baczkowski

I'm sorry to report that I grossly overestimated the distance of Monocacy Crossing from my house: Instead of 15 minutes it is all of 8. I'm sorry I haven't been earlier because it is a very good restaurant (Thanks for the prompt, Porcupine!) I called Wednesday for a Saturday reservation for a party of 5 only to find the back dining room booked except for 5PM and 9PM. Under the advice of the manager, we took a risk by reserving a front bar table, which is smoking, because she thought the smokers normally don't come out until 8. When we arrived, however, four people promptly lit up and created an environment that my smoke sensitive friend couldn't stand. To the great credit of the manager, she came over to me without prompting, said she would try to find something in the back, and then took two small tables from the bar to the back and "made space" for our table so we didn't have to endure smoke. Knowing we were taking a risk with the reservation, I never expected such accomodations but we were very appreciative to the server and manager for proactively trying to make us comfortable and keep our business. A pleasant surprise was the freshly baked bread that started the meal. Since it was an early meal I wanted to resist filling up on bread but I couldn't pass up the brown and crunchy crust. My wife got a grilled romaine lettuce salad that she absolutely loved and I got a scallop appetizer that was wonderfully sauteed in olive oil with carmelized onions. Though a little heavy on the oil, they were the best scallops I've had in a long time, and I managed room to sop up some of the onions and olive oil with the bread. As for entrees, two of us (including me) got the Seafood Bouillabaisse with Saffron Fennel and Tomato Broth, my wife got the 8oz Filet Mignon Topped Gorgonzola and Caramelized Onions, and the rest of our company got an order of the special encrusted whole fish and the Garlic and Herb topped Beef Medallions wrapped with Applewood Smoked Bacon. The strength of the boullabaisse was how perfectly cooked all the seafood was, including a filet of white fish (trout?) on top. The mussels were a little small, but everything tasted fresh and the texture firm. The tomato broth was a little rich but was a nice antidote to the frigid weather. I tried my wife's filet, which she ordered cooked medium, and the gargonzola sauce dominated instead of complemented the flavor at first, but I guess you can expect that from such a lean piece of meat cooked past the medium rare I tend to order. The beef medallions were a big hit with my friend, who was sold at the mere mention of bacon. The major service snafu of the evening was the that the whole fish order never made it to the kitchen so my buddy had to wait another good 10-15 minutes without his food. I'm not sure it was worth the wait, though, because he said he wouldn't order it again. Surprisingly, the manager tried to make up for the service snafu by comping two beers, which was a nice gesture considering the lengths they went to seat us in the first place. We splurged by sharing two desserts, including a banana bread pudding for my wife and me and a coconut pound cake for the other couple. The banana bread pudding was good but not great, but supposedly the pound cake was, according to my friend, "possibly the best cake I've ever had." But that was after a bottle of wine, so I would temper his enthusiasm. Overall, a very positive experience, especially since it's a Frederick hidden treasure so close to our house. I have to say I liked the Tasting Room last weekend better, but Monocacy Crossing' was easier on the wallet with prices $8-$10 cheaper per entree. My only negative observation was that everything tended to be on the rich/heavier side without a lot of (any?) real healthy options other than the salads. I'd be interested to see what ol_ironstomach thinks about the quality consistency when he has a chance to return. Pax, Brian

Went to Mia's Friday night and confirmed what most visitors have experienced: Good quality of crust that does need ingredients to add flavor. The pizza is why people are coming, so I'll start there. Three out of four of us added sausage, which is the perfect accompaniment for slight spice (though I'd like a tiny bit more kick) and added grease. My friend and I were both eyeing several of the same other toppings so we decided to split them: I got the red onions, pepperoni, and smoked gouda (in addition to the fresh mozzerella that already comes with the Mia version) and he added salami,basil, and olives. The clear winners were the red onions (perfect sweetness paired with the sausage) and the salami (added a kick of salt which would be a wonderful and simple improvement to the crust). The only disappointment was the smoked gouda, which had no hint of smokiness and amazingly less flavor than the fresh mozzarella alone. As for char, it was there on the bottom and the bubbles of the edges, which for me was fine. To note, we also tried the prosciutto and olive plate as well as a potato bruschetta. Prosciutto was ok but not near the level of Dino's or Two Amy's and the potato bruschetta was little bland, probably mostly b/c you're pairing carb with carb. Few things that might help folks when making plans...the place itself is smaller than I pictured so expect a table wait at peak dining times. The bar area is small, too, so it can be uncomfortable avoiding the table of two directly behind it if you can't score one of the 6 or so bar seats. Lastly we started off next door at Caddie's for drinks, which worked out ok though the hostess wasn't too keen on the idea even though she told us we had a 25 minute wait. Pax, Brian

