Visit Howard County!

Meet Local Chefs & Owners of Howard County Winter Restaurant Weeks

   

Tell us about some interesting / fun happenings during the summer Restaurant Weeks (loved when Erik at Cafe de Paris told me that customers would tell him 'Joe from AIDA says hello' then he would tell them well then tell Eric at the Crab Shanty I said hello when you go there tomorrow night...)

JORDAN NAFTAL (Jordan’s Steakhouse)
One of our guests needed a place to go for a first  date, ...enter...., Jordan's for restaurant weeks. I hear things have been fantastic ever since.

CHEF DAN WECKER by Sarah Beth Cassel (Elkridge Furnace Inn)
Everyone deserves to eat well, and what better way to treat yourself than to a delicious dinner.  We are definitely "off the beaten path", hidden alongside the banks of the Patapsco river in lower Elkridge.  This helps us to get noticed alongside other great local restaurant gems.

DONNA CRIVELLO (Donna’s)
We love to come up with some new dishes for special events. We now do a Saturday night chef's tasting menu, with wine that everyone seems to enjoy. And like restaurant week, it offers a great value and a chance to try someone new. People think that we just do coffee and salads and sandwiches, but I have expanded the menu with a full dinner menu and a complete bar.

 

Anything extra special you are doing during Howard County’s Winter Restaurant Weeks, this is your chance to brag a bit, contest for your servers, new offerings, wine pairings?

JOE BARBERA (AIDA Bistro & Wine Bar)
We will  offer our three course prix fixe menu at dinner for $30.09. Our theme of supporting local will also showcase local libations as we will expand this offer to add a wine/beer flight featuring local/regional wines/beers from Maryland and Virginia for $40.09.  

KYLE MUELHAUSER  by Erin B. McNaboe (Rams Head Tavern)
Rams Head will also be having a beer release, Queen Anne Beer, on Thursday, March 5th, from 4-6pm. Enjoy limited edition glassware with $1 refills.  Join us for Happy Hour prior to enjoying Restaurant Week, from 4-7pm enjoy $2.50 drafts, house wines and rail drinks, and from 5-7pm enjoy free happy hour food...  really get a bargain for your evening out! Plus, you can make a day out of it... spend the day shopping at Savage Mill and enjoy Restaurant Week in the evening; you never have to move your car!

DONNA CRIVELLO (Donna’s)
On Mondays Donna’s is doing "Mangia Monday" $10. hearty pastas and specials on wines ($12. botttles)  and appetizers and desserts. TAPAS TUESDAYS! $5. small plates and sangria! Wednesday. Donna's Cooking Classes  (see website for details donnas.com.) Thursdays, WINE TASTINGS : $18. for a flight of four great wines, with complimentary hors d'oeurves. Saturdays: special chef's tasting menu: $40. four courses with wine. ($30. without wine) and LIVE JAZZ. Saturday and Sunday brunches with $3.00 mimosas.

Tell us something about you / your business, we know that the restaurant owners / chefs are ROCKSTARS of this promotion! How and why are did you enter into this crazy business?

JORDAN NAFTAL (Jordan’s Steakhouse)
After earning 35 cents a day washing dishes when I was eleven, I  knew I was blessed with a career destiny.

JOE BARBERA (AIDA Bistro & Wine Bar)
"Everything you ever wanted to know about your local chef/restaurateur, but were afraid to ask" (thanks Woody Allen!) Our Chef, Sean Riggs, is from Canada, eh. His specialty is braising and he does enjoy making changes to the menu to celebrate the colder weather. Sean recently became an American citizen. AIDA Bistro is named after my mother, Aida, who was named by her Italian immigrant father after the Verdi opera.

CHEF DAN WECKER by Sarah Beth Cassel (Elkridge Furnace Inn)
A Lancaster, PA native, Chef Dan Wecker's passion for cooking began in his childhood when he became the designated camp cook at scouting retreats. Dan then started cooking at a concession stand at a local ice rink. At the ripe young age of fourteen, he was in the kitchen kneading dough for pizzas and making chicken and specialty burgers. After high school, he expanded his horizons, literally, by traveling overseas to Australia with a foreign student exchange program. While there, he kindled his passion for cooking by winning the distinction of Best Apple Jelly and Best Mustard Pickles at his school in Towoomba. Upon returning to the states, his formal culinary education began in earnest at a local French restaurant under the auspices of French Chef Michelle Beaupin. There, he trained in all disciplines of French cuisine from pastry to saucier to boucher (butcher) in a four and a half year period. After his marriage to wife Donna, Dan and his new bride began a successful catering company in 1980 and then found his biggest challenge to date in 1988 in Elkridge, MD.

