Dirty Dough sets target opening date in Rockville

Dirty Dough has set a target opening date for its Rockville Town Square location at 36-B Maryland Avenue. The cookie shop is now hoping to open on December 18, 2024. If you missed my first report, Dirty Dough's selling point amongst its competitors is its stuffed cookie fillings, as well as the availability of milkshakes and ice cream that employ the cookie ingredients and toppings. Dirty Dough has an existing Maryland location in Halethorpe, with Baltimore and Laurel stores in the works.

Rockville snack thief uses hot ramen cup as weapon in escape

A resourceful snack thief employed a steaming cup of ramen noodles against those blocking his escape in Rockville on November 20, 2024. Rockville City police report that the suspect was caught allegedly stealing a bag of chips from a business in the 200 block of N. Washington Street at 7:35 PM that evening. Confronted by employees, the suspect tossed the noodle cup at his accusers, and fled.

Police describe the suspect as a Hispanic male with a red beard. He was wearing a brown jacket. If you can identify this suspect, you are asked to call police at 240-314-8900.

Man assaults woman in Rockville Town Center

Rockville City police were called after a man assaulted a woman in the Rockville Town Center area on November 18, 2024. The victim was walking along a sidewalk past 101 Monroe Street at 4:00 PM that afternoon. A man unknown to the victim approached, and suddenly bumped her off the sidewalk and spat on her. He also made threatening statements toward her, police said.

Police have not released a description of the suspect. If you have any information about the suspect or this incident, call police at 240-314-8900.

Assault at Rockville gas station

There was pain at the pumps at a Rockville Town Center-area gas station early Wednesday evening, November 20, 2024 - and not just related to the high gas prices. Rockville City police were called to a gas station in the 200 block of N. Washington Street, after someone reported having been the victim of a 2nd-degree assault there. The assault was reported at 7:25 PM Wednesday.

Assault in Rockville Town Center

Rockville City police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault in the Town Center area Monday afternoon, November 18, 2024. The assault was reported in the 100 block of Monroe Street at 4:30 PM. That is near the Montgomery County Executive Office Building.

Progress on Rockville Town Center road diet (Photos)

The road diet strategy in Rockville Town Center continues to be implemented. Beall Avenue is now getting the treatment alongside Rockville Town Square, between MD 355 and N. Washington Street. In addition to reconfiguring the uses and capacity of the street, as was done on E. Middle Lane and N. Washington, flowery artwork is also being applied to the roadway. The City of Rockville received a Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art grant for this artwork in 2023, "to draw attention to Town Center and highlight the multimodal facilities."

Tequila Modern Mexican opens in Rockville

Tequila Modern Mexican is now open at 11 N. Washington Street in Rockville. The small but rapidly-expanding chain was founded in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It is opening new locations here, and in North Carolina and Kansas. The new Rockville restaurant has scored 3 stars out of 5 with Google reviewers so far, but Yelpers have yet to weigh in, as Yelp does not appear to even have a listing for it yet.

Finder's keepers: Rockville criminal takes lost debit card on shopping spree

An unidentified suspect stumbled across a lost debit card in the Rockville Town Center area, and decided to take it on a spontaneous shopping spree, Rockville City police report. The suspect recovered the lost card in the 300 block of N. Washington Street on August 25, 2024 around 4:30 PM, and proceeded to make $557 in purchases from nearby businesses in the Town Center. No description or photo of the suspect has been released as of this writing. If you have any information regarding this incident, contact police at 240-314-8900.

Pelicana Chicken opening this fall in Rockville

Bonchon is about to get some major competition in the Rockville Town Center area. Pelicana Chicken, a full-service Korean chicken restaurant, will open this fall at 4 N. Washington Street at Courthouse Center. The Pelicana chain was founded in 1982 in Daejeon, South Korea, and today boasts of over 3000 locations worldwide. It opened its first U.S. location in 2014 in Flushing, Queens, New York.

Despite a tagline of "old is gold," Pelicana promises its chicken is fried in "fresh, new oil daily." The motto is inspired more by Pelicana's claim to be "the longest-standing Korean chicken brand." Some of their stores even have secret menus. Pelicana's Rockville location will be open from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00 AM to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. An October opening is currently anticipated.

Photos courtesy Pelicana

Rockville Planning Commission to discuss building heights, housing targets for Town Center tonight

The Rockville Planning Commission will hold a work session on the draft 2024 Rockville Town Master Plan tonight, August 14, 2024, at 7:00 PM, at Rockville City Hall. Key points of discussion will be the maximum building heights to be allowed in the "core" and "edge" areas of the Town Center, the target number of housing units to be developed over the life of the plan, and the parking policies and standards for the Town Center area.

Area covered by the Town Center
Master Plan is outlined in black

The current draft of the plan allows buildings up to 200' tall in the core zone of the Town Center, and up to 75' in the edge zone, where the latter transitions from the urban Town Center to the single-family homes of the West End. It projects a housing goal of 2000 new units within the Town Center by 2040. During the public feedback process for the plan, several people suggested setting a housing unit target higher than 2000 units. There are currently only 608 housing units in the development pipeline for Town Center, which has led City planning staff to believe that it would not be realistic to propose a target higher than 2300 to 2500 units.

