Ethnic Groceries in Howard County

You can buy the entire world in Howard County if you can just figure out how to drive around the damn town.

Ethnic groceries sell authentic food from countries from Korean through North Africa, from Mexico through South American, from Jamaica back to West Africa. Some produce. Lots of packaged goods. All the spices that inspired people to sail great oceans in small boats in order to carry flavor home to their shores. At Food Cravings, you can even buy Indian interpretations of Chinese sauces.

But then, we're getting ahead of ourselves.

The key to ethnic shopping in Howard County is a basic map. Nothing is obvious. Very little is advertised. I started HowChow, in part, because it had taken me months to piece together where to buy food when I moved from Virginia. The only players with a large presence are Asian supermarkets -- and I'm going to write a separate overview of H Mart in Catonsville, Lotte in Ellicott City and Grand Mart in Laurel. They're spectacular for Asian products, produce, fish and Mexican food, including cheeses, tortillas and packaged goods.

For other cuisines, the markets are small. They're not on main roads. But they're all reliable with employees who speak English and who have routinely been happy to answer questions. These stores are as modern as anywhere else you shop. You can go for the ingredients that you need to cook these cuisines from "scratch" like corn meal, lentils, and spices, or you can check out convenience foods like frozen samosas, jars of curry sauce, and cans of stuffed grape leaves . You can search my posts by cuisine or by market in the links in the right column, but below is a list of the markets that I recommend:

• For Indian, you have four choices for spices, Indian sauces, frozen naan, boxed Indian lunches, and other ingredients. Check out the candied fennel seeds or buy the basics for pani puri. Mostly, the stores sell Indian or U.S. "import" brands -- from tea to spices to Ching's Red Chili sauce straight from Bombay. The one real advantage is Eastern Market, which has more produce than the others. The four: Food Cravings in Columbia, Desi Market in Columbia, Eastern Bazar in Laurel, and Apna Bazar in Laurel. (Update: In comments below, Hal and anonymous recommend a fifth and sixth: Ganesh Brothers on Rte 40 in the Normany Plaza just east of Rte 29 and Patel Brothers on Rte 40 in Catonsville.) (I have also heard that Food Cravings might be expanding to Elkridge.)
• For Middle Eastern, you drive to Caezar International Market in Elkridge or Aladdin Market on Main Street in Laurel. Both stores sell breads, spices, cheeses like feta or Kashkaval, and packaged basics like lentils, tahini, chick peas and bulgar. Caezar is the larger, expanding at its Elkridge location (with a Persian restaurant next door) after 13 years in Columbia as Sizar's. It moved in 2009 to expand and offer a halal butcher. If you go to Caezar, please try the pistachio nougat.
• For Latin American, you should start at Lily's Mexican Market in Columbia and also consider the Panam Supermarket in Laurel if you want produce or a full butcher. Lily's sits off Dobbin Road. It has a small butcher, a takeout-taco counter, freshly-made corn tortillas, cheeses, dried peppers, and all the packaged goods that you need to cook Mexican food. Not much produce, but the easy exotic fun of cactus for nopales tacos. Panam is off U.S. 1 at Rte 198. This is a supermarket, not a grocery, and it sells all those basics -- along with a huge butcher and a full produce section.
• For West African and Jamaican food, you should check out Afia International in Jessup or Accra Foods in Laurel. Both stores appear to sell Ghanaian and Jamaican brands. I don't know these cuisines, and my explorations have not been successful. I would love any comments if you have suggestions. (Another market -- Julie's International in Elkridge -- closed in 2009.)

Of all these places, Lily's and Caezar's are my favorites. They're pretty comprehensive for someone who needs basic foods. The people have always been helpful, and the butcher and produce make them quite useful. I recommend a visit to any of these markets to anyone interested in trying new food. Federal law requires every bottle and box to list the ingredients, so you can know what you're eating even if the original label isn't in English. Plus, people have been gracious and helpful every time that I had a question to ask.

