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Sauteed scallops are a popular hot tapas selection at the Ranazul, a wine and tapas bistro in Maple Lawn.
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - If Ranazul’s service were smoother, it would be a fabulous place to feast on a myriad of small plates or linger over endless wine options.
In September 2007, husband and wife Carlos Venegas and Linda Doolittle opened Ranazul, meaning “blue frog” in Spanish, in Maple Lawn, a posh, burgeoning development between D.C. and Baltimore.
Venegas and Doolittle, owners of Sierra’s Grill in Beltsville for the past 18 years, want their second dining venture to exude a relaxed elegance.
» The scene: Ranazul is a chic bar, lounge and restaurant all in one room, offering brown leather couches and chairs, white linen tables adorned with white chrysanthemums hugging sparkling gold coils and a raised, horseshoe-shaped bar complete with an enormous television. Milk-chocolate walls and sleek light fixtures finish the look. La Galeria, a small room without doors in the back of the restaurant, displays works from local artists.
» The pour: If you can’t find at least one favorite glass among Ranazul’s nearly 200 red, white, rose, sparkling, sangria and even sake offerings, you never will.
Ranazul also serves a balanced mix of brews including Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Estella and Negra Modelo. The only misstep in the pour department was Ranazul’s diminished supply of Miller Lite and Yeungling.
» The taste: A deliciously rich and creamy artichoke soup topped with crumbled feta outshone the Sopa Azteca, a tortilla soup. Its hearty base, tasting like crushed spiced tomatoes, overwhelmed the secondary ingredients: Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro, avocado, chicken and crispy tortilla strips. The Fritto Mixto — crunchy, greaseless fried shrimp and calamari served with tartar and habanero sauces — quickly redeemed the meal. And the nearly perfect plates kept coming, including the cashew-encrusted Salmon Medallions with pineapple, zucchini and an orange butter sauce, the Pork Medallion, served with a wonderfully seared polenta cake, toasted corn, pineapple relish and tomatillo sauce, and the Petit Filet resting on layers of fresh spinach, portabello mushroom and delectable red wine beef sauce, worth salivating over.
» Why you will go: With a wine list fit for a seasoned sommelier, Ranazul is a must for wine lovers. Indecisive diners will relish the fact they don’t need to agonize over choices, merely order all of the small plates on your mind.
» Why you won’t: You might be served several times with dishes you didn’t order, not understand the server’s belabored and murky meal descriptions, or wait 15 minutes after the last set of plates was served for a plate forgotten by the kitchen.
If you go
Ranazul
» Where: 8171 Maple Lawn Blvd., Suite 170, Maple Lawn
» When: Lunch, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Dinner, 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday; 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday
» Info: 301-498-9666, ranazul.us
jnovak@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
7:32 PM MST on Mon., Jun. 9, 2008 re: "$10 bottomless beers, red-hot wings a Noble pursuit"
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1:14 PM MST on Tue., Apr. 22, 2008
re: "Saute offers fresh feeling"
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10:50 AM MST on Mon., Apr. 21, 2008
re: "Tasty tidbits: Help decide the winner"
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6:40 PM MST on Thu., Apr. 17, 2008
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3:40 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 14, 2008
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Examiner Reader said:
I think that the author was very accurate for the most part. Nobles is such a clean, friendly, and happening place especially for the 21 to early thirties crowd. But even the older crowd enjoys going there and eating their food. I have had teachers of all ages come and say how wonderful it is and how different it is from the rest of the bars around (in a positive way).
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Examiner Reader said:
Did the author of this article actually try the food, or did they take the owner's word for it? The food is terrible. I can't think of any restaurant anywhere near Canton Square with worse food.
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King said:
Is anything affordable for the avergae Baltimorean? This isn't NYC.
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Shannon said:
I'd love to go to this event, as I am a huge fan of Duff Goldman! It's a shame the ticket prices are so high! This teacher can't afford it!
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Examiner Reader said:
I enjoyed the article, and know first hand how good the food is, and the reviewer did well to mention the high quality of ingredients - a Gino Troia hallmark always. Perhaps readers will like to know that the grocery store two doors down carries a nice selection of wine that diners are welcome to bring for themselves.
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