Taffer’s Tavern Closes Near Cap One Arena
Taffer’s Tavern, 700 Sixth St. NW near Capital One Arena, has closed its only DMV location after two years.
Taffer’s Tavern in Chinatown closed this week. (Photo: Taffer’s Tavern/Facebook)
Known for transforming “money pits into money makers” on his Paramount Network reality TV show, Bar Rescue, owner Jon Taffer promised mouth-watering food, excellent customer service and “the highest safety standards in the industry” when Taffer’s Tavern opened in September 2022. The chain now operates two remaining locations in Alpharetta, Ga., and in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The restaurant’s website says there are new restaurants coming soon, in Atlanta, Montgomery, Ala., and Orlando, Fla.
Taffer is known locally for featuring Piratz Tavern in Silver Spring on his show in 2012 and J.A. Murphy’s in Baltimore. Piratz Tavern, 8402 Georgia Ave., which closed in 2015, was a pirate-themed dive bar where the staff dressed and acted like pirates. Taffer remodeled and renamed it Corporate Bar and Grill, but it reverted shortly after he left. Also in 2012, J.A. Murphy’s in Fells Point was renamed Murphy’s Law and closed in less than four months before the episode even aired.
On Bar Rescue, Taffer, who has been called “the Gordon Ramsay of the bar and nightclub business,” often yells at bar staff and is confrontational, and always names a drink after himself on the new menu.
In the Piratz Tavern episode, Taffer attempted to turn the flailing pirate-themed bar into a “money machine.” He ditched the pirate theme and, in a play for the business lunch crowd, renamed it Corporate Bar and Grill. “Do you want to be a pirate or do you want to send your daughter to college?” Taffer shouted at the crestfallen owner, who obviously wanted to be a pirate.
After that episode, the staff reportedly mutinied, reinstating the pirate theme and burning the Corporate Bar and Grill logo, which was a faceless man in a suit. It is bewildering how mean Taffer was to the endearing crew of misfits who dressed and talked like pirates.
According to Taffer’s Tavern’s website, “Taffer’s is the quintessential pub, a place to meet old friends while making new ones. It boasts outstanding signature drinks, mouth-watering savory food, excellent customer service, and the highest safety standards in the industry. Designed with traditional Old-World taverns in mind, its ambiance is inviting, warm, and comfortable, making guests feel relaxed and welcomed visit after visit.”
Calling its food revolutionary, the website says, “Taffer’s Tavern features unbelievably delicious comfort and elevated tavern foods with some surprises that are prepared using innovative cooking technologies that drastically improve the quality, flavor and consistency of every dish. Our approach is to provide our customers high-quality menu selections … That is why Taffer’s Tavern is home to the ‘Kitchen of the Future.’”
Eric Adjepong Opening Ghanian Restaurant in D.C.
Chef Eric Adjepong, on the set of Food Network’s Alex vs America, will open a
Ghanian restaurant on 14th Street NW in January. (Photo: Eric Adjepong/Facebook)
Food Network host Eric Adjepong announced last week on social media that he will open Elmina, a contemporary Ghanian restaurant, at 2208 14th St NW in the former Seven Reasons space in January.
Adjepong will put a contemporary spin on traditional West African food, according to a press release. It will be his first brick-and-mortar restaurant. He had planned to open On the Double, a food stall at Union Market selling roti flatbread and doubles, in spring 2020, but plans fell through due to the pandemic.
The Top Chef Season 16 finalist has been busy with several projects, including hosting two Food Network shows — Wildcard Kitchen and Alex vs America — publishing his first children’s book and working on an upcoming cookbook,
Classic Ghanian small plates and family-style platters, like jollof rice, fufu and kelewele (spicy fried plantains), will be featured on a la carte and tasting menus at Elmina, along with new interpretations of traditional ingredients like spicy cassava udon noodles and egusi hummus. Other flavors from the region — including mango, hibiscus, soursop and passion fruit — will appear on the cocktail menu.
Adejpong said the new space will have two floors and seat up to 124 diners.
Alero Replacing Kitchen Cray on H Street
Alero will replace Kitchen Cray on H Street NE. (Photo: PoPville)
According to a liquor license placard, Alero Mexican restaurant and bar is coming to 1301 H St. NE, the former home of Kitchen Cray.
