Drink Up! It's Howard County Beer Week! And Where Do You Suggest For Happy Hour?

Howard County Beer Week with Lil' Chow

Just as I sat down at this computer, someone left the following comment:  "I'm guessing this is the end of HowChow."

Oh, no!  I'm down, but I'm not out.  Except when I'm out drinking beer in the daytime.

That's right.  Mrs. HowChow's at work today.  Lil' Chow and I hit Kloby's Smokehouse for a red rye pale ale and an extremely healthy lunch of grilled cheese and "nachos" made with waffle fries, cheese, beans, and pulled pork.  It is really a friendly place with pulled pork and housemade sauces that stand out.

Kloby's nachos -- fries, cheese, beans, pork

My friend The Weather Man joined us for Kloby's lunch with his daughter.  Weather Girl is a two-year-old star -- downing a mac-and-cheese sandwich and applesauce and being patient with a little boy still learning to share toys.

It has been really tough to write posts.  We're still figuring out how to handle work and the toddler.  But good food keeps coming in Howard County.  This week, you should be checking out beers.  Chris Mabe of TBonz Grille is running the 2015 beer week with events through next weekend that feature both brewers and restaurants.  These are great places from White Oak Tavern to Ale House Columbia, The Wine Bin to Victoria Gastro Pub.

Kloby's offered lots of $4 drafts yesterday.  I assume there are other specials.  Of course, I had to bring it back here to change a diaper and get a boy to nap.  So now I need help answering a question for Nick.  What happy hours do you recommend in Howard County?  Nick was looking for good deals or especially good food.  Please help him in the comments below.  My DC job and Lil' Chow mean that I can just recommend good beer joints like the ones above -- but not the specific happy hour winners.

Please keep the comments, tips and emails coming.  We're getting more space in our lives.  I am trying to knock of some posts during this nap, and there will be more HowChow!

Kloby's Gets Love From The Travel Channel For Jarbecue, Huge Burgers And More

The Travel Channel came to Kloby's Smokehouse, and they're celebrating the jarbecue, the huge burgers and more.

Check out the link above to see owner Steve Klobosits talk with one of Travel's personalites on a show that appears to be concentrate on bacon.  Or check the YouTube link where the channel listed Kloby's as #50 on their list of 101 places to chow down.

The '34 Act Gourmet and I were early proponents of the jarbecue -- a mason jar layered with pulled pork, cole slaw, baked beans and now bacon.  I'm a huge fan of Kloby's barbecue, especially the ribs and pulled pork.  It's my local for meat and bourbon.

Of course, the Travel Channel's narration forces me to make the point that Kloby's isn't in Laurel.  I know that's the mailing address, but HowChow's only political campaign rails against using "Laurel" for anything west of Rte 29.  And it promotes "Tribeco."

St. Patrick's Day Fun Has Arrived: Corned Beef At Kloby's And Laurel Meat Market

If you live near a bar, you may share my trepedation about St. Patrick's Day.  I always think of portapotties and the year that a drunk guy wandered a mile through my neighborhood to pass out on a bench outside my house.

But just because it has become a beer company holiday doesn't mean that you can't have some fun on your own.

Kloby's Smokehouse on Johns Hopkins Road does an annual corned beef event.  They start today with smoked corned beef platters and barbeque sandwiches.  Bourbon may be an improper whiskey for St. Patrick's Day, but it is delicious.

If you want to cook you own, consider Laurel Meat Market. They were adverising a special on briskets that you could corn yourself.  They make their own sausages, so they're also a source if you want to do bangers and mash.

New Sauces At Kloby's Smokehouse: A Traffic Light Of Flavors Run From Sweet To Spicy

Three new sauces at Kloby's

You should drive to Kloby's Smokehouse for a traffic light of new flavors.

The barbecue restaurant on Johns Hopkins Road has always sold about eight sauces -- from a vinegar based "Carolina" to a sweet-hot "Honey Hab."  But they just added a new trio of sauces that match nicely with the three colors of a traffic light:

• Green: Smoked jalapeño and peach
• Yellow: Smoked poblano and serrano
• Red: Sweet blueberry BBQ sauce.

They're three great new options that run sweet to spicy.  The blueberry is really sweet, although still enough savory to be a barbecue sauce and not a jam.  The jalapeño peach comes in the middle with a spicy flavor, but a strong smokey fruitiness that balanced beautifully.  The poblano-serrano is for real heat-seekers, starting spicy like the jalepeno but then get even-hotter with a bright spicy finish.

