Pistachio Baclava At Nazar Market: It Could Make Your Dinner Party, But It Should Be Your Treat

Don't buy a candy bar when you can snag two quick pistachio baclava at Nazar Market in Columbia.

You're doing errands.  You want a treat.  Treat yourself, but don't just buy a Snickers bar.  Grab a few sweets from the display at the front of Nazar's Market.

This is central Columbia at Oakland Mills Road.  Across the parking lot from Bon Fresco Sandwich Bakery.  Down Snowden River from Target or Wegmans.  Nazar has a great halal butcher and a selection of cheeses and packaged goods that draw a big circle around Turkey -- basically from Romanian cheese to a few Indian frozen items with a emphasis on Turkish items from chocolates to grains to juices.

Ooooops.  These didn't get home.

So you could buy a plate of baclava for a dinner party.  You can do great Middle Eastern shopping at Turkish Nazar and the Persian Pars Market a few blocks south.  The baclava -- with their flaky pastry soaked with honey -- could be the crescendo of a meal with grilled lamb kabobs and a pilaf.

But you can also just grab two baclava as you run errands.  They could be your treat.  You could put them on the passenger seat and nibble them down as you drive to the post office or to pick up day care or whatever else you need to do.  Your spouse never has to know.

Unless you blog.

Hey babe!  I'll get you baclava next time!  Most of the great stuff gets home.  Remember the candied fruit from Tere's Latin Market?  Or those burgers with Laurel Meat Market bacon ground into the mix?  Or all those delicious items that I brought home from Roots.

Breakfast at R&R Taqueria: Get A Hearty Start With Eggs, Chorizo, Cactus, Salsa And More

Eggs and cactus with beans and tortillas (and a side of chorizo potatoes)

Hearty breakfast requires a hearty day, and that's why my brain connects breakfast at R&R Taqueria with errands at Lowe's.

R&R is the taqueria in the Shell Station on U.S. 1 and Rte 175, but it opens early for eggs, sandwiches and other breakfasts.  Mostly take-out, but the '34 Act Gourmet and I ate at the small counter looking out over the gas pumps.

For $6, you get a full styrofoam plate of fresh food.  I went with eggs and cactus.  The Gourmet ate huevos rancheros.  The kitchen filled out both our plates with rice, beans, cheese and tortillas.  Everything works at R&R.  Earthy beans.  The lightly-spicy ranchero sauce.  The slightly sour contrast of cactus with hot eggs and fresh salsa.

R&R makes a series of salsas.  I can't track them.  I got a chunky tomato, onion and pepper salsa with my eggs, and I asked for a second container.  They're surprisingly fresh and flavorful for any restaurant -- let alone one in a gas station.

Then, I doubled the load with chorizo potatoes.  Diced hash browns crisped on the griddle, then mixed with a little cheese and crumbled chorizo.  Not that much meat actually.  Just enough to flavor the dish and sheen the potatoes with grease.  The plate just made me happier than most breakfasts because I kept scooping up variety on R&R's delicious corn tortillas.  A little salsa and eggs.  A little beans and chorizo.  Just eggs.  Just beans.  Repeat.

Most of the people flowing through R&R were gearing up for real work.  Landscapers, a Sears delivery guy. . .  I earned my breakfast -- including chorizo -- by getting 20 bags of mulch and spending hours spreading that around my yard.  R&R is just east of the Columbia Lowe's, which makes it a perfect stop if you're doing errands.

R&R serves a range of omelets and breakfast sandwiches.  We ordered from the Mexican eggs, but they'll also make breakfast tacos or breakfast burritos.  Check out the menu here.

If you want to try eggs and cactus at home, you can buy cactus in the produce section at Lily's Mexican Market in Columbia.

Strawberry Picking Has Started At Gorman

The strawberry picking seasons has started at Gorman Farm in Laurel, reports AnnieRie on AnnieRie Unplugged.  She was there yesterday, and she has links to the Gorman Farm Facebook page where you can see what days they'll be open.