According to the placard, the restaurant will have seating for 185 inside and 40 on the sidewalk café. It is also seeking a carry-out and delivery endorsement for liquor.
Alero moved to a new location in Dupont Circle, 1629 Connecticut Ave. NW, in August and has another location at 1301 U St. NW.
A Cantina Brazilian Pizzeria Opens in Gaithersburg
A Cantina Brasileira has opened in Gaithersburg serving Brazilian pizzas. (Photo: A Cantina Brasileira)
A Cantina Brasileira, a Brazilian pizzeria, opened at 8359 Snouffer School Road, Gaithersburg.
Brazilian pizza is known for its unique toppings, such as catupiry cheese, heart of palm, corn and quail eggs, as well as sweet varieties featuring Nutella, strawberries, coconut and condensed milk.
The menu includes the Baiana with tomato sauce, ground Calabrian sausage, hard-boiled egg and chili sauce; Special Tuna with tomato sauce, mozzarella, tuna, sliced onion and catupiry; Portuguese with tomato sauce, ham, hard-boiled egg, sliced onion, green corn and mozzarella; and beef stroganoff.
The restaurant also serves pastelis, sweet and savory rectangular Brazilian thin crust pies with assorted fillings fried in vegetable oil; hamburgers and fries.
The restaurant is open from 5:30-10:30 p.m. daily.
Call Your Mother Deli Opens in Vienna
Call Your Mother deli has opened in Vienna. (Photo: Angela Woolsey)
The newest Call Your Mother deli opened at 205 Maple Ave. East, Vienna, in the former Cold Stone Creamery location in Vienna Marketplace last week.
The shop had initially been slated to host Taim Mediterranean Kitchen, but the fast-casual chain backed out and ultimately closed all of its Virginia locations this past spring. It also closed a College Park location last April. Li Chun Café is replacing the College Park restaurant. There is still a Taim in Dupont Circle.
Like at its other locations, Call Your Mother sells a variety of bagels, both individually and in sandwiches, aiming for a blend of “classic NY-style bagel and the sweeter, Montreal-style bagels,” according to its website. The restaurant also sells coffee, rye and challah sandwiches, and desserts, including babka muffins and cookies.
After running stalls at farmers’ markets, Call Your Mother founders Daniela Moreira and Andrew Dana opened their first permanent location in Park View, D.C., in 2018. Now operating 13 locations in the DMV and Denver, the business first expanded to Northern Virginia with a mobile truck at the Chesterbrook Shopping Center in McLean, which was replaced in July by a brick-and-mortar storefront. The Vienna shop is Call Your Mother’s third in Virginia, following the opening of Old Town Alexandria store in February.
Call Your Mother will open at North Point Village Center, Reston, that Bobby’s Bagel Cafe is scheduled to close on Nov. 30.
Call Your Mother in Vienna is open from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. daily.
Timber Pizza Coming to McLean in November
Timber Pizza will open in the McLean Village shopping center in November. (Photo: Angela Woolsey)
D.C.-based Timber Pizza is slated to open its third Virginia location in the McLean Village shopping center, 8100 Old Dominion Dr., sometime next month.
“We know how special the McLean community is and we’re so excited to give you grand opening deets (very soon!!!),” the company said in a press release. “We invite the community to come celebrate with us and discover their new favorite pizza this November!”
The wood-fired pizzeria is taking over a portion of Roots Kitchen and Bar, which rebranded in early September after opening as Roots Provisions and Grocery in 2021.
The 3,302 square-foot shop takes over suites D and E, according to Fairfax County permit records. It will seat 30.
Founded by Andrew Dana and Chris Brady in 2014, Timber Pizza began as a mobile eatery operating out of a 1967 Chevy pickup truck before chef Dani Morera joined the team in 2016. Dana and Moreira also own Call Your Mother deli.
Timber opened its first brick-and-mortar location in D.C.’s Petworth neighborhood in 2016 and now has shops in Ballston Quarter, Reagan National Airport, Annapolis and Raleigh, N.C. It also still has trucks in Richmond and D.C.
The menu includes 12-inch pizzas that come with red, green and white sauces, along with empanadas, salads and a seasonal ice cream platter for dessert.
