Olney: Salt & Vine Update (at Previous Ricciuti’s Location)

Salt & Vine is working hard at gearing towards its debut in Olney, hoping to open by Labor Day, the restaurant tells us. It will be taking over the Olney House, which was previously the home of Ricciuti’s at 3308 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd.

Ricciuti’s closed permanently in February of 2020 and Salt & Vine was announced just prior to the longtime restaurant’s closure. That summer, the Salt & Vine pizza truck made its debut. Salt & Vine owner Thomas Zippelli, told us the initial plan was to have the truck parked out front of the restaurant until renovations were completed.

Things didn’t move as quickly as anticipated due to Covid delays. “Due to the historical significance of the building, the permitting process was very slow” the restaurant stated on its social media. The latest update on the restaurant’s website provides a more conservative Fall 2022 opening date, as well as a video rendering of what’s to come (scroll down to see some photo renderings).

Update from last week, per the Salt & Vine Facebook page:

“After a year of covid delays Salt & Vine project is really starting to roll. We expect to have the whole project wrapped up this summer. The new porch has been restored to its original design and represents how the Olney House originally looked. Siding will start next week and make a big difference from an appearance standpoint.”

The Olney House was built by Whitson Canby c. 1800. Roger Brooke acquired the property for his daughter Sarah and her husband Dr. Charles Farquhar in 1822. They named the home after the town of Olney, England, the hometown of their favorite poet William Cowpers. When Charles became postmaster he changed the name of the town from Mechanicsville to Olney after his home. The Brooke-Farquhar family owned the home until 1925.