Hawkers Opening in Bethesda Row in 2020
Hawkers Asian Street Fare, a Florida-based Asian street food restaurant, will open its first location in the DMV early next year on Bethesda Lane in Bethesda Row
Named after the famous “hawkers” of Southeast Asia, the restaurant is a from-scratch-only kitchen that serves small plates as they are ready, matched with a curated craft cocktail, local beer, wine and sake list.
Hawkers, which was founded by four longtime friends Kaleb Harrell, Allen Lo, Wayne Yung and Kin Ho, opened its first restaurant in Orlando in 2011. Since then it has opened locations in Jacksonville, Neptune Beach, St. Petersburg and Windermere, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C. Four more locations are scheduled to open throughout the Southeast in 2019, including Atlanta, Nashville and Delray Beach, Fla.
“Hawkers tells the story of the Asian street vendor experience in a fun and edgy dining atmosphere perfect for Bethesda,” said Harrell, CEO and co-founder. “Our dishes have been passed down through generations — from parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. We’ve taken these recipes, perfected them, and curated an authentic beverage menu, so our guests can enjoy everything in a high-energy atmosphere that replicates the excitement of being directly in the middle of an Asian street market.”
The 4,108 square-foot restaurant is the eighth Hawkers in the country, and the first in the DMV. It will be located at 7115 #B Arlington Road, Bethesda, in Federal Realty Investment Trust’s Bethesda Row development next to Dolcezza, providing the pedestrian-only main artery of Bethesda Lane with a patio dining.
Dishes, which come from across Asia including Malaysia, Singapore, China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, are seasonal with a few mainstays such as roti canai, a flaky Asian flat-bread paired with Hawkers’ signature curry sauce, Pad Thai, Yi Yi’s chicken dumplings and miso pork belly ramen. Signature dishes include lettuce wraps, Canton cod and Po Po Lo’s curry (a vegetable and protein curry dish) that uses a family recipe passed down from chef and co-founder Allen Lo.
The menu also includes rotating desserts and cocktails featuring sake and Japanese whiskey, as well as beer and wine. A happy hour menu oopffers small plates and beverage specials.
Also joining Hawkers at Bethesda Row this year, Poke Dojo opening this spring at 7110 Bethesda Lane, Neuhaus Chocolatier, which will open this summer at 7123 Bethesda Lane, and Jeni’s Ice Creams on Elm Street this fall.
The team spent a few weeks living in the Bethesda area to get a feel for it and linke the demographics, walkability and the retail neighbors, including Jaleo and “brands we share the same audience with, like Anthropologie,” Harrell said.
“We look at NFL cities, so cities that have the density to support a professional sports team,” he said. The D.C.-metro market has always been something that we’ve been really excited about. It’s a big boy market.”
Velocity Wings coming to Fairfax this summer
Velocity Wings will open its seventh location at University Mall in Fairfax this summer.
The Fairfax location will include more than 3,000 square feet in a free-standing building. It will have two large outdoor patios, including a covered, enclosed year-round patio and several garage doors to allow open-air ambience. Velocity Wings currently has restaurants in Purcellville, South Riding, Bristow, Manassas, Lovettsville and Sterling.
The restaurant serves fresh wings with more than 25 unique sauces and flavors, angus beef burgers, craft beers and local wines. Velocity Wings features a TV in every booth, happy hour, popular music, a wide selection of craft beers, nightly specials, local flavors and a variety of events.
“I am excited that we are able to once again partner with Patriot Nation at George Mason University. At Velocity Wings, our commitment is to become part of the fabric of the community,” said Jim Speros, Velocity Wings chairman and CEO “Since establishing the Velocity brand in 2007, we have given thousands of dollars to local charities, schools, Little League teams, churches and civic organizations. At Velocity Wings, our team includes a fabulous group of people who are incredibly invested and excited to embrace the community both inside and outside of the restaurant walls.”
The company also plans to open restaurants in Brambleton and Haymarket in 2019 and eventually in Maryland.