Silver Branch Brewing to Open Rockville Beerworks
Silver Branch Brewing will open its Rockville Beerworks in the former True Respite Brewery. (Photo: Google Maps)
Silver Branch Brewing, 8401 Colesville Road #150, Silver Spring, will open a third location in Rockville to increase production capacity and expand distribution. The new Silver Branch Rockville Beerworks will be at 7301 Calhoun Place #600,in the former True Respite Brewing, which closed in September 2023.
Silver Branch said it has been capacity-limited for more than two years. “We have needed more space to brew so we can meet the demand of Silver Branch beer in wholesale, and we have needed more space to build a kitchen in Silver Spring so we can meet the demand for private events and a more diverse menu for groups and family dining.”
The brewery opened a Warrenton, Va., outpost in 2023 to help address some of its capacity constraints and grew revenues by nearly 50 percent, which accentuated the need in Silver Spring for a larger kitchen and an efficient brewery.
“The new brewery space in Rockville is designed to allow for simultaneous shipping and receiving, brewing and packaging,” according to a prospectus seeking to raise between $100,000-$1 million. “Our current too-small space only permits us to undertake one of these activities at a time. The ability of the brewing team to work in parallel rather than sequence will improve efficiency, and the additional space will allow for production of at least twice as much beer, permitting us to expand distribution to new geographies and to higher-volume retailers.”
Expanded capacity will allow Silver Branch to expand distribution to Virginia grocery stores. The company will also be able to increase food offerings by launching its Mosaic Pizza at all of its locations.
Brewing equipment will be moved from Silver Spring to Rockville and a full kitchen will be built in Silver Spring for Mosaic Pizza. There will also be a large events space overlooking Colesville Road.
The company hopes to eventually have four to six joint Mosaic Pizza/Silver Branch taproom locations. And stand-alone Mosaic Pizza locations that sell Silver Branch beer. It also plans to restore its 1870s Warrenton building to include seating for Mosaic Craft Pizza and an events space, with historic exposed brick walls and large windows.
BT’s Bethesda Set to Debut in Mid-November
BT’s Bethesda will open in mid-November in the former Zuma by Chef Ninja and Brickside on Cordell Avenue in Bethesda. (Photo: Google Maps)
BT’s Bethesda, 4866 Cordell Ave., Bethesda, hopes to open in mid-November in the space most recently occupied by Zuma by Chef Ninja and Brickside before that.
Owner Brian “BT” Lacey, a Bethesda native and Walt Whitman High School graduate, spent his career bartending and managing well-known establishments in the DMV including Durty Nelly’s, J Paul’s, DC Coast and Old Ebbitt Grill, among others.
The menu will include burgers, sandwiches, pizzas and entrees, as well as weekend brunch service.
The restaurant will include a bar area with TVs and the restaurant’s front room will include garage-style doors that open to the outside.
D1 Seafood Buffet Now Open in Germantown
D1 Seafood Buffet and Bar is now open in Germantown. (Photo: D1 Seafood Buffet and Bar)
D1 Seafood Buffet & Bar, 19961 Century Blvd., Germantown, is now open in the former Sushi Legend Cajun Seafood and Bar, and before that, The Greene Turtle.
Sushi Legend closed in December 2023 after being open for less than a year. In early 2022, signage for Four Seas Restaurant was erected on the building, but the restaurant never opened. The Greene Turtle closed in the summer of 2020.
Lunch buffet from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. is $17.99 for adults, $4.99 for children 3-5 and $6.99 for kids 6-10. Dinner buffet from 3-9 p.m. is $24.99 for adults, $6.99 for children 3-5 and $11.99 for kids 6-10. Weekend and holiday buffed from 3-9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday is $28.99 for adults, $8.99 for children 3-5 and $15.99 for kids 6-10. Carry out per pound is $7.99 regular, $9.99 seafood mix, $11.99 seafood only, $12.99 sushi and market price for lobster and crab legs. The restaurant is offering a 5 percent discount until Nov. 30.
