New Mimi's Kabob Coming To Turf Valley? Construction Continues On The Facci Up There

There are signs for a new Mimi's Kabob at Turf Valley in Ellicott City, according to an email from Tim.

That development is getting some great restaurant options. Mimi's Kabob is a casual Afghan place whose first location is on Rte 108 in Clarksville. Turf Valley also has the second Facci Ristorante -- a sibling to the first Facci on Johns Hopkins Road. Adam had emailed me to say that the Facci looks like it may be a few more months away.

It looks like they’ve got the hardyboard set up on the inside, but not a lot of construction from what I can tell. It should be great though. The patio they have set up in the plaza is very resort-esque. Outdoor fireplace, Adirondack benches and chairs, even an awning with fans. I sometimes go there just to read.

Mimi's Kabob Could Be Your Neighborhood Joint

Mimi’s Kabob could be your neighborhood joint if you live in the south county – a real option for quick meals or takeout on Rte 108 in Clarksville.

Mimi’s is the classic ethnic spot in a strip mall, and it stands out because they’re paying attention to the food.  Half the menu is Afghan, similar enough to Maiwand Kabob to qualify as the sincerest form of flattery.  Half is pizza, the result of taking over an existing pizza spot.

So far, we have stayed on the Afghan side of the border, and we keep leaving happy.  Long ago, I started with a lunchtime sandwich, but Mimi’s has become our place when we want something delicious but simple.  A late-lunch mezze of appetizers with Mrs. HowChow’s family.  Grilled kabobs and chicken curry when we wanted dinner, but not the heaviness of burgers or cheesy Mexican.

Most Mimi’s meals are a variation on grilled meat, a vegetable, rice and bread.  You should go for the bread alone.  I may prefer Maiwand’s bread just a touch for its delicious char, but hot bread turns every meal into something special.  At Mimi’s, you can wrap that bread around grilled chicken, lamb or beef, plus variations and specials like the chicken curry, which was a mix of shredded and chunked meat in a tasty sauce.

Afghan food – at least as offered around here – is an accessible cuisine.  The meat is juicy and flavorful, but it’s not spicy.  The pumpkin and other vegetables are interesting enough that I can’t make them at home, but mild enough for someone who doesn’t relish the spices in Indian food.  On our last visit, a couple was serving out three preschool boys from a table with pizza, grilled chicken and rice.

That rice shows the skill that makes Mimi’s stand over most other places.  Even spots that promote interesting entrees often plop tasteless boring side dishes.  For example, the rice and beans at La Palapa Too keep me from going there often.  In contrast, Mimi’s rice is light and tasty.  Somehow, they add a sheen of oil and herbs to make it feel luxorious, but no oily taste and no heaviness.

In the same way, white meat chicken comes out juicy, and the pumpkin side dish is tender and rich.  With the bread and homemade sauces, it’s hard to think of a comparable place for $7-9 a person.  Better yet, it all travels pretty well, which makes Mimi’s nice when you want to get out of the house or when you need to bring dinner home.

If you go to Mimi’s consider asking them to substitute a vegetable side dish for the salad.  I know Maiwand in Columbia will substitute.  The salad is fine, but the pumpkin and other vegetables can be exceptional – and certainly bring more flavor to the plate.

If you are in Clarksville, definitely check out Great Sage for vegetarian food or El Azteca for Mexican.

Mimi's Kabob

12345 Wake Forest Road (Rte 108)

Clarksville, MD 21029

410-531-2000


NEAR:  This is a block south of Rte 32 on Rte 108.  It is a shopping center on the east side of Rte 108, and the entry is from a side street, so you need to turn just south of the shopping center.  This is a great place to stop if you have been shopping at Roots Markets farther north on Rte 108.

Meat As A Condiment

The Afghan restaurants in Howard County shout "kabob" in their name, but their appetizers offer some of the most interesting flavor around.

I love eating at Maiwand Kabob's various locations or Mimi's Kabob in Clarksville. The kabobs are great. But the real draw to me are the appetizers, which I tend to use like mezze by ordering up a single kabob and a couple small dishes like aushak, bowlawni, samosas or pumpkin. Perfect light lunch with my in-laws when we were coming from Larriland and had reservations that night for Woodberry Kitchen.

That is where you get meat as a condiment. Sweet pumpkin baked until tender, then topped with ground beef. Raviolis filled with scallions and sauced with yogurt, then topped with ground beef. Those are delicious little dishes topped with ground beef. I love a good burger, but I have to admit that sharing an aushak gives me all the flavor of a meaty burger with probably half of everything that I don't need in my body -- the cholesterol, the fat, etc. Where else can get this "meat as a condiment" experience?

Mimi's Kabob in Clarksville

One test for a sandwich is what you do when its sauce starts to drip down your leg.

When I say "your leg," of course, I mean "my leg" because Mrs. HowChow wouldn't eat a sandwich that dripped on her leg.  But I stopped at Mimi's Kabob while driving home from errands.  I ordered the chicken kabob, and the sauce started to drip as I munched on the ride home.

The Mimi's Kabob passes the test:  I wiped off my jeans, but then took another bite as I pulled into the neighborhood.  Juicy white-meat chicken.  Crisp, warm tandoori bread.  Vegetables, and a creamy, slightly cheesy sauce that really made a terrific sandwich (and which cleaned up easily).

Mimi's is a casual Afghan restaurant along the lines of Columbia's Maiwand Kabob.  Appetizers like aushuk, bowlani and pumpkin.  A clay oven to create tandoori bread.  A menu that runs through chicken, beef, and lamb kabobs and ends with a few Afghan desserts like rice pudding or custard.  At lunch, there are even pizza and sandwiches.

This is a friendly place.  When I didn't want a soda, they let me swap out the drink for some pumpkin in the lunch special.  The pumpkin was good, although less tender than Maiwand Kabob.  Mimi's actually has more seating that the Columbia Maiwand Kabob.  

If you like kabobs, check out Maiwand Kabob in Columbia or Parsa Kabob in Elkridge.  If you are in Clarksville, definitely check out Great Sage for vegetarian food or El Azteca for Mexican.

Mimi's Kabob

12345 Wake Forest Road (Rte 108)

Clarksville, MD 21029

410-531-2000

NEAR:  This is a block south of Rte 32 on Rte 108.  It is a shopping center on the east side of Rte 108, and the entry is from a side street, so you need to turn just south of the shopping center.  This is a great place to stop if you have been shopping at Roots Markets farther north on Rte 108.