Soft Stuff Lost The Creepy Motel, But Made A Friendly Corner On Rte 40 For Ice Cream

Soft Stuff ice cream with rainbow sprinkles

I didn't believe that Soft Stuff could recreate the magic on Rte 40, but now I've taken a kid to lick ice cream on a summer night -- and I can see they pulled it off.

Soft Stuff is now a cash-only ice cream takeout in a shopping center on Rte 40 across from the Enchanted Forest shopping center.  Years ago, it was a classic haunt -- a wooden ice cream stand attached to a rundown motel in sight of Rte 40 in Ellicott City.  In 2012, the old site was demolished to make way for the new construction.

Back then, I didn't think the new place would capture the magic.  Soft Stuff had a specific vibe.  Teenagers behind the counter.  Customers basically loitering in a parking lot on hot summer nights.  I loved it then, and I felt the same this summer as Lil' Chow negotiated his way into a waffle cone plus sprinkles, then licked, licked, licked ice cream overlooking the parking lots.

River House Pizza Co. going down the row

The folks who redeveloped the old motel hit some real home runs for food.  They have a Korean restaurant in there, a Korean coffee shop, another Asian restaurant, a kabob place, Glory Days and more.  On my last visit, I surprised to see signs for River House Pizza Co.  That's Nathan Sowers' mobile pizza operation that has run off Main Street for years, and they're expanding to run a restaurant and headquarter his catering business, according to Joshua Gordon in the Baltimore Business Journal.

Definitely hit up Soft Stuff.  It's worth a visit on its own.  You order at the counter, then enjoy one of the few inside seats or the row of outdoor benches.    It's pretty basic soft serve.  But that's perfect for a warm summer night, doubly perfect if you get to watch a kid try to eat the entire cone before everything melts. 

And keep Soft Stuff in mind when I write more about all the great restaurants in the neighborhood.  The Enchanted Forest is headlined by White Oak Tavern.  The Soft Stuff development has its own restaurants.  And across the parking lots is a renovated shopping center with established Honey Pig and a new run of Thai, hot pot and tea.  In many ways, Rte 40 is winning the restaurant competition around here, and I'll post more soon.

Hit Up Larriland Farm And The New Town Grill -- BBQ And Smoked Meats Come To Ellicott City

Sliced smoked lamb with chips and coleslaw at the new Town Grill in Ellicott City

Some things keep getting better -- and one of those is a trip to pick-your-own fruit and then to feast on barbecue and smoked meats.

Larriland Farm in Woodbine is one of my favorite places in Howard County.  I've been going for more than a decade, and it truly gets better each time.  They've got delicious fruit -- and vegetables and flowers.  Plus credit card machines in the fields.  What else do you want?

Lil' Chow and I drove out I-70 Saturday, and we hit the blueberry fields at the end of the opening rush.  Honestly, we only hit about 10 bushes.  The plants were covered in ripe blueberries.  We worked mostly standing still, and we got three pounds of berries by just reaching out.

I was pleased to see that Lil' Chow could mostly identify the ripe fruit.  Our cardboard box had a few purple berries, but this seemed like an idea field for kids because even a four-year-old could reach the bushes, see the ripe blue ones, and avoid crushing them like we did with strawberries a few year ago.

Uma Uma Soft Open Brings Ramen To Rte 40 -- And Maybe The Best Little Bite I've Eaten All Year

Tomato tonkatsu ramen

Uma Uma has brought the ramen shop to Ellicott City, and you should check out noodle soups and more at the friendly, casual restaurant.

Ramen -- like barbecue -- can lead to food blog warfare among experts about styles and execution.  So I'll leave that to other people and report just my observations.

First, the soup tastes delicious.  Lil' Chow and I lunched twice in four days.  We split three varieties because my toddler spilled much of a miso ramen until he realized that the stylish bowl tipped more-easily than the plastic ones at home.  Each variety was delicious.  All different.  My opening favorite is tonkatsu -- a pork broth served with the ramen, bok choy, slices of pork, and a just-boiled egg.

Uma Uma's pork bun

Second, the pork bun may be the best little bite that I've eaten all year.  It's one of Uma Uma's appetizers.  Steamed bun filled with a thick slice of tender, braised pork and house-pickled onion.  Rich and sharp, warm and chewy.  Each bun is a perfect two or three bites.  Get your own two-bun appetizer.  Don't share.  They're that good.

Uma Uma just soft opened on December 23.  They're getting organized, and they're starting at a run because the tables are already packed at the busy hours.  Yelp folks are already uncharitable about wait times and hiccups.  Don't be that way.  Go check out Uma Uma for something new and delicious that you can reach in 15 minutes.

For the uninitiated, ramen is noodle soup.  Again, the experts will crucify me for simplification.  Ramen lives in many, many forms.  Folks suggest ramen as a way to explore Tokyo.  They write about the best in the world.  But go check that last link.  The "best in the world" meant Japan, California and Manhattan.  On our local menus, ramen appears at places like Matcha Time and White Oak Tavern.  This is the first specialty shop, trying to make a go with ramen, grilled chicken, buns and a few other dishes.

Miso ramen

To me, ramen's real draw is slurping the broth.  Each spoonful -- and even the chopsticks bringing up dripping noodles -- offers the rich, cloudy broth.  The broths differ.  Miso, spicy miso, pork, etc.  But they're the backdrop for each bowl, and you can alternate mouthfuls of pork or vegetables.  I love bok choy.  A little crunch and mild peppery flavor paired beautifully with the almost-creamy tonkatsu stock.

Give Uma Uma a while to come into its own.  They've been open a week.  Chefs will adjust their recipes.  Waiters will pick up the ordering system and the kitchen flow.  I respect the comments on my White Oak Tavern post that suggest that the ramen there can differ day-to-day.  So go slurp up Uma Uma's good start and see how it goes from here.

Now, Uma Uma has some nice desserts.  The owner charmed Lil Chow with a green-tea mochi filled with ice cream.  But know that you can walk around the corner of Uma Uma's parking lot to a terrific bakery and coffee shop -- Tous Le Jours, a French bakery by way of Seoul with pastries, cakes, macarons, coffee and more.  It's a great place to hang out after dinner.  Please ignore the toddler who turns to a table of talkative young adults and shouts "Quiet! Be quiet!"  I have idea who that kid could be.

Use winter to explore an entire season of noodles and soups.  Like ramen, you can get them together in the hand-cut noodle soups at Hang Ari in Catonsville.  Or go noodles and fried chicken at Tian Chinese Cuisine in Ellicott City or Da Rae Won in Beltsville.   Or go exotic noodles with the fish noodle entree at Grace Garden in Odenton.  My one bummer is a vegetarian friend with Japanese wife.  There are no vegetarian ramen at Uma Uma.  What do people recommend as the best vegetarian soup around here?

Uma Uma
9380 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042
410-461-8282

NEAR:  Uma Uma is on the north side of Rte 40 to the west of Rte 29.  It's between Boston Chicken and Lighthouse Tofu -- another great option for warm soup if you want soondooboo tofu stew.  There are a few parking spaces in front of Uma Uma, but your better bet is the lot along the side of the shopping center.  You turn off Rte 40 just before Boston Chicken, then park in the spaces in front of you or to your right.  It's good -- you're midway between dinner at Lighthouse or Uma Uma and dessert at Tous Le Jours.

Surprise: My Favorite Ramen Slurps At A Farm-To-Table Restaurant (For Now)

Ramen at White Oak Tavern

I stumbled on my favorite local ramen at a "guys night out" at White Oak Tavern.

White Oak is a casual bar and grill trying to push seasonal dishes and farm-to-table ideas on Rte 40 in Ellicott City.  It's working a middle ground with aspirations for high-end meals, but a casual feel a little less expensive that a meal in DC or Baltimore.

Coming soon to Rte 40

It hit a home run with everything on my night out.  A brussels sprout appetizer that looks so good that we each ordered had one as an appetizer.  Then a main event of rich, dark broth cooked with chewy noodles, bok choy, and a just-cooked egg.

This is part of a "Surprise" series that I'm writing as I try to start blogging again.  Come back for more in the next few days.

A real restaurant reviewer would focus on the delicious broth.  A ramen expert could explain why that savory liquid paired so well with the tender noodles.  But I'm going to tell you about the pork belly.

It was the best pieces of pork belly that I've ever had in my life.

Slightly crisp,  Rich pork flavor.  No fattiness.  It was firm like a piece of meat, and it reminded me why pork belly has been a craze.  With a really good beer and the brussels sprout appetizer, it was as good a meal as I remember eating this year.  Now, it was a pricey bowl.  I don't remember exactly, but it was an out-to-eat dinner price like $15-25.  Absolutely worth the price, but entirely fair to compare it with the equally-fun ramen at Matcha Time in Ellicott City.

Ramen at Matcha Time

But it will be a blast to start comparing White Oak to Matcha Time to Uma Uma.  Uma Uma is the ramen and yakitori restaurant that has been planning and constructing since Spring 2014.  They're close now.  (Update:  I just heard that they plan to open on December 23, 2015!)  They had chairs there when Lil' Chow and I walked past 10 days ago.

Uma Uma sounds like a place that Lil' Chow will love -- soup, noodles, rice and chicken.  They're between Lighthouse Tofu and Boston Chicken on the north side of Rte 40.  When you check them out, walk around the corner for dessert at Tous Les Jours.  That French bakery by way of Seoul has great pastries, coffees, drinks and a great atmosphere to hang out.

But back to the White Oak dinner, my friend and I had a really good night.  It's a basic decor, more like Frisco Tap House than Aida Bistro.  But they're pushing for really interesting food, and the place impresses me.  I'd love to hear if other people can comment below with recommended dishes or reports about dinners at White Oak.

Folks have been emailing me about the Uma Uma sign.  I appreciate them all.  I'd love to hear from folks if they see it is open or (even better) if they get to try the food.

Surprise: My Favorite Pizza May Be Outdoors, And It's Leaving This Weekend (Until Spring)

River House Pizza Company "namaste" toppings with a kid-friendly section

I'm trying to restart my blogging with a bunch of surprises that I've had while HowChow was quiet.

Like -- my favorite pizza may be served outside.

