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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Trolling: Pepperoni Pizza Kolache, Soboru Bread, And Einstein Bagels -- A Tour Down Rte 40

Pepperoni pizza kolache
Adam is one of the weekend warriors who run and bike on Rte 40 and Rte 144 west from Ellicott City.  He offered a guest post with his perfect adventure route to get his carbophile on.  This is a "trolling" post about places to catch a snack on the go during a run or to recover afterwards -- options west of the Rte 29 split.
  • If you’ve never been to Kolache Kreations than you are missing out. Not only do they have hand-dipped Hershey’s ice cream in indulgent flavors like Oatmeal Raisin Cookie (not to mention soft-serve, sundaes, and shakes), but their baked goods are enough to make you consider moving to Texas and the heart of their namesake pastry.  Kolaches aren’t just for breakfast either. I recently picked up their new pepperoni pizza kolache.  Man, this thing is good.  The goo factor on the mozzarella is the stuff New York pizza places aim to achieve, while the kick of the thick pepperoni slices and sweet sauce just come together classically within the sweet, doughy pastry.  Think a Hot Pocket that actually tastes good.  Like really good.
  • If you’re more inclined for something crunchy rather than gooey, just head a quarter mile down the road to Bon Appetit Bakery. I might not be able to pronounce half the baked goods, but I recently discovered soboru bread.  For just a buck, you can get these spongy and rich sweet rolls with a variety of flavor combinations.  Try the one with a peanut topping.  The taste is rich and sweet and bright, with notes of butter and cream.  Yet there’s a surprisingly airy nature within the dough, and the peanut topping provides plenty of textural contrast.  In an odd way, it reminds me of a Marco Polo bagel from Wegmans.
  • Speaking of bagels, I really don’t think there’s a better place in Howard County for bagels than Einstein Brothers on Route 40.  Sure it’s a chain, but so what?  Dennis, one of the mangers, is a great guy who has been keeping people coming back for years (along with the bottomless coffee and iced coffee!)  It’s a great place to grab breakfast or lunch on summer days now that they have a shaded patio space.  I’m partial to the cinnamon sugar bagel for a post run treat.  It’s got all the sweet cinnamon taste of a donut, but that addictive and guilty pleasure buttery taste to glaze it over.  So good, you won’t even need one of there signature schmears!
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.
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9 comments:

  1. TriciaJGJuly 9, 2013 at 8:15 PM

    Stopped reading as soon as I saw the word "kolache". This native Texan is going to visit Kolache Kreation as soon as I can.

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  2. Steve FineJuly 10, 2013 at 6:54 AM

    Bagels are one area in which HoCo has regressed. Year's ago, the Bagel Bins were really good and we had a Bruegers. The Bagel Bin's have gone downhill, the Breugers is no more, and Einstein's Bagel's are far from authentic. Anyone know where I could get real, authentic bagels in HoCo?

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  3. AnonymousJuly 10, 2013 at 7:51 AM

    Steve - I agree Einstein bagels' gummy texture is terrible. The closest to a real (i.e. New York) bagel that I have found in MD is at Cafe Bagel on Marshalee Drive in Elkridge (in the shopping center with the Giant). Also really like their whitefish, tuna and chicken salads - all white meat and not goopy with Mayo.

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  4. Steve FineJuly 10, 2013 at 9:10 AM

    Thanks for the tip! I will give Cafe Bagel a try.

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  5. kamJuly 10, 2013 at 9:14 AM

    I second the recommendation for Cafe Bagel. They're open for dinner now, too.

    The closest Breugger's appears to be in DC, so not much luck there unless you happen to commute there for work or head there often on the weekend.

    ~kam

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  6. bmorecupcakeJuly 10, 2013 at 11:51 PM

    The kolache place is excellent. The owner -- a true Texan -- has that rare touch: to take ordinary ingredients and produce something more than the sum of its parts. Try the mushroom/cheese kolache. The non-kolache baked goods (e.g., blondies) they bake in house are also very good.

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  7. dzoeyJuly 12, 2013 at 12:20 PM

    I was running late for lunch and decided to try the pizza Kolache after reading this post. I very much enjoyed it. The saltiness of the pepperoni played against the slight sweetness of the dough really well.

    I also tried the Philly Cheesesteak Kolache which was OK, but not as good as the pizza one.

    Also tried one of their pretzel shaped pastries - boy was that good - part chocolate, part almond, flakey...yum.

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  8. RobJuly 15, 2013 at 11:21 AM

    Wegman's Bagels are very good. Of course, Goldberg's in Pikesville are still the best in the area.

    I couldn't agree more about Einstein's. They don't boil so essentially they are making bread. Bagel Bin past or present were more like bread than bagels too.

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  9. ChrisJuly 17, 2013 at 6:47 PM

    So they aren't exactly in HoCo, but for me worth the trip. Living on the border of HoCo and Carrol though it feels closer than it probably is.

    Habib's Bagel Cafe is a really good NY style bagel. I've generally avoided bagels in Maryland until I found them. Sorry, raised a NY bagel snob. They also have a really good kabob restaurant in the same building.

    http://habibskabobandbagelcafe.com/

    ReplyDelete

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