Shouk Will Bring Its Beloved, Veggie-Stuffed Pitas to Maryland With Two New Stores
Plus, Bloomingdale’s Tyber Creek will be replaced with a new wine-centric restaurant
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Shouk, the Israeli fast-casual known for its vegan street snacks and one of D.C.’s favorite veggie burgers, will double its footprint this fall with the opening of two new locations in Rockville and Bethesda. The 2,000-square-foot, 20-seat Rockville outpost at Montrose Shopping Center will offer takeout, delivery, and on-site dining. Shouk Bethesda will operate as Shouk’s first carryout-only location while the Westwood Shopping Center is redeveloped and a permanent pad is built. Shouk got its start in D.C.’s Mount Vernon Triangle in 2016 and expanded to the Union Market district in 2018. Its pandemic-era “hood drops” across the DMV proved market demand from Montgomery County customers, notes CEO Ran Nussbacher.
Pillowy, golden-brown, and soaked with olive oil, focaccia offers a shiny, substantial meal all by itself. The dimpled Italian flatbread, rich enough to be eaten plain but often found in a pizza-adjacent form with tomatoes and cheese or whatever produce is in season, has been proliferating at a number of D.C. restaurants, markets, and bakeries since before the pandemic began. Exceptional squares have appeared at rustic Italian all-day cafe Piccolina and beloved Mediterranean lunch counter Green Almond Pantry (currently on hiatus pending a move). High-end full-service kitchens like Tail Up Goat,Lutèce, and Modena have workshopped their own versions. Focaccia works well as a takeout item, and it’s also gained popularity with home bakers during lockdown, second only to sourdough. Here’s everything you need to know about finding focaccia around the District.
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After first announcing their move to Crystal City in September 2019, Rasa is finally planning to open this summer.
The D.C.-based, fast-casual Indian restaurant applied for a Virginia ABC permit to sell beer, wine and mixed drinks earlier this month, typically a prelude to an opening within a few months. A restaurant spokesperson confirms to ARLnow that the Rasa Crystal City location is, in fact, planning to start serving customers this summer.
We asked why the nearly year-long delay the pandemic seems a likely culprit but have yet to hear back as publication time.
“Rasa National Landing” will be located at 2200 Crystal Drive, near a Sweetgreen, a Chick-fil-A, and an Amazon-assisted COVID-19 vaccination clinic.
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Japanese-style sandwich shop Hello Sando is popping up at Union Market this weekend. Photo courtesy of Hello Sando.
Japanese-style sandwich spot Hello Sando is slinging milk bread sandos at Union Market (
1309 5th St., NE) from
Friday, April 9 to
Sunday, April 10. Sandwiches are inspired by convenience store treats (think egg salad with kewpie mayo), and are available for walk-in orders starting at 11 AM.
Queen’s English (3410 11th St., NW) in Columbia Heights is celebrating spring with an outdoor market on
Saturday, April 10 and
Sunday, April 11. Jam out to live music while perusing wares from vendors like Capitol Cider House and women-owned distillery Republic Restoratives.