Ốc & Crab Seafood Restaurant closes in Rockville

Ốc & Crab Seafood Restaurant has closed at 765-F Rockville Pike at the Ritchie Center. The Vietnamese restaurant only opened this past April. Another seafood establishment, Live Crawfish & Seafood, moved out of the same space a year ago. It had survived since 2017, and through the worst of the pandemic lockdown. Ốc are snails, the culinary stars of many popular dishes in Vietnam.

Contents of Rockville restaurant to be auctioned off next month

The contents of a Pakistani restaurant in the White Flint area will be auctioned off next month. While the restaurant is not named in the online auction listing, the interior photos look like TooSso Pakistani Kitchen, which closed earlier this fall at 5290 Randolph Road at Loehmann's Plaza. Among the items up for grabs to the highest bidder are TooSso's menu board, a decorative antique door, a tandoori oven, and even the restaurant's broom and dustpan. To register and place a bid, see the online auction listing. The auction begins closing December 15, 2023 at 10:07 AM.

Police called after assault at Rockville restaurant

Montgomery County police were called to a restaurant in Rockville Sunday afternoon, after an individual was allegedly the victim of a 2nd-degree assault there. The assault was reported at a restaurant in the 9900 blovk of Key West Avenue at 4:54 PM Sunday, November 19, 2023. That is at the Shady Grove Professional Center at Key West and Darnestown Road.

Hangry Joe's opening Germantown location

Hangry Joe's is expanding to Germantown. The Nashville Hot Chicken chain has been rapidly growing in Montgomery County, with two existing locations in Rockville, one in Wheaton, and one in Montgomery Village. It has also announced a future Gaithersburg restaurant. But Germantown is the latest addition to the roster; the future Germantown Hangry Joe's will be in the vacant storefront at 19730 Germantown Road, in the Shops at Town Center.

Akira Ramen & Izakaya opening Tuesday in Gaithersburg

Akira Ramen & Izakaya will open its newest Montgomery County location tomorrow, Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 105 Paramount Park Drive at the Spectrum development in Gaithersburg. It will be located next to Ela Mesa Taste of Greece, and is convenient to the Watkins Mill interchange of I-270. Akira Ramen has an existing location in the county in Rockville.

Pines of Rome Express opens in Rockville

Montgomery County's best white pizza isn't just for Bethesda anymore. Pines of Rome Express, a takeout-focused offshoot of the legendary downtown Bethesda Italian restaurant, is now open at 121-B Congressional Lane at the Congressional North Plaza shopping center in Rockville. Check out the menu below, and call (240) 290-0048 to make a delivery order. The opening of Pines of Rome Express was first reported by The MoCo Show.

Rockville Wendy's reopens after renovations (Photos)

The Wendy's restaurant at 808 Rockville Pike has reopened for business after an extensive remodeling. While the building's distinctive curved glass roofline was permanently retired, the pleasant surprise is that the redesign is a newer one than the Derwood location received nearly a year ago. The logos are the latest iteration being used by the Ohio-based chain, and there are extra pictures of Wendy on the building itself, rather than the plain black strip running around the top of the Derwood restaurant. Inside, the dining room seems brighter and more-welcoming than it was previously. It's time to celebrate with a Baconator and Frosty - but don't tell the County Council!

Pickpockets strike twice in 7 minutes in Rockville

Watch your wallet in Rockville! Pickpockets struck twice in two different locations within 7 minutes of each other on Wednesday, October 18, 2023. The first incident was reported at 5:23 PM at a store in the 12200 block of Rockville Pike. Seven minutes later, Montgomery County police were called for a second pickpocket incident at a restaurant in the 1400 block of Research Boulevard. The latter theft appears to have taken place at the Research Row development, which has several restaurants.

Sushi Damo closes in Rockville

The hits just keep on coming at Rockville Town Square. Sushi Damo has permanently closed at 36-G Maryland Avenue. The well-reviewed restaurant was in business for 16 years, a relative eternity in Montgomery County's business-unfriendly climate, where restaurants often operate on razor-thin profit margins. Now it's the latest victim of this struggling Town Center property, and the moribund Montgomery County economy. Sushi Damo left the following farewell message inside the front door of the shuttered restaurant:

Rockville Wendy's renovations update (Photos)

Here's a look at the progress on the renovations at the Wendy's at 808 Rockville Pike, which is temporarily closed for this major project. The sad news is that the distinctive curved glass on the front roofline is gone, and won't be coming back. That, along with the curved facade at the front, was one of the unique architectural features that made this Wendy's building unique. 

