"I did not have one complaint at Remington's," is an understated way of saying, "I could grow to love this place." I had a friend who used to go and pick up tamales at Remington's, decades ago, and share them with me. I've never been inside. I knew their food was consistently reliable based on the fact that people are still crowding its parking lot. Remington's sits on a long stretch of road with two major towns at each end: College Park and Laurel. There have been nights - decades ago - in bad weather, driving along this long stretch of road where nothing else in the densely built suburban landscape to the left and right of it was open. But Remington's faithfully was and still is with its lit sign. Sort of like a true outpost in an old Western.
Remington's is all bar stools, bar and high-top tables unless you are eating at the picnic tables or smoking cigars and sipping whiskey on the covered outdoor patio. But if you want to eat indoors, I think there are only 4 standard tables in the restaurant. This is a clean and comfortable dive bar atmosphere with tv monitors for sports. Yelp asked if Remington's was intimate, and yes, because it is small and cozy.
I wonder if Remington's hasn't gotten fancy - in food and beverages - over the years to keep pace with the not-so-distant University of Maryland students. Since I've never been inside before, I wouldn't know how it used to be. Our crowd appeared as locals, less elite and middle-aged gathered for the FIFA games. I was surprised to find - in the outpost-like atmosphere Remington's has always been located in - most burgers are over $18. But this is one place where I'm not complaining because the food was darn good.
Let's start with the mussels. If I were a Belgian chef I do not think that I could have made these mussels - and their glorious broth - better. The mussels were tender and flavorful. The cream broth was the best. This broth was the most creamy and simultaneously ultra-garlicky that I've enjoyed. I loved the tomatoes seasoned with a spicy kick tossed in. This is a culinary refinement because if they are actually cooked into the broth, the tomatoes would change the color of the white broth, and its taste. These tomatoes were a welcome touch. I don't know if this is a Maryland style of broth but sign me up. I'm talking a mussel broth love affair over here.
The cheesesteak was better than most in this area. I wasn't hallelujah-ing in the aisles but I liked that the meat actually wasn't flimsy. It tasted like a thinly-chopped ribeye, a bit chewy with a sear. I liked the size of the strips. Was it actually steak vs. frozen beef paper slices? I think I can say, "yes," it's actually a cheese steak."
The Reuben sandwich was well seasoned. I think it was thousand island, but whatever it was had a nice flavor. It's not easy to find a place where you can order Reuben's these days.
On Yelp, I saw an Indian Butter Chicken pizza but I didn't find it. I wonder if it could be requested. They have so many varieties of pizza combinations. I'm just taking a wild guess and thinking that their pizzas are as equally flavorful.
I ordered a cranberry fruit crush. Yum! Righteously. I don't know if it was juice added to another orange, fruity mixture but I loved it. It was sweet at first and then strong: all in the first sip.
Sampled beers:
1. The Main Beer Company's "Lunch" IPA. This is straight grapefruit hops on the palette. A characteristic strong body. Bitter as should be for a New England IPA.
2. Bells Two-Hearted IPA (ABV 7.0%): this one was very drinkable and by that I mean I really enjoyed it. It is brewed with centennial hops from the Pacific Northwest. Yes. It is described as having, "hop aromas ranging from pine to grapefruit."
3. Elysian's Space Dust (ABV 8.2%) is pure IPA. Strong likely from the chinook. It's from Michigan. It's described as a "Great Western premium two row with c-15 and Dextri-pils." Not a beer snob but I appreciate the geeking-out and Dr. Seuss-inspired branding. New England IPA fans will love this one. I'm only a fan of West Coast-style IPA's.
4. RaR Grove City Hefeweisen (ABV 5.3%) is a clear and light hefeweizen. Easy to drink. Highly recommended, with a few added oranges. A half of a ripe white peach would be interesting in this beer, if the bar happened to have them.
Remington's markets Whiskey Flights as a way to taste rare bottles. They do not list the prices on these flights. I guess it's an, "if they have to ask ..." scenario. I am intrigued about these whiskey flight prices.
I didn't catch the times of happy hour but there is also a golden hour. I also saw daily special weekday prices from 7pm and onward. Maybe this is the golden hour. Like the one restaurant open through rain, wind, sleet and snow, serving up its magic faithfully for decades. Whatever the case, this is one restaurant that appears like a dive bar but over-delivers in food quality and taste. Applause for Remington's! read more