Olney Winery has been operating since 2012, initially as The Winery at Olney. The winemaker was located at 18127 Town Center Drive in the Fair Hill shopping center in Olney until September of last year. In 2016, expanded and opened a tasting room in the stone house at 12810 Shank Farm Way in Hagerstown. Last week, Olney Winery opened its new space at 52 Olney Sandy Spring Road in Ashton Market. In addition to wine, they’re also offering pizza at the location.

Per Olney Winery: “Olney Winery employs the unique business model of sourcing our grape product from suppliers and vineyards all over the world to ferment over 34 different varietals of award-winning wines locally. We bring the world of wine to Maryland.


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 and a Westminster location opened last week to make three for the state.

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. Currently, only three of the 15+ have been announced with a Gambrills location, at 1070 Maryland Route 3 North, opening in September. A Columbia restaurant, at 9071 Snowden River Parkway (Howard County) is coming this fall, and a Forestville restaurant, at 3270 Donnell Drive (Prince George’s County) is also set to open this fall. 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.


Peri Peri Original & Kallisto Steakhouse is now open in the space that was previously home to Pollo Mex at 13436 New Hampshire Ave in the Colesville Center. Pollo Mex closed last summer after 12 years in the location. Items at Peri Peri Original include wings, coconut shrimp, flame-grilled chicken, pita sandwiches, wraps, smash burgers, and tacos.  Kallisto Steakhouse, a concept by the owners of Peri Peri Original, will be joining Peri Peri in the restaurant space, but items from its menu are currently unavailable.

Peri Peri Original is an international chain that has over ten locations in Virginia and Maryland, as well as an additional location coming to Rockville (location not yet available). “Peri Peri chicken is marinated for 24hrs in our unique Portuguese Peri Peri sauce flamed grilled for serving from the spice selection of your choice.” The first United States location was opened in 2018 in Alexandria, Virginia. Kallisto Steakhouse was launched in 2020 in Herndon, VA. “Impatient and unsatisfied from the unavailability of true steak parlors and appropriate cuts under Halal sector, company leaders took a daunting and brave step to take the reins in their hands and inaugurated the operations with the deep vision on providing excellence around the principles of 3Ps – people, process and product. Kallisto Steakhouse incepted with only one goal and that is to bring premium cut and best in class Halal Steaks to its loyal and respected steak connoisseurs, Kallisto Steak house company is proud of being a first mover in the steak industry while offering the unique products to its esteemed patrons. The founders bring deep enthusiasm towards ensuring the sophistication in ultimate product delivery to the end consumers with pride and excellence. Furthermore, finding passion and zeal in delivering mouthwatering steaks that are flavored and grilled to perfection to serve the perfect taste and fulfill the appetite.” 


The grand opening of La Table Du Chateau takes place on Saturday, July 22, 2023 (open weekends 8am-3pm). We stopped by for a soft opening event and have put together a “first look” video available below. Situated inside of The Block at Pike and Rose (967 Rose Ave. North Bethesda), this breakfast and brunch destination invites guests to savor the delightful flavors of French cuisine, blended with a touch of home and a dash of international inspiration.

Chef Max Zelenkov’s journey began when he emigrated as Ukrainian/Russian native to the United States and was raised and pursued his education in Montgomery County. MoCo, a melting pot of culture and tradition, was the perfect setting to foster Chef Max’s fascination with the world’s diverse culinary traditions.


Lotus Cafe, located at 8077 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, will close permanently at the end of July, according to a representative from the restaurant. The restaurant has been serving the Silver Spring community for nearly 15 years and has garnered over 300 Yelp reviews and over 350 of Google reviews, earning 4 and 4.4 stars respectively. The restaurant has offered Vietnamese cuisine and is known for its outdoor patio in Silver Spring. There is no word on a possible replacement.

Featured photo courtesy of Lotus Cafe.


Ensemble at 4856 Cordell Ave in Bethesda has closed. Ensemble was a “digital food hall” from Catalogue Brands, the restaurant group behind Ted’s Bulletin, Federalist Pig, Honeymoon Chicken, Sidekick Bakery, and Kramers. Food from Ensemble was available for pickup or delivery and its menu featured the most popular items from several Catalogue restaurants that could be mixed and matched, all coming from one kitchen.


District Bistro & Frank’s Burgers are coming to 11230 Grandview Ave in Wheaton-Glenmont, the former site of Umberto’s. The space will be split into two concepts with Franks on one side and District Bistro on the other, united by a kitchen in the back. Frank’s Burger Place is currently located at 11265 Triangle Ln. The new combination restaurant is hoping to open by the end of August.

According to owner Pedro Matamoros, District Bistro will be an American concept that is focused on “seasonality and use of local ingredients when permitted.” Menu items will include beef tartare, steak frites, roasted duck and lamb bolognaise, and its bar will focus on classic cocktails like Martinis and Manhattans. The restaurant also plans to eventually launch a brunch menu.


Reformation is now open at 4823 Bethesda Ave in Bethesda Row. Reformation is a “revolutionary lifestyle brand that proves that fashion and sustainability can coexist,” that combines stylish, vintage-inspired designs with sustainable practices. According to the company, “the new location marks Reformation’s first in the state of Maryland and second in the DMV area,  expanding the brand’s global fleet to 41 stores. Like all Reformation stores, the Bethesda Row location incorporates natural and recyclable materials, including sustainable dressing room carpets, vintage furniture, eco-friendly fabrics, hangers made with FSC-certified wood, and reusable deadstock totes. The store will also offset 100% of its electricity usage with renewable energy.

Additionally, the store features six dressing rooms and showcases Reformation’s one-of-a-kind, tech-driven retail concept, which brings the best of its online experience to its physical doors. The result is a more customer-centric shopping experience while remaining, as always, environmentally conscious. Features include:


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