Dan and his brother Steve, who has since moved on, discovered the sorely neglected remains of what is now The Elkridge Furnace Inn in 1988, and persuaded the state of Maryland to allow them to lease the property and begin immediate restoration. In 1991, the buildings that encompass The Elkridge Furnace Inn were Ellicott City's Decorator Showhouse. Shortly thereafter, Dan began on-site catering on the property. In 1994, the restaurant opened during a blizzard, but that didn't stop Wecker from growing the business to its present day 6-day a week schedule featuring brunch, lunch, and dinner.

DONNA CRIVELLO (Donna’s)
I always wanted to cook for people and entertain...so here at Donna’s we can do that!

--Post by Tourism Team
--Images by Losurdo Photography

Noshing with the Nagles-- The Diamondback Tavern

 

The DiamondbacK Tavern
3733 Old Columbia Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: (410) 313-8530

Owners Evan Brown and Alan Biars (formerly from Greystone Grille and Eggspectation) have definitely succeeded in their attempt to embrace an olde town tavern atmosphere where you feel like you are “coming home.”  From the warm hospitality of the wait staff and manager to the down-home cooking, it does feel like the type of place to spend the evening and recover after a hard day at work.

Managing Partner Mike Maviglia and Chef TomWilliams (only 28 years young!), sat down to talk with us and expressed their enthusiasm for the “pub” feel and “comfort foods” which are made fresh daily using local ingredients whenever possible.  Tom has been in the restaurant business for 14 years.  He started off washing dishes and doing prep work at the Elkridge Furnace Inn, and worked his way up through other kitchens such as Outback, Eggspectation and Greystone Grille.  His hard work has paid off and you will definitely feel like you are eating a home cooked meal at DiamondbacK.  The doors opened for this new venture on December 1, 2008 and moved into the location of the old Tiber River Tavern Restaurant.  We had heard some mixed reviews about this restaurant, but our experience showed that, like all new restaurants, they experienced some kinks in the beginning, but have worked them out.   So, if you’ve been here before and did not have a great experience, we really urge you to try it again.
 
Our experience at DiamondbacK Tavern centered around wholesome food and warm hospitality.  We eat out a lot (Duh!), and sometimes you can come and go and no one ever even seems to notice you were there.  Even though we were there for the purposes of our blog (of which they were aware), we watched the interaction between the staff and the customers and their hospitality was genuine.  As a consequence, the diners we observed were engaged in the experience and having fun!

We sampled the Maryland Crab Soup which tasted just like the soup Debbie makes—perfectly seasoned with Old Bay and pepper and a great starter to any meal.  We also tried the spicy beef chili.  This is a hearty dish and the heat one expects from good chili is there, but not overwhelming.  We could have eaten a whole bowl of that, but had to leave room for the rest of the meal.  Sigh.  Sometimes this job isn’t as easy as you may think.

The entrees for Restaurant Week are:

New Orleans Style Jambalaya (pictured above).  It’s not your typical, local Jambalaya—more like the real deal.  It’s made with Andouille sausage, pulled chicken breast, Tasso Ham, jumbo shrimp, tomatoes, peppers and onions simmered with Cajun spices and served over white rice.  Jambalaya done right, like this, is not overwhelmingly hot.  Instead, it should leave a wonderful blend of competitive but compatible tastes in your mouth.  Once more we reluctantly pushed the dish away before we polished off the whole thing for fear of leaving no room in our stomachs to taste more.

Shepard’s Pie.  Now, this is hearty, comfort food to say the least.  It is fresh ground beef and vegetables in a Bass Ale beef stock, topped with cheddar cheese and garlic mashed potatoes.  If you love mashed potatoes, the mashed potatoes at Diamondback will transport you to “potato heaven.”  They come with real lumps—just like Mom used to make—and their flavor was incredible.  Okay, okay!  Maybe they’re even better than Mom’s. 

