A Lunch Date Downtown

 

Meanwhile, after most of Columbia/HoCo has already been there, I have finally made it to The Food Market. I’ve read plenty of glowing reports online. The stars finally aligned in such a way that I was enjoying an outdoor lunch with a friend. 

I noticed when I stepped inside to the host station that absolutely no one I could see was wearing a mask. I’m sure there’s plenty of that going on these days, just not for me. I regret I didn’t have an opportunity to take a look around the interior of the restaurant. Google images supplied some inside views, which are consistent with the outside area: it’s modern. Lots of metal and glass. No unnecessary ornamentation.

There’s a metal fence around the outside dining area which is probably meant to define the space. 

It felt to me a bit too much like I was being fenced in. I was half worried they wouldn’t let me out when the meal was over. 

I indulged in my drink of summer, a gin and tonic. I honestly can’t remember the last time I had one. 

Lunch for me was a salmon BLT which was accompanied by crinkle cut fries. It was delicious, if a bit messy. I would definitely go back to order it again.

The bread and butter pickles pictured were delivered to the table before the food arrived. They worked well with my sandwich but don’t know about whether they were simpatico with my lovely companion’s street tacos. Maybe. I like pickles. In most cases, I think pickles go with everything.

Sadly, I was too full for dessert. That’s another reason to go back, I guess. If we ever make significant progress in beating back COVID I might actually get to eat inside. Who knows?

The service was friendly and efficient. We wanted for nothing, but didn’t feel suffocated, if you know what I mean. The host felt a bit on the “extra” side but perhaps that’s because I was feeling self-concious about being the only one in a mask.

A footnote of sorts. I had real difficulty finding the place, even though I basically knew where it was and was using my GPS as a back up. There’s some kind of roadwork or construction going on down there, which made the GPS instructions pretty useless. There’s no gaudy signage from the road, of course, because it’s Columbia. You could drive down Little Patuxent Parkway a thousand times and never know it’s there.

Ah, Columbia. The joy of discovery.

The good news is that, if you manage to find it once, you’ll probably never get lost again. A simple case of “if you know, you know.” And, if you eat outside, you can enjoy the view of other peoples’ cars and the mall. Not your own car, as it will most likely be in the parking garage next door.

I liked The Food Market. The prices at lunch were just about affordable, from my point of view. Dinner for me might be a stretch. You should see for yourself. We all have different internal scales as to how much is “too much.” A burger at lunch is $18.00, if that helps give you an idea. If it’s anything near as good as my salmon BLT, it’s probably worth it.

The Food Market is located at 10480 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia, MD. They’re on Facebook and Instagram. 

I’d be interested to know your thoughts if you have been there. Also, how do you decide what makes a restaurant affordable or, as my mother used to say, “Highway Robbery”? That might be an interesting local discussion.