Rockville Town Square

Here’s a holiday gift for Lululemon lovers: The company’s newest store will open its doors Dec. 14th at Gaithersburg’s Downtown Crown. The spot is strategically located just around the corner from Life Time Athletic and LA Fitness (not that anyone really needs a workout as an excuse to visit). Lululemon joins the recently opened Sephora as Crown begins to mix in some retail with all those restaurants.

Is Dawson’s Market making a comeback at Rockville Town Square? It certainly looks that way. When we stopped by this week, the lights were on and longtime manager Bart Yablonsky could be seen sprucing up inside. No one is talking on the record yet, but we’re hearing that Yablonsky has worked out a deal to reopen the market under a new ownership structure. The uproar over Dawson’s recent closing — and the town meetings and brainstorming sessions that followed — might finally mark a turning point for the long-troubled development. The Russian restaurant Samovar, which faced an uncertain future after sustaining water damage earlier this year, is now expected to reopen. Meanwhile, other tenants tell us they’re starting to feel more optimistic about the Square’s future. (Editor’s note: A day after we published this issue, Dawson’s Market confirmed that they will in fact reopen in mid-December. Watch for a follow-up in next week’s Store Reporter.

Yard House, a high-end sports bar showcasing craft beer and cocktails, opens its doors this Monday (Dec. 10th) at Rio Washingtonian Center. The restaurant replaces Romano’s Macaroni Grill, which closed last year after its parent company filed Chapter 11. What’s on the menu besides drinks? Burgers, pizzas, fries, nachos, sandwiches and wings plus some fancier entrées. Yard House is a division of Darden Restaurants, which also owns Olive Garden, Seasons 52, LongHorn Steakhouse and The Capital Grille among others. For a look at the menu, click here.

New place to try at the Fallsgrove shopping center: St. Veg, offering a plant-based menu, is newly open in the corner spot previously occupied by Melt. The restaurant hopes to tempt carnivores as well as vegetarians with specialty dishes like Mom’s Caramel Tofu Bowl, the Flavor Bomb Pho Dip and the Vegball Sub (shown here). St. Veg is open for lunch and dinner, with most meals priced around $10.

As much as we love writing about restaurants, at this time of year we’re spending lots of time in the kitchen with friends and family. So once again, we’re partnering with our favorite cooking stores to bring you some gift inspiration. Up first: three great picks from Williams Sonoma.

• Instant Pot: This gadget continues to top many wish lists, and it’s no wonder. The new Max version can pressure-cook, slow-cook, steam, sauté, brown and warm your food — not to mention making yogurt, canning, pasteurizing and serving up the perfect pot of rice or hard-boiled eggs. There’s definitely a learning curve involved here, but fans say the results are well worth the time. (Priced from around $70; click here for more.)
• Thermo-Clad Stainless Steel Cookware: As a gift for someone starting out in a new home or first apartment, you can’t beat Williams Sonoma’s workhorse pots and pans. Made in Italy to the company’s precise specifications, these are among the best we’ve tried — and bonus, they’re dishwasher-safe. (Starting around $75; click here for more.)
• Peppermint Bark: When you’re guesting rather than hosting, this classic, cheery red-and-white box will be welcome in just about any home. (Starting around $20; click here for more.)

For more gift picks from Williams Sonoma, visit Bethesda Row, Tysons Galleria, Reston Town Center or shop online at williams-sonoma.com.