Anyone Know If Estrellita Market Closed?

Has anyone noticed if Estrellita Market in Jessup is open?

This is the small Mexican market over R&R Taqueria in the Shell station at U.S. 1 and Rte 175.  I loved the candied fruit there.  Sylvia left a comment saying Estrellita has closed.  I haven't been able to drive past to confirm.

Cooks 'N Cakes Wants Feedback; People Share About Cupcakes, Caterers and Shrimp Heads

The comments here are always a way for you to give people your opinion about local restaurants and markets.  The new Cooks 'N Cakes bakery in Ellicott City even solicited more -- posting their email and asking people for feedback, especially from folks who weren't charmed at first bite:

As a new store, we want to make sure our customers are pleased with our products. We would love it if those of you that thought it was dry would expand on it a little for us. We tend to get comments that the cupcakes are good, moist, but not dry and want to know what makes them dry to you.

It's very nice to hear from the professionals.  I always appreciate owners, waiters, chefs, etc. to chime into the comments.  I'd appreciate if you would disclose your connection if you're talking about your own place.

But the amateurs have been commenting as well.  My big concern is Bmorecupcake's report that Red Pearl said the dan dan noodles only came with meat.  I know we ate them with vegetarians.  It certainly tasted like a chopped fermented vegetables on top.  I'm still checking that out.  And there was more advice in the comments:

• Chang and Josh K both recommended places for Vietnamese coffee and Thai ice tea, although we still need Cuban coffee to expand.
• Elizabeth, Anita and others went around about the local cupcake joints.   Everyone seems to get a few votes as the favorite place.  Rose commented on another post to push salted caramel cupcakes at Kupcake & Co.
• Columbia Scientist/Foodie talked up the new Nari Sushi in Kings Contrivance.  They're liking the sushi and other Japanese food.
• Anonymous and Beth recommended some menu items at the Thomas Waffle truck in Clarksville -- nutella banana and dipped in chocolate.
• Brandon, Brandi and JP -- who had never told me about the awesome Dave's BBQ in Savage -- all chimed in after the post to say that they have loved Dave's food and catering.  Why hadn't you told me?
• RDAdoc, Megan and many other people shared their choices for local caterers.
• Kevin recommended the horse mackeral and the deep-fried shrimp heads if you're eating at Sushi Sono.

Mechanical Bull At Union Jack's In Columbia

Bored by the holidays?  Union Jack's in Columbia has trucked in a mechanical bull for tonight.  They're talking it up on Facebook.  Go if you're looking for a little mid-week bar scene!

The Woman Who Had No Wedding Cake And The Cupcakes That Seduced Her To Bethesda

Let's start with two facts:  No one promotes local food more than this blog, and no one has been able to get Mrs. HowChow to like cake.

Okay, there were a few exceptions.  Sweet Street Desserts in Pennsylvania ships a carrot cake so moist that Mrs. HowChow will eat it any time.  But most cakes make her say "dry" and look around for a bread pudding or another dessert that suits her fancy.  At our wedding, I vetoed cake and had them surprise her with a giant rice krispie treat instead.

Georgetown Cupcakes has won over Mrs. HowChow and set a standard that all of the local cupcake bakeries should be proud to emulate.  The cupcakes are tiny and expensive.  They're also incredibly delicious.  Light, moist cake.  Big, interesting flavors.  They all taste different, and they all taste fresh without fronting just sugar.

Bon Chon Korean Fried Chicken Coming To Ellicott City - Crunch Arrives As Soon As January

Bon Chon Korean fried chicken is coming to Ellicott CIty -- opening as early as January.

The news appears on a Facebook page that says the Bon Chon will open in "approximately" January 2012.  It's coming thanks to John Kim, who also brought Tutti Frutti to Rte 40.  The address says 3419 Plum Tree Toad.  That's also the address of Serafino's Italian Market.  Anyone know how this will work?

Tian Chinese Cuisine brought Korean fried chicken to Howard County earlier this year.  You can go there now for the double-fried crispness and the spicy sauces.  But people drive all the way to Annandale for the Bon Chon for the chain that helped start the craze.  There is room for all these options with chicken this much fun.

I posted a review of Bon Chon this summer after eating takeout from there in New York.  Check that out for the link to Henry Hong's review as well.  Thanks to Kimi for posting the news on my prior post.

