In the past, I've heard rumors about a great place in Ellicott City, MD. The rumors sad that The Rumor Mill (pardon this terrible pun sequence) was a great place to eat. And, as it turns out, those rumors were most factual.
The Rumor Mill is, as it labels itself, a fusion bar and restaurant. They serve a good mixture of Asian and American-inspired entrees, as well as some other stuff. My PIFC suggested we go to it, since she'd always wanted to go. Having heard good things myself, and then reading the menu, I couldn't resist. So, my PIFC I went there for my birthday last month, and it was one of the best experiences either of us have ever had. If my memory serves me, the food, the atmosphere, and the service were all magnificently awesome.
I'll start by describing the service, which was top notch. We had a waitress, a hostess, a guy that brought us alcoholic beverages, and two other random guys that brought us part of our meal. All five of these people were friendly, outgoing and professional.
The hostess greeted us politely at the door, and asked us if this was our first time there and if we wanted to sit at the bar or not. We informed her that we had a reservation (not that we needed one), and she quickly went to the computer nearby to find our reservation and to help us to our seats. Most impressively, when my PIFC called, she made the reservation for "Team Awesome", our once-secret moniker.
The fact that the restaurant allowed her to make such a reservation impressed me. They look like a fancy place, but they obviously know how to have fun. Apparently, when they called her earlier in the day to confirm it, they asked for "Misses Awesome" on the phone. Ten points for going along with our silly nonsense, Rumor Mill. Ten free points, right there!
As it was our first time there, the waitress gave us a quick rundown of the menu and suggested a few things for us. This was definitely helpful, as the menu was full of waaaaay too many delicious-sounding items. In addition to that, she stopped by several times during the meal to ask us how everything was and to offer us refills on our glasses of water, which seemed friendly and not too overbearing. Personally, I can get annoyed if a waiter or waitress comes by too often during a meal. However, this young lady never got annoying, and I think it was because of her friendly and outgoing attitude - she really seemed like she wanted us to be there.
The atmosphere was spectacular. The restaurant and bar inhabit a small, back-alley house in historic Ellicott City. The bar was right inside the front door, and the restaurant seemed to mostly consist of the second floor of the house, with an additional small area of seating on the first floor.
To get to the dining area, we had to walk up a magnificently grand staircase. It was twice as wide as a typical staircase. It seemed to be made of its original wood, which, with its aged and stained look, was quite classic-looking. The staircase also had what was probably its original railing and banister.
When we reached the top of the staircase, the world was open to us. The were an entire second floor up there, fit into what looked like it might've been some sort of attic or something. We were basically in a loft, at this point.
The decorations on the second floor were minimal, but classy, while the paint on the walls was of a muted tone and perfect for the setting, and a row of windows (which started at your feet) lined the wall that faced the alleyway. And, being able to look down at the entrance and bar really made the place feel more open.
And, finally, the food. Oh. My. Gods... THE FOOD.
THE FOOD.
THE FOOD. WAS. AMAZING.
My PIFC ordered a "tomato tower", which was basically balsamic vinegar and basil-infused goat cheese layered between fresh tomatoes, and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. I have never, in my entire life, had a juicier tomato than the ones in that tower. I wish I knew where they got the tomatoes from, as they were juicy, red, and delicious. The olive oil and balsamic vinegar really added to the tomato-eating experience. And, while I personally don't like goat cheese, my PIFC said it was absolutely delicious.
I ordered chicken tempura, which came with a zesty orange sauce and BBQ sauce, both of which are apparently made "in house", and both of which were absolutely delicious. On the outside, chicken tempura really appears to simply be chicken strips. And you know what? Maybe it is. Maybe I really did order glorified chicken strips at The Rumor Mill. But guess what? They were the best damned chicken strips I ever had, then. The chicken fell apart in my mouth, like a piece of fish might. The batter was soft and flaky, and went perfectly with the sauces. To be honest, I think the batter's flavoring actually helped bring out the intensity of the sauces' flavors.
