Chris Van Jura, owner/operator of Catalyst Hot Dogs, announced Wednesday that the custom “HOTDOG1” license plate had been stolen from his food truck/trailer. On Instagram, Van Jura said that he will be offering free hot dogs for a year to the person who gives information on who stole the license plate.

About Catalyst Hot Dogs (menu available in link):

”Owner/operator, Chris Van Jura, has been a member of the Hospitality Industry for nearly 20 years. Over this time he has, on a daily basis, done what every Hospitalian does, which is put the attention and focus on the guest. During this time, he has relocated to the DMV, found love and started a family. He has devoted hundreds of hours to the needs of others—and now, through the pandemic and two furloughs, he has made a choice: We’re getting into the Hot Dog business!”

Catalyst Hot Dogs is located at 2900 Broadbirch Drive, behind the Orchard Center and near the Home Depot.

Updated: July 25, 2022
Below you’ll find a list of restaurants that have opened in Montgomery County in 2022:

&pizza- Gaithersburg

&pizza is now open in the Gaithersburg Square shopping center at 570 N Frederick Ave, next to Quickway Japanese Hibachi & Chipotle. &pizza is known for its unique, oblong-shaped pizzas which are made with high-quality ingredients and bake in under 2 minutes. &pizza was founded by Michael Lastoria and Steve Salis (Ted’s Bulletin, Federalist Pig, and Ensemble) in 2012 with their first location on H Street in D.C. The growing company now has over 60 locations including MoCo locations in Bethesda, Gaithersburg (Crown), Germantown, Pike & Rose, and Silver Spring. The pizza chain will also be opening a location in the Fair Hill shopping center in Olney later this year.

Bassett’s (Reopened)- Poolesville

Bassett’s Fine Food & Spirits at 19950 Fisher Avenue in Poolesville, which is under new ownership, held its soft opening on Thursday, May 12. The restaurant, which opened in 1993, closed its doors on December 31 of last year. The restaurant is now owned by Erica Myers, who worked at Bassett’s for over 15 years before leaving to open Rio Grande Grille in Germantown in 2020. Bassett’s previous owners, who owned the restaurant the past three years, cited the pandemic and the closing of White’s Ferry as the reason it went out of business. Myers has spent the past several months remodeling and deep cleaning the restaurant. She said that she is keeping a lot of the former menu, as well as adding new items and weekly specials. The restaurant will be open Monday and Tuesday 11am-9pm, Wednesday-Friday 11am-10pm, Saturday 9am-10pm, and Sunday 9am-9pm.

Bethesda Bagels -Rockville

Bethesda Bagels opened its Rockville location at 14929-D Shady Grove Rd (formerly GameStop) back in January. The family-owned business started in 1982 and is known for their New York style bagels. Bethesda Bagels closed its Dupont Circle location in Washington DC  on April 24 after failing to come to a lease agreement with the landlord of the property.  Bethesda Bagels currently has two MoCo locations, 4819 Bethesda Ave. and 10241 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, as well as locations in DC and Virginia.

BoBaPoP Tea Bar- Rockville

BoBaPop Tea Bar has opened up inside the Kyoto Matcha location at 33 Maryland Ave Unit A in Rockville Town Center.  According to a post on Kyoto’s Instagram page, “We’re so excited to announce that we have Bobapop-Teabar joining our Rockville location! Come and try our refreshing drinks and pair it with a delicious dessert from Kyo Matcha.” BoBaPoP opened its location at 312 Main Street in the Kentlands in 2018 and was the first of the Vietnamese based company’s stores to open in the United States. BoBaPop opened their second MoCo location at 19847 Century Blvd, Unit J in Germantown, the former site of August 32, back in November.  The company has over 150 stores worldwide.

Kyoto Matcha opened its Rockville location in 2019. Their menu features ice cream, cakes, soba, mochi, and more flavored with matcha, purple sweet potato (ube), rose, maple, and other Japanese delicacies.  According to their website, Kyoto Matcha, is an international chain of Matcha desserts that is “dedicated to creating top-quality raw materials. Due to the influence of the Japanese-style matcha culture, the Kyoto Matcha is based on the brand mission of “Let the Tea Return to the Forest”, rooted in the traditional Japanese tea culture and dedicated to the promotion of Matcha culture.”  Kyoto has an additional MoCo location at 967 Rose Ave in North Bethesda.

Boulangerie Christophe – Potomac

Founded by Christophe Roux, a third-generation baker who grew up near Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera, and his son Benjamin, Boulangerie Chritophe has opened its first Montgomery County. The bakery is located in a new building in Cabin John Village. The first location, in Georgetown, opened in February of 2017. The first floor of that location is a casual cafe, serving light lunch fare and a wide selection of pastries. The second floor of Boulangerie Christophe is more upscale — and offers can enjoy a sit-down meal in a relaxed atmosphere. The menu consists of  a variety of coffee (including cappuccino, lates, and more), egg dishes, baked goods, Southern French delicacies, and more.

BurgerFi- Gaithersburg

BurgerFi, an American fast casual restaurant chain focused on hormone-free and antibiotic-free angus hamburgers, french fries, hot dogs, custard, opened its Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg in March. The restaurant is located at 5 Grand Corner Ave, across from Dick’s Sporting Goods and next to Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodles. Since its founding in Florida back in 2011, BurgerFi has been among the nation’s fastest-growing better burger concepts with over 100 restaurants in the United States. Currently, there are BurgerFi locations in Downtown Silver Spring and Pike & Rose.

Burtons- Gaithersburg

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.

Butter Me Up- Montgomery Mall (Bethesda)

Butter Me Up has taken over the old Aroma Espresso Bar location in Montgomery Mall, which is downstairs near the Old Navy entrance. The breakfast spot, which features “instagrammable” decor, will offer a menu that consists of a variety of breakfast sandwiches, toasts, sides, bowls, smoothies, and juices. A Yelp article named Butter Me Up DC’s best breakfast sandwich, as the restaurant’s first location can be found within HalfSmoke in Florida Ave NW. Butter Me Up’s sister restaurant HalfSmoke will be opening a location in the mall’s food court later this spring. HalfSmoke will be located in a kiosk in the food terrace that was the former home of Coldstone Creamery and more recently Gelato Galaxy.  This will be the first restaurant/bar in the food court to serve alcohol.

Centrado Cafe Shop- Burtonsville 

Centrado Cafe Shop is now open at 15530 Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville (formerly Chapala), in the front portion of the building that also houses Luchador Bar & Eats, it’s sister restaurant. The coffee shop will focus on Central American coffee, pastries and food.
“Hello Burtonsville! We’re officially open! Thank you for your patience, now offering all our specialty coffee drinks, goods, bites, snacks, and local artisanal items!
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-3pm Sat-Sun 8am-5pm”

Chadol Korean BBQ- Rockville

Korean BBQ restaurant Chadol is now open at 1403 Research Blvd, Suite A-8 in Rockville. It is located next to Robek’s, across from One Life Fitness and the recently opened Grill Kabob. Meat options include brisket, pork bulgogi, LA Galbi, pork jowel, boneless ribeye and boneless prime short rib. Side dishes include dumplings, corn cheese, and white pancakes.  “A never seen before Premium Korean BBQ. Meat the new standard.”

Chopt-Gaithersburg

Fast-casual salad chain Chopt opened its Kentlands location at 141 Commerce Square Pl in Gaithersburg in January. The new restaurant is located next to MOD pizza on Commerce Square.

Corner Pizza- Gaithersburg

Corner Pizza & Subs at 18503 N Frederick Ave. held its soft opening on Saturday, May 14, with the official grand opening scheduled for June 3. The restaurant is located in the former Jasmine Bakery Café location (that was previously home to Classic Bakery) in the Gaithersburg shopping center that is also home to Brewster’s Ice Cream. The restaurant specializes in what’s sometimes referred to as “Maryland Style Pizza“, the rectangular pizza you find at local restaurants like Stained Glass Pub, Continental, Gentleman Jim’s, and 4 Corners Pub. The restaurant makes its dough fresh daily and menu items in addition to pizza include subs, meatballs, and wings, as well as a breakfast menu.

Crown Fried Chicken- Silver Spring

Crown Fried Chicken is now open at 1909 Seminary Rd in Silver Spring, taking over the former location of Krazy Steve’s (and Armand’s Pizza before that.) The restaurant is open 10am-9pm daily.
Crown Fried Chicken opened its first Montgomery County location at 9120 Rothbury Dr. in Montgomery Village (next to Athens Grill) in March of 2021 and closed the location in February of this year. The menufeatures various chicken and waffle combinations, omelets, wings, cheesesteaks, and gyros. The chain is known for using Halal chicken and has locations across the east coast. The closest franchise locations are in Hyattsville, Waldorf, and Washington, DC.

Cubasi Bistro- Bethesda 

Cubasi Bistro, a Cuban restaurant with an existing location in Sterling, VA, is now open at 4710 Bethesda Ave. The restaurant is located on the ground level of The Seasons Apartments in the location that was formerly home to Jimmy John’s. Jimmy John’s closed that location in late 2018.

The menu consists of starters like ham croquettes, empanadas, bacalitos, and more. A variety of sandwiches and sides are on the menu, as well as pork. beef, chicken, and seafood entrees. Diners can also create their own bowls that consist of chicken/beef and salad, rice, beans, plantains, and more. The full menu and photos of a few dishes can be seen below.

Donutchew- Gaithersburg

Donutchew, a mochi donut shop, is now open in the Rio Lakefront, taking over the location that was formerly home to Starbucks next to Fantasticks at 213 Boardwalk Place. The menu features donuts, coffee, fruit and milk teas, and croffles, a hybrid crossaint/waffle. The store is open from 10:3am-10pm during the soft opening.

 

Edith’s Pizza- Bethesda

Edith’s Pizza at 6910 Arlington Rd in Bethesda held its grand opening on February 16. Edith’s is the new pizza restaurant from Breads Unlimited, located just a few doors down at 6914 Arlington Rd. Roberto, whose family opened Breads Unlimited, tells us, “growing up, Saturday nights for me was renting a movie, and eating my dad’s homemade pizza that he made from scratch in his mini bakery he had in our basement. My father had commercial kitchen equipment downstairs, so he was always working on creations down there when he was home. He would always make sure to get the best quality ingredients to make each pizza, so we were used to eating a good slice. Over the years his pizza’s got better and better and my family and neighbors couldn’t have enough”

When the opportunity came of the old Pilates studio going out of business in the shopping center, my father wanted to use that space to expand the bakery operations by adding a space that would be dedicated to the production of cakes! It was an item that the bakery was missing. Literally the icing on top of the cake haha. With this opportunity to expand the business, it also gave him the chance to establish his other passion that he began working on so many years ago, pizza! Now with Edith’s Pizza, my father can continue to build on the success of Breads Unlimited by offering more to our community.” In addition to standards like pepperoni and cheese, other options will include the Garden Pizza with with artichoke, olives, peppers, onions, spinach, and arugula and Edith’s Paradise with red onion, pineapple, and capicola. You can view the full menu at www.edithspizzas.com.

