Breakfast, Coffee and Italian

"Good food coming soon." OK, there is your update on Fresh Start. I walked by this morning and they had an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper in the window telling the neighborhood what's to come. We'll see what kind of time line they are on. Not much has changed in the place in the 2 1/2 weeks since we've returned. But I will keep my eyes on them.

Coffee. Before I left at the end of June, I predicted Zed's Cafe would be no more on my return. Well, they are still around. Passed by them on my morning dog walk too, but no customers were in the place. I assume at some point in the day they do have customers, but I have yet to see that for myself. I typically walk by early or late, and so they are just opening or are closed. The place is fully of comfy chairs and looks inviting, so who knows. Long live Zed's.

Finally - Italian. I have lived in this neighborhood almost nine years now, and I can't tell you the last time I ventured over to the Blair shopping center. When we previously lived a bit north of here (near the YMCA off Colesville), we were at Blair fairly often. I remember many annoyed experiences at what I called the Geriatric Giant - not sure if that still applies however.

Anyway, the missus and I walked over and literally crossed the tracks to Blair the other day for a meal at Mama Lucia. I was a bit hesitant, but the friends we met wanted some place 'kid friendly.' As a non-procreator and food lover, this made me a shudder a bit. But, we didn't want to be complete food snobs. I do love almost all Italian food.

As we entered, it was clear Mama Lucia was kid-friendly (and very well lit too). Now I won't say the food my food was lousy, but I can't say it was any more than mediocre, that is for sure. I could have given my simple dish of penne in arrabbiata sauce a little more than mediocre if perhaps it had some heat to it (I mean the dish is supposed to be spicy, that is why I ordered it), but at $13.50, I just cannot do it.

They advertise they use De Cecco pasta - which by the way they also sell in dry form at Mama Lucia and promote it as 'Imported Italian Pasta'! That seemed kinda odd to me, since it's sold in pretty much every grocery store. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against De Cecco pasta, I buy it too. However my problem lies in the fact that the dish contains a pretty inexpensive dry pasta and a very simple tomato sauce - no meat, no seafood, no cheese - and the price of the dish doesn't seem to fit. Yes, I was disappointed.

The missus did find her eggplant parmigiana pleasant enough. And I admit, I had some of her leftovers the next day and reheated, it was OK. But our starter of fried calamari was some of the worst I have ever eaten. I don't know if the squid had been sitting in the freezer too long or fried too long or what, but it had so little taste. Even when dunked in the marinara sauce, the taste was still MIA. And again, $12.50 for not such a big plate of not-fresh squid, breaded and fried. In my mind, this was a $9.95 dish at most!

We did appreciate a salad that accompanies each entree, but beyond that, the best apart about the meal was certainly the company. In my opinion, I would choose Olazzo over Mama Lucia any day of the week. The prices are competitive, salad comes with each entree, and they both serve traditional Italian-American dishes. But for me, the atmosphere, quality and service at Olazzo trumps Mama Lucia by a decent margin.

One final update - the covering is off the windows at Society Lounge. It looks like it's almost ready to open. And maybe it is open already? Looking at their web site, it has their hours, menu and a link to reserve. Anyone have any news on this??

Back in the 'hood

Hey, hey, hey. Happy new year. SoCo blogboy is back in town and ready to eat. The missus and I got back late on Friday and for lunch on Saturday we hit the SS restaurant where we first at back in the mid-1990s. It was called Kim Than then and it is now known as Lotus Cafe. And they did not disappoint.

But before I talk about the lunch, I did want to mention a couple changes I noticed after being in Maine for the last 6 months. First off, Fresh Starts is no more. What happened? I don't see anything about it closing on-line. But when I walked the dogs by there about 8am on Saturday morning, the doors were closed and all the old timers were nowhere to be seen. Kinda sad. While I was not a customer of Fresh Starts, I was glad they were still around. But I'll keep my fingers crossed that a new restaurant will take over and not another braiding establishment!

Another item also caught my eye right across the street from Fresh Starts in the County parking lot. It was a food truck called Krazy Klaws. It claims to sell lobster, crab and shrimp. Their Facebook page says they have the "best" seafood on the east coast! Their web site says they are, "proudly to serve executive lunches starting at $6.00." Hmmm? I think a web site editor may be in need. Also, as a non-executive might they still serve me an executive lunch? I will have to inquire. Has anyone tried them out? They are selling Maine lobster rolls and shrimp rolls too. They better bring their 'A' game if they want to impress this lobster aficionado. I certainly ate my fair share of lobsters over the last few months, so let's see what they got.

