Frederick, MD or nearby?

Hound group needs dinner spot suggestions. Upscale, downscale as long as food is first rate. Yes to regional American, BBQ, Italian. No to Asian, haute French, continental, theme places or chains.

[LizH]

It's interesting reading this old post from 2004. Since all of these recommendations, Emma, Zest and the Brown Pelican and Tauraso's have all closed. The spot that was Emma is now a German restaurant called Henning's. Since 2004, Zest tried moving from Monrovia to downtown Frederick on S, Market St and failed. It's Market Street location is now an Italian restaurant called Il Porto (there's one in Montgomery County as well). The Brown Pelican location is now a Bodega, Tauraso's old location is now called Danielle's.

[poached]

Last time I was in Frederick we went to Acacia (sp?) and it was wonderful. Thursdays they have a tasting menu and we lucked out on being there that night and were delighted with everything especially the scallops. It is an Asain Fusion place. I have heard that it has had some ups and downs over the years but seems to be doing things right these days.
Also I second the suggestion of the Tasting Room it is very good and trendy.
Mealy's is great but it feels distinctly like a older/more established special occasion with the family kinda place.

[Transplanted Texan]

I love the Tasting Room and Isabellas. For a less important meal, The Orchard is solid. I haven't tried Acacia yet -- thanks for the tip!

[rweller]

I liked the beer better at Barley and Hops than at Brewer's Alley, although they both have good selections. The food is better at Brewer's Alley, although are both good. Ate at both August 5-6, 2008. Had the meatloaf at Barley and Hops and was pleased. Cost with 3 beers, tax and tip was $30. Had the upscale crab cake at Barley and Hops and was very impressed, although the cost is relatively high for Frederick. Cost for dinner plus several beers, tax and tip was $38. I would go back to both.

Must try The tasting room - downtown on Market street - fabulous food & drinks - love it.

For a fancier meal at a restaurant with a very good wine list try Mealy's in Newmarket. Reasonable priced for that type of place, good food and service, and an extensive and very well priced wine list.

I like Zest. Emphasis on locally grown and produced food and well reviewed by both the Washington Post and the Washingtonian Magazine.(11791 Fingerboard Rd./Rte. 80 (near Rte. 75), Monrovia, MD 21770 --Phone: [phone])
I also really enjoy Brewer's Alley, great microbrew beers. (124 North Market Street
Frederick, Maryland 21701--phone[phone])
You may also want to try Stone Manor. I have heard good things about it but haven't tried it. (5820 Carroll Boyer Rd. Middletown, MD phone:[phone])

Gotta say I can't second your recommendations of Barley and Hops OR Brown Pelican. For beer, Brewer's Alley (Market St. north of Patrick St) is much better and their pizzas are quite good. Brown Pelican is pretty pricey for the lack of imagination. Isabella's (Market north of Patrick, south of Church) tapas is good. On Patrick, there's also Gladchuck brothers--a slightly older crowd, but solid food--they usually do a special theme dinner each month. For Italian, I like Letterio's on the north end of 355. Emma's bistro has gotten some buzz, but I haven't been there yet myself. For upscale, try Hagan's Tavern up the hill west of town on alternate 40....

I was at Emma's for Mother's Day and I thought most of the food was good, except for the pizza.

The pizza had too much grocery store mozzerella and pizza sauce on the very thin crust. However, I had a good salad, good seafood bisque with a puff pastry on top, and a pretty good crab cake with lots of lump meat. I had a bite of two of their pastas which were also good.

They also have a bar area with a few beers on draft and a wine list that is probably bigger and more interesting that most Frederick wine lists (but nothing overly spectacular...just solid, basic choices).

For informal setting, consider Barley and Hops 5473 Urbana Pike, Frederick, MD 21703, 301-668-5555, A restaurant and microbrewery; 7 on-site craft beers or for more formal experience try Brown Pelican 5 East Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701, 301-695-5833

Speaking of the Brown Pelican, according to yesterday's Frederick News-Post, the owner of the BP has opened a new restaurant in New Market (in the New Market Center plaza, not the "old" town itself) called Morgan's American Grill. That's good for the area, as now there is only a McDonald's and Mealey's in that town. It supposedly opened in February, but the article was the first I heard of it. Has anyone been?

If you're interested in a "roadfood" Jane and Michael Stern type experience, straight out of the '50's, there's always Barbara Frichie's Candy Cane Restaurant, on Rt. 40 on the west end of town. It actually does appear in the Stern's books. Lots of local folks. Elemental food. Try the Frederick County fried ham, or the fried chicken. Not expensive.

I'd be hard-pressed to list Barbara Fritchie's as a hound-type destination. First of all, it's basically diner food - and not particularly good diner food. Second, its decor dates from the 50's (unless it has been renovated recently - haven't been in a while) and looks it, with a particularly twee slant. It's kind of a fun place to go with small kids, but it is hardly memorable otherwise.

Since when is diner food not qualified as chowish? In fact, diner food practically defines chow-type food (good food, cheap or at least good value, honest, no pretenses). Check out the "what is a chowhound" discussions elsewhere on this site--see link.

I pointed out in my original post that the decor is straight out of the 50's. What's wrong with that?

Since you feel BF's diner food is not good diner food, then pray tell us where in your opinion one can one find "good" diner food in the DC metro area. Inquiring minds want to know!

I'm sure that many of the, shall we say, more sophisticated spots in and around Frederick that others have suggested here in response to the original post are fine. But if someone asks for advise on good places to eat on a Chowhound Board, he/she ought to expect answers connsonant with the Chowhound philosophy, which specifically eschews fancy for its own sake. Calvin Trillin has written extensively, and correctly in my opinion, on "rube-a-phobia", the tendency of folks in smallish towns to overlook the good things they have and talk up the fancy things they don't do well. I haven't been to Zest (and I do intend to try it), but I'll bet BF's fried Frederick County ham is as pleasing to eat as anything they have there, and just as worthwhile a culinary experience.

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/misc/faq.html

If you refer to the original request, the main requirement was that the food be first-rate. Sure, diner food can be exceptional. But I'd be hard-pressed to name Barbara Fritchie's - or any DC area diner food for that matter that I know of - as first rate diner food. (Compare instead to many of the diners in New Jersey, where you will find quite a few first rate diners.) BF tends to the bland and, while not as greasy as many area diners, provides little that is memorable.

The restaurant I've been dying to try out that way is Zest, located in the town of Monrovia on Route 80 (near Route 75). It's modern American cuisine made with almost entirely local ingredients, and from what I've read it's a genuinely innovative, high-level cooking dining experience tucked away in a Frederick County strip mall. If you're willing to spend a little bit of extra cash, I think you would be really well served by a trip to Zest.

Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-...

Save your money...unless you enjoy spending big bucks for a bite of one thing, a thimble of soup and a dollop of whatever else. I promise you, you will leave hungry. The restaurant is very pretty on the inside though; it looks like an IKEA display.

For Italian, try Tauraso's or Nido's. I haven't had as good a bbq as I can make myself so I am curious about an answer you get for that. My favorite restaurant (and it kills me to tell about it because I don't want it to get too well known) is Monocacy Crossing. It's a non-descript building south of Frederick on 355. Basically, in Frederick if you stay downtown you will avoid chains. Here's a link to a partial list. Please let us know where you end up!

Link: http://www.frederick.com/dining/dinin...