tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1971168022234934332024-03-05T23:09:43.004-05:00Wheaton CallingA Wheaton, Maryland, blogWheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-85791669428652058252013-10-24T19:58:00.001-04:002013-10-24T19:58:57.753-04:00Wheaton Safeway Preview Party!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like a zombie rising from the grave, I am resurrecting my long-dormant blog. What better inspiration to start blogging again than the preview party I just attended at the brand-new Wheaton Safeway! I live within a few minutes' walk of the store, so I've been anxiously watching the construction progress and waiting for the store to open. I was happy to get a surprise email invite to the preview party at the store tonite (probably because I'm involved in a county committee). It was a pretty sweet party, especially considering it was held in a grocery store - complimentary drinks and appetizers spread out around the store, live music (a steel drum band?!), and....(drumroll please)...free samples of whatever you wanted from their prepared food sections!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As you can see from the photos below, the store is beautiful! They also were giving away a free bag of groceries to everyone as they left; the last photo below is the swag we got in our bag. (Apologies for the blurry photos thanks to my iphone camera!)</span><br />
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WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-46404187102176153272012-04-03T08:31:00.002-04:002012-04-03T08:31:12.626-04:00Wheaton Redevelopment Update<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some very long hours at work have kept me from posting about this sooner, but input to the county council from residents regarding Wheaton redevelopment is still needed <u>this week</u>. The council and the county executive office are in the process of hammering out a compromise for what the $55 million in Wheaton redevelopment can be spent oc. For those of you in favor of the platform over the metro, you should email the council to tell them that they should include the bus bay platform in the list of projects that the $55m can be used to fund. It's sounding like the negotiations are moving towards listing a number possible projects the $55m could be used for - i.e. the parks and planning office building, town square, etc. At the last WRAC meeting, a DGS representative basically said that B.F. Saul will most likely walk away from their project if the platform funding doesn't happen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Getting the platform added to that list for the $55m is an important first step in making the construction of the platform a reality. Once (and IF) that happens, there will still be a struggle down the line to make sure the money actually goes to the platform and doesn't get diverted to one of the other potential projects that will be listed (everyone seems to acknowledge that the $55m won't be enough to do everything that will be listed). So, please, email the council again to let them know you want the platform to be included in the funding that they're voting on April 10th.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">According to a Patch <a href="http://wheaton-md.patch.com/articles/last-chance-to-vote-and-submit-redevelopment-comments">article</a>, all comments should be submitted by <u>end of day this Wednesday</u>. Here's the <a href="http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/csltmpl.asp?url=/content/council/contact.asp">link</a> with contact info for council members.</span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-31324342849250474992012-03-28T08:00:00.000-04:002012-03-28T08:00:08.324-04:00Pollo Sabroso Review<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On a recent Sunday, Mr. WC and I attempted to stop by Moby Dick for lunch but found that they are closed on Sundays (darn!). We decided to venture across the street to Pollo Sabroso, which located on Grandview right along parking lot 13. I've had Pollo Sabroso's food at the Taste of Wheaton before but this was our first time dining there. We walked in, and there was a mix of patrons - guys sitting at the bar drinking beer and some families seated at the tables. It wasn't the hole-in-the-wall that I was expecting - the inside was fairly bright and clean.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We were served by a waitress who was also doubling as the bartender, but she stopped by to give us menus shortly after we grabbed a table. Since "pollo" is in the name of the place, I decided to order a 1/4 chicken with two sides for a whopping $4.99. I selected fried yucca and plantains for my two sides, but they also had rice & beans, salad, and a few other options to choose from. I ended up with a thigh, which is what I prefer anyways (they don't let you choose white or dark here). The meat was juicy and tender, but the flavor was very different from other peruvian chicken places around here. Actually, I'm thinking it might be more Salvadorean or something because the spices were totally different. Instead of a strong garlicky-herby flavor, this chicken has a sweet pepper flavor to it that I'm pretty sure came from heavy use of paprika on the skin. I liked it, but it was a very different flavor from El Pollo Rico, for example. The fried yucca was pretty good - it could have been a little crispier but at least it wasn't overfried to the point of being twig-like like some yucca that I've had. The plantains were great - sweet and almost creamy when you bit into them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mr. WC attempted to order some of their fried chicken (he remembered liking it at Taste of Wheaton), but was informed that they weren't serving it that day. Instead he ordered yucca con chicharron, yucca with fried pork. Again, the yucca was pretty good and chunks of pork also had a good taste to them. The pork was either slightly overcooked or maybe it was just a leaner cut of meat, because it was a little chewier and drier than versions of this dish that I've had at other places (Los Chorros review to arrive in the near future!). It did come with a good cole slaw on top of it, which added a nice fresh flavor to an otherwise deep-fried dish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Overall, we were happy with our food and even happier with our check. Including a soda for each of us plus a 20% tip, the total came out to $20. Not bad. My biggest issue was that it took a looooong time for our food to come out. The restaurant didn't seem that busy and both of our meals basically just had to be thrown in a deep fryer (or hacked off of a pre-roasted chicken) but it took at least 20 minutes for our food to come out. Still, it was a good value for the money and we were both pretty happy with what we orderd.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/4 chicken in front, yucca con chicharron in the back</td></tr>
