20220630-HOWARDMAGAZINE - Flipbook - Page 34
Best restaurants
The bar and dinning room at Cured in Columbia. This unique restaurant includes a bistro, Cured, and lounge, 18th & 21st, under the same roof. PHOTO BY LLOYD FOX
Best Ambiance, Bar food, Cocktail, Happy hour,
Live entertainment, Lunch, Place to take out-of-towners, Value
Cured | 18th & 21st
8775 Centre Park Drive, Columbia. 410-730-8466. tinositalianbistro.com
When asked about what makes sister restaurants Cured and
18th & 21st special, managing partner Vince Culotta doesn’t
point to a single item on the menu, though yes, everyone
does love the Philly cheesesteak egg rolls and the smoked Old
Fashioneds at Cured. But he thinks of moments, whether it’s
from the live performances at 18th & 21st, a Prohibition-era
supper club, or the time he brought a diner an extra order of
special sauce — the man was so grateful he walked across the
restaurant to shake Culotta’s hand. “It’s all about the details.
Details are what get people to go, ‘Wow.’” That’s what makes
34 | SUMMER 2022 | howardmagazine.com
Cured and 18th & 21st two of Howard County’s favorite places
for a night out.
Of course, offering great service through the pandemic and
ongoing labor shortage has been a challenge. “The last two years,
without putting too fine a point on it, they’ve sucked,” Culotta
said. But he sees reason to be hopeful. “We made it through
the worst of the pandemic.” The past few months, customers
have packed both restaurants, ready for a good time after more
than two years of so much that hasn’t been fun. “At the end of
the day, this is what I love doing.”