venera's Profile
HELP!?! New to Silver Spring/Aspen Hill/Rockville/Wheaton with nothing to eat!
El Napolito has a fantastic mango and jicama salad. You can have it topped with grilled shrimp or salmon (or something else) and when I got shrimp they were perfectly cooked and spiced. The salad is a lovely combo of sweet, salty, and crunchy. It's a perfect lunch treat!
HELP!?! New to Silver Spring/Aspen Hill/Rockville/Wheaton with nothing to eat!
Bump and updates about Plaza del Mercado/and adjoining strip mall places we've been frequenting.
Pollo Brasero is a Peruvian chicken joint in the Layhill strip mall on the corner of Layhill and Bonifant. Their chicken is lovely, but I go gaga for their Saltenas. Note: They generally only have the saltenas on weekends. The dough is crisp, flaky, and has s hint of sweetness to it. Inside, it's a delight: beef dice, chicken shreds, peas, potatoes, carrots, olives, and hard-boiled egg all in a nice, spicy gooey sauce. While I love their chicken, I will always choose a saltena over the bird.
Their sides are just OK, but when you have a taste for fried yucca or plantains, it hits the spot.
Sole d'Italia is our new go-to pizza joint. Order the thin crust. It's crispy and thin, and surprisingly not greasy. It's very casual, you seat yourself, and there's a take-out area right next door. Their tomato/mozz/basil app is also nice. The calamari is all rings that are deep-fried, if you're expecting tentacles, you won't get it. We prefer this pie to Ricuitti's wood-fire (maybe we've just not ordered the right ones at Ricuitti's). It's a perfect place to get a pie and some beer and just relax without pretense. They deliver, too. It's many steps above any standard delivery place.
Rooster Thai Chicken is in the Plaza del Mercado proper. They have a limited Thai menu and also Peruvian charcoal chicken, hence the name. I've only had their Thai fare. The Pad Thai was nicely done, but it's such an average Thai dish. I had a dish of fried fish chunks in a delicious spice saucy on a bed of crisp wok-fried green beans. The sauce was soooooo tasty that I ate a way too large portion of rice sopping it all up. This place is super super casual, essentially a take-out joint with a few tables and specials written in Thai posted on the walls. I will definitely be back to try out some of their other offerings.
I'm going about 20 min away to Rockville pike and Pizza CS, but it's totally worth the drive and the traffic!! Hubba hubba. Really chill vibe (order and pay at the counter, then sit at a table) but amazing food. Wood fire oven pizzas that are just like being in Italy. You can get toppings like Buffala Mozzarella, Arugula, Prosciutto, and Grana. They have bottles of wine and beer for those that want to imbibe. Their white pies are out of this world amazing!! And the proprietors and staff are very welcoming and friendly. Run, don't walk there!
Keep this thread alive, folks, my kid is old enough to to places now and behaves nicely, so we're catching up on missed restaurant meals over the last two years. :) We'd love to add new places to the existing rotations. And if you have any "date night" places to recommend in the area, please do!
Miss Shirley's - worth it?
Lawhound, I'm with you. Went to the original Miss Shirley's and had the chicken and waffles. While not bad, they certainly were not stellar and I didn't think it lived up to the hype. The chicken tenders were fried nice and hard, but the breading was totally flavorless. The waffles were waffles, and their jalapeno honey butter (I think that's what it was) lacked a bit of oomph.
Thought it was overpriced for what I got. I would have been happier with smaller portions and better food.
Their bloody mary, however, was AWESOME. Hubba hubba.
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Miss Shirley's Cafe
513 W Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21210
Rehoboth bakery?
Hello CHers,
We're doing a family beach week for my daughter's second birthday. Are there are great bakeries in the Rehoboth area where I can get a stellar cake?
Online, I find that options include Pasqualini's, Cake Break, and possible the Touch of Italy Bake Shop. Any thoughts one which of these may be the best option?
Thanks in advance for any recommendations.
Pho recs close to 95/beltway/295?
I have done head-to-head comparisons of Pho 88 and Pho VN One right down the road from them (across the street from Costco) and I have to say, I think PhoVN One is better. The flavour of the broth is more robust.
The only downside about PhoVN One is that it's cash only. Every now and again I forget that that's the case!
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Pho VN One
11000 Baltimore Ave, Beltsville, MD 20705
Pho 88 Restaurant
232 W Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046
Kulich at Cafe Assorti in Rosslyn
Has anyone tried it? I saw an ad for them, in multiple sizes, and they looked fantastic.