</tbody></table>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-83931584987648263042012-03-25T20:16:00.000-04:002012-03-25T20:16:28.528-04:00Los Chorros Review<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My long run of Asian food craving (which seems like it started nearly 3 years ago when we moved to Wheaton) is finally subsiding and now some of my attentio has turned to Mexican-Salvadorean options here. That's not to say that I won't still be hitting up Ren's, Ruan, Nava, and my other favorites on a regular basis, but I'm starting to get more ethnic diveristy in my dining selections. And isn't that what Wheaton's all about?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">For a few weeks in a row, my craving for Hispanic food has taken us to <a href="http://www.loschorrosrestaurant.com/">Los Chorros</a> (detailed menu on website!), located on Blueridge Avenue just off University. I keep coming back because Los Chorros seems to have that magic trifecta of good food, friendly service, and a nice atmosphere. The restaurant itself is painted in cheerful pastel colors and is very clean. It was also larger than I was expecting; this is definitely the place if you have a big group and are worried about getting a table at some of the smaller places in Wheaton. The various waiters we've had have spoken great English and even remembered us when we came in two weeks in a row.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We've tried a number of their meals and have been happy with just about everything. Here's a quick rundown...first of all, I'm a fan of strawberry daiquiris, and I really like the version Los Chorros makes. We've also tried out a few different appetizers. The cheese and pork pupusas we tried were both good, but maybe just a little drier and less gooey than some we've had elsewhere. The yuca con chicharron featured crispy, fatty (in a good way) pieces of pork on top of perfectly fried yuca. It's definitely the best version of this dish that I've had, but it was so big that it filled us up even before our entrees arrived.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We've tried a few different enchilada dishes (crab & shrimp and a combo with beef/chicken/cheese), and were happy with all of them. Also, the refried beans that come with most of their dishes were pretty amazing. I can't tell what they do differently with this side dish, but they have a ton of flavor. Two meat combination platters, the especial intipuca and especial dona reina, both include a grilled piece of sausage that has lots of seasoning and is nicely charred on their grill. I also tried the combinacion guanaca, which is a vegetarian combo dish with refried beans and rice, sliced avocado, fried egg, peppers and onions and sour cream. The sour cream was different from the kind you would buy in the grocery store; I believe it's salvadorean crema, and it was more runny and mild tasting that what I'm used to. It added a nice creaminess to everything in the dish, and the whole entree ended up being a pretty hearty vegetarian meal. I also tried a taco combo that had chicken, steak, and beef tongue. Yeah, that right, beef tongue. It was actually really good with a steak-like consistency but more flavor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We've always been too full to try any of their desserts, but their menu has some pretty interesting options if you can save room for them. Overall, I highly recommend Los Chorros. It feels a little "safer" than some of the more adventurous off-the-beaten-track food options in Wheaton, but I think it's a great option for consistently good food and friendly service.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left side is especial dona reina (sausage and a steak topped with fried eggs), right side is the taco combo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-43109765206024617352012-03-20T09:00:00.000-04:002012-03-20T09:00:00.941-04:00Limerick Review<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A week before the Royal Mile's reopening, Mr. WC and I decided to pay a visit to <a href="http://www.thelimerickpub.net/">Limerick</a>, since we hadn't be there since our original <a href="http://wheatoncalling.blogspot.com/2011/03/limerick-pub-review.html">visit</a> on their second night in business. I plan on returning to my usual habit of going to the RM whenever I'm in the mood for beer and pub food, but we took advantage of the down time before the Royal Mile's reopening to give Limerick a try.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The first thing I noticed was that I had trouble finding any beers (draft or bottles) that appealed to me. I have a preference for porters and stouts and enjoy trying out beers from local breweries where possible. Limerick's beer list is heavy on ales and lagers without much of anything in the way of dark beers other than Guinness (of course) and a Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, which I ended up ordering a bottle of. Otherwise, it was mostly main stream breweries, some of which I consider too crappy to be worthy of a spot on the beer list of an Irish pub (Bud Light?? PBR?? Miller High Life??). So right off the bat, I was a little disappointed in the beer list.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">For food, they had a good selection of all the usual pub favorites, with some vegetarian options thrown in. Sandwiches ranged from $7.50-$9.50 and entrees ranged in price from $13.50-$20. I ordered one of their specials, a lamb burger for $13. Mr. WC ordered the bangers and mash. I enjoyed my burger, which came on a toasted bun and was served with a tropical chutney and fries. The fries were better than the mushy ones we were served on our first visit there, so overall I give my meal a thumbs up. Mr. WC was so-so with the bangers and mash that he ordered. First of all, the portions seemed pretty skimpy for the $15.50 price tag. The bangers were good, but didn't have a ton of flavor. The mashed potatoes were really bland - we didn't pick up any taste of butter, salt, anything. They were kind of just tasteless white fluff. The dish also came with a few breaded fried mushrooms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Where the Royal Mile's service tends to be, um, "leisurely", we experienced the exact opposite at Limerick. We had two beers, salads, and two entrees, and were done with everything in about 45 minutes. So, we spent less than an hour there and spent about $55 with tip.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The place was packed when we were there early on a Friday (around 6pm) and a fiddler was playing some songs, so it was a lively atmosphere. They also had the lighting dimmed down a little bit from the first time we visited, so it was a little more dim and comfortable than I remembered it being.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As you can tell, my visit to Limerick hasn't made me a convert. Honestly, even if the reincarnated Royal Mile doesn't live up to expectations, I probably still won't ever be a Limerick regular. Still, if we were with a larger group of people that wanted to just hang out and have some beers, I'd probably head to Limerick for their roomier bar area (although it was packed to the gills while we were there).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5QDQDcxdb9i6bRCeBsyRyATdZuzmByf4bMT0W-HH1vs-7st29lHrUAKCTKGwOH5xLh_8gRojcEKHZm7tbWCHCuc6jrZKe3aDDH4St-jynAyzB3g8e06ORyh8L7wFDv_1nSAi782ccpfl/s1600/Limerick.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5QDQDcxdb9i6bRCeBsyRyATdZuzmByf4bMT0W-HH1vs-7st29lHrUAKCTKGwOH5xLh_8gRojcEKHZm7tbWCHCuc6jrZKe3aDDH4St-jynAyzB3g8e06ORyh8L7wFDv_1nSAi782ccpfl/s400/Limerick.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lamb burger in front, bangers and mash in back</td></tr>
