Centre Park Grill - Ellicott City

Centre Park Grill is a new restaurant in Ellicott City, located in the old Café de Paris spot. I first learned about Centre Park Grill via a tweet from Bare Midriff’s. 

I decided to take my friend Arman with me to check it out.

                                                                                                                           On opening weekend, we arrived at the Centre Park Grill around 5:30 on a Friday to a fairly crowded and loud restaurant. Most people were at the bar, which is not in its own secluded spot, but is located in the middle of the restaurant.

I expected a more formal atmosphere for a place that serves upscale cuisine. However, it had a cozy and lively feel. 

The service was amazing. Our waitress constantly refilled our water glasses and regularly asked us about our meals. Even the owner came by to check on us. 

 
Usually when I receive bread at restaurants, they offer me a slab or stick of butter. However, Center Park Grill does it right with creamy churned butter. The subtle difference is evident as this butter is easier to spread and just rich and whipped goodness. The bread had a nice sweetness, similar to Panettone bread (Italian fruitcake) but without the tiny fruit pieces.

For my entree, I selected the 14 oz prime New York strip (cooked medium) with truffle butter. For my two complementary sides, I choose the bourbon glazed sautéed mushrooms and the "lil butter n' cream" sweet mash potatoes. 

The presentation made my mouth water. I'm a sauteed mushroom fan and these mushrooms were out of this world - buttery, savory, and soft. I could have easily eaten two portions. 

The steak was equally as delicious. Easy to cut thanks to the largest steak knife I've ever seen. The slight crisp on the outside, coupled with the flavorings of the truffle butter on the moist, tender meat, made for a crazy good meal. 

The sweet mashed potatoes were also excellent. They were more of a puree than mashed potatoes, all smooth and no chunks. This side dish comes right out of the oven hot and ready (maybe a little too hot because I had to wait a while for it to cool down so I didn't burn my mouth). 

I also ordered the house salad with my meal. I liked the combination of arugula, red onions, carrots, and assorted greens. My mom makes salads with these ingredients all the time so this dish hit close to home. 



















Arman ordered the 28-day-dry-aged ribeye with black truffle salt fries. He loved the large portion. As you can see above, this 16 oz steak nearly covered the entire plate. 

My friend thought that the ribeye flavor was more bland in comparison to the New York Strip and wasn't as juicy. He would have preferred truffle butter to enhance the flavor. Also, Arman stated that the delicate yet mildly crunchy fries were one of the best fries he has ever tasted. 

There are many more menu items that we'd like to try another time such as the Cubano and Salmon BLT sandwiches. There are also a variety of salads and burgers that look interesting.

Centre Park Grill has great potential.  Let me know if you try it.

- Thomas

Maggiano's Little Italy - The Mall in Columbia

Charles and I were invited to the grand opening of Maggiano's Little Italy at The Mall in Columbia  that included a pasta ribbon cutting ceremony and a VIP luncheon. 

 Maggiano's specializes in made-from-scratch, every day Italian-American family style cuisine, based on recipes that have been in Italian families for generations.

This sounds like our own Italian American family. Since many of our family meals are from recipes handed down from our own relatives in Sicily, Naples and Rome, we were excited to try the meals at Maggiano's. Charles was busy so I went by myself (well, my mom had to drive me). 

The ribbon cutting ceremony was held in front of the entrance next to the awesome outdoor patio. The ceremony was interesting because the ribbon was actually made from 10 feet of braided whole wheat fettucini pasta. I'd never seen that before. 

Howard County Council member Courtney Watson,
me and Howard County Executive Ken Ulman

Maggiano's President Steve Provost,
Council member Courtney Watson
and me  

                                             After the ceremony, I met some important people - Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, Howard County Council Vice Chairperson Courtney Watson, Maggiano's -Executive Chef Matt Delano, Managing Partner Michael Woernle and President Steve Provost. They were all really cool people who treated me like an adult - even though I'm a teenager with braces.

