YAY! I am so glad to see new life in XKeys!

It's funny what a little fencing will do. I drive by on Falls Road maybe twice a week on runs from the office to Whole Foods and even though I know that there are some cool places in there, I feel distinctly uninvited.

I couldn't find any Kwaanza decorations in Cross Keys. What up?

Well the walls and fences are not there to keep the people in. Fight the power!

MD Canon, although I don't get that vibe from Cross Keys, I do get it from EVERY village center in Columbia. I know we've talked about it before but everything there is so hidden behind fencing and shrubs, I get the distinct feeling I'm not welcome!

Joyce: My experience last month in Orange County, CA, was very much like that. Every mile seemed to have three gated communities and a strip mall, and even the latter made you feel like you had to have a reason to be there. I even described it to a friend as "a county-sized Columbia."

I'm not going to apologize for the fences. If the "price" of living in a nice place is that MD Cannon feels uninvited, then I am willing to pay it.

No doubt Cross Keys has its downsides, most notably the demise of the deli and the bookstore; however, I can never understand the dislike that some have for it. As best I can imagine, it is just more of the dated, anti-bourgeois, condescending sentiment. Oh, let us mock a safe and a productive community as being fake and sterile, while we laud the dangerous and the dirty neighborhood as being authentic and soulful.

Having frequented Cross Keys for years (for shopping, doctors, and business reasons), I can't say that I've ever felt uninvited there. It's not like some "gated" communities, where you have to provide several forms of ID and a blood sample to the gatekeeper, who then has to verify that you have a legitimate reason for being there.

Meanwhile, I hope that RoCK will favor the Sandbox with a review once he has patronized the Village Square Cafe.

MD Canon, I grew up in Orange County, but that was way back in the day when we were surrounded by orange groves, not fences.

And RoCK, that's MD Canon, not Cannon. Big diff.

RoCK.... do you remember the old deli in Xkeys? The one that used to have a small grocery store with it? We used to walk down the hill to XK and get fried chicken, western fries and a Tab for lunch. Oprah always said that the deli in XK made her fat (the first time).

I was thinking that yesterday was one of the dullest on the blog in a long time, especially for a weekday. Then I realized that two posts extolled the virtues of bologna on Wondebread and Cross Keys. Hmmm... anybody see a pattern?

Personally I love gated communities - it keeps all those boring people in one place away from me. The suburbs in general are good for that reason too.

A tranquil city of good laws, fine architecture, and clean streets is like a classroom of obedient dullards, or a field of gelded bulls - whereas a city of anarchy is a city of promise.
-- Mark Helprin

I walked in this morning. I wasn't able to eat as I was accompanied by Mr. Jefferson (the dog), but I got a pretty good cafe au lait.

The place is open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch. They serve omelets, soups, salads and sandwiches. It also looks like they have a liquor license as Bloody Mary's were available.

As for the atmosphere, it is well light and open. They have a few tables outside and some sofas as well as tables inside. It is also nice that I can get a WSJ, NYT or Washington Post there.

hmpstd - agree with everything you said. I also feel that Cross Keys is rather charming, as I do Greenspring Station, as well. And, I'm looking forward to anybody's reviews of the new cafe!

It's a difficult balance to have residents living in an area where there is also retail. Cross Keys does it rather well as does Quarry Lake; Owings Mills mall has people literally living at the mall.

And RoCK, that's MD Canon, not Cannon.

Both can be weapons of mass destruction.

Gated communities are the big thing down here, it is supposed to make the residents feel safe? The complex I live in is gated, with a call box where visitors have to look me up, punch in a code that dials my home phone.

Yet the complex says that while its gated, they make no guarantee as to my security. Indeed, the place is not surrounded by gates.

Anyway, crime here on the beach is pretty much non-existent.

Personally, I like gelded bulls. Where else am I going to get my Rocky Mountain oysters?

I lived in a Baltimore co. community for a while in the late 80s. The gimmick to make you feel safe was that you had to punch in some code into the front door to get into your building.

Meanwhile, the apartments accepted anyone who could cough up enough cash to pay 3 months rent in advance (hmmm, let's see who could do that, maybe DRUG DEALERS??). Anyway, everyone called for delivery food or had friends over so soon the whole of the town knew everyone's "security code". And, as a side note, my car was vandalized 3 times when I lived there which just goes to show you how security can be an illusion.

"We castrate and bid the gelding be fruitful." -- C. S. Lewis

There is also a new restaurant in old Ellicott City, The Diamondback Tavern, (where Tiber River used to be) that has an interesting menu. It just opened the day before Thanksgiving.
My son is one of the bartenders there, and DH and I went there for a beer and appetizers on Friday. (We were invited to a dinner party that evening).
I like the menu: it has items such as blackened rockfish bites, crab & corn fritters, and scotch eggs, as appetizers; oyster po' boy, Maryland corn and crab dog, fresh Rockfish wrap, and "Thanksgiving Between The Bread" sandwich on Italian loaf sandwiches; FISH AND CHIPS (remember that thread?), shrimp and grits, bangers & mash as entrees. It has other items, but these are the more interesting ones. The most expensive item is $18.
They will be offering their menu items all the time, but the chefs will be adding about six menu items that will be rotated.
They buy locally as much as possible, such as Manger Packing and J.W. Treuth Meats. They do not use Sysco Products- most of their product is fresh!
Plus, the building is interesting: from research it is believed to have been horse stables when constructed in the 1800's. It has two bars with tables, along with dining rooms.

Cosmo Girl -- so which appetizers did your party order, and how were they?

We ordered the Scotch Eggs and bison skewers on something (I don't have the menu in front of me to remember what it is called , I am at work) like a combination greens and mild salsa.
The Scotch Eggs were quite good but a little greasy, so I mentioned to the owner that they should be drained a bit better before serving. They were served with an interesting mustard.The bison skewers were very good.
Plus they have a good beer selection! I had a Black and Tan with Guinness and Yuengling Lager.

I know I don't get out as much as many do, but I didn't even know what a Scotch egg was. I had to google it. Are they served warm or cold? Are they cut into pieces or do you get the whole egg on a plate?

Is this place trying for any particular cuisine? Because from what you said, Cosmo Girl, it looks pretty eclectic (which is fine - I like a little of everything - just wondering).

The Scotch Eggs I have always had have been served cold, but would be delicious warm, just cooked.
I usually have gotten them served whole, but at Diamondback they cut them in half to serve. Actually that is better, because if you cut them from whole they can be slippery little devils.
The menu is eclectic, which is what they want. They are priding themselves on a menu different from every other place, and pretty much free from Sysco.

Joyce,
You and me both were googling. I spent a year and a half in Scotland and never heard of them, and Wikipedia confirms that it is not a Scottish dish.
Still, it does sound tasty.

Fl Rob, I totally agree Scotch Eggs sound tasty. I love how different they are than buffalo wings (yawn), crab pretzel (ho hum), sliders (boooring)...well, you get the picture. Bison skewers too. At least someone is trying to do something fresh. They've earned my patronidge for that if no other reason! CG - are they right on Main St?

Well, Scotch Eggs may not be a common Scottish dish, but the owner of Bertha's (Laura) had Scottish parents. My family, many years ago, were friends with Laura and her parents (and her Presbyterian minister father married DH and me) and we many times ate Scotch eggs with them.
And yes, they are tasty :-)

Scotch Eggs are classic British pub grub. I first ate one back in the 70s.

Diamondback Tavern is at 3733 Old Columbia Pike, where the Tiber River Restaurant used to be. It is less than one block from Main Street; directly across the street from the large parking lot.
And yes, I like going to restaurants that dare to be different as well!

Thanks, CG, those are my old stomping grounds, I think I can find it without getting (too) lost. And, the parking lot across the street adds to the incentive. Will report back when we have a chance to go. I'm not thinking it will be in the next 2 weeks, but, who knows?

Thanks, EL, for mentioning La Terra. My brother needed a gift for my MIL and the jewelry there is right up her alley. We picked out some nice earrings for her and almost came away with a couple pairs for me, but as a jewelry artist myself I refrained.

Glad to be of help. EL

Hi everybody, my name is Lee and I am one of the managing partners at The Diamondback Tavern.

To give a little light on our theme, we are a Maryland style tavern, meaning we serve traditional tavern fare (American, Irish, Scottish, English, etc...) using the freshest ingredients that are available to us through local purveyors (as Cosmo Girl mentioned). Scotch Eggs, Fish & Chips, Meatloaf, Brisket, Bangers & Mash, slow-roasted Wings and Blackened Rockfish Bites have been among our most popular dishes so far.

We have taken Cosmo Girl's advice (thanks!) and let the Scotch Eggs drain a little better, and we are taking any and all feedback very seriously as we want to create a place that not only makes money, but that people will feel they are a part of and that is part of the Ellicott City and Maryland Communities. I think all of those things go hand in hand in terms of building a successful business anywhere, and that is what we strive for.

Feel free to stop in any time and let us know what you think.

Lee

Hey Lee: say hi to Brendan for me (I'm his mom)!

Hi Lee, thanks for dropping by and taking our thoughts into consideration. I'm looking forward to checking out the Diamondback Tavern very soon.

RoCK (et. al.) ... I finally got past that thing about fences and went to the Village Cafe with five office mates. We were just delighted! The service was remarkably good and quick for a busy lunchtime, with lots of folks sitting outside in the courtyard. We each ordered separately at the counter, and even though there was a notice that the pizza would take 15 minutes, everything was delivered well within 10 minutes. Everyone was happy with their choices and we shared some of the homemade potato chips and cole slaw, both of which were terrific.