Store Reporter

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

Stella Barra Pizzeria

New seafood market may be on the way; White Flint Mall update; Costco and Konplott

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Seafood

 

New seafood market may be on the way

Good news for fans of fresh seafood: We hear that a new gourmet fish market will soon be setting up shop near the border of Potomac and Rockville. The owner, who has many years of experience in the seafood industry, has his eye on a location that’s convenient to both areas — but not too close to Potomac Village, which already has two gourmet markets of its own. Stay tuned to Store Reporter for more details when the deal is done.

 

 

Lord & Taylor 

White Flint Mall — finally ready to come down?

The owners of White Flint Mall won a victory in federal appeals court this week when a judge ruled against Lord & Taylor’s attempt to stop the property from being redeveloped. The department store, which owns its own building and has no plans to leave, is the only tenant left at the once-luxurious mall after owner Lerner Enterprises allowed all the other leases to expire. Lerner plans to demolish the property and replace it with an open-air mix of retail, restaurants, offices and living space. Lord & Taylor took Lerner to court in an effort to force the company to repopulate White Flint Mall instead of tearing it down. But an appeals court judge said that plan wasn’t realistic. The redevelopment project still has some governmental hurdles to clear, but this week’s decision means it’s now just a matter of time before the wrecking ball arrives.

 

 

Stella Barra PizzeriaCongrats to our Stella Barra gift card winner

Congratulations to Store Reporter readers Tammi Cortez, Helaine Shabrin Groeger and Scott Reilly, who each won $25 gift cards to the new Stella Barra Pizzeria at Pike & Rose. Keep reading Store Reporter for a chance to win more great giveaways. And scroll down to our Sales & Events section to find out what restaurant is opening at Pike & Rose this weekend.

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Costco-Logo

 

Costco says goodbye Amex, hello Visa

Just weeks after announcing its impending breakup with American Express, Costco has moved on to a new credit card partner. Starting in April 2016, Visa will be the only credit card that Costco accepts. Also on the way out is the the Costco American Express TrueEarnings card, which will be replaced next year by a co-branded Costco Visa. Still to be determined: whether that new Visa card will offer the same level of generous cash-back rewards.

 

 

Konplott

 

Goodbye — again — to Konplott

Speaking of goodbyes, this week we bid adieu for the second time to Konplott at Westfield Montgomery Mall. The four-year-old store had been the first U.S. location for the European retailer, which sells an eye-catching line of colorful crystal pieces by designer Miranda Konstantindou. This was the second exit in less than a year for Konplott, which vacated its store near Macy’s last spring but later resurfaced in the form of a kiosk outside Nordstrom. This time the departure appears to be permanent: Konplott’s phone number is no longer in service.

 

 

Sheila Weiss

 

Reader Favorite: French baguettes at Breadsmith

Our Reader Favorite section is the perfect place to tell us about that dish you dream about, that dessert you crave, or that go-to gift from your favorite little shop. Click here to share your favorite — and read on for a recommendation from one of your neighbors. Sheila Weiss of Potomac can’t get enough of the crusty French loaves at Breadsmith in the Cabin John Shopping Center (not to mention the store’s delicious fresh-out-of-the-oven aroma). “They stock authentic French baguettes ($2.50), soft and chewy inside with a wonderful crust,” says Weiss, who works as chief science officer for DrugLogic in Reston. “I always skip the soggy supermarket version and head over to Breadsmith for the real thing.”

 

Breadsmith baguette

 

Wiedmaier buys The Tavern at River Falls; Restaurant giveaways; Caché, Core and the ultimate deli sandwich

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River Falls doorWiedmaier buys The Tavern at River Falls

The prediction we made in last week’s issue has come true: Chef Robert Wiedmaier, the man behind Brasserie Beck, Mussel Bar & Grille and Wildwood Kitchen, is expanding his territory to Potomac Village. Wiedmaier’s RW Restaurant Group  has agreed to buy The Tavern at River Falls, which lost its manager last year when Jeff Grolig exited the business and closed his neighboring River Falls Market. (Click here for more on that story.) In recent months the restaurant has been run by Grolig’s father, a retired firefighter who admits he was in over his head. “I’m 72 years old, I know nothing about the restaurant business, and I’m at a stage in my life where I can’t be losing money,” Grolig says. “Selling this restaurant is going to leave a hole in our hearts, but it’s probably for the best.” Staff changes have already begun: A manager from Wiedmaier’s company started work this week, and there will likely be some updates to the menu. But for now there are no plans to change the restaurant’s name.

 

Stella Barra PizzeriaWin a gift card to the new Stella Barra Pizzeria

This week we’re giving away three $25 gift cards to Stella Barra Pizzeria, a new addition to the Pike & Rose development in North Bethesda. The dinner-only restaurant offers artisan pies (shaved mushroom with gruyère, anyone?) and an extensive beer and wine list. The winners will be chosen at random, but you must be a Store Reporter subscriber to participate. Click here to enter by email (subject line: Stella Barra) or click here to enter via Facebook. Update: Store Reporter readers Tammi Cortez, Helaine Shabrin Groeger and Scott Reilly won this giveaway. Stay tuned to Store Reporter for your chance to win the next one.

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Processed with VSCOcam with hb2 presetWhere to get that Kardashian look

Core, a clothing store targeting Millennials who take their fashion cues from the Kardashians, has opened in the former Burton space near the Dining Terrace at Westfield Montgomery Mall. “We specialize in emerging streetwear brands from Los Angeles, England and Australia,” says co-owner Kevin James, who studied fashion at The Art Institute of Washington. “Our customers are people who look at the Kanye Wests, the Kim Kardashians and the Rihannas and want to look like them.” James and his business partner have another Core store in Wheaton, and they hope to open a third in Los Angeles.

 

Cache

 

Caché will stay — for now

Caché, the women’s clothing chain known for its dresses, has been closing stores across the country after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this month. But Caché employees at Westfield Montgomery Mall say that location will remain open through prom season and beyond. “We are definitely not going to be one of the stores that’s closing,” one manager told us emphatically. Caché joins a growing list of clothing retailers that have filed for bankruptcy in recent months. Among them was the teen store Wet Seal, which closed its Montgomery Mall store over the holidays.

 

Asia NineCongrats to the winner of our Asia Nine giveaway

Congratulations to Store Reporter reader Julie Mustelin, who won our dinner-for-two giveaway at Asia Nine, the Penn Quarter restaurant that recently opened a second location at Gaithersburg’s Downtown Crown development. If you didn’t win but would like to see what’s cooking at Asia Nine, click here for more info.

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Andy Baron with sandwich at Brooklyn'sReader Favorite: combo sandwich at Brooklyn’s Deli

Our Reader Favorite section is the perfect place to tell us about that dish you dream about, that dessert you crave, or that go-to gift from your favorite little shop. Click here to share your favorite — and read on to learn about Andy Baron’s.

Andy Baron, a Potomac banker, is a big fan of delis. Close to home, his favorite is Brooklyn’s Deli at Potomac Woods Plaza, 1089 Seven Locks Road. “It’s the kind of old-school place where the owner walks around and wants people to taste what he’s made,” Baron says. His standing order is the weekday-only sandwich special shown here: half corned beef/half pastrami on rye, served with mustard and a half-sour pickle. “The pastrami at Brooklyn’s is hand-cut, and the corned beef is really lean,” Baron says. “I’d put it up against any deli from here to New York.” 

 

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