This is part of the "What I Learned" series of posts. They're organized in rings. See below to continue on the ring about shopping in Howard County. Or click to switch to the posts about different cuisines or posts about areas and ideas.

PREVIOUS: Organic Shopping in Howard County
NEXT: Asian Grocery Stores in Howard County

Link: Fatburger on Taste of Baltimore

Fatburger in Elkridge didn't serve a burger good enough to entice Nakiya back to Howard County, according to her post on the Taste of Baltimore blog.

The burger joint gets mixes reviews in the comments to my prior post, and I have to say that I'm holding out for the soon-to-open Five Guys at the Columbia Mall.

Yellow Cherries Outside Kendall Hardware in Clarksville

Yellow cherries are a seasonal treat outside the Kendall Hardware in Clarksville.

For much of the summer, there is a produce stand outside the store on Rte 32 just north of Rte 108.  You can also buy shaved ice at the Snowballs stand in the same parking lot.

Last weekend, they had the regular corn, cantaloupes and tomatoes.  But they also sold yellow cherries that they said were local.  They actually mentioned the Maryland town, but I forgot during our morning errands at garden centers.  (Another discovery of marriage: Doctors won't eat farm stand cherries until they have been washed at home.)

The cherries are clearly fragile because many were lightly bruised.  Some of those were still firm.  A few were so bruised that I threw them away.  They have a mild flavor.  Not as sweet or strong as the red cherries, but deliciously novel and extremely refreshing as a summer dessert.

If you are near the Kendall Hardware, then you should definitely check out the Roots organic market just up Rte 108.  For really local produce, go buy vegetables at the Gorman Produce Farm in Laurel.  Or check out all the posts about the farmers markets in Columbia.

Produce stand

at the Kendall Hardware

12260 Clarksville Pike (Rte 108)

Clarksville, MD 21029

NEAR:  This is on Rte 108 just north of Rte 32.

Sidamo Coffee To Open In Maple Lawn

Sidamo Coffee & Tea will open a coffee shop in the Maple Lawn spot vacated by Daily Grind.

Maple Lawn wants that urban feel, and Sidamo originated on Capitol Hill. That first store sells breakfast and lunch, along with coffee that they describe as "organic shade grown coffee." I hear that they served coffee samples at a Maple Lawn picnic and that they plan on be open 7 am to 7 pm every day. I haven't heard when they'll open.

A Washington Post review says Sidamo was opened by an Ethopian couple who roast their beans at the DC shop. They also have people present a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony on Sunday afternoons.

Thanks to the OAWPG for the tip on the name. And thanks to everyone for not hitting my car this morning as I was backing up 20 feet on Maple Lawn Boulevard to read the sign. The OAWPG had to remind me about Sidamo's name because I forgot it while playing video pinball on the train.

If you go to Maple Lawn, then you should definitely check out the frozen yogurt at the BP gas station. (Seriously.)

Gorman Produce Farm in Laurel

If you read HowChow, then you should buy vegetables at Gorman Produce Farm as soon as you have a free afternoon.

I'm blogging about food in Howard County. Go buy from people growing food in Howard County at the newly-rejuvinated farm between Rte 29 and U.S. 1.

Lydia and Dave Liker have leased the farm on Gorman Road, and they sell produce just in from the field. This is about a mile south of the Harris Teeter in King's Contrivance. Much of the Liker's produce goes out through their "community supported agriculture" program where people paid $550 for weekly boxes of vegetables from June through October. But you can pick up fresh vegetables by stopping at the farm and buying from the Likers -- or from Dave's father, who helped me buy on Saturday.

(Update: My friend was turned away from the farm on July 15, 2009. A guy there told her that they wouldn't be open for a few weeks. Then, an anonymous comment on another post said that a guy told them that you should come Thursday or Saturday from 2 to 4 pm. Please check out my update.  As I mentioned below, they told me that they're open most days. I assume they're working out the kinks. Please be patient because it's a family farm.)