Can you believe that I've never been? Always forget it exists. It's off the forested stretch of 355 between Frederick and Urbana and I never head that way, though it must be only 15 minutes from me. No one ever mentions it these days, but when they did, they said good things. You've given me an idea... Pax, Brian

Went here Friday night with friends out of convenience. Third time here and the only real positive each time is that it's not food I regularly cook myself. Different flavors but less depth of flavor than this very amateur cook can toss together himself. Lentil mush as a side had no flavor at all. If you're mentally prepared for chain Indian food to act as a backdrop of engaging conversation with friends, you won't be upset you went, but nothing to get scraping-the-bottom-of-contentment about. Naan's pretty good though. Pax, Brian

As much as I love this city, last night confirmed for me that the Tasting Room is the only Frederick restaurant worth driving out of one's way. Yes, I still do think a few are worth stopping in for a decent meal if you're in the area, but the Tasting Room may mentally reincarnate 270 as an appreciated conduit instead of that shithole of a parking lot you're used to. The in-laws visited "Siberia" and treated us to a wonderful meal at the lively and loud fishbowl on the corner of Market and Church Streets. Thank god they were treating, too, because prices have definitely jumped. I just checked the badly outdated online menu this morning and the rack of lamb the web site prices at $33 was an astounding $38 on last night's menu. Nothing else topped $33, but that's still a lot for Frederick. A lot. We started our meal with drinks that confirmed why the bar is always packed. Besides my four-years-too-late-to-be-hip mojito, the hit was my wife's Pineapple Cosmopolitan that made me check the last frayed corner of my "Guy Card" at the table and order next. For appetizers my wife got a pasta and cauliflower soup with a pleasant broth and my father-in-law and I were to share an order of calamari in a tomato sauce. Why he wanted this, I don't know, because he hates red sauce unless his 97-year-old Italian mother makes it, but he took one bite and offered me the whole plate. It was quite good with very tender calamari and a bread-dipping-worthy sauce, but there was an unmistakable fishy aroma that I'm sure wouldn't be appetizing to some even though it didn't taste fishy. Entrees included two orders of the special 14 oz. NY strip steak seared perfectly in butter on the outside and a dark-red medium-rare through the rest, a rockfish with rich risotto that was nice and flaky but only as flavorful as rockfish can be, and my M-I-L's crab cakes, which I didn't dare taste, but I've had them in the past and they're quite good but not huge. Service ended with the delivery of the two shared desserts: cr�me brule and the bread pudding, which is made by their sister bakery Proof a couple blocks away. Creamy and seemingly light on everything except calories, both dessert made me glad I'm not participating in the DR fit challenge. Speaking of service, it wasn't good. Our server was very personable (I've had him before), but he showed us maybe 4 minutes of face time over a 2+ hour dinner. As my M-I-L said, we'd have been impatiently angry if we weren't drinking. Definitely a pleasant overall experience since I didn't have to field the check. The in-laws are welcome to visit anytime. Pax, Brian

Just 4 in the group. No food limits. Don't want to tie up Joe's thread with people's favorite Rockville restaurants, so if you have helpful advice, a PM might work best If it makes any difference, we're probably eating earlier (6PM-ish). Thanks all. Pax, Brian

Would you recommend Bob's over Joe's now? Looking for a restaurant in Rockville or Gaithersburg area tomorrow. Pax, Brian

This Pittsburgh transplant appreciated the Primanti Bros. shout out! I've spent my share of time waiting in the late night drunk line so I could shout my corned beef and egg order to staff who never writes anything down after midnight and never messed up an order in my experience. It's a necessary stop--though during the day and under unusual sobriety--whenever I visit family and friends. Sure, it's nostalgia, but my originally squeemish wife loves the piled high fries and cole slaw on that fresh italian bread. Pax, Brian

