Our History:

August “Buddy” Paolino was born in February of 1924, in the Highlandtown neighborhood of East Baltimore.  There were 9 children (3 boys and 6 girls) born to Rocco and Mollie Paolino (formerly known as Mollie Comi).  Buddy Attended Our Lady of Pompei school and married Annabelle McDonough on March 4,1943.  They had two daughters Mary Lou Scardina and Diann Helen Baker and four grandchildren; Gene, Jimmy, Nicole and Erica.

From 1943 to 1945 Buddy was in the armed forces during WWII.  He served in the 101st Airborne Division, which spearheaded the invasion of Normandy.  He also fought in Holland, Central Europe and the Battle of the Bulge.  He received several medals, including two Purple Hearts.

Immediately upon returning from the service Annabelle and Buddy opened a small bar in Highlandtown that served meatball and submarine sandwiches.  Eventually, the small bar grew into Bud Paolino’s Restaurant and Bar which was a landmark in Baltimore City for over 50 years.  His specialty became steamed crabs and seafood which were not only enjoyed by the good people of Baltimore, but also by many of Buddy’s good friends.  Many local and national celebrities frequented Bud’s.  These included people like Billy Martin, Joe Dimaggio, Hank Aaron, Danny Devito, William Donald Schaeffer, and many, many more.

The restaurant originally consisted of two small dining rooms, a bar, and an outdoor beer garden.  Eventually, the beer garden was closed in and named the Normandy Room after the famous WWII invasion of Normandy, which Buddy fought in.

Bud Paolino’s restaurant boomed in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s with people standing in line for up to two hours for the famous steamed crabs.  Along with his regular restaurant trade, Bud received so many requests for private crab feasts and other functions.  In order to accommodate the demand for private functions, Bud opened Tiffany East Catering Hall in 1980.

Soon Tiffany’s was doing more than just crab feasts.  All types of functions were being catered at Tiffany’s. Weddings, birthdays, crab feasts, and all types of social functions are catered there every year.  Tiffany’s boomed in the 80’s as Bud’s Restaurant did in the past.  The demand for catered parties became so great that in 1991, Bud moved his restaurant business around the corner and turned the original restaurant into a second catering hall named Bud Paolino’s Normandy Room.  Today, customers have their choice of Tiffany’s or Normandy Room to have their party at, or can have Tiffany’s cater to an off premise location.

Bud renamed the restaurant Enrico’s after his grandfather Enrico Paolino; however most people still refer to the restaurant as Bud’s.  The name changed, but Enrico’s still serves Bud Paolino’s famous steamed crabs.

Bud remained active until his late 70's in the restaurant which is run by his daughter Mary Lou Scardina.  Annabelle is retired, but would come in every Thursday to have dinner with her husband Buddy. 

Mr. Bud passed away on  November 13, 2004 at the age of 80.   Farewell Mr. Bud.

Today the business is still run by family, giving you the personal attention that has been a trademark of Tiffany East Catering and The Normandy Room since the inception of Bud Paolino's Restaurant in 1946.