Alecia Dry

I was lucky enough to happen across this gem of a French restaurant on Capitol Hill. The service and the food were equally delightful, from the bubbly champagne to the trio of crème brûlées. It’s a little pricey for a salad and some dessert but it’s also a case of you get what you pay for. My favorite part? The dressing on my Nicoise. I can never get mine quite right at home, and the dressing complemented the perfectly cooked egg, silky, potatoes, and salty tuna. It’s a tiny place, with adorable little touches.

We went on a quest for legit poutine (poo-teen?) and we found it at Clark Burger. My meal-mate was thrilled with the gravy-French fry- cheese curd concoction. I had mine plain and they were boardwalk style (yum!). We also had a turkey burger (solidly good) and a Clark burger. I believe the direct quote was, “this is the best burger of my life.” The staff was super friendly and service fast. Tiny exception—the shake, which was supposed to be caramel, was really just vanilla with a little swirl of caramel around the edge of the cup. The rest was perfection.

I don’t want anyone else to know that this is the best kept secret in Ellicott City. A smart person would not write this review at all (hmmm). I definitely would not share how it’s small, but well-run, clean and family friendly. No stuffy attitudes or looking each other up and down. Just fun swimming and the diving board is awesome. But don’t tell anyone else.