Live in Howard County

Howard Magazine Best of Dining 2009, Part 2

2009-10-09T09:00:00.001-04:00

The Howard Magazine Best of Dining reader's poll results have 43 categories. I listed what I considered the top 11 in yesterday's post. Here is a set focused on some of the more "everyday" food categories.

Best Bar Food: Victoria Gastro Pub
Honorable Mentions: The Green Turtle, Clyde's of Columbia, Bare Bones, Looney's Pub South, Rams Head Tavern, Shannon's

Best Value: Double-T Diner
Honorable Mentions: Maiwand Kabob, Shannon's, Mimi's Cafe

Best Breakfast: Eggspectation
Honorable Mentions: Mimi's Cafe, Double-T Diner, Bob Evans

Best Brunch: Clyde's of Columbia
Honorable Mentions: Eggspectation, Victoria Gastro Pub, Waterside

Best Burger: Red Robin
Honorable Mention: Cheeburger Cheeburger, Victoria Gastro Pub, Fuddruckers

Best Crab Cake: Clyde's of Columbia
Honorable Mentions: Crab Shanty, LeeLynn's, Coho Grill, Shannon's

Best Deli: Charter Deli
Honorable Mentions: Columbia's Best Deli, Nora's Cafe, Bagel Bin, Panera

Best Dessert: The Cheesecake Factory
Honorable Mentions: La Madeleine, Bonaparte Breads, Iron Bridge Wine, Touche Touchet

Best Lunch Menu: Shannon's
Honorable Mentions (3-way tie): Cheesecake Factory, Nordstrom's Cafe, Panera

Best Pizza: Ledo
Honorable Mentions: Trattoria E Pizzaria Da Enrico, Bertucci's, PastaBlitz

Best Ribs: Bare Bones
Honorable Mentions: Famous Dave's, Kloby's, The Rumor Mill, T-Bonz

Best Sports Bar: Champps
Honorable Mentions: The Green Turtle, Looney's Pub South, River Hill Sports Grill

Best Takeout: Maiwand Kabob
Honorable Mentions: Akbar, Panera, Pei Wei

Howard Magazine Best of Dining 2009

2009-10-08T09:00:00.001-04:00

Howard Magazine has published the results of its 2009 readers' poll of dining in the county. It's still very hard to find this information anywhere online, so I'll share some of the winners. With 43 different categories it seems like there's room for everyone to win something. But there are some categories that seem to be more significant than others. Herewith, some of the key category winners and honorable mentions.

Best Restaurant (Overall): Clyde's of Columbia
Honorable Mentions: The Kings Contrivance, Victoria Gastro Pub, Aida Bistro

Best Fine Dining: The Kings Contrivance
Honorable Mentions: Tersiguel's, Elkridge Furnace Inn, Jordan's Steakhouse

Best New Restaurant: Bistro Blanc
Honorable Mention: Looney's Pub South

Best Chinese: Hunan Manor
Honorable Mentions: P.F. Chang's, China Chefs, Asean Bistro, Hunan Legend

Best Sushi: Sushi Sono
Honorable Mentions: Sushi King, Sakura, Fuji

Best Asian (other than Chinese): Asean Bistro
Honorable Mentions: Noodles Corner, Nichi Bei Kai, Pei Wei

Best Indian: House of India
Honorable Mentions: Akbar, Bombay Peacock Grill, The Mango Grove

Best Italian: Aida Bistro
Honorable Mentions: Carrabba's, Strapazza, Olive Garden

Best Mexican: El Azteca
Honorable Mentions: Zapata's, La Palapa, Don Pablo's, MiCasa

Best Steak: Jordan's Steakhouse
Honorable Mentions: Outback Steakhouse, Longhorn Steaks, Greystone Grill

Best Wine List: Iron Bridge Wine Co.
Honorable Mentions: Victoria Gastro Pub, The Wine Bin, Aida Bistro, Bistro Blanc

To see how the 2009 list changed from last year, see our summary of the 2008 Howard Magazine list.

HoCo Chefs in Restaurant Weeks Videos

2009-08-31T09:00:00.001-04:00

I just came across two videos of local chefs that were produced for Howard County's Restaurant Weeks. The theme for this summer's promotion was fresh local produce and suppliers. That's why one video is Bistro Blanc's Chef Marc Dixon preparing a hamburger using local beef, and the other is the Elkridge Furnace Inn's Executive Chef and owner Dan Wecker's Chicken Ventura featuring herbs straight from his garden. Have a look. Next stop: Food Network!

Jordan's Steakhouse RIP (?)

2009-08-29T09:00:00.002-04:00

What a long, strange couple of weeks it must have been for Jordan Naftal. First he and Carlos Venegas (of Ranazul) announce they are taking over the space of oZ Chophouse in Maple Lawn. Then a dispute with his landlord leaves Naftal locked out of his namesake restaurant, Jordan's Steakhouse in Ellicott City. And soon followed criminal charges filed against Naftal due to nonpayment of wages to a former worker, along with reports of unpaid taxes. The latest news is that Jordan is pulling out of the Maple Lawn venture with Venegas, and it seems that Jordan's Steakhouse is closed permanently.

It's a series of sad developments, not only for Jordan, but also for what appears to many former employees who have not been paid for weeks or months. Jordan has been a fixture in the Howard County restaurant scene, including active roles with the Restaurant Association and the board of Howard County Tourism. It remains to be seen if and how he will rebound.

You can find some virulent comments about Jordan and his restaurant on some other sites, but I can't believe he was trying to con or deceive anyone. The reputation, identity, and presumably financial well being of Jordan and his family were wrapped up in Jordan's Steakhouse. I hope he finds a way to "figure out how to take care of everyone and to figure out our plan." It can't be easy. And the Howard County community is a poorer place for his absence.

Bon Fresco Brings Great Bread and Sandwiches to Columbia

2009-08-12T09:00:00.003-04:00

It took me a little while to get around to trying Bon Fresco, but once I did, it's been hard to stay away. The place makes great fresh breads baked on the premises in several varieties -- baguette, ciabatta, foccacia, a delicious plain white loaf, and my recent favorite, a soft, pillowy flatbread. We were recently offered a cinnamon bun that put the gloppy mall versions to shame.

Sandwiches at Bon Fresco are inventive with fresh, top quality ingredients including fresh roast turkey, pork loin, nice grilled vegetables and much more. The sandwiches come out hearty but not over-stuffed. You can feel good that you're eating well, but not eating too much. Sandwiches are served with a little side of lentils or cous-cous, which I like for a change of pace. But some folks really wanted chips, so now Bon Fresco offers a choice of good-quality potato chips if you get a drink, too.

In addition to the sandwiches, Bon Fresco has some terrific salads (the curried chicken salad is especially good) and you can choose your own mix of toppings and greens. They also have several freshly made soups that look great but I frankly haven't tried yet. The counter staff is friendly and eager to make suggestions to help you make the best choice. Bon Fresco has enough seats to eat right there or you can take your treasures back to your home, office, picnic or wherever.

Bon Fresco is precisely the type of fresh, home grown eatery that folks often say they want as a quality alternative to fast food chains. If you're one of those folks, seek Bon Fresco out and put your money where your mouth is. If you're not one of those folks, give it a try anyway and you may find yourself coming back, too.

Location
6945 Oakland Mills Road
Columbia, MD 21045
410-290-3434
(no website I can find)

From Snowden River Parkway, go west on Oakland Mills Road and take the first right into the shopping/office park. Bon Frescos is tucked in to the right, and they've put up a few small signs to help you find them. It's worth looking for!

Reviews

How Chow has two positive posts (post 1, post 2) about Bon Fresco.
Urbanspoon readers give Bon Fresco a 100% rating based on 19 votes and 3 user reviews (as of 8/11/09)
Yelp readers five Bon Fresco 5/5 stars based on 2 reviews as of 8/11/09.
Chowhound has 5 comments about Bon Fresco as of 8/11/09.

B&O American Brasserie

2009-08-11T09:00:00.005-04:00

We ventured into Baltimore last weekend to try the brand new B&O American Brasserie at the brand new Hotel Monaco Baltimore. This is a formidable restaurant with a high-powered chef, E. Michael Reidt, whose resume includes Food & Wine's Best New Chef of 2001 and top restaurants in Boston, Miami and Santa Barbara. It's a welcome addition to the Baltimore scene, and far more than a typical hotel restaurant, though it is saddled with the responsibility of offering breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. The B&O American Brasserie is a destination in its own right and provides ample reasons for locals to give it a try.

The restaurant, located in what used to be the headquarters building of the B&O Railroad, has a handsome bar, lounge, kitchen and a few tables on the ground floor, with more seating in a loft area upstairs. We were initially seated at the rail of the upstairs loft, but found the noise and music from the bar area a little overpowering, so we moved further back into one of the more secluded banquettes. The restaurant wasn't full, so it was easy to move, but one wonders what the sound level might be like on a truly busy night. And it probably will get busy.

The focus here is on Chesapeake regional food and ingredients. The menu is not as extensive or adventurous as the Woodberry Kitchen, but there is a welcome emphasis on local farms and suppliers. As their website says, the restaurant is "committed to sustainable and socially responsible practices...[using] non-intrusive, high quality, eco-friendly products, ingredients and services as well as organic and local foods whenever possible." Their menu is not yet available online, but includes starters and salads, brick oven flatbreads ($8-11), sandwiches ($11-15), and main couses ($17-27, or up to $34 for a ribeye steak). You can also get a number of interesting-looking snacks at the bar from $6 up.

Our meal started with Summer Corn Chowder soup that was a smooth and satisfying beginning. Smoked Carolina Trout was good, not great, but complemented with a wonderful potato salad that left us wanting more. A Ricotta Flatbread with asparagus and a fried egg on top was a disappointment, with the bread coming out tough and too crunchy, and the flavors nondescript.

Our entrees were top-notch. The Chesapeake Rockfish was well prepared, but the smoked shrimp-pea risotto with arugula pesto upon which it arrived was a dream. BBQ Beef Shortrib was succulent with a delicious, smoky barbeque sauce and rich, creamy potatoes. The Culoutte Steak from Vande Rose Farms (in Iowa, not exactly local, but plenty good) was cooked just right, as were the accompanying Duck Fat Fries which put all others I've had to shame. The Rice-Crusted Diver Scallops were fine and recommended by the waitress, but were frankly were the only entree that didn't competely win us over. The Garlicky Spinach we had as a side was certainly fresh, but not very garlicky.

The desserts were inventive and we couldn't resist trying a few. My daughter had a lot of fun with a Pop Rocks Root Beer Float. Apple Tart with Honey Ice Cream proved to be a mini apple pie that would have been a meal in itself (most of it's still in our fridge) but the honey ice cream was very satisfying. Another dessert, which I can't recall, featured Pepper Ice Cream. We ordered just a scoop of the ice cream and it was a revelation -- I've never had that combination of ice cream sweetness with black pepper tang. I'll be on the lookout for it again.

The restaurant has not yet completely found its feet. Our server was pleasant, but it took a while for utensils and other items to appear. Music volume and lighting levels seemed to vary up and down through the evening. And one last quibble: there's only a single unisex bathroom for the entire bar and restaurant. That's going to be a problem that I hope they can soon remedy.

The B&O American Brasserie is located at 2 N. Charles, between Baltimore and Fayette Streets. Valet parking is $5 for restaurant guests. Take a few minutes and wander up the marble steps to the lobby of the Hotel Monaco -- there's a very nice lounge area and it's great to see this landmark building restored.

Location
2 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-692-6172
www.bandorestaurant.com

oZ Chophouse Sold to Jordan's

2009-08-10T10:00:00.003-04:00

oZ Chophouse in Maple Lawn closed its doors August 8 and sold the restaurant to Jordan Naftal, owner of Jordan's Steakhouse in Ellicott City. The sale is confirmed by the oZ website. How Chow via Elizabeth Large reports that the new restaurant in the space will be a joint project between Jordan and Carlos Venegas, owner of Ranazul's, called "Carlos and Jordan's Steakhouse." We were fans of oZ's, as our most recent review in March indicated, but word of mouth even then was turning against the restaurant, not to mention the economy. We will miss oZ but look forward to a collaboration between the owners of Jordan's and Ranazul, targeted for November 2009 according to a tweet from Jordan. Burning questions: will the tree remain in the dining room and will the rocks still be in the bathroom sinks?

Also see our original thumbnail post on oZ Chophouse.

Get thee to the Fair!

2009-08-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

The Howard County Fair is underway through August 15. Head on out to the fairground from 8am - 11pm each day for a dose of food, fun and farm animals. The Fair website could use a little help with its schedule information, but there's plenty going on each day. Guess you just have to wander down to find out. If anyone knows of a better schedule posted online, please let me know.

While you're in the neighborhood, consider a stop at Jenny's Market or Bistro Blanc (but not on Mondays for either one...though Bistro Blanc is hosting a special wine dinner tonight featuring Mt. Airy's Elk Run Winery).

Saturday and Sunday Restaurant Specials in Howard County, Jun '09

2009-06-06T15:20:00.000-04:00

Here's a list of restaurant specials in Howard County for Saturdays and Sundays in June. Also see our post on Brunches for Saturday and Sunday brunch options in Howard County. Check here for specials on other days of the week.

Saturdays

Alexandra's Restaurant at the Turf Valley Resort has your choice of steaks for $20.
The Coho Grill offers prime rib specials in 14, 16 or 18 oz. cuts, plus any bottle of wine for $15.
Kelsey's has discounted wings and beer before 5:00 pm, and 1/2 price desserts and coffee drinks after 5:00
Waverly Grill has 1/2 price bottles of wine and 1/2 price appetizers (excluding seafood).

