North Bethesda

Slapfish, whose only MoCo location was at 12033 Rockville Pike in the Montrose Crossing shopping center, has closed permanently, according to its Google listing and signage recently posted on the door. The restaurant opened in July 2018, when it gave away 107 lobster rolls as part of its grand opening celebration.

The “modern seafood shack” is a fast casual restaurant with locations primarily on the west coast and Southwestern United States, but has recently opened location across the country. It has been called “the Chipotle of Seafood.” The Rockville location was their first on the east coast, as it joined Cava, Honeygrow, and MOD Pizza at Montrose Crossing. The strip where the restaurant is located was constructed over the previous home of Timpano Italian Chophouse, the restaurant that was demolished to make way for the current structure that was home to Slapfish and is currently home to other fast-casual eateries and stores.

Back in July we let you know that Caruso’s Grocery will be taking over the dining room portion of Owen’s Ordinary in Pike & Rose. We also let you know that the bar and patio at Owen’s Ordinary will be rebranding as Owen’s Tavern and Garden.  Chef Matt Adler announced via Instagram (seen below) that Owen’s Tavern will be holding its soft opening this weekend (first weekend of November). Adler does include a disclaimer letting everyone know that they may not be fully ready. The menu can be seen below:

Both Caruso’s and Owen’s are operated by Neighborhood Restaurant Group.  Chef Matt Adler previously told Washingtonian Magazine that Owen’s dining room was never as busy as its  bar and patio so it made sense to repurpose the underutilized space. Caruso’s is still in progress, so there will be a little bit more of a wait until that aspect of the rebrand is ready to open.