Fuji On Rte 40 May Be Closing This Weekend

Fuji Restaurant on Rte 40 may be closing this weekend.  That's what Jean heard and reported by email.  She has heard that it will close Saturday and be replaced by another restaurant.

Fuji is a nice, small Japanese restaurant, and it has been on Rte 40 for about 20 years, according to Jean.

What Could Have Been At Bistro Blanc

Burgers at Bistro Blanc

Just for the record, they invited me for burgers at Bistro Blanc.

The mass email on Wednesday promoted half-priced burgers, and I made an impulse decision to go to Glenelg for gourmet beef and beer.

It could have been great.  The pickle was awesome.  The dehydrated mushrooms were inspired.  Some of the fries were the perfect  execution that you'd want in a high-end restaurant -- scattered with melted parmesan and served with sweet roasted garlic cloves.

But the night had collapsed by the time those arrived.

Five minutes waiting for them to set the table we had reserved.  Five minutes standing at the empty bar hoping in vain someone could tell me about the beers.  Forty minutes after ordering that we waited for our meal.

Forty minutes, and we weren't alone.  At one point, there were only two tables with food, and everyone else was waiting.  The table next to us waited longer than we did, and they were actually told "We ran out of buns.  They're bringing more from the supermarket.  They'll be here in four minutes."  Then the waiter promised a cheese plate that no one delivered.

By the end, the entire staff had given up.  Our waitress just apologized.  Clearly, something had gone wrong in back.  Really wrong.  We knew immediately that the burgers were medium rare, not medium well.  We just couldn't endure sending them back.  Mrs. HowChow ended up leaving the raw center on her plate.  One of the "supermarket" burgers must have been similar because the other table did send it back.

We have friends who really enjoy Bistro Blanc.  We even loved bits of the meal like those pickles, the mushrooms, sprouts and lettuce garnishes, and the bread basket.  But we have had a series of sloppy, disappointing dinners, including an epic failure in 2009.  We couldn't get over last night's experience -- a lonely 40 minutes and badly-cooked meat.

Most of the time, poor meals just disappear for us.  We recommend good things on HowChow and just don't mention the disappointments.  But Bistro Blanc wants to be something special.  That burger normally costs $14.  It can't be raw on the night when they invite people over for burgers.

LinK: One Dish Cuisine In The WPost

The Ellicott City cafe that focuses on gluten-free options got a nice write-up in the Washington Post yesterday.  The author -- whose name I can't see in the on-line version -- interviewed One Dish Cuisine's owner Maureen Burke and talked up the black bean burger.

What Does Gambrill Have That We Don't Have? Pretty Great Chicken By A South African Chain

Nando's Peri-Peri in Gambrills

Nando's Peri-Peri Chicken is coming to Gambrills, and I have to admit that I'm jealous.

Nando's is a chain from South Africa that sells spectacular chicken.  Really great wings.  Huge,  meaty wings grilled perfectly and offered up with sauces that run from mild to screaming-hot.  They do full chickens, salads, sandwiches and wraps (and great olives), but the 10 whole wings has been a major treat when I meet people for lunch in Gallery Place.  They rank equal to my favorites at Kloby's -- and they're grilled, not fried.

Now Nando's is coming to Baltimore with one spot on Baltimore Street and a spot opening today . . . wait for it . . . in Gambrills.

I know a bunch of people commute over to Anne Arundel County, so I heartily recommend eating at Nando's.  I'll drive 30 minutes to Gambrills for those wings one evening soon.  (The Nando's folks turned me away from a soft open yesterday because they were quite reasonably feeding just people who had made reservations.)  That food makes a worthy lunch if you work anywhere nearby.

But I must admit some jealousy because I don't know why Nando's would bypass our fair county for Gambrills.  In the past week, I have driven twice along Rte 3, and it makes Rte 175 look cosmopolitan.  The Nando's PR folks are lovely, and even they can't find Gambrills.  They write that they're opening the restaurant in "Waugh Chapel."

Waugh Chapel is a big shopping center with a Target, Dick's Sporting Goods, Joseph A. Banks and Five Below.  Hello?  Sound horribly familiar?  If you travelled from South Africa in search of that kind of shopping, Howard County is your type of town!  Nando's and Lebanese Taverna -- those are the chains that I'm rooting will roost around here.

Nano's Peri-Peri
1417 Main Chapel Way
Gambrills, MD 21054

NEAR:  This is actually easy to find -- and easy to reach just east of Odenton and 30 minutes from most of Howard County.  Go east on Rte 32.  Take Rte 3 south.  Then get off on Main Chapel Way and look for the Waugh Chapel shopping center.  If you go, mention loudly that you're from Howard County.  We want to get a Nando's in the second wave.

New Indian Restaurant Breaks Ground In Fulton

Site of the new Fulton restaurant from the folks behind the Ambassador

The folks behind the Ambassador in Baltimore have broken ground on a new Indian restaurant in Fulton -- inside the Maple Lawn development just off Johns Hopkins Road.

You can see above that they're moving dirt.  The Maple Lawn developers announced in May that this would be an Indian restaurant.  The talk has been about a white tablecloth place along the lines of the Ambassador.

Does anyone know a timetable?  Or even the name proposed for the new restaurant?  This is on Maple Lawn Boulevard just south of Johns Hopkins Road.

Interestingly, Indian is already one of the deepest cuisines in Howard County.  Earlier this year, I wrote about the "Big Three" and the depth of Indian choices from Mango Grove, House of India, Royal Taj, and more.

New "Garbanzo" Pita Chain Coming To Columbia

A new chain appears to be coming to Columbia with fresh-baked pita, falafel and schwarma -- according to a sign spotted by Lotsabogeys.

The sign near the Walmart and My Eye Doctor at Rte 175 and Dobbin Road says "Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill," Lotsabogeys reported.  It looks like a national franchise doing a Chipotle-style "build-your-own lunch" plan with Middle Eastern inspiration.

Anyone know the food?  Anyone know the timing?  Thanks to Lotsabogeys.

(Update: The Columbia Patch called the Garbanzo headquarters and has details, including a February 2013 opening date.)

