Celebrating our blog's 2nd anniversary at Cubano's- Silver Spring, MD

Indoor seating - The atmosphere of warm red
colored walls,  brightly colored paintings, and Cuban
music played over the loud speakers gave it anauthentic feel.  

Summer outdoor seating

We decided to celebrate our blog's 2nd anniversary at Cubano's Cuban restaurant.

Conveniently located only a few blocks from the Sliver Spring metro station.

Charles recently got his learner's permit and drove to the restaurant. He was happy to find free parking in a public parking lot on the same street - relieved he didn't have to parallel park.

Masitas de Puerco Cuba Libre with saffron rice and sweet plantains

Charles and I both ordered the Masitas de Puerco Cuba Libre - crispy fried marinated morsels of pork, properly dressed with sutle hints of garlic, lime, parsley topped with sautéed onions. All meals come with a choice of saffron or white rice, black beans and sweet or fried plantains.


The pork morsels were lightly crispy on the outside but were fork tender on the inside. The plantains were sent from heaven, I couldn't believe what I had eaten! They were thick, flavorful, and filled with mouth-watery, sugary goodness.

The tasty black beans came in a coffee type cup with saucer. It was a cool presentation and allowed me to put as much or as little black beans on my plate as I wanted.

Camarones al Ajillo

My dad and mom selected the Camarones al Ajillo -  shrimp was sautéed in a garlic infused wine sauce. The saffron rice tasted superb when mixed in with the light sauce. My dad liked the sauce and said it had a little kick to it. However, he wouldn't say it was spicy, just right.

Everything coming out of the kitchen looked extraordinary - including the desserts. We're excited to return soon and try other dishes.  

Cubano's was a great way to celebrate our two year anniversary.  

Thank you to everyone who reads our blog and posts comments. We hope you will continue to follow us on our third year of food adventures. 

- Thomas 

We are Howard County Fair Iron Chef Challenge Judges

The first Howard County Fair was held in1946. Now decades later, the Fair is still the highlight of summertime in Howard County.  The Fair showcases the county's amazing farms and their bounties - fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products and livestock.

This annual event offers a wide array of fun attractions and entertainment including carnival rides, pie eating contests, band performances, bull riding, cow milking contests and one of our favorite, the Iron Chef Challenge - a fun and friendly event that showcases local farm products and local talent.

This year, Thomas and I were invited to be judges for the Iron Chef Challenge on Thursday, August 8 from 6-8pm. Three teams, using HoCo locally grown produce and meat, will compete for the title of Iron Chef Champion. 

This is by far the coolest thing we've EVER been invited to do.

Visit the HoCo Fair to celebrate our county's rich agricultural history - and look for us "2 Dudes" at the Iron Chef Challenge on Thursday from 6 - 8 pm.

- Charles 

hocofood@@@

Umberto's Pizza and Restaurant in New Hyde Park, NY (Long Island)

Me and my grandpa with our "Grandma" style pizza - half cheese and half sausage broccoli rabe

Disclaimer: I am a fourth generation lover of Umberto's.

My great Aunt Millie introduced her parents and her brother (my grandfather) to Umberto's pizzeria in the late 1970's and our family has been in love ever since.  Even after my grandfather moved his family to Maryland, Umberto's is still the first place we visit when we go to New York.

Since 1965 when Umberto's opened its doors, the secret to its success has been to use fresh, homemade ingredients with NO shortcuts - just like the owner's family, Umberto Corteo, made food in his Italian hometown near Naples.

 Umberto's founder Umberto Corteo with me in the kitchen
of his flagship pizzeria and restaurant in New Hyde Park

 


That means mozzarella made by hand, daily baked artisan breads, home made sausage and tomato sauce cooked with the sweetest, ripe Italian tomatoes and basil. Nicknamed the "Pope of pizza" Corteo invented the now famous "grandma pizza" - a thin curst pizza cooked in a Sicilian square pan - that can now be found in many New York pizzerias. In addition, the restaurant serves traditional New York style pizza and Sicilian style pizza with a variety of topping combinations.

This attention to detail extends to the entire Umberto's menu.  Whether you're eating a pasta dish or a Italian dessert, its all made with love from the staff, many who have been with Corteo for decades.

