SMOKE BBQ ADDS PATIO SEATING IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

When you think of real barbecue, it tends to be served in an outdoor setting. Now you can have that experience at Smoke BBQ on Cordell Avenue, in downtown Bethesda. 

The restaurant has just added outdoor patio seating. I'm giving them major bonus points for Michelob umbrellas. Don't try to tell me your beer is classier; your craft brew doesn't have Cheryl Ladd on the commercial. "Weekends were made for Michelob." And barbecue.

DRUG ARREST ON BATTERY LANE + MORE - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on June 2, according to crime data:

Drug arrest. Battery Lane at Glenbrook Road.

Burglary. 8500 block Hazelwood Road.

Vehicle burglary. 10300 block Grosvenor Place.

Vehicle burglary. 4600 block Creek Shore Drive (Randolph Hills).

Theft. 5500 block Executive Boulevard (White Flint).

Vehicle burglary. 5700 block Marinelli Road.

GALLERY BETHESDA GRAND OPENING TODAY; ARIA BEER WINE DELI CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

Stop by the new Gallery Bethesda luxury apartment tower today at 4800 Auburn Avenue, as the Donohoe Development project celebrates its grand opening. The Gallery is the first of the new generation of luxury residential buildings to be delivered in downtown Bethesda, and the first new apartment building in town in many years.

Bethesda's first 100% smoke-free building boasts concierge service, a fireside WiFi-lounge, free coffee bar, sport club style fitness center, a pet spa and designated parking/charging for hybrid and electric vehicles. "All of our features and amenities were designed with residents in mind," property manager Manuel Majano says. "Any community can say this but Gallery shows it with every detail."

Betweeen 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM today, you can take a VIP tour of the building, and win prizes. Should you decide to move in, your application fee will be waived today. There will be a photo booth in the rooftop sky lounge, and a ribbon cutting at 4:00 PM. Stick around for the rooftop reception afterwards, with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.

In addition to the 234 luxury apartments, the Gallery also contains 4660 square feet of retail space. One of the first tenants is Aria Beer Wine & Deli, another amenity for Gallery residents. The store will also have bubble tea. Here are new photos of the construction progress there:

NEW BAINBRIDGE BETHESDA CONSTRUCTION ISSUES ON ST. ELMO AVENUE (PHOTOS)

The list of problems related to the Bainbridge Bethesda construction site along St. Elmo and Fairmont Avenues seems to be growing by the day. Monday, I reported on the Bainbridge sidewalk that is apparently higher than the existing grade along the rest of Fairmont Avenue, and the problems that may cause for adjacent property owners and pedestrians. And, of course, we've been monitoring the trials and travails of pedestrians trying to get up and down Fairmont over the last couple of weeks.

Things aren't going so well on the St. Elmo side of the project, either. First, contractors for Bainbridge have blocked access to the adjacent BCC Automotive with construction vehicles. They also have not placed a steel plate over the torn up portion of St. Elmo by the driveway, according to the property owner of BCC Auto and neighboring Red Tomato Cafe, known as Green Tomato, LLC.

Green Tomato owner Lenny Greenberg has retained architect Steven J. Karr as a consultant on the St. Elmo issues, as well as on the Fairmont Avenue problems. Karr's site visit yesterday uncovered other potential issues. The drive apron for the BCC Auto driveway appears to have been reduced in width,  compared to the original. Karr also found less-than-craftsmanlike chipping of the existing driveway, rather than a neat saw cut.

To top it off, the same grade issues on the other side of the property may be in play on St. Elmo, as well. Karr wrote in an email to county officials that the concrete sub-base now in place on the St. Elmo side appears to be higher than the original (should brick pavers be added, as expected), meaning that it won't align with "the BCC Auto apron in public space." Many of the concerns have been documented in these photos taken on-site yesterday by Karr.

Karr has requested an on-site meeting with Christina Contreras and Ralph Wolfe of the county Department of Permitting Services Right-of-Way division.

This is all potentially a big mess, and could add to the delays that have already stalled the Bainbridge project over the last two years. To whatever extent the work has been botched, it is not only causing problems for the adjacent landowner, but is potentially non-conforming to the county streetscape guidelines.

Click on photos to enlarge for greater detail:

The driveway to BCC Auto
on Wednesday

All photos courtesy Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc.
All rights reserved

LANDOW BUILDING ENTRANCE REOPENS IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

The Woodmont Avenue entrance to the Landow Building in downtown Bethesda has reopened, after closing temporarily for renovations. Now the St. Elmo entrance has closed. 

MET BETHESDA WESTFIELD MONTGOMERY MALL RESTAURANT APPLIES FOR LIQUOR LICENSE (PHOTO)

The future Met Bethesda restaurant at Westfield Montgomery Mall has already applied for its liquor license, even though it won't open for several months. In fact, as you'll note in the above photo, there isn't even a restaurant to hang the application notice on! 

A new concept from the Boston-based Met Restaurant Group, the new 200+ seat eatery will be part of a nationwide expansion of Met restaurants in partnership with Westfield malls, according to Eater DC. The not-yet-fully fleshed out concept restaurant will be one of several new dining options near the 16-screen ArcLight Cinemas, also under construction at the mall.