Sundays

Bare Bones has a special rib & chicken dinner, salad and dessert for $17.99.
Iron Bridge Wine Company has 3 for $30, pick any appetizer, entree and dessert for $30.
Kelsey's has discounted oysters, shrimp and burgers all day.
Greystone Grill has Prime Rib for $19.
Waverly Grill offers 10% off your entire dine-in check.

Friday Restaurant Specials in Howard County, Jun '09

2009-06-05T15:18:00.001-04:00

Here's a list of restaurant specials in Howard County for Fridays in June. Check here for specials on other days of the week.

Alexandra's Restaurant at the Turf Valley Resort has 1/2 price ribs for dinner.
Coho Grill offers prime rib specials in 14, 16 or 18 oz. cuts.
The King's Contrivance offers 1/2 off any glass or bottle of wine for parties of 8 or fewer.
Waverly Grill has Early Bird special 10% off entire bill between 4-6pm.

Thursday Restaurant Specials in Howard County, May-June '09

2009-06-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a list of restaurant specials in Howard County for Thursdays in June. Check here for specials on other days of the week.

Bare Bones has all-u-can-eat prime rib from 4pm.
Coho Grill has Mini Dini night, featuring small plate versions of many of its favorite entrees.
Iron Bridge Wine Company has no corkage fee for wines bought on site, and offers a cheese and wine flight combo for $20.99.
Kelsey's has 1/2 price quesadillas and nachos, and discounted beer and margaritas.
La Palapa offers Free Dessert.
Pachanga Grill features any chimichanga for $9.95.
Ram's Head Tavern in Savage Mill has homemade meatloaf dinners for $11.95.
River Hill Sports Grille has a steak and shrimp combo for $15.95.
T-Bonz offers crab cake dinners for $14.99.
Ten Oaks Tavern has Prime Rib night: various cuts from $14.99 - 22.99.
Victoria Gastro Pub has 1/2 Price Bottle of Wine night after 5pm.
Waverly Grill has 1/2 price pasta (excluding seafood).

Wednesday Restaurant Specials in Howard County, May-June '09

2009-06-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a list of restaurant specials in Howard County for Wednesdays in June. Check here for specials on other days of the week.

Alexandra's Restaurant at the Turf Valley Resort has crab cake dinners for $15.95.
Bare Bones has all-u-can-eat Texas style spare ribs from 4pm.
Coho Grill has fresh salmon entrees from $9.95.
Iron Bridge Wine Company has 3 for $30, pick any appetizer, entree and dessert for $30.
Kelsey's has 1/2 price bottles of wine.
La Palapa offers 1/2 priced appetizers.
LeeLynn's has 1/2 price bottles of wine.
Mama Lucia has Wine Night: 1/2 off any bottle with purchase of an entree.
Pachanga Grill offers any fajita for $11.95.
Ram's Head Tavern in Savage Mill has baked stuffed shrimp dinners for $15.95.
River Hill Sports Grille has 1/2 price wine and 1 and 1/2 pound lobsters for $18.95.
Serafino's has 1/2 price appetizers.
T-Bonz has steak night, a 10-oz. sirloin for $14.99.
Ten Oaks Tavern has crab cake dinner special for $14.99
Waverly Grill has 1/2 price bottles of wine and kids under 10 eat free (with adult entree).

Tuesday Restaurant Specials in Howard County, May-June '09

2009-06-02T09:05:00.000-04:00

Here's a list of restaurant specials in Howard County for Tuesdays in June. Check here for specials on other days of the week.

Alexandra's Restaurant at the Turf Valley Resort has 1/2 price burgers and discounts on beer.
Bare Bones has all-u-can-eat beef ribs and barbeque chicken from 4pm.
The Coho Grill has 1/2 price burgers.
The Friendly Inn has 1/2 price appetizers and a bluegrass jam session from 6:00 - 9:00 pm.
Greystone Grill has 1/2 price bottles of wine.
Iron Bridge Wine Company has steak night, $20.99 for one of four steak preparations plus soup or salad.
Kelsey's has 1/2 price wings and discounted beers of the world.
La Palapa offers All You Can Eat Tacos.
LeeLynn's Burger Night, $6 burgers with any two toppings.
Mama Lucia offers Pizza Night: buy one large pizza and get the second for $2.99.
Pachanga Grill features carne asada T-bones for $12.95.
Ram's Head Tavern in Savage Mill has prime rib dinners for $14.95 or $18.95.
River Hill Sports Grille has 1/2 price wings and discounted beers in the bar.
Second Chance Saloon has 1/2 price burgers.
Serafino's has 1/2 price bottles of wine.
T-Bonz offers baby back ribs for $14.99.
Ten Oaks Tavern offers Lobster night: 1 and 1/4 pound lobster for $15.99.
Waverly Grill has 1/2 price burgers.

Bistro Blanc to be reviewed by Elizabeth Large

2009-06-01T14:30:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite restaurants, Bistro Blanc, will be reviewed next Sunday in the Batimore Sun by Elizabeth Large, according to her blog. From the looks of the blog post, it looks like it will be a positive review ("the food is well worth the drive"). Hope so. I'll keep my fingers crossed until Sunday.

Monday Restaurant Specials in Howard County, June '09

2009-06-01T09:00:00.004-04:00

Here's a list of restaurant specials in Howard County for Mondays in June. Check here for specials on other days of the week.

Aida Bistro hosts Neighborhood Pasta Night, with a range of pasta entrees from $9.99 up.
Alexandra's Restaurant at the Turf Valley Resort has 1/2 price bottles of wine.
Bare Bones has all-u-can-eat babyback ribs from 4pm.
Clyde's of Columbia has 1/2 price bottles of wine.
The Friendly Inn has 1/2 price burgers and discounted beer and tequila.
Iron Bridge Wine Company offers any of three gourmet burgers with any glass of wine for $20.99.
Kelsey's has discounts on crab cakes.
La Palapa offers 1/2 price pitchers of sangria and margaritas.
LeeLynn's has Crab Cake Monday, $11.50 for a sandwich or $13.50 for dinner.
Mama Lucia has Pasta Night: buy one pasta entree and get the second for $3.99.
Pachanga Grill has all-u-can-eat combos for $11.95.
Ram's Head Tavern in Savage Mill has one and one-half pound lobster dinners for $19.95.
River Hill Sports Grille has 1/2 price burgers and discounted beers.
Serafino's has 1/2 price entrees, excluding specials.
T-Bonz has prime rib for $14.99.
Ten Oaks Tavern has discounted burgers, chicken breasts and martinis
Victoria Gastro Pub has its Beer Club night from 5pm to close.
Waverly Grill has 1/2 price pizzas.

Soiree for Howard County Tourism

2009-05-27T09:00:00.002-04:00

Next Tuesday, June 2, Howard County Tourism will host its annual fundraiser, Soiree!, at the Belmont Conference Center from 5:00 - 9:00 pm. The event will feature food from 17 of the county's best restaurants and culinary resources. There will also be a live and silent auction for exciting travel packages, and a "Dancing with the Howard County Stars" competition featuring four brave couples from the local business community.

This benefit supports Howard County Tourism operations to promote the county, and 10% of the proceeds go to Howard County Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Management scholarship program. If you'd like to support this worthy cause, tickets are available in advance for $80 ($85 at the door) or buy a four-ticket bundle for $275.

Studio Inspire Summer Workshops and 2010 Cruise

2009-05-26T09:00:00.005-04:00

I first wrote about Studio Inspire when it opened last September. Since then, despite the tough economy, the studio has built a membership base of folks seeking fun, fitness and health through dancing in all sorts of styles. The owner, Shara Darden, even won a business achievement award from the Howard County Economic Development Council.

This July and August, Studio Inspire is running a series of short workshops, some for beginners and others for intermediate or advanced dancers, taught by an impressive roster of guest instructors. Workshop styles include jazz, ballet, belly dancing, modern and tap. The workshops offer a great way to sample the studio, and there are early bird deadlines that let you save money on registration.

Studio Inspire is also booking spots on its "Boogie in the Bahamas" cruise, slated for May 17-21, 2010. This is a cool way to take a break with friends, have a lot of fun, and stand a fighting chance burning off as many calories as you'll consume on-board.

Location
Studio Inspire
6656 Dobbin Road
Columbia, MD 21045
410-381-0407
www.studioinspire.net

Kloby's Smokehouse

2009-05-23T08:00:00.003-04:00

For quite a while, I've been wishing for a respectable local barbeque place, and in Kloby's Smokehouse I've found it. It had taken me a little while to get to Kloby's, partly because I was confused about its location due to the Laurel address (or is it West Laurel, North Laurel, or North Maple Lawn...and what ever became of Scaggsville, anyway? If Scaggsville's been marketed out of existence, someone should change the exit sign on I-95...but I digress). Thanks to positive comments from HowChow and loyal reader John Boyle, I finally made a little effort and was pleasantly surprised by Kloby's convenient location and easy access from Rt. 29, just south of Rt. 32 at the Johns Hopkins Road exit.

Once inside I was even more pleased with the casual, friendly vibe of the place, and it smells great. It's place-your-order counter service, but there are plenty of tables and a couple of TVs in a seating area festooned with NASCAR banners. I liked the separate Hershey's ice cream counter, too.

People get very fussy about ribs, and I'd say Kloby's baby backs are very good -- maybe not lights-out great, but real good and better than the beef ribs. You can choose mild or spicy sauce; both are smoky, and while the spicy is still pretty tame, there are bottles of hot sauce at the ready to make adjustments. The real winner for me was the pulled pork sandwich and the sides. The Carolina-style pulled pork was fresh, moist, and handmade with a tasty dab of cole slaw. The BBQ beans, red-skin potato salad, and boardwalk-style fries were all above average. I haven't had the brisket yet, but it looked good and gets a lot of positive comments. The specialty burgers, loaded up with pulled pork, brisket or other BBQ toppings look positively dangerous. And there's also chicken, turkey, spicy sausage, wings and St. Louis style ribs that will have to wait for future visits.

Kloby's has a good backstory, too. The pitmaster and owner, Steve Klobosits, is a former paramedic/firefighter who shifted to culinary school and put in his time at high volume theme restaurants before opening his own place. Kloby's Smokehouse is well worth seeking out, and you'll probably find it very easy to keep coming back.

Reviews

Howard County Times article on Kloby's Smokehouse from 4/16/09.
HowChow has three posts about Kloby's Smokehouse with 5 comments as of 5/22/09.
Urbanspoon readers give Kloby's Smokehouse a 100/100 rating based on 9 votes, with one review (HowChow's) as of 5/22/09.
Yelp readers give Kloby's Smokehouse 3.5/5 stars based on 4 reviews as of 5/22/09.
TripAdvisor readers give Kloby's Smokehouse 3.5/5 stars based on 2 reviews as of 5/22/09.
Kloby's Smokehouse discussion on Chowhound with 5 replies as of 5/22/09.

Location
Kloby's Smokehouse
7500 Montpelier Road
West Laurel, MD 20723
301-362-1510
www.klobysbbq.com

Specials and Other Details

Kloby's is open for Memorial Day and offering $2 off a full rack of St. Louis ribs or a whole chicken.

Wine in the Woods

2009-05-12T13:00:00.001-04:00

The 17th annual Wine in the Woods festival will be held in Columbia's Symphony Woods this weekend, May 16-17 from 12:00 - 6:00 pm. The festival is a celebration of wine, food, music and crafts and general Springtime fun featuring tastings from more than two dozen Maryland wineries (who knew?). There's food from nearly 20 restaurants and vendors, including Greystone Grill, Bombay Peacock Grill and Serafino's. And more than 70 artisans and craft stalls, too.

Music is a keystone of Wine in the Woods. There are two stages, each stocked all day with a variety of styles, literally something for everyone. Featured performers include guitarist Carl Filipiak, Damon Foreman and Blue Funk, and singer/songwriter Victoria Vox and her ukelele.

Tickets are $25 at the gate, but can be had for $20 in advance from three walk-up locations: the HoCo Recs & Parks office, Glenwood Community Center or the Bain Center. Look for directions here. Kids 4-20 are $5, under 4 are free.

Revised Profiles for Bistro Blanc, Jordan's Steakhouse and Tersiguel's

2009-05-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

The format of my restaurant profiles has evolved to include links to other reviews, contact data and other (hopefully) useful information about each establishment. I've decided to revise the older profiles but keep their original posting date and any comments. I've recently completed these:

Sushi Sono

2009-05-11T09:00:00.006-04:00

Sushi Sono holds down a primo location on Columbia's downtown lakefront and serves primo sushi and other Japanese specialties. It's one of the prettier restaurants in the county, with picture windows of the lake, a sizable sushi bar and two private rooms. But it's the sushi, both the rolls and nigiri, that brings in the crowds.

Sushi Sono recently revised its website and has done a good job maintaining a high profile all over the internet. It is one of the most widely reviewed restaurant in the county, and most of the reviews are very positive.

