Big Papi's Tacos opening soon in Rockville

Big Papi's Tacos is "opening soon" in Rockville, according to signage posted in the windows of its future storefront in Rockville Town Center. The Mexican restaurant will be located at 201 E. Middle Lane, in the ground floor of the BLVD 44/Cambria Hotel. Big Papi's has two existing locations in Maryland, in Frederick and Hagerstown. The growing chain was founded by Victor Alvarez and Carlos Jimenez, two disc jockeys who found themselves idled when the pandemic lockdown happened in 2020.

The specialty of Big Papi's is their quesabirria, which they describe as a "crispy, meaty taco that’s made when chili-spiced corn tortillas are cooked on a smoking hot flat top grill and topped with tender carne asada, melted cheese, diced onion and a bit of cilantro. The crispy taco is then served alongside a savory, chili-tinged consomme broth." They suggest you "think of it like the spicy Mexican equivalent of a French dip."

Vacant Rockville Town Center storefronts could become homes with City approval

A proposal to turn vacant retail storefronts in the struggling Rockville Town Center into two-level loft homes is again moving forward. Property owner Comstock is seeking permission from the City of Rockville to convert 13,011-square-feet of vacant storefronts in the ground level of its BLVD Ansel apartment building into 13 dwelling units, which would be branded as "BLVD Lofts/The Lofts at Ansel." Functionally, they will be like townhomes flush with the building, and residents will enter via doors right on the sidewalk.

Several floorplans would be available. Comstock says that residents of the new loft units would have access to the building amenities available to the other residents of the apartments upstairs. Some units will have steps up to the front door where grading makes that necessary; most units would also have ADA-compliant access from a "rear corridor." Mail delivery to the loft units would be served by a mail and package room in the lobby. Comstock says it is not going to entirely give up on retail at the property; 6500 SF of vacant retail space would be retained for potential retail or restaurant tenants under the proposal.

A sample floorplan for one of the loft units

The Rockville Planning Commission will receive a briefing on the loft conversion proposal at its March 12, 2025 meeting at 7:00 PM. Four residents have submitted comments on the plan so far; three residents expressed support, and one opposed it.

Images courtesy Comstock/City of Rockville

Chef Wang Kitchen opening soon in Rockville

Chef Wang is getting ready to open his kitchen in Rockville Town Center. Awning signage for Chef Wang Kitchen has been installed at 199 E. Montgomery Avenue at Regal Row. It is located in the former California Tortilla space. Operating hours of Chef Wang Kitchen will be 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.

Rockville police apprehend alleged hit-and-run driver who struck 3 pedestrians in 2023

Rockville City police, in cooperation with other local law enforcement agencies, have located and arrested a Gaithersburg man they allege struck 3 pedestrians with his vehicle outside of 199 E. Montgomery Avenue in Rockville on December 14, 2023. The driver of the dark SUV that struck the victims drove away after what detectives determined was a deliberate vehicular attack. Police identified Walter Giovanni Marquez-Aviles, 44, of Gaithersburg as the suspect in the attack.

Yesterday at 10:15 AM, police located and arrested Marquez-Aviles in Hyattsville, Maryland. He has been charged with three counts of attempted murder and three counts of 1st-degree assault.

Rockville police thanked the public for their many tips that assisted with the investigation, and successful apprehension of the suspect. They also thanked the agencies that assisted, including the Montgomery County Police Department Repeat Offender Unit, and the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Task Force.

Pelicana Chicken opens in Rockville

The King of Chicken has ascended the throne in Rockville. Pelicana Chicken is now open at 4 N. Washington Street at the Courthouse Center shopping center. The Korean chicken restaurant has already racked up 17 reviews on Google, with a perfect 5-star score. Many reviewers declared this is the best Korean chicken spot in town. Diners also praised the other authentic Korean dishes on the menu, as well as the atmosphere with K-pop music, a photo booth, and ample television screens.

Pelicana Chicken opening soon in Rockville (Photos)

Pelicana Chicken looks close to opening at 4 N. Washington Street at the Courthouse Center shopping center in Rockville. The opening date has slipped from the fall 2024 debut the chain was targeting when I broke the story into very early 2025. Virtually everything appears to be in place inside the restaurant, including most of the seating, and permanent signage has been installed above the storefront. Pelicana's reputation as the "King of Chicken" precedes it, and is sure to reignite the Korean chicken debate in Rockville, with Bonchon a block away. For now, you can check out the Rockville location's menu online.

Rockville Town Square drops "Rockville" from name

Rockville Town Square property owner Morguard announced that it is dropping the "Rockville" part of its name. From this point on, the mixed-use development will simply be called "The Square." Ouch. What an insult to the City of Rockville, that the city name is seen as a marketing problem. We were always told by the evangelists of urbanization that 15-minute-city town centers would create "a sense of place."

Does "The Square" represent a geographical place in any sense? No. How would anyone know where "The Square" is, especially when so many retail centers utilize "Square" in one fashion or another. "The transition to The Square marks just the beginning of a reimagined and revitalized experience at this well-loved community epicenter," a Morguard rebranding announcement declares. "Get ready for a fresh perspective on shopping, dining, and entertainment. Coming 2025!"

The struggling Rockville Town Square, like much of the Rockville Town Center area, has been through a difficult decade. There are many ideas among residents, patrons, and business owners about what should be done. Dropping "Rockville" from the name is not one I have heard before!

Rockville robbers demand coat at knifepoint

Armed robbers in Rockville demanded a man's coat in broad daylight on December 6, 2024, Rockville City police say. When he refused to take it off and hand it to them, they pulled out a kitchen knife to make their point. The two suspects approached the victim as he was at work cleaning outdoors in the 300 block of Hungerford Drive at 9:00 AM, in the busy Rockville Town Center area. 

Having threatened the victim with the knife, the suspects were successful in obtaining the victim's coat, wallet, and additional outerwear he had been wearing at the time. Police describe Suspect #1 as a Black male, tall with a muscular build, and wearing a black Nike hat, blue coat, and brown pants. Suspect #2 is described as a Black male "significantly shorter” than his partner, wearing a ski mask, brown sweater, white shirt, and brown pants. If you can identify either of these suspects, call police at 240-314-8900.

Dirty Dough opens today in Rockville

Signage is up and lit at Dirty Dough at 36-B Maryland Avenue at Rockville Town Square. The new cookie bakery is opening today, Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at 11:00 AM. Enjoy "super-stuffed" soft cookies with fillings and toppings, as well as milkshakes and ice cream. Operating hours for the shop will be 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.

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.