North Bethesda Archives - Page 26 of 46

RASA, A Fast-Casual Indian Restaurant, Officially Opens Today in Rockville

Published April 27, 2023 at 8:51AM | Updated April 27, 2023 at 4:13PM

In November we let you know that RASA, a fast-casual Indian restaurant with four locations in DC and Virginia, would be taking over the recently-closed Slapfish location at 12033 Rockville Pike in the Montrose Crossing shopping center. After a community day for charity on Wednesday, RASA officially opens its Rockville location today (Thursday, April 27th) at 10:30am.

The restaurant, founded by Rahul Vinod and Sahil Rahman (combined to create the name, RASA), opened its first location in Navy Yard in 2017 before opening a location in Mt. Vernon Triangle in 2020, Crystal City in 2021, and Fairfax this past summer. The menu offers seven chef-curated bowls under the “We Got You” portion of the menu, that includes their signature bowls like the “Tikka Chance on Me”, “Open Sesame”, “Eat Your Veggies”, “Home Cooking”, “Goa Your Own Way”, “Aloo Need is Love”, and “Caul on Me” or the “You Got It” portion of their menu that allows customers to “DIY” and design their own bowl using the assembly line format of a base, main, sauce, veggies, toppings, and chutneys/dressings. The full menu can be seen here.

So What Else?, A Non-Profit That Serves 150,000 Meals Per Week to Those in Need, Finds New Home After Being Forced to Leave Lakeforest

By MCS Staff

Published April 24, 2023 at 5:59PM

In January, So What Else received the devastating news that its lease at Lakeforest Mall was being terminated due to the recent purchase of the space for redevelopment. The Rockville-based non-profit operated its food pantry out of Lakeforest, but was required to vacate by March 31st. They’ve now moved their pantry headquarters to a new location at 4924 Wyaconda Rd in North Bethesda to continue serving 150,000 meals a week without disruption. So What Else? mentions that this move comes with a 1300% rent increase and will be holding a “Forced to Move Fundraiser”’in May.

So What Else’s mission is “to improve the lives of children and families living in underserved communities in the Baltimore-Washington Metro Area by providing food security, access to basic necessities, and high-quality out-of-school time programs in literacy, athletics, and the visual and performing arts while inspiring young people to give back to the community by creating volunteer opportunities for individuals of all ages.” So What Else’s new distribution schedule, starting May 1st, can be seen below.

RASA Announces Opening Date For Rockville Location

By MCS Staff

Published April 20, 2023 at 8:29PM

In November we let you know that RASA, a fast-casual Indian restaurant with four locations in DC and Virginia, would be taking over the recently-closed Slapfish location at 12033 Rockville Pike in the Montrose Crossing shopping center. Earlier today, RASA announced that it will be opening its Rockville location on Thursday, April 27th at 10:30am.

The restaurant, founded by Rahul Vinod and Sahil Rahman (combined to create the name, RASA), opened its first location in Navy Yard in 2017 before opening a location in Mt. Vernon Triangle in 2020, Crystal City in 2021, and Fairfax this past summer. The menu offers seven chef-curated bowls under the “We Got You” portion of the menu, that includes their signature bowls like the “Tikka Chance on Me”, “Open Sesame”, “Eat Your Veggies”, “Home Cooking”, “Goa Your Own Way”, “Aloo Need is Love”, and “Caul on Me” or the “You Got It” portion of their menu that allows customers to “DIY” and design their own bowl using the assembly line format of a base, main, sauce, veggies, toppings, and chutneys/dressings. The full menu can be seen here.

