New Vietnamese Restaurant Appears To Be Coming To Ellicott City, Replacing Wild Cajun

Last day for the Wild Cajun in Ellicott City. Tomorrow it becomes Viet Pearl. #HoCoFood @HowChowBlog pic.twitter.com/tU0CjZCAMf
— Lanny (@Lanny) November 30, 2014

 A new Vietnamese restaurant appears to be coming to Ellicott City.  See above that Lanny posted a photo on Twitter of a Viet Pearl sign covering up Wild Cajun.

Wild Cajun had been a relatively new Louisiana-style restaurant in the Lotte shopping center at Rte 29 and Rte 40 in Ellicott City.  I hadn't been, but I have to say that I'd love good Vietnamese food.  We get pho from An Loi and Pho Dat Trahn in Columbia.  But they are both more about comfort food than exceptional.

Does anyone know the story of Viet Pearl?  Has anyone tried the Vietnamese food there?

Hang Ari Noodle Company Bringing Hand-Cut Noodles To Catonsville As Early As This Weekend

Hang Ari Noodle Company chef rolling out the noodles

Back with more news about Hang Ari Noodle Company, the new restaurant bringing hand-pulled noodles to Catonsville from Los Angeles and opening as early as this weekend

Lisbeth of the Lisbeth Eats blog had sent me a report that I posted last month.  Now, she is back with the name -- Hang Ari Noodle Company -- and some details about the house-made noodles at the center of the new place.  This will open in Hanoori Town, the cluster of restaurants a few doors down from the H Mart in Catonsville.

(Update:  I've gone back and forth on the capitalization of the restaurant -- Hangari or Hang Ari.  Either option is acceptable coming over from the Korean, but I'm trying to use Hang Ari because that is printed on their business cards.)

Lisbeth reports that the owner/chef has been in the restaurant business for more than 20 years in LA.  The new Hang Ari Noodle follows the concept of his current LA restaurant -- focusing on two types of noodles and serving them in a variety of broths and sauces.  This sounds like a cool addition to the Rte 40 corridor -- noodles that are rolled, cut and boiled only after you order.

As I hear (not from Lisbeth), the soft opening will be Friday.  So watch for a full opening as early as this weekend.

Please don't hold me to consistent Korean spelling.  Transliteration of Korean words can lead to multiple spellings.  Lisbeth and I use different versions at different times.  Just check out what she says:

The owner/chef owned and operated Curry Hyang in Korea Town in LA, a popular Japanese restaurant specializing in curry and Japanese style noodles. After many years there, he sold the business and went on to open a kalgooksoo restaurant, with a business partner, in Korea Town called “Hang Ari Kalgooksoo.” 

This talented chef used the training he acquired in Korea under veteran chefs from historically famous kalgooksoo restaurants to great success. Right now, The Korean Daily (Joong Ang Ilbo) newspaper in LA named Hangari Kalgooksoo as the busiest restaurant in LA with the longest lines. 

Photo from the tasting, I think

The chef is bringing the same concept to the East Coast with his new restaurant, Hang Ari Noodle Company. The restaurant will feature two distinct categories of noodle dishes – kalgooksoo and Mil Myun. 

Kalgooksoo (literally “knife noodle”) is a noodle soup that is made using fresh hand-cut wheat flour noodles. It is served in large bowls of delicious broth and topped with garnishes that enhance the dish. The kalgooksoo menu will feature various flavor options including chicken, clam, seafood, kimchi and beef.

Mil Myun is similar to naeng myun (literally “cold noodle”), but the incredibly thin noodles are made using the same dough used for kalgooksoo  The mil myun menu will feature various options such as Mul Mil Myun (noodles in a chilled broth), Bibim
Mil Myun (noodles in a spicy sauce), Kimchi Mil Myun and Hong Uh (Skate) Mil Myun. 

A unique business strategy that the chef is taking will be offering customers a traditional Korean appetizer of bori bop (brown rice), dwen jang (Bean Paste) and yul moo  kimchi (young radish stem kimchi) free of charge with each order of noodles.  Because the noodles will be rolled out, cut and boiled fresh to order, the appetizer will keep customers happy while they wait for their food. 

