Soccer fans watch the American team lose at Tony and James restaurant last month.

“When you first get going it takes some time, some tweaking, to get things right,” said co-owner Tony Massenburg. “Rather than flounder we made changes right away.”

“Opening night was so strong from a turnout perspective that we took a hit; we accept our part in that and want people to give us another try,” said Massenburg.

Stepping into his new role, Lippe said he was impressed that the staff did well before his arrival with no leadership in the kitchen, and he has his sights set on quality. “My job is to make the menu taste great,” said the chef, who has worked for the Ritz Carlton and was a private chef and high-end catering consultant before joining Tony and James.

The menu will include more fish, more meat, a better selection of entrees that are a little bit higher end, according to Massenburg. “Nothing on our menu more than $30,” he added. In addition, a children’s menu with items such as grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, and chicken tenders is also available with prices ranging from $8 – 10.

Kentlands resident Jon Nash has been to the restaurant four times including the USA v. Ghana World Cup game event, which drew a large crowd. “It was fun in that a lot of people brought their kids who had a great time in the open space upstairs while their parents watched the game and talked with friends,” he said.

While Nash likes the atmosphere, he’d like to see the quality of food go up and maybe the prices go down. “If they can begin to win fans over with their food, there is no reason why they can’t be very successful.”

Kentlands resident Larry Goldman was disappointed in his dining experience and felt the reality fell short of the hype. He also believes the prices are too high for the location and atmosphere.

As a food and beverage industry expert, Goldman’s advice is that the management focus on the fundamentals such as operating procedures, training, purchasing, inventory control and control of communication between front of restaurant and kitchen. “You have to have the fundamentals in place or it all goes wrong,” he said.

In Goldman’s opinion an overcooked meal is forgivable, but running out of Caesar salad because management didn’t order proper inventory doesn’t spell success. “I want to see them succeed, I really do,” he added.

Massenburg is hopeful that events such as the newly introduced “Three for Thursday/Single Mingle” nights and more live music such as the band Octane on July 10 and Chorduroy on July 24 will keep moving Tony and James in the right direction.

“We’ve made huge strides in food and service in the last month,” said Massenburg.

Joe Aflalo of Salon Red leads the vocals for Platform Soul outside the Star Diner.

Music Notes

Live music has been plentiful in downtown Kentlands with bands booked every Friday and Saturday nights on the plaza adjacent to the Star Diner. There’s also the new Main Street Music Festival every Wednesday night on the city green, which is attracting lots of attention. City Councilman Michael Sesma had a front row seat in July. “Delightful evening. Excellent music, good crowd that grew until 8:30 p.m.,” he said. “We sat outside Main Street Cafe and had a great view while dining.”

The Main Street Music Festival is attracting crowds to downtown Kentlands every Wednesday night.

Latin Dance Party

Two Left Feet Dance Studio, located at 217 Market Street West, is hosting a Latin Dance Party from 7 – 11 p.m. on July 24. It is beginner friendly and will get you moving and grooving. Admission is $20 per person before 9 p.m. and $10 after 9 p.m. For more information, call 240.632.2345 or e-mail dance@twoleftfeetdance.com.

Changes at the Square

There are lots of storefront changes at the Kentlands Square Shopping Center. Blockbuster and Chicken Out are two of the latest businesses packing up and moving out. Still no word on who may be filling the former Score retail space either. Giant Food Store recently installed new signs on the outside of its building, and Bark, a natural pet store, is planning to open later this summer.

Kentlands 5K Registration

Registration is now open for the 17th Annual Kentlands/Lakelands 5K Run, Walk and Kids’ Fun Runs, scheduled for Saturday, September 4. The event, which has grown to be the largest 5K race event in Montgomery County, is hosted by the nonprofit Kentlands Community Foundation in partnership with the city of Gaithersburg.

The 5K race has grown in size consistently each year, raising concerns from the race committee about the race outgrowing the course. This has forced the committee to limit registration. “Our number one concern is to create a safe race for all involved, and with the nature of our ‘looped,’ narrow course, we felt strongly that too many people on the course at once could compromise our participant’s safety. We registered over 100 5K participants in the first few days of open registration, so it will be interesting to see if we sell out this year,” said Steve Solbeck, race director for the event.  

Business Sponsors Sought

The Kentlands Community Foundation’s 5K Race Committee is now seeking sponsorship donations from local businesses who would like to participate in this fall’s Kentlands/Lakelands 5K Race. All race proceeds go to charity, and the race is the Foundation’s largest fundraising event each year, with half of the proceeds donated to several other local charities (yet to be named). There are several sponsorship levels. Local businesses in particular are encouraged to support the 5K race by participating as sponsors. Both the kids’ fun runs and the 5K race start and finish on Main Street behind Market Square Plaza. All sponsors are given promotional value for sponsoring the race, including targeted mail campaigns, promotion in the participant’s goody bags, signage opportunities depending on level of sponsorship and the chance to be a part of the post-Race Expo in Market Square Plaza. Businesses can register to be a sponsor by going to www.kentlands.org/5K.

Volunteers Needed

The Kentlands/Lakelands 5K Race requires nearly 200 volunteers to make it a success. All volunteers receive t-shirts, students earn SSL hours, and every volunteer is invited to a “5K Volunteer Thank You” Party each fall. To volunteer, go to www.kentlands.org/5K.

KDP Meeting

The next Kentlands Downtown Partnership (KDP) meeting is scheduled for July 13. President Paula Ross reports that memberships continue to increase. For more information, www.kentlandsdowntown.com.

The Kentlands Community Foundation (KCF) recently held its annual meeting, and three new members were appointed to the 11-member board. Katy Thoms, Brendan Emerson and Lake Coulson are replacing outgoing members Norman Katz, Lynda Ullmer Gage and Lee Wilson, whose terms expired in June 2010. Other board members include: Dr. Bill Dahut, Nannette Horan, Terry Collins, Glen Palman, Paula Ross, John Schlichting, Michael Sesma and Dr. Dennis Stiles.

Go Green Events

The KCF’s Go Green group will host marine biologist Boyce Thorne-Miller to talk about the Gulf oil spill and what we can do to help the clean up. The event is scheduled for July 15 at 7 p.m. at the Kentlands Clubhouse. Miller has worked for two decades as an activist on ocean environmental issues, including toxic pollution, marine biodiversity, aquaculture and most recently fisheries. This event is open to the general public.

On July 30, the Go Green group will sponsor a family walk at Great Seneca Park with Amy Beam, who will teach participants how to look for animal tracks and interact with nature. The group meets at 5 p.m. at the Kentlands Clubhouse. Bring a picnic.

For more KCF news and information, visit www.kentlands.org.