And... Those were just our appetizers!
For her dinner, my PIFC ordered crab dumplings. I don't eat crab (worst Marylander ever, I know), but I must say, these things were absolutely delicious. The actual dumpling part was soft, but also crispy (which sounds like a contradiction, but it's not). The meat inside was mixed with several things, most notably a dijon-mustard flavoring. According to their website, roasted garlic and Old Bay are also a part of the mixture, but to me, the dijon flavoring stood out the most, and that's what I remember. They were served with "sweet soy sauce", which was a perfect companion.
For my main course, I ordered what might seem as a boring, normal item: chicken teriyaki. However, I assure you that it was not boring or normal at all. The chicken was cooked to a slight perfection, just tough enough to be chewy, the way chicken teriyaki often is, but perhaps a little softer than most restaurants. The teriyaki sauce seemed to be some sort of "sweet"-flavored teriyaki sauce, and the assorted vegetables were fried to perfection. The only thing that was normal at all was the rice: the soft, puffy white rice that came with it was actually pretty average for white rice.
After we finished eating, our waitress asked us if we wanted dessert. And you know what? As full as I was at this point, there is no way I could ever turn it down. My logic was as follows: As great as the rest of the food was, the dessert couldn't possibly be anything other than amazing.
And, I was proven correct. My PIFC ordered us banana wontons. Yep, I actually just said banana wontons. It was a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, chocolate, and banana all wrapped up in a delicious, crispy shell. The order came with three delicious little wontons, drizzled with some sorta chocolate sauce, and served with Kahlua espresso ice cream. Yep, I said Kahlua ice cream. Mmmmhm.
Before our appetizers ever arrived, my PIFC also ordered some sort of delicious alcoholic beverage that I can't remember the name of. However, I'm pretty sure it involved blood oranges.
All-in-all, it was a fantastic experience, and I would suggest it to anybody that cares to try Japanese-American fusion food. If you haven't tried anything like that before, this would most definitely be a great first experience for you.
1. I used their website description for more accuracy in the meal descriptions, because I can't be expected to remember every detail from a month ago.
The Rumor Mill is, as it labels itself, a fusion bar and restaurant. They serve a good mixture of Asian and American-inspired entrees, as well as some other stuff. My PIFC suggested we go to it, since she'd always wanted to go. Having heard good things myself, and then reading the menu, I couldn't resist. So, my PIFC I went there for my birthday last month, and it was one of the best experiences either of us have ever had. If my memory serves me, the food, the atmosphere, and the service were all magnificently awesome.
I'll start by describing the service, which was top notch. We had a waitress, a hostess, a guy that brought us alcoholic beverages, and two other random guys that brought us part of our meal. All five of these people were friendly, outgoing and professional.
The hostess greeted us politely at the door, and asked us if this was our first time there and if we wanted to sit at the bar or not. We informed her that we had a reservation (not that we needed one), and she quickly went to the computer nearby to find our reservation and to help us to our seats. Most impressively, when my PIFC called, she made the reservation for "Team Awesome", our once-secret moniker.
The fact that the restaurant allowed her to make such a reservation impressed me. They look like a fancy place, but they obviously know how to have fun. Apparently, when they called her earlier in the day to confirm it, they asked for "Misses Awesome" on the phone. Ten points for going along with our silly nonsense, Rumor Mill. Ten free points, right there!
As it was our first time there, the waitress gave us a quick rundown of the menu and suggested a few things for us. This was definitely helpful, as the menu was full of waaaaay too many delicious-sounding items. In addition to that, she stopped by several times during the meal to ask us how everything was and to offer us refills on our glasses of water, which seemed friendly and not too overbearing. Personally, I can get annoyed if a waiter or waitress comes by too often during a meal. However, this young lady never got annoying, and I think it was because of her friendly and outgoing attitude - she really seemed like she wanted us to be there.