Cajun Blackened Salmon.  To us, this heart-healthy fish is comfort food, indeed, as its wealth of Omega-3 fatty acids can help one get to a comfortable old age.  We also regard well-prepared salmon as one of the tastiest fish in the ocean.  (Our other two favorites among the many fish that we love, are Chilean sea bass and Alaskan halibut!)  The salmon was blackened, then drizzled with a relatively mild Jalapeno aioli and served with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed fresh asparagus.  It was a perfectly delightful meal.

DiamondbacK Tavern also serves a Sunday Brunch with a very interesting menu. One of the items on the menu struck us immediately and that was Scotch Eggs which are a standard pub food in London.  They are hard boiled eggs wrapped in mild sausage, breaded and fried and served with homemade sweet and spicy mustard. We asked the Chef to share that recipe with us.  Debbie obtained a version of this dish from a friend in England, and it became a Christmas Eve family tradition for many years.  On that level, it definitely struck a “home” feel for her.   Some other interesting dishes for brunch are Low Country Shrimp & Grits, Rock fish Benedict (seafood lovers that we are, we’re going back to sample that),French Toast Benedict and Spinach Benedict—all in addition to the standard Eggs Benedict.  There are also eggs, French toast, fruit and yogurt and other typical breakfast foods, plus a Monte Cristo sandwich.  Michael first personally discovered the Monte Cristo at the world-famous Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island in San Diego, and has been a fan ever since.

DiamondbacK has daily specials and a nice wine list of 38 wines ranging in price from $16 to $69 (Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label and Dom Perignon bubbly will cost you $89 and $195, respectively).  On Wednesday evenings they have “Flight Night” which is 5 two-ounce pours of your choice among 5 different wines.  Cost?  Only $12.00. Sunday is $2.00 drafts all day.

DiamondbacK Tavern is open daily until 1 a.m. with a full menu until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and until 10 p.m. every other day.  A smaller menu is offered after those hours until closing.

We will definitely to go back, because we’ve heard that their Fish and Chips are wonderful.  Your ever-intrepid travelers and noshers just spent a lovely week in London this past year and we were laughing with Mike that, although a traditional “pub” does not serve any food, just liquid nourishment, nowadays there are many pubs in London where the drinks are flowing, good food is coming out of the kitchen and people are enjoying themselves immensely.  DiamondbacK Tavern is one of those places—but the accents are a little different and one can just drive there!  Cheerio!

Scotch Eggs
1 lb. Ground Breakfast Sausage
8 medium eggs
2 Tbsp. Flour
1 cup Panko (or your choice of bread crumbs)
½ cup vegetable oil
 
1.       Hard boil and chill 8 eggs.
2.       Make 2 oz. portions of sausage and flatten into 8 patties.
3.       Roll eggs in flour and wrap with sausage patties.
4.       Coat each egg completely with bread crumbs.
5.       Heat vegetable oil in frying pan over medium heat.
6.       Fry sausage and bread crumb coated eggs until brown, or until sausage is cooked thoroughly (turn eggs frequently for even cooking).

--The Nagles

Noshing with the Nagles --AIDA Bistro & Wine Bar

Aida Bistro & Wine Bar
7185 Columbia Gateway Drive
Columbia, MD 21046
410.953.0500

Those of you who have seen us there frequently know that Aida Bistro is one of our favorite restaurants in the Baltimore-Washington area.  There is a good reason for that.  Aida Bistro has been winning awards for excellence since 2002—shortly after it opened.  It is regularly in Baltimore Magazine’s Top 50 Restaurants (including the issue that just came out  (March 2009), and has also been voted “Best Italian Restaurant.”

The Bistro is named after owner Joe Barbera's mother, Aida.  Well, that's her nickname.  Only insiders know her real name.  Joe's wife, Mary, is co-owner.  Both of them meet and greet diners with genuine warmth and caring:  This is a family restaurant at its best.  Of course, Aida, now a young woman of 80, is almost always there, too.  Children aren't exempt, either—Marietta and her younger sister, Kate, also work there when school doesn't interfere.  Rumor has it that the family will celebrate it's first Aida Bistro wedding in October.