It's the River House Pizza Company that runs an mobile wood-fired oven off Main Street in Ellicott City.  This is part of the Tonge Row shops anchored by the Little French Market.  Lil' Chow and I split a pie last weekend, and I'm blogging this morning because this is the last weekend until spring for you to run over and enjoy a pizza yourself.

This is part of a "Surprise" series that I'm writing as I try to start blogging again.  Come back for more over the next few days.

River House sells crisp pizzas with a perfect char and a variety of high-end toppings.  You order at a window and then pick up the pizza from the chefs working under an awning next to the movile oven.  Last Sunday, Lil' Chow and I walked partway up the Trolley Trail towards the Breadery, then circled back to walk up Main Street.

Discovery #1:  Lil' Chow doesn't want to window shop.  He was polite.  But he was on my shoulders, and I'd hear a firm "No" whenever I paused to look in the window a store.

Discovery #2:  He likes pizza better without sauce.

Lil' Chow loves to cook pizza with me.  He has never eaten a huge amount, and I realized a few weeks ago that he preferred the crusts to the even the "plain" slice with sauce and cheese.  So, when we wandered to River House off the parking lot behind Tersiguel's, I asked to fill three-quarters of our pie with their "namaste" toppings and one-quarter with just cheese.

This is really exceptional.  It's better than the pizza that I make at home.  That wood oven chars the crust and browns the mozzarella.  They dot the surface with toppings -- dashes of chunky marinara sauce, onion, baby portabellos, and roasted red pepper.  We had the added pleasures of a warm December day and a toddler who ate with enthusiasm and good cheer.  But that pizza stands up on its own.

Unfortunately, they're closing up shop after this weekend for a cold-weather break.  Probably back in March.  Go for lunch now!

Now, I'm a sucker for the wood-fired ovens.  So my other top pizzas run from Facci on Johns Hopkins Road to the other mobile pizza oven at Brick'n Fire that often parks in Oella.   Lil's Chow and I also really enjoyed Bella Luna in Columbia.  With these ovens, pizzas differ.  It takes a skilled chef, and the pizzas at each place vary depending on who is running the oven.  Check out all my posts about pizza.

Anyone have other recommendations for pizza?  Anyone know the status of new restaurants on Main Street.  There had been talk about Joe's Squared coming to Ellicott City, but I guess that hasn't actually happened.

Blue Sand Seafood & Grill Brings A Seafood Riff To Korean Food On Rte 40: Raw, Grilled, Soup

Seafood dolset

As I'm getting better at understanding Korean food, I feel like the Korean food is getting better in Ellicott City.

The newest find:  Blue Sand Seafood and Grill, which opened in the back of the Bethany 40 shopping center and served a delicious dinner -- fresh, flavorful seafood that tasted authentic, but would also welcome folks looking to try Korean food.

Now, it's just one meal.  But I'm incredibly optimistic.  We had a kid-friendly noodle soup, grilled fish and a seafood rice bowl.  Everyone left happy, even though we hadn't touched the flashy stuff at the heart of the menu.

I say flashy stuff because the restaurant and the menu put the sushi bar and the enormous platters front and center.  We watched hand rolls go past us.  We saw enormous platters -- primarily of sashimi on the night that we visited, but ranging from broiled fish to shellfish to thin-sliced beef on the menu.

Grilled mackerel

We started simple.  Grilled mackerel, seaweed noodle soup, and a dolset seafood.  The dolset is a hot stone bowl filled with rice, vegetables, squid and a shrimp.  This is an ocean version of the dolset bi bim bap that I recommend in my Korean 101 post.

This was really good food.  Mackerel comes split and grilled.  The meat is firm and meaty.  The flavor a step stronger than salmon, but that keeps the meat moist even cooked through.  We pulled the backbone and the fish came off in chunks even with chop sticks.

We alternated with the seafood dolset.  I'm a huge fan of squid, and this was cooked perfectly, firm but not chewy.  Some greens, scallions and other vegetables made the bowl filling but light.  I added some of the spicy sauce served with the dolset, maybe a tablespoon too much for Mrs. HowChow.

In contrast, Blue Sand's seaweed soup was mild.  It was perfect for Lil' Chow, who loves soup, noodles and seaweed.  I'd recommend it, although I may stick him with miso next time and try the spicy seafood noodle soup myself.

I'd actually love advice on other things to order.  I have posted many times about Korean food, but I'm an amateur.  Can anyone leave a comment with suggestions for Blue Sand or for Korean seafood in general?  A group could have a ball ordering those platters or maybe filling a table with grilled fish, soup, a dolset and some sushi.  I also see that Blue Sands could be a spot for people with adventurous tastes like sea squirt and live sashimi.

But I'd recommend our three dishes even for someone just learning about Korean food.  Or consider swapping out the soup for a sushi order or hwae dup bap -- a rice and sashimi mixture that I posted about last year.  That's all accessible and obvious.  Plus, you'll get a good introduction, especially because the small dishes served with the meal -- called panchan -- were really good.  The cabbage kimchi had a crunchy and a warm, but not sour flavor.  The stuffed cucumber kimchi was crisp and refreshing, a terrific taste after some grilled mackerel.