Made the journey down before, as Dean said when he seated us, "they close the border [between Frederick & self-proclaimed civilization] at 10:30" and we had the pleasant dining experience that so many posters have corroborated. My wife said, and the three others concurred, that we don't eat Italian out very often because it seems so easy to make at home, but we were so pleased with what we saw on the menu and then validated with our mouths. Our meals were all made with quality ingredients with successful attempts at creativity--ricotta wrapped in mozzarella and lasagne without ricotta cheese being my two highlights. Two out of the four of us took advantage of Dino's offer of restaurant week prices all month with no upcharges and plenty of food; it's gotta be one of the real deals of January (I doubt I would have tried the delicately sliced prosciutto without the price and I would have missed out). I have to say that I really enjoyed having quality food in a non-pretentious environment for a very reasonable price. Just what every neighborhood needs. Keep up the good work Dean! On a side note, Rocks, you owe me $17. When our bill came one of our entrees that wasn't part of the RW deal wasn't on our bill. My three companions were jazzed. Normally I would have been, too, but b/c Don had to go and create this virtual sandbox, I felt like I'd be stealing one of my playmate's GI Joe action figures. Yeah, I felt guilty simply b/c I had read this guy Dean's postings each day, even though I hadn't said more than 7 words to the man. So I let him know about the check--and lost two dining companions (my poor wife is stuck eating with me, but she has promised to never let me see a bill again). And I thought I was free and clear when this grinch's heart didn't grow at Christmas...no one warned me that the new year could make me grow a damn conscience. Rocks, I accept paypal. Pax, Brian

With the beginning of winter break yesterday afternoon, I seem committed to not preparing another meal myself in 2006 b/c I ate lunch today at Passage to India and then dinner tonight at That Cuban Place in Frederick. I knew I was going to be in Bethesda today and was intrigued by what I had read about Passage, including Rocks calling it the best Indian place in DC so I had to give it a try. The citrus lentil soup was a nice start to warm up the cold, rainy day and fresh enough that I can see it being served year round. I made sure to order the garlic naan and it was as good as Rocks boasted, though I surely repelled the normally ubiquitous vampires on Cordell Avenue when I left. The waiter was nice enough to bring me both the steamed basmati rice and the normal saffron rice that comes with the lunch special and I have to say I preferred the plain basmati. My favorite part of the meal was actually the side of black lentils, which was hearty with some real depth of flavor. As for my main dish, the lamb korma, I was disappointed. The lamb itself had the least flavor and tenderness of any lamb Indian dish I've ever had (I hope I'm not overspeaking here). It was so underwhelming that I actually didn't appreciate how good the tomato curry sauce accompanying it was until I took a big spoonful after all the lamb was gone. Maybe it was just a bad cut of meat or it was overcooked just this one time, but I was disappointed. But everything else was very good. I'd definitely go back, but I wasn't wowed as I was when I left Rasika. THAT was great food--period. Pax, Brian

My brother, wife and I went to Asean Bistro and had a decent meal last night. Interestingly, two of the items we attempted to order--the samosa appetizer and the macademian chicken entree--were no longer available despite being on the menu. The waiter did, however, say the chicken dish could be prepared pretty much the same way but with cashews, so my brother agreed. Since my wife was famished, she asked for a suggestion of another appetizer and the waiter suggested the calamari. It turned out to be wonderfully soft and not the least bit chewy and the batter had a nice spice to it, though I tend to like a lighter batter. As for our entrees, my wife and I both eyed Jesse's Special Curry Shrimp, and since she is a pushover for lemongrass, she won that struggle. I was going to get the spicy chicken with green beans recommended in the thread above but the waiter said that his favorite is the pinot grigiot shrimp"for a long time" and he promised to add some spice to it. All three dishes had good flavor, and I was certainly glad they did add spice to the pinot grigiot shrimp b/c it would have been god-awfully sweet without it. The shrimp (probably actually prawns, but I'm no Jacque Gastreaux) were huge and well cooked, but I have to say that all three dishes were almost ruined by the texture of the sauces: they were thicker than my mom's gravy. Much thicker. My wife's curry sat on top and clung to every crevice and ridge of the food. Were it not for the interesting flavors and wonderful shrimp, the sauces' textures would have turned me off completely. Is this a characteristic of Malaysian cooking or just bad cooking? Thanks for the suggestion. We were glad not to go to a chain. Pax, Brian

Ugh! The COZY gets a separate thread? Poor, poor Tasting Room. Outdone by a Fry-o-later. Pax, Brian P.S. The Cozy has pics of most presidents b/c Camp David is right in Thurmont. But I doubt the First Family makes the pilgrimage for the Cozy.