Eat A Lao Opens in Rockville’s Sunshine Square
Eat a Lao’s “Have Some Neck” with grilled marinated pork shoulder, cilantro, lettuce, scallion and spicy tamarind sauce. (Photo: Eat a Lao)
Eat A Lao, a new restaurant serving Laotian, Vietnamese and Thai cuisine, opened at 1327 Rockville Pike, Units I, J and K, Rockville, in space that was formerly Sadaf Halal Restaurant. Sadaf closed in the Sunshine Square Shopping Mall at the beginning of 2024.
Eat A Lao’s menu includes cleverly named items such as Lend Me an Ear appetizer, cold pig’s ear, wood ear mushroom, pickled garnish and Asian seafood sauce; Ribs in Peace, chargrilled pork ribs, cilantro, scallion, spicy tamarind glaze and rice powder seasoning; No Guts No Glory, three skewers of marinated chicken gizzards, scallion and spicy Asian seafood sauce; Have Some Neck, grilled marinated pork shoulder, cilantro, lettuce, rice powder, scallion and spicy tamarind sauce; Crying Out Lao, Lay-style steak, cilantro, lettuce, scallion, rice powder and jaew sauce; and others.
The restaurant serves appetizers, salads, soups, noodles, sides and non-alcoholic drinks.
Eat A Lao is open from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4-9 p.m. Friday, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday.
Kung Fu 12 Opens Second Location in Rockville
Kung Fu 12’s shredded pork with spicy garlic.
(Photo: Kung Fu 12/Facebook)
Kung Fu 12, 14921 Shady Grove Road, Rockville, opened last Wednesday in the former Taipei Tokyo space in the Fallsgrove Village Shopping Center. Taipei Tokyo’s original location at 11510 Rockville Pike, Rockville, remains open.
The menu features Szechuan cuisine including crispy scallion pancakes, Beijing duck, salted egg yolk with tofu, griddled pork rib and whole sea bass.
Kung Fu 12 has another location at 1427 York Road, Timonium, Md.
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Kanji Sushi Opens in Old Keene Mill Shopping Center
Sushi moves past a table on a conveyor belt at Kanji Sushi & Bar. (Photo: Jiaxin I/Yelp)
Kanji Sushi & Bar opened Oct. 15 at 8430-A Old Keene Mill Road, Fairfax, in part of the space previously occupied by Whole Foods Market in the Old Keene Mill Shopping Center.
At the eastern end of the plaza, the all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant is beside Planet Fitness.
Food is served via two conveyor belts with the bottom one continuously circling with covered plates while the top delivers dishes ordered from a touchpad at each table.
In addition to sushi, the menu includes teriyaki, tempura, hibachi grilled meat and seafood, soup and fried rice and noodle dishes.
Dine-in prices are $29.99 for adults, $14.99 for children 7-11 and $11.99 for children 4-6 for 90 minutes. Take-out is priced a la carte. Kanji Sushi will celebrate Halloween with a 10 percent discount to anyone who visits in a costume on Oct. 31.
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-11 p.m. Friday, noon-11 p.m. Saturday and noon-10 p.m. Sunday.
Japomen Opens Near Dunn Loring Metro
Japomen Sushi & Ramen is now open in the former Burger 7 location near the Dunn Loring Metro Station. (Photo: Angela Woolsey)
Japomen Sushi & Ramen, 2767-J Avenir Place, Vienna, opened Oct. 12 in the Shops at Avenir Place near the Dunn Loring Metro station. It replaces Burger 7 facing Gallows Road.
From Jason Kang, Rockville’s Pike Kitchen owner James Park and sushi chef Peter Yoo, it is the first full-service restaurant from the team behind Tilly Kitchen food hall in Chantilly.
Park and Yoo introduced Japomen as one of the concepts at Pike Kitchen, a food hall that serves different Asian cuisine. They later expanded with Tilly Kitchen, which includes the Japomen menu, and locations at EpiQ Food Hall in Woodbridge and Lotte Supermarket’s food court in Sterling.
Japomen serves ramen, udon, rice bowls, teriyaki and katsu entrees, and a variety of sushi, including onigiri — triangular rice balls wrapped in seaweed — and hand rolls, labeled as sushi tacos on the menu.
There are also specialty ramen bowls, such as halal chicken and lamb, kimchi and seared wagyu, along with the standard miso and shoyu options. The Japomen bowl puts noodles and chopped pork belly in “slightly spicy” miso broth with a citrusy kick from yuzu and jalapeno, according to the menu.
