Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Wheaton Thai restaurant is rated one of the best by patrons and food critics.
Long before she earned rave reviews, the woman who is the heart and soul of Wheaton's Ruan Thai knew people liked her food. After all, Krisana Suchotinunt grew up cooking in her native land. "I learned from my grandma. When I was young, I cooked all the time with my grandma," said Suchotinunt, the owner of Ruan Thai. Her family immigrated to the U.S. from Thailand in 1984. Soon after, Suchotinunt, her grandma and her mother started cooking at Wat Thai D.C. Their dishes from Bangkok wowed people at the Buddhist temple and became the inspiration for starting a family business in Wheaton. "I wanted to work for myself. I didn't want to work for someone else," said Suchotinunt. She and her husband, Thongdul, opened Ruan Thai in August of 1998. …
39.041498
-77.048195
11407 Amherst Ave, Wheaton, MD
Ruan Thai Restaurant
/articles/bites-nearby-tastes-transcend-ordinary-at-ruan-thai
/locations/9104526
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Restaurateur serves Neapolitan cuisine he loves at two locations.
How did a young man of Greek heritage born in the U.S. become passionate about pizzas made in wood-fired ovens? The first sparks ignited on the island of Crete where Spiro Gioldasis worked in an Italian restaurant. "I fell in love, and said one day I will open my own pizzeria," recalled Gioldasis, the owner of Pacci's Neapolitan Pizzeria and Pacci's Trattoria & Pasticceria, both restaurants in downtown Silver Spring. Gioldasis considers the seven years he spent on Crete with his wife, Roula, as the most memorable of his life. He learned how to make the Neapolitan pizza and homemade pastas made famous in Naples and the Campania region of Italy. After operating his own restaurant on the Greek island, the restaurateur returned to America to …
39.014727
-77.055796
6 Post Office Rd, Silver Spring, MD
Pacci's Trattoria & Pasticceria
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/locations/8973356
38.99063
-77.026384
Pacci's Neapolitan Pizzeria
8113 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD
/articles/bites-nearby-a-passion-for-pasta-pizza-at-pacci-s
1862486
/locations/8973357
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
CakeLove and CapMac test customer reaction at downtown Silver Spring event.
Anyone with a hunger for something sweet or savory got a chance to satisfy both cravings at CakeLove on Saturday, Feb. 16 in downtown Silver Spring. The owner of the bakery and the owner of CapMac food truck teamed up for the Sweet & Cheesy event. Customers tried out pasta dishes and taste cake icing samples. "What we want to do is sell our cream cheese icings to people, not just on our cupcakes, but in pint size containers and 4-oz. mini-tubs," said Warren Brown, the owner and founder of CakeLove. The "from scratch" bakery moved from its Ellsworth Drive address to 8512 Fenton St. about two years ago. There is seating at the new location where people can stay and enjoy their treats. The customers who stopped by for the taste test provided …
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Authentic food and friendly service inspire loyalty at an Italian deli in Wheaton.
A deep affection for Italian tradition is evident from the moment you pass under the red, green and white awning and enter Marchone's Italian Specialties in Wheaton. Owner Filippo Leo brought it with him when he left Antillo, Sicily, to follow the girl he married 37 years ago. "We knew each other. We grew up together over there," said Leo. "Then she came to the United States, and I followed her. I call that love." Leo fell in love again, this time with a place, as soon as he started working at his uncle's Italian delicatessen and grocer in Wheaton. When Tom Marchone decided to sell, Leo wanted to continue providing the experiences customers have enjoyed at the same location for nearly six decades. "I love it. I love the people. I love to …
39.039063
-77.051708
11224 Triangle Ln, Wheaton, MD
Marchone's Italian Specialties
/articles/bites-nearby-charm-seasons-specialties-at-marchone-s
/locations/8655309
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Asian restaurant's fusion cuisine and elegant decor transform former Tex-Mex spot.
Sometimes, you want elegant decor, good food, affordable prices and convenient location when deciding where to eat out or meet for drinks. Until last October, the Four Corners neighborhood offered some of those choices, but not all of them in one restaurant. The owner of the Red Maple Asian Cuisine & Bar aims to please in every category. "He is doing so well on 16th Street that he actually wanted a sit-down restaurant, something a little more upscale than the one he has over there," said Rio Villarroel, the general manager at Red Maple. The restaurateur with the vision is James Zheng, who also owns Spring Garden Restaurant in Silver Spring. Having owned a successful restaurant in New York, Zheng started imagining what he could do with a …
39.02057
-77.0126
10110 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD
Red Maple Asian Cuisine & Bar
/articles/bites-nearby-red-maple-brings-fine-dining-to-four-corners
/locations/8557373
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Chef-owned food truck shifts focus to satisfy lunchgoers and home cooks.
