New Chinese Supermarket Has Opened In Catonsville; What Does It Add To Lotte?

A new Chinese supermarket appears to have opened in Catonsville -- giving you a supplement to the Korean-run markets that already make Rte 40 a terrific place for food.

Great Wall Supermarket appears to have opened this week.  This is a chain with several locations in Virginia, and I love the Asian supermarkets that often have products that run from Iran or India through Korea and Japan.

Already, H Mart and two Lotte on Rte 40 are terrific places for everything from produce to packaged goods, fish to frozen dumplings.  The new Lotte in Catonsville has incredible Indian options.

In Virginia, the Great Wall overlapped with H Mart, but then had many Chinese ingredients and foods that weren't in the Korean-run stores.  I saw some Yelp posts that suggest the opening may have been rough, but that say the Great Wall will have roast duck and roast pork.

Hat tip to Cornelia, who posted on the HowChow Facebook page.  Please comment about what you see at Great Wall and what you recommend.  You need to drive past Lotte and H Mart if you're coming from Howard County, so I assume that our locals will go there mostly for items that aren't available at the existing places.

Great Wall Supermarket
5510 Baltimore National Pike (Rte 40)
Catonsville, MD 21207
410-788-888

NEAR:  Great Wall appears to be on Rte 40 just inside the Baltimore beltway.  From Ellicott City, it probably makes sense to drive east on Rte 40.  From southern Howard County, consider just going north on I-95 and curving around on I-695.

Who Says You Need To Eat In A Shopping Center? Three Big Restaurants Opening This Month

Highland Inn in snow

We ate delicious Facci pizza tonight picked up in a shopping center, so you know that I'm joking about the headline.

But check out the photo above of the Highland Inn covered with snow.  Christina snapped the photo last week in Highland.  She said they had just put the sign on the building.  Since then, they have added landscaping and exterior lighting and finished the parking lot.

That's a scenic spot with the new restaurant built into an old home.

Right now, we're waiting for three new restaurants with serious aspirations -- Brian Boston's Highland Inn on Rte 216, Cindy Wolf's Petit Louis on the Columbia lakefront, and the White Oak Tavern, well, in a shopping center on Rte 40.

Does anyone know when the restaurants will open?

In October, Boston told Richard Gorelick that they would open the Highland Inn by early December.  This month, the Foreman-Wolf folks said they'd open Petit Louis by the end of the year.  The White Oak Taven folks have said they're opening within a week.

Gourmet Grilling -- Get Your Smoke From The Columbia Meat Truck On Fridays And Weekends

Ribs and wings from Gourmet Grilling

I'm always eager for smoke -- especially in the cold season.

With only a few exceptions, my outdoor cooking is limited to a gas grill, so I'm always drawn to smokey barbecue.  That doubles down in the winter when I get chased inside and cook even my hamburgers on a cast-iron grill.

The Gourmet Grilling truck in Columbia is a nice way to pick up some smoke.  Thick ribs and other meaty cuts cooked over charcoal and served up with nice sides like beans and rice fortified with sausage.

The Gourmet Grilling operates Fridays, Saturdays and every other Sunday at the Grandfather's Garden Center on Phelps Luck Road just south of Rte 108.  The pit master cooks ribs, turkey legs, pit beef, sausages and wings on a big-barreled smoker and sells them from a white truck parked alongside.

I loved the ribs.  They were thick and cooked to the tender-but-firm texture that I prefer.  They had a rich smokey flavor that made them more than I could make on my gas grill.  I'd pass next time on the sauce.  I think it might have just been from a jar.  Sweet and added nothing.  It distracted from the good meat and the "bumpin' beans & rice" side dish that came studded with sausage and flavor.  I got some chicken wings as well, and they were good -- although again would have been even better without the sauce.

Gourmet Grilling actually beat me.  I couldn't finish the entire plate.  So I carried home one meaty rib, and I turned it into one of the best risottos that I have ever cooked.  I made a pretty basic risotto with sautéed onions, a little wine, chicken broth and grilled red peppers.  In the final minutes, I shredded the meat off the rib and stirred it into the rice as it finished up.  The smokey flavor spread throughout.  Honestly, it was better than I had even hoped.  More like a restaurant than my kitchen.

Risotto with a little shredded rib

Gourmet Grilling food truck
at Grandfather's Garden Center
5320 Phelps Luck Drive
Columbia, MD 21045

NEAR:  This is just south of Rte 108.  The light for Phelps Luck Drive is just west of Howard High School, and it has a shopping center on the north side and a sign for the garden center on the south.  Go south and the Gourmet Grilling food truck is on the right about a block down.  He is there Fridays, Saturdays and every other Sunday.  To confirm the days that Gourmet Grilling is cooking, check out its Twitter feed.

Hawaiian Food Comes Just Outside The County; Poke, Comfort Food Worth Searching Out

Spicy tuna chirashi zushi

The Taste of Aloha has brought the taste of Hawaii to the border of Howard County, and it's worth the drive to bring a little sunshine into your winter.

This is a small family-run restaurant in Arbutus that brings casual Hawaiian food -- with its mix of Asian and American influences, its range from light raw fish dishes through noodle soups to hearty burgers and "plate lunch."

I don't want you to go with heightened expectations, but Taste of Aloha reminds me of R&R Taqueria. It's a guy who wants to cook authentic food.  Bare-bones seating.  A short menu that changes with the ingredients.  And a real focus on making things from scratch.  Let's just say that we left disappointed that we had passed on macaroni salad because lunch made us realized that we had probably underestimated it.

Saimin and fish tacos

First, you need to hit up Taste of Aloha just for the raw fish.  Hawaiians make these wonderful dishes called poke where fish is cubed, then mixed with vegetables and often a dressing.  There are endless varieties, and they were one of our favorite parts of vacation.

Last weekend, Taste of Aloha was serving a poke cousin called spicy tuna chirashi zushi.  A scoop of warm perfect rice surrounded by cubed tuna mixed with a spicy emulsion.  A touch of creaminess, but mostly a bright, light spiciness.  A dash of furikake gave a little salt and crunch.  As a $6 appetizer, it was one of my favorite dishes that I have eaten this year.  On a china plate, it would have been at home at a high-end restaurant.

