FIRST SNOW OF WINTER IN BETHESDA (PHOTO)

It snowed tonight in downtown Bethesda, and here is a picture from Woodmont Avenue, north of St. Elmo Avenue. That's Fairmont Plaza ahead on the left, and the Landow Building on the right.

SMASHBURGER BETHESDA CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

A lot of interior signage has been installed inside of Smashburger, and a Now Hiring banner has been hung inside the front window. You can see the counter for pick up/carry-out orders, and a sign explaining the ordering process.

Smashburger is located at the corner of Norfolk and Cordell Avenues, and is opening soon.

BETHESDA ROOFTOP RESTAURANT CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (PHOTO)

A new set of exterior lights has been installed, in a pattern, at future Bethesda rooftop restaurant, Roof Bethesda. The restaurant is expected to open in early December.

PSYCHIC READINGS AT BETHESDA ROW (PHOTO)

It's true! That's not a Photoshop photo. A psychic is giving readings outside of Barnes and Noble. Where's Kenny Kingston when you need him?

NEW MENU AT BOLD BITE IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Bold Bite has just updated its menu, and here are a few of the new items:

° The Spicy Burger: Monterey Jack cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, smokin' hot sauce, crispy tortilla strips & cilantro lime sauce

° The DC Asian Half-Smoke: Asian slaw, Hot & Bold sauce, toasted sesame seeds

° Hand-cut Belgian Fries (always fresh, never frozen, made to order) with house-made Fry Sauces: House Aioli, Cilantro Lime, Chesapeake, Cajun Ketchup, Hot & Bold and Smokin' Hot

° Latin Salad: Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, corn, red onions, guacamole, tortilla chips, house cilantro lime dressing & roasted chicken (served with house-baked Focaccia)

See the full menu below.

Bold Bite is located at 4901-B Fairmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda.

ARCLIGHT CINEMAS EXCLUSIVE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE CAST INTERVIEWS/TRAILER (VIDEO)

ArcLight Cinemas will be opening next year at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. But they wanted to reach out early to Bethesda moviegoers, and sent this video of exclusive interviews with the cast of Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which opened at midnight last night.

The Montgomery Mall location will be the first East Coast ArcLight theater.

PIKE AND ROSE SITE PLAN AMENDMENT TO BE CONSIDERED BY MOCO PLANNING BOARD DECEMBER 5 (PHOTO)

A site plan amendment for the Pike & Rose development, on the former Mid-Pike Plaza property along Rockville Pike in White Flint, will be taken up by the Montgomery County Planning Board on December 5.

The amendment would allow changes to be made to, and around, an existing retail building currently leased by Bank of America and Starbucks. That building is located at the southeast corner of the Pike and Rose development, where Old Georgetown Road meets Rockville Pike, and is referred to as "Building 13."

Changes described in the amendment include new building facades, a 1000 square foot expansion of retail space, a new pedestrian connection to Rockville Pike, and screening of existing trash receptacles and an electric transformer.

On the Pike side of the structure, the amendment would allow for outdoor cafe seating with overhead catenary lights, landscaping and a fountain.

Planning department staff have recommended approval of the site plan amendment.

Map via Montgomery County Planning Department:

THE DARCY BETHESDA CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (PHOTOS) - LOT 31 BETHESDA ROW

Here is the very latest progress at the construction site of The Darcy luxury condominiums at Bethesda Row. What you are seeing here primarily, is the construction of the gargantuan 900-space public parking garage that will lie beneath the Darcy.

BETHESDA ROW APPLE STORE LED WINDOW CHRISTMAS DISPLAY (PHOTOS)

Check out the animated LED light display in the front windows of the Apple Store at Bethesda Row. See it for yourself in person, but if you can't, click to enlarge these photos for more detail. You may recall the store's creative display last year, which included a large wreath made out of iPad Minis, if I remember correctly.

LA PIAZZA BEER GARDEN MOVES INDOORS FOR WINTER (PHOTOS)

La Piazza Beer Garden on the patio at Cesco Osteria has moved indoors for the winter. The wooden furniture has been cleared from the patio, and daily operation of the beer garden has temporarily ceased.

