Signs? We Don't Need No Stinking Signs! Not When Ananda's Food Fills The Tables All Week

Ananda -- So you'll recognize it without a sign

I loved the food from the beginning, but for some reason, I now love Ananda's attitude as well.

The Indian restaurant opened in Fulton last year to terrific reviews.  Like a national magazine's list of the 25 most outstanding restaurants of 2015.  We have loved it from the beginning...

But Ananda's spot is unusual.

Duck dumplings

It's great for me.  It's the closest restaurant to my house.  But Ananda sits on Maple Lawn Boulevard out of sight from the main roads.  And it has no sign.  A striking open-windowed dining room in good weather, but no sign.

We always figured they were waiting on a sign delivery.  But then Mrs. HowChow asked owner Binda Singh this week, and Singh told her there won't be a sign.

He doesn't believe in them.

The Ambassador in Baltimore doesn't have a sign, he said.  And he doesn't think Ananda needs one either.

Now, I have to admit that I'm friendly with Singh.  I don't out myself normally in restaurants, but Singh is super-friendly and knew from emails that we were coming on his opening day.  It was a thin crowd.  So we said hello, and we have enjoyed ourselves ever since.  (Well, except for Lil' Chow's first nice restaurant meal when we tried to take him there at 6:30 on the Sunday daylight savings ended.  He was exhausted! That's another story.)

Singh doesn't believe in signs.

Citrus salad

Somehow, I love this.  It feels like a bad-ass rejection of the way most retail runs.  And it's working.  The place was packed on Tuesday when Mrs. HowChow took some students for dinner.  We're going back for Mother's Day.  We'll do dinner, but I heartily recommend the brunch.  One of the "lost" meals from my three months with few posts was a terrific March brunch with the Cordis Couple where I ate the perfect dumplings.

Those dumplings are pictured above.  My notes just say "duck, dumpling, chili sauce, sesame seeds, four, M."  I must have thought that I'd blog that afternoon. Some toddler madness must have gotten in the way.

Seriously, check out the Ananda menus if you haven't been yet.  Mother's Day looks like a buffet brunch.  That French toast casserole merits a visit all on its own.  Just keep your eyes peeled as your heading to eat -- because they're not putting up a sign.

You can see all my posts about Ananda.  You should also check out Jennifer Waldera's HerMind Magazine profile of the Kaur sisters, including Kinday Kaur who is the chef at Ananda.  Her sister is the chef at the "sister" restaurant The Ambassador in Baltimore.

Ananda Breaks Into The County's Best Restaurants, Gets Raved By The Sun's Gorelick

The shrimp dish jinga kararii at Ananda

I tamped down my excitement when I first wrote about Ananda.

The Fulton restaurant is the closest food to my house, serving a cuisine that I love.  And I'm just a hobby blogger, which makes me reticent to act like I know exceptional food after a meal or two.

But the professionals love Ananda, so I'm letting myself wax poetic.  It's a new restaurant, but I think it already matches the best restaurants in Howard County.

We had another amazing dinner last night.  Great cocktails.  Spectacularly flavorful shrimp, chicken and dessert.  The class of white tablecloths and subtle waiters, paired with the friendliness of a veranda full of families and kids.  All as the cool evening rolled in through open walls.

It's a magical combination, and it's getting notice.  Todd Kliman of the Washingtonian mentioned Ananda on-line a few weeks ago -- distilling the observation that the kitchen fuses Indian cuisine with a local seasonal vibe of a city bistro.  Then Kathy Patterson of Minx Eats enjoyed both the drinks and food.  Then yesterday Richard Gorelick gave Ananda four stars in the Sun:

Ananda strives to evoke something of the same nostalgic feeling, and it succeeds. The atmosphere is sophisticated but not stuffy. . . The food — in particular, the items listed as house specials — is elegant, too.

Boom.  Now I can say that I love the food without feeling like I'm infected with amateur-writer puppy love.  We have eaten three meals at Ananda, each better than the last.  This time, I ate the shrimp dish jingha karari and used rice and bread  to lap up every drop of the sauce rich with ginger and garlic.  Mrs. HowChow ate a chicken kabob that was juicy white meat chunks, cooked perfectly and then served with an herb sauce.  We finished with a special peach crumble that rivaled our favorite seasonal desserts at Woodberry Kitchen.

