Hello Betty Restaurant Coming to Pike & Rose
Hello Betty announced today via Instagram that they are planning to open in April. The seafood-focused restaurant aims to bring California beach, surf, and skate ambiance to their establishment.
A message on their website reads, “We’re gearing up to drop in at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda this Spring. Serious food and beverage, not-so-serious attitude, positive vibes only.”
A few months ago, a mysterious boat was seen in Pike & Rose being lifted by crane into Canopy. Hello Betty confirmed that this boat will be part of their restaurant’s decor.
Hello Betty will open inside of Canopy by Hilton in Pike & Rose, replacing the restaurant that was there previously.
Currently, there’s a Hello Betty in Oceanside California. While we don’t have a full preview of their Pike & Rose location’s menu, they’ve shared on social media that some of their offerings will include “sustainably sourced Peel and Eat Shrimp and a bucket of crabs fire-roasted in our open flame oven and tossed in Old Bay vinegar”, Fish and Chips, as well as beer from 7 Locks Brewing. Their California location offers a range of tacos, seafood dishes, salads, cocktails, margaritas, and more.
You can learn more about Hello Betty by checking out their website .
Featured photo courtesy of Hello Betty’s Instagram .
By Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
RM of BTS Visits MoCo’s Glenstone Museum
Recently, rapper RM visited Glenstone Museum in Potomac while on a trip to the DC area. He posted two different sets of photos from his visit on Instagram. One post includes the caption “돌의 마을.. 세라가 잘 어울렸다,” which roughly means “The village of stone… Serra built it well,” referring to sculptures by artist Richard Serra.
27 year old RM is one of the founding members and the leader of South Korean boy band BTS. The band has been active since 2013 and currently has 7 members: RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook. BTS has won numerous awards internationally and have been one of the few groups to earn four US number one albums in less than two years (a distinction also held by The Beatles). Some of their singles include songs “Butter,” “Mic Drop,” “Savage Love,” and “Permission to Dance.”
Glenstone is an art museum based in Potomac. The museum displays exhibits of contemporary and modern art from post-WWII artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Andy Goldsworthy, Jeff Koons, Richard Serra, and more. A large portion of the museum’s art and architecture can be viewed through an outdoor walking tour experience, spread out throughout the 300 acre property.
The museum is free to visit, although tickets are required for entry. Glenstone offers a guaranteed entry (no ticket required) program for students, active military personnel, museum professionals, and Ride On Bus passengers. Glenstone also partners with MCPS to offer free field trips for students. All visitors must be over age 12.
You can learn more about Glenstone by checking out their website.
Featured photos courtesy of @rkive on Instagram.
Special thanks to Christine Muhn for help with translating RM’s caption.
By Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
A previous version of this article referred to the newspaper published by The Town Paper as The Town Crier, which is the HOA published newspaper for the Kentlands.
Kentlands Photography Café Opening December 14
The Kentlands Photography Cafe will be open for retail business starting Tuesday December 14. This new venue will serve as a photography gallery, cafe, photography bookstore, wine bar, as well as a space for classes and lectures. The cafe and wine bar will start operating at a later date, which has not yet been announced.
Per their website, the gallery will be the focal point of the space. They will display a permanent collection of work, plus new photography exhibitions every 6-8 weeks with art from local, national, and international photographers. They plan to host events including opportunities to meet the artists, workshops, book signings, and more.
The cafe will serve ready-made sandwiches and salads from local chefs, plus house-brewed coffee and wine curated by a local sommelier. They plan to host pop up dinner nights featuring local chefs in addition to wine tasting events.
The bookstore will offer photography tutorial books, “coffee table” photography books, photography prints, posters, reproductions, and photography magazines.
The Kentlands Photography Cafe is located at 309 Main St in Gaithersburg and is replacing the Wellspring Skin Care Clinic.
While they were remodeling, the owner discovered the original signage for the office that used to occupy that space– the Town Paper (publisher of The Town Courier from 2003-2020).
Kentlands Photography Café will be open from noon-8pm Tuesdays-Fridays and 10 am- 5 pm on Saturdays. The Cafe and gallery will be closed on Sundays and Mondays.
You can learn more about the Kentlands Photography Cafe by checking out their website , Instagram, and facebook.