Now back to Lotus. We didn't recognize any of the staff from our last visit in June. I assume since it was early on Saturday, maybe the regular servers were not working till the evening. However, the food was very familiar. We started with some veggie spring rolls. Crispy, not too greasy and quite tasty. What a deal for $3.00.

And as you can see I had a Fischer to accompany the meal. Yummy. For our lunches, the missus order the vermicelli salad with fried tofu and I had the soft egg noodles with bean curd and peanut. The preparation was a bit different than I remember. I never recalled in the past that string beans were an ingredient. But that's OK, it was still quite good. The vermicelli salad was also a winner, with the missus saying it was the best one she'd had in a long time.

It's a little odd, even though we did not eat meat or poultry for almost 20 years, now that since we're fully back on the carnivorous diet (as long as the animal was humanely raised) we rarely eat a vegetarian meal out. The meal may not always include meat or poultry, but if it doesn't then there's probably some kind of fish in the mix. But we have no problem at all skipping meat at Lotus or many other Asian establishments. Tofu fills the void quite well, especially if it's been deep fried.

I think this was our first Vietnamese meal in over six months and it definitely hit the spot! Now, what's next??

On hiatus for the rest of the year

Sad news to report, SoCo Eats will be off the air (do people still say that?) until 2012.

My wife and I are taking advantage of an opportunity to move to mid-coast Maine for 6 months and we are taking off as of this Thursday. We are very excited. We will try to merge our real jobs with hosting friends and family who will no doubt be crashing at our place over the summer (and probably fall too) and also our new underground supper club gig (Dining on the Rocks Georgetown).

DOTR is now live with its own web site (I know, how passé) at Dining on the Rocks Georgetown.com, and we are also venturing into Twitter, our 'handle' is @DOTRGtown and Facebook (you can search for 'Dining on the Rocks Georgetown').

I'm sure for all your local restaurant/food news Sligo and Thayer will keep you well informed.

I wish you all a good rest of the year and if you happen to be near Bath, Maine over the next few months and are interested in a home-cooked meal (that would likely include lobster in some form or another), give me a shout.

Thai Charm(ed) me, plus other news

The missus and I finally got over to our new Thai establishment last week, Thai Charm, and we were both very happy with our experience. And I will tell you, if you don't know already, I am a Dedicated fan of Thai Derm. So I am not saying I am changing my allegiance, but I will say, I plan to be back to Thai Charm.

Now at least as it compares to Thai Derm, Thai Charm obviously has a newer look, certainly more modern, and I'm guessing in the evening (we went at lunch), probably more atmosphere than TD. I know some of my friends complain TD is a bit of a dive, and while I won't argue too much, TC definitely cannot be lumped into that camp. I see it as a frequent lunch spot for folks doing a business lunch in downtown. Anyway, onto the food.

While it was only lunch, we did want to start with a couple apps so we could sample more -- and we were starving! We ordered the garden rolls served with plum sauce and the curry puffs. Both winners in my book. The garden rolls were like you might find at many places, but they were fresh and tasty and the plum sauce was not overly sweet. The curry puffs we had not tried before. I would compare them to a veggie samosa on the inside, but the outside was flaky and buttery puff pastry. They were accompanied by a relish sauce. I recommend them.

And for those who like it spicy, make sure you ask for the spice tray. I certainly did and it added a good kick to both of the apps. I will also say TC has lunch specials too, $7.95. But if you want a spring roll or soup and a drink with it, they charge $3 extra. It's really not much cheaper than just ordering a standard lunch and a roll/soup. Maybe my only complaint of the meal.

For our lunches we did green curry and the mai pha. The curry was tasty and filled with peppers, eggplant, bamboo shoots, etc. They give you a nice amount. As expected this is a mild dish, but the curry sauce does have a rich flavor. The mai pha was a noodle dish, cellophane noodles with egg, celery, carrots and spring onions. And for my meat I added fried tofu. That's kind of like meat, isn't it?

I was very pleased with this dish. Again, a nice serving size (especially for lunch) and the noodles were well cooked; the dish was a hit. And since I still had the spice tray I definitely increased the heat.

I heartily recommend TC. I very much expect it to have a longer lifespan than old Mr. Chicken.