Read the professional reviews.  They all capture the place -- and Gorelick goes respectful when he describes the Maple Lawn development.  I'm amazed that Ananda's kitchen is serving recognizable -- even traditional -- Indian food in ways that seem unique.  It's a bit in the food itself.  A bit in their offering plated entrees.  My shrimp came with a choice of lentils or spinach as a side dish.  A bit in the local and seasonal specials like the watermelon salad that we ate on an early visit and that Gorelick raved about.

We're not the only ones raving.  The table next to us last night ordered three watermelon salads for three diners.  It's so good that they didn't share.  We have neighbors who have gone with their toddler every Sunday night since Ananda opened.  They love the food, and they're making a family tradition.

As I wrote in my "first thoughts' post, Ananda has an atmosphere that welcomes toddlers in t-shirts and women in date-night dresses.  You should try dinner on the veranda on a fall evening.  But I can see that Ananda will covert into a cozy, warm winter spot once they bring down those glass walls and turn up the fireplaces.  The bar and the interior dining rooms will give you all kinds of options.  Gorelick's review got a laugh in our house because he called out Ananda's three televisions.  It's a discordant sight here and in other really good restaurants.  You'll just need to look the other way.

Ananda
7421 Maple Lawn Blvd
Fulton, MD 20759
 (301) 725-4800

NEAR:  Ananda is in the Maple Lawn development just south of Columbia.   It's on Maple Lawn Boulevard, which connects Rte 216 and Johns Hopkins Road just west of Rte 29.  Ananda is a stand-alone building.  As of September, it had no sign.  It is across the parking lot from a Suntrust bank.

First Thoughts On Ananda: Really Good Indian In A Really Unusual Space For Howard County

Eggplant appetizer at Ananda

I don't want to get ahead of my skis on Ananda, but I'm really jazzed -- both for its food and for the new restaurant space in Fulton.

I'm a homer -- literally because this is one of the closest restaurants to my house.  But I think I'd be excited even if Ananda were on the other side of the county.

This is an Indian restaurant with familiar flavors and dishes, but a menu that aims to be different.

A few weeks ago, we started with a watermelon salad.  Three towers cut from the heart of a sweet melon, served over a small salad with a lime-and-chili dressing and pistachios.  A little feta for salt.  Those nuts for crunch.  It's a dish that I'd expect more at Range than an Indian restaurant, and it was perfect on a warm night as we watched the sun set.

We have friends who have gone every Sunday night for a month.  They're working through the menu -- delicious tandoori chicken a week ago, a cold summer squash soup with pear chutney last night poured at the table from a spout.  It's not perfect.  One night the report was that halibut was lovely and light, but she wished she had ordered the Goa fish -- even with bones -- because it probably had more intense flavors.  But they're excited by the dishes and the variety.

So are we.  Ananda plates dishes rather than serving family style.  That means you get side dishes with each entree, and I thought they were done smartly.  Spicy fish curry comes with spinach.  That's rich and earthy against the spicy sauce.  The mixed vegetable curry comes with lentils.  The lentil's zest contrasts the creamy vegetable sauce.  The vegetables are cooked perfectly -- fork-tender broccoli, peas and the fresh cheese called paneer.

The building on Maple Lawn Boulevard was forever under construction, but the setting was worth the wait.  For now, they're serving mostly in a patio room with three sides of open walls.  Notice the paneling, the ceiling fans, and the fireplaces.  It's comfortable enough to welcome kids in t-shirts, but special enough that several tables had women decked in night-out dresses.

If you squint, you can see only trees and ignore the sounds of traffic.

Again, I want to take it slow at Ananda.  The kitchen has been wonderful so far.  I figure we'll have time to take it's temperature.  But I recommend it as a special spot -- maybe date-night cocktails on the patio -- or as a regular stop where you could explore the menu and specials.  Either way, it's welcome in the neighborhood.

Ananda Has Opened Softly, And The Open-Walled Patio Is Pretty Sweet; Full Menu In A Few Weeks

Lemon-basil sorbet at Ananda

Ananda, the new Indian restaurant in Fulton, opened softly this evening.  We already had dinner at home, but Mrs. HowChow saw that they're serving sweets.

Not just any sweets -- rice pudding, lemon-basil sorbet, and cardamom ice cream.