(It's the traditional Russian/Slavic Easter cake, for those who are wondering.)
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Cafe Assorti
1800 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201
Silk Road Bistro Chohyona- Uzbek Cuisine in Pikesville, MD
Thanks, Ellen! I'm closer to DC now since we've moved but still will travel for good food, especially one that bring me back to Central Asia.
Silk Road Bistro Chohyona- Uzbek Cuisine in Pikesville, MD
Ellen, where in Chicago is there a Kyrgyz restaurant?
Thanks for the review, 1000yregg!! I am in MoCo now, but just may trek up to Pikesville for this! I love me a good plov, and their shashlik looked great. I'm now feeling nostalgic for Central Asian food (which isn't all that fantastic, generally. Very light on veggies and very heavy on fat.)
Driving along I-80
In Bloomsburg you can try Bloomin' Thai, they had fantastic Thai fare when I are there last week.
It's technically a "club" so you have to buy a membership, which costs $1. Totally worth it, IMHO.
I had a stellar panang curry with seafood that was perfectly cooked. Their vegetarian pad thai had great flavor with toothsome, not overcooked (yet not undercooked) veggies and tofu. Sticky rice with mango was spot on, as was the Thai iced tea.
I 80 is indeed a wasteland, but this place about 10 min off I-80 is a gem!
The Brewers Art, Baltimore
I've been going to the Brewer's Art for 15 years and this thread perfectly describes my experiences over that time: Vacillating widely from awful service with great food, great service with mediocre food, etc. etc. etc.
I've kept myself happy by strategically ordering plates at the bar area. Then I can enjoy the amazing house brews and a tasty nibble or two of stuff I know they do well without being POd by uneven service or a poorly executed meal.
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Brewer's Art
1106 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Kebab restaurant on Ritchie Hwy in GB @ old Krispy Kreme location
Thanks for the recommendations for the specific dishes, daddycrack. I'll have to give them a try.
Ayubi's is definitely one of the best places in Glen Burnie at the moment. If I was still living there, it would vault to the top of my regular rotation, knocking out the venerable Tokyo Sushi that I've been going to for 10+ years.
Did we mention that it's Halal? For you winos (like me), this means no adult beverages to go with your Afghan comfort food. But there's always take out if you want to crack open a bottle of wine with your Ayubi's at home.
Happy eating!
Kebab restaurant on Ritchie Hwy in GB @ old Krispy Kreme location
Would you believe I randomly stumbled upon the Helmand's recipe for kaddo today???
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/reviews/blog/2010/09/the_great_pumpkin_appetizer_re.html
Kebab restaurant on Ritchie Hwy in GB @ old Krispy Kreme location
Isn't the pumpkin fantastic?? I almost went back Monday since I was in the area to order another veggie sampler, but was too embarrassed. :)
Please report back on other dishes you recommend.
Place for great seafood in the Pasadena area?
Fifer's is similar to Anne Arundel seafood, but a tad more upscaley since there's a restaurant side. However, if you want to crack crabs on a picnic table covered in brown paper whilst chatting with people sharing a table with you, you can sit on the more casual side.
Tons of seafood, all steamed/cooked fresh to order. Then have an all-you-can eat, if you really want to throw down.
http://fifersseafood.com/site/
Kebab restaurant on Ritchie Hwy in GB @ old Krispy Kreme location
Oh. Mah. Gahd. Yum yum yum!! Run, don't walk, to this place!! I am actually now sad I moved out of the area, because I would be eating here multiple times a week.
The aushak app was great. Wide, large dumpling wrappers filled with leek, topped with a tomato-based gravy with ground beef, sprinkled with copious amounts of mint. Super confluence of flavors, I was slurping the gravy up with a spoon since mopping it with the naan wasn't fast enough for me. :)
I got the Veggie sampler entree, which was AWESOME. In the middle was a bed of basmati flavoured with cumin seeds. Around it was sweet baked pumpkin topped with yoghurt garlic sauce, fragrantly spiced spinach, marinated mushrooms, potatos, and stewed eggplant. The spice and flavors of all of these was uniquely Afghan. The spinach had hints of cinnamon and cardamom, yet was savoury. The rice was vaguely sweet. It was all quite delicious, and came with freshly baked naan that you can see the guy slap and flip in a tandoori oven.
My friend got the garlic-marinated beef kabob (chopandez). A little chewy and cooked a bit more than I would (I like rare) but the flavor was great. He had pullow (rice with raisins and cardamom), Afghan salad (small diced cukes, tomatoes, carrots, onion, scallions, in a vinaigrette), and naan.
