Experience a Unique Style of Fusion Cuisine at Bombay Street Food
Bombay Street Food in Columbia Heights is restaurateur Asad Sheikh’s newest venture, and it pays homage to the street vendors of his childhood. Among the dishes Sheikh remembered from his childhood is Indo-Chinese chili chicken in a spicy tomato sauce with curry leaves. Another favorite is the vada pav, dubbed the “Bombay Burger,” consisting of a mashed potato patty topped with cilantro-ginger chutney. The Monsoon section of the menu reflects what people in Mumbai eat with their chai tea during the rainy season, featuring cheese pakora, vegetable pakora, and spicy chicken masala.
The 65-seat interior (with a private dining room and patio) has walls decorated with Bollywood performers, street food vendors, and Mumbai commuters. In addition, a photograph of Anthony Bourdain with the Bombay Burger honors the late chef’s journey to India. Visit Bombay Street Food daily for lunch, dinner, and late night eats.
Valentine’s Day is Around the Corner! Find Your Sweets at The Original Velatis
You can’t mention the great flavors of DC without talking about The Original Velatis. This independent candy shop has been making small batch caramels for over 150 years, using only high quality ingredients.
Choose from European-style smooth caramels or traditional American chewy caramels, along with a variety of chocolates, toffees, and other confections. The retail store on Georgia Avenue in Silver Springs has row after decadent row of sweets lining their display cases. Create your own box of truffles, turtles, and chocolates, or pick up a box of their beautifully wrapped sweets to gift. With Valentine’s Day coming up, a short trip over to The Original Velatis to get a present for your sweetie is just what cupid would suggest. And if you have a special occasion coming up, like a wedding or a shower, The Original Velatis makes custom favors and has party buffet packages for a sweet end to any event.
Lewi Café Pours Organic Coffee Sourced Fresh From an Ethiopian Farm
The Keffa province in Ethiopia cultivates huge amounts of coffee today as it has for many centuries. In fact, the word “coffee” is believed to be derived from “Keffa,” as the region is believed to be the original birthplace of java. That’s why Lewi Organic Coffee Farm, the sole provider of beans for Lewi Café, operates in Keffa.
The coffeehouse in Silver Spring is the farm’s first outpost in the US, serving its organic coffee directly from the field to your cup. The high quality of the Ethiopian beans really carries the coffee, so the baristas don’t craft any beverages that are too over-the-top. They mostly dole out cups of drip-brewed coffee and espresso, along with a handful of lattes and chocolate-infused drinks. These coffee-based beverages pair well with the light breakfast, lunch, and dinner fare on the menu, from Belgian waffles to fresh salads and soups.
Take Your Pick of Local Brews at Astro Lab Brewing
Beer lovers in the Silver Springs area are in for a treat. A new brewery and taproom just opened on Georgia Avenue, and it’s bound to become a popular spot for happy hour, late night drinks, and just about every moment in between.
Astro Lab Brewing is the brain child of Matt Cronin and Emma Whelan, two beer lovers who have an especially soft spot for the craft brewing process. Together they brings years of experience for a line up of beers that are sure to please all sorts of brew lovers. They currently have five vastly different beers on tap, with more coming soon. Stop in to enjoy one or two in their shiny new taproom, or take a tour of the facility. Astro Lab Brewing also teams up with local vendors for their food, and the current menu includes meat pies that are drawing reviews as positive as the beer. Check out what’s on tap on their website, and read a bit more about the interesting history of the owners. Astro Brewing Lab is just a few minutes walk from the Red Line Metro stop, and there is also plenty of parking nearby.
Test Your Sleuthing Skills at Big Escape Rooms
If you're a fan of the Atlanta Hawks, the "Basketball" room at Big Escape Rooms is a must-see. The earliest version of this escape room was constructed specifically for the Hawks as a team-building tool right outside of their own locker room at the Philips Arena. Although the location has moved, the scenario is the same. You and your group are trapped inside your locker room with only 45 minutes until the game begins! To avoid a forfeit, you'll have to follow clues and find the spare key that your coach has hidden somewhere.
"Basketball" is the easiest and most family-friendly of the rooms at Big Escape Rooms. If you're looking for something more challenging and much spookier, reserve "Clown". The setup in this room transports you to an abandoned circus tent where Boris, a serial killer clown, is on the loose. You'll have to play by his rules and solve riddles in order to be set free before becoming his next victim.
El Sapo Serves Cuban Cocktails and Fresh Plates
Ward off the winter weather rut at the newly opened El Sapo, a Cuban social club that is just the place keep things hot on cold nights. Note that they don’t call themselves a bar or restaurant; a "social club" is a much more accurate name for this hot spot.