Thank you all for the recs! I've got a list now for when I visit some friends down in that area. My bro chose Asean Bistro. Any can't misses on the menu? Pax, Brian

Gonna have dinner with my brother tomorrow night and we're thinking of meeting in Columbia (he's coming from White Marsh/Baltimore, I'm coming from Frederick, and my wife is coming from Silver Spring/Rockville). I've been searching for anything other than a chain but can't seem to find anything. Any suggestions? Price-wise, we're looking for more mid-range ($15-$20 for an entree). Without your intervention, we may be doomed to Clyde's. Can you live with that on your conscience? Pax, Brian P.S. Ellicott City (historic or not) would be a fine place to steer us instead.

Dave, hopefully that drive up to Frederick wasn't so long that you got back at 1:43 AM! I like (not love) Zest (though each time I've had the oysters and short ribs I've loved them), but I have no idea how they survive despite busy Friday and Saturday nights. What you experienced is a typical weekday there. One time I went for lunch (wonderful chicken pot pie) and I was the only person who came in during the whole meal. I asked them if that was normal and the waitress said pretty much. With parking such a problem and being a good walk from most of the city's commerce, it's a terrible lunch location for someone with a small time window. I asked if they thought about just serving dinner and the waitress said that they need to serve two meals for a liquor license. So sad if Zest doesn't last. New tip, though, for folks driving through: A small but visible Cuban place on the corner of Market and Third Street called That Cuban Place. Bright orange awning on the corner. Opened a couple months ago by a super-friendly Cuban family, it serves simple and authentic Cuban food. Right now their only menu is a whiteboard that they scribble on what they're making that day. Hope the lack of professionalism doesn't scare folks away b/c everything I had has been wonderful (except one time I got a Cuban sandwhich with too little mustard and pickles so I started asking for extra of each). They use authentic Cuban bread for the sandwiches and you can buy loaves if you want to try to make your own at home. Last week I had the Ropas Viejos special which came with huge sides of red beans and rice and fried plantains. Had PLENTY for lunch the next day--all for $7! So good, That Cuban Place has become my meal once a week before I go to my second job. Pax, Brian --- Isabella's Taverna and Tapas Bar (JPW)

The term "inedible" is vague since each person has their own standards, but more important to me would be how people perceived (or maybe actually experienced) rudeness. To balance this poster's experience out, I'll share my lone RTC experience. I was one of those impatient people wanting Michael to open RTC earlier than he did b/c I wanted a decent place in Silver Spring to have my rehearsal dinner in June. When Sietsama posted in his chat that RTC was finally opening, I was one of those quick dialers and landed a reservation for that Saturday. Our experience made me glad that Michael waited to open until he got it right. We all loved the food and were treated very differently than this poster despite similar circumstances. I ordered a NY strip medium rare, but when it came it was way too rare for me. I promptly notified the waiter and he said they would cook it longer--no problem. About two minutes later Michael Landrum came over to me himself and said, "I'm glad you sent that piece of meat back because I'm still trying to train our staff to what is an acceptable cut of meat. We do our own butchering here and that cut you received was not acceptable. I picked out a completely new piece of meat and I think you'll see a difference." Remember, I had no problem with the CUT of meat; I just wanted it cooked longer! Well, in less than 5 minutes Michael came back again with another beautiful piece of meat and said, "Cut into that and I'm sure you'll be more satisfied." Amazingly, the meat was actually noticeably better--but still too rare. After I cut in, I just sheepishly raised my eyes to Michael's and he got the hint. "Still too rare, isn't it?" he said. Feeling bad but still wanting it cooked to how I wanted, I knodded and he took the meat again, came back in two minutes with a piece of meat that had obvious grill marks. I cut in: perfect. I learned that I'm a "medium" guy at RTC. No problem. I really didn't expect anything from this, but Michael ended up comping desserts for all 4 of us! Crazy. Now, maybe he was being especially nice because they just opened and maybe he was just looking for more feedback on his desserts, but he won us all over. And let me tell you, boy am I glad I got to try that Peach (now apple) charlotte. Next time I'm in Silver Spring I plan to stop in just for that dessert. I hope others continue to receive the same hospitality that I received. pax, Brian

Before the Patriot Act is invoked and 2 Amy's meaty Freedom Fragments are called before a congressional committee, I plead for forgiveness on the basis of marinated brain cells. There were two prosciuttos, and one was labeled on the menu as "American" prosciutto. The waiter said that he always recommends the other--forever now to be blacklisted in Cleveland Park for being "non-American." Has this blogosphere no decency?!?!?!?