Rosemary Lemon Bread At Bonaparte Bakery

Rosemary lemon bread at Bonaparte

With all the sweets bakeries opening, it just doubles the impressiveness of Bonaparte Bread in Savage, which turns out French pastries and some of the best bread around.

Imagine rosemary lemon bread done perfectly.  A flavor so strong that you can smell herbs and lemon when you slice into the loaf, but gentle enough that the bread goes well with vegetable soup.

That's talent.  That's bread that I couldn't bake at home.  It's a bread that I might have been dubious about if I'd known the lemon and rosemary would bubble out so strongly.  But it was exceptional and would pair with all kinds of foods.  Worth every penny of almost $5.

The Bonaparte bakery is a fun little place in the Savage Mill development.  Go for breads.  Go for pastries like coconut macaroons.  They had a yule log that looked like fun for Christmas.  Go for a lunch of quiche or sandwiches.

Why Don't Restaurants Make Cafe Con Leche?

Cafe con leche at the Miami airport

Why don't restaurants offer cafe con leche when they serve breakfast or dessert?

I lived in Miami during the years when Starbucks absorbed America.  So I learned to drink Cuban coffee before I ever met a barista.  The regular stuff is sweet jet fuel like espresso.  For a little more, you get the coffee mixed with warm mix as a cafe con leche.

This is a great stuff.  You can charge a fortune for coffee these days.  I was sitting this month in the Miami airport asking myself why I can't get cafe con leche generally around here.  And while we're at it, why don't a few restaurants offer Vietnamese style coffee with condensed milk and those cool "on the table" brewing filters?

Forget restaurants.  Why not one of the new bakeries popping up like Linda's or Cook n' Cakes? Easy way to create a unique spot.

I know I can get Vietnamese coffe at An Loi in Columbia and get my cafe con leche fix at Cuba de Ayer in Burtonsville.  But it seems like most restaurants already have the equipment -- or could get some Vietnamese filters for a few bucks -- and could offer something unique.

(Update: See the post from Southern Skies Coffee Roasters about Cuban coffee.)

Congrats to Sushi Sono, Red Pearl -- Neighbors Make The Washingtonian's 100 Very Best List

The January Washingtonian is on the newsstands, and two Howard County spots make the "100 Very Best Restaurants" list -- next-door neighbors Sushi Sono and Red Pearl.

Todd Kliman and other reviewers highlighted a bunch of dishes at Red Pearl that we have enjoyed and an entire list at Sushi Sono that are new to us.  I need to try the horse mackerel next time.  You can find both these places on the lake in Columbia.  I can't find the link to the "Very Best" list yet, but this is Washingtonian's Web site.

Bonus view on Sushi Sono: Check out the review on the Thirty-Something Lindy blog.

Boarman's: Report From The XMas Front Line

Boarman's Meat Market in Highland was jumping this morning with people picking up and ordering meat, fish and turkeys for the weekend.

The pick-up line for pre-orders was against the produce.  New orders snaked up a central aisle.  Boarman's had a crew working so that waits were reasonable, and people loaded up on steaks, hams, turkeys, and the house-made sausages.  Guy in front of me ordered three big steaks and picked up his Maple Lawn turkey.

They were sold out of flank steak, so I grabbed a pound of Maryland crab meat to use this weekend.  I need to cook because Mrs. HowChow is working the entire weekend so we can't return to the Red Pearl for a Christmas Day dim sum.

Then I had a last-second inspiration and asked for clams.  Boarman's has them in the back for 50 cents each.  Mrs. HowChow talked about thick clam chowder earlier this week, so I picked up onions and potatoes to work on that tonight.  Plus a sausage to flavor either the chowder or pasta.

Bonus item at the cash register: Boarman's stocks the breads and pies from the Lovebirds bakery that I had seen before at Roots and Gorman Farm.  Lovebirds apparently bakes in Howard County.

Links: News On Redevelopment And Blog Posts About Beer & Cookies, More Beer & Cookies

It's a slow time of year, but there is still news that touches on Howard County food.

There is a new plan for Wilde Lake village center, home of David's Natural Market and Today's Catch, as reported by David Greisman on Explore Howard.  Similarly, the CA has started talking about revamping the Columbia waterfront, as noted by the Sarah Says blog, which has links to the news.

