One of the Region’s Best Coffee Shops Is Coming to Bethesda

All-day neighborhood favorite Simona Cafe completes its DMV-wide domination this summer. A newly announced location en route to Bethesda, Maryland, expected to open in June, will join the three-year-old original in Arlington, Virginia, and a newer D.C. outpost in NoMa. Its third locale in Maryland will offer a familiar lineup of drip coffee, flat whites, chai lattes, sandwiches built on homemade focaccia, charcuterie boards, and a curated selection of wine and beer. The 1,300-square-foot cafe with a large patio (4520 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland) is slightly larger than the other two. “[Bethesda] has such a great mix of things — offices, cultural spaces, and neighborhoods,” co-owner Jad Bouchebel tells Eater. House-made syrups currently build springtime drinks like a honey and rose latte, ginger lime soda, and Matcha Delight with honey, vanilla, and cinnamon. Cafe director and partner Tito Peña sources beans from Falls Church’s Rare Bird, with rotating appearances from guest roasters like Richmond’s Recluse Coffee.

Pitango inks deal on 14th Street NW

Pitango Gelato just announced plans to debut in Logan Circle this summer. Its eighth area cafe will serve Vigilante Coffee drinks, Italian baked goods, and house-made gelato in 20 flavors, including its ever-popular Sicilian pistachio. The 1,027-square-foot space designed by EastWing Architects will also sport a 10-seat interior.

Maryland ties the knot with orange crush

Thirty years after its birth, Maryland will finally crown the orange crush as its official state cocktail. The newly passed bill, backed by Maryland state senators from the Eastern Shore, goes into effect on June 1. The cherished cocktail — a compilation of vodka, triple sec, lemon-lime soda, and freshly squeezed orange juice — was reportedly created in 1995 by Harborside Bar & Grill in Ocean City. There’s one less waterfront bar serving the cocktail in Maryland this summer, however. Sunset Cove, Middle River’s dockside staple for over a decade, announced its permanent closure on Facebook this month.

Clarity 2.0 heads to Reston

Vienna’s fine dining gem Clarity expands its Northern Virginia footprint next spring. The modern American destination for Bolognese, Alaskan halibut, and inventive tasting menus from chef Matthew Cockrell will open sophomore digs at the foot of Fannie Mae’s high-rise in Reston Town Center (1996 Opportunity Way, Reston, Virginia). Reston’s dining scene gets an additional boost next spring with the arrival of Ebbitt House — a first-ever offshoot of the Clyde’s original in downtown D.C.

Sustainable takeout containers at Knead Hospitality restaurants

Locally-owned To Go Green, a reusable container company, has expanded to 19 restaurants on their website that can send food orders in sustainable containers via Uber to environmentally conscious customers. Last week, Knead Hospitality + Design added Mi Vida (Penn Quarter and 14th Street), Bistro Du Jour Capitol Hill, the Grill, Gatsby, and Beresovsky’s Deli to that long list of participating restaurants where you can order food from in the (literally) green containers and drop off the used takeout boxes. The Bethesda, Maryland-based brothers who run the takeout and pick-up food ordering website are still working on integrating their reusable takeout program into existing food order apps, like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub. — Emily Venezky, Editorial Associate

Knead Hospitality/To Go Green