In July we let you know that Dream on Me, the New Jersey-based company that recently purchased Buy Buy Baby’s brand and digital assets for $15.5 million and was a supplier for the store, was the successful bidder for 11 store leases at a bankruptcy auction for about $1.17 million. Buy Buy Baby’s sole Montgomery County location, at 1683 Rockville Pike in Rockville’s Congressional Plaza, closed its doors on Sunday, July 30th, but was included as one of 11 stores that will reopen. The store will be reopening on Saturday, November 18th. Per Buy Buy Baby Rockville:

We’re back, BABY! Mark your calendars-you’re invited to our celebration. Saturday, November 18th, 10am – 1pm. Join us for a day of interacting with your favorite brands, experiencing our store’s new look, and learning about the latest must-have products. Plus, attendees will be eligible to win prizes, enjoy delicious treats and go home with a gift bag!* (while supplies last)


Pines of Rome Express is now open at 121B Congressional Lane– the former home of Congressional Deli. Last year, we let you know that Pines of Rome, a Bethesda staple for over 50 years, tabbed WashUrban to spearhead their first ever search for a second location. The new restaurant is located beside/behind Mykonos Grill and near Bed Bath& Beyond.

The original restaurant, which will remain open, is located at 4918 Cordell Ave. in Bethesda. Pines of Rome moved to the location in 2017 and was previously located at 4709 Hampden Lane, opening in 1972.  The restaurant is known for its extremely popular white pizza, spaghetti & meatballs, and other traditional Italian dishes. The express version will focus on carry-out and delivery. The menu can be seen below via Instagram.


Carmen’s Italian Ice is partnering with the owners of Kung Fu Tea at 130 Market St in Gaithersburg to open a new location. Carmen’s will be sharing the space with Kung Fu Tea, taking over the portion that is currently occupied by Tutti Frutti. According to Carmen’s, it will initially offer 3-4 flavors of custard, 6-8 flavors of Italian ice, milkshakes, and more. The plan is to open in about two weeks. Earlier this year Carmen’s partnered with the Clarksburg Market at 23329 Frederick Rd to open a similar concept in Clarksburg.

About Carmen’s: It started with a simple idea. Introduce homemade gourmet Italian Ice to the Washington DC area. Jason Mandler – a native of Parsippany, New Jersey – opened Carmen’s Italian Ice & Cafe in Rockville, MD in 2001. Tracing its roots back to Philly and South Jersey where this dessert has been a mainstay for years, Carmen’s offers homemade, gourmet Italian Ice in over 60 flavors. It also now offers frozen custard, shakes, and a toppings bar.


Robert Wiedmaier’s Mussel Bar & Grille closed its 7262 Woodmont Ave Bethesda location permanently in April 2022, but the Robert Wiedmaier restaurant group plans to bring the restaurant back to a new location in Bethesda in 2024, according to the group’s website. The restaurant initially opened in Bethesda in July of 2010. A second location opened in Atlantic City, N.J, and a third opened in Ballston. The Atlantic City location has also since closed and the Ballston location remains open. The location of the restaurant will be announced soon.

Per its website, “inspiration for Mussel Bar is an old-world Belgian roadhouse serving Bière, Moules & Frites, the kind of place where Chef in his youth would head late night to unwind with kitchen colleagues, eat simple food and listen to good music. He’s one of the first to ‘muscle’ the craze and honor his Belgian roots in the DC area with bringing the savory mollusks to the forefront of his own gastro-pubs with the original location in Bethesda, MD that opened in July, 2010.” Featured photo courtesy of Taste MoCo.


Raising Cane’s started its expansion into the D.C. metropolitan region when its first area restaurant opened last December in Sterling, VA (45545 Dulles Eastern Plaza). The first Maryland location opened in Towson in January 2023 and both stores featured lines out the door for months on several days of the week. A Waldorf Location opened in May, a Westminster location opened in July, and a Gambrills locations opened in September to make four for the state. Now, the fifth and closest location to Montgomery County will open at 9071 Snowden River Pkwy in Columbia on Tuesday, November 7th.