But a spokesperson says that the concept will switch to indoor beer events during the winter season.

The first one to put on your calendar will be a Beer vs. Wine event on Sunday, December 15, which will be held indoors at Cesco Osteria. Save the date, and stay tuned for more details.

Cesco is located at 7401 Woodmont Avenue, in the ground floor of the Newlands Building, right next to the Bethesda Metro station.

WESTFIELD MONTGOMERY MALL BLACK FRIDAY 2013 STORE OPENING SCHEDULE/STORES OPEN THANKSGIVING - BETHESDA

Black Friday will begin on Thanksgiving at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Many stores will open "after dinner" on Thursday, November 28.

Old Navy will actually open Thursday morning, but then close at 4:00 PM. Then it will re-open at 7:00 PM.

Other stores will follow throughout Thanksgiving night:

8:00pm
Macy's
Sears
American Eagle
Brookstone
Forever 21
Dippin Dots
Tea Neck
Gap
Abercrombie & Fitch
Hollister Co.
Arden B
Pac Sun
Piercing Pagoda
Walking Company

9:00pm
Starbucks

10:00pm
Aeropostale

10:30pm
Caribou Coffee

11:00pm
Aldo
Aroma
Jamba Juice

SMASHBURGER BETHESDA CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

Get ready to "live the burger dream" soon at Smashburger at Norfolk and Cordell Avenues in downtown Bethesda. Just since yesterday's update, additional light fixtures have been installed, most notably above the street-facing window dining counter. A contrasting tile is working its way across an interior wall.

Smashburger is expected to open next month. The restaurant is currently hiring for all positions.

PANERA BREAD BETHESDA CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

Lots of excitement over at the future downtown Bethesda Panera Bread, at 7201 Wisconsin Avenue, at Willow Lane.

In addition to the progress on the interior, some permanent signage has also been installed. The restaurant and bakery are expected to open in January 2014.

EQUITY ONE ENTERS TWO WESTBARD AVENUE PROPERTIES INTO MARYLAND VOLUNTARY ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP PROGRAM (PHOTO)

Equity One has applied for entry into the state of Maryland's Voluntary Environmental Cleanup Program on behalf of two of its just-acquired Westbard Avenue properties: the Westwood Tower apartments, and the Bowlmor Bethesda bowling alley. A third Westbard property that Equity One is in the process of closing on, the Westwood Shopping Center, has already been in the cleanup program for many years.

The real estate investment firm is filing as "inculpable" for any environmental contaminants that may be present within the properties' soil or groundwater, including chemicals, fuels, etc.

Westwood Tower is at 5401 Westbard Avenue, and Bowlmor at 5353 Westbard in Bethesda. The Westwood Shopping Center is directly across Westbard from the two properties.

SR/A INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN RELOCATING DESIGN OFFICE TO 7020 WISCONSIN AVENUE IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

A prominent DC-area interior design firm, that got its start working on corporate headquarters for American Express and Merrill Lynch in New York's Financial Center, is moving its design office to 7020 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda.

SR/A Interior Architecture and Design relocated to the DC area in 2000. In a little over a decade, CEO and Principal Sabine Roy and the firm have made an impression with projects in the District and Northern Virginia. The Foundry Lofts at DC's historic Navy Yard, the Paramount condos in Reston, and the Eclipse and Monarch in Alexandria are a few of the buildings to receive distinctive interior treatments from SR/A in that time.

With downtown Bethesda residential real estate booming, in contrast to other sectors of the county's economy and office space market, Wisconsin Avenue is starting to become designer's row with StreetSense, and now SR/A, opening offices along the thoroughfare.

SR/A plans to open their Bethesda design office in early 2014. The firm's headquarters is currently at 2121 Ward Court NW, in Washington, D.C. Services they offer include architectural and interior design, space planning, LEED and environmental design, and interior lighting, to name a few.