New Lotte In Catonsville -- Honey Pig's Steamed Dumplings Headline A Party For Food Lovers

New Lotte in Catonsville

If you love food, then you should be checking out the new Lotte Market in Catonsville this weekend -- with a first stop at the Honey Pig dumpling stand on the left-hand wall.

Lotte is a new Asian market on Rte 40.  Great produce.  Great seafood.  Wide aisle after wide aisle of food from America, Korea, South Asia, Latin America and around the world.  I just loaded up the fridge with fun, and I'll post more next week.

Wang mandu from Honey Pig

You will not be disappointed.  They were sampling dumplings, noodles, and more around the store -- to the delight of Mrs. HowChow -- and you can nose around from sweets to meats, Japanese noodles to Indian banana chips.  (See this post about reasons to shop Asian markets.)

The Honey Pig dumpling stand is a new extension of the barbecue chain.  Steamed dumplings -- wang mandu in Korean -- stuffed with chicken, bulgogi, pork or other fillings.  They're $2.  They're the size of a softball.  And they're delicious.

We got a chicken mandu just as Honey Pig sold out tonight.  Shredded chicken cooked with . . . .  Oh, dear.  We ate with plastic spoons so quickly that I didn't take notes.  It was a bright, rich flavor, and we will be going back for more.

Thanks for Kevin, who tipped us to the Honey Pig mandu.

(Update:  Honey Pig Dumpking closed later in 2013.  The Lotte remains open and wonderful.  They installed a casual Korean restaurant where Honey Pig had sold dumplings and then fried chicken.)

Lotte Catonsville
6600 Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville, MD 21228
410 - 750 - 3951

NEAR: Lotte Catonsville is on Rte 40 just over the bridge into Baltimore County.  It's on the left, and they renamed the shopping center as Lotte Plaza so it's easy to spot.

Ale House Has Opened -- HowChow Folks There

The new Ale House Columbia has opened off Dobbin Road in Columbia.  This is the former Rocky Run, which they ripped back to the studs and renovated.

Timothy stopped in yesterday for lunch and knocked off an awesome update for HowChow readers.  This has turned into a week of new opening announcements.  Timothy has provided the first report from the new Ale House, and he got a great lunch on takeout:

I just got back from ordering lunch to-go from the new Alehouse in Columbia (the former Rocky Run). I wanted to stop by to get a feel for the place since I enjoy going to many of our local bars, namely T-Bonz, Frisco and Judges Bench. The Alehouse wins the proximity war to both my home and office, so even if the food was just "okay" there was a very good chance I would frequent it often. 

The good news is that I may have just had the best burger I have ever eaten. I ordered their "Classic Bacon Cheeseburger" to-go since I was on a quick break, and I had a small Olivers Stout to tide me over while I waited. Note that there appears to be choice in 10, 16 and 23oz pours for each draft, but I could not confirm because the draft menu's were still printing when I arrived. That size choice is familiar at a place like TGI Friday's but lacking from our more specialized watering holes thus far. 

Lotte Opening New Catonsville Store Friday

The new giant Lotte on Rte 40 should open this Friday, and I'm pretty excited for the new option just a quick run east of Howard County.

The Lotte at Rte 29 in Ellicott City will stay open, but the new Lotte replaced an entire Toys R' Us so it's bigger and was slated to have even more international goods, last that I had heard.  It sounded like the new store would be more like H Mart, where the goods from Mexican to Thai, Pakistani to Chinese.  Of course, they have a heavy concentration of Korean items.

I'm looking to cook from Andrea Nguyen's Asian Dumplings, so this is particularly good timing for me.  I have posted about Asian markets in the past.  If you go, explore the produce, the fish section, and some basics -- like Japanese noodles, the frozen dumplings, or the Korean snack foods.

New Waffle Shop Opens On Frederick Road

Looking for waffles and coffee in Ellicott City?  There appears to be a new place on Frederick Road just west of Rte 29.

Adam found a new cafe that may to have the name "Waffee" or "Waffles, Coffee And Ice Cream" in the spot that used to be Comzy Time.  Adam -- who blogs at Option Pitch and Waffle Crisp -- says he noticed the new cafe near Oakey's Grill.

I walked in and they seem to be all about Belgian “Liege” waffles with combos for waffles, coffee, and Affogato (which, their flyer tells me, is Italian mascarpone ice cream and espresso).  And, in an homage to Howard County diversity only its residents can appreciate, the mixture of Belgian waffles and Italian coffee and ice cream is run by what looked to be an exclusively Korean staff.

Has anyone eaten at the new cafe?  MaybeKathy and Lintman, is this the place that you commented about?  Any know the right name?  We had another new waffle spot in the La Pearl waffle truck that has been driving about.  We need to try new stuff.

Peruvian Chicken Is Coming Back To Columbia

Peruvian chicken is coming back to Columbia -- at the same Hickory Ridge village center spot where it used to be.

Signs for Grille Chick 'N Pollo say that they're coming soon.  They're in the backside spot where the old Chick 'N Pollo used to be.  Jeremy sent me the photo above.  It looks like a similar place advertising roasted chickens.  I hope that they'll have plantains and the antichuchos.

Does anyone know the story or timeline for the new Grille Chick 'N Pollo?

(Update: The signs now say that they'll open on January 3, 2013.  Amanda posted photos on the HowChow Facebook page.)

What Howard County Needs: Shave Ice & Whole Foods (Or "What I Learned On WInter Vacation")

Shave ice on Maui

Snowballs are a wonderful tradition for Baltimore, but I'd drive a long way for the Hawaiian variation called shave ice.

It's Hawaiian so you can't drive.  But someone could definitely import a real shave ice machine and make a name offering the beauty of flavored snow.

Snowballs and other stands here serve up crunchy ice flavored with candy-colored syrups.  The Hawaiian ice machines grind finer.  The ice really feels like the fluffiest snow, and the syrups just spread into the ice.  Nothing pools on the bottom.

Ululani's in Kihei

At the top end, chains like Ululani's pour flavored syrups that they make themselves.  Basic fruits like banana, strawberry, and watermelon.  Tropicals like mangos, lychees, and passion fruit.  Exotics like tamarind or "tiger's blood."  They really taste like fruit, and the fluffy snow makes them completely unique.  

Okay, I'll say it:  It makes them better than snowballs.  (I love you snowballs.  But I have to speak the truth.)

