The early renderings and work on the outdoor patio area at Aroma Espresso Bar in Bethesda are finally being converted into reality. As you can see in this photo, it won't be long now.
Patio furniture is out, and this is sure to be the coolest place to hang out with friends at Westfield Montgomery Mall this summer.
The long-dark, neon "Box Office" sign of the historic Bethesda Theatre was aglow once again on Wisconsin Avenue last night.
Now the home of the Bethesda Blues & Jazz supper club, opening March 1, the building is retaining much of its vintage charm. The styles of automobiles have changed, the old Pizza Hut and other nearby structures have been demolished and replaced. But facing the theater from across Wisconsin, the scene is not all that changed from the 1940s and 50s. Well, okay, there is an apartment building now looming over it.
The historic theatre was built in 1938, and is an example of Streamline Moderne architecture.
It's actually one of the more-common celebrity sightings you're likely to have in downtown Bethesda, kind of like Mike Tyson in the 90s: TV infomercial pioneer Matthew Lesko. Or, in this case, his Mini Cooper, parked near BlackFinn this past weekend. The question marks often have him mistaken for The Riddler.
"To the Batcave, Robin!"
That talented artist at Luke's Lobster on Bethesda Lane is at it again!
This time, his or her chalk has spawned the Chowderminator. And yet, he or she still had time to write the winter specials on the other side. All four sound perfect for a December day like this.
The great Bethesda lingerie mystery has finally been solved, and a very bizarre coincidence resulted in a case of mistaken identity.
First, the main story, though: the mystery lingerie boutique opening in the Lionsgate condominium building is Celine de Paris. Not Sylene.
Did you notice a similarity there?
I did, too. But not soon enough.
When I received a tip from a 100% reliable source a while back regarding this boutique leasing the space, I heard it as "Celine."
And my source had it 100% correct. The problem was, I'm not an expert on local lingerie businesses. I had never heard of a lingerie shop called, "Celine." But I had heard of a shop called, "Sylene" in Chevy Chase.
So, I mistakenly assumed the store was Sylene. What are the chances there could be another lingerie store in the same area, with the same name, just spelled differently?
A 100% chance, unfortunately!
When I contacted Sylene in due diligence, before posting my story, I assumed their brief denial was a standard PR rebuff.
Then, when a lingerie display appeared in the storefront last week, surely that confirmed it was a Sylene boutique, right?
Wrong.
Fortunately, Sylene owner Helen Kestler contacted me yesterday, and confirmed that the new store is not associated with Sylene in any way.
How could this be? Checking back with the original source, the tipster was absolutely right, and I had heard it wrong. It's Celine, not Sylene.
So, to clarify, Sylene is not opening in Bethesda, nor is Sylene moving.
I have apologized to Ms. Kestler for this misunderstanding. And I want to apologize to you, my readers for this honest error.
Also, to clarify, I never stated in any post that Sylene was in fact opening here. The error was in saying that the owner of Sylene had leased the Lionsgate space. It was the owner of "Celine" who leased it.
Just writing about this is confusing!
I take great precautions against posting any information in error on this blog. And in 6 years, this is the only real mistake that has slipped through. Two other minor address errors were taken verbatim from press releases in the past, and I can't really be blamed for that.
Will I beat myself up over this? Will I change my fact-checking procedures? Do I need new editorial policies?
No, no, and no.
This was a ridiculous situation. It would be like a 100% credible source telling you "Appell" is releasing a new phone.
You would just hear it as "Apple," right?
I can't really be held responsible if a lingerie company takes the same name as another one nearby, and just spells it differently.
This was an honest mistake, and would never have occurred without that bizarre circumstance. I'm not going to adopt some psychotic gold standard and try to apply it to a bizarre, random situation like this.
I've worked hard to earn readers' trust, and I will put the accuracy of this blog up against any publication in the world. I don't print false information here, even though some are disgruntled when the truth hurts.
My fact-checking standards are so tight, you could bounce a quarter off of them. I believe my record of accuracy and integrity over 6 years speaks for itself.
So, again, I apologize for the error regarding Sylene and any confusion it may have caused. And I thank each and every one of you who stop by to read this blog each day.
I could not publish this without your readership and support.
Happy holidays,
Robert
Maybe I just haven't noticed it before, but there is a contraption standing in Veterans Park with a little propeller atop a pole. The propeller spun around once, as a result of a breeze, but was still at other times.
Is it a weather station of some kind?
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| They're spunky and they know it! As day... |
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| ...turns into night |
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| Click photos to enlarge! |
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| By golly, that light fixture really is made of blow dryers! Nice theming |
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| Would you believe, the word "drybar" is in raised letters on the front counter? |
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| Click to enlarge! |
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| Concept of future Westin Bethesda lobby [Photo: Westin] |
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| The lights are on - and somebody's home - at Smoke BBQ. |