Reviews

Sushi Sono is included in our list of Nearly Best Restaurants in Howard County.
Howard Magazine (formerly Columbia Magazine) has ranked Sushi Sono as the Best Sushi Restaurant in the county for the last 9 consecutive years.
Baltimore Magazine includes Sushi Sono as one of six restaurants in Howard County in its list of Neighborhood Specials places to eat.
Dining@Large incudes Sushi Sono in its June 2008 list of Top 10 Howard County Restaurants.
Gayot rates Sushi Sono 12/20.
TripAdvisor readers give Sushi Sono 4/5 stars based on 31 ratings and 14 reviews, ranking it #1 in Columbia as of 5/10/09.
Urbanspoon readers give Sushi Sono 93/100 based on 73 votes, ranking it #14 in Baltimore and #2 in Columbia as of 5/10/09.
Yahoo! Local readers give Sushi Sono 4.5/5 stars based on 21 ratings as of 5/10/09.
Yelp readers give Sushi Sono 4/5 stars based on 39 reviews, ranking it #3 in Columbia as of 5/10/09.
Zagat has 58 member reviews of Sushi Sono as of 5/10/09.
BooRah readers give Sushi Sono 89/100 based on 66 reviews, ranking it #2 in Columbia as of 5/10/09.
CitySearch readers give Sushi Sono 3.5/5 stars based on 14 reviews as of 5/10/09.
Sushi Sono garners frequent comments on Chowhound in discussions regarding best sushi in the area.
HowChow reviewed Sushi Sono in July 2008.

Location
10215 Wincopin Circle
Columbia, MD 21044
Phone: 410-997-6131
Website: sushisonomd.com
Blog: sushisono.blogspot.com

Specials and Other Details

Sushi Sono has been running month-long discounted specials since March. Check their blog for more details.
Sushi Sono has a Facebook page.

Jenny's Market

2009-05-08T09:00:00.005-04:00

A harbinger of spring and summer farm-fresh produce, Jenny's Market is a roadside stand that just re-opened last week. Jenny's Market used to be just off Route 32 near Burntwoods Road, enticing drivers with handmade signs. With the completion of the new traffic circles at the Route 32 - Burntwoods interchange, Jenny's has had to move a few hundred yards onto Andrea Drive, but the signs are still there to guide you.

For the moment, Jenny's produce is coming by truck from farmers in the Carolinas and further south. But I can attest that the corn is sweet and the tomatoes are ripe. As we get further toward summer, the produce comes from farms that are more local. The family that runs Jenny's have always been friendly when I come through and rummage around, and help me pick out the best veggies and fruits.

So stop by Jenny's any day except Mondays. Just follow the signs.

Note: HowChow did a nice post about Jenny's last summer.

Crossroads Pub

2009-05-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

In the mood for crabs? Fresh fried seafood? A killer crab soup? The Crossroads Pub, tucked way out of the way in Western Howard County, could be the spot for you. It's another one of those places I've driven by for years and finally stopped in, only to find something quite different than what I'd thought.

Seafood, specifically crab, is the name of the game at the Crossroads Pub. You can order fresh steamed crabs and start pounding and picking like you were at the Eastern Shore. Or you can order off a menu filled with fried seafood entrees and sandwiches, along with a few traditional landlubber options. The soups, either Maryland Crab or Cream of Crab, are hearty, rich and tasty. The crab cake platter or sandwich stands up with the best in the area. The fried clam strips were fresh and meaty. The shrimp salad is also listed as a specialty, but I haven't tried it yet. Whatever you get, you're not likely to leave hungry.

The Crossroads Pub is small, but with a back room of picnic tables is a little bigger than it appears from the street. It's not fancy, and the crowd and service can feel like a trip back to an older time in Maryland that may not appeal so much to the trendy set. But the Crossroads Pub seems to be proud to serve a down home meal to those that seek it out.

Reviews

Restaurantdb.net rates the Crossroads Pub 8.7/10 for food, based on 9 reviews as of 5/1/09.

Location

4809 Ten Oaks Road

Dayton, MD 21036

Phone: 410-531-7485

Website: (none)

The Crossroads Pub is just west of Route 32 on Ten Oaks Road where it intersects Howard Road and Green Bridge Road. Exit Route 32 at Linden Church Road West, then turn right on Ten Oaks Road.

Cinco de Mayo in Howard County

2009-05-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everybody! Where can you go to celebrate in Columbia, Ellicott City or elsewhere in Howard County? Here are a few ideas. If you have some others, please post a comment.

El Azteca in Clarksville is at the top of our list for Best Mexican restaurant in the County. They are having "drink and food specials all day."
La Palapa in old town Ellicott City is a cousin of El Azteca's, but larger. Not sure of what specials they're having, but Tuesdays are all-you-can-eat taco nights.
Mi Casa on Route 40 in Ellicott City is a small but friendly Mexican restaurant and a personal favorite.
The Pachanga Grill, further west on Route 40 in Ellicott City, is also an El Azteca cousin and is also offering drink specials for the night.
The Frisco Grille in Columbia has a great beer and tequila selection to go with its good Mexican food menu.
Sonoma's Bar & Grille in Columbia has live music from Sons of the Radio from 9:00 pm and lunch and dinner specials as well.
The Second Chance Saloon in Columbia has taco, beer and margarita specials tonight.
El Nayar in Elkridge has a nice selection of Mexican meals, and Tuesdays are 1/2 price burrito nights.
If you're in more of a do-it-yourself mood, stop into Lily's Mexican Market in Columbia and stock up on all you need.

Coal Fire Pizza

2009-05-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

Full marks to HowChow for being all over the recent opening of the Coal Fire Pizza restaurant in the Shipley Grant development of Ellicott City. This place is a welcome addition to the local restaurant scene and I agree it jumps near the top of the list for best pizza in Howard County.

The thin, handmade pizzas feature fresh sliced mozzarella and a choice of three tasty sauces. The 580-degree coal fire oven produces a crisp, bubbly, slightly charred pie that's distinct from any others in the county. The selection of toppings is limited, but Coal Fire suggests no more than two toppings per pie "to ensure a perfect bake." I haven't gotten beyond the pizzas yet, but the pastas, sandwiches and wings look intriguing and worth a try.

The restaurant itself is suburban modern, with the oven prominently visible. It's fun to watch your pizza being made and see the coals glowing. Coal Fire Pizza is not especially exotic, but offers good quality everyday eating and is off to a strong start in its first few weeks.

Reviews

HowChow has an excellent review that has generated 10 additional comments as of 5/2/09.
Chowhound has a lengthy discussion of Coal Fire Pizza with 15 replies as of 5/2/09.
Urbanspoon readers give Coal Fire Pizza 100/100 based on two votes and has one user review as of 5/2/09.
Yelp readers gives Coal Fire Pizza 5/5 stars based on 1 review as of 5/2/09.

Location

5725 Richard's Valley Road

Ellicott City, MD 21043

Phone: 410-480-2625

Website: not yet

The Shipley's Grant location is on Route 108 between Snowden River Parkway and Route 100.

Columbia Foundation Spring Party

2009-05-04T08:00:00.001-04:00

The Columbia Foundation holds its 27th Annual Spring Party this Thursday, May 7, from 5:45 - 8:30 pm at the Spear Center in Columbia. Tickets are $75 for a full buffet and open bar, and you have the option of donating an additional $25 to support each of the Foundation's 25 non-profit endowments.

The Columbia Foundation is one of Howard County's most important and productive non-profit groups. Take a moment to look through their list of recent grants and you're sure to find support for some of your favorite and most worthwhile local institutions. So, supporting the Columbia Foundation is a quick and easy way to help a whole range of local organizations at once. The current economy is hard on everyone, but especially the non-profit community that relies on contributions. Here's one way you can help...and get dinner and drinks to boot.

Tooting One's Own Horn

2009-05-03T09:44:00.004-04:00

The Baltimore Sun featured yours truly among the County's many fine bloggers in a lengthy article in yesterday's paper. It's great to see the article finally appear -- the interviews occurred back in December and January -- though the online version doesn't have the print version's nice photo of Jessie Newburn and Chris Bachmann ogling an iPhone.

I encourage you to read all the local blogs, made especially easy by the HocoBlogs website and Twitter page. As I wrote in a recent post, bloggers play an increasingly important role in sharing information about local events and community, especially as local newspapers are in an accelerating tailspin. So support your local blogs and tell your friends! UPDATE: See also the feature article in today's Washington Post on restaurant bloggers pros and cons. A happy coincidence.

I particularly want to extend special appreciation for two people in the local blogging community. Jessie Newburn is a remarkable multitasker who writes her own blog (Jessie X), runs the HocoBlogs site, Twitters up a storm on her own, and finds time to host frequent gatherings of Hoco bloggers (that I've been derelict in attending). She's an inspiration and valuable catalyst for helping new bloggers and making Howard County a more interesting place. And speaking of inspirations, HowChow continues to generate a terrific blog on interesting restaurants and food finds in and near the county. He is very deservedly the number one Baltimore area blogger on Urbanspoon, and just got a nice mention from Elizabeth Large at the Sun for his post on the opening of Coal Fire Pizza in Ellicott City.

Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival

2009-05-02T13:52:00.004-04:00

The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival is underway at the Howard County Fairgrounds this weekend. This is one of the largest wool and craft events on the east coast, drawing thousands of people (and some lengthy traffic jams) to the Fairgrounds. The festival is always held the first weekend in May, but somehow it always seems to sneak up on me. Driving by the Fairgrounds today I can attest that the place is packed, but the early morning rush is over and it's easier to get in. The festival runs until 9:00 pm tonight, then tomorrow from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Admission is free.

There are over 250 vendors selling all manner of things related to raising sheep and the crafting of wool products. There are also lots of classes and demonstrations of weaving, knitting, quilting, spinning, braiding and most anything else you can think of to do with wool. And there's musical entertainment, too. So if you're looking for something to do this weekend, head on out to the Howard County Fairgrounds. One more hint: if the Route 32 exit from I-70 looks jammed, head west to the next exit (Route 97), then come back east on Route 144. You can also exit the Fairgrounds that way and probably save some time.

Mother's Day Restaurant Specials in Howard County

2009-05-02T09:00:00.002-04:00

Here are restaurants in Howard County, including Columbia and Ellicott City, offering special menus or brunches for Mother's Day on Sunday, May 10. In addition to these, I'm sure any restaurant serving brunch in Howard County (see our list) would be happy to see you. For a convenient list of brunch options in the wider Maryland area, see the OpenTable brunch listing.

Aida Bistro and Wine Bar offers a special Mother's Day prix fixe menu from 1:00 - 7:00 pm. $34 per person, or $44 with flights of wine or beer. Reservations recommended.
The Crab Shanty has a Champagne Buffet Brunch (menu pdf) from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. Adults $22.95, kids 12 and under $10.95. The Crab Shanty will also offer a Mother's Day Dinner Buffet (menu pdf) from 2:00 - 9:00 pm. Adults $29.95, kids 12 and under $12.95. Reservations recommended.
The Elkridge Furnace Inn has both a special Mother's Day Brunch Buffet and Mother's Day Dinner Menu. The brunch buffet (menu pdf) will be served from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm in the garden tent, $32.95 for adults, $16.50 for children age 5-12, children under 5 free. The dinner (menu pdf) can be ordered as two to five courses from $39 to $58. Reservations recommended.
The Iron Bridge Wine Company presents a special three-course Mother's Day Menu. $40 per person, from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm. Reservations recommended.
The King's Contrivance offers a Mother Day Menu with both prix fixe ($55 per person) and a la carte items. Reservations recommended.
oZ Chophouse serves a Mother's Day Brunch Buffet (menu) from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. $30 per person. Reservations recommended.
Tersiguel's serves a special Mother's Day Menu from 11:30 am - 7:30 pm. Reservations required.
The Waterside Restaurant in the Columbia Sheraton Hotel offers a Mother's Day Brunch (menu pdf) from 11:00 am - 7:00 pm. Adults $31.95, children aged 4-10 $15.95. Reservations recommended.

Restaurant Events for May '09

2009-05-01T18:00:00.002-04:00

May brings Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day and Memorial Day. Make your plans now for a special night out!

Sat. 5/2: The Second Chance Saloon features Mint Juleps and Mojitos at 5:00 pm for the Kentucky Derby.

Sat. 5/2: The Diamondback Tavern features $2 Mint Juleps for the Kentucky Derby.

Mon. 5/4: The Iron Bridge Wine Company hosts its Iron Bridge University session on Italian Wines. Taste 4-6 wines with a snack included. $25 per person. Reservations required.

Tue. 5/5: The Second Chance Saloon features taco specials, margaritas and Mexican beer for Cinco de Mayo.

Wed. 5/6: The Elkridge Furnace Inn hosts an Afternoon Tea. Seatings 11:00 am - 2:30 pm. $26.50 per person. Reservations required.

Sun. 5/10: Aida Bistro and Wine Bar offers a special Mother's Day prix fixe menu from 1:00 - 7:00 pm. $34 per person, or $44 with flights of wine or beer. Reservations recommended.

Sun. 5/10: The Crab Shanty has a Champagne Buffet Brunch (menu pdf) from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. Adults $22.95, kids 12 and under $10.95. The Crab Shanty will also offer a Mother's Day Dinner Buffet (menu pdf) from 2:00 - 9:00 pm. Adults $29.95, kids 12 and under $12.95. Reservations recommended.

Sun. 5/10: The Elkridge Furnace Inn has both a special Mother's Day Brunch Buffet and Mother's Day Dinner Menu. The brunch buffet (menu pdf) will be served from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm in the garden tent, $32.95 for adults, $16.50 for children age 5-12, children under 5 free. The dinner (menu pdf) can be ordered as two to five courses from $39 to $58. Reservations recommended.

Sun. 5/10: The Iron Bridge Wine Company presents a special three-course Mother's Day Menu. $40 per person, from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm. Reservations recommended.

Sun. 5/10: The King's Contrivance offers a Mother Day Menu with both prix fixe ($55 per person) and a la carte items. Reservations recommended.