After lunch we walked over to our latest cafe, Zed's. Now I can't say I really expect Zed's to be a longtime fixture in the hood. The owner, Zed, has said he wants folks to see his place as one big living room and to hang out. That's all well and good, but don't they need to spend money too. I assume he has rent and other bills to pay. I am just not sure he's going to sell enough coffee drinks to keep things going. And by the looks of the food in the fridge, I'm thinking folks will grab a sandwich elsewhere.

But hey, I'd like to be proven wrong and see Zed succeed. He did seem like a very nice fellow -- just one who may not have the best business plan around.

My final thoughts take me north of Colesville, yes, NoCo. I heard from a commenter on the blog here that Ren's Ramen, formerly of Bethesda had recently re-opened in Wheaton. Once I heard that I made my plans to head over for a lunch. And I am glad I did.

The place is pretty small, 8 tables and about 6 seats a the window. They don't serve alcohol at this point and the menu is limited. But if you want ramen and don't want to head over to NE, check out Ren's. The broth in my ramen was great. I got the Sapporo style with the miso and pork broth ($10), but opted not to get any ground pork or pork roast with the ramen, only veggies. They have about three other options available and a veggie option too if you want to avoid the pork broth.

And man, it was tasty. The noodles were perfectly cooked. I would call them toothsome. And again the broth was fab. It wasn't too salty as some Yelpers have complained, but it could have been much spicier. However, they did have some Japanese pepper on the table so that helped.

There were plenty of veg in the dish and a little bit of seaweed too. I would have liked more of that. And I guess if I had forked over an additional $0.75 I could have had more seaweed. But in the end I really didn't need it.

One thing to note, Ren's is a cash only place. That could change, but if you head over anytime soon, hit the ATM if you need to. You won't regret your trip. It is oishi!

Fire at Big Greek Cafe

Just a quick note here. I walked by the original and famous Big Greek Cafe this morning and noticed a sign on the door stating they would be temporarily closed. It appears a small fire broke out the other day and so no gyros for you.

I don't have anything else to report except that they hope to re-open on Thursday (6/16). If you're planning to head over for some grub I would definitely give a call beforehand. But I guess you could always head over to the Greek Place for your fix. Just don't tell the guys at the BGC you betrayed them.

Review: Taste of Fenton Village

I hope you had the opportunity on Sunday to participate in our first local "Taste" event. I want to congratulate the organizers for pulling off a fun event and coordinating with Mother Nature to keep the rain away for the afternoon.

Almost all the restaurants in the hood were part of the event. The map stretched south to Lotus Cafe, north to Ghar-e-Kabab, east to Fenton Cafe and west to Piratz. In all, about 2 dozen establishments were part of the mix - so folks had a good variety of food from which to choose.

We picked up our "passport" at the County parking lot between Thayer and SS Avenues about 2:30 leaving us plenty of time to roam the hood. We were told that each participating restaurant would be offering a special for the afternoon ranging in price from $2 to $5. We then headed over to Jackie's to start our taste.

Well, I guess the one good thing I can say about starting at Jackie's was the afternoon had nowhere to go but up. I will say Jackie's should be ashamed of itself for what they offered.

I mean look at what they offered for $5! And let me tell you, this was the better deal than simply getting the crostini plate (all 2 of them)!! Don't get me wrong, the crostini were tasty -- pictured above the hummus and cucumber, not pictured the smoked piquillo pepper, cheddar and chive. But the choices were either 2 crostini or one plus a mango-basil limeade. Two slices of a baguette topped with a small amount of spread and veggies for $5. I mean give me a break. At most, this should have been $3 and given that I assume Jackie's was trying to build goodwill by participating in the Taste, how about $2?

I'm sure many folks did like my buddy and me and ordered full-price beers to accompany the crostini. So it's not like Jackie's was going to take a big hit on this. I'm not sure if I'll ever be ready to step foot back into that restaurant after this episode. I'm just glad I wasn't that big of fan to start. Again, shameful!

OK, another good thing I can say about starting at Jackie's was we still had a big appetite afterward in order to try other participating restaurants. Next up -- Pacci's. I don't have to say too much about what was being offered here, pizza! Pacci's gave folks the choice of either a personal (8") margherita pizza or spicy salami. We ordered two margherita and one salami for the three of us - and two beers.

