Tuesday, February 16, 2016

José Andrés to open restaurant at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Westfield Montgomery Mall has solidified its position as a rival to Tysons Corner by adding a new dining concept from celebrity chef José Andrés. Andrés will open a new location of his Beefsteak concept in the mall's new Dining Terrace this summer.

Beefsteak, which already has two locations in the District and more planned for Tenleytown and Philadelphia, is a vegetable-centric fast casual concept devised by Andrés and executive chef Pat Peterson. While the vegetables used are farm-fresh and of the highest quality, the dining experience at Beefsteak is meant to be affordable, as well.

The concept was also inspired by trying to improve health, and the restaurant and Westfield Montgomery emphasized the potential for students at nearby Walter Johnson High School to find a healthier lunch alternative with Beefsteak in their announcement of the leasing.

Most of the menu items are in bowls or salad form, such as Frida Kale, which offers rice, kale, black bean sauce, and spicy tomato sauce, topped with cherry tomato, scallions, corn nuts, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and lemon-honey dressing. There's also a BEETsteak sandwich for those wanting some bread on either side of those vegetables. And if you want meat, you won't be shut out. Make your own bowl from all of the vegetable options, and top it with chicken or salt-cured salmon, for example.

There will also be fresh fruit, José Andrés Potato Chips, and - of course - one of his classic gazpachos.

If you ordinarily wouldn't consider a health food lunch, leave it to master chef José Andrés to change your mind. This addition not only adds to the nearly endless dining options at the mall, but also emphasizes Westfield's more-than $90 million investment in repositioning the mall as an entertainment, dining, retail and lifestyle center. That investment already has paid off, with 2015 being the mall's most successful year on record.

52 comments:

Anonymous said...

It shows what White Flint could have been, if the owner ever spent money to update and revitalize it, instead of just tearing it down and selling it off as apartments.

Anonymous said...

Is everything a rivalry?

Montgomery Mall is nice. Not quite to the standard and popularity of Tysons, but it's not bad.

Robert Dyer said...

8:32: Not to our low-energy County Council. But outside of MoCo, jurisdictions actually try to be Number One. "If you're not first, you're last."

Anonymous said...

Yes things are going great in Tysons: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/fairfax-executive-long-proposes-4-cent-tax-increase-to-meet-rising-needs/2016/02/16/4309f698-d4b8-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html?hpid=hp_local-news_fxbudget710%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

Anonymous said...

And thus the great divide amongst not only our nation but our planet. What a short sighted thing to say. Is that what you tell your family and friends too? Your wife and kids must love that philosophy. Mom too.

Robert Dyer said...

4:04: So everyone should get an award for participation?

Robert Dyer said...

2:26: Higher taxes in Fairfax? I am shocked. Shocked.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

@ 10:32 PM - So what actual accomplishments do you have to your name, other than "lifelong Bethesda resident?"

Anonymous said...

Ha. I take it that was an issue for you? Both malls have their place and audience and can coexist.

Montgomery Mall definitely had a lot more growing to do to reach Tysons levels.

Anonymous said...

Voters care about experience and accomplishments.

Anonymous said...

Robert Dyer is doing great work covering the county with his news sites. Much needed after the Gazette died and with The Sentinel on the way out.
I don't think anyone is doing it better.

Dyer is also very involved in the community. For example, he brought pedestrian safety in downtown Bethesda into focus.

Anonymous said...

Did Dyer shovel his sidewalk after the recent snowfall?

Friends of Woodmont Triangle said...

Dyer brought downtown Bethesda sidewalk safety into sharp focus. It was a major problem that no one talked about in public square before he did.

Anonymous said...

Dyer has at long last gone to bed, and his shill has reported for duty.

Robert Dyer said...

5:12: Looks like you're a complete moron - my belt size hasn't changed in at least 15 years.

Robert Dyer said...

6:33: Wrong again. Go have your Riemertantrum somewhere else, troll.

Robert Dyer said...

5:16: I understand a carpetbagger like you finds my lifelong residency to be frustrating.

Anonymous said...

Robert's not so Anonymous negative Bethesda blogger is back talking about the voters and the election again.

He has Dyer's election results by precinct posted on the walls of his tiny apartment. He has Dyer's album on repeat every night. Good Lord, get a life and move on from your obsession with Dyer. Embrace him as Bethesda's top restaurant critic.

Robert said...

You know what's funny about dyer and his defenders? Aside from thinking that it's all the same person and they are somehow a conspiracy from the government or a competing blog...

Dyer has really good points about challenging the status quo, our elected officials, etc... But he is unwilling to accept the idea that he can be challenged too.

Robert said...

Didn't Dyer just post about sidewalks being worse of a problem now than they were before? So what has his shar focus accomplished?

Richard Hoye has done more for the sidewalk issue than Robert Dyer.

Robert said...

Honestly you seem to be the one finding your residency frustrating, given your perspective of a dire situation in this county. Fair assessment?

Anonymous said...

Who is Dick Hoye?
I never saw a word about pedestrian issues in downtown Bethesda before Dyer reported on them.

