| A guest post contributed from my dining partner, my wife. |
| Tonight we had our first visit to Azul 17 on Snowden River Parkway in Columbia. We had a hankering for some sort of ethnic food and nearly sealed the deal with one of our favorites, House of India. However, we made a last minute decision to try this relatively new eatery. We both love Mexican food – one of our old favs is El Salto in Brooklyn. We both had high hopes to have found an "authentic" (thanks, Kevin & Ann) Mexican restaurant near the homestead. |
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| The decor is very bright white, minimalist, and modern. The main dining room was mostly empty, so we sat at the bar. The bar stools were wobbly with VERY low backs, and not very comfortable. Large, high-quality TVs were mounted near the bar playing a slideshow of artistic agave pictures and food. Party-boy music played loudly. It wasn’t quite our style, yet we were still hopeful our food would be worth the trip. |
| There were many Mexican beers available by the bottle, and many, many tequila options (it IS a tequileria, after all). With only 4 draught options, I liked the choices – Dos Equis, Negra Modelo, Stella Artois, and Hoegaarden. I started with a glass of (properly carbonated) Stella and Ben had a traditional margarita. Ben’s margarita was a winner, so I had one also. Delicious. |
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The bartender brought us chips and salsa. The salsa was great; full of fresh flavor. The chips seemed a little stale, but that did not stop us from nearly emptying the basket, thanks to the salsa. We proceeded to order 2 Platos Pequeños (small plates): Tuna Azul and Chile Relleno de Queso. In addition I ordered 3 tacos, De Alambre (grilled steak with onions), Tacos de Salmon (you guessed it), and Chorizo Picante (spicy pork chorizo). Ben ordered the Enchiladas de Pollo (chicken enchiladas). I had expected our small plates to come first, followed by the tacos & enchiladas. However, food just came out as it was ready with no thought to the order. In the end, Ben stared at me while I ate my tacos and I stared at Ben while he ate his enchiladas. Oh well, this place isn’t exactly fine dining. It’s just a little disappointing how often this happens.
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| The tacos were the star of my meal, with my clear favorite being the salmon. It was cooked well, light, with nice heat balanced with sweetness, and full of flavor. The other 2 tacos were good, but not spectacular. If I were to return, I’d likely get 3-4 of the salmon tacos, or try something new. If you order the chorizo tacos, you should know that it is quite greasy; a puddle formed on the bar while I ate the other tacos. |
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The Tuna Azul was a good quality, nicely prepared piece of tuna, seared to medium rare with a flavorful crust. The tomato/onion/arugala/jicama salad was bland and after a couple of bites, it remained on my plate. The tuna itself would have been very enjoyable, had it not been for the overly sweet cranberry drizzle. It was so sweet that I did my best to scrape it off. I’m not sure what they were going for here, but they’d be smart to skip the drizzle, or devise a better match for the tuna.
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| Once the Chile Relleno arrived, Ben found the dish enjoyable, but understated. The chili pepper was cooked nicely, stuffed with a little cheese, and served in a tomato based sauce. All the flavors were nice but the dish was not memorable. |
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The Enchiladas de Pollo arrived after I finished my food, so Ben offered me a bite. The quality of the shredded chicken was good and the sauce was pleasant, but it left me thinking of tomato soup. Where was the bite? The rich flavor? I’m all for fresh and light, I felt the the dish was so light that it was lacking flavor and excitement. There was a very light crumble of white "queso fresco" on top. Perhaps I’m not accustomed to "authentic Mexican" food, but I missed some melty, cheesy goodness.
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Looking back at the entire meal, it was all good, but unfortunately not GREAT. Howard County is home to so many fantastic restaurants, it’s not likely that I’d return this this one. If I’m craving Mexican or Tex-Mex, I’ll head over to Frisco’s for a yummy fajita sandwich or some mahi tacos. Oh, and El Salto still rules. More reviews here.
