Walking distance from Wheaton Plaza is a small, modest Thai restaurant. Looking cozy cozy in a run-down parking lot, beset by small shops on either side, Ruan Thai's outside appearance makes it easy to miss, but the food is memorable and will keep customers coming back for more. For a reasonable price, Ruan Thai's fresh food trumps the meager portions of more upscale restaurants.

While Bob's 88 Shabu Shabu lacks the glamor of other restaurants and eateries that dot the aisles of the new Rockville town center, it more than makes up for its deficiencies with its unique do-it-yourself meals. Deviating from conventionally bland Asian cuisine, Bob's 88, not to be confused with Bob's Noodle 66 right across the street, mixes excellent cuisine with an experience to remember.

Tucked underneath some offices in a strip mall and next to a maternity store, Houston's Restaurant on Rockville Pike looks like the perfect comfy Americana joint. Neatly trimmed hedges line the outside, creating a private outdoor waiting area. The "No cell phones" sign painted on the door protects against rude diners and the spacious restaurant is well decorated with numerous paintings and sconces lining the wall.

The attraction to this small Mexican restaurant on Georgia Avenue initially begins with the catchy, festive name, but soon develops into more, as La Bamba offers a spectacular blended menu of spicy cultural Mexican food. Unfortunately, while the restaurant's recent renovation is the first step in transforming the dingy interior into a cute and quaint setting, certain elements of the old drab La Bamba still remain, resulting in a dining experience that may encourage certain audiences to "La Bamba" their way out of there.

In the ritzy, glitzy section of Bethesda, scores of restaurants featuring food from Italian to American line the picturesque streets. In the heart of these restaurants stands Green Papaya, a Vietnamese restaurant with a fantastic atmosphere but a disjointed menu that includes both mouth-watering and utterly bland dishes.