Hang Ari  Noodle Company is bringing a new concept to the area that I’m sure will be a hit! Koreans in the area with be delighted to finally have a kalgooksoo and mil myun speciality restaurant open in Maryland. And for non-Koreans, this restaurant will be a great new cuisine to try.  They are set to open very soon, with a tentative date for this weekend. 

I heard they had a secret tasting with the chef’s family over the weekend and everyone loved it.  I personally can’t wait to try their clam kalgooksoo!

For more about the LA restaurant and this cuisine, check out the One More Bite blog and Yelp reviews.

Sonic Says It Will Open Oct. 16 In Ellicott City

The new Sonic on Rte 40 in Ellicott City will open on October 16, according to a Facebook post spotted by Adam.

This is on Rte 40 west of Rte 29.  It's definitely a joint with a loyal following.  Adam says he will aim for opening day:

I plan to be there. It's overrated, yes, but it's been a few years since I reminded myself of that.  Where else are you going to get a corn dog, tots, and a shake all at the same time without ever leaving for car?

The Sonic has been two-and-a-half years in the making.  The first report was May 2012 by Wordbones.  It may be a while before I can try the shakes -- which Mrs. HowChow says are the highlight -- but I'll pour a little out for Wordbones.

Center Park Grill Replacing Cafe De Paris

It looks like a restaurant called Center Park Grill will replace the closed Cafe De Paris in Columbia.

DozyCat snapped a picture today and posted on Twitter.  Does anyone know more about the restaurant or the timing?

@HowChowBlog Centre Park Grill to replace Cafe de Paris spot. heard anything? #hocofood pic.twitter.com/mZ3mmCjAJr
— Min (@dozycat) September 29, 2014

LA Chef Bringing Handmade Noodles To East Coast; First Step: Catonsville's Hanoori Town

An Los Angeles chef is opening his first East Coast location in Catonsville -- and bringing hand-cut noodles, reports Lisbeth of the Lisbeth Eats blog.

Lisbeth and I actually emailed weeks ago, and I overlooked her report about a new restaurant going into the shopping center with H Mart in Catonsville.  Down from the supermarket is a space called Hanoori Town that has three restaurants and a frozen yogurt store upstairs and a housewares store in the basement.

A Korean-Chinese restaurant in Hanoori Town has closed, and a new restaurant specializing in handmade noodles is opening there.  The noodles are kal guk su, a Korean noodle dish served in large bowls of broth.  I don't have full details, but it's exciting enough that folks should know.  I'll update as I learn more.

Here is Lisbeth's full email with a quick description of the restaurants in the Hanoori Town down from H Mart and some news about the new noodle restaurant that is coming:

When you're standing in the parking lot facing Hmart, Hanoori Town is to the right.  There's a Korean food court on top with Korean retail stores (Asian housewares, gifts, beauty products, clothes and bedding) below.  When the place was called Besesto, I think everything was under the same person.  But it was reopened as Hanoori Town under new management about five years ago, and I think each individual shop is sub-leased under one owner. I think the owner wanted to create a space where different ethnicities could come together to shop and eat.  Hanoori means 'Us as one.'

On the top floor there are actually three different restaurants -- two to the left and one facing you as you walk in.  When we went there [in August], I heard that a new restaurant is going into the second space. 

So as you walk in, the first restaurant to the left is Bu Du Mak (closest to the window). They specialise in a cold noodle soup called naeng myun, Korean blood sausage called soon dae, and traditional Korean soups and stews.

The restaurant next to Bu Du Mak was a Korean/Chinese noodle restaurant that specialised in jja jang myun (black bean noodles), jjam ppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) and typical Korean/Chinese dishes like Hanjoonggwan in Ellicott City.  But they are no longer there.  A new kal guk su restaurant is going into that space.  The new chef/owner is famous in LA for his fresh hand pulled noodles and soup, and he's bringing it to the East Coast with his first location in Hanoori Town. I was told that it should be open in roughly late September. 

I love kal guk su  so I'm very much looking forward to checking them out. Kal guk su is well known in the Myung Dong neighborhood of Seoul. 

The restaurant facing you as you walk in is called Chan Mat and they offer all sorts of Korean food, Japanese sushi lunch buffet and I saw new signs for Korean/Chinese cuisine on their wall. I 'm guessing when the Korean/Chinese restaurant in the middle closed, Chan Mat added those items to their menu. 