These are all delicious   The two spicy sauces are done right.  They're spice as flavor, mixed nicely with fruitiness and smoke.  I tasted all three with an order of the basic wings, and they each added character and zest.

I have to say that my lunch reminded me how much I enjoy Kloby's plain wings.  The wings are meaty and large compared to most restaurants, and, all on their own, they have a deep smoke flavor and the perfect crispy skin.  For a while, I have been ordering "Dirty & Old" wings -- dusted with Old Bay and fried a second time.  But I will probably come back to the originals with a couple of sauces.  The jalapeño-peach would probably be my choice if I had to eat all five wings with one sauce, but I had way more fun dipping from sauce to sauce to sauce.

If you go to Kloby's, check out my prior posts -- especially the ideas of the jarbecue and "flight" of bread puddings.  Kloby's does an array of craft beer and bourbons, and it's a terrific casual place where they're making an effort to make special food.

Takeout Jarbecue -- Do It Yourself Goodness

"Takeout" jarbecue

This is a crisis HowChow style: You want a jarbecue, but you need to pick up the kid so you can't take time to eat in at Kloby's Smokehouse.

The "jarbecue" -- as we have already covered -- is a Kloby's creation where they layer pulled pork, coleslaw and baked beans in a Mason jar.  Great flavors.  Great fun.

The crisis was faced by the '34 Act Gourmet, who didn't want to take out a jarbecue because he figured it would be just a mess into a styrofoam clamshell by the time that he got his terrible toddler home from daycare and under control.

So he went DIY jarbacue.  He ordered the two-meat platter with all pulled pork.  He got the coleslaw and the beans as sides.  He layered them up at home.  The verdict:  Success.  The hot stayed hot.  The cold stayed cold.  Until, that is, he filled his own mason jar and then enjoyed a little Kloby's inspiration at home.

Great Food For The Super Bowl: Let's Start With Housemade Potato Chips at Kloby's Smokehouse

Housemade potato chips at Kloby's

We're celebrating the Super Bowl by eliminating healthy food this week at HowChow.  It's all fun through Sunday.  We can be nutritious for the rest of the year.

Let's start with a snack:  My find during the Denver game were the housemade potato chips at Kloby's Smokehouse on Johns Hopkins Road.  They're on the appetizer list.  You get a bowl of potatoes -- sliced on a mandoline (or by a savant), fried to a crisp, and ready for the spice mixes that they'll bring along.  One was Old Bay.  One was the dry rub that Kloby's puts on pork.

The chips are an excellent snack and a fine starter before ribs, wings, pulled pork, jarbecue, or any of Kloby's meat dinners.  With walls of televisions and great smoked meats, Kloby's will be a fun place to watch the game.  You can also take out meals or meats by the pound.  Just order early because I assume they'll be busy.

For the rest of the week, I'll share Super Bowl suggestions and ask for your own.  So start to think about how you can mix televisions and great food.

Kloby's is just off Rte 29 on Johns Hopkins Road.  This is the area where HowChow defies the postal service and that HowChow has declared to be Tribeco.

Sambar, Idli, And Deep-Fried, Old Bay Wings -- Comfort Food Just Like Grandma Used To Make

Sometimes, you just need to trust your instincts.

I drove all the way to Rte 40 in a cold-induced fog last night in search of dinner.  I had food in the house, but I'd been trapped inside for two days -- one without phone, Internet or television.  (A Verizon tech apparently unplugged us yesterday because he or she found us plugged into the wrong port in the company's hub.  Thanks Verizon!)

But somewhere around St. Johns Road, I decided that I couldn't face eating alone in a bright restaurant.

That's how I ended up at a cafe table outside Kloby's Smokehouse's takeout counter.  Warm night.  Weird fog.  And a weird pairing of food that just felt right: lentil soup with rice dumplings and chicken wings.

That's health food on Johns Hopkins Road: Sambar and idli from Tandoor Grill and "dirty and old" wings from Kloby's.  A slightly spicy soup.  Some mild steamed rice dumplings.  The crunchy chicken wings.  At the time, I passed on the chili naan as too much for my stomach, but now I wonder if that heat would have killed off my viruses.

The Early Bird Gets The Smoked Pig At Kloby's

Chef Kloby pulls pig for the sliders

The early birds got the smoked pig at Kloby's Smokehouse.  I came back from the library just after 5 pm, and they had just started carving.  For $2 each you got slider rolls that the chef filled with meat that he pulled off the whole smoked pig they did as part of their fourth anniversary celebration.