Over the years, the New Hyde Park restaurant has grown from a small pizzeria to a full service cafe, exquisite dinning room and banquet facilities. You can even eat at an Umberto's restaurant in Florida now. Corteo's brother opened several Umberto's there.

The flagship restaurant in New Hyde Park is so famous that Food Network star and chef  Rocco DiSpirito filmed an episode of the show there citing Umberto's as the place he would go for his last meal. Watch the video here. 

"Grandma" style pizza - half cheese and half sausage & broccoli rabe

On a recent visit with my Aunt Mille and family, we ordered a whole grandma pizza pie - half cheese and half sausage with broccoli rabe. The luscious melted cheese, thin crust, made this grandma pizza fit for a king.

We also ordered N.Y. style pizza with chicken cutlet, roasted red peppers and cheese toppings. The tender chicken cutlets and succulent red peppers complimented the thick fresh-made mozzarella cheese. This was ridiculously AWESOME!  Like a slice of heaven. 

Can you tell how happy I am? 

Baked Clams

My Uncle Dominic recommended we try the Baked Clams.  They were stuffed with seasoned  bread crumb, olive oil and fresh herbs- these clams were stupendous. 

The hanging prosciutto 

After we ate, Umberto came to our table to talk. He offered to take me and my mom on a kitchen tour!!! Of course we said yes! Who in their right mind wouldn't say yes to a behind the scenes tour of Umberto's!

Here's what I saw: All of Umberto's bread is freshly baked inside gargantuan bakery ovens. I felt like the bakery itself was one underground city!

In the kitchen, I spotted the largest pot of tomatoes I've ever seen. The fragrance of the fresh basil, sweet Italian plum tomatoes, olive oil and garlic all blending together was overwhelmingly amazing.

We visited three different levels of cooking and baking space on the tour.  Each held an area for something homemade - mozzarella, sausage, breads, desserts etc..  Each area was nicely decorated and extremely neat and clean. The staff, whom Umberto knew by name, were  so welcoming and happy to show us what they do. The restaurant's kitchen and prep areas are so nice I wouldn't mind having my dinner there just to watch all the action.  It was INCREDIBLE.

Before we left, Umberto gave us a giflt - several loafs of bread to take home. They were literally hot out of the ovens. For the next week, we ate sandwiches. 

Here's some of the sandwiches we made at home with Umberto's bread.

If you are anywhere near Umberto's you should stop by for a taste.  It's even worth a looooong trip to eat there.

BRAVO Umberto!

- Charles

Paillard - Quebec City, Canada

Paillard is a cafe-style eatery that has several locations in Canada. The restaurant serves a combination of fresh breads, pastries, sandwiches and ice creams. The food was so good that we had to stop here twice on our vacation - once for a late night snack and the other for a small lunch.

The long communal tables were very cool

The restaurant has the feel and taste of a traditional French cafe but the fast speed of the American eatery Panera.





For our late night visit, my family ordered coffee and desserts.

Charles and I tried the macaron choco-banane. At first, I wasn't sure I would like it but soon after the first bite, my judgement completely changed. My first thought was it tasted like a banana dipped in chocolate fondu, which is delicious.

Napoleon

Then, Charles and I spilt a napoleon pastry.  This traditional French sweet is made up of three layers of puff pastry sandwiched in between two layers of pastry cream with the top pastry layer glazed with icing.

The pastry layer was filled with flaky and buttery goodness. The layers surrounding the pastry layer cream were dense and rich in yellowish cream. FYI this is a messy dish and whatever you eat it with (fork, spoon, fingers, ext...) it's still going to leave crumbs behind. But don't worry because the reward is worth it.

Unfortunately, we don't have the pictures from our lunch because we ate in a hurry to catch our flight home.  The lunch service has a number of choices such as sandwiches, soups, salads.  But the star of their lunch entres is definitely the fresh, home made breads. Honestly, it really didn't matter what they put in the sandwiches because the breads were amazing.


If you're in Quebec, definitely check out Paillard's.  It's a fun place for everyone - individuals, couples, families and students - where the food is fresh, fast, fabulous and famously reasonably priced. I only wish they had restaurants in the U.S.

