On Cloud 9 Rockville

New spa and Tex-Mex on Rockville Pike; Two restaurant closings in one week

September 22, 2016 By Store Reporter Leave a Comment

New spa opens on Rockville Pike

The Woodhouse Day Spa, under construction for more than a year at North Bethesda Market on Rockville Pike, is officially open for business. This is the first Maryland location for the Texas-based chain, which offers massage, skin care and mani/pedis as well as specialty services like warm spiced mud wraps and aromatherapy sleep treatments. Not on the spa menu: Anything to do with hair. “We didn’t want any whir of hair dryers or smell of hair chemicals to take away from the experience at our spa,” says franchise owner Peter Dychkewich, a former investment banker. “We paid great attention to design details, right down to the eight-foot mahogany doors. We want this place to feel like you’re in an old European manor house.” The grand opening party is happening this Saturday (Sept. 24th); click here for details.

Almost time for Tex-Mex on the Pike

Chuy’s is set to open its doors Oct. 4 at Federal Plaza on Rockville Pike, where construction crews have been working all summer to renovate the former Ruby Tuesday space. This is the first Maryland location for the Tex-Mex chain, known for its made-from-scratch menu, fresh margaritas and kitschy decor. We’ve been hearing good buzz from readers who have tried Chuy’s in Virginia. For a preview of the menu, click here.

Goodbye MET Bethesda & Hooters

In case you missed our special edition earlier this week: MET Bethesda, the upscale restaurant across from the ArcLight Cinema at Westfield Montgomery Mall, made an unexpected exit last weekend after less than two years in business. Click here for more on the demise of MET, the fifth restaurant to close at Montgomery Mall since May. Hooters on Rockville Pike also closed its doors last weekend after losing its liquor license in the wake of a fatal drunk driving accident.

Ready for Rosh Hashanah?

If you’re hosting a crowd for the Jewish holidays this year, Potomac Grocer makes it easy. On the menu for Rosh Hashanah: onion-braised brisket, pomegranate molasses-glazed salmon, lemon honey roasted chicken, sweet potato-carrot tzimmes, noodle pudding and much more. Pre-ordering is recommended, but some dishes will be available à la carte while they last. Potomac Grocer, 10107 River Road, 301-299-4200. For the catering menu, click here.

Softest store at the mall

Here’s a sure sign that cooler weather is on the way: Sheepskin Gifts & Alpaca Too, a seasonal tenant at Westfield Montgomery Mall, has returned for the winter in a new space next to Brookstone. The store carries a surprising variety of gifts and clothing, from sweaters, shawls and coats to hats, gloves and boots for adults and kids. (Biggest draw for men: the sheepskin moccasins with gel soles, priced at $69.99). The store’s owners manufacture many of their own products; click here to see what else they carry.

Nike Factory Store, Chuy’s Tex-Mex & Modern Market to Rockville — plus our best appetizer winners

June 9, 2016 By Store Reporter 2 Comments

Nike store’s next for Pike & Rose

Good news for those who are sad to say goodbye to Sports Authority: A Nike Factory Store will soon be moving into Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, taking over the former City Sports space that’s been empty since last fall. The store will carry workout gear and accessories for all ages, some of which can jazzed up with monograms and other custom touches. Nike will be the second sporting goods retailer doing business at Pike & Rose, where REI also is building out a store that’s scheduled to open next year. Click here for more in our Oct. 22 edition.

Chuy’s Tex-Mex heading to Rockville

Making its Maryland debut on Rockville Pike this fall: Chuy’s, a Tex-Mex chain from Austin that’s taking over the recently closed Ruby Tuesday space at Federal Plaza. Chuy’s, which has a half-dozen locations in Virginia, is known for its made-from-scratch menu and quirky decor featuring colored hubcaps, hanging wooden fish and Elvis memorabilia. Craving burritos already? Click here to check out the menu.

Hold the sugar, bring on the butter

Modern Market, a health-oriented and eco-conscious restaurant chain from Boulder, Colo., is heading to Congressional Plaza with plans for a fall opening next to Chopt. The menu will feature salads, sandwiches, brick oven pizzas and breakfast items, all made from scratch with real butter, whole milk cheeses and raw nuts. “We think added sugar is the devil and (good) fats are our friends,” says the Modern Market website.” We’re a place where paleo, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free friends can all enjoy a great meal, together.” Another Modern Market is also on the way to Bethesda Row. For a look at the menu, click here.

Who has the best appetizers in town?

We asked Store Reporter readers to vote for their favorite appetizers in the Rockville/Potomac area. The result? Three hands-down favorites and three runners-up.

