Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Thank You For Reading HowChow

More things we like at Wegmans
Thank you so much for reading HowChow.

This is an accidental -- and geeky -- hobby, and we often laugh about snapping photos in restaurants and writing about crazy fruit.  You wonder sometimes if anyone reads the posts.

But Monday, we were in the new Columbia Wegmans.  It was my wife's first visit, and our first stop was the bakery.  We were standing by the pretzel rolls, and two women walked next to us. One pointed out the rolls to her friend.  We were about to take two, and Mrs. HowChow said to the women that the rolls were good.

"I read about the pretzel rolls on HowChow," one woman said.  We hesitated.  We'd overheard people discuss the blog before.  But no one had quoted us to us before.  We didn't know what to do.  Then, the woman turned right to my wife.

"Mrs. HowChow really likes them," she said.  We froze.  Mrs. HowChow really froze.  I started to laugh, and I had to turn and walk a bit.  Everyone smiled, and the other women walked on.

We wish that we had outed ourselves.  We should have said, "We're the HowChows."  It would have been hilarious for everyone.  But that was a novel moment, and it's not like we hold ourselves out as food experts in our off-screen lives.  And then the moment was gone, and we were chuckling our way through the deli section.

Thank you for reading HowChow.  We don't take this very seriously, but we appreciate that the blog does something real.  We love reading comments that people discovered something delicious here -- great bread, gas station tacos, Korean barbecue . . .  So go grab those pretzel rolls.

29 comments:

  1. I know you didn't share this to fish for compliments, it's not your style. But I do want to let you know that your impact is very real. We have learned of more wonderful restaurants, food items, sources, and local treasures from your blog, that I am certain we would have never stumbled upon, nor sought out. So, thank YOU for authoring HowChow!

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  2. You are indeed very appreciated. I've only recently found your blog, but am so happy you're out there.

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  3. That is an awesome story! You and your blog are much appreciated.

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  4. I've run into Minxeats readers before, and it's extremely gratifying. Most of the time, I think I'm the only one who reads my blog. :)

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  5. My husband and I are relative newcomers to Howard County and your blog really helped us find some of the hidden gems in the area and some of our now-favorite places :)

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  6. Maybe those that ran into you at Wegmans will read this entry and then realize to whom they were talking.

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  7. I laughed out loud when I read this post! How funny to be quoted right to your face! I love your blog and turn to it whenever I need info about where to find the best of something in HoCo! Keep up the great work!

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  8. Recent Transplant from NOVAJune 27, 2012 at 10:22 AM

    There are very real benefits of reading a thoughtful blog. Thanks for taking the time to make it so -

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  9. It's a testament to the quality of your posts and I'm surprised it's never happened since it's so regionally focused. Keep it up! :)

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  10. I just wanted to echo UhOhBadDog's sentiments. You have a real impact around here, and as a transplant to HoCo, you've shaped my food experiences during my time in MD. Thanks!!

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  11. Awesome!

    Reminds me a little of an old Miss Manners story. http://www.jokebuddha.com/joke/Mind_your_Manners

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  12. lol - that's awesome. And thanks for the heads up on the pretzel rolls - they're pretty fabulous!

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  13. Thank you for your comments re: the pretzel rolls. I was only able to grab one at Wegman's and I liked it. I should mention that pretzel rolls had never registered on my food radar before, but as a result, I was able to jump on a bag of pretzel rolls from Costco which my family has enjoyed quite a bit. Thank you!

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  14. When we moved to Columbia, I was coming from Washington DC and I was desperate to find good restaurants. Thanks to you we were able to find several of our now go-to restaurants.

    I don't check as much anymore(maybe once or twice a week) but I still find lots of good info here.

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  15. Mr. HowChow,

    You and Mrs. HowChow really need to come out the closet. :-)

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  16. LOL. That is EXACTLY what I did last week. ...well except the part of running into the HowChows. I was actually looking for those pretzel rolls. =)

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  17. If you posted a photo - it would help us recognize you! I love your posts and really appreciate the ethnic food stuff!

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  18. Jumping in to also say a big thank you! I don't stay as active in the HoCo blogging community as I'd like to, but I'd never miss a HowChow post. It's also great to have a go-to place to share the great finds.

    I managed to walk out of Wegman's without pretzel rolls last week. What was I thinking?!

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  19. Thank you for your blog - you've turned me onto a lot of great restaurants or food places that I would've never known about had it not been for you!

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  20. Thank you for your blog! It has brought my family many great meals.

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  21. Thank you for your blog! It has brought my family many great meals.

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  22. I quoted you to my daughter the other night when I met her for dinner. Just as I was thinking to myself that she has no idea what I'm talking about, she said, "Yeah, I read that too."

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  23. We appreciate your blog too and have enjoyed discovering new eateries & food items!

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  24. I've also learned of many new places to eat by reading your blog. Thanks so much!!

    Note to self: stop at Wegman's on the way home and get some of those pretzel rolls.

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  25. Hmmm... There might be a new popcorn flavor in this... "Pretzel Roll Crunch"...

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  26. I'll be a taste tester for that one!

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  27. I made my first trip to OUR Wegmans yesterday (no more drives to Hunt Valley!). I would not have tried the pretzel roll had I not read about it here. I put a grilled burger on it, along with grilled corn on the cob and grilled fingerling potatoes (all from Wegmans). Best. Burger. Ever. So thanks for the tip!

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  28. You are the go to blog for all HoCo food for us. We've been trying places based on what you say is good or not. You may not even realize what an impact you have on dinning in the area but for us, if you don't like it we don't bother with it! Thanks so much for filling a much needed void!

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  29. I concur! I've lived in Howard County for over 20 years and "discovered" your blog only 6 months ago. I've tried several new places and have recommended others based on your postings. Thanks so much!

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I love comments -- especially comments that specifically recommend dishes or items to buy. Tell people what you like and why. If you can, please don't leave it as "anonymous." Just choose "name/URL" below, type in a nickname and leave the URL part blank. I like following people's comments even if I don't know your name.