Delina Eritrean Urban Kitchen menu (Photos)

Delina Eritrean Urban Kitchen, which opened last week at 4914 Cordell Avenue, has posted its menu in the window. You can also see it on their website, which is now up and running, as well.

A first taste of Not Your Average Joe's in Bethesda (Photos)

The new cuisine that will be served up by Not Your Average Joe's in the old Hamburger Hamlet space starting Monday, July 13, is as fresh as the interior and exterior makeovers of this Bethesda building. There is the exposed ductwork and ceiling found often in modern restaurants. There's a floor-to-high-ceiling bar - with 4 sports-filled flatscreens - no one will confuse with the old "enclosed-porch" bar at Hamburger Hamlet. But exposed industrial surfaces are also contrasted with fresh flowers placed throughout the 7000+ SF restaurant.

Fresh is indeed the theme of NYAJ's Executive Chef Jeff Tenner's seasonal menu for summer. With that season well underway, I gravitated mostly toward the limited-time summer menu items. I'd recommend you do the same, as we'll have all winter to sample the Anything But Average Meatloaf and grilled New York Strip.

Samuel Adams Summer Ale
(there was more in the glass,
and a foam head when it
arrived at the table)

I started off appropriately enough with the Samuel Adams Summer Ale on draft. This crisp and refreshing ale is light enough for summer weather, but has a slightly higher 5.3% ABV than your typical Bud Light or Coors Light. It went well with the rest of the menu items I chose.

Focaccia bread

NYAJ's famous
dipping sauce for
their bread

Everyone gets a basket of NYAJ's signature focaccia bread, with their famous dipping sauce that includes romano and parmesan cheeses, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, and the olive oil that is added when the sauce is prepared tableside by your server. In other words, it isn't just a jarred sauce or something made early in the day. I am in the great minority of 2015-era diners in that I personally prefer softer breads, but the flavor of this is was great and likely will be one of the best you've had if you like a chewier, crustier bread.

Tomato Basil soup

For an appetizer, I got a cup of the Tomato Basil soup. This was one of the best tomato soups I've had in a restaurant. It has a good amount of cream in it, making it quite thick and rich. The soup has an element of a puree to it, and I would swear there was cheese in it, but that's not listed in the ingredients. That gives you a sense of how rich it is. There is fresh basil in almost every spoonful, and each strip is fresh and tastes like it was just picked from the garden.

Green Machine Chicken Cavatappi

My choice of entrée was the seasonal menu's Green Machine Chicken Cavatappi. Think of it as a hot pasta salad. The grilled chicken breast had the smoky flavor of a backyard cookout, not just the grill marks. Very tender, it was topped with shredded cheese. Underneath was a two-person serving of cavatappi pasta, made green by an arugula pesto. Mixed throughout were peas and chopped asparagus spears that were crisp but not tough, unlike some restaurants that blanch and serve a wood-like vegetable. I would definitely get this again, as it had plenty of flavor, more garden-fresh vegetables, and the chicken was fantastic.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes 

Not knowing how large the pasta portion would be, I got a side of garlic mashed potatoes. They're homestyle, with slivers of red potato skin, and have plenty of garlic flavor.

On to dessert! Alas, they ran out of their legendary Peanut Butter Thing. Disappointing, but I will be back to try it out. I also hear that their Carrot Cake is a must-try. Ditto.

Molten Chocolate Cake

The sizable scoop of
vanilla ice cream is
on a mound of
chocolate crumbles,
kind of like crumbled
Oreo cookies

But last night, I went with the Molten Chocolate Cake. The molten fudge sauce and vanilla ice cream were both rich, as was the cake without being too dense. Great presentation, too.

Overall, the food was outstanding and is not overly expensive. The beer list is above average for Montgomery County, despite the challenges of the county's liquor regime. Service was great given that training was underway for servers last night. When one set of dishes fresh from the dishwasher had (clean) water on them, a server swooped in with another set before the hostess could finish apologizing. The only suggestion I have - other than hoping they will have more supply of ingredients for the Peanut Butter Thing when Opening Day comes around Monday - is to avoid the booths in the bar area if you're not above-average in height. Ask for a table that has either the high stools or a regular chair. I'm hardly a dwarf in height, but my feet could barely reach the floor from the booth banquette.