The wife and I braved Friday traffic to finally try 2 Amy's and we were rewarded for our trip. We parked 3 blocks away on Macomb and only waited 15 minutes in the bar though we were told 35-40. The wine special was a Novella that she loved so much that she typed it into her Blackberry to see if she could buy it elsewhere. We also tried the Peppers and Anchovie salad and the non-American prosciutto. The prosciutto was heavenly and seemed to get an even deeper flavor as it warmed up over time (or maybe that was the beers convincing me so). Torn between three things for our pizza toppings, we decided to save some of the prosciutto to add to the pizza ourselves and got the margherita pizza with meatballs and the sausage, fontina, and pepper special pizza. Sausage pizza won with a knockout, though the knockout was me when I had just finished garbling a sentence about how awesome the sausage was when I bit into some heavy pepper concentration in the sausage. A hot-and-spicy-food-ninny, I tried every liquid and bread option at the table to try to extinguish my mouth until I couldn't take it anymore and ran to the bathroom to stick my tongue under the faucet for 15 seconds. My apologies to later hand washers out there. But when I returned to the table, I continued eating that sausage pizza--it was that damn good. Loved the meatballs, but they were too heavy for such a thin pizza. We took leftovers home and reheated it slowly in the toaster oven to pretty satisfactory results compared to previous posters. No need to rinse the tongue after my pizza breakfast this morning

My wife took me to Firefly Friday for my birthday. She "surprised" me by reserving a restaurant from a list that I wanted to try. If she hadn't surprised me, I would have read this thread and realized that Firefly is almost a second home to many DR.com folk (do you think Michael Landrum feels threatened?). Also b/c I was surprised I didn't review the posts to see what to eat, so I picked just what I thought sounded good, so please forgive any poor choices. We both loved our first courses: She got a watercress salad and I got the Jamon Serrano and the fried oysters. The ham was salted just perfectly. The oysters were wonderfully warm and smooth after the crunch even though they were a little overbreaded. For our entrees I got the lamb chops b/c it was my favorite thing at Fogo de Chao, and it was really just ok. The beans underneath were just there and the meat itself was on the tougher/fattier side. My wife faired much better with a delicious, Indian-inspired Trout dish. Of course we also got the truffle fries which were nothing but indulgent. As for service, it was on the slow side even though our waiter was always in a hurry. It seemed like his tables were really spread out and not assigned a certain section. Not sure if that was to give him bigger tables elsewhere but we would have had another drink or two if he had come around more. At the end of the night I had a wonderful conversation with the general manager Mike, who came over to check on our experience. He seemed genuinely interested as we talked food, DR, Frederick, and the recent menu changes. I mentioned to him that a format like Firefly would succeed in Frederick, but one thing I didn't mention was that part of the success would be how lively bar area invigorates the restaurant (that's true for every successful downtown restaurant in Frederick; Zest misses that concept). Mike seemed like a genuine guy and a real asset to the company. He made me wonder, though, if I'd have liked Firefly better with the older menu, which he said catered more to "dining" instead of the new one which catered to "eating." I'd definitely go back, though, but I think I'd probably stick to the lively bar area and hit the small plates and charcuterie. So many other restaurants to try!

Happened to go to David Craig's last night after meeting my wife after work for a "date night." We had tried for reservations a couple friday's ago but I foolishly waited until a few hours before. We called ahead last night just in case even though it was Tuesday and the host said they had plenty of space since it was Tuesday and after a holiday. When we got there there were only five tables filled and we essentially had our pick of seats, so we sat in front of the kitchen (otherwise we'd actually have to talk, right?). Having read the "worth the trip" spot in the Washington Post a couple weeks ago, I remembered the fettucine as something to order, so we got that as an appetizer. For entrees I got the tenderloin and my wife got a special of black and white ear-shaped pasta. The pastas were wonderful, full of flavor (the fettucine being very hearty and the entree having a delicate spice). My tenderloin was very tender and cooked perfectly after some sage advice from the waiter (he said their medium rare is blood rare so I went medium), but I have to say I expected a much bigger cut for my $30. I know, I know, not everywhere can be Ray's in its quality and economy, but the size was at least half of what I expected. I was paired with a gargonzola foam which paired nicely with the meat but the texture was a little wierd even on the last bite. We ended with the highlight of the night: Chocolate bread pudding. Indulgent. Overall very good cooking with some noticeable finesse even on the heartier dishes. I would certainly recommend it (especially with all the Bethesda mediocrity), but I have to say not with nearly as much excitement as Ray's the Classics or Rasika, which we tried and loved in the last few months. I think that somewhat dampened enthusiasm is b/c we got more for our money at both Ray's and Rasika, not because of the quality of the cooking.