We previously reported that Raising Cane’s aims to open 14 stores in the next year, stretching from suburban Baltimore to the Richmond area, and now the chain has announced 15+ locations for Maryland alone. A Forestville restaurant, at 3270 Donnell Drive (Prince George’s County) is set to open on December 5th, which will be a closer location for many. None of the other Maryland locations have been announced yet, and we are awaiting word on if Montgomery County will be included in the openings.


The 16-story, state-of-the-art building at 915 Meeting Street in Pike & Rose has officially opened. It features 9,600 square feet of ground floor retail, approximately 25,000-square-feet of flexible floor plates and 700 dedicated parking spaces.

Designed by Gensler, the building incorporates a vibrant architectural design that includes numerous amenities, such as a rooftop conference center with collaborative common areas, WiredScore-targeted connectivity, a fitness center, and resource-efficient, sustainable wellness features. Choice Hotels International, Inc., along with Sodexo, will be relocating their headquarters to 915 Meeting Street. A new steakhouse by the founders of CAVA, Bouboulina, will also be opening in the building.


Lock 72 has closed permanently after 7 years at 10128 River Rd in Potomac’s Potomac Village shopping center. The restaurant is listed as permanently closed on Google, no longer listed on the RW Restaurant Group website, the phone number is no longer operational, and all of the social media accounts have been deactivated. The restaurant also had a scheduled auction for its contents, which has since been postponed.

The restaurant was purchased by the Robert Wiedmaier group in 2016 when the name changed from The Tavern at River Falls to Lock 72, Kitchen & Bar in 2916. The name Lock72 comes from one of the locks on the C&O Canal, which are numbered 1 through 75. The locks were used to help barges make their way along the canal, which runs from Georgetown in DC to Cumberland, Maryland. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.


With the official opening of the 915 Meeting Street office building and the recent news that a new steakhouse by the owners of CAVA, Bouboulina,  will open on the building’s street level in summer 2024, Federal Realty announces Upper Muse, its newest neighborhood enhancement at North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose. Construction will begin in January 2024 and will be complete in May 2024.

Per the press release: Upper Muse, an approximately 5,000-square-foot courtyard will be located on Meeting Street, in front of the entrance of 915 Meeting, and will be a place to gather and work. It will feature seating with tables and chairs to dine and/or work, and will be surrounded by lush, native landscaping, as well as lighting. The courtyard will connect patrons through an archway from 915 Meeting to the Owen’s Ordinary and Kusshi Sushi patio located across Trade Street.


Trip Advisor is a popular American online travel company that offers ratings of restaurants primarily from those who have traveled to the area, rather than locals. If you’re interested in seeing the opinions of those who have traveled to the area, you’re in luck, as today we’ll be sharing the top 10 restaurants according to Trip Advisor as of October 31, 2023.

10. Copper Canyon (928 Ellsworth Dr, Silver Spring): With a 4 out of 5 rating after 471 reviews, Copper Canyon’s Silver Spring location comes in at #10 overall in the county and #2 in Silver Spring. The restaurant has an additional MoCo location at Gaithersburg’s Rio.


Bouboulina, a new full-service American grill influenced by Mediterranean cuisine, will take 3,080 square feet on the street level of 915 Meeting. The restaurant, which is being opened by the founders of CAVA, will feature a wood fired grill, premium steak cuts, fresh seafood and house baked breads with Mediterranean influences that celebrate the founders’ heritage and roots. Construction will begin later this winter, in early 2024.

Additional information: Ted Xenohristos, Dimitri Moshovitis, and Ike Grigoropoulos are behind Bouboulina, the team’s third restaurant at Pike & Rose, that joins a collection of popular and award-winning dining choices available in the neighborhood. Melina, which opened in 2021, is name after Dimitri’s daughter and is located on the street level of 909 Rose near the group’s first restaurant, French Mediterranean concept, Julii, which opened in 2018. The partners are also the co-founders of CAVA, the Mediterranean fast-casual concept, which is publicly held.


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