The Greek restaurant Melina is opening in North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose development on Monday, landlord Federal Realty Investment Trust said Thursday.
Ted Xenohristos, Dimitri Moshovitis and Ike Grigoropoulos, the founders of the fast-casual Mediterranean chain CAVA, are behind Melina, which is in a 3,593-square-foot space at 909 Rose Ave., according to a press release.
Melina is near the French restaurant Julii, which the CAVA founders opened in 2018.
Melina’s menu, according to the press releases, features a variety of vegetarian-friendly dishes, including:
• roasted beets with yogurt, pickled blackberries and walnuts
• crispy fingerling potatoes with Tzatziki, feta cream, thyme and cured egg yolk
• roasted heirloom carrots with smoked Manouri cheese, spiced granola and pickled raisins
The menu also includes Kleftiko (slow roasted lamb neck) with Kefalograviera cheese.
Melina will also serve a variety of cocktails made with honey, including Bouboulina (mezcal, roasted beets, lime, honey syrup and fennel) and Honey Bee Blossom (vanilla vodka, peach cranberry, honey syrup, bee pollen and citrus).
Melina has floor-to-ceiling windows that open to patio seating along Rose Avenue, according to Federal Realty. The restaurant can seat 80 in the dining area, and another 10 at the bar.
Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@moco360.media