I like the housewares store and the Korean bedding store in the basement. I got my shabu shabu pot from there and the Korean bedding shop in the back corner has lots of gift items and comfortable blankets, mats and pillows for the house.

German Revival: Beer & Wurst From Blob's Park Taking Over Gunning's Space In Hanover

I'm behind the times here, but the former owners of Blob's Park in Jessup have reopened as the Bavarian Brauhaus in Hanover, taking over the space that had been Gunning's.

This is a German restaurant, and its Facebook page says that it is open for business.  Steve gave me a heads up in early September.  I'm just getting my in-box under control.  Richard Gorelick had written in June about the plans.

In that article, owner Max Eggerl had said there wouldn't be space for the polka dancing that had been a major part of the Blob's Park experience.  But the menu on their Web site looks like a broad selection of German and American food from sausages to schnitzels to a crab cake.

(Update: Headline fixed from "Blog's Park" to "Blob's Park."  You can see where the blogger's mind lies.)

Has anyone eaten at the Bavarian Brauhaus? How is the food?  How is the beer selection?  Thanks again to Steve for the tip.

Bavarian Brauhaus
7304 Parkway Drive South
Hanover, MD 21076
410-712-0300

NEAR:  This is right on the Howard County line.  It's basically Rte 103 just off Coca Cola Drive.  You can take the Coca Cola Drive exit south from Route 100, then turn left on Rte 103.  It's near Timbuktu. If I read Google Maps correctly, the Bavarian Brauhaus is just in Anne Arundel County, but it's the part that I claim.

Shophouse Asian Kitchen Looks To Open Monday

The Columbia Mall is getting another new restaurant -- Shophouse that looks to be opening Monday, according to the mall Web site.

I don't know the restaurant.  Looks like ShopHouse is a Southeast Asian version of Chipotle -- brought to you by some of the people who started that chain.  It seems to follow Maggiano's and Seasons 52 as upscale chains with real aspirations in their kitchen.  I won't be able to check it out for a while, so please add comments if you give it a try.

Hat tip to Charles who emailed me the link.

Caffe Benne Appears To Be Going Next To Soft Stuff On Rte 40 In Ellicott City

Another coffee chain by way of Korea and Europe appears to be opening on Rte 40 -- this time Caffe Benne in the new construction with Soft Stuff.

Caffe Benne's plan to open in Ellicott City was spotted last year by Michael Gioioso of BMore, and the new location was spotted by Andrea, who posted on the HowChow Facebook page.  This is next door to Soft Stuff, the ice cream parlor that just re-opened in new construction on Rte 40 across from the Enchanted Village shopping center.

From the Web, it looks like Caffe Benne fits a mold of Korean chains inspired by European coffee and baking.  It looks like Shilla or Bon Apettit or the coffee shop part of Bean & Burgundy.  They're all great places to check out -- coffees, other drinks, lots of sweet baked goods, and a touch of savory ones.

Does anyone know the Caffe Benne chain?  Any ideas about whether or what makes it stand out?

(Update:  Fixed the typo in the headline. Thanks Dan.)

First Thoughts On Ananda: Really Good Indian In A Really Unusual Space For Howard County

Eggplant appetizer at Ananda

I don't want to get ahead of my skis on Ananda, but I'm really jazzed -- both for its food and for the new restaurant space in Fulton.

I'm a homer -- literally because this is one of the closest restaurants to my house.  But I think I'd be excited even if Ananda were on the other side of the county.

This is an Indian restaurant with familiar flavors and dishes, but a menu that aims to be different.

A few weeks ago, we started with a watermelon salad.  Three towers cut from the heart of a sweet melon, served over a small salad with a lime-and-chili dressing and pistachios.  A little feta for salt.  Those nuts for crunch.  It's a dish that I'd expect more at Range than an Indian restaurant, and it was perfect on a warm night as we watched the sun set.

We have friends who have gone every Sunday night for a month.  They're working through the menu -- delicious tandoori chicken a week ago, a cold summer squash soup with pear chutney last night poured at the table from a spout.  It's not perfect.  One night the report was that halibut was lovely and light, but she wished she had ordered the Goa fish -- even with bones -- because it probably had more intense flavors.  But they're excited by the dishes and the variety.

