Store Reporter

Retail & Restaurant news for Rockville, Potomac & North Bethesda. We know it all. And we like to share.

Stella Barra Pizzeria Rockville

Valentine’s Day Special Issue: New restaurants, new stores, new features and two giveaways you’ll ❤️

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Happy anniversary to us

This week we’re not just celebrating Valentine’s Day; we’re also marking the beginning of our second year of publication. In the weeks to come, you’ll notice some changes to our format — and some great new features that we think you’re going to love. But we won’t be making any changes to our mission: Bringing you the latest retail and restaurant news for greater Rockville and Potomac.

Stella Barra Pizzeria

 

Opening this week

Two new restaurants joined the Rockville Pike dining scene this week, just in time to capture the crowds for Valentine’s Day. Stella Barra Pizzeria makes its debut tonight (Feb. 12th) at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, adjoining the newly opened Summer House Santa Monica. Ev & Maddy’s, a European-style bistro, is already in business just weeks after taking over the 82 Steak Out space on Gibbs Street at Rockville Town Square. (Click here for more on Ev & Maddy’s). Also opening today is the Bonobos Guideshop at Westfield Montgomery Mall, dedicated to helping men find a well-fitting pair of pants.

Seasons taproom hand with olive oil

 

Gourmet seasonings on tap

If you’re planning to check out the new restaurants at Pike & Rose this Valentine’s weekend, be sure to save a little time for shopping. In addition to chain stores like The Gap, City Sports and Francesca’s, you’ll also find a couple of interesting independent shops. Seasons Olive Oil & Vinegar Taproom carries ultra-premium olive oil sourced from different parts of the world at different times of year. “Our oils come from the southern hemisphere in May and June, and from the northern hemisphere in December, so all year long we have this chain of fresh,” says store owner Timothy Balshi. Prices are surprisingly down to earth, with some bottles selling for less than $10. This is the fourth Seasons store for Balshi, whose family also makes its own line of olive oils in southern Spain.

 

Yogaso hat display

 

Something special for the younger set

Another charming find at Pike & Rose is Yogaso, a boutique filled with brightly colored kids’ clothing from designers all over the world. Owner Alem Beshir, a native of Ethiopia, has modeled her store after the European boutiques she’s admired in her travels. Yogaso is a mash-up of the names of her three kids (who are, we assume, remarkably well-dressed). Merchandise ranges from a $12 toy from Denmark to a $35 shirt from Italy to dresses and coats for more than $100. Beshir says some of her customers are doting grandparents living in nearby apartments. Others are “moms who want to dress their kids different, unique and cool,” she says. “Since I carry only one of each size, they feel comfortable that another kid won’t be wearing the same outfit.” 

 

Asia NineWin dinner for two at Asia Nine

Downtown Crown, the new Gaithersburg development near Washingtonian Center, also has some great new restaurants to check out this Valentine’s weekend. Among them is Asia Nine, a longtime fixture at D.C.’s Penn Quarter, which recently opened a second location at 254 Crown Park Ave. The menu is a mix of Thai, Chinese and Japanese dishes including sushi, pad thai, hot noodle soups and curries. Want to check it out for yourself? Be our guest: We’re giving away dinner for two at Asia Nine (up to a $60 value). Click here to enter by email (subject line: Asia Nine), or click here  to enter via Facebook; the winner will be chosen at random later this month. And if you’re planning to stop by this weekend, be sure to click here for Asia Nine’s Valentine’s Day specials. Update: Reader Julie Mustelin won this dinner for two. Stay tuned to Store Reporter for more great giveaways.

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Valerie Nahmani Druzy necklaceWin this necklace from Valerie Nahmani Designs

This week we have another special Valentine’s Day giveaway: a heart-shaped druzy necklace from Valerie Nahmani Designs. “Druzies are known for their healing properties,” says Nahmani, a Potomac native who’s been working with the popular crystals for several years. “No two stones are ever alike, and I think there’s something about them that really makes an outfit.” Click here to check out Nahmani’s jewelry, which is carried locally at Charm, B Scene and Bloomingdale’s. The piece shown here is valued at $130. Want to win it — for your Valentine or for yourself? Click here to enter by email (subject line: druzy heart) or click here to enter via Facebook. We’ll pick a winner by Friday (Feb. 13), so you can have your heart in time for Valentine’s Day. Update: Congratulations to reader Dena Farber Schoenfeld, who won this druzy heart. Stay tuned to Store Reporter for more great giveaways.

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Jessica KramerReader Favorite: Greens + Grains Bowl at Cava Grill

In this issue we’re kicking off a new section about things you love. We call it Store Reporter Reader Favorites. Here’s your chance to tell everyone about that dish you dream about, that dessert you crave, or that go-to gift from your favorite little shop. For Jessica Kramer, a Bethesda therapist, dinner perfection can be found in the Greens + Grains Bowl at Cava Grill ($8.50). “SometimGreens + Grains Bowl at Cava Grilles I’m not in the mood for a total light dish, or I already had a salad for lunch, but with this dish I feel like the healthiness of the salad overrides the rice part,” says Kramer, who likes to top her bowl with falafel and a lemon vinaigrette. “There’s really no topping that doesn’t go well with it,” she says. Want to tell us what you love at a local store or restaurant? Click here.

