Besta Pizza closes in Bethesda

Besta Pizza is the latest restaurant to fall victim to the moribund Montgomery County economy. The pizzeria has closed, and their space at 4707 Chase Avenue is in the process of being cleared out.

Besta Pizza has been in business since 1994, and their cheese pizza received the Golden Grub award from GrubHub users in 2014. A record number of downtown restaurants have closed since the Montgomery County Council's "nighttime economy task force" disaster, and since the Council allowed the demolition of the Regal Bethesda 10 theater without requiring the developer to provide a replacement cineplex. Cineplexes showing mainstream blockbusters can attract an average of 20,000 additional people to an urban area per weekend, according to a study of the economic impact of theaters.

Pieology posts Coming Soon signage at Bethesda Row (Photo)

Future pizzeria Pieology has posted some Coming Soon signs at its 4922 Elm Street location. Promising 78 billon flavor combinations, Pieology has been named the fastest-growing pizza chain by Business Insider. They have an existing location in Gaithersburg.

FREE PIZZA DAY THURSDAY AT BLAZE PIZZA IN BETHESDA!

What's better than pizza? Free pizza! And that's what you can pick up at Blaze Pizza in Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda this Thursday, October 2.

All you have to do is follow Blaze Pizza on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Blaze Pizza's Josh Levitt says the company expects to give away more than 1,300 free pizzas to Bethesda residents Thursday.

Get a preview of how your pizza will be made in this video I recorded at the mall when it first opened.

VINCE & DOMINIC'S PIZZA CLOSES IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Shocking news from Auto Park Avenue in Bethesda - Vince & Dominic's Pizzeria has closed after 31 years in business. The restaurant closed yesterday, after Home Depot declined to renew its lease, according to the owners. It certainly didn't close because of a lack of popularity. Many people set on a pizza feast for dinner were in disbelief as they approached the shuttered pizzeria last evening. One family exiting Five Guys mentioned that they had originally come for pizza, but had gone into the burger restaurant upon finding Vince & Dominic's closed.

Known best for its giant slices of pizza, Vince & Dominic's is the latest Bethesda institution to get the boot from its longtime home, joining Ranger Surplus, Bruce Variety and Eastham's Servicenter in the 18 months alone.

SIGNS INSTALLED AT &PIZZA IN DOWNTOWN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

The future Bethesda location of &pizza installed signage yesterday at 7614 Old Georgetown Road. Now we await the grand opening of this DC chain, with arguably the most understated website in the history of pizza. Well, at least we know what the hours are going to be. They'll be open fairly late - 11:00 PM Sunday-Thursday, and midnight on Friday and Saturday.

&PIZZA POSTS WINDOW SIGNS AT FUTURE BETHESDA LOCATION (PHOTOS)

Signs touting &pizza went up in the windows of its future location on Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda yesterday.

Unknown so far is how their first non-letter street name location will work: U &pizza, H &pizza, Old Georgetown &pizza. Hmm.

A minor detail for pizza lovers.

TEXT YOUR WAY TO A FREE SLICE OF PIZZA TONIGHT IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Ready for a FREE slice of cheese pizza?

Text "VICTORS" to 90210, to get a free slice at Victor's Pizza & Pasta at
4860 Cordell Avenue in Bethesda tonight!

Click to enlarge photo, if you want to verify I've typed it correctly:

WATCH YALE VS. QUINNIPIAC NCAA HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP TONIGHT AT HAVEN PIZZERIA IN BETHESDA + NEW BEER LAUNCH

You can try a new craft beer and watch the NCAA Hockey Championship game at Haven Pizzeria tonight in Bethesda.

Yale takes on Quinnipiac tonight at 7:00 PM.

Haven will also have a new craft beer in the British Extra Special Bitter style, Yale Ale.

Haven us located at 7137 Wisconsin Avenue.

DIGIORNO PIZZA DIPPING STRIPS REVIEW (VIDEO)

Just in time for the weekend, I have a video review of the newest DiGiorno frozen pizza product at Giant, DiGiorno Pizza Dipping Strips.

This is basically a DiGiorno pepperoni pizza sliced into 4 breadstick-size strips. You get a small, plastic pocket of marinara sauce to dip the strips in. All of this you can heat up in the microwave.

The serving size per person is 2 strips, but that portion is unlikely to satisfy a grown adult. Yet eating all 4 strips is a tremendous amount of salt and fat.  So, you will definitely want to pick up a somewhat healthier side item to have with these, if you are trying to reduce your salt and fat intake.