The Examiner Loves Victoria Gastropub, Moves It Outside A Mall

The Baltimore Examiner Web site really liked Victoria Gastropub, but I'm not 100% percent sure that they actually ate there.

The food sounds right -- beer, pouline, lobster grilled cheese.  But the Examiner tops off the classic city restaurant review opener ("It's right off the highway") by also noting that Victoria is "conveniently on the edge of a mall."  A mall?  It's next to a hotel, a McDonalds, a tiny strip with a Dunkin Donuts.

The Examiner noted that the decor "reminds one a Medieval castle."  Any chance that they actually went to Medieval Times at the Arundel Mills Mall?  Click here to be the judge.  (Update: You can't be the judge anymore because the Examiner revised the post to remove the line about a mall.)

Howard County Pub Crawl This Saturday

Join the Howard County Pub Crawl to try out the best in local craft beer this weekend.

T-Bonz is sponsoring transportation so that people can try what the Baltimore Beer Guy calls "Howard County's four elite beer bars."  For $50 a head, you get transportation, four five-ounce beers at each stop, and then food at T-Bonz.  The bars are T-Bonz, Frisco Grille, Victoria Gastro Pub and The Judges Bench.

Click here for The Baltimore Beer Guy's summary with links to sign up.

Trolling: Peruvian Chicken, Ledo's Pizza, And That Lobster Grilled Cheese (Again) At Victoria's

HoCoRising writes the blog of the same name -- one of the regulars in the Hoco Blogs community.    The HCR blog runs to local politics, but he covers a lot of local news and links to many other local blogs, which I consider a great service.  HoCoRising's food suggestions run to the comfort food -- roasted chicken, pizza, and a grilled cheese with fries:

Pollo Fuego in Jessup.  This was a place I found through this site, and I am in love.  The chicken is always moist and well seasoned.  The spicy sauce is made of magic.  On top of everything else, their plantains are just as good, if not better, than Fogo de Chao.  You can feed a family of four for around $20, and probably still have left-overs.  My only complaint is that the service wasn't all that friendly, but that almost seems to add to the character of the place.

Ledo's Pizza in Fulton, Clarksville, Columbia, etc.  I grew up in Highland and therefore have some affinity for the pizza "made with the pie crust."  My wife isn't the biggest fan, so I normally can only have Ledo's if she isn't home or has already had dinner.  This is the only pizza I "crave" and I have a lot of T-ball memories associated with the place.

Lobster Grilled Cheese with Duck Fat Fries, Victoria's Gastropub in Columbia.  I'm sure Victoria's gets enough play [as in two weeks ago here], and everyone knows how good it is, but the Lobster Grilled Cheese is my "can't skip" item on the menu.  By that, I mean that when I go there, I am afraid to order something else for fear it will not be as good as the grilled cheese and therefore present an "opportunity cost" in this hard-to-be-seated restaurant.  I eat in the bar area whenever I can, especially on Sunday mornings.  It almost seems like that is where you are "supposed to" eat . . . especially when they are giving out free Peanut Butter and Jelly shots. 

Trolling on Tuesday is my attempt at a series where readers would share three things with other HowChow readers -- favorite restaurant dishes, food to buy, food experiences, etc.  Click here for all the Trolling posts.  Click here for the explanation and the rules.  Anyone can submit.  

Stanford Grill Opening May 24 in Columbia

The Stanford Grill will open next week in the old Lone Star Steakhouse that you can see from Rte 175, but reach from Dobbin or McGaw roads.

The Stanford Grill is the local outpost for the Blue Ridge Restaurant Group, a Howard County company with six restaurants like Copper Canyon Grill in Silver Spring.  The new restaurant will open on May 24.  It's an American menu with lunches from $9 to $25 and dinners from $11 to $26, according to their press release.

Wordbones has been following the development on Tales of Two Cities, and he has photos of the site and more quotes from the press release.  Watch him for updates because he'll be able to attend the press preview later this week.

If you're looking for other places to eat around Columbia, check out my 2010 top restaurants.

