Meatballs and Polenta at Tomato Palace in Columbia. The star of this dish is the soft parmesan polenta. Buttery and cheesy, it goes wonderfully with the homemade meatballs. The tomato sauce and sprinkle of parmesan have to be included in every bit to get the full experience. The fresh baked garlic knots, house salad, and chicken rigatoni are all incredible. Who doesn't love the Tomato Palace that grew up in Howard County?
Tortilla Soup at El Azteca in Clarksville. Chicken and vegetables in a flavorful broth topped with fresh avocado and crispy tortilla strips. Can't forget the sprinkle of melted cheese. I sometimes think about driving out to Clarksville just to get this soup.
Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzel Slims. An embarrassing portion of my paycheck goes to Trader Joe's in Columbia every month. I sometimes wish I had never discovered these dark chocolate pretzel slims. They have the salty/sweet combination that is extremely addicting. You can find them in the most overwhelming aisle of the store with the frozen items and sweet treats.
Trolling on Tuesday is my
attempt at a series where readers would share three things with other
HowChow readers -- favorite restaurant dishes, food to buy, food
experiences, etc. Click here for all the Trolling posts. Click here for the explanation and the rules. Anyone
can submit.
I thought the Tomato Palace had closed. Is the one at the Lakefront in Columbia still open?
ReplyDeleteLove Trader Joes!
I won't be surprised if they are still open. People seem to gravitate to the place despite the inedible food. I have to agree that the meatballs and polenta are good. But everything else is tasteless and greasy.
ReplyDeleteHowChow, this note's for you --- why no review of The Rumor Mill?
Tomato Palace next to Sushi Sono is still open.
ReplyDeleteits refreshing that people are saving your blog with these types of posts, mr how chow.
ReplyDeleteIt appears your typical commentary on pink soda at mexican foodmarts is growing quite stale. Time for some new material that matters.
Troll on.
We had dinner at TP on Saturday night and were very happy. Good food, great service and awesome dinner rolls.
ReplyDelete-wb
Hehe, the haters always make my day. They are so passionate and committed about their hating. I always imagine them sitting in McDonald's, feeling sorry for the rest of us because we can't understand the superiority of a Big Mac, having nothing else to do, so why not bash howchow over the free wifi.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great blog to elicit such feelings of love and hate. And that's without even trying. HowChow is actually very conscientious when it comes to sticking to his non-negativity policy.
But if the blog went away, Mr. Anonymous Hater, then you wouldn't be able to complain about it anymore!
ReplyDeleteOr Ms. Anonymous Hater. I shouldn't gender-discriminate.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's not a traditional, old-school, Little Italy joint, but the baked house cannelloni at Tomato Palace (either with marinara and mozzarella or with pink/white sauce and parmesan or, for those who throw calories to the wind, the pink/white and mozzarella) is probably my favorite Italian dish anywhere.
ReplyDeleteDoes it mean you are old if you think of the Tomato Palace as "that new Italian place on the waterfront?"
ReplyDeleteTomato Palace is one of our favorite restaurants to go to for one of their many delicious salads. Especially love the gorganzola salad. The meatball/polenta dish is wonderful and we also enjoy the calamari.
ReplyDeleteThank you for mentionning El Azteca!!!! I had never heard of it and went there last week after reading this post and OMG, the food was fabulous! I went there again last night and everything I tried on their menu was splendid again. This is definitely my new favorite mexican place in Howard County.
ReplyDelete