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.

Banh Mi Has Come To Howard County

The new banh mi in Ellicott City

Vietnamese sandwiches have made their first entry into Howard County with banh mi on the menu at a cafe just off Rte 40.

Cafe au Lait is a relatively new counter-service shop doing breakfast and lunch with sandwiches and a soup of the day.  Lulu V turned me onto banh mi with a comment, and the '34 Act Gourmet and I were eating them less than three hours later.

These fill a gap that I wrote about in 2010.  Plus, they were good sandwiches for $8 -- fresh bread filled with meats and a mix of fresh and pickled vegetables.  Between us and the takeout that I got for Mrs. HowChow, we ate all three versions: "banh mi" with sliced ham and pork roll along with a "grilled pork" and "lemongrass chicken."  They had rich flavor and the contrasting bites of Vietnamese food -- sweet and savory, spicy and tart.

Do they have the full zest of banh mi at the Eden Center in Arlington?  No.  The bread isn't a baguette.  It's wider like a good roll, but still with a nice crust.   And the flavors could be dialed up.  More sweet, more savory, more spicy, more tart.  The meats were pretty basic, and that mix of assertive flavors is what makes something really taste Vietnamese.  Next time, I'll ask for extra pickled vegetables to try for extra "banh mi" punch.

Bottom line: Definitely worth a drive to Rte 40 to enjoy lunch.  But still worth driving if you can find a great banh mi.  And still an opening in Howard County if anyone wants to dial up banh mi.  Bon Fresco?  Come on.  It seems perfect.

Cafe Au Lait
3290 N Ridge Rd #105
Ellicott City, MD 21043
(410) 313-8838

NEAR:  Cafe Au Lait is on Ridge Road just north of Rte 40 and just east of Rte 29.  If you're on Rte 40, you just turn north on Ridge Road and look in the second building on the right.  If you're on northbound Rte 29, you take the left fork of the Rte 40 exit ramp as if you're going into the Lotte shopping center and then drive until the ramp ends in a "T" at Ridge Road.  Turn left, then cross over Rte 40.  Cafe Au Lait is in an office building on the left.