Stanford Grill
8900 Stanford Boulevard
Columbia, MD  
410-312-0445

NEAR: The new restaurant overlooks Rte 175 just west of Snowden River Parkway.  To reach Stanford, you need to get onto Stanford either from Dobbin near the current location for Frisco Grill or from McGaw Road behind Apple Ford.

Saffron Ice Cream at Caspian Market

The saffron ice cream at the Caspian Market opens a bunch of good options for the coming warm weather -- from an adult ice cream cone to a classy dinner party dessert.

Caspian sells Shirlee's "Persian Ice Cream," which passes the "ingredient test" for ice cream.  Milk, sugar, cream, rose water, saffron.  That's all they put in, so what they get out is a creamy, thick ice cream with the mild, spicy taste of saffron -- almost nutty.

This is a treat like the fruit ice creams at Seibel's in Burtonsville or the Jamaican-inspired Island Style versions at Golden Krust in Catonsville.  They're simple foods made better by people rather than big companies.  The saffron ice cream -- highlighted for me in an anonymous comment -- is reason enough to check out Caspian Market.  It's a flavor that would make a nice end to almost any meal and has been an afternoon treat right from the freezer.

Jason1 To The Defense Of Columbia

Long ago, I burned out on daily reads of Chowhound, but it remains one of the great places to chatter about local restaurants.  There are several regular posters who know food around Howard County, and there are others who know the borderlands like Catonsville, Wheaton, Silver Spring. . .

Last week, Jason1 leapt to the defense of Columbia.  To be honest, the attack wasn't that terrible.  One thoughtful regular poster (mdfoodlover) criticized Coho Grille.  But the headline was "Places to skip in Columbia."  Another thoughtful regular (ivysmom) riffed off the headline making fun of mediocre, overpriced food around here.  Jason1 rose to the challenge and posted his defense:

This is a pretty negative idea for a thread. While there are certainly a few restaurants that I could throw under the bus, I think natural selection will soon overcome them. On the positive side, I think there is some fantastic food in Columbia. Bon Fresco makes my favorite sandwich in the entire state. I think Royal Taj has fantastic Indian food, with a much better buffet than House of India, Mango Grove, or Akbar. In fact, just think about that, Columbia has 5 Indian restaurants, ranging from decent to fantastic. Columbia has the original, and best, Maiwand Kebab. And while there is some disagreement, I really like Jesse Wong's Asean Bistro for what it is. Where in the area is there better sushi than Sushi Sono, or even Sushi King? And I also like Victoria Gastropub for some things (particularly beer). And Columbia has some great authentic Mexican takeouts like Lily's, and R&R Taqueria is pretty close (not Columbia as much as they try to sell that area as East Columbia). What Columbia doesn't have are good high end options - which are extremely rare in most suburbs. But good food does exist in Columbia.

The thread includes several Chowhound regulars who write about Howard County food.  They're all worth following if you poke around the site.  The string also has another of the hilarious points about local geography -- how people invented the name "Columbia East" to encompass some vague sections of Elkridge and Jessup.  That's the area Mrs. HowChow would call "near the prison."  But even she loves those R&R tacos. (They're even the subject of a separate Chowhound post.)

Vote For Best of Baltimore

You can turn your Howard County favorites into the "best of Baltimore" if you vote for the Best of Baltimore Readers' Poll.

Baltimore Magazine is running its annual poll, and the questions this year are on-line.  You type in your favorites, so they seem to be open to Columbia or Ellicott City spots.  Sushi Sono?  Tersiguel's?  R&R Deli?  This is your chance to represent the suburbs and get some press for your favorite joints.  Go vote now.

Hat tip to Jessica Lemmo at the Baltimore Examiner who wrote about this a while ago.

No Breakfast At Bon Fresco

For a while, Bon Fresco had talked about opening for breakfast, but a comment from Momteachs says that they're saying now that breakfast did not work out.  It is still one of my Top 10 places -- so check it out for sandwiches, soups or takeout bread.  Click here for all the Bon Fresco posts.

The No. 12 Roll At Sushi Sono

Sushi Sono has been getting some enormous press these days, but it still has secrets that you should check out.

Start with the No. 12 roll.  It's not on the list of rolls that you get with your menu.  It's a special that Sushi Sono created for its twelth anniversary a little while ago.  Tempura shrimp rolled with rice and topped with tuna and a spicy sauce.  You have to be in the know to get in with No. 12.