The number of units has been a hot topic of debate, as many have suggested that there are not enough people living in the Town Center to support the businesses there. Likewise, parking has been highly controversial, as many residents and business owners alike have cited parking issues as a deterrent to business in the Town Center.

Following tonight's discussion, commissioners will instruct staff to implement or report back on potential revisions to the draft plan. The commission will then review the updated draft at its September 11, 2024 meeting. If commissioners are satisfied with the draft at that time, they will have the option to vote to approve the plan, and transmit it to the Mayor and Council for their review, revision, and approval.

The Lady Vintner opening this fall in Rockville

The Lady Vintner will open this fall at 42 Maryland Avenue in Rockville Town Center. A craft beer and fine wine retailer, The Lady Vintner will also serve small plates. There will be outdoor patio seating available. The space was recently vacated by Pour Vino N' Hops. The Lady Vintner has a Montgomery County liquor license hearing scheduled for August 1, and is anticipating a September opening. Operating hours will be 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM Sunday through Wednesday, and 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM Thursday through Saturday.

Little Miner Taco sets opening date in Rockville

Little Miner Taco has set an opening date for its new Rockville location. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is now scheduled to be held at the restaurant at 39 Maryland Avenue at Rockville Town Square on Thursday, July 18, 2024. Little Miner Taco was previously located inside The Block, the food hall at Pike & Rose that recently closed. The signature dish that has gained them fame in the Washington, D.C. region is their birria taco.

Kusshi signage installed at Rockville Town Square

The sign is up at Kusshi, opening soon at 36-G Maryland Avenue at Rockville Town Square. This is the latest location for the local sushi chain in Montgomery County, joining existing spots in Bethesda, Pike & Rose, and downtown Silver Spring. There are also locations in Arlington, Tysons, and Glover Park. Here, Kusshi will more than fill the void left by the exit of Sushi Damo. Stay tuned for an opening date!

Windows covered at Pour Vino N' Hops in Rockville

The windows at Pour Vino N' Hops at 42 Maryland Avenue in Rockville have been covered with brown paper for several days. There was no sign posted explaining why the store was closed during business hours when these photos were taken. The store's social media accounts did not mention a temporary or permanent closure, or renovation plans. Pour Vino N' Hops opened here in November of 2018.

Indecent exposure at Rockville library

Rockville City police were called to the Rockville Memorial Library at 21 Maryland Avenue late Thursday afternoon, June 13, 2024, to investigate an indecent exposure incident. The incident was reported at the library at 5:47 PM Thursday. An individual was also accused of disorderly conduct and obstructing a criminal investigation in the same incident. The adult male suspect was arrested and faces all three charges, which are all misdemeanors.

Assault at Rockville Town Square

Rockville City police responded to a report of an assault at Rockville Town Square late Friday night, June 7, 2024. The incident was reported at the development at 10:34 PM. It reportedly took place in a parking garage in the 100 block of Gibbs Street.

Assault in Rockville Town Center area

Rockville City police responded to a report of an aggravated assault in the Rockville Town Center area late Friday afternoon, May 10, 2024. Officers were called to the 300 block of N. Washington Street at 5:13 PM Friday. A weapon other than a firearm was utilized in the assault.

If you snooze, you lose...your Apple Watch in Rockville

Doze off during dinner in Rockville Town Center, and you might find your smart watch gone when you wake up. That's what happened to a customer who fell asleep inside a business located in the 200 block of E. Middle Lane on April 27, 2024, Rockville City police say. After the victim nodded off around 7:30 PM that evening, an unknown suspect grabbed their unattended Apple Watch and fled the building. If you have any information about this theft, call police at 240-314-8900.

Kung Fu Kitchen replaces Peter Chang in Rockville

Peter Chang has left the building. The beloved restaurateur and chef recently opened a Gaithersburg location, but now his Rockville outpost has closed. His space at 20-A Maryland Avenue at Rockville Town Square isn't going dark like so many others in the struggling town center, though. It has quickly been filled by Kung Fu Kitchen. Promising a new menu of "authentic Chinese cuisine," it still has the Peter Chang signage above the storefront, but that will change in the coming weeks.

Woman attacked with hammer in Rockville Town Center

A woman was assaulted by a hammer-wielding man in the Rockville Town Center area early in the morning on April 7, 2024. The victim told Rockville City police that she was visiting the 200 block of N. Washington Street, and was approached by an unknown male subject at 3:25 AM. He suddenly produced a hammer, and struck her "on the face" with it, she said. 

The suspect then fled in a black SUV. No tag number for the getaway vehicle has been released, nor has a physical description of the alleged attacker. If you have any information about this incident or the suspect, contact Rockville City police at 240-314-8900.