Èkó House – Rockville

Èkó House, named after the local southwestern Nigerian dialect, Yoruba, is a Pan-African restaurant now open in the space formerly occupied by Bar Louie at 150 Gibbs St.  The restaurant offers authentic and delicious fusions of well known and loved Nigerian food. The restaurant seats 250 people and includes a private room for special events and celebrations. Featured photo of catfish pepper soup courtesy of @EkoHouseDMV on Instagram.

Ela Mesa Taste of Greece- Gaithersburg

Ela Mesa Taste of Greece held their grand opening on May 2nd. The new Greek restaurant is located at 109 Paramount Park Drive in the Spectrum Town Center in Gaithersburg, which is currently home to restaurants like Barking Mad Cafe, California Tortilla, Hot Pot Hero, and Firebirds.  The restaurant offers traditional Greek fare and also has a full bar that seats 10 people. Menu items include Pastitsio, Thalassina (seafood pasta), Kanelonia (veggie cannelloni), Kebabs, Lamb Chops, and Seafood Risotto.

El Catrachito- Olney 

El Catrachito has opened its fourth MoCo location in Olney, taking over the location that was formerly home to Milk & Cheese at 18050 Georgia Avenue. Back in November, we were able to confirmed that Milk & Cheese closed permanently after operating for approximately 6 months in the location that was also the former site of Thai Cuisine. The restaurant opened its most recent location at 211. N Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg just over a year ago. The menu features popular Honduran dishes such as baleadas and pollo can tajadas, as well as Salvadoran dishes like Pupusas and Mexican cuisine like fajitas, and a lot more. El Catrachito has additional locations in Wheaton (2408 University Blvd.) and Takoma Park (940 East-West Highway).

El Mercat Bar De Tapas – Rockville

El Mercat Bar De Tapas is now open in the spot that was most recently home to Gumbo Ya Ya at 101 Gibbs Street Unit C in Rockville Town Square. El Mercat Bar de Tapas is owned by Brazilian chef George Rodrigues, the former chef de cuisine at revered tapas chain Boqueria in Penn Quarter. Rodrigues is a Rockville resident who started cooking in Brazil and has since spent time under various celebrity chefs across the country. Rodrigues even “beat Bobby Flay” on the chef’s television series. The restaurant features traditional Spanish tapas that will include escalivada, papas bravas, calamares, pulpo con patatas, and pollo rostizado. Four different paellas, Tortilla Española as well as sangria, wines and beer. The 2,307-square-foot El Mercat will have dining for 60 people and planning on opening its patio this spring.

Eternal Love and Pizza- Darnestown

After a successful soft opening, Eternal Love and Pizza is rolling full steam ahead at its location at Windridge Vineyards in Darnestown (15700 Darnestown Rd). “I finally opened. After 2 years and 15 different dough recipes!” wrote owner Neil Dundee on Reddit. While some of us have experienced a garlic dip for our crusts, Eternal Love and Pizza provided you with a garlic whip to help you finish your crusts. MoCo native Tod Fishman shared his love for the new pizza place via social media. “This place is good and they give you this garlic whip to dip your crust that’s insane!” Fishman wrote to us in his message. Currently, Eternal Love and Pizza will be at Windridge Wednesday through Sunday. Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, the hours are Noon-6pm, and Friday/Saturday will have Noon-8pm hours.  Follow Eternal Love and Pizza on Instagram for changes to that schedule. Pies, which include “Get That Cheese”, “Pep Pep Hooray”, and more, go for $15-$20.

Frank Pepe’s – Bethesda

After much anticipation, Frank Pepe’s opened its Montgomery Mall location on March 28. The restaurant is located in the old Bobby’s Burger Palace location on the lower level across from Cheesecake Factory. The Daily Meal has referred to Frank Pepe’s as “America’s finest pizzeria” and many publications have tabbed the pizza joints as a must-try in the New England area. Per its website, Frank Pepe originated the New Haven-style thin crust pizza which he baked in bread ovens fired by coke. Coke is a byproduct of coal and it was used extensively until the late 1960’s when it became unavailable and hence coal was then put into use to fire the oven.
Photo courtesy of TasteMoCo.

Feasty Crab – Derwood

Feasty Crab opened at 16811 Crabbs Branch Way (the former location of Red, Hot, & Blue) in Derwood on June 1. 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.

Fidel’s Peruvian Chicken- Colesville

Fidel’s Peruvian Chicken has opened in Colesville at 13439 New Hampshire Ave in the same shopping center as Quench Craft Beer & Wine. In addition to Peruvian chicken, the restaurant offers a variety of dishes off the grill (pork chops, shrimp, carne asada, etc.) and a Tex-Mex portion of the menu.

Galito’s Flame-Grilled Chicken- Gaithersburg

Galito’s Flame-Grilled Chicken is now open in the spot that was formerly home to Nirvana Reflexology Spa at 15918 Shady Grove Road in the Shady Grove Center (shopping center that is home to The Melting Pot). The restaurant offers chicken with “bold African flavors” and has been compared to international fast-casual restaurant Nando’s Peri Peri.

The Green Rooster- Takoma Park

According to Main Street Takoma, “The Green Rooster is now open in Takoma Park. The mostly plant-based food truck sits permanently in the parking lot of The Still Point Spa and complements both the spa and other Takoma Junction offerings. The truck provides tasty and nutritious options for both clients and the community. Working with local purveyors, The Green Rooster Truck offers froths, fizzes, salads, soups and toasts on their evolving healthy menu. Online ordering is coming soon.

Grace Street Coffee- Bethesda 

Georgetown based Grace Street Coffee will held the soft opening for its new location at 5021 Wilson Lane in Bethesdain July. Grace Street Coffee offers a variety of coffees, matcha based products, lemonades, and more.
In a message on their Instagram page, the company wrote, “Grace Street Coffee Roasters enters Maryland! We’re so excited to offer our specialty coffee to the Bethesda area and be a part of this new community. Our window location on Wilson Lane aims to deliver specialty coffee beverages in a bite-sized location! Be sure to also check out our tea selection from our partners @mem_tea!” You can view the shop’s menu here. 

Guavaberry- Silver Spring

Guavaberry Dominican Restaurant is now open at 8417 Georgia Ave, the former site of The Greek Place. The Greek Place closed this past December. The restaurant is open everyday of the week from from 8am-11pm and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu features fish, stews, and mofongo, a dish made with mashed fried green plantains. Dominican cuisine is influenced by Spanish, indigenous Taíno, Middle-Eastern and African dishes. Feature photo courtesy of @guavaberryrestaurantdmv

HalfSmoke- Montgomery Mall

HalfSmoke is now open in Montgomery Mall. The restaurant is located in a kiosk in the food terrace that was the former home of Coldstone Creamery and more recently Gelato Galaxy. Though there have been separate restaurants off of the food court that served alcohol (ex: Slade’s), this is the first restaurant/bar that’s actually located in the food court to serve alcohol.

The menu consists of the best selling sausages and sides from their DC location, as well as boozy milkshakes and a funnel cake bar. HalfSmokes sister restaurant Butter Me Up opened its Montgomery Mall location in May.

Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken- Wheaton 

In December we let you know that the founder of Sweet Frog, Derek Cha, will be bringing his take on the Nashville-style hot chicken sandwich to MoCo with Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken. The Wheaton location is now open at 2533 Ennals Ave in Wheaton, in the spot that was formerly home to El Pollo Kiki Riki. In collaboration with partner, Mike Kim, the pair visited many successful Nashville-style chicken restaurants in LA, Nashville, and San Francisco, that inspired them develop their “secret chicken recipe to have the most juicy and crispy sandwich.” Not a fan of too much spice? You’re able to choose the spice level of the fried chicken (Plain<Mild<Medium<Hot<Angry Hot). In addition to the hot chicken sandwiches, known as “Chicken Sando”, the small menu consists of chicken fingers, chicken & waffles, Korean Chicken Nuggets, loaded fries, and salad with chicken breast. Sides include cider slaw, waffle fries, and fried okra.

Hello Betty-North Bethesda

Hello Betty at 940 Rose Ave (inside of Canopy by Hilton) at Pike & Rose is seafood-focused restaurant that aims to bring California beach, surf, and skate ambiance to their establishment. The menu features a variety of seafood including, “sustainably sourced Peel and Eat Shrimp and a bucket of crabs fire-roasted in our open flame oven and tossed in Old Bay vinegar”, Fish and Chips, as well as beer from 7 Locks Brewing.

Hip Flask Rooftop Bar- Bethesda

Hip Flask, the rooftop bar that’s inside of The Marriott Bethesda Downtown at Marriott HQ, is now open. Hip Flask serves small plates and craft cocktails and is located at 7707 Woodmont Ave in Bethesda. The new hotel also features a 360 degree lobby bar. Seventh State, the hotel’s restaurant, which includes a built-in Italian wood oven and indoor/outdoor seating opened earlier this year. The rooftop bar is open Tuesday through Thursday from 5pm until 11pm and Friday/Saturday from 5pm until Midnight. It’s closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Hook & Reel- Wheaton

Hook & Reel is open at 11160 Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton, located between Party City and the old Bar Louie.  The menu consists of clams, crawfish, black/New Zealand mussels, shrimp, snow crab legs, Dungeness crab, lobster, King crab legs, blue crabs, scallops, calamari, and more. This is Hook & Reel’s second Montgomery County location, the other being in Gaithersburg. The first Hook & Reel Restaurant was opened in Lanham, Maryland in 2013. The restaurant chain has seen a massive expansion with over 20 current locations and 30 new locations on the way across the country. Feature photo courtesy of the Hook & Reel Wheaton Facebook.

Ikura Asian Sushi- Gaithersburg

Ikura Asian Sushi at 18212 Flower Hill Way (Flower Hill Shopping Center) in Gaithersburg held its grand opening on March 25. It replaces Hunan Best, which was in that location for the last 30 years. Ikura Asian Sushi features Japanese themed cuisine and is owned by Micky Zheng, who is also the owner of Micky’s Chinese Restaurant at 18204 Contour Rd in Gaithersburg. The menu includes sushi, bobba tea, hibachi, noodle soup, and more.

Jongro BBQ- Wheaton

Jangro opened its long-awaited Wheaton mall location in February. The restaurant is known for its wide variety of cuts that are not  found in most other Korean restaurants. According to their website, their “beef and pork are produced with only natural feeds.” Jongro took over the location that was going to be home to Tilted Kilt a few years back, near DSW and the UPS store.

Junction Bakery & Bistro- Chevy Chase 

Junction Bakery & Bistro, an American bistro boasting fresh-baked breads and pastries, unique and flavorful breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner offerings, is now open at 5471 Wisconsin Ave Suite 206B in Chevy Chase. The restaurant opened its first location in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, VA and has since opened another location in Capitol Hill. Per the Junction Bakery website: “Our simple food paired with homemade breads and baked goods makes our kitchen an extension of your kitchen. Whether you are grabbing Commonwealth Joe espresso and a pastry to go on your way to work or stopping in for lunch or dinner with friends, you will find a warm, comfortable and beautiful environment to welcome you.” Featured photo courtesy of Junction Bakery on Instagram.

