Sushi Buffet Has Returned To Rte 40; Bean & Burgundy Is Adding Lots Of Fish To The Menu

Bean & Burgundy Bread has added fish to the menu -- an all-you-can-eat sushi lunch that started last month and runs on special through May.

Check out the Bean & Burgundy Facebook post.  I haven't tried the fish yet, but Chris was nice enough to highlight the buffet to me.

I mourned the loss of Kimko Seafood's lunch buffet when it closed on Rte 40 a while ago.  I have to admit that my sushi eating has tended more towards Sushi Sono than all-you-can-eat.  But there is fun in gorging, and it does make for a talkative, extended lunch if you check it out with friends.

Katie posted Tuesday on the CupcakeRN blog about her visit to Bean & Burgundy.  She reports that the buffet had everything from pasta and Korean food to the 20+ sushi options.  She says the fish to rice ratio was decent, and the sushi was tasty.

May promotion is $13 per person with a free drink.  After May, it will be $13 during the week and $15 on weekends.

What have people found at the Bean & Burgundy sushi buffet?  Any recommendations?  What else have people liked at Bean & Burgundy?  I have been infatuated with the new Tous Les Jours on my few recent trips to Rte 40, so I haven't stopped at Bean & Burgundy recently.

Bean & Burgundy Bread Does The Korean-American Split And Pleases Even Little Diners

Bi bim bop at Bean & Burgundy Bread

The RDADoc went on a limb this weekend after visiting the Miller Library to celebrate National Pink Day.  She rode with her five- and three-year-olds down Rte 40 and gave a try to Bean & Burgundy Bread.

This large, modern-looking space opened late last fall in Ellicott City with a hybrid menu of American food, Korean food, coffees and desserts.  It's good-looking, and I had heard that they spent much of the winter making changes to the menu.

But Mrs. HowChow and I still haven't gotten there, which made us curious about RDADoc's lunch.  She reported:

As we all know preschoolers don't always make the best restaurant guests. However, after going there today I feel comfortable recommending Bean & Burgundy Bread to people with young children. 

Grilled cheese

The atmosphere is casual and kid friend and I did notice several young children there. However, my one caveat is that the only item on the kids menu is grilled cheese.  So this isn't the place for you if your children are looking for a traditional American kids menu including pizza, chicken nuggets or hot dogs.

The lunch menu included both sandwiches and Korean dishes. I ordered Bibimbap which is a signature Korean dish served with warm rice, vegetables, gochujang (chili pepper paste), and soy sauce.  I ordered mine with brown rice and tofu although they did offer chicken or meat as options.  I am no where near as well versed in Korean dishes as the HowChows, but I very much enjoyed it.  I just ordered plain tea, but they did have an extensive tea, coffee and smoothie menu.  My children were very pleased with their hot chocolate (which was served with a beautiful heart design), grilled cheese and broccoli.  All in all it was an enjoyable experience.

Bean & Burgundy Bread does a full day menu -- from breakfast to dinner.  Does anyone else have reports?  Elizabeth talked up her meal on the Bare Midriff blog in March.  I'd love to know what other folks think or recommend.  So far, I'm drawn to the baked sweets at Shilla Bakery just east on Rte 40.  The Bean & Burgundy sweets hadn't pulled me away, but there are tons of menu items to try.

Quick Hits: Reports On Bean & Burgundy, Le Comptoir, Cafe Au Lait's Bahn Mi And More

I always love that the local food scene has become robust enough that I can't possibly link to every post.  The HoCo Blogs food page remains the best source because that captures lots of voices, including some profiled in last year's Sun article.  But I like to highlight a few hits along the way:

• Bean & Burgundy Bread got a favorable report from Elizabeth on The Bare Midriff.  She reported on a hybrid menu that mixes American and Korean dishes, and she liked her lunch.
• Le Comptoir got a pass from The Two Dudes Who Love Food.  Since I think I'm the "hype" that they mention about the place, I have to note that they didn't have such a great visit.  Their family had a $47 breakfast that they definitely didn't love.  If you want the hype, check out my posts.  We love the joint for sweets and coffee.
• Kitchen Scribble wrote up meals at two different places -- Cha Ya Asian Asian Bistro in Columbia and Cafe Au Lait in Ellicott City.  The cafe is the local outpost for bahn mi sandwiches.  I wrote about Cafe Au Lait's sandwiches in 2012, and kat ordered a huge selection for a group of people to share.
• And the folks at Cha Ya keep posting videos on YouTube.  They're pretty interesting -- although I laughed at the video where the chef talked about the wok that he uses.  I'm actually infatuated by the jet engine gas burner that he uses.  How do I get one of those?

On top of those, check out a new food blog with local authors.  Three Beans On A String mostly does recipes -- lots of inspiration of fresh vegetables.  But they're local folks.  Elizabeth talked up a mushroom stroganoff that she had at Great Sage, and the Twitter feed is good to follow for other local food links and ideas.

Bean & Burgundy Soft Opens With Coffee, Sandwiches, And A Pretty Modern Space

Bean & Burgundy Bread has soft-opened, and it's a huge modern space with everything from coffee to pastries, sandwiches to Korean food.

The new restaurant on Rte 40 has counters for coffee and sandwiches.  There is also an glass-walled kitchen where you can see the cooks at work.  I just had a cup of coffee.  I had just eat a pit beef sandwich at Gadsby's Bar American, so I couldn't even spring for the bulgogi-Philly cheesesteak hybrid that they were advertising.

Give them a little time to get a rhythm.  But let me know what you try and what you think.  I saw a speciality coffee with honey and lavender whipped cream.  They were out of the cream, but I could see Mrs. HowChow wanting to try that when we go back.

Does anyone know what they're doing for dinner?  More than sandwiches?

Do teenagers live in these coffee shops?  My friends and I ordered bread sticks and sodas many afternoons so that we could claim a Pizza Hut booth and stay out of our parents' homes  Sitting in Bean & Burgundy, I thought that this would be so much better than Pizza Hut.  No kids at lunchtime since there was school, but I wondered if teenagers know how good they have it and buy some coffees and pastries at places like this, Bon Appetit or Shilla.

Bean & Burgundy To Soft Open Nov. 5

Bean & Burgundy Bread will soft open November 5 -- according to the Ellicott City restaurant's announcement on its Facebook page.

Cindy Frazier spotted the announcement, and she posted on the HowChow Facebook page.  The new place is on the south side of Rte 40 west of Rte 29.  It looks like the menu will mix bakery items with a wine bar and a dinner menu.

New Bean & Burgundy Will Be Sandwiches, Salads, Bakery Along The Line Of Panera

Anyone know details about the new Bean & Burgundy restaurant on Rte 40 in Ellicott City?

We got a little more description from Cindy's comment on the HowChow Facebook page -- namely that Bean & Burgundy's menu will be similar to a Panera with sandwiches, soups, a bakery and a wine bar.  Wine makes separation from Panera, I think.

What else is there to know?  Cindy was quoting the owner of the My Pet Store and More -- who also noted on their Facebook page that the Bean & Burgundy owners hope to open in late August.

What's The "Bean And Burgundy" Story

Bean & Burgundy Kitchen

Who knows the story behind "Bean & Burgundy" on Rte 40?

The "Bean & Burgundy Kitchen" sign near Arcadia Drive is larger than the signs for most operating restaurants.  It says "coming soon," but people want to know more.

Marie said the owner told them it would be Ethiopian.  The pictures in the window include coffee and wine, which make Anonymous' report of "coffee and wine bar" seem smart.  But I don't really know the plan.  What are they serving?  When?

New Restaurant? Bean And Burgundy Kitchen?

TripKlaus has noticed a sign on Rte 40 in Ellicott City that says "Bean and Burgundy Kitchen" No other words. We're hoping it's a new restaurant. Does anyone know?

Look at the former Blockbuster near the intersection with Arcadia Drive. Let us know what you see.