Food News: Sunday Booze, Restaurant Week, New SoBe Spot

Prince George’s County’s Restaurant Week runs Monday March 2nd through Sunday March 8th.  The week kicks off Sunday, March 1 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Bladensburg High School. The Taste of Transforming Neighborhoods Initiative (TNI) will feature participating restaurants from establishments that are off the beaten path, as well as cooking demonstrations by students in the Bladensburg High School Culinary Arts Program. Admission is free as well as two complimentary tasting tickets. Additional tickets can be purchased at the door, with all proceeds from the tasting going to the Bladensburg High School Culinary Arts Program.

Restaurant Week prices range from $8 for lunch at places like Elevation Burger and the $20 lunch at Grace’s Mandarin at National Harbor to a $35.15 dinner at Bond 45 or $16 dinners at Italian Inn on Annapolis Road.  See the link to all participating restaurants and their special price fixed menus HERE.[button link=”http://www.pgcedc.com/news/204-restaurant-week-2015″ newwindow=”yes”] PGCo Restaurant Week[/button]  

National Harbor restaurants are participating:  Bond45 (dinner only) • Elevation Burger • Fiorella Italian Kitchen • Grace’s Mandarin • Harrington’s Pub and Kitchen • McCormick & Schmick’s • McLoone’s Pier House • Public House • Redstone American Grill • Rosa Mexicano • Sauciety at the Westin • Thai Pavilion • The Walrus Oyster & Ale House (dinner only) 

In addition to special menus and pricing, The Capital Wheel and Bobby McKey’s will celebrate Restaurant Week with the following special promotions:
• The Capital Wheel – $12 ticket (plus tax) with a same-day receipt showing customer dined at Restaurant Week
• Bobby McKey’s – Free admission with a same-day receipt showing customer dined at Restaurant Week
When: March 2th

A new restaurant has opened in the County and it’s quite impressive looking.  I’m hoping the food is too.  SoBe (South Beach) Restaurant and Lounge is located at 10621 Greenbelt Road, Lanham, MD.  Not only do they have a sommelier, so you don’t have to wander aimlessly through menus wondering which wine to order with your courses, they have a DRESS CODE: no athletic attire, business casual to be exact.  I am ecstatic to have another option. Online reservations can be placed at the website. They’re open 7 days a week and feature a Sunday brunch, happy hour, spaces for large events, and some great menus.  Did I mention that celebrities are already starting to show up? Blair Underwood came through Sobe on a Tuesday night. Impressive. 

 

I’ll tell you where I didn’t wander aimlessly through any menu: Kapnos Greek restaurant in DC, 2201 14th Street NW (14th & W).  I, along with Prince George’s County resident and President/CEO of Nonprofit HR, Lisa Brown, tried to order just about every menu item.  IT WAS SOO GOOD!! Let me preface this by saying that I am the adventurous eater; Lisa is not.  When I was able to get her to try lamb tartare and she liked it, I knew that Kapnos was a great restaurant.  Not everyone likes beets, but I like beets. You might too if you tried smoky Beets with yogurt, green peppercorn, citrus. It was a symphony.  In house smoked beets with a meringue yogurt.  Let go of your standard fare: gyros, tzatziki.  Go for some of the other cold mezze spreads.  Order the pikilia, a sampling of three spreads. I highly recommend the Taramosalata (carp roe, caviar, cauliflower).

Dave & Buster’s is opening in Capitol Heights, Ritchie Station Marketplace (near the Wawa, exit 13 off of beltway). From Washington Business Journal, “…indoor arcade and restaurant destination has leased 40,000 square feet at the Ritchie Station Marketplace shopping center in Capitol Heights, according to NAI Michael, the project developer…The signing of Dave & Busters will kick off a focus on more entertainment and restaurant tenants for Ritchie Station Marketplace.

 

Prince George’s County Council has had a bill submitted by  on behalf of the Prince George’s County Council that would allow for the sale of alcohol in Prince George’s County on Sundays.  From The Gazette, “The bill creates a new class of license that allows liquor stores to sell on Sundays. Beer and wine can already be purchased at some stores on Sunday. Allowing Sunday sales could help boost economic development and make Prince George’s County more appealing place for young people to settle, said County Councilwoman Deni Taveras (D-Dist. 3) of Hyattsville. The county would fell less like a “sleepy town” and more like a “young, hip area on the move,” she said.” The Maryland House bill, HB-931, received a hearing by the Economic Matters Committee, which has an Alcoholic Beverages Subcommittee, on February 23rd. 

What say you, PGCo? Do you think we need to compete with Sunday liquor selling surrounding jurisdictions? Do you think it will generate enough revenue?  “A fiscal projection provided to the county’s delegation in Annapolis by the County Council estimates the additional sales tax generated would be approximately $13,000 per store per year, and that if 100 new Sunday-sales licenses were issued the additional annual sales tax would be $1.3 million per year. The council has suggested an annual fee of $3,500 for the license.”

DEALS:

Groupon Deal for Old Town Inn in Upper Marlboro: $30 dinner for two, $60 dinner for four

Groupon Deal for Maryland’s Chicken Wing and Beer Festival happening April 25th in Annapolis

Livingsocial Deal for Cold Stone Creamery in College Park