As of Thursday morning, Larriland Farm's Web site said they will open in late May when the berries ripen.

Tere's Expanding Into A Full Mexican Restaurant

The taqueria in the back of Tere's Latin Market has been a great place for Mexican food, and that place appears to be expanding.

The sub shop next to Tere's on Rte 40 has closed, and Tere's is expanding there, reports an anonymous commenter.  Talk of a full restaurant, a bakery and a bar.

Dennis Lane Was A Wonderful Guy

Dennis Lane was killed early Friday.  The Sun has a story.  Dennis wrote the Tales of Two Cities blog, and he was wonderful to me from the moment that I started HowChow.

Dennis and I traded links and emails.  He answered questions.  Using the handle Wordbones, he also demonstrated a way to write with meaning and edges, but without the rancor and cheap shots that can infect blogging.  Dennis said wrote what he felt.  He just kept the humor and perspective in his writing that he had in real life.

Dennis had a real history in Howard County, which made him far more valuable than a voice who had moved here a few years ago.  I always appreciated his welcome and his blogging example, and I am glad that I told him.

For more about Dennis, look at TJ on The Rocket Powered Butterfly.  I wrote short because I knew that I could write well.  TJ did much better and ended with a Wordbones-style link that made me laugh and think about Dennis.  People are writing on Twitter.  Start with the HoCoBlogs timeline because JessieX is retweeting and responding to people.

Tigi's Ethiopian Restaurant And Market

Veggie platter at Tigi's Ethiopian

When we left Tigi's Ethiopian, we felt like we had just eaten dinner in Tigi's home -- warm, cozy and comforting food served with a smile.

Tigi's is a new restaurant just off Rte 40 in Ellicott City.  It's a storefront with a small open kitchen serving the stews and other dishes from Ethiopia.  Disks of the spongy injera bread, topped with stews that range from mild to spicy, smooth to crunchy, and meaty to vegetarian.

This is a homestyle place.  Pretty tables, colorful art, and a friendly host who cooked and served our entire meal.  We aren't experts in Ethiopian cuisine, but we loved our dinner.  We ordered a vegetarian platter, then got feted with a tasty lentil sambusa and cups of coffee.

Go to Tigi's this weekend.  Ethiopian welcomes the experienced and the new.  Our experience says Tigi's matches the flavors of places in Silver Spring and Washington -- injera made from teff, earthy lentils and split peas, fresh tomato salad, and spicy chicken.

For new folks, I'd recommend a sampler platter.  The menu in the restaurant has several veg and non-veg platters, but we just asked for a double-serving of whatever vegetables Tigi suggested.  You'll get some lentils, some vegetables, some meats if you want.  We sampled a finely-chopped beef (michet abish) and spicy chicken (doro wat).  Tell them what looks good, whether you like spicy or not, whether you want chicken, beef or lamb.

This is still a new restaurant.  It was quiet last night.  Completely casual and a place you could definitely bring kids.  We really want people to find Tigi's and check it out.  Try the sambusa appetizer -- like a small samosa, crisp and stuffed with spicy lentils.  Try the coffee.  This is a friendly spot and unique for Howard County.  Go.

For more opinions on Tigi's check out comments on prior posts and Tom's post on HoCo Rising.

Tigi's Ethiopian Restaurant & Market
8459 Baltimore National Pike #14 (Rte 40)
Ellicott City, MD 21043
410-750-1500

NEAR:  Tigi's is on the south side of Rte 40 east of Rte 29.  It's just across from the Normandy Shopping Center.  Tigi's is in a row of shops with the C & B Italian Dely.  They face Rte 40, but they're behind the Dunkin' Donuts.

Link: Serafino's Closed, Maybe Reopening

Serafino's in Ellicott City has closed and has a sign saying that they'll re-open this summer, reports the Columbia Patch.  This is an Italian spot that we haven't tried, but Andrew Metcalf said they're talking about renovations and maybe a change in concept.