Sun. 5/10: oZ Chophouse serves a Mother's Day Brunch Buffet (menu) from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. $30 per person. Reservations recommended.

Sun. 5/10: Tersiguel's serves a special Mother's Day Menu from 11:30 am - 7:30 pm. Reservations required.

Sun. 5/10: The Waterside Restaurant in the Columbia Sheraton Hotel offers a Mother's Day Brunch (menu pdf) from 11:00 am - 7:00 pm. Adults $31.95, children aged 4-10 $15.95. Reservations recommended.

Tue. 5/12: The Iron Bridge Wine Company hosts its Tuesday Night Wine Club featuring an Alexander Valley Winemaker's Dinner with winemaker Kevin Hall. A four-course menu will be served beginning at 6:00pm. Reservations required.

Thu. 5/14: The Elkridge Furnace Inn has a Wine Tasting of Sauvignon Blancs from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. $29 per person. Special prix fixe dinner available after for $30. Reservations recommended.

Sat. 5/16: The Diamondback Tavern features $2 Black Eyed Susans for the Preakness Stakes.

Sat. 5/16: The River Hill Sports Grille features Black Eyed Susans and Happy Hour Food all day for the Preakness Stakes.

Mon. 5/18: The Iron Bridge Wine Company hosts its Iron Bridge University session on Wines of Spain and Portugal. Taste 4-6 wines with a snack included. $25 per person. Reservations required.

Mon. 5/18: The Elkridge Furnace Inn hosts the Gourmand Club Goes to Mexico, a belated Cinco de Mayo five-couse wine dinner from 6:30 - 9:00 pm. $90 per person. Reservations required.

Mon. 5/18: Bistro Blanc hosts a Wine Dinner featuring J. Lohr Wines from Monterey, California. Reservations recommended.

Thu. 5/21: The Elkridge Furnace Inn hosts an Afternoon Tea. Seatings 11:00 am - 2:30 pm. $26.50 per person. Reservations required.

Wed. 5/27: Aida Bistro and Wine Bar is hosting a Sensorium Vineyards Wine Dinner from 6:30 - 9:30 pm. A special five-course meal will be matched with Sensorium wines for $89 per person. Winemaker Jeff Ritchey will attend. Reservations required.

Thu. 5/28: The Elkridge Furnace Inn hosts a Murder Mystery Dinner from 7:00 - 10:00 pm. $56 per person. Reservations required.

Sun. 5/31: The Elkridge Furnace Inn serves a Sunday Afternoon Tea at 12:00 pm. $26.50 per person. Reservations required.

Slow Food Menu at Great Sage

2009-04-20T09:00:00.001-04:00

This week is an excellent to time to visit Great Sage, the gourmet vegetarian and organic restaurant in Clarksville. You can raise your consciousness, celebrate Spring, and investigate alternative eating approaches all at once...or just go and enjoy a fine tasting meal.

The Slow Food Baltimore group sponsors an "Eat in Season Challenge" to local chefs, and this week (April 21 - 26) Great Sage's chef Russell Svoboda answers the call. The chef offers a $27 three-course prix fixe dinner menu that looks mighty good. Don't know much about Slow Food? Check out more at SlowfoodUSA or Wikipedia.

Also, tonight (April 20), the restaurant offers a six-course raw foods dinner and lecture for $40. Reservations required; call the restaurant at 443.535.9400 for more details.

Catonsville Restaurant Week

2009-04-19T09:05:00.002-04:00

Next week is a good time to travel up Frederick Avenue to try out some of Catonsville's finest food during their Restaurant Week, April 21-26. The week kicks off with a Taste of Catonsville reception and tasting on Monday, April 20.

Catonsville's Restaurant Week kicks off on Monday, April 20, with The Taste of Catonsville, a night to sample the best of the town all in one spot. The event will be held at the Rolling Road Golf Club from 5:00 - 7:30 pm. Tickets are $35 in advance (until 5pm Sunday) or $45 at the door.
The Taste of Catonsville event kicks off the town's ReDiscover Catonsville Restaurant Week from April 21-26. Eighteen Catonsville restaurants are participating, offering coupons (available here in a .pdf) for discounts of 20% or more on meals.
See full post on Examiner.com

Now Posting on Examiner.com

2009-04-19T09:00:00.004-04:00

I've decided to broaden my blogging horizons a bit and have begun posting on Examiner.com as a Baltimore Restaurant News contributor. I'm taking this step as a way to reach a wider audience and tackle a larger dining community.

The Examiner.com model is an interesting one, gathering a whole array of local bloggers and others to offer an alternative local news source. It's not perfect, but it stands a chance of getting better, and I decided to get on board now rather than wait. I hope you'll find information of interest to you in both of my blogs, and find other things you like on Examiner.com.

I will continue to write this Live in Howard County blog, focusing on events, restaurants, shopping and more within Howard County. You'll see some content that overlaps both blogs, but I'll try not to be too repetitive. Please bear with me as I find my footing. And any suggestions or recommendations for either blog are always welcome.

TasteSpotting.com

2009-04-16T09:00:00.001-04:00

In my web wanderings I just came across the TasteSpotting.com site and wanted to pass it along. It's got nothing to do specifically with Howard County, but my, what a wonderful foodie site.

"Founded on the idea that we eat first with our eyes," is the theme of the site. It's an innovative and fun way to find interesting recipes, blogs and other websites. Perfect for the days when you crave a little culinary inspiration or just want to figure out what to make for dinner. Plus, it's just a beautiful site to wander around. Enjoy.

Have any other favorite foodie sites to recommend?

Vesuvio Italian Bistro

2009-04-15T09:00:00.007-04:00

Vesuvio Italian Bistro is in the former location of the Lucerna Grill, near the Glenwood Library and Community Center. It's a friendly place for a decent Italian lunch or dinner in western Howard County. It's been under the current ownership for perhaps a year and has an informal, neighborhood vibe.

There's no web site at the moment, but the menu is a collection of Italian bistro standards, centered around pasta dishes or entrees of chicken, veal or shellfish. Two dishes have kept me coming back. The Shrimp Fiorentina appetizer, with large shrimp, fresh spinach and garlic smothered with mozzarella, is plenty to share. The Pollo Pinali chicken breast with pine nuts, artichoke hearts, basil and lemon over capellini is distinctive.

Prices at dinner, with most dishes in the $14-18 range, strike me as a little steep for an everyday kind of place. The lunch menu, which is basically the entire menu in slightly smaller portions with a selection of sub sandwiches also available, is more reasonable. I'd like Vesuvio even more if the lunch menu was available all day.

Vesuvio Italian Bistro
2465 State Rt. 97
Glenwood, MD 21738
Phone: 410-489-6001

Ranazul and Other HoCo Restaurant Blogs

2009-04-14T09:00:00.003-04:00

Ranazul, the fine tapas restaurant in Maple Lawn, has started up a blog that holds promise for its patrons and readers. The blog is a good way to highlight special events, new dishes, and in the case of Ranazul, featured artists in its gallery space. Plus the Ranazul blog looks nice.

I think this is a good trend for other restaurants to consider. Lots of establishments have email lists and maybe a newsletter. But a blog offers a medium to post information that has a longer shelf life, you don't have to be a subscriber, and it's available "on demand." Blogs are generally more informal and easier to update than regular websites, and they're a great place to help establish the personality of a restaurant.

A couple of other Howard County restaurants have blogs that I know of, including Sushi Sono and Tersiguel's. The Tersiguel's site in particular offers an insight into its chef, Michel Tersiguel, and others at the restaurant. I think it's a nice touch, especially for independently owned and operated establishments with family roots and a positive story. A restaurant blog can be an effective place to tell that story and build a little bit deeper relationship with customers. I'd like to see more of them.

Hyperlocal Journalism for Howard County

2009-04-13T10:35:00.000-04:00

Interesting article in the NY Times about hyperlocal journalism and a handful of new sites. With the large-scale newspaper business model disintegrating, it's an open question how people will get information about local events, shops and services. Local bloggers will likely be part of the answer, which is part of why I started this blog, but it sure would help to have a credible aggregator to help separate the wheat from the chaff and bundle local information in a useful manner.

The NY Times article mentions several new sites, most of which don't operate in our area yet. One that does is Outside.in, and I went ahead and joined it to include my content. I can't tell yet if this is really a useful site, but it seems to be on an interesting track by letting you zoom into towns and zip codes to see local blogs and news. So far I've found you can focus on Ellicott City or Columbia in Howard County, and get a somewhat different set of articles. There are also categories for Restaurants and other topics, but it's not yet clear to me how these categories are populated.

Another variant I've run across lately is Examiner.com which has sites for different metro areas, including Baltimore. It's a slight step up in content and breadth, but it attempts to cover the whole Baltimore area, not just communities in Howard County. Nevertheless, I'll keep my eye on it and am considering supplying content.

And then there's the home-grown favorite, HocoBlogs, which aggregates a number of us local bloggers in Howard County. This is already a very useful site and I recommend it for regular residents and newcomers alike. The question is how it will compete in the long run with larger mega-sites. That's the question everyone's trying to answer. For now, vote with your eyes and your clicks.

Gardening Centers in Howard County

2009-04-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

I'm not much of a gardener, but I know it's time to get my lawn and garden ready for the growing season. There are lots of places in the county to get gardening supplies and plants, including every grocery and hardware store, it seems, but which ones are the best? Fortunately, my neighbor is pretty much a pro and has lived in the county for a long time. Here's what she's recommended to me.

You can start at the River Hill Garden Center on Route 108 in Clarksville. This once cozy little shop has morphed into a home and garden superstore, with a broad selection of plants, garden supplies, indoor/outdoor furniture, home decorations and even a pretty good selection of greeting cards. You can probably find everything you need there, and it's fun to find things you don't need, but sometimes you pay more for the all-in-one convenience. Still, it's a great place to wander for your wish list, then comparison shop elsewhere if you have the time.

For trees, shrubs and perennials, my neighbor and I are fans of Sun Nursery on Bushy Park Road in Woodbine. They have a great selection, a knowledgeable, helpful staff, volume discounts and a good warranty on plants. I've also used them for landscaping design and was pleased with the service and results.

For annuals, we trek over to Frank's Produce and Greenhouses at 6686 Old Waterloo Road in Elkridge (phone 410-799-4566; no website I can find), more or less behind the Costco shopping center. They have a wonderful array of annuals in flats or hanging baskets, and they're also good for produce later in the year. Walking through their Quonset hut greenhouses and wishing I had such a green thumb is a welcome springtime ritual.

Outside the county, the Burtonsville branch of regional powerhouse Meadows Farms often has good deals on plants. Stadler Nurseries in Laytonsville is also excellent (and has a very informative web site). Stadler runs a spring and fall sale on trees (just missed the spring one, sorry) that includes free delivery and planting.

So now it's time to get to work. If only someone could come up with a garden that would weed itself...

PastaBlitz To Go Open in Glenwood

2009-04-08T08:00:00.003-04:00

The sign has been up for a long time, but the PastaBlitz To Go is now open on Route 97 in Glenwood. That's good news for pizza and pasta lovers in western Howard County (like me, for one). A cousin of the PastaBlitz in Clarksville (and two in Laurel), the Glenwood location has a few tables and chairs, but it's basically a carry-out operation. It's got a full menu (10Mb .pdf) of Italian favorites available for lunch or dinner.

PastaBlitz To Go
2490 Route 97
Glenwood, MD 21738
Phone: 410-489-5800

Blossoms of Hope Cherrybration Events

2009-04-07T14:15:00.000-04:00

In just a few short years, the Blossoms of Hope campaign's Cherrybration Days have bloomed (sorry, couldn't resist) into one of Howard County's signature annual events. This year's edition has more events than ever under the Cherrybration Days banner.

Blossoms of Hope started in 2003 as a cherry tree planting promotion by the Howard County Department of Tourism with the thought of pulling visitors in from the Washington DC Cherry Blossom festival. From the start, however, Blossoms of Hope was also linked with breast cancer awareness and that combination has made it something special. To date, more than 1,300 Kwanzan cherry trees have been planted in parks, public places, alongside roadways and in private developments throughout the county. And, more than $50,000 has been raised for the Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource Center of the Howard County General Hospital. I'm proud to say I was an early donor of a tree at the Western Regional Park. Each year the trees are growing more lovely and adding a touch of grace to the county.

This year's celebration is larger and more diverse than ever, spilling over into May. The Cherrybration Days web site has all the details on the key events, including Pink Plate Specials at local restaurants, a Pink Greens golf tournament on April 20, the Lanterns of Hope parade on April 24, the Howard Life Festival and triathalon on April 26, and much more. Please take the time to learn more about these events and find a way to support at least a few of them if you can.

Easter Dining Options in Howard County

2009-04-06T12:00:00.001-04:00

Who's open and who's not for Easter dinner in Columbia? Where to find an Easter brunch in Ellicott City? We've got the scoop.

Easter Brunch

Alexandra's Restaurant at the Turf Valley Resort has a special Easter Brunch (menu .pdf) from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm. Adults $30.95, kids 4 - 12 $15.95, kids under 4 free. Reservations required.
The Crab Shanty has an Easter Sunday Champagne Brunch Buffet featuring unlimited champagne, bloody mary's, omelette station, carving station, steamed shrimp, beef tenderloin and much more. 11:00 am - 1:30 pm, $19.95, kids 12 and under for $8.95. Reservations recommended.
Donna's of Columbia is offering a special prix fixe Easter Brunch menu for $17.50 from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. Reservations recommended.
UPDATE: Jordan's Steakhouse is offering a special Easter Brunch menu from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. Reservations recommended.
The Turf Valley Resort offers an Easter Buffet in its Waterford Ballroom (menu .pdf) from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm. Adults $27.95, kids 4 - 12 $14.95, kids under 4 free. Reservations required.