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<br />WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-26873588766291077862012-03-17T11:11:00.001-04:002012-03-17T11:11:17.418-04:00Royal Mile is Back!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I left work a little early yesterday to make sure I got a table last night at the Royal Mile's reopening. Mr. WC and I got there around 5:45 and we still got one of the last empty tables. Other than a new coat of paint and some nice big flat-screen TVs (great idea!), it still feels like the Royal Mile I know and love. There were some new faces among the waitstaff but still quite a few familiar faces, so it does look like they rehired a number of former employees. I was happy to see such a great turnout, and I hope it keeps up!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, on to the food...</span><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were some menu changes, which you can check out for yourself in the images below. The most notable changes we saw were the absense of rarebit and haggis from the appetizer menu, and a slightly scaled back beer menu. I'll be curious to see whether they build their beer list back up once they're up and running. I ordered a bottle of Old Engine Oil (love my dark beers) and followed that up with a Flying Dog Double Dog. The Engine Oil was a Scottish porter, and this was my first time trying it; pretty good! Mr. WC helpfully noticed once I started drinking the Double Dog that the alcohol content was 11.5%! Yikes! It was super hoppy in taste, but held up well against the burger I had. Mr. WC had a draft of Fat Tire and a bottle of Skullsplitter. The Skullsplitter was a Scottish ale that got a thumbs up from Mr. WC.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We started our meal with an order of the scotch egg, which we'd never had before, but we liked it. It consisted of a well-seasoned sausage roll with a hard-boiled egg in the middle. Then, the whole thing was breaded and deep-fried, then cut into slices. They served it with a fruity chutney.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKCu6idyN_UbkFYesbIOyvyQzZA_ig4KaZz7BjDyLYuoYKTRPcpuwgd6lV71JGo5th74jaTZ1jT06IATQ7UbEzKDGusDojxHCz7SbGrcCwYif6cV9asnZ4WKPkVGFpPf0zG7U2E4PRBkH/s1600/RMscotchegg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKCu6idyN_UbkFYesbIOyvyQzZA_ig4KaZz7BjDyLYuoYKTRPcpuwgd6lV71JGo5th74jaTZ1jT06IATQ7UbEzKDGusDojxHCz7SbGrcCwYif6cV9asnZ4WKPkVGFpPf0zG7U2E4PRBkH/s320/RMscotchegg.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">For our entrees, we ordered our usual - burger with swiss cheese and mushrooms for me, and fish and chips for Mr. WC. The burger was as tasty and juicy as ever (yay!) and they even still have the same kind of ranch dressing for the salad that I really liked. Mr. WC's fish and chips showed a few problems in the kitchen for their first night - a few of the pieces were a little soggy and could have benefitted from more time in the deep fryer. Still, the fish was fresh tasting and other than one or two soggy pieces, the remaining fish was done just right. The french fries were good, and pretty much tasted exactly like the ones I remember from before. Again, there were a few that were a little undercooked, but no major issues.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLF-Sy10tTsWxZkT59rxMvdj5K7Lhdgtm3SrkRjCh1SL8ft7WBYthlvwtZ5VymNeyR1reR0cD9Vn5XmtiPL_2ysDbrBT4QmhWrAJEUQSI0s2ZwjtdAIWSQumP1YUVB6S4g-ZpXAfABAWU/s1600/RMfood.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLF-Sy10tTsWxZkT59rxMvdj5K7Lhdgtm3SrkRjCh1SL8ft7WBYthlvwtZ5VymNeyR1reR0cD9Vn5XmtiPL_2ysDbrBT4QmhWrAJEUQSI0s2ZwjtdAIWSQumP1YUVB6S4g-ZpXAfABAWU/s320/RMfood.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Overall, we had a great experience there and plan making it a regular stop on the weekends. I didn't get a chance to talk to the owner because he was constantly on the move clearing tables, seating groups, etc., but he seemed to be very friendly and introduced himself to many people. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here are photos of the new menu...</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHsIyy5vV8vW6DrjCbSZWxRc_OaBpoVfaSycJlmnQeHbvsp4pQiJWSHCZDXcQjXQf3EpB8oTG6mj1jsbIObxCZ5HCm6GpX8t3CuCsnRV7KFKlTwzIGH2OOuKBweaVJ7qhqIXLN9k1wCgJ/s1600/RMbeer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHsIyy5vV8vW6DrjCbSZWxRc_OaBpoVfaSycJlmnQeHbvsp4pQiJWSHCZDXcQjXQf3EpB8oTG6mj1jsbIObxCZ5HCm6GpX8t3CuCsnRV7KFKlTwzIGH2OOuKBweaVJ7qhqIXLN9k1wCgJ/s640/RMbeer.JPG" width="478" /></a><br />
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<br /></div>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-32733103111132557572012-03-16T14:32:00.000-04:002012-03-16T14:32:20.721-04:00Council Postpones Vote<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It appears that the council has indeed decided to postpone its vote on the parking lot 13 schedule, originally scheduled to be voted on this Tuesday. Here is the email response I received from George Levanthal's office:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you for your messages. We just learned that the Wheaton revitalization discussion has been postponed and will not take place on Tuesday the 20th. Feel free to keep in touch with my office to find out when it will be rescheduled.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best regards,</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">George Leventhal</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Montgomery County Councilmember</span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-4941932936684173932012-03-15T19:11:00.002-04:002012-03-15T19:11:30.928-04:00Reminder to contact county council<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is just a reminder to contact the county council members regarding their plans for parking lot 13. I'm hearing that the most effective message to send right now is to simply tell them to postpone their vote on the Wheaton parking lot 13 proposal (the vote is currently scheduled in 5 short days on the 20th). They should not vote on this issue until they have had a dialogue with the community, explained what they feel are the benefits of their plan, and hear input from local Wheaton residents on their vision for the downtown area.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I've been told that all emails should be sent by end of day tomorrow (Friday) to have a shot at getting the council to take this item off their agenda for Tuesday.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here's the <a href="http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/csltmpl.asp?url=/content/council/contact.asp">link</a> with email contact information.</span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-10056904940288875302012-03-14T20:32:00.000-04:002012-03-15T11:11:57.813-04:00County Council throws wrench into Wheaton redevelopement<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a decision that was expected by many to pit funding for a Bethesda elevator against funding for the Wheaton bus bay platform (an essential element to redevelopment plans by BF Saul), the county council on Monday instead decided to throw out months (maybe even years?) of planning by the county and extensive input from local residents and business owners by recommending a totally different vision of redevelopment for Wheaton.