The “Wine Bar” part of the name is apropos, as the wine list (extensive, but you don't need two hours to get through the whites) provides wines in every price range that appeal to virtually every palate.  One of our favorites is the 2003 Madrigal Petite Sirah.  It is big, smooth and full of ripe black cherry and berry flavors so bountiful one wonders how mere glass could contain them.  We also love
the Benessere 2007 Pinot Grigio.  It is a refreshing white wine, dry with just a hint of sweetness, reflecting flavors of ripe peaches and tropical fruit.

For Restaurant Weeks, Aida Bistro offers a prix fixe dinner for $30.09, $40.09 if you want to match courses with three wines (3 oz. pours) or two 12 oz. Craft beers.  Chef Sean Riggs has put together an impressive variety of terrific dishes amongst which to choose.

For the first and second courses one may choose two items from a selection of 8 dishes.  We like the homemade cheese ravioli with braised rabbit in a mushroom-leek cream sauce.  Amazing.  Seasonal flat breads are also offered as well as Prince Edward Island mussels in a white wine and tomato butter sauce with fresh herbs.  Michael particularly likes the duck confit crepe with its delicious “demi” sauce of figs, port wine and fresh herbs.  There are three salad offerings, including grilled hearts of romaine with homemade Caesar dressing, a bleu cheese salad and a goat cheese salad topped with a berry vinaigrette. 

Main course selections include grilled local rock fish served over a goat cheese risotto with asparagus and a coulis of roasted red pepper and roasted garlic.  Rock fish is a dish we order frequently, as Sean's kitchen crew always does a fantastic job in its preparation.  There is also Kobe beef atop a creamy Parmesan truffle risotto, a scallop, crab and shrimp dish with roasted veggies and a sundried tomato pesto cream sauce served over pasta.  Finally, there is a homemade Andouille sausage, shrimp and Gouda stuffed ravioli with a marinara sauce. 

Desserts are not included in the prix fixe menu, but we can still recommend the signature tiramasu as well as the bread pudding—but then you knew Debbie would recommend that!

Aida Bistro offers a “small plate” or “tapas” menu every day as well as a prix fixe menu—even when we are not in Restaurant Weeks.  Wednesday nights are live jazz nights, and Joe always has low price wines available.

For a wonderful dinner at an award-winning restaurant, head to Aida Bistro and Wine Bar this weekend.  Tell Joe and Mary that we sent you!

White Chocolate Crème Brûlée

1 Qt Heavy Cream
1 Tbl Vanilla Paste
6 oz White Chocolate (chips or coins)
6 oz sugar, (plus additional for topping before serving)
8 large egg yolks

Bring first three ingredients, Cream, Vanilla Paste & White Chocolate, to a light boil in a medium sauce pan. Stir to dissolve. Set aside from heat.

Whisk sugar & eggs together in a bowl. Temper hot into cold (slowly add while whisking. Don’t add too fast otherwise you’ll scramble the eggs) Strain into a glass bowl or measuring cup. Divide into 6 oz ramekins or custard cups. (Use: Oven safe bake proof dish, like custard cups or kitchen ramekins)

Place ramekins into a metal baking pan, 13x9x2. Add enough water to the pan to come about ½ way up sides of ramekins.

Pre-heat oven to 290 Degrees F. Bake at 290 degrees in the water bath from 40 to 50 minutes. Check after 35 minutes, once the crème is set they’re finished. Set aside and let cool for 2 hours or over night.

Sprinkle @ 1 teaspoon of sugar over the crème. Use a soldering torch to melt sugar until burnt or caramelized. Or, place set crème under a broiler until burnt/caramelized. Chill for @ 15 minutes to let sugar set.

Yields Eight, 6 oz portions.

Variations:

Add any fresh berry to bottom of dish before baking.
Replace white chocolate with dark chocolate
Replace 1 Cup of cream with one cup of brewed espresso.

--The Nagles

Noshing with the Nagles --Donna's Cafe & Coffee Bar

      

Donna’s Café and Coffee Bar
5850 Waterloo Road, Suite 100, Columbia, MD 21045

Donna’s, one of several local area eateries created by Master Chef and owner Donna Crivello, is located in the office building behind the Exxon station at the intersection of Snowden River Parkway and Waterloo Road.  It is offering for Restaurant Weeks a 3 Course tasting menu for $20.00, $30.00 with selected wines (two 3-4 oz. pours).  We did not choose the sampling wines, but ordered the Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc (very bold with strong grapefruit favor) and an Argentinean Malbec, La Posta, which boated aromas of black cherry and currants and was full bodied, but smooth—an excellent example of this wonderful red wine varietal.