Baguette From Bon Fresco: Go For The Sandwiches, Carry Home A Loaf Of Something

Sometimes, it is good to remember the basics.  Bon Fresco Sandwich Bakery does that, and that's why it's one of my best restaurants in Howard County.

Go for any of the sandwiches.  Maybe start with a cold cut or that London broil.  But the Columbia spot is worth a visit just for bread.

That's the base of all those sandwiches.  Baguettes, ciabatta, wonderful challah on Fridays.  You won't get a better loaf anywhere -- even after the revolution in bread around here.  Bon Fresco pays attention to the details, and they bake up special bread.

For $2, I grabbed a baguette last week as I was doing late-afternoon errands.  I broke a hunk in the car.  A light white crumb with a real flavor -- lightly sour, crisp on the outside.  We made sandwiches with just a slice of speck from Wegmans.

Links: Review Of Tigi's, An Eye Out For Howard Mag, And A Class For People Who Want To Blog

I still haven't followed through on my plan to try the new Tigi's Ethiopian on Rte 40 in Ellicott City, but you can still get a blogger's take from HoCo Rising.

Tom and Jane chowed down on dishes that Tom said could have easily served two or three people.  We're both excited that injera has come to Howard County, and Tom says the food was delicious and an adventure.

If you like clicking around for local opinions, keep an eye out for the most-recent Howard Magazine.  It's a cool cover shot about O'mak Designs in Savage Mill that takes advantage of the mill's brick.  Inside, you'll find an article about the new Friends & Farms in Columbia that sells weekly food baskets that they fill by contracting with farmers.  You'll also see a feature on three great local food blogs -- Jackie Gonzalez-Feezer's La Casa De Sweets, Victoria Budich's The Soffritto, and Elizabeth Brunetti's The Bare Midriff.

Those three -- along with others -- appear in the blog list in the right column.  Most of us stumbled together through the HoCoBlogs connection, and I love that Nikki Gamer wrote these three.

If you have ever thought about writing a blog -- for fun or for business -- then you should consider a one-day class that will be offered twice in early June.  David Hobby is a spectacular blogger, a really smart thinker, and a really nice guy.  He runs the Strobist blog from Columbia, and he is running one-day classes on June 7 and 8 in conjunction with HoCoBlogs.

Blogging is hard.  It's great fun, but it takes far more time than I would have imagined.  For $169, Hobby will talk to you about how to think about writing and running the blog.  It's a bargain if you think a blog might help your business.  It'll be a fun day if you just want to blog as a hobby.  Or like a Hobby.

Please let me know if you see a link to the Howard Magazine articles.  I can't find the articles, and I can't figure out the magazine's on-line strategy.  I'm happy to link when they post on-line.

My Dream Of Whole Foods: Chicken Sausage

Pork andouille, chicken andouille, chicken brat, pork brat with hot dogs in back

We're still more than a year from the opening of the Columbia Whole Foods, but I have begun to dream -- and I dream of chicken sausage.

We hosted friends Sunday and centered the meal around sausages.  I learned to two things:  1) the bottled gas runs out on your busiest day and 2) people jump at good chicken sausages.

We had an array of links, including pork sweet Italian and pork andouille from Laurel Meat Market.  But I had bought more than two dozen chicken sausages at the Harbor East Whole Foods, and people jumped at the chance to eat the chicken bratwurst and chicken andouille.

Whole Foods makes great chicken sausages.  They're delicious.  They're zesty.  And they're leaner so you can eat two with so qualms.  (At least, you can eat two after you have rushed the second round of raw sausages off the quickly-cooling grill and onto a cast iron pan in the kitchen.  Mrs. HowChow opened windows avoid repeating last summer's visit from the firemen.)

