Advice For Pizzas, Thai, Fried Chicken And More; Plus Sonic May Really Be Coming To Rte 40

Fried chicken from Harvest Fried Chicken in Woodbine

Wendy and Min have set the menu for our next visit to Yetnal House.  After I wrote Monday about the casual Korean restaurant in Ellicott City, they recommended the spicy chicken "dak galbi" to share with two or three people.  Sounds terrific.

While we are up on Rte 40, can anyone confirm that the Sonic is under construction?  I had written about the long-planned burger joint in April, and Anonymous left a comment Wednesday say that he/she had seen the architectural drawings.  The prediction was Sonic would open in 2014.

Some old posts still pick up new advice.  Kevlar51 finally tried Harvest Fried Chicken in Woodbine, and he (and his wife) loved the food even though he isn't normally a fan of fried chicken:

That opinion changed after eating this chicken. Delicious and crispy batter, together with impossibly moist chicken is the winning combination that Harvest has evidently perfected. My wife was devouring the skin she'd have otherwise cast aside and I was loving the white meat just as much as the dark (I usually avoid the breasts).

Similarly, I emailed with Eric about the closing of the Columbia Mama Luccia's.  He is a Philly guy, which I consider one of the gold standards for great pizza and sandwiches.  So I asked what he sees as alternatives to the pizza nights that his family used to eat at Mama Luccia's.

If we want to eat at home, we will order from Philly's Best in Elkridge.  Might I recommend their white pizza (no white sauce -- tasty but too greasy) with grilled chicken and brined sweet peppers (like you would get on a hoagie)?  Actually their cheesesteaks are pretty good too. 

If we want to go out, it'll be Trattoria Amore in Dorsey Search Village Center. We went there the first night we moved down here and it was a blessing to find a good Italian place quickly.  Now if we really want to treat, it's Facci or a trip into Baltimore and go to Chazz. I haven't tried Coal Fire on 108 yet mainly because I hear the crust is too thin, but I should give it a try. 

Might I also recommend 2 Amy's Wood Fire Pizza in Cathedral Heights in DC. MANY people have recommended that to me but there is one problem with their location -- its right next to Cactus Cantina, an awesome Tex-Mex place.

That puts Philly's Best on my "to do" list.  I'm a fan of many voices.  If you want some food-related fun, check out the comic music video that MoCo neighbor Russell helped create for Jackie Silvestri and "Spicify My Love."  If you want to play with local Twitter feeds, check out the "Tint Up" page that Jessie X created to collect posts tagged with #HoCoFood.  Or stay on HowChow for more of those comments.  There are great tips to pick up on lots of recent posts.

• Jim, J and others debated the local Thai options in comments on my post about Bangkok Delight in Columbia.  J strongly recommends Bangkok Garden, although SC likes the drunken noodles at Thai Aroma. 
• For Indian, Linda reported on Tandoor Grill on Johns Hopkins Road and especially a shrimp dish with pepper, onion, and almond sauce called kalimirch -- a flavor that she said she had never had in an Indian restaurant before.
• From the Howard County Fire Department's Twitter feed, I learned that two Howard County firefighters have been featured in a new "fire house" cookbook.  (Affiliate link.)
• What is Gourmet Grilling?  I found a Twitter account from what loks like a food truck that does ribs, chicken, smoked salmon and other grilled items in Columbia.  Maybe just off Rte 108 on Phelps Luck Drive?  It looks awesome.  I'd love to know more.
• Think about Friends & Farms if you're looking for local food or local gifts.  The Columbia company sells food baskets similar to a CSA, although they source the food from a variety of suppliers.  They have one-basket options for people who want to try their service.  They also have gift certificates as gifts.  Check out my prior posts about other local gift ideas, and check out the Friends & Farms Web site. 
• MS recommended cakes and cupcakes from Simply Desserts in Columbia.
• Bmorecupcake recommended the brioche at The Breadery in Oella.  She is a regular, and she says that is her current favorite.
• OmarS wasn't wowed by Chopstixx in Elkridge.  Okay beef chow fun, but not amazing.  I know Chopstixx has real fans, so it's always good to hear what they recommend to order.
• Anonymous talked up the chips and nachos platter at Wegmans.  This is the winter variation on the salad station in their restaurant area.
• Lulu Lovetoeat had cookies and popsicles from the new Shilla bakery in Ellicott City.
• Has anyone had trouble with orders at Sushi Sono?  Danya emailed to say she had been bothered when she was served blue fin tuna when she had ordered regular tuna.  It was twice as expensive, and no one flagged the difference for her.  She said the Sono folks offered to take the blue fun away once she noted the difference, but it left her troubled.  That's never happened to me, and that has been one of my "best restaurants" for years.
• On the "best restaurants" post, Dan talked up both Rumor Mill and Sushi King -- especially the eels at Sushi King.  Then Bonnie reported an entire meal at Rumor Mill, including a bourbon infused with ginger and then turned into a cocktail.
• In fact, the entire run of "best restaurant" comments has a series of nice recommendations from cdarl, K8teebug, and others.  I still need to try the smoked salmon BLT at Town Grill.
• Adam added a short review of the new Facci in Turf Valley, which has been really busy according to folks who have visited.  Adam and MyPerfectSky also reported about early days at the new Bean & Burgundy Bread on Rte 40.  I will nose around to see if they really start serving bubble tea with their own house-made syrups.