Three MoCo restaurants have made it onto Eater DC’s “Hottest New Brunches to Try Around D.C.” list that includes some of the most popular new restaurants that offer “D.C.’s most cherished meal.” The restaurants are listed geographically, which puts the three Montgomery County restaurants in the top 3 spots.
Listed first is Melina in Pike & Rose:
On June 29, USA Today published a ‘Top 50 Pizzerias in the US’ list, “as ranked by Italian pizza experts.” The list was created by 50 Top Pizza, a pizza evaluation site in Paestum, Italy, not far from Naples. New York City reigns supreme with 9 pizzerias on the list, but Montgomery County contributed with the 25th ranked pizzeria in the country– Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana, located in Darnestown/Gaithersburg.
Inferno was opened at 12207 Darnestown Rd. by Chef Tony Conte back in 2015. Conte, who is well known for his high-end cooking at DC’s Oval Room, got his start making pizza in his hometown of New Haven, Connecticut. Conte’s father moved to the United States from a small town near Naples at 17, and raised his family in New Haven, Connecticut where Conte worked in a Sicilian pizzeria during high school, according to Washingtonian Magazine.
Earlier this month we let you know that signage was up at Miss Toya’s at 923 Ellsworth Dr in Silver Spring, the former site of Eggspectation. In early June, the restaurant posted on its Instagram page that they are now hiring and according to an Instagram story by Miskiri Hospitality, the restaurant would be opening in about 30 days (an early July opening).
Eggspectation, a Montreal based breakfast restaurant with locations across the world, closed back in September 2020 after 15 years in that location. Miss Toya’s is a Cajun/Creole restaurant by local chef Jeffeary Miskiri.
Pizza TBD, a new pizza concept from Steve Salis and Catalog restaurants (Ted’s Bulletin, Federalist Pig), will open within Ensemble Digital Kitchen at 4856 Cordell Ave in Bethesda on July 5. Pizza TBD will serve a hybrid style pizza that combines the light and airy texture of Roman-style pizza with the pan cooking technique synonymous with Detroit Style pizza.
“We look forward to the launch of Pizza TBD, expanding the already wide range of options that our guests have to choose from when they order at Ensemble,” said Steve Salis, founder & CEO of the Catalogue house of consumer brands. “One of our values is the spirit of discovery, we never want to stop experimenting, creating and elevating our items to make them better. We wanted to tap into our roots and provide an authentic pizza product using unique methods and natural ingredients to bring a premium experience at an approachable price point. This isn’t your average slice.”
Back in December 2021, we let you know that Hangry Joe’s would be coming to the 1,600 sf location that was previously home to El Mexicano at 10050 Darnestown Road, between Pholuscious and Tropical Smoothie Cafe in the Travilah Square Shopping Center. Since then, a Wheaton location was announced and has already opened, and upcoming locations on Rockville Pike and Gaithersburg have been announced.
Signage was recently erected at the upcoming Rockville Pike restaurant, which will be located next to Roy Rogers at 718-B Rockville Pike. The restaurant is expected to open later this year. As of now, we don’t have a location for the upcoming Gaithersburg restaurant, but we have been told that the announcement is coming soon.
GrillMarx in Clarksburg reopens today after a one week closure announced via social media last week that allowed its staff to rest and recharge. GrillMarx has been open in Clarksburg since 2014.
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A driver lost control of their vehicle for unknown reasons just before 7:30pm this evening and drove into Tiger Sugar, a bubble tea shop located at 12266E in Federal Plaza, according to witness reports.
There is major damage to the storefront, and witnesses tell us the driver was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. We are told a customer inside the store was also struck by either the vehicle or debris, but was uninjured.
Nearly three years after it was first announced, Burtons Grill & Bar, at 109 Commerce Square Pl in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands neighborhood, is now officially open. The restaurant’s opening was delayed several years by the COVID-19 pandemic and later supply chain issues. The 5,000 square foot restaurant will serve lunch and dinner and has seating capacity for 196 patrons, including a 106 seat dining room, 44-seat bar, and an outdoor patio that seats 46. Menu items will include braised short ribs, filet mignon, chicken risotto, and market fresh seafood.
In a press release, President and Chief Operating Officer of Burtons Grill & Bar John Haggai said, “Following all of the success we’ve had in the past year with the Burton’s Grill & Bar brand, we are thrilled to be opening another restaurant, even more so because of its location in Kentlands Market Square. We’re excited to be opening a second location for our loyal customers in the state of Maryland.” The restaurant will be open Sunday and Monday from 11:30am-9pm, Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30am-10pm, and Friday and Saturday from 11:30am-11pm.
Thompson Hospitality Group, which is behind restaurants like Matchbox (Bethesda, Rockville, and Silver Spring locations in MoCo), Willie T’s Seafood Shack (coming soon to MoCo), Austin Grill and American Tap Room (both previously in MoCo), and more, has finalized an agreement this week to acquire all four area Wiseguy locations (Chinatown, Navy Yard, Rosslyn, and Pentagon City), according to Eater DC.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Wiseguy Pizza to the Thompson Hospitality Group family! We’ve partnered with @wiseguypizza and founder Nuri Erol. The Wiseguy Pizza brand is an exceptional compliment to our ever-growing restaurant portfolio. We’re excited to grow and evolve this brand with Nuri while staying true to the magic that made Wiseguy Pizza what it is today.” Thompson Hospitality Group posted on social media over the weekend.
GrillMarx in Clarksburg announced via social media earlier this week that it will be closed for a week to allow its staff to rest and recharge. The following messages were posted on social media:
The restaurant, which has additional locations in Olney and Columbia, opened in Clarksburg in 2014. Per the message, it will be reopening next week.
Back in September 2021 we let you know that Kusshi, a popular sushi restaurant in Pike & Rose, would be opening a new location called Kusshi.ko in Downtown Silver Spring, taking over the location that was formerly occupied by Gusto in Downtown Silver Spring (8512 Fenton Street).
We have been told that the restaurant will be dropping the “ko” from its name due to approval issues with the signage and will now be going by the Kusshi name going forward. The restaurant will have a similar, but slightly more limited, menu as Kusshi in Pike & Rose. We are told it will definitely have all of the sushi items.