Chef Delano even took me through the kitchen to see where all the action happens. 



Although the restaurant can sit ~300 people, it feels cozy inside with   black leather booths combined with tables covered in red checker cloths that can be pushed together to make room for large parties - like the one we sat at for the luncheon. The dinning room's floor to ceiling windows makes the space feel open and light.

The guy sitting across from me was none other than Reagan from The Mix 106.5 morning radio show. Charles and I listen to that station all the time.  

Before the food came out, the waiters and chef asked if we had any food allergies. They said they could make almost any kind of dish to accommodate allergies like gluten free pasta and sauces. 

Chopped Salad 

Our luncheon was served family style but on the regular menu you can order it family style or as individual meals. We started with delicious warm Italian bread with olive oil dipping sauce. 

Followed by the chopped salad - lettuce, crispy prosciutto, tomatoes, blue cheese, avocado well mixed with their house dressing that had hints of mustard and vinegar. I could have eaten the entire bowl. This salad is offered on the menu as a side or main course. 

Crispy Zucchini Fritte with Lemon Aioli

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with
Roasted Pepper sauce with Arugula and Tomatoes

When I asked Chef Delano what he'd recommend as an appetizer for a hungry teenager like myself, he suggested the Crsipy Zucchini Fritté with Lemon Aioli sauce. I wasn't sure I'd like the sauce but it was creamy goodness with a little bit of fresh lemon. The zucchini was cut very thin which made it light and crispy. He was right that I'd like it.

They are described as "jumbo lump" crab cakes on the menu. They certainly lived up to that claim. The crab cake was a good size portion seasoned with old bay seasoning that didn't over power the crab meat. Combined with the zing of the roasted pepper sauce it was a hit. The dish was served family style, but I liked it so much I went back for thirds.  

Then they rolled out the pasta dishes - their classic Mom's Lasagna and famous Rigatoni "D" dish. 

Considering I'm a HUGE fans of my grandmother Alberta's famous lasagna, I wasn't sure how Mama Maggiano's would stack up.  But with its crumbled meatballs and sausage, ricotta cheese and sweet sauce, it held its own. While my grandmother uses dry pasta, which makes the lasagna thicker, Maggiano's was bursting with thick meaty sauce and tender layers of fresh pasta. Similar to my grandmother's sauce, it had a slight sweetness to it. This is the real deal.

The Rigatoni "D" dish is herb-roasted chicken, mushrooms, caramelized onions in a marsala cream sauce. Did I ever mention how much I love mushrooms and caramelized onions in marsala? Oh yeah, this dish had it going on. All my favorite things in one dish. The only, and I mean only, thing I would change about this dish is to ask for more sauce next time. 

Unfortunately, I had to leave the luncheon before it ended (I went on my school lunch break), so I missed a few more dishes and dessert.  As I was leaving, Maggiano's Steve Provost gave me a bag full of goodies to take home. It made me feel like when we have family over our house for big dinners, my mom and grandmother always make extra to send guests home with food. 

I thought the "extra" food was special because of the VIP luncheon, but I learned it's actually part of the normal experience at Maggiano's. It's called the “On The House Classic Pasta,” which sends any guest who orders one of eight handmade pastas home with a second Classic Pasta of their choice, compliments of Chef Delano.  I was happy to hear that. 

As I was walking out, I noticed a separate section in Maggiano's just for take out orders. The person there told me they also deliver and sell pasta sauces by the jar. The best thing I learned was they take reservations - which on a busy Friday or Saturday is terrific because nearby restaurants like Cheesecake Factory don't take reservations. 

I am definitely coming back and bringing Charles and my family. There are so many things on the menu that I want to try such as the steamed mussels, honey mustard salmon club sandwich, mushroom ravioli al forno and salmon oscar. 

If you visit Maggiano's let us know about it. And if you see me and my brother eating there, come say hi.

- Thomas