Monday, September 17, 2012
Moco Mojo has a lot to tell about these vibrant 500 square miles we call home.
Are you partial to Chevy Chase or Bethesda? It's not like the border dispute between Gaithersburg and Rockville earlier this summer. But why not stir up a little trouble? "Exceptionally livable" is how website AreaVibes describes Chevy Chase, giving it the following marks: That F might have something to do with the approximate median list price of Chevy Chase houses, which is $1.2 million. Even with that mark against it, AreaVibes gave Chevy Chase a "Livability Score" of 87, while Bethesda received an 84. What if the criteria were best cupcakes? Which would come out ahead then? You decide. Cruiser Blues Nearly a third of Montgomery County’s police cruisers were called off the road last week because two officers found themselves with …
Friday, September 14, 2012
Reality television host Jon Taffer had even more to say about the bar takeover that wasn't.
Just when you thought the "Piratz Tavern rejects Spike TV's 'Bar Rescue' makeover" drama was over, the television network's website had to go and provide a post-mortem on the debacle, complete with scathing commentary from show host Jon Taffer. If you haven't been following along, Piratz Tavern, a downtown Silver Spring eatery with a--you guessed it--pirates theme, was chosen as the subject of "Bar Rescue." The reality show brings restaurant expert Jon Taffer into struggling restaurants and he performs a sort of business makeover. He briefly reworked the tavern into Corporate Bar & Grill, thinking he'd draw all the professionals to the restaurant for lunch and happy hour. Piratz Tavern owners weren't happy with the changes and almost …
Friday, April 6, 2012
Loyal customers are relieved after the owners of Piratz Tavern converted their restaurant back into a pirate-bar.
Piratz Tavern in downtown Silver Spring reopened Thursday without any remnants of Corporate Grill & Bar, a vision of reality TV show “Bar Rescue,” which renovated the tavern in February from its original pirate theme into a corporate theme in 36 hours. Owners Tracy and Juciano Rebelo were greeted with relieved long-time supporters and pirate enthusiasts who said they found the corporate makeover uncharacteristic of the essence of Silver Spring. “I’m excited,” said Silver Spring resident Vanessa Terzaghi who dined with her 8-year-old daughter, Kayora, and friend Philip McLeod. “I think [the makeover] has been a wake-up call to realize that some of these independent restaurants really do rely on their clientele.” The reopening wasn’t a “…
Friday, February 17, 2012
The new restaurant will be unveiled to the public Saturday night, according to Spike TV officials.
Piratz Tavern officially closed at midnight and will be reborn by Bar Rescue’s Jon Taffer through a 36-hour massive renovation. Taffer won’t be making these changes to the downtown Silver Spring bar by himself. His expert team includes Chef Josh Capon, Mixologist Elayne Duke, and high-end service specialist Jessie Barnes. Collectively, they will retrain the wait staff on the fundamentals of serving, mixing signature drinks and preparing basic menu ideas that are still tasty. Renovating the restaurant will cost about $250,000, Taffer said. That includes the design work, furniture, painting, remodeling, kitchen equipment, cleaning, signage and the experts' time. A soft opening Thursday evening gave the staff an opportunity to practice for …
Jordan Knowz
11:17 am on Saturday, December 8, 2012
OMG! I can't believe they ruined that beautiful bar and the potential money they could have made. I want to know how much money they are making. When I saw the reveal, I remember feeling envious of their opportunity. The location was phenomenal. What a travesty!!! more ›