Dunkin’ will be taking over the space that was previously home to $2.49 Cleaners, at 12196 Georgia Ave. in Wheaton-Glenmont, on the same block as Trippy’s Tacos and Seafood in the Buff and near Popeyes. An opening timeframe is not yet available for the store, but it appears the store will have a drive-thru (or at least a walk-up window) based on the renderings in the featured photo.

Dunkin’ has been making a big push lately in Montgomery County, with new locations at the Layhill Center (14328 Layhill Rd) in Silver Spring and in the Goshen Crossing Shopping Center in Gaithersburg/Montgomery Village, where it has taken over the former Capital One Bank building at 20000 Goshen Rd.  Last December, we let you know that Dunkin’ is continuing its massive expansion across the country and within MoCo, and there are currently an additional four locations in the works with more likely to come.


Buffalo Wild Wings, a sports bar and restaurant franchise with two Montgomery County locations, will temporarily close its Gaithersburg store (668 Clopper Road) in Quince Orchard Plaza for renovations. Multiple worried customers sent messages to The MoCoShow about signage being removed, but an employee of the restaurant let us know that it remains open and will only temporarily close from Monday, October 16th until Thursday, October 19th for renovations.

The Gaithersburg location opened in early 2013, replacing Chevy’s, which abruptly closed in February 2012. Buffalo Wild Wings has an additional location in Rockville Town Square and will be opening its first MoCo ‘Buffalo Wild Wings GO’ location– a scaled-down version of the restaurant that focuses on the to-go and delivery format in the upcoming Kensington Crossing– a new retail development that will be located at 10619 Connecticut Avenue (at Plyers Mill Road) in Kensington.


Verny Varela is an arranger, composer, singer and flutist who born in Cali, Colombia, and raised in the “Barrio Obrero,” Verny started singing and playing with his father’s band, El Nuevo Son. In 1996, he sang with Ismael Miranda, Adalberto Santiago, Pete “El Conde” Rodríguez and the Fania All Stars, in Cali and in Tulua. In 1997, Verny became the lead singer in the Gabino Pampini Band, and later toured Europe and the U.S. with Tito Gomez.”

The special display of Lotus is expected to have at least 20 vehicles with the ACBC founder’s initials. Models expected will include a Seven and a Type Nine. There also will be displays of Elite, Elan, Europa, Eclat, Esprit, Elise, Exige and Evora. The cars will represent Lotus models from the 1950s to the 2020s. The special display will be located at the front of the show field, near the stage. In addition to the vehicles on display, with owners nearby to provide details and histories, the show will have a flea market and a car sales area. Food and drink will be available for purchase. Visitors can bring their own food to the show area. Music will be provided by Blue Sky Five.


Yelp’s “Yelp MD Burbs” released its list of “Top 25 Places to Eat in MD Burbs”  and 18 of the 25 restaurants on the list are in Montgomery County, including four of the top five. Yelp is a popular company that publishes crowd-sourced reviews about businesses with a major focus on restaurants. According to Yelp, “The MD Burbs knows how to eat, and these locally-loved spots are proof of that! We’re excited to announce the MD Burbs’ Top 25 Places to Eat (2023), backed by Yelp data and approved by taste buds everywhere!”

https://www.facebook.com/tastemoco/posts/pfbid0GEXYRbUvfamiJfACVenm1maeQ87vw5UkPVRPWQxurXvabFqqQVYfnRwKNoaSn4pFl


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. In June, we reported that Pines of Rome has found a home for its newest venture, Pines of Rome Express. It will be located at 121B Congressional Lane– the former home of Congressional Deli, a representative from the restaurant confirmed. The new restaurant is located beside/behind Mykonos Grill and near Bed Bath& Beyond. A representative from Pines of Rome in Bethesda let us know today that the restaurant will open in “maybe 10 days.”

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 Clarks Lodge Bar & Grill is coming to 12011 Snowden Farm Pkwy, the former site of GrillMarx in Clarksburg. The Clarks Lodge is owned by the same restaurant group behind The Creek Lodge, which opened at 5566 Norbeck Rd in October 2022, as well as Brews & Barrels in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands.

The menu is expected to be similar to that of The Creek Lodge and feature a selection of steaks, seafood, pasta, and a full bar. The restaurant is hoping to open in early February.


Ledo Pizza opened its first “Ledo Pizza Corner Shoppe” inside of a Giant Food store at 1649 Crofton Center in Crofton, MD (Anne Arundel County) this past summer. Now it has opened its first MoCo Corner Shoppe inside of Giant at 18140 Village Center Dr. in the Olney Village Center.

Why open less than half a mile from a Ledo restaurant? The “Corner Shoppe” offers take and bake pizza that allows customers to take home a frozen pizza to bake themselves at a later time. The store will also offer hot pizzas from the oven as well.


Frank’s Burgers will open its new location at 11230 Grandview Ave in Wheaton-Glenmont (former site of Umberto’s), this Saturday, October 14. Nicaraguan restaurant El Chante, which currently splits space with Frank’s Burger Place at 11265 Triangle Ln, will take over that entire space once the new Frank’s opens.

The new Grandview Ave location will be split into two restaurant concepts, with Frank’s on one side and District Bistro on the other, united by a kitchen in the back. According to owner Pedro Matamoros, District Bistro is a new American concept that is focused on “seasonality and use of local ingredients when permitted.” Menu items at District Bistro will include beef tartare, steak frites, roasted duck and lamb bolognaise, and its bar will focus on classic cocktails like Martinis and Manhattans. We will provide an opening date for District Bistro when it is announced.


Malai, a New York City-based ice cream shop, is coming to DC. The shop “brings a taste of India in every bite and every cone, through its spice forward flavors, and its creamy textures. We are inspired by the traditions, culture, and heritage that India brings, and we show that through our products, hospitality and design.” The store will be off of the 14th street corridor, according to Eater DC, but an exact address is not yet available.

According to the shop, “Malai, figuratively meaning cream of the crop, draws inspiration from South Asian ingredients, aromatic spices, and our founder’s upbringing. Our ice cream is all eggless, handcrafted, and churned with very little air, resulting in purer, more robust flavors, as well as the creamiest textures you can find. Malai’s unique desserts have been giving our customers joy since 2015.”


Who’s ready to savor, sip and celebrate 🎉🍔 Join us THIS Sunday, October 15 for Rio’s first annual Taste of rio, a foodie extravaganza from 2 – 6 pm, with The MoCoShow’s own Mr. MoCo emceeing part of the event. “Indulge in yummy bites from your favorite rio restaurants, groove to live music, and sip on craft cocktails by the lakeside—it’s a feast you won’t want to miss!” Participating merchants:

SOLD OUT: Taste of Rio VIP Exclusive Experience – limited availability!


Per the ice cream shop, “Sarah’s Handmade was created by a Bethesda mother-daughter team, Sarah and Annie Park. When Sarah retired in 2018, she suddenly found herself with time to indulge in her old hobbies. She began to experiment and create original ice cream recipes for her family, friends, and neighbors, fit for each occasion. Soon enough, she was receiving calls and orders from strangers for her handmade ice cream! With strong enthusiasm from friends and wide support from neighbors, Sarah and Annie decided to bring the homemade flavors to a River Road storefront in Bethesda. To stay true to Sarah’s commitment to the highest quality ice cream that she would “feel proud feeding my family,” Sarah uses only the best, local-whenever-possible ingredients and sticks to her small-batch, all-natural recipes.”

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