California Tortilla has reopened its Cabin John Village location, according to a report by Store Reporter. Per the report, the newly reopened fast-casual restaurant now has a “revamped design (now featuring a Cava-style assembly line) and an expanded patio area.” Often referred to as “Cal Tort”, the fast-casual chain serves fresh, made-to-order burritos, quesadillas, and salads all grounded in a foundation of Mexican cuisine.

California Tortilla has nearly 50 locations in the DMV, burn its first ever location came in August 1995 on Cordell Avenue in Bethesda. The restaurant’s headquarters are also currently in Rockville/Potomac. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.


The renovation work included the replacement of all flooring, reconfiguration and updating of shelving, painting throughout, a new service desk, new lighting, redesign of the children’s reading nook, installation of security equipment, the addition of lounge seating and study areas, replacement of the entry doors, creation of a family restroom and the updating of interior and exterior signs.


Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a fire at The Flats apartment complex in the 8300 block of Wisconsin Ave in Bethesda on Monday morning around 9:30am. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, the fire originated on a kitchen stove on the 4th floor of the 12-story building. There was some extension to nearby cabinets before it was extinguished and no injuries have been reported. The building was partially evacuated due to smoke and damage is estimated to be ~$5K.  Piringer reports that the building’s sprinkler system was out of service.

Per @mcfrsPIO on Twitter: “Update – The Flats, Wisconsin Ave., 12-sty apt, 4th floor, kitchen, fire on stove top w/ some extension (cabinets), no injuries, NOTE: occupant closed door on way out (contained fire), some smoke, bldg partially evacuated, Damage ~$5K, sprinkler system OOS”


Signage is up for Wild Custom Apparel on the lower level of Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Wild Custom Apparel currently has a location at St. Charles Towne Center in Waldorf, MD. According to its website, “Wild Custom Apparel offers high quality, customized printing or embroidery for your t-shirts, masks, or hoodies.” No opening date has been announced.


Jolly Yolly Kids is now open on the lower level of Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, next to The Cheesecake Factory. The 8,000+ square ft. indoor play space features playgrounds, party rental space, and an art studio. Prices range from $12.95-$18.95 for two hours or playtime, depending on age and day of the week.

Per Jolly Yolly: “Jolly Yolly Kids is an indoor play and learning center for children aged 13 and under. The center has a play area of approximately 8,500 square feet, equipped with a multilevel premium indoor play structure for children aged 13 and under, tot lots for children from 2 to 7 years old, baby area for children aged 2 and under, and party rooms.


Melashops, a south Asian fashion market, is opening today (Saturday, April 1) at Montgomery Mall. Melashops, which originally opened in Lakeforest Mall in 2019, offers Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi apparel, jewelry, and accessories. “We have managed to grow our business over the years, even as the rest of Lakeforest was shutting down. Our new Montgomery Mall store, located on the first floor of the Nordstroms wing and across Urban Outfitters, represents the culmination of years of market feedback and optimization.” owner Bobby Mozunder tells us.

“We are in effect, a mall-within-a-mall and the only multi-vendor shopping destination for South Asian apparel in the DMV area.” Their vendors provide the full spectrum of South Asian clothing, including sarees, dresses, menswear, kids wears, high-end bridal wear, fancy Bollywood party dresses, casual wear, as well as lots of detailed jewelry. Some vendors are permanently located at the store and other vendors attend as their schedule permits. Holidays such as Eid and Diwali can be especially packed and busy. The shop also has an experienced tailor on-site available for alterations and  to make custom matching blouses and dresses as needed. The stores hours of operation will be:


The workshops are funded in part by an Arts in Education Grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.For more information contact Clotilde Puértolas at [email protected].


Dog Haus Biergarten is now offering 24/7 delivery service out of all three of its Montgomery County locations (Gaithersburg, Bethesda, and Silver Spring,) making it one of the only non-fast food restaurants offering 24-7 delivery service in the area.  Dog Haus’ virtual brands, including Bad Ass Breakfast Burritos, Plant B (All plant base food) Impossible Shop, Bad Mutha Cluka and Jail Bird (all chicken options), are also available 24-7.

The first Dog Haus opened in Pasadena, CA in 2010.  The company opened its first east coast location in Bethesda (7904 Woodmont Ave) in 2018, followed by Gaithersburg (644 Center Point Way) in January 2020 and Silver Spring (933 Ellsworth Dr.) in December 2021.


According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable John Maloney sentenced defendant, Carlos Zackery, 26, of Washington, D.C., to 100 years in prison suspend all but 26 years and five years of supervised probation upon release. The sentence was handed down on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. The defendant pleaded guilty in this case in September 2022 to six armed robberies, nine first degree assaults, and two conspiracy to commit armed robbery charges.

A codefendant in this case, Zackery’s half-brother, Dionte Taylor, 25, of unknown address, was sentenced on January 20, 2023 to 65 years with all but 12 suspended, and five years of supervised probation upon release. He had plead guilty to 13 counts related to the armed robberies.


Per Montgomery County Public Schools: The Board of Education approved the following administrative appointments:

Robert Sinclair Jr., currently Principal, James Hubert Blake High School, as Consulting Principal, Department of Professional Growth Systems, Office of Human Resources and Development, Office of the Chief Operating Officer


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