They're getting about $5 a cone on Maui -- plus another dollar if you get coconut or macadamia ice cream on the bottom.  (And you have to get the ice cream on the bottom.)  It seems like someone could import a machine and skim a little of the frozen yogurt trend into a profitable business.  

A few summers ago, Mrs. HowChow and I found the snowy soft shave ice at an Artscape vendor, but we haven't seen it again.  I see Yelp reviews for Hula Honey's that looks like a mobile vendor or a food truck.  I'll need to campaign for a Howard County visit next summer.

Surprisingly, the other lesson that I learned on vacation was that I can't wait for Whole Foods to open in Columbia in 2014.  We stumbled on a Whole Foods one morning when we were heading out on a day-long drive, and we bought delicious sandwiches that we ate sitting on a black-sand beach.

Even without the beach, Whole Foods is going to bring some stuff that just doesn't exist here now.  The prepared foods were wonderful.  We stopped again and filled our hotel refrigerator with lunches -- poke and tortilla chips, then hummus, cheeses, olives and grilled vegetables.  

In Hawaii, these were delicious alternatives to hotel restaurants.  Back in Howard County, the prepared food will be a convenience, but the meats and fish will be my big draw.  Harris Teeter's spicy chicken sausage remains a great staple, but Whole Foods sometimes offers a half dozen chicken sausage variations.  Grill them.  Cut them in pasta sauce.  Crumble spicy ones into tacos.  I can't wait.

Variation On A Plan At Shin Chon Garden

Chapchae at Shin Chon

Our standard order at Shin Chon Garden has become so standard that it's the basis of a "Korean 101" post and a bit of a bore.

Don't get me wrong.  You won't ever go wrong with four people eating dolset bi bim bop and some grilling their own meat.  But we go to Shin Chon enough that we wanted to venture into other dishes.

New variation: Order chapchae as an alternative to bi bim bop.

Chapchae is a Korean staple that should be easy for anyone to try.  It's thin noodles served warm and dressed in a light sauce with vegetables and, if you want, a little marinated beef.  We went on a Friday night as a twosome, so we didn't sit at a barbecue table.

Barley tea

I've been trying other restaurants on Rte 40 -- like Tongnamoo House and Han Sung -- but Shin Chon is still our far ahead favorite.  The chapchae was fresh and light, although so filling that we couldn't finish all the noodles, mushrooms and other vegetables.  We paired it with dolset bi bim bop because I save my pork belly orders for nights when I can barbecue at the table.

The standard chapchae comes with a few pieces of marinated grilled meat to mix in the noodles.  If you want a vegetarian meal, just tell the Shin Chon staff.  Vegetarian chapchae or bi bim bop are easy, and a vegetarian pancake would help you fill a table for four.

Seriously, Shin Chon is one of Howard County's best restaurants, so check out the Korean 101 post for step-by-step thoughts for a first visit.  Or skim all the Shin Chon posts.  Shin Chon's waitresses will generally offer ice water for the table.  Ask them for tea if you want hot barley tea.  It's free so you should try it.  You'll get a large plastic glass of hot tea.  Traditional and a way to warm up on a cold night.

Link: Judge's Bench Is A Best Bar in Baltimore

A team of hardcore lushes Baltimore Magazine writers checked out bars around Baltimore, and the Judge's Bench in Ellicott City made their list of the 25 best bars.

The best bars are the cover story for the December edition, and, to my pleasure, the writers skipped the trope about how no one would expect to get good beer in the suburbs.  They talked up the ambiance and the beers at Judge's Bench.

Baltimore Magazine even invites you to jump in the bar review game -- asking you to vote for your favorite bars in its online poll.  They're running a similar restaurant poll where you can vote for your favorite places to eat.

Link: Ale House Columbia To Open Dec. 10

The new Ale House Columbia will open around December 10 -- and aims to kick off with a celebration on December 14, reports Andrew Metcalf in the Columbia Patch.  This is a branch of the Pratt Street Ale House in Baltimore.  Andrew has some details about construction and hiring.

Noodles Corner, Nominated For Best Chinese?

Mrs. HowChow photographs Noodles Corner

Things change.  On the down side, Red Pearl has closed in Columbia.  On the up side, Mrs. HowChow now loves to photograph her food.

A new cell phone has made the wife unembarrassed about snapping dinners in restaurants, but Red Pearl's closing has left us without a favorite place for Chinese food in Howard County.

The dim sum hole will need to be filled by Asian Court in Ellicott City.  For the rest of the menu, I'm staring the nominations with Noodles Corner in Columbia.  The bright, casual spot off Dobbin Road has a second menu with "authentic" Chinese, and we have eaten bright, fresh dishes that just feel different than most Chinese joints.

Fish in XO sauce.  Mixed seafood with crisp vegetables, shrimp, mock crab, and squid.  An eggplant cooked in a sauce that was all flavor, no grease or clump.  We tend to order three dishes with the plan to take home at least two extra meals.  The "authentic" menu is in English, so you can order with confidence -- especially if you check Yelp for advice from people like Yaka H. who go into details.

Is Noodles Corner as spectacular as Grace Garden in Odenton?  No.  That's one of my favorite places.  But it's closer, and dishes range from the zesty hot pots to a simple, earthy bok choy and mushrooms.   This looks like our takeout spot on cold winter nights.

Who else has nominations?  What Chinese kitchen do you like best?  What do you order there?

I have posted many times about Chinese food, including the Chinese food of Korea like Tian Chinese Cuisine. I even wrote a 2010 overview of Chinese restaurants.  Give me new suggestions, and I'll work through them.

La Pearl Waffles Truck Has Hit Howard County

La Pearl photo -- stolen from their Web iste

There is a waffle truck driving around Howard County, and you can track it on Twitter for a sweet hit of Belgium.

La Pearl Waffles is a three-year-old outfit that sells Belgian waffles.  Now, they have a truck, and they roll and cook to supplement a special-event and catering business.

Tomorrow, you can get waffles from 5 to 8 pm at 10611 Little Patuxent Parkway between Howard Community College and the Columbia Mall.  It looks like they have also stopped this month at Centennial Park, Best Buy, and some other spots.

