Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Advice For Pizzas, Thai, Fried Chicken And More; Plus Sonic May Really Be Coming To Rte 40

Fried chicken from Harvest Fried Chicken in Woodbine
Wendy and Min have set the menu for our next visit to Yetnal House.  After I wrote Monday about the casual Korean restaurant in Ellicott City, they recommended the spicy chicken "dak galbi" to share with two or three people.  Sounds terrific.

While we are up on Rte 40, can anyone confirm that the Sonic is under construction?  I had written about the long-planned burger joint in April, and Anonymous left a comment Wednesday say that he/she had seen the architectural drawings.  The prediction was Sonic would open in 2014.

Some old posts still pick up new advice.  Kevlar51 finally tried Harvest Fried Chicken in Woodbine, and he (and his wife) loved the food even though he isn't normally a fan of fried chicken:
That opinion changed after eating this chicken. Delicious and crispy batter, together with impossibly moist chicken is the winning combination that Harvest has evidently perfected. My wife was devouring the skin she'd have otherwise cast aside and I was loving the white meat just as much as the dark (I usually avoid the breasts).
Similarly, I emailed with Eric about the closing of the Columbia Mama Luccia's.  He is a Philly guy, which I consider one of the gold standards for great pizza and sandwiches.  So I asked what he sees as alternatives to the pizza nights that his family used to eat at Mama Luccia's.
If we want to eat at home, we will order from Philly's Best in Elkridge.  Might I recommend their white pizza (no white sauce -- tasty but too greasy) with grilled chicken and brined sweet peppers (like you would get on a hoagie)?  Actually their cheesesteaks are pretty good too. 
If we want to go out, it'll be Trattoria Amore in Dorsey Search Village Center. We went there the first night we moved down here and it was a blessing to find a good Italian place quickly.  Now if we really want to treat, it's Facci or a trip into Baltimore and go to Chazz. I haven't tried Coal Fire on 108 yet mainly because I hear the crust is too thin, but I should give it a try. 
Might I also recommend 2 Amy's Wood Fire Pizza in Cathedral Heights in DC. MANY people have recommended that to me but there is one problem with their location -- its right next to Cactus Cantina, an awesome Tex-Mex place.
That puts Philly's Best on my "to do" list.  I'm a fan of many voices.  If you want some food-related fun, check out the comic music video that MoCo neighbor Russell helped create for Jackie Silvestri and "Spicify My Love."  If you want to play with local Twitter feeds, check out the "Tint Up" page that Jessie X created to collect posts tagged with #HoCoFood.  Or stay on HowChow for more of those comments.  There are great tips to pick up on lots of recent posts.

18 comments:

kevlar51 said...

Philly's Best is on my top 3 best pizza list, along side Ledo and Coal Fire--and each fulfill a different purpose/taste.

Seriously though, Philly's Best is an amazing value--especially for the carryout specials. But price aside, their pizza really is wonderful--chewy, flavorful crust; delicious sauce; and quality toppings. I hate that I have to applaud their use of fresh mushrooms, but too many spots use the canned variety.

----

And as for Sonic, for a solid decade I was wooed by the mouth watering commercials for this mystical place that wasn't even in my state. Then I finally got to try it when they opened up in Edgewater. Perhaps it was the build up--but what a disappointment. I gave it too more shots with equal results. I'm not sure I've ever seen a burger patty quite that thin (or crispy).

Leeann said...

Haven't eaten much at Sonic (once or twice, maybe?) but have been following their Ellicott City Sonic page on FB out of curiosity.

There are indeed plans for them to come here; I believe they were held up with permits or something.

Anonymous said...

What's the difference between Sonic and Checkers?

BK said...

Truthfully, the Sonic thing is less about their burgers and more about their yummy treats - great, real-fruit slushes, milk shakes, etc. I know we have some great local ice cream and custard stands, but I have never encountered a better slush in all my travels.

Zevonista said...

All the love for Philly's Best - has it improved recently? Used to get their pies regularly, but a couple of years ago, they changed for the worse. Don't know if it was a change of owners, or if something changed when they moved down the street.

