Asian food hall The Block to host grand opening Saturday in Rockville

The Block has officially expanded to Maryland - the Asian food hall has opened at 967 Rose Avenue at Pike & Rose. A grand opening has been scheduled for this Saturday, December 14 from 9:30 PM to 1:30 AM. Entertainment will be provided by DJ Adobo and Eddo.

Patisserie Manuel, Bliss in a Bottle open at Westfield Montgomery Mall

Patisserie Manuel has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall. The French bakery also specializes in Chilean pastries, and serves breakfast, lunch, and coffee in addition to baked goods. Look for it in the Dining Terrace. Here's a look at the menu:

Bliss in a Bottle kiosk

Also celebrating a grand opening is the Bliss in a Bottle kiosk. Their unique product is chocolate-covered wine bottles, where the wine inside the bottle has been paired with the chocolate on the outside in most cases. Find them on Level 1.

Speaking of kiosks, there is another new one making a debut for the holidays at the mall. This cart sells socks for your favorite pro sports teams.

Rockville Best Western to add restaurant

The Best Western hotel at 1251 W. Montgomery Avenue in Rockville is planning to add a restaurant to its property. Because the hotel usually has 74-164 parking spaces free, the property owner argues that the city should waive a required extra 29 parking spaces for the restaurant. The restaurant will be inside the existing hotel's lobby area, which will be reconfigured under the proposed plan.

Rockville's Planning Commission will consider the waiver request at its December 11, 2019 meeting. City staff is recommending approval of the waiver.

Christmas at Rockville Town Square (Video+Photos)

Here are a few scenes from the holiday season at Rockville Town Square. A world champion Zamboni driver just happened to be on the skating rink at this moment, putting on a master class in Zamboni driving.

Ding Tea Rockville update

Ding Tea, the new tea shop coming to 785-C Rockville Pike, has posted some Coming Soon signage in their storefront. They are also hiring staff right now, and they've got a very slick website with beverage menu that should increase excitement about this new addition to Rockville. It shows milk teas, bubble tea, matcha and more. Ding Tea will be in the Ritchie Center shopping center.

Goldfish Swim School opening on Rockville Pike

Goldfish Swim School, a swimming education program for kids, is opening a location at 1701 Rockville Pike. It will be in the Shops at Congressional Village. Goldfish promises "shiver-free pools that are a pleasant 90° all year long," snacks and necessary gear. A swim school is an interesting retail tenant, given the infrastructure commitment for both the school and the landlord.

IQ Tech opens at Montgomery Mall

IQ Tech has opened a kiosk for the holidays on Level 1 at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. It is a hi-tech accessory you can attach to clothing, hats, etc., that displays images that change based on music and sounds around you.. See the video for a sample.