Kindbody Bethesda Has Opened in Rockville; Maryland Clinic Expanding Access to High-Touch Fertility Care to Employers and Consumers in the DC Metro Area

By MCS Staff

Published April 8, 2023 at 7:32AM

Kindbody, a technology-driven fertility clinic network and family-building benefits provider for employers, announced the opening of a new clinic– Kindbody Bethesda. The clinic is located at 6000 Executive Blvd in Rockville/N. Bethesda. The announcement comes at a time of extraordinary growth for the company which owns and operates 32 clinics nationwide, including a state-of-the-art fertility clinic and IVF lab conveniently off of Dupont Circle and 19th Street in Washington, D.C. Kindbody Bethesda was built to meet the growing demand for comprehensive fertility and family-building benefits by local employers including Kindbody client GEICO, which is headquartered in Chevy Chase, MD, and employs nearly 7,000 corporate associates in the greater Washington, D.C.metro area. In addition to GEICO, Kindbody serves 21 large employers in the region, covering more than 27,000 lives.

Per the press release: “Since opening our doors in Washington, D.C. last spring, we’ve seen unprecedented demand from local employers who understand the critical role fertility benefits play in attracting and retaining world-class talent and building inclusive workplaces,” said Taryn Branca, Chief Revenue Officer at Kindbody. “Our new Bethesda location allows them to provide a premium fertility benefit with significant cost savings, as a result of working directly with the healthcare provider.”

Old Georgetown Rd. Roadwork Will Begin on April 10th to Install Green Paint for Bike Lanes

By MCS Staff

Published April 7, 2023 at 9:33AM

Roadwork will begin on MD 187 (Old Georgetown Road) starting Monday, April 10. Crews will work from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., with overnight work possible, to install green paint for bike lanes, according to the Maryland State Highway Administration. The work is expected to last for two weeks.Last October the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) announced that it started a project to significantly improve safety for bicyclists and motorists on nearly two miles of MD 187 (Old Georgetown Road) in North Bethesda. The changes on MD 187, between south of I-495 (Capital Beltway) and Nicholson Lane, converted one travel lane in each direction in order to add buffered bicycle lanes and the installation of flex posts to outline the new bicycle lanes.

The addition of the bike lanes has been met with mixed reviews with a petition opposing the bike lanes receiving over 8,000 signatures and a petition created in response, supporting the bike lanes, receiving over 2,000 signatures. A rally was also held, in January, in support of the Old Georgetown Rd safety improvements. Featured photo courtesy of the ‘Support the SHA redesign of Old Georgetown Road’ petition

Quincy’s South to Close This Friday

By Patrick Herron

Published March 27, 2023 at 12:01PM | Updated March 27, 2023 at 5:25PM

After nine years, Quincy’s South at 11401 Woodglen Dr in Rockville will be closing this Friday, March 31. The current location is scheduled to be redeveloped into an apartment complex with a retail pad and the restaurant is actively looking for a new location. Drew Gardner, who was recently in the running for Maryland bartender of the year, will be the new General Manager and managing partner when the restaurant reopens. After 3/31, Gardner will be at Quincy’s Potomac (1093 Seven Locks Rd) until a new location is found for Quincy’s South.

“We had a great run here,” said owner Marty Magill. “We never could have imagined how the neighborhood would support us over the years. We are so very grateful for everyone who visited and can’t wait to find our new home nearby soon.”

Hello Kitty Truck Returns to MoCo (Pike & Rose) in April

By MCS Staff

Published March 21, 2023 at 4:02PM | Updated March 21, 2023 at 4:27PM

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck, a traveling food truck selling Hello Kitty-themed treats, will make a stop at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda on Saturday, April 8th from 10am-7pm. The truck will be located near The Gap on Grand Park Avenue. Treats like cookies, madeleines, macarons, clothing, bags, all decorated with Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters, will be available while supplies last. The truck will make nearby stops in Tyson’s Corner from 10am-7pm on Saturday, March 25th and at The Mall in Columbia on Saturday, April 1 from 10am-7pm.

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck has been making annual trips to MoCo with its last one being almost a year ago at Bethesda Row. There are two Hello Kitty Cafe Trucks in the US, one that travels up and down the East coast, and one that travels the West coast. Additionally, there are two Hello Kitty Cafes in the US, one in Las Vegas and one in California. You can learn more about the traveling trucks here.

