With the holiday season upon us, the act of shopping is in full swing. Buying gifts for family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, mail carriers, the list seems to never end.
New parents Kelly and Erik Pitzer of Frederick were on their way to get a Christmas tree in Buckeystown on Dec. 5, when they noticed a new sign and white lights decorating the former Alexander’s restaurant.
In Review
The owner of the Village Tavern in Walkersville described the restaurant as the “Cheers” of the town.
An Italian flag hanging outside the door of Juliet’s Italian Market & Cafe downtown signals that you’ve arrived at the right spot.
200 Monroe Restaurant is no secret to the Frederick community. I know this because multiple people suggested I make it the subject of a review and every time I visited its dining space was packed to the brim.
Drive down East Patrick Street toward the Frederick Fairgrounds and you could easily miss one of the most highly rated burger places in the county.
Have you ever been sitting in a restaurant or coffee shop and liked every single song that is played over their speaker system? It’s almost as if your phone was taken and plugged in and your playlist was the one sending melodies throughout the space.
This week’s review is a little different. For the entirety of last week, schools across the country celebrated National School Lunch Week.
Within the past year, two Mexican restaurants with the same name and owner have opened in the greater Frederick area.
The back patio of Ayse Meze Lounge in downtown Frederick looks and feels like a scene out of the early 1900s — surrounded by greenery, brick floors, white linen cloth tables, stringed lights hanging overhead and vintage metal chairs painted in white and shades of blue.
Whenever I try a new Italian restaurant, I go in skeptical, because more often than not I end up slightly disappointed.
Review Guidelines
In the interest of fairness, accountability, and transparency, The Frederick News-Post and 72 Hours have adopted a set of guidelines governing our food reviews. Those standards are listed below:
- Reviews are conducted anonymously to the furthest extent possible. If our food reviewer is recognized by a chef or owner, or suspects that she received special treatment based on her identity, it is noted in the review. The goal is for our critic to experience the restaurant as an ordinary patron would.
- Our critic visits each restaurant at least twice before writing a review — and up to four times if scheduling allows — with the understanding that food, service and atmosphere can differ dramatically from meal to meal. She is generally accompanied by one to three guests, allowing her to experience a greater variety of dishes.
- The full cost of every meal is paid in full by our reviewer and reimbursed by The Frederick News-Post. We never accept free meals or gift certificates.
- Our reviewer samples the full range of the menu, from appetizers to desserts. All guests are required to order different dishes. Dishes are occasionally ordered more than once to assess consistency.
- Our reviewer orders alcoholic beverages if relevant to the dining experience. A restaurant that advertises its wine program, for example, will be assessed on its wine program. The same principle applies to craft cocktails or beer. If alcohol is not a strong focus of the restaurant, it is not ordered.
- In fairness to new restaurants, our reviewer generally waits at least one month to review an establishment after it opens. However, on the occasions when a new restaurant attracts greater-than-average attention from the community, a review may be conducted sooner. In those cases, efforts are made to reassess the restaurant after it receives more time to organize.
- National chains are not eligible for review.