Trapeze Closed in Fulton

Trapeze closed this weekend. The restaurant had been one of the mainstays of Maple Lawn in Fulton, but there was a post Sunday on Chowhound saying that it appears to have closed.

I drove past around 6:30 pm Sunday, and Trapeze was completely dark. It looks closed. The parking lot that Trapeze shares with im Wine is often full, and it held just a handful of cars. I also heard from someone who had been told that Trapeze was closing. (Update: Now it has been confirmed in print.) Really, a bummer. I don't want anyone to lose their business or their job, and Trapeze has been a nice local joint and a distinctive place for Howard County. (Plus, I still have a gift card!)

Things are definitely tighter for restaurants. Oz Chophouse across the street from Trapeze has stopped serving lunch and now does dinner only. But there is a new pizza/pasta place in Maple Lawn called Pasta Fresca (more later) and a Japanese steakhouse called Ginza of Tokyo is coming on Johns Hopkins Road a few miles away.

(Update in December 2008: Trapeze may be replaced by a pub called Looney's.)

If you need a new place for dinner, check out my post about the best restaurants. If you just like good food, check out posts about ethnic/organic markets or about 10 cool places to eat. Or browse by cuisine, market name or restaurant name in the right column.

Progressive Dinner: Walk The Street of Maple Lawn To Trapeze, oZ Chophouse and Ranazul

Choose your own adventure by staging a progressive dinner at the three upscale restaurants in the Maple Lawn development in Fulton.

Trapeze, oz Chophouse and Ranazul are each worth their own visit -- and their own review -- but the trendy, comfortable bars in each joint invite you to start by sampling your w
ay through all three. They're on three corners of the same intersection, so it's almost a city night walking from door to door.

We started with Trapeze's "New American" menu for a crab-topped fried green tomato and the "Bluestone" salad highlighted by bacon and a mustard dressing. Next time, I might try the flat iron carpaccio. (I love calamari, but we once were served the most rubbery disaster. Be stronger than we were and send that back.)

You could visit in any order because all three have nice selections and idiosyncratic beer/wine lists. But we crossed next to oz Chophouse for the tuna tartare, the calamari and a side order of macaroni and cheese. The tuna was the best savory dish of the night, and the waitress recommended a wine -- even let Mrs. HowChow sample -- with the fun, relaxed air that makes all three of the Maple Lawn places inviting. The crab dip has also been delicious. But realize that oz is the only bar where they blared the televisions. Sounds great if you're there for the ballgame, but it did cut down on the "night out" atmosphere of the other two.

We finished at Ranazul. Order the sopapias. Don't argue with me. We tried other desserts, and even though Ranazul has exquisite tapas, I recommend the good coffee and these fried triangles, dusted with sweet spices and drizzled with honey. (Ask for extra honey. Sometimes, they're drier than others.)

Overall, this is an expensive night. With three drinks, five small dishes, coffee and two desserts, I think we spent close to $100. But it was a slow night where we talked and adventured more than we would in any single restaurant.

(Update: Trapeze closed.)

Click here for a full post about Ranazul.  If you're in Maple Lawn, check out the i.m. Wine liquor store.  Or click for a working list of the best restaurants in Howard County.

Trapeze
8180 Maple Lawn Boulevard
Fulton, MD 20759
301-498-4411http://www.trapezeonline.net/

oz Chophouse
8191 Maple Lawn Boulevard
Fulton, MD 20759
301-490-4003
http://www.ozchophouse.com/

Ranazul
8171 Maple Lawn Boulevard, Suite 170
Fulton, MD 20759
301-498-9666http://www.ranazul.us/

NEAR: The Maple Lawn development is on Rte 216 just west of Rte 29. From Rte 29, you pass through one traffic circle. Then you'll see the development on the right and enter from the second traffic circle. There is parking behind any of the restaurants.