Howard Magazine Best of Dining 2009, Part 2

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

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.

Bon Fresco Brings Great Bread and Sandwiches to Columbia

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

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

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.

Kloby's Smokehouse

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.

Sushi Sono

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.
  

Crossroads Pub

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.

Coal Fire Pizza

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.

Vesuvio Italian Bistro

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

PastaBlitz To Go Open in Glenwood

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

Dining Update: oZ Chophouse

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.

Good Gyros at Hickory Ridge Grill

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.

Asian Court

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.

Bistro Blanc - Dining Update

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.

An Loi Pho

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.

Pub Dog in Columbia

Beer and pizza, pizza and beer. What more do you really need? For Pub Dog in Columbia the answer is not much. You can choose between a whole bunch of pizza and beer combinations and flavors, and beyond that there are just a few salads and appetizers. But if you're going to focus on only two of life's staples, pizza and beer are not a bad start.

Here the beers are craft brewed (locally?), available in 10 or so flavors, and come two glasses for $4. There are another seven "mixed breed" variants of a black-and-tan, and fresh root beer. The beers are pretty good and it's fun to experiment. I'm not sure any of them they qualify as "great," but they're fun. There's a full bar and a nod toward wine drinkers, but the emphasis is heavily on the beer.

The pizzas are individually sized 10" thin crust jobbers with 22 different combinations to choose from. They arrive quick and are quite good. I had a "Froggy Dog" with Dijon chicken, asiago, mozzarella, mustard, garlic, bacon, tomatoes and Dijon mustard and had no trouble polishing it off. The "Wing Dog" featuring Buffalo wing sauce and chicken looked popular. Most of the other pizzas come with multiple toppings, and everyone should be able to find something they like. As long as it's pizza.

The ambiance of the place is warm and friendly, focused on the bar but with an area of booths for a little more quiet. The location is in the same shopping center off Dobbin Road with the Frisco Grill and Mongolian Grill, among others. Stop in for lunch, dinner, or any other time you have a hankering for pizza or beer.

The Friendly Inn

Well, who knew there was a bluegrass-friendly roadhouse in Howard County that features some of the best local and regional music acts? I certainly didn't, until I found out about the Friendly Inn. For years I've been driving by the nondescript building at the corner of Rt. 144 and Folly Quarter Road and had never been tempted to set foot inside. But this blog gives me an excuse to check out places, and I think I've found a new favorite joint.

I'm partial to the mix of bluegrass, Americana, alt-country, roots, acoustic or whatever label applies to the music featured at the Friendly Inn, and that makes all the difference. If you don't care for the music, you probably won't have much reason to stop in. The food is a decent mix of bar food, sandwiches and burgers, and the Friendly fries are hand-cut and nicely seasoned. But I don't think too many people come just for the food. It's the music, and the friendly atmosphere that would make you come back.

The basic schedule appears to be solo acoustic acts on Wednesdays, open mic on Thursdays, and area/regional bluegrass acts on Fridays and Saturdays. The Friendly Inn website has a good calendar. There's a small cover charge for at least some of the weekend acts.

If you want to check out some of the music to see if it fits your taste, here are a few of the acts coming in the next month or so: the Dundidits, Bendt Fendyr, The Brothers Ashby, Smooth Kentucky, Satyr Hill Band. Maybe I'll see you there.

Second Chance Saloon

It's taken me a little while to get to the Second Chance Saloon, which opened early December in the location of the Fire Rock Grill and the original Last Chance Saloon that had been there for years. The Oakland Mills village center location is a little off my beaten path and I admit I sometimes still get turned around trying to find it. Even if you have the same problem, it's worth seeking out the Second Chance Saloon if you want a friendly beer, burger or meal.

With 12 beers on tap and nearly 50 bottled brands available, the Second Chance Saloon is certain to satisfy your suds appetite. The food side of the menu is pretty good, too, in a pub/tavern kind of way. The catfish Po' Boy I had was fresh and hearty. The burgers and sliders looked good, too.

The Second Chance Saloon has no shortage of diversions while you're there. Live music most Thursdays through Mondays, pool and shuffleboard tables, darts, a bookshelf for kids and others, TVs for the sportshounds. Coming soon, they say, is the NTN trivia game that had a bunch of regulars at Rocky Run when it was alive. Come to think of it, the Second Chance is a worthy successor to Rocky Run as comfortable local hangout, with food good enough for families and a bar scene active enough for those who want to spend a few hours with friends or meet new folks.

Coho Grill

The Coho Grill, located at the Hobbit's Glen golf course clubhouse, is Columbia's egalitarian take on country club dining. It's a pleasant public restaurant, open year round, with friendly service and a broad menu that's not just for golfers. The sandwich, burger and bar food choices are plentiful, but there are also good crabcakes, steaks and prime rib. The dessert menu and coffee choices are also above par (how can you resist a golf pun?). In good weather they have a nice outdoor area for dining, too.

The Coho Grill seems sometimes overlooked on the local scene, tucked away as it is in a golf course setting in a residential neighborhood. But it's locally owned, has a venerable track record and a loyal clientele. It's a solid choice for a casual lunch or dinner.