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.

Is Royal Taj Moving To Restaurant Park?

There's talk -- including folks who spoke with the owner -- that Royal Taj is moving to its own building in the "Restaurant Park" part of Columbia.

Royal Taj is a white-table cloth place off Snowden River Parkway.  It's one of the great Indian restaurants around.  Talk is that they want to go more upscale.  Anyone know the plan?

The "Restaurant Park" is a development off Rte 108 just north of Rte 175.  There's an Applebee's, a McDonalds and some other stuff.  I don't know which one might be closing to be replaced by Royal Taj, although Sam wrote a comment that it's the Applebee's.

From Marcia:

The owner told Steve he'd always wanted to take "the next step up" with his restaurant and Royal Taj was doing well enough that he could do it. He is very excited ! I'm happy for him, we are big fans of the food at Royal Taj, but we always get carry out so can't speak to service or atmosphere in the restaurant. (Imagine prices will go up - sigh)

The Best Things In Life Are Free -- But Where?

Bread and olive oil dipping sauce at Facci

Facci Ristorante has changed its bread, and you'd be surprised at how much that seems to matter.

Free stuff matters in restaurants.  I know owners hate the waste, but these little things can set the tone -- and even make the meal.

That's why we noticed the bread at Facci on Johns Hopkins Road.  For a long time, they'd served some kind of pre-buttered bread.  Very soft.  A bit greasy.  We like the food at Facci, but we normally said up front not to bring the bread because we didn't want it.  And didn't want to waste if we didn't eat it.

(Waiters -- You don't re-use the bread bowls, do you?  Okay, maybe you shouldn't tell me.)

But we were at Facci a few weeks ago, and the waitress brought sliced Italian bread.  Plain, basic bread with a terrific olive oil dipping sauce.  Mostly oil with a bunch of salt and spices.  It immediately jazzed up the afternoon.

So what are the best free extras in Howard County?  Great bread.  Great chips in a Mexican restaurant.  These can be basic items, but I understand that thin margins make restaurants reluctant to give anything away for free.  That makes me pay extra attention when a kitchen cares enough to send out something special.

Delicious food makes me happy.  Plus, it sets the stage that the kitchen has aspirations -- and won't cut corners on anything that you order. As I read my list, I think it isn't a coincidence that these places rank among my "Best of Howard County."

Five great items for me:

• Thick, earthy tortilla chips at the new Xitomate in Columbia.  These were really unique.  They dip into wonderful salsa.  The waiter offered a second bowl.  The chips make the point that Xitomate wants to serve unusual food.

Comfort: Royal Taj's Korma, Eggplant & Naan

Royal Taj when they took us in during the blackout

Comfort food doesn't make obvious blogging.

Work and a series of colds have kept me down -- and made us go back for food that we already know.  It's not new, but it's delicious and warm.

Royal Taj in Columbia was actually the place we fled during last summer's blackout.  We sat forever.  We would have been satisfied were just air conditioning, but they fed us well too.

Comfort food at Royal Taj generally means takeout.  Mrs. HowChow can drive home via Snowden River Parkway, so there is a choice of great Indian at House of India, Akbar, Mango Grove, etc.  That summer dinner converted her to Royal Taj.

Chicken korma and baigan barta.  They're mild dishes, full of the spices and flavors of Indian food, but not spicy in a hot pepper kind of way.  Sometimes, Mrs. HowChow mixes up the meat order by going with tandoor chicken.  At $14-20 an entree, Royal Taj isn't cheap, but we always get dinners and next-day lunches from two entrees and naan.

Naan really makes this a comfort dinner.  Warm bread makes everything seem better.

Royal Taj In Columbia

Romantic dark = Good meal, bad blog photos

Royal Taj is my favorite kind of restaurant -- one with ambition.  It also competes with some of my favorite restaurants -- the Indian restaurants like House of India and Mango Grove.

The news is that Royal Taj competes well.

Indian cuisine in Columbia is so good that the McGaw Road restaurant seemed almost extra when it opened as "India Delight" two years ago.  They changed the name, and they have consistently upped the experience.  Over recent months, people kept mentioning Royal Taj -- its lunch buffet, its ambiance.

That's how I pulled Mrs. HowChow past her favorite House of India and into Royal Taj.  I had eaten there twice for the lunch buffet where they fill two tables with dishes and offer specialities like hand-cooked dosas.  For dinner, the lights go down, and the table cloths and service make this one classy level up from most casual restaurants.

Buffet Lunch At The Local Indian Joints

Tiny bits, many dishes

The buffet lunch has become a standard at Indian restaurants around Howard County -- popular both for a weekend grab or a weekend leisure.

I have done a few over the years, but I'm far from an expert.  Most recently, I loved the Royal Taj buffet in Columbia with David.  Hands down, this beats the Indian buffets near my office that bored me years ago by offering just a handful of options.

Royal Taj fills two tables with food, and it has unusual options, particularly a chef making dosas on the line.  Those crepes wrap around spiced potatoes, and they're served up with other crisp treats like pakoras that Royal Taj replaces in small batches so that they don't go limp.  You can get several curries.  You can get tea ("chai").  At any buffet, you should sample everything that looks good so that you can explore more of the menu when you could back for dinner.

Fans say Royal Taj competes even in the strong field of local Indian.  I have enjoyed the buffet since this place opened two years ago under a different name, although I still haven't been there for the regular menu.

At a minimum, I think you can get a buffet at Royal Taj, House of India, Akbar, Mango Grove, Mirchi Wok, and the new Flavors of India -- all in Columbia.  You need to watch out.  People have critiqued some buffets as bland.  You can also end up with naan that gets soggy or rice that gets cold.

Anyone have a favorite lunch buffet?  Any local places have something unique?  Do they rotate so that certain days have special food?  Anyone have advice for people trying them?  I plan on two plates, so I always start with a tiny bit of many dishes.  I have also asked for naan when the display was empty and always found people happy to deliver it to me.

Welcome To Royal Taj -- Columbia's Newest Indian Restaurant (For The Second Time)

Welcome to Columbia's newest Indian restaurant Royal Taj -- which was also Columbia's newest Indian restaurant last summer when it opened as "India Delight."

The restaurant had a great buffet and got some good reviews from commenters. But it also had a name that was apparently too close to another Indian restaurant nearby. (I had wondered about a May comment that mentioned a Catonsville restaurant called "Indian Delight.")

I recommended India Delight's buffet, and I hear that nothing has changed except the name -- and that has only changed on the menus so far.

Thanks to HowICook for the tip and photo. Click here for my post about Indian restaurants in Howard County, which I'll have to update to fix the name.

Royal Taj

(formerly India Delight)
8874 McGaw Rd
Columbia, MD 21045
410-381-1111

NEAR: McGaw Road is the light where Apple Ford sits on Snowden River. From Rte 175, turn right on McGaw. From Broken Land Parkway, turn left on McGaw. The shopping center with India Delight -- along with Cha Ya Thai, The Greene Turtle and Cheeburger, Cheeburger -- is on the right before the intersection with Dobbin Road.