New Restaurants Coming Or Opened While I Was Out -- Lib's Grill, Shake Shake, A Speakeasy, More

Hot Pot Hero has opened in Ellicott City

It's going to take time to catch up to all the restaurants that opened while I was out or that are coming soon.  Great folks have told me about these in comments or emails.  I'll work out visits over time.  Here is a fast rundown of some:

• Texas Roadhouse is opening off Snowden River Parkway, noted several commentators including Anonymous.  I'm still trying to figure out the exact location because I haven't seen the construction.
• Lib's Grill will open in Fulton this fall in the Maple Lawn spot that has been a steak house and was most-recently Maple Lawn Grill.  Julekha Dash wrote a quick story on the Bisnow website that a different anonymous commentator flagged for me.
• OC Brewing Company will open next to Perfect Pour in Elkridge, according to a comment by Anonymous.  I assume that's the space that previously was a Peruvian restaurant.
• Shake Shack and others are coming to the Columbia Mall, according to a Columbia Flier article written by Andrew Michaels and highlighted to me by RJ.  Shake Shack will take over a piece of the space where Champps closed.  As a side note, I'm psyched to hear Barnes and Nobles is coming to Columbia Mall.  Book stores are good.
• A speakeasy is coming to one of the new office buildings near the Columbia Mall, reported Joshua Gordon in the Baltimore Business Journal in May.  It's actually a restaurant called Cured with a small restaurant and bar behind an unmarked door called 18th and 21st.  That sounds fun, although I can't actually tell you anything because the description is a word salad of "rustic," "classic" and "modern" that I assume is just copied from a press release:

Cured will combine a rustic vibe and classic mid-Atlantic recipes with a modern twist while 18th & 21st, named after the Constitutional amendments that created and repealed prohibition, will be accessible through an unmarked door in the back of Cured.

• The same folks are opening a Mutiny Pirate Bar on Troy Hill Drive in Elkridge, again as reported by Joshua Gordon in the Baltimore Business Journal.  This replaces an earlier plan to open in downtown Ellicott City. 
• A Caribbean restaurant Jazz's Island Soul has replaced Zapata's in Harper's Choice Village Center.  Suzanne Loudermilk talked it up in a Howard Magazine review last month.
• Hot Pot Hero and Kung Fu Tea both opened in Ellicott City.  They're in the same shopping center as Honey Pig, which I love for a casual night of Korean barbecue.  Hot pot is definitely on my list.  The last time that I ate it was the first day that we met Lil' Chow -- and the last time that a coughing fit sent me running to the bathroom because I misunderstood how spicy the broth had gotten.  I need to figure out a kid-friendly option on the Hot Pot Hero menu like noodles, rice or tofu.  I'd love to think Lil' Chow would try cooking his own food, but I'm not confident yet. 
• And finally, a Korean BBQ place called Iron Age (update:  apparently is about to open) in Catonsville on Rte 40 just east of the new Lotte supermarket.  I haven't been, but David P. described it in a Facebook comment as "Fogo De Chao but for Korean BBQ. 25 dollars gets you endless meat."  That's inspiration for a guy's night.

I know there are many other new places.  Asian Court moved to Turf Valley.  I really want to hit the new place for dim sum.  Please feel free to report about your experiences with anything listed above or about other places that people should know.