The Food Trucks r coming .....

We just received an email from the Monarch Mills community about a Food Truck Meetup in Columbia this weekend, Saturday, June 1st from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Monarch Mills Community Apartment Complex  7600 Monarch Mills Way (off of Columbia Road). 

Five food trucks will be participating in the HoCo Chow Down - Smokey Meadows Grill, La Pearl Waffles, Savannah’s Jamaican Kitchen, Karlita’s Latin American Food Truck, and Bennett’s Five Star Caribbean Grill.

The trucks are part of a Monarch Mills community Spring celebration that will support the Animal Welfare Soceity of Howard County.  In fact, the organization will be at the event sharing information about its mission and vet services -  and they will bring animals who are looking for homes.  

Monarch Mills representatives will also offer tours during the event to people interested in the new apartments in the community. 

We are definitely checking out the food trucks. If you see us there, say hello and let us know what you think of the food. 

Visit the HoCo Chow Down website here. 

- Charles 
Hoco food @@@ 

Red, Hot and Blue Memphis BBQ - Laurel

Red Hot & Blue is a Memphis style BBQ joint in Laurel, Maryland.



My grandfather loves this place and says it has consistently good food.

For starters we ordered the house nachos - a choice of chili, pulled chicken or pulled pork topped with a crazy amount of jack & cheddar cheeses, green onions, tomatoes and jalapeños. There wasn't a single spot that was not covered in cheese, plus the flour tortilla chips were sturdy and held up nice & crispy under the weigh of the cheese. 

While my grandparents, brother Charles and mom looked over the menu, the restaurant played some pretty cool jazz over the speaker system.

We choose to put three of the toppings on the side instead of adding them to the
nachos cheesy mix. That way each of us could take a little or a lot on each bite. 

The weekday lunch special was the best buy at $6.99 that includes a variety of lunch size sandwiches, salad and soup entrees. However, since Charles and I both wanted to try the pulled pork sandwich and ribs, we ordered the Ribwich Combo  - a choice of any BBQ sandwich (beef, chicken or pork) and two St. Louis -style served wet, sweet, or dry. 

We choose the BBQ pulled pork sandwich and wet ribs with a side of hush puppies. The wet ribs, slathered mile-high in their mojo mild sauce, were fall off the bone delicious. Although the pulled pork was tender and juicy, we added extra sauce from the containers on the table - MoJo Mild just to kick it up a notch. They also had Hard Luck Vinegar flavored sauced, but we didn't try it.

 I'm a pickle guy, so I espcially loved their dill pickle spear.  It's a huge pickle ad I wouldn't have minded two more.

Next time, we'd probably order the french fries as a side instead of hush puppies. They were a bit dry and okay tasting.  

Sauces

My grandma got french fries with her pulled
pork sandwich lunch special.  We all tried some - they were seasoned with something that tasted good. Not spicy just tasty.

My mom ordered the Smokehouse Salad - a chopped mixed greens, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, roasted corn, beets, black-eyed peas, hard-boiled eggs, red onion and cheddar & jack cheeses for $9.99. It comes with pulled chicken and beef brisket but she was able to substitute grilled chicken. 

She LOVED this salad.  The chicken was tender, moist and had a charcoal fired favor. It tasted great with the honey mustard sauce. It was so large that she couldn't finish it but I made sure nothing went to waste. 

Here's great news - Red, Hot and Blue caters.  We noticed their trucks in the parking lot behind the restaurant.

Also, you can get this amazing BBQ when traveling around the country.  The restaurant has locations in Texas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey, and of course in Maryland.

- Thomas

BGR offers $5 all day burgers tomorrow 5/6/13

Happy 5th Birthday

to the Columbia, Maryland store 

Tomorrow, May 6, 2013 several Burger Joint (BGR) stores are turning 5 years old.

To celebrate the momentous occasion, all metro DC locations including the Columbia store are offering customers $5 all day burgers (including beef, turkey and veggie) .

We LOVE BGR!  

Not only do they have awesome big, juicy tasty burgers...

 - an award winning blend of prime, dry-aged, all natural, hormone free, grain-fed beef, in addition to lamb, pork, and veggies variations - 

but each burger is cooked to order and served on a fresh, buttery-toasted brioche bun 

that is baked daily. 

Simply put -  it's a custom made burger. Read our BGR blog post here.

Don't forget - BGR has a burger and shake of the month.  For May 2013, the flavors are - 

In Guac We Rock 

(a nod to Cinco de Mayo) 

a burger topped with guacamole, crispy tortilla slivers and a farm fresh beefsteak tomato

Blueberry Shake 

farm fresh blueberries paired with vanilla ice cream

We tried the March burger and shake of the month: The Reuben and The Bailey's Irish Cream  - both were amazing combinations that didn't disappoint.  The shake was creamy, thick and full of malted milk like flavor.  We substituted a slice of ham for the corned beef in the Reuben burger and enjoyed it all the same.  

 

- Charles

hocofood @@@