The atmosphere was spectacular. The restaurant and bar inhabit a small, back-alley house in historic Ellicott City. The bar was right inside the front door, and the restaurant seemed to mostly consist of the second floor of the house, with an additional small area of seating on the first floor.To get to the dining area, we had to walk up a magnificently grand staircase. It was twice as wide as a typical staircase. It seemed to be made of its original wood, which, with its aged and stained look, was quite classic-looking. The staircase also had what was probably its original railing and banister.
When we reached the top of the staircase, the world was open to us. The were an entire second floor up there, fit into what looked like it might've been some sort of attic or something. We were basically in a loft, at this point.
The decorations on the second floor were minimal, but classy, while the paint on the walls was of a muted tone and perfect for the setting, and a row of windows (which started at your feet) lined the wall that faced the alleyway. And, being able to look down at the entrance and bar really made the place feel more open.
And, finally, the food. Oh. My. Gods... THE FOOD.
THE FOOD.
THE FOOD. WAS. AMAZING.
My PIFC ordered a "tomato tower", which was basically balsamic vinegar and basil-infused goat cheese layered between fresh tomatoes, and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. I have never, in my entire life, had a juicier tomato than the ones in that tower. I wish I knew where they got the tomatoes from, as they were juicy, red, and delicious. The olive oil and balsamic vinegar really added to the tomato-eating experience. And, while I personally don't like goat cheese, my PIFC said it was absolutely delicious.I ordered chicken tempura, which came with a zesty orange sauce and BBQ sauce, both of which are apparently made "in house", and both of which were absolutely delicious. On the outside, chicken tempura really appears to simply be chicken strips. And you know what? Maybe it is. Maybe I really did order glorified chicken strips at The Rumor Mill. But guess what? They were the best damned chicken strips I ever had, then. The chicken fell apart in my mouth, like a piece of fish might. The batter was soft and flaky, and went perfectly with the sauces. To be honest, I think the batter's flavoring actually helped bring out the intensity of the sauces' flavors.
And... Those were just our appetizers!
For her dinner, my PIFC ordered crab dumplings. I don't eat crab (worst Marylander ever, I know), but I must say, these things were absolutely delicious. The actual dumpling part was soft, but also crispy (which sounds like a contradiction, but it's not). The meat inside was mixed with several things, most notably a dijon-mustard flavoring. According to their website, roasted garlic and Old Bay are also a part of the mixture, but to me, the dijon flavoring stood out the most, and that's what I remember. They were served with "sweet soy sauce", which was a perfect companion.For my main course, I ordered what might seem as a boring, normal item: chicken teriyaki. However, I assure you that it was not boring or normal at all. The chicken was cooked to a slight perfection, just tough enough to be chewy, the way chicken teriyaki often is, but perhaps a little softer than most restaurants. The teriyaki sauce seemed to be some sort of "sweet"-flavored teriyaki sauce, and the assorted vegetables were fried to perfection. The only thing that was normal at all was the rice: the soft, puffy white rice that came with it was actually pretty average for white rice.
After we finished eating, our waitress asked us if we wanted dessert. And you know what? As full as I was at this point, there is no way I could ever turn it down. My logic was as follows: As great as the rest of the food was, the dessert couldn't possibly be anything other than amazing.
And, I was proven correct. My PIFC ordered us banana wontons. Yep, I actually just said banana wontons. It was a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, chocolate, and banana all wrapped up in a delicious, crispy shell. The order came with three delicious little wontons, drizzled with some sorta chocolate sauce, and served with Kahlua espresso ice cream. Yep, I said Kahlua ice cream. Mmmmhm.Before our appetizers ever arrived, my PIFC also ordered some sort of delicious alcoholic beverage that I can't remember the name of. However, I'm pretty sure it involved blood oranges.
All-in-all, it was a fantastic experience, and I would suggest it to anybody that cares to try Japanese-American fusion food. If you haven't tried anything like that before, this would most definitely be a great first experience for you.
1. I used their website description for more accuracy in the meal descriptions, because I can't be expected to remember every detail from a month ago.
Those crab dumplings look decadent. Yummmmm.
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