I picked up a four pack of their chocolate-chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, Southern Belle (red velvet) and yellow cake with chocolate frosting.  Cost $10.  On their menu they have five daily flavors and had a dozen specialty flavors but on the day I visited the only specialty flavor available was the chocolate peanut butter.  Drooling I headed for the office where we conducted a taste test.

I found the cupcakes to be incredibly moist. The icing was very sweet  but there was slightly less on the the cupcakes than Angelcakes which I liked (see my review of Angelcakes for my feelings on icing).  Two of the cupcakes, southern belle and chocolate peanut butter had  cream cheese based frosting as opposed to the standard buttercream. So who’s best?  Here is my take you decide what’s important to you:

Color:                                                     AC (What can I say?  I’m a guy I prefer blue)

Cupcake                                                  SA (Much moister than AC)

Icing                                                         SA

Price                                                         Tie ($2.50 each at both places)

Selection                                                 AC (seven standard varieties and specific rotating daily specials)

The food was very good.  I started with the  butternut squash soup which turned out to be the highlight of my meal.  Rich creamy soup with fried goat cheese balls and a drizzle of olive oil.   I came close to licking the bowl on that one.  I also sampled the sheep’s milk agnilotti, the heritage pork belly and the Border Springs Farm lamb flatbread.  All three of which were delicious.  I cannot stand overcooked pasta and I am happy to report that the agnilotti was cooked perfectly.  The pork belly had a nicely crisped exterior and a juicy inside.   The menu is not huge, but there is plenty to choose from.

Of course, like the name implies this place is about wine.  The best way to enjoy this is get one of their flights.  These are groupings of three wines, thematically tied together.  They come in high quality glassware and each flight was accompanied by a little set of cards explaining the three different wines.  I ordered the Italian Renaissance, which was the only flight that had both white and red wine.  I had the white (Fuso Verdicchio) with the soup, which made for a terrific pairing.  The other two were reds.  The only down note was that I felt like the last wine of the flight, the Marabino Noto Nero D’Avola, was a little old and flat tasting.  I always have a little bit of a concern about freshness in places that have a lot of wine by the glass available on the menu, yet just keep the partially full bottles out on the counter with the corks  stuffed in them.  On the plus side there are lots of interesting flights to try:  Pinot Evil and a flight of three bubblies caught my eye.

The service was good and the lunch with appetizer, entrée and a flight of wine each came to about $40 each including tip.  All of us agreed that it is well worth a return trip.  On the way out we noticed a nice set of leather sofa surrounding a fireplace.  That would be the spot to while away some time while sampling their wines!!

I have now eaten twice at Sumittra and am delighted to report that since my first experience the service has improved markedly.  They appear to have gotten their sea legs.  During my most recent visit the service was right where it should be.  During my visits I sampled a number of their offerings.  Some items I really loved and some not so much.   The highlights were the fried tofu appetizers: perfectly crispy and not greasy.  The drunken noodles- I loved the flavors and the heat; and their sweet and sour stir fry.   The latter was filled with perfectly cooked, yet still crispy, vegetables and covered with an excellent sweet and sour sauce.  The sauce was perfect.  Not too sweet and not too vinegary.  I used every last grain of rice soaking up all the drips of that sauce.  However, the dishes I wasn’t crazy about (the chicken satay and the Pad Thai) were all because of the same fault:  they were just too sweet.  I found the sauce on the satay to be too much sugary coconut and not enough peanut flavor.  The Pad Thai was, in the words of my dining companion, “cloyingly sweet.”  Having tasted it I would certainly agree.  I don’t think I could have eaten a whole plate of that.  Thai Rice on the Golden mile still has the best Pad Thai in town as far as I am concerned.  On the plus side the menu is large and there are easily a dozen or more dishes I am really eager to try.  I definitely will be back to try them.  I haven’t even gotten to the curry section yet!  Also of note is that almost every dish they offer can be made vegetarian.  No liquor license yet and both times I’ve been too stuffed to try dessert.

The restaurant is very tastefully decorated in oranges and blacks with tons of exposed brick.  It projects a modern, hip vibe.  My only beef with the ambience was that the last time I was there is was loud.  I mean really loud.  I think this was primarily due to one eight person group that was so raucous they bordered (the wrong side of the border too) on rude. This certainly isn’t Sumittra’s fault so I can’t hold that against them.  In hindsight I had no problems the first time I was there with the noise level.

To sum it up Sumittra Thai is an excellent and much needed addition to the downtown dining scene.  However, beware of dishes that have sweet flavors.  The chef just seems to go overboard with that taste. They are located at 12 East Patrick Street.  No website that I am aware of.

I also really like the ambiance of the restaurant.  It struck me as one of those neighborhood places you find in Boston or New York.  I think it’s due to the fact that when you look out the front windows all you see are trees and residences and no other commercial property.  It really makes it feel like a cozy neighborhood joint, which is exactly what it is!

Il Porto:  200 South Market Street, Frederick, MD 21701-6527 Phone: (301) 620-7480

On the plus side we both felt the food was very good.  I had the drunken noodles which were pleasantly spicy with lots of perfectly done vegetables.  The fried tofu was light and crispy.  The spring roll was delicate, airy and full of crunch.  The only complaint I had was I felt that the noodles in the drunken noodles dish were a little overcooked and mushy.  Anyway I’m going to give them some time to get their rhythm and then I’ll be back.

Sumittra Thai Cuisine  located at 12 East Patrick Street.

UPDATE: Added full review  on May 16th.

[Referring to French Onion soup] …but the bowl’s thin broth, minimal onions and cap of blond cheese distance themselves from the classic.

Even sorrier is the cassoulet, which does a great imitation of a vegetarian casserole. We dig and dig and dig for any sign of meat and come up with just a morsel of shredded pork.

The owners have made some changes and the eating area is stylishly decorated with muted earth tones, pictures by local artists and a zinc bar.  They also have a four table outdoor dining area overlooking East street, but on the day we went it was just too darn hot to sit there.  They are serving a limited menu right now, but their website indicates that they plan to expand it in the fall.  We had a cheese plate, the crostini, a caprese salad special and the vegetable flatbread.  Plenty of food for two moderately hungry people.   The food was quite good.  They have a nice selection of cheeses to choose from and the three spreads that came with the crostini were excellent.  The flatbread was nice and I really appreciated that the vegetable topping had not been cooked into mush and was still crispy and flavorful. The service was also very attentive.  They had about 40 wines by the glass and Mrs. F and I had fun picking and sampling a variety.

While I thought the food prices were a little on the expensive side the wine prices were excellent.  Everything they had by the glass was available in 2 or 6 ounce pours and the wines by the bottle were really a good value.  Most restaurants sell wine by the bottle for double or even triple retail.  Shab Row’s prices were significantly less than that.  Furthermore they have a wine store in the back and they will pour you anything there for a $9 corkage fee.  I didn’t explore the wine store as we were having too much fun with the wines by the glass.  Their website also lists their happy hour times which look worthwhile. 

Bottom line:  If you think of this as an excellent place to drink some wine with some decent finger food on the side you won’t be disappointed.

  Moxie is located at 629 North Market Street.  They are dog friendly and have a water bowl outside for canines.

Full review is here, but you need to register to view it.

As an aside we went on a Saturday night and the place was packed.  Could only get a seat at the bar where we enjoyed a nice big pitcher of sangria with our food.  They have a cool new system where they insert an enclosed ice core into the pitcher to keep the sangria cold without diluting it as the ice melts.