Sushi Sono is really one of the best restaurants around, and it's even prettier at this time of year when you can see out to the lake at dinnertime.  We have gone twice recently.  Each time, the wait outside was actually pretty nice.  We sit on the bench, watch the water, and try to figure out whether Sushi Sono takes reservations or not.  There is a list.  You can call ahead.  But we can't actually figure out what is going on.

The No. 12 is a reason to wait.  Crunchy shrimp, still warm when it hits the table.  Spicy tuna.  Some fish eggs on top. It's a bright flavor with a mix of textures.  It's substantial while still being a little lighter than similar rolls like Sushi King's Samauri Roll.  Sushi Sono is a great place to splurge.  Pair up the No. 12 with a "bridal veil" and a "hurricane eye" roll.  Last time, our friend asked for a roll made with white tuna and parsley, and that was terrific.  Consider the hand rolls or the specials like a whole snapper or the horse mackeral that people talk up so much.

And keep asking -- Are there any other secret rolls?  I feel like there is more to discover.

For more about sushi in Howard County, check out this post that has a bunch of good comments.  Or check out all my posts about Japanese food.

Sea Salt Lindt Chocolate At Target

Add another danger to the risks at Target.   On top of 20-roll paper towel deals and that impulse lawn furniture, you need to avoid the candy aisle as well.

Target may not be the natural habitat of food bloggers, but I have to be honest about where you can get an entire row of Lindt chocolate varieties.  I'm infatuated these days with sea salt.  Basically for reasons dangerously close to those ridiculed on this blog, but I will also argue that big crystal salt makes interesting flavors, and Lindt sells a terrific sea salt bar -- dark chocolate with irregular salt crystals scattered inside.

In fact, Target sells a full shelf of Lindt.  A trio of really dark chocolates, plus flavored ones like mint, chili, orange, and that sea salt.  We have looked for the sea salt elsewhere, but Target is the only place that I have found it so far.

Thanks to Harold of Scaggsville, whose blog DC To Scaggsville lead me to the hilarious site linked above. Harold does a little food writing -- like a post about Rita's.

We Need Red Pearl's Chinese Menu

Dzoey reported in a comment last month that he had talked to the manager at Jade Billows, the Potomac restaurant owned by the people who are opening Red Pearl on the lake in Columbia.

The Jade Billows food was "good, though mildly spiced," according to Dzoey.  It's apparently a Cantonese restaurant, and Red Pearl will have the same menu -- including a separate menu in Chinese of dishes that are presumably aimed at the authentic market:

He also showed me the Chinese menu and indicated that it would be available as well and the waiters could translate since there were no translations on the menu.

Sounds lovely, but that's not how we roll in Howard County.  In Howard County, one person translates your Chinese menu for you.  Then the nut job posts the translation on a blog, and people carry it to the table looking for something authentic and delicious and posting on HowChow or Chowhound.  Eventually, you translate it officially and start handing it out at the front door.  It's a fun little story if you want to read old posts, and it is way better than asking a waiter to read a menu aloud.

So who can email me Jade Billows' Chinese menu?  If not that, who can get a copy once they open Red Pearl next to Sushi Sono?  (And if Wai or anyone else would volunteer to translate, please send me an email so that I can send the menu to you.)

(Update: Red Pearl has opened, according to a comment.  If you want to report about Red Pearl's food, please comment on the most-recent Red Pearl post like the one about the Sichuan menu being available.)

Trolling: Tomato Palace's Meatballs, El Azteca's Tortilla Soup, And TJ's Dark Chocolate Pretzels

Lauren writes the blog AthlEAT where she writes particularly about healthy cooking and occasionally about taste-testing for her wedding.   The blog is fun, and she has reviewed some Howard County places like Tomato Palace.  That's the perfect example of what this "trolling and pimping" series adds to HowChow.  We have never been to Tomato Palace, and I have never had El Azteca's soup.  So Lauren has recommendations for me as well as you:

Meatballs and Polenta at Tomato Palace in Columbia.  The star of this dish is the soft parmesan polenta.  Buttery and cheesy, it goes wonderfully with the homemade meatballs.  The tomato sauce and sprinkle of parmesan have to be included in every bit to get the full experience.  The fresh baked garlic knots, house salad, and chicken rigatoni are all incredible.  Who doesn't love the Tomato Palace that grew up in Howard County?