Kong Dog Korean Corn Dogs- Glenmont

The Korean corn dog restaurant has been opening up shop across the country and the location at 12335 Georgia Ave in Glenmont is the chain’s first Maryland MoCo location. It is located at the storefront that was previously home to El Encanto, next to Subway. The menu offers unique corn dog combinations that include churro kong dogs, rainbow kong dogs (made with what looks to be Fruity Pebbles), ramen kong dogs, and a lot more.

Kumbia- Rockville

Kumbia, a South American restaurant focusing on cuisine from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil, and Ecuador, is open at 100 B Gibbs Street in Rockville Town Square, the former location of Spice Xing.  “We are excited to bring a unique Latin offering, to include exciting cocktails, beloved dishes and live music inspired by the variety of cuisines that represent South American food culture,” said Steven Tobar, co-owner of Kumbia. “We look forward to joining the diverse collection of restaurants that make the neighborhood a great community dining destination.”
Photo courtesy of Kumbia’s Facebook page.

Kung Fu Tea- Gaithersburg

The former Tutti Frutti at 200 Kentlands Boulevard in Gaithersburg transitioned into Kung Fu Tea in March. The store is connected to neighboring restaurant, Bonchon. It has been offering both Tutti Frutti and Kung Fu Tea products, but in January we were told that it will be transitioning to be only a Kung Fu Tea in the coming weeks. Kung Fu Tea is a bubble tea beverage franchise headquartered in New York. It was founder in 2010 and the company has over 250 locations across the U.S., including one less than 3 miles away in Rio. Kung Fu Tea is also opening a new location in Olney.

Lapu Lapu – Gaithersburg

Lapu Lapu at 216 Market St W. in Gaithersburg held their soft opening on June 5.  The new restaurant is taking over the 325 square foot storefront that was formerly home to Tex-Mex restaurant Peppers, located next to Vasili’s in the Kentlands. It will specialize in breakfast sandwiches and will have a few tables available for outdoor seating. Lapu Lapu is the sister restaurant of popular Rockville restaurant Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly. According to their social media accounts, “No better day to announce this than #nationaleggday  The day has come! (Almost!) Come join us for our soft opening this Sunday from 7am-3pm! We can’t wait to see you.” Lapu Lapu has been holding “pop ups” at Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly on weekends over the past few months.

About:
“Chef Ja’s dream has always been to bring the Philippines to you, one dish at a time. He kicked off his first concept, Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly, in Rockville, Maryland which spotlights the famous Cebu-style Lechon belly. After receiving recognition and many accolades, he now wishes to help start your day off right with Filipino breakfast to go!

The question you should really be asking is WHO is Lapu Lapu? The name Lapu Lapu takes reference from a national hero of the Philippines. Lapu Lapu and his warriors famously defied and defeated the foreign invaders (such as Ferdinand Magellan) who were seeking to colonize the Philippines back in April of 1521. This was called the Battle of Mactan, which occured in the Visayas where our Chef/Owner Javier was born. Inspired by Lapu Lapu’s great feat, Chef Javier set his heart on a mission to help everyone win their own battles each and every day – starting with breakfast, the most important meal of the day!”

Ladurée Paris – Bethesda

Ladurée Paris, located at 4808 Bethesda Ave, is now open. Ladurée Paris has U.S. locations in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, and currently has a pop-up/kiosk location inside of Montgomery Mall. Ladurée Paris will is located in the space that was formerly home to Sugarfina. Sugarfina, the “luxury candy boutique for grown-ups” closed its location in Bethesda Row permanently at the end of September 2019 after a three and a half year run. Dating back to 1862, Ladurée has been known worldwide for their macarons.  The Bethesda menu also features chocolates, pastries, teas and more.

Lazzaro’s Authentic Italian Deli- Montgomery Mall (Bethesda)|

Update: Lazzaro’s has permanently closed.
Lazzaro’s Authentic Italian Deli is now open in the Montgomery Mall Food Court, located in the space recently occupied by Big Al’s Sub Shop. The restaurant features imported cold cuts that are cut fresh daily, homemade meatballs, cannolis, and more. Owner Larry tells us his family owned Lucia’s Deli on University Blvd in Wheaton back in the 80’s. The business was eventually sold and the company became what is now Mama Lucia’s. He’s wanted to open a deli for as long as he can remember and felt the food court location was a good fit. He plans to bring the same work ethic and authenticity that has mother brought to Lucia’s when he was growing up. enu items have pop culture inspired names like the Donnie Brasko, Frank Sinatra, and the Joe Pesci Pizza Steak.

Luchador Bar & Eats- Burtonsville

Luchador Bar & Eats is now open in the former bar space of Chapala Tex-Mex Grill at 15530 Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville. The lucha libre themed cantina, a new concept by the owners of Chapala, is now open for fast casual dine in and carryout, according to social media posts. Chapala permanently closed on February 15. Photo courtesy Luchador’s Facebook page.

Mandalay- Silver Spring (Reopened)

Popular Burmese restaurant Mandalay reopened at 930 Bonifant Street in Silver Springon July 15.

Mandalay Customers

We did it! We’re ready to REopen and serve your favorite meals. You’ve been waiting too long for this, so here it is. We’ll be REopening our doors on July 15th YEAH, with our Grand Opening scheduled for August 13 and 14. Please call us at

301-250-4078 for reservation. ( only for the Grand Opening )

We can’t wait to see all of you again and thank you SO very much for all your support.

Mandalay 
930 Bonifant Street
Silver Spring MD 20910

Mandalay first announced in 2019 that it would be moving to a new location in Washington, DC., but and closed the restaurant in Silver Spring on October 31 of 2021.

Mexicue- Bethesda

Last July we let you know that New York based Mexicue, which has a nearby location at 1720 14th St NW in DC, would be coming to 4733 Elm St. in Bethesda, the former site of Gusto Farm to Street. The Mexican restaurant opened its MoCo location on Tuesday, June 7th. The menu features tacos, bowls, shareable platters, margaritas and weekend brunch.
Per Mexicue:
“It all started with a passion for real, made-from-scratch cooking in a food truck that traversed Manhattan and Brooklyn, embracing the vibrant culture of the city. Today, Mexicue has evolved into a restaurant — and lively bar scene — that does things a little differently than the other guys. A little more boldly, and with a lot more flavor and fun.

MiyaJi Kebab & Rumali Rolls- Gaithersburg

MiyaJi Kebab & Rumali Rolls is now open at 674 Quince Orchard Road, the location that was home to Pho Eatery in Gaithersburg’s Quince Orchard Plaza. MiyaJi is being opened by the same owners as Commonwealth Indian at 11610 Old Georgetown Rd in Pike & Rose. Pho Eatery and neighboring/sister restaurant Urban Crawfish closed permanently in September of 2021. Taco Bamba is expected to open in the Urban Crawfish space this summer.

Moe’s Southwest Grill – Montgomery Village

Moe’s Southwest Grill is now open at 19222 Montgomery Village Ave in the Montgomery Village Center. Back in March the restaurant gave away free burritos for a year to 25 customers as part of its grand opening celebration. Currently the only other Moe’s in Montgomery County is located in the Westfield Wheaton Food Court.

Naz’s Halal- Germantown

Naz’s Halal (13025 Wisteria Drive) in Germantown held its grand opening on Saturday, May 14. The restaurant is located in the former site of the Water Factory, near Planet Fitness. Naz’s menu includes rice platters, sandwiches, gyros, wings, salads, and more. In December we told you Naz’s would expanding to Germantown, Rockville (1040 Rockville Pike), Takoma Park (7653 New Hampshire Ave) and White Oak (11209 New Hampshire Ave). We will post opening information for those locations as soon as it becomes available.

Olney Crab House- Olney

Approximately 2.5 years after we first reported that Olney Crab House was coming to Olney, the restaurant finally opened earlier this month. It’s located at 18200 Georgia Avenue, the former site of the Olney Tavern in the Hillcrest Center in Olney. We are told the menu will consist of “steamed crab, steamed shrimp, crab soup, and a lot more.” For a little background, renovations on the building began in the summer of 2020. The previous owners ended up backing out at some point in 2021, and the building remained dormant until the new tenants took over. In February, we were informed by the property management of the center that new owners had recently taken over the lease. It didn’t take long for them to get everything ready, as the restaurant is now open.

OTC Bar & Grille (formerly Olde Towne Cafe)- Gaithersburg

OTC Bar & Grille is now open in the former Olde Towne Cafe restaurant space at 226 E Diamond Ave in Gaithersburg, as well as the adjacent space that was previously home to Diamond Drugs. Last year the owners of the Olde Towne Cafe knocked down the wall that separates the two locations to create the new restaurant/bar space. Olde Towne Cafe has been a staple in Olde Towne Gaithersburg for decades, serving pancakes, waffles, and breakfast platters, as well as lunch sandwiches. The new restaurant features many favorites from the Old Towne Cafe’s menu, and will also be open for dinner and serve alcohol once the restaurant is open for dine-in customers.

Paris in Town- Bethesda

Paris in Town, a French bakery and Cafe based in Florida is located at 4903 Cordell Avenue in the spot that was formerly home to Smashburger, Fuse Taco, and more.  According to its website they offer, “Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Homemade soups, Crepes and Pastries, Cafe au Lait, Espresso, Organic Teas. Imported Wine and Cheese, Escargots, Salads and Sandwiches, Smoked Salmon, European beers, Cappuccino, and a lot more.” Paris in Town has its only other location in N. Palm Beach, Florida.

PizzaTBD (Ensemble)- Bethesda

Pizza TBD, a new pizza concept from Steve Salis and Catalog restaurants (Ted’s Bulletin, Federalist Pig), is now available from Ensemble Digital Kitchen at 4856 Cordell Ave in Bethesda. Pizza TBD serves 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.”

Planta (vegan) – Bethesda

Upscale plant-based restaurant Planta, which features a menu by Chef David Lee, is open at 4910 Elm St at Bethesda Row, in the location formerly occupied by Cafe Deluxe (Cafe Deluxe closed permanently back in March of last year). Planta was founded in 2016 and currently has several locations in Florida, New York, and Toronto. The Bethesda Row location seats 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.

The Pretzel Bakery- Potomac

Back in November we let you know that The Pretzel Bakery, which opened it’s DC location at 257 15th Street SE in DC back in 2012, was coming to Cabin John Village in Potomac. The bakery opened in April and is located in the space formerly occupied by the Hair Cuttery at 7961 Tuckerman Ln. According to its website, the Pretzel Bakery serves small batch, hand-rolled, Philadelphia-style soft pretzels fresh-out-of-the-oven all day.  In addition to traditional pretzels, they also sell pretzel dogs, pretzel calzones, stuffed pretzel “bombs”, and pretzel sliders.

Pupuseria Mama Emilia- Rockville

Pupuseria Mama Emilia at 785-H Rockville Pike in the Ritchie Center is now open at the location that was formerly home to Dokiya Ramen and Pho 95. Pupuseria Mama Emilia comes to you from the owners of Pupuseria La Familiar, which has locations in Beltsville, College Park, Falls Church (Virginia), and Wheaton in MoCo and boast of Mama Emilia’s family recipe. The menu at the existing restaurants consists of a variety of beverages, Pupusas, soups, and a multitude of Salvadoran dishes.