Second, you should come expecting authenticity.  Hawaii has developed a unique culture with input from places like Japan, Korea, the Philippines and Portugal.  During out single meal, we listened to two other tables exclaim about how the food tasted just like they remembered from their time on the islands. The menu included kalbi, chicken katsu, several burgers, and kahlua pig served as a hoagie or as a big plate lunch.

Mrs. HowChow ordered mahi-mahi tacos that had perfectly grilled fish with a kimchi slaw and pineapple salsa.  I tried saimin, a noodle soup that starts with a mushroom-vegetable broth and then lets you add spam, shrimp, tofu, dumplings or a bunch of other proteins to bulk it up.  It was a cloudy broth and a filling soup perfect for a cold day.  I jazzed mine with a dash of soy sauce and a squirt of hot sauce.

Again, this is the vibe of R&R Taqueria where the folks take the food seriously even though they're cooking in a gas station.  We heard folks talk about how the chef makes his own sauces and marinades, including his own teriyaki sauce.  That's the kind of effort that we tasted in all our dishes and that makes me want to go back to try the kalbi, the roast pork, and maybe even the dishes made with spam.  That was also when we realized that the macaroni salad side dish was homemade -- and probably delicious.

Don't go with crazy expectations.  This is a casual place with a one-man kitchen.  But Taste of Aloha is really worth checking out because they're making an effort to do something special.  Plus, it's a unique menu that will give you a little taste of the islands without even driving to BWI.

Thanks to Jonalyne and Dorothy, who turned me onto Taste of Aloha.  Katie at Cupcake RN even wrote about eating there last month, but I actually hid the place for a few weeks so that I could surprise Mrs. HowChow with poke.  If you're going to make a special trip, I recommend following the restaurant on Twitter or on Facebook to see when they announce poke, chirashi zushi or other raw fish dishes.

Taste of Aloha
1405 Sulphur Spg Rd
Arbutus, MD 21227
(410) 501-3030

NEAR: Taste of Aloha is a little south and east of Catonsville. Get directions. From Ellicott City, you can take Frederick Road to Rolling Road and then into Arbutus. From the south, you'll probably come up I-95 and then loop around on I-195 and local roads. You probably won't happen across Taste of Aloha from Howard County, but it's pretty easy to find.

White Oak Tavern Opens In A Week; The Menus Will Be Posted By Deena Over Five Days

The new White Oak Tavern appears set to open on Rte 40 in the next week, and Deena is posting the menus over the next five days on Deena Days.

The White Oak replaces Jilly's, and the new crew is taking up the seasonal, farm-to-table banner.  Looks like a mix of salads and small plates for $5-12 and then entrees from $12-25.  The menus -- which highlight the places where they're getting meat, cheese, coffee and more -- are definitely worth checking out.

Today, Deena posted the winter dinner menu.  Or check back for all of Deena's posts about the White Oak to see her add the other menus.

If the White Oak folks say that they're opening in a week, then I suspect that they may have already soft-opened to work out the kinks.  Anyone know?  Has anyone been?

Ulman Jokes With A Hollywood Star; I Steal His Catchphrase: "We Have A Shoe You Can Play In"

I was in Miami when the Julia Louis-Dreyfus controversy swept through town, but I'm going to keep it alive one more day to steal a catchphrase.

If you missed it, a really well-known New York writer came to Columbia to interview the actress for a Web site.  The writer slashed Columbia, where Louis-Dreyfus films "Veep," as "one of the dreariest American landscapes imaginable" and quoted Louis-Dreyfus as saying that something was like "a prison."

The ant hill boiled over.

A bunch of local writers posted about the comment.  Folks responded on Twitter.  Ken Ulman and his crew created a charmingly amateur video where he declares his love for Louis-Dreyfus and assembles a team to list reasons to love Columbia.  Louis-Dreyfus apologized on Twitter and said the warehouse stage was a prison, not the county.

I could have just let the moment pass, but I love Team Ulman's Number 3 Reason to love the county (at about the 1:20 mark): "We have Enchanted Forest.  It has a petting zoo.  It has a shoe you can play in."

I need to know the name of the Ulman aide who gave this quote.  For the record, I came to Howard County for a woman.  While I was here, I found a lot of food to enjoy, and I have been arguing for years with young-uns from Baltimore and Washington who write restaurant reviews on the theme: "You'll be shocked to hear that anything but chain restaurants exists outside the city limits."  But I never had a true HowChow slogan until now:

"Howard County: We Have A Shoe You Can Play In."

Just to be precise, I think the shoe is in Ellicott City.  The shoe is at Clark's Eliok Farm, right?  Seriously, I love that Ulman responded with something that joshed and tried to make a few points for the hometown.  I don't figure anyone with Seinfeld money is reading HowChow, but this is a few places that the Veep production company could call to cater a lunch if Louis-Dreyfus wants to get a taste of the real Howard County:

• Mango Grove for a mix of veg and non-veg Indian
• R&R Taqueria for Mexican -- maybe an authentic taco bar?
• Maiwand Kabob for Afghan kabobs and vegetables

Julia can check out all the great restaurants at the HowChow's Best of 2013 post.

Check out Jonathan O'Connell's Washington Post blog post for the video and the best summation of that I saw.  The Twitter hashtag #AwesomeColumbia seems to have lost its focus -- Fretboard Coffee is in Missouri -- but it's fun to scan.

Second Chance Saloon Goes Public Hoping To Get A Lease Extension And Survive The Winter

Sometimes, people think that restaurants are something more than a business.

The Second Chance Saloon has taken on its landlord, and a bunch of local folks are trying to argue for the Columbia restaurant to get a lease extension and survive the winter.

Second Chance is a casual restaurant and bar in the Oakland Mills village center.  I talked up the Old Bay wings a few years ago.  Their lease expires soon, and a bunch of folks went public last week lobbying the landlord Cedar Realty Trust to give them an extension.

Basically, that's a mix of Facebook, blogging and random chatter.  Second Chance put most of its information on its Facebook page.  Folks started on-line petitions.  The Marshmallow Man posteed on The 53d.  Bill Gray posted a call to action, asking people to write the Cedar Realty chief operating officer.  He says that Calvin Ball and Ken Ulman both wrote the landlord as well.

