Date Night: Huncho House, Maryland

In late November 2022, I spoke with the house manager of Huncho House to inquire of the possibility to have my company holiday party there in late January 2023. I tend to curtsy to larger corporations during the holiday season and plan my holiday party for the new year, as it can be hard to squeeze in a restaurant when they've rented out the whole place. As a small Black owned business, and I do mean small, my request for a tabletop for eight was declined. I was told a party of my size could not be configured properly. I smiled sweetly, as if the person I was speaking to could see me, said thanks and that I'd try again in the future to support the restaurant. The future took a whole nine months! I surprisingly got a reservation the day before my requested date via OpenTable (visited August 16). The website reports they are currently booked through the end of August 2023.

Huncho House is the creation of Tobias Dorzon, chef, restauranteur, and former professional football player.

Location

The restaurant is located in Hyattsville, Maryland east of Prince George's plaza district. The culinary experience offered is to reflect a blend of various regions in Italy, from Sicily to Tuscany. The restaurant is housed in the corner anchor of a shopping center amongst fast casual dining, a Safeway grocery store, movie theatre, and in-construction apartment building. The fine dining experience is an unexpected, but welcomed wild card amongst the other businesses. We walked past the main door as the entire restaurant maintains the black, logo-flanked wrapping over the glass windows for the entire perimeter. We parked in the Safeway garage at the corner nearest the restaurant to walk down the elevator/stairs, only to find those doors couldn't be accessed from the top level of the garage. Me being me, I had on four inch heels. My hamstrings are still recovering from the three year blip of wearing flats. On the return to the car, it seemed as if we had to walk through Safeway and climb stairs to access the garage level we parked on. I kindly gave up, and waited at the first level for my chariot to arrive. Keep this in mind for evening reservations and shoe choice. Parking is not validated by the restaurant. I did not ask, but noted this from a previous Yelp review.

Atmosphere

Dimly lit. Anita Baker, Tamia, and Whitney Houston were the songstresses of the evening. I couldn't help but hum along. A plant wall with the logo is a feature behind booths across the entrance. Chairs were comfortable and the top half, behind your back allows for leaning back. Cafe size tables, so don't order more food than will fit! We were sat next to live snake plants, the perfect pair for the dim lights and lack of natural lighting due to wrapped windows. It seems about 80 people can be seated in the restaurant. Now I understand what the house manager was trying to convey several months ago.

Culinary Experience

Upon being greeted, your party is offered a complimentary glass of champagne. Demi-sec. We ordered a bottle of Riesling to pair with our main plates. To start I had the Caesar and my husband had the Huncho Mac and Cheese. I appreciated the shredded texture of my salad contents which included Brussel sprouts, fried capers, topped with a soft boiled egg. I ordered the Asian Glazed Salmon Crab Fried Rice ($52) and my husband ordered two sushi rolls: California Roll ($18) and the Huncho Fire Roll ($22). I enjoyed the medium temperature and texture of the salmon. The crab was unassumingly mixed into the rice. The rice did not "feel" like day old rice as most Asian inspired fried rice dishes dictate. But not overly chewy and sticky like jasmine rice fresh out the pot. I enjoyed this quality. The bean sprouts and other veggies were fresh and provided ample texture. The salmon was well seasoned and didn't come off as overly sesam-ed or teriyaki-ed. I got through half my meal before feeling satiated. My husband preferred the Huncho Fire Roll over the California Roll. He too, was full and we left with boxes. The plating is beautiful. The sushi slabs barely fit on our table. I find it rhetorically funny that restauranteurs and their interior designers don't check how the plates will fit (or not) on the area of the tables they purchase for seating. We were conservative in our ordering and had to play Tetris with out plates and wine glasses to comfortably eat.

Service

We enjoyed our waitress and the personalities of two women seated next to us as we were finishing our meal. The waitress was attentive, gave personal and professional recommendations throughout. Even though reservations are set for a strict 90 minutes, we didn't feel rushed. The food came out timely and was served at appropriate temperatures. The hostesses were also welcoming. From where I was sitting, I had a view of the kitchen and could see the sous chefs and chef attentive to their craft with smiles.

Overall, I would return. This is an intimate setting, with good vibes. The food is well-prepared and seasoned. Some may comment negatively about the pricing. I refuse to haggle or question a Black person's craft, service or expertise. I certainly wouldn't want anyone to do that to me when offering therapy/counseling services. Support, budget or go somewhere else. Cheers!