Magnolia Bakery serves Royal Baby cupcakes
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan of Sussex had a baby boy Monday morning at 5:26 a.m. London time weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces. The baby’s name has not been announced yet.
To celebrate, Magnolia Bakery, 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE inside Union Station, will be offering specially decorated Royal Baby cupcakes Monday afternoon and all day Tuesday. The Royal Baby cupcake is a flower cupcake available in vanilla or chocolate decorated in blue topped with a crown. Cupcakes are $5.75 each.
&pizza opens “cube” kiosk in Union Station
&pizza recently opened its first ever “cube” kiosk in the middle of Union Station’s downstairs food court.
The cube – which can churn out 300 pies an hour with two lines – serve’s &pizza’s customizable and signature oblong-shaped pies and craft beverages. It also offers signature vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
The 300-square-foot cube has a high contract black and white design with a prominent ampersand within a small footprint
&pizza’s cube in Union Station is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 am-7 p.m. Sunday.
Mirabelle offers $12 happy hour special
Mirabelle restaurant, 900 16th St. NW, has launched a social media promotion with select menu items for $12 with the purchase of an alcoholic beverage.
The promotion is available daily from 5-6:30 p.m. in the bar or on the patio. Diners can participate in the social media challenge using #OurPatioPops or #OurBarPops and #MirabelleDC. The winner will be randomly selected to win a $75 gift certificate.
The menu items include a half dozen raw oysters on the half shell with house cocktail sauce and red wine mignonette; cold smoked salmon tartare with cucumber, ponzu, yuzu, sesame, peanut and chili; steak tartare with traditional accompaniments and toasted brioche; tarte flambée forestière with roasted champignon mushroom, caramelized onions, gruyère and crème fraîche; tarte flambée gratinée” with bacon lardons, caramelized white onions, gruyère, and crème fraîche; soft shell crab sliders with chili garlic pickles and house tartar sauce on buttered Parker House rolls.
Astro Doughnuts unveils May specials
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken, 1308 G St. NW and 7511 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, debuted its May flavors last Thursday.
This month’s specials include chocolate raspberry truffle ($3.60), a chocolate cake doughnut with tart red raspberry glaze and dark chocolate sprinkles; cannoli ($3.60), a pillow doughnut filled with Italian cannoli filling of sweetened ricotta, mini chocolate chips and chopped candied orange peel rolled in cinnamon sugar and topped with a dark chocolate drizzle; strawberry guava smoothie ($3.50), a cake doughnut with strawberry guava glaze, a touch of honey, and yogurt and granola crumble; and root beer float ($3.50), a cake doughnut with root beer glaze, vanilla buttercream center and white chocolate pearls.
Toki Underground adds spring cocktails
Toki Underground, 1234 H St. NE, has added new spring cocktails to the ramen shop’s drink menu.
A variety of floral cocktails join the restaurant’s classic Toki Monster, including the Spring Awakening made with Plantation rum, Civic vodka, Golden Falernum and butterfly pea syrup that changes color as pineapple and lime are added; the April Showers Bring Spring Flowers with Haku vodka, lavender water, Calpico and lime; the I Love You Berry Much with Roku gin, raspberry tonic, Framboise and Ginkoubai; the Rye-ght On Time with District Made rye, muddled basil, lemon, simple syrup and basil oil.
Brookland’s Finest offers crab boils Tuesdays in May
Brookland’s Finest, 3126 12th St. NE, will upgrade its monthly distiller dinners to crab boils for the month of May.
Typically offered as a prix fixe option every Tuesday evening, the dinners will feature $30 crab boils alongside beers from local breweries. Starting this Tuesday, May 7, the “Brookland Crab Boil” will feature local blue crab with sweet corn, red potatoes, and Andouille sausage in a spicy Old Bay broth.
For the May 7 dinner, the boil will be paired alongside El Hefe Speaks! from DC Brau, on May 14 it will be paired with Bäre Bönes Kölsch from Hellbender, and the May 21 and 28 dinners will be paired with brews from Supreme Core Cider and Atlas Brew Works, respectively.
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.