"Push button" -- Lil' Chow

If you work near Rte 40, Blue Sand offers several lunch specials for $11-14, including bento boxes headlined by sashimi, sushi, kalbi and salmon.  Blue Sand replaced the Kimco Seafood restaurant, which I don't remember having as an interesting or as tasty a menu.

If you go to Blue Sands, look for the numbered button near your table.  Many are on the walls at Blue Sands, but they can be on the table at other restaurants.  When you want something, push the button.  Often, the staff in a Korean restaurant doesn't check back with a table.  They wait for a ring, then come to assist.

Don't seat your children next to the button.  Lil' Chow spent a significant part of our meal alternating between singing "ding dong, ding dong" and asking me to push the button.  I was just glad it was out of his reach.

While I've Been: The Bike And Breadery Make For A Perfect Excursion With Friends, Dog Or Toddler

Challah from The Breadery in Oella

The trolley trail from Ellicott City remains one of the great local adventures -- and the Breadery at the top of the hill in Oella remains its great payoff.

Lil' Chow and I spent three days together this month while his daycare shut down to organize for the new year.  One morning, we clipped on the new toddler bike seat and rode from Main Street up into the green shade of the Trolley Line #9 trail.

Down the shady Trolley Line #9 trail

I'd strolled the trail before.  I'd extolled it as a gorgeous excursion -- especially to beat the summer heat.  But this is the first time that I'd huffed and pedaled up the steep hill.

This is part of my "While I've Been Out" series to restart the blog.  Late last year, the blog got some serious competition.  I'm still working out how to keep writing while I'm doing so many other new things as well.  Thanks to everyone who has kept reading, emailing and commenting. 

Up is doable.  We went slow, and, when getting on the bike, I looked for fallen stumps that could help my short legs get up and around the toddler seat to the pedal.

Down is a joy.  Gravity swept us along past dog-walkers, green trees, and a squirrel that we compromised and called a "bunny."  I held the brakes to extend the free trip down, enjoyed an extended stop to climb down and explore the stream that runs along the path, then loved the dramatic final gorge with the metal bridge spanned above.

Lil' Chow loved the snacks.  Near the top of the trail is the Breadery, a bakery, wine and gourmet store whose parking lot literally touches the trail.  They have a few tables where you can lounge in the sun.  When we pulled into sight, Lil' Chow could smell the ovens, and he called out "Challah!"  (Thanks Bet Yeladim!)

So we bought challah.  Then he sampled Michelle's granola.  When he wanted seconds, it seemed polite and smart to buy a bag as well.  The Baltimore company has a seasonal granola made with apples.  You could buy a light lunch, a snack, coffee and other drinks.  You could also check out their selections of wine, oils and vinegars.  We ate granola and some packed snacks.  Then I carried the challah and granola down the hill in my backpack.

Challah buns

The Breadery is worth the travel whether you bike or drive.  They make challah buns that I have held out as the best hot dog bun available and are really good for burgers as well.  I recommend any of their crusty breads and the topped flat breads that make an easy lunch or dinner.  They also carry Zeke's coffee and several brands of jams and spreads.

The bike ride is pretty accessible as long as you expect to pedal uphill.  You can park at the bottom of the trail in a parking lot that is sort of behind the Trolley Stop on Oella Avenue.  Note that you have to carry the bike up stairs from that lot.  You can also follow our lead and park in one of the Main Street lots, then pedal down under the railroad bridge.  If you turn left on Westchester Avenue, there is a "no stairs" entrance onto the Trolley Line #9 path.

I heartily recommend the Trolley Line #9 trail for strolling or biking.  It's a long way up, so I'd have a stroller for little kids.  But kids get a huge payoff in puppy sightings, and it's a terrific long peaceful walk for friends, couples, or dog-walkers.  A bonus payoff would be to go on a day when the BrickNFire pizza folks are baking pies in the Breadery's parking lot.  Follow their Twitter feed to see where they're bringing their portable pizza oven.

While I've Been: Tous Le Jours Has Become The Class Of Rte 40, A Great Bakery And Hangout

DOnut and latte at Tous Les Jours

All summer, I have found myself drawn back to Tous Les Jours -- the bakery that opened in a March snowstorm and has become the class of Rte 40 as far as I'm concerned.

Tous Les Jours is a Korean chain offering French pastries.  That is a common theme in Seoul, and it offers spectacular fusion items like red bean donuts when it's done well.  But it's also just a terrific bakery doing breads, cakes, pastries, coffee and drinks -- savory to sweet, grabbing take out to hanging out with friends.

This place does everything well.  It is our "new for 2015" option that quickly became a favorite stop.  We have gone for mid-day breaks and after-dinner desserts.  We enjoyed hot coffee and cold drinks.  We have barely scraped the menu, especially because the pastry selection seems to alternate more than many other Korean bakeries.

This is part of my "While I've Been Out" series to restart the blog.  Late last year, the blog got some serious competition.  I'm still working out how to keep writing while I'm doing so many other new things as well.  Yesterday, I talked up an old friend -- the Victoria burger.  Today's is this new coffee shop.  Tomorrow, I will suggest a great excursion from Main Street to great food.

I can't suggest Tour Le Jours enough if you haven't tried it yet.  Stop for coffee and a pastry.  Stop to buy classy desserts to serve at home.  Hang out for a whole afternoon in a comfy chair with a laptop or friends.  You can have it all -- and you can view this as just another friendly bakery with accessible sweets or as an authentic example of how young people are eating right now in Gangnam.

