Dave G. wrote: > > Prefatory remarks: I have no relationship to the restaurant discussed > below, except as a customer. As a matter of calibration, you should > know that the only restaurants in Laurel or Burtonsville that my wife > and I have been willing to return to are Pasta Plus, Chapala, > Old Hickory Grill and Pepinos. So tell me more about Chapala, Old Hickory Grill, and Pepinos! You hit the jackpot with Cafe de Paris. > Finally, we have another place to dine in Laurel (there are plenty > of places to eat around here, but precious few in which to dine). Indeed. I was lucky enough to read this yesterday morning, and we decided to try it on our way back from a matinee in DC. And thanks, we are in the process of telling all our friends that we have to help keep this place open. We'll try lunch there next week. > Cafe de Paris opened in mid-July and we've been there twice. It is > located in the Laurel Lakes shopping center on Route 1, but it > is around the back of the complex next to the movie theaters. > Which is to say you won't find it by accident. Yes, we would never have found it but for this posting. > Let me get the major criticism out of the way first. Service here > is not going to win any awards for a while at least. The staff is > pretty green, but they are getting better. (The owner, who formerly > was, among other places, manager at Citronelle, has been > forced to train the staff because he hasn't been able to get really > experienced help to come to Laurel.) We found the service wasn't bad; not as good as you'd expect in a French restaurant, but far better than the dopey teenagers you usually get in the rest of Laurel, at T.G.I.Friday's, Chili's, etc., where the management hasn't trained 'em to do anything but say brightly, "HI! I'm Treena and I'll be your waitress today!" and to repeat like a mantra, "everything OK here?" but not take any action if it isn't. We had the vichysoisse, which was terrific, and the pate du jour, which was very good, to start with. The pate was served with a good-sized pile of mesclun, and a basket of true French bread (bet it's from the boulangerie in Savage Mill--which is worth a trip in itself, BTW). My husband had the halibut, very nicely and simply done in a beurre blanc, accompanied by rice cooked in broth, and julienne vegetables. The same vegetables came with my Pork Medaillons, two good-sized slices, as tender as any filet mignon I've ever had, nicely seared in a light brown sauce w/black pepper. The only jarring note came from the purportedly garlic mashed potatoes. They tasted instant. I found this hard to believe, but my husband and I both tasted them and agreed they were not what we expected. Everything else, however, was just great, so we'll overlook it this one time and go back for more. > There is a wine list with about two dozen choices (didn't count 'em). > There are several reds and whites that are quite decent for $12-19 > with about an equal number for more. As restaurant prices for > wine go, the prices are more than fair. Of course, you can get > coffee, expresso, etc., and there is a bar if you want cocktails, > appertifs, etc. > > Dinner is served from 5:30-10:00 Sunday through Thursday, and > 5:00-11:00 Friday and Saturday (although Sunday evenings may > go away if business doesn't improve). Cafe de Paris also serves > lunch from 11:30-2:30 daily. Lunch is a la carte with appetizers > from $3.50-4.50 and main courses from $6.95-8.50 and desserts > at $4.50. (We haven't done lunch yet.) We'll try it next week & post. > OK, that is it. You folks who have been hoping for another > decent place to eat in Laurel/Burtonsville and other nearby > neighborhoods need to get off your summer doldrums and support > this place so that it succeeds. It would be a crying shame to > lose it. > > Dave Gomberg Agreed. Come one, come all, in the Greater Laurel Area. --------------------------------------- Mary "There is no St. Beth" Elizabeth | ---------------------------------------
Washington, DC
New (Real) Restaurant in Laurel
Mary E. wrote: > So tell me more about Chapala, Old Hickory Grill, and Pepinos! You hit > the jackpot with Cafe de Paris. If they don't, I will! I like Chapala, and LOOOVVVVEEEE Old Hickory Grill and Pepino's. I think Burtonsville, for a small area has gotten some great restaurants. Chapala is Mexican-Salvadorean, the food is very fresh, and very nicely decorated. Old Hickory Grill is owned by a former Cheesecake Factory cook/chef, who took a bunch of things from their menu and made them even better. (I know, I worked there, too!) The blackened steak sandwich is TDF and my husband just adores their ribs. They give you these herb (cilantro?) studded muffins...yummm. They even have a cheap option, I think is $4.95 for a 1/4 chicken, with 2 sides or a salad and potato. The chicken is excellent, although I also like their pastas and the chinese chicken salad. Pepino's is a little tratorria(sp?) like place, where there's olive oil bottles on every table, they bring you a large basket of freshly made bread and a small bowl of grated parmeggiano. Put some oil on your plate, sprinkle it with cheese, and dip/swipe the bread in it. If you order a carafe of wine, it comes in a ceramic jug. Water comes in a glass carafe with lemon in it. Pasta dishes are good and not too expensive. Their specials are a little over our budget, but the white pizza is wonderful. Ana Kurland in beautiful, almost downtown (not) Burtonsville
Mary E. wrote: > > OK, Ana, but can you give me addresses, or at least rough locations, > please? I know Laurel pretty well but am not that familiar with > Burtonsville, since I live north of Columbia. And thanks for the > recommendations! > > --------------------------------------- > Mary "There is no St. Beth" Elizabeth | > --------------------------------------- Sure! They're all on 198, right off 29, the side that does not lead to Laurel (West). The only one I actually have an address on is the Old Hickory Grill, 15420 Old Columbia Pike (Rte. 198)...at least that's what the menu says. If you turn onto 198 from 29, Chapala I think is the first, and it's visible from 198. Pepino's is next, but it's the last store in a small shopping center perpendicular to 198, so watch the signs at the intersection with 198. Old Hickory is the last one, on the shopping center with TCBY and Tom's something tire something. If you start seeing country roads with nurseries, you've gone too far.
Bethatorphdotorg wrote: >Dave G. wrote: >> >> Prefatory remarks: I have no relationship to the restaurant discussed >> below, except as a customer. As a matter of calibration, you should >> know that the only restaurants in Laurel or Burtonsville that my wife >> and I have been willing to return to are Pasta Plus, Chapala, >> Old Hickory Grill and Pepinos. > >So tell me more about Chapala, Old Hickory Grill, and Pepinos! You hit >the jackpot with Cafe de Paris. First, glad you liked Cafe de Paris - and that you are telling your friends. As for the other three places above, they are all in Burtonsville on MD 198 just west of US 29, all on the north side of the street. In order: Chapala (shares building with Dominos), Pepinos (just before firehouse, towards back of building), and OHG (just after firehouse). Chapala is Mexican and they have the typical burritos, tacos, etc., but that isn't why you should go there. Order from the middle page of the menu - the real food. Azteca is a sister restaurant in Clarksville on 108 about one-half mile north of 32. They do real cooking and it isn't Tex-Mex. Pepinos is a nice Italian place that won't disappoint modest expectations, but it isn't as good as Pasta Plus. Old Hickory has a limited menu, most of which is done quite well. This isn't at all fancy, but it is well worth stopping in for a casual meal. Sorry that these are short capsule comments, but I don't have time for full- fledged reviews right now. Dave Gomberg
Just a guess, but I believe if one substitute's Memphis, TN for NOLA, you'll be a lot closer geographically. Also I believe the Rosslyn, VA location was their first franchise to this area ...(G) RC- > Actually, Red, Hot, & Blue is not a "small chain", but a rather large > one. I believe, but cannot verify, that it started in New Orleans.