Came to $25, we totally threw down. I'd go there again in a heartbeat.
I agree with Clootie that some of the dishes had a tad too much salt (and I'm a salt-a-holic). However, not enough that rendered any of them inedible.
Yes, they offer wings, cheesesteaks, fried chicken, and other fast-type food. Happily, the day we were there, every table was eating the Afghan food.
Definitely go!!! You won't regret it. Easily rivals the Helmand, and better than Kabob 'n Karahi in Cloverly (it's the only kabob place I can compare it to)....
Happy eating!
Po Boys in Baltimore???
John Stevens in Fell's Point has Oyster Po Boys....it's probably been 10 years since I've had one so I can't comment on the quality, but it is still on the menu.
HELP!?! New to Silver Spring/Aspen Hill/Rockville/Wheaton with nothing to eat!
I've been eating my way through some of the recs here.
Chinese: I tried Lee's Kitchen in the Layhill Plaza and Fu Lin at Plaza del Mercado right next door. I had a lunch special at each place plus a cup of hot and sour soup for the ridiculous price of $7 or so. They both serve you a plate of fried sliced won tons as soon as you sit down (death!). I liked Fu Lin better overall: their wontons were fresher and I thought their food was better overall. Both are standard Americanized Chinese, both provide solid versions of whatever comfort food you are craving.
Also in the Layhill Plaza is Pollo Brasero, another charcoal Peruvian chicken joint. Their chicken is moist and nicely flavored, their sides are not worth writing about. Their empanadas, however, are a REVELATION. Sometimes they have baked ones, sometimes they have fried ones. Both have the same filling: a mixture of either beef or chicken with peas, carrots, hard boiled chopped egg, olives, and a smoky dark red "gravy". Hubba hubba. The empanadas are a meal in themselves and definitely worth getting. I prefer the baked ones, you can really taste the sweetness of the dough which complements the savory of the filling.
Max's on Broadway. Don't travel here for the falafel, it was leaden and tasteless. The schwarma, however, was a delight. Their toppings bar is huge and varied, lots of interesting offerings. For the squeamish, I would recommend avoiding since the place is grubby. I don't mind places like that (have worked in many a restaurant and have eaten at much, much worse living in Central Asia) but this was the only place where I sanitized my toddler's hands *after* eating the meal.
Go out of your way to try Kabob and Karahi!!! And definitely get the chaat samosa. I dream and drool about that dish. In fact, one can make a cheap and delicious lunch from one samosa (and a very filling and greedy lunch with two of 'em).
Here's a new one for ya: Dessie Ethiopian in Wheaton (2655 University Blvd). It was standard Ethiopian fare, very solid. I can only compare it to the Ethiopian I used to eat in Baltimore at Dukem, and Dessie is just as good as that place. The waitress who took care of me was Nunu, and she was a delight. I nearly polished my plate, ordered the meat combo.
And right next door is a little Ethopian market where you can buy a sleeve of injera to take home. What I noticed, however, is that while the market has dark injera made with Teff flour, they also have a lighter injera, presumably made with another grain. Then I thought back to my lunch and realized that they served the lighter injera. If I were to go again, I would request injera made with Teff.
Happy eating!
PS: Has anyone tried Dilsae, the Indian joint in the strip mall on the corner of Briggs Chaney/Rte 29?
Also, has anyone tried the food truck in the gas station in front of the Shopper's Food Warehouse on the corner of Randolph and Georgia? It's been closed every time I've driven past there, but I am intrigued and want to give it a try.
CSA 2011 Season
You didn't specify what area, so I'm uncertain whether this is relevant to you. However, I've been pleased as punch with my CSA, so I'm happy to advertise.
I signed up for a fall share with Sandy Spring CSA. http://sandyspringcsa.com/j/
It was my first time with a CSA, and I could not have been happier with the experience. I have already signed up for vegetable and an extra fruit share for the spring and summer.
The veggies have always been top notch. Uber fresh and incredibly tasty. I was introduced to Tatsoi through them, as well as a number of squashes that I had never tried before. My husband was very leery of the whole concept, but agreed to give it a try. About two weeks into the share, he insisted that we signed up for the spring and summer.
They get their products through the Lancaster Farm Cooperative. Every week you get an e-mail describing what will be in the forthcoming share. Then they send you a final list and a newsletter that interviews one of the co-op members and provides recipes related to items in the box. I have never had any management issues with them -- every time I go to my designated pick-up place, everything is set up as it should be.
