Thomas's 13th Birthday....back to Rudy's!

For my 13th birthday, I decided the perfect place to eat was at Rudy's Mediterranean Grill. We arrived there on Saturday, May 5, one day after my 13th birthday. As we walked in, we were warmly welcomed by Rudy and his wife. They thanked us for writing a blog about them.



They found out that we were celebrating my birthday, so they gave my entire family official Rudy's t-shirts. I was so excited I put mine on right away.

We enjoyed another great meal at Rudy's - we ordered pretty much the same thing we had the first time we ate here. Click here to read our first review of the restaurant. 

One interesting thing we learned was that Rudy's serves a breakfast buffet in addition to a full breakfast menu.  Rudy said his breakfast service is really good because he can take the time to make dishes to order rather than being rushed like most big restaurants or diners. 

For more news on Rudy's check out HowChow blog's recent post  here and HowChow's first blog entry about Rudy's here.

Halal Meat - Catonsville

Halal Meat 

My family and I were on Route 40 in Catonsville when we saw the sign for Halal Meat in a shopping center just passed the Howard County line.  Curious what it was, we walked right in. Inside the Middle Eastern market it looked like a small grocery store with items lining the walls on both sides of one middle isle.

The first thing we recognized was the cherry juice containers.  Last year when we went to Istanbul there was a popular drink made from cherry, orange and lemon juice.  It was sold everywhere and we loved it.  When we asked how to make it, we were told it contained cherry and orange juice but not just any juice ....the one that comes from these juice boxes because they have a sweeter taste.  We plan to make the Istanbul drink at home so look for another post soon about this drink!

At the end of the store was the meat/fish department and a small produce section.  We ordered 2 organic whole chickens and a ready-made kabob mixture of chicken and spices.  They told us the chickens were from local farms.  A HUGE electric saw is used to cut the meat anyway you like....we got it in very small pieces to use on the  grill. Oh, if you want....they sell whole lambs and goats.

 When we were looking around the store another customer was really nice and give us a lot of suggestions on what to buy.  He was behind us in line when we were paying for our items. It was then that he reached inside the glass enclosed cold drink container and handed both of us a soda called Limca.  He said it is made in India and he buys it by the case for his family.  He wanted us to try the sodas.  When the owner heard the customer was treating us to soda, he offered to spilt the cost of the two sodas.  How cool is that!  You never know what could happen! And for the record it tasted good....had a lemon-lime taste. 

We couldn't find a website for Halal Meat but it is located at 5224 A Route 40 in Catonsville (a few stores down from Panera and Pier 1) (410) 455-0055. 

Thai Aroma - Ellicott City

Thai Aroma

 We ventured out into the world of Thai food when we went to Thai Aroma located in the Lotte Plaza on Rt. 40.  The atmosphere of the room was very clean and modern- Thai paintings depicting Thai culture surrounded the restaurants walls. We found these paintings very interesting.

Steamed Dumplings

 We started our meal with two appetizers - steamed dumplings and spring rolls.

The dumplings were stuffed with crabmeat, shrimp, pork, and water chestnuts. The dumplings had a thin tender skin but we weren't crazy about the taste - although my parents loved them.

Spring Rolls

The spring rolls were so hot when they arrived we had to wait to eat them. They had a distinctive taste similar to an egg roll that gave it a great flavor. But the texture inside the spring roll was not as thick as an egg roll and contained more veggies.

 Our food came surprisingly quick. It came literally 5 minutes after our appetizers..

Thai Fried Rice with chicken and shrimp

 The Thai Fried Rice was delicious to say the least. The rice was very soft and flavorful. The shrimp and chicken were cooked to perfection. We absolutely think that this is one of the best dish on the entire menu. We would definitely come back to this restaurant just to order this.

Panang Shrimp Curry 

 We're not big curry fans but my parents enjoyed this Panang Curry. If you like spicy food and enjoy curry you should defiantly try this the Panang Curry.

Volcano Beef


The steak was amazing and it went very well when we put it on the Thai fried rice. The sauce was a bit thinner than we prefer but very tasty.

Thai Aroma does not have a website but you can find their menu here .  Or call the restaurant directly at

 (410) 480-5100

The Shanty Grille - Ellicott City

UPDATE - 

Restaurant CLOSING December 31, 2014

Read the announcement from the King family here

We went to the Shanty Grille  (formerly Crab Shanty) for Saturday lunch. It's been a landmark in Ellicott City for over 34 years! 

I remember my mom telling me that it was well known when she was a kid growing up in Howard County. It still is today.

The decorations seemed old fashion - a cross between antiques and western. Almost everything in sight is made of wood and more wood. For some reason, they had Christmas decorations on the upper walls of the restaurant such as a non-working fire place next to a huge red sleigh, and a miniature train display. Weird since we ate there in March.

