10 Places to Eat That You Should Know About

Red Sky Steak & Fish House

No, this restaurant isn't in the same league as the big national steakhouse chains, but the Buddy's Crab House folks (who used to operate a crab and rib place in this same shopping center) are trying to fill the void with Red Sky, a sibling to the successful Yellowfin in Annapolis and Big Fish Grille in Crofton.

Red Sky splashes a sailing theme all around the restaurant. There's a large lounge in front and a more elegant dining room in the rear. Red sails are everywhere. The enterprise is most successful in its lounge offerings, making for a grand spot for friends to gather after work and fans to watch big games (there are a dozen flat-screens in the lounge area).

The steaks, certified Angus beef, don't have the rich, nutty, beefy flavor you'll find at the big-name places. Best to stick with the sailing theme and the seafood.

14707 Baltimore Ave., Laurel, 301-604-2144, http://www.redskylaurel.com.

Route 1, between Sellman Road and Garrett Avenue, Beltsville

Three charming Asian restaurants inhabit this corner of the county. First there is Pho Vn One Restaurant (11000 Baltimore Ave. [Route 1], Suite 105, 301-931-3302), a labor of love by six siblings of the 12-child Phan family. This tidy restaurant, just across from the Beltsville Costco, serves mostly pho, that most traditional of Vietnamese dishes (it's a breakfast dish in the family's native land). A bowl of steaming broth, served with your choice of meats, is less than $7 and filling enough to satisfy late into the night.

A couple of blocks north is the Korean noodle house Myung Dong (11114-B Baltimore Ave. [Route 1], at Powder Mill Road, 301-595-4173). Though other Korean favorites are on the menu, the noodle dishes are the stars here, specifically the chicken noodle soup known as Myung Dong kal guk su. In summer, Myung Dong offers popular chilled noodle dishes.

Farther north still, Gah-Rham (5027 Garrett Ave., 301-595-4122), just off Route 1, is a study in pine with a steakhouse style inside. There is a buffet lunch that draws regulars from government agencies near and far, and the regular menu features all of the Korean classics, with a healthy dose of Japanese sushi, sashimi and cooked items.

Downtown College Park

Many of the offerings near the University of Maryland campus are chain restaurants, but there are exceptions. The Campus Village Shoppes, a small strip mall adjacent to the College Park fire station and just behind the Town Hall liquor store, houses a range of ethnic eateries that include Pakistani/Indian, Tex-Mex, Japanese and Caribbean.

Food Factory II (8145-G Baltimore Ave., 301-345-8888) is a plain space with a few hand-woven rugs on the walls, but it attracts a loyal crowd for its halal charcoal-roasted kebabs. The meats, already threaded on what look like swords rather than the more common small skewers, fill refrigerated cases at the entry. There is no real service -- simply order at the counter and wait for them to call your name. Opt for the bread instead of rice; you can watch as the dough is shaped over a large pillow and then slapped inside the charcoal oven. It's slightly charred and wonderfully chewy when it emerges about 20 minutes later.

A few doors down, the Jerk Pit (8145-C Baltimore Ave., 301-982-5375) serves up a selection of foods -- from red snapper to chicken wings -- all marinated in its jerk sauce and barbecued to order. This is not a place for the dainty. It's a good thing the food is finger-licking good.

Franklin's Restaurant

This microbrewery and restaurant in downtown Hyattsville has a whimsical streak rooted in its origins as a toy salesman's dream. Mike Franklin turned an old hardware store into a toy/general store, selling the kind of five-and-dime favorites baby boomers grew up with, and added a striking restaurant and brewery next door, all on faith that Hyattsville would someday be revitalized. The renaissance is still in the offing, but Franklin's is going strong nonetheless.