The county will ease the COVID-19 emergency restrictions imposed earlier this year beginning on Monday, June 1, County Executive Marc Elrich announced. In a press conference marred by boos, insults and profanities from the audience, Elrich said the gradual Phase 1 reopening of businesses and activities, under specific guidelines, would be in effect as of 6 a.m. Monday.
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot has lent his support to a County Council request that the state extend the alcohol delivery and carryout provisions allowed during the COVID-19 emergency. The council made the request, which was signed by all nine councilmembers, in a May 22 letter to Franchot (D) and Gov. Larry Hogan (R).
The Taste the World of Fenton Village event will mark its 10th anniversary this weekend with a change in both format and duration due to the COVID-19 emergency. The annual celebration of the area’s small, independent restaurants and their ethnic culinary offerings will begin Sunday, May 17 and run through Saturday, May 23. It will feature take out options rather than small tastings from participating restaurants.
Editor’s note: This guest post and photo is from Jonna Huseman, who began the Voices project to document the lives of friends and neighbors in Silver Spring and Takoma Park and how they may have changed since the shelter in place order. It originally appeared on her blog, The Sligo Creek Photographer.
When Washington, D.C. residents Olive Blanche Kreuzburg and her husband Harvey opened Mrs. K’s Toll House Tavern on April 1, 1930, their cozy, country restaurant located out in the “wilds” of Montgomery County, there were probably those who thought that the April Fool’s Day opening was a commentary on the nature of starting such a business.
Pho Hiep Hoa, the Vietnamese restaurant on the second level at 921 Ellsworth Dr., has closed, according to The Peterson Cos. The restaurant, one of the original outlets in the Downtown Silver Spring development, ceased operations at the beginning of March.
Local nonprofit Silver Spring Cares has teamed up with a group of Silver Spring/Takoma Park restaurants to provide meals to needy area residents. To fund the effort and help to support the restaurants’ employees, SSC last week launched a Community Connection Go Fund Me page, according to Heather Foley, SSC’s executive director.
The Silver Spring Arts & Entertainment District and the Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce are building lists of local restaurants and other businesses open to serve customers during the COVID-19 emergency. The SSAED list includes 53 restaurants, while the GSSCC includes operating information about, in addition to restaurants, fitness studios and centers, hotels, theaters, pet services, florists, auto services and “other retail.”
Residents of the Seven Oaks/Evanswood neighborhood this week crowd sourced a list of local restaurants still serving customers during the COVID-19 emergency. The Google Docs spreadsheet is online for reference and open to edits and additions from others, who have since expanded the original list.