small plates of everything from fried Greek cheese, octopus and orzo in cinnamon tomato sauce to crispy pork belly and macaroni and cheese. There are martini specials, too. ❂ R L D $$
City Perch Kitchen + Bar
11830 Grand Park Ave. (Pike & Rose), 301-231-2310, www.cityperch.com. Located above the entrance to the iPic Theaters at Pike & Rose, City Perch offers creative, seasonal American cuisine in a rustic, inviting space. The menu includes raw-bar selections, small plates, shareable salads and entrée options such as rotisserie-cooked lamb shoulder and black sea bass. ❂ R L D $$$
Cuban Corner
825 Hungerford Drive, 301-279-0310, www. cubancornerrestaurant.com. Pork and empanadas shine at this small space brimming with ethnic pride (there’s a tribute wall to famous Cuban-Americans). Don’t skip the Cuban coffee or the Cuban sandwich, a sub bursting with ham, pickles and tangy mustard. LD$
Del Frisco’s Grille
11800 Grand Park Ave. (Pike & Rose), 301-881-0308, delfriscosgrille.com. This is the Texas-based chain’s second location in the area. Look for upscale takes on American comfort foods, such as veal meatloaf and short rib stroganoff, plus trendy items such as kale and Brussels sprouts salad, deviled eggs, flatbreads and ahi tuna tacos. Plenty of burgers, sandwiches and salads, too. ❂ R L D $$
The Dough Roller
800 Pleasant Drive, #160, (King Farm Village Center), 301-869-4584, www.doughrollerrestaurants.com. Grab a pizza slice and dream of boardwalk breezes at the first inland outpost of Ocean City’s popular pizza and pancake chainlet. Besides pizza, this locale features sandwiches, burgers and other items, including pancakes served all day. J B R L D $
East Pearl
838-B Rockville Pike, 301-838-8663, www.east pearlrestaurant.com. Choose from many options of Hong Kong cuisine, including familiar dishes featuring chicken, beef, poultry, pork and even duck, as well as those for adventurous tastes. Try the soups ranging from egg drop to seafood with bean curd. L D $
El Mariachi Restaurant
765-D Rockville Pike, 301-738-7177, www.el mariachirockville.com. Serving Tex-Mex and South American food in a bright, pleasant space made lively with colorful art. In addition to the usual enchiladas, tacos and burritos, look for Peruvian seafood and Cuban beef specialties. L D $
El Patio
5240 Randolph Road, 301-231-9225, www.elpatio international.com. This bustling café with pretty green umbrellas on the patio serves up the traditional meat-heavy dishes of Argentina, as well as pizzas and freshly made baked goods. Look for mouth-watering empanadas, beef tongue and sausage specialties. ❂ J B L D $
Ev & Maddy’s
101 Gibbs St., Unit C (Rockville Town Square), 301296-6682. Owned by Olney residents Patrick and Eunice Pak, this unpretentious French bistro serves beef bourguignon, lamb sausage, hanger steak and other traditional dishes with a modern twist. Executive Chef Patrick Pak sports impressive credentials, having cooked at Washington, D.C.’s Komi, Blue Duck Tavern and the former Palena. J L D $$
La Canela (Editors’ Pick)
Far East Restaurant
5055 Nicholson Lane, 301-881-5552, www.fareast rockvillemd.com. Owned and operated by the same family since 1974, this classic Chinese restaurant greets customers with two royal stone lions out front and sticks to the familiar Chinese-American basics. Check out the daily specials and dim sum menu. L D $$
Fontina Grille
801 Pleasant Drive, 301-947-5400, www.fontina grille.com. A trendy spot with its curvy maple bar and wood-burning pizza oven, Fontina Grille is a favorite gathering place for the King Farm neighborhood. Pizza, pasta and salads are the main attractions. Two-dollar pasta dishes available on Monday nights and half-price bottles of wine on Tuesdays. ❂ J R L D $$
Gordon Biersch
200-A E. Middle Lane (Rockville Town Square), 301340-7159, www.gordonbiersch.com/restaurants. The national brewpub chain prides itself on house beers and friendly service. The shiny bar is boisterous, and the menu includes bar favorites with some barbecue and Asian touches, small plates, salads, pizza and flatbreads. J L D $$
Grand Fusion Cuisine
350 East Fortune Terrace, 301-838-2862, grand fusionrestaurant.com. Diners will find something for everyone seeking a taste of the Asian continent, a full sushi bar, and Chinese, Malaysian and Singaporean specialties. Chef’s specials include Crispy Eggplant in Spicy Orange Sauce and Double Flavored Shrimp. ❂ L D $
Hard Times Café