Victoria Gastro Pub opens an hour early for Easter Brunch, featuring special items like smoked salmon Benedict, leg of lamb and raspberry bellinis in addition to its regular menu. 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. Reservations recommended.
The Waterside Restaurant in the Sheraton Columbia Town Center Hotel has a special Easter Buffet (menu .pdf) from 11:00 am - 7:00 pm. Adults $30.95, kids 5 - 10 $14.95, kids under 5 free. Reservations required.
NOTE: These are places that have notified us they're serving Special Easter Brunches. Also check out our regular listing of Saturday and Sunday Brunches for other restaurants that may be open Easter Sunday. Contact the restaurant first to make sure.

Easter Dinner

Donna's of Columbia is offering a special prix fixe Easter Dinner menu for $29.50 from 3:00 pm. Reservations recommended.
UPDATE: Jordan's Steakhouse serves its dinner menu with Easter specials from 2:30 - 7:00 pm. Reservations recommended.

Tersiguel's serves its dinner menu with Easter specials all day from 11:30 am - 7:30 pm. Reservations recommended.

Victoria Gastro Pub serves its dinner menu along with specials including a crab and avocado parfait, leg of lamb and spicy mary's from 2:00 pm. Reservations recommended.

Closed for Easter

Aida Bistro is closed on Easter Sunday (and all Sundays with its new Spring hours).

The Elkridge Furnace Inn will be closed for Easter Sunday, but you can order an Easter Dinner To Go (menu .pdf). Orders must be placed by Wed. 4/8.

Saturday Arts: Wilde Lake photo

2009-04-04T13:30:00.001-04:00

A recent shot of Wilde Lake courtesy of Michael Oberman (ozoni11). Enjoy the beginnings of Spring.

Shopping, Art and Craft Events for April '09

2009-04-03T10:30:00.000-04:00

Here are some Shopping, Arts and Craft Events to help you get ready for Spring. Support your local shops and crafters!

April 1 - 15: Marian Berman at Gallery 44 announces that, in honor of her two daughters getting married within the last 6 months, she's taking 20% off every item in the store until April 15.

April 3 - 5: Get a head start on home remodeling or building projects at the Suburban Maryland Spring Home Show at the Howard County Fairgrounds. Friday from 11 am - 10 pm, Saturday 10 am - 8 pm, and Sunday 10 am - 6 pm. Tickets $9, children under 16 free.

April 4: GreenFest 2009 will be held at the Burrill Galeria of the Howard County Community College from 10:0 am - 4:00 pm. This free, family-friendly event will focus on alternative energy, energy efficiency, water conservation, and water reuse. With over 95 vendors, other "green" themes will also be featured.

April 4-5: Clark's Elioak Farm Spring Opening Weekend. Come pet the new farm animals and wander among the wonderful rescued Enchanted Forest attractions. 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. See their calendar for special weekend events scheduled throughout the Spring and Summer.

April 11: Studio Inspire hosts a special performance event, Movements in the Mix. It includes performances of Modern, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Break Dancing and more styles from Studio Inspire instructors, members and other dance professionals. From 2:30 - 3:30 pm at Slayton House in the Wilde Lake Village Green. Tickets $5 before 4/9, $10 at the door.

April 16: Turf Valley Resort hosts the Pretty in Pink Champagne Lunch and Fashion Show (flyer .pdf) from 1:00 am - 2:30 pm. This is a Blossoms of Hope Cherrybration Days event. $50 per person, tickets available online here.

April 17: Savage Mill Art Walk from 6:00pm - 8:00 pm featuring local artists and businesses. Wine, snacks and original art.

April 17: Terrapin Adventures holds its Grand Opening Celebration at Savage Mill.

April 18: Howard County Antique Farm Machinery's Consignment Sale at the Howard County Fairgrounds starting at 9:00 am. Farm equipment, building supplies, vehicles, golf carts, tools, and lots more variety of antiques and all around good stuff.

April 18: Kids Nearly News Sale at the Howard County Fairgrounds, from 8am - noon. 140 spaces filled with families, crafters and services selling kids stuff. Different families and different stuff than on Sunday. Free admission.

April 19: Kids Nearly News Sale at the Howard County Fairgrounds, from 8am - noon. 140 spaces filled with families, crafters and services selling kids stuff. Different families and different stuff than on Saturday. Free admission.

April 25: The Howard County Arts Council presents its 12th Annual Celebration of the Arts in Howard County at the Howard County Center for the Arts featuring a reception, food and Silent Auction from 6 - 8 pm, then presentation of the Howie Awards and Catch a Rising Star performances from 8 - 10 pm. At the Jim Rouse Theater at Wilde Lake High School. Tickets $75 and $50.

Looney's, Maruha and More in The Sun

2009-04-02T14:50:00.005-04:00

The Baltimore Sun may be one of America's incredible shrinking newspapers, but there are some interesting local restaurant articles over the last couple of days.

First there was Elizabeth Large's column yesterday highlighting the new Maruha Steakhouse & Sushi Bar in Columbia's Hickory Ridge Village Center. Then there's Richard Gorelick's article on Yakitori One in Baltimore -- a skewers trend I'd love to see come closer to Howard County. Most of Howard County's many Japanese places have basic yakitori chicken or beef, but why not feature a wider variety of healthy seafood and veggie variants?

There is also Sam Sessa's piece today on the crowds at Looney's at Maple Lawn. And Rob Kasper pops in on the new Indian restaurant in nearby Catonsville, Spicy Garden.

The Sun gets smaller and smaller, but it's encouraging to see their coverage of local eateries.

NPR Testing "National Public Restaurants" in Columbia

2009-04-01T08:30:00.003-04:00

Demonstrating that an economic downturn is also a breeding ground for new ideas, National Public Radio is considering opening a new chain called National Public Restaurants. The prototype will be right here in Columbia, Maryland.

An inside source tipped me off that NPR is negotiating with Home Depot to take over the empty Expo Design Center in Columbia and plans to convert it into a "thinking person's theme park of food." The 100,000 square foot space would house up to a dozen separate restaurants and food shops based on public radio's most popular programs. Some of the restaurants under consideration include:

Morning Edition - an early morning lounge and drive-thru serving lattes, bagels and granola-based products
All Things Considered - the flagship dinner destination offering a little bit of everything, in small, digestible portions
World Cafe - a combination international eatery and performance space
Fresh Air - an organic bistro and oxygen bar

NPR is also in discussions with other public radio stalwarts American Public Radio and Public Radio International to include several of their leading programs in the restaurant theme. Garrison Keillor's Chatterbox Cafe would serve Lutheran comfort food, while This American Lunch will focus on long, leisurely midday repasts made with bitterly ironic root vegetables.

In an innovative move, National Public Restaurant menus will not have prices. Instead, diners will be asked to contribute what they believe each meal is worth to them. Annual dining subscriptions and corporate sponsorships will be available. Those who can't make a contribution at the moment will be asked to at least help with the dishes.

Restaurant Events for April '09

2009-04-01T08:00:00.011-04:00

There's lots going on in April at area restaurants. Make your plans now for a special night out!

All April, many leading local restaurants are supporting the Blossoms of Hope Pink Plates promotion, donating proceeds to the Claudia Meyer Cancer Resource Center at the Howard County Hospital. Please keep an eye out for the specials at each location.

Mon. 4/6: The Iron Bridge Wine Company hosts its Iron Bridge University session on Food and Wine Pairing Basics. Taste 4-6 wines with a snack included. $30 per person. Reservations required.

Tue. 4/7: The Iron Bridge Wine Company hosts a reprise of its popular Spanish Tapas Wine Dinner (menu .pdf). $80 per person, starts at 6:00 pm. Reservations required.

Wed. 4/8: The Elkridge Furnace Inn hosts an Afternoon Tea. Seatings 11:00 am - 2:30 pm. $26.50 per person. Reservations required.

Wed. 4/8: The Elkridge Furnace Inn will be closed for Easter Sunday, but you can order an Easter Dinner To Go (menu .pdf). Orders must be placed by Wed. 4/8.

Sun. 4/12: Victoria Gastro Pub opens early from 9:00 am for Easter Brunch. Reservations recommended.

Tue. 4/14: Victoria Gastro Pub hosts its Brewer's Alley Beer Dinner at 6:30 pm. Reservations recommended.

Tue. 4/14: The Elkridge Furnace Inn has an Adult Class on Cooking Fish with Chef Dan Wecker from 7:00 - 9:30 pm. $80 per person. Reservations required.

Wed. 4/15: Victoria Gastro Pub hosts its Brewer's Alley Beer Dinner at 6:30 pm. Reservations recommended.

Thu. 4/16: The Elkridge Furnace Inn has a Wine Tasting of Italian Reds from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. $29 per person. Special prix fixe dinner available after for $30. Reservations required.

UPDATE: Sat. 4/18: Tersiguel's presents a Cooking Class with Chef Michel, preparing a five-course meal beginning at 10:00 am. $82.50 per person. Reservations required.

Sun. 4/19: The Iron Bridge Wine Company hosts a very special Titanic Wine Dinner commemorating the 97th anniversary of the legendary voyage. Enjoy a re-creation of the 9-course wine dinner actually served on-board (menu .pdf). $150 per person, starts at 5:00 pm. Reservations required.

Mon. 4/20: The Iron Bridge Wine Company hosts its Iron Bridge University session on French Wines. Taste 4-6 wines with a snack included. $25 per person. Reservations required.

UPDATE: Mon. 4/20: Bistro Blanc hosts a Wine Dinner featuring wines from "The Shark" Greg Norman. Reservations recommended.

Thu. 4/23: The Elkridge Furnace Inn hosts an Afternoon Tea. Seatings 11:00 am - 2:30 pm. $26.50 per person. Reservations required.

UPDATE: Fri. 4/24: Tersiguel's hosts its first Family Night meal at 7:00 pm. Chef Michel Tersiguel will prepare a family style meal, $30 per person, all inclusive and no substitutions. Reservations required.

Tue. 4/28: The Elkridge Furnace Inn has an Adult Cooking Class on Pastry Arts with Executive Pastry Chef Genelle Wecker from 7:00 - 9:30 pm. $80 per person. Reservations required.

Wed. 4/29: The Elkridge Furnace Inn hosts a Murder Mystery Dinner from 7:00 - 10:00 pm. $56 per person. Reservations required.

Sushi Sono is extending its March Madness promotion into April, with 1/3 off a number of popular items at both lunch and dinner. Check out the Sushi Sono blog for more details.

Dining Update: oZ Chophouse

2009-03-31T08:00:00.001-04:00

We dined at oZ Chophouse recently and frankly I was a little worried because I'd read a few less than stellar comments on some of the local foodie sites (a downside of regularly perusing these sites). I'm happy to report that we had a fine meal and pleasant evening.

The waiter mentioned that they have a new menu, but frankly it looks very similar to what I recall from before and what's still posted on their website. That's not a problem as far as I'm concerned. The menu is still heavy on steaks and grilled selections, balanced with a page of house specialties that offer more variety.

Though I went in thinking of a steak, I was won over by the slow-roasted sea bass with baby clams and spinach in a saffron broth. The resulting dish looked beautiful and the fish was perfectly cooked, with little tempura spring onions over the top to boot. I wish the overall flavor had been a little more assertive, but the dish was mild, succulent and had the virtue of seeming healthy. Not that there was any shortage of calories at the table, mind you. Other diners really enjoyed their filet mignon and a roasted pork dish served with oZ's excellent mashed potatoes with cheese and bacon.

Among the appetizers, a martini glass full of ahi tuna tartare was also excellent -- superbly fresh with a hint of citrus and a slight wasabi kick. It reminded me of comparable dishes in Hawaii. Slightly less successful were the Vidalia onion rings, a prodigous display of thick-cut rings that looked great but had little taste, paired with a creole sauce that was also too timid. That didn't stop us from plowing through them, though.

Service was friendly and efficient throughout the evening, and the ambiance of the restaurant is very pleasant. We found ourselves once again too stuffed for dessert, but we were very pleased to have had a fine evening at oZ's.

See our original thumbnail post on oZ Chophouse.

oZ Chophouse makes our list of Howard County's Best Restaurants.

oZ Chophouse makes our list for Best Steak in Howard County.

OpenTable in HoCo up to 16 Restaurants

2009-03-30T08:00:00.007-04:00

When I first praised OpenTable for restaurant reservations in Howard County last November (see post), I thought it was pretty good that there were eight participating restaurants. Just four months later, there are now 16 participating.

This is a great development for diners in the county, making reservations easy and giving you a chance to earn money-saving OpenTable dining points. Some restaurants even offer 1,000 bonus points for reservations at less-busy times (a total of 2,000 points earns you $20 off a meal). Those currently offering bonus times include Jordan's Steakhouse, Donna's, Aida Bistro and Elkridge Furnace Inn.

Here's a list of Howard County restaurants currently participating with OpenTable. I applaud each one for taking on the cost of providing this useful service to patrons. I'll repeat myself from the earlier post: if you're not yet using OpenTable, you should.

Good Gyros at Hickory Ridge Grill

2009-03-25T08:00:00.002-04:00

I had a recommendation recently to try the gyro at the Hickory Ridge Grill, so I did and was pleasantly surprised. The restaurant was busy for a weekday lunch, but service was friendly and quick. And the menu was more extensive than I'd expected, with a wide range of sandwiches, burgers, pastas, kabobs and Greek specialties.