I saw a new sign for the Gorman Produce Farm on my way to the Savage library. The sign doesn't really say that you can buy vegetables there, but I drove down a gravel road to the signs that say "park here" and "produce here." Inside a building were plastic tubs and boxes full of vegetables -- squash, basil, cabbage, green beans, eggplants, chard, and on and on. I broke out my "emergency" $20 bill, and I bought carrots, kohlrabi, squash and lettuce. They're beautiful and delicious.

The vegetables are not certified organic, but the Likers say on their Web site that they grow everything according to organic principles. That works for me because I'm skeptical of government "organic" labels -- just like I'm skeptical about the government labels for "local" produce. Why not believe a farm where you can look around yourself?

You can meet the farmers most days until about 6 pm. The CSA pick-up is Thursday, and they say people can pick up until 6 pm. Dave Liker said that the gates on Gorman close when they're closed for the day. His father pointed out that it's a working farm, so there are times when people drive up and the Likers are too busy working to make a sale.

Gorman's prices seem about what you pay at the Howard County farmers markets. Tomatoes should ripen in a week or so. The fields are just going to deliver more and more through the end of the summer. The Likers apparently moved from Colorado after researching places to run a farm. Go show them that they made the right decision by coming to your neighborhood.

Click here for more about CSAs in Howard County. For the full list of Gorman Produce Farm's crops, click for their list.

Gorman Produce Farm

11051 Gorman Road

Laurel, MD 20723

Updated: 301-908-8063

NEAR: This is on Gorman Road east of Rte 29 and west of U.S. 1. This is south of Rte 32, just minutes south of Columbia and almost walking distance from King's Contrivance.

From Broken Land Parkway, take Broken Land south of Rte 32 until it deadends. Turn left and then right on Murray Hill Road. Take that until it deadends into Gorman Road. Turn right on Gorman. You'll see the farm's sign on the left just before a point where the road bends to the right.

From Rte 29, take the exit for Johns Hopkins Road, which is also marked for Gorman. Turn left at the top of the ramp and go through the next traffic circle. The road changes name to Gorman, and you just drive until you see the farm's sign on the right at a point where the road bends to the left.

From U.S. 1, go west at the light for Gorman Road. You'll pass the Savage library. Gorman Road actually turns right. The "straight ahead" changes name to Skylark Boulevard as you enter a housing development. After you turn right to "stay" on Gorman, the road curves and curves. You'll see the farm's sign on the left just before a point where the road bends to the right.

Link: "Local" Produce in the Sun

The Sun just ran an interesting article about "local" produce and how you're being mislead if you think that "local" produce comes from anywhere you consider local.  

Produce under the "local" signs was from as far away as Europe and New Zealand, and even the government's definition of "local" is 400 miles -- from Boston to Cape Hatteras.  Great reporting.  Exactly the kind of shoe-leather work that bloggers like me aren't going to do because it takes serious time.

The Sun doesn't say that you're being completely manipulated and shouldn't believe the signs.  But I'm not a big newspaper that sells ads to the supermarkets.  Even when I'm telling you about a truck selling "local" produce, I say "Who knows?"  People lie -- or they get the government to define "local" to include Boston.

Thanks to CJB for the tip about the Sun article.

Wegmans Construction Begins, Sun Reports

The esteemed Larry Carson of the Sun reports that crews have begun installing fences around the Wegmans site in Columbia. He says demolition of the existing warehouse should be complete by August, but there is no construction schedule or opening date yet.

It won't open in 2010, which just makes it hurt more to read old press releases saying the Columbia Wegmans could open as early as 2009.

I'm not clear if Carson is making a sly joke when he calls the Columbia Wegman's a "giant 160,000-square-foot" supermarket. We know it isn't a Giant.

HowChow reported on a Wegmans building permit Monday. Of course, HowChow has the luxury of concentrating its "news" reporting on two supermarkets and a Peruvian chicken joint. The Sun seems to have left Carson covering the entire county.