Qdoba- Gaithersburg

The fast-casual burrito chain opened its newest location at 16260 Frederick Road in the location that was formerly home to Jerry’s Subs and Pizza  this past February. Qdoba has two other Montgomery County locations– one on Rollins Ave in Rockville and another on Tech Road in Silver Spring.

Q’Padre Cantina- Wheaton

Q’Padre Cantina is now open at 2312 Price Avenue in Wheaton. The location was formerly home to El Equetzal and Hollywood East Cafe prior to its move to Wheaton Mall. The restaurant offers Mexican cuisine and has received a already review stating the following, “Gorgeous interior, generous margaritas and really delicious food.” on a Montgomery County restaurant support group.

Quickway Japanese Hibachi – Olney

Located at 3116 Olney Sandy Spring Rd, the space formerly home to Fashion Cleaners in the Shoppes of Olney shopping center, between CVS and Bubbles Hair Salon, Quickway describes itself as bringing the Teppanyaki cooking technique to a quick service restaurant setting with cooked to order hibachi dishes. This is the regional chain’s sixth MoCo location, with over 30 restaurants across the DMV. The latest MoCo location opened just under a year ago in Stone Mill Square (Korean Korner shopping center).

Restaurant 198- Burtonsville

Restaurant 198 at 15540 Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville, the former location of Seibel’s, opened on March 27. The restaurant offers “Nuevo American” food and will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as cocktails. Some of the menu items include Texas French Toast, Beef Picadillo Breakfast Tacos, Oysters, and Honey Marinated Buttermilk Fried Chicken.  “198 is the intersection of food & community. Our Nuevo American Menu is fun, relaxed and a fresh perspective on American-ish cuisine. We are not just a restaurant, 198 is a neighborhood connector and lively familiar spot served with a spoonful of nostalgia. Think: All-Day Nuevo-American flavors, unique cocktails, and Burtonsville energy. 198 is brought to you by Centrado Food Group as a family-owned company focused on providing quality customer service every day to become our customers favorite place to eat and drink.  We will provide support for our team and encourage them to be self-starters.  We will always work to source ingredients from local suppliers and work with vendors, musicians, and artists from our community.”

Roaming Rooster- Pike & Rose

The grand opening for Roaming Rooster at 11586 Old Georgetown Road in North Bethesda was held on June 21. The Pike & Rose location is Roaming Rooster’s first restaurant in Maryland and Montgomery County, and 9th overall. The company has also announced plans to open a Gaithersburg location later this year. We’re told an official announcement on the exact location will be made once the previous tenant has completely vacated. In addition to its famous buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches, the 1,843 square-foot restaurant also serves homemade frozen custard scoops and hand-spun milkshakes and says it anticipates employing up to 30 people there.
About:
The Black-owned, Washington-based business started in 2015 as a food truck operating in the District and opened its first brick-and-mortar in 2018. Having won a RAMMY for the “Hottest New Sandwich Shop” in 2021, an award presented by The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) to honor the exceptional
accomplishments of the region’s restaurants and food service community, Roaming Roosters’ recipes are sure to
spark an appetite in every lover of fried chicken.

Saints Row Brewing/Hallowed Grounds Coffee- Gaithersburg

Saints Row Brewing is now open at 15 Fulks Corner Ave, Suite 101, the former site of Brawling Bear Brewery. Saints Row was previously located on Taft St. in Rockville.  The new location gives Saints Row twice the brewing capacity than at their previous location, as well as a “more robust customer experience with enhanced and improved taproom functionality.” The breweries expansion will include wholesale distribution throughout Montgomery County.  Like their previous location, they will have a rotating schedule of food trucks and special events.
The brewery also purchased additional space in the new building to launch Hallowed Grounds Coffee Co, a boutique coffee roaster and cafe. They tell us, “our production team will be focused on small batch artisanally roasted coffee. We will be providing a range of regions and roast profiles, as well as experimenting with new and unique processes such as barrel aging green and roasted coffee. Working together with the brewery, we have high hopes for packaging cold brew to stock our shelves. Our small scale flexibility will also allow us to offer custom blends and roasts for customers.”

Seventh State- Bethesda

Located in the Bethesda Marriot, Seventh State offers a locally curated menu with items such as the Panuozzo, a wood-fired folded sandwich handmade with pizza dough and locally sourced ingredients. Floor-to-ceiling retractable glass walls open seasonally to outdoor seating, while a custom Italian wood-fire oven clad in bronze is a focal point of the open kitchen indoors. Per Marriot, “Seventh State features indoor and outdoor seating and approachable cuisine with Mediterranean influences. With a custom designed Italian open hearth oven, crisp and delicious pizzas are our specialty. Open for breakfast and dinner only.”

Sharetea- Germantown

Sharetea, a bubble tea cafe located at 13012 Middlebrook Road in Germantown Commons opened on March 6. The international bubble tea brand was established in Taiwan in 1992 and has since grown to over 300 stores worldwide. The Germantown location is the chain’s first Montgomery County location and first in Maryland.

Shouk – Bethesda 

Back in April 2021, Shouk announced that it would be opening two new locations this fall– one in Westwood Shopping Center in Bethesda, and another in Rockville’s Montrose Shopping Center. The Rockville location opened in November and the newest location at 5436 Westbard Avenue in the Westwood shopping center is now open and you can view the menu or place an order here. Shouk’s offerings include stuffed pitas, homemade veggie burgers (known as “Shouk Burgers”), eggplant burgers, mushroom shawarma, different flavors of hummus, salads with mediterranean ingredients, plant based side dishes (shouk’n nuggets, red lentil soup, cashew labneh), desserts, and more.

Shouk is best known for its plant-based, Kosher street food. Per their website, their menu is “Inspired by the bold flavors of the world’s liveliest street markets, we craft our food from real ingredients you can pronounce. Fresh vegetables, beans, grains, and lots of spices.”

South Block- Pike & Rose

South Block, a smoothie and juice bar best known for their acai bowls, has opened in the space that was formerly occupied by the Residences At Pike & Rose leasing office, right next to the recently opened Call Your Mother Deli (The leasing office has moved to the spot formerly occupied by Nava Health.)

Along with their acai bowls, South Block offers other fruit and vegetable-based bowls, a range of smoothies, and cold pressed juices. They currently have eleven locations throughout DC and Virginia– their Pike & Rose spot will be their first location in Maryland. In addition to their brick and mortar locations, South Block has an online storefront where they sell pre-blended smoothie bowl kits that they deliver throughout the continental United States. South Block places an emphasis on giving back and doing good– they donate a portion of all juice sales to Fruitful Planet, an organization created by South Block’s founder that brings fruits and vegetables to underserved communities. Per their website, they also use organic, fair trade acai in order to help fight deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest.

Suki Hana- Montgomery Mall & Wheaton Mall

Suki Hana has opened up locations in both the Montgomery and Wheaton mall food courts, although the two locations appear to have completely different menus. The Montgomery Mall kiosk menu features sushi, rolls, salads, and bowls. Selections include Spicy Tuna Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, Black Dragon Roll, Seaweed Salad, and Green Poke Bowl. The Wheaton Mall location features chicken, beef, and shrimp Teryaki platters, as well as fried dumplings and tempura.

The signage at the Montgomery Mall location originally referred to the restaurant as “Sarku Hana,” but was quickly updated to ‘Suki Hana’, since there is no connection between the restaurant and Sarku Japan, which is also located in the Montgomery Mall food court.

Tacombi- Bethesda

Tacombi is now open at 4749 Bethesda Ave. in downtown Bethesda. 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. The menu features tacos, quesadillas, and burritas (their take on burritos). The website states, “prepared from scratch everyday, Tacombi takes the diversity of home-style Mexican cuisine from its distinct culinary regions and serves it up in the simplicity of a taco.”

Terra Mare- Wheaton

Angel Mendoza, who was the chef behind the recently closed Baronessa in Rockville and Angel’s Pizza and Pasta in Wheaton Mall, is back with a new restaurant. His newest venture, an Italian restaurant named Terra Mare, is located at 2504 Ennals Ave in Wheaton– the former location of Intipuqueño Restaurant.  Terra Mare features pasta, pizza, “a la parilla” which means “on the grill” and features various steaks as well as fajitas, seafood, chicken dishes, soups, and salads. The restaurant will be open Sunday-Thursday from 11am until midnight, and Friday/Saturday from 11am until 1am.

Trippy Tacos- Glenmont

Popular food truck Trippy Tacos has opened its first restaurant at 12134 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring/Glenmont.  Trippy Tacos specializes in tacos with freshly made corn tortillas, quesadillas, burritos, nachos and mulitas. The restaurant also plans to offers an expanded menu that includes breakfast (breakfast tacos, burritos and other breakfast plates), loaded nacho fries, pupusa pizza, and more.

According to Trippy Tacos, the grand opening of the restaurant coincides with the 3-year anniversary of the food truck. “It’s all come full circle. This is the first-ever restaurant location of Trippy Tacos, and we have plans to expand in the DMV,” said Chris Robles, the 26-year old Founder and Executive Chef. Chris perfected his technique for making tacos in South Central Los Angeles. His unique spin on al pastor combines family recipes with LA inspiration.

True Food Kitchen- Gaithersburg

True Food Kitchen, the award-winning, seasonally-inspired restaurant and scratch bar, opened April 25 at 221 Rio Blvd, Suite 221 in Gaithersburg’s Rio Lakefront. This marks the second Montgomery County location (Bethesda), third Maryland location for True Food Kitchen, and the 41st nationwide. The full-service restaurant features a spacious dining room with 171 seats, an open kitchen designed to bring guests closer to the restaurant’s culinary craft and a full-service bar joining the dining room. An outdoor covered patio overlooking rio’s lake seats an additional 124 guests. A private dining room accommodates 12 guests. Natural woods and vibrant, locally inspired artwork add a contemporary touch to the restaurant’s earthy color scheme, natural elements and greenery, including indoor and outdoor garden basins filled with fresh herbs and spices. Eco-friendly materials are utilized throughout, and dining chairs are made of recycled soda bottles.

Two Hands Seoul Fresh Corn Dogs- Wheaton Mall

We first let you know that Two Hands Seoul Fresh Corn Dogs would be coming to Westfield Wheaton Mall all the way back in November, 2020. The restaurant is now officially open in Wheaton Mall (11160 Veirs Mill Rd)- it opened on April 1st. The Korean Corn Dog restaurant is located in the former Teavana space in the mall’s upper level. Two Hands currently has locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Virginia (Centreville). Topping you can choose from include Hot Cheetos, Sweet Ranch, Rice Puffs, and Potato Cubes, as well as traditional hot dog condiments.

