18200 Georgia Ave

Olney, MD 20832

301.774.6779

Olney Maryland recently enjoyed the grand opening of Peruvian chef Javier Angeles-Beron, the former executive toque at Latin Concepts, own restaurant............Aroma. It is located on Georgia Avenue, just north of the intersection with route 108. There is plenty of free parking in the front and rear of the restaurant which is a good thing. Once word slips out that we now have easy access to such a fine restaurant, reservations will be needed.

Late on a tuesday evening, We had to run errands. I had just invited a couple of people over to eat at Christmas and we had no turkey. Faced with the dilema of returning home to leftovers or stopping while out.....Robin asked the clerk in the wine store for a recommendation. He immediately suggested a new restaurant in Olney. I saw Latin American and prepared for tacos. Boy was I in for a pleasant surprise.

For now, one week since opening, there was room for two in the totally renovated dining area. White table cloths are such a nice touch. You have to like a place where you are greeted by a manager, a hostess and a server within moments of your arrival.

They call the style Latin American. A native from Lima, Peru and a Washingtonian award-winning chef, Javier Angeles Beron has created a menu reflective of his heritage and his travels throughout Latin America and around the world. It sounds fancy in print but dances on your palet.

The appetizer that sounded the most interesting was a sampler of four kinds of ceviche. They were devine. A cool way to begin the experience and each variety had a personality that could have stood on it's own. There was also a delightful chicken soup that had a hint of the Orient while loaded with perfect bite sizes of chicken.

The salad was fresh and accented with scrumptious fried plantain....sort of a banana like thing that complimented the salad.

On to the big test...............Lomo Satado. We had just discussed my enjoyment of this meal earlier in the day. Robin was surprised that it was on my top 5 favorite meal list. Now, just by dumb luck...it was on the menu. Lucky me!

I am a fan. I have eaten it at most Peruvian restaurants. O.K., I will admit...the description made it sound like a safe bet. How could you go wrong with meat, potatoes, rice, onions and seasoning? Well, you can't.

This entree stood head and shoulders above any I have had in the area. The meat was quality and cooked perfectly, the onions carmelized, the potatoes cooked, the rice firm and not lumpy, tomatoes sliced and cooked and the sauce with a bite. Now, I will admit I was afraid that the sauce was not sufficient..........you know the gravy hog started whispering............then I ate and I ate and I left a clean plate. I realized, this guy in the kitchen did not need to hide the meal under a sauce. It came together perfectly.

The waitress inquired about dessert. I am sure it is marvelous. It sounded good. I had just enjoyed a great Lomo and I did not to tarnish the memory. I passed.

If you want more information, visit their website............www.aromaolney.com After many long months, we finally have a true chef in town. Aroma.........come for the food.......return for the experience.

Javier...muy bueno!