Gold Star Muffins Arrive In Rockville!

A couple of years ago, I would meet my friend, Laura Levengard, for a weekly fast-paced walk. We had met in a sports class for our sons when they were toddlers. Always full of energy and ideas, she had become a personal trainer. One day she told me she wanted to sell muffins. Not just any muffins but rather unique, healthy ones that would be high in protein and low in calories. The kind of muffins someone would want to buy at a gym for all the right reasons.

I’ve had the great pleasure of watching Laura make the muffins a reality and now they are finally available in Rockville at Rich’s Café, which turns out to be a very special place too. Rich’s Café has been at 1 Church Street #105 across from the Rockville metro for two years. Previously it was located on North Washington Street for ten years.

Michelle and Tom Joo named the Café after their son and they live in King Farm. As customers came in for lunch, I couldn’t help but notice how they knew most of their names and even noticed new hairstyles. This is a friendly establishment serving breakfast and lunch from 7 AM until 4 PM. Located in the corner of the office building facing out to Rt. 355, the Café is an easy hop across the metro parking lot to grab a quick brown bag meal. Outside seating makes a nice meeting place during good weather.

Rich’s Café has all the typical sandwiches plus a vegetarian option, turkey brie, and triple subs. The grill cooks up eggs, omelets, pancakes, fried potatoes, and cheese steaks along with Korean Boolgoki which is marinated beef and vegetables. They also cater breakfasts with their selection of bagels and danishes and can be reached at 301-738-9650.

Of course, they carry Laura’s Gold Star Muffins front and center on the counter and they are selling well ($2.39 each).

Laura teamed up with partner, Beth Novick, to create Gold Star Bakers. The muffins are actually star-shaped and will “satisfy your urge to indulge” while being Tran’s fat free and made from natural ingredients.

They set out to create “a great muffin that wasn’t a health food (where’s the fun in that?) or a nutritional disaster (and feel guilty the rest of the day? No thanks).”

I’ve finally tried them all and I agree! They come in Cinnamon Coffecake, Strawberry Cinnamon, Cappuccino Chip, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Chocolate Chocolate Chip, and Lemon Blueberry. With the high protein count, each muffin is filling and I do not need to put in extra time at the gym. The flavors are refined and better than baked goods typically labeled as healthy.

Gold Star Muffins are perfect for events when you want a tasty but healthy treat. You can also freeze them.

Laura grew up here in Rockville and graduated from Rockville High School. Although her muffins are sold throughout Montgomery County, she’s thrilled to finally make them available in her hometown. I, for one, am glad to be able to walk over and enjoy one (or two!) with my coffee.

The Papery’s Kaput But What’s Still Open

>

The Papery Is No More

A couple of weeks ago I heard that The Papery in Rockville Town Square was closing. Whenever people discussed the vibrancy of the Square and the effect of the never-opened grocery store, The Papery always seemed to enter the discussion. Would you make a special trip to pick up a card? Maybe, but you’d be more likely to pop in for the purchase while completing your grocery or other shopping. The owner closed 3 of the 5 stores in the area. A couple of the staff are working at the Bethesda location.

New Wave Discount Hair Supply Is Moving

Across the street, the New Wave Discount Hair Supply shop is also closed but if you peek in the window of The Papery shop, you’ll find New Wave has relocated their merchandise to this location. I mentioned the shop in my recent style article for Rockville Living, Hair Treatments To Change Your Look And Lifestyle. Since people had often wished for discount stores in Town Square, this should be a welcome addition.

A sign in the former New Wave window announces a soon-to-be-opened art shop called Color Me Mine: The Art of Having Fun. The old Magruder strip mall on North Washington had a ceramic painting shop. I remember taking my little sons to paint gifts. This could be a good addition for families.

This week real estate research firm Reis Inc. released preliminary data for the second quarter of 2010 showing vacancy rates at community centers and regional malls continuing to set new records each quarter. Nationwide vacancy rates for shopping centers are at their highest point since 1991. At neighborhood and community centers, the vacancy rate rose to 10.9 percent in the second quarter of 2010.

The closing of The Papery has me thinking about how many of the original retail establishments, other than the restaurants, have survived the last three years and there are quite a few:

Aquanails: Nail salon offering services including manicures, pedicures, acrylic sets, waxing and more.

Chevy Chase Bank: Offers financial products and services.

Cloud 9 Clothing: Clothing store that carries great denim as well as handbags and accessories.

