Planta, an Upscale Plant-Based Restaurant, is Now Aiming for a Fall Opening

Back in January we told you that Planta, an upscale plant-based restaurant featuring a menu by Chef David Lee, will be coming to 4910Elm St at Bethesda Row, in the location formerly occupied by Cafe Deluxe (Cafe Deluxe closed permanently back in March of last year).

The restaurant was originally hoping to open in the summer, but let us know this morning that they are now looking to open this fall.

Planta was founded in 2016 and currently has several locations in Florida, New York, and Toronto.

The Bethesda Row location will seat approximately 140 people inside, as well as an additional 50 people on an outdoor patio, per the restaurant’s January press release.

Menu items include various ceviche dishes, plant-based sushi, Baja Mushroom Tacos, Poke Bowls, dumplings, pizzas, a selection of burgers, wraps and pastas, and more.

Top Ten BEST Restaurants in MoCo According to Trip Advisor

Below is a list of the top ten best restaurants in Montgomery County, as determined by ratings on Trip Advisor.  Trip Advisor is an online travel company that features user-generated content and reviews.

Two of the restaurants on this list have unfortunately closed in the past year. We kept them on the list because A. as a show respect for the fallen businesses, and B. because they are still technically listed on the site’s top ten.

If we took out the two closed restaurants, Mandalay in Silver Spring and Gregorio’s Trattoria in Potomac would have made the list.

10. Picca Pollo A La Brasa: 13000 Middlebrook Rd, Germantown
Coming in at #10, Picca is a Peruvian restaurant opened by the Sardelis cousins of the famous Sardi’s Pollo a la Brasa. In addition to chicken, the menu also features items like ceviche and stews. Picca also ranked as the best restaurant in Germantown on Trip Advisor.

Photo from Facebook

9. Mythos Mediterranean Grill: 8371 Snouffer School Rd, Gaithersburg CLOSED
Mythos unfortunately closed back in January of this year. The family owned Greek restaurant was a popular spot in Gaithersburg for over ten years.

Photo from Facebook

8. Mykonos Grill: 121 Congressional Ln Ste 104, Rockville
Mykonos is ranked as the #2 restaurant in Rockville. From their website: “Mykonos Grill welcomes you and invites you to experience the Aegean, the tranquility of our island, our beautiful colors and our rich heritage. We bring it all together, put it on a plate and serve it to our guests.”

Photo from Facebook

7. Raku: 7240 Woodmont Ave, Bethesda
This fine Asian dining spot, which also has two locations in DC, serves sushi, sashimi, and bento boxes. Ranked #2 restaurant in Bethesda.

Photo from Facebook

6. Coastal Flats: 135 Crown Park Ave, Gaithersburg
Coastal Flats, which ranked as the #1 restaurant in Gaithersburg, is a GAR owned seafood restaurant in Downtown Crown.

Photo from coastalflats.net

5. Parkway Deli: 8317 Grubb Rd, Silver Spring
Ranked number #2 in Silver Spring, Parkway Deli is a New York style deli that’s been serving MoCo since 1963. Great sandwiches and desserts.

Photo from Facebook

4. Jewel of India: 10151 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring
Jewel of India is a modern, gourmet North Indian restaurant in Silver Spring.  Considered by many to be the best Indian food in Montgomery County.

Photo from Facebook

3. Sergio Ristorante Italiano: 8727 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring CLOSED
This cozy Italian restaurant had been serving the area for 37 years before closing its doors back at the start of the pandemic.

Photo from Facebook

2. Il Pizzico: 15209 Frederick Rd, Rockville
Known for their handmade pasta, when you ask someone from the area who has the best authentic Italian, Il Pizzico is usually the first place that comes up.  The restaurant celebrated their 30th anniversary in June of 2020.

1. Chef Tony’s: 4926 Saint Elmo Ave, Bethesda
As of the publishing of this article (May 20, 2021), Chef Tony’s in Bethesda is still open at their St. Elmo location. Due to redevelopment, the location is scheduled to close on Sunday, May 23rd.  The owners have announced that they will move to a new location in the area and hope to be open in September. Chef Tony’s, the best rated restaurant in all of Montgomery County, is known for their fresh seafood and large wine selection.

Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is Visiting Bethesda Next Weekend!

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck, a traveling food truck selling Hello Kitty-themed treats, shared that they will be parked in the Bethesda Row area on Saturday March 27.

You can expect to find cookies, madeleines, macarons, clothing, bags, and more– all decorated with Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters.

You can find The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck from 10am-7pm on the corner of Elm and Woodmont. Per their facebook event page, face masks and social distancing will be required.

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck has not made an appearance in Bethesda since 2018– they planned to have an event in the area during March of 2020, but it was canceled due to COVID.

There are two Hello Kitty Cafe Trucks in the US, one that travels up and down the East coast, and one that travels the West coast. Additionally, there are two Hello Kitty Cafes in the US, one in Las Vegas and one in California. You can learn more about the traveling trucks here.

Photos courtesy of the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck instagram.

By: Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay

Chiko Now Open at Bethesda Row

Chiko, a Chinese-Korean fine-casual restaurant, is now open in Bethesda Row. This is the restaurant’s first MoCo location and fourth overall.

The first Chiko opened on Capitol Hill in 2017 and the restaurant has since expanded to DuPont Circle and a location in California.

Chiko pairs modern cooking techniques with traditional Chinese and Korean flavor and has a menu that includes items like confit duck fried rice, bulgogi tots, shrimp and toast, orange-ish chicken, and more.