Rob, the sounds you're making makes me fear for the little old lady that runs the shop, but here's the web site for Carriage House: http://www.carriagehousebakery.com/ It's located at 9807 Kelly Road, Mt. Pleasant, MD. Phone is 301-898-7559. If you've ever been to Morningside Inn for a wedding or something, it's that way. Nothing fancy at all and it's RIGHT after Rt. 26 forks; go to the right no further than 20 feet and there's a white house-looking building that actually is the bakery. I particularly love the red velvet but my friend swears by the carrot cake (they got it for their wedding cake and it was good). And you'll taste the butter in that buttercream icing. Talk about old Frederick charm, when we went there for our tasting, they gave us two plates of 8 huge slices of cake saran-wrapped to take home. Not the most professional packaging, but we essential got a cake variety pack of a whole cake for free, and it was far better than what we had at the other two expensive fancy-cake places. True home-baking there. Like myself, the person who had their tasting before us had never been before, and they were so impressed with the cake they sampled that she bought almost a $100 worth of stuff. Again, a little old lady runs the place. Gotta love little old ladies' baking. Boy, I miss my grandmother's nut roll and apple pies... Good luck fulfilling your cake fix. Pax, Brian

I would DIE for great sushi in Frederick! It would be so smart for the very confused Acacia (started off New American, which was pretty decent, and then tried Asian Fusion and ruined the restaurant) to open a sushi bar. Other sushi places that are decent (on the level of Roppongi) is Cafe Kyoko, which upstairs above Proof Bakery on East Patrick Street (you enter on the side of the building) and China Garden, which is on West Patrick/Rt. 40 across from Frederick High School's football field. Again, it's decent. Pizza and Pretzel Creations is at 210 N. Market St. Hemp's meats is phenomenal. The wife of one of the owners works at my school. They supply the meat to our back to school night celebration every year. They also have a huge line at the Great Frederick Fair (insert Fredneck joke here). If you're looking for another quality butcher, check out Wagner's Meats Mt. Airy Meat Locker. The owner of Zest swears by their meats and my assistant just bought her turkey for Thanksgiving from them. Stonehouse does/did make wonderful breads. I taught their daughter years back. The gruffness I think comes from working long hours and trying for years to sell the business, which I heard happened this past summer. Have been since it changed hands, so I'm not sure how they are now. Maybe the new folks were gruff. Carriage House Bakery towards Libertytown makes wonderful cakes. For our wedding cake, we sampled three places 1) Fancy Cakes by Leslie, 2) SugarBakers, and 3) Carriage House. By far the most expensive (by three times) and the worst tasting cake was Fancy Cakes by Leslie. The cheapest and best tasting cake was Carriage House--by far. My wife and I were in total agreement on the quality issue, but I couldn't convince her that the po-dunk shop in Frederick could pull off the artistry, so we went to SugarBakers. But I'd eat that red velvet cake from Carriage house any day. The place looks like an ugly house, though, so we drove past it the first time we went. Just a warning. Great home-baking. Can't remember about bread. Mostly desserts.

