Half-price food and drink a Grillfish today. (Photo Credit: James Calder)

Happy Monday.

Opening today: Mandu

Mandu’s new City Vista location officially opens today at 5 p.m. The Korean restaurant, located at 5th and K Streets NW, offers a similar menu to its original location near Dupont Circle. The new space also features a new lunch menu.  
• Related: Mandu Preview (MVTriangle Blog)

Half-price at Grillfish

Grillfish is offering 50 percent off all food and drinks tonight to celebrate their temporary closing. Over the next month, the West End restaurant, located at 1200 New Hampshire Ave. NW, will be reconfiguring its space and renovating part of its dining room. The renovations will move the restaurant about 30 feet up in the building and will allow it to be more visible from the street. Grillfish is expected to reopen late February.

Wheaton: Ren’s Ramen moves in, Ruan Thai expands, Limerick Pub delays

Ren’s Ramen is moving to Wheaton. According to Bethesda Magazine, the Japanese noodle shop that closed its doors in Bethesda last September, will be taking over half of the space that formerly held Provisions Catering, at 11403 Amherst Ave. The other half will be occupied by Ruan Thai, a family-owned Thai eatery that’s using the space to expand their restaurant. Renovations at Ruan Thai are already underway, but the dining room is still open for service. The owners say they’ll stay open through most of the construction, but will likely close for a short period of time toward the end. The expansion is expected to be completed by mid-February.

The Limerick Pub’s grand opening has been pushed back (again) to Feb. 4. Owners Tom Stanton and Neil Foley say they’re still dealing with plumbing issues and WSSC. They also have some additional interior work to complete, and are in the process of hiring staff.
• Related: Wheaton’s Irish Pub to open Feb. 4 (Gazette)

Carole Greenwood is Food & Wine Co.’s new executive chef

Carole Greenwood, the former co-owner of Buck’s Fishing and Camping and Comet Ping Pong, has taken over the kitchen at Bethesda’s Food & Wine Co. Owner Francis Namin tells Bethesda Magazine that Greenwood will be revamping the menu in time. “She thinks the restaurant is beautiful, but the menu doesn’t have the character to match,” he says. Greenwood replaces Paolo Buffa, the restaurant’s founding executive chef.

Opening in February: Mad Rose Tavern and Skew Works

Mad Rose Tavern is expecting to open its doors next month at the corner of Wilson Boulevard and Washington Boulevard in Clarendon, says TBD’s Rebecca A. Cooper. The gastropub will feature a combination of American and European-influenced cuisine. Patrons can also expect to see an extensive wine list and several dozens Scotch and Irish whiskeys.

Also aiming for a February debut: Skew Works in Silver Spring. The fast-casual eatery, located in the Crescent Condominium building at 930 Wayne Ave., will offer a menu featuring rice noodles and different kinds of skewers, says TBD’s Elahe Izadi.

BGR coming to Potomac

BGR fans around the Potomac area won’t have to travel to Bethesda for their burger fix for much longer. That’s because BGR The Burger Joint is opening a location in the Cabin John Shopping Center in Potomac this March. The new space will be the chain’s largest location, and will be similar in design and menu to the company’s other stores. According to Potomac Patch, construction will be begin in about two weeks.

Food truck stories

Did you know that nine D.C. police officers monitor food trucks and enforce regulations? Did you know that the secret to good Cuban bread is lard? And do you know which food truck is looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow trucker District Taco and open a brick and mortar location? Tammy Gordon of Florida Girl D.C. does. Read about her day in the life of a food truck here.

How much does the average food truck business cost to get up and running? What sort of day-to-day difficulties do truck owners have to deal with? Read "Ticket to ride: Inside the world of food trucks (part 3)", Examiner food writer Sam Grieder’s series on the food truck business.

In other food and restaurant news...

• Bethesda-Chevy Chase Restaurant Week starts today. Alexandria Restaurant Week continues.

• Maryland Restaurant Association wants a status quo on the corkage ban. According to MRA, 63 percent of its members oppose corkage. But those who are in favor of it, such as Bryan Voltaggio of VOLT, say not allowing customers to bring in their own wine places them at a disadvantage to other jurisdictions like the District and Pennsylvania, where corkage is legal. (WCP)

• Ted’s Bulletin eyes Bethesda... and another location in the District. (We Love DC)

• Congratulations, ChurchKey. Endless Simmer named the Logan Circle eatery’s New Luther sandwich as one of the best sandwiches in America. Chef Kyle Bailey’s creation features fried chicken and applewood smoked bacon on a house-made brioche donut, glazed with maple-chicken jus and topped with oven-baked pecans. Yum. This item isn’t listed on the menu, and is only available by request on Sundays, from noon to 8 p.m.

• Grocery prices are rising faster than restaurant prices. (Reuters)

From TBD’s Community Network

• We Love DC: 2011 Restaurant openings, part 2
• Dining in DC: Recap: Saturday Night Sips
• We Love DC: First look: The Big Cheese
• The Hill is Home: First Bite: The Atlas Room
• Dining in DC: Review: Cava Grill opens in Bethesda
• Bitches Who Brunch: Review: Fortune Dim Sum Brunch

Plan Ahead -- Upcoming food and drink events

• Jan. 21-30 -- Alexandria Restaurant Week
• Jan. 24-30 -- Bethesda-Chevy Chase Restaurant Week
• Jan. 25 -- AGAINN’s Robert Burns Supper

Sweet Deals

• Zpizza: Buy one Rustica, get one free (till Jan. 31)

Food truck time...