Looking around at the other tables, though, it was clear the Greek Hero (the Yee-roe) was the sandwich of choice. And no wonder. The Hickory Ridge Grill shaves its lamb and beef gyro meat from a proper vertical spit and serves it on a fresh pita with lettuce, tomato, onion and feta cheese. Tzatziki sauce is served on the side, suitable for dipping or spreading. The accompanying fries were also hot and good, and for $8 it made a fine meal.

Based on this limited sample, I'd say the gyro at Hickory Ridge Grill goes to the top of the class in the county, not that there's a whole lot of authentic competition. The gyros at Double T Diner and Solana's come to mind, but the HRG gyro seemed fresher and the restaurant ambiance a good deal friendlier.

You've got plenty of other options at the Hickory Ridge Grill, too, and I hope to make it back soon to try more.

The Hickory Ridge Grill is located in the Hickory Ridge Village Center, off Cedar Lane a mile or so north of Rt. 32. Nearby is the just-opened Maruha Japanese Steak House and Sushi Bar, mentioned by HowChow a couple of weeks ago. Two good reasons to head over to Hickory Ridge.

$1 Over Cost at Pine Orchard Wine

2009-03-24T08:00:00.002-04:00

The Pine Orchard Wine liquor store is offering an unusual sale today and tomorrow, March 24 and 25. All wine, beer and liquor in the shop will be sold at $1.00 over cost. It's a great excuse to stock up. Cash, checks, or debit cards only for this sale...no credit cards.

Pine Orchard Wine is located on Rt. 40 just west of Centennial and Bethany Lane.

Family Matters

2009-03-18T15:59:00.003-04:00

Some family issues are keeping me away from the blog for the moment. I will be back at it in a few days. Thanks for your patience. As always, check out HowChow's excellent blog for local food finds.

Welcome Looney's

2009-03-13T08:00:00.002-04:00

The new Looney's Pub in Maple Lawn (or Fulton, take your pick) has its grand opening weekend starting today. Looney's Pubs are well established in Baltimore and Bel Air. They take over the space vacated by the Trapeze restaurant, and we welcome them to Howard County.

Joining in the Grand Opening festivities tonight is the band Love Seed Momma Jump, a six-piece pop rock group from Dewey Beach, DE. They've sold over 100,000 copies of their five CDs, and are the "official band of the Washington Redskins," playing at FedEx Field after every Redskins home game.

On Saturday it's 80's night with The Reagan Years, the "East Coast's premier 80's tribute band." Hosting will be Stash from 98 Rock.

On St. Patty's Day, Tuesday the 17th, Looney's will be going all out from 10:00 am on. Playing will be the bands Starcrush and Crushing Day.

Terrapin Adventures

2009-03-11T08:00:00.001-04:00

A comment on the blog tipped me off to an intriguing new business that will be opening next month in Savage Mill. It's Terrapin Adventures and I encourage you to visit their extensive web site to get a sense of what they'll have in store: a mind-boggling array of outdoor and indoor adventures for kids and adults.

Zip lines, a high ropes course, giant swing and Terrapin Tower are available for on-site adventures. Travel locally with Terrapin Adventures on a broad range of day trips built around kayaking, biking, rock climbing, tubing, fishing and more. It's like a vacation without leaving home.

I can see Terrapin Adventures becoming a focal point for birthday parties, school events, corporate outings and summer camps. You can already book outings and summer camp weeks. It seems to be a great idea. Best of luck to Terrapin Adventures, and we'll keep you posted when we learn more.

Restaurant Weeks Recap

2009-03-10T11:40:00.001-04:00

During Howard County's Winter Restaurant Weeks I was able to get to several local eateries. Here is my own quick summary. However, I can't hold a candle to the writing skill or gustatory fortitude of Michael and Debbie Nagle who did a terrific blog of their Restaurant Week experiences. By all means, give it a read.

Victoria Gastro Pub: Best dinner item was the fish and chips, only because the chorizo meatloaf and roaster pork tenderloin were only so-so. But the real winner that night was the chocolate praline cake. I'm not usually a big dessert fan, but this was wonderful.

Greystone Grill: The mini Beef Wellingtons were terrific, with a tasty puff pasty, mushrooms and a rich sauce. They should be a regular menu item. But fried parsnips as a vegetable side didn't go over well with anyone at our table.

Cafe de Paris: The Restaurant Week menu was effectively the Cafe's standard "Formule" menu, so in a sense, it's always Restaurant Week at Cafe de Paris. The only problem is the Formule does not include the appetizers we love, especially the escargot or the mussels. So, everyone in our party ended up ordering a la carte. The steak and frites are still the standout for us, but the veal scaloppini was a good runner up.

The good news is that each restaurant had a sizeable crowd the evenings we went. The bad news is the service at all three was close to miserable. It wasn't necessarily the fault of our individual servers, who were mostly attentive, but in each case it took nearly 45 minutes before we got our appetizers and the entire meals took well over two hours. That's too long, and it took some of the fun out of the evenings.

I hope Restaurant Weeks were a success for the Howard County participants, and I hope you got a chance to sample some good meals.

Live Music This Week: Mar. 9 - 15

2009-03-09T11:39:00.005-04:00

Here's a list of live music coming up this week here in Howard County, including Columbia and Ellicott City. It's best to check with the venue to be sure the listing is accurate. Let me know if this list is useful to you. And get out and see a show!

Mon. 3/9: Open Mic Night at the Second Chance Saloon.

Tue. 3/10: Open Mic Night at The Judge's Bench from 8:00 pm.

Tue. 3/10: Open Mic Night at the Phoenix Emporium from 9:15 pm.

Tue. 3/10: The Grilled Lincolns play at Sonoma's Bar and Grille.
Tue. 3/10: The Steve Haberman Trio play at Ranazul from 7:00 - 10:00 pm.

Wed. 3/11: Brendan Pelan plays at The Friendly Inn from 6:00 - 9:00 pm.
Wed. 3/11: Jeff & Ian play at The Judge's Bench from 8:00 pm.

Wed. 3/11: Sons of the Radio play at Sonoma's Bar and Grille.

Wed. 3/11: Open Mic Night at Mink's Tavern from 9:00 pm.

Wed. 3/11: Open Mic Night at Cacao Lane from 9:00 pm, featuring Brian Frank.
Wed. 3/11: Jennifer Van Meter Duo plays at Rams Head Tavern Savage.
Wed. 3/11: John Synk plays at Aida Bistro.

Thu. 3/12: Open Mic Night at The Friendly Inn from 8:00 - close.
Thu. 3/12: Ken Fischer & Wayne Smith play at The Judge's Bench from 8:00 pm.

Thu. 3/12: Open Mic Night at the Frisco Grille.

Fri. 3/13: Windy Ridge plays at The Friendly Inn.

Fri. 3/13: Intrinsic Factor Band play at The Judge's Bench.

Fri. 3/13: Danger Barbie plays at Sonoma's Bar and Grille.

Fri. 3/13: Psycho Mike at the Frisco Grille.

Fri. 3/13: Dave Smith plays at Kelsey's from 10:00 pm.
Fri. 3/13: Against the Grain plays at the Golden Sports Bar & Grill.
Fri. 3/13: Rob Fahey plays at the Grand Re-Opening of T-Bonz Grille & Pub.
Fri. 3/13: Blue Funk plays at Bare Bones.

Fri. 3/13: Richard Walton plays with Straight on Red at Jilly's.
Fri. 3/13: Big Bang Baby plays at Nottingham's.
Fri. 3/13: Love Seed Momma Jump plays at Looney's Pub in Columbia/Maple Lawn. (This is Looney's official Grand Opening weekend.)

Sat. 3/14: Shook plays at The Friendly Inn.

Sat. 3/14: Ernie Fowler (may or may not be the right link...) plays at The Judge's Bench.

Sat. 3/14: The No-Pants Dance plays at Sonoma's Bar and Grille.
Sat. 3/14: Jerry Burke at the Frisco Grille.

Sat. 3/14: Radio Clowns play at Kelsey's Pub.
Sat. 3/14: Misspent Youth plays at the Golden Sports Bar & Grill.

Sat. 3/14: Nadine Ray plays at Bare Bones.

Sat. 3/14: Spiral plays at Michael's Pub.

Sat. 3/14: Goodwood plays at T-Bonz Grille & Pub.
Sat. 3/14: The Reagan Years plays at Looney's Pub in Columbia/Maple Lawn. (This is Looney's official Grand Opening weekend.)
Sat. 3/14: Star 69 plays at Nottingham's.
Sat. 3/14: Bushmaster plays at Rams Head Tavern Savage.

Sun. 3/15: Jeremy & Kevin play at Victoria Gastro Pub.
Sun. 3/15: Bruce Casteel plays guitar at Ranazul.

Sunday Arts: Randy Santos

2009-03-08T08:00:00.003-04:00

A random connection through the blogosphere yesterday yielded the site of Randy Santos who tells of his evening at Mink's Tavern. Coincidentally, Randy is a pro photographer in DC who posts many fine shots on his blog. Have a look at the whole blog for various evocative shots, but especially see these US Capitol photos and the story of serendipity that accompanies them. Also check out the Schooners on the Chesapeake and, for local flavor, Randy's shots of the Enchanted Forest figures at Clark's Elioak farm.

Shopping, Art and Craft Events for March '09

2009-03-06T08:00:00.007-05:00

Here are some Shopping, Arts and Craft Events to help you get ready for Spring. Support your local shops and crafters!

March 5 - 6: The Howard County Arts Council presents its 20th Annual Cultural Arts Showcase at the Howard County Center for the Arts featuring visual, literary and performing artists. Performances scheduled from 9:00 am - 2:30 pm. Lunch included. General admission $28/day.

March 7 - 8: Get a head start on home remodeling or building projects at the Peak Building Materials Auction at the Howard County Fairgrounds. Preview on Friday, 3/6 from noon - 6:00 pm. Auctions on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am, registrations start at 7:30 am.

March 13 - 31: An art exhibition of "Fantastic Landscapes and Cityscapes" will be displayed at Savage Mill in the New Weave Building, presented by the International Center for Artistic Development. There will be an opening reception on March 15 from 2:30 - 4:00 pm.

March 14: Antique Auto Parts Flea Market at the Howard County Fairgrounds, sponsored by the Chesapeake Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America. 7:00 am - 3:00 pm.

March 20: Savage Mill Art Walk from 6:00pm - 8:00 pm featuring local artists and businesses. Wine, snacks and original art.

March 28 - 29: The Mid-Atlantic Antiques Market comes to the Howard County Fairgrounds. Preview on March 27 from 5:00 - 8:00 pm benefiting the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. More than 100 quality antiques dealers featuring Americana, formal & county furniture, folk art, fine art, textiles, early glass & ceramics. Saturday the 29th Early Bird, 8:30-10 am $15.00. Saturday the 28th, 10am - 5pm & Sunday the 29th, 10am - 4pm $8.00.

Asian Court

2009-03-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Craving a local dim sum place since the demise of Jesse Wong's Hong Kong? In the market for a favorite everyday Chinese carryout or eat in place? The Asian Court restaurant in the Chatham shopping center on Route 40 fits the bill. The Asian Court location has gone through many owners and levels of quality over the years, but the current management has been in charge for about one year and the results are good news.

First of all, Asian Court offers the only dim sum for many miles around. They serve dim sum seven days a week from a menu, but on weekends and holidays from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm you get the proper rolling cart service that lets you pick and choose by sight. On a recent Saturday the place was crowded but not packed, with a high proportion of Asian families which is a good sign. The dim sum choices were fresh and tempting, with lots of choices of buns, rolls and dumplings. Our favorites were most anything with shrimp, especially the Har-Cheung (rice noodle sheets filled with shrimp), and the Char-Siu-So baked BBQ pork pastry. I would like to see a little more variety of meat and vegetable alternatives on the carts, but you can always order off the regular menu, too.

And that's the next pleasant surprise. The regular menu offers the typical Americanized Chinese dishes, but also has a good selection of "Delicate Dishes" that cater to more adventurous diners and an impressive set of noodle choices. Even the Americanized dishes seem to be made with a little more care and authenticity than usual. The Kung Pao chicken has a genuinely tasty sauce and authoritative kick from dried red chili peppers reminiscent of a long ago meal in Beijing. The Feel Good noodles are a home-style treat, especially when we substituted shrimp for the chicken.

Asian Court now has a full sushi bar too. We haven't tried it yet, but the selections at least promise to be fresh. I'm very happy to have rediscovered this long overlooked Chinese eatery. It may not be quite in the league of Grace Garden but it's a lot closer and more convenient, the service has been friendly, and the food is at least as good as any other Chinese restaurant in the county.

You can find some other informative reviews of Asian Court at Urbanspoon, Yelp, Chowhound, and the Dining Dish.

Daily/Weekly Restaurant Specials for March '09

2009-03-04T08:00:00.005-05:00

Be sure to also see the Monthly Special Events list for March for a full list of individual dining events.

Mondays

Aida Bistro hosts Neighborhood Pasta Night, with a range of pasta entrees from $9.99 up.
Alexandra's Restaurant at the Turf Valley Resort has 1/2 price bottles of wine.
Bare Bones has all-u-can-eat babyback ribs from 4pm.
Clyde's of Columbia has 1/2 price bottles of wine.
The Friendly Inn has 1/2 price burgers and discounted beer and tequila.

Kelsey's has discounts on crab cakes.