Start with the red bean donut.  I admit that my personal bias.  I posted about red bean among the first 10 HowChow posts in 2008.  But you won't go wrong.

Then check out whatever interests you.  Tous Le Jours does macarons, breads, croissants, and cakes.  They do coffee and bubble tea.  They do bing soo, the Korean dessert with shaved ice and fruit.  They do a variety of fruit "ades" like lemonade and strawberryade.

Most of the dishes have a classy Korean style, but they're more modern and international than specifically Korean.  I worry there are people turned off by the Rte 40 bakeries like Tous Les Jours or Shilla because they think they'll feel foreign.  Give them a try because the French base will make almost everything feel welcoming.

And the Tous Les Jours store adds to the welcome.  It's clean-lined and outfitted with cafe tables, easy chairs and long tables.  We have mostly sat after dinner with Lil' Jake.  But I've stopped in mid-day.  You can get in and carry out from the counter, but you can stay to work on a laptop, talk to your friends, or just soak in the scene.

The one authentic Seoul experience is how you pick your baked goods at Tous Les Jours.  Look to the left for the sleek wooden trays and metal tongs.  Take tongs and pick your baked goods from the displays.  Then take your tray to the counter to pay.  They'll bag takeout orders or let you sit down with your tray.

While I've Been: Facci Ristorante Surprised Us With Even-Better Pizza And Even-More Pasta

Pizza and pasta at Facci

While I've been out, Facci Ristorante turned itself into an even-better restaurant -- and surprised us into making it one of our go-to dinners.

The Italian restaurant on Johns Hopkins Road has been a popular spot since it opened more than five years ago, but it never welcomed or excited us as much as we expected -- especially since it is one of our closest options.

While I've been slow with the blogging, we have eaten a few times at Facci, and we loved all the dishes.  First, we remembered that wood-fired pizza is so much better right out of the oven.  We've done take-out a few times.  It's good, but Facci's pizza is crunchy magic when it skips right from the fire to your plate.

The wood-fired oven

All of these gourmet pizzas depend on the skill of the specific person who throws your pie.  As I have written about other places, quality can vary.  But Facci's quality has run recentlyfrom really good to absolutely perfect.  They do a pistachio pizza with sliced red onions that came out slightly charred and perfectly topped.  The crust was still hot and crisp that I was pleased when Lil' Chow declined a slice.

This is part of my "While I've Been Out" series to restart the blog.  Late last year, the blog got some serious competition.  I'm still working out how to keep writing while I'm doing so many other new things as well.  Tomorrow, my suggestion for a great local adventure for exercise and delicious food.  (Plus puppies!!!)

Lil's Chow never declines noodles.  So he has been pleased by our second discovery:  That Facci now makes many more pastas in-house.  I assume Facci expanded the pasta-making when they opened a second location in Turf Valley in Ellicott City.  Instead of two or three options, there is an entire menu section -- from simple fettuccine through gnocchi and stuffed ravioli.

Spaghetti with all-the-parmesan-he-can-get

Your first try should be the sacchetti cheese pears.  These are small pockets of pasta filled with pears and gorgonzola cheese.  There's technique in the pasta-making.  There's 're in balancing fruit with blue cheese.  The pasta was sweet, salty and perfectly toothsome.  It makes me confident to explore other parts of the restaurant because I can tell that they're paying attention to the details.

I'd recommend an exploration even if you're one of the people who hasn't visited in a while.  Facci had rough service in the early years.  I remember being turned away so brusquely that we didn't return for a long time.  But the Facci folks were really great on both visit.  On one visit, our waiter worked with the bartender to find a wine that fit exactly what Mrs. HowChow wanted.  On both visits, folks have catered to Lil' Chow with multiple cheese gratings -- each Parmesan shower making him happier to suck up his spaghetti.

Facci has changed impressively over the years.  They expanded onto a patio.  They added a special bar with artisan meats and cheeses.  I'm not at a happy hour stage of my life, but I recommend it for anything from fancy dates to casual happy hours, from 5 pm toddler dinner to late-night drinks.

The second Facci is in the Turf Valley shopping center.  The original is on Johns Hopkins Road in a shopping center full of food, including Kloby's Smokehouse for barbecue, La Palapa Too for Mexican, and Tandoor Grill for Indian.  In the blog's main political statement, I need to emphasize that they aren't in Laurel.  The post office thinks they're in Laurel, but the center sits west of Rte 29 just south of Columbia.  As I've written, I love Laurel.  This just isn't Laurel.  This is Tribeco.

Smashburger Coming To Ellicott City; Rte 40 Getting Some Delicious New Development

It looks like the fancy fast food burger joints are moving into Ellicott City.  Smashburger has posted a "coming soon" page about a new burger joint they'll put in the Arcadia Square development coming to Rte 40.

Smashburger is one of these new chains offering made-to-order burgers and competing with folks like BGR The Burger Joint. They specialize in thin burgers that they smash -- as you'd expect.  I haven't eaten there, but Serious Eats gave them a rave several years ago.  At a minimum, this is more fun along Rte 40.

