minte opening soon at Montgomery Mall

If you've ever used the typical teeth whitening kit at home, you know it takes a long time, makes your teeth more sensitive, and shows minimal results after one course of treatment. minte, a teeth-whitening studio opening soon at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, is promising a different experience. The staff at minte will do all the work for you, and in one visit. Results are promised to last a lifetime.

Is it too good to be true? The website does not specify what the actual nature of the treatment is. It does specify that they also offer a tooth gem service. For $50, you can have a Swarovski crystal glued to your tooth, with additional crystals added at $25 each.  

A sneak peek shows a Roman palace-inspired interior, and socially-distanced dental chairs. Audentes fortuna iuvat. Look for minte on Level 2 next to UNTUCKit.

Vie de France closes at Rockville Town Square

Vie de France has closed at Rockville Town Square. The French bakery cafe had operated there for a decade. Two other Vie de France locations remain nearby, at White Flint Plaza (which is technically Rockville, according to the United States Postal Service) and at the Potomac Village Center. 

Perhaps they should have moved to downtown Bethesda, where there is an explosion of new French cafes opening. While this is the latest exit at Rockville Town Square, there are several new restaurants coming soon to the Federal Realty property, including HalfSmoke, Eko House, El Merkat Bar de Tapas, and Kumbia. Thai Chef just opened recently there, as well.

Supply chain issues affect BIBIBOP in Rockville

More signs of America's supply chain woes are visible every week in Montgomery County, from paper goods to gasoline to local restaurant menus. BIBIBOP Asian Grill at 835 Ellsworth Drive at Downtown Silver Spring isn't immune, and neither are the Bethesda Row location at 4820 Bethesda Avenue, nor the Pike & Rose outpost at 11584 Old Georgetown Road in Rockville. The restaurants have posted notices to customers - and on their online ordering pages - that "due to a disruption in our supply chain, this location is using a substitute for our normal bowl." 

Marc Elrich prepares formal launch of Montgomery County Executive reelection campaign

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) confirmed this past spring that he intended to run for reelection in 2022. Now that the election is a year away, Elrich is preparing to formally launch his campaign with a series of launch parties this month. The events will be held in Takoma Park this coming Saturday, November 6, 2021; Saturday, November 13 in Kensington; and Sunday, November 21 in Germantown. 

"Whether it's getting us safely through the pandemic, pushing for ambitious steps to mitigate climate change, or transforming our approach to public safety, Marc wants to continue working for you and the public good," Elrich's campaign said in an email to supporters. The email also asks that attendees be fully-vaccinated and wear a mask to the parties. 

Elrich so far has two confirmed challengers in the Democratic primary, County Councilmember Hans Riemer (D) and businessman David Blair (D); Councilmember Tom Hucker (D) is exploring a possible campaign. No candidates from other political parties have announced a run for the office yet.

Photo: Marc Elrich for County Executive

Purse-snatching at Rockville grocery store

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a purse-snatching at a grocery store in Rockville early yesterday afternoon, October 31, 2021. The purse was snatched at a supermarket in the 12000 block of Rockville Pike at 12:30 PM, according to crime data. There is a Giant store on that block, in the Montrose Crossing shopping center.

David Blair releases plan to help restaurants in race for Montgomery County Executive

Blair headquarters at 11751 
Rockville Pike

Democratic Montgomery County Executive candidate David Blair has released a list of policy changes he would implement to help county restaurants if elected. "Restaurants are Better with Blair" is a 10-point plan for a low-profit-margin industry that was struggling in the county even before the pandemic hit.

Proposals include streamlining regulations, and ensuring they are consistent with competing jurisdictions around us; simplified inspections; ending the County's monopoly on liquor sales; increased access to capital; developing the hospitality workforce and management skills in partnership with local colleges; expanding childcare; investing in transit and more ride-hailing, on-demand bus services; and growing the agricultural sector of the county's economy, so that more food and alcoholic beverages produced here can be served in county restaurants.

One restaurateur to endorse Blair, who narrowly lost the 2018 Democratic primary to Marc Elrich by only 77 votes, is Farmers Fishers Bakers co-owner Dan Simons. In addition to having a Founding Farmers restaurant at Park Potomac in Montgomery County, Simons blogs about the industry at Dan Simons Says.

Elrich is running for reelection. Current County Council member Hans Riemer is also challenging Elrich. Councilmember Tom Hucker is exploring a potential challenge, but hasn't ruled out running for his District 5 Council seat again instead. No candidate of any party has filed paperwork for this race with the Board of Elections, as of this writing. 

Tesla rival Polestar opens first Washington D.C.-area dealership in Rockville

The electric car age is fully upon us, and Montgomery County auto buyers are finding each year is bringing more options to the market. Polestar, a Swedish rival to Tesla, has just opened a location at 15401 Frederick Road in Rockville, just north of Gude Drive. This is on the site of the DARCARS Volvo dealership. That's not surprising, because Polestar is partly owned by Volvo.

Polestar is most strongly promoting its Polestar 2 sedan. It looks like a cross between a Volvo electric, a Tesla, and a hint of Lincoln at the rear. It goes 0-60 in 4.7 seconds. The company also offers something Tesla won't for another couple of years, a sports coupe called the Polestar 1. A Polestar 3 is anticipated to be built in America, and the company recently announced plans to go public.

Like Tesla, the company provides a different retail experience than traditional automakers. Its sites are called Spaces, not "dealerships," and are designed to look like exhibit-filled museums rather than sales floors. Polestar doesn't have the wide network of proprietary supercharger sites that Tesla owners enjoy. But unlike Tesla owners, you can charge up at standard charging stations wherever you find them. Kudos to Polestar for touting Rockville's "bustling restaurants and shops surrounding a traditional town square with its manicured lawn" in its promotional materials for the space.

Photos courtesy Polestar