While you're poking around on those, take a break with other local blogs.  The new AnnieRie Unplugged blog has fun posts about eating local, and other local blogs seemed focused recently on beer and cookies:

• There is a new beer map posted by the BW Food and Drink blog.  He names bars and restaurants, and he links to Web pages.  I'd love to hear his reviews -- or your reviews in his comments -- on those places.
• The Baltimore Beer Guy posted a short piece about how Frisco Tap House has dedicated a tap to the memory of a regular.  
• Try the recipe for "chocolate chip" cookies made with crumbled JoJos from Trader Joes on the P90 Noir blog.  Or the recipe for Mantecaditos shortbread cookies on La Casa de Sweets.
• If you want a cookie and a deeper meaning, check out the 2 Dudes Who Love Food post about a local effort to bake cookies for Howard County's homeless.

Tomorrow, Go Get A Fresh Waffle -- Sweet Or Savory -- At Thomas Waffles In Clarksville

Start your weekend with a real treat by grabbing a fresh waffle in the parking lot of Kendall Hardware.

That's where you'll find the Thomas Waffles truck -- profiled last month by Explore Howard -- offering fresh waffles and a few other dishes on Saturday mornings.  They run about $3.  That's an easy splurge to chow down on hot, handmade food for breakfast.

They sell two kinds of sweet waffles with variations on sugar, fruit toppings, Nutella, and maple syrup.  They also sell other items like pre-baked quiches and "waffle pops" where they dipped a waffle into chocolate.

Even with those choices, I went savory last weekend.  For $3, I got a small breakfast sandwich.  Two warm, slightly-sweet waffles holding in an egg and a few thin strips of bacon.

"Did they offer Lipitor with that?" joked Mrs. HowChow when I came home.

But she is wrong.  The thin bacon pieces were just a salty jolt to the sweet waffles.  This wasn't the grease-dripping "sausage in a sliced donut" sandwich that the Fractured Prune used to offer.  The waffles are warm and light.  This is a unique little item, made by folks with real talent.

Start your holiday weekend with a trip for a waffle.  Thomas had a sign saying they'd be open 8 am to noon on December 24.

Thomas Waffles -- open Saturdays
in the parking lot of Kendall Hardware
12260 Clarksville Pike (Rte 108)
Clarksville, MD 21029


NEAR:  This is on Rte 108 just north of Rte 32.  The Thomas Waffle truck sits in the parking lot of Kendall Hardware, which is a great store on its own.  Definitely worth walking in if you need home improvement items and someone with the experience to answer your questions thoroughly.  Plus, great for canning supplies.

First To Film R&R Taqueria -- YouTube Video Beats Food Network With A Short Video

We're still waiting for the Food Network to broadcast their show about R&R Taqueria in Elkridge, but the Destination Guide has posted a short video with shots of the Mexican food and a nice interview with Rodrigo.

Matt Boyle posted a link on the HowChow Facebook page.  I don't know the Destination Guide, but it's fun to see.

Falafel at La Mia In Laurel

Falafel at La Mia in Laurel

Hot falafel falls among the perfect street foods -- piping chick pea fritters wrapped in pita bread and augmented with some shredded salad, a touch of hot sauce, and a creamy sauce to bring it all together.

(Update:  Sorry.  La Mia closed.)

The new La Mia restaurant on Main Street in Laurel kicks out a nice falafel sandwich.  It's certainly the rival of anything that I have found inside Howard County, so it's worth a quick drive into Laurel, especially if you want to nose around the Aladdin Food Market next door or pick up something from the Laurel Meat Market.

La Mia is a new takeout following the trend of serving pizza and an ethnic food.  At La Mia, the ethnic food is mostly Middle Eastern, including a few special-order items like masakhan, ka'ik, and maoul that looked new to me and that Wikipedia says are Palestinian dishes.

I want La Mia to be terrific because they're really nice.  For now, I recommend the falafel sandwich.  The falafel comes out hot and flavorful -- right in that "Goldilocks" moistness where it isn't too greasy and it isn't too dry.  The sandwich had lettuce, mildly hot peppers, some hot sauce and a really nice sauce.  I suggest that you request pita bread because they wrapped mine once in a tortilla, which was all kinds of "American fusion" wonderful but not nearly as delicious.

I'm going to go back and try the schwarma again.  We ordered it with high hopes because La Mia has real meat turning on a spit in the open kitchen.  But our order didn't work.  The restaurant was freezing cold, and we got an aluminum takeout tray with lettuce and a few ounces of shaved, unremarkable meat. They were so nice, and we were too cold to argue.  I'm going to try again.