David Brown Enterprises announced the Smashburger on a Web page about the ground breaking that looks like it went up in April.  That page says they hope to complete the construction by the third quarter of 2015.  But I hadn't heard about the new place.

Hat tip to Shelley!  Thanks.

Pizza And Ice Cream In Downtown Ellicott City; Top Of My To-Do List -- If I Can Work Around Nap

The folks who brought weekend outdoor pizza to downtown Ellicott City have re-opened the nearby ice cream shop to make a dangerous duo -- to your waistline.

River House Pizza is Nathan Sowers' mobile wood-fired oven that turns the courtyard near the Main Street parking lot into an outdoor pizza restaurant.  For several years, they have served one of the highlights of the monthly market.

Now, that monthly market has become the weekly Ellicott City Old Town Market -- every Saturday offering music, farmers stands and more.  Check out their Facebook page for hours and details.

At the same time, Sowers has expanded River House to Friday lunchtime (11:30-2) and all day Saturday and Sunday (11:30-7).   He has also re-opened the ScoopAHHdeedo ice cream shop that operated down the row for a few years, but I think was shuttered for the last one or two.  The scoop shop will be open Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 7 pm.

I've been remiss writing up the expansion.  I keep wanting to go.  We really loved the BrickNFire mobile pizza oven that operates across the river at the Breadery in Oella.  Now you can get pizza and the Taharka Brothers ice cream.

Have people been to the weekly Old Town Market?  What do you recommend?  This is now on my list -- waiting for a Saturday when I can get Lil' Chow down there before or after nap.  For a real report, check out Katie's post updated in 2014 on the Cupcake RN blog.

You can make real fun all weekend in downtown Ellicott City.  On top of the pizza and the Saturday market, one of the highlights is the weekly movies shown outdoors by the Wine Bin.  Check out their schedule on their site to see titles starting on May 22.

Sushi Buffet Has Returned To Rte 40; Bean & Burgundy Is Adding Lots Of Fish To The Menu

Bean & Burgundy Bread has added fish to the menu -- an all-you-can-eat sushi lunch that started last month and runs on special through May.

Check out the Bean & Burgundy Facebook post.  I haven't tried the fish yet, but Chris was nice enough to highlight the buffet to me.

I mourned the loss of Kimko Seafood's lunch buffet when it closed on Rte 40 a while ago.  I have to admit that my sushi eating has tended more towards Sushi Sono than all-you-can-eat.  But there is fun in gorging, and it does make for a talkative, extended lunch if you check it out with friends.

Katie posted Tuesday on the CupcakeRN blog about her visit to Bean & Burgundy.  She reports that the buffet had everything from pasta and Korean food to the 20+ sushi options.  She says the fish to rice ratio was decent, and the sushi was tasty.

May promotion is $13 per person with a free drink.  After May, it will be $13 during the week and $15 on weekends.

What have people found at the Bean & Burgundy sushi buffet?  Any recommendations?  What else have people liked at Bean & Burgundy?  I have been infatuated with the new Tous Les Jours on my few recent trips to Rte 40, so I haven't stopped at Bean & Burgundy recently.

Celebrate Summer! Sonic Milkshakes -- Half Priced After 8 -- Cool You Down For Change

Sonic milkshake

Here comes the relief!!  Warm weather has freed us from the indoors, and you should be thinking about how you will celebrate summer.

How about turning the change in your glove compartment for something delicious?  Adam has come through again with a HowChow guest post.  He hit up the relatively new Sonic on Rte 40, and he gives the full recommendation to their milkshakes, especially if you can hit up the half-priced promotion after 8 pm.  Take it Adam:

Look, I get it. It was only a few weeks ago we were dealing with snow and 20 degree days. Ice cream might be the last thing on your mind right now, and with the spring season ushering in its short-lived but no less attractive bounty of produce, you're looking to eat "farm to table," not "supply truck to chain."

Oh well, more for me, I guess.

In all seriousness though, the best milkshake in Howard County is is one you don't even have to leave your car to enjoy, and probably affordable enough to pay for with the change in your glove compartment. I'm talking, of course, about Sonic's half-priced milkshake promotion after 8 pm.

Don't believe me? Well consider for a second that Sonic isn't serving soft serve, they're serving "real" ice cream. If you're a fan of Alton Brown's classic Good Eats you'll recognize this is code for something with at least 10% milkfat. It's not just something you notice in the taste of Sonic's milkshakes, but in the texture. They give you a straw to drink these from, but it's about as helpful as chopsticks at a steakhouse. No, you'll want a spoon, because the indulgent and thick mixture of ice cream, whipped cream, and yes, that classic maraschino cherry, is built more like what the Midwesterners call a 'concrete.'

My personal go-tos are vanilla and fresh strawberry -- the former bursting with vanilla and sweet cream flavor, the latter plump with strawberry puree and pieces.  But Sonic advertises 25+ shakes complete with peanut butter flavors, cheesecake flavors, and even the option to add 'secret' additions like bacon, cookie dough, and turtle pecans. They're running the promotion through September, and damn if I don't break with tradition one of these nights and at least try tater tots in there. When you're running under a buck fifty for a premium shake, what have you got to lose?

Well, maybe your waistline. But everything in moderation I say!

