Oz Chophouse Closing, Replaced by Steakhouse Joint Venture Between Jordan's and Ranazul, Says The Sun

Oz Chophouse closed on Saturday night, and the Maple Lawn restaurant will be replaced by a new steakhouse by the owners of Ranazul and Jordan's Steakhouse, according to Elizabeth Large in the Sun.

The sign on Oz's door says that the owners sold to Jordan Naftal of Jordan's Steakhouse in Ellicott City. It says he and his partners will "be taking over the restaurant space on August 13, 2009."

The new steakhouse will be "Carlos and Jordan's Steakhouse," Large says. Billz reports on Live in Howard County that Jordan sent a tweet that they're aiming to open in November 2009. I'll update if I hear more about timing.

(I updated on Sunday thanks to someone who sent me that link and to Large who emailed me.)

I'm really bummed for the Buschers who owned Oz even though I'm not a steakhouse addict. I enjoyed the bar, and the loss of Trapeze and Oz leaves Ranazul and its tapas as the last kitchen from the first generation of Maple Lawn eating.

But a Jordan's steakhouse sounds like a great replacement. That is a terrific restaurant in downtown Ellicott City, one of my best restaurants in Howard County although I haven't eaten there since I started the blog. I'll be interested to see if "Carlos and Jordan" inject a Latin element from Ranazul into the menu. Either way, Maple Lawn's developer has to be very happy -- especially after scoring a parking-lot-packing success with Looney's Pub.

If you really need a steak, you can grill a nice one from one of the meat markets of Howard County.

oz Chop House in Fulton

(Update: Oz appears to have closed in August 2009. At the time, the talk was that it will be replaced by a steakhouse by the owners of Ranazul and Jordan's.)

oZ Chophouse is a steakhouse where I haven't eaten a steak, but it's still a place that I enjoy going back.

oZ is one of the three upscale restaurants that anchor the Maple Lawn developement in Fulton. They're all classy places. More like city restaurants than almost anything around. We go to oZ's bar because it's a great place to walk in on a whim. We make our own dinners from the appetizers and salads.

It's an up-and-down experience. The calamari and the crab dip are delicious, but my favorite dish -- the tuna tartare -- was actually off the menu last weekend. The house salad and the shrimp/scallop skewer didn't replace the tuna, which I remember as an imaginative twist on sushi. We also go because the bartenders and the waiters are really nice, letting Mrs. HowChow sample a wine before we order or letting us sit in peace when we're just enjoying ourselves. But then we realized after our last dinner that no one had brought us a bread basket, one of the highlights of an oZ meal.

People do talk up the steaks. With a few detractors, oZ gets good reviews, and you can customize your meal with the cut, the sauce and the side dishes that you prefer. I'm just inclined to eat different food when I'm ready to spend $30 per person. I enjoy oZ as an imaginitive joint. Good beers and wine. Good food. Friendly people. On a quiet night, it's a nice, upscale dinner -- even better if you can enjoy a cool evening at an outdoor table . On a Sunday afternoon, the bar is a great place to watch sports.

If you're in Maple Lawn, also check out Trapeze and Ranazul. We created a progressive dinner one evening -- grazing at all three in a single night. Also check out the i.m. Wine liquor store, which is in the same building as Trapeze. Or click for a working list of the best restaurants in Howard County.

oZ Chophouse

8191 Maple Lawn Boulevard

Fulton, MD 20759

301-490-4003

http://www.ozchophouse.com/

NEAR: The Maple Lawn development is on Rte 216 just west of Rte 29. From Rte 29, you pass through one traffic circle. Then you'll see the development on the right and enter from the second traffic circle. There is parking behind any of the restaurants.

Progressive Dinner: Walk The Street of Maple Lawn To Trapeze, oZ Chophouse and Ranazul

Choose your own adventure by staging a progressive dinner at the three upscale restaurants in the Maple Lawn development in Fulton.

Trapeze, oz Chophouse and Ranazul are each worth their own visit -- and their own review -- but the trendy, comfortable bars in each joint invite you to start by sampling your w
ay through all three. They're on three corners of the same intersection, so it's almost a city night walking from door to door.

We started with Trapeze's "New American" menu for a crab-topped fried green tomato and the "Bluestone" salad highlighted by bacon and a mustard dressing. Next time, I might try the flat iron carpaccio. (I love calamari, but we once were served the most rubbery disaster. Be stronger than we were and send that back.)

You could visit in any order because all three have nice selections and idiosyncratic beer/wine lists. But we crossed next to oz Chophouse for the tuna tartare, the calamari and a side order of macaroni and cheese. The tuna was the best savory dish of the night, and the waitress recommended a wine -- even let Mrs. HowChow sample -- with the fun, relaxed air that makes all three of the Maple Lawn places inviting. The crab dip has also been delicious. But realize that oz is the only bar where they blared the televisions. Sounds great if you're there for the ballgame, but it did cut down on the "night out" atmosphere of the other two.

We finished at Ranazul. Order the sopapias. Don't argue with me. We tried other desserts, and even though Ranazul has exquisite tapas, I recommend the good coffee and these fried triangles, dusted with sweet spices and drizzled with honey. (Ask for extra honey. Sometimes, they're drier than others.)

Overall, this is an expensive night. With three drinks, five small dishes, coffee and two desserts, I think we spent close to $100. But it was a slow night where we talked and adventured more than we would in any single restaurant.

(Update: Trapeze closed.)

Click here for a full post about Ranazul.  If you're in Maple Lawn, check out the i.m. Wine liquor store.  Or click for a working list of the best restaurants in Howard County.

Trapeze
8180 Maple Lawn Boulevard
Fulton, MD 20759
301-498-4411http://www.trapezeonline.net/

oz Chophouse
8191 Maple Lawn Boulevard
Fulton, MD 20759
301-490-4003
http://www.ozchophouse.com/

Ranazul
8171 Maple Lawn Boulevard, Suite 170
Fulton, MD 20759
301-498-9666http://www.ranazul.us/

NEAR: The Maple Lawn development is on Rte 216 just west of Rte 29. From Rte 29, you pass through one traffic circle. Then you'll see the development on the right and enter from the second traffic circle. There is parking behind any of the restaurants.