WHERE TO EAT WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Rockville is particularly known for its plethora of Chinese and other
Asian restaurants, which reflect the multi-ethnic local community. In
Rockville Town Square, a bustling food hall, The Spot, opened in 2018
with a half-dozen eateries, including Mian Pull Noodle — where you
can watch a noodle master stretch and slap huge coils of noodle
dough — and Alpaca Dessert, serving decadent Hong Kong-style
waffle and ice cream concoctions. The Spot also has branches of
international chains Cheers Cut, for Taiwanese fried chicken, and
bubble tea purveyor Gong Cha. Visitors might be surprised that Rockville’s most famous grave belongs
to two people who never actually lived here: F. Scott Fitzgerald and his
wife, Zelda. The couple is buried in the modest cemetery of St. Mary’s
Catholic Church, built in 1817 and the oldest church in continuous use
in Rockville. But their path to this resting place was a circuitous one:
Although his father hailed from Rockville and was himself buried in
the family plot at St. Mary’s, the church deemed Fitzgerald a lapsed
Catholic and refused to bury him there when he died in 1940. F. Scott
and Zelda were interred at Rockville Cemetery, but moved to St. Mary’s
in 1975 after their daughter Frances’ intervention. Inscribed with the
famous closing line from The Great Gatsby, the gravestone might on
any given day be strewn with fresh flowers, liquor bottles, or coins.
Also in the Town Square, Peter Chang, the namesake restaurant of the
James Beard Award-nominated cult celebrity chef, serves his signature
Sichuan dishes, including dry-fried eggplant and crispy pork belly. Nearby
Bob’s Shanghai 66 is a cash-only, no-frills local favorite with lines out the
door on Sundays for dim sum, Cantonese specialties, and more; don’t
miss the nose-tinglingly spicy fried tofu and the dan-dan beef noodles.
Though humdrum-looking on the outside, homey China Bistro is
considered one of the best places in the area for handmade dumplings.
But there’s much more besides East Asian food. In the town center,
Trapezaria offers crowd-pleasing Greek cuisine — including a popular
weekend brunch — in a warm, friendly atmosphere, while Spice Xing
features contemporary Indian cuisine with an international twist.
Ensconce yourself at Golden Samovar for hearty Russian classics
including borscht, pelmeni, and beef Stroganoff, along with Central Asian
specialties such as sautéed quail and Azeri-style stuffed grape leaves.
CULTURE AND NIGHTLIFE
Rockville’s expanding brewery scene includes established national
chain Gordon Biersch, which specializes in German lagers and comfort
food. Also in the town center is an outpost of chain World of Beer,
a cozy cellar with a daunting but well-curated selection of dozens of
beers on tap and even more bottled options, with a strong focus on
local and regional brews. A few small independent craft breweries,
including 7 Locks Brewing and Saints Row Brewing, are located within
a few miles of the main commercial center and have tasting rooms.
Head a few miles down Rockville Pike from the town center for
top-notch performing arts. The Music Center at Strathmore is one
of the area’s best concert halls, with a busy lineup of world-class
performances that run the gamut from classical, jazz, and show tunes
to rock, pop, and hip-hop. The 2,000-seat venue is also the second
home of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra — led since 2007 by Marin
Alsop, the first woman to serve as music director for a major American
orchestra, which performs there about three dozen times a year.
Located in a separate complex about two miles away, the newer
offshoot Amp by Strathmore is 250-seat cabaret-style space that hosts
blues, folk, jazz, and other musical performances, along with comedy
acts, in a more intimate setting.
FLYWASHINGTON.COM 58 SUMMER 2019
A short stroll away, Rockville Civic Center Park is one of Rockville’s
most pleasant green spaces. Its 153 acres encompass walking trails,
picnic areas, tennis courts, a kids’ playground, and landscaped
gardens surrounding the neoclassical Glenview Mansion, a historic
landmark built in 1926 and now housing an art gallery. Also in the
park, Croydon Creek Nature Center offers nature programs for
children, who may also enjoy the variety of terraria showcasing
snakes, turtles, and other small animals.
Rockville Pike, the main artery leading south from downtown Rockville,
is lined with major big-box stores, as well as a hodge-podge of strip
malls and small businesses. But a few miles further south, in North
Bethesda, is the appealing Pike & Rose development, where you’ll find
a more pedestrian-friendly shopping experience. Clustered on several
walkable streets are stores ranging from brands like Gap and L.L. Bean
to more boutique spots such as Olive & Loom and Lucky Brand.
Pike & Rose also has the D.C. area’s only iPic Theater, boasting
luxurious seats and tableside service during movies, with a menu of
craft cocktails and finger foods. Just around the corner is a branch of
upscale bowling alley and bistro Pinstripes, a fun option for families in
a bright, airy venue that also features sidewalk and terrace seating.
With so much to taste, see and experience here these days, it finally
feels like time to rewrite that old song. Go (back) to Rockville —
there’s a lot here to keep you entertained.
HOTELS
Accommodations in the Rockville area tend to be almost entirely
chain hotels, among them major names such as Sheraton, Radisson,
Courtyard by Marriott, Hilton Garden Inn, and Best Western. But these
three more noteworthy options ― all of which have opened within the
past five years — stand out.
Golden Samovar