I'm a huge proponent of sausages.  I have promoted them as the gateway drug to try local butchers and ethnic markets.  I recommend mixing the Laurel Meat Market hot Italian into both meatballs and into double-ground "firecracker" burgers.  And I relish a great pork sausage with great relish.

But I don't understand why Whole Foods and Harris Teeter are the only places where I find really good chicken sausage.  I like the raw links that you can cook whole or break up into pasta sauce or other dishes.  The chicken ones can have almost all the flavor with a fraction of the grease, and they convert sausages into something that I can eat regularly.

Apparently, I'm in the minority.  Laurel Meat Market makes a wonderful array of sausages -- hot Italian, sweet Italian, peppers & onions, bratwurst, etc. -- but they said they discontinued chicken sausages because they didn't sell that well.  Whole Foods often has four or six varieties in their butcher shop, and they're a variation from the Teeter's hot Italian.  I load up when we visit, and they'll get me into the store -- and buying -- when the Columbia Whole Foods opens in 2014.

The last timeline that I saw were the initial press releases that -- as reported in the Columbia Patch -- said the Whole Foods was aiming at late summer or fall 2014.  

Use A $10 Discount To Try RG's BBQ Cafe

Use a discount as an excuse, and you'll be going back to RG's BBQ Cafe in Laurel for the food.

I wrote about RG's BBQ Cafe on Tuesday.  I loved ribs, collars and corn bread.  Other people have snapped up specials like bacon-wrapped quail and barbecued lamb shank.  This is new management for the U.S. 1 barbecue spot, and it's serious folks.

So use today's Groupon as an excuse.  Rob pointed it out to me.  For $10, you can feast on $20 of barbecue some time in the next four months.  Stop in.  I think you'll be happy to go back at full price.

Looking For Farms Or Farm Stands?

Spring is the season to start thinking about eating and getting outside.  You can put them together by shopping at farms or farm stands, and AnnieRie helps make that happen.

Annie -- who blogs at AnnieRie Unplugged -- has created a FourSquare map with a bunch of Howard County farms and stands.  The map is a nice place for inspiration, and AnnieRie has been posting about farms around the area.

First Thoughts: RG's BBQ Cafe in Laurel

Spare ribs, collards and corn bread

You have a high-end chef trying to lay low in Laurel -- dishing up barbecue that is very worth the drive to U.S. 1.

You'll know them because it'll be the only hole-in-the-wall dining room that shows the Food Network.

You'll also know them for the food.  Smokey, seared spare ribs, light corn bread, and the best collard greens that I remember eating.

That was my first platter, and it only suggests more good things to find on that menu.  RG's BBQ Cafe is a new restaurant in the U.S. 1 building that used to be the Bar-B-Que House.  It's the same casual spot with counter service and a small dining room.  But it's a new operation.

It's an operation run by Robert Gadsby -- former executive chef at the Biltmore Hotel in LA and a 2007 contestant on Iron Chef America.  I had noticed the new signs, but Gadsby seems to be running a low-key operation with a Groupon, but no new Web site.

He's not going low on the food.  My $14 platter centered on spare ribs -- meaty ribs with a firm bite and smokey flavor.  It was a huge half rack, but the side dishes were the real shock.  Generous portions of special food.  Corn bread with full flavor and the lightest texture.  Collard greens cooked to perfect tenderness and an earthy tone.

If you're honest, you'll admit that the best part of many collard greens is the meat.  I'll dig around good greens to find a burnt end or some other pork.  But RG's greens may be vegetarian.  At least, I didn't see any meat.  I just forked up greens.  It takes real talent to make something that simple taste so delicious.  I ate dinner watching Chopped on the television, and I'm sure that my meal beat everything in the show.

I'm excited to eat more at RG's BBQ Cafe.  This is on my way home, so I'll work through the pulled pork, the baby back ribs, maybe the burger.  There are hot dogs, which I would normally skip but might be special if they're done like the collard greens.

