Copper Canyon Grill invites Gaithersburg home for the holidays (Photos)

I was invited to a preview of the Home for the Holidays holiday menu at Copper Canyon Grill last evening. You can order this as a take-out meal for four with 2 days advance notice. It doesn't matter which holidays you are celebrating, either, as the deal will be available through January 1, 2016.

Anthony Peake, Executive Chef
and Director of Culinary Education
at Copper Canyon Grill, talks
about the recipes he created for
the holiday menu

The menu offers many traditional favorites, from rotisserie turkey to mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and - of course - stuffing. There's also the occasional modern dish - like bacon mac & cheese. Last night, I had the pumpkin cheesecake, which is a seasonal dessert. On the take-out menu, the dessert choices are Key Lime Pie and Bread Pudding with Grand Marnier Sauce.

The take-out meal is available from all Copper Canyon Grill locations, including Rio/Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg, and downtown Silver Spring. In addition, if you're seeking a restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner, the Silver Spring Copper Canyon Grill will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

I started off the meal with a glass of a 2013 Iris Vineyards Pinot Gris from Oregon. It's pretty good, with a citrus flavor, and a score of 91 from Wine Enthusiast. You might want to give the Albino Rocca Chardonnay Langhe from Italy a try, though, because the description sounds like it is perfectly paired to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Let's start with the turkey. I'm more of a dark meat person when it comes to turkey, and especially, chicken. But the white meat was very tender on this rotisserie turkey, with a nicely-crisp skin. If you're like me, you may have had some tough white meat turkey in restaurants. That won't happen here.

For me, stuffing is the main event of the Thanksgiving dinner. You won't be disappointed with this cornbread stuffing from Chef Anthony Peake's own grandmother's recipe. It includes my one must-have ingredient for stuffing - sage.

The mashed potatoes have a traditional flavor, and it's a rich one enhanced with sour cream. There was a good balance of sweet and tart in the cranberry sauce, and you'll definitely want some extra gravy.

Green beans

Sweet glazed carrots

A nice seasoning on
the green beans

For a vegetable choice, I would go with the Sweet Glazed Carrots. I was searching for every last one hiding on the plate. The green beans would certainly fit the bill, though, if that is your personal preference. I just thought the carrots had a little something extra.

The bacon Mac & Cheese was super-rich with 3 cheeses, and finely-chopped raw onion added an extra zing of flavor throughout.

There were several fresh breads on hand from sister restaurant Stanford Grill's in-house bakery in Rockville. It seemed like the biggest hit at the table was the cornbread.

For the big finish, a huge slice of Pumpkin Cheesecake appeared. It was topped with whipped cream and a rich chocolate ganache. A fantastic finish to a delicious early Thanksgiving dinner. Why have just one a year, after all?

Regal Cinemas Germantown to begin searching bags of moviegoers

Regal Cinemas has responded to the latest movie theater shootings with a new bag check policy at its theaters nationwide. The cineplex giant operates the Regal Cinemas Germantown 14. Its new policy reads as follows:

Security issues have become a daily part of our lives in America. Regal Entertainment Group wants our customers and staff to feel comfortable and safe when visiting or working in our theatres. To ensure the safety of our guests and employees, backpacks and bags of any kind are subject to inspection prior to admission. We acknowledge that this procedure can cause some inconvenience and that it is not without flaws, but hope these are minor in comparison to increased safety.

The security check policy applies to bags, backpacks and packages, including purses.

Regal's corporate Facebook page is blowing up with customer backlash against the new policy, with many patrons feeling their 2nd and 4th Amendment rights are being violated. A few posters thanked the chain for ensuring their theaters would be gun-free zones.

Regal patrons weighed in on
both sides of the issue on
the chain's Facebook page

However, Regal's policy does not explicitly state which legal or illegal items would not be allowed to be brought into the theater. Nor does it specifically refer to firearms, even though it would seem obvious that weapons and explosives would be the primary intent of the policy.

Such a policy would not have prevented the infamous Aurora, Colorado theater mass shooting in 2012. In that incident, the shooter left the theater through the emergency exit. He then retrieved weapons, explosives and other materials from his car, and re-entered through that exit, which he had propped open enough to prevent it from locking.

That case made clear the security issues caused by a lack of ushers regularly patrolling theaters, as they once did not that many years ago. Had an usher simply ensured that door was closed on a routine walkthrough, and thereby locked to outside intruders, the shooter would have been foiled.

Poll: Edwards now leading Van Hollen in U.S. Senate race

Maryland Congresswoman Donna Edwards has moved ahead of Rep. Chris Van Hollen in the Democratic race for exiting U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski's seat, according to a new poll. The poll, commissioned by the Edwards campaign, shows her currently beating Van Hollen by 42%-37% among Maryland registered Democrats.

Garrick Delzell, Edwards' campaign manager, attributed her surge to voters believing she better represents their everyday economic concerns than Van Hollen. Voters identify with Edwards as a single mom, Delzell said in an email, who "knows what it’s like to juggle bills, insurance, and a career."

Van Hollen has so far drawn a huge advantage from many wealthy establishment supporters, and a massive campaign chest funded partly by Wall Street interests. The Montgomery County congressman has led the race all year in polls and in fundraising.

Edwards' lack of establishment support has put many county and state Democratic officials in a odd position, one that could come back to haunt them in the future.

Most of Montgomery County's political machine is squarely behind Van Hollen, despite Edwards' potential to be the first African-American to be elected to the Senate from Maryland. Former Rockville Mayor and Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan is one of the few prominent former or current officials here to endorse her campaign.