The La Pearl Web site offers some delicious-sounding descriptions of the Belgian waffle and some boasts about how awesome and unique their waffles will be.  Sounds good enough to check out, although I can't be there tomorrow.  Track the La Pearl truck on the Web site or on Twitter.

Thanks to JoJo for the tip about the new truck in action.

Oh? An Loi Has Different Pho? Let's Go.

An Loi's pho with kimchi

Variation is the spice of life -- just be clear about out how much spice you want.

Vietnamese soup makes for a great dinner -- either a casual dinner out or great get-well takeout for home.  The standard pho -- which is pronounced "fugh" despite the bad "fo" puns above -- is a beef stock served with several beef options and an array of Thai basil, sprouts and sliced hot peppers that you can use to personalize the dish.

An Loi and Pho Dat Thanh in Columbia both do a fine pho.  I can't claim they match the amazing Vietnamese food that you could get in Northern Virginia.  But I enjoy my basic bowl with thin-sliced brisket and eye-round steak (#P4), and you can't beat dinner entrees at $7.

Two soups -- one with fried chicken

With several weeks of colds this fall, we filled several prescriptions at An Loi, and we went beyond the generic drugs.  Pho with kim chi (#P11) came first.  That can't be traditional Vietnamese, but the flavors paired nicely.  The sour spice of Korean cabbage contrasted with the stock, but it didn't take over.

Then we left the pho page all together for other Vietnamese soups.  Bun bo hue (#H8) comes with vermicelli noodles -- thicker than the regular rice versions.  Spicy soup.  Nose-clearing, virus-killing spicy.  It was exactly what I needed.

Mrs. HowChow mixed up and ordered hu tieu hoac mi ga xoi mo (#H3) -- a soup flavored with minced pork and served with crisp fried chicken on the side.  Cool variation.  Not chicken as special as you can get.  But still proof that you should work around An Loi's menu as well.

Anything else you like at An Loi or Pho Dat Thanh?  Mrs. HowChow likes the lemon grass chicken with noodle (#B6), although the spiciness can vary day-to-day.  Thai and Vietnamese are both great cuisines, and we have good places.  I'm still looking for the great dishes though.  (Updated: I fixed both mis-spellings. I think.)

Short Break

HowChow is on a short break.  Back after Thanksgiving.  Eat well.

Rebirth Of Peruvian Chicken, Donations At Looney's, Pop Up At Bistro Blanc, And More

Peruvian chicken may be coming back to the Hickory Ridge village center, according to Amanda who posted on the HowChow Facebook page that she spoke with a man working there Sunday.  He said they're looking to re-open under a new name in the Chick 'n Pollo space.

Check out the page for other comments -- including an offer from Looney's in Fulton to match any Hurricane Sandy donations and a post from Colleen linking to an article about R&R Taqueira.

In a similar vein, Bistro Blanc will run a special menu on Wednesday and try to raise money for hurricane victims.  They're calling it a "pop up" restaurant.  They brought back three chefs who used to work in the Glenelg kitchen, and you can read about the event on the restaurant's blog.

Bored At Home? Vote For Your Favorite Blogs

The Sun has opened the 2012 voting for the Mobbies awards.

You can jump onto the Sun Web site and vote for all your favorite blogs.  The lists are crowded this year, but you'll find HoCo Rising, Tales of Two Cities, 2 Dudes Who Love Food, La Casa de Sweets, Sarah Says and more.  You can even vote for HowChow.

Link: Three Local Spots Praised On Wine List

The users of Open Table voted on restaurants will great wine lists, and the Top 100 in the country includes three restaurants from Howard County, reports Richard Gorelick in the Sun.

Iron Bridge Wine Co., Aida Bistro and Bistro Blanc all made the Open Table list of "most notable wine lists."  The lists covers the entire country, and Gorelick reports that Maryland had nine slots -- the most of any state except California.  Congrats.

Food Finds: Best Cooking Ingredients 2012

Mini-cheeses from Roots

Wegmans has come to Columbia and changed the scene.  You could make 1000 meals shopping just among the breads, cheeses, meats, and prepared food, and I have written about our fun there.  But great shopping remains spread across Howard County, and you can find wonderful food at ethnic, organic and other markets from Highland to Ellicott City.

Earlier this fall, I wrote about the revolution of great bread in Howard County.  That's my top story for 2012.  But there are so many great ideas that I can still suggest almost everything from the 2010 and 2011 lists -- while offering up these 10 beauties that you can grab and bring home.  

• Make a cheese plate from the salad bar at Roots.  The cheese mongers at the Clarksville store sell small chunks of high-end selections at the salad bar.  One is a treat.  Three is a cheese plate.
• Indulge in a box of macarons at Linda's Bakery in Columbia. The newest bakery has improved its recipe, and the French pastries are light and fruity.

New Restaurant - Gluten Free - Opens In E. City

A new restaurant has opened on Hillsborough Road -- with a twist that its an entirely gluten-free menu, reports the Ellicott City Patch.

The One Dish Cuisine Cafe is in a residential area north of Rte 103.  The Patch reports that the company started delivering gluten free food to hospitals, health food stores like David's Natural Market, and elsewhere.  Now, they've opened the restaurant.

One Dish Cuisine Cafe, Deli & Bakery
8001 Hillsborough Rd
Taylor Village Center, 
Ellicott City, MD

Food Experiences: Best of Howard County 2012

Challah from Bon Fresco and Great Harvest

HowChow is more about food than restaurants, so it always feels more natural to recommend a list of cool experiences where you can work food into a day.

On this list, I have tried to replace half the items between each list for 2009, 2010, and 2011.  But some stuff just must be repeated -- like Larriland's pick-your-own.  

The Breadery's croissant

• Pick fruit at Larriland Farms in Woodbine.  You can't get better food than peaches and berries from the fields.   Go for the fruit and vegetables.  Go on a date.  Go with your kids.  Go to fill up for canning.  Just go to get outside.  Picnic option:  Pick up barbecue at the Town Grill on your way.
• Go try Korean food.  Howard County's unique cuisine is the Korean options along Rte 40.  You can get everything from barbecue to soup to tofu.  Read an overview post.  Start Korean 101 with bi bim bop and barbecue.  Or just scan the posts about Shin Chon Garden.  
• Challah from Bon Fresco.  Bring home a soft eggy loaf for your Friday dinner or your weekend French toast.

