Health-Conscious True Food Kitchen Readies Summer-y Fare for Bethesda Opening

Ingredient-driven “health food” chain True Food Kitchen plans to court its new neighbors in Bethesda with seasonally inspired menu items including corn-laced chicken dishes and watermelon mojitos.

The brand, which prides itself on catering to vegetarians, vegans and consumers seeking gluten-free alternatives, joined the area in late 2014, putting down roots in Mosaic District in Fairfax, Va. This latest restaurant, scheduled to open Wednesday, June 14 at the Solaire complex (7100 Wisconsin Avenue), is the first such project for Fox Restaurant Concepts founder Sam Fox and integrative medicine expert and author Dr. Andrew Weil in Maryland.

Some of the menu items expected at opening include heirloom tomato pizza topped with grilled artichoke, roasted garlic, vegan almond ricotta, and black truffles; pan-roasted chicken with corn, green garbanzo, Fresno chili, feta, cilantro, a pumpkin seed pesto; as well as house-made sandwiches and desserts. Cocktails are also expected to reflect what’s in season, like a watermelon mojito made with rum, watermelon, mint, pineapple, and lime.

Opening for lunch on weekdays, dinner daily, and weekend brunch, the 199-seat interior includes a huge open-air kitchen, and a 34-seat patio for al fresco dining. D.C.-based artist Juan Pineda has contributed a mural covering an entire wall of the 6,400-square-foot restaurant.