Cottage Monet: Offers Vera Bradley handbags, belts, and umbrellas; Italian Vietri ceramics;
Thymes lotions and Zutano’s children’s clothing.

CVS Pharmacy: Offers healthcare products and pharmaceutical needs.

Gold’s Gym: The largest co-ed gym chain in the world. Offers the latest equipment and services.

Hair Cuttery: A unisex salon whose services include haircuts and color to facial waxing and texturizing services.

HSBC Bank

Jouvence Aveda Lifestyle Salon and Spa: Offering complete relaxation for the body and total escape for the mind.

Pomegranate & Co.: A home furnishings and design store.

RTS Cleaners: A dry cleaning business.

Ten Thousand Villages: A company dealing with more than 100 artisan groups in more than 30 countries and offering fair trade jewelry, home décor, gifts and more.

Town Square Jewelers: Offers repair and engraving services, as well as the sale of fine jewelry and watches.

Toy Kingdom: Offers unique toys for boys and girls.

The Waygoose: This former Town Center tradition is returning to Rockville. A unique craft gallery and gift store with a wide variety of handcrafted items from jewelry, pottery, glass and wood.

We’ve been lucky to never have lingering vacancies in Town Square. Even in this struggling economy, Federal Realty brings new businesses into the mix in quick order which is very evident with the closing of The Papery.

More Specials In Town Square

To add to the shopping special >we posted earlier this week, here’s another to add once all the snow gets shoveled:

Gordon Biersch Rockville
200 A East Middle Ln

Special: Gift Card Special. Buy $50 you get $5 — Buy 100 you get $15 — Buy $500 you get $100

Come in and buy a couple of gift card, and get a couple of free gift card in return as a gift from us!

That sounds great!

Shopping Specials In Town Center!

>Some Rockville Central readers know that among our most popular articles always seem to be pieces that help you find good places to shop! Here, in the spirit of the holidays, we’ve got just a few specials to let you know about from Town Center merchants:

Ame Cosmetics (GRAND OPENING)
156 Gibbs Street (old Hollywood Tans location)
301-294-9090
www.amecosmetics.com

To celebrate EVERYTHING in the store will be 15% off until Christmas. We have Bath and Body gift packs, Spa Gift sets and much much more just in time for those special holiday gifts. Come out and join us as we celebrate this joyous occasion.

Bobby’s Crabcakes
101 Gibbs Street
www.bobbyscrabcakes.com

Monday through Friday lunch special - 2 courses for $10.00. AND: catering special - receive a $40.00 gift card when you or your employer places a catering order with Bobby’s Crabcakes - minimum order $200.

The Cottage Monet
36 Maryland Avenue
(301-279 2422)

We are a specialty retail store that carries a full line of distinctive gifts and home accessories. We have one of the largest selections of Vera Bradley in the area as well as Vietri ceramics from Italy. If you are looking for the perfect gift, come to The Cottage Monet! Currently we are offering 15% off all our fresh Magnolia Wreaths. (You can see the images of the wreaths here.) [UPDATE: Correct link here.]

Creative Jewelry Studio at VisArts
155 Gibbs Street, Second Floor
12:00 - 6:00, Mon. - Fri.
Contact info: [email protected], [email protected]

Mention this ad and receive 10% off. Shop our collection of one-of-a-kind jewelry handmade by three local artists.

Oro Pomodoro
Pizzeria Napoletana
33a Maryland Avenue
301-251-1111

10% off (monday through thursday, dinner time and dine in only, cannot combine with other in store promotion, must name Rockville Central to get discount). AND: New Year’s Eve Special — 4 course menu for $45 per person (call for details).

If you know of other specials, please send them our way and we will include them in later posts!

Shop JCC For Local, Handmade Art

This was passed on to us by our friends at the Jewish Community Center for Greater Washington, on Montrose Road:>

The Goldman Art Gallery at the JCC of Greater Washington has transformed into a wonderful world of arts, crafts, Chanukah gifts and Judaica from local artisans. Shop for decorative home items, jewelry, stained and fused glass, paintings, menorahs/chanukiot, quilting, textiles and fiber, challah covers, mezuzot, seder plates and more. The show is open now through December 23.

Gallery Hours:

Sundays 1-5 p.m.
Mondays 3:30-7:30 p.m.
Tuesdays 12-4 p.m.
Wednesdays 3:30-7:30 p.m.
Thursdays 3:30-7:30 p.m.

