Dining scene: New Montgomery Mall restaurants, Fair Winds Brewing signs lease and more

The evolution of Westfield Montgomery Mall’s “dining terrace,” opening later this summer as part of the mall’s expansion, continues. The mall will bring three new-to-D.C. concepts to the mall, along with a previously announced Cava Mezze Grill and a Chipotle, according to a news release.

Two of the three new restaurants will be full-service. The first, Crave, is a Minnesota-based chain offering “fresh, vibrant, American” cuisine as well as a full sushi bar, according to its website. The restaurant will be located on the lower level of the new dining area near Bobby’s Burger Palace.

Another, Met Bethesda, will be the first restaurant outside of Massachusetts from the Boston-based Met Restaurant Group. The restaurant will occupy 6,000 square feet across from the mall’s new ArcLight Cinemas. The menu includes pasta, burgers and steaks as well as signature dishes such as the duo of salmon and tuna tartare. The bar also features on-tap martinis.

And another fast-casual pizza shop is throwing its hat into the D.C. market. Blaze Pizza, a California-based super-fast pizza chain, will open its first location in the region in the mall. Another spot that boasts the “Chipotle-of-pizza” model, customers choose their basics and their toppings and a fresh pizza is made for them in under three minutes. All three restaurants will be open by the end of the year.

Fair Winds Brewing: Fair Winds Brewing Co. has finally found its home after looking for the better part of a year around Northern Virginia. The brewery has signed a lease for more than 12,000 square feet at 7000 Newington Road in Lorton, according to the agents that brokered the deal. Brewery partner Casey Jones told me earlier this year he originally wanted to open in Merrifield, but no adequate space at the right price was available. Fair Winds has already been testing recipes for its four signature beers: an IPA, a pale ale, a red and a kolsch. JLL Senior Vice President John Dettleff and Vice President Tucker Farman represented the tenant in this lease transaction. The landlord, PS Business Parks, was represented by NAI KLNB Principal Marc Tasker, CCIM, SIOR, and Ryan M. Moody, Associate.

Glover Park Beer Garden: Add another beer garden to the list of places to imbibe al fresco in D.C.: Glover Park Beer Garden will pop up all summer on the patio of the Savoy Suites Hotel on Wisconsin Avenue NW this summer. The garden will offer five beers on tap, several in the bottle and a menu of salads, hot dogs, bratwurst, burgers and pretzel rolls, among other items. The garden will be open weekdays from 5-11 p.m. and weekends from noon-11 p.m.

Chez Billy Sud: Prolific bar owners and restaurateurs Eric and Ian Hilton are making their way west from their traditional haunts in the U Street and Petworth neighborhoods. They plan to open Chez Billy Sud, a sister restaurant to their Petworth spot Chez Billy, at 1039 31st. St. NW in Georgetown later this year. They will take over the 3,000 square foot Cafe La Ruche space, which will close July 1. The restaurant will serve classic French cuisine from Executive Chef Brendan L’Etoile for lunch or brunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.

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