MICROSOFT RETURNING TO WESTFIELD MONTGOMERY MALL IN BETHESDA?

Is Microsoft opening a new store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda? There is good reason to believe so. Montgomery County has issued a permit for interior alterations at the mall, and names Microsoft in the space description.

There is a pair of other Microsoft Store trends at the moment into which such a development would fit perfectly. One is the opening of several Microsoft retail stores in malls that hosted a Microsoft pop-up store during the 2012 Christmas shopping season. Westfield Montgomery Mall was among the retail centers that did.

Second, Microsoft is now opening a new type of store in the United States, called Microsoft Specialty Stores. Two such stores are opening in The Mall in Columbia, and Towson Town Center. These stores feature what the company calls a "curated" selection of Microsoft products. One can expect the company's hottest products to be among those curated, including the newest Surface tablet and Xbox One.

Should that be the type of store opening here, don't expect the full Microsoft Store experience such as one finds at Tysons Corner, pictured in the above photo from my blog 18 months ago. Stay tuned!

NEW TENANT FOR OLD O'ROURKE JEWELERS SPACE IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

There's been some activity in recent days inside the former O'Rourke Ltd. Jewelers space at 7950 Norfolk Avenue, in downtown Bethesda. It appears Home Care Assistance, a Bethesda agency that offers in-home care for seniors, is either expanding, or moving into the vacant store, which is right near their existing Norfolk Avenue headquarters. HCA also offers specialized in-home services for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients. 

There is no official announcement on any lease or move/expansion yet. But a number of people have asked me about the future of this space, so I'm keeping you up to date on what I'm hearing.

O'Rourke was an Old Bethesda fixture, enjoying a run of more than 45 years in business, and closing on its own successful terms.

ASSAULT ON WOODMONT AVE., 3 DOWNTOWN DRUG ARRESTS + MORE - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on May 31, according to crime data:

Drug arrest. 7700 block Woodmont Avenue.

Theft. Safeway, 7625 Old Georgetown Road.

Disorderly conduct. Cheltenham Drive at Wisconsin Avenue.

Drug arrest. Edgemoor Lane at Woodmont Avenue.

Vehicle burglary. Parking Garage 40, 4935 St. Elmo Avenue.

Theft. 7900 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Drug arrest. Waverly Street at Montgomery Avenue.

Vehicle theft. Elm Street at Bethesda Lane.

Assault. 8200 block Woodmont Avenue.

Theft. 5100 block River Road.

Burglary. 5400 block Blackistone Road (Westmoreland Hills).

Vehicle burglary. 5200 block Westpath Way.

NEW $10 LUNCH AT GRAPESEED IN BETHESDA (PHOTO)

Grapeseed is offering a new $10 lunch special starting this week. Start off today with a $10 soft shell crab sandwich, Maryland's official State Sandwich. Tuesdays will feature a seafood special like this in future weeks.

Wednesdays, $10 will get you any Big Entrée Salad, including The Bethesda, The Cordell, The Woodmont, Caesar or Big Mixed Green, and a bowl of soup of the day.

On Thursdays, head south with Southern-style fried chicken, served with spicy greens, mashed potatoes and gravy. Friday is fish-and-chips day – crispy cod filets beer battered and fried, served with their house-cut French fries and coleslaw.

And on any weekday, you can still get Chef Jeff Heineman's special burger, made of dry-aged beef ground in-house, for just $10.

Lunch is served from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM.

Grapeseed

4865 Cordell Avenue

(301) 986-9592

TOUT DE SWEET CLOSES TEMPORARILY FOR RENOVATIONS THIS WEEK (PHOTOS)

French pastry shop Tout de Sweet is temporarily closed, as of today, on Woodmont Avenue. The expected closure is necessary, while the macaron haven expands into the old Gaylord's Lamps and Shades space next door. Tout de Sweet will reopen on June 18, 2014.

If you simply cannot survive without French baked goods and desserts until then, I suggest trying Fresh Baguette at 4919 Bethesda Avenue, or Praline Bakery & Bistro, at 4611 Sangamore Road (in the Shops at Sumner Place shopping center).

PETER'S CARRY OUT AWNING DISAPPEARS IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

The venerable Peter's Carry Out appears to have lost its famous red awning. A new sign has taken its place, at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and Cordell Avenue. It may just be temporary, as the awning-less building roofline leaves something to be desired aesthetically.

The new sign does tout Peter's cheesesteak as "Bethesda's Best." Another small hanging sign is no longer there, either. Fortunately for regulars, the food is the same.

Here's what the old storefront looked
like, if you're not familiar with it

And here it is Monday

ROBBERY ON GARFIELD ST., DRUG ARREST AT WHITMAN HS + MORE - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on May 30, according to crime data:

Burglary. 7600 block Old Georgetown Road.

Assault. Union Jack's.

Theft. 7300 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Theft. 7200 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Theft. 5200 block Moorland Lane.

Theft. 4700 block Bradley Boulevard.

