South Street Steaks- Bethesda, MD

Iphone review: Recently the bf and I hit up South Street Steaks because he had a coupon for a 'buy one get one free' sub. Originally in College Park, they have relocated to a much bigger space in Bethesda. There is metered street parking and a tiny metered lot right next to it. The closest metro stop would be Bethesda on the red line.

Always nice to see awards on the walls.

This is where you order your food. Then you pick it up from another window when your food is ready. They offer 9" or 12" cheesesteaks, chicken cheesesteaks, hoagies, wings, hot sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, sides.

This is the eating area, which is much bigger than the College Park one. They have TVs everywhere too.

I ordered a '12" Cheesesteak with American cheese' for $7.99. It was really good, but I think I would've preferred the 'Trio' because that one has mushrooms and peppers in it too.

The bf ordered a '12" Jamie's Fav Cheesesteak with American and Whiz cheese' for $8.49. He put ketchup on his. We ended up switching 1/2 way through our subs because I really liked his.

Good place to go because they're opened until 3am on Fri/Sat. They serve beer, there are TVs, lots of coupons on their website, and affordable. The most expensive normal menu item is $8.99. They also have an eating challenge called the 'Misteak'. Each Misteak's are 2.5lbs for $14.99 each, and to win you need to eat 2 of them in 30minutes. You can order online, fax, phone or in person.

4856 Cordell Ave
Bethesda, MD
301-215-7972
Website

Carmen's- Rockville, MD

Last month my friends and I wanted something sweet and decided to go to Carmen's. They are known for their Italian ice, custard, and gelatis. Located in Rockville off I-270, exit 6A, there is plenty of parking in the front lot. The closest metro stop would be Rockville on the red line.

Here are the regular store hours and the new fall/winter hours.

The interior is very colorful and fun. There are many diff flavors of Italian ice, custards, and yogurts to choose from. They also off hot items like drinks when it's freezing outside and cookies, pre-packaged ices to-go, candy - just lots of cool things!
The prices are extremely affordable. These are the prices for small items: Italian ice ($1.75), Custard/Yogurt ($2.55), Gelati ($2.80).

As a child I knew what Italian ice was because my mom would buy the little cups from the supermarket. However, my bf was the one who introduced me to gelatis in college.
Me: Gelato?
BF: No, Gelati. What the heck is Gelato?
We come from different worlds =) Basically, a gelati is a cup filled with both custard and Italian ice. People think frozen custard is the same as soft-serve ice cream, but its not. It has a higher percentage of butterfat and egg yolks which gives it a thicker, smoother texture.

What's really nice is the seating area they have inside and outside. It was a beautiful day so everyone was sitting outside, including us.

The past couple of times I've been, I've gotten a gelati with cherry (they have a cool name for it, but its basically cherry/berries) Italian ice.
On the 8th of every month it is owner Jason's son's birthday. It is called Jayden Day and in celebrating all ices and gelatis are 1/2 price! It just so happens we were there on the 8th. The line was out the door! So we paid like $1.50 for it.

My friends got their blue raspberry flavor and mango. Mmmm....

Everyone is always super friendly and helpful. If you've ever had Rita's gelatis before, this place tastes way better. The prices are very cheap. Pay with cash, as it is preferred. However, there is a credit card machines for transactions over $5. It's really just a fun place to grab dessert at with friends and hang out.

1115 Nelson St
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 545-1154

Bob's Noodle 66- Rockville, MD

My cousin has been craving "Stinky Tofu" so a bunch of us went to Bob's Noodle 66 in Rockville. It's a very popular Taiwanese style restaurant. You won't find General Tso's chicken on this menu.
Located in downtown Rockville behind Orange Ball Billiads, there is plenty of free parking. The closest metro stop is Rockville on the red line.

Top: The place isn't very large, but there are a good number of tables. Nothing fancy about the decor.
Bottom: The entrance wall is FILLED with awards. Always a good sign!

The table next to us had staff making wonton dumplings. It reminded me of when my mom used to make them.

Drinks aren't on their regular menu. They have a separate one that you need to ask for. My cousin ordered a 'Lycee Bubble Tea'. It was so good and fragrant because they used actual lycee fruit and canned juice in it.

Here is the reason for eating there: 'Crispy Smelled Bean Curd- Deep fried smelled bean curd with pickled cabbage served with Chef's special sauce' ($4.95) AKA Stinky Tofu. It doesn't look so bad, right? However, before we got our we could smell it from the next table. To me, it smells of like a horse stable/barn. It is made by fermenting the tofu. Usually a brine of milk, seafood, veggies are made to sit out for months, then tofu is added for a few days to a few months. Then only white mold is allowed to grow on it, which signifies that it is good and ready to eat. I think it smells worst than it tastes.

Since the word 'Noodle' is in the restaurant's name, I wanted to try their noodles. I ordered the 'Pork and Egg Thick Noodle Soup- homemade noodles served in chicken broth with shredded pork, vegetables and egg' ($6.25). The bowl was huge! I couldn't finish it. The broth has the consistency of an egg drop soup. The noodles were normal, nothing unique.

The bf and I shared the 'Oyster Pancake- sweet potato powder pan-fried with egg, oyster and vegetables served with Chef's special sauce' ($4.95). I loved it! It was so flavorful, and had great texture. You might not like it if you don't like slimy things or seafood flavors.

The bf ordered the 'Beef Stew Noodle Soup- homemade noodles served in beef broth with beef stew & spinach' ($6.25). He said he liked it and finished the whole bowl.

I'm going to mention some of the other items people ordered. This is the 'Oyster Vermicelli' ($3.50). It comes in a small portion.

'Fried Rice in XO sauce'($9.95) was actually the bf's favorite dish there. Wikipedia says XO sauce is a spicy seafood sauce.

Top: 'Shredded Beef with Long Horn Pepper'($10.95)
Bottom: 'Drunken Chicken- chicken with wine sauce' ($4.95)

Very authentic Taiwanese menu with a packed restaurant. The food came out fast. Our server didn't really speak English, so we just pointed to the items we wanted. The prices are so cheap! When do you ever see dishes for $4 anymore? It is a 'Cash-Only' restaurant. It's a good place to be more adventurous and try items like intestines, blood, ears, stomach, tripe, and kidneys.

305 North Washington Street
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 315-6668
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Spice Rack Chocolates Contest Winner

The winner is R.P. who suggested Roy's Hawaiian in my last contest. Thanks everyone that participated. It meant a lot, and it was really fun to do. Stay tuned for the next one!