What's replacing it is that new black-and-red scheme we recently saw installed at the Derwood location, which is a more standard Wendy's building. Keep in mind that a lot of the work is also inside the restaurant, as more environmentally-friendly kitchen equipment and a pick-up/delivery driver area are installed. Given that the Derwood renovations took about 90 days, and this Rockville project started in mid-August, a November reopening may be in the cards here.

Moby Dick signage installed on Rockville Pike (Photos)

The sign is up at Moby Dick House of Kabob at 11431-A Rockville Pike in White Flint. Interior fit-out of the restaurant continues inside the former Verizon store space, as you can see by the work trucks and vans parked out front. The sign looks pretty sharp, especially if it will light up at night. Serving authentic Persian cuisine, the popular local chain that started in Bethesda in 1989 has 26 locations across the Washington, D.C. area, including an existing Rockville location in the Fallsgrove Village Center.

Montgomery County's first Taco Bell Cantina is "coming soon"

Montgomery County is finally getting its own Taco Bell Cantina, and it's about time! The upscale Taco Bell concept will be opening at 8662 Colesville Road in downtown Silver Spring, according to a banner posted on the storefront. It looks like construction has already begun inside. Is Rockville next? With 50 Taco Bell Cantinas planned for New York City, surely there's room for more than one in MoCo.

What is the difference between Taco Bell Cantina and a regular Taco Bell? A fancier interior, an open kitchen like you find in hip restaurants, custom menu items, and adult versions of Taco Bell freezes alongside a selection of beer, wine and sangria. As you can see, Taco Bell fans are already lining up outside. Or is it for The Fillmore next door? The Fillmore doesn't have Baja Blast!

Former chef at D.C.'s Obelisk opening La Speranza in Rockville

The sign is up at La Speranza at 806 Baltimore Road in the Burgundy Park Shopping Center in Rockville. Neptali Mendoza will be the executive chef of the Italian/Tex-Mex restaurant, his first venture after a long career in Washington, D.C.-area restaurants. He started cooking professionally under the chef Peter Pastan at the Michelin Guide-listed Italian restaurant Obelisk at 2029 P Street, N.W. in 2006. Mendoza then moved onto RedRocks Pizzeria in Alexandria, and Baronessa Italian Restaurant here in Rockville, which closed last year. He is a graduate of the culinary arts program at the Carlos Rosario International School.

La Speranza will serve Neapolitan-style pizzas cooked in a wood-fired brick oven, classic Italian entrees and pasta dishes. A smaller set of Tex-Mex and Latin American favorites on the menu will include fajitas, carne asada, BBQ pork ribs, ceviche mixto, nachos, and gambos al aljillo. Steaks and seafood will round out a menu that should appeal to a wide audience in a convenient neighborhood location. Mendoza hopes to open La Speranza before the end of the month; stay tuned for an opening date.

Piketoberfest 2023 at Pike & Rose (Photos)

Piketoberfest returned to Pike & Rose for 2023 yesterday. "North Bethesda's premier fall festival" featured food, live music, games, a pop-up bar by Hello Betty, and a craft beer garden hosted by Owen's Tavern. Among the performers was It's All Good, a cover band from the Delmarva peninsula. Also spotted was the Calluna Flower Truck, a vintage Chevrolet pickup truck loaded with fresh flowers for sale. The fall events at Pike & Rose continue this week, with an Oktoberfest Seafood Boil at Hello Betty this Saturday, October 7, from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Tickets are $59, and available online.

Armed robbery at Rockville restaurant

Montgomery County police officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at a restaurant in Rockville on Tuesday, September 26, 2023. The robbery was reported at a restaurant in the 5200 block of Randolph Road at 11:30 AM. That appears to be a restaurant at Loehmann's Plaza.

