Yesterday I gave y'all some of my recommended eats in the Lancaster, PA area. Today we'll look a little closer to home for me, except I'm calling it the BWI area since I do live pretty close to the airport and it appears to be used as a landmark for road traffic in the area. The only chains I've listed are either regional to Maryland or started in Maryland. Sorry for the lack of pictures today.
Little Spice Thai Cuisine - Located in Hanover, MD, it's a bit out of the way from the nearby Arundel Mills mall and Live! Casino, but this is why I'd call it a hidden gem. They serve all the Thai fare for a reasonable price. Also I can vouch for their Drunken Noodles being spicy. I'd recommend the Drunken Noodles, the various curry dishes, or their Pad Thai.
Cantina Mamma Lucia - Mentioned earlier in March Mania, located in Hanover, MD right next to Little Spice, this local Italian joint has been filling the bellies of its loyal customers for thirty years this year. With many choices of pasta, you'll have a hard time not finding at least one favorite dish from CML. Also they sometimes have family flown over from Italy to cook up some special Italian treats. They have Osso Bucco sometimes, but you'll have to take initiative to find out when they'll have it. Last I remembered, they encouraged people to get on their Osso Bucco calling list and whoever is on that list will be the first to know when Osso Bucco is on the menu. Personally I stick with my favorite Chicken Brunello, but you really can't go wrong when choosing a pasta dish at CML.
Pachanga Grill - Located in Odenton near the intersection of MD 170 and MD 175, this local Mexican joint serves up a fiesta of flavor and for all the tortilla chip aficionados out there, they do give you chips and salsa before you order the entrées. I've only been there once, but I do recommend that if you want some Mexican and don't want to eat at fast food chains such as Taco Bell, then Pachanga should be one of your go-to's in the area. For those who like spicy food, I recommend the Camarones a la Diabla, or shrimp in a tomato-chili sauce. It reminds me of Ebi Chili (or as Iron Chef calls them: Prawns in Chili Sauce), so of course I'd find Camarones a la Diabla delicious.
Red Parrot Asian Bistro - Large Sushi Selection, many dishes from various Asian nations, and curry that's spicier than the Drunken Noodles? Only at Red Parrot do you get all of that and they serve all sorts of drinks if you are tired of the soda and water routine. Recently I've been getting their Panang Curry with pork.
Maiwand Kabob - This is a small chain in central Maryland that specializes in Afghan cooking, although it seems that they share similarities to some Middle East traditions, namely the focus on Kabob (or kebab, depends on spelling, I'll use "kabob" specifically for Maiwand). They have pumpkin served with meat and yogurt sauce (it's better than it sounds on paper, trust me), eggplant, lamb kabobs, kabobs made of other meats, and daily specials. I'm partial to the Do Piaza, which is the Thursday special and is basically a lamb curry with onions and green peppers. The specials are served with regular rice or naan bread (yes, I said "bread bread") and side salad while the entrées are served with naan, side salad, and a spiced rice.
Phubs - Located in the same set of buildings as Cantina Mamma Lucia and Little Spice (that area sure has a concentration of good food for being a bit out of the way of both BWI and Arundel Mills), Phubs is basically what is written on the tin: Pho and subs. My parents always get pho while I go for the banh mi subs. Too bad that the last time I was there that they replaced the Honey Sriracha Shrimp banh-mi with a different shrimp based banh mi, that Honey Sriracha sauce kicked butt. Though one of my favorites that is still on the menu are the summer rolls (clear rice wrapping veggies, pork, and shrimp together).
K-Manna Rice Factory - Located near Fort Meade, this restaurant serves up some good Korean food such as Bulgogi and Bibimbap. The beef bulgogi (and other meats also labeled as bulgogi) meals to me remind me of bento. Many sides accompany the entrée such as cucumber kimchi, vegetables, fried egg, and tempura vegetables. Since I love spicy food, I eat their Jeyuk Bulgogi set (Spicy Pork).
Ledo Pizza - A Mid-Atlantic chain of pizzerias. It started in Maryland therefore I can put it down in this blog post. They also have subs, pasta, and lots of appetizers. For pizza, I get their Sweet Baby-Q Chicken pizza or their Ledo Deluxe pizza.
The Grill at Quarterfield Station - This restaurant located in Severn, but closer to Glen Burnie than to Fort Meade, serves up a variety of dishes that run the gamut from simple sandwiches to special seafood creations, to everyday favorites. Their pasta salad is one of the better pasta salads I've eaten and the large menu should ensure that everybody will find something they like.
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