Haven't been back to them in a while; I now like Pizani. But if Philly's Best has stepped up their game recently, maybe I'll give them another try.

Adam said...

Sonic's burgers are subpar to even fat food places; I wouldn't take them over any of the "Big 3 Chains." The appeal is more for the experience, plus the tater tots. I drive by that lot everyday and never see any change, so I'm not holding my breath.

Anonymous said...

Earlier in the year, I saw that food truck once on Phelps Luck near the garden center. I could not stop that day. Please find out more!

Brian in EC said...

I ate at the Gourmet Grilling truck over the summer. It was very good! Not a flashy operation - just a plane white truck with a handwritten menu on whiteboard (will email HowChow some pics). I had a pit beef sandwich served with the "Bumpin Beans & Rice w/smoked sausage"...it was all delicious and portion size was decent given the reasonable prices. I will definitely be going back to try some of the other menu items.

EastCoastMatt said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
EastCoastMatt said...

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with Eric on the taste of pizza. Perhaps it's my NY roots, but I'm not a fan of Philly's best (It'll do in a pinch, or if I'm really watching my wallet) but their pizza is generally too greasy. Same with Chazz...it's just not too good - the crust is overwhelming.
I'll take Coal fire any day BECAUSE their crust is thinner - there's just a better balance between crust, cheese, and sauce.

Again, it's probably my NY roots that longs for the thinner crust of the classic NY slices, vs other parts of the country (though I do love a good sicilian slice, but I have to be in a different mood for those)

Jim S. said...

I agree with several on here about Philly's best. I am not impressed with it. It is on my list for when we need a lot of pizzas for kid's birthday parties or something like that. Otherwise I go to Coal Fire or Ledo's depending on the mood I am in.
Pizza is definitely one of those preference meals. Some people love NY style, some people hate it. Some people love Chicago style, some hate it.
If you get a cheese pizza and it is so greasy that it goes through the box, you know they are using poor ingredients.

Eric said...

@EastCoastMatt I have seen the quality of Philly's Best slip a bit. On your recommendation, I will have to try Coal Fire. Overall, if we a want a good, cheap pizza, Trattoria Amore is a great spot.

J said...

I'm also partial to NY Style pizza, having lived there 10 yrs. The closest I've found to it is Trattoria in Dorsey Hall (I imagine the one in Kings Contrivance is similar, since they are related).

And, having grown up in Columbia, I'm always partial to Vennari's in Oakland Mills. It's just unique.

Anonymous said...

I was excited for the grilling food truck on Phelps Luck. The little girl that took my order was very nice, but her father had a bad attitude towards her, even though she was doing a great job.

He asked if I want sauce, I asked what kind of sauce, his response, "Just Kraft"

But, I'm there to get some good grilled meat. Get home and my ribs and wings were barely more tasty than I could have thrown on the grill. I really wanted it to be good, but I wasn't impressed. Maybe I just got them on an off day. I hope to read better reviews from others, so I can give them another try

Stephanie said...

The Gourmet Grilling truck is generally right at the entrance to Grandfather's Nursery (at least, it's been there nearly every time I've gone by there for months. My husband got a pit beef sandwich and baked beans from them a couple weeks ago. It was decent, but nothing that special.

Anonymous said...

I was excited for the grilling food truck on Phelps Luck. The little girl that took my order was very nice, but her father had a bad attitude towards her, even though she was doing a great job.

Anonymous said...

ate at the Gourmet Grilling truck over the summer. It was very good! Not a flashy operation - just a plane white truck with a handwritten menu on whiteboard (will email HowChow some pics). I had a pit beef sandwich served with the "Bumpin Beans & Rice w/smoked sausage"...it was all delicious and portion size was decent given the reasonable prices. I will definitely be going back to try some of the other menu items.

Anonymous said...

The Gourmet Grilling truck is generally right at the entrance to Grandfather's Nursery (at least, it's been there nearly every time I've gone by there for months. My husband got a pit beef sandwich and baked beans from them a couple weeks ago. It was decent, but nothing that special.