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Alyssa Brouse Restaurant Reviews
| Ryleigh’s is the latest offering in the building that used to house the original Sisson’s brewpub. Ryleigh’s offers many wines and has a few craft beer offerings. I really like the atmosphere inside the restaurant. The old brickwork is still intact but now supports several bars. The place is wide-open and there always seems to be a “buzz” in the crowd. |
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| We started with the grilled calamari and the steamed mussels. The sauce with the calamari was delicious but sadly, the calamari was rubbery. The mussels were middle of the road – not bad but not great either. Onto our entrees, fish ‘n chips (Cod) and a steak sandwich. The fish was good, flakey and beer battered. The steak sandwich was really good. Charred flank steak, blue cheese and roasted mushrooms on a baguette. The potato chips were clearly homemade and were also quite good. |
| Sitting at the upstairs bar, the service was good but could have been better. The bartenders not only were covering the bar but all the tables upstairs. I appreciate their effort but they could have used some help. |
| My take – this place fits in nicely with the relaxed feel of Federal Hill. You won’t have you best meal ever here but judging by the number of patrons, Ryleigh’s is clearly popular. I felt the price point was fair and I’m sure I’ll be back at some point in time. |
Ben Brouse Restaurant Reviews
| Stopped in here for a a casual Sunday afternoon lunch and a few beers. This isn’t the first time we’ve been here but I’ve never written about it before. Alex, the bar manager, keeps an incredible beer list. I really dig seeing something new every time I stop in. This trip, on draught, I encountered Allagash Hugh Malone and Troegs Nugget Nectar – both very tasty. My only complaint – all the beers are high octane! I would prefer a few few more session beverages. |
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| Now to eating – I had a Mushroom and Swiss KOBE burger. Exceptional, full flavored burger; couple that with smoked paprika fries and I can’t imagine a better lunch. My wife had the roasted beet salad, with blue cheese and toasted nuts. She was very pleased with the salad and remarked that it was nice that it wasn’t dripping in dressing and it was a good value. |
| My take: definitely a place to check out. I like the bar better than the dining room. Some of the food can be a little over the top but the draught and bottle list is worth a stop alone. Other reviews here. |
Ben Brouse Restaurant Reviews
Located in Columbia, MD off of Dobbin Rd lies a little restaurant that is big on taste in both beer and food.
| Self described: “We specialize in southwestern-style cuisine, so whether you’re in the mood for one of our famous burritos, our world-class grilled barbecue wings or one of our daily specials like flat iron steak, Frisco has something to satisfy your senses.” |
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| Typically, I show up motivated by the ever-revolving list of fantastic craft beers on draught (19 of them). I can tell you that if you like to try many different brews, this is a place to add to your rotation. Albeit, I believe there is a hop-head somewhere lurking due to the saturation of IPA’s. |
| The beer isn’t the only star here, it is also the Southwestern-style food. I’ve eaten here several times. I can personally vouch for the Nachos w/ Grilled Chicken, the Chicken Burrito w/ Beans, the Sante Fe Burger & the Corn-Dusted Chicken Sandwich. I’ve heard great things about the Chicken Fajita Sandwich as well (my wife). |
| The ambiance is pleasant and the décor is casual. You can make yourself feel at home here. This place has a “Cheers” vibe. Everyone talks to each other. |
| There isn’t much else to say except the food is excellent, the beer is excellent and you can afford to eat here. Don’t believe me? – look at the menu for yourself. |
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| I’ll be back frequently. Other reviews here. |
Ben Brouse Restaurant Reviews
| Went out with the family last night (always enjoyable) to the new Italian restaurant in old Ellicott City that took over the space from the recently defunct Jordan’s Steakhouse. It is now called Portalli’s and offers Italian food from both the northern and southern regions of Italy. The dining room aesthetics haven’t changed much, but that doesn’t bother me as the upstairs dining room was rather pleasing. The piano player would have been a nice touch if I could have heard him. Now on to the food. |
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| Our service started off with a bang! While ordering a bottle of wine for the table, our waitress put her hand up to me (signaling to stop talking) and walked away. Five minutes later she came back to a table of disgruntled diners. I believe we were mere seconds from walking out as everyone looked around not knowing what to do next. |
| My wife and I started with a mozzarella & tomato crostini. It was very tasty. The toast points were still crunchy while the acid from the tomatoes balanced the cheese. |
| Next course, all the food except mine showed up! We let the waitress know, and then I was able to eat my Shrimp and Spaghetti Carbonara while everyone watched. Despite that, It was the highlight of my dinner. Nicely cooked firm pasta, not too heavy pancetta cream sauce and a nice poached egg that offered delicious richness to the dish. |
| Next all of our entrées arrived. Cheese Tortellini w/ Grilled Chicken – the tortellini was very nice but the chicken was a dried mass of protein. Broiled Mahi Mahi w/ Arugula – clear winner of the night. Nicely cooked & still moist. Chicken Picatta with crispy Polenta – miserable. Again the chicken was solid without any remains of moisture in it. The polenta was nothing special so it too was abandoned. Lastly, a nightly special NY Strip w/ a rich demi-glace. My brother took one look and that was it. I love a good NY strip steak with proper marbling, but this was easily the most gnarly, covered in grissle subpar cut off meat I’ve seen in a long time (It was sent back and not one bite was eaten). |