Tortilla Soup at El Azteca in Clarksville.  Chicken and vegetables in a flavorful broth topped with fresh avocado and crispy tortilla strips.  Can't forget the sprinkle of melted cheese.  I sometimes think about driving out to Clarksville just to get this soup.

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzel Slims.  An embarrassing portion of my paycheck goes to Trader Joe's in Columbia every month. I sometimes wish I had never discovered these dark chocolate pretzel slims.  They have the salty/sweet combination that is extremely addicting.  You can find them in the most overwhelming aisle of the store with the frozen items and sweet treats.  

Trolling on Tuesday is my attempt at a series where readers would share three things with other HowChow readers -- favorite restaurant dishes, food to buy, food experiences, etc.  Click here for all the Trolling posts.  Click here for the explanation and the rules.  Anyone can submit.  

Pink Ting at Super Grand (and Golden Krust)

If I had a summer drink, it would be some creation made with grapefruit soda.

Not with Fresca, but with Ting -- Jamaican brand that sells little bottles of soda that really tastes like grapefruit and sugar.  I bought the regular flavor of Ting at the Golden Krust Bakery in Catonsville.  I finally tried the pink grapefruit flavor when I was trolling at Super Grand in Laurel.  I'd swear that it tastes like I remember pink grapefruits -- a little sweeter, a little less acidic.

Pink Ting mixed with vodka?  That seemed nice for a warm evening.  Wikipedia says that Ting with citrus vodka is called a "Ving."  It also says that people mix with lime rum for a "Ting 'n Sting."  Those should be inspiration enough for you to troll at Golden Krust where you could get beef patties (although the patties don't get the best reviews) or at the Super Grand where you can get almost anything.

Super Grand stands out among the Asian markets for its broad selection.  H Mart in Catonsville still excels for fish and produce, but Super Grand has way more non-Asian items.  That means regular American brands plus products from Mexico, India, Jamaica and West Africa.  Ting sits in an aisle where you can get Ghanaian staples that I'm still figuring out.  I also notice that Super Grand's workforce lacks the hard distinctions that you see at other stores -- only Latino guys working produce, only Asian women on the cash registers, only Asian men in management.  People mix more at Super Grand, and they have been keyed to customer service.  Whereas Lotte's produce workers range from nervous (the Mexican kids) to brusque (the Korean managers), I have had a Latino Super Grand employee walk me across the store to explain in English where I could find Japanese noodles.  That global shopping, and it's a welcoming, friendly vibe.

What’s the Buzz About Gluten-Free Options?

Guest post today from Jennifer, who asked about gluten-free eating in Howard County.  My only real experience has been watching Portalli's take my friend's allergy very seriously.  So I asked Jennifer for a guest post instead.  More than 3 million Americans have celiac disease where gluten can cause real intestinal damages, and another 10 million are gluten-intolerant that causes painful bloating and gas, among other ailments. Gluten free diets are in the news -- from the Washington Post's 2010 "in and out" list to a restaurant industry survey that put gluten consciousness in its top 10 trends.  And now, it's in HowChow:

Wheat – it’s almost the perfect grain. . .  it tastes good, has elasticity, allows breads and baked goods to be stretchy or light and fluffy.  And it is inexpensive. But it has one major flaw:  people with celiac disease and/or gluten intolerance can’t eat wheat, barley or rye.  Instead, those who are the gluten-free (GF) adapt with  alternatives such as rice flour, brown rice, corn, sorghum, millet, and quinoa.  Easy at home, but who wants to eat at home all of the time? We GF folks need more local restaurants to offer GF options on their menus, so we can spend our hard-earned dollars in their establishments!

"Gluten-free" sounds like some weird dietary restriction, and, in some ways it is.  It definitely can be challenging -- as I found out six months ago when I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Out went traditional breads, pretzels, beer (barley hops! darn!), cakes, cookies, and most commercially-prepared and processed foods are now off limits to me. There is no drug to fix or cure my celiac disease – the only option is to eliminate gluten from my diet.