They'd been cooking for 10 hours, and the pork was delicious.  Moist and flavorful, a perfect match to Kloby's Carolina sauce, which I went back to reload midway through my three sliders.  I got pieces of loin, shoulder, and belly with increasing amounts of fat to them.  It was a Goldilocks night where that middle cut was just right for me.

Great fun.  A delicious DuClaw's HellRazer IPA and some fun talking to the Baltimore Beer Guy, his family and other friends.  By the time that I was leaving around 6:30, the pig looked pretty-much picked, but Kloby's has so much other great food that the dining rooms were full and people were waiting in the entry.

Smoked Corned Beef At Kloby's Smokehouse

Smoked corned beef at Kloby's

Seasonal treat -- smoked corned beef at Kloby's Smokehouse on Johns Hopkins Road.

Some friends went to Kloby's last night to watch some basketball.  We snacked on the St. Patrick's Day special -- smoked corned beef.  They buy the pink beef, then smoke it in the "pit" with their wings, brisket, etc.

That's fun.  It's lean and thick-sliced.  Some pieces are salty, but they have a great smoked flavor and an outer crust that shows that you're eating something made special.

They only have the corned beef through Sunday.  I'd actually recommend just ordering the beef and sides.  We had one sandwich, but the roll doesn't add much.  Order a half pound or a pound of beef.  Get some cabbage or some fries.  Snack on slices as you watch the NCAA tournament -- and maybe try some of the beers, including the nitrogen-infused specials that they're serving up.

Kloby's is on Johns Hopkins Road just west of Rte 29.  It's a shopping center with Facci, Tandoor Grill and other restaurants.  The post office says that's Laurel, but it isn't.  I have had a political position against the description.  Now I want to push Steve's brilliant suggestion:  Tribeco.  It's a triangle below Columbia.

Link: Kloby's Smokehouse In The WPost

The WPost wrote a short review of Kloby's Smokehouse this week with compliments on the pulled pork, the smoked turkey and the baby back ribs.

Rina Rapuano makes some detailed points in a talented way.  She notes that takeout fries went soggy immediately and that Kloby's designed its current mac and cheese with kids in mind.  But she highlights the food that she enjoyed and got a bunch of information in a short piece.

That's a skill that I certainly appreciate -- even though it means Rapuano doesn't cover recent innovations at Kloby's -- "jarbecue" and the flight of bread pudding!

Thanks to Dave for the email with the link.

Bread Pudding Flight At Kloby's

The local tasting scene has expanded with the off-menu offer of a "flight" of bread puddings at Kloby's Smokehouse on Johns Hopkins Road.

In the style of flights of bourbon or beer, the barbecue restaurant offers four tiny glasses, each with its own bread pudding.  The menu has several flavors, plus several specials each day.  We had chocolate-covered banana, cookie dough, Butterfinger, and raisin.  The raisin came with a bourbon sauce.

That's what Mrs. HowChow is talking about.

She will take bread puddings over cake every day, and she picked chocolate-covered banana as her favorite.  They're all different, which made for a fun dessert splitting them.  The bourbon sauce really tasted like liquor.  As far as we can tell, they're microwaved in the glasses, which probably disqualifies them from Top Chef Just Desserts.  But it's cool to see a casual place try something different.

"Jarbecue" At Kloby's: Surprisingly Delicious

Jarbecue at Kloby's: Pork, cole slaw and beans

For the record, I opposed ordering the "jarbecue," which made it ironic that the late crew found me digging pork from the mason jar when they arrived.

A group of friends grabbed drinks Friday night at Kloby's Smokehouse, and we augmented a little beer and bourbon with a little barbecue.  Kloby's wings are my absolute favorite.  I got two orders -- including my regular "dirty and old" -- and guys were dropping bare bones on the bar in seconds.

But the hungry among us went back to the menu.

As part of a larger menu expansion (more salads!), Kloby's added the "jarbecue."  That's a mason jar layered with pulled pork, cole slaw, and beans.  You eat with a fork like the ultimate "no carbs" version of a barbecue sandwich.

The '34 Act Gourmet actually ordered the "jarbecue" over my objection.  I had a taste for the blog, and I kept going back for more.  Kloby's pork is meaty and smoked, and the mixture gives contrast, not muddling, with slightly-sweet beans and crisp cole slaw.  Bread has always been a weak link, which is why I usually pass barbecue sandwich for ribs or wings.  (I advocate Kloby's bulk pork as takeout and tarting it up with your own toasted buns and homemade oven fries.)

I recommend the "jarbecue" with a flight of beers.  For $10, you get four five-ounce pours, and Kloby's has a fun, rotating list of craft beers heavy on flavor.  The bartender did a great job picking four based on my comments about hoppy beers, Guinness and a thirst for variety.  I already drunk most of the flight when the mason jar arrived, so you might want to get a head start as well.

