Pho Dat Thanh - Columbia, MD

We are always on the hunt for some good, authentic, fresh Vietnamese food. The best place we have found to eat Vietnamese away from Eden Center (a Vietnamese dining and shopping mecca in Falls Church, VA) is Pho Dat Thanh in Columbia, MD. There is also a second location in Towson, MD. We suspect that the owners are Korean but, that doesn't stop them from putting out great dishes at a reasonable price. The menu features rice and noodle dishes as well as soups. The restaurant has a full bar in case you like to wash down you meal with some 33 (Vietnamese beer) or a mixed drink.

The restaurant is always busy with a wide range of clientele. The service is friendly and quick although, there are a few dishes that take longer to prepare than others. The Grilled Beef in Grape Leaves are probably our favorite appetizer but usually add about 10 minutes to our wait time. The dish consists of ground, seasoned beef wrapped with grape leaves and finished until hot and tender on the grill. The grape leaves are served with chopped peanuts and fried onions. Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese dipping sauce) adds a little salty heat to the already tasty rolls. 

The Bun (or rice vermicelli) dishes are probably my favorite entree. The restaurant has a choice of several different grilled and stir fried meats and spring roll combinations served on top of noodles with lots of veggies and chopped peanuts.

Another reason for going to Pho Dat Thanh is for the pho. It is great on a cold, rainy day and any time you need some comfort food. Pho is a beef broth rice noodle soup served with sliced beef on top. Their phos are flavorful of star anise and coriander seed. All phos are accompanied with a plate of bean sprouts, sliced jalapenos, fresh basil leaves and slices of lime. To put some zing in your bowl, hoisin (sweet Chinese sauce) and sriarcha (Thai hot sauce) are available on every table. If you plan to frequent Pho Dat Thanh for their phos, don't forget to ask for their Pho Bonus Card.

To get some of your favorites on one plate, their Lunch Special (available Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 3 PM) is a choice of three items from a limited set of offerings served with rice and fish sauce. On this day, I had ordered Grilled Pork, Vietnamese Spring Roll and Grilled Beef Wrapped in Grape Leaves.

There is one other Pho Dat Thanh location in Towson, MD. Be advised, the Towson restaurant offers less menu items in comparison to the Columbia location. However, our favorites are available at both locations.

To learn more about Pho Dat Thanh, go to: www.phodathanh.com.

Dickey's Barbecue Pit - Gambrills, MD

After a few hours of shopping, we decided to stop by Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Gambrills, MD for a retail therapy recharge. I know most people shy away from chain-BBQ restaurants but, there are a few that buck this trend (namely Rudy's and Dickey's).  I used to frequent this place when I was working in Bowie. Dickey's serves Texas-style BBQ that my wife and I both enjoy. We've tried many of the menu items and haven't found a bad one in the bunch.

On this shopping day, we ordered the 2 Meat Plate and chose the Sliced Beef Brisket and Polish Sausage. The 2 Meat Plate is served with two sides, pickles, onions and a roll. For the sides, we ordered the Fried Okra and Mac & Cheese. To top off our meal, we ordered a quarter pound of Polish Sausage.  Dickey's has two award winning BBQ sauces offered in warm kettles as not to cool down the meat.  We love Dickey's Spicy Barbecue Sauce but, for those who do not like it hot, the Original Barbecue Sauce is enjoyed by all. Large Dill pickles are free to those who would like a few on the side. We originally wanted to order the Spicy Cheddar Sausage but they were out of this Dickey's favorite.

The Beef Brisket was moist and had a nice smokey flavor. The Polish Sausage was a delight to eat as well.  While Dickey's serves smoked meat, the smoky flavor is a little more subdued than traditional Texas BBQ fare.  The Mac & Cheese was cooked perfectly and coated with a thick coat of cheddar. The Fried Okra was fresh out of the fryer and was nice and crispy.

To cleanse our palates, we enjoyed on-the-house vanilla soft serve ice cream in a cup. In addition, we created a root beer float in our reusable and recyclable Big Yellow Cup. Dickey's also offers ice cream cake cones.

To learn more about Dickey's Barbecue Pit, check out their website: http://www.dickeys.com/.

Honey Pig Gooldaegee Korean B-B-Q Restaurant - Ellicott City, MD

On a last evening out with our father, as a Thank You for spending and taking care of us for three weeks, we took him out to Honey Pig based on a recommendation from our friend Carrie. Honey Pig is a Korean BBQ restaurant located in Ellicott City, MD. Upon arrival we noticed that there was a crowd of patrons outside of the restaurant. We were surprised by how many people were there at 8pm on a Monday night.  While waiting, I was reading a carryout menu and noticed that it is a 24 hour restaurant except between 2 - 11 AM on Mondays.

The restaurant was lively with Korean techno music and loud conversations amongst the sounds of sizzling meat cooking on the table-top burners. Honey Pig is really a great place for people watching. We had never been to a Korean BBQ restaurant before but found it to be a tasty experience.

We were served a salad upon arrival and adorned with various accoutrements that included kimchi, Korean pickles, pickled onions, and sesame oil salt dipping sauce.