But I’ve found that it’s really not that hard and can be quite delicious! GF foods have had a perception of being somewhat gross – dense and chewy (like an old fruitcake) or dry and crumby (like Styrofoam). However, that need not be true. I bake all the time and no one can tell the difference. (Well, most of the time).

I am a “foodie.” I enjoy baking, and we are lucky to have access to GF flours at great markets such as Roots, David’s Natural, and MOMs.  But it can be exhausting to prepare every meal and scrumptious treat from scratch, and I love new foods and trying new restaurants. I also have a 3-year-old son with celiac disease. So, here is my frustration/question: What are our choices for eating out in Howard County? 

Link: Honey Pig in The Sun

The Sun reviewed the new Honey Pig Gooldaegee Korean BBQ in Ellicott City, and Rob Kaspar wrote the line that I wish I had thought of: "It reminded me of fondue without the oil."

Kaspar liked the pork bellies and also tried an octopus mix and a LA Beef Rib lunch special.  The octopus was chewy, but he really liked the ribs and the cold buckwheat noodle soup as well.  Kaspar's review is bound to send more people Honey Pig's way.

Thanks to Sarah for the tip.  Click here for all my Honey Pig posts.

Link: Sidamo In The Washington Post

Sidamo in Fulton got a rave from the Washington Post's Food section yesterday -- talking up the sandwiches that Sidamo serves up at lunchtime, as I heard from the top out-of-town watcher of Howard County food news (my mother who called at 8 am).

The WPost story talks up the chicken salad sandwich and two vegetarian options -- the vegan based on hummus, garlic and lemon and the veggie with pesto, Swiss cheese and lentils.  On top of the food, I'm a fan of the blended chai lattes and a regular buyer of the Yhrgacheffe and Sidamo whole beans.

Sidamo is in Maple Lawn just off Rte 216.  Check out last year's guest post by RDAdoc.  Thanks also to Amber F for her email.

Caspian Market in Ellicott City

With all the new Middle Eastern markets, it was time to go back and look at one of Howard County's originals -- the Caspian Market in Ellicott City.

The term "Middle Eastern" works, but it doesn't truly cover any of these markets because they carry goods that run from Greece through India.  Caspian -- on Rte 40 in the same building as Tutti Frutti -- carries all of the basics like spices, bulgar, bread, and cheeses.  There are Iranian fruit rolls, Turkish soujouk, and Sadef kabob spices -- all worth checking out and all opening you up to making healthy, delicious dishes from Greek to Iranian.

Caspian stands out because it also sells produce and fresh halal meat, really packing the products into two small rooms.  Caezar International in Elkridge sets the local standard in terms of size and experience, but I didn't see much missing when I walked through Caspian.  My regular purchases are yogurt, grains, sweets, and sometimes the breads.  Most importantly, Caspian sells the pistachio nougat that remains one of my favorite finds in my HowChow trolling.

In addition, Caspian had two unique items that will draw me back -- saffron ice cream and two amazing bulk nut mixes.  The nuts are in the center of the store near the cash register.  I bought a scoop, and I wish I had bought five times as much.  Fresh nuts and dried fruit, and not the almonds and raisins that you get in most packages.  This was walnuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios and macadamia.  Cheap walnuts taste horrible.  Every nut in Caspian's mix was delicious, and they came tarted up with sweet unusual fruits, including tiny figs.  An absolute revelation.

Go check out Caspian if you are anywhere near Rte 40.  If nothing else, get some bulgar, some yogurt, some spices -- and the holy trifecta of nougat, ice cream and nut mixes.  But there are many interesting finds for people who want to explore beyond the regular supermarket.  Try the lentils, the bulgar, the vegetables and then get a few quick ideas from Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything Vegetarian.  Or just ask Caspian's owners.  They seemed really nice, definitely the type who would answer questions and know what they're talking about.

The new Middle Eastern markets include Columbia Halal Meat Market in Elkridge and both Nazar Market and Pars Market in Columbia.  In addition, Caezar International Market in Elkridge expanded last year when it moved from its former home in Columbia.