Gadsby is the chef who appears to be taking over the Venegas Prime Filet in Fulton.  I need a lookout to watch for a new menu at Venegas.  MoCo wrote a comment last week, saying that folks at Venegas said the new menu could be coming in the next week.  Has anyone seen it?  Tasted it?

RG's BBQ Cafe
9990 N. Washington Street (U.S. 1)

Laurel, MD 20723

(301) 604-2333

NEAR:  RG's BBQ Cafe is the old Bar-B-Que House on U.S. 1 in Laurel.  It's north of Main Street where U.S. 1 has split into separate north-bound and south-bound lanes.  RG's BBQ Cafe is on the south-bound side.

Fried Chicken From Honey Chicken In Catonsville

Fried chicken and pork at Honey Chicken

Once upon a time, we had to go to Woodbine for special fried chicken.  Now, the crispy treat is running up and down Rte 40.

The newest entry is Honey Chicken -- a counter in the new Lotte in Catonsville -- and we used a Groupon for an entire platter of chicken and pork.  Some wings, some legs, pork cutlets stuffed with cheese, and a mix of spicy and mild white-meat.

This is a nice addition to the Korean fried chicken at Tian Chinese Cuisine and Bon Chon in Ellicott City.  It's not a restaurant.  It's more a lunch spot.  Or takeout.  We ate our chicken at one of the two tables before shopping at Lotte.

Our favorite of the Honey Pig chicken was the white meat nuggets.  Mrs. HowChow generally prefers white meat, but I usually go wings.  I snapped up the bite-sized pieces.  The spicy wasn't that hot -- nothing like Bon Chon's over-the-top.  But I bought an extra hot sauce to spice it up.

The Honey Chicken sits next to the Honey Pig Dumpling counter.  They're both great spots to eat before you fill your shopping cart.  They're also good for takeout.  A little steam reheats the dumplings, and the chicken stayed crisp even after a little while in the oven.

Honey Chicken (aka Honey Pig Chicken)
6600 Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville, MD 21228
(443) 341-6355

NEAR: Honey Chicken is inside the Lotte Supermarket on Rte 40 in Catonsville. It's an easy drive from Ellicott City. Lotte is on the left side just after the first car dealerships. Inside Lotte, go to the left wall. Honey Chicken is next to the Honey Pig Dumpling stand.

Is Cindy Wolf Considering A Spot in Columbia?

I always weigh whether to write about rumors.  This blog is a hobby meant to share foods and news, so I have two major rules on rumors:  only good news, only rumors about big-time people.

This qualifies:  Cindy Wolf may be opening a restaurant on the lake in downtown Columbia, specifically in the space that used to be Red Pearl next to Sushi Sono and across from Clyde's.

It started with an anonymous comment earlier today that says people are talking about Wolf opening a French restaurant.  But I worked out a few other things that make me think this is true.  Certainly, the Howard Hughes folks have big plans for the Red Pearl space, what with the nearby Whole Foods slated for 2014.  I'm hoping that other people might know more details -- or even be able to get someone to officially confirm the news.

Plus, I'm full up with Cindy Wolf excitement.  In a coincidence, we ate dinner last night at Petit Louis, the current French outpost of the Tony Foreman and Cindy Wolf empire.  A blowout for us and worth every dollar.  They run spectacular restaurants.  With almost no inherent interest in French food, I had a wonderful night.  Great food.  Great wine.  Great people.

Mrs. HowChow and I ate at their first restaurant, Charleston, on one of our early dates.  The Foreman-Wolf hallmark is great food, but it's the wait staff that feels almost unique -- serious about food, but friendly to everyone.  They know when to talk food in detail.  They know when to leave you alone.  Last night, our Petit Louis waitress looked impossibly young, and she handled us perfectly with real advice and a light touch -- figuring out quickly that she had overestimated our knowledge of wine, then suggesting terrific glasses.

A Foreman-Wolf restaurant would be great fun in Columbia.  That Red Pearl space was big for a Chinese restaurant, but I assume it could handle a higher-end space.  I hope it would be a good neighbor to Sushi Sono.