It has taken over the old Prima location at 7280 Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda. Prima opened in May of 2019 and never reopened after closing due to Covid. Prima took over for Taylor Gourmet.

Featured photos courtesy of @ChikoFRC (Instagram).

Francesca’s to Close Permanently at Bethesda Row

Earlier this month, Houston-based women’s boutique chain Francesca’s voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, with plans to sell the business, including its brick-and-mortar stores.

The Bethesda Row location was on a December 7th list of closures. It was the only Maryland location on the list. Since then, the company has added closing sale signs.

Francesca’s has closed approximately 140 stores since September, when it had a total of 700 stores, and plans to renegotiate a number of leases that could lead to more closures, according to court filings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.

Francesca’s has two other MoCo locations at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda and Rio in Gaithersburg. The Pike & Rose boutique closed about a year ago.

The MoCoShow and Poke Dojo are working together to give you $10 off of any order that is $25 or more for pickup or delivery when you order from here and use promo code: MoCoShow

Poke Dojo is the child of well established parents Hanaro Sushi in Bethesda and Kusshi Sushi in North Bethesda.

Starting off as a pop-up inside its parent restaurants, Poke Dojo eventually matured into its own.

At the heart of a good traditional poke bowl is high quality sushi grade salmon and tuna.

Poke Dojo continues to use the same sushi grade fish from its parent restaurants in each of its poke bowls.

Order from this link with promo code: MoCoShow to receive $10 off of $25 for pickup or delivery.

Offer valid until Thursday, October 29th.

Dolcezza to Close in Bethesda Row

This morning Dolcezza announced the closing of five of their gelato and coffee shops in the DC area, including their sole MoCo location at Bethesda Row.

Dolcezza first opening in Georgetown in 2004 and grew throughout the DC metro area in the following years.

In addition to the Bethesda Row location, Dolcezza announced the closure of locations at Logan Circle, City Center, the Wharf, and DuPont Circle. The five shops mentioned will all close in October.

Their full announcement can be seen here.

Featured photo courtesy of Dolcezza

Johnny Was, California-based women’s fashion lifestyle brand, is pleased to announce the opening of its first store in Bethesda and 54th in the U.S. this January.

Located in the iconic shopping area of Bethesda Row in Bethesda, Maryland, the 2,000 square foot store will stay true to Johnny Was’ timeless style, artistry, and authenticity. Upon entrance guests are greeted with brightly colored floor to ceiling nature-inspired murals by artist Chris Lord, Italian tile floors, marble tables, oak fixtures with bronze hardware, and a mix of custom and antique furniture.

“We are excited to expand our East Coast presence and open our first store in Maryland at Bethesda Row. We look forward to providing the ultimate shopping experience for our guests,” says Rob Trauber, CEO of Johnny Was.

“It’s an exciting time at Bethesda Row,” said Stuart Biel, SVP of Leasing at Federal Realty. “2020 will see the addition of new restaurants including Hawkers and The Riggsby, as well as first-to-market shops, including Serena & Lily and Heyday. And, now we can share that the year will kick-off with the addition of Johnny Was, in its first ever Maryland location.”

The store will feature Johnny Was’ well-known range of worldly luxurious silks, rich velvets, and cotton fabrics embracing the carefree wanderlust spirit. Collection pieces include velvet bomber jackets, sequins slip dresses, winter puffers, light linens, and timeless dusters. A wide variety of signature prints and intricate embroideries appear on kimonos, relaxed-fit pants, blouses, silk pajamas, contrasting swimwear, and a beautiful selection of jewelry to round out the versatile collection.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams opened up its first MoCo location a couple weeks back on Bethesda Row (4918 Elm St) and this Thursday Jeni’s will have its Grand Opening event.

• Free ice cream for all and swag for the first 50 in line on Thursday, 12/19/19 from 7pm-11pm.
• The shop is a one-story, 1135-square-foot shop with a warm and cozy atmosphere, historical charm and a waffle cone making station on display.
• The menu will consist of classic fan-favorites like Brambleberry Crisp and Brown Butter Almond Brittle, dairy-free flavors like Texas Sheet Cake and Roasted Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam and seasonal flavors like this holiday’s Pumpkin Cake Roll.

“We make ice cream to bring people together and we design our shops as community gathering places,” said Jeni’s Founder Jeni Britton Bauer. “We love serving people on 14th in DC, but we also love being a destination for families, too, so both Old Town and Bethesda were no brainers. We can’t wait to welcome both communities into our shops.”

Madison Reed, a prestige hair color brand, is bringing its Madison Reed Color Bars to the Washington, D.C., area with a new store in Bethesda Row. The Bethesda Color Bar is the first East Coast location outside of Manhattan, and it opens on Thurs., Dec. 12.

The Color Bar concept is designed to deliver stunning salon-quality hair color, that is both affordable and convenient for time-pressed women, with ingredients they can feel good about:

• For only $60 – less than half the cost of a salon visit – clients can get permanent color applied by a certified, licensed colorist. First-time clients pay only $45.
• At the Bethesda location only, Madison Reed is debuting a new membership plan with several perks:
  • $50 per month for unlimited roots services
  • Free blow out and free gloss service every three months, plus 20% off additional services
  • Free full size shampoo and conditioner, plus 20% off all products

“We know the Washington, D.C., area is home to our customer: women who don’t have time to sit in a salon chair for several hours and don’t want to spend several hundred dollars,” said Amy Errett, Founder and CEO of Madison Reed. “We are excited to open a Color Bar in Bethesda Row, which has an impressive list of digitally native brands like us that share our belief in experiential retail.”