Changes Coming to Newton's Table

The Elm Street restaurant is lowering its prices and changing decor

September 16, 2014 11:13 a.m.

Big changes are coming to Newton’s Table, the popular upscale restaurant in Bethesda.

Chef/owner Dennis Friedman said today that he is changing the menu and décor to make the Elm Street restaurant more casual and affordable.  “We want to create a neighborhood gem that people can come to frequently and not break the bank,” he said.

Friedman said the new menu will include burgers and salads, as well as higher end entrees. He said the dishes will be “a little less expensive than Woodmont Grill, but in the same vein.” Woodmont Grill, which is part of the Hillstone Restaurant Group, is “the most profitable restaurant in Bethesda,” he said.

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In the past, entrees at Newton’s Table were routinely priced between $30 and $40. “We’ve already brought down the price points, but we still have that label” as a fine dining establishment, he said. Entree prices on the new menu will be “in the high teens to low twenties.”

Changes to the décor will include exposed brick and getting rid of white table cloths, he said.

A major goal of the rebranding is to increase lunch business, Friedman said. He said that he’s conducted a survey of lunch options in Bethesda and has determined that “there are quite a few things that are missing from [lunch] menus.” It’s likely the new lunch menu will include “classics,” like fried chicken and a “solid” steak and cheese, he said.

The menu changes and renovations should be completed in six to eight weeks, he said.

In addition, Friedman said that it is likely that the name of the restaurant will be changed as part of the overall rebranding.

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Friedman is making the changes to Newton’s Table in conjunction with chef Tim O’Neil, who recently came over from the Grilled Oyster Company in Potomac. O’Neill will eventually run the restaurant day-to-day so that Friedman can focus on the expansion of his fast casual concept, Newton’s Noodles, which currently has one location in downtown D.C.

 

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