Next thing you know, we were sitting on the open-walled patio at sunset drinking cocktails and eating dessert.  It's a beautiful space, serving ice cream that Mrs. HowChow rated like Capogiro, our favorite gelato up in Philadelphia.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

This was the first night for Ananda, a new restaurant in Maple Lawn from the folks who own the Ambassador in Baltimore.  They have been building for a long time, and they're opening slowly.  For a few weeks, they'll do a $20 three-course dinner off a smaller, but pretty diverse, menu.  They'll add a sign and eventually expand to a full menu.

Our light dessert makes us optimistic.  Really terrific sorbet and ice cream -- both strong, subtle flavors and perfect consistencies.  Really nice cocktails, one with rum, blackberries and ginger beer and another with cucumber, tonic and gin.  The attention and ingredients make us look forward to actually eating a meal.

You can get such great Indian in Howard County that Mango Grove and Royal Taj both make my favorite restaurants.  But I'm an actual homer when it comes to Ananda.  We can walk here. 

As much as we look forward to the food, we're just as excited to hang out in the space.  It has taken almost two years, but they've built a beautiful space with a large bar and an entire room with garage-style doors that open to make it an open-walled patio.  In other rooms, they have fireplaces that look like they'll be cozy spots in the winter.

Ananda
7421 Maple Lawn Boulevard (I think)
Fulton, MD 20759

NEAR:  This is on Maple Lawn Boulevard just south of Johns Hopkins Boulevard.  It isn't near the other Maple Lawn restaurants.  This is a stand-alone building -- for now without a sign -- across the parking lot from a Suntrust bank.

New Farmers Market In Maple Lawn: Get Ful-Ton On Veggies, Eggs, Meats, Coffee, And More

Love Dove Farm

A new farmers market has started Saturday mornings on Maple Lawn Boulevard in Fulton -- vegetables, eggs, baked goods and more in a parking lot .

The market started last weekend, and it should run every other Saturday mornings into the fall.  Last weekend was fun -- and it isn't even the season for the best vegetables.

(Updated:  I added "every other" because I misunderstood.  Thanks Amber.  Look at this Web site for the dates.)

Mrs. HowChow and I got a tomato plant from Pong's Orchard.  Then we filled a shopping bag with radishes, kale, and eggs.  I bought spinach, but I think that I left it on the Love Dove Farm table.  At least, I never found it in our fridge to cook this week.

Markets are fun.  This one had two bakeries, a coffee company and used books on top of the farm stands.  Folks came out with kids and dogs.  People who live in Maple Lawn can walk over, but there is plenty of parking for anyone from Laurel to Clarksville who wanted to check it out.  We had fun, and the selection should just get better as fields ripen with tomatoes, cucumbers, melons and the great tastes of summer.

To me, the find of the morning were eggs from TLV Tree Farm.  I've been replacing some chicken dinners with dishes made with eggs, and the TLV eggs were delicious.  Folks swear by small farm eggs.  I thought these were especially bright, and the yolks were firm and tasty.  For Sunday night, I made them the stars of a dish from Yotom Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's cookbook Jerusalem.

Shakshuka w/TLV eggs

They taught me to make shakshuka -- a Tunisian dish for breakfast or lunch.  You basically cook a sauce of tomato and peppers flavored with garlic, cumin, and a harissa paste made from spices, red pepper, red onion, garlic and hot peppers.  Then you crack eggs into indentations and let them cook in the sauce.  A great reason to try TLV eggs or to check Jerusalem out of the Howard County library.

The Maple Lawn farmers market is on Maple Lawn Boulevard just south of Johns Hopkins Road.  It is the parking lot of a medical office building across from the Maple Lawn pool.

Coming Soon: Mission BBQ in Columbia, Farmers Market in Fulton; Maple Lawn Gets Veggies

Mission BBQ is coming to Columbia in the former home of Chicken Out just off Rte 175 and Dobbin Road.

(Update, it looks like Mission BBQ is aiming to open in July 2014 -- suggested by the fact that the company retweeted Kerry's tweet with that date.)

This is another restaurant into the development with Target and Dick's Sporting Goods.  This is right off Dobbin.  I first mentioned Mission BBQ in February based on a reliable source.  Last weekend, the sign was up, but it looked construction continues.  James and several other people emailed me while I was laid up.  Folks are pretty excited for the meats.

