Ale House Columbia Gets A Rave From WPost

The new Ale House Columbia got a rave from the WPost's bars folks today -- a review by Fritz Hahn touting the beers and the atmosphere.

Hahn talks up the Oliver beers brewed by the owners, along with the selection of other local and craft beers.  Nothing about the food, which I didn't understand until I realized that I was on the "Bars and Clubs" page of the WPost Web site.  I loved to hear that the Ale House offers 10-ounce pours for folks who want to try a few, but can't drink that many.

Return Of The Best Candy In Howard County

Pistachio nougat at Turkish Family Market

Pistachio nougat was one of my first HowChow finds, and it remains one of the easiest treats to grab at a Middle Eastern market.

My original source closed in Elkridge, but I found a new supplier at the newish Turkish Family Market just off Rte 40 in Ellicott City.

This is pure pistachio nougat.  Chewy rectangles of candy studded with bright green nuts.  You get sweetness and crunch.  It doesn't have the rose flavor from the Fard brand that I used to buy, and I have to say that I may like pure pistachio even better.  (And it's another chance for me to convince Wordbones, who didn't love.)

Seriously, this nougat is delicious.  Pieces come individually-wrapped, so it's a great little treat.  It's unique enough to be a hostess gift, especially if you transfer the candy into something nicer than a plastic clamshell.

The Turkish Family Market opened in 2011, but it's pretty new to me.  They have a butcher and a variety of fresh and canned goods similar to Nazar Produce Market in Columbia.

Turkish Family Market
8457 Baltimore National Pike (Rte 40)
Ellicott City, MD 21043
410-750-0679

NEAR:  Turkish Family Market is just off Rte 40 east of Rte 29 a few doors down from the C&B Italian Delly.  The shopping center has some stores actually facing Rte 40, then some behind those. Turkish Family Market is in the back section. You actually need to turn south off Rte 40, then turn into the parking lot.

Shin Chon On Bizarre Foods America

Kimchi and other panchan at Shin Chon

Shin Chon Garden did make Bizarre Foods America on Monday, and Andrew Zimmern even mentioned Howard County by name.

Local writer and restauranteur Henry Hong took Zimmern through the original Lotte in Ellicott City -- for snacks out of the refrigerator case and then a meal, including blood sausage, in the food court.  Then they went down the shopping center to Shin Chon.

We actually clapped when we saw the familiar wood paneling and metal vents on television.  Hong and Zimmern barbecued short ribs.  Then they had pork belly -- and pleased Mrs. HowChow by recommending to cook the meat to crispy.  Then they ate spicy baby octopus.

"Look at how cute and cuddly it looks.  It is adorable," Zimmern said as he held up an octopus.  Then he ate it.

Hot barley tea

I recommend you look for reruns on the Travel Channel and heartily recommend a meal at Shin Chon.  It's one of my top 10 restaurants in Howard County, and it's a terrific place to discover Korean food or to return for real variety.

This is a truly friendly restaurant.  Owner Jum Suh (shot for a moment on television and featured in a photo on Richard Gorelick's review) greets people and moves everyone to their table.

For any new folks, I wrote a Korean 101 post with step-by-step instructions.  I'd encourage anyone who likes meat, fresh vegetables and maybe a little pickled vegetables or heat.  You control your meal.  You make your plate from the barbecue and the panchan, so you can do whatever you want.

But Shin Chon lends itself to exploring.  I have eaten there more often than anywhere else in Howard County, and Gorelick ordered three dishes that I had never tried -- a spicy octopus, a sweet and sour deep-fried pork, and a noodle and octopus casserole.

You can barbecue beef, pork or seafood.  Your table will fill with the small side dishes called panchan.  You can even get vegetarian versions of bi bim bop and chapchae.  Ask for the complimentary hot barley tea instead of ice water.  Ask for Korean liquor like the unfiltered rice wine.