Bread sticks, fresh bread and flatbread were served with an unusual, but tasty, garlic and herb dipping puree with a hint of sundried tomato flavoring.

We shared the Blackened Catfish with dirty rice and a Cajun cream sauce.   Below is a photo (left).  And yes, it was as good as it looked.  The flavor was mild, and catfish was fresh and moist.
                                                                           
Catfish Chicken Breast
Next was the Walnut Encrusted Chicken Breast (recipe below) on linguini in a gorgonzola and red pepper cream sauce.  This is one of the most popular dishes—and for good reason—it is yummy!  This entree is mildly spiced and came with enough pasta to feed a family of 5.  We enjoyed this so much that we’ve already sent this recipe to two of our daughters who love to cook.  
                                                                       
Ravioli  Salmon
The Mushroom Ravioli in a Portobello and Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce was Michael’s favorite.  Some of the adjectives that came out of Michael’s overly full mouth were “creamy,” “wonderful” and “probably fattening, but who cares!”  A drizzle of truffle oil added a very nice touch to this dish.
 Debbie enjoyed the Herbed Salmon Filet with sautéed fennel, artichokes and shallots with caper oil.  Nice flavors and perfectly seasoned.

We sampled a special dish on the menu, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, with rice and cornbread.  It was our way of celebrating Mardi Gras—even if we are 1,100 miles away from Bourbon Street!  We love spicy foods so this hot, Cajun concoction, as good as any we’ve had in N.O.L.A., was a treat for us . . . but it could be overwhelming for some.

Some friendly diners at the next table were enjoying the Sicilian Meatloaf a normal menu item that is also on the Restaurant Week Special Menu.  They told us they have had that dish many times and love it. 

For dessert, you are offered coffee (including cappuccino and lattes) and a choice of a dish of fresh cookies or biscotti.   The latte was excellent.  It was a nice ending to an enjoyable and relaxing dinner. 

Our dining experience at Donna’s was wonderful.  The restaurant is casual and friendly, and our wait-person, Kelly, was pleasant, helpful and very attentive.  Even though Donna’s simple décor does not have any pretense, the culinary offerings are just as good as many “fine dining” establishments.  True “foodies” will love it, as one’s taste buds can be indulged without having to get dressed up and without the high-priced bill.

Enjoy the following recipes:

Walnut encrusted herbed Romano chicken over linguine with a gorgonzola cream sauce. This recipe includes a marinade for your chicken breasts. It not only enhances the flavor but will make your chicken dish much more flavorful. It can be used for other chicken recipes. The cream sauce can be made in advance. Will serve four.

Ingredients for marinade:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
1-2 tsp fresh or dried herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary)
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflyed

Herb Romano bread crumbs:
1 cup bread crumbs (plain, or your own from whole wheat bread)
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
2 tbsp chopped walnuts (add later)

Cream sauce:
1 tsp olive oil
1 shallot chopped
¼ cup white wine
1 ½  cups heavy cream
½ tsp salt
¼ cup grated Romano cheese
3 oz gorgonzola cheese
1 roasted red pepper, peeled (see recipe)
1/2 cup spinach
½ cup cooked linguine or fettuccine per person
 
Method:
1.     Place chicken and other ingredients for marinade together in glass deep dish
or “zip lock” bag.. Refrigerate.
2.     Mix ingredients for breadcrumbs, reserving the walnuts until the end.
3.     When ready to cook: spread crumb mixture on a plate.
4.     Remove chicken from marinade. (toss bag out)
5.     Dip chicken into the breadcrumb mixture and coat well. (this can be done in advance, then refrigerate chicken.)
6.     Preheat oven to 375°. Place chicken on a small, heavy baking sheet that has been oiled or coated with pan spray. After baking for 10 minutes, toss the chopped walnuts over the chicken breasts. Continue baking until golden brown and cooked through.
Depending upon the thickness of the breasts, this would about 3-5 more minutes.
Do not over cook your chicken. (should be slightly firm in the center)
7.     To make cream sauce: heat small sauce pan with oil. Sauté shallots until just tender, add wine and simmer. Then add the cream. Simmer until cream reduces and thickens. (about 15 minutes) You can make sauce in advance.
8.     Have pasta cooked and ready. (you can drain and toss lightly with oil)
9.     In a large sauté pan ladle some of the cream sauce and add red peppers and spinach. Simmer. Add the cooked pasta and toss well.
10.  Serve the pasta on 4 individual plates and top each with a chicken breast.
11.  Finish with a little more grated Romano cheese and chopped fresh thyme.
 