Check these pies out - very tasty. We were all pleased. I mean this is what I am talking about. Thanks Spiro! The one bad thing was, we lost a fair amount of our appetites after we chowed down. But I am OK with that. One last thing, by the time we left there was a decent line of eaters taking advantage of this deal - as well they should have.

We bypassed Fire Station 1 after Pacci's - no time for their food today (or really any day in my book) and then checked out the Big Greek Cafe. They were offering $5 gyros and $3 Greek Salads (all day too, not just 2-5:00). But alas we needed a short break. I also did pop into Olazzo too -- you could get 3 arincini (deep-fried risotto balls, yummy) or 2 meatball sliders. Sound like good options to me. But again, we needed to keep walking to build back some appetite.

As we approached Bonifant our friend voiced an interest into heading down to Roger Miller. OK, why not. We hadn't been there since they had re-opened and thought this was as good as time as any to try them again. And we all were glad we did. There were a few folks in line in front of us. RM was offering a sampler plate for $5. It included broiled chicken, plantains, rice and some kind of fab spinach dish. It was all really good (we shared one plate between the three of us) and we all agreed the spinach was the best. I asked about it and they were kinda secretive. One lady opened the menu and pointed to the Egussi stew. She told me the spinach comes with it. The description said spinach, ground melon seeds in an African sauce. I think I'll be back for that one. We all sat on their patio and thoroughly enjoyed the food.

And since we were right next to may fave, Thai Derm, we had to pop in there too. As soon as I stepped in, the owner graciously shook my hand and said, "you know what we have." Yes I do. I would guess I have eaten at TD about 100 times over the last few years. But we opted not to eat and just ordered a couple Singha (and magically some spring rolls appeared before us too). For the Taste, TD was offering spring rolls and your choice of chicken panang, veggie pad Thai, and chicken with basil. Nice.

We were about to call it an afternoon but mustered up enough energy to walk over to Ghar-e-Kabab. They also had a sampler plate going for the event (for $4). They were offering veggie pakoras, basmati rice, butter chicken and something called rajan (spicy red kidney beans in sauce). Good deal for $4! And each dish was well done.

After that we were through. Well we did try to get a sweet crepe to finish things off. But Fenton Cafe was very low on batter and told us it would be about 30 minutes. So we passed. Maybe we'll hit them up for breakfast tomorrow?

What an afternoon. It kinda felt like we tasted the world all in Fenton Village. What a concept. Can't wait till next year.

Reminder and updates

I'll make the reminder quick -- this Sunday (2:00-5:00) in downtown, Taste of Fenton Village. I know it's all over the local blogs but wanted to make sure you didn't forget. Let's hope the weather cooperates. But rain is in the forecast, so make sure to bring your brolly.

On the updates, if you missed the news on Thayer Ave, Highland Market has now opened up their 'restaurant.'

As you can see, they have fancied up the place some with tablecloths and everything, but other than that, it does look pretty much the same. I know they do now have an expanded menu, but aesthectically it doesn't appear too much has changed. I will say they have a roped off section on the sidewalk now for al fresco dining.

We also have another Ethiopian food option coming in the form of a market. The new place is to be called Arat Kilo Market and it is taking over for the old Siembra First/Forever Frugal location behind Alliance Comics on Easley.

I can't say that I ever saw the doors open for either one of these establishments. But even though I am not thrilled with the entry of another Ethiopian food establishment, I do wish them better luck than the previous tenants.

And at least to me, we may be reaching the threshold soon to be called Little Ethiopia. I mean, how much more will it take? We have several restaurants and now multiple markets in about a one-square mile area from around Colesville to the DC line. I guess we'll know we've made it when the neighborhood produces a world-class middle/long-distance runner.

On to a couple other items. In the old Sage Collection clothing shop (8225 Georgia), right next to the Big Greek Cafe, a new and kinda odd cafe is on the way. The photocopied sign in the window says, "One big living room." What in the hell does that mean? The place could be close to opening. It doesn't appear much more than a coffee shop with a few tables. I would have rather seen the Greeks take it over personally.

And finally, I hope you're not holding your breath for the new establishment taking over for Nicaro/Newcaro. Because that place has been pretty much gutted. I always thought the interior of the place was fine. But I guess the new owner wants to start from scratch. He must be sinking some decent money into the place. Let's see how it turns out.

OK, see you Sunday. I'll be the one with a gyro in one hand, a papadam in the other and some curried vegetables in my mouth. And let's not forget, some Alka-Seltzer in my back pocket.