Bouboulina, a Greek-inspired steakhouse and grill, is set to open in North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose neighborhood on March 21, according to a press release from Federal Realty, which owns the development.
The restaurant at 921 Meeting St. will be the Cava restaurant group’s fifth full-service restaurant in Montgomery County and is named after Laskarina Bouboulina, a Greek female naval commander in the Greek War of Independence in 1821, according to the restaurant group.
Ted Xenohristos, co-founder and chief concept officer for Cava, told Bethesda Today in August that Bouboulina will draw inspiration from Greek and Mediterranean culture and flavors.
“In everything that we do, we go into our roots and we look at our heritage, and we draw inspiration from that. … We always go back to Greece, where our parents were born and raised and came from and emigrated to this country,” Xenohristos said.
Xenohristos, a Rockville resident, is opening the restaurant alongside Cava founders Ike Grigoropoulos, director of culinary excellence at Cava, and Dimitri Moshovitis, executive chef for the full-service restaurant group. The three men grew up in the county.
The trio own and operate Cava Mezze restaurants in Rockville and Olney and the Pike & Rose eateries Julii and Melina.
“We’re really excited,” Xenohristos said in August. “Obviously, our focus is on expanding our Cava restaurants, but we really, really love doing these full-service restaurants … and doing them in the place we all grew up in, the county that we all went to high school in.”
Bouboulina’s menu will feature grilled meats including steak and pork, seafood, house-baked breads and dishes with Mediterranean influences, according to Federal Realty and Xenohristos. Chefs will incorporate Mediterranean flavors and spices, using Aleppo pepper, sumac, Za’atar, oregano and sundried tomato powder in their dishes.
The restaurant will also feature a wood-fired grill and oven that Xenohristos told Bethesda Today he is especially excited about. The grill, which comes from Spain, will be used to cook meats, vegetables and other ingredients.
“We’re really proud of [the ovens]. We think that’s what will differentiate our food from others,” Xenohristos said, noting the smoky flavors that can be achieved from cooking on a charcoal or wood-fired grill.
More dining additions
The opening of Bouboulina is one of several restaurant openings in Pike & Rose this spring. Falafel Inc., a fast-casual restaurant that partners with the World Food Programme, and Mui, a modern Japanese restaurant, are set to open in April and May, respectively, according to Federal Realty.
In addition, bartaco, an American restaurant chain “inspired by the beach culture of Brazil, Uruguay and Southern California,” is slated to open “soon” in Pike & Rose, the Federal Realty release said. The restaurant offers street food such as tacos, rice bowls and poke with an upscale and coastal twist. It will be located on the corner of Grand Park and Rose avenues across from the West Elm store in the former space of the Mexican restaurant, Nada, which closed in September according to Store Reporter.
An opening date for bartaco has not been set. The Pike & Rose location will be the chain’s first in Maryland. There are five other locations in Washington, D.C., and Virginia, according to the restaurant’s website.
“We are excited for the opening of Bouboulina and welcome the popular bartaco, as well as Mui … and Falafel Inc.,” Stuart Biel, senior vice president at Federal Realty, said in the release. “Our fully-enhanced neighborhood is a popular destination for gourmands and patrons from Montgomery County and the greater community. We are thrilled to add these new experiences.”