Underground Pizza Co.- Silver Spring

Underground Pizza Company opened at 8235 Georgia Ave in Silver Spring, the former site of Olazzo. Owner Evan Weinstein, a concert promoter and founder of Steez Promo, started Underground Pizza Company (UPC) in 2020 after concert venues in the area closed their doors due to the pandemic. Underground Pizza started selling their Detroit-style pizzas at local “pop-up” events that were marketed through social media. Costumers would pre-order pizzas and then meet at a designated location at specific times to pick up their order. UPC opened their first brick & mortar location inside of Power Plant Live! in Downtown Baltimore in December 2020. In addition to pizza, UPC serves over-stuffed sandwiches, salads, hot honey bacon, and mozzarella sticks. You can see their full menu here.

Vine Alley- Gaithersburg

Vine Alley opened at 114 Market. St in Gaithersburg, the former home of the Kentlands Wine Harvest. Vine Alley is being opened by the restaurant group that owns Brew & Barrels (also located in Kentlands), Royal Tandoor (820 Muddy Branch Rd, Gaithersburg), and Taco Daddy (Frederick and formerly at 555 Quince Orchard Rd, Gaithersburg.) The Gaithersburg Wine Harvest closed in June of 2019 after 23 years. The Park Potomac Wine Harvest closed back in November 2020.

Yirasai Sushi- Potomac

Yirasai Sushi has opened their new location at 12525 Park Potomac Ave. Building G in Potomac on Friday, April 15. The restaurant is located in the space formerly occupied by Elevation Burger. Yirasai was previously located at 5110 Ridgefield Road in the Westwood Shipping Center in Bethesda.  Per the Yirasai website, “Kim’s Yirasai Sushi and Café is owned and operated by Mr. Kim. He took over the restaurant from the previous owner in 2004 and has worked hard to make Yirasai a neighborhood gem.”

Zinnia Café- Silver Spring 

Zinnia, which opened the tavern portion of its restaurant back in October, opened Zinnia Café on July 6.  The café features full breakfast and lunch menus and serve Counter Culture Coffee.  Zinnia is located at 9201 Colesville Rd in Silver Spring, the former site of Mrs. K’s Tollhouse, which closed in March 2020 after initial COVID-19 restrictions were enacted.
Per Zinnia:
“The Zinnia Team is finally ready to share with you the Zinnia Cafe. Their Grand Opening is Wednesday July 6th and they will be open during the week from 8am-2pm and on the weekends from 8am-12pm. They will be serving freshly roasted Counter Culture Coffee and a full breakfast and lunch menu. Grab a cappuccino in one of their dining rooms or have a breakfast sandwich in their gardens. They have wifi throughout the entire property, and plenty of space to meet with friends or colleagues. Their full food and beverage menu is also available to go. With any questions, please reach out to [email protected]”

The 12th annual Taste the World in Fenton Village event will take place on Sunday, May 22.  Over 30 restaurants will be participating, including The Angry Jerk, The Big Greek Cafe, City Cafe, Kefa Taste, Palisades Lounge, and Sweet Sweet Kitchen. According to the event’s website, “Great for families and people of all ages. Attendees pick up their free event “passport at one of three port entries or on-line to gain access to the list of 32 participating restaurants that offer tastes of their standard menus for anywhere from $7 or less. Purchase a “taste” and get your passport stamped from three restaurants and submit your entry at one of the entrance tables. Drawing for cash door prizes will take place at 5:50pm. Or, go digital and take a picture of your receipts from three different restaurants and submit online. Digital door prizes will be awarded the day after the event.”

Per Fenton Village: A one-day culinary festival featuring delicious meals from a variety of cultural traditions.
This is the 12^th year of Taste the World in Fenton Village (TTWFV) – the largest restaurant crawl in the Metro area. This marquee event draws food lovers from throughout the area with the promise of samples at more than 30 different restaurants representing international food from five continents. Taste The World provides a great opportunity for attendees to try delicious food from across the globe, while supporting locally-owned, small businesses and exploring the wonderful Fenton Village neighborhood in Silver Spring.

About Fenton Village:
Fenton Village is a diverse, eclectic neighborhood adjacent to downtown Silver Spring. This 6×2 block is home to 200+ small independent businesses that includes more than 40 restaurants, spas, markets, yoga studios and much more. Fenton Village is a block away from the core of downtown. Its boundaries are approximately Georgia Avenue to the West; Fenton Street to the East; Wayne Avenue to the North; and East/West Hwy and the railroad tracks to the South.

Walking to Fenton Village is easy for the many residents that live in the adjacent single-family neighborhoods and the many multi-family communities throughout downtown. It is equally accessible to the many businesses throughout the rest of downtown and the Takoma Park / Silver Spring campus of the Montgomery County College. Many buses provide transit access to and through Fenton Village. The WMATA Red Line is only three blocks away. And the future Purple Line will have a station in Fenton Village, at the Silver Spring Library.

Parking in the area abounds. There is one parking garage in the middle of Fenton Village, and three other garages within easy walking distance. On-street parking is also plentiful. Fenton Village has something for everyone. It is a place to bring family and friends, connect with local businesses, and enjoy a truly unique experience.

Feature photo courtesy of Fenton Village’s Facebook page. 

McCormick & Company, makers of Old Bay, have teamed up with McClintock Distilling in Frederick, MD to create an Old Bay flavored vodka.  According to Old Bay, the vodka is six times distilled for maximum purity and smoothness and perfectly highlights the quintessential flavor of the iconic Old Bay spice blend.

The 35% ABV vodka is scheduled to hit shelves in the middle of this month and is expected to retail for $19.99.

Introducing OLD BAY Vodka, Maryland-made with the iconic taste you love.

In the works since 2019, the Spirit of the Bay will be available mid-March across Maryland & Delaware. Enjoy responsibly!

Learn more: https://t.co/zIoWxt4lLm pic.twitter.com/lkG2NowM8i

— OLD BAY (@OLDBAYSeasoning) March 3, 2022

From oldbayvodka.com:
OLD BAY® VODKA is a crisp, refreshing, six times distilled vodka infused with the iconic flavor of OLD BAY® Seasoning. A unique ingredient upgrade for classic cocktails and alcohol-infused recipes, this all-natural flavored vodka is an exciting way for fans across the US to enjoy the beloved taste of their favorite herb and spice blend. Whether you’re sipping, mixing, or cooking, OLD BAY® VODKA makes drinks and dishes sing with the “Spirit of the Bay™.”

“The idea to collaborate to craft OLD BAY® VODKA made perfect sense from the start,” said Greg David, co-owner, GEORGE’S BEVERAGE COMPANY™️. “We already had national distribution with top liquor distributors and a sustainable supply chain. The next step was identifying a local craft distillery that we could trust and that shared the same commitment to quality, craftmanship and sustainability, we found all this in McClintock Distilling.”

“OLD BAY® has been a fan-favorite for over 75 years in the Chesapeake Bay region and beyond,” said Jill Pratt, Chief Marketing Excellence Officer, McCormick. “Our fans are loyal and passionate when it comes to all things OLD BAY®. We’re thrilled to work with George’s to bring the one-of-a-kind flavor of OLD BAY® to fans in entirely new, exciting, and innovative ways.”

McClintock Distilling, named best craft v

Hello Betty Restaurant Coming to Pike & Rose    

Hello Betty announced today via Instagram that they are planning to open in April. The seafood-focused restaurant aims to bring California beach, surf, and skate ambiance to their establishment. 

A message on their website reads, “We’re gearing up to drop in at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda this Spring. Serious food and beverage, not-so-serious attitude, positive vibes only.” 

A few months ago, a mysterious boat was seen in Pike & Rose being lifted by crane into Canopy. Hello Betty confirmed that this boat will be part of their restaurant’s decor.

 

Hello Betty will open inside of Canopy by Hilton in Pike & Rose, replacing the restaurant that was there previously. 

Currently, there’s a Hello Betty in Oceanside California. While we don’t have a full preview of their Pike & Rose location’s menu, they’ve shared on social media that some of their offerings will include “sustainably sourced Peel and Eat Shrimp and a bucket of crabs fire-roasted in our open flame oven and tossed in Old Bay vinegar”, Fish and Chips, as well as beer from 7 Locks Brewing. Their California location offers a range of tacos, seafood dishes, salads, cocktails, margaritas, and more. 

You can learn more about Hello Betty by checking out their website .

Featured photo courtesy of Hello Betty’s Instagram . 

By Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay

Starting today and running through Saturday, Carmen’s Italian Ice at 1115 Nelson St in Rockville is doing their annual “Pay the Price of the Weather” promotion. Whatever the temperature is outside, that’s the price of a small Italian ice (you can substitute gelati for an extra dollar.)

While obviously not a huge money maker for the store, Carmen’s owner Jason Mandler tells us the promotion is a nice treat for their diehards fans and something fun to do during the off-season, when people don’t typically have frozen treats on their mind.

Below is the weather forecast for the next few days courtesy of weather.com:

Carmen’s Olney location at 3233 Spartan Rd will be running the same promotion beginning Friday, as that location is closed on Thursdays during the winter.

About Carmen’s Italian Ice:
It started with a simple idea. Introduce homemade gourmet Italian Ice to the Washington DC area. Jason Mandler – a native of Parsippany, New Jersey – opened Carmen’s Italian Ice & Cafe in Rockville, MD in 2001. Tracing its roots back to Philly and South Jersey where this dessert has been a mainstay for years, Carmen’s offers homemade, gourmet Italian Ice in over 60 flavors. It also now offers frozen custard, shakes, and a toppings bar.

Carmen’s quickly became a welcome part of the neighborhood with Jason and his staff coming up with tasty offerings, personal service and fun special events. Come on in for a morning cup of coffee or an evening Italian ice and you’ll probably run into a few of our regulars. Come a few more times and you’ll be one of them yourself.

Visit their website at www.carmensrockville.com

Lil’ Cakes & Creamery at 488 N. Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg will be opening up a second location in Urbana, MD.

The new store will be located at 3272 Bennett Creek Avenue, Unit A, part of the brand new shopping center that is already home to Chipotle, Dominos, and Jersey Mike’s.

The dessert spot offers a rotating selection of cupcakes and ice cream, as well as macarons, pupcakes, cookies, cookie sandwiches, pushpops, and milkshakes.

Representatives from Lil’ Cakes and Creamery said they hoped to have the new store opened in May.

Their Gaithersburg shop opened in October 2019 and is located a few stores down from the former site of Chuck E. Cheese’s (soon to become a Five Below)  in Gaithersburg Square.

Visit their website at www.lilcakesandcreamery.com.

Photos courtesy of Lil’ Cakes Facebook page.

 

Last month we let you know that Royal Farms will open their new Gaithersburg location on February 17th.

The store is located in the Spectrum Town Center on 355, next to the I-270 Watkins Mill exit.

The gas station / convenience store is famous for their fried chicken and their made to order menu of breakfast sandwiches, burgers, and fries. Click here to see their entire menu. They are also expected to be available in the area via online ordering services.

Latest photos below:

This is the chain’s first Montgomery County location.

Royal Farms opened its first store in Baltimore in 1959 and currently has over 200 locations in the Mid-Atlantic. The closest Royal Farms location to the upcoming Gaithersburg location is at 9180 Fingerboard Rd in Urbana.