Link: The Sun Loves Kloby's Ribs

Kloby's Smokehouse on Johns Hopkin Road gets a rave from John Houser III in the Sun today.  Houser loves the barbecue, including the pork and beef ribs that I have talked up before.  He also discovered an off-menu item that I need to try:

Also new are some items you wouldn't find unless you flipped through a little sandwich board in the middle of the table (when we visited, the new menus weren't in). Be sure to look for the corn fritter bites ($5.99). Quick to come out of the kitchen, like all of the items that night, these morsels were harbingers of the great meal to come. Crusty and salty on the outside collided with sweet and gooey on the inside to create a fantastic fritter. The mayonnaise-based white barbecue sauce that came with it added a creamy tartness which fit the fritters.

Click for all my posts about Kloby's.  I'm overlooking Houser's major error because it really isn't his fault. That's not Laurel.  The post office may slap the name on the Applied Physics Lab, but that stretch of Johns Hopkins west of Rte 29 is misleading.  It's Columbia or Fulton or Upper Scaggsville, as folks have noted before.

Firkins, Oysters And Kloby's Smokehouse News

I'm back to Kloby's Smokehouse -- a quick stop for my first firkin beer and oysters on the half shell.

Kloby's has been having special events where they bring in an oyster shucker and serve beer from an uncarbonated cask.  Flying Dog packed a cask of Raging Bitch India Pale Ale.  That was my favorite beer of last summer, and it's a cool variation out of a firkin.

Our Oyster Master

The beer pours without carbonation.  Still the fresh flavor and a bitter end.  But smoother than the bottled version.  The Baltimore Beer Guy mentioned a "sweet tea" vibe to firkin Raging Bitch.  I'll say it was delicious with the half-shelled oysters, which were mild and light.  Mrs. HowChow snacked on macaroni and cheese.  She added a pinch of salt, but then she does that for most of the food that I cook.

Kyle was at firkin night as well, and he said that fried oysters were even better.  We both liked the homemade cocktail sauce -- enough horseradish for a good bite.

These firkins are a craft beer happening.  Frisco Tap Room in Columbia introduced the idea to me, but I had some mistaken idea that the firkin involved filtering the beer through extra hops.  Instead, it's just a small key perched on the bar.  Slightly warmer than the regular taps and pouring fresh beer as long as it lasts.  If you want to hear about these events, keep an ear on Chef Kloby's Twitter feed.

Watch Kloby's for Super Bowl news.  Kloby's plans a pig roast tailgate.  Something like $25 will buy you a seat for the game, and Kloby's will offer up a buffet and a portable pig roast out in the parking lot.

And they're aiming to open their expanded space around St. Patrick's Day.

Kloby's Smokehouse In (Sort-Of) Laurel 2011

Kloby's Smokehouse started as a replacement, and it is steadily transforming into a special place for beer and barbecue.

Kloby's opened about two years ago on the site of a shuttered BBQ joint on Johns Hopkins Road just off Rte 29. It started as takeout, and even the early days came with delicious pork and chicken sandwiches.

But the smoke has spread.  First, Kloby's added a seating area and a bar.  Then, they upgraded to a craft beer program with unique items on tap.  Now, it is expanding to add an ice cream parlor, a bar and a space for live music.

Kloby's stands out because of the smoke.  I have eaten much of the menu by now, and every plate comes with the flavor of the wood fire that they run every day in a hulking smoker in the kitchen.  That starts with strong BBQ staples like pulled pork and chicken sandwiches, then runs to some really unique smoked chicken wings.  Those come in a dozen varieties, but I have to recommend the "dirty" wings that are smoked and then quickly fried.

Links: Kloby's Smoker And Meats On HoCo360 And Farmers Markets On The Elkridge Patch

The Elkridge Patch went outside the borders to write about the JFX Farmer's Market, which was packed the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  TJ maneuvered the family around for produce and snacks.

HoCo360 stayed closer to home with an awesome photo inside the smoker at Kloby's Smokehouse on Johns Hopkins Road just off Rte 29.  I join the recommendation that you try any of the smoked items -- wings, chicken, ribs, etc. -- with sauce on the side.  They're delicious, and you can see which sauces you prefer.

Kloby's Is Expanding (& More Happy Hour News)

Kloby's Smokehouse is expanding -- and getting all complex on us.

The BBQ joint on Johns Hopkins Road started as a takeout and has expanded to have seating and waiters at night.

