With Chocolate Bar Eyeing Reston Town Center, Urban Authenticity Confirmed At Long Last

We've often written with great admiration about the authentic urban feel -- even "grit," if you will -- of our beloved Fake Downtown. Salad bars, artisan burger joints, cupcakeries, homemade Pop-Tarts -- they all speak to what's authentic about the urban experience, as does the performance art and occasional big-city headache.

But now, Reston Town Center may be poised to get its most urbane, sophisticated big-city option yet: a chocolate bar. And if you think we mean a place that sells Hershey's or Kit-Kats or maybe even a Crunch Bar, hie thee back to Ashburn, silly suburbanite, 'cuz stuff's about to get real.

Bethesda Row's sweet new addition, Max Brenner Chocolate Bar, should open within the next week, but that's just the beginning of the growth in the D.C. region for the New York-based chocolatier.

The company would like to open at least four more stores in the region and is actively looking for space in downtown D.C. and Dupont Circle, Tysons Corner and Reston, according to Sam Borgese, CEO of Max Brenner International.

Wow. You can just suck it, Chantilly, Herndon, and "Fairfax Towne Center," because we don't see your names on that list.

For the unwashed among us, the WBJ helpfully explains what we can expect from this chocolatery glistening example of big-city couture:

The chocolate bar is part sit-down, fast-casual restaurant and part retail shop. Those eating in can indulge in fondue, a chocolate pizza, waffles or crepes, all incorporating the company's signature milk, dark or white chocolate ganache. There's also a "popsicle fondue" where customers have a plain vanilla ice cream bar, a bowl of melted chocolate and toppings to continuously create their own frozen treat.

"It's all about the experience," said Katzie Guy-Hamilton, executive chef for Max Brenner. "We want you to play, to lick, to get chocolate on your face."

Okay then.

Don't worry, fellow Restonites, if all this change is giving you cultural whiplash. Turns out the Next Big Thing coming to RTC is a plain old CVS, whose aisles of downmarket snack products and beauty care items should be reassuring to us all, even if it's going to be on the ground floor of a building that welcomes hipsters with open arms, the end.