Down south, folks are excited for the vegetables at a new Saturday farmers market planned this summer in the Maple Lawn development.  Folks from Love Dove Farm in Woodbine came to the Maple Lawn community meeting earlier this month to announce that they'll offer vegetables, bread, cheese and more on Saturday mornings starting at 8:30 am.

I thought this was one of the county-run markets, but their Web site shows three markets on Wednesdays (Miller Library), Thursdays (Howard County General) and Sunday (Oakland Mills).  The reports from the Maple Lawn meeting said the farmers planned to have music, events, and sweets from a bakery, maybe called Stone House Bakery.

I have been out of commission for weeks with travel and illness. I'm trying to start up again, and I'll do a bunch of short posts about news that happened when I was home. This way, people will be able to find the posts if they're looking for a specific restaurant. Check them all out by clicking on Reset May 2014.

Mystery: What's Up With Ananda? Is Indian Coming To Maple Lawn? (Yes, Folks Say)

The building that could become Ananda

I want to raise a toast to hope that Ananda will actually open in Maple Lawn.

Ananda is the Indian restaurant -- at one point called "Polo Club" -- that has been built on Maple Lawn Boulevard just south of Johns Hopkins Road.

It's a serious-looking building with fireplaces, dark wood panelling and some cool windows that will basically convert one room into outdoor seating during good weather.  Unfortunately, the building looks the same as it did two months ago.  No sign.  No tables.

So what's up?  (Update: Go all the way to the bottom to hear the optimism.)

More than a month ago, Ananda was advertising for servers and other employees.  Even on Craig's List.  Then the building was listed for rent in late January.  That went away, and the Maple Lawn developer was telling people that the restaurant would open in early March.

Well, it hasn't.  A few locals have said that they've heard Ananda is dead.  They point to the lack of work on the building.  But there was someone inside on Sunday, maybe installing speakers.  There were boxes inside -- some with moulding and some marked "glass."  The place looks weeks or months away from opening because there is nothing that looks like a restaurant, but there is a bunch of money invested in there already.

Now, my eyes are on March 27 -- the date to which the liquor board has postponed. but at least not cancelled, the hearing for Ananda's license.

Does anyone know more?

(Update:  Talk is now that the Maple Lawn developers are going to accompany the Ananda owners to the liquor board.  The restaurant is apparently still on.)

Is An Indian Restaurant Closing In Maple Lawn Before It Even Opens? New Place For Rent?

For more than a year, people have been talking about a new Indian restaurant in Maple Lawn called first the Polo Club and later Ananda.

Are they closing before they even opened?

The building looks beautiful inside, and it seems close to completion.  The business even applied for a liquor license.  But Keller Williams has a listing on Craigslist offering to [update: rent, I think,] the building -- saying it would be great for a retail store or a "barista bar."  Giulia spotted the ad and posted on a Facebook group.

Does anyone know what's up?  The Maple Lawn developers definitely thought an Indian restaurant was opening here at their last annual meeting.

Expect Two New Maple Lawn Restaurants In Next Weeks -- First The Grille, Then The Polo Club

Expect two new restaurants in open in Maple Lawn in the next few weeks -- first The Grille and then the Polo Club.

That's according to the Maple Lawn developer who discussed the restaurants at the community's meeting last night.  None of the plans are final -- which makes sense because opening a restaurant seems like complex work.

The Grille is working on some final arrangements, the developer said.  This is the restaurant replacing the Venegas Prime Filet just off Rte 216.  He said they had an inspection last Thursday and are probably aiming for a soft opening some time next week.

The Polo Club is a few more weeks behind.  (Update:  In 2014, it appears that the Indian restaurant will be called Ananda.)  The talk was about an opening in late December or early January.  This is an Indian place being built from scratch up near Johns Hopkins Road by the folks behind the Ambassador.  I still don't see a Web site for them.

New Restaurant In Maple Lawn Is "The Grille"

From "The Grille's" Facebook page

The new restaurant going into the Maple Lawn development in Fulton is "The Grille" -- and they appear to be aiming to open early next month.

This replaces Venegas Prime Filet right at Maple Lawn Boulevard and Rte 216.  It's calling itself American and Mediterranean.  Not sure what that will mean.