Did you ever play the Go Fish card game growing up? Well, picking winning cards from the "pool" might be a lot easier than finding fresh, chef-prepared seafood for lunch, especially if your office is blocks away from the restaurants in the center of downtown Silver Spring. "I enjoy seafood. We don't have a lot of food around here within walking distance, so it's good when the trucks come," said Michelle Evans, a Columbia resident. Evans and many of the other customers gathering around the Go Fish food truck on a Tuesday are Discovery Communications employees. One loyal follower and a friend walked over to Kennett and Newell Streets from the AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center, almost a mile away. "They make some really good food, and I …
38.98828
-77.02866
8040 Kennett St, Silver Spring, MD
One of the Go Fish Food Truck Locations
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/locations/8375821
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Cupcake Blvd owner set to add store to food truck business.
It all started with a sweet tooth that drove a mother of three to experiment with homemade treats. Her kitchen explorations blossomed into a labor of love. Angelette Aviles gave away a lot of cupcakes on her way to discovering a passion and a talent. "The next thing you know, I had strangers calling me. When strangers started calling, I said I have something here," explained Aviles, the owner of Cupcake Blvd., a food truck that parks outside the Silver Spring Centre at 8455 Colesville Road on most Thursdays. Her romance with baking is now a full-time business on the verge of expanding. In December, Aviles plans to open a storefront bakery to go with the food truck she rolled out on Valentine's Day. "We've gotten so busy, and we're also …
38.994469
-77.030706
8455 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD
Approximate Location of Cupcake Blvd Food Truck
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/locations/8241094
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Food truck owner builds a following with slow smoking and smiles.
The enticing aroma hits you as soon as you get near the bright yellow Curley's Q food truck. That's because David Cornblatt believes in the art of low and slow smoking. His beef brisket, pork ribs and chicken go into the smoker 12 to 15 hours before they are served to his customers in downtown Silver Spring. "Everything we do is authentically smoked, and I believe in that," said Cornblatt, the owner of Curley's Q BBQ. "It's all done with just hardwood and charcoal. There's no gas and no electricity. It's very old-fashioned." Cornblatt began pursuing his passion in earnest last March. He owned a successful liquidation company for 20 years, but sold it to do what he loves. That is, making authentic barbecue and serving it with a side of good…
38.996036
-77.028137
8601 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD
Curley's Q BBQ Food Truck
/articles/bites-nearby-bbq-lovers-dine-on-bold-flavors-from-curley-s-q
/locations/8142222
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Food trailer on Georgia Avenue brings taste of Vietnam to downtown Silver Spring.
A few episodes of the "Great Food Truck Race" might have inspired Anh Nguyen's new direction, but pure determination fueled her arrival on Georgia Avenue this September. "I was on craigslist just browsing around, and I saw this ad saying they have used food trucks for sale for $17,000 to $20,000. I thought that was something I could afford," said Nguyen, a 26-year-old entrepreneur. The resized trailer that now houses Bánh Mì Annie took five months to build and cost more than Nguyen expected. She used all of her savings and received help from an investor to get her new food business rolling. "Bánh Mì means sandwich in Vietnamese. It can have different things, but the original has mayo, pâté, bologna and other cold cuts," explained Nguyen. "…
38.996022
-77.028148
8600 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD
Bánh Mì Annie parks in this block.
/articles/bites-nearby-new-lunch-on-a-bun-option-at-b-nh-m-annie
/locations/7953782
Friday, September 21, 2012
Downtown Silver Spring restaurant launched with mom's Burmese recipes.
The influences that made Burmese cuisine what it is today were established long before the political debate started over the country's name. The military government changed Burma to Myanmar in 1989, around the time Aung Myint and his family moved to America. They brought the comfort of home cooking with them. "It is the best of the best," according to Myint, one of the owners of Mandalay Restaurant & Cafe at 930 Bonifant St. The flavors of India, China and Thailand influence the Burmese recipes his mother introduced to the restaurant's customers. "I love the flavors because I like spicy food a lot," said Emily Tien, a Burtonsville resident. "You can get mild, medium or very spicy. I often do the very spicy and I've never been disappointed…
38.994043
-77.024859
930 Bonifant St, Silver Spring, MD
Mandalay Restaurant & Cafe
/articles/bites-nearby-making-the-most-of-flavor-influences-at-mandalay-part-ii
/locations/7881465
Phyllis Armstrong
10:32 am on Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Having loyal patrons is a sure sign of a exceptional restaurant. The owner and staff are as special as the food that gets rave reviews. Thanks for commenting. more ›