An ambitious new tapas restaurant opened its doors this week in Rockville’s King Farm neighborhood. Ayşe Meze Lounge, from longtime Frederick restaurateur Nezih Pistar, has taken over the old Nick’s Chophouse space at 700 King Farm Boulevard. The menu blends Italian, Greek and Turkish cuisine at moderate prices. Specialties include Lebanese fried chicken with hot honey tahini; Brussels sprouts in hot-and-sour dressing; and Neapolitan-style pizzas fired in a brick oven. The spacious dining room seats more than 100, plus a 30-seat bar. There’s also a private dining room for events, and a dog-friendly patio that will soon host live music. Ayşe is a new incarnation of a restaurant that Pistar previously owned in Frederick. He still runs two other businesses there: the tapas spot Isabella’s, and the Italian restaurant Pistarro’s. In Rockville, he says, “Our goal is to create a place that will make people feel at home, where they can bring their family, maybe bring their dog, and it won’t hurt their budget.”