Now, Kloby's plans to take over the space next door -- ice cream parlor in the front, a bar in the middle, and space in the back that could be used as a stage.  (Separate entrances for ice cream and the main restaurant/bar.)  People had talked about the expansion since August, but I heard the plans first-hand at yesterday's happy hour.

The ice cream parlor will have its own door in the front.  The new space will have a new main entrance and continue Kloby's expansion into a spot for craft beer as well as barbecue.  I let the Baltimore Beer Guy order for me at the happy hour, and I loved the new Flying Dog Single Hop Simcoe Imperial IPA.  Hoppy like the Raging Bitch that I drank all summer, but maybe one level smoother and less bitter.

Somewhere between the beer and the wings, I forgot to ask about when the expansion will happen.  Go try Kloby's wings and you'll understand.  Before the happy hour got started, David of Hoco360 and I got a backstage tour and saw the huge smoker that makes Kloby's so different.  Real firewood burning, and the end result where Kloby's had put that smoky flavor into trays of ribs, chicken and wings.

They serve those wings in a dozen ways.  I went with "dirty and old" -- which meant they were fried twice and seasoned with Old Bay.  Those are absolutely my favorite wings around -- big meaty wings with real flavor, not just a fried coating and hot sauce.  I shared those around so that I could justify having a second round of three "slider" sandwiches -- a chicken, a pork barbecue, and a beef brisket.  Delicious, and I'm ready to go back for the ribs.

Thanks to everyone who came for the happy hour.  That was great fun, and I appreciate everyone who came to talk.  I'm always glad that HowChow is entertaining and useful.  I hope everyone had fun -- and good luck to the Patch folks who are kicking off their respective sites for Ellicott City, Columbia and Savage-Guilford.  (We explained there is no such place as Savage-Guilford, but they have bosses at corporate who know this area better than all of us.)  HowChow is just a hobby, but these folks are journalists so they have to figure out new media as its happening -- and do it right at the same time.

Click here for other reports on the happy hour from the EC Patch, Columbia Patch, Hecker, 53 Beers, Hoco Rising, and Jessie X.  And check out the new blogging at Hoco Politico.

Bad News: You Live In Howard County!

HowChow has good news, bad news.

The good news is that Laura Vozzella posted a reader's compliment about Kloby's Smokehouse on Johns Hopkins Road.  The bad news is that she thinks it is bad news that the tasty barbeque is in Howard County.

Laura, Laura, Laura. . . The Dining at Large blog used to be a friend of the suburbs!  All your readers are welcome on Rte 29!  Come for the BBQ; stay for a giant yard, public schools, and parking lot cafes.

(Thanks to Brandon for the tip.  Notice in the post that the Laurel post office address does confuse the out-of-towners.  More proof that isn't Laurel.  Two words: Fulton annexation.)

Pulled Pork at Kloby's Smokehouse

My wise college roommate taught me that it's always smart to order the specialty of the house, and I'm still learning the lesson at Kloby's Smokehouse.

Kloby's sells delicious pulled pork -- a meaty, smokey flavor with the texture of shredded meat.  It beats down the overly-sweet, overly-pureed barbecue that most places offer.  I have loved the Kloby's pork since it opened on Johns Hopkins Road just west of Rte 29.

Then, I strayed.  Last time, I ordered white meat chicken and a Cuban sandwich because Mrs. HowChow likes both of them.  At the last minute, I ordered a pound of pork for later in the week.  The chicken was . . . chicken.  The Cuban sandwich was fine, but not in the league with Cuba de Ayer in Burtonsville.  (It's a pickle panini, said Mrs. HowChow.)  We were a little disappointed until we unwrapped the lunch that I had packed the next morning.

"Now that's barbecue," Mrs. HowChow emailed to me.  And a pound makes four, maybe five sandwiches.  Buy some supermarket rolls and make yourself some oven fries.  With good salt, my oven fries were better than the ones that I had carried home from Kloby's.  But nothing beats that pulled pork.  That's great cooking.

Kloby's Smokehouse Is Open in Laurel

The Kloby's Smokehouse at Johns Hopkins Road and Rte 29 is open and happy to sell you barbeque.

I only mention this because the original Kloby's in Windsor Mill has closed. I called the Laurel outpost, and they confirmed that the original closed and that the business has shifted down to the Howard County location. Kloby's has great BBQ. It's a casual place. Easy access from Rte 29. Great for takeout.

For more about barbeque in Howard County, check out the "What I Learned" post about kabobs and BBQ. Tip of the menu to Urbanspoon where I learned about Kloby's closing.