Japomen makes an effort to prepare and cook everything in-house, including the cha siu (pork) that is marinated in a special sauce. The tuna comes from whole bluefin tuna that is cut at the restaurant.
They plan to add alcoholic drinks, but are waiting for a license from the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.
Japomen is open from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4:30-9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Mondays.
ZiZa Kabob Coming to New Rockville Development
ZiZa Kabob will open in the new Twinbrook Quarter in Rockville next year. (ZiZa Kabob/Facebook)
ZiZa Kabob, which opened its first restaurant in Jessup, Md., has signed on to open its second location in the Twinbrook Quarter development that is currently under development at 1600 Rockville Pike, Rockville.
ZiZa is affiliated with Baltimore’s Maiwand Grill and Kabul Grill.
The restaurant offers homemade Afghan family recipes including mezze, hummus, baba ganoush, falafel, shawarma, gyros and kababs including chicken, lamb, beef, salmon and shrimp. The full menu can be https://zizakabob.com/ourmenu seen here.
ZiZa Kabob will join Terra Gaucha, an authentic churrascaria or Brazilian steakhouse, Genki Wagyu House and Molly Tea, which have all signed on at Twinbrook Quarter. Terra Gaucha will be located on the corner of Festival Street and Chapman Avenue, off of Rockville Pike, while Genki Wagyu House and Molly Tea will be on the corner of Festival Street and Rockville Pike, next to the upcoming Wegmans. Wegmans is expected to open in 2025.
Bad Ass Coffee Opens in Virginia Square in Nov.
Bad Ass Coffee will open in Virginia Square's former Dunkin' location in November. (Photo: Katie Taranto)
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii is planning a November opening at 3701 N. Fairfax Dr. in Virginia Square in the former Dunkin’ Donuts space.
The husband-wife owners Richard and Michelle Lee also owns a Bad Ass Coffee in Alexandria.
The name of the shop references generations of coffee-carrying donkey on Hawaii. Native Hawaiians in the Kona region call them “bad ass ones” for their strength and stubbornness.
The shop’s Hawaiian heritage also comes through in its mild, low-acidity coffee beans grown in Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai’i, Ka’u and Kona. Beans from Kona on the Big Island are enriched by their proximity to several volcanoes.
In addition to lattes, cold brews, drip coffee and frozen blended coffees, the shop sells bags of whole beans and grounds. Other offerings include smoothies and sandwiches made on King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls including The Bad Ass One with spam, egg, Swiss cheese, pineapple and barbecue sauce.
Bad Ass Coffee, founded in Hawaii in 1989, has 34 locations in total.
The Lees opened the Alexandria location in March 2023 and are currently planning for a third Northern Virginia location.
Boston-Based Life Alive Coming to D.C.'s West End
Boston-based Life Alive Organic is coming to D.C.'s West End. (Rendering: Life Alive)
Boston-based Life Alive Organic Café is coming to 2301 M St. NW, in the former SoulCycle space in D.C.’s West End.
It will be Life Alive’s 13th location and first outside of Massachusetts.
Life Alive had been weighing expansion outside of the Greater Boston area for a while and set its sights on D.C. for a number of reasons, including a similarly high concentration of health-conscious young professionals, CEO Bryan Timko said.
The chain was founded in Lowell, Mass., by Heidi Feinstein in 2004. In 2015, she sold the business to Ron Shaich, who founded Panera Bread. Shaich also helped grow D.C.-based Cava, which went public last year, and Tatte Bakery & Cafe, another Boston-based chain that has established a substantial presence in the DMV.
Life Alive serves grain bowls, salads, ramen-style noodle dishes, soups, Acai bowls and smoothies. All of its dishes are prepared from scratch daily.
Timko said the chain seeks to create places where people can drop in for a bite and spend some time without feeling like they're overstaying their welcome. The restaurants are designed with eclectic art, cozy nooks, plenty of plugs to charge up electronics and free WiFi.
Timko’s goal is to eventually have several DMV locations. The West End location will have a beverage bar, serving nonalcoholic beverages like smoothies, and customers will be able to see into an open kitchen as the veggies are roasted, steamed and served. The restaurant will also serve Intelligentsia Coffee and espresso, something that is new with the D.C. location.