Bethesda Bagels at 14929-D Shady Grove Rd in Rockville, the former site of GameStop, is scheduled to open this Friday, January 21.

The family-owned business started in 1982 and is known for its New York style bagels.

Bethesda Bagels currently has two MoCo locations, 4819 Bethesda Ave. and 10241 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, as well as locations in DC and Virginia.

History of Bethesda Bagels, per its website:

I was working these crazy hours in real estate back in the early ’80s. I would be in my car traveling for 7 hours a day, going building to building. When I got to thse buildings, something was always wrong or someone wasn’t happy. Neither was I. Moving along, my wife was working a conference at the Washington Hilton, so I decided I would visit her for the weekend. I really liked the DC Metro Area. We also had a friend who was going to Georgetown dental school at the time. I decided to pay Eddie a visit at school. I told him that I really liked the area down here and asked what would be a good business to open. Eddie told me the bagels in the area were really awful and a light bulb went off over my head. The rest is history.

I went back to NYC and talked legendary baker Manny Strugatch into letting us apprentice in his bagel ship before and after our full-time jobs. So on a small, shoe-string budget, we opened our Bethesda location in 1982. It was a really sleepy area at the time, but people were starved for new and good products. Word got out and our reputation began to grow. We made a lot of mistakes along the way, but eventually we got it to where it is today. The concrete plant is no longer down the street, the railroad tracks are long gone, as well as the old screen door. Four sons later, we’re happy to say that we are still here — the oldest orginal tenant that started on Bethesda Row.

Our family and business has grown alongside this community. We are still as in love with the area now as we were the first time we visited. We continue to stay involved. When you come into our stores, there is a good chance that you will see me, Fran, or one of our sons. Bethesda Bagels is and always will be family owned and operated.

-The Fleishmans

Below you’ll find a list of restaurants that plan to open in Montgomery County in 2022. Please let us know of any restaurants we may have missed.

&pizza- Gaithersburg & Olney
&pizza is coming to the Gaithersburg Square shopping center and will be located next to Quickway Japanese Hibachi & Chipotle. They’ll also be opening at the Fair Hill shopping center in Olney.

&pizza was founded by Michael Lastoria and Steve Salis (Ted’s Bulletin, Federalist Pig, and Ensemble) in 2012 with their first location on H Street in D.C. The growing chain now has over 36 locations across the east coast including MoCo locations in Bethesda, Gaithersburg (Crown), Germantown, Pike & Rose, Silver Spring and a second Gaithersburg location coming soon.

Bethesda Bagels -Rockville

In April we let you know that Bethesda Bagels would be coming to 14929-D Shady Grove Rd in Rockville, the former site of GameStop, in Fallsgrove (the GameStop location closed in January of this year).

The latest update we’ve heard is that the restaurant plans to open in early 2022.

The family-owned business started in 1982 and is known for their New York style bagels.

Bethesda Bagels currently has two MoCo locations, 4819 Bethesda Ave. and 10241 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, as well as locations in DC and Virginia.

BRB (be right burger) – Silver Spring
BRB (be right burger) and Willie T’s Seafood Shack are both moving in to 9326 Georgia Avenue (joint restaurant), between Islands Tropical Ice Cream and Goldberg’s New York Bagels, in the location that was formerly home to Andy’s Restaurant (h/t @SilverSpringEats).

Willie T’s, a seafood concept from Thompson Hospitality, has recently opened as a pop-up inside of Austin Grill in Springfield, VA and a ghost kitchen out of Homewood Suites in Reston.

The restaurant serves A variety of seafood dishes, including hand-breaded fried fish sandwiches and baskets, crab cakes, lobster tails, salads, grilled fish, po boys, and more.

BRB (be right burger), which currently has a location within Dulles airport, offers a variety of burgers as well as hand spun milkshakes.

More information can be found on the BRB website.

BurgerFi- Gaithersburg
BurgerFi, an American fast casual restaurant chain focused on hormone-free and antibiotic-free angus hamburgers, french fries, hot dogs, custard, and more, is coming to Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg.

The restaurant will be opening at 5 Grand Corner Ave, across from Dick’s Sporting Goods and next to Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodles.

Since its founding in Florida back in 2011, BurgerFi has been among the nation’s fastest-growing better burger concepts with over 100 restaurants in the United States.

Currently, there are BurgerFi locations in Downtown Silver Spring and Pike & Rose.

Burton’s – Gaithersburg
We first announced that Burton’s Grill & Bar was planning t0 open in the Kentlands (across the paseo from MOD Pizza) back in 2019, but the pandemic has caused significant delays.

The latest update we have is that Burton’s applied for its alcoholic beverage license with Montgomery County back September 2nd and are still planning to open in 2022.

This would be the first Burton’s restaurant in Montgomery County. They have nearby locations in Alexandria, Sterling, and Riverdale Park.

Burtons Grill and Bar opened its doors back in 2005 and offers “chef-driven, innovative local preparations, and traditional fare.” It was voted Most Allergy-Friendly Restaurant in 2019 by AllergyEats.

Chadol Korean BBQ- Rockville
Rockville is getting a new Korean BBQ restaurant, this time at Research Row (1403 Research Blvd) Suite A-8).

Construction began back in May, and progress has been made, but it’s not ready to go yet. We’ll have an opening date for you as soon as it’s available. It is located next to Robek’s, across from One Life Fitness and the recently opened Grill Kabob. 

Many One Life Fitness members have expressed delight at the upcoming opening. “Great tasting protein right after a workout? It’s a perfect fit.” exclaimed instagram user @FunnyYanni90 in our original post announcing the upcoming restaurant.

Chopt-Gaithersburg
Signage is now up at the upcoming Chopt location in the Kentlands in Gaithersburg. The new restaurant is located next to MOD pizza on Commerce Square.

Previously, the Kentlands Chopt aimed to open in October. We spoke to representatives from the Rockville Chopt in December and were told us the new Kentlands location is now scheduled to open in January.

Commas (food hall)- Silver Spring
Commas, a new 13,000 square foot food hall coming to the 2nd level of Ellsworth Place (8661 Colesville Rd) in Downtown Silver Spring, is expected to open in Spring 2022 according to a press release from GBT Realty.

The new eatery will have 12 food and beverage merchants.

According to the company, Commas is a “Global Collection for Curious Eaters that will draw from local businesses to create a bustling community of bites from Ethiopia to Korea, Malaysia to El Salvador, Italy to New Jersey, Commas is your new favorite downtown Silver Spring destination”.

Creek Lodge Bar & Grill – Rockville
Signage is up for the Creek Lodge Bar & Grill at 5566 Norbeck Rd in Rockville, the former home of Urban BBQ.

Urban BBQ’s final day in business was on October 3 of this year.

We will post an update on the Creek Lodge Bar & Grill when additional information becomes available. According to public records, Creek Lodge Bar & Grill filed their tradename in Maryland on October 1.

Èkó House – Rockville
Èkó House, named after the local southwestern Nigerian dialect, Yoruba, will be located in the space formerly occupied by Bar Louie at 150 Gibbs St.

According to Federal Realty, “Èkó House (Èkó), a 6,500-square-foot full-service Nigerian restaurant located at 150 Gibbs Street, will open later this year. The restaurant will offer authentic and delicious fusions of well known and loved Nigerian food. It will have a magnificent ambience, with aesthetics that highlight the rich cultures, people and places of the
country. The restaurant will seat 250 people and will include a private room for special events and celebrations.”

El Mercat Bar De Tapas – Rockville
El Mercat Bar De Tapas will be taking over the spot that was most recently home to Gumbo Ya Ya at 101 Gibbs Street Unit C in Rockville Town Square.

It has been over a year since La Tasca announced its permanent closure in Rockville Town Square– leaving the square without a tapas restaurant.

Plaza Oaxaca, a Mexican restaurant, has already opened in the La Tasca location, but many have expressed their desire for tapas to return to the area. El Mercat hopes to fill the void, albeit in a smaller storefront than La Tasca was in.

In addition to Gumbo Ya Ya, Lab Cafe, Ev & Maddy’s, No. 82 Steak Out, and Tippy’s Taco House have all had their turn at the Unit C location on 101 Gibbs Street since 2012.

Feasty Crab – 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, signage was recently put up for the restaurant that will be taking over the location– Feasty Crab.

We don’t have much information on Feasty Crab at the moment, but construction has not started on the interior of the restaurant yet (16811 Crabbs Branch Way).

Firepan Korean BBQ – Silver Spring
Back in April we let you know that Firepan KBBQ started construction at the old Pete’s New Haven Style Pizza location at 962 Wayne Avenue Suite L-B in Downtown Silver Spring.

Source of the Spring reported Monday that the restaurant is now scheduled to open in “early 2022”.

Firepan had its Montgomery County ABS alcohol license hearing last week on November 4.

Per their website, Firepan KBBQ offers a varied KBBQ menu, including both unmarinated and marinated meats, seafood, vegetarian selections like kimchi pancakes, and more adventurous options like beef intestines.

Flipd’ by IHOP – Silver Spring
IHOP’s new concept, Flip’d by IHOP, will be taking over the old Asian Bistro Cafe location at 8537 Georgia Avenue between Panera and Red Lobster, according to the PetersonCos website.

Asian Bistro Cafe closed just over 5 years ago and the space has remained vacant ever since.

Back in December of 2019, IHOP® Restaurants announced plans to launch Flip’d by IHOP™, a new fast-casual concept in the U.S.– the new brand would aim to fill a gap in the restaurant space by focusing on freshly-made breakfast foods and beverages with speed and convenience in mind, directly addressing a growing consumer demand in densely populated city centers.

Popular lunch and dinner items, including the brand’s Ultimate Steakburgers and Buttermilk Crispy Chicken will also be available.

Frank Pepe’s – Bethesda
Back in December of 2019, we learned that Frank Pepe’s would be opening its first Maryland pizzeria right here in MoCo.

Frank Pepe’s will be located in the old Bobby’s Burger Palace location on the lower level across from Cheesecake Factory. No opening timeframe has been provided yet, but construction is currently ongoing and the restaurant had its liquor license hearing with the county back in September,

The Daily Meal has referred to Frank Pepe’s as “America’s finest pizzeria” and many publications have tabbed the pizza joints as a must-try in the New England area.

Per its website, Frank Pepe originated the New Haven-style thin crust pizza which he baked in bread ovens fired by coke. Coke is a byproduct of coal and it was used extensively until the late 1960’s when it became unavailable and hence coal was then put into use to fire the oven.

Grace Street Coffee – Bethesda
The coffee shop, which has two locations in D.C.,  first announced the Bethesda location back in August, but now “coming soon” signage has been put up at 5021 Wilson Lane confirming the exact location.

Grace Street Coffee offers a variety of coffees, matcha based products, lemonades, and more.

We’ll have more updates for you, including an opening date, as we get them.

Gregorio’s – Park Potomac
Gregorio’s Trattoria, an Italian restaurant, will open its third MoCo location, and fourth overall, in Park Potomac in 2022. It will be located in the former home of Sugo (12505 Park Potomac Ave), which closed its doors permanently earlier this summer.

