Shouk Will Bring Its Beloved, Veggie-Stuffed Pitas to Maryland With Two New Stores

Shouk, the Israeli fast-casual known for its vegan street snacks and one of D.C.’s favorite veggie burgers, will double its footprint this fall with the opening of two new locations in Rockville and Bethesda. The 2,000-square-foot, 20-seat Rockville outpost at Montrose Shopping Center will offer takeout, delivery, and on-site dining. Shouk Bethesda will operate as Shouk’s first carryout-only location while the Westwood Shopping Center is redeveloped and a permanent pad is built. Shouk got its start in D.C.’s Mount Vernon Triangle in 2016 and expanded to the Union Market district in 2018. Its pandemic-era “hood drops” across the DMV proved market demand from Montgomery County customers, notes CEO Ran Nussbacher.

In other news...

• Bloomingdale’s 4-year-old neighborhood wine bar Tyber Creek will be replaced with a new restaurant/wine club called Établi (84 T Street NW), reports Popville.
• Two years after iconic Dupont Irish bar James Hoban’s closed, Duffy’s Irish Pub will fill a Guinness void in the neighborhood in the space that formerly housed Thai Pho Bistro (2153 P Street NW), per an ABRA filing.
• My Cake Theory, the build-your-own cupcake shop from a Food Network star, finally opened in Eastern Market over the weekend.
• In “May the Fourth be with you” news, McClellan’s Retreat is sending out to-go quarts of “Force-rich blue (bantha) milk” with aged rum, blue curacao, and fruit juices ($45); email info@mcclellansretreat.com by 2 p.m. on May 4. A Star Wars-themed tiki menu is also on tap for the month of May.
• Ballston pierogi maker Zofia’s Kitchen embraces its “inner culinary nerd” with eight-piece Star Wars sets of steamed, sauteed, fried, or frozen goodies through May 7.

Zofia’s Kitchen/official photo

• Miami-based import Yardbird just debuted weekday lunch (11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) with Southern classics like smoked brisket biscuits, the Nashville hot chicken sandwich, and country Cobb protein bowl.

Yardbird/official photo