Red peppers:
This method quicker (and neater) that roasting them whole. 1/4 pepper per person.
1.  Cut peppers in half.
2.   Tear out the seeds and stems.
3.   Line a heavy duty cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Brush with olive oil.
4.   Arrange peppers, cut side down on foil. Brush tops with oil
5.  Roast at 400° for about 20 minutes or until tops have “blistered” and pulled away from pepper. Flesh should be tender.
6.   Remove from oven. Using tongs or mitts fold foil around peppers. Let cool.
7.   Peel back foil and then peel skins from peppers. Toss skins away.
8.   Tear peppers into sections. Use on salads, sandwiches, pastas.
 
Donna’s Almond Biscotti
This is always a favorite. This was the first item that I made and sold before I opened Donna’s.
 
Ingredients:
1 cup almonds, whole, lightly toasted
3 eggs large, beaten
1 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp melted butter, unsalted
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp egg wash (egg beaten with water)
pan spray
 
Method:
1.. In a large bowl, mix together flour, almonds sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
2.  Add beaten eggs and melted butter. Mix with wooden spoons, heavy duty mixer or hands. Dough will be sticky.
 3. Turn onto floured surface and knead, adding more flour to create a smooth dough. divide dough into thirds.
4. Have oven preheated to 400°. Roll each piece of dough into a log, about 10 inch long and 2 inches wide. Lift and place on a heavy sheet pan that has been sprayed or greased. Place all three on pan, leaving about 2 inches between each log. Lightly press down on the logs just to flatten a bit.
5.  Now brush with egg wash. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Cool for about 10 minutes. Using a large chef’s knife, cut into 1 inch slices on the diagonal.
7. Spread out on baking sheet and return to the oven that has been lowered to a temperature of 325°. Bake again for about 10 minutes. Then cool on racks. 
8.  Biscotti can be stored in airtight containers for weeks.  

--The Nagles

Noshing with the Nagles --Cacao Lane in Historic Ellicott City

 

Cacao Lane is a thirty-five year old restaurant located in buildings that are, in part, 165 years old.  You know your dining experience will have a historical flair from the rough-hewn stone floors and the brick and stone walls.  Indeed, it seems that the building is a part of the hillside behind it--but that's only because it is!

For Winter Restaurant Weeks, Cacao Lane is offering a four course dinner for $30.09.  Michael started with a small plate of grilled shrimp wrapped in prosciutto and served with both a red and green pesto sauce.  The red sauce was, by far, his favorite, spicy and flavorful.  His guest, Martin Yost, dug in to the Warm Anti-Pasta, oven-roasted prosciutto, baked ham and salami served with fresh mozzarella and a roasted red pepper salad.  When Marty finished, they may not have needed to wash the plate.

For the soup and salad course, we had the Greek salad and the soup du jour.  The Greek salad was devoid of any black olives, but was loaded with feta cheese and came with a terrific balsamic dressing.  A recipe for the dressing is below.  The soup was a very palatable combination of shrimp, chicken and veggies in a strong and delicious broth.

We both had seafood for our entrees, though the menu also includes filet Bordeaux and a roasted herb chicken.  The salmon was sauteed and finished with a drizzle of a balsamic reduction.  The Shrimp Santa Cruz was also sauteed in balsamic, combined with olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes.  Both dishes came with a vegetable rice pilaf.  The unusual taste was attributable to a dash of turmeric.

Two desserts are a part of the Restaurant Weeks menu:  Chocolate Mousse and bread pudding finished with a southern whiskey sauce.  Debbie, who had been dining separately at a restaurant across the street (so many eateries, so little time!), showed up just in time to share a little wine and have a bite of the bread pudding--as some of you will by now know, her favorite dessert.

