Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The 1940s-themed restaurant opened this past week, according to its Facebook page.
The much-anticipated opening of Benny's Bar and Grill in the Cabin John Shopping Center is here. The retro-themed restaurant announced on its Facebook page that it would be fully operational starting May 20. On May 17, the restaurant was open for dinner between 6 and 8 p.m. A discount of 25 percent was in effect that evening, as it was a staff training night. The restaurant was open for lunch only on Saturday and was closed on Sunday, according to the restaurant's Facebook page. Going forward, the restaurant (at 7747 Tuckerman Ln., Potomac) will be open for lunch and dinner daily, with breakfast and a carry-out operation coming soon, the Facebook page added. The eatery originally was intended to open closer to the New Year, but permitting…
Monday, May 20, 2013
The Bethesda restaurant—which changed hands briefly earlier this year—was sold back to its previous owner, who says it will not be opened again.
Bethesda's Box Bar & Grille has had a rough year. A few months ago, the Hooters-style restaurant and bar was sold to George Farrell, who re-opened the space as Dry Fried Wings, a family-friendly eatery launched in January with a high-profile kickoff event featuring civil rights activists, Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, Patch reported. But it didn't last, and Box Bar owner Jason McCarther bought the space back from George Farrell, with the intent of re-opening it as Roc Bar Live, Bethesda Now reported. And now, McCarther says that Roc Bar Live won't be opening, to The Box Bar & Grille's Facebook Page. Box Bar opened in November 2011, with "Box Babes" serving burgers, beer …
The anthology features the work of nearly 50 local writers.
The work of close to 50 DC-area writers is featured in a new anthology—District Lines—published by well-known Chevy Chase, DC, independent bookstore, Politics & Prose. Printed on Politics & Prose’s very own book-printing machine, District Lines contains essays, short fiction, poems, sketches and photography "on quirky and serious subjects ranging from a sighting of Effi Barry on a Metro bus to an August night on the Q Street Bridge to hotcakes at the Florida Avenue Grill to an ode to the Dupont Circle metro escalator," according to a news statement from the bookstore. Read more about the bookstore's book-printing machine—which can print out a book from a PDF file—on Patch. "We really wanted to capture a sense of people and place in DC and …
Friday, May 17, 2013
Restaurant news from around the county and adjacent DC neighborhoods.
Get caught up with the food scene in Montgomery County and adjacent Washington, DC, neighborhoods with 1 Meat, 3 Sides. This week, the closure of a popular seafood restaurant that recently celebrated its 90th year takes center plate. One meat: O'Donnell's Sea Grill—which recently celebrated its 90th year in the Washington, DC, area—announced on its Facebook page that this year will be its last, Gaithersburg Patch reported. "...[We] have made the purposeful decision to officially close our doors and exit on a most high note," the restaurant stated. The restaurant originally opened in DC, at 1207 E St. NW, in 1922. In the second half of the 20th century, a Bethesda location was opened, and the DC locations (by then there were two) were …
Monday, May 13, 2013
Ri Ra closes in September because of rent issues, and Max Brenner and Panera Bread are opening soon in Bethesda.
Irish pub Ri Ra will close in September because of rent issues, Bethesda Magazine reported. The rent is too high for the restaurant to continue operating in its Bethesda location, and the upcoming opening of a Ri Ra pub in Georgetown is a coincidence, manager Paul Turner told Patch. Ri Ra currently has 12 locations across the country—from Vermont to Kentucky, according to its website. *** The anticipated opening of Max Brenner in Bethesda is getting closer. The restaurant will have its soft opening on June 13, a restaurant spokesperson told Patch. Unlike the chocolate chain's locations in New York City, Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Boston, Bethesda Row's new Max Brenner won't be a full-service restaurant but a sweets-only shop, Bethesda …
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Food inspection results are supplied by Data Montgomery and the Montgomery County Department of Health.
Three Montgomery County restaurants inspected by Montgomery County's Licensure and Regulatory Services Program had violations that caused the establishments to close for a time in April, according to Data Montgomery. Data Montgomery reports the results of all inspections of food establishments in the county. Businesses may be cited for a number of violations, although only a select few require immediate closure and correction. A lack of hot water is the most common cause of closures, said Ken Welch, program manager for the Office of Licensure and Regulatory Services. Most businesses are able to reopen the same day.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Restaurant news from around Montgomery County and adjacent Washington, DC, neighborhoods.
Get caught up with the food scene in Montgomery County and adjacent Washington, DC, neighborhoods with 1 Meat, 3 Sides. This week, a new Tex-Mex restaurant on the 'Rodeo Drive of the East Coast' takes center plate. One meat: On Friday, Chevy Chase's newest restaurant, Mi Cocina, opened in the middle of the ritzy Wisconsin Avenue shopping block, The Collection at Chevy Chase (5471-5481 Wisconsin Ave.)—also known as the 'Rodeo Drive of the East Coast.' Mi Cocina is a popular upscale Tex-Mex chain that opened 20 years ago in Dallas. Its Chevy Chase location has one-of-a-kind art, a lofty private dining room and an outdoor dining space. Flanking Mi Cocina are Christian Dior and Bulgari—making it ideal for those who work up big appetites …
New York City may have Vincent van Gogh's "Starry Night," but Bethesda's got the David van Go-berg one.
New York City's Museum of Modern Art may have Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night, but Bethesda's got the David van Go-berg original. And, van Go-berg's Starry Night is a lot bigger, and may be seen from the street, free-of-charge. The 146-inch-by-96-inch mural is affixed to the side of Union Hardware (7800 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda)—see it around the corner on Norfolk Avenue. Union Hardware co-owner David Goldberg—aka van Go-berg—created the mural out of left-over hardware stock (more than 1,250 door knobs, levers and backplates from Germany, Italy and the U.S.), according to the description at the side of the mural. Goldberg describes his creation as "Post-Door Hardwareism," in homage to van Gogh's Post-Impressionism. Read more about Goldberg…
Thursday, May 9, 2013
The Marketplace Fairness Act would require all online retailers to charge sales tax.
For most of Union Hardware's 99-year history, its biggest challenges were other hardware and appliance stores. But since the recession, a new competition has emerged, stronger than any of its predecessors: online businesses that don't collect sales tax. David Goldberg, co-owner of Union Hardware (7800 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda), represents the third generation of his family to own and operate the store. To compete with online retailers not collecting state sales tax, he started stocking European imports not readily available online. He'd rather be stocking and selling American-made products. The Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013—which would require online retailers to charge sales tax just like bricks-and-mortar stores must do—recently …
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The new restaurant in The Collection at Chevy Chase will feature traditional Tex-Mex food in elegant surroundings decorated with one-of-a-kind artworks.
Come Friday, the vacant space next to Christian Dior on Wisconsin Avenue in Friendship Heights no longer will be vacant. Mi Cocina will open at 11 a.m. Friday at The Collection at Chevy Chase (5471-5481 Wisconsin Ave.). Its ribbon-cutting ceremony (at 10:30 that morning) will be attended by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-District 18) and Sen. Brian Frosh (D- District 16). The restaurant is the latest location for a popular Tex-Mex chain that originated in Dallas, TX, more than 20 years ago. Management saw the Chevy Chase area as a good place for growth, a restaurant spokesperson told Patch. Mi Cocina's menu focuses on traditional Tex-Mex dishes made with fresh ingredients. On the menu: classics like tacos "de brisket" and fajitas, as well as …
washdcguy
9:47 am on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Like many in the neighborhood, we were looking forward to the addition of a good bar & grill and had eagerly awaited the opening of Benny’s for the last year. We were very excited to try it last night. While the kitchen is still getting everything polished (many of the menu items were unavailable or sold out), the food we had was very good. The flavors and presentation were very good for what we … more ›