The taste of the vegetables is far superior to anything I've ever purchased in a store, and even some farmer's markets. I forsee participating in this CSA for a very long time.
Good luck with your search.
Pasadena/Glen Burnie Treats
Bella Napoli is red sauce italian, but their pizza is really quite good. Their Pizza Bella Napoli has proscuitto, roasted red peppers, and they make their own fresh mozz on site. Some of their pasta specials (Bacci della Nonna, for example) are deeeeeelish! A super lunch would be their antipasto platter and a bowl of their Italian Wedding Soup.
They are also super accommodating. Once I ordered the "Posieden's Pizza" (which is basically a white pie topped with seafood sauteed in a ton of garlic) and the kid taking the order had no clue what it was -- they had taken it off the menu. He asked one of the owners about it, and the owner came out to tell me he'd be happy to make it for me.
Once after hearing the specials, I said "I love the Bacci della Nonna, too bad you don't have them" and the server said, "Oh, we can make them for you no problem. Anytime you want anything, ask for it. We can make it for you."
The owners are totally old school Eye-talians, they come out and work the room every time I've been there. :) Love it! You can search for some other reviews I've written.
It's in the strip mall with the Food Lion on Mountain Road, not too far from the intersection of Solley Road.
www.bellanapoli.us/
Near there is Anne Arundel Seafood. Haven't been but people love it. Fresh seafood made to order.
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Bella Napoli
350 Mountain Rd Ste E, Pasadena, MD 21122
Cevap in DC area?
Hey Sweth,
Here's a photo of type of burek I *adore*.
This website ( http://www.djerdan.com/ ) also has photos of the flat burek, listed as "burek pie." I used to go to their store in NYC to get my burek fix, but it appears that they now will mail you frozen ones! (weeping with joy, getting ready to order a bunch)
The difference is all in the dough. The burek "pie" that you find in Serbia and Macedonia has a dough that is a lot tougher and chewier than the Bosnian-style, rolled burek. It also tends to be greasier than the Bosnian burek. The latter has a dough that is more like phyllo, so it's softer and flakier. I grew up on uber-chewy burek, and that's just what I love.
Thanks for asking the question -- it led me to find out that I can order burek online!!!
Cevap in DC area?
I've tried Cosmopolitan and can state with certainty that they are authentic, and you will like them. Their home-made lepinje that goes with them makes me swooooon. Their burek is good, too (though Bosnian-style rolled, I like the layered Macedonian/Serbian style more, it's chewier).
It's a hike from DC, though. Haven't tried Slaviya, though it's on my list.
It's been two years since I've had Cosmpolitan's cevapi. Please comment if you do go and let us know how the quality has held up.
Butcher plea in Silver Spring/Wheaton: Suet, pancetta, spring lamb...
Hello,
Searched through the board for some butcher recommendations, but alas didn't find anything that fit. Posting in hopes of being able to get my hands on some suet so I can make my hubby mincemeat pie for Christmas.
I also am looking for pancetta.
While I'm at it, where can I get my hands on a luscious spring lamb (
With the plethora of ethnic joints in Wheaton, I can't believe there isn't a good butcher shop anywhere in the area. Yet google comes up empty.
Will travel to DC/NoVa if necessary.
Many TIA.
Amsterdam Vegetarian-Friendly?
We tried De Bolhoed the other night, and it was delicious. Two dinner entrees and two beers ran about 37 Euro. I had a North African dish, it was tofu, onion, and pumpkin with savory-sweet spices wrapped in phyllo dough and baked crisp. It came with a side of couscous and some mixed greens. Very fresh tasting and lovely. I'd highly recommend it. (PS, we're not vegetarians, but just wanted something veg that night.)
HELP!?! New to Silver Spring/Aspen Hill/Rockville/Wheaton with nothing to eat!
Thanks, dining with doc, for your extensive list. Tried New Fortune for dim sum Saturday and it was soooooooo good.
Despite our ability to communicate in six languages other than English and extensive work with people for whom English is a second language, we still had a really hard time understanding the descriptions of the food from the (very patient, very prompt, and very kind) waitresses. We asked for a menu of their dim sum, then ordered certain things off of the menu. That worked out best for the person I was with that day. (I think if I went with hubby, we'd be happy to pick stuff out based on how it looked.)
We had sticky rice wrapped in a leaf of some sort (lotus?) that was filled with various meats in the middle and some spices like star anise. Fantastic.
