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Free Chicken in Exchange for School Supplies Tonight at Nando’s Peri Peri

By Patrick Herron

Nando’s Peri Peri is offering a free ¼ chicken in exchange for a donation of a new back-to-school item today, July 18, from 4-7pm at all its locations. The promotion is recognition of Nelson’s Mandela’s birthday.  Nando’s has Montgomery County locations in Gaithersburg, North Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Wheaton.

“July 18th is Nelson Mandela’s birthday. His birthday is recognized and celebrated world wide as Mandela day; a day for us all to inspire change and make a difference in our communities. At Nando’s we are proud of our South African heritage. We will join in celebrating his birthday on July 18th by following his example and giving back to our communities. Come to any Nando’s during this time and bring new school supplies to donate in exchange for a Free ¼ Chicken on us. All supplies will be donated to local schools and students.”

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La Casita in Germantown to Close

By Patrick Herron

La Casita at 18058 Mateny Rd in Germantown has announced it will be closing on July 31. The restaurant tells us the decision was made “due to lease negotiations and our decision to open Laurel, we decided not to move forward.”

La Casita was founded in Montgomery County when the Silver Spring location opened in 2002 and currently has locations in Gaithersburg, Nationals Park & Union Market District. Last week, La Casita announced plans to open a new location in Laurel, MD. Per La Casita on social media, “We have a very special announcement to make (and please pardon our dust 👷🏽‍♂️)…a brand new La Casita Pupuseria is coming to Laurel, MD! Yes, we are super excited to finally be able to reveal after a long project that hopefully by Fall 2023 we will be able to serve the greater Laurel area right on Baltimore Ave.”

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Guapo’s Bethesda Has Reopened After Temporarily Closing For Renovations

By MCS Staff

Popular local restaurant chain Guapo’s has just reopened its Bethesda location at 8130 Wisconsin Avenue after a brief closure for renovations. The restaurant announced that the Bethesda location is open again as of Tuesday, July 18th. Guapo’s has an additional Montgomery County location in Gaithersburg at Rio Lakefront.

Late owner Hector Rincón, originally from Colombia, opened the original Guapo’s in Tenleytown in DC in the early 90s. Per Guapo’s, the Rincon family arrived in Virginia in the late 1970’s. All four children graduated from Fairfax County schools and universities and continued to invest in their community. They believed that their businesses should provide opportunity and pride to demonstrate the dedication to their hometown and the metropolitan area. Now their children continue the same aspirations as their grandparents did when they arrived over 30 years ago.

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MoCo DHHS Sends Letter to Restaurants Informing Them They Cannot Sell Food Infused With Cannabis/CBD/THC

By MCS Staff

The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services has sent a letter to restaurant facilitators informing/reminding them that they cannot add cannabis, CBD, or THC to any food or drink they serve because it has not been approved as a food additive by the FDA, despite its current legal status in the state. The letter can be seen below:

“Dear Facility Operator,

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First Look at Stella Point Grille; Now Open in Kensington

By MCS Staff

Our very own Mr. MoCo stopped by a friends & family event at Stella Point Grille, which has officially opened today (video below). The restaurant is located at 3739 University Blvd in Kensington– the former home of China Gourmet. Stella Point Grille is owned by Graham Gursky (former general manager at Quincy’s South) and Stephen Lee (principal owner of China Gourmet).

Gursky is a Montgomery County native, who was raised in Germantown and attended Watkins Mill High School. He has worked in the restaurant business since he was in high school, only leaving Montgomery County for a few years while attending college in New Hampshire. Lee is also local, born in Washington DC. He has been in the restaurant industry his whole life and attended college in Kentucky before managing restaurants for decades. He has been married to his wife Christina for 51 years and has two daughters four grandchildren. Much of Lee’s staff from China Gourmet was getting ready to retire so he was ready to change concepts at the location. Gursky has brought along a lot of his former staff from Quincy’s South including the restaurant’s Assistant GM, Gavin Holt, who is also a MoCo native.