They have a Web site and a Facebook page.  They had a private event there this week with desserts -- at least according to photos posted on Facebook.  But the Web site doesn't seem to have a menu yet, and they link to OpenTable but don't yet appear on that site's drop-down lists.

On a "Maple Lawn 2.0" Facebook page, Javier Lecha said they would post the menu in the upcoming week and aim for a grand opening in early October.

Let me know if you hear when they're opening.  From the photos on Facebook, the dining room looks ready. 

Fried Chicken At The BP In Maple Lawn

Fried chicken and potato wedges

I'm not saying you should eat fried chicken at a gas station, but I know where you should go if you're in the mood.

The BP at Maple Lawn has a food counter inside.  They do sandwiches and a bunch of other items, and they sell fried chicken and french fries that are a fast food treat.

I got a box.  I admit it.  I was in a rush, and it was a terrific dinner on the way to a meeting.

I got a wing and a hot juicy chicken breast.  Wedges of fried potato.  I sat at a cafe table and tore in with my fingers.  They have a bunch of hot sauces, and hot sauce goes so well with crispy chicken.  For chicken under a hot light, it was ideal -- a thick crust that comes crisp but not greasy.  Great fun.

Fried chicken makes a great holiday.  On top of the BP chicken, I still recommend a picnic from Harvest Fried Chicken in Woodbine, and I love Bon Chon in Ellicott City.

BP Station at Maple Lawn
8181 Maple Lawn Boulevard
Fulton, MD 20759

NEAR: The station is just north of Rte 216 in the Maple Lawn development.  It is behind the shops to your right if you arrive from Rte 216.  Look at the pet store that overlooks the BP station.

First Thoughts: Sushi Tendou in Fulton

Yellow Angel and Pinky Control rolls

You don't add this much rock to a shopping center unless you have high expectations.

Sushi Tendou opened last week in Fulton -- across the lot from the Maple Lawn Harris Teeter -- and the little restaurant opened big.  Stone walls.  Cool lights.  A sculptural school of fish swimming along the ceiling.

I run a media empire eating in shopping centers, and even Mrs. HowChow and I were surprised to walk into Sushi Tendou and find a place that wants to compete with the best sushi and date night spots around.

This is high end sushi.  The prices and the dishes are clearly aimed at competing with Sushi Sono and Sushi Yama, not takeout fish.  Sushi is already one of Howard County's deepest cuisines, but we thought Sushi Tendou can swim with the big boys.  Unusual, interesting rolls.  A variety of classic sushi.  Japanese dishes like teriyaki, udon and soba.

We had two specials rolls that pulled off the trick of mixing fish, rice, fruit and other toppings.  "Yellow Angel" -- shrimp tempura, cucumber, mango and spicy, crunchy salmon.  "Pinky Control" -- spicy salmon, shrimp tempura, kani, avocado and spicy mayo wrapped in a pink soy paper.  Both were fresh, creative and delicious.  Strong salmon flavor with no fishiness.  Crunchy shrimp even on the last piece.

Inadvertently, our rolls both had salmon and shrimp tempura, but they tasted completely different.  Open less than a week, Sushi Tendou has already thought enough about the food to make unique items.  At the same time, our third roll was just one of their basics, and it came out particularly enticing.  Great fish tartar, and Mrs. HowChow pointed to the rice, which was moist and tender.

None of the great sushi in Howard County is cheap.  The big rolls at Sushi Tendou run $13-16 for a not-so-enormous size.  Most sushi pieces are $3 each.  An age tofu and three rolls filled us up, but we're not the biggest eaters.  We came warned by comments on a prior post, so it's seemed fair -- although probably not an every-week spot for most people.

Overall, Sushi Tendou is aiming high.  The interior design with stone and artworks looks like Facci or Iron Bridge, not like the Hair Cuttery down the row.  It's friendly enough to bring kids, but it's cool enough to bring a date -- especially if you can get one of the two-seat booths against the wall.

If I had one complaint, it was that I think they're still working out the kitchen.  We ordered a spicy, crunch tuna roll.  The waitress confirmed that when we asked, but there was nothing crunchy or spicy about the roll.  It tasted like great salmon so we snapped it up.

On the next trip, I want to try more Japanese food -- maybe the udon soup or the octopus appetizer.  I was also captivated by hand rolls.  Maybe that's a way to try get a taste of eel while eating with "no eel" valentine.