So are we.  Ananda plates dishes rather than serving family style.  That means you get side dishes with each entree, and I thought they were done smartly.  Spicy fish curry comes with spinach.  That's rich and earthy against the spicy sauce.  The mixed vegetable curry comes with lentils.  The lentil's zest contrasts the creamy vegetable sauce.  The vegetables are cooked perfectly -- fork-tender broccoli, peas and the fresh cheese called paneer.

The building on Maple Lawn Boulevard was forever under construction, but the setting was worth the wait.  For now, they're serving mostly in a patio room with three sides of open walls.  Notice the paneling, the ceiling fans, and the fireplaces.  It's comfortable enough to welcome kids in t-shirts, but special enough that several tables had women decked in night-out dresses.

If you squint, you can see only trees and ignore the sounds of traffic.

Again, I want to take it slow at Ananda.  The kitchen has been wonderful so far.  I figure we'll have time to take it's temperature.  But I recommend it as a special spot -- maybe date-night cocktails on the patio -- or as a regular stop where you could explore the menu and specials.  Either way, it's welcome in the neighborhood.

Seasons 52 Has Opened In The Columbia Mall

Seasons 52 has opened in the Columbia Mall.  This is the outdoor walkway with Maggiano's and the terrific oils and vinegars at Secolari.

Seasons 52 is a national chain that I have seen mostly in upscale malls.  They do a seasonal menu with specials each week.  They do lunch and dinner every day.

Let me know if you visit.  Let me know what you recommend.

Watch For Pisco Restaurant To Open Early Next Week; New Peruvian On Rte 108 In Elkridge

Watch for the new Pisco restaurant to open on July 28 and 29 near the Trader Joe's in Elkridge.

Pisco is a Peruvian restaurant specializing in ceviche, a marinated fish dish that seems perfect for the summertime.  We're really excited because this is the same folks who created Facci.

I heard about a July 28 date when I walked past last week on my way to Perfect Pour.  Now there is an anonymous comment on a prior post saying the grand opening will be July 28 and 29.

Pisco is in the shopping center with Perfect Pour and Trader Joe's across from Costco.  This on Rte 108 just north of Rte 175 -- right on the border with Columbia.

Korshi Buffet Brings All-You-Can-Eat Sushi, So Stretch That Stomach And Don't Be Surprised

I admit it:  My plate is the full one in back.

The new Korshi buffet has opened in Columbia, and I will leave it to other people to debate whether you get your money's worth with all-you-can eat sushi and Korean food.

I got my money's worth at a weekday lunch.  We took out a friend out to celebrate his new job, and I ate three plates of food -- two more than anyone actually needs at noon.

Korshi is fun for about $13.  You need to know what you're getting.  One line of sushi with thin-sliced fish, and one line of Korean dishes.  We liked a few tastes of spicy tofu, and I splurged on chicken wings.  But the sushi was clearly the draw.

Some rolls.  Some pieces.  I thought the quality matched the lunch joint near my office, and I love being able to try one thin slice of a half-dozen different rolls, chased by thin slices of a half-dozen different fish.  Each time that we walked through, the chefs were offering a full array of salmon, tuna, eel, octopus and more.  Plus, I assume there are more options at dinner when the price jumps to $23.

Until they get a liquor license, you can bring your own alcohol without a corkage fee.  I grabbed a six-pack of Hite beer at the liquor store just north of Korshi's shopping center.  I actually walked there by jumping up a low retaining wall off the parking lot.

Again, please don't be surprised at an all-you-can-eat buffet.  Sushi Sono sells single rolls for more than we paid for lunch.  Shin Chon Garden and Honey Pig specialize in grilled meats.  Don't be surprised if Korshi's offerings don't match those flavors.

Korshi replaced Nichi Bei Kei, a Japanese restaurant whose Web site says that they were relocating to a spot near the Columbia Mall.  I think those plans were from 2013.  Does anyone know if or when Nichi Bei Kei will open there?

The Columbia Korshi is apparently a spin-off of a Virginia restaurant with the same name.  They have different management, folks said on the phone when I called Virginia to try to get the hours of the Maryland store.  On Yelp, someone noted that the Virginia restaurant has table-top barbecue, but charges $40 for dinner.  If you know the Virginia place, don't expect an exact copy.

