Back in September 2021 we let you know the popular DC restaurant The Salt Line would be making its way over to Bethesda Row, taking over the location at 4900 Hampden Lane that was previously home to Greek restaurant Kapnos until 2018. While an opening date has not yet been set, the restaurant is currently hiring and we anticipate a summer opening. Construction has been ongoing at the restaurant for over a year.

The Salt Line DC location is a waterfront venture that opened near Navy Yard in June of 2017 with a 100-seat patio bar overlooking the Anacostia River. It has been a hit and pre/post Nats game destination due to its proximity to Nats stadium, sizable bar, and blend of popular food and drink with views of the river. While the Bethesda location won’t be overlooking the water, Bethesda Row offers a highly walkable, bustling downtown experience in Montgomery County.


MD-190 River Road between Brookdale Road and Western Avenue, now single file both directions for approximately six weeks past the Washington Gas valve replacement. NO LEFTS from Eastbound/Inbound River at Western during the work. Full letter from Washington Gas below:

“Dear Neighbor, At Washington Gas, safety is our highest priority as we continue reliably meeting the energy needs of our customers. Today, natural gas is the fuel of choice for more than nine out of ten new homebuyers in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and Washington Gas serves more than 1.2 million customers throughout the region. As the region continues to grow, rehabilitation of our existing infrastructure is critical to maintaining a safe and reliable natural gas system.


The preliminary investigation by detectives has determined that at approximately 4 p.m., the victim saw her bank cards in her wallet while in the Tatte Bakery & Cafe located in the 7200 block of Wisconsin Avenue. Shortly later, the victim began to receive bank alerts for unauthorized transactions at a variety of stores throughout Bethesda, before noticing her bank cards were missing from her wallet.


Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 2nd District Patrol Investigations Unit are investigating a series of inappropriate touchings committed by a suspect who groped women in the adjacent neighborhood along the Trolley Trail located between Edson Lane and Tuckerman Lane in Bethesda. Detectives have released video of the male suspect and are urging anyone who may be a victim of an inappropriate touching by this suspect to come forward.    

The investigation by detectives has revealed that on Sunday, May 21, 2023, at approximately 9:30 p.m., a female victim was walking on Nicholson Lane near the Kennedy Shriver Aquatic Center when she was approached by the suspect who was riding an electric scooter. The suspect then knocked her to the ground and groped her before she was able to escape and call police.


Last June we let you know that Augie’s Mussel House and Beer Garden was coming to 7747 Tuckerman Ln in Cabin John Village, taking over the space that was previously home to Lahinch. Lahinch closed permanently last May. Since then, Common Plate Hospitality has decided to bring a new concept to the space– The Grove. According to a report by Eater DC, the restaurant believes its chef, Jose Lopez-Picazo, “has the potential to win a Michelin star here,”.

According to the article, The Grove will feature Mediterranean cuisine (Spain, Italy, and Greece) and hopes to open in July. “We realized there’s nothing there to cater to a higher-end, fine-dining experience,” says (Commonplate Founder) Chad Sparrow). “People don’t have to go to D.C. — we can offer that at the Grove.” The Grove had its hearingwith Montgomery County’s Alcoholic Beverage Services on Thursday, May 4th at 11am, where it was granted its license. Construction is ongoing at the restaurant.


Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland: Denish Sahadevan, a/k/a “Danny Devan,” age 31, of Potomac, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering, relating to his scheme to defraud lenders and the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) of more than $1.2 million in Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”).

According to the plea agreement, beginning in about March 2020, Sahadevan submitted EIDL and PPP application on behalf of four Maryland entities that he controlled, often creating fraudulent and fabricated documents, such as tax forms and bank statements, to be used in the applications.  In addition, Sahadevan used the identifying information belonging to a tax preparer that he knew, without that person’s knowledge or agreement, to legitimize the fabricated tax forms he created and submitted.