- Thomas

Cactus Silvestre Tex-Mex Restaurant - near UMBC

Cactus Silvestre is a small Tex-Mexican restaurant located just outside of the University of Maryland Baltimore County campus in Halethorpe, MD. 

My friend Pouloumi Banjeree has been raving about this restaurant's 99 cent Taco Tuesday special for a while and wanted to introduce me to this place.  So, I headed down with her to check it out.

Located in a strip mall at 5315 East Dr 

 (21227), you could easily miss Cactus Silvestre nestled among the many shops on the road.  Parking is  a little tricky too.  I suggest parking in a one of the lots on the street.  

Pouloumi couldn't wait to get her Taco on

Pouloumi and I both ordered four hard-shelled tacos filled with sapid chicken, delectable shredded cheese, crisp lettuce and Pico de Gallo (a relish of finely chopped jicama, cucumbers, radishes, onions, bell pepper, and oranges) and salsa on the side.  The Chicken was marinated and roasted in a rotisserie oven that gave it a somewhat sweet taste and tender texture. The Chicken itself made the taco. Pouloumi was right.

 Pouloumi ordered one Churro with her meal. A churro is a classic Mexican pastry resembling a doughnut or cruller and made from deep-fried delectable dough and sprinkled with sugar. The savory cinnamon sugar gives this enormous churro a heavenly flavor that will rock your taste buds.

- Charles

Eggspectation - Montreal, Canada

 My family and I always enjoy Egggspectation in Maryland. We found out on our recent trip to Montreal that it's the birthplace of the franchise. Some menu items were the same as in the U.S, while others were pleasantly different. There were several restaurant locations in Montreal to choose from.  

Charles ordered the Eggspectation Bagel Breakfast Sandwich - decked out with a fried egg, bacon strips, tomatoes, raw onions, Swiss cheese and lettuce. This sandwich combines breakfast and lunch to form the ultimate sandwich. It's a huge sandwich and it's even bigger taste.

I selected the Western Wake-Up. The omelette was thick and filled with assortments of ham, sautéed peppers, and onions. I am completely enamored with their seasoned Lyonnaise-style potatoes ( Charles' dish also had these potatoes). Who can resist their thick, well seasoned taste and an insanely soft bite. I think these potatoes are one of the best potatoes I have ever tasted!

 My mother chose the French Toast Flambé which was made with thick bread slices that kept the bread firm and tender. Topped with fresh strawberries, bananas and walnut laced with an incredible pure Canadian syrup sauce, it was the bomb. What a difference the real deal syrup makes!

 

Charles ordered a fruit shake which was available in a variety of flavors. While it looked great when it was brought to our table, it wasn't very sweet.  Maybe we are just used to more sweet shakes in the U.S.  He wouldn't order this again, but it was worth trying.  

-Thomas

La Maree Restaurant - Montreal, Quebec

 La Maree restaurant is located near the port in the heart of old town Montreal. We sat in the outside patio area covered by a blue awning overlooking a town square that was alive with street performers and vendors.

La Maree serves French foods and is known for its  seafood, steak and grills.








My brother and my mom both ordered the Filet de Saumon, servi avec riz et legumes - a grilled salmon fillet served with rice and vegetables. The top had a slight crisp but was moist and tender inside covered  with an alluring light cream sauce with peppercorn and fresh parsley flakes. Paired with the side of rice and vegetables, it was amazing.

I ordered the Chicken Sante Fe composed of tender grilled chicken topped with thick and creamy goat cheese, succulent zucchini and roasted peppers with a side of a vegetables and rice. It was amazing.

My dad ordered the Tortellini Au Fromage Ricotta, Sauce Rosee - pasta stuffed with thick ricotta cheese in a tantalizing red rosee sauce. It was tasty but after seeing our grilled salmon and chicken dishes he wished he had orded the same.








With its unique location on the corner of the famous Place Jacques Cartier in old town and its awesome grilled seafood and meats,  La Maree is certainly worth the visit. Plus, the service was quick and friendly. We'd go back in a heartbeat.

Place Jacques Cartier in old town Montreal

-Charles