No one is concentrating on the food.  No one is claiming that Columbia will lack for places to get a beer.  They're saying Second Chance is a special place in their part of Columbia -- a place open to little meetings, open after football games, open for something more than selling food in a neighborhood that needs a place to meet and hang out.  As often, Julia McCready sparked the interest and captured the idea best on Village Green/Town Squared:

What do we stand for in Columbia, in 2013? Is there still room for the mom and pop privately owned business? We sigh and shrug when Don Pablo's goes, or Chicken Out, but what about the life and times of a local homegrown business whose only desire is to make good in Oakland Mills? Does our future hold nothing but chain restaurants whose coming and goings are dictated purely by numbers?

If you're interested in Second Chance, check out Julia's post and the links there.  And go eat at Second Chance.

Akbar In Columbia Appears To Be Closed

Akbar in Columbia has closed and may reopen as a different Indian restaurant, according to some folks with reliable information.

Plus, no one answers the phone during the middle of dinner service.  The Akbar on Snowden River Parkway was a little sibling to the Baltimore restaurant of the same name.  It was a nice place, but there are so many great Indian restaurants in Columbia that I don't think we had eaten there in four or five years.

Does anyone know the plan for the space?  Nichi Bei Kei also closed in the same shopping center, and they're aiming to reopen near the Columbia Mall.  The Akbar folks still have their other restaurants.  Does anyone know if someone will really re-open the Columbia space as an Indian restaurant.

Honestly, Indian kitchens have some tough competition.  I can think of five other good Indian restaurants in Columbia -- House of India, Mango Grove, Royal Taj, Flavors of India, and Nepalese-Indian Curry & Kabob -- plus quick service Tandoor Grill on Johns Hopkins Road and the Polo Club opening soon in Fulton.

Click here for all the posts about Indian restaurants.  What do you recommend on the local Indian scene?  Any places?  Any special dishes?  Hat tip to my brother in neurology research.

Nutella And Banana Crepes At Whirlz

The recent yogurt trend has begun to mature, and the Whirlz parlor in the Dorsey Search village center has added dessert crepes.

Check out the photo of a banana-Nutella crepe from Strobist.  He reports that they're delicious and enormous.   That's on my "need to get out to try" -- along with the Belgian waffles from the La Pearl Waffles truck that often sells near Howard Community College.

Cool New Bartender At The New Gadsby's; Now This Is Really A Chance For Teenaged Bloggers

Because I have lost the ability for quantity, I have found my liquor interests turning to quality and a little imagination.

I love the trend for hand-crafted drinks, and I have heard that the new Gadsby's Bar American has brought in a new bartender with a reputation for creative cocktails.  Chad Spangler competed in a national cocktails competition earlier this year after working at Founding Farmers and Farmers Fishers Bakers.  No, he is part of the new regime in the Columbia space that used to be Greystone Grill.

Spangler has been profiled by local blogs like Sophie Pyle in In The Capital and in video by GQ, which sponsored the competition.  This is the kind of bartender who messes with ingredients and techniques like a chef -- fruits, spices, foams, shrubs.  They even think about ice, the way that different kinds of ice would chill or melt or not melt in different kinds of drinks.  In my new-found taste for bourbon and rye, I have tasted some brilliant drinks that I could have never made at home.

To me, a cool bar would be a fine reason for people to check out Gadsby's.  I know people who love the fresh juices and tequilas at Azul 17 in Columbia, and these fun drinks can draw the hardcore fans and the "date night" folks who just want something special.  I'd love to hear what people think if they try Spangler's cocktails -- or if they recommend other local spots for cocktails.

Of course, my thoughts turn to the Two Dudes who scored the first interview with chef Robert Gadsby by showing up there for lunch with their parents.  It would really push the boundaries of "teenagers who blog about food" if the whole family sidled up to the bar to interview Spangler.  I bet Spangler has some non-alcoholic ideas.

Something Big Is Coming To Howard County In Late Summer Or Early Fall, Plus "Wellness"

I don't think that I ever heard an official announcement, but Luke Lavoie reported that the Columbia Whole Foods would open in "late summer or early fall of 2014" in a story about a spa that the Columbia Association will build underneath.

Seven-to-nine months?  It is feel like such a long time to wait after already waiting a couple years.  But good things take time, and this will bring fun to Howard County.  It will certainly be a big change in the HowChow life.  It helps to know that other people have waited in the past and that things turned out well for them.

The Sun story made me really excited that CA is building a "holistic spa and integrative health services."  I have been waiting for CA's "mind-body wellness concept."  I just need classes that "strengthen the body and contribute to overall wellness."  Tough to wait, but I feel fortunate to have that time to figure out what Luke and the CA are talking about.

The Whole Foods is really exciting as we drive past and watch them gut the old building.  Does anyone know a more-precise estimate?  I feel a need for a count-down clock like the fun that we had with Wegmans during its construction.

Peruvian Restaurant Appears Coming To Elkridge; Pisco May Be Coming From The Facci Folks

It appears that people are planning a Peruvian restaurant with a ceviche bar for the Elkridge shopping center with Trader Joe's and Perfect Pour.

There are Facebook and Trip Advisor pages for Pisco that seem to be talking about a new restaurant to replace the shuttered Mamma Lucia's.

The phone number isn't in service yet, and I didn't see any signs or permits when we drove past the place yesterday.  But the Facebook site links back to some of the people who own Facci.  That location right off Rte 175 seems perfect for folks with a history in Howard County and Facci locations in Turf Valley and on Johns Hopkins Road.

Hat tip to Ryan Smith, who posted on the HowChow Facebook page that he had heard about Pisco from a neighbor.  Does anyone know the plan or the timing here?

Pisco Restaurant -- coming in 2014??
6630 Marie Curie Drive
Elkridge, MD 21075

NEAR:  This is the shopping center with Trader Joe's and Perfect Pour at the intersection of Rte 175 and Rte 108.  The center backs onto Rte 108 and faces the Costco.  The former Mamma Lucia was on the end away from Trader Joe's.

Foreman-Wolf Restaurant In Columbia Appears To Be French, A Second Version Of Petit Louis

The new restaurant from Tony Foreman and Cindy Wolf in Columbia appears like it will have a French menu and be a second version of their Petit Louis Bistro -- with patio dining overlooking the lake.

