Dumpster imminent for The Parva building

The owner of the vacant building that most recently was home to The Parva has requested a permit to place a dumpster out front on Woodmont Avenue. This suggests an interior demolition is going forward in the near future, or at a minimum, that there is a lot left behind to dispose of.

The Parva building now for lease in Bethesda (Photos)

The two-story building at 7904 Woodmont Avenue has had its highs (South Beach Restaurant & Bar and, most recently, The Parva) and lows over the years. Now it's someone else's turn to try. New landlord White Star has just put the building up for lease.

There's a lot of potential here for either an upscale nightclub, or a two-level restaurant that can bring in solid revenue by hosting large events upstairs, like Tragara/4935 Bar & Kitchen. I would prefer the former, as Bethesda is in pretty desperate need of more nightspots, after the failure of Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer's disastrous Nighttime Economy Initiative. The Parva was the seventh nightclub to close since Riemer took office in 2010.

Parva Cocina & Tequila Bar closes in Bethesda

Sadly, The Parva has closed in Bethesda. A sign on the front of the shuttered restaurant and bar states that the lease was up. All social media accounts appear to have been shut down, and the website is almost empty of content besides an online ordering prompt.

While it was known that a new landlord had purchased the building at 7904 Woodmont Avenue, and put it up for lease last year (and that the lease was indeed due to run out in 2016), it was surprising it closed so soon. The restaurant opened in May 2011, not January.

The owners say they hope to reopen soon in a nearby location. With all of the shuttered nightspots in Bethesda, there are some spaces available, such as the former Relic on Fairmont Avenue.

This is at least the seventh nightspot to close in downtown Bethesda since 2011.

The restaurant evolved from the South Beach/Miami Vice-inspired lounge it debuted as in 2011, to a Tex-Mex theme in 2014. It was one of only three nightspots to offer bottle/VIP table service in Bethesda.

While the property presents a potential redevelopment opportunity, the most viable scenario would be to consolidate this site with the Jetties/BGR building next door. There's no indication that landowner is interested in doing so at this time.

The owners of The Parva should be commended for bringing something new and unique to Bethesda nightlife, and hopefully they will be starting a new business here soon.

PARVA COCINA AND TEQUILA BAR MENU (PHOTOS) + HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS

Here is the menu for the revamped Parva on Woodmont Avenue, now known as Parva Cocina & Tequila Bar. The menu has indeed shifted from the South American cuisine of the original Parva to that of Mexico, in keeping with the name change. Stop by, and you can also check out the newly renovated restaurant and lounge. Click on the photos to enlarge menu pages for greater detail:

Parva Cocina & Tequila Bar

7904 Woodmont Avenue

PARVA COCINA & TEQUILA BAR TO OPEN AUGUST 7 IN BETHESDA

I have a few more details on the Parva Cocina & Tequila Bar story I reported yesterday. The revamped Parva Restaurant and Lounge at 7904 Woodmont Avenue will celebrate its grand reopening next Thursday, August 7.

The renovated Parva's tequila bar will stock over 32 tequilas, and the business has a new logo, as shown above.

THE PARVA TO REOPEN AS PARVA COCINA & TEQUILA BAR IN BETHESDA

The Parva, a Latin American restaurant and lounge at 7904 Woodmont Avenue, is currently renovating its dining room, and will reopen as Parva Cocina & Tequila Bar. During the renovation, the upper level Parva Lounge will remain open for business on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

While The Parva specialized in South American cuisines, including those of Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela and Peru, the new concept suggests a more Mexican theme. The owners recently opened a Tex-Mex restaurant and lounge in Wheaton, called El Fogón de Wheaton.

Stay tuned for details on the grand reopening.

LA NUEVA FM DJ TO HOST ROOFTOP POOL PARTY IN BETHESDA SUNDAY

The Parva Restaurant and Lounge is taking over the rooftop pool deck at the DoubleTree Bethesda hotel this Sunday, July 20, from 12:00-5:00 PM, for a pool party. Then, head back to The Parva at 7904 Woodmont Avenue for the after party. The pool party will be hosted by Mauricio "Prettyboimo" Molina of La Nueva 87.7 FM. Music will be provided by Parva regular DJ Envy One.

