Fresh Samantha's

Despite enjoying the three months I spent there as a resident, there are many things I don't miss about living in Takoma Park. My roach-infested apartment building. The mildly sketchy metro station. The 80 zillion speedbumps.

But there's one thing I would be missing about the place, had I known about it while I lived there – its proximity to Samantha's Restaurant, at the intersection of University and Piney Branch in Silver Spring.

I went to Samantha's, which serves Salvadoran-influenced Mexican food, with my family last week, and we loved the place. A tiny dining room filled with loyal customers and featuring friendly, low-key servers, the place has a cozy atmosphere that contrasts with its more sterile storefront.

We started our meal with the pork pupusas, apparently the snack of choice in El Salvador. Boy were these things good: two tortillas fried and stiffed with a thin layer of spicy pork and gooey cheese. They were more filling than expected, so don't order a ton, despite their cheap $1.50 price. But they're a great, unhealthy way to start your
meal.

For the main course, my mother ordered a Cuban-influenced marinated pork dish that was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, assertively spicy without being overwhelming. My father and I though, fell prey to old ordering habits rather than being adventurous. If my dad sees surf and turf on the menu, he gets it. Luckily, Samantha's delivered, with the lobster cooked perfectly and the meat seasoned just enough to give it mild Mexican influence. I was less fortunate with my old standby;paella is one of my favorite foods, and since I don't cook it for myself very often, I find it hard to pass up if I see it, even when Samantha's warned me of a 30 minute wait. The dish wasn't really worth the extra time – the rice was flavorful and the serving was generous, but the seafood was subpar. Many mussels were still closed, and the scallops were rubbery. It was easy to eat around the problems, but I'm going for a more unusual choice next time.

Strawberry margaritas were small but satisfying, and my father argued that the flan he ordered was the best he'd tasted, and this is a man who's been known to order three of the dish if they're reasonably priced. Our meal was a little on the expensive side, overall, but if you stick to the more traditional Mexican choices, or avoid seafood, Samantha's is a steal, with plenty of choices in the $10 range. I'm definitely planning a return visit next time I find myself in the People's Republic of Takoma Park.

Samantha's Restaurant
631 E. University Blvd
Silver Spring, MD
301/445-7300

--This entry was written by the very talented mjf who currently can't post entries because the oh-so-brilliant Smorgasblog crack support team (err...me) broke Movable Type again...-amg