The name and cuisine have not been officially announced, but people can't keep a secret when they have a hunger for booze.

The Alcoholic Beverage Hearing Board ran an ad in yesterday's Baltimore Sun noting a application from "LouisCo Columbia, LLC t/a Petit Louis Bistro" in the name of Diane Patton and John Anthony Foreman.

The new restaurant is under construction on the lakefront in Columbia.  It's the former location of the Red Pearl.

Another cool detail: They're asking for liquor sales on a 471-square-foot patio.  That patio seems like a great idea.  They get extra tables, and diners can enjoy some seasonal seats with one of the best views around.

Hat tip to Anonymous for spotting the ad and posting a comment last night.  Does anyone know the plan or the time table for opening?  Mrs. HowChow loves Petit Louis, but she had been dreaming of Cindy Wolf's take on "farm to table" seasonal food.  The liquor hearing is 6:30 pm on December 17.  Let me know if anyone happens to attend.

Adult M&Ms: Sweet Cascades Dips WIld Stuff, But Subtle Bite-Sized Candies Go Rosemary, Cayenne

In a place known for wild stuff, the simplest sweet has caught my eye.

Sweet Cascades on Main Street in Ellicott City makes its own chocolates, and they'll dip almost anything in chocolate.  Cheese puffs.  Wine bottles.  Peanut-butter-and-marshmallow-stuffed pretzels.

Chocolate-covered fun

But look on the counter for the simplest chocolates -- small solid candies that they flavor and sell by the quarter pound.  These "savouries" are bite-sized dark chocolates with flavors like orange blossom, lemon zest, and rosemary.  Cayenne pepper had a low warmth.  Rosemary was a revelation -- perfectly measured so that subtle  flavor comes through, but doesn't overwhelm the chocolate.

Imagine adult M&Ms.  No candy shell, but Sweet Cascades' candies are about the same size.  They'd fill a pretty candy bowl if you had guests.  They'd please a candy lover at your home.  They'd even be cool in a Howard County food basket if you found a bag to dress them up.

Don't get me wrong -- Sweet Cascade's crazy stuff is fun too.  They dip salty snacks and breakfast cereal.  They do larger pieces of flavored candy like mini chocolate bars with lavender and salt & pepper.  They will even dip your wine bottle in chocolate -- letting you give a gift where someone can drink the wine, then break chocolate off the bottle for dessert.

Weeknight Dinner: An Hour's Work Leads To Days Of Flavor (The Secret Is Sausage And A Freezer)

Pizza made with time

All great meals take time to create, and I have learned that I just need to find a way to bank some time so that I can spend it later.

Pizza makes for an easy weeknight dinner, and it can be special when I have planned ahead.

Don't get me wrong.  I buy dough from Harris Teeter, and it's perfectly fine.  We have eaten many a night by breaking open packages of sauce, mozzarella and turkey pepperoni.

But I can do better -- like a pie with spicy sausage, pesto, and caramelized onions -- and the secret is the freezer.  The freezer for chicken sausage from Whole Foods and pesto that I made when basil was bushy and fragrant last summer.  Add another frozen bag of onions that I caramelized weeks ago while I was cooking other food, and some grated Parmesan made everything come together.  The pizza tasted like days of effort, but we pulled it from the oven less than hour after I came home.

I really believe in taking advantage of the work stored up in sausages, sauces, pickles and similar ingredients.  They're the way to get great flavor on a night when I don't have time.  A few jars or frozen bags are the way to avoid takeout.  Sausage is the perfect example.  You can buy it so many places around Howard County, and that butcher's work can become quick sandwiches, pasta sauces, or pizzas for you.

Kim Bob Na Ra Offers Casual, Cheap Korean Dishes -- And Dessert A Few Doors Down

Kim Bob Na Ra is a casual Korean joint on Rte 40 offering comfort food for people who want something closer to a cafe than a white-tablecloth restaurant.

This is a terrific place for lunch or a weeknight dinner.  It's also another option for people trying to explore some Korean food.  When you walk in, the walls are covered with hangul letters.  But the menu has some English, and you can prepare yourself to eat well.

As Kevin Rhee wrote in 2011, Kim Bob Na Ra's menu is a type of Korean cuisine called bunsik, a relatively nebulous category that covers quick food for a low price:

The staples of this category are kimbap (rice, vegetables, and other things wrapped in seaweed), topoki (chewy rice blocks in spicy gochujang sauce), and odeng (seafood "sausages"). Your safest bet here is kimbap. PLEASE, don't call it korean sushi. It drives me nuts. Yes, I am asking you to not say it for my benefit, and mine alone.

As Kevin said, the kimbap is a roll wrapped with seaweed.  So it's a cousin to sushi, but the seaweed is about all they share  They're all cooked ingredients, and they're thicker and more mixed -- beef, egg, spinach, fake crab and carrot in a single roll.  Kimchi, spinach, egg, carrot and maybe sesame leaf in another.

These are hearty bites that make the most of mixed ingredients.  You get a bunch of flavors in each bite,  and they're a mix of meat and veg, fresh and pickled, crunchy and soft.  Kimbap feels more akin to a Vietnamese summer roll or a tiny burrito than a raw fish roll.  The kimchi is mellowing than the stuff that I buy in the fridge at Lotte.  I think that's because it has been simmered to bring down the spice.

Beyond the kim bap, we started with steamed dumplings.  They were good.  We made a little dipping sauce by mixing soy sauce and vinegar from the jars on the table.  Nothing is that spicy, and we stuffed two stomachs for $20 with those three dishes and the small plates of banchan that they put out at the start.  That makes this an ideal place to try something new.

My recommendation is that you check for dishes on Yelp or on Kyle's 2011 post about his trips to Kim Bob Na Ra.  Kyle found soup that he liked, along with a stir-fried pork dish.

My other recommendation is that you save room for dessert.  A few doors down from Kim Bob Na Ra is the new Shilla bakery, where you can find all kinds of sweets and coffee for dessert.  Try "dessert in a cup" with the sweet potato latte.  Try anything with red bean, especially the red bean donuts.

