Capitol Hill Hitmaker Caruso’s Grocery Expands to Maryland This Fall

After impressing Capitol Hill with old-school hen Parm, fluffy tiramisu, and well-made martinis for $10, the workforce behind important Italian-American restaurant Caruso’s Grocery will add one other outpost at North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose complicated this fall.

The incoming location inside six-year-old pub Owen’s Bizarre builds upon a partnership with Neighborhood Restaurant Group founder Michael Babin, whose Roost meals corridor welcomed Caruso’s Grocery in spring 2021. Matt Adler’s decidedly unmodern tribute to basic purple sauce joints delivers dishes heavy on nostalgia, high quality elements, and approach, with pastas like gnocchi, fettuccine, ravioli, and penne alla vodka with peas and prosciutto all made on-site.

The again two-thirds of the NRG area will flip right into a 90-seat version of Caruso’s with a menu stuffed with acquainted D.C. favorites (11820 Commerce St, North Bethesda, Md.).

Carnivores could have extra choices in Maryland, with additions like hen Scarpariello with sausage and peppers and veal saltimbocca, plus prime steaks and chops served with marsala-braised mushrooms, balsamic onions, and roasted garlic butter.

Its sophomore digs shall be tweaked to resemble the hospitable unique, which options slightly-faded purple banquettes and classic images throughout a comfortable eating room. The bar aspect of Owen’s Bizarre will stay as is, in addition to the patio area out entrance, however the identify will change to Owen’s Tavern and Backyard.

Adler may even contribute consolation meals choices to the revised tavern aspect, which shares a kitchen with Caruso’s. Adler’s childhood cravings for French bread pizza spark a collection of thick-cut garlic carbs topped with roasted wild mushrooms, truffle and parmesan or thick minimize pepperoni, spicy honey and basil. Different concepts for the tavern menu embrace Calabrian chili and honey-glazed hen wings and a hefty, pub-style burger.

Caruso’s dependable listing of $10 cocktails like a Manhattan with an amaretto rinse by Nick Farrell will be a part of a deep listing of reasonably priced wines by the glass, carafe, and bottles curated by Erin Dudley.

On the tavern aspect, NRG’s Greg Engert will proceed to supply 50 beers on faucet and Farrell will add extra frozen cocktails for summer time and spiked scorching choices for the heated backyard aspect in the course of the winter.

Adler says he’s excited to deliver Bethesda the beloved Italian nachos his dad used to make at Scoozi, the purple sauce joint north of New York Metropolis the place Adler labored the road as a youngster and all through culinary faculty. Recent pasta sheets minimize into triangles get fried and topped with its four-cheese sauce, sauteed spinach, crumbled sausage, basil marinated tomatoes, and black olives.

“I’ve wished to recreate this dish for some time now, however I didn’t assume the primary Caruso’s was the proper place for it,” he says.

The Pike & Rose complicated continues to up its fame as a eating complicated, with latest additions from SoCal seafood shack Hiya Betty, carb counter Name Your Mom, and D.C. fried hen chain Roaming Rooster.