Waiter Ed Ronspies took good care of us, and Chef Jason Kolbrecki's creations left us full and satisfied.  But our experience was greatly enhanced by the presence--and professionalism--of General Manager Andy Hall.  For example, when we first sat down we each ordered a glass of the same red wine.  It wasn't bad, but was not to our taste.  We told our waiter that we would drink that glass and switch to something else if we wanted a second glass.  Ed and Andy weren't having any of that, though.  Those wines were whisked away and replaced by glasses of Clos Otto "Boxhead" Shiraz (2006), a wine that was MUCH more to our liking.  Later, when Debbie and her guests, Cathy Yost and Bryan Sorrentino, joined us from  across the street, Mr. Hall brought out more wine and even sat with us for a few minutes to tell us more about Cacao Lane and it's history.  We enjoyed his company and discovered that, in his spare time, he is a law student at American University who will graduate this Spring with both a Juris Doctor degree and a Masters degree.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (restaurant size recipe, reduce accordingly)

1 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tsp.soy sauce
4 tbsp. black pepper
4 tbsp. lemon juice
4 tbsp. chopped garlic
4 tbsp. chives
4 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
17 oz. White Balsamic (1 bottle)
2 cups olive oil
8 cups blended (vegetable) oil

Add first 8 ingredients in mixing bowl.  Slowly add olive oil, blended oil and vinegar, and whisk to create the right emulsity.

--The Nagles

Noshing with the Nagles --Belmont Manor House - Dine & Discover

To mix our metaphors, there's a new kid on  the block—and it's a 600 pound gorilla!  General Manager Anne Johnson and her talented crew at Belmont Conference Center have opened the historic (1738) Manor House for dinner, and what has only been a conference center and event location before now has been immediately transformed into a compelling new eatery.  When one adds the charm and ambiance of a 271-year old setting to the amazing creations from 31-year old chef James Jennings, Belmont joins the ranks of Howard County's top restaurants.  It's no small feat to do that so quickly, as Howard County is fortunate to have a plethora of fine dining restaurants with reputations built over years of consistent excellence.  We will be blogging about more of these restaurants over the next two weeks during Howard County Winter Restaurant Weeks—but today's blog is all about Belmont.

 We thoroughly enjoyed our experience at the first “Dine and Discover Dinner” at Belmont.  The evening began with “Cocktails and Conversation.”  This is a time set apart to meet with other diners and the guest speaker for the evening.  The speakers will all be regional experts on music, art, theater, history or culture.  Appropriately, the inaugural evening discussion was conducted by local historian, Ned Tillman, who spoke about the history of the area and Belmont.  It was fascinating to whet one's appetite for dinner with a very healthy serving of local color provided in a convivial atmosphere by an easy-going raconteur such as the delightful Mr. Tillman.  Ned has a book coming out this April, “The Chesapeake Watershed:  A Sense of Place and Call to Action”.  If you are a history buff or just a little curious about the region in which you live, don’t miss it!

Belmont will be hosting these Dine and discovery Dinners on Friday and Saturday evenings from now through April 4th.  Seating times are 7:00 p. m. and 7:30 p. m., and reservations are required.  Menu items are both ala carte and prix fixe for Restaurant Weeks (ala carte ONLY thereafter).   During Restaurant Weeks, they will also be serving lunch Wednesday through Friday.   Menus are offered from $10.09 to $40.09.  Friday is half-price bottle of wine night.

The setting is very intimate—conducive both to a romantic “date night” or a fun dinner with a group of friends.  

Chef James Jennings (a student of Michel Tersiguel)  put together a very seasonal menu offering 3 choices each for Appetizers, Soup & Salads, Entrée and Desserts.  It was very hard to choose.  We shared Fried Green Tomatoes with jumbo lump crab and miso mustard sauce and a “peppercress” garnish.  It was superb!  We also shared ravioli stuffed with portabello and cremini mushrooms.  It was perfectly al dente and smothered in a terrific grainy mustard sauce.  The multi-grain bread they served was excellent and fresh, but not made on the grounds.  They purchase the bread from a local baker, Stone Mill.  We also enjoyed a bottle of 2006 Catena Malbec from Argentina.  Red wine lovers who have not yet discovered Malbec ( a grape that originated in France but has been refined and perfected in Argentina and Chile) should give it a try.  If you like red zinfandels, syrahs, petite syrahs and other big, smooth reds, you'll love Malbec!