Gregorio’s started out in Reston in 2008 and opened a second location in what’s now Cabin John Village in Potomac.

The restaurant opened its second MoCo location last November at the Shops at Sumner Place in Bethesda, in the spot that was home to China Pavilion for over two decades until it closed almost three years ago.

They hope to open the new location in the first half of 2022.

HalfSmoke- Rockville
HalfSmoke was the first restaurant of its kind to serve gourmet sausages via an assembly line format. Their sausages and toppings can be fully customized to create over 50,000 variations. Their menu also features craft beer, mac and cheese balls, tater tots, milkshakes, funnel cakes, wine, cocktails, and more.

The new Rockville location will take over the spot that was recently home to Pandora and previously home to American Tap Room and Austin Grill at 36A Maryland Ave.

The 50-employee Rockville location will be 6,000 square feet with 150 seats inside under normal capacity and seating for 30 outside.

We were told by representatives from HalfSmoke that there is still no firm opening date.

Hook & Reel- Wheaton
Hook & Reel at 11160 Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton, (Wheaton Mall), could be opening early 2022, according to a representative from Westfield Wheaton.

The restaurant is taking over two vacant storefronts between Party City and the old Bar Louie.

Hook & Reel recently had its beer, wine, and liquor license hearing on Thursday, October 7th.

Java Nation -Gaithersburg
Back in January we let you know that Java Nation would be moving in to 121 Market Street in the Kentlands neighborhood of Gaithersburg, which was formerly a Starbucks. Starbucks opened a new Kentlands location at 160 Kentlands Blvd earlier this year that features a drive-thru.

This summer we were told there have been material and equipment delays by manufacturers, pushing the opening timeframe from August to October but that was delayed.

Java Nation is best known for their house-roasted coffees, diverse food menu, and their wide variety of local craft beers, wines and artisan cocktails.

Curious about the “social house” signage that’s up in the window? Much like the Rockville location, the Kentlands location feature entertainment such as live music, comedy shows, dramatic readings and other community events.

Jongro BBQ- Wheaton
Jangro in Wheaton mall is expected to open in January, 2022.

The restaurant is known for its wide variety of cuts that are not  found in most other Korean restaurants. According to their website, their “beef and pork are produced with only natural feeds.” It will be taking over the location that was going to be home to Tilted Kilt a few years back, near DSW and the UPS store.

Kema Sushi- Potomac
Kenaki Sushi is coming to Cabin John Village. They will be moving into the former location of Zhora hair salon.

Kenaki opened their popular Kentlands location back in 2018. The restaurant is owned by longtime Raku chef, Ken Ballogdajan, and his sister, Aki Ballogdajan.

According to Store Reporter, who first reported the news, the new location will be called Kema by Kenaki is expected to open in the first part of 2022.

From their website: “Combining a traditional foundation with modern flavors and techniques.
KENAKI sources high quality ingredients while presenting innovative, approachable sushi.”

Kobe Japan- Montgomery Village
Kobe Japan is also coming to the newly redeveloped Montgomery Village Shopping Center.

According to the sitemap on the klnb Commercial Real Estate website, Kobe Japan will be located next to Moe’s Southwest Grill in the shopping center.

Both Moe’s Southwest Grill and Kobe Japan will be taking over the space formerly occupied by the MV Animal Hospital. Earlier this month the hospital moved to one of the recently built store fronts on the Centerway Rd extension.

Kobe Japan currently has one location at 13623 Georgia Ave. Suit A in Aspen Hill. Their menu features, sushi and sashimi, bento boxes and hibachi.

Kruba Thai – Potomac
Collins + Co. has announced that Kruba Thai will be coming to Park Potomac in the second quarter of 2022. It will be taking over the former Wine Harvest location at 12525 Park Potomac Ave B.

Kruba currently has a location at 301 Water St. near Nationals Park in Washington, DC. Their menu features sushi and traditional Thai dishes such as Panang and Drunken Noodles.

Kung Fu Tea- Olney
Kung Fu Tea has signed on to take over the location that’s as recently home to Yogi Berry, next to Starbucks in the same shopping center as Cava Mezze, CVS, and Cafe Rio at 3128 Olney Sandy Spring Road.

The bubble tea cafe was one of the first to distinguish itself by having a system where drinkers customize their orders by sweetness, amount of ice, toppings, and more, using Asian teas as a base rather than commercial powders.

The company opened its flagship DMV location in Rockville in 2015 and has since expanded by opening many shops across the county.

Kusshi ko- Silver Spring
Kusshi ko, a restaurant by the folks who have brought you Kusshi Sushi (Pike & Rose), Hanaro (Bethesda), and Poke Dojo (Bethesda Row), will be moving into the location formerly occupied by Gusto in Downtown Silver Spring (8512 Fenton Street).

For now, management tells us they know that sushi will be part of what the restaurant offers, but they’re looking into doing more than just sushi with the space. “We know it‘ll be more quick service style,” owner Wesley Yao tells us.

Gusto announced its permanent closure in January of this year and the ink is still drying on this contract with plenty of construction likely, so it’ll likely be a while before we see Kusshiko make its Downtown Silver Spring debut.

You can follow the progress on their Instagram account, @kusshiko

Kumbia- Rockville
Kumbia, a South American restaurant focusing on cuisine from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil, and Ecuador, is coming to 100 B Gibbs Street in Rockville Town Square, the former location of Spice Xing. The restaurant is expected to open this winter.

Per Federal Realty:

Kumbia will occupy a 3,904-sqaure-foot space at 100 B Gibbs Street next to First Watch and Truist Bank. Named after the popular music style similar to salsa and reggae, the full-service restaurant will offer a variety of South American food from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil, and Ecuador. It will also offer a robust tableside cocktail menu and a variety of nighttime entertainment.

“We are excited to bring a unique Latin offering, to include exciting cocktails, beloved dishes and live music inspired by the variety of cuisines that represent South American food culture,” said Steven Tobar, co-owner of Kumbia. “We look forward to joining the diverse collection of restaurants that make the neighborhood a great community dining destination.”

Kumbia joins the recently announced Èkó House (Èkó) and El Mercat Bar de Tapas, as the latest restaurants to join Rockville Town Square.
Èkó House is full-service Nigerian restaurant located at 150 Gibbs Street. El Mercat Bar de Tapas (El Mercat) is located at 101 Gibbs Street and will feature traditional Spanish tapas, paellas, gambas al ajillo, patatas bravas, Tortilla Española as well as sangria, wines, and beer.

Ladurée Paris- Bethesda
Ladurée Paris is coming to 4808 Bethesda Ave In Bethesda.

The Parisian café and pastry shop has U.S. locations in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, and Washington, D.C.

Dating back to 1862, Ladurée is known worldwide for their macarons.  The Bethesda menu will also feature chocolates, pastries, teas and more.

The location is expected to open this winter.

Lapu Lapu- Gaithersburg
Lapu Lapu, which will be the sister restaurant of popular Rockville/North Bethesda/Kensington restaurant Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly, announced via Instagram that it will be opening in the Kentlands neighborhood of Gaithersburg.

The new restaurant will be taking over the 325 square foot storefront that was formerly home to Tex-Mex restaurant Peppers, located next to Vasili’s.

Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly started as a pop-up at owner Javier Fernandez’ sister’s bakery– Gwenie’s Pastries (12113 Nebel Street in Rockville) in 2016, before opening at 5268-H Nicholson Ln 240-669-4383. The restaurant is known for its lechon—crispy, bronzed pork belly.

We will have more information on the upcoming Lapu Lapu as it becomes available.

Little Sesame- Bethesda
Little Sesame is coming 7118 Bethesda Lane in Bethesda

The opening will be the hummus brand’s first outpost outside of DC. Little Sesame is excited to bring their freshly spun hummus, seasonal pita sandwiches to the neighborhood. The fan favorite shawarma-spiced rotisserie family meals will  join the menu as the perfect dinner choice along with a curated selection of quality beer, natural wine, and low ABV canned cocktails. Nick Wiseman says: “We’ve always wanted to open a shop in Bethesda” notes Wiseman “We got such a warm welcome to our Sugar Fox Pop Up and the Bethesda Central Farm Market and we’re thrilled to plant permanent roots in this community.” 

The 1,200 sq ft shop will be designed by Brian Miller of Edit Lab at Streetsense, with 20 seats indoors, an additional 20 seats outdoors, and a designated area for pre-order pick up. 

This past summer we let you know that New York based Mexican restaurant Mexicue, which has a nearby location at 1720 14th St NW in DC, would be coming to 4733 Elm St., the former site of Gusto Farm to Street. Their menu features tacos, bowls, shareable platters, margaritas and weekend brunch.

Miss Toya’s – Silver Spring
Miss Toya’s, a Cajun/Creole restaurant by local chef Jeffeary Miskiri, is coming to 923 Ellsworth Dr in Silver Spring, the former site of Eggspectation.

Eggspectation, a Montreal based restaurant with locations across the world, closed back in September 2020 after 15 years in that location.

Miskiri is the founder and owner of Miskiri Hospitality Group, which describes itself as a unique collective of Black, family and woman-owned products and restaurants in the DC area. The group’s restaurants include Creole on 14th and Po Boy Jim’s in DC, as well as Suga & Spice, listed as coming soon to Hyattsville.

Moe’s Southwest Grill – Montgomery Village
Construction on Moe’s Southwest Grill at 19222 Montgomery Village Ave in the Montgomery Village Center began back in October and is nearing completion.

The owners of the fast casual Mexican restaurant told us in October that they hoped to open by the end of the year.

Moe’s is taking over the former space occupied by the MV Animal Hospital. The hospital has moved right down the road to 19243 Watkins Mill Rd.

Currently the only Moe’s in Montgomery County is located in the Westfield Wheaton Food Court.

Paris in Town- Bethesda
Paris in Town, a French bakery and Cafe based in Florida, is opening a Bethesda location at 4903 Cordell Avenue in the spot that was formerly home to Smashburger, Fuse Taco, and more.

The cafe has recently erected signage and offers the following per its website: “Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Homemade soups, Crepes and Pastries, Cafe au Lait, Espresso, Organic Teas. Imported Wine and Cheese, Escargots, Salads and Sandwiches, Smoked Salmon, European beers, Cappuccino, and a lot more.”

Paris in Town has its only other location in N. Palm Beach, Florida. An opening date is not yet available but the bakery/café is “coming soon.”

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

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.

Qdoba- Gaithersburg
The fast-casual burrito chain will be opening its newest location at 16260 Frederick Road in the location that was formerly home to Jerry’s Subs and Pizza.

Construction at the building is currently ongoing.

Qdoba has two other Montgomery County locations– one on Rollins Ave in Rockville and another on Tech Road in Silver Spring.

Quickway Japanese Hibachi – Olney
Quickway Japanese Hibachi has “coming soon” signage up in the location that was formerly home to Fashion Cleaners in the Shoppes of Olney shopping center, between CVS and Bubbles Hair Salon.

Fashion Cleaners closed this past spring after 8 years in the location.

