Open Forum Friday #3 (Saturday Edition)
If you read my previous post, you’ll know that I’ve been out of my normal routine this week. The GrubGrade readers can surely carry the torch and get some good grub discussions going here. It’s Open Forum Friday part 3… and no you’re not late for work, I am posting this at 8am est on a Saturday. Help me out readers, post some discussion questions and let’s see how this goes.
I do realize the intent of this site but for open discussion I would love to know what your (as in each of you) favorite locally owned, independent restaurant is and why.
I do some traveling from time to time and I tend to frequent the independents for various reasons (money stays local, supports local people, etc).
Plus, just running a kitchen (the right way) is incredibly hard work and time consuming, so I appreciate the energy and effort that goes into such a huge commitment.
(For the record…In no way am I or would I attempt to minimize the hard work and typically large financial commitment of the local people who own a franchise restaurant. I appreciate them as well even if I don’t dine at their establishment.)
1Amsterdam Falafel in Adams Morgan in DC is amazing. Everything right about a meal. I think they just built one in Boston so it might not be a local gem for too much longer. It’s kind of like a Chipotle with higher end ingredients. I love the small menu too. Just falafel, fries and the greatest fixens bar ever. The less you serve, the easier it is too keep everything fresh. If a restaurant has a menu with 150 item and does 300 covers in a day, you can bet that the kitchen is packed with freezers.
2Not sure if you’d ever travel to Frederick, MD but I love this local place downtown called The Orchard (all local and organic ingredients, good location, tons of stir fry choices)
theorchardrestaurant.com
and this Thai place called Sumittra (good Thai food, great service, presentation worthy of many pics)
sumittra.com
3If my choice for a last meal was limited to fast food I would have a 6 piece Popeyes box (3 wings, 1 breast, 2 thighs), with 2 biscuits, a large red beans and rice, and fresh out of the vat fries.
4I’d go for 2 4pack chicken minis and a sausage breakfast burrito combo with hash browns and OJ. Although if that was my last meal, I’d be dead many times over.
5Ya know, last meal ever would make for a great forum thread Ryan =P
6May 2012
7No mashed potatoes? For shame… =)
8Yeah, I gave it a lot of thought and almost opted for the mashed but decided that I wanted more textural contrast then mashed would offer.
9I was driving by Church’s and they have a sign advertising a catfish and fries meal for $3.99… I never remember Church’s having fish before; anyone tried it?
10Nope but I am a fan of Church’s fried chicken wings (unfortunately no Church’s in this market). They cut them the old fashioned way with a large chunk of the breast meat hanging on to the wing. This makes two spicy wings into a very meaty meal.
We have a local chain here called Wishbones – they specialize in chicken strips which are just ok but they currently have fried catfish and I can’t seem to get my fill. As catfish goes it isn’t great catfish. But as fried fish goes it is very good.
11Here’s an idea: Have a March Madness Grub Pool with various fast food/fast casual joints.
I would give Popeye’s and Chik Fil A’s both 1 seeds. Subway and Burger King should be in the play in game.
12Hmm, sounds like a plan.
13Best idea ever. How would it get seeded though?
14You could do it by average reviewed score over the last 3 years on GrubGrade. If you did that, I would think your 1.0 review of Noodles and Company would relegate them to the NIT of Grubdom.
15In response to ljay,
I have several favorite local gems that I go to and here they are:
Mays seafood (Frederick): this place has an amazing fish sandwich. They serve it on a twelve inch French bread sub roll and the fried fish is literally popping out from every direction and it is the best fish sandwich I’ve ever had!
Asian taste (Rockville, md): the best Chinese food around this area in my opinion. Their chicken nuggets are awesome and also I love their tea selection.
Turltles subs (Hagerstown, md): I can’t get enough of their steak and cheese sub. He marinates his lettuce in some really good dressing and tops it off on the sub. When you finish the sandwich you pretty much have a salad. Great stuff.
Hempen hill (Hagerstown, md): best sweet potato fries around.
Beans in the belfry (Brunswick, md): fresh environment and great Italian sodas.
Those are some that stab out. I have to many to name them all.
16Just curious, not that Adam has a blog is he gone from here for good?
17Yes
18My hometown of Dallas has some of the best BBQ in history, namely Rudy’s who has started to expand to the west, and is better than any other BBQ I have had even in Memphis, and not to forget Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, where the original location in Fort Worth is still the best!
19at first I thought that a march madness brawl between all of the fast food chains would be great! But then I thought of the the poor soul that would have to eat all that….
Seems like a cruel fate to put a blogger through…
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