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Instead of providing the $42 million in funding to construct the platform over the metro bus bays, a key first step in BF Sauls redevelopment plans, they instead voted to pay $55 million to build an office building for the planning department and county services, a garage and a town square. The office, below-grade garage, and town square would all be located on the parking lot 13 site.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The BF Saul project would have injected more evening foot traffic into the area through the opening of a hotel on top of the bus bay platform, mid-rise apartment building in parking lot 13 with ground floor retail and restaurants, and a new town square in parking lot 13. It would have also substantially increased daytime use of the area through the construction of a large, two-tower office building on top of the bus bay platform. In the process of many meetings and discussions about these projects, the planning department expressed interest in building a new headquarters in the bus bay area at the "tip" of the triangle where Viers Mill and Georgia split.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The county council's version that they sprung on everyone Monday would ditch the planned development over the bus bays completely and instead put their building on parking lot 13 and their own version of a town square in the parking 13. No funding would be provided for the bus bay platform.</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">George Levanthal, Nancy Floreen, and Marc Elrich all went on the record in a recent Gazette <a href="http://www.gazette.net/article/20120312/NEWS/703129937&template=gazette">article</a> saying that they believed the $42 million platform was too big of a risk and they worried about the planned office building sitting vacant. I can appreciate their concerns, but the center of all of BF Saul's decisions on the location and design of their office building towers was the goal of attracting a large federal tenant through a GSA lease. They have been quoted as working closely with people at GSA to ensure that their building met as many major "checklist" items for GSA tenants as possible. With that kind of focus, I think that BF Saul was putting themselves in a strong position to lease to a government tenant. So I don't see this proposal as being that risky of an endeavor for the county, especially since the building of that deck would allow not only the office building project, but also the hotel to move forward, spurring far more development than a county office building.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hans Riemer wrote an <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13998/what-does-wheaton-need/">article</a> for the Greater Greater Washington blog and essentially says that a public gathering space is what Wheaton needs. He uses downtown Silver Spring as a successful example of this, in addition to Rockville and Bethesda.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I think that is completely faulty logic. If you took away all of the redevelopment in downtown Silver Spring that was created by the public-private partnership between the county and Peterson Company, you would have the Silver Spring Civic Center and the associated plaza/ice rink in front of it. Essentially, that is what the council is proposing - fill in parking lot 13 with a county building and a county-owned plaza or town square. I say that's putting the cart before the horse. Sticking a plaza in parking lot 13 will not create a vibrant downtown Wheaton. I think that the BF Saul, proposal, which would provide an influx of new residents and a large number of daytime office works, creates the increased "people density" that would help fill a town square. Keeping everything in Wheaton the same but adding a town square with a county office building isn't going to do squat. In addition to that, the county would be totally responsible for the programming and upkeep of that town square. While I would expect BF Saul to be fairly movtivated to keep that town square as active and attractive as possible, I have little faith in the county being equally motivated.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A lot of time was invested by local residents through public workshops and meetings, and committees such as WRAC and WUDAC (made up of residents and business owners volunteering their own time) put alot of work into studying the BF Saul plans and working with them to address and resolve concerns that they had. Rather than building on this effort, the council went behind everyone's backs and put together a totally different plan that, if executed, will essentially destroy the BF Saul deal. As someone who has personally invested alot of my time and energy into meeting with county officials and BF Saul, I am disappointed and angry that the council so easily disregarded this previous effort and instead have put forward a plan that has had no vetting and no feedback from the community. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">With the council planning to vote on this measure on March 20th, there is very little time for the public to even understand the county's proposal in more detail let alone engage in any meaningful dialogue about it with the council members themselves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">If the council had simply voted to postpone funding for this project to a future date, I could almost understand and appreciate that. Instead, the council is proposing to spend money that would basically prevent the BF Saul redevelopment effort from moving forward at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I encourage you to contact county council members to express your opinion on this. Use this <a href="http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/csltmpl.asp?url=/content/council/contact.asp">link</a> to get contact info for <strike>Valerie Ervin</strike> Nancy Navarro (correction), who represents Wheaton on the council and I also encourage you to contact the follow at-large council members - Marc Elrich, Nancy Floreen, George Levanthal, and Hans Riemer. </span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-68955822104276523542012-03-12T19:14:00.000-04:002012-03-12T19:14:06.531-04:00Royal Mile Reopening Date Confirmed<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's official...the Royal Mile will be reopening this Friday, March 16th! An anonymous comment to my post the other say they've heard that at least half of the original staff will be back, which is great news. I plan on being there (along with most of Wheaton probably) this Friday to celebrate the reopening of this neighborhood institution. I'm hoping that their burger remains as tasty as ever and that they keep the great beer selection that they always had (something that Limerick was sorely lacking when I went there last weekend, but that's a future post).