Esvin's Bagels and Cafe opening soon at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

And here we thought Bethesda was reaching peak bagel with the impending arrival of Call Your Mother Deli and PopUp Bagels in downtown Bethesda. But wait - there's more! Westfield Montgomery Mall is getting in on the act with Esvin's Bagels and Cafe. Founded by a father-son duo, Esvin's will serve artisanal bagels and Guatemalan coffee. Specialty sandwiches, healthy bowls, and a variety of baked goods will round out the menu, which also includes milkshakes. When it opens, look for Esvin's right inside Entrance 4 on Level 1 of the mall, in the Cheesecake Factory wing.

Update on Shiki Fusion at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

New signage for Shiki Fusion has been installed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. An updated construction wall displays items from the menu of the Japanese-Thai fusion restaurant, and a spring 2026 opening date. Behind the wall, construction on the dining area appears nearly complete. See below for a sneak peek. Finally, there will be no misunderstanding that Shiki Fusion is located on Level 3 of the mall with the AMC Montgomery 16 cineplex. Massive Trumpian gold letters and a directional arrow have been attached to a panel high above the Dining Terrace food court below to hammer this home.

Fork & Kitchen opens in Rockville

Fork & Kitchen has opened at 150 Gibbs Street at The Square at Rockville. The American restaurant has garnered the most attention for its weekend brunch, and specifically the incredibly fluffy pancakes shown in its promotional pictures. Yes, the actual pancakes are pretty close to those in the photos. That brunch menu also includes Sinful Eggs, Garlic Parm Wings, a lobster taco, seafood grits, a mocha martini, and a Black Angus Sunday Burger. The biggest challenge for Fork & Kitchen may be its location on Gibbs Street, which has been closed to automobile traffic for about five years. But the restaurant features a light, clean, and airy interior design, and you can never have too many brunch options in the Town Center area.

Wild Bean Coffee opens in Rockville

Wild Bean Coffee has opened at 1532 Rockville Pike. The coffee shop and smoothie cafe roasts its own beans in-house daily. It appears this weekend was a soft-opening, with the shop scheduled to reopen again Monday morning at 6:00 AM, according to their website - complete with countdown clock. In addition to beverages, Wild Bean offers a variety of build-your-own sweet bowls and baked goods.

Potbelly temporarily closed in Rockville, 5 years after mocking Panera Bread closure

Remember when Potbelly at 199 E. Montgomery Avenue in Rockville Town Center mocked nearby competitor Panera Bread for its "temporary closure" in December 2020? Now the mayo is on the other sandwich, as Potbelly is now "temporarily closed" itself. A sign in the window apologizes for the inconvenience, but does not disclose the reason for the closure. It also does not provide an estimated reopening date.

Anthony Bourdain favorite Xi'an Famous Foods "coming soon" to Rockville

Xi'an Famous Foods is "coming soon" to 12031 Rockville Pike at Montrose Crossing, new signage posted at its future storefront advertises. The 1,718 square-foot western Chinese restaurant will be located next to RASA and Five Guys Burger and Fries. Xi’an Famous Foods was founded in 2005 as a 200 square foot basement stall in the Golden Shopping Mall in Flushing, N.Y. It claimed to have been the first restaurant to bring the little-known cuisine of Xi’an to the United States. Over the last twenty years, it has grown into 20 locations across the Big Apple, and was a favorite of the late Anthony Bourdain.

Signage installed at Char'd in Rockville

The sign is up at Char'd at 11881 Grand Park Avenue at Pike & Rose. It's already hooked up and lit after dark. However, it looks a bit undersized for the amount of space available above the storefront. What's not undersized is the steady popularity of burger startups in Montgomery County, with the Char'd announcement generating immediate enthusiasm among hamburger lovers familiar with the brand. The burger fad has remained strong for over a decade, with a Steeze Burger and Z-Burger entering for every Kraze Burger and Bobby's Burger Palace that has exited. Let's have a moment of silence for Hamburger Hamlet and Fuddruckers, though.

Update on Wild Bean Coffee in Rockville (Photos)

Wild Bean Coffee has certainly taken the scenic route to opening at 1532 Rockville Pike in Rockville. Announced way back in 2024, only now are we seeing "signs" that the opening may be finally approaching. Menu item signs are now posted in the windows, which are still papered over. Limited outdoor patio seating is in place outside. Inside, workers were moving furniture about last evening. Stay tuned for an opening date.

Wonder food hall expanding to Rockville

Just when it looked like the food hall fad was cratering in Montgomery County, a behemoth of a new entry has announced its impending arrival in Rockville this spring. Wonder, a national chain promising dine-in, pick-up, and delivery cuisine "from James Beard Award winners, Michelin star recipients, and Food Network stars," will open this April at 12240 Rockville Pike at Towne Plaza. The food hall will allow you to mix and match dishes from more than 15 restaurants operating out of its kitchen. Big names on board include Bobby Flay, Michael Symon, Jonathan Waxman, Marc Murphy, José Andrés, and Marcus Samuelsson. A more-dubious name on board is "North Bethesda." North Bethesda? Mmm...not quite.

KaFean Koffee closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

KaFean Koffee has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Their kiosk was cleared out last night, and signage was removed. KaFean Koffee opened here in August of 2024, but apparently could not withstand the competition with Starbucks upstairs. I don't think we can necessarily blame the Montgomery County Council for this closure, as unless you are Auntie Anne's, these kiosks can be rough sailing.

Tato's potato bar opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

A first-of-its-kind eatery has just opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Tato's is a potato bar that flips the script on the usual fast-casual bowl concept. Here, proteins are what you add to your choice of starch, not the other way around. Menu boards help you build your ideal loaded potato, but it seems Russia was overlooked on the international options menu, despite being an obvious choice. This space was formerly home to 7-Eleven at a busy entrance to the Dining Terrace food court.

Kami Ramen Bar "coming soon" to Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Kami Ramen Bar is coming soon to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, according to signage posted at its future space. It will be located between Wetzel's Pretzels (wow - what happened to them? They announced their arrival ages ago and still haven't opened) and Cinnabon near the entry to the Dining Terrace food court on Level 2 of the mall. Kami Ramen Bar is kind of behind schedule, as well. But it now has a target opening date of spring 2026.

Update on Koi Sushi in Gaithersburg (Photos + Menu)

The sign is up at Koi Sushi, opening soon at 201 Boardwalk Place at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg. Here's a sneak peek at the interior design, and at all pages of the restaurant menu. Koi Sushi will be located next to Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls. Stay tuned for an opening date.