Korshi
9400 Snowden River Pkwy
Columbia, MD 21045
410-309-9991

NEAR:  Korshi replaced Nichi Bei Kei in the corner of a shopping center on Snowden River Parkway.  This is the same center with Pars Market, the new Chutney restaurant, and Azul 17.  This is south of Oakland Park Boulevard and north of Broken Land Parkway.

Ananda Shifting To Regular Menu, Showing Off Another Side Of Indian Food In Fulton

Avocado appetizer at Ananda

The new Ananda restaurant in Fulton is switching to its full menu, and it's definitely a place worth exploring -- especially if you want something off the beaten path.

We ate off the "soft opening" menu Monday night, and we particularly enjoyed some dishes that we had never seen before.  An appetizer salad of cucumber, avocado and herbs was the star of the meal.  Then the cardamon-kissed desserts stole the show at the end.

The shrimp entree

Overall, Ananda seems like a worthy entry among the great Indian restaurants in Howard County.  I have chattered with friends about how it compares to Royal Taj and Mango Grove.  It's too soon to write the book on a restaurant that doesn't even have a sign yet, but people are excited by the menu and the vibe of the place.

Ananda is one of the prettier spots for dinner.  You can still hear traffic off Maple Lawn Boulevard, but the dining room with open walls makes for a beautiful spot, complete with white tablecloths and a Monday night show by a baby bunny on the grass outside.  It's nice enough for a date, but completely friendly to the kids who have been eating when we visited.

This is an ambitious kitchen.  The dal and the raita were just side dishes in our meal, but they were intensely flavorful.  Great cooks use Indian spices and herbs in a way that I have never mastered at home, and they're paying attention to those details even in the side dishes.  They hit similar successes in the chickpea entree and in our desserts -- a house-made ice cream and a rice pudding.

But Ananda stands out because they're pushing the offerings of local Indian restaurants.  I have said for years that I'd love specials or seasonal dishes because several of our Indian kitchens are among the most-inspired in town.  Ananda's avocado salad -- fresh vegetables, dressed beautifully and served with the crunch of a papadum -- was a revelation.  Simultaneously Indian, but new to us.

The chickpea entree

Beyond the menu items, Ananda is following their original Ambassador restaurant in defaulting to plating each entree.  Unless you ask for family-style service where everyone shares, you get a main course with rice, dal and a sauce like the large shrimp on the "soft opening" menu.

Overall, this is a fun place to check out.  People are loyal to their Indian favorites because they're among the deepest cuisines in Howard County.  We happily alternate between the curries at Royal Taj or House of India and the dosas and south Indian food at Mango Grove.  Ananda could create its own niche -- the same white tablecloth feel of Royal Taj, but a bar for cocktails and a menu that offers slightly different tricks.

Ananda is on Maple Lawn Boulevard just south of Johns Hopkins Road.  They don't have a sign yet, but they're across the parking lot from a Suntrust.  Ananda joins a scene with five established Indian restaurants in Columbia -- House of India, Mango Grove, Royal Taj, Flavors of India, and Nepalese-Indian Curry & Kabob -- plus the new Chutney that replaces Akbar's and the quick service Tandoor Grill on Johns Hopkins Road.

Ananda Has Opened Softly, And The Open-Walled Patio Is Pretty Sweet; Full Menu In A Few Weeks

Lemon-basil sorbet at Ananda

Ananda, the new Indian restaurant in Fulton, opened softly this evening.  We already had dinner at home, but Mrs. HowChow saw that they're serving sweets.

Not just any sweets -- rice pudding, lemon-basil sorbet, and cardamom ice cream.

Next thing you know, we were sitting on the open-walled patio at sunset drinking cocktails and eating dessert.  It's a beautiful space, serving ice cream that Mrs. HowChow rated like Capogiro, our favorite gelato up in Philadelphia.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

This was the first night for Ananda, a new restaurant in Maple Lawn from the folks who own the Ambassador in Baltimore.  They have been building for a long time, and they're opening slowly.  For a few weeks, they'll do a $20 three-course dinner off a smaller, but pretty diverse, menu.  They'll add a sign and eventually expand to a full menu.