Two new restaurants in downtown Rockville – plus RadioShack, a wish list and a winner

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82 Steak Out, Rockville Town SquareSteak Out is out, Ev & Maddy’s is in

82 Steak Out, the cozy steak-and-fries restaurant next to Noodles & Company at Rockville Town Square, closed its doors last week after less than a year in business. It’s the third eatery to fail in that space since 2007, following Bobby’s Crabcakes (another locally owned restaurant with good reviews) and Tippy’s Taco House. Perhaps the fourth time will be the charm: Ev & Maddy’s, a European-style bistro, has begun renovating the space with plans to open next month. Chef/owner Patrick Pak is a graduate of L’Academie de Cuisine, with an impressive resume that includes stints at Komi, the Blue Duck Tavern and Arlington’s Grand Cru Wine Bar & Bistro.

Jalea at Sazon Inka

 

More Peruvian in downtown Rockville

Also new in downtown Rockville is Sazon Inka, a Peruvian restaurant in the former Pita Hut space on North Washington Street. Chef Segundo Silva, formerly with Rockville’s La Limena, is serving up charbroiled rotisserie chicken and ceviche plus specialty dishes like Aji de Gallina (shredded chicken in a spicy cream sauce) and Jalea (the fried seafood dish shown here). Ross Castillon, who’s helping his father Hugo run the restaurant, says they hope to appeal to customers of higher-end eateries like La Canela as well as quick-serve places like Crisp & Juicy. “People around here are really getting to know Peruvian cuisine,” he says. “We have a lot of competitors, and we want to make sure that we stand out.”

 

Radio Shack Cabin JohnWhat’s up with RadioShack?

The future is not looking bright for RadioShack at the Cabin John Shopping Center, which is now operating as a “clearance store” carrying only heavily discounted items. All regular-priced merchandise has been shipped out to other locations, and employees say they haven’t been told whether the store will remain open. The Wall Street Journal reports that RadioShack Corp. could file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as early as next week. For now, though, it’s still business as usual at the Rockville Pike and Westfield Montgomery Mall locations — the latter of which is said to be one of the chain’s top performers.

 

Williams-Sonoma logoYour wish list for the mall

Thanks to all the readers who told us about their wish lists for Westfield Montgomery Mall (see our query in the Jan. 15 issue). We received hundreds of votes, and the top choice by far was a store that sells house and kitchen items — specifically Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, Pottery Barn, West Elm, or a return of the departed Crate & Barrel. In the clothing category, Athleta led the votes for its popular women’s workout wear. Other top requests included Bloomingdale’s, Anthropologie, H&M, Restoration Hardware, a book store and a wider selection of menswear stores. The mall won’t say which of those wishes might come true — although we’re betting that a home goods store is on the horizon. But those who asked for more menswear will be glad to hear that Bonobos is opening next month (click here for more).

 

Summer House Santa Monica

 

Congrats to the winner of our Summer House giveaway

Congratulations to Store Reporter reader Jonathan Beiser, winner of last week’s giveaway: a $50 gift card to the new Summer House Santa Monica at Pike & Rose (click here for our picks from the menu). Stay tuned for another giveaway for the adjacent Stella Barra Pizzeria, which opens next month. Also happening at Pike & Rose next month: the return of La Madeleine and Chipotle.

 

Who closed over the holidays; new life for Tiara; Potomac Village grocery saga continues

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Store Closing sign

 

Going, going, gone

As we begin the new year, let’s bid adieu to some local stores and restaurants that didn’t survive the holidays. At Westfield Montgomery Mall, the Burton snowboarding shop and the Dumpling Dojo eatery both made sudden disappearances. Also gone are Naartjie Kids, whose parent company declared bankruptcy last fall, and Wet Seal, a struggling teen retailer that started dumping hundreds of its stores after Christmas. Over in Rockville, The Children’s Place at Congressional Plaza will close this month (though the Montgomery Mall location will remain). And today (1/8) is the last day of business for Robert Bernard Jewelers at Potomac Woods Plaza — but one of its partners expects to open a new store in the area. (Click here for more in our Dec. 4 edition.)

 

 

Tiara Galleries

 

Tiara’s transformation

Tiara Galleries & Gifts, a fixture at Congressional Plaza for the past two decades, is making big changes for 2015. Next month the store will get a new name (Silver Moon Jewelry & Accessories), a new location (the former Harry & David space a few doors down), and a new focus on jewelry and handbags. “We won’t be carrying any more crystal or porcelain,” says owner Irv Losman. “Those ‘older’ categories were my dominion — but the rest of my staff is more in tune with lines like Brighton, Spartina, Vera Bradley, Endless, Pandora, and Alex and Ani. We’ve decided to do a smaller, more streamlined store that appeals to women in a different way.”

 

Stella Barra Pizzeria

 

Two more restaurants at Pike & Rose

Opening in the next few weeks at Pike & Rose: Stella Barra Pizzeria, featuring artisanal pizzas, salads and sandwiches; and Summer House Santa Monica, offering California-influenced food with a beach house-style decor. Both concepts are from the Chicago-based restaurant empire Lettuce Entertain You, which also owns chains like Maggiano’s and Mon Ami Gabi.

 

Potomac Grocer crabcakes

 

Grocery staff shakeups in Potomac Village

With the re-opening of the Market at River Falls over the holidays, several key employees who had crossed the street to Potomac Grocer have now returned to their original jobs. Back at River Falls are chef Steven Fela and seafood specialist Michael “Junior” Turgott. Manager Max Devens says he’s staying with Potomac Grocer. He’ll be joined by newly hired chef David Rogers, a veteran of Balducci’s and the National Gallery of Art. Now that this musical chairs game seems to be over, we’re still wondering: Can Potomac Village really generate enough business to support a Giant, a Safeway and two high-end grocery stores? (For more background on the Village grocery store saga, click here.)