Theft. 8900 block Rockville Pike (NIH/Walter Reed area).

Robbery. 8600 block Garfield Street.

Drug arrest. Walt Whitman High School.

Theft. 6300 block Walhonding Road.

Assault. 10000 Clue Court.

Theft. 10400 block Old Georgetown Road.

Theft. White Flint Mall.

Drug arrest. Pre-Release Center (White Flint).

ROOSTERS INSTALLS SIGN AT BETHESDA ROW (PHOTOS)

Men's barbershop and grooming salon Roosters has installed its permanent sign on Arlington Road. There is also a pair of awnings out front.

The upscale, retro hair spot occupies a previously hidden retail space between Lebanese Taverna and the entrance to the Upstairs at Bethesda Row apartments. Roosters is the second male-focused business to open at Bethesda Row in the last year, with apparel retailer Bonobos being the pioneer.

MORE SIDEWALK PROBLEMS ON FAIRMONT AVENUE (PHOTOS)

The ongoing sidewalk closures on both sides of Fairmont Avenue have restricted pedestrian travel for a couple of weeks. But another set of problems unnoticed by the public are being raised by a property owner next to the Bainbridge Bethesda construction site.

That sidewalk construction in front of the Bainbridge has partly been to bring the street up to the established Bethesda Streetscape standards, including brick pavers. It also involves the driveway leading from Fairmont into the Bainbridge loading dock.

However, according to representatives of White Flint Realty Express Group, LLC, the new sidewalk is 6-7" higher than the original sidewalk in front of 4909 Fairmont Avenue. This uneven surface could restrict access for the disabled to future tenants of that property (or a new structure there, should it be redeveloped), could create a tripping hazard for pedestrians, and would trap rainwater on the 4909 patio, according to an analysis by WFREG's consultant, architect Steven J. Karr.

It certainly appears Karr's concern is legitimate, based upon these photos he furnished to Montgomery County and Bethesda Urban Partnership, among other relevant officials. Click on the photos to enlarge for greater detail.

All photos courtesy of Steven J. Karr/White Flint Express Realty Group
All rights reserved

FAIRMONT AVENUE SIDEWALK PARTIALLY REOPENS ON ONE SIDE (PHOTOS)

They're getting warmer towards legal on Fairmont Avenue. The sidewalk on the Bainbridge side is partially reopen, and a wooden ramp has been installed at the curb. In addition to the roundabout route on that side, the sidewalk on the other side of the street remains closed alongside the 7770 Norfolk construction site.

While the situation over the last two weeks there has been deadly-serious, it's been hysterical to witness just how long the county was willing to let it go on, even as the politicians hype their pedestrian safety campaign. Rather than linking to my blog, to give pedestrians a heads-up on this dangerous situation, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Services Center was linking to media reports about "What should we call White Flint?" in its taxpayer-funded email newsletters. Gosh, that's clearly the more important issue.

We have a long way to go in this county on functional ADA compliance, starting with the Bethesda Post Office fiasco, and most recently on Fairmont Avenue.

I spoke to Roger Berliner about the sidewalk mess on Fairmont at an event Thursday evening, and he said this situation - in theory - should never arise, after his sidewalk bill became law years back. He said developers can request a waiver in certain circumstances, but that public sidewalks should remain open otherwise throughout construction. That's clearly not the case on the other side of the street, where the sidewalk has been entirely closed at the 7770 project for months. I don't know if the ramp and other changes were already planned, or the result of Councilmember Berliner intervening. Also unknown, is whether either developer has a waiver to close the sidewalks for this length of time, and what are the conditions under which such a waiver can be granted.

Let's see what happens this week.

ASSAULT ON WISSIOMING RD., 2 DRUG ARRESTS IN N. BETHESDA - CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on May 29, according to crime data:

Theft. 5000 block Cedar Croft Drive.

Theft. 5300 block Western Avenue.

Assault/"other sexual offense." 5100 block Wissioming Road.

Drug arrest. 5200 block Strathmore Avenue.

Drug arrest. 11100 block Rockville Pike.

Theft. 11400 block Rockville Pike.

Theft. 11400 block Rockville Pike.

Theft. 4900 block Boiling Brook Parkway (Randolph Hills).

DUNKIN' DONUTS CLOSES AT BETHESDA ROW (PHOTOS)

True to their word, Dunkin' Donuts closed on Bethesda Avenue yesterday. The signage on the storefront has been removed, and much was gone from the interior. Dunkin' Donuts will keep another promise, as well: this store will reopen over on Elm Street this fall, ensuring that Bethesda keeps 3 active Dunkin' Donuts stores running (Bethesda Metro Center and Cordell Avenue).

Where are they going to open? If you're betting on it, I'd go with the old Kraze Burgers space at Elm and Woodmont, especially now that Ri-Ra has been filled by Noodles and Company and Soul Cycle. Should that come to pass, it would have generous patio space, as well as more interior space than the old store.

Speaking of the old store... Permits are going forward to transform the donut shop into a fancy Calypso St. Barth boutique. Fortunately, the Bethesda Row Dunkin' Donuts is immortalized on my YouTube Channel.