And it's really not expensive.  The barley tea and the panchan are complimentary.  You can feast for $20 a person, and Shin Chon will keep serving up new dishes along the way.

Hats off to the Bizarre Foods America crew.  We had to fast forward through the repeated scenes of skinning muskrats, but they told some nice stories in the show.  They also had a brilliant pivot as they went from watermen to a Korean-run soul food counter at Lexington Market to Korean food at the Lotte.

The Most Delicious Photos Of School Lunches

Check out the Hoco360 blog for spectacular photos of Howard County school lunches.

The county's lunches won nutrition awards, and the local blogger thought that the resulting newspaper articles did little more than repeat the press releases.  So he spent a day at Howard High School photographing lunch options.

Shin Chon Gets Reviewed By The Sun And Will Appear (??) On The Travel Channel Monday

Shin Chon Garden will appear on the Travel Channel on Monday's version of Bizarre Foods America, reports Richard Gorelick in the Sun.

Actually, Gorelick didn't report that definitively in Wednesday's column.  He appears to have a press release from the Food Network saying that the Baltimore show will be Monday, but the PR people must be mum about the actual restaurants -- and presumably vicious to newspaper critics if they go off script.

Gorelick assembled evidence like a federal prosecutor -- old Andrew Zimmern tweets ("Shin Chon . . . is one of the top ten Korean BBQ experiences in America.")  and the official episode synopsis (... Korean blood sausages . . .") -- to suggest what will be on Monday's episode.  I can add evidence that Zimmern at blood sausages at Shin Chon with this photo.

In advance of the show, Gorelick reviewed Shin Chon and recommended the Korean barbecue and several other dishes.  Shin Chon is one my Top 10 restaurants in Howard County.  If you want to try, you can read all my Shin Chon posts -- probably best to start from the bottom.

Now we'll have to tune in and see what Zimmern shows. . .

According to Gorelick, Zimmern's tour of Korean food was led by local Henry Hong, who you should definitely check out on WYPR podcasts.  Korean has wonderful flavors, and I think the barbecue is great for anyone who likes thin-cut meat served with tons of fresh and pickled vegetables.  The menu includes blood sausage and octopus, but you can eat brisket, pork belly, cabbage, potato salad and tons of other super-accessible items.  My Korean 101 post has easy-to-follow instructions.

Jerusalem And Plenty -- Cookbooks Where Everything Is Imaginative, Nothing Is Difficult

Chicken, fennel and clementines

Yotam Ottolenghi just cooks better than I do.

You shouldn't be surprised since he is an internationally-known chef, but I was surprised at how much fun I've had in his cookbooks Plenty and Jerusalem.

Mrs. HowChow bought the books.  I actually passed when I saw them at Sweet Elizabeth Jane in Ellicott City.  The pictures are too pretty.  Ottolenghi is a restaurant chef.  I pass on celebrity chefs, and I've been happy in recent years with Mark Bittman and some ethnic cookbooks.

Mrs. HowChow saw the brillance.  She wanted the eggplant with pomegranates on the cover of Plenty.  She saw lots of vegetables. She saw combinations that sing.  As soon as I opened the books, she added a few dozen stickies to show the dishes that she'd like me to make.

Everything that I've made has been spectacular.  Everything seems imaginative, but nothing has been difficult.  These are terrific books for anyone who wants a healthy mix of vegetables, grains and meat -- but with flavor.

Barley and pomegranates -- really!

A salad of lentils, tomatoes and Gorgonzola.  A hearty eggplant with pomegranates and a buttermilk-yogurt sauce.  Chicken roasted with fennel and clementines.  Jerusalem draws a mix of recipes from co-author Sami Tamimi's hometown.  Plenty collects vegetarian dishes heavy on the Mediterranean, but running from Italy to Indonesia.

