In January 2021 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. After a few delays, Java Nation has said it plans to open its new Kentlands location by the end of May, according to a report by Bethesda Beat. Outdoor seating was installed a couple weeks back.
Java Nation is best known for its house-roasted coffees, diverse food menu, and 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/N.Bethesda location, the Kentlands location feature entertainment such as live music, comedy shows, dramatic readings and other community events.
From the Java Nation website:
Serving the best artisan coffees and traditional food made with love and delivered with first class service. That has continued to be our mission since our inception in 2012. The concept for Java Nation came to creation when a local resident realized an absence for a great cup of coffee in the community. Beyond our focus to serve freshly roasted coffee to our local community, we source local produce, use environmentally friendly products, and support work from local artists.
Mezeh Mediterranean Grill will be opening a new location in the upcoming Kensington Crossing development at 10619 Connecticut Avenue (at Plyers Mill Road). The restaurant has signed on to take over a new 2,350SF space with plenty of outdoor seating.
Mezeh is a fast-casual eatery with a buffet-style of offerings that include rice and salad bowls, wraps and a variety of sauces and toppings. Mezeh currently has MoCo locations in Gaithersburg and Germantown. Buffalo Wild Wings GO and M&T Bank are the other two tenants that have signed on for the upcoming development. Opening dates for any of these locations are not currently available. Update: College Park staple Marathon Deli has also signed on at Kensington Crossing.
Buffalo Wild Wings opened its first ‘Buffalo Wild Wings GO’ location– a scaled-down version of the restaurant that focuses on the to-go and delivery format in Georgia back in 2020. Now, the company will open its first ‘Go’ location in the upcoming Kensington Crossing– a new retail development that will be located at 10619 Connecticut Avenue (at Plyers Mill Road) in Kensington.
Kensington Crossing previously announced that M&T Bank, which currently has a Kensington location on Howard Avenue, signed on as its first tenant to take over its largest space (2,635 SF). No word yet on if this will be a second Kensington branch, but the likely scenario would involve the current branch moving to the new space.
Buffalo Wild Wings GO will offer wings, tenders, fries, tater tots, fried pickles, onion rings, cheese curds, and soft drinks, for delivery and takeout. Early versions of the restaurant offers minimal seating, primarily for customers waiting for their takeout orders. Other Buffalo Wild Wings GO locations do not offer alcoholic beverages like beer, which has been a cornerstone of the Buffalo Wild Wing concept.
There are currently two full-service Buffalo Wild Wings locations in MoCo– located in Rockville and Gaithersburg. The first Buffalo Wild Wings GO store opened in May in Sandy Springs, Georgia. No opening date is available for the Kensington Crossing location.
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.
Per Marriott:
The Marriott Bethesda Downtown at Marriott HQ is located in Downtown Bethesda, MD, 8 miles NW of Washington, DC, & 30 miles from Reagan Intl Airport. The 245-room hotel is on the Red Line Metro Stop, ½ mile from Bethesda Row & steps away from Marriott Intl’s new headquarters. Floor to ceiling windows bring in an abundance of natural light throughout and guestrooms include city & green space views. The lobby features mid-century modern details, grand staircase, 360-degree lobby bar, & technology touches like USB charging stations. Bonvoy members will appreciate the exclusivity of M Club, and foodies will rejoice in the trendy rooftop Hip Flask bar, with exclusive elevator, 3-sided glass windows, small plates, & craft cocktails. The highlight of Seventh State, the hotel’s restaurant, is a built-in Italian wood oven. Both outlets feature indoor/outdoor dining. With 6,800 sq. ft. of function space, the hotel ensures successful Bethesda meetings & events.
Back in January, we let you know that Pollo Campero would be taking over the location that was home to KFC until December 2020 at 426 N Frederick Rd in Gaithersburg.
The building has been fenced off and construction has been ongoing since then. The exterior of the building has also been repainted as the restaurant moves closer to opening.
A timeframe for the opening has not been provided, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see it open by the end of the summer.
The fried chicken chain, which originated in Guatemala, opened its first location in 1971 and has grown to over 400 locations worldwide, including over 70 in the United States.
Pollo Campero has Montgomery County locations in Gaithersburg (less than a mile away at Lakeforest Mall), Takoma Park, and Wheaton. The Downtown Silver Spring location closed last month.
No official word on the future of the Lakeforest location, but based on other businesses relocating from the mall to nearby areas, we’d expect the current location to close prior to the opening of the new location.
Menu items include fried and grilled chicken, empanadas, yuca, plantains, salad, and flan.
New York J&P Pizza in Damascus (2607 Ridge Road) has officially reopened after a 10-month remodeling closure.
The restaurant announced it would close for remodeling back on February 10th and started the process on February 15th.
On June 22nd, an update was provided via social media:
“Thank you all so much for all your patience! Unfortunately, this remodel has been delayed numerous times and it’s out of our hands. We have every permit except the plumbing one, which we are still waiting on from Montgomery Co. We are hoping and planning for the first week of August!!”