(Update: Lotsboogeys beat me and the Sun in a comment to an earlier post that he wrote before noon about Wegmans construction starting. Also -- check of the Tales of Two Cities blog if you're looking for news about the law suits surrounding the Wegmans.)

Pollo Fuego Looks Ready To Open

Peruvian chicken still hasn't gotten through customs into Howard County.

Pollo Fuego has been under construction in Jessup since spring, and it still wasn't opened when I went by on Thursday evening. But the restaurants looks close with tables, chairs, and counter ready for customers. There are "Grand Opening" banners inside. There is even a box outside filling with little flyers advertising the specials.

But no pollo in sight. No soda in the cooler. No one working at the heart of dinnertime. And the building permit is still stuck to the front window.

(Update: Pollo Fuego opened in July 2009. Please post your comments here.)

Pollo Fuego is in the Columbia East shopping center ar Rte 175 and U.S. 1. It's in the back around the corner from My Organic Market.

Yogiberry and Five Guys At The Columbia Mall

Five Guys should open at the Columbia Mall in the last week of July, according to the customer service folks at the mall.  They also say that Yogiberry should open in August.

This is two food milestones for Howard County -- Five Guys' great burgers and Yogiberry's trendy frozen yogurt.  Keep me up to date if you hear more.

(Update: Milton Friendly comments below that the Chipotle has opened at the mall.  A real food blog would never comment on the fact that a chain like Chipotle has opened at the Columbia Mall.  The opening of a Chipotle at the Columbia Mall would be beneath a classy food blog that should celebrate local places and local everything and should not exist to tell people that Chipotle has opened at the Columbia Mall.  OK?  We're not mentioning it.  Nothing about Chipotle here . . . )

The Spiciest Dish in Howard County

I went to Bangkok Delight for spicy and got more than I even wanted.

Country curry at the Columbia Thai restaurant. I didn't order anything special, didn't ask for the super spicy. But my curry came out so hot that I alternated between dropping my fork in fear and then shoveling food so rapidly that my wife became concerned.

Her dish was delicious and cooling with its coconut milk base. Ironically, I had been sold on the country curry special because I thought that a non-coconut curry sounded interesting. We went to Bangkok Delight because we had just hosted my nephew for three days. Lovely boy, but it has been three days without vegetables or spicy. So we drove to Rte 108 to shake up a nacho-hot dog-pizza cuisine.

"No mas" or however Duran would have quit if he had been Thai. I ate half the plate for dinner. I took the other half for lunch, but ended up going out with a visiting friend and just throwing the brown bag away. (Before I was married to a doctor, I might have said "Sitting out in my office all day isn't that long.") Honestly, it was a disappointing trip to Bangkok Delight, which I have touted some days as the best restaurant in Howard County. Not last week. It's not a cheap place, and the "chicken wrap" special appetizer wasn't special. Great sauces, but uninspired chicken and iceberg lettuce. I still love the place, but it wasn't "best of the county" at all.

Link: Coal Fire Pizza on the Susquehana Photographic

Coal Fire Pizza gets a rave review and some sharp photos on the Susquehana Photographic blog. Philip is writing a series of posts about day trips from central Pennsylvania, and the first posts are about Ellicott City.

Philip loves pizza like the Pizza Blogger, and he snaps photos like a professional. (Update: He is a professional.) Raves like Philip's and some thoughtful criticism keep being added as comments to my post about Coal Fire on Rte 108. Please add your thoughts about Coal Fire there.

Produce Truck On Broken Land Parkway in Columbia

On the side of Broken Land Parkway, there is a truck parked full of tomatoes, watermelon, corn and other produce that is being sold as local wares.

Who knows? I stopped for corn and tomatoes on Broken Land's shoulder just south of Rte 32. I have to admit that the tomatoes weren't as good -- and we the same price -- as the tomatoes at the Sunday farmers market in Columbia.

