Back in March we let you know that NYC’s beloved French Bakery & Café, maman, would be expanding into the Washington, DC region with three new locations opening this year. Its first location will be in Bethesda Row at 7140 Bethesda Ln , replacing Le Pain Quotidien, and now we know that it will be opening on Monday, June 6th.

The Provençal-inspired café, created by co-founders Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte, will bring its fan-favorite salads, sandwiches, and Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies, made famous by Oprah, to the Bethesda Row neighborhood later this spring/summer. In true maman fashion, the decor will boast florals and feature vintage windows and antique furniture, inspired by the South of France.


Bento Express will be opening in the Woodmoor Shopping Center (10141 Colesville Road) in Silver Spring later this year. The new fast-casual restaurant will be taking over the location that was formerly home to Sprint, between the UPS Store and Subway.

While we don’t know much about the restaurant at this time, we have been told that it will be serving teriyaki chicken, sushi, and bento boxes, which could fare well in the area with the lunch and after-school crowd from nearby Montgomery Blair High School.


Jennifer Meltzer, co-owner of All Set, tells us, “We wanted to find a way to support the families who are going through so much pain in Uvalde. The Silver Spring community came out in strong support and this morning we donated 100% of last night’s sales, a total of $8580.45 to the verified GoFundMe page supporting the victims’ families. We recruited donation support from others in the community, including a local real estate agent and the Alan and Amy Meltzer Family Foundation who together added an additional $12,500.”

Feature photo courtesy of All Set on Facebook.


Feasty Crab opens today at 16811 Crabbs Branch Way (the former location of Red, Hot, & Blue) in Derwood. Red, Hot, & Blue closed permanently back in July of 2019 after serving the Derwood area for 30 years. After almost two years of inactivity, Feasty Crab signage was put up in April 2021. The menu features oysters, snow crabs, scallops, crawfish, mussels, and various Cajun sides and desserts. The restaurant is open Sunday-Thursday 11am-9pm and Friday & Saturday 11am-10pm and is currently hiring.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CePLRbLM6k6/


Back in January, we let you know that Pollo Campero would be taking over the location that was home to KFC until December 2020 at 426 N Frederick Rd in Gaithersburg. The exterior of the building appears to almost be finished (minus the signage) and the location is currently hiring.

A timeframe for the opening has not been provided, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see it open by the end of the summer. No official word on the future of the Lakeforest location, but based on other businesses relocating from the mall to nearby areas, we’d expect the current location to close prior to the opening of the new location.


California based Mr. Fries Man is now open at 8147 Baltimore Ave in College Park.  Its menu consists of different loaded fries such as BBQ Bacon Ranch Shrimp, Buffalo Chicken, Lemon Garlic Crab & Shrimp, and Honey Garlic Steak.  The chain describes itself as a family-owned restaurant that’s part of the revolutionary underground foodie frenzy in Los Angeles.  Mr. Fries Man has six locations in California, as well as stores in Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas, and Utah.  The new College Park location is open Monday-Sunday from 11:00AM – 9:00PM. Feature photo courtesy of @Mr_Fries_Man on Instagram.

After a very successful three years with one location, in 2020 the owners behind Mr. Fries Man embarked on an opportunity to franchise. Since their first signing in June 2020, they have sold franchises for 21 locations within the first 7 months. As one of the most popular restaurants in the South Bay, we take pride in our freshly cooked and quality ingredients in order to provide the best food experience for our community.”


The Breakfast Club is coming soon to 8240 Fenton Street in Downtown Silver Spring and a recent Instagram post by the restaurant shows that another step closer to opening has been taken as signage is up at the upcoming restaurant.

The restaurant, which will feature breakfast all day, but will also have lunch and dinner menu items, is inspired by “Papa Sherman” who is owner Jason Miskiri’s father. The Breakfast Club’s menu will include omelets, French toast stuffed with cream cheese and strawberries, and pancakes, according to a previous report by Bethesda Beat. “Additionally, there will be heavier entrees, such as lamb chops, chicken and waffles, and shrimp and grits.”


Just over a year ago, we let you know that New York City taco restaurant Tacombi was coming to 4749 Bethesda Ave. in downtown Bethesda. The restaurant is now open.

Tacombi got its start in 2006 selling tacos in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico after they purchased a 1963 Volkswagen bus and converted it into a food stand. The restaurant made its move to New York in 2010.


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