What I Did On Summer Vacation #1: Cuban, Pizza, Chinese & More With Good People

Pork chops at Cuba de Ayer in Burtonsville

The posting was light this summer, and I need to stoke the writing hunger to re-start this hobby blog.

So I'll start with a few posts reporting on the summer vacation.  Light posting doesn't mean light eating.  We eat out less than most readers assume, but we did very well over the summer -- both with food and with people to enjoy the meals.  Often, the company makes the meal.  These are some of the fun that we had:

Udon noodles (front)
Bok choy and mushrooms (back)

• Pork chops at Cuba de Ayer in Burtonsville.  We met friends for dinner, and I ordered a 20-year-old memory in Cuban pork chops.  Just as good as I remember from South Florida.  Thin, but juicy chops.  Slightly charred.  Deliciously meaty and served with sweet plantains and beans-and-rice.  Their Cuban sandwich is also a treasure.
• A table of Chinese at Noodles Corner in Columbia.  Family visited last month, and we started relaxed with a late dinner where everyone picked what they wanted.  Ask for the "authentic" menu.  Order anything that looks good.  Try udon noodles with seafood that comes with scallops, shrimp, crab stick and an intense pepper flavor.  Or basil eggplants -- perfectly tender while still retaining their shape.  The basil aroma filled the table even before we ate, and the brown sauce came fresh and thick, a talented contrast to my clumsy, clumpy attempts at Chinese sauces.
• An afternoon pizza at Coal Fire Pizza in Ellicott City.  Coal Fire is kid-friendly in every way.  At times, it seems run by teenagers, which means you need to expect variation in quality and service.  But you can get great pizza when the kitchen does well, and the casual setting means you can mix a good pie and a good beer with little kids or a huge group.  We ate on the patio, which is even better.  That thin-crust pizza disappeared.

Spicy pizza from Coal Fire

I hope that your summer was good.  I'll post more reports over the next week, including news about new restaurants.  Let me know in the comments about summer eating that you'd recommend for people to try.