If you want more about Korean food in Howard County, you can always click for my short-list of "Rte 40 Tour" posts or for all my posts about Korean cuisine.  But you should also see Dan A's Yelp list of Ellicott City Korean restaurants.

Kim Bob Na Ra
9339 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042
(410) 465-9166

NEAR: Kim Bob Na Ra is on Rte 40 west of Rte 29.  It's on the south side in a shopping center with Shilla Bakery and Jason's Wine & Spirits.

Free Steve Vilnit! An Adventure In Tweets

If you want to follow a little adventure, check out the Twitter feed of Steve Vilnit. 

Steve's day job is marketing fish for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.  He visited South Korea to represent the United States at a seafood convention.  He had great adventures.  He saw and ate some cool stuff.

And now he is stuck in the Seoul airport.  He has been stuck for a day, and he has been tweeting about the experience.  Scan down the feed for those photos of cool fish and eating adventures in Busan.  Then come back to the top to see a man already delayed 24 hours and still wondering if United will bring him home with fewer than three stops.

The Coolest Garage Doors In Howard County

That window appears to slide into the ceiling like a garage door

The Polo Club is still under construction in Fulton, but I think they have the coolest garage doors in Howard County.

(Update: In early 2014, TaylorLegal posted on Twitter that the restaurant would be called Ananda.)

On Saturday, we looked in the windows of the dining room that overlooks a little water management pond, and Mrs. HowChow noticed that the huge windows aren't windows.

View out the windows

If we're right, they're doors.  Entire windows appear to sit on slides like garage doors, and they look like they'll slide up into the ceiling in good weather.

Now the Polo Club appears to be opening in some cold winter month like late December or January.  But those windows should open in the spring for some beautiful breezes.

This is a nice trend.  I saw similar huge windows at the new Facci in Turf Valley, and a bunch of places have added patios -- including Twist & Turn in Highland and Portalli's in Ellicott City.  I feel like Victoria Gastro Pub's covered patio was relatively unique when it opened several years ago, but these other folks have added nice options as well.

My New Favorite Awesomest Thing In The World

Sweet. Potato. Latte.  Awesome.

Get ready for the holidays with my new favorite awesomest thing in the world.

Imagine a classic Thanksgiving sweet potato side dish:  Whipped sweet potatoes covered with melted marshmallows.  Then imagine that as a warm winter drink.

Inspired?  Then go to the new Shilla Bakery on Rte 40 in Ellicott City.  They have all kinds of pastries, cakes, coffees, and other drinks.  But my new crush is the sweet potato latte.

This isn't a latte with a hint of sweet potato.  This is dessert in a paper cup.  Creamy, sweet, actually tasting like someone whipped marshmallow and sweet potato into a warm version of a milk shake.  I loved it.  I didn't need more than a few bites of the other desserts that we had ordered, but the sweet potato latte made my night.

The Shilla Bakery is a really cool place to hang out.  Families.  Teenagers.  Four women sitting at a table with coffees, forks, and a roll of sponge cake.  Everyone can have fun for an afternoon or after dinner.  We recommend the macarons, which have a crunchier exterior than the perfect ones from New York City but that come in a range of interesting flavors.

Sweet potato cake

HowChow regular Min ordered a sweet potato cake from Shilla for a birthday.  She thought it was delicious -- dense in texture, but not overwhelmingly sweet.  She originally thought it was covered in coconut, but that turned out to be finely-grated cake crumbs.

Bon Appetit a little farther west on Rte 40 is a straight-up competition with Shilla.  I need to check out their latte options.  The new Bean & Burgundy Bread has probably triple the space, and they're trying to offer coffee, baked goods, and a bigger savory menu as well.  They're all casual variations that offer a nice way to get out of the house as the weather gets cold.

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.

You Have A Duty To Taste Test Candy Cane Cookies; Christmas Cookies Knocked-Off Early

The Joe-Joes and the Os -- all peppermint

There are some questions that can only be decided by the expertise of a great food blog -- and then there are taste tests you have a duty to run for yourself.

It's peppermint cookie season.

Two years ago, we were enthralled by Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joes.  Then last year, we were shut out when we waited to late to buy ourselves a box of the Oreo knock-offs with peppermint chunks in the cream filling.

So this year, we acted early.  I found peppermint knock-offs at both Trader Joe's and Wegmans, and I brought them home for an epic battle that you can recreate with a quick run to the store.  They both have chocolate cookies.  They are both filled with cream.  They both add peppermint for that seasonal twist.

Joe-Joes at Trader Joes

The question:  Which cookies should you eat?

The answer:  Mrs. HowChow says both.  They're both dangerously delicious.  Crunch.  Cream.  Peppermint.  They're similar enough that she got a bit overconfident and guessed wrong about which was the Trader Joe's original.  Wegmans double-stuffs its Os, so you get more cream in each cookie.  But Trader Joe's put bigger slivers of peppermint in its Joe-Joes, so you get a more-exotic crunch.  Mrs. HowChow happily ate both.

(And I sampled another plate as I wrote this.  It's all in the name of science.)

This is definitely a fun taste-test for you to run at home.  I'd love your comments -- including candy cane Oreos because I assume that the true originals have gone peppermint for the holiday as well.  The only down side is hearing two open  bags of cookies call your name from the pantry.

Where Is Caffe Bene Coming To Ellicott City?

An LA- and NYC-based coffee chain call Caffe Bene has told Michael Gioioso of Bmore that they're opening their first location in Ellicott City.

Does anyone know about any specific plans?  The Caffe Bene Web site looks like the Rte 40 coffee shops like Bon Appetit and Shilla that do European coffees and pastries by way of Korea.  Some savory pastries, but lots of sweets.  They're really nice places to shop or to hang out -- very family friendly and an easy way to meet friends or get out of the house.

Hat tip to Gina who spotted the Bmore article and posted on the HowChow Facebook page.

Yet Nal House Makes A New Korean Option On Rte 40, A Terrific Warm-Up For Winter Chill

Yuk gae jung at Yet Nal House

I'm infatuated with Yet Nal House, and I haven't even scratched the surface yet.

This Ellicott City restaurant is a casual Korean place tucked in the first-floor corner of a shopping center at Rte 40 and Pine Orchard.  It doesn't have an English sign, and the front door -- down from Bippy's Pub -- opens onto a takeout area.  But you walk through into a cozy dining room with a bar and a big selection of Korean dishes.