The JCCGW is located at 6125 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD 20852. Contact 301-348-3770 for more information or visit www.jccgw.org.

We’re told that all of the items are handmade by local artists and are really unique pieces. Enjoy!

Back To School Shopping

Summertime’s winding down and it’s time for the kids to head back to the classroom. Due to >our media partnership, the Census Bureau sent along some statistics from the Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services on Back to School shopping. Americans spent $7.6 billion at family clothing stores in August 2008. Only in December were sales significantly higher than August. Sales at bookstores last August totaled $2.4 billion, an amount approached only by sales last January. So, this is a big buying season if you have kids.

Throughout the United States in 2006, there were 25,430 family clothing stores, 6,417 children and infants clothing stores, 26,699 shoe stores, 9,425 office supply and stationery stores, 23,270 sporting goods stores, 10,989 bookstores and 9,969 department stores. Here’s Rockville Living’s Directory for comparison.

We set out with our school shopping lists and tried to Buy Rockville. We could easily purchase most of our elementary and middle school lists within the City limits, especially at Staples on Rockville Pike. We also needed to stop in Office Depot (which is right on the border), and if need be there’s always all the CVS stores for some of the school supplies. We couldn’t find backpacks to our liking on Rockville Pike so we needed to go to Target, which is also just outside the City limits or all the way up in Gaithersburg. While we were there, we bought socks. You can get sneakers at Pay Less but there really aren’t any other kid shoe stores in Rockville, so that requires a trip to a department store too.

I’m not sure I could purchase everything in Rockville but if I looked real hard in lots of locations, I might. We visited five stores in one day which was enough!

How did you do Buying Rockville for Back to School?

Spice It Up With Penzeys

>While spending a few hours in a store to buy my cell phone in December, I passed the time by chatting with everyone. A fellow customer told me about Penzeys Spices, her favorite shop in Rockville. I’d never noticed it, but due to her rave review I discovered a treasure trove of herbs and spices.

Penzeys bright lighting, hardwood floors, and mellow colors invite exploration. Since taste is so closely associated with smell, the shop has “smellevision”, large jars of the spices to sniff. As we know, when your nose is stuffed with a cold, you can’t taste very well. By taking a whiff of the spices, you’ll know whether you’ll like the taste instantly, and most likely find a new favorite.

You’ll never again simply say “pepper”. They sell six different kinds from coarse to fine, including white pepper. The array of cinnamons will have you running home to pull out a recipe in order to find the best use for either Karintje Cassia, Ceylon, China Cassia, or Vietamese Cassia (my favorite). The southwest chili section fills a corner and you won’t want to simmer a batch without these spices from mild to very hot.

The store goes beyond every imaginable spice and herb to sell dressing bases for Greek, salsa, & Italian salads, jerk mixes for chicken & fish, and spices for chips & dips. Sandwich sprinkles, cocoa powders, and popcorn toppings are tucked in the crates. The shop carries salt-free versions of standard blends.

Our Rockville Penzeys Spices turned two-years old yesterday. If you haven’t stopped by, I recommend a visit. Bill Penzey owns 41 stores across the country and hires knowledgeable managers who attend trainings to become “encyclopedias of food”, valuable resources for cooks. The free store catalogue overflows with recipes and spice descriptions. The store has a cute coloring station to keep the little ones busy (if you have one in tow).

Penzeys can add some pizzazz to your home-cooked meals. Your best dishes might taste even better with these fresh and potent spices.

1048 Rockville Pike, in the strip mall just south of Edmonston Drive.
301) 738-8707
Mon-Sat: 10 AM – 6 PM, Sun: 11 AM – 5 PM

An Excursion to Sam’s Café & Market

>As I drove back and forth on Rockville Pike the last few weeks, I noticed Sam’s Café & Market moving into a new storefront. When the neon words “hookah”, “shisha”, and “international” glowed in the front windows with a grand opening banner, I stopped in to try something new.

After ten years in Ritchie Center, Sam has moved his homemade gelato to this new location on Rockville Pike (844 Rockville Pike) across from Wintergreen Plaza. Although at a new location, he continues to prepare up to 84 flavors of gelato, many without dairy and eggs.

Although my taste of the lemon gelato creamily melted in my mouth, I wanted to try the bubble tea with tapioca balls sinking to the bottom of every flavor. Before sipping through the large straw, I wondered how to avoid swallowing the beads whole but this wasn’t a problem as I carefully sipped my “chewy” Café Latte and wandered around the shop.

You can’t help but notice the beautifully-colored smoking devices called hookahs. I had to ask if you smoked with them and of course you do. Sam joked that everything sold at the shop was legal. He insisted a hookah’s comparable to smoking cigarettes but much better. When I saw the selection of shisha tobaccos flavored with mint, banana, mango, fruit, and cocktails, I started to wish that I did smoke, so I could try the exotic piece of equipment.

In addition to a grocery store with dry goods, pickles, beans, bulgar, barley, and nuts from Iran, Turkey, Israel and Lebanon, the café serves salads, sandwiches, and kabobs with chicken, beef, and lamb. Sam pointed out that their method of cooking the meats removes the fats making the dishes quite healthy. The Café goes light on the spices. Aash, a thick fortifying peasant soup of lentils, red kidney beans and vermicelli noodles, tops the menu. Even on a chilly winter day, the sun pouring in the walls of windows created a bright spot to eat lunch. The bakery had trays of baklava and almond cookies.

When I looked at the bottled water, I couldn’t help but notice this wasn’t your ordinary selection. The waters were flavored with fenugreek, cumin seeds, rose, chicory, and orange blossoms. In one refrigerator I found bottles of Coca-Cola and PEPSI along with cans of yogurt soda and coconut juice. Large pots of coffee and tea were available for refills.

After eating in the Café, s few researchers from NIH enjoyed some gelato cones. They clued me into a couple of other markets on Rockville Pike. We wound up discussing how unfortunate it would be to if we redeveloped the Pike in such a way that these small, privately-owned shops were pushed out, unable to afford the higher rents.

For now, I’m going to continue to enjoy little excursions to unique places tucked away on Rockville Pike.

Animal Exchange is Best for Pets

Our family has led a barren existence without a pet. One of my sons is allergic to cats and dogs and we never thought beyond either of these choices. Occasionally different pet >ideas were floated by family members with no real consensus. It was time to explore our pet options with an expert, so we visited the Animal Exchange.

Ruth Hanessian has been a knowledgeable shop owner in Rockville for 28 years. Located in the row of stores next to Giant, her shop is filled with everything you could need for a pet. For many years Ruth has been encouraging a cottage industry in local homes to supply her store with birds and small animals. Although Animal Exchange doesn’t sell cats or dogs, it does sell supplies, healthy food, and treats for them.

Even though we have allergies, I thought we might still be able to get a furry friend so we were directed to the back of the store. Although I was glad the mice and rats were in the tanks, the hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and chinchillas looked adorable. My family had been thinking about a rabbit and we found one with dark fur and blue eyes. We each took a turn holding this irresistible pet. However one of my sons was having trouble breathing. Ruth explained about pet allergies. Rabbits can cause asthmatic reactions even if you aren’t allergic to them.

At the Animal Exchange they are not just selling pets, but rather they are matching them to homes with people who want to learn proper pet care and have a good experience as a pet owner. This takes honesty and sound advice. Ruth has both in abundance.

The Animal Exchange specializes in exotic birds and people travel from all over Maryland and beyond to purchase them. The birds form a rainbow of blue, green, yellow, orange, and red as you gaze at cockatiels, parakeets, parrots, and cockatoos. The tiny finches are so quick and delightful. Ruth explained that the parrots, and even the parakeets, can learn to talk. It you get only one and spend time interacting with it, you can have an excellent companion. Someday I would like to have a bird fluttering around making cheerful sounds, but with such a selection it will be difficult to decide on just one.

Even though there were betta fish and hermit crabs, I knew that with two boys it was inevitable that we would wind up with a reptile. During our first visit, they held a bearded dragon while we learned about habitat, feeding, heat lamps, and basic care. Some leopard geckos were soon to arrive and we decided we would come back. This resulted in two more visits filled with enough information to know that we would do a good job of taking care of the new baby gecko, which came home with us on Sunday.

Whenever I put my hand in the tank, he comes over and places his hand onto mine like he’s holding it. He’s so cute and has a permanent smile on his face. I’m not really sure how it happened but I’m terribly fond of the little guy. He seems to have a predilection for me and climbs all the way up my arm into my long hair. Besides some fish, this is my first pet too.

He’s perfect for our family and we have Ruth to thank! Stop by with your questions about pets. She’ll help you find just the right one and teach you how to take the best care of it. Now when someone asks about a pet, I say “Go to the Animal Exchange!”

Buying Webkinz in Rockville Can Be a Real Toy Treat

Online games in which you play characters in a virtual world have been very pop>ular among teenagers and adults. It’s no surprise that my little six-year-old son and his friends latched onto their version called Webkinz. This colorful, simple-to-use game is a favorite among preschool and young elementary-aged kids. In order to play on your computer you need to buy a plush toy. These cuddly pets come with a “W” on their foot and a special code that allows you to adopt them with an online account. Kids can play games, earn points, and decorate their rooms with pool tables, trampolines, furniture, lava lamps, etc. When a friend gives you their user name, you can go visit their room and play with them. It’s so cute!

Webkinz can be purchased at three stores in Rockville.

Banner’s Hallmark in Congressional Plaza

When this craze started the only place you could buy Webkinz was at Hallmark stores. The one in Congressional Plaza carries the largest selection in Rockville. The store also carries all of the accessories, such as the mouse pads, School Essentialz, trading cards, card albums, magnetic bookmarks, figures, and carrier bags. My son wanted to give “the bag” with his last birthday present but I didn’t know what he was talking about until I went to Hallmark a week later. The carrier bags feature the logo and are just the right size for the little pet. Think Paris Hilton. (Webkinz $14.99, Lil’Kinz $10.99)

Barston’s Child’s Play in Congressional Plaza

Child’s Play is located two doors down from the Hallmark store. Although listed as a distributor, it takes a while to find the two small shelves with just a few Webkinz. Even though this isn’t a good place to purchase them, the store is packed with a diverse selection of toys and books. If you are uncertain of exactly what you want to purchase for a child, there’s a whimsical variety of knights, dragons, sports, costumes, trains, experiments, and board games. You will not leave empty handed after discovering such an appealing hodgepodge of playthings.

Toy Kingdom in Rockville Town Square

Update: July 2008 - Webkinz are out of stock. New supply on order.

This is my favorite place to buy Webkinz because they have a great selection amid a wonderful assortment of quality toys. They carry a sizeable amount of each kind of Webkinz and until the end of March 2008, you can buy two Webkinz and get one free. This is a real bargain because they already price their Webkinz cheaper than Hallmark. (Webkinz $12.99, Lil’Kinz $9.99)

You can’t go wrong with any purchase from Toy Kingdom. For little ones they carry fine wooden and bath toys. The selection of craft kits is extensive. Building toys are also plentiful. There are large stuffed animals, traditional gifts, and unique interactive toys. You’ll always find something special on the counter, such as a talking parrot pen or a hand-held version of Guitar Hero, which I definitely have my eye on — for me!

Webkinz are special to children because they can hold them while they embark on an adventure together. They love this distinctive quality, which seems to carry over to the stores that sell them. These friendly shops with their helpful staffs can make shopping a pleasant experience as you find a meaningful gift for a child.

The Waygoose Fine Crafts is Back

> Before the Rockville Town Center redevelopment, many of you may remember that The Waygoose gift shop was by Magruders on North Washington Street. They relocated to Bethesda during the rebuilding phase and everyone kept hoping that they would keep their promise to open a second location. On May 1st they did open on Maryland Avenue and they are back in Rockville.

The Waygoose is not simply a gift shop but rather a gallery bursting with crafts from North American artisans. It’s filled with unusual and wonderful creations and inventions. True artists take their handcrafts to a new level. This unusual graphite pen looks like a branch and it will write for 7-10 years!

I must admit that at both the old and the new locations in Rockville, I have had friends working as shopkeepers. Because everyone is friendly and knowledgeable, you will feel as if you do too.

It’s the perfect place to find something special for someone special. My family and friends have received many gifts from The Waygoose. Truthfully I don’t enjoy shopping. When I have to buy a gift, I want to know that I will find something at the one place I go with the limited amount of time I have.

The Waygoose has pottery, jewelry, baby items, crystals, salad hands, clocks, cards, cutting boards, bird houses, ornaments, wall art, and many things I never dreamed existed. You can even “Give ‘em the Boot” (It’s a bird house made out of a real old boot!). Since I love these crafts, my time is spent figuring out who should receive them as gifts, but really I want them for myself. It’s not every day that you will hear a shop referred to as a gallery!

What's Still to Open in Rockville Town Center?