Boston-based BKA Architects will design the restaurant, while Bethesda-based Potomac Construction will build it. The new café will feature bright colors. There will be indoor seating for 70 and outdoor patio seating for 12. The restaurant will be open from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.
Ruthie’s All Day to Open Second Location in Fairfax
Ruthie's All Day will open a second location in Fairfax with a wood-burning hearth. (Photo: Ruthie's All Day/Facebook)
Local restaurant Ruthie’s All Day, which serves comfort food, will open its second location at 11951 Grand Commons Ave., Fairfax, in fall 2025.
The new restaurant, which follows the brand’s first in Arlington, made the announcement Thursday.
“Our community has been so supportive of Ruthie’s All-Day since we opened in Arlington, and we are very excited to bring that same warm hospitality throughout Fairfax, my wife’s hometown,” chef Matt Hill said. “We can’t wait to welcome even more people to share in the great food, friendly service and relaxed vibe that make Ruthie’s so special.”
Ruthie’s All Day, which opened its first location at 3411 Fifth St. S, Arlington, in 2020, has developed a reputation for its modern twist on classic Southern cuisine. The eatery features all-day service, ranging from breakfast to dinner. That will continue in the new space, which will be able to fit 210 diners inside and have an outdoor patio, coffee bar, take-out counter, wood-burning hearth, smoker and full bar, according to a press release.
Crafted by Hill, who owns the restaurant with Todd Salvadore, Ruthie’s menu emphasizes modern Southern cooking, with popular options including skillet cornbread and Harry’s hot hushpuppies to smoked meats, fried chicken and more.
Hours for the new location have not been announced, but Ruthie’s current location is open from 7 am-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.
T Pot Coming to Montgomery Village Crossing
T Pot Hot Pot & Korean BBQ will open in Montgomery Village Crossing. (Photo: T Pot Hot Pot & Korean BBQ)
T Pot Hot Pot & Korean BBQ is replacing Golden Star Buffet at 9679 Lost Knife Road, Gaithersburg, in the Montgomery Village Crossing shopping center.
The all-you-can-eat restaurant offers Thai tom yum, Japanese miso, Korean kimchi and Szechuan spicy bases among others for the hot pot along with meats, seafood, tofu, vegetables and noodles to cook in the broths. The
BBQ includes meats like beef bulgogi, short ribs, pork belly, chicken, shrimp, calamari and baby octopus along with vegetables that are grilled at the table.
T Pot currently has locations in Waldorf and Gambrills, Md.
Ravenna Pizza Opening in Rosslyn in January
Ravenna Pizza, which serves Roman-style square pies, will open in Rosslyn in early- to mid-January. (Photo: Mustafa Durran)
Ravenna Pizza, which serves rectangular Roman-style pies, will open at 1500 Wilson Blvd., Rosslyn, in early- to mid-January.
The pizzeria, which will be in the former Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, serves 13 varieties of sharp-cornered pizza, along with salads, homemade gelato and Italian desserts.
Ravenna’s “pizza al taglio” pies undergo a much longer rise than a typical Neapolitan or New York-style pizza, fermenting in two stages for a total of 72 hours before baking.
“It’s higher hydration, a longer fermentation process, and the end result is crusty in the bottom, airy in the middle and soft on top, with minimalistic authentic ingredients,” owner Mustafa Durran said. “When you bite through it, you feel the crunch and it melts in your mouth.”
In addition to making pizzas, Durran plans to serve homemade gelato with Italian equipment from Carpigiani that can make the gelato base, pasteurize it and freeze the dessert.
Ravenna will also have a full-service bar with Italian beer, wine and cocktails. There will be spaces to sit and eat, along with takeout and delivery.
The business is currently in the process of obtaining building permits.
The Angie Coming to Virginia Square
European-inspired bistro The Angie will open in a new Virginia Square development. (Rendering: Skanska)
The Angie, a European-inspired bistro by the founders of For Five Coffee Roasters, is coming to 3901 Fairfax Drive, a new nine-story Virginia Square next spring.