In a statement after the poll results were released Tuesday, Edwards said, "Marylanders want someone who will fight for progressive values and the issues that matter to working families. These results show that Maryland primary voters believe I will be that voice."

JBG Companies employees log 10,000 community service hours (Photos)

Friendship Heights-based development firm The JBG Companies has wrapped up its annual summer Days of Service, and its employees have now accumulated 10,000 hours of volunteerism. They received paid time off to volunteer with community groups and causes of their choice.

This year, they helped prepare more than 34,000 meals for delivery to individuals in need, assisted in getting 1,200 pounds of fresh produce into the community, helped connect groups that serve the homeless with $47,000 of donated goods, and hauled more than 3,000 pounds of trash from the Anacostia River watershed, to name a few.

In these photos, JBG employees are on-site at a Gaithersburg home to provide free repairs and renovations that would not have been financially feasible without their assistance.

“Because of your investment and your team’s efforts, we were able to make significant improvements to the home of Army veteran Charles Sherman and his wife, Anne Colbert in Gaithersburg, Maryland,” Rebuilding Together of Montgomery County’s Executive Director Christina Betancourt Johnson told JBG in a thank you message. “With the help of your employee-volunteers and vendor support, we transformed their home into a safer and healthier environment for their family today and in years to come.”

JBG is the developer of Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg, a new, mixed-use urban development adjacent to Rio/Washingtonian Center.

Photos courtesy JBG Companies

New Americans Expo October 4 in Silver Spring

(Una traducción española de este artículo se puede encontrar a continuación)

Nonprofits, businesses and government agencies will gather at the Silver Spring Civic Center on October 4 from noon to 6:00 PM for the New Americans Expo 2015. The event is a one-stop shop for new Americans to learn about programs, services and products that will help them in adapting to and navigating life in America.

This year's expo is being led by 4 New Americans Ambassadors, YouTube personality and model Cindy Gamez, Kemi Fadojutimi of the TV show All Eyes on Africa, Miss Maryland 2013 Lyz Denizard, and John Cabrera of CF Alliance.

Attendees will be able to get information and assistance on legal services, insurance, banking, education, travel, how to obtain a driver's license, and employment options.

There will also be live music and performers, including singer-songwriter David Amaya, who is composing a song specifically for the event. Giveaways will include free toys for kids.

Two awards will be given during the afternoon - a Community Inclusion award for a local nonprofit, and an Appreciation Award for the organizations and volunteers participating in the expo.

Proceeds from the New Americans Expo 2015 will be distributed among four nonprofits that serve the immigrant community: Catholic Charities, Identity, El Poder de Ser Mujer and Etnika Foundation.

Admission to the event is free. You can register online.

* * *

Organizaciones no lucrativas, empresas y agencias gubernamentales se reunirán en el Centro Cívico de Silver Spring, el 4 de octubre desde el mediodía hasta las 18:00 de la Expo Nuevos Americanos de 2015. El evento es una ventanilla única para los nuevos estadounidenses a aprender sobre programas, servicios y productos que les ayudará en la adaptación a la vida en Estados Unidos.

Expo de este año está siendo dirigido por 4 nuevos americanos Embajadores, YouTube personalidad y la modelo Cindy Gamez, Kemi Fadojutimi del programa de televisión All Eyes on Africa, Miss Maryland 2013 Lyz Denizard, y Juan Cabrera de CF Alianza.

Los asistentes podrán obtener información y asistencia sobre servicios legales, seguros, banca, educación, viajes, cómo obtener una licencia de conducir, y las opciones de empleo.

También habrá música y artistas en vivo, incluyendo el cantautor David Amaya, quien está componiendo una canción especialmente para el evento. Sorteos incluirán juguetes gratis para los niños.

Dos premios se entregarán durante la tarde - un premio de Inclusión Comunitaria para una organización no lucrativa local y un premio de la apreciación de las organizaciones y voluntarios que participan en la feria.

Producto de la New Americans Expo 2015 se distribuirán entre cuatro organizaciones no lucrativas que sirven a la comunidad de inmigrantes: Catholic Charities, Identity, El Poder de Ser Mujer y Etnika Foundation.

La entrada al evento es gratis.

Germantown murder suspect in custody (Photo)

Montgomery County Police have arrested a suspect in the Tuesday murder of William Palacios in Germantown. Miguel Angel Rodriguez-Gaona, 36, of N. Summit Drive in Gaithersburg, has been charged with first-degree murder for the homicide. Detectives believe the incident was domestic in nature.

Palacios was found stabbed in his home in the 12900 block of Walnut View Court around 11:30 Tuesday evening. He later died at an undisclosed hospital.

Police say the girlfriend of Palacios was Rodriguez-Gaona's ex-girlfriend. The latter confronted the couple in the parking lot outside Palacios' home. He argued with Palacios, and then stabbed him multiple times, police allege.

Rodriguez-Gaona was located and arrested around noon Wednesday in Baltimore. He is being transferred back to Montgomery County for prosecution.

Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to call the Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070.

5 assaults, 1 kidnapping + more - Gaithersburg crime update

Here's a roundup of crimes from the Gaithersburg area on August 8, according to crime data:

Assault. 1 block W. Watkins Mill Road at 8:23 PM.

Burglary. 18500 block N. Frederick Avenue at 5:40 PM.

Assault. 19500 block Brassie Place (Montgomery Village).

Theft from vehicle. 19900 block Spur Hill Drive (Montgomery Village).

Kidnapping. 500 block S. Frederick Avenue at 6:38 PM.

Assault. 400 block N. Frederick Avenue at 1:25 PM.

Assault. 100 block Teachers Way at 9:54 PM.

Assault. 100 block Ellington Boulevard at 1:12 PM (Downtown Crown).