Where else will you celebrate summer? Lil' Chow loves ice cream.  Luckily for us, he doesn't have enough body mass yet to pull open the freezer on his own.  I don't think we'll hit the late-night promotions with a toddler, but we want to get him soft serve and milkshakes and other summer fun.  I did "Ice Cream Summer" round-ups in 2009 and 2011.  I'd love to update the list. 

Mutiny Pirate Bar Coming To Downtown E.C.

Mutiny Pirate Bar appears to be opening its second location in downtown Ellicott City.

There is a sign up in a building next to the Diamondback Tavern, reports George.  Mutiny is a rum bar in Glen Burnie that George says has good food and drinks from the people behind Iron Bridge Wine Co.

Does anyone know the timing?  George's photo seems to show "Summer 2015."

I'm really behind on all the tips that people have sent me.  Regular readers know the reason, but I hope that we're getting our feet underneath ourselves enough that I can post more.

Check Out The Greek Cookies Tucked In A Florist; Raimondi's Does Cookies, Pies, Cakes And Candy

My four cookies from Raimondi's

There is a sweet thrill in eating where I can't figure out how they pulled off the recipe.

I stumbled on Greek cookies in a florist-bakery in Ellicott City, and I was excited to find that they're exceptional and doing something with butter that I can't do myself.

Step inside Raimondi's on Rte 108, and you'll see maybe 10 cookie variations.  These were rich treats, but they're somehow also light and crisp.  Delicious buttery flavor as I ate them, but no oily after taste or heavy feel.  Some vanilla.  Some chocolate.  A few dipped in chocolate, just a touch.  Imagine cookies slightly softer than biscotti, but closer to that dry, classy cookie as opposed to a gooey chocolate chip.

Raimindi's has a full bakery display and a candy counter inside the florist shop.  They buy the cookies from Yia Yia's bakery if I understood correctly.  They also sell pies and cakes.  They can special order Vaccaro's cannolis with a day or two's notice.

I only ate four cookies.  And I forgot to write the names.  I was just experimenting on a lark.  Raimondi's is a florist next to Coal Fire Pizza and across from Starbucks.  I pulled in for caffeine, but I was so pleased by the cookies that I forgot to buy an espresso.

Raimondi's is definitely worth checking out.  I have bought more than my share of cookies or candy displayed in retail stores.  Most are not interesting.  These Greek cookies are worth driving to pick up -- and I'll be pleased to hear if the pies, cakes or candies meet the same standard.

Did A New H Mart Already Open In Ellicott City?

Did a new H Mart already open in Ellicott City? 

I had posted about the H Mart that is replacing the Shopper's Food Warehouse on Rte 40.  A reader today commented that the store is open.  Already serving up samples!!

This is on Rte 40 at Rte 29.  The address is Ridge Road.  It's across Rte 40 from the longtime Lotte supermarket.

I'll be interested to see the new store and how it affects the area.  The new Lotte in Catonsville is beautiful, and I feel like it made the existing H Mart in Catonsville up its game with renovations.  I wonder if the new H Mart in Ellicott City is enough to cause changes at the Lotte.

HowChow needs to go on a holiday hiatus, but I will check out the H Mart right after New Year's.  Also, has anyone heard about a Chinese company taking over the Lotte shopping center and maybe changing the stores there?  There was a comment about that, but I haven't heard any details or seen any other mention.

Joe Squared Pizza Coming To Main Street Ellicott City, Landlord's Manager Tells The Sun

Joe Squared's pizza -- maybe coming to Ellicott City

Joe Squared Pizza will open an Ellicott City branch in the former Taylor's Antique Mall on Main Street, the landlord's project manager told the Sun earlier this month.

Joe Squared is a really good pizza restaurant with two locations in Baltimore.  We ate lunch at one today after a morning at Port Discovery.  It's a thin-crust square pie with high-quality toppings.

Blair Ames wrote a story on Dec. 11 about a tax credit announcement held on Main Street with a bunch of elected officials.  I would have thought tax credits were news 20 years ago when I was a newspaper reporter.  But amid a stultifying list of projects, Ames quotes Don Reuwer with information that actually affects people --  that they have a tentative deal for Joe Squared to occupy the first floor of the former Taylor's Antiques with offices on the second and third.

This is a prominent spot right at the intersection with Old Columbia Pike.  It is across from Pure Wine Cafe, which pairs nicely with Joe Squared's casual vibe and attention to ingredients.  The Taylor's folks have talked about a restaurant since at least January, and Reuwer told Ames that they hope to finish the project in six to eight months -- so figure next summer or fall because construction is always difficult and often delayed.

Hat tip to the anonymous commenter who mentioned Joe Squared and Main Street on yesterday's post.  I hadn't read the Sun article, and no one had mentioned it to me.  There is another comment that says the new restaurant from the folks who own Victoria Gastro Pub will be FoodPlenty in Clarksville.

Double hat tip to the HoCo Rising blog that noticed the lede buried in the Sun story last week.  Of course, some bloggers live a leisurely life where their new baby can't run yet.

Noodles And Fried Chicken: Pair Chapchae With Spicy Wings At Rte 40's Bon Chon Chicken

Chapchae at Bon Chon

Lil' Chow dances for noodles.  Thick noodles.  Thin noodles.  Fetticine with tomato sauce.  Udon with sesame oil.