Featured photo courtesy of Seth Steinberg.
By Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
Potomac Native Christopher Williams Chosen by NASA as a New Astronaut Candidate; Over 12,000 Applied
Earlier today, NASA announced that they had selected a class of new astronaut candidates. Out of over 12,000 hopefuls who applied, only 10 were selected.
Per NASA’s press release: Christopher Williams, 38, grew up in Potomac, Maryland. He graduated from Stanford University in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in physics and a doctorate in physics from MIT in 2012, where his research was in astrophysics. Williams is a board-certified medical physicist, completing his residency training at Harvard Medical School before joining the faculty as a clinical physicist and researcher. He most recently worked as a medical physicist in the Radiation Oncology Department at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. He was the lead physicist for the Institute’s MRI-guided adaptive radiation therapy program. His research focused on developing image guidance techniques for cancer treatments.
These new astronaut candidates will train for 2 years starting this upcoming January. Their training can range from preparing for spacewalks, developing robotics skills, safely operating a jet, learning to operate and maintain the systems aboard the International Space Station, and more. Afterwards, they could be selected for assignments in the space station, missions to the moon, or other deep space operations.
Since the first class of astronauts selected in 1959, there have been 360 total people chosen by NASA for this unique opportunity– including the 10 who were most recently selected.
You can learn more about the astronaut candidates who were selected here.
Featured images courtesy of NASA.
By Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
Possible Life Sciences and Biotechnology Office Building Coming to Pike & Rose in Location Currently Occupied by Bark Social
We recently learned of plans for a potential new office building that could be constructed at 935 Prose Street in Pike & Rose, the current site of Bark Social.
The plans, authored by Scheer Partners, state that the new building will be a 10-story trophy-class, state-of-the-art research/lab building that marries iconic design, and superior lab functionality. The architectural plans show lab space, office space, a fitness center, outdoor green terrace, conference facility, and more.
We spoke with Federal Realty for further information. They shared, “Federal is in the preliminary stages of exploring a new office building, with a focus on the life sciences and biotechnology industry. We enjoy the activation and unique offering that Bark Social has brought to the neighborhood, and endeavor to continue a long-term relationship with the team.”
We also reached out to Bark Social for comment. They responded, “ Your communication with us was the first we’ve heard of this news. We’re reaching out to Federal Realty to learn the details. We love MoCo and will ALWAYS be in MoCo. When [we] find out what is happening, you’ll find out what’s happening.”
According to a brochure on the website of the future building, Scheer Partners anticipates that construction will take approximately 18 months and that the building will be open for tenants to move in between April- late June of 2024.
Featured rendering courtesy of Scheer Partners.
By: Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
South Block, a smoothie and juice bar best known for their acai bowls, shared that they are opening a new location in Pike & Rose. Per their Instagram announcement, they are hoping to open by summer 2022. They will be taking over the space currently occupied by the Residences At Pike & Rose leasing office, right next to the newly opened Call Your Mother Deli. (The leasing office will move to the spot formerly occupied by Nava Health.)
Along with their acai bowls, South Block offers other fruit and vegetable-based bowls, a range of smoothies, and cold pressed juices. They currently have eleven locations throughout DC and Virginia– their Pike & Rose spot will be their first location in Maryland. In addition to their brick and mortar locations, South Block has an online storefront where they sell pre-blended smoothie bowl kits that they deliver throughout the continental United States.
South Block places an emphasis on giving back and doing good– they donate a portion of all juice sales to Fruitful Planet, an organization created by South Block’s founder that brings fruits and vegetables to underserved communities. Per their website, they also use organic, fair trade acai in order to help fight deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest.
You can learn more about South Block by checking out their website.
Featured photo courtesy of South Block’s Instagram.
By: Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
Taiwan Bubble Tea Festival Happening in Rockville This Saturday
This Saturday, September 25, the Taiwan Sister Cities will host the Taiwan Bubble Tea Festival. The event will be held from 10am-5pm in Rockville Town Square, right in front of the library. The festival is free (no tickets are necessary), and all are welcome.
There will be different vendors selling Bubble Tea as well as Taiwanese style snacks. Taiwan Republic Band, a local Taiwanese rock and pop group, will be performing during the festival. In addition, there will be yo-yo performers, drummers, and more.