Christmas decorations - huge red sleigh and giant fireplace

 The place was dimly lit, (which made us a bit drowsy) and there was a flurry of senior citizens who came in. I guess people have been coming here for many years. Our waiter was very nice but we waited a long time to order and receive both our drinks and meals. Which was curious because there were only a few other tables occupied. 

Maryland Crab Soup

The Maryland crab soup had a bit too much Old Bay seasoning for our tastes. But it did have a lot of vegetables. The other soup of the day was the Bacon Cheeseburger soup. This sounded very unique but the thought of a soupy hamburger was not appealing to us.

Calamari Bowl 

The Calamari Bowl appetizer is one of the top five best we've ever had. Some calamari can be chewy, but this was soft to the bite. It was fried with a light, crispy batter. It came with two sauces - house marinara & remoulade. We loved the remoulade sauce.

California Burger

Basil Chicken Salad

Three of our party members ordered the California burger - 1/2 lb. burger topped with red onion and pepper jack cheese on a brioche roll -  w/guacamole optional. We all agreed the burger was tasty but the bun and the fresh cut potato chips needed improvement.  The bread was chewy, doughy and bland. Plus, we were looking forward to the homemade chips but they were crispy in some parts and soggy in others.

If you want ketchup, mayo, or mustard with your meal, we recommend you ask for it when you order. We had to request it when the burgers we're served, then we had to wait a long time before the condiments came out.

The Basil Chicken Salad sandwich had the same issue as the burger: the chicken salad tasted good but the bread and the chips were not great.

Lastly, we had to try the Crab Cake sandwich because the restaurant is known for this dish.  It didn't disappoint.  While it wasn't the best one we've had, it was well seasoned and full of crab meat. It was served with asparagus and baked potato.

There are a lot of dishes we didn't try that sounded good like the Coca-Cola Ribs, Shanty Cuban, Smoked Carolina BBQ and Coconut Chicken bites.

Let us know if you try any of these dishes or other menu items. 

HowChow goes to Rudy's Mediterranean Grill

This is the coolest thing that has ever happened to us!

The famous Howard County food blogger, HowChow, wrote in his review of Rudy's Mediterranean Grill  that we were the first blog to review the new Columbia restaurant. Read our review here. 

If you haven't visited HowChow yet, you should check it out.  He has reviewed hundreds of restaurants and foods in and around Howard County....since 2008.

Thank you HowChow....you are really awesome!

Tino's Italian Bistro Columbia, MD

Shortly after being seated in one of Tino's cozy booths, our attentive waiter was happy to take our drink orders and give us a basket of warm bread (crunchy crust with soft interior) accompanied with Italian herb infused oil.  Everyone in our party LOVED the oil and bread.

Italian bread with herbed oil dipping sauce

We found out that the owner is Italian American, so we were excited that we might experience some good authentic Italian cuisine. My family ordered several dishes.  Here are some of them:

Charles selected Chicken Alfredo
The chicken was well seasoned and the sauce creamy and buttery. 

Tino's sure does make a fine Chicken Parmesan. We tasted it and instantly liked it. The chicken was in long, breaded, tastey strips with just the right amount of tomato sauce. 

The Steak and Cheese Hoagie wasn't exactly what I thought it would be. Although the tomatoes and cheese were  great, the  lettuce choice was too delicate (it was a bit wilted from the heat of the melted cheese) and the steak wasn't as flavorful as I expected. 

We LOVED this chocolate mousse. If you are wondering why it is shaped like a heart it's because we went to Tino's very close to Valentine's Day. Drizzled in chocolate syrup, the mouse had a soft and creamy texture wrapped in chocolatey goodness.  We were  surprised how much chocolate was packed into this dessert.  

Thomas pointing to the entrance sign about specials.....note "Kids Eat Free on Monday nights."

Tino's  offers many other pasta, chicken, veal and seafood dishes.  We didn't try their meatballs - an old family recipe - but we will next time. 

Crazy Lunch Specials

This month we had a few days off of school so we were able to eat lunch out during the week.  We found some great lunch deals.

Since school will be out soon for Spring Break, we thought we'd profile two of our favorite restaurants that have awesome lunch deals.

The Burger Joint in Columbia has a student box special for only $6.99 (grades 1-12) .  It comes with a regular burger, fries and a soda.  It's available ALL DAY EVERY DAY with a student ID.

If you are a college student or adult, try the weekday lunch special - $8.99 for a burger, fries and soda. 

Here's a weekday special - Trattoria Amore Italian restaurant in Dorsey Search Village Center (4725 Dorsey Hall Drive in Ellicott City).  

They are offering "Crazy Lunch Specials" - for $5 you get a side salad, 1 slice of pizza and a small soda.   You choose the slice from whatever pizza they have made that day. We've seen the following pizza varieties ....cheese, sausage, pepperoni, white pizza with chicken and spinach or  mozzarella, tomato and basil (Caprice) and  they are more.

Our 2nd HoCo blogger party!

Held at the Corner Stable in Kings Contrivance Village Center, HoCoBlogs & Columbia2.0  hosted another great blogger party! We gathered in the restaurant's private dinning room where bloggers chatted with one another and enjoyed free appetizers. A number of famous bloggers were there including  HocoBlogs , Hoco Rising, HoCoMoJo and Columbia2.0.  I represented both "Dudes" since Charles had rehearsals for his school's upcoming production of "Suessical The Musical".

Even though there were complimentary appetizers, I decided to have my own order of BBQ wings (plus one to-go order for Charles) and a Shirley temple. The buffalo wings were great - not too spicy and not to saucy.... just right!  The staff was very friendly and VERY attentive.

A cool thing happened at the party.....

Zaching at the Corner Stable - me  with County Councilman Calvin Ball
along with HoCo school board member Ellen Flynn Giles.

A spontaneous "Zaching" occurred in honor of Zachary Lederer who is battling cancer for the second time. Zach was a student at my middle school when he was first diagnoised with brain cancer. Learn more about Zach click here and here 

Thanks HoCoBlogs and Columbia2.0 for holding a fun blogger party.

How to make super healthy waffles and pancakes video

I learned how to make healthy waffles and pancake in my school's Home Economics class.  I have the best Home Economic teacher, Mrs. Strawitch.  The waffles and pancakes were so delicious that I asked Mrs. Strawitch if she would make a video with me to show how easy it is for kids and adults to make healthy foods.

My friend Chris agreed to be the cameraman for this video.  My mom took over the filming when Chris wanted to taste the pancakes and waffles.

Check out our video on Youtube or watch it below.

Thank you Mrs. Strawitch for helping me make this video!

 Here is the Multi grain Pancakes or Waffles recipe:


1/2 cup-all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup quick-cooking-oats

2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal (any color of cornmeal will do)

11/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup 2% milk (can substitute almond, soy, skim or 1% milk or use a combo of any them)

1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt (can use plain or fruit flavored)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (we used canola oil)

1 large egg

Optional:

2 tablespoons Wheat Germ

Combine the first six ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well. Add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth.

Spoon about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto a hot griddle or nonstick skillet. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Serve with maple syrup, fruit and low-fat granola, if desired. Make 4 servings at a time. For waffles, put the batter in the waffle iron until it is done.

Rudy's Mediterranean Grill - Columbia, MD

2 Dudes and Rudy, the owner.

There's a new restaurant in our town and it's bringing more culture to Howard County...Turkish culture!

Thanks to Rudy's Mediterranean Grill,  we now have more Turkish delicacies to eat in our town. We visited Istanbul, Turkey last year, so we know what good Turkish food tastes like.

As we walked in, we saw the owner Rudy talking to his customers. It's always good to see an owner being friendly. The waiter seated us at a booth and gave us menus. The menu offered a combination of American and Turkish cuisine.

Humus

We couldn't believe how many great Turkish choices there were to choose from! Plus, Rudy and the waiter gave us some pointers on the best dishes! Rudy also informed us that there is one cook solely dedicated to making just the Turkish items- now that's authentic.




We ordered two Turkish appetizers: humus, a  blend of chick peas, herbs, oil and tahini, and patlican salad. My mother makes a similar version of humus, but this one was just a little more on the spicy side. Each humus we try is a little different. The patlican salad consists of smoked eggplant, grilled peppers and tomatoes, lemon and oil. We didn't try it but our parents did. They concluded that it was "good".

Patlican salad 

While the rest of my family ordered Turkish food, I (Thomas) had my own agenda. I was in the mood for a classic American Turkey BLT. It came with home fries. What are home fries? Home fries are kind of like a french fry, but they are smaller and hand-cut into a square shape. The BLT included tomato, lettuce, bacon, mayo, white bread, and a boatload of turkey. It was delicious.

American Turkey BLT

Izgara Kofte- Minced lamb with onion, parsley and Mediterranean spices, cooked over charcoal

Here are the two Turkish dishes we ordered below.

Famous Iskender Kebab- Thinly sliced döner (gyro) over homemade pita bread, dressed with tomato sauce and homemade garlic yogurt sauce.

The meats were tender, seasoned pieces of juicy delicacies. Amazing! The homemade garlic yogurt sauce, salad and rice were great accompaniments to the meats. Really made us feel like we were back in Istanbul.

For dessert, we ordered some Turkish Coffee. It's similar to Italy's espresso but stronger. In fact, it is VERY, VERY STRONG.  

 My family also ordered some homemade Turkish rice pudding.  It had a hard sugary crust then creamy soft rice inside.  It wasn't as thick as its American version but we liked it just the same

 We could definitely tell that everything we ate was made with fresh ingredients. Rudy's is great because with a combination of Turkish and American foods it gives everyone in our family a chance to order something different.  Plus, the owner has a fun personality and was helpful ordering.