Links: Ale House Opens In Dec, Farmers Markets Stay Open To Nov, Beef Sandwiches, And More

The new Columbia Ale House will open in December, and some local farmers markets will stay open until November, according to some local blogs.

I love this new era where I can't link to every cool post about Howard County food.  Scan the blogroll in the right column and check in every once in a while.  If you do, you'll learn stuff like:

• Waitresses at the Pratt Street Ale House are saying the new Columbia version -- off Dobbin Road just south of Rte 175 -- will open in December, says Wordbones on Tales of Two Cities.
• Three of Howard County's five farmers markets will extend their season until just before Thanksgiving, reports AnnieRie on AnnieRie Unplugged.  Scan down.  She does great posts about local vegetables and meats.
• You can make your own beef sandwiches with Adam -- who talked up a hamburger recipe and Wegmans' weck rolls on Option Pitch and Waffle Crisp.

Check out the other blogs listed there.  Kitchen Scribble has been writing about their CSA and baby food.  The Soffritto has applesauce and soup recipes.  And there's more.

Has Red Pearl Closed?

Red Pearl in Columbia has closed and had the locks changed, reports Wordbones on the Tales of Two Cities blog.

I hadn't heard, but I confirmed that the phone isn't being answered.

Oh, no!  This was good Chinese.  I'd been there nights when it was packed and nights when it was empty.  But the food was really good.

News 2012: Wegmans, What Did It Mean?

Cheese, glorious cheese!

The funniest food moment of 2012 was realizing that Mrs. HowChow was slightly disappointed as she walked around a supermarket.

Wegmans opened in Columbia, and it changed the scope of food in Howard County.  But, in my house, Wegmans did the impossible and turned Mrs. HowChow into someone excited to grocery shop.  What did it?  Variety, flavor, and samples, samples, samples.

Until this year, food was my job.  I cooked, so I shopped.  But then Wegmans arrived and started hitting on my wife.  Across the store, they'd scatter people with pickup lines like "Do you want to taste the mozzarella?"  Mrs. HowChow drove there alone for yogurt, and she came home with three loaves of bread, two cheeses, and a 12-inch apple pie.

That's why she actually felt disappointed when we shopped late on a Sunday night.  At 9 pm, they're restocking and cleaning up.  No crowds, but no samples.  No one offers to pair a slice of apple cider bread with the perfect soft brie.  Mrs. HowChow arrived in great spirits, but slowly deflated when she realized that she was just walking around a grocery store.

Of course, Wegmans is the big news of 2012 because it's more than a grocery store.  Detractors complain about price or size or employee pay, but no one can deny that the right half of the store is a revelation -- breads, bakery, prepared food, seafood, deli, cheeses and produce.  The food is delicious.  The offerings are vast and seasonal.  The people want to help.

Restaurants: Best of Howard County 2012

Maiwand Kabob's gyro

I have been eating in and around Howard County for seven years, and I can assure anyone that they can eat well even in the suburbs.

What's going to be your favorite?  Well, that I can't predict.  Tastes differ.  Restaurants change.  We have beaten down the stupid lines about how everyone in Columbia eats at chain restaurants, but we haven't reached some boring consensus about the best places to eat.

This is my "Best Of" list.  These are places where I'd tell you to start if you want something delicious.  Earlier this year, I literally wrote "where to go" advice for someone just moving to Howard County.  This post is more of an annual writing exercise where I think about new stuff I have found and try to spark a little conversation from other folks eating their way along.

I don't know if your best restaurants are on my list.  That's why you can write comments!  Tell me the three places that you would recommend to someone who just started eating in Howard County.

Apple Fritters And Fun At Larriland Farm

Apple fritters

Start planning now.  Last weekend was perfect, and the perfect place to be was Larriland Farm in Woodbine.

Now, you need to hope for beautiful weather next week and start planning your trip for apples, pumpkins and Halloween fun.

Enterprise apples -- sweet, all purpose

The apple fritters alone are worth the drive.  The irregular cousins of donuts pop out of the fryer filled with apple chunks and then shower in powdered sugar.  Get a hot cider and munch down watching the crowd.

The October visits still focus on the big three:  apples, pumpkins and hay rides.  On Saturday, we walked across two hills of pumpkins, just having fun with the views until we realized that the best pumpkins were the first few that we had found.

But no problem.  We had an equally beautiful walk to fill two bags of apples, then returned to the farm where Larriland gets better every year.  They bulked up on food this year.  Those apple fritters plus separate stands with kettle corn and barbecue.  The barbecue comes from Town Grill is Lisbon, so we highly recommend it.  (Great sandwich: Pulled pork.  Awesome visual:  Kids chomping turkey legs.)

Plus, the Larriland folks actually make the farm better as well.  The stand stocks all kinds of product, along with apple cider, canning supplies and candy.  They expanded the parking and added a second road past the farm out to the apples.  Even with a packed house Saturday, the traffic flowed.  People smiled in line.  Go this weekend.  You can't have this much outdoors until April.

Larriland has also added fields of broccoli, cauliflower, beets, and spinach to go with the standby pumpkins.  Cool to me, but no one clicks when I post about "Pick-Your-Own Vegetables." So I'll tart this up with apple fritters and lure down here to know you can select your own brassica.

Pumpkin fields

Cobbler And Hot Sauces At Smokin' Hot -- And Apparently Good BBQ To Go WIth Them

Hot sauces at Smokin' Hot

My friend DonkeyKong went to Larriland Farms last weekend for apple-picking, hay-riding, pumpkin-choosing, and cider-drinking and found lunch in Glenwood by stumbling on Smokin' Hot off of Route 97.

I'd just mentioned that Smokin' Hot was expanding in its location near Bushy Park Elementary and the Glenwood Library.  The Kong family ordered up, and they were so pleased that they took two pictures and knocked off a guest post.  But DonkeyKong was so excited by the hot sauces and dessert that I didn't even mention what meats he had.

Like every other place worth dining at in Howard County, Smokin' Hot was in a non-descript strip mall, but what wasn't non-descript was the great selection of house-smoked pit meats, phenomenal cobblers, and 12 original barbeque hot sauces delivered to the table for mixing and matching with your order.  