If you're a gardener, you should also check out the seeds that Caspian is selling at the end of one of the aisles on the right.  They're Avand brand seeds from Iran -- basil violet, sweet fennel, rocket, cucumbers, sunflowers.  I bet they're interestingly different if you like to experiment in the garden.  I bought seed for my few square feet months ago, but I'd love to hear if anyone tries these out.

Trolling: Victoria's Lobster Grilled Cheese, Fried Chicken And Sides, And The Crab Cake Sushi Roll

Regular commentator Sarah joins the "trolling" series with a list of guilty pleasures.  She is a recent transplant to Columbia and Howard County, but native to Maryland.  Her fiance works in Greenbelt.  She works in Baltimore.  Her guilty pleasures are written short and sweet -- although they tend towards fried and cheesy in real life:

The lobster grilled cheese at Victoria Gastropub in Columbia.  Get it with the duck-fat fries.  Your arteries will curse you, but, man, this is a lovely sandwich.  Fries are vegetables, right?

A four-piece chicken dinner with mac & cheese and candied yams at Chick N' Friends in Columbia.  You don't need all that food.  But it is SO good.  Go ahead and finish off with the sweet potato pie.  You had a rough day.

The crab cake sushi roll at Niko Japanese Restaurant in Ellicott City.  You heard that right.  Yes, it's deep fried.  No, it's no authentic.  Make sure you go during the lunch buffet.

Trolling on Tuesday is my attempt at a series where readers would share three things with other HowChow readers -- favorite restaurant dishes, food to buy, food experiences, etc.  Click here for the explanation and the rules.  Click here for all the Trolling posts.  Anyone is allowed to submit.  

Jackfruit at Grand Mart

For a treat from the tropics, go check out the Asian grocery stores for fresh jackfruit.

Super Grand in Laurel had jackfruit this weekend.  It's a tropical fruit with a flavor reminiscent of bananas and mangoes.  I have never seen fresh ones here before, although it might just be a short season that I overlooked.

Not that jackfruit looks like any common fruit.  On the outside, the watermelon-sized fruits have green, armored shells.  But a knife cuts right through and exposes sweet, bright yellow flesh.  Imagine dates swollen by steroids, then pressed together like pomegranate seeds.  Super Grand was selling jackfruit for about $1.29 a pound.  You could buy whole fruit, or you could buy pieces chunked out in three- or four-pound sections.

You carve up jackfruit with technique similar to a pineapple -- cutting out the hard center section and the tough outer skin.  That leaves you with the bright yellow flesh.  Each section has a huge seed inside, and the sections are separated by a white, stringy pitch.  It's perfectly easy to pull that away and be left with sweet pieces that are slightly sticky, but dry like a date.  It's a tropical flavor, sweet but not as sugary as many fruit.  The flesh is meaty, but the flavor is more in the family of bananas, maybe with a touch of mangoes, and a touch of musk, and maybe  . . .  Definitely worth checking out.

If Super Grand has jackfruit, then I assume that Lotte in Ellicott City and H Mart in Catonsville will have them as well.  (A comment below says H Mart has stocked jackfruit for a while.)  They might even be at the Indian markets listed in my ethnic groceries post.


If you're going to Super Grand, watch out for the small watermelon.  I bought one Saturday, and it foamed and leaked water all over our counter on Sunday.  Bacterial fruit blotch!  Not serious, but my read of the Web says entire fields were likely to be infected.

Highlight: In Defense Of No Carryout

If you're looking around HowChow, check out the great exchange between Brooke and the Pizzablogger about the "no-carryout" policy at Facci Ristorante.  A pizza place with no carryout?  It does seem strange, but the Pizzablogger talks up the special issues of making Facci's speciality pizzas -- and the nutty passion of chefs who would only want their pizza eaten fresh from the oven.

I'd love a takeout Facci pizza, but I respect the Pizzablogger's position.  He writes a fun, passionate blog himself, and I have learned from him about the real artistry that a few people -- including Facci -- are trying to put in their pies.  Check out the comments here.  If you want to add thoughts, please add them there.  And thanks to everyone who leaves substantive, friendly comments.