When Megan Abbot and Gary Hall moved to Brentwood in 2020, the couple knew right away that a farmers market would do well in the area.

From the start, they had their eye on the parking lot outside the Bunker Hill fire station at 3716 Rhode Island Ave., on the border of Brentwood and Mount Rainier, but they had to wait until their two children were a little older to have the time to do the work.

“It’s a nights-and-weekends planning operation, filling the nooks and crannies of our time between our family and jobs,” they told the Hyattsville Wire. “But we would not say it’s finished yet.”

Hall, who works in ecological restoration, used to have a job at a non-profit that runs dozens of farmers markets across the greater D.C. area, helping manage market operations and working closely with farmers and other vendors. Abbot works as a civil rights lawyer.

The two planned for the farmers market to be kid-friendly, as they needed a place for their own two young kids to go outside on Saturdays.

“We want it to be a low-key place for kids to run around in the grass while families shop or get breakfast or lunch,” they said. “To that end, we have a number of picnic tables, and a kids’ corner featuring a mini-soccer set-up, sidewalk chalk, coloring books, and hula hoops. And it’s a total kid party! We love it.”

Now in its third week, this Saturday, May 18, the Gateway Farmers Market will host artist Bethany Lee, who will lead a stone carving workshop. It will also soon be able to process SNAP/EBT transactions and provide matching dollars from Maryland Market Money.

For the future, the couple said they would still like to find a dairy farm and added that there is always more space for pickles and pantry items. They are also looking for musicians, artists and community groups to participate.

The Gateway Farmers Market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, rain or shine, through Nov. 30, then returning in the spring.

Help the Wire grow in 2024!
Make a one-time donation or become a regular supporter here.

Hyattsville celebrity chef Tobias Dorzon stars in a new cooking show on ESPN, combining his past as an NFL player and Food Network star.

Dorzon, who runs the popular Huncho House restaurant at University Town Center at 6451 America Blvd., hosts “Timeout with Tobias,” which airs on ESPN+.

The six-episode show, now available for viewing, features Dorzon cooking and talking with professional athletes such as Kayvon Thibodeaux of the New York Giants, who helps him make King Crab Asian Garlic Noodles.

Dorzon, who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans, has TV experience from multiple appearances on Guy Fieri’s shows “Guy’s Grocery Games” and “Tournament of Champions.” He was also recently featured on “CBS Mornings.”

Since opening in 2022, Huncho House has become a popular upscale restaurant at University Town Center. Its menu combines Asian food, West African influences, and Italian cooking techniques.

Dorzon was recently named “Chef of the Year” by the Restaurant Association of Maryland, which is the first time a chef has been named from Prince George’s County.

You can watch a trailer of his new cooking show here.

Help the Wire grow in 2024!
Make a one-time donation or become a regular supporter here.

A sports bar and a Korean barbecue restaurant are coming to College Park this year.

Greene Turtle, a Maryland sports bar chain, and Honey Pig, a Virginia Korean restaurant chain, will open in the College Park Shopping Center at 7370 Baltimore Ave., just south of Knox Road.

Both chains have been expanding in the D.C. area and College Park is a natural location, given its large population of college students, including a sizable number of students from Asia.

The shopping center already has several other chain restaurants: &Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery ice cream shop, Noodles & Co., Chipotle Mexican restaurant, Cava Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant, Five Guys burgers and a Starbucks.

It’s also home to a 24-hour CVS drugstore.

Honey Pig, which got its start in Annandale, Va., has become a popular spot for Korean hotpot dining, making the Washingtonian‘s list of Cheap Eats in 2016 and 2018. It joins SeoulSpice fast casual Korean restaurant and MeatUp Korean barbecue in College Park and Iron Pig Korean barbecue in Berwyn Heights.

Help the Wire grow in 2024!
Make a one-time donation or become a regular supporter here.

The new Gateway Farmers Market on the border of Brentwood and Mount Rainier, held each Saturday, offers a wide selection of food, produce and natural body care products, along with farm-fresh flowers and assorted plants.

Now in its second week, the kid-friendly farmers market in the Bunker Hill fire station parking lot at 3716 Rhode Island Ave., already has a number of vendors from the Route 1 corridor, D.C. and as far away as rural Maryland and Pennsylvania.

This weekend, market-goers sampled tacos from Hyattsville Latin fusion restaurant Cocineros, bread from Riverdale Park’s Manifest Bread, espresso from Woodridge’s Zeke’s Coffee, juice and smoothies from Mount Rainier’s The Waterhole, bagels from Mount Rainier’s new Towne Bagel, pastries from Langley Park’s Casa Blanca Bakery and candles from Brentwood’s Purple Rose Wellness. Brentwood’s miXt Food Hall was also various menu items.

