Restaurant Shufflings, 'Hot New Openings'

Get caught up with the food scene in Montgomery County and adjacent Washington, DC, neighborhoods with "1 Meat, 3 Sides." This week, restaurant news in downtown Bethesda takes center plate:

One Meat:

In downtown Bethesda,  on Norfolk Avenue has closed, and the Indian restaurant  will soon take over the space, .

 ahead of the groundbreaking of a  that will have 236 rental units, 6,500 square feet of ground floor retail and more than three levels of below-grade parking. Additional restaurants  and  also will close ahead of the Fairmont Avenue construction, .

Read more on and Bethesda Magazine.

Three Sides:

The food blogger behind lunchinginthedmv.blogspot.com visited Korean burger joint  in Bethesda (4733 Elm St.), and gave the burgers good marks:

I ordered the the Matiz (beef patty, grilled, onions marinated in Kraze BBQ sauce, American cheese, bacon, pickles, tomato, mayo and lettuce). Yummy! The patty was juicy, and everything together worked well. On the flipside, I didn't like how messy it was because of the sauce ... so just get lots of napkins.

The blogger also enjoyed the chili cheese fries: "I felt it was the best chili cheese fries I've had, however the bf still thinks Ben's Chili Bowl is a bit better."

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Zagat's recent list of kid-friendly restaurants in the Washington, DC, area didn't forget Montgomery County and NW DC. Here are a few local restaurants that made Zagat's cut:

• Comet Ping Pong (5037 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC).
• Mamma Lucia (locations at 4916 Elm St., Bethesda; 1302 East West Highway, Silver Spring; 12274-M Rockville Pike, Rockville; 14921-J Shady Grove Rd., Rockville).
•  (4918 Cordell Ave., Bethesda).
• Pete's New Haven Style Apizza (4940 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC). 
• 2Amys (3715 Macomb St. NW, Washington, DC). 
•  (4870 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda).

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"Hot new openings" coming to the area include, according to Zagat:

• Chef Geoff’s (12256 Rockville Pike, Rockville): "Geoff Tracy is opening another spiffy location for his popular, midpriced American brand in the Rockville space that has been home to Houston’s and Againn. ETA: September."
• Range (Chevy Chase Pavilion, 5355 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC): "The most ambitious project yet from chef/restaurateur Bryan Voltaggio (Volt, Lunchbox, Family Meal) will be a new kind of steakhouse (think: butcher cuts) offering a wide-ranging menu with a focus on seasonal, casual fine dining and lots of small plates. ... [Range] will include a wine store, bakery and coffee bar, as well as a 275-seat restaurant, and will be fitted out with giant wood-burning ovens and rotisseries. ETA: late October/November."
• Wildwood Kitchen (10223 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda): "Chef/restaurateur Robert Wiedmaier (Marcel, Brasserie Beck, Mussel Bar and Brabo) will open a moderately priced bistro in the Bethesda space that once housed Jean-Michel. ... ETA: end of year."