But there was a little romance in buying roadside produce on a whim. It's not the fun of roadside tacos on a whim, but it's a quick option if you commute home on Rte 32. Easy off and back on from Broken Land.

Link: Menupix Collects Menus Across Howard County

I don't claim (or even aspire) that HowChow lists every restaurant in Howard County. HoCo Loco Girl does a nice job of listing locally-owned restaurants, and I think it's an invaluable place to look around for something that you might enjoy.

Now, there is a barebones Web site called Menupix that lists dozens of Howard County restaurants. It's niche is that it links directly to the menu pages of the restaurants' Web sites. No real information, and the list -- like our arteries -- is globbed up with chain joints. But it's a fast site with a nice list if you're looking for a menu.

Link: Maiwand Kabob on Technology & MSG

Maiwand Kabob gets a friendly post from the MSG & Technology blog. Alex visited the new location near Arundel Mill, but it seems right in line with the Columbia original. Alex talked up the chicken kabob platter and says there will be a return trip -- when any hungry blogger should try the pumpkin appetizer.

Who Owns The River HIll Sports Grille?

Does anyone know news about the River Hill Sports Grille in Clarksville?

On July 3, 2009, the Annapolis Capital reported that William Raymond Miller was sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison for an insurance fraud scheme. The story says that Miller forfeited a sports bar in Clarksville. I think that is the River Hill Sports Grille, which I posted about in March.

I hadn't heard the grille closed, so I assume that the federal government sold the place to someone else. Or are FBI agents serving beer and burgers behind the bar?

Breaking News: Wegmans Applied For A Building Permit in Columbia

Wegmans appears ready to start construction of its Columbia supermarket -- at least according to the Howard County building permit that Wegmans applied for on June 30, 2009.

An employee of Wegmans Construction in Rochester applied to build a temporary construction trailer at 8895 McGaw Road in Columbia. That is the site across from Apple Ford where Wegmans has been talking about a new store since at least 2006. A county employee appears to have done a "building review" on July 1, 2009, but there isn't a permit issued yet.

(Update:  In January 2011, Wegmans applied for permits to actually start building the grocery store and the accompanying parking garage.)

This confirms comments by Wordbones -- who is the source for Wegmans construction news -- on the Tales of Two Cities blog. In June, Wordbones wrote that their local attorney said the company had prevailed against legal challenges. The attorney did not have a date for a Columbia opening then, and the Wegmans Web site still said "TBD" today and listed it behind two stores to open in 2010. About five months ago, Wordbones heard that Wegmans was aiming for early 2011.

I heard about the permit from an anonymous comment on an earlier post. (Thank you for all the comments!) You can check application B09001570 yourself at the Howard County Web site. Just search for all permits on McGaw Road in June 2009.

I'm a huge Wegmans fan, and I posted before about why I want Wegmans. If you want to comment about Wegmans and what it brings/does to the local shopping scene, please comment on that prior post.

Oh, What A Cake in Columbia

The best part about profiling one bakery is that other people write to alert me about more.

Oh, What A Cake! is an established wedding and fancy cake shop on Dobbin Road in Columbia that I discovered last month after an email to HowChow. I have run errands on Dobbin for almost four years, and I had no idea that I was just blocks away from a cupcake treat on every trip.

You should check out Oh, What A Cake! even if you just grab a red velvet cupcake, as I have done now twice in the past week. I actually bought trays of cupcakes both times -- once for dinner at my house and once to carry to a friend's. They sell small cakes that go for 80 cents or $1 and larger ones with fillings for about $2.50. They're all delicious, and the selection makes them a hit with a crowd. Vanilla cake with basic frosting for the kids. Almond, lemon, red velvet and other flashy flavors for the adults. Definitely try the cream cheese frosting, which has the thick but not-too-sweet flavor that I like best.

Although the cupcakes and the cookies are great to grab, the real business at Oh, What a Cake! is wedding creations along with sheet cakes and pound cakes. This is custom work. You appear to be able to get anything you want. There are books of photos for inspiration, and you can see into the bakery's back room where the real work is done.

In the end, Oh, What A Cake is all about that pastry work. The shopping center sits on a commercial strip of Dobbin that connects McGaw Road to Oakland Mills Parkway. Not exactly a commuter route, but then Howard County's other best bakeries -- like Bonaparte Bread and Touche Touchet -- aren't placed for drive-by business either. Those places serve coffee and a broader menu, with some tables to sit. Oh, What A Cake is just takeout. Cupcakes in the car, I'm pleased to report, are oh, so delicious.

Click here for my prior post about bakeries in Howard County, which I need to update to include Oh, What A Cake!

(Update: In a comment below, the Baltimore Beer Guy points out that Oh, What A Cake is just down Dobbin Road from Frisco Grille & Cantina. A cupcake, and a stellar beer! What could be finer?)

Oh, What A Cake!
6656 Dobbin Rd # K
Columbia, MD 21045-5841
(301) 931-2253‎

NEAR: This is on Dobbin Road between Oakland Mills Parkway and McGaw Road. So it's very convenient from Rte 175 (heading south on Dobbin) or from Snowden River Parkway (going west on Oakland Mills or McGaw). This is a few blocks away from Lily's Mexican Market on Dobbin or from Bon Fresco on Oakland Mills.

Link: Chick N' Friends in the WPost

Chick N' Friends got a positive write-up in Wednesday's Washington Post.  The Columbia takeout spot does fried chicken and fish, and I wouldn't leave without a sweet potato pie with one of the chicken meals.

Pele Plantations Coffee near Kona, Hawaii

If Howard County had a few more volcanoes, then you wouldn't need Pele Plantations Coffee.

Mrs. HowChow and I rode a decade's frequent flyer miles to Hawaii last month, and chance -- plus a busted connection -- put us in the very last row on the Kona flight next to a really nice guy from Los Angeles. Bad seats broke the ice. We chatted about the Big Island where he had lived for several years, and Trey invited us to tour the coffee farm where his father had moved 20 years ago from the mainland.

Pele Plantations turned out to be an experience that ranked with the lava fields and the hike to black-sand beaches. (But below the sea turtles. Nothing matches a swim with the sea turtles!)

Gus and Cynthia Brocksen run their own organic coffee farm on the slope of a hill south of Kona. They also buy beans from other locals, and their niche is selling "estate" coffee, meaning that the coffee in your bag comes from a single, specific farm. If you like the flavor of "Kona Rose," then you can order again and know that you'll get coffee from the same fields.

You're going to get great coffee no matter what you order from Pele Plantations. Gus and Cynthia toured us around for three hours. We had imagined a big commercial operation, but they basically run the business from their home -- a home with a large garage, a pumping mill, and a drying shed with a movable roof. They hand-pick pick only red beans, which they say avoids the bitterness in green beans that come along when commercial growers strip entire plants on a single day. They handle the beans every step of the way except for one step, and they clearly care about the coffee.

I'm sold. I don't know if I can justify $25 per pound for everyday coffee (and the organics hit $36), but I do believe that their "Mauka Fire" coffee is the best coffee that I have ever bought. It is so much better that I don't really have the vocabulary to explain the difference. Strong, earthy coffee taste, but no bitterness. Caramel-smooth, says Mrs. HowChow. Pele Plantation provides the coffee for the espresso bar and the luxury suites at the Four Seasons resort, so you know that taste must be special.

If you want to try a special coffee, buy mail order from Pele Plantations because they're going to treat you honestly. Every store on the Big Island offered "Kona" coffee, and they're mostly big company brands so you have no idea what you're really getting. In contrast, we stood in Pele Plantation's garage with burlap bags of the different varieties. We decided on "Mauka Fire" on Cynthia's recommendation, and we watched Gus roast three pounds just for us. They have no coffee on the shelf. It's all bagged in green form, then roasted for your order. Too expensive for most people, but a real treat if coffee is your little luxury and cheaper than most "Kona" sold on the island.