1117 Nelson St., 301-294-9720, www.hardtimes.com. Good American beer selections, hearty chili styles ranging from Cincinnati (cinnamon and tomato) to Texas (beef and hot peppers), and hefty salads and wings bring families to this Wild West-style saloon for lunch and dinner. L D $
Hinode Japanese Restaurant
134 Congressional Lane, 301-816-2190, www. hinoderestaurant.com. Serving traditional Japanese cuisine since 1992. All-you-can-eat lunch and weekend dinner buffet offers 40 types of sushi, 14 hot foods and a salad bar. Check out the patio with full bar service. L D $$
Il Pizzico
15209 Frederick Road, 301-309-0610, www. ilpizzico.com. Setting aside the strip mall location and lack of pizza (il pizzico means “the pinch” in Italian), chef-owner Enzo Livia’s house-made pasta dishes, gracious service and extensive wine list of mainly Italian wines make even a weeknight meal feel special. L D $$
Joe’s Noodle House
1488-C Rockville Pike, 301-881-5518, www.joes noodlehouse.com. Chinese ex-pats and many other customers consider the Szechuan specialties (soft bean curd with spicy sauce and hot beef jerky) among the area’s best examples of gourmet Chinese cooking. L D $
La Brasa Latin Cuisine
12401 Parklawn Drive, 301-468-8850, www.labrasa rockville.com. A bold, yellow awning marks the unlikely industrial location of the popular La Brasa. Customers rave about the rotisserie chicken, lomo saltado (Peruvian marinated steak), Salvadoran pupusas and Tres Leches. ❂ L D $
141-D Gibbs St. (Rockville Town Square), 301-2511550, www.lacanelaperu.com. Sophisticated, modern Peruvian cooking shines in a regally furnished dining room in a yellow stucco building graced with curvy black ironwork. The menu includes artfully prepared seafood, pork, chicken and beef dishes. ❂ L D $
La Limeña Restaurant
765 Rockville Pike, 301-424-8066. lalimena restaurant.com. Diners can choose dishes such as beef hearts, tripe and homemade pastries in this tiny but well-appointed eatery. Desserts include passion fruit mousse and vanilla flan. And of course, there’s rotisserie chicken to go. L D $
La Tasca
141 Gibbs St., Suite 305 (Rockville Town Square), 301279-7011, www.latascausa.com. The Rockville location of this regional chain strives to keep things interesting with 45 tapas dishes and six kinds of paella, including Paella Mixta with chicken, shrimp, chorizo, scallops, mussels, squid and clams. ❂ L D $$
Lebanese Taverna Café
1605 Rockville Pike, 301-468-9086; 115 Gibbs St. (Rockville Town Square), 301-309-8681; www. lebanesetaverna.com. A casual and pleasant family spot for lunch or dinner after shopping on Rockville Pike, the café is a more casual offshoot of the local Lebanese Taverna chain, serving hummus, pita, falafel, chicken and lamb kabobs. J L D $
Lighthouse Tofu & BBQ
12710 Twinbrook Parkway, 301-881-1178. In addition to the numerous tofu dishes ranging from Mushroom Tofu Pot to Seafood Beef Tofu Pot, diners at this Korean stalwart can try barbecue, stir-fried specialties and kimchee, the national dish of pickled cabbage. LD$
Mamma Lucia
12274-M Rockville Pike, 301-770-4894; 14921-J Shady Grove Road, 301-762-8805; www.mamma luciarestaurants.com. See Bethesda listing. ❂ L D $$
Matchbox Vintage Pizza Bistro
(Editors’ Pick)
1699 Rockville Pike, 301-816-0369, www.matchbox rockville.com. Look for mini-burgers, a “ginormous meatball” appetizer and thin-crusted pizza with toppings including herb-roasted chicken and portobella mushrooms or fire-roasted red peppers and Spanish onions served in a super-cool space in Congressional Plaza. ❂ J R L D $
MemSahib
4840 Boiling Brook Parkway, 301-468-0098, www. memsahibrestaurant.com. Patrons eat the Indian country way, with their hands. MemSahib offers a buffet lunch, including such dishes as tandoori chicken and vegetable samosas and pakoras, and a six-course prix fixe dinner while belly dancers entertain customers. L D $$
Michael’s Noodles
10038 Darnestown Road, 301-738-0370, www. michaelsnoodles.com. Extensive Taiwanese menu at this popular strip mall eatery includes dim sum, mixed noodle dishes, noodle soup and unusual specialties, such as Shredded Chicken with Jelly Fish and Stewed Pork Intestine and Duck Blood. L D $
Mi Rancho
1488 Rockville Pike, 240-221-2636, www.mirancho texmexrestaurant.com. You’ll find a boisterous party atmosphere every night at a place where customers can count on standard Tex-Mex fare at good prices.
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