There were also breakfast sandwiches from Hog Haven Farm, gin and whiskey from Tenth Ward Distilling, skincare products from Urban Soak, strawberries from Singh Sugar Maple Farm, paletas from Jarabe Gourmet Pops, Korean food from Tae-Gu Kimchi, handmade dog treats from Blue Bassett Bakery, and produce from Birdland Pastures, Garner’s Produce and Pecan Meadow Farm, among other vendors.

The market also features live music, picnic tables, grassy play areas and  sidewalk chalk to keep young kids entertained.

The Gateway Farmers’ Market, was started by Megan Abbot and Gary Hall, residents of Brentwood. It is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, rain or shine, through Nov. 30, then returning in the spring. You can read more on its Instagram page.

Help the Wire grow in 2024!
Make a one-time donation or become a regular supporter here.

Banana Blossom Bistro is returning to Riverdale Park.

The Vietnamese comfort-food restaurant announced it will be moving to a new location at 6202 Rhode Island Ave., Suite 105, in the Riverdale Park Town Center building.

A winner of the Hyattsville Wire reader poll, Banana Blossom Bistro was located in the same building for three years until owner Annie Esguerra shuttered the location in 2022, a decision that was largely spurred by her family’s move back to California.

It will take over the space previously used by Gangster Vegan Organics.

“We are super excited to reopen a sit-down restaurant again!” owner Annie Esguerra told the Hyattsville Wire. “Since the pandemic, we missed being able to welcome our friends and family into the restaurant for a meal or just as a place to spend time.”

Since leaving Riverdale Park, Banana Blossom had run out of a space in the Union Market food hall, serving dishes like phở and bánh mì and offering pickup and delivery through its website and delivery apps. The new sit-down location will officially open sometime this week.

The Riverdale Town Center has recently become something of a locally owned restaurant hotspot, with nearby Riviera Tapas and 2Fifty BBQ drawing in customers.

“The Route 1 corridor holds a special place in our hearts as it’s where we first started,” Esguerra added. “We have maintained strong connections with friends and family in Riverdale, Hyattsville, College Park, and other surrounding neighborhoods. We love the strong sense of community of the corridor.”

Support the Wire and Community Journalism
Make a one-time donation or become a regular supporter here.

The New York Times named Riverdale Park’s 2Fifty Texas BBQ one of the greater D.C. area’s best restaurants.

In a review of the “25 best restaurants in Washington, D.C. right now,” the newspaper cited the capital’s “vibrant” food scene, starting alphabetically with 2Fifty:

As at any good barbecue restaurant, the smell of wood smoke announces 2Fifty Barbecue before you enter the doors to the casual dining room. The owners, Debby Portillo and Fernando González, moved from El Salvador to Maryland with a custom smoker in 2018, selling plates of barbecue at farmers’ markets before opening this location and one in Washington, D.C., proper. Fans order ahead for plates of tangy, South American-inflected Texas barbecue that often sells out before the day is through. Don’t miss the tender prime brisket, smoky ribs or chicken quarters, all with a side of craveable macaroni and cheese. It’s a perfect spread to take to nearby Riverdale Park on a nice day.

Earlier this year, 2Fifty expanded to a location on K Street bringing its much sought-after barbecue to a wider audience.

The feature also highlighted the diversity of D.C.’s restaurants, such as Afghan restaurant Lapis in Adams Morgan, Filipino restaurant Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly in Rockville and Uyghur restaurant Bostan in Arlington.

2Fifty has also gotten shout-outs from Washingtonian magazine, Southern Living, The Washington Post and Washington City Paper, among other outlets.

Support the Wire and Community Journalism
Make a one-time donation or become a regular supporter here.

Elementary school-aged kids can learn to fish for free at an event at Lake Artemesia in May.

The DeMatha Fishing Club will give away poles, rigging and bait to the first 25 kids who register for the event who do not have their own fishing gear.

Event organizer Conner Hayes told the Hyattsville Wire that they hope it will teach younger kids how to fish “with the hopes of growing the sport and love of it.”

Considered one of the better freshwater family-friendly fishing spots in the area, the 38-acre manmade lake near College Park is stocked with bluegill, largemouth bass, channel catfish and crappie, and you can also see the occasional turtle.

Fall and spring are considered the best times to fish there, as the water temperature is between 50 and 70 degrees. Maryland residents over the age of 16 have to pay for an annual $20 non-tidal fishing license; fees vary for out-of-state residents.

The event will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 5, at Lake Artemesia. Children must be accompanied by an adult guardian.

You can register for the event here.

Support the Wire and Community Journalism
Make a one-time donation or become a regular supporter here.