Home-grown basketball player Jason Miskiri, who played guard with the George Mason University Patriots and one season (1999-2000) with the then-Charlotte-based Hornets, is opening a restaurant in the former Nicaro space at 8229 Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring.
“I’ve evolved from professional basketball player to entrepreneur,” says Miskiri, who was born in Guyana but grew up in Takoma Park. (He graduated from Montgomery Blair High School, where he now runs a basketball camp.)
Miskiri, who also co-owns a restaurant in Laurel with his family called Island Flavors, is calling his new spot Society. “We tried to pick something unique,” Miskiri says of the name, which was selected to convey the “very diverse” population in Silver Spring.
The menu will be part Caribbean, part American, with small plates, and entrees under $20, says Miskiri, who’s in the process of hiring a chef for the restaurant, which he hopes will open sometime in April. Renovation plans include a new and larger bar, couches and chairs for lounging, and colorful décor. There will also be valet parking.
Nicaro closed a couple of months ago, after being under new management and a new chef. No surprise; the portions were Cheesecake Factory-enormous, and the food was chain-restaurant disappointing. The original Nicaro was opened by Pedro Matamoros, now executive chef and co-owner of the stylish (and really good) 8407 Kitchen Bar in Silver Spring.
