Bethesda’s Rock Creek restaurant, which made a splash when it opened in 2005 with its upscale, calorie-conscious cuisine and serene setting, is closing on December 31. The Elm Street eatery has been purchased by the up-and-coming Dennis Friedman, most recently the chef and owner of Bezu Restaurant & Bar in Potomac. By March 1, after remodeling, Friedman plans to open Newton’s Table, an American restaurant with an Asian flair that will utilize local and sustainable ingredients. “Newton” was Friedman’s family nickname when he was growing up in Potomac. “It was a term of endearment my dad used,” he said.
In 2007, Rock Creek owners Tom Williams and Judith Hammerschmidt expanded their “mindful dining” concept to another restaurant in Mazza Gallerie, but that closed in late 2009. The idea at both restaurants—documented by nutrition analyses on the last page of the menus—was to get you in an out with a maximum of 1,000 calories under your belt, including an appetizer, main course and dessert.
Newton’s Table will offer a few of Friedman’s signature dishes from Bezu, such as his nori tuna, mushroom ravioli and Chilean sea bass, but for the most part, everything will be new. The remodeling will mostly be cosmetic—the Rock Creek kitchen is in good shape, but Friedman will be changing the restaurant’s color scheme and expanding the bar.
Williams had no comment.