These recipes are terrific for me because my simple can be bland.  I can eat lentils straight from the pot, and Mrs. HowChow has had to point out that they're not inspiring even if they're healthy.  Ottolenghi make lentils enticing with some oven-dried tomatoes, that Gorgonzola, and generous dashes of herbs.

That variety runs through the books.  Jerusalem does traditional recipes, but Plenty is a riot of modern variety -- eggs baked over arugula and topped with yogurt, barley tossed in a salad with celery and pomegranates.  Ottolenghi uses spices and herbs available anywhere, but his dishes taste fresh and exciting -- even when the preparation is as simple as "cook the barley, then mix with a bunch of stuff that you chopped or poured from bottles."

These books are some of the best fun that I have ever had with thyme, dill, parsley and chives.  Ottolenghi must live near Lotte or H Mart because he'll suggest three or four different herbs in a recipe.  You can't buy $10 in herbs for just a few tablespoons of each.  So I have bought them at one of the Asian markets -- and planned for several Ottolenghi recipes so I can use the purchase over an entire week.

Go try these books. Check them out at the Howard County library.  Buy them from Amazon from one of the associate links.  Just go explore the mix.

Check out all my cookbook reviews.  Most are available at the library if you want to check them out.  (Update: And check out the Fiercely Fresh post about Jerusalem and a butternut squash recipe.)

Breadery In Oella Expanding - Into Cheese & Wine

Making space at the Breadery in Oella

The Breadery seems to be thriving in its second home, and now they're moving some walls to expand into cheese and wine.

The bakery in Oella is just across the river from downtown Ellicott City.  It's already a terrific place to stop for breads, sweets, and the best hot dog rolls.  Now, they're expanding the retail area to expand their line.

They're already selling wine.  In a few weeks, the talk says, they're hoping to sell cheeses and beer as well.

The Breadery is one of the rare food spots that can be shopping and entertainment.  It's worth your drive just to buy loaves, rolls, and flat-breads -- along with the long-standing coffee from Zeke's and nice jams from Stonewall Kitchen.  (It's also just blocks from the J.W. Trueth butcher.)  But, in addition, the bakery sits on a beautiful walking trail down to Ellicott City.

You can get start at any public lot -- at the Breadery or on Main Street -- then create a walk where you eat and shop along the way.  Start in Oella with breakfast, then walk down to Main Street to look around.  Or get coffee on Main Street, walk up to Oella to buy your breads and then back for lunch

You can't go wrong.  With some warm weather, you can enjoy yourself and work it off.

If you're shopping along Main Street, nose around the new Randy & Steve's general store that has all kinds of gourmet foods.  I'm also a fan of Sweet Elizabeth Jane for cookbooks and kitchen wear.  We also love the tutus at the Little Sunshine Trading Company -- our signature gift for little girls.

Chopstixx Cafe in Elkridge

Mapo tofu and kway teow at Chopstixx

I need some recommendations at Chopstixx Cafe in Elkridge.

With Red Pearl gone, we're in search of new Chinese.  Noodles Corner in Columbia has caught our eye, and people talk up some pan-Asian places like East Moon in Ellicott City and Asian Palace in Columbia.

Chopstixx in Elkridge is a tiny place with real ambition.  They do a standard Chinese-American menu, but several commenters like KristenB and Stephanie T have talked up the "street food" menu with dishes like mapo tofu.

The one fact to highlight is that Chopstixx is really far from my house, so I need a rundown of the kitchen to order the best stuff.  We went a few months ago, and we hit 50-50.  The big plus was the Malaysian kway teow off the "street food" menu.  Thick noodles and white meat chicken.  At first, the sauce seemed mild with onion and small shrimp, but the spiciness creeps up on you.

The second dish was a kung pao tofu.  It was well-cooked.  Good tofu, carrots, baby corn, peanuts.  The bean paste sauce was fine, sort of spicy, but in the end not a dish to make me drive 30 minutes across the county.

You should check Chopstixx out because it is way more than your corner Chinese takeout.  Inside, it's a tiny, minimal box.  But that kway teow was exceptional, and Chopstixx comes up again and again in comments from thoughtful folks like JW who offered favorite dishes at a run of Chinese restaurants like the beef show fun (dry) and Hong Kong style wonton soup at Chopstixx.

Actually, I'm unfair about Chopstixx being minimal.  The seating is small and sparse, but they use unusual modern dishes like the upscale "fusion" spots.  They also go the extra effort on the food.  The shrimp in the kway teow were sweet and crisp.  Next time, I may try the scallops and shrimp "crazy spicy noodles" -- and, when you visit, you'll see that I'm impressed if I'm ordering scallops in this shopping center.

Note in JW's comment that he also talks up China Village at Rte 103 and Rte 104.  That's a new place to me, but JW talks up the beef chow fun (dry).  If you want to browse, check out all my posts about Chinese food.

Chopstixx Cafe
7260D Montgomery Road
Elkridge, MD 21075
410-379-5566

NEAR:  Chopstixx is just off U.S. 1 in Elkridge.  This is north of Rte 100 and almost to the Baltimore County line.

Nora's Kabob in Ellicott CIty

"You don't eat meat? I'll make lamb." -- My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Nothing tastes better than food that you didn't expect to find.

We had a Saturday of serendipity -- a beautiful find at Home Anthology and then stumbling on Nora's Kabob in Ellicott City.

It's not truly "stumbling."  It's listening to the comments on HowChow where people had talked up the kabobs at this Rte 40 spots.  But I never expected to push open the door and find a modern spot in the style of Maiwand Kabob -- a short menu, delicious grilled meats and sides that show the kitchen has real ambition.

Comparisons to Maiwand Kabob are high praise since I consider it one of the best restaurants in Howard County.  Maiwand may win out based on straight-from-the-oven naan, but Nora's makes the exceptional list because everything -- even the meat dishes -- focuses on bright, fresh vegetables and flavors.  Even the restaurant is bright with black tiles and hand-wood floors.

I ordered a gyro, and the meat was terrific.  It could have been hotter, but I think it actually cooled because the pita was packed with vegetables.  The full lamb flavor, contrasted with the crunch and tang of diced tomatoes, cucumbers and onions.  Then topped with salty feta and a creamy sauce rich with dill.

Fresh dill.  Whipped into yogurt with a generous, talented hand.  You're not getting that talent at even your favorite chain.  This was someone who had figured out how to create a strong sauce that held its own with lamb and onions, but never overwhelmed the sandwich.

Nora's Kabob's menu should be open to anyone who likes fresh food.  The folks at Nora's know that because they installed a giant welcome sign in a few dozen languages -- Arabic and Persian, but also Hebrew, Italian, Russian, Spanish and Chinese.  You order at the counter for takeout and with a waiter if you want to eat in.

Mrs. HowChow ate a basic -- chicken kabob with rice and vegetables.  Again, it was anything but basic.  The chicken was juicy white meat.  The vegetables were a full grilled tomato, contrasted with lightly-pickled cabbage.  And the rice makes all the difference.  It's just white rice, but it's made perfectly -- just enough oil for flavor but no grease.  Then, they layer a saffron rice across the top.

I drive by Mexican restaurants every month because I feel like half of my plate will be disappointing rice and beans.  I'd rather eat tacos from takeout containers than double my bill and be disappointed.  Nora's rice shows that even a simple dish can be something special -- something that I certainly can't pull off in my own kitchen.

Overall, Nora's seems like a real gem if you like a meat and fresh vegetables combination.  Next time, I'll go back for one of the beef kabobs and a mix of the mezze.  At the counter, I saw a range of fresh vegetarian items -- hummus, stuffed grape leaves, and a yogurt-spinach dish.  My gyro came with a small spinach pie -- a smooth spinach filling wrapped by a toothsome pastry.  The effort put into that tiny dish suggests that all these mezze will be terrific.

Has anyone had the falafel wrap at Nora's?  I've been wanting a good falafel around Howard County.  Anyone try the Koobideh gyro?  Only as I was writing did I notice that it comes with "spicy spank sauce."  That needs to be tried.

Nora's Kabob
9338 Baltimore National Pike (Rte 40)
Ellicott City, MD 21042
410-418-5911

NEAR:  Nora's is in a shopping center on the north side of Rte 40 west of Rte 29.  It's in the Village Green shopping center with Shannon's.

Wings Of Victory: Where Do You Go?

Kloby's wings

Wings.  I had meant to ask for suggestions before the Super Bowl, but things got crazy.

We've already proven that championships are won if you eat Town Grille's blackberry-chipotle wings.  But one kitchen can't feed us all, so the question come back to where you find the best wings in Howard County?

I asked the same question two years ago, and dozens of people chimed in from Jilly's to the River Hill Sports Bar, from Looney's to "make your own."  I have heard about Royal Pizza.  I have enjoyed Second Chance Saloon's.

I'm open to all the suggestions, but my answer remains Kloby's Smokehouse on Johns Hopkins Road.  They're huge, meaty wings.  They come as whole wings -- drumstick and two-bone pieces.  The "dirty and old" come fried and spiced, just a little char and crisp on the outside.  Then real pieces of chicken inside.  They're my go-to for a takeout dinner or a bar snack.

Where do you recommend the wings?  Why?  Any unique flavors?  Give us all advice.

Garbanzo Opening Wednesday, Acc'd To Sun

The Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill coming to Dobbin Road in Columbia will open Wednesday, reports Richard Gorelick on his Sun blog.

Lotsabogeys spotted Garbanzo in December, and we pieced together for a post then that it was a small chain doing a Chipotle-style "build-your-own lunch" plan with Middle Eastern inspiration.

New Food Shop On Main Street In Ellicott CIty: Randy & Steve Open A "New General Store"

A new food shop has opened on Main Street in Ellicott City -- a cooking store that appears to be adding a delicatessen.

Randy & Steve's is on Main Street just south of the main parking lot and above the Old Columbia Pike intersection.  It's a curated display of gourmet brands -- salts, oils, pastas, syrups, jellies and drinks.

You could buy gifts for the cook in your life.  You could also just grab delicious foods to pop open and enjoy yourself.  Everything looks good.  Nothing appears be a bargain.  You'll find unique jellies and sauces, but this is a place where the cookbook comes from El Bulli and the crab pasta costs $6 for less than a pound.  (Mrs. HowChow has paid more for pasta at Williams Sonoma, but not on purpose.)

This is really a place for shopping.  They have unusual brands and delicious-looking stuff like cocktail mixers made with real juices. You can entertain yourself by looking around.  They have a shelf of salts, tons of Stonewall Kitchen items, and a short stack of interesting cookbooks including Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi, which I need to write about.

You could actually buy gifts for anyone who likes interesting food.  We bought honey lollipops for $2.  They went in a gift to a tea-lover so that she could swirl them to sweeten a cup.

Randy and Steve are also trying to add sandwiches.  They already sell sodas that range from gourmet to ironically vintage.  They have candies and chips.  They have a deli sign and a glass case ready to display.  Once they have approval to sell food, Randy & Steve's will be a spectacular place to buy a picnic and walk down to the river.  If you see them selling sandwiches, you need to let me know!

(Update:  Check out the post on the Bare Midriff blog where Elizabeth also describes the store.)

Randy & Steve's also sells soaps and some beauty products.  But that would be another blog.  Overall, we're liking Main Street more and more these days.  The parking system seems to work.  We paid a minor amount for an afternoon of gift shopping, and we just got better gifts than we'd get on-line or poking around Target.  (We love you Target!)  I feel like clutter, old stuff stores are steadily being replaced by shop owners with a point of view.