I concur with almost all of your experiences. Wonderful overview. La Paz is always packed, but it has to do more with chest-hair-growing margaritas than it does the runny con queso. Fun atmosphere that now has one of the few outdoor eating options but NEVER go for food. My "oh my god I successfully made scrambled eggs!" wife said it's one of the few places she feels qualified to cook. I haven't had a bad experience with Bombay Grill, but I went to Rasika a week ago and saw what Indian food can be. No comparison but a nice option that we can walk to. It's a small chain. Note about Tauraso's: The original owner parted ways (supposedly bitterly) with son several years ago and sold the restaurant to his manager this past year so he could retire to some private island. Haven't been in years so I hope your positive experiences are recent. New addition: Pretzel Creations. They make "gourmet" pretzels but the tastiest parts of the menu are the hot pocket sandwhiches and pizza made from the pizza dough. Wonderful for lunch. Sad to see it has a sign for the business up for sale, but I used to teach the owners' daughters and know they have a ton of real estate investments and are probably just looking to work less or expand elsewhere. Another new addition: G. Hunters opened in the spring. It's owned by the local conglomerate that owns Brewer's, Isabella's, Acacia, Bombay Grill (I heard, but not positive) and used to own another brew pub in Gaithersburg (sold it b/c insurance to operate was too high). We've been about four times and have some good and bad experiences but I love that they have an oyster bar with usually 3 or 4 choices. Not expected in landlocked Frederick. The view of the golf-course is wonderful during the summer, too, especially if you sit on the deck overlooking the green. They serve sandwhiches and surf and turf to appease the just-off-the-course crowd, but they succeed fairly well. Not worth the drive to Frederick, but a nice option if you're in the area. By the way, I have to admit that being a foodie is a recent experience for me that has filled the gap once occupied by grad school. My wife just smirks at my new hobby, but she doesn't mind indulging in it. Pax, Brian

Unless your sadistic sister-in-law has a hankering for cheesesteaks, I don't think the Brown Pelican will beckon your return: It closed about two years ago and a Philly cheesesteak replaced it. Very greasy but tasty fries and authentic buns. I'd take it any day over the Brown Pelican. Up until four years ago, I wouldn't summon anyone to Frederick for food. Sure, before then Brewer's Alley made some good beers and endless tin ceilings lining the tops of so many downtown shops added quaint ambiance throughout, but the food? You ate it when you were too lazy to cook yourself or were looking to go pub crawling down Market Street. But first came Isabella's and Frederick got itself a tapas bar (I still remember telling my mom that I took a girl to a tapas restaurant, and the awkward extended silence on the other end told me she heard "topless", but that provinciality can't be blamed on Frederick--that's Pittsburgh talking). Brewer's Alley shared its beer with its Spanish sister and its sibling showed big sis Brewer's that beer CAN taste good with good food. It was nice to move from wing-based happy hours to complimentary roast beef and shrimp appetizers for those who could jump on a bar stool by 4. Isabella's isn't Zaytinya, but it was a wonderful taste of what could be done. Soon after Isabella's came the Tasting Room. You can drink something other than beer with your food? Fredericktonians almost swallowed their chew. But they chased it with gluttonous lobster chowder and they were hooked. Call days in advance to reserve a seat in this fishbowl on the corner so you can watch the downtown action outside and chew on a great steak inside. The martinis are great, too--and half the price of DC, more than making up for your gas money. Frederick wasn't done growing. With the burgeoning Carroll Creek project hoping to spread its revitalization aura to the south side of town, a brave young chef took the plunge before the neighborhood made a full swing and opened the fresh new Zest. His new restaurant anchored a once-decrepid mission building now full of luxury condos on the south side of town. His fried oysters are good enough to be mentioned in Sietsama's chats and the beer-braised shortribs made my father-in-law glad he left DC to come to "Siberia." Too bad bravery doesn't build parking spaces or solve a owner's idiocy of charging $6 for a bottled beer, which is assinine in these parts. Except for the weekends, the place is obviously struggling despite quality food. I hope he keeps up the good fight b/c it's two blocks from my house and I love the chicken pot pie at lunch and chatting with the owner about food. The tin cieling helps, too. So, if your experience of fine dining in Frederick is the forgotten Brown Pelican or that horrible Dutch's Daughter (but doesn't every home town have an overrated "special occassion" restaurant?), then your reality is outdated. I'd like to help my reality improve. Come to Frederick. Eat the good food we do have, and encourage more to keep coming!

good call. Found the mergeable thread you allude to. But I'd still love to have/see more input from folks after the merge occurs. Sietsama has reviewed Zest and Tasting Room already (I think about a year apart) and the original posts has some substantive feedback on these two. Some places I'd like to hear opinions on would be Isabella's, G Hunter's, Mealy's (in New Market), Pretzel Creations (pretty tasty pocket sandwhiches made with pretzel dough), etc. I'll share general opinions myself later. It would be nice to have something of more substance to add to the dining guide.