On that age tofu, does anyone have advice about how to eat it?  The tofu was beautifully fried, crispy but not greasy.  We just couldn't lift the soft tofu easily with chopsticks -- and often couldn't maneuver the tofu into the dipping sauce.

(And since the Internet often lacks humor, we all know "media empire is a joke, right?)

Sushi Tendou
8194 Westside Boulevard, Ste G
Fulton, MD 20759
301-317-3303

NEAR:  Sushi Tendou is just off Rte 216 in the Maple Lawn development.  It shares a parking lot with the Harris Teeter.  From Rte 216, you turn at the traffic circle for Westside Boulevard, which is just west of the main Maple Lawn entrance.  Sushi Tendou is on the end of a strip shopping center facing the supermarket.

Has Sushi Tendou Opened In Fulton?

The new Sushi Tendou has opened across from the Harris Teeter in Maple Law, reports DonkeyKong.

Is this a full open?  A soft open?  Has anyone been?

Tutti Frutti Opened In Maple Lawn, And People Say The Red Mango Looks Close In Clarksville

Opening night at Tutti Frutti in Fulton

Tutti Frutti opened the yogurt taps in Maple Lawn on Friday night, offering up frozen yogurt and trendy toppings like candy, fruit, and mochi.

This is part of a three-year wave as similar yogurt stores opened across the area.  (I'll try to catalog them Tuesday.)  But the Tutti Frutti franchise in Fulton seems to have adopted all the good parts of the trend -- a bunch of yogurt options, a bunch of spoon-your-own toppings, design by Ikea & Friends, and some places to sit outside and enjoy your dessert.

If anything, they had the best part of the trend on Friday -- variety.  You could pick from 16 different yogurt flavors and an array of toppings.  Your dessert could be basically soft serve ice cream with a sweet chocolate yogurt and sprinkles.  You could go kid-crazy with cake-flavored yogurt and candy toppings.  Or you could go with the tart trend with their basic yogurt and fruit.

To me, Tutti Frutti stood out because I'd never seen banana, coconut or orange yogurt before.  I made a mixed cup with those and the purple taro flavor.  They also had one treat new to me on the toppings tray -- fruit flavored "boba," jelly balls that burst with a liquid center when you bite them.

There are already Tutti Frutti franchises on Rte 40 in Ellicott City and near the Target in Columbia.  I think they're all independent, and these yogurt shops can vary based on the vibe of the employees and the selection and freshness of the yogurt and toppings.  I'm not sure that I'd drive past one to go to another, but then there are definitely places that seem more fun.

Separately, there is a Red Mango yogurt shop under construction in Clarksville.  Last I heard, the shop  in the River Hill village center hadn't been open on Saturday.  Please let me know if it opens.

Tutti Frutti
8170 Maple Lawn Blvd
Fulton, MD 20759

NEAR: Tutti Frutti is in the Maple Lawn development. That's on Rte 216 just west of Rte 29. When you pull off Rte 216 onto Maple Lawn Boulevard, make the first left and you'll see Tutti Frutti on the right. Park in the lot behind the office buildings.

Tutti Frutti To Open In Fulton On Friday

The Tutti Frutti frozen yogurt store in Maple Lawn will open on Friday, the community's homeowners association emailed today.

That's part of the great tart frozen yogurt explosion.  The BP station in Maple Lawn already sold frozen yogurt, and there are already Tutti Frutti franchises in Ellicott City and Columbia.  But I'm a fan of yogurt and mochi, so I'll take all the yogurt you can fit in a cup.

Any news on the Red Mango shop coming to River Hill in Clarksville?

Tutti Frutti Coming To Maple Lawn

The Tutti Frutti frozen yogurt chain is expanding into Maple Lawn -- taking the spot that Maggie Moo's vacated last year.

Mrs. HowChow was so excited that she parked the car just to go read the sign.  She is already making warm weather plans to sit outside the shop for dessert.

Mrs. HowChow thinks this phenomenal.  She says there was a time when she wanted gum balls in ice cream, but now she thinks the frozen yogurt stores serves a broader audience -- from the kids who add candy toppings to her adding mochi to plain sour yogurt.  Fulton is the third local Tutti Frutti -- with the original on Rte 40 and last year's addition in Columbia near Target.