Supposedly, our representatives solved the issue. But I still haven't seen what we were promised, such as notice of sidewalk closures.

Thankfully, we have Dyer as a watchdog on this.

Anonymous said...

Whoever said our representatives solved the issue?

Has Dyer actually affected any change on the issues he watches over?

Robert Dyer said...

7:25: When you are correct, and have the facts to back you up, you can't legitimately be "challenged".

Anonymous said...

Montgomery Mall and Tysons can certainly coexist. We got to both on a regular basis. Tysons has some stores they don't have in Monty Mall, but Montgomery Mall is closer and I like the layout to get to the food court (park downstairs, take the elevator straight up into the food court).

Anonymous said...

5:12, 5:16, and 6:33 you just brought the Trump out of Dyer. Good work!

Anonymous said...

Wow. Someone insults you and you insult Riemer.

Anonymous said...

Amazing logic aside, you're suggesting you are always correct and any challenges to your position/person (as you do to others) are not allowed or invalid?

Anonymous said...

It's easier to simply agree and cheer-lead for whoever is in office currently. That's not the job of a journalist however.

There's robust discussion and debate here on both sides. I don't see Dyer not allowing debate. And he doesn't have his resident bullies to try and keep folks in line. :)
Just sayin...

Anonymous said...

@ 9:52AM - Just agreein...

Anonymous said...

Now back to the article... The first image looks Photoshopped. The lighting on Dyer and the lighting on Chef José Andrés are completely different.

Anonymous said...

Well that's a pompous cocky position.

Robert Dyer said...

5:30: You have the desperation of a loser who doesn't have the clout to get in the door.

7:26 AM: You seem to be confusing the recent unshoveled sidewalks controversy with the other sidewalks controversy I wrote extensively about. Roger Berliner said I was doing "a public service" through my reporting on that, and eventually he sponsored a bill regarding sidewalk closures.

Now, with the utter failure of Hans Riemer's $6M+ snow shoveling bill, we'll have to count on more engaged citizens like Mr. Hoye to remove the snow, apparently.

8:37: Unfortunately, Mr. Leventhal did engage in secessionist rhetoric, which can't be disputed.

Anonymous said...

$6m included snow plowing right? Snow shoveling rules were just a small part of that.

G. Money said...

Hey, 5:34, you can't challenge Dyer, he has "facts!"

Robert said...

But facts! I think Dyer said $100,000 of the annual $6m budget went towards education and enforcement of the sidewalk clearing law. That would seem to be the applicable part of the $6m he is referring to.

Anonymous said...

At 9:13 PM above, and on several previous occasions, Dyer has claimed that the entire $6 million in the County's annual budget for snow removal, was the cost of the sidewalk program alone.

Alex Tran said...

If $100,000 went towards education and enforcement, that part could be pointed out by Dyer. But the rest that went towards actual plowing and snow clearing operations - it's silly to say that's a failure. Especially when Dyer Kees saying the county needed to spend more money on snow plowing.

Robert Dyer said...

Guys, the snow shoveling law was a $6M+ failure. And then the author of it, Hans Riemer, didn't even take action on the blocked sidewalks he passed by on Westbard Avenue! Talk about low energy. Super low energy. He's too low energy to get the job done. That's why the Post pulled their endorsement of him in 2014. Super low energy.

Andrea Li said...

$6m included plowing and operations. The sidewalk law was $100,000 of enforcement and education. The snow shoveling law did not cost $6m by any means.

Do you want the county to plow the snow or not? That's what the majority of the $6m went towards.

Anonymous said...

Um...
A PLAN includes let's say Part A and Part B.
Part B is an utter disaster and doesn't work.
Therefore, the PLAN fails.
What's so hard about this to understand, people?

Robert Dyer said...

Andrea,

So why weren't the sidewalks cleared, even along MoCo & MCPS property on Westbard Avenue in addition to the private property scofflaws?

That's a $6M+ failure in anybody's book.

Anonymous said...

Residents failed to abide by the law.

Anonymous said...

So you married your wife and she nags you now and again. Failed marriage?

Flawed logic.

Anonymous said...

Um...

A PLAN includes let's say Dyer thinks his ideas and logic are good and runs for county council.
Running for county council is an utter disaster and doesn't work.
Therefore, the PLAN fails.
What's so hard about this to understand, people?

Robert said...

By this logic then Dyer would be a complete failure because he didn't win the county council seat he was vying for? As much as I would like to agree, that logic doesn't quite work.

Anonymous said...

It's not a "$6 million failure". It's not even a $100,000 failure. Most sidewalks were cleared.

Anonymous said...

The logic works just fine. The other examples are flawed.
You can nit-pick at what I wrote, insult me, whatever.
My post stands as it is- TRUTH
Whether about snow removal or football or opening a new bar.
----------------9:31 AM

Anonymous said...

Can you explain that??

Anonymous said...

"You're wrong and I'm right" is kindergarten logic. Can you provide some explanation?

Anonymous said...

Guess they can't. Seems to be the MO of Dyer and his friends who tell him they post here.