Great food and service, FREE parking, and enough variety on the menu to please traditionalists as well as foodies, are a few reasons to try Not Your Average Joe's when it opens Monday at Georgetown Square shopping center. For those coming from points further than Bethesda, there is easy access from the Beltway at the Old Georgetown Road exit, or from I-270.

Not Your Average Joe's

10400 Old Georgetown Road

Click here to make reservations

Rooftop restaurant Urban Heights to open April 21 or 22 with South Asian menu

The straightforward name Urban Heights, and the previous ventures by Chef Robert Wiedmaier, did not point to the latest RW Restaurant Group brand being anchored by Southeast Asian-Pacific flavors.

But that's the latest intriguing twist at the Bethesda rooftop restaurant currently shooting for an April 21 or 22 opening date.

Your first impression off of the elevator will be the gleaming Tuna Bar, displaying the latest catch for a selection of fresh tuna appetizers. You will have the option of dining indoors on that level, outdoors on the adjacent 2nd story patio, or going for a commanding view of the bustling Woodmont Triangle neighborhood from the roof.

Executive chef Cliff Wharton, who rose to prominence at DC's popular TenPenh, will draw on his Filipino heritage and a fusion of Southeast Asian flavors. You might find him working one of several woks in the kitchen. Or, during the summer, hosting a rooftop pig roast under the stars.

Wharton will bring his signature Red Curry Shrimp with Pineapple and Jasmine Rice to Bethesda. But you'll also be able to choose from dishes like Chicken Adobo sliders, Honey-glazed Shrimp with wasabi grits, and pork belly bites with Korean chili paste. Cool off with a selection from an always-meticulously-selected Wiedmaier beer list. Or enjoy a handcrafted island cocktail designed by Urban Heights' General Manager, Garth Hamilton.

Today's menu announcement has only increased the anticipation for a rebirth of this rooftop space, in the Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc.-designed Norfolk-Cordell II building at the corner of Norfolk and Cordell Avenues.

NEW FALL MENUS AT FOOD WINE & CO. IN BETHESDA

Food Wine & Co. has new lunch and dinner menus for fall. Don't worry, Tater Tots and the Prime Angus Truffle Burger are still on there. But new, fall-themed dishes include Butternut Squash Soup with clove yogurt, curry and pumpkin seed; and Pumpkin Risotto. Ready for dessert? How about a house-made Pumpkin-Spiced Cheesecake with pecan praline, salted caramel popcorn and rum raisin ice cream? The restaurant is located in the Apex Building, near the Regal Cinemas Bethesda 10.

Food Wine & Co.

7272 Wisconsin Avenue

301-652-8008

PARVA COCINA AND TEQUILA BAR MENU (PHOTOS) + HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS

Here is the menu for the revamped Parva on Woodmont Avenue, now known as Parva Cocina & Tequila Bar. The menu has indeed shifted from the South American cuisine of the original Parva to that of Mexico, in keeping with the name change. Stop by, and you can also check out the newly renovated restaurant and lounge. Click on the photos to enlarge menu pages for greater detail:

Parva Cocina & Tequila Bar

7904 Woodmont Avenue

HECKMAN'S DELICATESSEN MENU - NOW OPEN IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Heckman's Delicatessen is now open (including for breakfast) at 4914 Cordell Avenue in Bethesda. Some outdoor patio seating has been set up, as well. Here is the menu for Bethesda's newest deli (click photos to enlarge):

GRINGOS AND MARIACHIS MENU (PHOTO) - NEW BETHESDA MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Here's the menu for Bethesda's newest Mexican restaurant (click photo to enlarge for detail):

Gringos & Mariachis is located at 4928 Cordell Avenue.

ROOF BETHESDA BRUNCH MENU (PHOTOS)

Here is the brand-new brunch menu at Roof, Bethesda's new rooftop bar and restaurant (click photos to enlarge):

Main courses

Huevos Rancheros

4-egg omelettes

Sides

Bakery/desserts

TAYLOR GOURMET LAUNCHES NEW MENU TODAY AT 11 AM

Taylor Gourmet will launch a new menu this morning at 11:00 AM (synchronize your watch to the countdown clock on their website), at Bethesda Row and all of their other locations. What's new? New additions to the Hoagie and Salad menus. Breakfast hoagies are back on the menu. And any hoagie can now be ordered in a gluten-free wrap.

But wait, there's more!

Today through Sunday, you'll be able to get a FREE Taylor Your Meal side salad - your choice of (new) chickpea salad, kale side salad, pasta salad, or potato salad - with your purchase of any hoagie or salad.