Where do you go for falafel or schwarma?  I don't have a place in Howard County, maybe because I have a few amazing sandwiches in my memory that set the standard.  I don't want just a pile of lettuce, a pita from the bag, and the main item dumped on top.  A few people have mentioned Turkshish Kebap in Columbia.

La Mia
310 Main Street
Laurel, MD 20707
301-725-9600

NEAR:  This is on Main Street in Laurel a few doors west of U.S. 1.  You can park on Main Street anywhere between U.S. 1 and Laurel Meat Market.  The Aladdin market next to La Mia sells Middle Eastern groceries and breads.  Laurel Meat Market butchers its own steaks, ground beef and sausage.

Link: New Food Writing On AnnieRie Unplugged

New blog -- and a new blog about food -- from Annie who has retired and has been writing about cooking and local ingredients.  The recent posts on AnnieRie Unplugged have been about CSAs, including a winter CSA that started this week.

Check out Annie's list of local resources for food -- from vegetables to cheeses to flour.

While you're reading, check out the 2 Dudes Who Love Food blog for a review of the new Jason's Deli in Columbia.

Macarons Have Come To Howard County -- Spotted At The New Linda's Bakery In Columbia

Macarons from Linda's Bakery

We're getting on trend now in Howard County with French-style macarons offered up in Columbia even as these bakeries pop in places like DC and Bethesda.

The new Linda's Bakery that opened on Snowden River Parkway this month offers several flavors of macarons.  These are basically sandwich cookies made with meringues connected with a cream or other filing.

They're light, often fruity sweets.  Perfect as a tiny treat.  Beautiful on dessert plate.  They're also a current post-cupcake trend among pastry shops and cookbooks.  The Sugar Baby cookbook caught Mrs. HowChow's eye because she had searched out macarons when we visited Manhattan.

Mrs. HowChow hasn't worked up to the complex recipe yet, but Linda's pops out macarons with raspberry, almond, coffee, and chocolate chip.  They're not the perfectly uniform pastries from New York's Macaron Cafe.  A few were so brittle that they shattered or had air spaces inside.  But they're light with the burst of intense flavor that makes macarons so special.

This is the kind of experimentation that makes me glad to see all the new bakeries.  Linda's could create a niche for this kind of pastry, which I haven't seen closer than Bethesda until now.

Spectacular Roadside BBQ From Dave In Savage

Pulled pork sandwich and a piece of crackling

Grab a roll of paper towels and make plans for an early lunch on the side of the road.

Right outside the entrance to the Savage MARC station is a guy with a pull-behind barbecue serving up delicious meats at roadside prices.

I ate pulled pork Monday after being clued in by George Berkheimer of the The Business Monthly.  David Welch had platters of meat cooking, and he pulled the pork off the bone to build an enormous sandwich for me.  Then he left me to doctor it up with spicy sauce and his personal spice mixture.

This is moist, firm meat coming right off the heat.  It is a rich smokey flavor, but it's truly just pork.  You really want to add spice and sauces -- maybe sauce in the bottom of the container -- so that you can dip and alternate flavors.  My $6 sandwich was so large that I couldn't finish it off.  I ate until full, then shredded the leftovers into soup last night.

Terrible photo.  Sorry.

Dave runs a weekly rotation -- pulled pork Mondays, beef brisket Tuesdays, big pork chops Wednesdays, ribs Thursdays, and chicken Fridays.  Six bucks for each except the $9-19 ribs.  He also sells kielbasa, half smokes and sodas.  He worked originally in upscale hotel kitchens, then started a hot dog stand and moved onto the current deal where he works this lunch crowd and does catering through Dave's BBQ and Catering out of Laurel.

Dave was a generous host, searing a piece of skin into crackling.  He talked about his competitive barbecue wins, including a 2006 Maryland state championship.  The other customers talked up the brisket and a once-a-month special of jambalaya.  Dave starts selling at 9 am.  I assume he gets business from the truckers who start their days early between the wholesale markets in Jessup down through all the business parks along U.S. 1.  Some days, he is sold out before noon.

This is a perfect spot if you work somewhere near Fort Meade, and it's off-and-on Rte 32 so it's doable from anywhere in Columbia.  I'm going back as soon as I can figure out how to be home on a different weekday.  Expect posts on brisket, chops and ribs over time!  The catering -- which includes sides, utensils, etc. -- seems like a deal starting at $11/13-a-head if you pick it up and running to $21/23-a-head with all-you-can-eat spreads run by a catering crew.

The one flaw in my plan was that I didn't get a napkin from Dave.  I ate in a parking lot before my next errand, and I was glad to find a clean rag after chomping through juicy meat that had soaked through the light roll.  So get those paper towels and start driving.

Thanks again to George for mentioning Dave to me.  How did I go this long without someone sending me an email?  Roadside meats are right up the HowChow alley!  This looks like it's right up Strobist's as well.

Dave's BBQ and Catering
just outside the Savage MARC train station
Dorsey Run Road just south of Rte 32
Savage, MD
240-535-6785

Near:  Dave parks on Dorsey Run Road just south of Rte 32.  From Columbia, you take Rte 32 over I-95 and U.S. 1.  Take the Dorsey Run Road exit, then turn right at the light.  From Fort Meade, you take that exit and turn left back over Rte 32.  Dave is the guy with the barbecue set up before you reach the MARC parking lots.  Park on the side of the road.

Link: Aida Bistro Updated On Explore Howard

Aida Bistro gets something between a review and an update from Explore Howard.  Donna Ellis recommends everything from the meatballs to a seafood pasta dish.  This is a great Columbia restaurant that we have enjoyed, but I never got the photos to knock off an entire post.

180 Days To Columbia Wegmans: Signs Are Up

It's 180 days to the scheduled opening of the Columbia Wegmans -- June 17, 2012.

You can see the sign above on Snowden River Parkway.  They have similar ones along McGaw Road as well.

Check back for all the HowChow posts about Wegmans.  Or join the Facebook group I Want The Columbia, Md. Wegmans.  People post pictures and news there, and any group member can add anyone to the group.  So feel free.

Pub Dog In Columbia -- Pizza, Beers And All The Drinks Come In Pairs; Is This How Bars Work Now?

Bars are so much better now than when I was a regular in younger days -- no smoke, better beer and much better food.

We re-engaged with bar life last weekend with dinner at Pub Dog in Columbia.  They brew their own beers, and they serve a limited menu that plays to their strengths.  By limited, I mean pizza.  They serve pizzas, a few appetizers like hot pretzels, and a few salads as well.

That's good pizza.  It's a thin crust with terrific toppings.  We had a "Fox & Hound" that came with mozzarella and smoked gouda, then sliced red pepper, sausage, and mushrooms.  No one scrimped on ingredients.  Smoked gouda gave a unique flavor, and everything else had the taste and look of fresh food.

The pizzas run $8-10 for 10-inch pies.  We actually split our pizza and an order of hot pretzels.  Most people could probably finish off their own.  I saw several that looked terrific -- two white pizzas, several with barbecued or grilled chicken, and the "Spinach Pizza" that sounds healthy but pairs the green stuff with mushrooms and bacon.  Personally, I prefer the crust cooked crisp (even charred like Facci), but Pub Dog has a soft-crust style that works.

I also liked the beer.  I laughed at myself when our waitress arrived with two beers.  That would have seemed awesome in my volume-drinking days, but my first reaction was "Why?"  Honestly, they're small mugs.  A happy hour bargain at $3.50.  But it's not two pints.  Even I cheerfully drained two mugs of the hoppy IPA.  Not the bitter revelation of my favorite Flying Dog Raging Bitch, but a refreshing craft beer that matched nicely with pizza and pretzels.

Pub Dog qualifies as a bar because of how it limits its menu and how it picks and dresses the waitresses.  But this is a fun place to eat.  The pizza is worth a drive.  There is an entire run of booths, and they have outdoor seating -- which is dog friendly to go with the name.  On a Friday night, I didn't see kids, but I assume it's fine to drop in for pizza with little ones earlier in the day.  Even on a weekend evening, this was a placid, adult crowd.

Pub Dog isn't connected with the short-lived Dog House Pub & Grill that operated in Long Reach village center.  The original location is actually on Federal Hill in Baltimore.

Pug Dog
8865 Stanford Boulevard
Columbia, MD 21045
410-872-0364

NEAR:  Pub Dog is in a shopping center just off Dobbin Road south of Rte 175.  This is the center with Noodles Corner and Hanamura Sushi.  Mango Grove is renovating space a few doors down.  From Rte 175, turn south on Dobbin Road.  Turn left on Stanford Boulevard, then right into the shopping center.

ISO: A Brunch Caterer In Howard County

My friends need to hire a caterer for a baby naming.  They're thinking 75-100 people for the ceremony and brunch foods.  Anyone have a suggestion?