Randy & Steve's
8249 Main Street
Ellicott City, MD 21043
410-461-5840

NEAR:  Randy & Steve's is on Main Street in Ellicott City.  It's just downhill from the main parking lot and Tersiguel's.  It's just uphill from the intersection with Old Columbia Pike.

Bacon And Half Smokes From J.W. Trueth

Bacon from J.W. Trueth

I'm hunting for hot dogs.  We're thinking about a spring party, and the easiest way to cook for a crowd is a grill full of meat that's hard to overcook.

J.W. Trueth is a terrific plan to shop for meat.  The Oella butcher does steaks, pork, chicken and fish.  Last weekend, we waited in line as people seemed to buy everything.

We bought a taste of three items -- bacon, ground beef, and spicy half-smokes.

The thick-sliced bacon went diced in a frying pan, then became the crisp part of a sautéed cabbage dish.  The ground beef went into tacos from the 1970s.

But the half-smokes are the taste of my future.  Lightly spicy.  It's not a course sausage like the Italian links from Laurel Meat Market.  It's a super-fine hot doh -- just with more flavor than most hot dogs have.  I get the spice.  I get the smoke.  That's a delicious hot dog.  (So delicious that I forgot to photograph before we ate them.)

What other hot dogs should I check out?  The Trueth half smoke contrasts nicely with the peppery Hartmann's dogs from Wegmans.  What would round out the grill?  A chicken sausage from Harris Teeter?  Last year, I wrote up an overview of sausages, but there must be good stuff still to learn.

Candied Fruit At Tere's Latin Market: Easy Slice-And-Eat Dessert WIth A Mexican Flair

Candied fruit from Tere's Latin Market

Mexican candied fruits are back in full effect -- the easiest exotic dessert that you can buy off the counter at Tere's Latin Market on Rte 40.

Fruta cristalizada is a treat created by repeatedly submerging the fruit in scalding water and sugar syrup.  I discovered them two years at the Estrellita Market in Jessup that closed down in 2011.  Last summer, Tere's had limes and figs, but now, they have the full box with oranges, papaya and even candied sweet potatoes.

You can go to Tere's for great casual Mexican food at the taqueria.  The front has Latin groceries, and the fruit is a terrific pick-up.  As I wrote last summer, the figs could be chopped onto cookies.  The citrus could become endless things.  The oranges are actually hollow.  It looks like fruit, but it's really just a sphere of candied rind.  

These are delicious enough to just pick up for a few dollars.  (I forgot to write down how much each piece costs, but it's about a dollar.)  But they're beautiful and unusual enough to make a dinner party.  Slice the fruit.  Make a little tray with cookies.  They're lightly sweet -- the orange and lime are delicate and light, the fig is sweeter and thicker.  It's the best kind of convenience food.

Seriously, Tere's is worth a trip just for the taqueria.  At lunchtime, folks line up for tacos, sandwiches and more.  Get the horchata.

Growlers -- And The Wine Bars That Want Them

New liquor laws last year have let Howard County bars and liquor stores sell growlers of beer.

These are giant bottles that folks fill from taps.  It can be a way to try an unusual beer and to get a volume discount .

Now, the wine folks want in on the act.  Arthur Hirsch has a story in the Sun about the effort by Aida Bistro's owner to legalize a similar "fill at the tap" system for wine.  They're rhyming "gowlier" with sommelier, and they have support of the Howard County legislators to change in the law in this year's session.

Several of my friends have enjoyed growlers from i.m. Wine in Fulton.  I know that the Wine Bin and Victoria Gastro Pub have offered growlers, and Hirsch's story says three other folks have licenses.  Have you tried it yet?  What did you get?  What did you think?

Help Us @Gorelickinggood, You're Our Only Hope

That's the skeleton of an Indian restaurant

The folks who own the Ambassador are building a new restaurant in Fulton.  I can see a steel skeleton on Maple Lawn Boulevard just off Johns Hopkins Road.  I have heard rumors that it'll be a big place, maybe opening later this year.

Who can tell us more?  (Gimme at G!) Who could discover the name?  (Gimme an O!)  Who can call the owners of the Ambassador?  (Gimme a RE!) Who can interview them about the timeline, the plans for the menu, how formal or casual they expect the new place to me?  Who can do all this and more? (Gimme a LICK!)

Come on Baltimore Sun.  Tell us more!

Honey Pig Fried Chicken Coming To Lotte

Honey Pig fried chicken is coming!

Honey Pig's little restaurant inside the new Catonsville Lotte is expanding into Korean fried chicken -- and you can get a grand opening bargain as well.

When the new Lotte opened, Honey Pig had a counter selling terrific steam dumplings.  For $2, they're big enough to be a meal.  For $20, I brought a party home and steamed them myself.

Now, Honey Pig will fry chicken and pork cutlets and offer seating as well.  If you don't know the Korean fried chicken trend, you should check out Bon Chon in Ellicott City.  But I'm super-excited for Honey Pig's fried chicken because they do great food.

Folks are saying the new chicken spot opens March 8, but the sign was in Korean so I don't exactly know.

If you want to try, consider a Groupon where you pay $15 for a $30 combo platter good until May 1, 2013.  Check out the Groupon.  Note that it's only good for dine-in, only for the specific platter, and not on holidays.  If that works, try the chicken for $15.

Thanks to Trip Klaus for emailing me about the Groupon.  Thanks also to EGKate who mentioned it in a comment.

New Restaurants, Great Food, Top Sushi, Al Pong's New Trees And Other HowChow Comments

Anyone know when Tigi's will open?

Does anyone know what's up with the Highland Inn?  Melanie asked on the Facebook page, and I don't really know the timeline on the restaurant planned for Rte 216 by the owners of the Milton Inn.  What about Tigi's -- the Ethiopian restaurant coming to Ellicott City?

I'm hoping for someone to give us updates.  I asked this week about the Bean and Burgundy Kitchen sign on Rte 40, and Michelle reported that she knows the owner of what will be an upscale coffee and wine bar opening this spring -- not an Ethiopian restaurant.

That's not all you can learn from the comments.  EastCoastMatt and others told me how to eat water kimchi.  Thank heavens that I hadn't slurped it yet.  Folks recommended dishes at the new Sushi Tendou in Fulton, including the "nymph roll" (LisaBMrsS), jellyfish (kam), and "Boston roll" (mdfoodlover) -- although other folks had mixed reports and Kate talked up Asian Fusion Palace.

There are tons of recent comments worth checking out.  Here are a handful:

Sumo!!!

• Mike recommended the roast beef at C&B Delly -- and James, Bobby W and others recommended other places to find great sandwiches.
• Randy recommended Chinese at Noodles Corner, including Pi-Pa Tofu, Singapore Noodles, XO Fish, Pan-Fried Crispy Noodles w/ Seafood, Chow Fun, and a secret off-menu selection.
• Anonymous wants you to go Chapalas in Burtonsville, especially for pupusas and mole veggie enchiladas.  AJ, Lindsay and Dzoey each provided reviews of the Mexican at the new Xitomate.
• Al Pong chimed in about the awesome Sumo oranges, which he says are also called Dekepon or Shiranui mandarins.  Pong runs an orchard in Fulton where you can buy all kinds of fruit trees, including kaffir line and Asian pears.  In his comment, Pong seems to say that he has Dekepon trees that he will propogate as it gets warmer.
• Mike reports that the shuttered El Nayar has now become a Roma's Pizza.
• Jody, Dave Bittner, and others talked up some great "free" treats at local restaurants, including the breadbasket at Elkridge Furnace Inn, the garlic knots at Tomato Palace, and the salsa at Zapata's.