Friend of the blog like Min had turned us on to Yel Nal with suggestions of rice cakes and the brisket casserole.  With the weather chilling, I convinced Mrs. HowChow that the season had arrived to try new soups to stay warm.

We got huge bowls of spicy beef soup (yuk gae jung) and seafood-tofu stew (soon doo boo), and we gorged ourselves surrounded by a crowd that ranged from families with small children to a table of young adults enjoying soju, beer, and a platter of seafood and noodles to some older couples who lingered over a table of dishes that looked amazing.

Our dishes seem like fine introductions if you like some heat.  The soon doo boo has a low, warm spiciness.  It isn't aggressive.  The base soup has a rich seafood flavor.  Not fishy, but more brine with clams and shrimp.  The smooth tofu pieces work like noodles in chicken soup, and Mrs. HowChow added spoonfuls of white rice that soaked up the flavors and left her with a take-home bowl as full as her original stew.

My yuk gae jung was spicier.  You get shredded meat in the red-pepper and beef broth, along with scallions and what I thought were dried fernbrake.  It's earthy and delicious.  Perfect for a chilly night.  We really didn't need the boiled dumplings that we had ordered because Yel Nal puts out the small plates of panchan on every table -- some kimchi, some noodles called chapchae, fish cakes, a seaweed with spicy sauce. . . .  We had more than two lunches in plastic containers when we walked out.

I can't suggest Yel Nal enough if you have already tried Shin Chon Garden and a few nights of the "Korean 101" menu that I wrote about.  People waiting for a table seemed initially surprised to see non-Korean-speakers come through the door.  But they -- and then everyone in the restaurant -- were friendly.  The menu has English descriptions, or you could look for suggestions on Yelp and just repeat the Korean names.

A few years ago, I ran two posts that were a "Tour of Rte 40," and, since then, we have nosed around other Korean spots in Ellicott City looking to see what we find.  Yet Nal and  Lighthouse Tofu are the two that most called me back with a welcome feel and delicious food.  Lighthouse specializes in soon doo boo, and both places offer a bit of theater with the dish.  You get white rice in a really hot bowl, and you're supposed to scoop out most of the rice, but leave a thin crust.  That cooks for 10-15 minutes, then you pour in a few inches of water.  By the time you're done eating, you have a palate-cleansing, stomach-settling tea.

Next time, I'm going to try the rice cake soup at Yel Nal.  I need to see a baseline because I'm hoping to cook this for the Korean New Year in the winter.  I also need to figure out the brisket casserole and the LA short ribs.  I'm up for any suggestions.  I have heard that Yet Nal has a good reputation with Korean diners, so I'd love to know what people enjoy.

For a smile, check out the Web site for Bippy's Pub, the bar a few doors down from Yel Nal House.

Years ago, Yel Nal House was a very different business.  I stopped there in 2008, when it was basically a takeout shop with kimbop, kimchi, soups and other dishes.  Since then, the space has been completely renovated, and the restaurant is warm and casual.  But there are still takeout coolers, and I bet you'd do well with the soups, kimchi, or other items.

One More Local Idea: Get On The CookieRide

Sara and her CookieRide creation

I missed a terrific idea when I wrote this week's posts about local ideas for your holiday shopping.

I have to think an unknown comment-writer for reminding that you could use CookieRide for either your holiday baskets or some holiday entertainment.

CookieRide is a relatively new company run by Casey Dyson who bakes and delivers cookies on her signature scooter.  Tuesday's comment noted that Dyson made sugar cookies last year -- regular, gluten-free, even made with a custom cookie cutter.  CookieRide does anything from dessert delivery to wedding cakes to really amusing stuff like cookie mustaches.

Gingerbread houses

So those cookies would make another addition to a gift basket of Howard County creations.

But even more, Casey will come run a party where you and your guests can decorate or bake your own cookies.  She does kids parties. She does office parties.  She will even build gingerbread or sugar cookies houses.

For more, check out the CookieRide Web site.  Casey does these all year 'round, but gingerbread houses seem like a great way to create some holiday memories.

What else did I forget?  I want to encourage people to find new places around Howard County.  So comment about where you would recommend some holiday shopping -- food or not.

Local Shopping #3: More Places To Check Off Your Holiday Gift List In Howard County

Used records -- the right gift for the right person

I'm not a huge shopper, so I'm going to need help with local suggestions.

This week, I'm writing a "Gift Week" series of posts aimed at inspiring folks to shop at local spots. I know the food spots, but you could find all kinds of good gifts shopping at local stores.

Where do you go for the unique or the personal?  I suggested kitchen and cookbook options yesterday, but I had some other ideas for you to fill up the rest of your house:

Accessories at the Pet Barn

• Second Edition Books in Columbia.  Check out the used records.  You can buy a turntable for under $100, and you can have some retro fun with LPs.  We have bought Beatles, Jackson 5, Paul Simon and more.  (It's fun for used books as well, although somehow used books seem harder to give as gifts.)
• Boulder For Men in Clarksville.  Cool clothes for the young man in your life.  Or maybe for the middle-aged man in your life who would enjoy a little sprucing up.  Jeans, sweatshirts, shoes, sunglasses.  I bought a fun watch there made of wood. Boulder is by the folks who own Roots, and the Nest across the parking lot has clothing, candles and hand-sewn stuffed animals along with the cookbooks that I wrote about yesterday.
• Family Game Store in Savage Mill.  Two stores in one.  In the front, you can buy puzzles and games for the whole family.  Games that you won't see at Target, and stuff that you can enjoy together over the holidays.  In the back, they have role-playing and hobby games -- heavy on the military and science fiction options.  Perfect if you have a connoisseur on your list.
• Pearl Spa in Fulton.  You can't go wrong giving a massage or a pedicure.  But the Pearl Spa also has a full display of soaps and teas that you add to the Howard County food in a basket.  Mrs. HowChow likes the Tea Forte brand.
• Pet Barn in Fulton.  Around the corner from the Pearl in Maple Lawn, you can buy gifts for the cat or dog in your life.  They often sell funny dog treats that look like human food.  They also do all kinds of beds, collars, bowls and more.

