Aventino
Named after one of Rome’s seven hills, Aventino was a smash hit from the day its chef and owner, Olney resident Mike Friedman, opened it in Bethesda in January 2024. The bustling bi-level restaurant is a love letter to the cuisine of Italy’s capital, so housemade pastas—among them spaghetti with lemon butter and caviar and a rich rigatoni carbonara—are not to be missed. Suppli al telefono (crispy risotto fritters filled with oozy mozzarella) and a fritto misto of batter-dipped seasonal vegetables and salt cod are standout starters. Fall-off-the-bone spice-rubbed lamb ribs with wildflower honey vinegar and pickled fennel are a dreamy entree. Pastry chef Anne Specker’s desserts, such as the baba al rhum with honeyed apricots and chamomile gelato or the dark chocolate semifreddo with coffee cocoa nib crunch, are sophisticated yet unfussy. 4747 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda, 301-961-6450, aventinocucina.com
Beteseb Restaurant
“Beteseb” means “family” in the Amharic language, reflecting the vibe of this Ethiopian mainstay in Silver Spring helmed by chef and co-owner Darmyalesh Alemu. The food is flavor-packed, down to the injera. At Beteseb, that spongy bread, used as an edible utensil to sop up all of the richly seasoned wots (stews), is made only from teff (a gluten-free millet), which gives it a bit more tang than injera made with a combination of wheat and teff flours. Alemu is known for her kitfo—beef tartare made with niter kibbeh (spice-laced clarified butter) and mitmita (a chili-based spice blend)—but the cognoscenti order the special version that comes with collard greens and housemade farmers cheese. Vegan and vegetarian dishes abound; the veggie combo (misir wot, kik alicha, atakilt wot, ye gomen wot, shiro wot) is the perfect way to sample. Crispy beef tibs are a specialty, the meaty morsels deep-fried, then sauteed with peppers, onions and tomatoes. 8201 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, 301-448-1625, betesebrestaurant.com
Bombay Bistro
Business partners and best friends Surfy Rahman and chef K.N. (Kottapurath Narayanan) Vinod opened Bombay Bistro in Rockville in 1992 and are still going strong in both regards. To open the restaurant, they pooled all their resources—$35,000 each—maxed out credit cards and took a risk on a dream that paid off handsomely for them and the dining public. Start with papri chaat (flour crisps with potatoes, chickpeas, yogurt and two chutneys: tamarind and cilantro) and vegetable samosas, and then hit the curries: shrimp and scallop masala, chicken korma, lamb vindaloo and paneer makhani. Supplement with dal tadka (yellow lentils with tomatoes and cumin), bhindi masala (okra), baingan bharta (tandoori eggplant mash) and an assortment of breads, such as onion kulcha and garlic naan. 98 W. Montgomery Ave., Rockville, 301-762-8798, bombaybistro.com
Caruso’s Grocery
If ever there were a place to satisfy a craving for chicken parm, Caruso’s Grocery at Pike & Rose is it. For his rendition, chef Matt Adler fries a breaded cutlet large enough to fill an oval dinner plate until it’s crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, places it on a throne of tomato sauce, swathes it with gooey mozzarella, broils it to bubbling and golden, and showers it with Parmesan. Adler’s nostalgic yet modern Italian American fare wins our heart, from the fried calamari or tomato braised pork meatball starters to entrees such as veal francaise, linguini with clam sauce, and lemony trout piccata dotted with crispy capers. Start with an antipasti dirty martini (tomato-infused gin, mozzarella, basil, olives) and finish with—what else?—tiramisu. 11820 Trade St. (Pike & Rose), North Bethesda, 301-245-1226, carusosgrocery.com
Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana
Who could have predicted that some of most acclaimed pizzas in the Washington, D.C., area would turn out to be made at Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana in Darnestown? Answer: anyone who had tasted chef and owner Tony Conte’s cooking during his nine-year stint at The Oval Room (now closed) in the District. Turning to his rustic Italian roots, Conte opened the pizzeria in 2015 famously declaring that in order to maintain consistency, he’d only make a certain amount of dough daily, and when it ran out, so be it. The place was an instant hit and remains one—be prepared to stand in line before the doors open at this 40-seat eatery.
The five thin, crisp-bottomed 11-inch pies on the menu bear the hallmark air-bubble blisters of Neapolitan dough when it emerges from Inferno’s wood-fired oven. Some offerings (they change regularly) include roasted potatoes and onions with smoked mozzarella; summer truffles with baked tomato jam, fontina and fresh mozzarella; and a stellar Margherita. You’ll also find five small plates and a handful of simple desserts. It’s not for nothing that while at Inferno, Conte was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award as Best Chef Mid-Atlantic twice, in 2018 and 2024. 12207 Darnestown Road, Darnestown, 301-963-0115, inferno-pizzeria.com
Kenaki Sushi Counter
Sister-and-brother team (and Montgomery County residents) Aki and Ken Ballogdajan—she does management, he’s the executive chef—opened Kenaki Sushi Counter in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands Market Square in 2018, followed by Ako by Kenaki in D.C. in 2020 and Kema by Kenaki in Potomac’s Cabin John Village in July 2023.