Six MoCo High Schools Make the “Sweet 16” in Hot 99.5’s “Best High School in the DMV” Contest

By Patrick Herron

Published March 21, 2023 at 9:58AM

Radio station Hot 99.5 (WIHT FM) is currently running it’s annual “Best High School in the DMV” contest on Instagram. The six Montgomery County high schools to make the “Sweet 16” are Montgomery Blair, Northwest, Richard Montgomery, Rockville, Walter Johnson, and Wheaton. The schools included in the tournament were selected after receiving the most nominations and the winning high school will be awarded with $1,000 (courtesy of Burn Bootcamp in Rockville.) Wheaton High School lost to Osbourn Park High School (Manassas, VA) in the final round of the 2021 tournament. Voting takes place in Hot 99.5’s Instagram page’s stories. Hot 99.5 (WIHT) broadcasts out of the IHeartMedia studios at 1801 Rockville Pike in Rockville.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CqB3fRVL8WA/

Rockville Chuck E. Cheese to Relocate

By MCS Staff

Published March 15, 2023 at 8:33PM

Chuck E. Cheese will be moving from its current Rockville location at 5270 Randolph Rd in Loehmann’s Plaza (10,500 SF) to a larger space (16,331 SF) in White Flint Plaza taking over the space that was previously home to Retro Fitness which closed in May 2020, according to a Biz Journals report. The new location is in what’s technically considered Kensington, just over a mile away from the current location in Loehmann’s Plaza. A Chuck E. Cheese Rockville employee let us know that the current location will not close for a “couple months, probably around the end of May.” The new location is expected to open this summer.

Chuck E. Cheese has an additional Montgomery County location at 1127 University Blvd E in Takoma Park. The children’s indoor entertainment arcade also had a location in Gaithersburg that closed in 2020 after being in business at Gaithersburg Square for over 30 years. Per the Biz Journals report, the new location will “feature a 17-foot digital wall and other technological advances over the older locations. There will still be some Chuck E. Cheese mainstays, including things like skee-ball, air hockey, and, of course, pizza.” The Rockville location has also matched pre-2019 numbers this year, hosting 289 birthday parties.

Happy Ending For MoCo Native Scott Van Pelt and His Dog, Redd

By MCS Staff

Published March 11, 2023 at 11:42AM | Updated March 11, 2023 at 6:09PM

Almost 1 million people have seen the original tweet by MoCo native and ESPN SportsCenter host Scott Van Pelt, asking for help after his dog, Redd, got out of a doggy daycare on Friday afternoon in Rockville/North Bethesda. “Heads up to anyone in Rockville, Md. area: Redd somehow got out of the Dogtopia on Wyaconda Rd. Rhodesian Ridgeback, about 65 pounds. He’s chipped. White front left paw and white markings on chest Please keep an eye out or an ear if you hear of anyone who might have found a puppy”

At 10:37pm, after hundreds of retweets and his tweet being seen by hundreds of thousands of people, Van Pelt announced that Redd was found. “Oh my goodness, they found him!!!! An army of people apparently on the case. I can’t even begin to connect the dots. I’m sitting here in tears on a plane headed home and Redd is gonna be there to greet me. I can’t believe it & I can’t thank everyone enough for their kindness.”

Twenty-One-Year-Old Rockville Man Indicted on Charges Following Fatal Collision

By Patrick Herron

Published March 8, 2023 at 11:37AM

Per MCPD: A Rockville man has been indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury on charges related to a fatal collision that occurred on Sunday, August 14, 2022. The investigation revealed that 21-year-old Kevin Saul Orihuela was under the influence of alcohol and was driving a 2019 Audi A4 eastbound on Josiah Henson Parkway at a high rate of speed prior to the collision.

At approximately 4:12 p.m., Orihuela struck a 2014 Ford Fusion driven by 62-year-old Noel Henry Powell of Germantown. Powell was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after the collision. The charges against Orihuela include grossly negligent manslaughter by vehicle, homicide under the influence of alcohol, homicide under the influence of alcohol per se, and homicide while impaired by alcohol.