If you go to the Big Island, definitely call for a Pele Plantation tour. Years ago, I went on a stuffy tourist tour in Costa Rica. That isn't Cynthia's style. She outfitted Mrs. HowChow with picking gear and walked us right into the fields where plants grow in the fast-draining lava rocks. We learned about coffee plant. We heard about local economics and about Gus and Cynthia's first date. We saw their macadamia nut trees. We saw their sheep. (We saw more of the ram than we ever expected, if you know what I mean.) Then, we came back to the house, and Cynthia was going to run the pulping mill just for us until we promised that we had seen enough. It's a comprehensive tour (although you don't taste the coffee because they don't have any sitting around), and I really believed Cynthia when she said, "You don't have to buy any coffee." We bought three pounds.

The really interesting option at Pele Plantations is their coffee club. You pick your schedule -- deciding the type of beans, the roast and the frequency. You could buy every month, every two months, every three. No minimum enrollment. No penalty if you cancel. The Brocksens think that you'll love their coffee, so they'll stand up for it.

For local coffee roasting, you should check out Mad City Coffee in Columbia or look for coffee roasted by Orinoco Coffee, which still roasts in Columbia although the retail store on McGaw Road closed. I also stumbled on Southern Skies Coffee in Finksburg, MD. The Web site looks like a small roaster selling four varieties. Has anyone seen Southern Skies Coffee at a store/restaurant?

(Photos by Mrs. HowChow (Canon EOS).)

Pele Plantations
Gus & Cynthia Brocksen, Owners & Founders
P.O. Box 809

Honaunau, HI 96726

http://www.peleplantations.com/

Dutch Country Farmers Market Moving to Laurel From Burtonsville This Summer

The Dutch Country Farmers Market in Burtonsville will close next week in order to relocate the entire market to a shopping center on Rte 198 in Laurel.

The market is an entertaining outlet for meats, dairy, fresh-squeezed juices, vegetables and the bacon-egg-and-cheese pretzel. For two years, it's future has been hazy because its current landlord wants to renovate the Burtonsville shopping center. In the spring, the market signed a new lease in Laurel a few blocks easy of U.S. 1, and it sent emails yesterday saying the market would close after July 4 and aim to reopen in late August or September.

(Update: They're open in Laurel.)

The Dutch Country Market is a real resource for unique items, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys food. The Laurel location may be a little farther east from Howard County, but it isn't that much harder than driving down Rte 29 to Burtonsville. You'll just need to accompany a market run with Peruvian chicken and yuca fries at Mega Chicken in Laurel instead of the ice cream at Seibel's in Burtonsville. Actually, the drive through Laurel gives you the option to pair the Dutch Country Market with shopping at either Eastern Bazar or Panam Supermarket -- both just south of Rte 198 in Laurel.

While the Dutch Country Farmers Market is under repair, check out my post about butchers in Howard County for other carnivore resources. Or click for the starting page for my "What I Learned" guide to food in Howard County.

If you want to comment on the Dutch Country market, please post them on the main post about the market. I would prefer to centralize them there.

Dutch Country Farmers Market (to July 4, 2009)

15642 Columbia Pike

Burtonsville, MD

301-421-1454

http://www.burtonsvilledutchmarket.com/

NEAR: The Dutch market is at the intersection of Rte 198 and Columbia Pike. This is a block west of Rte 29. From Howard County, take the first exit in Montgomery County. You'll go around a traffic circle at the top of the exit ramp, and then you'll ride down the old Rte 29 past Meadows Farms nursery. The market is in the shopping center on the right just before the intersection with Rte 198.

Dutch Country Farmers Market (after August or September 2009)

9701 Fort Meade Road (Rte 198)

Laurel, MD 20707

877-421-1454

717-786-4736

http://www.burtonsvilledutchmarket.com/

NEAR: The market will be on Rte 198 just east of U.S. 1. It is very convenient from downtown Laurel.