BBQ pork bun was good, but I have a feeling it was something I could buy at H-Mart rather than some homemade dough.
Shrimp noodle crepe sounded better than it tasted, it was rather bland (think shrimp wrapped in a wide rice noodle without any flavour).
The big winner for us was a taro dumpling rolled in shards of crispy, fried taro. Great mix of textures there. There was another taro thing we got, like a cake, and it was great, too.
I can't wait to go back and try more. :)
Thanks for the great list. I'm new to the Layhill area and trying to eat my way through all of the awesome recommendations on this thread.
cheers!
Mannequin Pis
Oh yeah, this is definitely going into the rotation.
We ordered a pot of mussels that come with a side of frites. I would have preferred the frites a bit more well done (I like things fried hard) but the mussels were top notch. Fresh, plump, clean, without a bit of grit to them. We ordered the red devil (with harissa) and they were spicy and fantastic. Huge shards of celery, big rounds of onion floating around the broth.....just lovely. It was served steaming hot. Bread was abundant, with a very crispy crust that was the perfect partner for sopping up tons of the broth.
They have a leek and potato soup that is like bacon juice, I swear to God. It's like a ton of bacon juice (not greasy, though), heavy cream, and jullienned leek, potato, and bacon crumbles. It was out of this world bacony, I have no idea how they got so much bacon flavour in there without it being all bacon grease. Also served piping hot. Just fantastic.
We both ordered T-bones with garlic frites, among the specials of the day. The steak was cooked perfectly, was "like buttah" and the frites were crazy garlicky, crisp (but cold, I think they were a bit stale). Again, this dish was a total winner.
The beer selection is amazing, and the service was just fantastic. It appears they have a food runner/expediter that ensures that your food is brought out the second it's done, and we got everything piping hot, no sitting in the window.
Dessert and coffee were also nice, but I was so wowed with the mussels, frites, soup, and meat that I was in a cholesterol and Belgian beer coma, barely remember it.
So totally going back. And soon. Hubba hubba.
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Mannequin Pis Restaurant
18064 Georgia Ave, Olney, MD 20832
outdoor lunch recommendations: Rosslyn and Georgetown
Thanks, mjhals. We've just been to Me Jana and Guajillo (among the others) so many times, I'd like to branch out and try something new. I have no quibbles about their food, however.
Both Neyla and Bodega looked good. Bodega may not be as veg friendly, but I will put it my back pocket for another working lunch.
cheers.
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Me Jana
2300 Wilson Blvd., Suite 140, Arlington, VA 22201
outdoor lunch recommendations: Rosslyn and Georgetown
Hello 'Hounds,
Am looking for a veg-friendly, tasty place where we can dine al fresco.
I used to work in the area, so between that and office catering, we've been to/had the following too many times to count, so I am counting them out: Me Jana, Cafe Assorti, Cafe Asia, Pho 75, China Garden, Santa Fe Cafe,Guajillo, Cosi, Chop't, Chipotle.
I'd venture out to Georgetown if you can give me some direction. Cafe La Ruche appears to have outdoor seating but no veg-friendly entrees aside from Quiche. It also has mixed reviews. But nothing else I've found here on CH regarding G'town specifies outdoor seating.
I would sacrifice outdoor seating if the restaurant is slammin', however.
TIA.
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Me Jana
2300 Wilson Blvd., Suite 140, Arlington, VA 22201
Santa Fe Cafe
4410 Knox Rd, College Park, MD 20740
Chipotle
14925 Shady Grove Rd Unit L, Rockville, MD 20850
Cafe Asia
1720 I St NW Unit Frnt, Washington, DC 20006
Cafe La Ruche
1039 31st St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Cafe Assorti
1800 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201
Good Thai in Rockville?
Repete, what are your Thai recommendations for Wheaton? TIA.
HELP!?! New to Silver Spring/Aspen Hill/Rockville/Wheaton with nothing to eat!
Mannequin Pis is just 10-15 minutes up the road up in Olney. Haven't been yet, but read good things about it. Think I'll try it out for my bday....
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Mannequin Pis Restaurant
18064 Georgia Ave, Olney, MD 20832
Kabob n Karahi
You ROCK, Alkapal! Thanks soooo much for the chaat masala recipe.
I have never cooked my chickpeas in fat from start to finish-- always added "gravy" that was made on the side for the chickpeas to finish cooking in. I will have to try it.
Next time you're in the neighborhood, I just may have to treat to you lunch at this place for your excellent cooking tips. ;)
cheers!
