A Look At The Recently Opened ‘The Heights’ Food Hall

The Heights Food Hall at Wisconsin Place in Chevy Chase opened on Monday, December 11th, but recently held a grand opening celebration. Our very own Mr. MoCo stopped by to check it out and share what the new food hall has to offer (video below).

The Heights food hall is located in the space formerly occupied by Anthropologie and PF Chang’s on the 5400 block of Wisconsin Ave. It offers both indoor and outdoor patio dining and is open seven days a week from 11am-Midnight. In includes one full-service restaurant (Urbano), a full-service bar (The Heights Bar), a speakeasy (The Turncoat), and eight local food stalls, including stalls picked from Urbano’s  “Stall Wars” competition (descriptions by The Heights):

Saoco Cuban Eats: With an unwavering passion for delivering the best experiences in hospitality, Dario Arana-Rojas is a true passionate about the industry. Born and raised in a small town in Colombia, Dario arrived in the US with his family at age 19. From a young age, Dario fell in love with cooking, exploring a full spectrum of flavors and aromas while watching his grandmother Aura Rojas cooking the most amazing feasts he still recalls nowadays. Grandma, his true inspiration.

His restaurant career began in Washington DC around 2005, working both the back and front of the house scaling from dishwasher to operations. Dario has contributed with his talent to some of the best restaurant groups in town.

Currently, Dario has developed a Miami style Cuban café, that soon will be a part of a collection of amazing concepts at The Heights Food Hall in Chevy Chase MD. Saoco Cuban Eats is the name of his concept in which was featured as one of the winning contestants of the Stall Wars competition lead by Common Plate Hospitality.

Turncoat: A cleverly named speakeasy, that will pay homage to the prohibition era with a secret door entrance, astounding libations and premium food options. Turncoat is a clandestine speakeasy where the spirit of the Roaring Twenties comes to life, offering exceptional cocktails, exquisite cuisine, and an ambiance of mystery and sophistication, inviting guests to savor the past while reveling in the present.

DC Dosa: Chef Priya Ammu’s iconic DC Dosa showcasing immensely popular and naturally vegan Indian street food. Ammu is a native of Bombay, India whose love of food developed after arriving in the US to attend university at the age of 19. While she had never cooked a dish in her life before then, her love of food was apparent from a young age. It was only after marrying a South Indian she’d met in college that she bought her first pressure cooker and tava (griddle), de rigueur cooking tools for any Indian bride.

Raising three girls with different dietary requirements and being married to a strict vegetarian, Priya’s approach to food had to be flexible, adventurous, and tasty. Her love of all cuisines was reflected in the fearless (and sometimes questionable) food she cooked, but she experimented and evolved relying on her innate ability to blend the flavors and spices she grew up with.

Following long stints in the corporate hospitality and IT worlds, Priya decided to reunite with the original love of her life – food, specifically the food of her childhood, dosas. 

Supreme BBQ: Locally acclaimed Texas-inspired Barbeque, Supreme BBQ. Supreme Barbeque serves Texas-style barbecue at its restaurant located on the edge of Eckington in Northeast. Filipino-American father and son Juan and Jeremy Canlas opened their first location ten years ago in Lanham, with the D.C. store being their second. They took over the former New York Pizza spot at the busy intersection of North Capitol Street and Florida Avenue NE in April 2021. They opened a third location, in Annandale in February 2022, and a fourth store is set to open in Clinton by the end of the year. 

Mimi’s Handmade: Local favorite Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream offers soft serve and cookies made in-store with locally sourced ingredients and ice cream by the pint. Mimi’s story begins with Rollin Amore’s extensive travels through Asia and Europe over the last 40 years. After each trip, he would recreate his meals and desserts with his children Alexandra, Mimi, Nicholas, and Pang Pang.  

Retiring from a 40 year career in International banking and finance, Rollin opened his first store, Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream in Pentagon Row, an Arlington-based ice cream shop that brings together flavors from around the world. Rollin is planting his flags in the Mosaic District, Rockville, Annandale, and West Falls Church to further his expansion plan. The new stores will closely resemble the original Mimi’s. 

Mimi’s Handmade Soft Serve is born of a rich tradition of handmade Ice cream flavors and cones. In our first soft serve location, we bring together high-quality ingredient recipes, magical flavors, and touch of love. Our flavor board consists of extravagantly rich flavors, from Super Oreo to Ube, and even Black Sesame. From the Japanese street food stalls, we offer fresh baked Taiyaki cones and treats filled to the brim with your choice of either Nutella or Azuki Bean. They will become instant favorites.

Doki Doki Sushi: James Beard nominated Chef Kevin Tien of Moon Rabbit bringing forward a unique sushi concept. Doki Doki Sushi is co-founded by Kevin Tien and Judy Beltrano is a culinary establishment located at The Heights Foodhall in Chevy Chase, Maryland. We offer a diverse range of sushi and Japanese inspired dishes. At Doki Doki Sushi, guests can indulge in an array of maki, crudo, and sashimi, each prepared with the utmost care and attention to detail.

At Doki Doki Sushi, the maki rolls are truly a standout on the menu. These masterfully crafted sushi creations are made with a combination of fresh seafood, vegetables, and delectable sauces, all wrapped snugly in the embrace of nori seaweed and rice. Each bite offers a delightful harmony of textures and flavors that will leave your taste buds dancing with joy. What sets the maki at Doki Doki Sushi apart is their unwavering focus on using only the finest ingredients and their meticulous attention to assembly, beautifully showcasing the culinary artistry and skills of the chefs.

This Deli of Ours: Indulge in a contemporary interpretation of the timeless deli experience, where we proudly present a menu featuring meticulously crafted artisanal sandwiches, succulent hot chicken delights, mouthwatering cheese steaks, sizzling flat-top burgers, and an array of house-made pickles that add a perfect punch to your palate.

Our commitment to quality is evident in every bite, as we source premium ingredients and employ innovative culinary techniques to reimagine traditional favorites, ensuring a gastronomic journey that exceeds expectations. Join us in savoring the perfect blend of nostalgia and innovation as we elevate the classic deli concept to new heights, delivering an unforgettable dining experience that celebrates the artistry of flavor and the essence of culinary craftsmanship.

Sky Lantern: Sky Lantern is the concept of Thai tales. We are telling the story of Thai food with a modern conceptual twist. We want everyone to enjoy the tastes of the various regions of Thai cuisine but adapted for the modern palette. We incorporated ingredients familiar to western dishes while still keeping the soul of the dish rooted in traditional Thai flavor. 

 

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