>[Editor's Note: This listing continues to be updated as stores open and CLOSE. Last Updated 3/10/09]

While shopping in Ten Thousand Villages for a housewarming gift today, I met the manager of the Stonefish Grill. His restaurant opened last weekend. There’s still lots of construction in Rockville Town Center (map) so I wondered how many more businesses were going to open. Unfortunately, when I checked the City of Rockville website, the retail information had not been updated since 8/1/07.

Just in time for your holiday shopping and celebrating, I’ve updated the information from the City’s website for you. (Those in italics are not open yet.)

Also, here’s a special offer to keep in mind this week. The Stonefish Grill is offering 99₵ draft beer all day on Thursday 11/29, Friday 11/30, and Saturday 12/1. There will be a complimentary Grand Open Sampler with any entrée. The menu has seafood, salad, meat and pasta choices, which all sound delicious. Po’ Boys are listed for lunch. If the rest of the staff at Stonefish Grill is as nice and friendly as the manager, it will be a great place to eat!

Retail:

Bedheaders Home: Boutique offers “life-enhancing products” including dishware, glassware, bed linens, leather goods, occasional furniture and fine stationery.

Cloud 9 Clothing: Clothing store that carries great denim as well as handbags and accessories.
Cottage Monet: Offers Vera Bradley handbags, belts, and umbrellas; Italian Vietri ceramics;
Thymes lotions and Zutano’s children’s clothing.

CVS Pharmacy: Offers healthcare products and pharmaceutical needs.

Love Your Eyes: Upscale optical boutique.

The Papery: Specializes in boutique stationery from designers in the United States and Europe.

Pomegranate & Co.: A home furnishings and design store.

Red Orchard: Seller of artisan-crafted jewelry, bags, belts and accessories.

Superfresh: Grocery store is not yet open.

Ten Thousand Villages: A company dealing with more than 100 artisan groups in more than 30 countries and offering fair trade jewelry, home décor, gifts and more.

Town Square Jewelers: Offers repair and engraving services, as well as the sale of fine jewelry and watches.

Toy Kingdom: Offers unique toys for boys and girls.

The Waygoose: This former Town Center tradition is returning to Rockville. A unique craft gallery and gift store with a wide variety of handcrafted items from jewelry, pottery, glass and wood.

VisArts: Arts Center, galleries, artists’ studios, classes, wedding receptions, conferences, scouting requirements, and much, much more.

Authorized Cingular Wireless dealer with 11 locations in the Washington metro area.

Service:

Aquanails: Nail salon offering services including manicures, pedicures, acrylic sets, waxing and more.

Chevy Chase Bank: Offers financial products and services.

Gold’s Gym: The largest co-ed gym chain in the world. Offers the latest equipment and services.

Hair Cuttery: A unisex salon whose services include haircuts and color to facial waxing and texturizing services.

Hollywood Tans: Offers both traditional-style tanning booths and UV-free tanning.

HSBC Bank

Jouvence Aveda Lifestyle Salon and Spa: Offering complete relaxation for the body and total escape for the mind.

RTS Cleaners: A dry cleaning business.

Dining/Entertainment:

Austin Grill: Original Tex Mex cuisine. They make 25 salsas, sauces and dressings from scratch.

Bobby’s Crabcakes: Seafood in a casual environment specializing in crabcake sandwiches, and lobster rolls.

Cosi: Serving coffees, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, soups, bagels, gourmet beverages and desserts.

First Watch Restaurant: Breakfast and brunch concept that serves omelets, French toast and other favorites.

Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries: Began as a family run business in 1986 focusing on serving the best burgers possible.

Fractured Prune: This “design-your-own-donut” shop now has locations throughout Maryland. Their specialty is hot, hand-dipped donuts.

Gifford’s Ice Cream and Candy Co.: Washington, D.C.’s oldest and most distinct ice cream parlor.

Gordon Biersch: Specializes in fresh, hand-crafted beer that is brewed on site.

Greystone Grill: A Maryland-born restaurant featuring entrees of fresh fish, salads, pasta, chops, ribs and Black Angus steaks.

Jerry’s Subs and Pizza: Known for its cheesesteaks and authentic New York style pizza.

La Flor de la Canela: An upscale, full-service Peruvian restaurant.

La Tasca: This Spanish restaurant specialty is tapas—individual dishes that offer a very flexible and sociable way of dining.

Lebanese Taverna: Has bread ovens where fresh pita bread is baked all day. Also known for the shawarma and many mezza combo platters.

