Emma’s Torch in The Washingtonian

Neighborhood Guide: Where to Eat, Shop, and Play in Silver Spring

The former home of Scion Restaurant and NaiNai’s Noodle & Dumpling Bar on East-West Highway will be reborn as the flagship location for Emma’s Torch. A nonprofit that provides culinary training and job-placement services to refugees, asylum seekers, and human-trafficking survivors, the organization operates a catering business and cafes (including one in Brookland, which will move to the new location).

Founder and executive director Kerry Brodie, who launched Emma’s in New York, says she wants to anchor the nonprofit in Silver Spring because of the neighborhood’s “incredibly diverse community” and “amazing small-business culture.” Did the promise of the Purple Line influence that decision? “I grew up in the area, and I’ve been hearing about the Purple Line since I was a child,” Brodie says. “We see it as the cherry on top, but we’re not holding our breath.…read more.