Where else do you like shopping around Howard County?  You can certainly buy unique stuff on-line -- like maybe the Little Flower Candy Co. caramels or the gorgeous Hawaiian flowers from Anuhea Flowers.  But you can find so much around here.  There are clothing stores in Maple Lawn, antiques and arts along Main Streeet in Ellicott City, and a few hours of nosing around the shops at Savage Mill, especially if you like antiques, painted furniture, or another used book store.  

What would you recommend?

Shopping For The Kitchen: Local Spots To Find Cookbooks, Kitchen Items, And Specialty Foods

Cookbooks at Nest in Clarksville

Cookbooks have now become specialty shopping.

I'm almost surprised when I see cookbooks in person, when I can page through them and see if I get inspired to buy.  Now, they're curated in small collections at stores across Howard County.  They're the kinds of places where you could shop for kitchen gifts.

Plates at Sweet Elizabeth

This week, I'm writing a "Gift Week" series of posts aimed at inspiring folks to shop at local spots.  Williams Sonoma in the Columbia Mall sells terrific stuff.  But interested shoppers could check out a few other shops.  We may not have Harbor East, but we have enough shopping to make a meal.

The appetizer is Nest in Clarksville on Rte 108.  Maybe the largest cookbook selection other than Barnes and Nobles, which is impressive since I think it's all vegetarian books.  Any eater would benefit from Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop. Then an entire shop of organic items -- a lot of clothing, jewelry and stuffed animals.  The kitchen stuff runs to wooden bowls and serving pieces or pottery platters.

The main course is an afternoon walking down Main Street in Ellicott City.  

• Su Casa near the top of the hill and the big parking lot.  This is the modern outpost on Main Street.  They have a design company in the back that will sell you furniture, but we enjoy the "icing on the cake" stuff like retro bottle openers and fun placemats.  It's thoughtful, cool chat
• Randy and Steve's.  Imagine a Main Street version of Williams Sonoma's jars and mixes.  This new store on Main Street started selling all kinds of gourmet ingredients -- salts, oils, jellies, sauces, etc.  Right now, they have a wall of Stonewall Kitchen items, and they carry clothes and other items.
• Sweet Elizabeth Jane.  This is a happy store with winding paths through an eclectic warehouse of displays.  Some clothes.  Some jewelry. A bunch of kitchen items like spatulas, plates, mugs, cheese trays, and butter crocks.  It's smart stuff.  Mrs. HowChow can browse here for longer than most stores, and she will often walk out with something that she didn't plan like a cookbook or Hammond's candies at the checkout.
• The Breadery in Oella.  It's a pretty walk up the hill from Main Street Ellicott City, and the bakery will feed you while you peruse their shopping.  Again, they have carried the national brand Stonewall Kitchen, but they have also sold Baltimore stuff like Zeke's coffee and inFUSED spreads.  (You can always drive up to the Breadery as well.)

A Danish bowl set (sold off HA site)

Dessert is Home Anthology.  This is the Catonsville vintage store where people find reasonably-priced (and moderately used) tables, chairs, cabinets and other furniture.  But they also stock vintage kitchenware if you need a gift for someone who loves a 1950s to 1970s vibe.

Colorful Danish bowls.  Fondue sets.  Vintage shot glasses.  You never know what you will find, but Home Anthology has real pieces of the mid-century in cups, pots, and teak salad bowls.  You need the right friend, but a walk through Home Anthology is always fun -- especially if you get snacks a few blocks away at Atwater's.  They're open Saturdays and Sundays, and you can also check inventory on their Web site.

What am I missing?  What other local stores stock cool kitchen items or cookbooks?  I thought about the Asian pottery and kitchen items at the Hanoori Home Plaza in the same shopping center as H Mart -- both in Catonsville.  Bento boxes or whimsical chopsticks might be stocking stuffers, but most of the items tend more useful than gift-like.  What do you recommend?

Howard County Gift Basket: Local Treats You Can Buy Alone Or Assemble A Local Gift

Sugar cookies from Touche Touchet

Let's say that you need a gift basket -- as a hostess gift, as a friendly nod to a customer, or just as a gesture to cheer up a friend.

This week, I'm writing a "Gift Week" series of posts aimed at inspiring folks to shop at local spots.

Think local (and buy your own basket), and you can deliver something unique and delicious.  It's even better if you're someone like a real estate agent or someone else trying to promote Howard County.  You can find great food produced by local folks.

Every item below would make a fine gift on its own, but you could customize baskets that will really catch people's attention with some of my suggestions:

Southern Skies coffee

• Sugar cookies from Touche Touchet in Columbia.  For $4.50 and up, they sell hand-decorated cookies that will last weeks sealed in their packages.  Winter scenes.  Christmas scenes.  Hanukkah, hospital scrubs, or just "Thank You" cookies.  They're pricey, but they're gorgeous and delicious.  They're the touch that you put on top of the basket for pizzazz.
• Coffee from Southern Skies in Finksburg.  Just over the county line, Jeff Givens roasts small batches with aim to deliver fresh, seasonal beans.  It's so good that Red Envelope is offering a gift set with Southern Skies coffees, mug and a wooden box.  Or order from their Web site.  (If you want true Howard County, you can buy from local roasters like Mad City Coffee in Columbia as well.)
• Caramel and other popcorns from Crunch Daddy Popcorn.  As I said yesterday, the popcorn is spectacular.  Not just sweet.  Crunch Daddy does wonderful flavors that are actually unique. Again, made by hand in the county.  They have retail locations from Columbia to Catonsville (and beyond), plus you can check out their Web site.
• Cotton candy from the Sweet Treats stand at the Columbia Mall.  This is your secret weapon.  You need to buy it fresh, but it adds striking, colorful fun to any basket.  Plus, it's just $3 a bag, and they're spinning several flavors every day.  It's worth figuring out how to slip it in your basket.
• Jams from Rare Opportunity Farms in Westminster.  I sampled these at the Second Sunday market this month off Main Street, and they had all kinds of fall flavors in jelly jars (plus cookies, a chocolate chip cookie worth driving to Carroll County).  They are scheduled to come back for the final Second Sunday market in December, plus their Web site says they sell at the Little French Market in Ellicott City and Mad City Coffee in Columbia.
• Barbecue sauce from Kloby's Smokehouse on Johns Hopkins Road.  The pit boss in your life will love a savory contrast to the holiday sweets.  Kloby's sells five different bottles, including some seriously spicy "Honey Hab" and some local flavor in the "Chesapeake.
• Olives and chutney from Scratch, a little company run by Stephen Etzine.  Stephen's effort is new enough that the company has no Web site, but we had his chutneys and his own olives at the Second Sunday market.  They're terrific, and he does some beautiful, minimal packaging so the jars would be great in a basket.  You can reach Stephen by emailing the company at scratchfood@gmail.com.