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I will, of course, be posting my experience at the reincarnated Royal Mile after their reopening. After that, I hope to refocus my energy into blogging about something OTHER than the Royal Mile for a while. Cheers!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6_jALUkkWLdFaHdDx3-IVbkOXkN2hbV8I9fG9BxbV7y7KbrvxZ_n1KROo5nD-0JxVh6xBLfBGDqHL_VEJiMSCfXqiYVwmtOYDHe9vWaSQ-l4YIeXotypWn6Eoz9LoMBpioaAIT1GzCrc/s1600/RMreopening.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6_jALUkkWLdFaHdDx3-IVbkOXkN2hbV8I9fG9BxbV7y7KbrvxZ_n1KROo5nD-0JxVh6xBLfBGDqHL_VEJiMSCfXqiYVwmtOYDHe9vWaSQ-l4YIeXotypWn6Eoz9LoMBpioaAIT1GzCrc/s400/RMreopening.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-34804579369101314592012-03-05T17:23:00.000-05:002012-03-05T17:23:11.250-05:00Back from Vacation & RM Update!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a wonderful 3-week trip to the other side of the world, I'm back in the swing of things here in Wheaton. What better way to re-enter the blogosphere than with a Royal Mile update? Thanks to a tip by an anonymous poster, intrepid man-on-the-street Mr. WC stopped by the restaurant location late this afternoon to investigate the report of a crew at work in the restaurant.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mr. WC happened upon Michael Moore, who was taking a smoke break outside of Limerick. The big news is that he is now the former owner of the Royal Mile. Moore said that he found a buyer, and described them as someone with some experience in the restaurant industry. From the sound of things, the new owner will be keeping the Royal Mile name and Mr. Moore even said that the owner is getting in touch with former staff to try and rehire as many of them as possible. The new owner has a crew at work to make needed repairs to the restaurant and Moore said the owner hopes to reopen the restaurant by St. Patrick's Day.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Royal Mile's website doesn't show any updates, but we'll keep an eye on the store front and report on any updates that might get posted on the windows.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">If all of this is true, I think this is the best possible outcome of what sounded like a very difficult situation just before the restaurant closed. Of course, only time will tell what the reincarnated Royal Mile will be like, but keeping the name and trying to rehire former staff is certainly a good start.</span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-31720763265654748842012-02-04T02:57:00.001-05:002012-02-04T02:57:03.463-05:00Be back in 3 weeks<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm heading off on a 3 week vacation to the land of the Hobbits. Be back at the end of February!</span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-15406582926954198182012-01-19T12:56:00.003-05:002012-01-19T15:28:19.291-05:00Island Hut, I hardly knew you...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, as Good Eatin in Wheaton hinted in a <a href="http://eatinwheaton.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/the-winter-of-our-restaurants-discontent/">post</a> last week, it appears that Gloria's Island Hut has indeed closed, but with hopes of reopening at some point in the future. It's unfortunate timing after being mentioned (along with Ren's Ramen) as one of the Post's food critic Tom Sietsema's "<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/tom-sietsemas-cheap-eats/2012/01/10/gIQAO9QroP_gallery.html?hpid=z8#photo=1">Tom's Cheap Eats</a>". </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mr. WC has continued his intrepid reporting by getting in touch with Island Hut owner Gloria via email, and she provided this response:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"We apologize for the delay in notifying our customers. A message was supposed to be placed on our website. We had many issues with Greenhill Realty and had no choice but to close our doors. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br /><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are considering reopening at a later date. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gloria"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's interesting that their landlord is Greenhill Realty, whose owner was recently featured in a Just Up the Pike </span><a href="http://www.justupthepike.com/2012/01/how-to-make-wheaton-into-next-adams.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">post</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> about their attempts to develop property in Wheaton. Based on stories I've read/heard from some of Greenhill's former </span><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/4846/high-rents-prohibitive-zoning-doom-wheatons-dejabel-cafe/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tenants</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, they are fairly unforgiving if a business falls on hard times and gets behind in payments. This is certainly their right as a landlord, but I have to wonder about this strategy when many </span><a href="http://greenhillcompanies.com/internal.cfm?page=364&sec=369&ssec=474"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://greenhillcompanies.com/internal.cfm?page=364&sec=369&ssec=501"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">their</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span id="goog_1861651237"></span></span><a href="http://greenhillcompanies.com/internal.cfm?page=364&sec=369&ssec=515"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">properties</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://greenhillcompanies.com/internal.cfm?page=364&sec=369&ssec=516"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://greenhillcompanies.com/internal.cfm?page=364&sec=369&ssec=483"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wheaton</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://greenhillcompanies.com/internal.cfm?page=364&sec=369&ssec=518"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sit</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://greenhillcompanies.com/internal.cfm?page=364&sec=369&ssec=518"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">vacant</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-40315967656581762302012-01-18T08:57:00.003-05:002012-01-18T08:57:44.151-05:00Gazette Article about Royal Mile<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I promise that I will be posting about something other than Royal Mile within a few days, but the Gazette website has just posted an <a href="http://www.gazette.net/article/20120118/NEWS/701189570&template=gazette">article</a> about the status of the pub. Among the more interesting tidbits is that a co-owner of Flanigan's Harp & Fiddle in Bethesda was in discussions in November with Mike Moore about becoming a partner in the restaurant, but that the talks fell through because of the poor financial position of the Royal Mile.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Other than that, there are some nice tributes and memories from people who have visited the Royal Mile over the years.</span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-82610444125250520442012-01-17T12:58:00.000-05:002012-01-17T12:58:31.754-05:00RM owner looking for partners?