Although the cover charge will be $10, ladies get in free before 2:00 PM Sunday. VIP bottle service will be available on the roof.

DoubleTree Bethesda

8120 Wisconsin Avenue

PARVA LOUNGE BUILDING UP FOR SALE IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

The distinctive building currently occupied by The Parva lounge and restaurant is now on the market for $2,299,000. But even if it is sold, The Parva will still remain there for at least 3 more years.

With two stories and 4546 square feet of space, the restaurant property at 7904 Woodmont Avenue could eventually be a prime piece of mixed-use redevelopment property. To achieve that, however, would likely require joining the plot with the adjoining structure that holds BGR and Jetties.

The Parva still has 3 years on its lease, and they could always sign an extension after that. My guess is the next owner might be willing to give the lounge a short term lease, if no viable redevelopment project is on the table in 2016. According to the seller, the current Parva lease is at a below-market rate.

Let's hope The Parva stays, as the building and renovated interior add much of the South Beach atmosphere to the lounge. We really need more Latin American restaurants and nightspots, not less, in downtown Bethesda. The Parva is currently the only club in Bethesda that regularly offers VIP table service. BlackFinn has offered it on Thursday nights in the past, and the first establishment to provide it - Relic - went out of business.

The Parva also has a diverse menu, featuring dishes from Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina and Peru.

And it is one of the few spots around town that shows any life after midnight. In my opinion, it's a business that has a lot of potential to continue to grow.

Fortunately, there isn't likely to be any change in the near future.

COLOMBIA VS. PERU: THE PARVA IS THE PLACE TO BE IN BETHESDA

Where to watch the big game today in Bethesda - Colombia vs. Peru?

At The Parva!  Especially if Colombia is your team, but they'll have appetizers and adult beverages for both sides!

Watch the game on the big screens, and enjoy $6 empanadas and $8 picadas.

When the game ends, it's time celebrar - with a victory party that will go until 1:30 AM!

$4 cervezas.  Colombian Aguardiente or Pisco, your choice:  $5.

The legendary Parva Colombian Mojitos and Pisco Sours will provide the perfect cocktails to go with the game!

Cost to enter will be $5.

The Parva, 7904 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda.

BOTTLE SERVICE CATCHING ON AT BETHESDA NIGHTSPOTS

BLACKFINN WILL BE THIRD BETHESDA

BAR TO OFFER TABLE SERVICE WITH

MAY 10 LAUNCH OF "THIRSTY THURSDAYS"

 Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

A promising new trend is developing in downtown Bethesda's nightspots:  bottle service/table service.

Once a practice limited to places like Las Vegas and Los Angeles, table service made its way to Washington, DC eventually.  But it was completely unheard of in Montgomery County.

Relic on Fairmont Avenue was the first to introduce it.  In the last year, The Parva has added it.

Next week, on May 10th, BlackFinn Bethesda will join them with the launch of "Thirsty Thursday."

In general, bottle or table service in Vegas, et al, can require an upfront fee, and mandatory purchases of x-number of bottles, based on the size of your party.

BlackFinn isn't going to make you do that.  But it will be an exclusive, VIP experience, and you will not only get special deals, but also have the chance to win gift cards.

What makes it exclusive, is that the first 5 hosts - with at least 5 guests - (that's you, within the group you are going to BlackFinn with) who are present, and check-in at the sign-in table, get on the First Come-First Served Reservation List for table service.

What makes it VIP, is that if you are one of those 5 hosts Thursday nights at 9 PM, you and your guests will receive not only a reserved booth for the night, and a cocktail server waiting on that booth all night, but you are also going to get a FREE bottle of champagne to get the evening started.

You'll be able to take advantage of special deals, like $3 U-call-its and a FREE appetizer buffet from 9-11 PM.  Then, at 11, all drinks will be $4 until midnight (if your party has signed in by 11:00).  In addition, Bud Light bottles will be $2 from 9:00 to close.

Now, about those prizes.  For every 10 guests you bring, you'll get a $10 gift card.   But the host who brings the most guests will win a $100 gift card.

Please note that your guests will need to tell the hostess your first and last name to enter the VIP area, which is now the downstairs bar.  Making the downstairs more private is the result of customer feedback, said Maddy Pinckert, BlackFinn's Promotions Manager.  She noted it will make a buffet arrangement more accessible to VIP guests.

To sign up for table service, email mpinckert@BlackFinnBethesda.com.  

This is a bit more modest of a table or bottle service program than you would find in Vegas or even some spots in DC.  But, as I noted, BlackFinn's table service won't drain your bank account like those other clubs' pricing would.

This is a good start, and the growing popularity of such offerings is a positive for downtown Bethesda.

Bethesda had a very promising initial transformation.  And we have quite a few great nightspots like BlackFinn.  But we are at a crossroads here.

We need to not only recapture the momentum, but take this opportunity to definitively move ahead of other cities in the DC area.

Why can't Bethesda be the first city in Montgomery County to have a 50-story building?  And then 75 and 100 after that.  Who decided we would suddenly take a back seat to White Flint (please!) in building heights?  I refuse to accept second best as a lifelong Bethesda resident, and so should you!

The same goes for the Bethesda nightlife scene.  Adding table service and other VIP touches is a step in exactly the right direction.

Bethesda has the level of income to support at least one or more new, very swanky nightspots.  I'm not aware of any plans, within residential buildings currently under construction, to add new nightclubs.

But with at least two upscale hotels nearing groundbreaking in downtown Bethesda (including a Westin on Wisconsin Avenue), why can't we have a venue like Pure or TAO in Vegas?  Or something equivalent?  Are we trying to be the premiere urban area for young people, or not?  Sure, some people find bottle service, or rope line waits outside, pretentious.  That's not a reason to aim low.  I don't know if you've been to a place in DC that doesn't just aspire to Vegas, L.A. or South Beach, but matches it?  I haven't.  I'm not criticizing DC, because they are currently ahead of us.  But what if Bethesda were to aim higher?

That's why I advocate for just such a spot here in Bethesda.  Does it really cost that much, in the grand scheme of things, to hire a C-list, reality show celebrity to come in and host once a week?  How about some more rooftop pool venues, Vegas style (TAO Beach, etc.)?  Or are we content to play second banana to DC pool parties?  I'm not.

So I for one applaud the new trend of table service, and if you've got a group that isn't planning to bar-hop all night, it's well worth giving Thirsty Thursday a try at BlackFinn.  These sort of experiments will position BlackFinn well for the future of Bethesda nightlife.

BlackFinn Bethesda, 4901 Fairmont Avenue.

RUDY GONZALEZ

MAKES HIS PARVA

DEBUT TONIGHT

Saxophonist to the Latin Stars

Brings His World-Class Band to Bethesda

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

Even if you haven't heard of Rudy Gonzalez, you've probably heard him play. Tonight at The Parva, you'll not only hear him, but also 100 jukeboxes worth of Latin hits in every style.

What do you say about a guy who's played with Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Olga Tanon, Ozomatli and Jon Secada? "Wow," for starters.

Most musicians would hope to perform with even one of those stars. But you'll be the star tonight, because Rudy and his band, Rudy Gonzalez y Su Locura, will be taking requests.

From the great and beautiful country of El Salvador, to Duke Ellington School of the Arts, to Oberlin and stages all over the world... ...to The Parva tonight!

That would be big enough news, but The Parva has sweetened the deal further:

The evening starts with a Happy Hour - which Parva regulars know as "Fiesta Hour" - from 6:30-9:30, with drink and appetizer specials.

Ladies enjoy unlimited drinks from the open bar between 9-10!!

Finally, the real parrandon gets underway with Rudy Gonzalez after 10, and goes until 2:30 AM.

Don't forget, ladies get in FREE until 11.