Highlights among the brand-new hoagies include:

Federal Street: Pepperoni, Dried Capicola, Hot Capicola, Genoa Salami, Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette, Basil, Fresh Mozzarella.

Lehigh Avenue: Roasted Cauliflower, Spicy Red Pepper Dressing, White Bean Hummus & Arugula (Vegan).

Cottman Avenue: Choice of Italian Breaded or Grilled Chicken Cutlet, Pepperoni, Roasted Red Peppers, Basil, Fresh Mozzarella.

Pine Valley (Club Hoagie/Triple  Decker): Roasted Turkey, Pesto, Bacon, Cherry Pepper Mayonnaise, Parmesan.

For salads:

Society Hill: Kale, Roasted Tomatoes, Walnuts, Parmesan, Honey Herb Vinaigrette.

Polumbo Square: Romaine Hearts, Genoa Salami, Capicola, Prosciutto, Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onions,  Pepperoncini, Sharp Provolone, Creamy Parmesan Dressing.

Stop by today at or after 11:00 to try the new menu yourself.

Taylor Gourmet is located at 7280 Woodmont Avenue (corner of Woodmont and Elm, beneath Equinox), at Bethesda Row.

MAX BRENNER MENU - BETHESDA ROW (PHOTOS)

You've been hearing about the new Max Brenner Chocolate Bar that just opened this week at Bethesda Row.

But just what, exactly, do they serve?

Here's the Max Brenner menu (although there are some additional prepackaged gift items and fresh bakery goods that don't appear on this menu).

Click to enlarge:

PALADAR LATIN KITCHEN AND RUM BAR TO OPEN AUGUST 15, WILL DONATE OPENING NIGHT DINNER PROCEEDS TO MANNA FOOD CENTER (PHOTOS)

Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar has announced it will open its new White Flint/Rockville location on Thursday, August 15.

The opening will begin at 6:00 PM that evening with a ribbon cutting. A dinner featuring some of Paladar's most-popular dishes will follow. The cost of dinner will be $40 per person, not including gratuity. 100% of the dinner's proceeds will go to the Manna Food Center right here in Montgomery County.

Paladar co-president Andy Himmel says this is just the first example of how the restaurant will actively engage with the local community. "Manna Food Center, committed to providing food, food education and advocacy for residents of Montgomery County, is the right match for Paladar," he says.

The 180-seat restaurant will be located in JBG's North Bethesda Market development on Rockville Pike in White Flint. Free parking will be available after 5 PM weekdays, and all day on weekends, in the restaurant lot off of Woodglen Drive.

Inspired by the cuisines of Cuba and Central and South America, Paladar's menu will feature favorites like Grilled Skirt Steak and Fish Tacos. Its Rum Bar will stock over 50 flavored, spiced, white and gold, dark and aged runs. Best of all, you can order rum flights and tasting size pours.

Appetizers will include a chip platter featuring plantain, yucca, malanga and tortilla chips, and 3 kinds of guacamole for dipping purposes.

There will be 2 patios for outdoor dining.

Paladar's hours will be:

Sunday-Thursday: 11 AM - 11 PM

Friday-Saturday: 11 AM - 1 AM

Brunch Sat./Sun.: 11 AM - 3 PM

Happy Hour: 4-7 PM every day

Late Night Happy Hour Sun.-Thurs.: 9-11 PM

To make reservations for opening night on August 15, call 301-816-1100 weekdays between 9 AM and 6 PM. Hurry!

REDWOOD BETHESDA SERVING NEW POWER FIT MENU DESIGNED BY EQUINOX

Redwood on Bethesda Lane has teamed up with Bethesda Row neighbor Equinox, to present a new Power Fit menu.

The 3-course $45 menu is for the health-conscious diner:

FIRST COURSE

Chilled English Pea Soup

Tarragon Raw Pea Salad, shrimp, crab, ricotta croutons

SECOND COURSE

Sesame and cilantro marinated halibut

Stir-fried soba noodles, vegetables, herbs, charred scallion-lemongrass broth

THIRD COURSE

Lemon sorbet

Berry compote, blueberry soup, cocoa nib tuile

NEW BUBBLE TEA FLAVORS AT BERRY YOGURT IN BETHESDA (PHOTO)

Only a week ago, I told you about the new boba tea at Berry Yogurt on Norfolk Avenue.  But already there is a different tea menu posted in the window. Click to enlarge for all the details: