Construction continues at Solaire Social, located on the first floor of the Solaire 8200 Dixon apartment building in downtown Silver Spring.
The development of the 11-vendor food hall is being overseen by Chef Akhtar Nawab of Hospitality HQ, with ADI Construction based in Springfield, Va., handling the build. The opening, originally planned for Spring 2023, is now expected to take place this year. However, a new targeted opening date has not yet been announced by the management.
Last year, the first vendor to sign on was the Rockville-based food truck Fire Pit Brazilian BBQ.
Washington Post food critic Tim Carman made the announcement in his review published last September, noting that owner Gui Gonzalez’s version of churrasco “aligns better with modern life than those pricey Brazilian steakhouses and their endless parades of all-you-can-eat meat. Fire Pit is casual. It’s affordable. It doesn’t dare you to eat like a 16th-century royal.”
An upcoming episode of WETA’s TV show ‘Signature Dish‘ will showcase the food truck.
Fire Pit Brazilian BBQ opened in 2022 at 804 Rockville Pike, situated in the Golden Arcade shopping center in Rockville. Gonzalez comes from Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, which is also where Fogo de Chão opened its inaugural restaurant, according to Carman.
Solaire Social is the first of two food halls announced for downtown Silver Spring. Commas at Ellsworth Place is currently slated to open in late March, according to mall management.