The Colony South Hotel & Conference Center introduces a new day in south county dining with the opening of "SweetGrass". 

SweetGrass specializes in cuisine from the Carolina and Georgia coasts, offering southern home-style cooking (as well as local faves from the Chesapeake Bay area). All this utilizing the best fresh local ingredients brought to you from farm to table.

"Our creative menu selections are passionately prepared with ingredients from local farms and suppliers who deliver fresh meats and produce each and every morning. The result is delicious comfort food served in a casual setting." 

The restaurant is open breakfast, lunch and dinner with Champagne Sunday Brunch. In addition to SweetGrass (which replaces The Wayfarer), Colony South also offers the Decoy Lounge and Cafe 5.

The CAA Women's College Basketball Championship floors its final tournament at Show Place Arena, March 9-12. The tournament, which has made SPA its home for the past five seasons, will now move on to a "campus rotation" system beginning with James Madison University in 2017, Drexel in 2018, and Delaware in 2019.

The CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) consists of Charleston, Delaware, Drexel, Elon, Hoffstra, James Madison, William & Mary, Towson, Northeastern, and UNCW. Regarding the tournament move, Commissioner Tom Yeager stated "w e've had a tremendous run at the Show Place Arena and look for that success to continue on campus."

The 2016 CAA tournament champion gets an automatic berth to the Big Dance - the NCAA DI Women's Basketball Championship, which begins March 18.

For more info and tickets for CAA Championship 2016>>

The Cheverly HoJo's (Howard Johnson Washington DC North) is being re-flagged, refreshed, and refined. A $5 million-plus renovation is currently underway that will transform the prop into the Wyndham Garden Washington DC North Hotel. 

Expected to debut this spring, the new Wyndham will include new exterior look, new courtyard, new lobby and interiors, and all new guest rooms (40 executive kings, 110 doubs). The upgrade also includes a new "Garden Bistro & Lounge" restaurant. The long-standing Fratelli Italian Restaurant will remain.  

Located just off BW Parkway, the hotel - originally built in 1960 - is owned and operated by Germantown, MD-based SharCon Management & Development. SharCon's portfolio includes eight hotels and four restaurants.

Evangel Cathedral's spring spiritual spectacular - "More Than Triumphant" - will be held April 2-3 for six shows only. A delight for groups and audiences of all ages, t he production includes a cast of over 150 men, women and children, spectacular light shows, live animals and world-renowned gospel artists. Scheduled to perform is all six shows this year are  Donnie McClurkin, Erica Campbell, Travis Greene, and Kim Burrell.

For info and tickets>>

Okay, we lightly touched on this last year. But, March Madness (and the fact that UMD Men & Women will both be ballin' ) has caused us to get sentimental for the grand tradition, fond memories, and great games that lifted Cole Field House to legendary status in Maryland sports history. The pinnacle - in 2002 during its final year as an athletic venue - was being home to the UMD Men's Basketball team, coached by the great Gary Williams and lead by UMD Hall of Famer Juan Dixon. That team would go on to win the 2002 NCAA Men's National Championship. 

But, time marches on, Xfinity Center takes center stage, and the building relegated to "student activity center" status now has a remarkably bright future. Cole will be transformed into a hub of premium athletic training, academics and research. T he new Cole will feature (A)  Terrapin Performance Center , (B)  Center for Sports Medicine, Health & Human Performance , and (C)  Academy for Innovation & Entrepreneurship .  

Bowie Marketplace Center is in the midst of major revitalization - with reopening set for later this year. As part of the new mix (that includes Harris Teeter), the center will gain a few fast-casual s tandards like Firehouse Subs, Chick-fil-a, Sweet Frog, and Chipotle.

Also on deck is an emerging concept out of the Seattle - MOD Pizza .  Founded in 2008, there are currently over 90 locations across the country, with eight operating (or pending) in the DMV-B'more metroplex . 

The company's acronym stands for "Made On Demand".  MOD offers individual, artisan style pizzas, which are baked for approximately three minutes in hyper-heated pizza ovens. In addition to 10 classics, MOD features a one-price strategy no matter how you top it.  MOD also serves salads, hand-spun milkshakes, fountain drinks, beer and wine.

HEY...what about the possible return of former tenant and popular sports bar/restaurant Glory Days? Last we heard, dating back to last summer, GD was in negotiations with property owner, Berman Enterprises. No word on whether those talks amount to a comeback.