Really, all these items are great for stand-alone gifts or "stocking stuffers."  Southern Skies even sells a "Java Passport" where they ship you coffee every month.  No minimum length.  That's fun for a coffee lover.

What else would you put in a Howard County gift basket?  I know there must be other people making great products in -- or near -- the county.  Tell folks what you would recommend.  Feel free to include Web site links.

Macsmom turned me on yesterday to a bakery called From Momma's Kitchen, and other bakeries may do some item that would last in a basket.  You could also pick up a good bottle of wine or beer at one of our local shops or more coffee from the Little French Market in Ellicott City  I wish Larriland Farm were open because they sold bottles of local honey in their barn store.  Is that Larriland honey sold retail anywhere else?

Kloby's BBQ sauces

Is Buffalo Wild Wings Coming To Columbia?

Can anyone confirm that Buffalo Wild Wings is coming to Columbia?

I heard talk that one of the restaurants has closed near Target on Rte 175.  I'm not sure.  No one answers the phone there.  But the chatter is that Buffalo Wild Wings would replace the restaurant.  Chain for chain, but that's area has a pretty good variety with BGR The Burger Joint, Maiwand Kabob, and others.

Years ago, there had been talk of a Buffalo Wild Wings in the space that became the Alehouse Columbia, but that turned out to be premature.  Anyone know these plans?  Hat tip to Alicyn.

(Update:  See the comments below.  It appears that Don Pablo has closed -- to be replaced by the Buffalo Wild Wings.)

Expect Two New Maple Lawn Restaurants In Next Weeks -- First The Grille, Then The Polo Club

Expect two new restaurants in open in Maple Lawn in the next few weeks -- first The Grille and then the Polo Club.

That's according to the Maple Lawn developer who discussed the restaurants at the community's meeting last night.  None of the plans are final -- which makes sense because opening a restaurant seems like complex work.

The Grille is working on some final arrangements, the developer said.  This is the restaurant replacing the Venegas Prime Filet just off Rte 216.  He said they had an inspection last Thursday and are probably aiming for a soft opening some time next week.

The Polo Club is a few more weeks behind.  (Update:  In 2014, it appears that the Indian restaurant will be called Ananda.)  The talk was about an opening in late December or early January.  This is an Indian place being built from scratch up near Johns Hopkins Road by the folks behind the Ambassador.  I still don't see a Web site for them.

2 Dudes Score Lunch And An Interview With The Chef Opening The New Gadsby's Bar American

Robert Gadsby has taken over the former Greystone Grill in Columbia, and he is changing the menu and restaurant over to Gadsby's Bar American.

The guys behind the 2 Dudes Who Love Food blog had lunch there Sunday, and they scored a talk with Gadsby, who talked to them about food and Stevie Wonder.  You have to love two guys who will chat up a professional chef.  You have to love a chef who will invite the 2 Dudes into the kitchen to taste his new menu.

Check out the 2 Dudes' post here.

Gift Buying Week: Local Flavors To Share With Friends And Family Over The Holidays

Crunch Daddy popcorn

At the moment, my brain is completely obsessed by CrunchDaddy Popcorn.

My family gave me a birthday gift certificate, and CrunchDaddy hooked me up with an extra bag of one of his special holiday flavors.  That's a [secret flavor -- one of three to be announced soon] that really had great crunch and creaminess.  But I'm actually obsessed by the "peanut better & jelly" where they mix in real peanut better and minced grape jelly beans.  I keep sneaking back to the half-gallon bucket for one handful more.

The beauty of CrunchDaddy's popcorn is that it isn't just sugary.  They're real flavors -- leaning sweet with caramel variations, but giving a nod to savory with "Maryland crab seasoning" and getting brilliant with flavors like a sesame-ginger.  You should buy some to eat.  You should think about people who might want sweets as a holiday gift.

The other beauty of CrunchDaddy's popcorn is that it's local.  It's a Howard County guy cooking in a Howard County kitchen.  If you're thinking about holiday gifts, you can shop local and find terrific items for the food lovers in your life.  We're not a shopping destination like DC or Bethesda, but I thought that a week of posts might inspire you to look around.  You could have fun.  You could support local businesses.  And you don't need to compromise.

Food Lover's Guide To Baltimore

You'll need to decide what you care about when it comes to local.  Etsy has the hardcore option -- on-line shops for artists who work in Howard County like Kiki(Verde)'s jewelry from Laurel.  In contrast, the Maryland Shop in Westminster goes with the statewide theme -- mixing some locally-produced items like honey from the Hillside Apiary with other cool items that may be more "Maryland-theme" than "Maryland-made."

The Food Lover's Guide To Baltimore has the similar issue.  Authors are local.  Published presumably in China.  Sold on Amazon unless you can find it at the Barnes and Noble in Columbia.  But it's a terrific handbook for anyone who wants to explore Baltimore eating.  It's local in my book.

I buy things from all over.  I just think that -- as you think about buying gifts -- you should consider the value of finding good stuff that you can buy from local folks.  CrunchDaddy is now available at David's Natural Market in Columbia, the Breadery in Oella, and liquor stores like Jason's on Rte 40, the Wine Bin on Main Street, and Decanter Fine Wine in the Hickory Ridge village center.  (All retail locations are on this Web page.)  You support a local manufacturer and a local store that you're probably happy to have around for other shopping.  And the friend on your gift list will be happy as well.

Coming this week:

• Tuesday: "Make A Howard County Gift Bag,"
• Wednesday: "Food And Kitchen Shopping In Howard County,"
• Thursday: "Other Cool Shopping in Howard County"

Click below for another voice about local shopping.  Nikki tells the story that you can't get from a big company.