What’s blooming at the mall this spring

New stores and restaurants will be blooming at Westfield Montgomery Mall this spring — and so will some lovely lighting and floral decor that celebrates the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Stop by the mall information center for a free gift, download the festival’s smartphone app for merchant discounts (click here),  and read on for a roundup of what spring will bring to the mall.

Naples, Cold Stone, Yum Crepes coming soon — and Tara Thai’s on the way

Naples, the upscale Italian restaurant that will overlook the mall’s Dining Terrace, is finally expected to open in late April after many months of construction delays. Also on the way in the next month or two: Cold Stone Creamery, Yum Crepes and Chloe’s NY Style Deli.  Elsewhere in the mall, Cleo’s Oil Bar will start pouring gourmet samples next week (click here for more). And Tara Thai has announced plans to join the mall’s dining lineup — opening date and location still TBA. (We’re betting on the long-vacant Legal Sea Foods space.)

Preppie clothes, men’s shoes and sportswear

On the fashion front, the big names arriving this spring are preppie favorite Vineyard Vines and men’s shoe retailer Johnston & Murphy. Both stores are under construction in the mall’s Nordstrom wing (click here for more in our Feb. 5 issue). Another recent addition, in the former Sitara space near Old Navy, is the D.C.-area sportswear chain  V*I*P. This one is for fans of brands like Helly Hansen, Burton, Marmont and Patagonia.

More coffee and tea on the way

Mall shoppers will soon have even more ways to get caffeinated: A Peet’s coffee bar is under construction in the Sears wing, while newcomer Rumi Tea and Spice will open a shop on the lower level near Macy’s. That’s in addition to several coffee and tea shops already on the premises: Starbucks, Aroma, Teavana and the Nordstrom beverage bar.

Spring cleaning: who’s gone, who’s going

Here are a few mall retailers that didn’t make it to spring break: Konplott and bareMinerals (both closed last month);  Lucky Brand (opening a new location at Pike & Rose); and Caché (now in the final stages of a going-out-of-business sale). The fate of the mall’s RadioShack store remains to be seen: This week the bankrupt chain sold its remaining locations to a new owner.

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Reader Favorite: Sedona Salmon at the Silver Diner

Stephanie Udell Rosenblatt, a yoga instructor at Life Time Athletic and other D.C.-area gyms, is a regular at the Silver Diner on Rockville Pike. “I love it because the kids can get what they want, I can get what I want, and they have options for all kinds of special dietary needs,” she says. Rosenblatt’s go-to dinner is the Sedona Salmon ($16.99) with quinoa, artichokes, roasted veggies, tomatoes, scallions and cilantro topped with a lemon garlic sauce. “It’s healthy, light and delicious.” Want to tell us about your favorite store or restaurant? Click here.

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