Our light dessert makes us optimistic.  Really terrific sorbet and ice cream -- both strong, subtle flavors and perfect consistencies.  Really nice cocktails, one with rum, blackberries and ginger beer and another with cucumber, tonic and gin.  The attention and ingredients make us look forward to actually eating a meal.

You can get such great Indian in Howard County that Mango Grove and Royal Taj both make my favorite restaurants.  But I'm an actual homer when it comes to Ananda.  We can walk here. 

As much as we look forward to the food, we're just as excited to hang out in the space.  It has taken almost two years, but they've built a beautiful space with a large bar and an entire room with garage-style doors that open to make it an open-walled patio.  In other rooms, they have fireplaces that look like they'll be cozy spots in the winter.

Ananda
7421 Maple Lawn Boulevard (I think)
Fulton, MD 20759

NEAR:  This is on Maple Lawn Boulevard just south of Johns Hopkins Boulevard.  It isn't near the other Maple Lawn restaurants.  This is a stand-alone building -- for now without a sign -- across the parking lot from a Suntrust bank.

Chef Paolino Opens In Ellicott City, But Hunan House In Laurel Has Closed; Know Why?

The restaurant cycle continues as Chef Paolino opens a new joint in Ellicott City, but we need to pay a tribute to the passing of Hunan House in Laurel.

Good news first: Chef Paolino's Cafe has opened just off Rte 40 in the former home of Serafino's, says Alicyn on the HowChow Facebook page.  She ate there.  They don't have a liquor license yet, but the kitchen is open.

But there was bad news off Rte 216 where Hunan House has closed.  Several people have emailed me.  I don't know the story.  BT has been going for more than two decades with family.  We'd both love to know if anyone heard what happened or whether the Hunan House folks have relocated, and she wrote a little tribute:

Hunan House had great sauce; it was extremely flavorful. My mother wrote a review of it for the Sun in 2000; there is a little info about the restaurant there, The owners and staff were always so friendly and recognized and remembered people, and dining in was a nice experience - dishes were served beautifully. I also appreciated that they had an extensive vegetarian menu with a lot of good choices. I believe the owners were relatives of the Hunan Manor owners, and there are many of the same type of dishes at both. Hunan House was the only place I would eat Chinese takeout; it was always so flavorful! I hope that helps some. It has been there for many years; I'm 28 and my parents tell a story often about a time we were dining there and I was very young. I can remember going there for takeout as far back as five or six.

Pisco And Ceviche Coming By Mid-July To Elkridge

Pisco coming to Elkridge off Rte 175

Get ready for Peruvian fish and liquor at the new Pisco restaurant opening in weeks off Rte 175 in Elkridge.

The former home of Mama Lucia is still under construction, but talk at the site Monday was that it will open in the first half of July.  Maybe first week.  Maybe second week.

Tile floors were in.  You could see the outline of the kitchen and a large square bar in the entrance where chefs will make ceviche.  I respect the amount of work that goes into creating a restaurant, so I'll be cool if work goes deeper into the summer.  But the talk was definitely early July when Mrs. HowChow asked yesterday.

People started to mention Pisco last December.  This appears to be a new place from the folks who own Facci.  That's a good sign.  We love ceviche, and I think people will love pisco sours.  If Pisco does Peruvian like Facci does Italian, then this could be some terrific fun.

Pisco Restaurant -- coming in July 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.  In some ways, this area is really Columbia, but I'm going with the post here.  The former Mamma Lucia was on the end away from Trader Joe's.

Here We Go Again: Folks Say Ananda Will Open In 3-4 Weeks, Bringing Indian To Maple Lawn

I don't want to be Chicken Little, but folks are saying again that the new Ananda restaurant will open in Maple Lawn in 3-4 weeks.

The latest word was a post on the Maple Lawn 2.0 Facebook page by someone who said she talked to the manager.  This will be an Indian restaurant.  The building has been going up for more than a year.  Construction has been glacial all 2014, and I don't think it has a sign or a Web site.

I sent an email to an address that someone wrote in a January ad looking for servers and kitchen help.  The restaurant was opening in February when they posted that.

