by Michael Vyskocil, photography by Nikola Tzenov
Where can you find 30 specialty pizzas, one for almost every day of the month, in Carroll County? Amante Pizza & Pasta in Sykesville is the place to go. This year marks the 15th year that Ivelin and Daniela Kostadinov have operated their business within the Carroll County restaurant scene.
The pizzas that occupy the menu don’t exist merely to fill space. Each one has meaning behind its existence.
Take the Amante Special, one of the best-sellers on the menu. This pizza bears prosciutto, Italian sausage, red onions, mushrooms, black olives, fresh basil and shredded pepperoni. Daniela’s Favorite, which takes its name from the restaurant’s co-owner, carries a hearty gathering of ingredients. The olive oil and garlic base serves as an indulgent under layer for the fresh mozzarella, baby spinach, roasted garlic, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, feta cheese and fresh basil topping.
Kostadinov said he’s indebted to his friend Amante, the restaurant’s namesake who got his start in the culinary business with restaurants in Seattle, Washington; Phoenix, Arizona and the fashion district of Los Angeles. Amante inspired many of the topping combinations that grace the pizza lineup on the menu.
“We try to stay as fresh as possible,” Kostadinov said about the ingredients that go into Amante’s pizza creations. “Our pizza dough is 100 percent made in-house. We use only the finest mozzarella. It all makes a big difference in the quality of the food.”
Pizzas come in sizes ranging from small (10 inches) to medium (12 inches) and large (16 inches). A 10-inch gluten-free pizza is also available. Besides pizza, customers also love Amante’s 18 pasta combinations, 14 specialty salads, calzones, hot subs, panini sandwiches and more on the menu.
Regardless of which pizza or pizzas you decide to order, you can enjoy your pizza purchases served to you in the restaurant, picked up as carryout or brought to you by delivery (within a limited area). Amante’s features a top-level restaurant and a bar and lounge at the bottom of its building. During the warm-weather months, the outdoor patio and deck with its tiki bar make pleasant places to enjoy alfresco dining.
Fun Fact: When Amante Pizza offered its extra-large Siciliano pizza for a time on its menu, the final pizza topped the scale at almost 8 pounds!
Amante Pizza
21 Liberty Road, Sykesville410-795-8888 • amantepizzasykesville.com