Kura Revolving Sushi Bar to open in Rockville

Federal Realty is making news again this week by signing a second restaurant to a lease at its Federal Plaza shopping center in Rockville. Kura Revolving Sushi Bar will open a 3,325-square-foot restaurant at the property next summer. It will be the chain's first Maryland location, and second in the Washington, D.C. region. As the name suggests, sushi plates circulate throughout the dining room on conveyor belts, offering patrons choices of sushi, udon, ramen, hot and cold sides, and desserts. Upping the entertainment value for diners are the prizes dispensed by KuraBot robots for every 15 plates or beverages they serve. 

Kura Revolving Sushi Bar joins Torchy's Tacos in announcing their leases at Federal Plaza this week.  “We welcome Torchy’s Tacos and Kura Revolving Sushi Bar as they expand into Maryland,” Ralph Ours, Director of Leasing, Mid-Atlantic Region at Federal Realty said in a statement. “These two new, innovative dining additions further cement Federal Plaza as a popular shopping and dining destination for the Rockville and greater Montgomery County community.”

KuraBot

Photos by Lisa Czech (top), Emily J. Davis (middle), Kura Sushi (bottom)

Torchy's Tacos opening in Rockville

Those who made Federal Plaza a stop for Tex-Mex food during Chuy's short run there will have another Mexican chain from Texas to check out there soon. Torchy's Tacos has signed a lease at the shopping center, property owner Federal Realty announced Monday. Its 3,961-square-foot Rockville location will be the chain's first in the Washington, D.C. area. Torchy's, founded in Austin in 2006, is promising to serve "the most unique tacos, coveted queso and refreshing margaritas in the game, and the rotating Taco of the Month."

Taiwan Bubble Tea Festival Saturday, September 23 in Rockville

The Taiwan Bubble Tea Festival will be held tomorrow, Saturday, September 23, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Rockville Town Square. A tropical storm is expected to generate heavy rain Saturday, but the festival organizers have stated the event will be held rain or shine, so carry an umbrella. There will be live music, dance performances, games, arts and crafts, and food vendors. Of course, there will also be bubble tea, and a chance to win a round trip flight from New York City to Taipei. For a full event schedule, see the official event website.

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando introduces bill to eliminate tipped minimum wage

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D - At-Large) introduced a bill today that would eliminate tipped minimum wages in the county by 2028. Restaurant servers, bartenders and other tipped service workers currently can be paid less than the County's minimum wage, because they theoretically will achieve the minimum wage amount through customer tips. Jawando's bill, which is also supported by Councilmember Kristin Mink (D), would phase out the tipped minimum wage over the next five years, and require restaurant owners to pay all staff the current County minimum wage. His U.S. Senate campaign is touting the bill as the latest example of Jawando's progressive leadership on the Council, at a time when his leading progressive opponent, Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, is under fire from a new Intercept article that raises doubts about her past positions on crime and civil liberties issues.

“Even while running a high-stakes and fast-paced campaign for the U.S. Senate, Will is continuing to fight each and every day for his constituents in Montgomery County and embodying the core message of this campaign: to build a shared prosperity that lifts everybody up, no matter who you are or where you come from," Jawando's campaign communications director Benny Stanislawski said in a statement today. "Today’s bill is a perfect example of this, and his tried and true approach to public service. From successfully passing historic rent stabilization, to a pilot guaranteed income program, and community-informed policing in Montgomery County, Will is without a doubt the most effective legislator in the race. Today’s bill will likely become law and completely reshape the lived experience of countless working-class residents of the county."

Similar bills and laws in other jurisdictions have been highly-controversial and divisive. Restaurant owners fear their already-slim profit margins getting thinner, having to boost the wages they pay employees directly by more than $10 an hour each. Some servers and bartenders, who say they now regularly earn more than minimum wage via tips, have even opposed similar laws elsewhere. Their concern has been that word of the law - and the new service charges that restaurants add to customer tabs in the wake of their passage - will encourage customers to cut back or eliminate tipping altogether. Jawando does not believe this will be the case, but says he is proposing a second bill that would ensure service charges go to restaurant workers, rather than to the restaurant owners.

Kung Fu Tea closes in Rockville

Kung Fu Tea has closed its Rockville Town Center location at 275 N. Washington Street. Rockville Kung Fu Tea customers are being directed to the chain's Rio Lakefront and Pike & Rose locations. The closure is particularly surprising given that the store was just renovated earlier this summer. "Kung Fu Tea Rockville has closed its doors," the company said in a statement. "We sincerely thank you for your support and patronage over the years."