Along with the food and entertainment, the festival aims to educate the local community, provide connections for outreach, as well as strengthen connections within the community.
The first Taiwan Bubble Tea festival happened in May of 2019, the same year that Yilan City, Taiwan was established as a Sister City of Rockville.
You can learn more about the event here.
Featured image courtesy of the Taiwan Sister Cities facebook page.
By: Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
Clove & Cedar Coffeebar Announces Permanent Closure
In an Instagram post, Clove & Cedar shared that they plan to close their Bethesda location.
They wrote that despite having the most loyal customer fan base, they will be shutting their doors permanently on Sunday August 29.
Clove & Cedar first opened back in June of 2019. They have been best known for their emphasis on local products– they sold locally roasted coffees (most notably Ceremony Coffee), locally made treats, and frequently hosted pop ups for other local businesses in their shop.
The post shared that sales before the pandemic were much higher, and that they hadn’t seen the same business return since. They explained that they ultimately made the decision to close due to the uncertainty of the future– especially with the rise of the Delta variant.
During the pandemic, they donated proceeds (and cups of coffee) towards many local organizations, received a grant from the Red BackPack Fund, and partnered with a local foundation to host a virtual 5k.
The Instagram post announced that there may be a possible Clove & Cedar 2.0, but that a location and timeline has not yet been determined.
Featured photo courtesy of Clove & Cedar’s Instagram.
By: Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
OMA Sushi & Oyster Bar to Open at The Block
This past weekend, signs for Oma Sushi & Oyster Bar went up at a stall in The Block in Pike & Rose. We spoke to a representative for Oma, who said that they hope to be open by the end of August.
Per their website, the new sushi vendor will also offer oysters, handrolls and yakitori. Additionally, their website shares that they plan “to redefine the sushi experience, by offering creative & affordable Japanese cuisine with the finest ingredients.”
Oma will open in the space previously occupied by Pokeworks. In addition to ordering at the stall itself, a representative from The Block shared with us that patrons will be able to order sushi and more via QR code while enjoying a drink at the bar.
Oma will be run by the team behind Sushi Oishii at Traville Gateway in Rockville.
You can learn more about Oma in the coming weeks by checking out their website, which is currently under construction.
By: Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
Sunflower Fields in Poolesville Have Started to Bloom
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area, located off of River Road, is home to fields of sunflowers. In recent years, these sunflower fields have become a popular spot for people to visit– usually to take photos of the blooms or to use as a creative background.
Often, the sunflowers are in peak bloom around mid-July. However, there is some variety from year to year when peak bloom will occur– the Department of Natural Resources website explains that many factors affect the timing of the blooms, such as the techniques used in planting, type of seeds used, conditions of the soil, and more.
Although the sunflower fields are a popular spot for people to visit, that is not the main purpose behind why they are planted. They are primarily used for their seeds, which are cultivated to feed mourning doves and other types of animals that are hunted on the property. Additionally, the local bee population benefits from the pollen and nectar produced by these flowers.
While people are allowed to visit and take photos with the sunflowers, there are some rules that need to be followed: visitors are not allowed to cut, destroy, remove, or trample any of the sunflowers or other plants in the area.
You can learn more about the Mckee-Beshers sunflowers here.
By: Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
Why Do So Many Trees Look Like This Right Now? We Have the Answer– and It’s Cicadas
Have you noticed trees with clusters of brown leaves? This is known as branch flagging, and it’s happening to a lot of trees in our area right now.
Why is this happening? The Brood X cicadas were out and about in our area recently. When the female cicadas laid their eggs, they cut small slits into tree branches and deposited their eggs inside these slits. The branches that have eggs inside have started to wilt and their leaves have turned brown.
Only the branches that have eggs in them have been affected– they will eventually fall off, leaving healthy branches behind and the rest of the tree unharmed. Trees that are very young or delicate might not survive after this, but most trees will be fine.
Branch flagging can sometimes be caused by other pests such as scales, fungus, or other insects. In these instances, an increasing number of branches will start to show signs of flagging, and treatment may be required in order to keep the tree healthy. However, if the flagging is caused by cicadas no treatment for the tree is needed.
By: Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