New Restaurants Are Coming (& Some Are Here); Tigi's Ethiopian, Highland, B&B, Shilla And More

Indian coming to Fulton

'Tis the season for new restaurants.  Tigi's Ethiopian has opened on Rte 40, reports Bella.  That's the first Ethiopian in the county as far as I know.

But it won't be the last new restaurant around here.

We have an entire list of places under construction, including the Highland Inn in Highland, Bean & Burgandy Cafe in Ellicott City, the unnamed Indian restaurant in Fulton, and the Shilla bakery and Ernesto's Fine Mexican on Rte 40.

Tigi's is on my "to do" list -- along with the chicken bulgogi that Kristi found at Lighthouse Tofu.

Anyone know more news?  Opening dates?  Menu plans?  I see a few Web sites that say "coming soon," but I don't know any more.

Weekend Plan: Sweet, Sweet, Springtime

Thomas Waffles!  Clarkville!

Sweet springtime has arrived, and you can sweeten your weekend with a few short drives.

Thomas Waffles sets up Saturday morning in the parking lot of Kendall Hardware on Rte 108 in Clarksville.  It's a terrific treat.  It's a nice inspiration to get up and start your chores -- get a waffle on your way to buy that grass seed, pick up some mulch, etc.

I'm trying to restart a Friday series with ideas for your weekend.  Three links on a theme to inspire you to get around:

• Start your day with Touche Touchet in Columbia.  Chocolate croissants, cookies, cakes and more.  It's an easy drive off Rte 29, and it's a great place for a treat.
• Top off dinner with black cherry ice at Rita's Italian Ice.  The King's Contrivance location has great shady seating, but my favorite night is dinner at Maiwand Kabob in Harper's Choice and then a walk across the parking lot for black cherry gelati.
• Check out the La Casa de Sweets blog -- our local dessert blog where Jackie posts recipes.

Vote For Howard County's Best Restaurants

You can vote on Howard County's best restaurants in Howard Magazine's annual survey of the best places to eat.

The survey is now on-line, and you can vote through May 1 on the Sun's Web site.  New categories:  Best cupcakes and best seafood.

Thanks for Jim who noted the link in a comment.

Comments About Xitomate, Pure WIne Patio, And Recs For Sausage, Growlers And Chinese

Dumplings at Curry & Kabobs

People keep hitting up Xitomate, the new Mexican in Columbia.  They're working through the menu and offering some advice -- S., Stephanie and Clayton all had nice things to say, but concerns about heat and spiciness.

That's the fun of HowChow comments.  People offering advice and news.  Wendi emailed that the deli appears open at the new Randy and Steve's food store.  She also said gave more information about the new patio coming to Pure Wine Cafe:

Pure is in our (Alexander Design Studio's) retail space on Main Street. In addition to the patio space (and how great is that going to be?), there will be a small dining mezzanine and additional bathroom. I believe there may also be a wine cave that takes advantage of the unique site challenges that you run into when the building is built into a hill with large boulders and bedrock.

The work has been going on for a few months and now but I think we are really in the home stretch. There was a new door cut through the building for patio access. Drywall is up. Paint is going on the new walls. Tile is going down.

But there is more!  People post comments and questions.  It's a great place to learn -- or to give answers to folks in need.

• Where do you buy crawfish? Mallory wants a crawfish boil, but hasn't seen them at Wegmans.
• Perrik, Baltimore Eats and others answered my question about chicken bulgogi -- spots in Wheaton, Baltimore and even Lotte.

The Columbia Clyde's Has Reopened

Has the Clyde's open on the lakefront in Columbia?

They're renovating the Clyde's, but Clayton emailed me to say people seemed to be eating dinner there last night.  Exterior construction was continuing, but people seemed to be eating inside.

Anyone know the details?

(Update:  Clyde's is open in Columbia.  See the comments.)