Rockville in Maryland is full of opportunities for education, art and culinary exploration. In Rockville, visitors and residents have a vast range of options when it comes to dining, including Peruvian, Italian, Mexican, Vietnamese, American and Greek establishments. With an ample number of restaurants displaying ethnic diversity, Rockville is the perfect place to sample the tastes and flavors of multiculturalism. We check out the top ten restaurants in the area that best display the variety of Rockville.
A hub of authentic Italian cuisine in the midst of Rockville’s King Farm Village Center, Fontina Grille offers a vast selection of specialized and reasonably priced house specialties. Every dish is made fresh and prepared with incredible attention to detail. Many guests visit Fontina Grille for the ultimate oven-fired pizzas, which have been praised for being the best of the best. Not only is the food exceptional, but so are the dining areas and service. With mouthwatering meals, a vast and comfortable dining space and phenomenal service, Fontina Grille handles each customer with the utmost care, ensuring that everyone has the best dining experience possible.
Located in the suburban hub of Maryland, the Clyde Tower Oaks Lodge overlooks the picturesque view of a 21-acre nature preserve. The interior decor at the center of The Lodge is similar to that of a cabin, made of 200-year-old timber and decorated with stone fireplaces and Native American details. Meanwhile, the design of the Saranac Room is comparable to that of a highly sophisticated restaurant – elegant and embellished with twig sculptures that extend across the ceiling. The decoration within the Tack Room is analogous to that of a formal country-dance floor with a long, well-designed bar. Here at The Lodge, guests can appreciate not only the majestic outdoor scenery from inside a classy environment, but they can also enjoy authentic American cuisine.
A famous and popular establishment, Il Pizzico is a classy restaurant that specializes in authentic Italian cooking while using herbs to add an interesting twist to the flavor. Its name, which is derived from the Italian term ‘il pizzico,’ means ‘the pinch’ and symbolizes Chef Enzo Livia’s belief in the importance of utilizing just the right touch of spices. The restaurant offers a vast assortment of food, ranging from seafood, meats, and homemade pastas to delicious, sweet desserts. To accompany the dining experience, the menu includes a wide selection of refined Italian wine that has originated from various regions of the country. As a high class restaurant, this is a prevalent location for couples to enjoy a romantic and relaxed dinner.
Though a small locale, La Brasa is a multicultural restaurant full of cuisines from across Latin America. It features some of the best and most popular dishes from all the countries between Mexico and Argentina and between Peru and Brazil, including Cuba. The Salvadoran owners, Emilio and Lucy Campos, wanted to create a place where people could have a taste of everything, ranging from traditional, authentic meals to simple, homemade comfort food. In recognition of La Brasa’s preservation of culture, Bethesda Magazine, Washingtonian, and El Tiempo Latino featured the restaurant as one of Rockville’s favorite ethnic restaurants.
A little restaurant on the historic road Rockville Pike, La Limena is an establishment representative of Peruvian and Cuban cuisine in Rockville. Some of its most popular dishes include anticuchos, Peruvian style ceviche, rotisserie chicken, and alfajores cookies. The portions are large enough for two or three, making it a perfect place for family outings as the prices are very affordable. The atmosphere is lively and full of laughing customers and chatty, attentive waiters. With the combination of excellent service, an animated ambiance and delicious food, La Limena was ranked among the 100 best restaurants in 2013 according to the Washingtonian.
Hidden in the Rockville Pike strip mall is Mosaic Cuisine, a small restaurant focusing on French cuisine with unique international influences, ranging from Italy to Belgium and even the United States. The restaurant provides a relaxing dining room where crowds of customers gather to taste their special selection of waffle sandwiches and waffle confections in the morning and afternoon, especially during brunch hours. As a renowned breakfast spot, Mosaic has been featured in the ‘best of’ lists of many journals and websites, including, but not limited to, the Washington Post, The Examiner Baltimore, and the Washingtonian.
With a Greek-themed interior design as well as cuisine, Mykonos Grill is an excellent representation of what a typical dining experience is like in Greece. The dishes are consistently fresh, using the best ingredients common in Greek culture. The interior decor of the main dining room is classy, simple and clean, colored in mostly white and a sprinkle of eggshell blue on curtains, portraits and window frames. Similarly, the banquet room is decorated with simple and clean colors, with the walls covered with vines of plants that spread across one side of the room to the other. By combining traditional Greek cuisine with a relaxed ambiance, Mykonos Grill offers an unforgettable upscale yet casual dining experience.
Pho Nom Nom is a very popular Maryland establishment, serving the best authentic Vietnamese cuisine in Rockville with swift and friendly service. Chef and Owner Than Nguyen holds pride in her ability to provide customers with the best pho and Bánh mi in Montgomery County while preparing hot, high-quality food in a fast and timely manner at a reasonable price. Thanks to the diner’s reputation as a fast serving establishment, many customers with tight schedules – such as businessmen or company employees – visit Pho Nom Nom to grab a quick lunch on weekdays. Many guests come for their customizable bánh mi menu and house specials, the most popular options being the Vietnamese beef stew.
An old establishment that has served the community for over 15 years, Pizza CS specializes in traditional, beautiful Neapolitan pizza. The founders and owners, Ankur Rajpara and Jonathan Allen, dreamed of creating a space where groups of families and friends could gather, relax, drink a glass of wine, and savor Neapolitan pizza the way it has been created since the 1800s. With Rajpara’s background in marketing and almost innate ability to create authentic Neapolitan pizza, together with Allen’s skills in hospitality and service, their dream finally became reality. Today, Pizza CS is praised as one of the best traditional pizzerias in town and many customers, both new and old, visit to enjoy each other’s company as well as the unrivalled pizza..
Known for its family friendly environment and vast range of options, Villa Maya Restaurant specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine. Its main attraction for adult customers is its extensive list of Margaritas, varying from traditional recipes to modern ones. Meanwhile, the main highlights are the fresh seafood options, particularly the paella dishes and the seafood soup, or the fresh, homemade dessert choices, notably the fried ice cream and fried plantains. To add to the dining experience, Villa Maya provides endless bowls of free chips, salsa and guacamole that is made to order at the table.
