Fire and Ice Combine at Newly-Opened “Flame and Cones” Restaurant
Brentwood, Maryland’s miXt Food Hall already serves as a place for people to sample all different kinds of foods under one roof, from Mexican cuisine to ice cream. Now, it’s adding an eighth restaurant to its lineup—one serving an unconventional combination of dishes.
What started out as a food truck catering parties and appearing at local events became Flame and Cones, specializing in Neapolitan-style, wood-fired pizza with D.C.-inspired toppings. These range from classics like Margherita and pepperoni pies to the more elaborate “DC Summer,” “Air Force One” and “Cherry Blossom” pizzas.
Notably, the restaurant uses a 72-hour fermentation process for the whole-wheat dough that makes up its pizza crust. The labor-intensive process results in healthier, easier-to-digest slices. Many of the pizzas also use ingredients sourced from local farmers’ and Amish markets.
But the restaurant’s titular “cones” are snow cones. The food truck partnered with Bigmouth Snowballs and Gelat’Oh to provide cold sweet treats like snow cones and shaved ice to complement the pizza.
“I want our business to be known as a community hub that brings people together over great food and enjoyable experiences,” says Chris Whiting, Flame and Cones’ owner. “This is why miXt Food Hall is a perfect location for our pizzas and cones. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the countless individuals, families, corporations, schools, churches and military bases that have supported us throughout our journey.”
—Jillian Diamond
Smithsonian Passport Puts New Spin on Washington, D.C. Tourism
Whether you’re a tourist who’s never been to D.C. before or a local interested in learning trivia about familiar landmarks, the Smithsonian Passport is an invaluable guide. Launched on Feb. 18, the passport features curated information on the 19 Smithsonian museums in the area, along with iconic landmarks like the National Zoo and the Supreme Court.
As you travel through D.C., you can mark off locations you’ve been to using 30 unique stickers. Afterwards, the book serves as a souvenir of the trip. It’s an ideal bucket list of all the major spots that travelers should be sure to check out—and if you don’t hit all of them in one go, it’ll help you plan your next D.C. trip.
—Jillian Diamond
State Budget Proposal to Make Education, Child Care More Affordable
At the start of 2025, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore released the Moore-Miller administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal, in which the governor says he aims to grow the economy and make education, housing, healthcare and child care more affordable for Marylanders.
The deadline for the Maryland General Assembly to pass the state budget is April 1. Here’s what will affect local families, according to the proposal:
Moore says he aims to accomplish his goals with a $67.3 billion plan focused primarily on growing the state’s middle class without raising sales or property taxes. Moore also plans to provide a tax cut to about two-thirds of Marylanders, specifically middle-class and low-income families, he states in a January news release.
Another focus of the budget is increasing funding for Maryland schools and job skills training, which Moore says will strengthen the state’s labor force.
Moore proposes allocating $9.7 billion to Maryland’s public schools, a record $401 million in funding for Maryland’s community colleges and more than $400 million to child care scholarships that will serve nearly 43,000 children in 2026, up from 16,000 children in 2022.
He wants to provide a $5 million increase for Maryland’s Employment Advancement Right Now grant program funding to address workforce skill gaps and employee shortages, which could support working parents. EARN Maryland provides jobseekers with job readiness training; in addition to GED preparation, literacy advancement and occupational skills development, it also includes transportation and child care.
Moore proposes expanding the child tax credit, which aims to provide financial relief for low-income parents and their children. The funds are primarily used for child care, food, housing and other essentials. Currently, Maryland’s child tax credit is reserved for the lowest-income families—those earning $6,000 or less per year—with restricted eligibility to families of children with disabilities.
He also suggests allocating $122 million in local aid to protect police officers and increase funding for the Department of Juvenile Services, which aims to “provide pathways to success for youth and families” through various partnerships.
— Zoe Bell