CAVA MEZZE AT TRAVILLE VILLAGE CENTER. This is the restaurant that started the whole Cava empire back in 2006 — and many say it’s still their favorite for great small plates. Our readers’ top picks are the Brussels sprouts with Greek yogurt and olive bread crumbs; the roasted beets with balsamic pomegranate and goat cheese; and of course the famous flaming Saganaki cheese.
SUGO AT PARK POTOMAC. Here’s another win for the Cava team, which opened sister restaurant Sugo in 2012. Brussels sprouts and roasted beet salad are popular here too, but in this case the sprouts are cooked with crispy pancetta and the beets are paired with arugula, pistachios and gorgonzola. Other reader favorites: the chicken meatballs and the grilled charred octopus.
MOCO’S FOUNDING FARMERS AT PARK POTOMAC. At the Rockville branch of the D.C.-based chain, right down the sidewalk from fellow winner Sugo, our readers are particularly fond of the farm breads with various toppings — especially the brie, onion jam and crisp apple combo. Other reader picks include the garlic black pepper wings, fried green tomatoes, bacon lollis and bacon-wrapped dates.

Three other restaurants also earned high marks in our best-appetizer poll. THE GRILLED OYSTER CO. AT CABIN JOHN SHOPPING CENTER draws praise not only for its oysters but also its mussels, fried calamari and Maryland crab dip. CLYDE’S TOWER OAKS LODGE earns kudos for its hummus plate, grilled lamb chops and Coca Cola-marinated beef yakitori. And at MATCHBOX on Rockville Pike, our readers favor the mussels, mini burgers and tuna tartare.

Congrats to our Sugo dinner winner

Congratulations to Store Reporter reader David Winer of Potomac, who won our drawing for a $60 Sugo gift card. Thanks to all who entered the drawing by voting for their favorite appetizers — and stay tuned to Store Reporter for more giveaways coming up.

Why Blaze closed, World of Beer, Hardwood Artisans and Sport Authority

May 26, 2016 By Store Reporter 1 Comment

Why Blaze closed — and what happens now

This week Blaze Pizza fans were shocked by our May 23rd report that the restaurant had closed its doors at Westfield Montgomery Mall. But take heart: A Blaze rep tells us the California-based chain is looking to open elsewhere in this area. The decision to close at the mall was made “after lease negotiations proved unsuccessful, and with respect to a combination of other factors including alterations to mall entrance signage,” says Blaze spokesman Joshua Levitt. In the end, he says, “We felt moving this location was the best strategy to the long-term health of the brand.” Stay tuned to Store Reporter for the latest on what’s cooking at Blaze. In the meantime, superfans can visit the next-closest locations in Laurel, College Park and Baltimore.

Other mall departures

Cleo’s Oil Bar, which opened just a year ago at Westfield Montgomery Mall, made a quiet exit last month after sales didn’t pour in as expected. Cleo’s had featured a winery-inspired layout where visitors could belly up to the bar for samples, then sip them from a seating area near the Godiva store. “Just didn’t fly,” sighs co-owner Linda Cameron, who continues to operate her original store in Annapolis. Cleo’s isn’t the only business to depart the mall in the last few weeks. Others include BCBG and Teavana, whose spaces will be taken by the expanding Apple Store (click here for more), and the restaurants Jamaican Mi Crazy and Lobster ME, which both closed on Monday along with Blaze Pizza (click here for more).

World of Beer opens in Rockville

Opening on Memorial Day in downtown Rockville: World of Beer, with 4,200 square feet of indoor/outdoor seating on the ground floor of the new Upton apartment building on Maryland Avenue. This will be the third Maryland location for the Florida-based company, with a fourth to follow in downtown Bethesda later this year. General manager Patrick Costello says customers can expect “a lively, fun and casual atmosphere, with 50 rotating taps, a great selection of locally made beers, an old-fashioned cask engine, and an infusion tower for making beer flavored with fruits and herbs.” The tavern-style menu is focused on burgers, wings, flatbreads and giant Bavarian pretzels. To check it out for yourself, click here.

Hardwood Artisans exits Rockville

The changes keep coming at Federal Plaza on Rockville Pike, where Ruby Tuesday closed last week and Hardwood Artisans is on the way out after nearly two decades at the same location. Demand for custom furniture has diminished in the current economy, a spokesman tells us, and business at the Rockville store had been slow for several years. Maryland customers can visit Hardwood Artisans at its recently opened location on St. Elmo Avenue in downtown Bethesda, which showcases a new line of space-saving condo furniture (click here to check it out). The Rockville store will close at the end of June. Who’s moving in? Payless.

Sports Authority’s final exit

This week Sports Authority kicked off its nationwide going-out-of-business sale, which will continue through the end of August. Returns and exchanges can be made through June 25th, store gift cards will be honored through the 28th, and extended warranties on Sports Authority products will remain in effect via a third-party company. But if you were planning to redeem the points accrued from your Sports Authority Loyalty Program, you’re out of luck: They just expired.