On Sunday, J&P announced that it would open on Monday and the restaurant is now officially open.
New York J&P Pizza was the first restaurant in Damascus to receive a liquor license and started serving alcohol in February of 2013, a few months after an 80-year ban on alcohol sales in the town.
Featured photo courtesy of New York J&P Pizza
Updated 10/27 to reflect that the restaurant has opened in its new location.
Corned Beef King announced that it’ll be moving to a new Rockville location and will be reopening on Thursday, October 21st. After a slight delay, it has now reopened as of Wednesday, October 27th. The Corned Beef King was at the Liberty gas station on Rockville Pike and Twinbrook Pkwy since moving out of the Olney Exxon back in 2018. That location is now closed.
The new location in Rockville will be at 330-C North Stonestreet Ave, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States. For more informational their brand new menu and on the locations of their food trucks, you can visit the Corned Beef King website.
Terrain Café, the restaurant inside Anthropologie & Co. at 4801 Bethesda Ave. in Bethesda Row, reopened yesterday, Friday, August 27th.
The contemporary American neighborhood staple offers seasonally changing brunch, lunch, and dinner menus featuring hand-selected local produce, meats and more, alongside thoughtfully curated beverages.
The restaurant’s hours are Wednesday – Friday; 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday; 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Terrain Café will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
National Museum of Health and Medicine (Silver Spring) has Reopened
The National Museum of Health and Medicine, at 2500 Linden Lane in Silver Spring, reopened yesterday after operating virtually since the pandemic restrictions began in March of last year.
The National Museum of Health and Medicine was established in 1862 to inspire interest in and promote the understanding of medicine—past, present, and future—with a special emphasis on tri-service American military medicine.
As a National Historic Landmark recognized for its ongoing value to the health of the military and to the nation, the Museum identifies, collects, and preserves important and unique resources to support a broad agenda of innovative exhibits, educational programs, and scientific, historical, and medical research.
Per the museum’s Facebook Page:
“Welcome back!
Today, our museum reopens to the public. We’ll be open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday, and closed Monday and Tuesday.
Before you visit, note: visitors two years and older are required to wear face coverings during their visit for the safety of all visitors and staff. Staff will check the temperature of all visitors with a contact-free thermometer before entry. Visitors with a temperature of 100 degrees or higher will not be admitted. Docent-led tours and groups larger than 10 won’t be permitted, and visitors will need to maintain at least six feet of distance between themselves and people outside their group. No more than 40 visitors will be allowed in the museum at any given time. Visitors will be directed to follow a one-way path through the museum.
For additional information about visitor guidelines, visit https://www.medicalmuseum.mil/index.cfm?p=visit.what_to_expect
Not ready or able to visit yet? We’ll continue to offer online programs and distance learning resources to share the stories of military medicine. Our website has lots to explore: online exhibits, a blog, and virtual learning resources: http://www.medicalmuseum.mil
We’ve missed you!
.
Exterior of the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring, Maryland. (NMHM photo)
Rockville Town Square’s Interactive Fountain Opens Today
After remaining closed for over a year due to pandemic restrictions, the interactive fountain/splash pads in Rockville Town Square are reopening today.
The city recently proposed keeping the Streetery on Gibbs open through the summer and the opening of the fountain will now provide more entertainment for kids, while providing an opportunity for anyone to cool off.
A Mexican restaurant, Plaza Oaxaca, also recently opened in Rockville Town Square.
Featured photo courtesy of Rockville Town Square.
Quarry House Tavern Reopens Tonight in Silver Spring
Yesterday we wrote about the fun marketing campaign that was teasing the reopening of The Quarry House Tavern in Downtown Silver Spring (8401 Georgia Avenue).
Around 12:30pm this afternoon, the legendary bar and restaurant announced that it will be reopening tonight at 5pm.
Below you’ll see the announcement, mentioning a few restrictions as they ease back into the basement post-covid.
”…aaaaand we’re back.
QHT will be open at 5pm TONIGHT
💥 Please note 💥 we are easing ourselves back into the basement post-covid with a few restrictions during this initial period:
▪️ capacity will be reduced a bit (fewer tables to enable greater space between them).
▪️ when we reach capacity, we will add your name to a waitlist, and text you when a table or bar seat opens up.
▪️ the bar will be limited to seated guests.
▪️ our staff will wear masks for a couple weeks, but guests need not wear them (at your discretion).
▪️ we’ll be closing at 1:00am to start.
We can’t wait to see you, and hope you’ll feel comfortable being back inside with us–we are THRILLED to serve you burgers and beer!
🍔 Note: we have mostly new staff -and they are wonderful! It may take us a few weeks to learn the entire beer and whiskey lists; your patience is appreciated!!
🍔 Please welcome *back* Baback (GM) and Paul (bar manager), old-school Quarry staff who have returned to run the joint.
It’s gonna be just like old times.”
