Rockville MD

Ignoring R.E.M.'s pleas, i went back to Rockville, to the same hotel just out of the Twinbrook Metro stop, except it's no longer the Doubletree, it's a straight Hilton now (when i first visited it in the 90s, it was a Crowne Plaza). When I was here last, there was a little strip mall with an Indian place right across the street, and a New Orleans place that served a darn good etouffee. Both gone - the latter is now a Fuddruckers, and the old strip is now a much larger center.

In that center is a place called Matchbox, which the clerk at the hotel recommended. The menu has a bunch of pizzas, streaks, seafood, and one burger, but it's a very good burger. Gorgonzola, bacon and mushrooms, with cold fixings (red onion, pickle, lettuce and surprisingly red but still wan-tasting tomato) on the side. Cooked medium rare as ordered, very beefy and lots of umami. Only fault is a too-soft bun.





And three huge onion rings that are now my gold standard. Thick cut, crunchy, and dusted with parmesan. They are the fulfillment of Matthew to the promise of Popeye's Isaiah. Damn. Together, $13.

Also very good was a creamy crab soup that made me realize that all that krab I've been thinking I'm enjoying I'd just crap (krap?) next to the real thing. $6.

You're just about a block from Joe's Noodle House, some of the best Chinese I've ever had. Anywhere.

Geo


Joe's Noodle House
1488 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD

As it happens, I went to Joe's Noodles tonight with my son and his bride. Her choice was Mykonos Grille, but it's closed on Mondays.

I ordered the fried dumplings with pork, which were nicely chewy pot stickers, very full of pork and quite filling, and the Pasta with Spicy Sauce (Dan Dan Noodles). The Dan Dan was outstanding (not as good as Katy's, but still really really good) with huge amounts of chile oil and szechuan peppercorn, ground meat (beef?) and scallions (could have used more scallions, maybe). Nice chew on the noodles.

Thing1 had their three chile dry chicken sautee, which is similar but not the same as the LSC Three Chile chicken, with fresh as well as dried chiles, and also the szechuan peppercorns prominent. My daughter-in-law ordered tofu chow fun (the curse of only eating kosher meat) and they ordered szechuan string beans which were nicely tender-crisp and modestly spicy.

The place is a little weird: you order and pay at the counter, dishes were delivered Thai restaurant style (as finished instead of at once), but service was attentive

Definitely worth another visit if I get back out here.

Glad to hear you had a chance to try Joe's. Do try their salt and pepper squid, it's superb!

Geo

Hi,

I lived four years at 1615 Tweed Street in Rockville from the middle of first grade until the completion of fourth. Right after we moved, the National Institute of Health established itself there.

I went to St. Mary's Church near downtown and backs up to a railroad yard. I visited there some years later and was walking through the cemetery reading the gravestones. I came upon one for Zelda Fitzgerald. I was about to make some comment about a terrible name, then glanced to the left to see F. Scott Fitzgerald. All the years we attended church, my family never knew this author was buried there. If this remains a largely unknown fact, you may know something other residents there don't know.

All the years we lived there, I was unaware of the Maryland blue crabs. When I returned later, they seemed to be everywhere. I wonder how I could not have noticed trucks on the side of the road selling crabs by the piece, bag or bushel.

A local specialty you may or may not encounter are coddies, a fishcake of salted or fresh cod and mashed potatoes. This is more a Baltimore, than a Washington, though I fully recall my Mom buying freshly made fishcakes at Safeway. In Baltimore, they are served between saltine crackers with yellow mustard. Our transplanted family was unaware of this tradition, thus we baked them in the oven and served with tartare sauce. I liked these much more than fish sticks.

My Dad regularly bought crumb cake at a local bakery. When I went back, it had changed hands and this offering had gone away.

When I am in the area, I am usually in DC. I will check this thread in the future when we go back to check the old house, school, church and where Dad used to work.

Regards,

I grew up in the Aspen Hill district of Rockville and return to visit the parents. When I was home for Christmas, I was looking for a place that sold baguette to go along with the Rush Creek Reserve I had brought back with me from Wisconsin and stumbled across the remarkable St. Michel's Bakery, a French bakery cheek by jowl with auto repair shops in an industrial block of Wilkins Avenue. Flaky croissants, freshly baked baguette, and a Brie and dry sausage sandwich that I am still thinking about. Extremely reasonable prices (I believe a full baguette was $1.85). Worth checking out if you find yourself in the MD burbs.

http://stores.smbakery.com/StoreFront.bok
5540 Wilkins Ct.
Rockville, MD

A return trip to Joe's Noodle House on a business trip, this time with three coworkers in tow.
Dumplings in Red Hot Sauce were very tasty, but they were not steamed long enough and the wrappers were rather pasty (probably would have been better with the wontons). Great ma-la hit from the sauce.

The Spicy Spinach and Pork Noodle is basically Dan Dan how Katy's serves it, which is right up my alley. A little light on pork and spinach, it's mostly a plate of (non handmade) noodles. Cheap and tasty, also a ma-la grenade.

I had a taste of a couple other people's dishes: Drunken noodles were tasty, but nothing special; lettuce wrap with pork and shrimp and basil looked like a larb, but had a wonderful cantonese flavor, light and delicious.

So now that you went back to Rockville did you waste another year?

JoelF wrote:A return trip to Joe's Noodle House on a business trip,.

Sichuan Jin River served a guest and myself a worthy Sichuan lunch last year. Highly recommended, as per donrockwell.com