The “American French” concept includes 162 total seats, outdoor dining, a full-service bar, a barista bar, a lounge and a private dining room, according to a news release from building developer Skanska.
The bistro’s breakfast, lunch and dinner menus feature European dishes with an “upscale, American twist.” Highlights include ricotta ravioli with kalamata olives, lobster frites with roasted garlic butter crust and roasted Dover sole.
The bistro is a partnership between the founders of For Five Coffee Roasters, which opened a Rosslyn location earlier this year, and D.C.-based Balos Restaurant Group.
Royal Farms to Open in Silver Spring
A Royal Farm convenience store, famous for its fried chicken, will open on Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring. (Photo: Royal Farms/Facebook)
Royal Farms, which made its Montgomery County debut in Gaithersburg in 2022, will open its second county location at 9475 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring.
The convenience store, which is popular for its fried chicken, has received a permit to begin work at its upcoming location. It will replace a Sunoco gas station.
This will be the first of the big three convenience stores -- Royal Farms, Sheetz and Wawa -- to open outside of Gaithersburg in Montgomery County. An opening date has not been announced yet. The convenience store has several locations in Prince George’s County including Greenbelt, Hyattsville, National Harbor and Camp Springs.
Three Notch’d Taking Over Part of Barnes & Noble
The dining room at Three Notch'd Brewing's Charlottesville brewery. (Photo: Three Notch'd Brewing/Facebook)
Three Notch’d Brewing Co., a restaurant, brewery and ax throwing venue based in Charlottesville, plans to open in what is currently the ground floor of Barnes & Noble at The Crossing Clarendon, 2800 Clarendon Blvd.
It is expected to open in 2026 as the bookstore consolidates into its upper level.
Three Notch’d produces beers and canned cocktails that are sold at several area locations. The brewery has signed a lease for 10,160 square feet of the ground floor space. A second tenant, that has not been named yet, will fill an additional 2,659 square feet on the same floor.
Three Notch’d plans to install a kitchen, full taproom, whiskey distillery and ax throwing area. The space will also include a liquor store, where customers can purchase bottles of the company’s whiskey and bourbon to take home. The menu will feature classic bar fare including burgers, pretzels and parmesan garlic fries.
The Barnes & Noble, which has been in Clarendon two decades, will shrink to the remaining 14,041 square feet above the brewery. Plaza owner Regency Centers plans to install a new elevator and escalator connecting downstairs patrons to a bookselling space described as “cozy and arranged to encourage browsing,” according to a press release.
Construction on Three Notch’d is expected to begin next year and be completed in the the second or third quarter of 2026. In the meantime, the bookstore will stay in the space until permits are in hand.
In addition to Charlottesville, the brewery has locations in Harrisonburg, Nellysford, Richmond, Roanoke and Virginia Beach.
Honey Pig Permanently Closes Rockville Location
Honey Pig Korean BBQ permanently closed its Rockville location, shown here during its grand opening in 2018.
(Photo: Honey Pig/Facebook)
Honey Pig Korean BBQ has permanently closed at 12015-G Rockville Pike, Rockville, in the Montrose Crossing shopping center, according to a sign on its door.
The restaurant opened in Rockville in 2018 and added its all-you-can-eat option about a year later. A Germantown location closed in late 2021 after a rebrand to Honey One. The location is now the home of KPOT.
Honey Pig’s sole remaining Maryland location is in Ellicott City. It also has restaurants in Annandale, Centerville and Ashburn, Va. Sister restaurant Honey Pig Hot Pot + BBQ is in Ellicott City and Manassas. According to its website, Honey Pig BBQs are to open in College Park and Fredericksburg in 2025.
Brio’s Chicken Closes in Westfield Montgomery Mall
Brio's Chicken has closed at the Westfield Montgomery Mall.
(Photo: Robert Dyer)
Brio’s Chicken in the Westfield Montgomery Mall, 7101 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda, has closed after only six months. It opened in April of this year in the space previously occupied by Tara Thai.
Menu items included Peruvian charcoal chicken, empanadas, steak and seafood.
Brio’s Chicken was originally scheduled to open in the Kentlands in 2020, but never opened. Another location in the Aspen Manor shopping center, Aspen Hill, is now under new ownership and known as Gio’s Chicken.