That how we discovered the chapchae at Bon Chon Chicken, where we normally just ordered fried chicken and called it a day.

Bon Chon is the local outpost of a Korean chain that does amazing fried chicken -- crisp and crunchy  shell around moist and delicious meat.  We have left satisfied many times after nothing more than chicken and beer.

Fried chicken -- still amazing

But chapchae is a Korean noodle dish -- glassy sweet potato noodles stirfried with vegetables and sometimes meat.  I've recommended them as a vegetarian option at Shin Chon Garden, and I needed them for a boy who will sit patiently through dinner if you keep filling his plate with noodles.

Bon Chon's chapchae was exceptional.  Noodles with a terrific chewy texture.  The mild flavor of a sauce made with sesame oil and soy sauce and a generous mix of vegetables and thin-sliced beef.  Lil' Chow chowed and flirted with the waitresses.  I actually ate some chapchae because it was delicious enough to forgo even a few pieces of that great chicken.  Easily as good as Shin Chon Garden, our standard in Howard County where Lil' Chow had chapchae as recently as Sunday night.

Don't get me wrong.  You can go to Bon Chon just for the chicken and beer -- or the "Chi Mec" as it is known for the first syllable of the Korean work for beer.  But the chapchae makes a great pair if your group wants to try several flavors.  You could also order it vegetarian if your carnivore friends drag you to Bon Chon for dinner.

If you go to Bon Chon, definitely check out Shilla Bakery for dessert.  Bon Chon is in a shopping center that is parallel to Rte 40, but set back from the main road.  You actually enter from Plum Tree Road.  Shilla is in the shopping center that separates Bon Chon from Rte 40, and it has great coffees, pastries, cakes and other sweets.

New parenthood definitely makes blogging tough.  We are still learning to be efficient enough to have any free moments.  So I'm writing short posts this weeks on the theme of two items that you could buy at a single stop.

Pair It Up: Kalbi And Tofu Soup At Lighthouse

The table of food you get with a single combo order of kalbi and soup at Lighthouse Tofu

Our new toddler means that we need to be efficient, so this week's posts will be two items to try in a single meal.

First stop: Lighthouse Tofu, one of my favorite Korean restaurants in Ellicott City.  It's a casual place that specializes in a tofu soup called soondooboo.  Very friendly place.  A great spot to expand your Korean eating if you have only done barbecue before.

And my Lighthouse recommendation is a two-part order that lets you enjoy a little barbecue and expand into soondooboo.

Mushroom soondooboo

That's the combo order of kalbi and soup.  You can pick your soup -- mushroom or meat, spicy or mild.  I heard mild ordered as "white" because the basic soup looks white and the spicy pepper sauce turns it red.

Lighthouse's soup is a spectacular winter meal.  Piping hot broth with deep, earthy flavor on its own.  Spicy if you want it.  Thick like a stew with mushrooms or meat and vegetables, then the silky tofu throughout.  I didn't grow up with tofu, so I lack the vocabulary to really capture the pleasure.  It holds its shape, but goes down without the chewing that you'd need for meat or pressed tofu.  It's a delicious, filling bowl.

Then you get a small platter of kalbi as well.  That's beef rib meat, marinated and then cooked tender and full of flavor.  I often pass on kalbi because it can be pricey, but Lighthouse gave me exactly what I want -- rich and flavorful like I don't get from just vegetables, but even better because it was reasonably sized and paired with the soup and side dishes.

Lighthouse Tofu is a terrific restaurant -- casual, kid-friendly, and reasonably priced at $10-15 a person.  I'm highlighting the kalbi and soup here, but you won't do badly ordering anything.  In February, I wrote about Lighthouse as an alternative for Korean Food 101.  That post has step-by-step instructions about going to Lighthouse and ordering some basics.  In Step Two, you could order kalbi instead of the pork belly that I  mentioned there.

I highly recommend Rte 40 and its Korean restaurants for anyone who wants to try great food in Howard County.  I posted a Korean Food 101 that explained how to try barbecue at Shin Chon.  I'm currently infatuated by the noodle soups at Hang Ari, which is in Catonsville but still on Rte 40.  You could also scan down all the posts about Korean food.

New Vietnamese Restaurant Appears To Be Coming To Ellicott City, Replacing Wild Cajun

Last day for the Wild Cajun in Ellicott City. Tomorrow it becomes Viet Pearl. #HoCoFood @HowChowBlog pic.twitter.com/tU0CjZCAMf
— Lanny (@Lanny) November 30, 2014

 A new Vietnamese restaurant appears to be coming to Ellicott City.  See above that Lanny posted a photo on Twitter of a Viet Pearl sign covering up Wild Cajun.

Wild Cajun had been a relatively new Louisiana-style restaurant in the Lotte shopping center at Rte 29 and Rte 40 in Ellicott City.  I hadn't been, but I have to say that I'd love good Vietnamese food.  We get pho from An Loi and Pho Dat Trahn in Columbia.  But they are both more about comfort food than exceptional.

Does anyone know the story of Viet Pearl?  Has anyone tried the Vietnamese food there?