Xi’an Famous Foods to open first Maryland location in Rockville

Xi’an Famous Foods will open its first restaurant in Maryland at 12031 Rockville Pike at Montrose Crossing. 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.

Signature dishes at Xi'an include:

Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles: This is the dish the company says made Anthony Bourdain a fan. Thinly-sliced lamb, spiced with cumin and chili powder, mixed with chewy hand-pulled biang-biang noodles and topped with soy-vinegar noodle sauce. Like many menu items, this is an original recipe from the founder's family.

Stewed Pork Burger: A house-made crispy flatbread, stuffed with diced stewed pork belly, simmered with soy sauce and signature spices until tender.

Liang Pi "Cold-Skin Noodles”: House-made steamed wheat flour noodles are chilled, then served with bean sprouts, cucumber, cilantro, and spongy cubes of seitan (wheat gluten).

Spicy & Sour Lamb Dumplings: Ground lamb wrapped in homemade dumpling dough and infused with spices for even more flavor. Served with their signature spicy and sour sauces. 

“In 2026, as a 20-year-old, still-family-owned business, supported by sales (with no investors or franchisees), we are excited to open our first company-owned Maryland location in Rockville,” Xi'an Famous Foods CEO Jason Wang said in a statement yesterday. “We hope to be open by mid-2026 to share our food based on beloved family recipes.” Accomplishing all of this without outside investors certainly raises expectations ahead of the opening here on Rockville Pike. We often see well-funded chains with big investors that end up shuttering quickly, because it was all hype generated by expensive social media campaigns, rather than word-of-mouth based on the quality and flavor of the food.

Photos by Jenny Huang

Kentlands Market Square seeks permission for larger signage from Gaithersburg

 Kentlands Market Square has filed an application with the City of Gaithersburg requesting an amendment to its August 2020 site plan approval for signage at the property. Kimco Realty, Inc., the property owner, is seeking permission to enlarge wall signs bearing the development name beyond the dimensions allowed under City code. If approved, the wall signage could increase beyond the existing zoning allowance of 13.5-square-feet to 40 SF. 

The Gaithersburg Planning Commission will review the request at its January 21, 2026 meeting at 7:30 PM. City planning staff are recommending approval of the amendment.

Lucky Strike closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

OOF! The hits just keep on coming for the already-moribund Montgomery County economy this morning. Lucky Strike has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, leaving a huge vacant space behind at the popular shopping, dining, and entertainment center. In a related move, Lucky Strike parent company Bowlero announced that its Westbard Square location at 5353 Westbard Avenue in Bethesda is being rebranded as "Lucky Strike Bethesda." The future of the Westbard location is not on solid ground, though, as its lease expires in 2027, and it will be up to Bowlero and landlord Regency Centers to agree on an extension or new lease on a site that previous Westbard developer Equity One had planned to erect a mixed-use building on.

One needs a cheat sheet to keep track of the numerous brand names the venerable Westbard bowling alley has operated under in its five decades in business. Strike Bethesda! Bowlmor! Bowlero! But for longtime residents, 5353 Westbard will always be Bowl America, where thousands cheer. And where thousands ate the best hot dog in Bethesda, and real men pumped quarters into real arcade games while wearing rented shoes several years past their recommended replacement date.

Interestingly, but predictably, Lucky Strike at Montgomery Mall is our second victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy and virulently anti-business policies of the County Council this morning. Lucky Strike is not closing other locations around the country, just Bethesda. Here in MoCo, it faced the same perfect storm that has sunk many a business vessel in recent years, including government-mandated high minimum wages, the highest tax and fee burden in the region, and the requirement to buy all of its alcoholic beverages from the County government liquor sales monopoly.

With the average income of the County trending downward, as the wealthy depart and are replaced by low-income residents who are the majority of the inflow population, there was also the obstacle that fewer and fewer were left who could afford a pricey night out at an upscale bowling alley. Even one that looked like it had taken possession of the den bookshelves of George Plimpton's 541 East 72nd Street duplex. But thanks to the County cartel gaining control of the Council in 2002, a rapidly-dwindling number of Montgomery County residents in 2026 could even tell you who George Plimpton was. 

Heckuva job, Brownie!

Kiehl's closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Kiehl's has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The windows of the skincare boutique are blacked out but cardboard packing boxes could be seen inside last evening. Westfield has removed the store from the Montgomery Mall website. Kiehl's was a tenant of the mall for just over eleven years, having opened its doors in December 2014.

The boutique appears to be the latest victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy, and the virulently anti-business policies of the County Council. Kiehl's is not closing stores elsewhere in the United States, and I've seen no reports of the company being in financial distress. In fact, Kiehl's just opened a new store in the more vibrant Washington, D.C., in a ravishing return to the elite Georgetown neighborhood. 

We're in real trouble, folks, especially when you look at the structural budget deficits of Montgomery County and Maryland. Hard to believe, but D.C.'s lower tax and fee burden is attracting many businesses and Montgomery County expats to the District of Columbia. Meanwhile, MoCo leaders continue to ensure Montgomery County has the highest overall tax and fee burden in the region. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Char'd opening in Rockville

Char'd is expanding to Montgomery County with a new location planned for 11881 Grand Park Avenue at Pike & Rose. It has a lot in common with the previous tenant of that space, BurgerFi. Char'd is a fast-casual burger chain, albeit one that is local in origin as a food truck, and orders are placed at electronic kiosks. The Char'd burgers are grass-fed halal beef, smashburger in style, and their fries are fried in duck fat. Prices are fairly nutty though, with the Original Char'd ringing in at $16.49 for the burger alone, a modest serving of fries at $8.99, and a milkshake for $10.49 (!!). 

It will be interesting to see if Char'd can thrive where BurgerFi failed. With no drive-thru, and parking at Pike & Rose being a nightmare, nobody but the shrillest New Urbanist YIMBY can say that lukewarm burgers and fries are appealing after the long struggle to get out and get home. That leaves dine-in and residents of the buildings at Pike & Rose to get the real Char'd dining experience, particularly at those high prices. And with demographic trends in the County heading steadily downward income-wise, can fast-casual at this price point draw a large enough crowd? 

First look: Bartaco in Rockville (Photos)

 Bartaco at 950 Rose Avenue at Pike & Rose in Rockville appears ready to open any day now. The taqueria chain's first Maryland location had a sign in the window last evening reading, "Closed for staff training." Only a couple of workers were visible inside, but every table was set for dining, and all furnishings, light fixtures, and equipment was in place. Here's a sneak peek of what Bartaco refers to as its "Southern California and Latin America-inspired" decor:

Vehicles ransacked in Rockville office park

Several vehicles were ransacked by thieves in an office park in Rockville on January 3, 2026, Rockville City police report. At least three vehicles were damaged when the suspect(s) targeted an office park in the 1400 block of Research Boulevard at 7:08 PM that evening. Windows were broken on three cars, and items were stolen from the interiors. If you have any information that could assist detectives in closing this case, call police at 240-314-8900.