Next, we shared a mixed green salad with Fuji apples, roasted beets, candied walnuts and goat cheese drizzled with hazelnut vinaigrette.  It WAS as good as it sounds.  It was cool and offered a variety of textures and flavors.  The roasted carrot and fennel soup was excellent.  It was hot, smooth and spicy!  The multigrain croutons offered a nice counterpoint  to the  thick, smooth texture of the soup, and the curried crème fraiche was creatively and prettily swirled on top to add a tasty offset to the sweetness of the pureed carrots.  Debbie didn’t expect to like this, but was just as taken with it as Michael. 

For entrees, we had the pan seared sea bass served with roasted fingerling potatoes, scrumptious caramelized onions and asparagus with a balsamic brown butter.    The sea bass was a beautiful golden brown and delicately flavorful. It literally melted in your mouth.  The balsamic vinegar sauteed caramelized onions and fingerling potatoes were a good accompaniment.  We also had five-spice Magret duck breast served with a butternut squash risotto and a cherry gastrique.  The duck was perfectly cooked and seasoned, tender and juicy.  Debbie claims this to be the best duck she has ever had (Aflac be damned!).  The risotto had rather large chunks of butternut squash—exceptional! 

To top off this wonderful dinner, we shared a chocolate molten cake with vanilla ice cream and berries (WOW!) and a crème brulee (the BEST either of us has ever had).  It left a lingering vanilla taste that was exquisite.

We wanted to share with you a recipe from the Belmont – one that has won an award two years in a row at The Chocolate Affair which was held at M&T Stadium to raise money to benefit the homeless.  Debbie’s favorite dessert is bread pudding, so of course, it’s bread pudding.  This is James’ recipe, but it is a hotel pan recipe, so reduce accordingly:

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BAILEY’S BREAD PUDDING

Yield:  1 hotel pan

2 quarts crème
20 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tbs.. Vanilla
3  lbs. bread, cubed
6 oz. Bailey’s
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Whisk eggs and sugar together.  Then whisk in cream and Bailey’s.  Add flavoring and chocolate.  Pour over bread and spread in pan.  Using hands, make sure all the bread is saturated.  Bake at 325 for an hour or until center is done.

Thanks to our waitress, Ashley, and our bartender, Mike, you both did a great job!

There is only a short window to enjoy the Dine and Discover dinners at Belmont, as they end April 4th.  However, Belmont will continue to offer wine dinners and other dining experiences as permitted by the many weddings, conferences and special events that are also hosted there.

Belmont Manor House
Dine & Discover Dinners
6555 Belmont Woods Road
Elkridge, MD  21075
410-772-4300

- The Nagles
- Images by Losurdo Photography

Popular Business Monthly column, Noshing with the Nagles comes to Howard County Restaurant Weeks Blog

  Coming soon to Howard County Restaurant Weeks blog, authors of Noshing with the Nagles!

Michael Nagle, an attorney with Nagle & Zaller in Columbia, and Debbie Nagle, a realtor with Keller Williams in Ellicott City, recently began penning restaurant reviews in the Business Monthly (the must-read newspaper of the Howard County and B/W corridor.) They have agreed to blog daily about their exciting experiences during Howard County’s Winter Restaurant Weeks. So stay tuned as the Nagle’s nosh and savor the savings, meet chefs, snag secret recipes, taste wines and take you behind the scenes of Restaurant Weeks.

For more information on Noshing with the Nagles, visit

- Lori Paddy, Howard County Tourism

Howard County’s Winter Restaurant Weeks: February 23 - March 8, 2009

Enjoy the warm hospitality and delicious creativity of Howard County’s finest chefs during Howard County’s Winter Restaurant Weeks February 23 to March 8, 2009. Participating restaurants will offer prixe fix menus from $10.09 to $40.09 (beverages, tax, gratuity not included;promotions and menus vary).

Enjoy this amazing opportunity to visit your favorite spot or sample something new as you discover the unique dining options close to home!

Visit our list of participating restaurants at www.HowardCountyRestaurantWeek.com and make your reservations now – and don’t forget to pick up a Frequent Diners Passport Card. Have it validated at each restaurant you visit during Restaurant Weeks and enter to win a $100 dining gift certificate from the Restaurant Association of Maryland. (Visit at least 6 restaurants to be eligible, and return the card to the Howard County Tourism Welcome Center: 8267 Main St., Ellicott City, MD 21043.)

- Lori Paddy, Howard County Tourism