Moe’s Southwest Grill has CLOSED. Temporarily the Ice Skating Shack selling tickets and renting skates for the rink.

Noodles & Co.: [NOW OPEN]

Oro Pomodoro: Italian restaurant whose name translates to “Golden Tomato”.
(Tom Siestna of The Washington Post has written a very descriptive piece.)

Primo Italiano: Eat in or carry out restaurant that serves gourmet pizza and subs.

Robeks Fruit Smoothies and Healthy Eats: Offers fruit smoothies freshly squeezed vegetable juices, sandwiches, healthy snacks and nutritional supplements.

Spice Xing: [NOW OPEN]. Fine Indian Cuisine.

Starbucks Coffee: Offers fresh, rich-brewed, Italian-style espresso beverages, a variety of pastries and confections and coffee-related accessories and equipment.

Stonefish Grill has CLOSED.

Sushi Damo: Trendy sushi bar with an extensive menu of sushi and sashimi, as well as other Japanese favorites such as tempura and teryiaki.

Taste of Saigon: (New location Open) Offers authentic Vietnamese dishes, ranging from black pepper soft shell crab to braised lamb shank with spicy sauce.

The Thai Pavilion: Offers authentic Thai cuisine.

Leave a comment if you have an update. Let us know about your favorite specials in Town Center!

For more information about everything at Rockville Town Square, click here.

What Kind of Street Should Rockville Pike Be?

>I’m going to tell you one of my regrets. Back in 1996 I did not participate in “Imagine Rockville”. My husband was finishing up graduate school and we were having our first child. He was interviewing all over the country. We were leaving so I didn’t want to take the time to dream about the new downtown I would never see. When we stayed and the details of this visioning process were unveiled, I wished I had expressed my opinion. It’s not going to happen again.

Yesterday was the first day that the consultants hired to lead us through the process called “Rockville’s Pike: Envision a Great Place” started to talk to people. They stopped by my Human Services Advisory Commission meeting. I had some ideas concerning how I love all those stores at my fingertips, how we are all addicted to our cars, and how the Pike could be a beautifully landscaped destination.

I’m sure you have your opinions too. I can’t imagine not having an opinion about Rockville Pike.

The actual long range plan to come out of this process will not be completed until May 2009. That’s not a typo. It’s an 18-month process. The decisions made will change the stretch of the Pike from Twinbrook Parkway to Richard Montgomery Drive over the next few decades. We are talking looong term and think BIG.

The first kick-off meeting is open to everyone – whether you live, work, shop, or just travel in Rockville:

Tuesday, December 4, 2007
7 PM – 9 PM
Ramada Inn Rockville and Meeting Centre
1775 Rockville Pike
Salon 1 and 11/Meeting Room

Ten Thousand Villages a Step Away

> For a few years I have been looking for a wall hanging with a tree design for my dining room, but nothing has been quite right. I wandered into the Ten Thousand Villages shop in our new Town Center (107 Gibbs St.) and, lo and behold, they had the perfect hand-stitched piece from India, which matched my color scheme and décor exactly.

When I told a friend about my find, she told me that she had much the same story about a magazine holder with exactly the right number of dividers for her family. How are these artists from around the world creating what we are seeking?

It turns out that the buyers from Ten Thousand Villages regularly provide trend and color information to the artisans so they produce the products we want. Ten Thousand Villages helps these talented and creative people earn a living and support their families. These artisans can then help their communities. This is occurring in more than 30 countries. The ongoing business relationship means that these families can depend on the income and keep their crafts alive. Often they reuse and recycle materials such as the pull tab necklace pictured here so that the products are also environmentally friendly.

The store overflows with colorful, useful and intriguing accessories, pottery, jewelry, wall hangings, instruments, storage boxes, vases, and tables. Each tightly-packed aisle is an adventure through a different foreign land. Stop by for your own get-a-way escape and you might make your own discovery.

Harry Potter Purchase Fast as Lightning

“The two men appeared out of nowhere,…” Okay, no reading! I said I’d describ>e my midnight purchase of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I came down with a bit of a cold and my husband kept asking why I didn’t just order the book to be delivered to our home. Why did I want to stand in line when the Internet could deliver the book to my house later in the day? Why do we ever want to be a part of any social network or community? Because it’s fun! It’s an event! Because it’s sitting right here next to me and I’m going to start reading it tonight. I already have and so have you.