| All night long the service was lackluster – one example was the food runners reaching over people at the table to serve. The waitress at one point while clearing some plates, picked up a used fork and set it back down on the tablecloth. (really? zoinks!). Before you say it – I’m OK with that, but it isn’t acceptable at the price point of this restaurant. When a restaurant sets itself up with smaller plates fully intending for you to purchase three or more courses, then my expectations elevate. Our server and the food runners clearly lacked from any hospitality training. This was no more evident in the handling of the fresh pepper. We were asked if we would like fresh pepper and upon saying “yes”, someone, minutes later, would arrive to grind it. Should we have started eating? |
| Coming in at a moderate price during a touch economy, I’ll be surprised if this place can stay in business without some big changes. Very sad due to my high hopes for this place. |
| I will not be heading back anytime soon. Other reviews here! |
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| Update (2/21/2010): Upon seeing my review, the owner of Portalli’s requested that I share with everyone that they bought us desert and coffee at the end of the meal due to our experiences. |
Ben Brouse Restaurant Reviews
| Next we had the fresh fish prepared in the manner that you select. Choices in the past have included: Halibut, Grouper, Salmon, Rockfish, Tuna and Chilean Sea Bass. This is typically the highlight of my meal. The fish is exceptional and nearly always properly prepared. I prefer my fish blackened with some lemon butter on the side. |
| While this place can be a little pricey, the BYOB helps to keep the price down. A true neighborhood gem that I’m thankful we have. The service isn’t always the absolute best but they are always friendly. |
| A definite repeat performer! See other reviews here. |
Ben Brouse Restaurant Reviews
Aida Bistro describes itself as “Howard County’s Award Winning Progressive Italian Restaurant”, Family owned and operated, Aida Bistro has been recognized as “the Best Italian Restaurant in Baltimore & in Howard County for the past seven years”
They continue to say that they support local farmers and feature local fruits, vegetables, herbs and other locally grown food such as Larriland Farms and others. |
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| Now to the review… |
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| The location is flat-out weird; tucked into an office park, you have no idea what you are getting into. Once you settle in, things change for the better and you are in for a real treat. This place has a nice vibe. The wine menu is intriguing and seems to mostly cover the globe from light and fruity to luscious and bold, but where are the big California Chardonnays? |
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| Last night, I stepped out with a grilled romaine side salad. Excellent. Good texture and not over dressed. Then went straight for the homemade spaghetti and meatballs. Easily some of the best pasta I’ve ever eaten. Do yourself a favor and try the homemade pasta – it is incredible. This meal was complimented nicely with a Sangiovese/Cabernet blend by the glass. |
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| On several differing occasions, I’ve tried the daily specials. This includes a previous visit where I tried the bone-in veal chop. It was delightful. Paired with a Willamette Valley Pinot and things couldn’t have got much better. But they did – a nice savory mushroom risotto.
After this last visit, I’ve concluded this place is a gem. Its a little pricey ($$$) but I’ve never been disappointed with the food. Atmosphere: clean & modern. The bar side is the dining room to sit in. Be forewarned, it can be noisy. I’m not thrilled with the alternative dining room. Feels stuffy and secluded; a deal breaker for me. The service has varied from excellent to other times depressing (looking around waiting for service). Not sure what the deal is with this. |
| Hey beer crowd – Monk’s Blood, 21st Amendment IPA, Allagash White and others are available. A nice surprise for when you do not want wine. Side note: nothing on draught here. |
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| Warning: If you don’t like cream and cheese, this might not be the place for you. |
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| I’ll definitely be heading back sometime soon. Other reviews here. |
Ben Brouse Restaurant Reviews
I’ve heard from several reliable sources that this restaurant (previous heads up here) has already closed. 
Anyone know if anything went in it’s stead?
Ben Brouse Restaurant Reviews
| A few weeks back, my wife and I had the pleasure of trying Venegas Prime Filet, the new upscale steakhouse in Maple Lawn.
I started with a cocktail and my wife had a glass of vino. The recommendations were decent but $14 for a glass of Pino Gris? Next came my appetizer – a Caesar salad. Very good if you like a true example including anchovies. |
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| Finished up with the filet (after all, it’s in the name of the restaurant). My steak was cooked perfectly and exactly to temperature just as I ordered; rare if you were wondering. We had ordered a family style side of asparagus. This lacked as there were literally five pieces in that order (C’mon Man!) As with any self-respecting steak eater would have it, I had to have a proper baked Idaho. It was spot-on, properly cooked and rubbed with olive oil and salt.
Overall, the food is very good but somewhat $$$$. The service was adequate but I wouldn’t say it was stellar. The room is nicely decorated but feels like a cavern with the 20ft+ ceilings. It was also somewhat drafty every time the outside door was opened. |
Impressions:
- Food – Very Good
- Portions – Good
- Ambience – Good
- Service – Good
- Noise Level – Moderate
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| I’d go back but I think this restaurant will have to go on the special occasion list. I wasn’t wowed the way I thought I should have been. I hope this doesn’t cause this place to close like Jordan’s Steakhouse did. |
Ben Brouse Restaurant Reviews
According to Urbanspoon, the #1 restaurant in Central Baltimore is Fogo de Chao. It’s listed under “Best Fine Dining”.
So my question is simple – how is Fogo de Chao fine dining? Any restaurant with a salad bar automatically should be compared to Ponderosa – “Darn Good Steaks, Big Honkin’ Buffett”. I’m feeling sick just thinking about the hoards of meat/protein that are deluged onto your plate.
Yuck.
People of Baltimore – You can and should do better than this.
Ben Brouse Restaurant Reviews
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