Larry Liao, a student at Cold Spring Elementary School in Potomac, advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee. To get there, Larry correctly spelled his first word, taedium vitae. He then correctly answered the question, “What is cybernetics?” with “the comparative study of communication and control in human and artificial intelligence.” To get to the quarterfinals, he correctly spelled conspiration. Unfortunately, in the quarterfinals, Larry was unable to spell the word precisian correctly. Larry made Montgomery County proud, earning 74th place in the National competition.

According to Larry’s bio, he was born on May 9th, 2012 and is now 11 years old. He participates in many extracurricular activities, but one of his favorites is tennis. The word he spelled correctly to make it to the National competition was flugelhorn, his favorite movie is Treasure Island, his favorite food is bacon, and his favorite subject is science.


Do Portugal Circus is coming to Montgomery Mall ( 7101 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda) from June 9-25.  According to its website, Do Portugal Circus is, “A combination of excellence and magic takes you on a journey of laughter and pure amazement. Our talented and passionate artists will have you gasping in awe as they perform their death defying acts. And of course no circus is complete without our wonderful clown that will have you grinning from start to finish. It truly is a show that every generation can enjoy, leaving you with memories that will last a lifetime!” Details and ticket information below courtesy of Do Portugal on Facebook:

tickets.doportugalcircus.com


Baskin Robbins at 1079 Seven Locks Rd in Potomac Woods Plaza, which opened earlier this month, will hold its official grand opening event on Saturday, June 3, from 11-4pm. The event will feature a DJ, prizes, giveaways, and 2$ scoops of ice cream. Baskin Robbins is  located in the space that was previously home to Ibhana Creations.

Last February, Baskin Robbins closed its doors at Cabin John Village and announced its plans to open in the nearby Potomac Woods Plaza shopping center. Baskin Robbins was replaced in Cabin John Village by The Scoop, which was opened this past August by Timothy and Mitch Ryoo– Potomac natives and Winston Churchill High School Graduates (2010 and 2006). Baskin Robbins will also be opening a location later this year in the Montgomery Village Center.  Featured image courtesy of @baskinrobbbins on Instagram.


Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) has maintained its deleveraging progress with US and European asset sales with the announcement of the sale of Westfield Brandon Shopping Center  (located in Brandon, Florida) in the US for $220 million and “V” office building in France for €95 million, bringing total sale proceeds to €4.7 billion. It was reported in 2021 that Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) planned to sell all of it’s US holdings in 2022. Last year, then-Chief Executive Jean-Marie Tritant told investors that Unibail wants to shed most of its U.S. properties by the end of 2023, according to a Wall Street Journal report, which pushed things back about a year. Montgomery Mall and Wheaton Mall (Westfield Montgomery and Westfield Wheaton), both located in Montgomery County, are owned by URW.

URW operates over 75 shopping centers in 12 countries, including over 40 which carry the Westfield brand. These centers attract over 900 million visits annually. Fabrice Mouchel, Chief Financial Officer of URW, said: “URW continues to achieve deleveraging progress, even in a more challenging financing environment. With these two transactions, we have now generated €4.7 Bn in disposal proceeds since 2021 and consistently improving credit metrics. The Group’s robust operational performance and strong liquidity position will allow us to complete our deleveraging programme, including a radical reduction of our US financial exposure, in a timely and disciplined manner.”


Viamericas Corporation, a licensed, international remittance company, recently relocated its corporate headquarters from Bethesda, Maryland to Coral Gables, Florida. Viamericas was located at 4641 Montgomery Avenue in Bethesda prior to its announced departure earlier this month and selected the Miami region because it is a major transportation hub connecting the Americas, making it an ideal location for a company specializing in cross-border money transfers. The city also has a large and growing Latin American population, which provides a natural customer base for Viamericas’ services. 

Per the press release: Moving its headquarters to Miami also enabled Viamericas to tap into the city’s diverse talent pool, which includes skilled workers with experience in finance, technology and customer service. The company has been able to recruit top talent from both the local area and other parts of the United States, helping to drive its growth and expansion. “Moving our headquarters to Miami has been an excellent decision for Viamericas. We can leverage the city’s many benefits, which positions Viamericas for continued growth and success,” said Joseph Argilagos, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Viamericas. “We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead as we continue to expand and innovate our offerings to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”


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