La Palapa offers 1/2 price pitchers of sangria and margaritas.

LeeLynn's has Crab Cake Monday, $11.50 for a sandwich or $13.50 for dinner.
Mama Lucia has Pasta Night: buy one pasta entree and get the second for $3.99.
Pachanga Grill has all-u-can-eat combos for $11.95.
Ram's Head Tavern in Savage Mill has one and one-half pound lobster dinners for $19.95.
River Hill Sports Grille has 1/2 price burgers and discounted beers.
Serafino's has 1/2 price entrees, excluding specials.
Ten Oaks Tavern has discounted burgers, chicken breasts and martinis
Victoria Gastro Pub has its Beer Club night from 5pm to close.
Waverly Grill has 1/2 price pizzas.

Tuesdays
Alexandra's Restaurant at the Turf Valley Resort has 1/2 price burgers and discounts on beer.
Bare Bones has all-u-can-eat beef ribs and barbeque chicken from 4pm.
The Coho Grill has 1/2 price burgers.
The Friendly Inn has 1/2 price appetizers and a bluegrass jam session from 6:00 - 9:00 pm.
Greystone Grill has 1/2 price bottles of wine.
Kelsey's has 1/2 price wings and discounted beers of the world.
La Palapa offers All You Can Eat Tacos.
LeeLynn's Burger Night, $6 burgers with any two toppings.
Mama Lucia offers Pizza Night: buy one large pizza and get the second for $2.99.
Pachanga Grill features carne asada T-bones for $12.95.
Ram's Head Tavern in Savage Mill has prime rib dinners for $14.95 or $18.95.
River Hill Sports Grille has 1/2 price wings and discounted beers in the bar.
Second Chance Saloon has 1/2 price burgers.
Serafino's has 1/2 price bottles of wine.
Ten Oaks Tavern offers Lobster night: 1 and 1/4 pound lobster for $15.99.
Waverly Grill has 1/2 price burgers.

Wednesdays
Alexandra's Restaurant at the Turf Valley Resort has crab cake dinners for $15.95.
Bare Bones has all-u-can-eat Texas style spare ribs from 4pm.
The Coho Grill has fresh salmon entrees from $9.95.
Update: The Iron Bridge Wine Company has 3 for $30, pick any appetizer, entree and dessert for $30.
Kelsey's has 1/2 price bottles of wine.
La Palapa offers 1/2 priced appetizers.
LeeLynn's has 1/2 price bottles of wine.
Mama Lucia has Wine Night: 1/2 off any bottle with purchase of an entree.
Pachanga Grill offers any fajita for $11.95.
Ram's Head Tavern in Savage Mill has baked stuffed shrimp dinners for $15.95.
River Hill Sports Grille has 1/2 price wine and 1 and 1/2 pound lobsters for $18.95.
Serafino's has 1/2 price appetizers.
Ten Oaks Tavern has crab cake dinner special for $14.99
Waverly Grill has 1/2 price bottles of wine and kids under 10 eat free (with adult entree).

Thursdays
Bare Bones has all-u-can-eat prime rib from 4pm.
The Coho Grill has Mini Dini night, featuring small plate versions of many of its favorite entrees.
Update: The Iron Bridge Wine Company has no corkage fee for wines bought on site.
Kelsey's has 1/2 price quesadillas and nachos, and discounted beer and margaritas.
La Palapa offers Free Dessert.
Pachanga Grill features any chimichanga for $9.95.
Ram's Head Tavern in Savage Mill has homemade meatloaf dinners for $11.95.
River Hill Sports Grille has a steak and shrimp combo for $15.95.
Ten Oaks Tavern has Prime Rib night: various cuts from $14.99 - 22.99.
Victoria Gastro Pub has 1/2 Price Bottle of Wine night after 5pm.
Waverly Grill has 1/2 price pasta (excluding seafood).

Fridays
Alexandra's Restaurant at the Turf Valley Resort has 1/2 price ribs for dinner.
The Coho Grill offers prime rib specials in 14, 16 or 18 oz. cuts.
The King's Contrivance offers 1/2 off any glass or bottle of wine for parties of 8 or fewer.
Waverly Grill has Early Bird special 10% off entire bill between 4-6pm.

Saturdays
Alexandra's Restaurant at the Turf Valley Resort has your choice of steaks for $20.
The Coho Grill offers prime rib specials in 14, 16 or 18 oz. cuts, plus any bottle of wine for $15.
Kelsey's has discounted wings and beer before 5:00 pm, and 1/2 price desserts and coffee drinks after 5:00
Waverly Grill has 1/2 price bottles of wine and 1/2 price appetizers (excluding seafood).

Sundays
Bare Bones has a special rib & chicken dinner, salad and dessert for $17.99.
Update: The Iron Bridge Wine Company has 3 for $30, pick any appetizer, entree and dessert for $30.
Kelsey's has discounted oysters, shrimp and burgers all day.
Greystone Grill has Prime Rib for $19.

Waverly Grill offers 10% off your entire dine-in check.

For the month of March, Sushi Sono is running a March Madness Special, with 1/3 off a number of popular items at both lunch and dinner. Check out the new Sushi Sono blog for more details.

Also see our post on Brunches for other Saturday and Sunday brunch options in Howard County.

Restaurant Events for March '09

2009-03-03T08:00:00.006-05:00

We keep you up to date on special events at area restaurants. Make your plans now for a special night out!

Howard County's Winter Restaurant Weeks run through March 8. More than 20 of Howard County's finest restaurants offer special prix fixe menus ranging from $10.09 to $40.09.

For the month of March, Sushi Sono is running a March Madness Special, with 1/3 off a number of popular items at both lunch and dinner. Check out the new Sushi Sono blog for more details.

Tue. 3/2: Bistro Blanc hosts a Wine Dinner with Rick Moshin at 6:00 pm. $65 per person. Reservations required.

Wed. 3/4: Victoria Gastro Pub hosts an Around the World Wine Tour dinner from 6:30 to 10:30 pm. The Tour features a five-course dinner matched with wines from around the world, and guest speaker Shawn Cox. $85 per person. Reservations required.

Wed. 3/4: The Elkridge Furnace Inn hosts an Afternoon Tea. Seatings 11:00 am - 2:30 pm. $26.50 per person. Reservations required.

Tue. 3/10: The Elkridge Furnace Inn has an Adult Cooking Class with Chef Dan Wecker from 7:00 - 9:30 pm. $80.00 per person. Reservations required.

Thu. 3/12: Bistro Blanc hosts an Art Opening and Wine Tasting featuring Jill James Photography from 6:00 - 9:00 pm.

Thu. 3/12: The Elkridge Furnace Inn has a Wine Tasting of Merlots from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. $29 per person. Special prix fixe dinner available after for $30. Reservations required.

Mon. 3/16: Bistro Blanc hosts a Wine Class and light Hors d'Ouevres at 6:00 pm. $45 per person. Reservations required.

Mon. 3/16: The Elkridge Furnace Inn hosts The Gourmand Club Goes to New Orleans, a very special five-course dinner with wine for $90 per person. Reservations required.

Tue. 3/17: The Iron Bridge Wine Company hosts a Spanish Tapas Wine dinner. Reservations recommended.

Wed. 3/18: Aida Bistro & Wine Bar hosts a Wine Tasting and Dinner featuring the Black Ankle Vineyards in Maryland. The Tasting is $25 and runs from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. The Dinner includes a special three-course menu featuring wines from the tasting for $32. Reservations required.

Thu. 3/19: The Elkridge Furnace Inn hosts an Afternoon Tea. Seatings 11:00 am - 2:30 pm. $26.50 per person. Reservations required.

Tue. 3/24: The Elkridge Furnace Inn has an Adult Cooking Class with Chef Dan Wecker from 7:00 - 9:30 pm. $80.00 per person. Reservations required. Wed. 3/25: The Elkridge Furnace Inn hosts a Murder Mystery Dinner from 7:00 - 10:00 pm. $56.00 per person. Reservations required.

Live Music This Week: Mar. 2 - 9

2009-03-02T08:00:00.006-05:00

Mon. 3/2: Open Mic Night at the Second Chance Saloon.

Tue. 3/3: Open Mic Night at The Judge's Bench from 8:00 pm.

Tue. 3/3: Open Mic Night at the Phoenix Emporium from 9:15 pm.

Tue. 3/3: The Grilled Lincolns play at Sonoma's Bar and Grille.
Tue. 3/3: The Steve Haberman Trio play at Ranazul from 7:00 - 10:00 pm.

Wed. 3/4: Tim Nodar of the band three-fifths plays with Jerome Maffeo (of Jimmy's Chicken Shack?) at The Friendly Inn from 6:00 - 9:00 pm.
Wed. 3/4: Out2Lunch plays at The Judge's Bench from 8:00 pm.

Wed. 3/4: Sons of the Radio play at Sonoma's Bar and Grille.

Wed. 3/4: Open Mic Night at Mink's Tavern from 9:00 pm.

Wed. 3/4: Open Mic Night at Cacao Lane from 9:00 pm, featuring Brian Frank.

Thu. 3/5: Open Mic Night at The Friendly Inn from 8:00 - close.

Thu. 3/5: Mike Needer plays with The Solution at Kelsey's Pub.

Thu. 3/5: Open Mic Night at the Frisco Grille.

Fri. 3/6: Drive By plays at The Friendly Inn.

Fri. 3/6: Blues Therapy play at The Judge's Bench.

Fri. 3/6: til September plays at Sonoma's Bar and Grille.

Fri. 3/6: John Fritz plays at Kelsey's from 10:00 pm.
Fri. 3/6: Don Belew plays at the Ten Oaks Tavern.
Fri. 3/6: Vintage plays at the Golden Sports Bar & Grill.
Fri. 3/6: Group Therapy plays at Michael's Pub.
Fri. 3/6: Tim Cyphers plays at T-Bonz Grille & Pub.
Fri. 3/6: Higher Hands play at Bare Bones.

Sat. 3/7: Rewind plays at The Friendly Inn.

Sat. 3/7: Crash Nelson plays at Sonoma's Bar and Grille.

Sat. 3/7: Phipps and Friends plays at Kelsey's Pub.
Sat. 3/7: Spiral plays at the Golden Sports Bar & Grill.

Sat. 3/7: Joe Greene and the Heavy Steppers play at Bare Bones.

Sat. 3/7: Voyager plays at Michael's Pub.

Sat. 3/7: California Bob plays at T-Bonz Grille & Pub.
Sat. 3/7: Flipside plays at Looney's Pub in Columbia/Maple Lawn. (This may be a preview show before Looney's official Grand Opening weekend 3/13. It's also not listed on Flipside's website. But it is listed in Maryland Party, so believe what you will.)

Sun. 3/8: Kirk Philips from the band Radio Caroline plays at Victoria Gastro Pub.
Sun. 3/8: Bruce Casteel plays guitar at Ranazul.

Saturday Arts: Shane Gamble

2009-02-28T08:00:00.006-05:00

Shane Gamble plays tonight, 2/28, at the Rams Head Tavern at Savage Mill. He's about to release his third album, Way Back to Town. You can hear some selections from the album and other tunes at his MySpace page. "Rosalee" sounds pretty good to me.

From his bio on eventful.com:

Spring 2009 will mark the return of emerging tunesmith Shane Gamble, as he releases his third full-length release Way Back To Town in early March. Following in the footsteps of Gamble’s sophomore release, Behind The Blue, this new album is an emotionally charged offering of honest and colorfully diverse music—from the shiny tremolo guitars of “All Over You” to the smooth baritone vocal and steady rolling lilt of “Rosalee.”

“It’s that sensation of suspension—whether tucked within the elusive emotions of love, mystery, or train of thought lyrics—that seem to drift throughout the music,” Gamble explains. Grooming himself on the classic sounds of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Black Crowes, and the late Chris Whitley, Shane has created a distinctive sound centered on his thought-provoking lyrics, colorful guitar patterns, and haunting ’70s-esque pedal-steel, while striking a delicate balance between pop hooks, atmospheric ballads, and pocket grooves.

Here's an article written prior to his previous album, Behind the Blue.

See our full list of Howard County weekend highlights for things to do this weekend.

Weekend Highlights

2009-02-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

A summary of restaurant, music, shopping and art events in Howard County, including Columbia and Ellicott City this weekend, February 27 - March 1.

Howard County's Winter Restaurant Weeks are in full swing until March 8. See the full list of participating restaurants here.

The Iron Bridge Wine Company is having its first Open House of the year on Saturday, February 28. Wine to taste, food to snack on and 20% off all purchases of 12 bottles or more.

Also see our list of daily specials at area restaurants.

Music in Howard County this weekend:

Fri. 2/27: Smooth Kentucky plays at The Friendly Inn.

Fri. 2/27: Ken Fischer & Wayne Smith play at The Judge's Bench.

Fri. 2/27: The Rob Byer Band plays at Sonoma's Bar and Grille.

Fri. 2/27: Mike Needer plays with My Boy Blue at Jilly's.

Fri. 2/27: Rob Fahey plays at Kelsey's from 10:00 pm.

Fri. 2/27: Damon Foreman play at the Frisco Grille.
Fri. 2/27: Don Belew plays at the Ten Oaks Tavern.
Fri. 2/27: vs. the earth plays at La Palapa.
Fri. 2/27: Qi Lo plays at the Golden Sports Bar & Grill.
Fri. 2/27: Stella Mira plays at Nottingham's.

Sat. 2/28: A Stone's Throw (?) plays at The Friendly Inn.

Sat. 2/28: The Jeff Miller Band plays at Sonoma's Bar and Grille.

Sat. 2/28: Mike Needer plays with Old School at Kelsey's Pub.

Sat. 2/28: Danny McDonnell plays at the Frisco Grille.
Sat. 2/28: Area 51 plays at the Golden Sports Bar & Grill.

Sat. 2/28: Idle Americans play at Bare Bones.
Sat. 2/28: Whiskey Train plays at The Judge's Bench.
Sat. 2/28: Candlelight Red plays at Nottingham's.

Sat. 2/28: Shane Gamble plays at Rams Head Tavern Savage.

Sun. 3/1: Harry Traynham Duo plays at Victoria Gastro Pub.

Citysearch

2009-02-26T08:00:00.002-05:00

I'm trying to find something nice to say about Citysearch as a restaurant review site, and the best I can do is it's a national site that gets a lot of traffic and often pops up high in search results. The usefulness of the site for Howard County establishments, however, is low. It's hard to accurately search by neighborhoods, much less the whole county. The rankings don't make much sense -- in the search results it seems everything gets 4-1/2 stars. The reviews are rarely recent and not well distributed. The Mango Grove has 29 reviews (the most I found for any restaurant), but the Iron Bridge Wine Company has only one.

Some reviews are "native" to Citysearch and others appear randomly aggregated from other sites like TripAdvisor, ChefMoz, and others. For example, the listing for Cafe de Paris includes 8 reviews, including one from TripAdvisor, but none more recent than 2007. But if you look up Cafe de Paris in TripAdvisor, you'll find 8 more recent reviews, including two from this year.

Citysearch aims to cover other topics like bars, hotels, shopping and more. The results there are just as dubious, as far as I can tell. I just can't find much to recommend it, and I hope Citysearch covers other towns and city better. It doesn't do much for me.

Who do you trust when it comes to restaurant reviews? Who does the best job of covering Howard County restaurants? I hope my blog is a help, but there are certainly lots of other resources available on the web. This is one of a series of Restaurant Review Site postings that aim to find which are really the most reliable when it comes to local coverage.

Howard LIVE! Report

2009-02-25T08:00:00.002-05:00

If you didn't get to the Howard LIVE! show this past weekend at the Turf Valley Resort, here's a bit of what you missed. More than 150 exhibitors covered a wide waterfront of luxury home goods and services, gourmet foods and alcoholic beverages. I was there more for the food than the home decor ideas, so I'll start there.

When you registered for $20 you received a wad of food and drink coupons. Local restaurants oZ Chophouse, Elkridge Furnace Inn and Alexandra's of Turf Valley each offered hors d'ouvre-sized samples, one coupon each. Alexandra's had the home court advantage, with two stations and offerings of lamb chops, crab cakes, and a duck appetizer topping the list. The lines for each of the four food stations moved briskly, for the most part, but it would have been nice to have more stations and variety at the show.

The drink coupons were good for a taste of more than 40 wines, a dozen or so beers, vodkas and liquers. I'm not sure how many coupons they gave me, but it was more than enough. The wines were from all over the world, most sold locally through retailers such as Glenwood Wine and Spirits, The Wine Seller, and Decanter Fine Wines. The standout for me was a Spanish Rioja, Rentas de Fincas Reserva. Toward the end of my visit I was one of many folks pounding down samples to make full use of my coupons...not the best way to encourage discriminating analysis, which maybe was the point.

There were also 20 or more snack and gourmet food providers. One highlight for me was discovering FireFly Farms, an award-winning Maryland producer of artisan goat cheese. They were introducing three new varieties -- Black & Blue, Cabra LaMancha and Bella Vita (none yet available on their very nice web site, but coming soon) that were each quite wonderful. Another winner popular with a number of folks were parmesan crisps from Kitchen Table Bakers, sold locally at Casual Gourmet. Barbeque sauces and rubs from Baltimore-based Picky Vicki were also a hit.

While the food displays that gave away samples tended to generate the most traffic, the bulk of the exhibitors offered home improvement, decor and luxury items. Quite a few were playing up their environmentally friendly or energy saving features, and there are several I'll follow up with in coming weeks. This winter's heating bills, despite my solar investments, have me thinking of additional window insulation and energy monitoring options.

In sum, Howard LIVE! proved to be an informative and calorie-intensive way to spend a few weekend hours. I have a few new things for the shopping list and some home improvement items to think about. If the show rolls around again next year, I'll probably attend, especially if I see any advertising or promotion of the event.

Bistro Blanc - Dining Update

2009-02-24T08:00:00.003-05:00

I've had the pleasure of dining with friends at Bistro Blanc several times in the past few weeks and thought I'd give a report. The news is good. The restaurant's been busy each of the weekday and weekend evenings we've been there. Reservations are certainly suggested for the weekend.

The food is consistently very fine, with Chef Marc Dixon's menu selections varying slightly depending on the fresh ingredients he finds each day. The menus online are indicative of what's served, but not necessarily what you'll find any given night. And even though restaurant week is just starting, Bistro Blanc has been offering a $30.95 prix fixe menu for several weeks now.

Among the starters, the flatbreads (either mushroom or prosciutto) are definitely winners, and we thoroughly enjoyed the grilled shrimp with grits, "pork 'n beans", and mussels with a very light curry sauce. We just wish it was easier to get extra bread to soak up the curry sauce; the bread is evidently finished in the oven for each order and takes a little time. Soups and salads have been good, but not as memorable as the other starters.

The slow cooked, or sous vide, salmon is still a standout entree. Most recently it came topped with a little red caviar or roe that added an interesting crunch to contrast with the pillow-soft salmon. There's also a slow cooked chicken, which was fine, but the salmon seems to really respond to the cooking method. A scallop risotto entree was tremendous, with enormous fresh grilled scallops. Steaks were grilled just right, though the accompanying potato galette was a little too dense.

We've learned to save room for desserts at Bistro Blanc. The chocolate ganache with vanilla gelato is a warm and cool treat. The peach strudel in phyllo looks massive but seems to quickly disappear. And you can't go wrong with a cheese plate or sorbets. They're both handled nicely.

I think I've finally figured out the Enomatic wine machine, which dispenses a taste, half glass or whole glass of various red or white selections. It's still a bit of a gimmick, good for tastings and conversation, but you can do just as well from the full wine list, or choose a bottle from the retail shelves and add a $10 corkage fee. Friends have also loved the extensive beer selection.

Bistro Blanc is also open for lunch and Sunday Brunch. I haven't tried those menus yet, but I'm happy to face the challenge. It's a treat having this restaurant in the area. If you haven't been yet, come on out.

See my previous dining review and capsule description of Bistro Blanc.

Bistro Blanc is on our list of Nearly Best Restaurants in Howard County.

Bistro Blanc regularly holds special dining events, including cooking classes. Check for them in our Monthly Restaurant Events listings.

Live Music This Week: Feb. 23 - Mar. 1

2009-02-23T08:00:00.005-05:00

Here's a list of live music coming up this week here in Howard County. It's best to check with the venue to be sure the listing is accurate. Let me know if this list is useful to you. And get out and see a show!

Mon. 2/23: Open Mic Night at the Second Chance Saloon.

Tue. 2/24: Mardi Gras party with Grilled Lincolns at Sonoma's Bar and Grille.

Tue. 2/24: Open Mic Night at The Judge's Bench from 8:00 pm.

Tue. 2/24: Open Mic Night at the Phoenix Emporium from 9:15 pm.

Wed. 2/25: Jason Anderson plays at The Friendly Inn from 6:00 - 9:00 pm.

Wed. 2/25: Sons of the Radio play at Sonoma's Bar and Grille.

Wed. 2/25: Open Mic Night at Mink's Tavern from 9:00 pm.

Wed. 2/25: Open Mic Night at Cacao Lane from 9:00 pm, featuring Brian Frank.

Wed. 2/25: Dave Hawkins plays at Rams Head Tavern Savage.

Thu. 2/26: Open Mic Night at The Friendly Inn from 8:00 - close.

Thu. 2/26: Qi Lo plays at Kelsey's from 10:00 pm.

Thu. 2/26: Open Mic Night at the Frisco Grille.

Fri. 2/27: Smooth Kentucky plays at The Friendly Inn.

Fri. 2/27: Ken Fischer & Wayne Smith play at The Judge's Bench.

Fri. 2/27: The Rob Byer Band plays at Sonoma's Bar and Grille.

Fri. 2/27: Mike Needer plays with My Boy Blue at Jilly's.

Fri. 2/27: Rob Fahey plays at Kelsey's from 10:00 pm.

Sat. 2/28: A Stone's Throw (?) plays at The Friendly Inn.

Sat. 2/28: The Jeff Miller Band plays at Sonoma's Bar and Grille.

Sat. 2/28: Mike Needer plays with Old School at Kelsey's Pub.

Sat. 2/28: Danny McDonnell plays at the Frisco Grille.
Sat. 2/28: Area 51 plays at the Golden Sports Bar & Grill.

Sat. 2/28: Idle Americans play at Bare Bones.
Sat. 2/28: Whiskey Train plays at The Judge's Bench.
Sat. 2/28: Candlelight Red plays at Nottingham's.

Sat. 2/28: Shane Gamble plays at Rams Head Tavern Savage.

Sun. 3/1: Harry Traynham Duo plays at Victoria Gastro Pub.

Weekend Highlights

2009-02-21T08:00:00.003-05:00

Don't forget the Howard LIVE! show at Turf Valley this Saturday (11:00 am - 6:00 pm) and Sunday (11:00 am - 5:00 pm). Tickets are available at the door, but there's an online coupon for $5 off.

And there's the "Out of the Bins" show of local artists at the Slayton House Gallery on Saturday from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. It features the work of wonderful photographer Michael Oberman and a dozen or so other artists in various media, with all works under $200.

There's no shortage of live music to choose from this weekend:

Saturday, February 21:
The Ashby Brothers play at The Friendly Inn from 9:00 pm.

Synfuse plays at Sonoma's Bar and Grille.

Against the Grain plays at Jilly's as part of a benefit for Special Olympics.

No Stringz Attached plays at Golden Sports Bar & Grill.

VOX plays at Kelsey's from 10:00 pm.

Jack Selway plays at the Frisco Grille.

Blues Therapy plays at Bare Bones.

Kajun Kelley plays at Rams Head Tavern Savage.

Three Legged Dog plays at Michael's Pub.

Tripwire plays at Nottingham's.
The Judith Geller Band plays the Thrive on the 3rd jazz and blues coffeehouse from 8:00 - 10:00 pm.

Sunday, February 22:
Doug Segree plays at Victoria Gastro Pub.

And finally, Howard County's Winter Restaurant Weeks kicks into gear on Monday, February 23 through March 8.

Baltimore Magazine 50 Best Restaurants - Where's HoCo?

2009-02-20T08:00:00.004-05:00

Baltimore Magazine's March 2009 issue features its first ranking of the top 50 restaurants in the area. I congratulate the staff and lead critic, Suzanne Loudermilk, for tackling the tough task of actually ranking their favorites and for writing credible, thoughtful reviews of each restaurant. I now fully recognize the challenge and sleep deprivation that task must entail.

It doesn't look like the results are posted online yet, but it's no surprise that Charleston tops the list. The Black Olive, Cinghiale, Linwood's, Oregon Grille, Woodberry Kitchen, Aldo's, Antrium 1844, Pazo and Meli round out the Top Ten. I really don't have an argument with these choices, except that I'd put Woodberry Kitchen higher, probably #2. Overall, it's a conservative list geared toward old favorites (but where's Christopher Daniel?), though there are quite a few places I look forward to trying further down the list of 50. If I were taking guests out for a night in Baltimore, this list is a definitive place to start.

You have to get toward the tail end of the article before you find a Howard County establishment, but it is after all Baltimore Magazine's list and there's a built-in bias toward the city. In all there are five Howard County representatives in the list:

#36 Iron Bridge Wine Company

#37 Aida Bistro & Wine Bar

#40 Tersiguel's

#47 Victoria Gastro Pub

#48 Jordan's Steakhouse

Again, I can't argue that these are probably the top five restaurants in the county, and all are on my list of Howard County's Best Restaurants. I could quibble with the order, putting Tersiguel's and Jordan's a bit higher, but it comes down to moods and personal taste.

One last note. I'm glad to see the rather dubiously generated reader's poll results are relegated to a small sidebar in the article. They get about as much space as they're worth. And I'm not at all bitter that I didn't win the $100 gift certificate.

An Loi Pho

2009-02-19T08:00:00.004-05:00

An Loi Pho is a great place for a warming bowl of the classic Vietnamese noodle soup, pho. An Loi offers nine different versions of pho, seven with various cuts of beef, one with chicken and one vegetarian. But you are really the chef as you sculpt the flavors in your bowl with the fresh condiments and bottled sauces at your table. It's hard to go wrong, as long as you take it easy with the hot sauces at the outset.

The pho may be what gets you in the door, but there's a lot more on the menu to keep you coming back. There are many choices of "bun," a vermicelli dish topped with grilled meats and fresh vegetables, other prepared noodle dishes and soups, and a set of steamed or fried rice dishes. Appetizers include fried spring rolls and soft-wrapped summer rolls with your choice of grilled meats and a tasty peanut sauce. I'm looking forward to getting back and trying some more.

An Loi Pho does not appear to have a web site. It's located off Snowden River Parkway, one traffic light away from Broken Land Parkway.

An Loi Pho

7104 Minstrel Way

Columbia, MD 21045

410-381-3188

Don't miss HowChow's more detailed post on An Loi Pho and their salted sodas.