Quickway describes itself as bringing the Teppanyaki cooking technique to a quick service restaurant setting with cooked to order hibachi dishes.

This will be the regional chain’s sixth MoCo location, with over 30 restaurants across the DMV. The latest MoCo location opened just under a year ago in Stone Mill Square (Korean Korner shopping center).

Roaming Rooster- Pike & Rose
Federal Realty announced in July that the popular Roaming Rooster was coming to North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose. The 1,843-square-foot restaurant will feature its famous buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches, sides, salads and an all week breakfast menu.

“As a supporter of the DMV’s local businesses, Federal is eager to bring this popular regional favorite to its first location in Maryland and Montgomery County,”said Emily Gagliardi, Director of Leasing at Federal.”Roaming Rooster will be a welcome addition to the dining destinations in thevibrant Pike & Rose neighborhood.”

A minority- and family-owned business founded in 2015, Roaming Rooster began as a food truck that traveled across the Washington, D.C. metro region. Its popularity grew and today there are three food trucks and multiple storefronts.This will be the first Roaming Rooster in Maryland and Montgomery County and its sixth fast-casual restaurant in the region. Locations in Washington, D.C. can be found in the Woodridge, U-Street and the recently opened Tenleytown neighborhoods. Two more locations opening soon are in the Western Market Food Hall and the Skyland Town Center.

The restaurant offers a variety of buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches varying in heat depending on the diner’s preferences – mild, medium or hot. In addition to itsfree-range, grain-fed, antibiotic-free and Halal chicken, Roaming Rooster offers an all week breakfast menu, salads and sides including wings, chicken tenders and hand-cut fries.

Royal Farms- Gaithersburg
A representative from Royal Farms informed us recently that the location at 690 Watkins Mills Road in Gaithersburg will be opening this February. We will let you know the exact date when it becomes available.

The gas station/convenience store that is known for their fried chicken will be located in the Spectrum Town Center, next to the I-270 Watkins Mill exit.

This will be the chain’s first Montgomery County location.

Starbucks – Montgomery Village Center
Construction is ongoing at the site of the upcoming Starbucks in the Montgomery Village Center.

The Starbucks will be located at the former site of the Montgomery Village Denny’s (19290 Montgomery Village Ave), directly across the new Lidl grocery store that is currently being built, and nearing complete across the street at the site of the former Montgomery Village Professional Center.

Starbucks– Glenmont
Starbucks is moving in to the Glenmont Shopping Center, taking over the location what was previously home to Capital One and a Chevy Chase banks (2315 Randolph Road).

Suki Hana will be taking over the space previously occupied by Sarku Japan in the Wheaton Mall food court. The restaurant is expected to be open this winter.

From their website: “Suki Hana/Wokaholic brings the best of the Japanese and Chinese cuisine. Their delicious teriyaki dishes are cooked fresh to order on their teppanyaki grill, right in front of their guests. They also serve light and crispy tempura and freshly-made sushi.”

Sweet Block Tropical Munchies- Silver Spring
Signage has been installed for a few months at 24B Vital Way in Silver Spring (Colesville) for carry ou /delivery only restaurant Sweet Block.

Sweet Block will offer tropical desserts along with traditional treats only found in the streets of various Latin countries. The owners told us that they are looking to open this fall and that the one stop dessert shop will feature Latin food, art, and culture from various countries such as Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Peru.

Some of the menu items will include Mangonadas, Esquites (corn in a cup), in-house ice cream, carved/prepared fruits, and juices/smoothies.

The Heights (food hall) – Chevy Chase
Common Plate Hospitality will be opening their first food hall in Maryland with The Heights Food Hall at Wisconsin Place.  The new food hall will be opening in the space formerly occupied by Anthropologie and PF Chang’s on the 5400 block of Wisconsin Ave.

According to a press release, “The Heights’ contemporary design consolidates the bright open space with white walls, art murals, charming textiles, modern lighting, and greenscaping to create a vibrant culinary oasis. Some creative concepts to join the Heights include eight food stalls that will feature a variety of international cuisine, a full-service bar, a speakeasy and Urbano @ The Heights – a contemporary Tex-Mex concept from Common Plate Hospitality”.

They have also announced that the Heights Food Hall at Wisconsin Place will offer both indoor and outdoor patio dining and will be open seven days a week from 11am-Midnight.  They are targeting a Spring 2022 opening.

The Pretzel Bakery – Potomac
The Pretzel Bakery, which opened it’s DC location at 257 15th Street SE in DC back in 2012, is coming to Cabin John Village in Potomac.  The restaurant will be taking over the space formerly occupied by the Hair Cuttery at 7961 Tuckerman Ln.

According to their website, the Pretzel Bakery serves small batch, hand-rolled, Philadelphia-style soft pretzels fresh-out-of-the-oven all day.  In addition to traditional pretzels, they also sell pretzel dogs, pretzel calzones, stuffed pretzel “bombs”, and pretzel sliders.

The Salt Line- Bethesda
The Salt Line will be moving in to 4900 Hampden Lane– the space that was formerly home to Kapnos (and would have been home to The Riggsby). We were also told a Ballston, VA location would be opening in 2-3 weeks.

The Salt Line DC location is a waterfront venture that opened near Navy Yard in June of 2017 with a 100-seat patio bar overlooking the Anacostia River. While the Bethesda location won’t be overlooking the water, Bethesda Row offers a highly walkable, bustling downtown experience in Montgomery County.

Per The Salt Line website:

“At The Salt Line, we’re taking inspiration from that magical blend and creating a lively and welcoming experience of classic New England dishes influenced by the bounty of the Chesapeake. Each day The Salt Line features a rotating selection of local Chesapeake and New England oysters.When available, you can find ‘Cthulhu Deeps’, The Salt Line proprietary oyster, on the menu. Hailing from Otter Cove farm on the Damariscatta River in Maine, Cthulhu Deeps are the perfect balance of crisp, briny, and salty with moderate flavor and texture.”

Tropical Smoothie Cafe- Germantown
Back in May we let you know that Tropical Smoothie Café would be coming to Germantown. Now we know that the cafe will open the day after Christmas, December 26, 2021, at 9am.

Tropical Smoothie Café has opened many new locations in MoCo in the last couple years and their latest location will be at 19828 Century Blvd in the Germantown Town Center, according to InvenTrust Properties. The location was formerly home to Verizon.

The cafe offers more than just smoothies as the menu contains flatbreads, wraps, quesadillas, sandwiches, bowls, breakfast, and a lot more.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe opened in Aspen Hill this last summer. They’ve also opened on Elm Street in Bethesda, in the Gaithersburg Square Shopping Center in Gaithersburg, the Travilah Square Shopping Center (10052 Darnestown Road), Burtonsville Town Center and in the White Oak area.

True Food Kitchen – Gaithersburg
It has been over two years since we let you know that True Food Kitchen would be taking the place of Joe’s Crab Shack in Rio.

Originally slated for a late 2020 opening, we spoke with a team member back in March who told us the restaurant would not open until 2022. Earlier today, Rio doubled down on the timeframe as they advertised a Spring 2022’arrival for the restaurant.

The True Food Kitchen website also lists Spring 2022 as the expected opening date.

This will be the second MoCo location, with the first being at 7100 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda.

True Food Kitchen is a health-focused restaurant chain with 23 locations in 10 U.S. states (most locations in California and Texas). The restaurant focuses on serving healthy, seasonal, sustainable, and organic food with plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options.

Underground Pizza Company – Silver Spring
Underground Pizza Company is coming to 8235 Georgia Ave in Silver Spring (formerly Olazzo) later this year. Owner Evan Weinstein, a concert promoter and founder of Steez Promo, started Underground Pizza Company (UPC) last year after concert venues in the area closed their doors due to the pandemic.

Underground Pizza started selling their Detroit-style pizzas at local “pop-up” events that were marketed through social media. Costumers would pre-order pizzas and then meet at a designated location at specific times to pick up their order.

UPC opened their first brick & mortar location inside of Power Plant Live! in Downtown Baltimore last December.

In addition to pizza, UPC serves over-stuffed sandwiches, salads, hot honey bacon, and mozzarella sticks.

Wawa- Gaithersburg
Wawa would have come in first, but because it’s more of a convenience store than a restaurant, we’re going to just list it here.

Back in 2019 we reported that Wawa was coming to Gaithersburg and would be taking over the old Becraft Antiques location on 355, across from Gaithersburg High School (405 S Frederick Ave).

The latest we’ve heard is that Wawa is currently working through their final site plan with the City of Gaithersburg in order to present and get approval from the Planning Commission. Once approved, Wawa move forward with construction.

Public opposition to the site led to the development being stalled after a group of 14 community members filed an administrative appeal in the Montgomery County Circuit Court.

The opponents of the site had stated that the Wawa does not align with MoCo’s master plan and would generate traffic and noise annoyances for residents in the surrounding areas.

Back in April Judge Donald Beachley struck down the appeal, clearing the way for development to begin.

Wayback Burgers- Gaithersburg
Wayback Burgers, a fast-casual burger chain based out of Connecticut, is coming to The Shops of Potomac Valley shopping center at 12121 Darnestown Rd. in the location that was formerly home to an AT&T store and a tanning salon before that.

Wayback serves burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, milkshakes and salads along with a variety of regional selections.

The restaurant opened its first location in neighboring Delaware back in 1991. It was then known as “Jake’s Hamburgers” before the name changed to “Jake’s Wayback Burgers” in 2010, and dropping the “Jake’s” portion of the name in recent years. Wayback Burgers now has over 150 locations worldwide.

Construction at the restaurant site began back in July.

Willie T’s Seafood Shack – Silver Spring
See BRB Burger above.

Yirasai Sushi- Park Potomac
Yirasai Sushi, located at 5110 Ridgefield Road in the Westwood Shipping Center in Bethesda, announced they will be moving the old Elevation Burger spot in Park Potomac.

Per the Yirasai website, “Kim’s Yirasai Sushi and Café is owned and operated by Mr. Kim. He took over the restaurant from the previous owner in 2004 and has worked hard to make Yirasai a neighborhood gem.”

”Yirasai has been recognized as many people’s favorites by others such as The Washingtonian and NBC4. Mr.Kim has many regular customers whom he has built friendships with over the past years. Accommodating to the customer’s needs, Mr. Kim and his staff are quick to make adjustments and changes if needed.”

 

Dog Haus Biergarten at 933 Ellsworth Dr. in Downtown Silver Spring will be hosting a “6lbs of Dog Haus in Your Face Challenge” with Raina Huang (@rainaiscrazy on Instagram) this Saturday at 1PM.

Haung will attempt to eat a six pound assortment of various Dog Haus dogs, sausages, and burritos in less than 20 minutes.

Dog Haus in Silver Spring opened this past week and is their third location in Montgomery County.
The first Dog Haus opened in Pasadena, CA in 2010. In 2018, they opened their first east coast location in Bethesda (7904 Woodmont Ave). The Gaithersburg location (644 Center Point Way) opened in January of 2020.

You can view a YouTube video of Huang eating a four foot burrito below: