A little Latin flavor

That Cuban Place Cafe
North Market Street
Frederick, MD
This little Cuban sandwich shop might hav a legitimate chance to stick, in spite of probable land-lord issues (the same person owns the building that Asiana once housed, and a fare chunk of the 300 block of North Market).

The owner is friendly and ready to answer any questions regarding his menu, the fried plaintains are stupendous, order Ropa Vieja (translated as old clothes which combines braised shredded skirt steak and vegetables)whenever they offer it as a special, and the portions are large. For those on a budget that are looking for a quick, tasty meal, all the main courses and specials on TCP's menu run $8.00. Definitely worth a return visit.

La Paz Mexican restaurant
South Market Street
Frederick, MD

Last year long time Frederick standby La Paz moved from its small out of the way location tucked behind the parking garage on East Church Street to a brand new location on Carroll Creek. If I had one complaint about La Paz's old location, it was that the noise level in the restaurant somehow always seemed inordinately high, and I thought building the new location would give the owner a chance to address the issue.

Unfortunately, the move to bigger, more modern digs did nothing to decrease the decibel levels inside the restaurant, and I have been disappointed in both the service and the quality of the food since the reopenning. The service was painfully slow the last time I was there, and their nachos, a particular favorite in the past, somehow lacked the flavor of previous trips.

In spite of these problems, La Paz continues to be popular to the point of the ridiculous at dinner time, drawing crowds large enough to merit a half-hour wait.