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, I was going to break my streak of Royal Mile postings by writing about a great dinner I had at Ren's Ramen on Friday night, but Good Eatin in Wheaton just posted a <a href="http://eatinwheaton.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/return-to-ren/">review</a> of his recent visit there and kinda stole my thunder. That will teach me to procrastinate on posting restaurant reviews! With the cold weather we've been having, I think we're all in a "soupy" kind of a mood.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Gazette reporter who covers Wheaton got in touch with me over the weekend about a story he's working on about the Royal Mile. I'll post a link to that article once it's online. The comments to Wheaton Patch's <a href="http://wheaton-md.patch.com/articles/is-the-royal-mile-pub-closing">article</a> about the Royal Mile have been dominated lately by someone named Charles Garris. Garris makes several mentions in an "unofficial" capacity that the owner Mike Moore may be in the market for some financial partners. He throws out the sum of $100k to buy in as a partner or $1.25 million to purchase outright. He also mentions that the cost of purchasing the restaurant plus the land have ended up being more than the revenue the restaurant is bringing in, resulting in a negative cash flow. I find it odd that a friend of the owner is posting this kind of information online, but hopefully he has Moore's blessing to be doing this.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So, if any of you have a spare $100k laying around, you could be the proud partial owner of a restaurant that is spending more money than it's making! Seriously, though, I'm pulling for something to get worked out here to reopen the restaurant.</span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-87381609960242803412012-01-12T18:27:00.001-05:002012-01-12T18:27:08.840-05:00Update from Royal Mile Owner<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My significant other (often referred to on my blog as Mr. WC) walked by the Royal Mile late this afternoon and happened to see some people inside the building, even though the lights were off. Being the intrepid investigator that he is, he knocked on the door until someone came over. It was the owner, Michael Moore, who appeared to be in the process of meeting with a contractor.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">According to him, the Royal Mile WILL BE reopening, but that a number of serious issues with the building itself are requiring its temporary closure. He mentioned electrical issues being one of the main problems. Mr. Moore did not know when the needed repairs will be completed, so he didn't have an expected date for them to reopen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mr. WC mentioned being there on Sunday when all the employees seemed to think the restaurant was going out of business, but Mr. Moore didn't volunteer any additional information to explain this.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Michael Moore also addressed the issue of their website apparently going down. He said that they changed their web address to ".net" rather than ".com". He asked that we share the current <a href="http://www.royalmilepub.net/">website</a> with everyone, and said that he would be posting updates there once he has a better idea of when the repairs will be completed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">While I'm encouraged to hear that he is proceeding with the plans of making repairs and reopening, I can't help but feel for the employees who are without work and pay. While it sounds like the Royal Mile will be reopening, there's certainly no guarantee that the familiar faces we associate with it will be there when that happens.</span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-8040626554326474272012-01-09T18:25:00.002-05:002012-01-12T10:00:15.490-05:00Royal Mile Update<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***Wednesday update: As of last night, it looks like the sign about repairs has been removed and there was no sign of activity inside the restaurant. One other thing...While I'm happy to provide a venue on this blog for people to post their thoughts and feelings about the Royal Mile, I don't want the comments to degrade into personal insults against the owner. I've been on the verge of deleting a comment or two that I think cross the line, so let's tone down the personal insults a little bit. Keep it classy, Wheaton!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***Tuesday update: A short article on Patch notes that an email from the owner says that they are in a "restructuring phase". Other than quoting another local resident who was also told of their closing on Sunday, there are no new updates. An anonymous commenter to my earlier <a href="http://www.wheatoncalling.blogspot.com/2012/01/stop-by-royal-mile-tonitecould-be-your.html#comment-form">post</a> alleges serious payroll/money problems at the restaurant and appears to place the blame squarely on the owner. I'd be happy to talk with any employees who want to tell their side of things. As other commenters have noted, there are probably a number of people willing and able to help keep the place open, but if the place has been consistently losing money for a long period of time, there may not be much any of us can do other than support the restaurant as patrons if it does reopen.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A sign posted in the window of Royal Mile says that is closed today and tomorrow for repairs. Hopefully this means that the owner is trying to work out whatever issues are going on. Still, things sounded pretty final last night when I was there, so we'll have to wait and see if they reopen on Wednesday. Fingers crossed!</span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-36303267200516261962012-01-09T08:13:00.002-05:002012-01-09T08:24:23.749-05:00A Sad Loss for Wheaton's Dining Scene<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For all of the love I give to the wide variety of restaurants here in Wheaton, the Royal Mile Pub has been the one I go to the most often. Almost every weekend, Mr. WC and I have gone there to enjoy the food, the beer, and most importantly, the people and the atmosphere. While it was never a good place to eat if you were in a hurry, the relaxed vibe and slower pace of the Royal Mile was often exactly what I needed on a Friday night after a hectic work week. There was always a wide variety of people dining there - older couples who had been going there since it opened, families with kids, and friends out for beers. I always felt like part of a community when I was there. While I didn't go there quite often enough to be a "regular", the service was always friendly, with the waiters all becoming familiar faces to me after several years of heading there every weekend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As I posted last night, it all appears to be coming to an end. From what I was told by the waiters, either last night or some day early this week will most likely be the Royal Mile's last day in business. While one waiter expressed hope that some other arrangement would come through to keep them open, it didn't sound good. No one I spoke with had a great explanation behind the closing, but financial issues seem a likely cause. Last night, the atmosphere was a mixture of celebration and sadness. I saw one waitress shedding a few tears after getting hugged by a regular. All the employees seemed to be in a state of shock that the Royal Mile was actually closing after all these years. The gentleman who occassionally shows up there with bagpipes was outside playing for most of the evening, giving the pub a fitting Scottish farewell.