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Where to Park (and where not to park) at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg

By MCS Staff

Today we are starting our “where to park” series so that you can enjoy different shopping areas across MoCo with a little less worrying about where to park. We’ll explore popular shopping centers and developments across the county and let you where (and where not to) park. Today we begin with Rio Lakefront, formerly the Rio Washingtonian Center, in Gaithersburg:

If you leave the roundabout and enter between Dick’s and True Food Kitchen on Rio Blvd (photo below), you may have to deal with some congestion during busy times, which is why we recommend avoiding doing so during those times. There’s an immediate left you can make where you can find a few spots in a very small lot or you can turn right into the YardHouse lot. The small lot on the left is almost always full and the YardHouse lot is convenient, but fills up quickly. Luckily, you can see if there are any spaces as you drive by so you can make a decision without much of an impact. Then you arrive at the crosswalk between Uncle Julio’s and Corner Bakery. This is the cause for the congestion, as people are often crossing the street– individuals, big groups, families with children, etc.  

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Two Montgomery County Restaurants Make Eater DC’s “38 Essential Restaurants List”

By MCS Staff

“The Eater 38 offers a selection of defining culinary destinations that showcase the diversity of D.C. (and its many suburbs).” While there are many wonderful restaurants here in Montgomery County, just two made Eater DC’s list of “38 Essential Restaurants (videos of both available below).

Caruso’s Grocery (Pike & Rose): Caruso’s Grocery opened its Pike & Rose location in December (first location is in DC). The restaurant is located at 11820 Trade St. in the dining room space that was home to Owen’s Ordinary and currently home to the recently rebranded Owen’s Tavern and Beer Garden. According to its website, “Caruso’s Grocery is modeled after the classic, Italian-American ‘red sauce joint. You know the one: red banquettes, a killer chicken Parm, Sinatra pouring through the speakers. If you’re looking for modern interpretations of a chef’s take on the classics, you won’t find them here. Caruso’s Grocery will be home to traditional Italian-American fare focused on execution and high quality ingredients – menu items include Chicken Parmesan, Penne alla Vodka, Mozzarella en Carozza, Sole Francaise, Garlic Bread with Four Cheese Sauce, and more old school hits. A joint venture from Neighborhood Restaurant Group and Partner Matthew Adler.”

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First Look at The Salt Line (Bethesda)

By MCS Staff

The Salt Line opened this past week in Bethesda Row, taking over the location at 4900 Hampden Lane that was previously home to Greek restaurant Kapnos until 2018. The restaurant held its grand opening on Tuesday, July 11th. We stopped by for dinner on opening day and put together a little video to see just some of what you may experience (videos below).

According to the restaurant, the opening menu at features a selection of beloved New England favorites also found at The Salt Line’s Navy Yard and Ballston locations, as well as additions from Executive Chef Eric McKamey and Long Shot Hospitality Chef/Partner Kyle Bailey. Highlights include the Local Heirloom Tomato Salad, Bucatini and Clams, Maine Peekytoe Crab Roll, and more. In addition to full beer and wine lists, the cocktail program is heavily influenced by the New England lifestyle and showcases imaginative twists on timeless classics such as the Cape Codder G&T, The Blue Cheese Martini, Sbagliato Spritz, and more. The interior evokes a nautical feel, with mahogany paneling, brass fixtures, booths inspired by yacht seats, a huge u-shaped bar, and vintage coastal ephemera throughout.

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Mr. MoCo’s 15 Favorite Ice Cream Spots in MoCo

By MCS Staff

In honor of National Ice Cream Day (Sunday, July 16th), I wanted to share my current 15 favorite ice cream spots in MoCo. I say current because this list often changes with places moving in and out of my rotation. While I love just about every ice cream place there is, I’m choosing the 15 that appeal to me the most right now. I’m also including places that offer “frozen treats” because I consider it all in the ice cream family. If there’s a place not listed, it’s just not currently in my top 15, which is likely to look different than yours (I’m only one person and can only eat so much ice cream, so there are also likely places I haven’t been to yet 😊). The list you’ll see below is accurate as of July 16th, 2023:

15. Sprinkles (Potomac): A Potomac Village staple since the late 80s, I first tried Sprinkles at some point in the 90s. It’s a bit out of the way in terms of things I’ve done in general so I haven’t been lately, but I enjoy it when I go.

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