Anyone know the timeline?  It didn't look like they had started to move in yet.

Tournedos Of Filet At Venegas Prime Filet

We eat out infrequently so I tend to prefer dishes that I know that I can't make at home.

That's how I ended up ordering from the "chick" part of the menu at Venegas Prime Filet in Fulton.  Mrs. HowChow went true "steak house" with a filet and a side of macaroni and cheese.  But that empty plate style -- a steak and nothing else -- seems odd to me.  I was captivated by dishes where the skills are more obvious.

"Tournedos of Filet Mignon."  I had to ask how to pronounce the dish, and it was obvious from the first bite that I wouldn't know how to whip it up.  Slices of steak, cooked perfectly, layered on top of sauteed spinach and potato pierogies, then topped with garlic butter shrimp.

Two Weeks To Pita & Rye: Deli Sells Sandwiches At Half Marathon, Aims To Open By Memorial Day

Two weeks (or so) to kosher deli in Fulton -- and the early signs look good.

By early signs, we mean "pickles."  Pickles are a quick way to see whether a deli is aiming for excellence, and Pita & Rye's don't just look good.  They taste good -- correctly sour and smacking of New York, not a food court.

I'm still trying to tamp down my expectations, but Pita & Rye sold sandwiches Sunday after the half marathon in Maple Lawn.  It was $8 for corned beef or pastrami, $6 for salami and a few others.  We split a corned beef on a bench, and the details were good -- good meat, good bread, good mustard, good pickles.

They're aiming to open before Memorial Day -- maybe in two weeks.  I know that restaurant owners can't pinpoint their dates as they balance contractors and inspections.

Pita & Rye is trying to be something special.  They're already unique since they'll be the county's only kosher restaurant, but the owner Jay talked to us at length about his plans to bring stuff from New York and Baltimore, including bagels, breads, meats and more.  They're even going to make their own turkey and corned beef, which sounds terrific.

Their purchased corned beef was really good.  Very lean and thin-cut.  I often think of New York corned beef as heavily spiced like Harold's.  This flavor was more meat than "corned," but it went perfectly with soft rye, the zesty mustard and lettuce.  I'm soft-selling because this was a single sandwich sold from the sidewalk, and lots of people have commented about how a deli needs to sell great food to really stand out.  Give Pita & Rye some time to open and work out the kinks before people make up their minds.

Pita and Rye is going to be a lunch and dinner spot with a deli menu along with shish kabobs, falafel and other Middle Eastern items.  That'll be regular meals, along with takeout and catering.


On top, they're hoping to offer some off-the-menu items like selling bagels or loaves of bread.   Jay clearly hopes to have some unique items to make sandwiches, and he wants to work with people who might want to pick them up in bulk.  They also hope to have a kosher shopping service where you could order meats or other items on-line, then pick them up at the store.

Scottish Burger Joint Coming To Maple Lawn -- Would You Like Fries With That New Urbanism?

Looks like Pita & Rye won't be the last new restaurant in the Maple Lawn development in Fulton.

Maple Lawn trumpets its "Traditional Neighborhood Development -- a town planning philosophy inspired by the small towns of the late 19th and early 20th centuries."

And that means McDonalds in Maple Lawn, according to the Web site of the company that runs 15 franchises around Baltimore, Brndancat Enterprises, Inc.

Hat Tip to John who found the Web site and DonkeyKong who let me know.

(Update: Denise noted on the HowChow Facebook page that it's a Scottish chain, not Irish.  I fixed the headline.)

New Kosher Deli To Open In Maple Lawn

A new deli apparently called Pita & Rye will open this spring in the Maple Lawn development -- and I hear talk that it will be a kosher establishment.

The deli part came right from the Maple Lawn developer's newsletter that mentioned a deli with details to come.  After an early version of this post, an anonymous reader found a Web site for Pita & Rye, which advertises a "New York style deli and grill" coming to Maple Lawn in May.  The address suggests that it is replacing the closed Pizza Fresca.

Their menu lists deli sandwiches, gyros, falafel and more.  It even mentions potato, spinach and kasha knishes.  No mention of kosher on the Web site, but I have heard that twice.

Thanks for the comments and Web searches!  Please tell me more if you know more.  I'm excited by the thought that a kosher place will get interesting stuff -- either by making it or by bringing down good stuff from New York.