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">After 30 years of business in Wheaton, it's hard to believe the Royal Mile will be closing. </span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-83003166719970627252012-01-08T19:00:00.000-05:002012-01-08T19:00:54.293-05:00Stop by Royal Mile tonite...could be your last chanceI'm sitting at the Royal Mile posting from my iPhone to let you know that tonite may be your last to enjoy their scotch, beer, and burgers. I'm hearing from the waitstaff that this could be their last day in business. The menu has been whittled down to a hand-written list but they still have burgers, beer, scotch and half price wine tonite. I'll still be here a while drowning my sorrows so come on down...WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-62954757406656091162011-10-13T11:00:00.000-04:002011-10-13T11:00:01.330-04:00Zombie Walk will soon devastate Silver Spring<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Much like I am trying to revive this near corpse of a blog, the undead will rise and wreak havoc in Silver Spring on Saturday, October 22nd at 8pm. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As some of you may know, I am a huge halloween and zombie fan. And I will definitely be participating in this year's zombie walk in Silver Spring...until we pull off a Dawn of the Dead-like takeover of Westfield Wheaton some year.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I always have a great time at this event, and for the second year in a row, friends will be visiting from out of town just so they can also participate. For anyone who is interested, check out the official <a href="http://www.silverspringzombiewalk.com/">website</a>. There is also a sweet <a href="http://www.thayeravenue.com/2011/09/22/official-2011-silver-spring-zombie-walk-poster/">poster</a> being issued for this year's walk. Our group is attempting to come up a clever zombie costume theme this year, so if anyone has some suggestions (i.e. zombie pedestrians who were struck by cars trying to reach the new Costco???) send them on over.</span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-12609652501435383552011-10-12T20:37:00.001-04:002011-10-13T09:20:00.061-04:00Congrats, Ren's!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Post food writer Tom Sietsema released his <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/dining-guide-tom-sietsema-fall-2011.html">2011 Fall Dining Guide</a> today, and Ren's Ramen has the honor of being listed as a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/restaurants/rens-ramen,1161346/critic-review.html">recommendation</a>! The only other MoCo restaurants to get a mention are La Canela in Rockville and Tavira in Chevy Chase.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I have been meaning to try Ren's for a while now, and this mention was just the nudge that I needed to check it out. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Me and Mr. WC shared an order of gyoza to start the meal. My initial impression was they were sauteed a little too long in the skillet - instead of being brown from the pan-frying, they were bordering on a little bit charred. Still, the filling was very moist (and hot!) and I didn't really get a burned taste when I was eating them, so I give the gyoza a thumbs up.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">For our meals, we both ordered the ramen with miso broth. It comes with a thin slice of roast pork, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, scallions, and noodles of course. We also both added pork belly onto our soups, which added two pieces of tasty fatty pork to the bowl and Mr. WC added an egg as well. The broth is cloudy, fatty, and thick. I've never had 'real' ramen before, but I thought the broth was great and the noodles themselves were obviously fresh, which a nice texture to them - they had body without being too chewy. Our meal, with the gyoza, pork belly, and egg added on came to about $32. So, it's not a bargain, but it certainly left us both very full. There was a nice crowd of people already in there when we came in, and I'm sure the crowd will only get bigger once more people read the Dining Guide.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpYXUT1QeSsBSUMfBbK9sB4sdotYpLncsjnZZD-BYxpIYwM5RQ9yRpUfu-kSuheZb79d6L7Abq8HKZX4WbsnFdirt6hgQDiLQNsCEUzZq4xaLKsIEmR8jOnnCjlowyH0dOXwXHU3Wjrll/s1600/Rens1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpYXUT1QeSsBSUMfBbK9sB4sdotYpLncsjnZZD-BYxpIYwM5RQ9yRpUfu-kSuheZb79d6L7Abq8HKZX4WbsnFdirt6hgQDiLQNsCEUzZq4xaLKsIEmR8jOnnCjlowyH0dOXwXHU3Wjrll/s320/Rens1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gyoza Appetizer</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fW1YV22KOs5cEqSAgBABBBBBepBwVPmn2tuIcvwIZuCzIYmuaE9DTXHhuQ9hrSZSOtfjnNm8jPEyBVXuPtKELQVrfHvJl642kRE_kqUueRV7sDet0zfXusDKySwVjOnNZmbsCEAyGMXu/s1600/Rens2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fW1YV22KOs5cEqSAgBABBBBBepBwVPmn2tuIcvwIZuCzIYmuaE9DTXHhuQ9hrSZSOtfjnNm8jPEyBVXuPtKELQVrfHvJl642kRE_kqUueRV7sDet0zfXusDKySwVjOnNZmbsCEAyGMXu/s320/Rens2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two bowls of miso ramen w/pork belly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-42873579094772917462011-09-06T21:28:00.001-04:002011-09-06T21:28:55.333-04:00Reviews of some old favorites<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After too long of a hiatus from blogging, I was inspired by Good Eatin's recent <a href="http://eatinwheaton.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/recent-returns-moby-dick-and-nava/">post</a> to do my own updated reviews of some favorite restaurants here in Wheaton that I have visited recently...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">New Kam Fong</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Just went there for dinner tonite. Went in planning to get something 'light', but ended up getting two dishes that added up to a delicious shellfish feast - we ordered a daily special of razor clams in black bean sauce and also got the twin lobsters with ground pork. It has been a long time since we've been to NKF, but throughout our meal, we kept asking ourselves why the hell we stayed away for so long! The food was delicious (especially the lobster), service was great, and they suprised us with a yummy pastry dessert at the end of our meal. Here are some pictures:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDEfLgpecVPfee3dGW_2eFtldnEscaYilnEsJJN1oD4DfwNFgf1MuUQawZbIEsVuWMfO2CKuLGP_RnwGa14xP_rhx4oNryveqhkVu-ShNsvN3W0ceTjKz72DPdtyL1uWLRlzYElSSLAGr/s1600/NKF1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDEfLgpecVPfee3dGW_2eFtldnEscaYilnEsJJN1oD4DfwNFgf1MuUQawZbIEsVuWMfO2CKuLGP_RnwGa14xP_rhx4oNryveqhkVu-ShNsvN3W0ceTjKz72DPdtyL1uWLRlzYElSSLAGr/s320/NKF1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Razor