Comments About "The Best," Lassis, Beer Joints, and The Diamondback Tavern

Time to return to the comment box and flag some feedback that you might have missed. As always, I appreciate all the comments. I especially enjoy helping people answer questions, and there are many that I can't do right.

First, Trip Klaus asked whether anyone knows where in Gaithersburg the second Coal Fire pizzeria will open. I had heard about Gaithersburg, but I don't know the exact address.

Second, Emily asked where can she get a great reuben in Howard County. Chuck said Charter Deli in Columbia. Etucker said Joe's Place Deli off Snowden River. Anyone else? Anyone? I'm still looking at these and at the NY Deli on Snowden itself.

If you can't answer Trip Klaus or Emily, you can still peruse all these other comments from the past few weeks:

• A few people -- Kristi, Eric, Kattrina, Snoopy and more -- did comment about their "best of Howard County choices," including votes for everything from Luna Bella to Niko to Pasta Blitz. Please check out my "best of" post and talk up your favorite restaurants or your favorite dishes in the comments there.
• My link to Kevin's post about Korea's Chinese Food in Ellicott City kicked off some feedback from Matthew -- including the observation that Chinese items are tucked in the back of any every Korean restaurant's menus.
• Ann (of the Kevin & Ann blog) identified the rice noodle wrappers that I loved at Shin Chon Garden. They're thin slices of dduk (rice cake).
• Marci says she liked Yogiberry -- which surprised me considering how she described the yogurt. Is that a good thing Marci? UhOhBadDog says he (?) liked the latte at the new Sidamo Coffee & Tea in Maple Lawn. Anonymous reminisced about shakes at the Duchess.
• Nakiya (of the Taste of Baltimore blog), Kattrina and Radha chimed in about lassis -- salt, mango and rose water.
• People jumped into the post about the Union Jacks slated to replace That's Amore in Columbia. The consensus: It's competition for the Green Turtle and Looney's -- aimed more for the scene than the food.
• Alberto Flores put a spot on my "to do" list by talking up the Mexican food in the Shell station at Rte 175 and U.S. 1. Mrs. HowChow laughed when I pointed out the station to her. She wanted a picture so that she could show her friends the nutty places that her husband suggests to eat.
• Sori shared my rave of the bulgogi panini at Riverside Coffee. Jim joined my crusade to promote Bon Fresco, talking up the sirloin steak sandwich. DZoey and Kevin shared my assessment of Oakey's, although Bill thinks it is great and talked up the grilled chicken sandwich and the turkey club.
• But Anonymous had a bad night at Iron Bridge Wine Company.
• Kristi commented up a storm -- talking up the gyros and chicken diablo at Hickory Ridge Grill, the hush puppies at Kloby's, and the dim sum at Oriental East and New Fortune in Gaithersburg for dim sum,
• And then the beer folks joined in. Caederus talked up Ellicott Mills Brewing -- especially for mixing beer and kid-friendly. Jeff liked Dog House Pub. Other folks went back and forth on Frisco Grille. (And Anonymous actually went to Frisco Grille after being frustrated by waiting 20 minutes for a table at Azul 17. Of course, that was followed by Jus' rave for Azul 17 for the margaritas and the lounge experience.)
• Lyss offered constructive criticism to Sarah and Desmond's Bakery Cafe -- have muffins on Sunday mornings. Anonymous joined in and said Lyss hsoudl give them another try.
• And finally, Renfield reported on the Diamondback Tavern in Ellicott City. I'm still holding a gift certificate, there had been a short anonymous comment about the shepherd's pie. But then Renfield wrote a longer post, starting with "the restaurant is better than the food, if that makes any sense:"

I've been there twice. I found the restaurant is better than the food, if that makes sense. The food wasn't bad, and I like their commitment to local ingredients, but I haven't found the food to be particularly memorable either. Below is the review I left on TripAdvisor after our first time:

"I was kind of nervous about the location, tucked onto a windy street in Ellicott City's historic Main Street, particularly since we had my elderly mother with us. But dropping her off proved to be no problem at all, nor was finding convenient parking in the lot across the street. The dining room was booked for a private event, but the bar area proved to be very pleasant and had roomy seating. Our server/bartender Dustin was very knowledgeable and charming throughout the evening. They have a good draft selection including popular and local favorites. My wife was pleased to see they had Scotch eggs and was sure to order some for an appetizer. My mother commented on the fresh onion rings and was informed that almost everything was made in house. My mother enjoyed her flaky fish and chips (is everybody serving them with just one large fillet now?) My wife really enjoyed her savory brisket sandwich. I wish I had enjoyed my meal. I ordered the Low Country Shrimp and Grits. The grits were buttery and had a good texture, but the shrimp had tough skin. Perhaps that is how they are supposed to come out in this particular dish, but I just felt like they had spent too long under a heat lamp. So my dish may not have been great, but when we go back next time, I'll order something else, because we enjoyed the entire experience enough that we want to spend more time exploring their menu."