We then ordered Bulgogi (marinated beef), Seafood Pancake, and attempted to order a Turbot special but were served a Buckwheat Noodle dish due to a language barrier:

While the Bulgogi was sizzling on the table-top stove with sliced onions, we tasted the Seafood Pancake and the Buckwheat Noodle. The Seafood Pancake had a dense, soft, rice flour consistency. We noticed there were various bits of different types of seafood in the pancake. The Buckwheat Noodle had a unique flavor.

The servers would periodically come to our table to stir and trim the meat with poultry shears. Once the meat was ready to eat, we were served with rice and lettuce to wrap-up the Bulgogi. On top of our order, Honey Pig treated us with a delicious soup and a steamed egg dish:

As we were leaving, we had noticed other patrons hanging up their aprons. If you plan on eating here, these aprons are available for wear to protect your clothes from splatter.

There are two other locations in the area: Annandale and Centreville, VA. For more information on Honey Pig, go to: http://www.eathoneypig.com/.

  

First Chinese BBQ - Austin, TX

We have eaten here at First Chinese BBQ during our last two previous trips to Austin, TX and had to return for their delicious Barbecue Pork:

The Barbecue Pork was sweet and moist, served at room temperature. We also ordered the Stir Fried Rice Noodles with Curry (also known as Singapore Noodles) and Mao Po Tofu:

The Stir Fried Rice Noodles with Curry were perfectly seasoned with curry powder and stir fried with shrimp, green onions, eggs, bean sprouts and barbecue pork. The Mao Po Tofu had a pronounced flavor of Chinese five spice. The tofu was cooked to a velvety smooth consistency, which melted in our mouths. A generous portion of rice was provided in a pint-size bucket. The three plates were more than enough for the three of us. First Chinese BBQ is a real value!

To learn more about First Chinese BBQ, check out their website: http://www.firstchinesebbq.com/.

Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia - San Antonio, TX

Hola!  As the Two Hungry Jewetts (okay, 2 and a 1/2) ate their way across Texas, we fell into our second tourist trap in the Alamo city.  Mi Tierra, or "my homeland", is among the most famous San Antonio Mexican Eateries.  Located in the Mercado area of San Antonio's central tourist district, Mi Tierra is easily the largest and most noticeable restaurant in the Square.

As we looked down the Market Square and prepared to run the gauntlet of street peddlers/vendors, I began to second guess my desire to eat at this restaurant.  I am not one who likes to be solicited with each and every step.  I will usually cross to the other side of the mall when I see the Dead Sea Salt lotion stand...  With a deep breath, I crossed the market to Mi Tierra with resolve.

Wow!  The decorations are not for the faint of heart.  I think "modest" would be the antonym of the decor chosen by the owners. The furnishings did have a certain effect on the diners, everyone was laughing and smiling.

Ahh, normally I don't like such gaudiness but, it seems to fit this place to a "T".  If you are eating during normal lunch or dinner hours, prepare for a wait list.  Don't fret though, it's worth the time.  At least there are plenty of things to look at and distract you.  Be careful, however, there is a rather large bakery counter filled with delicious looking pastries and cookies.  A quick check around the waiting area confirmed my suspicions; many patrons were ruining their appetites with pastries while waiting for their names to be called.  Such a mistake could spell disaster as Mi Tierra's portions are rather large.  My suggestion would be to skip the bakery counter until after dinner, and then buy something for breakfast or a late night snack.

Once our name was finally called, the Host pointed us to a young man who was to guide us to our table.  As we started our trek to the table, we noticed that this is one HUGE restaurant!  It goes on forever!  The walls of the restaurant are adorned with "Southwestern Flair" and large murals that Mi Tierra is famous for:

Now, on to the part we really care about; the food!  I was really surprised with the scope of the menu. The selection wasn't the normal cookie-cutter Tex-Mex menu that restaurants can so easily fall into. Don't get me wrong, Mi Tierra has enchiladas, tortilla soup, and tacos, etcetera, but I liked the inclusion of Pescado al Mojo de Ajo, Menudo, and Steak a la Tampiquena.  As the wife and I were still a little full from breakfast, we decided to share a plate.  We love spicy food, so we asked the waitress for something hotter to have with our chips.  She brought out some fresh chile verde that had just been made and was still warm!  I was impressed with the fresh ingredients.  It seems that they avoid processed food as much as possible.  When the waitress returned we ordered the El Rancho Special to share. 

The tortillas were fresh and hand-made, the corn tortillas were excellent.  The beans were really flavorful but, the rice was fairly standard and unremarkable.  The guacamole was fresh and a nice touch but a little lacking in taste.  The beef was of good quality and fork tender and the gravy was rich and smooth.  This meal was fairly priced and really was enough food for the both of us.  We checked out the other patrons' meals and the servings are really large here.  I would recommend that you share a plate and get an appetizer or one of the fresh in-house made desserts.  We really enjoyed our time at Mi Tierra and think y'all should check it out the next time you are in San Antonio!

To learn more about Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia, check out their website: http://www.mitierracafe.com/default.html.