The cocktails are front and center on the main dining menu, and as you can imagine, the mojito and cuba libre are top notch. They also offer a fresh coconut with Bacardi Coco liquor, and a popular spin on the Manhattan with a house vermouth blend. The menu covers everything from ceviche and small plates, to home cooked entrees and specialty items for two. With so many drink options and all kinds of interesting plates and portion sizes, you can really make your experience at El Sapo whatever you like. If you can save room, be sure to indulge in dessert. El Sapo has a chocolate soufflé, pineapple crème brulee, and light-as-air churros that will be the highlight of your meal. Stop in for drinks, dinner, or late night appetizers seven days a week. El Sapo opens daily at 5 p.m.
Unwind and Build Strength at Willow Street Yoga
Willow Street Yoga has been around for years in Silver Springs, and has had more than its fair share of renovations and class roster changes. In order to better service their clientele, they’ve just unveiled a new rate and price structure. If it’s been a while since you’ve given them a look, now it’s even easier to participate at Willow Street Yoga.
The studio has memberships, class packs, and drop in rates to fit a multitude of budgets and lifestyles, as well as an expanded class offering to keep you engaged and interested. Check out the pricing structure online to see what would work best for you, and be sure to look at the class descriptions tab. There are tons of options for all skill levels and ages, as well as a kid’s class for everyone from young crawlers to teens.
Willow Street Yoga is located on Fenton Street in downtown Silver Springs. If you’re a new student, ask about their new student special to take advantage of unlimited classes for one month for just $59.
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Plan This Weekend’s Brunch at The Society Restaurant & Lounge
The Society Restaurant & Lounge has a well-established reputation among folks in the Silver Spring area for both its live music and nightclub experiences. But there's plenty more to appreciate at The Society Restaurant before the sun goes down, as well.
Take the bar's happy hour specials, for example: all week long you'll find generous discounts on drinks, including $6 martinis on Mondays, $25 beer buckets for you and a few friends on Tuesdays, and half-off wine bottles on Wednesdays. The discounts are available from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., which means plenty of time to socialize before you head on home after work. On Sundays, don't miss the opportunity to enjoy brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The restaurant offers an unlimited brunch buffet that includes traditional breakfast staples like omelets, pancakes and waffles, as well as Caribbean specialties like jerk chicken, curry shrimp, and rice and peas.
Find Premium Espresso and More at Takoma Bev
Chris Brown and Seth Cook, the founders of Takoma Bev, have known one another their whole lives. They're cousins whose shared experience traveling the world and working in the service industry resulted in a shared dream: to open an establishment that would bring expert attention and care to the deceptively complex art of coffee.
Their dream became a reality with the opening of Takoma Bev on Laurel Avenue. Starting with the morning commute, you'll find folks streaming into the shop to pick up breakfast sandwiches and espresso drinks. Later in the day, nine-to-fivers come in to enjoy soup, salad or sandwiches during the lunch hour. After the workday is through, the happy hour crowds stop by to have a glass of wine or a signature cocktail. If you share a passion for craft in all things, this just might be the place for you.
GROSVENOR AMERICAS’ CENTRAL WINS 2018 USA PROPERTY AWARD
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 21, 2018) – Grosvenor Americas (Grosvenor), a private property investment and development company, announced today that Central apartments located in Silver Spring has won the award for ‘Best Residential Development’ in Maryland at the 2018 USA Property Awards.
“Grosvenor Americas, and especially our team in Washington, DC are thrilled to be awarded in the Residential Development category for Central,” said Jonathan Carr, Grosvenor’s Senior Vice President of Development. “It’s a testament not only to the thoughtful mix of amenities, unit layouts and the great location in Silver Spring, but the team as a whole from construction and architecture to design and leasing.”
The USA Property Awards is one of the largest, most prestigious, and widely recognised programme throughout the region. The awards are judged by an independent panel of 80 industry experts who focus on design, quality, service, innovation, originality, and commitment to sustainability. The top winners in each region will be entered in to the international awards held at the Savoy Hotel, London, on 3rd December 2018. The Awards are in their 25th year and cover more than 45 different residential and commercial categories.
Central is a LEED Silver mixed-use community that offers 243 contemporary apartments ranging from studio, one and two bedroom apartment homes and provides over 15,000 square feet of ground floor retail space. Along with the restaurant, ‘El Sapo Cuban Social Club’, the ground floor also features Pure Barre and Orangetheory Fitness studios. Building amenities include a pool and sundeck, entertainment lounge, expansive 24-hour fitness center, pet-spa and 24/7 concierge.
Central is located directly across the street from the new Silver Spring Library and is a short walk from the Silver Spring Metro Station, which provides a 15-minute commute to downtown Washington, D.C on the Red Line.
Visit Central’s leasing office today. For more information, please visit: www.centralsilverspring.com.
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