Sweet potato cobbler for dessert!

I'm a hot sauce junkie -- once even eating a peanut butter and salsa sandwich in college -- and there is no greater joy in my dining out than being presented with an array of sauces and testing them out on my index finger before a meal.  I probably could order just Smokin' Hot's condiments as a side and be satisfied.  The sauces range from a mayo-based "Alabama White" to a two vinegar-based sauces (one hot, one sweet) to honey-flavored smokiness to straight up peppery heat.  If I were a hot sauce mixologist (and there's no reason I can't be), this place would be my bar.  The only problem: The sandwiches and platters (while large) were too small for all my mixing and matching.

For dessert, we decided to devour a sweet potato cobbler.  The menu had an apple cobbler, a peach one, and a Dr. Pepper Chocolate cake.  All of them seemed to be straight out of a Southern cookbook, one where ham is a spice and soda is a necessary ingredient.  That means the desserts are great and non-non-fattening.  We discussed that for Thanksgiving we'd be taking an array of Smokin' Hot cobblers home to present as our own rather than try to create something far more pedestrian and certainly less pleasing.

Tongnamoo House in Ellicott City: We're Eating Well, But We Still Need Teaching To Know More

Seafood bibimbap at Tongnamoo House

We're touring new spots on Rte 40, and it's tasty -- although it's a bit like the blind leading the blind.

We really like Korean food, and we're learning it one table at a time.  We took our beginner palates to Tongnamoo House, and we left with more dishes under our belt.

Tongnamoo is a large restaurant that runs from sushi to soups to barbecue.  The waiter told us they specialize in goat dishes, but that's not Mrs. HowChow's first choice.  We went entirely new with a spicy beef soup and one variation on a favorite in seafood bibimbap.

Beef rib soup

That soup will keep you warm all winter.  The rib meat comes on the bone, and I loved the chew and flavor.  The noodles on the bottom will fill you up.  Similarly, the bibimbap was a cool alternative with squid, crab stick and other seafood.

Can anyone with expertise contrast Tongnamoo with the other Korean places?  I can't read the signs on the wall, so I certainly can't pick up the nuance of special soups or sushi offerings.  We love Shin Chon Garden.  The menus overlap somewhat, and Shin Chon's freshness and flavors make it easy to just drive to our original spot.

I'm up for any suggestions to steer us back to Tongnamoo House or any of the other places on Rte 40.  Mirocjo has been renovated since we ate there last.  Plus, there are new places all along the way.  Any great dishes?  Any new spots to try?

Definitely check out the Yelp reviews about Tongnamoo House.  

Tongnamoo House
9445 Baltimore National Pike (Rte 40)
Ellicott City, MD 21042
410-988-5683

NEAR:  Tongnamoo House is on the south side of Rte 40 just west of Plum Tree Road.  From Rte 29, you may need to go past and U-turn back to Tongnamoo.  It's a large building with the letters "TNM" on the front.  It shares a driveway with a burger joint.

Link: Columbia Cookie Scooter Delivering Sweets

Strip down a food truck, and you end up with a cookie scooter.  It's the next big trend!!

Andrew Metcalf in the Patch has a nice story about a Columbia woman who has started a new business delivering $2 cookies to parks and office buildings.  Casey Dyson told the Patch about her scooter, her company CookieRide and about her former role working at the Columbia bakery Touche Touchet.

Watch for the cookie scooter, and Casey will deliver for parties as well.  She has Facebook and Twitter accounts, linked from the Patch.

Thanks to Karen for sending me the Patch link.  I could have missed it!

A Light, Spiced Dessert To Try At Mango Grove

Again, October is the cruelest month because cell phones need day light.

Let's be honest that I usually don't order dessert because I overeat from the start of the meal.

Indian and Chinese foods both reheat well, so we often justify ordering a third entree by factoring in the savings from two lunches that we'll box up for later in the week.  At Mango Grove, I need only the weakest justification so that I can get a crispy dosa, a vegetable curry and then either a meat or a lentil dish.

But now, I will have to weigh a nice samosa appetizer against a scrumptious, lightly-sweet dessert.

On our last visit to Mango Grove, the folks offered us dessert on the house so we could try the sheera -- which they described as being made from semolina and almonds.  Again, it was dark enough that I couldn't snap a photo of the dish.  But again, you should take a look yourself.

Imagine a bowl with a drier, lighter cousin to rice pudding.  Okay, distant cousin.  The tiny beads of wheat have a chewy texture, more like the oats from the top of an apple crumble than the soft mass of pudding.  They have been cooked into a rich flavor with milk, almonds and butter, then given a heady flavor and perfume with spices.

It's a beautifully light dessert.  Sweet, but flavor from far more than just sugar.  We spooned up the bowl even stuffed with masala dosa and paneer tikka masala.  It's hilarious to me how foreign desserts are sometimes hard to translate in words, but they're so accessible on the spoon.  "Semolina and almonds" created no picture to me.  One minutes eating the bowl of sheera, and I could imagine it finishing off any dinner in the world.

A quick Web search shows that sheera also goes by the names "halwa" and "sooji."  Dozens of recipes vary the spices and nuts, but I bet a night at Mango Grove will inspire you to try to warm yourself again with one of these variations.

If you'd like some weekend entertainment, keep an eye on Mango Grove's Facebook page.  They're trying to set up live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights, maybe alternating between an American band and Bollywood shows.  

Quick Trip To California: Prosciutto And Cheese Plates Sitting Outdoors On Facci's Stone Patio

In the Sun, this would be a classy photo of prosciutto and cheese

We had dinner last week in California, or at least that's what I feel like whenever I'm sitting under one of those gas heaters on a patio.

Facci Ristorante on Johns Hopkins Road has created an entire covered patio with a stone floor, canvas walls and heaters to keep the place working into the fall.  They also added a special bar with Italian meats and cheeses that they're offering on make-your-own plates.  We enjoyed both tucked under the warm patio.

The problem with fall is the crisp air comes with early sundowns, and amateurs can't snap good pictures after dark.  At least not with a cell phone in a nice place with low lighting.  So I don't have photos of the prosciutto or the goat cheese that we paired with a mushroom pizza.  

But they're absolutely worth going to see yourself.  About five dollars per item gets your choice of something delicious and unusual -- for us, a few slices of rich dry-cured ham and a rectangle of a mild, but flavorful cheese contrasted with small condiments.  (The low light is tough on the waitstaff too.  Our waiter set down our plate and pointed out the cheese, blueberries and olive oil.  Olive oil?  Actually, it was cherries and honey.)

I understand why people fret about Facci's uncaring or even unfriendly service.  I just think the kitchen sources great ingredients and often uses them really well.  The cheese-cherries-honey was interesting and paired nicely.  They're putting whole clams on pizza.  They're making pasta in house. They're putting a wood-oven char on pizzas.  It's not cheap, but I appreciate that it's my choice what to order -- and I can do what I want.  (Although I'd have to concede that the marinated vegetables with the prosciutto had little flavor.)

You can still carry out at Facci.  The eliminated the dedicated takeout counter to install that special bar with the cured meats hanging behind it.  Now, you use the main entrance and walk right back to the register in the open kitchen.

HowChow Investigates: Mexican Restaurant To Replace Shuttered Donna's In Columbia

A new Mexican restaurant appears to be coming to Columbia near Rte 108 -- replacing the shuttered Donna's, according to extensive investigation conducted by HowChow's new investigative team for investigations.

Okay, fine.  Mrs. HowChow read the liquor board ads in the Sunday Sun.

It looks like Xitomate Cocina Mexicana wants a liquor license for the Waterloo Road location that used to be Donna's.  The space has a restaurant with a patio.  That run of Rte 108 is becoming a nice restaurant row with places like Victoria Gastro Pub, Coal Fire Pizza, and Jesse Wong's Asean Bistro.

Anyone know the details or timeline for Xitomate?  I see Web mentions of a Xitomate in Puerto Vallarta, but nothing local.

Also in the liquor ads:  It looks like Smokin' Hot in Glenwood is expanding.  Congrats to them.  I still haven't gotten out there to try the barbecue.

New Food Coming: Sushi, Indian Coming To Fulton And A New Korean Bakery On Rte 40

Food marches on in Howard County.

Apparently, a new Korean bakery has a sign on Rte 40, reports Amelia.  She said she saw a sign for Shilla bakery between Jason's Wine and Kim Bob Nara.  That puts it on the southbound side west of Rte 29.

Separately, new Indian and sushi are coming to Fulton.  The Maple Lawn developers have signed a lease for a sushi restaurant across from the Harris Teeter, the developers said at last night's neighborhood meeting.  They also said work will start in the next month or so on the new Indian place from the folks who own the Ambassador.  That'll be on Maple Lawn Boulevard south of Johns Hopkins Road.

Cochinita Pibil Tacos at R&R Taqueira

Three tacos from R&R Taqueria

Sometimes, a little knowledge can be highly dangerous.  Consider my ability to speak Spanish and recognize Mexican food.

On my last visit to R&R Taqueria in Elkridge, I overly impressed myself by recognizing the tacos called "cochinita pibil."  That's pork, I remembered.  And it involves cooking the meat in citrus juice, maybe orange juice.  You can't see that from the Spanish, but I remembered it ... from my experience ... because I'm awesome.

And I congratulated myself so heartily that I didn't focus on the word "habanero" written in the description.  That word has the same meaning in English and Spanish.  It means "really hot pepper that you had better respect."

Imagine the hottest dish you have ever eaten and enjoyed.  Because R&R isn't serving stupid hot dishes.  The meat is butchered perfectly.  Their sauces are fresh and bright.  When they use habaneros, they use just enough to hit you hard without overwhelming the pork.

The hit was just an awesome surprise.  I'd eaten the other tacos first -- chicken and al pastor, if I remember right.  They're each very well done.  I was reading at the counter as I picked up the third and bit down on what I expected to be citrus-infused and turned out to be enflamed.

R&R pulled off the habanero perfectly.  My tongue squeaked, and my eyes opened.  I drank down my melon agua fresca and then sucked the ice.  But the peppery zip was just part of the cochinita pibil flavor.  I think there were onions.  I know there was slow-roasted pork.  They were all wrapped in R&R's excellent corn tortilla.

At R&R, the tacos are really unique.  They're not just throwing your choice of meat on top of the same shredded lettuce and salsa like a chain.  Each salsa tastes different.  Each meat comes with a different marinade.  The habenero made cochinita pibil stand out, but it welcomed me to eat every last bite.   The R&R chefs know how to play with fire.

Banh Mi Has Come To Howard County

The new banh mi in Ellicott City

Vietnamese sandwiches have made their first entry into Howard County with banh mi on the menu at a cafe just off Rte 40.

Cafe au Lait is a relatively new counter-service shop doing breakfast and lunch with sandwiches and a soup of the day.  Lulu V turned me onto banh mi with a comment, and the '34 Act Gourmet and I were eating them less than three hours later.

These fill a gap that I wrote about in 2010.  Plus, they were good sandwiches for $8 -- fresh bread filled with meats and a mix of fresh and pickled vegetables.  Between us and the takeout that I got for Mrs. HowChow, we ate all three versions: "banh mi" with sliced ham and pork roll along with a "grilled pork" and "lemongrass chicken."  They had rich flavor and the contrasting bites of Vietnamese food -- sweet and savory, spicy and tart.

Do they have the full zest of banh mi at the Eden Center in Arlington?  No.  The bread isn't a baguette.  It's wider like a good roll, but still with a nice crust.   And the flavors could be dialed up.  More sweet, more savory, more spicy, more tart.  The meats were pretty basic, and that mix of assertive flavors is what makes something really taste Vietnamese.  Next time, I'll ask for extra pickled vegetables to try for extra "banh mi" punch.

Bottom line: Definitely worth a drive to Rte 40 to enjoy lunch.  But still worth driving if you can find a great banh mi.  And still an opening in Howard County if anyone wants to dial up banh mi.  Bon Fresco?  Come on.  It seems perfect.

Cafe Au Lait
3290 N Ridge Rd #105
Ellicott City, MD 21043
(410) 313-8838

NEAR:  Cafe Au Lait is on Ridge Road just north of Rte 40 and just east of Rte 29.  If you're on Rte 40, you just turn north on Ridge Road and look in the second building on the right.  If you're on northbound Rte 29, you take the left fork of the Rte 40 exit ramp as if you're going into the Lotte shopping center and then drive until the ramp ends in a "T" at Ridge Road.  Turn left, then cross over Rte 40.  Cafe Au Lait is in an office building on the left.

Coming Soon: Huge Lotte In Catonsville

Just a reminder that Lotte is building a new, huge supermarket on Rte 40 in Catonsville.

I love the sign on the current Ellicott City Lotte, which I understand will stay open even after its big cousin opens down the road.  I love that they translated "grocery store" into seven languages.  That's the kind of place where I want to shop.

Anyone know the timeline?  The Sun reported in February that it would open in the summer.  I haven't driven past in a long time.  Is it already open?  Anyone know how the new store will be different?  I assume a larger store means a larger selection.

Howard Mag Hits The Web With 2012 "Best Of"

Thanks to Howard Magazine and everyone who voted for HowChow.

The 2012 "Best of Howard" edition of Howard Magazine is hitting your front steps, and the list has hit the Web.  This is separate from the dining edition, but there are some food-related topics like bakeries, caterers, places for a first date, place to buy seafood . . .

People also voted for the best blog, and people talked up HowChow along with HoCo Rising, Pawsitive Outlook and Tales of Two Cities.

What You Missed: Filipino Food Last Weekend

Lechon at the Tapulanga event

Last Sunday, the Tapulanga Foundation had its annual Filipino buffet in Columbia to raise money for its micro-lending activities in the Philippines.

I missed out on hyping the event beforehand.  I had wanted to recommend the specialties like the whole roasted pig.  Chicken adobo, lumpia, spring rolls, fried plantains . . .  We all missed a good spread -- and not food that you can get easily around Howard County.  Put this on your calendar for next fall.

Comfort: Bread - In Many Forms - With Meat Or Vegetables (And Potato Salad On The Side)

The vegetarian special at Soretti's

Bon Fresco Sandwich Bakery has begun charging 50 cents for its potato salad side dish, and you shouldn't think twice about picking up one or even two.

Fresh bread makes wonderful comfort food.  To me, no one makes a better sandwich than Bon Fresco's London broil.  But don't go cheap and miss out on the amazing potato salad -- smooth without being heavy, getting all the flavor from the basic potato without tarting up with cream and fat.

Fifty cents is a bargain.   It's better than any bag of chips -- and cheap at that price.

Bon Fresco's London broil and potato salad

But comforting bread can come in many forms.  The Bon Fresco sandwich makes for an easy grab.  Even after a drive home, the thin-sliced steak contrasts perfectly with the crisp greens and the slightly chewy loaf.


In contrast, Soretti Ethiopian Cuisine's vegetable special provides a homey, simple challenge.  You just eat everything. Eat the vegetables.  Eat the lentils.  Even eat the plate -- the injera bread spread out beneath the stews.

It's not literally the plate.  There is a plate under the injera.  I realize that Ethiopian vegetable platters may not be the most-standard comfort food.  But I last ended up in the Burtonsville restaurant on night where I had to feed myself and a cold.  I brought a paperback novel, and I sat quietly with dinner and a cup of sweet Ethiopian tea.  One of the lentils runs spicy, but mostly, the salads and stews just taste like vegetables.  Bright colors, earthy flavors, and healthy fuel for a healing body.

Soretti is a friendly, relaxed place.  The women there treated me nicely, and I hung out to read and finish my tea.  They offered some extra lentils, which sounded smart until I realized that I was incredibly full.  They're delicious, but I realized eventually that I was scooping food to be polite -- not because I needed any more to eat.

Comfort: The Classiest Takeout Dinner Around

A takeout spread from Sushi Sono

It's always odd to realize that I get such comfort from a food that I didn't really eat until after college.

Takeout dinners are a wonderful comfort on busy days, and you can get delicious takeout at many places around Howard County.  But the classiest takeout comes from one of the best restaurants -- Sushi Sono.

Sushi Sono's fish and rolls make it one of my favorite restaurants in Howard County, and I'm always surprised at how well it makes the trip home in the car.  I steer away from rolls with tempura shrimp.  That's no problem because you can fill a platter with good ideas -- the vegetable roll, the #14, bridal, hurricane eye . . .

Fill a pretty platter, and you could run a dinner party with Sushi Sono's takeout.  Plop the takeout containers in front of the television, and you can just relax with delicious fish.  Either way, it's a winner.

Sushi has become ubiquitous so you don't need to drive to downtown Columbia for Sushi Sono.  I'm just saying it's beautiful, amazing food that you can carry home.  Where do you get takeout sushi?  What rolls or other dishes take home the best? Check here for all the posts about sushi.

Clyde's Columbia To Renovate, Close For 8 Weeks

The Columbia Clyde's will get a full renovation starting in January -- more of the changes coming to the Columbia waterfront, reports Luke Lavoie in the Sun.

The restaurant re-upped a new 10-year lease, so they're doing cosmetic and structural improvements.  They'll close during the renovations, probably for about eight weeks.  This is part of many changes coming to down Columbia, and Wordbones has the broader real estate view on Tales of Two Cities.

Sambar, Idli, And Deep-Fried, Old Bay Wings -- Comfort Food Just Like Grandma Used To Make

Sometimes, you just need to trust your instincts.

I drove all the way to Rte 40 in a cold-induced fog last night in search of dinner.  I had food in the house, but I'd been trapped inside for two days -- one without phone, Internet or television.  (A Verizon tech apparently unplugged us yesterday because he or she found us plugged into the wrong port in the company's hub.  Thanks Verizon!)

But somewhere around St. Johns Road, I decided that I couldn't face eating alone in a bright restaurant.

That's how I ended up at a cafe table outside Kloby's Smokehouse's takeout counter.  Warm night.  Weird fog.  And a weird pairing of food that just felt right: lentil soup with rice dumplings and chicken wings.

That's health food on Johns Hopkins Road: Sambar and idli from Tandoor Grill and "dirty and old" wings from Kloby's.  A slightly spicy soup.  Some mild steamed rice dumplings.  The crunchy chicken wings.  At the time, I passed on the chili naan as too much for my stomach, but now I wonder if that heat would have killed off my viruses.