Sushi Counter’s nigiri and standard maki are first-rate, and Ken’s signature rolls are particularly creative, among them the Black Magic (forbidden rice, spicy tuna and pickled jalapenos ringed with black caviar and topped with sliced avocado and truffle oil); Old Bai (lump crabmeat, avocado and scallions coated with Old Bay-seasoned crispy potato crunch); and White Tiger (seared scallop, salmon, eel, Granny Smith apple and avocado topped with puffed rice and chunky chili oil). Small plate highlights include karaage (Japanese fried chicken with bonito flakes and truffle Kewpie mayo) and tuna tataki pizza. 706 Center Point Way, Gaithersburg, 240-224-7189, kenakisushi.com
Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly
A large black-and-white mural at Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly states “Kaon na ta,” meaning “let’s eat” in the Cebuan dialect of the Philippine island from which chef and owner Javier Fernandez’s family emigrated. It’s an order we’re happy to comply with at this 14-seat counter-service restaurant, especially by indulging in that island’s specialty, lechon belly: crackly skinned, slow-roasted pork belly stuffed with pork tenderloin, lemongrass and garlic. (Kuya means “brother,” and Ja is short for Fernandez’s nickname, Jaja.) A lechon belly combo with garlic rice, a fried egg and an add-on of sweet longanisa sausage is a perfect meal. Crispy pork and shrimp lumpia (spring rolls) and sisig (a hash of pork belly, headcheese, onions, peppers and chilies) are also must-haves. Top off the meal with something sweet, such as an ube milkshake, leche flan or ube custard cake. 5268-H Nicholson Lane, Rockville, 240-669-4383, kuyajas.com
Lao Sze Chuan
The North Bethesda outpost of the Chicago-based chain, Lao Sze Chuan offers boldly flavored Sichuan fare in elegant surroundings outfitted with spiraling swaths of transparent gold fabric suspended from its two-story ceiling. The main attraction is Peking duck, which takes three days to prepare, starting with an air compressor used to separate the bird’s skin from its flesh. The ducks (sourced from a Pennsylvania farm) are air-dried overnight, then roasted while suspended from hooks in a special oven so the rendering fat drips off. Neat squares of the delectably crispy skin are served atop brown sugar crystals as a starting snack, then the duck arrives neatly sliced and arranged like roof shingles on a special platter. Accoutrements include julienne scallions, cucumber batons, pickled daikon radish, sweet bean sauce and ultrathin pancakes ready to be filled. 20 Paseo Drive, North Bethesda, 301-968-2096, laoszechuandmv.com
Melina
Childhood friends Ike Grigoropoulos, Dimitri Moshovitis, and Ted Xenohristos are Montgomery County natives and business partners who built their Cava fast-casual restaurant empire based on their Greek heritage. Opening Melina in November 2021, they turned their eyes toward Greek fine dining, naming the elegant restaurant after Moshovitis’ then-12-year-old daughter. Aris Tsekouras is the talented chef responsible for Melina’s clever neo-Hellenic menu, including starters such as grilled octopus with yellow fava bean puree and caramelized shallots, and a crudo of fluke, smoked hazelnuts and tarama (fish roe) cream. His signature dish is a stunner: braised lamb neck baked in parchment paper with red peppers, cherry tomatoes and cubes of kefalograviera (a hard sheep’s milk cheese) and served with mint ginger tzatziki and crispy potatoes. 905 Rose Ave. (Pike & Rose), North Bethesda, 301-818-9090, melinagreek.com
The Salt Line
Sometimes a restaurant’s success is a matter of opening the right thing in the right place at the right time. Case in point: The Salt Line, which Long Shot Hospitality opened on Bethesda Row in July 2023. The New England-inspired eatery delivers warm service, great cocktails (hello, blue cheese martinis), solid seafood dishes and perhaps our favorite thing of all: plenty of soundproofing. Start with sumptuous clam chowder, baked stuffed clams or pimento cheese and crab dip, then move on to Ritz cracker-crusted baked cod, bucatini with clams and bacon, and Nashville-style batter-fried soft-shell crab with spicy honey sauce. Another smart strategy is to go the raw bar route with a seafood tower, snow crab claws with miso yuzu mayo, oysters on the half shell and rockfish ceviche. 7284 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, 240-534-2894, thesaltline.com
This story appears in the Insider’s Guide 2024-2025 by Bethesda Magazine.