Clams</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxGME3fCoSYATA8wndRuXjR2dsywefa-Zq86S5UkmMNZkA5sqPeg1zQI0gDxKgRC9Y-lc-_EC4MNCOeTHTtDPWaJutWeZ_5uIetNxmqzhYrGBC9IxIii8kQsydrSCgX-w8XoCA11wLPJb1/s1600/NKF2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxGME3fCoSYATA8wndRuXjR2dsywefa-Zq86S5UkmMNZkA5sqPeg1zQI0gDxKgRC9Y-lc-_EC4MNCOeTHTtDPWaJutWeZ_5uIetNxmqzhYrGBC9IxIii8kQsydrSCgX-w8XoCA11wLPJb1/s320/NKF2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twin lobsters (with discarded clamshells in the foreground)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Nava Thai</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We went there for dinner on a Thursday and were suprisingly impressed by the musician they had playing - named "Chai T". He was playing excellent covers of pink floyd, eagles, etc., throughout our meal. I tried the stir fried eggplant for the first time and was happy with all the ginger and basil in it. Mr. WC ordered his usual floating market noodle soup (which he claims is one of the hottest dishes he has ever had...in a good way). Unfortunately, the soup completely lacked any heat at all and was fairly bland. Hopefully the cook was just having an off night, because that's one of the dishes that normally gets rave reviews for Nava.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Rock Creek Company</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I had off work last Friday and stopped in to get takeout for lunch. I REALLY wish they kept this place open for lunch on the weekends - no one else in Wheaton offers the sort of light, gourmet, french-inspired salads and sandwiches that they have. When I stopped in, they had an asparagus and mushroom quiche on a bed of greens as their lunch special, which I immediatley jumped on and ordered. It wasn't exactly "light" with all the egg and cheesy goodness going on, but it was tasty. They also suckered me into buying one of the homemade blueberry muffins they also had in their display case - it was light and crumbly (almost like a scone) and dusted with granulated sugar. Yum! If you're ever around for lunch on a weekday, I highly suggest you check them out. They offer a nice break from the often heavy food options here in Wheaton.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Royal Mile</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">They still have what I think is THE BEST burger, and nothing says the weekend to me like relaxing there with my burger and beer on a Friday night. Mr. WC consistently orders the fish and chips and is always happy with that too. I'm a little concerned about RM getting enough business with Limerick Pub open across the street, so keep giving them a little love, people!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Moby Dick</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Even though their dining room isn't anything special, I still always feel like I've walked into a little oasis when I eat there. The rice paper over the windows and the mellow music playing do a good job at making you forget the urban jungle right outside the front door. We went here on Labor Day and they were still offering their lunch specials, so I ordered their bento box B. It comes with miso soup, a salad (yes, Good Eatin, I love that peanut dressing too!), shrimp and veggie tempura with dipping sauce, rice, edamame, and a california roll. All for $10! On top of that, the family that owns the restaurant is always very nice and friendly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Marchone's</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In my quest to eat healther (not that you could tell from the list of restaurants above!), it's been a while since I visited Marchone's. Still, when we stopped in the other day to pick up supplies for dinner (pasta sauce, olive oil and some of their awesome spicy sausage), Mr. Leo still greeted us like old friends. I always leave there with a smile on my face thanks to him.</span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-43040493616587246822011-07-20T15:53:00.000-04:002011-07-20T15:53:50.969-04:00Water main break on Georgia Avenue affecting southbound traffic<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Per an article on the Gazette's website, a water main break on Georgia Avenue has caused the southbound lanes to be closed between Randolph Road and Henderson Avenue. The article says that the lanes should be reopened by this evening, but I wouldn't be surprised if this still impacts traffic for rush hour. Still, it's better than the northbound lanes being closed heading into evening rush hour. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The article also states that water service to businesses in the area was cut but residential customers still have water. The only business I'm familiar with along this stretch of Georgia is H-Mart, so I made a phone call over to them and they confirmed that they are open.</span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-86405640943874736402011-07-19T12:21:00.000-04:002011-07-19T12:21:14.701-04:00New food blog to feature Wheaton eats!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know I've been MIA for a while (summer has been busy!), but apparently there's a new blog in town, <a href="http://hungrylikethebear.wordpress.com/">Hungry Like the Bear</a>. Since I like both bears and food, I'm looking forward this new addition to the Wheaton food scene. I will also try to get back into the swing of things with posting more frequently!</span>WheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197116802223493433.post-22784681929345744582011-06-06T11:33:00.000-04:002011-06-06T11:33:06.284-04:00Downtown Wheaton Summer TGIF Series Announced<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Wheaton TGIF summer series has been announced for this year, with the first event happening this Friday. I was expecting a fairly scaled back set of events due to all the budget cuts, but the lineup actually looks better than usual. Here's a <a href="http://www.wheatonmd.org/news/item/downtown-wheaton-announces-2011-tgif-summer-series">link</a> to list of events, which I've also copied in below. A mix of concerts and movies is planned. The movies they'll be showing are skewed more towards families with kids (not a bad thing), but I think they picked a good selection. I'm just wondering if the Karate Kid will be the remake or the original. It would be much cooler if it was the original, but I'm guessing it's going to be new version. Between the movies and the concerts, there will be something going on every Friday starting this week through September 9th. Pretty impressive!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">June 10—Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band (Afrobeat)<br />
June 17—Sin Miedo (Salsa)</span><br />
June 24—Janine Wilson (Roots Rock)<br />
July 1—The Nighthawks (Blues)<br />
July 8—Despicable Me<br />
July 15—Margot MacDonald (Rock/Pop)<br />
July 22—The Karate Kid<br />
July 29—Project Natale (Jazz)<br />
August 5—Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory<br />
August 12—Chelsey Green & The Green Project<br />
August 19—Toy Story 3<br />
August 26—Deborah Bond (Soul/Funk)<br />
September 2—Finding Nemo<br />
September 9—The Lion KingWheatonCallinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11549056196335967046noreply@blogger.com0