Restaurant Roulette

I have participated in many entertaining conversations about restaurants in Columbia/HoCo that might best be described as “you know, the place that’s in the place that used to be the place that went to that other place.”

For example:

The Starbucks in Wilde Lake was previously a KFC, although many locals still call it the Jack in the Box. The Second Chance in Oakland Mills replaced the short-lived Fire Rock Grill, but, most folks remembered The Last Chance Saloon more vividly. I’m sure you can think of a few more.

When I saw this bit of news in the Baltimore Business Journal about Columbia’s Ale House I had a hard time believing they’d already been in business for ten years. It doesn’t seem all that long ago that they were building on the site of the well-known restaurant Rocky Run.

Ale House Columbia joins competition on Dobbin Road, Sara Toth, Baltimore Sun, December 12, 2012

And now they’re already old enough to consider a complete overhaul! The BBJ article by Amanda Yeager makes it clear that’s more than a fresh coat of paint. When you consider how hard the pandemic was on area restaurants, it’s surprising to me that Ale House is able to invest that kind of money right now. I hope it’s a sign that the owners feel that the Columbia location continues to be worth that kind of investment.

More restaurant roulette: (Musical chairs? Hopscotch? Tic tac toe?)

Frisco Tap House (which was originally Frisco Burrito and located at Stanford and Dobbin) has most recently been located on Dobbin and has now moved to McGaw Road where they will open in yet a new incarnation: Frisco and the Reckless Shepherd. Holy moly, that’s a mouthful. Potential nicknames? Any ideas?

As an aside, I recently saw someone on Facebook refer to Frisco’s original location as “the rebuild shopping center.” I like it.

It’s very old news that the Pepperjacks folks opened a second location at Annapolis Junction. But did you know that the same folks have opened Notch 8 Brewery? It appears to be in the same location, Annapolis Junction. I’m not finding a website at the moment. If you’ve been there, fill me in.

In somewhat related news, there’s a restauant in Ellicott City called Fox and Barrel which I have been wanting to visit purely because it looks to me like the original Pepperjacks location in Scaggsville.(Which used to be a service station, by the way.) See what you think. On the top, Fox and Barrel. On the bottom, Pepperjacks.

Do you have any good restaurant stories to share? Recent news? Historical tidbits? Post them here.

Comments

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else. Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

What Kids Are Thinking

It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed. Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings. And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog