2 a.m. during the week and 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. And for those who partake of such things, the bar is open 24/7. Given the hours, the consistent quality of the food, reasonable prices, and just-like-home service, Tony’s Baltimore Grill, for many years, was the spot for Atlantic City musicians to have some great food after, or sometimes before, the job.
During the years when the hotel/casinos employed hundreds of musicians, Tony’s was the gathering place at every hour of the day. Though that situation is not what it once was, many of the musicians who frequented Tony’s back in the day still visit often. Two world-class musicians that I know of – they are among my dearest friends as well – rarely work in the casinos these days, but they continue to make regular pilgrimages to Tony’s.
Bruce Kaminsky is a first-call jazz bassists, world music pioneer, educator, and inventor of the electric/acoustic hybrid KYDD Bass. He swears by Tony’s Baltimore Grill and he’ll tell you that it’s not just about the food.
“Atlantic City has become famous for its casinos, celebrities and nightlife, but that all pales next to dinner at Tony’s,” Kaminsky says. “I’m not saying that Tony’s is the best restaurant in town. I’m saying it’s the most entertaining place to be. Don’t get me wrong; I love the food: The hot beef sandwich, the half ravioli and spaghetti platter, the very fresh salad, the shockingly tasty ginger ale, the bread pudding (which is its own food group) and, of course, the warmed up Atlantic City bread are all fabulous. But there’s more to it than the food.
“It’s the wait staff that really brings it together. They are fun and relaxed. One waiter had worked on Broadway. A waitress on Halloween was dressed like a cat and handed out candy to the patrons. This is dinner and a show. If you walked in with troubles, you left with a smile and a full belly. Now that’s entertainment!”
As a pianist, orchestrator, conductor and educator, Dean Schneider, currently the musical director of Bordentown’s exquisite Ristorante LUCCA, has few equals. He’s been going to what he calls “The Balt” since 1985.
“I’ve never had a bad meal there since,” Schneider says. “I remember back then, there would be a line around the corner. It was that good. Worth the wait? Absolutely! Tony’s remains the first-preference spot for me and my son, Steven, for dinner in Atlantic City. Ever since moving to Connecticut, when Steven is in the area, we’ll hit Tony’s. The waitresses there have been remarkable. They watched my son grow up there right in front of their eyes.
“As a professional musician, Tony’s was the place to go after a long night. A pizza and a fried shrimp platter with well-done fries and an antipasto was the best way to end the day. The late pianist, George Mesterhazy, and I lived for the grated cheese and we used to see who would get the biggest ‘snow cap’ on a slice. I’m very happy Tony’s is still around, and the current owners are very accommodating and friendly.”
Professional food reviewers may have more schooling about what restaurant is good and what restaurant is not, but I’ll take the opinion of jazz musicians anytime. And for that reason, I’ll see you at Tony’s.
Bruce Klauber is the author of four books, an award-winning music journalist, concert and record producer and publicist, producer of the Warner Brothers and Hudson Music “Jazz Legends” film series, and performs both as a drummer and vocalist.