(Update:  Don't count on a June opening.  On June 12, I heard back from a nice person who said they don't have an opening date yet.  The advice was that I email back in a few weeks, and they'll have a date then.")

Ananda seems like it could be terrific.  It's owned by the folks who run the Ambassador in Baltimore, and I'm infatuated by the windows on one side that open like garage doors.  Those should turn the room into almost-outdoor dining in good weather.

Does anyone know more?  Has anyone seen a Web page or any announcements? Hat tip to K8teebug, who flagged the Facebook page for me.

Two Restaurants Closed, But The Trend Has Been Really Good Places Are Taking Over Leases

Two longtime Howard County restaurants have apparently closed -- the Copeland's near the mall and the Applebee's in the "restaurant park" off Rte 108.

I actually hadn't eaten at either.  But I know they had fans, and the Copeland's closing was a surprise when I heard about it from Eileen on the HowChow Facebook page.

The recent trend has been that restaurant space gets leased pretty quickly:

• Wild Cajun replaced Chen Hibachi in Ellicott City;
• Mission BBQ appears to be aiming to open in July in the former Chicken Out in Columbia;
• Chef Paolino does appear to be taking over the former Serafino's in Ellicott City as people were talking about earlier this year; and
• The Applebee's spot will become the new home of Royal Taj.  That's an excellent Indian restaurant now off McGaw Road near Wegmans.  They're aiming to renovate the Applebee's and move into new, larger space by October, reports Marcia who talked to the owner last week:

We got carry out from Royal Taj last night. First of all, this is the first time I remember the owner asking how hot we wanted our food. Perhaps this means they are moving toward more authentic Indian rather than Americanized??? Or, they just forgot to ask in the past. Or, my husband forgot they asked - LOL 

The time to get there for carry out is right when they open, because then the owner is in the front and not very busy, so able to talk He said they have begun construction in the new location, opening planned before October. When it is time to move, they will close the existing Royal Taj for a week and transition to the new one. His goal is that when they open in the new location everything will be running smoothly from day one. 

And by the way, I got Chicken Saag and I think it was prepared better than I remember it from the past.

Does anyone know the plan for the Copeland's space?  The company's Web site doesn't show any locations in Maryland now, so maybe they had a plan to retrench.  I assume that's a prime restaurant location just off Little Patuxent Parkway and near the lakefront scene with Petit Louis, Sushi Sono, Clyde's and Tomato Palace.

Buffalo Wild Wings Has Opened In Columbia

Buffalo Wild Wings has opened in Columbia.  I went past Sunday on a run to Target, and they were filling the parking lot by the time that I drove home.

This is an outbuilding across from the Target on Rte 175.  Buffalo Wild Wings is next to Famous Dave's, which was flying some beer company banners in competition.

I hear good things about these wings, although I haven't actually eaten there.  Has anyone tried it yet?

I have been out of commission for weeks with travel and illness.  I'm trying to start up again, and I'll do a bunch of short posts about news that happened when I was home.  This way, people will be able to find the posts if they're looking for a specific restaurant.  Check them all out by clicking on Reset May 2014.

Here Comes Wild Cajun To Ellicott City; Construction Underway, Soft Opening In May

Here comes Wild Cajun -- a new restaurant in the Lotte shopping center in Ellicott City.

The interior looks like a restaurant more than a construction site, although there is clearly work going on.  The sign ont he door calls for a soft opening over May 14-15 featuring five dishes like gumbo, cajun crawfish and seafood eggrolls.

I'd mentioned this place in February after Jack spotted a menu on-line.  In just a few months, Wild Cajun has renovated the former space of Chen Hibachi at Rte 40 and Rte 29.  There are some wall murals and a painted stream along the floor -- although there weren't tables or chairs when we walked past Saturday.

In comments, folks have said Wild Cajun appears to be a Vietnamese guy doing cajun seafood.  That seems cool to me.  Steamed crawfish could be a revelation, and po' boy sandwiches can be great fun -- although my stomach makes me impose high standards on fried food these days.  I love some Bon Chon chicken, but I cringed at the last po' boy because I ordered it at a place that just threw batter-crusted shrimp on a roll.

Does anyone know if the May 14-15 dates are going to happen?  I always understand when schedules slip a bit.  Does anyone know more about plans for the restaurant?