Everybody needs to be 21+. Dress to impress.

This isn't happening in Miami (although the venue takes all of its styling cues from South Beach), DC or hot Latin spots in Northern Virginia and Prince Georges County...

...it's happening right here in downtown Bethesda. Tonight!

Only at The Parva, 7904 Woodmont Avenue.

SUPER BOWL

SUNDAY IN

BETHESDA

Supersize your Super Bowl Sunday with this guide to the super events other laundry lists aren't telling you about. With this guide, you'll have more moves than Joe Namath on Super Bowl Sunday.

BETHESDA CENTRAL FARM MARKET

"A farmers market on Super Bowl Sunday?! What are you, some kind of wise guy?" In fact, I am a guy, and I am wise to direct you to the Elm Street parking lot until 12:30 PM today for Super Bowl party shopping.

"What do you think, I'm gonna eat a salad during the Super Bowl?" Well, why don't you just examine the Super Bowl spread you can put out from BCFM tonight:

Steak

Ribs

Sausages

Salami

Angus Burgers

Farmstead cheese to melt on the burgers!

Sun-dried feta, lemon pepper and pecorino dip

Red pepper, walnut and tahini dip

Spinach and white bean dip

Betty's Chips and Salsa

Belgian waffles and chocolate for dessert

AMERICAN TAP ROOM

Head to American Tap Room at Bethesda Row where every seat is the best seat in the house with all of the flatscreen TVs throughout the restaurant and bar.

But wait! It's no ordinary game day at ATR. They have a special menu, which starts with $4 drafts of Brooklyn Brewery for Giants fans, and $4 Samuel Adams for Patriots fans.

1 dozen Beer-steamed spiced shrimp $12

Basket of Tabasco onion rings $5

3 ATR Burger Sliders with cheddar cheese, pickle, onion and Special Sauce $6

And my personal favorite:

2 all-beef Hot Dogs with housemade chili, cheddar cheese and onions $6

Don't forget, they also have the best Brownie Sundae in town!

THE PARVA

This is the first Super Bowl Sunday ever at The Parva!

$2 Domestic, $3 Imported beers

$4 Parva drinks and Appetizers

Free shooters throughout the game!

Buy one, get one FREE bottle specials!

The party starts at 1PM at The Parva.

RI-RA

Want a package deal? Head to Ri-Ra on Elm Street. For $20, you will receive 2 domestic beers, and all of the hot dogs, nachos and wings you can eat - all night long!

For the purist, there will be $4 pints of Guinness available.

WEAR IT WELL

Last, but not least, I haven't forgotten about the ladies out there who couldn't care less about football (there are still a few out there).

All day today at Wear it Well on Bethesda Ave. at Bethesda Row, you will receive a surprise discount at check-out!

Have a great Super Bowl Sunday, and make sure to follow me on Twitter at @BethesdaRow to find out all the inside information about what's going on in downtown Bethesda!

SCORCH

HEATS UP

THE PARVA

TONIGHT

The Parva Lounge and Restaurant keeps getting better and better. A new menu. A dining room upgrade. And new event nights you can't find anywhere else in Bethesda.

A brand new event - Scorch - launches tonight, and you can be part of the debut from 7 PM - 1:30 AM.

You can get 2 for 1 drinks between 7 and 9, and 50% off Parva appetizers until 10.

But wait, there's more!

Open Bar between 9 and 10 PM!! Where else in town can you find an open bar with no cover charge?! Only at the Parva!

If you really want to go all out, call Chris ASAP at 240-423-9456 to arrange table service. Free bottle of champagne for a birthday table, and free shooters.

Don't forget the music: DJ Ghost will be providing the South Beach vibe for the Parva's Miami-inspired lounge, with Soca, Dancehall, Salsa, Bachata, Cumbia, Merengue, Hip-hop, Reggae... Try to find a playlist like that anywhere else tonight; it can't be done!

So come on upstairs to the Parva Lounge tonight, for fabulous food and drinks at the home of the Colombian Mojito!

21 and up. "Dress to impress." 7904 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda