As featured in Bethesda Magazine
Pandora to open in September
Pandora Seafood House and Bar is set to open in Rockville in early or mid-September, owner Chris Zhu said. The restaurant will serve a fusion between French, Italian and American seafood, though the menu has not yet been announced.
Zhu said the restaurant is in its final stages of preparation and only needs to start training staff.
Zhu described the interior as having a “romantic” look, with custom-made lighting and design features. It will seat about 200 people in a 6,500-square-foot space at 36-A Maryland Ave., which formerly housed American Tap Room before it closed in December.
Pandora will be open 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays and 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Zhu also operates China Garden, a popular Arlington restaurant that is moving to Rockville Pike. She said she plans to open that restaurant before the Chinese new year in February.
Honeygrow eyes regional expansion
The CEO of Honeygrow, a Philadelphia-based stir-fry and salad chain, told Eater he plans to open eight restaurants in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., over the next two years, including possible sites in Silver Spring and Bethesda.
The chain advocates plant-based foods and serves customizable stir-fries and salads, as well as cold-pressed juices and a “honeybar” of fruits with dessert toppings. The company opened its first restaurant in 2012.
Honeygrow’s first outpost in the county will be a restaurant in Montrose Crossing, which is expected to open this winter. It also has locations in Chinatown and Pentagon City.
Montrose Crossing
Summer Restaurant Week is this week in the Washington, D.C., area
This week, more than 250 restaurants in the region are taking part in Metropolitan Washington Summer Restaurant Week. Participating restaurants are offering special menus with $35 dinners and $22 lunches and brunches through Sunday. Local restaurants taking part include City Perch Kitchen + Bar, Jaleo and Kapnos Kouzina in Bethesda and All Set Restaurant & Bar in Silver Spring.