Butter Me Up has closed its location in Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The breakfast restaurant opened in the former Aroma Espresso Bar location on the mall’s lower level in May of last year. Butter Me Up is the sister restaurant of popular DC gourmet sausage restaurant HalfSmoke (651 Florida Ave NW). HalfSmoke opened a location in the Montgomery Mall food terrace back in July 2022 which has also closed.

Butter Me Up featured “instagrammable” decor, offered a menu that consisted of a variety of breakfast sandwiches, toasts, sides, bowls, smoothies, and juices. A Yelp article named Butter Me Up DC’s best breakfast sandwich, as the restaurant’s first location can be found within HalfSmoke in Florida Ave NW.


Rick Ellsley, Dwayne Haskins’ attorney has filed a lawsuit one years after Haskins was tragically killed on April 9th in Broward County, Florida when he was hit by a truck on I-595. Haskins was born and raised in New Jersey, but moved to Gaithersburg while attending The Bullis School in Potomac for high school. The full statement can be seen below:

“Former Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Dwayne Haskins, Jr. was tragically killed during the early morning hours of April 9, 2022 on I-595 in Broward County, Florida. The Florida Highway Patrol Traffic Homicide Report shows that Dwayne was only feet away from making it safely across the roadway when he was struck and killed by an old dump truck. This truck was going faster than the speed limit, carrying excessive cargo, had brake system problems, and was traveling on low tread tires with separated sidewalls.


Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) were called to the 8500 block of Country Club Drive off of Persimmon Tree Rd in Cabin John a little before 10pm on Sunday night. Approximately 75 firefighters were on the scene.

According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, the fire was showing from the center portion of the large, three-story single family home. A passerby called to report it and there was nobody home at the time of the fire– it was knocked out by approximately 10:30pm. The fire started near the floor of the attic, adjacent to the HVAC unit and likely involved electrical cables. Damage total is estimated to be at approximately $2 million, including $1.5M structure and $500K in contents. Two adults, three kids, and pets have been displaced.


Update: The fire started near the floor of the attic, adjacent to HVAC unit and likely involved electrical cables; Damage total ~ $2M, including $1.5M structure, $500K contents. 2 adults/3 kids & pets displaced

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) were called to the 8500 block of Country Club Drive off of Persimmon Tree Rd in Cabin John a little before 10pm on Sunday night. Approximately 75 firefighters were on the scene.


The Bethesda Circulator is a free way to get around town in Bethesda. There is now a new app to see the buses on the route. Scan the QR Code below to download the app through RidePingo. You can also go to your smartphone’s app store with the links below to download the app through RidePingo (orange icon with arrow pointing to the right).

1. Open, then Select “Get started”


Kindbody, a technology-driven fertility clinic network and family-building benefits provider for employers, announced the opening of a new clinic– Kindbody Bethesda. The clinic is located at 6000 Executive Blvd in Rockville/N. Bethesda. The announcement comes at a time of extraordinary growth for the company which owns and operates 32 clinics nationwide, including a state-of-the-art fertility clinic and IVF lab conveniently off of Dupont Circle and 19th Street in Washington, D.C. Kindbody Bethesda was built to meet the growing demand for comprehensive fertility and family-building benefits by local employers including Kindbody client GEICO, which is headquartered in Chevy Chase, MD, and employs nearly 7,000 corporate associates in the greater Washington, D.C.metro area. In addition to GEICO, Kindbody serves 21 large employers in the region, covering more than 27,000 lives.

Per the press release: “Since opening our doors in Washington, D.C. last spring, we’ve seen unprecedented demand from local employers who understand the critical role fertility benefits play in attracting and retaining world-class talent and building inclusive workplaces,” said Taryn Branca, Chief Revenue Officer at Kindbody. “Our new Bethesda location allows them to provide a premium fertility benefit with significant cost savings, as a result of working directly with the healthcare provider.”


Montgomery County officials will host a second community meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 20 to provide additional details on plans to open a restoration center on a 25.8-acre county-owned detention facility site at 1451 Seven Locks Road. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the third-floor hearing room of the County Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, and will be in person and virtual.

The meeting will provide an update on questions raised at an October meeting related to procedures for individuals brought to the restoration center. The April 20 meeting will have an opportunity for additional community questions. The Mayor and Council oppose Montgomery County’s plans, as currently proposed, to house the restoration center along Seven Locks, and have asked the county for alternative locations.


California Tortilla has reopened its Cabin John Village location, according to a report by Store Reporter. Per the report, the newly reopened fast-casual restaurant now has a “revamped design (now featuring a Cava-style assembly line) and an expanded patio area.” Often referred to as “Cal Tort”, the fast-casual chain serves fresh, made-to-order burritos, quesadillas, and salads all grounded in a foundation of Mexican cuisine.

California Tortilla has nearly 50 locations in the DMV, burn its first ever location came in August 1995 on Cordell Avenue in Bethesda. The restaurant’s headquarters are also currently in Rockville/Potomac. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.


The renovation work included the replacement of all flooring, reconfiguration and updating of shelving, painting throughout, a new service desk, new lighting, redesign of the children’s reading nook, installation of security equipment, the addition of lounge seating and study areas, replacement of the entry doors, creation of a family restroom and the updating of interior and exterior signs.


Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a fire at The Flats apartment complex in the 8300 block of Wisconsin Ave in Bethesda on Monday morning around 9:30am. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, the fire originated on a kitchen stove on the 4th floor of the 12-story building. There was some extension to nearby cabinets before it was extinguished and no injuries have been reported. The building was partially evacuated due to smoke and damage is estimated to be ~$5K.  Piringer reports that the building’s sprinkler system was out of service.

Per @mcfrsPIO on Twitter: “Update – The Flats, Wisconsin Ave., 12-sty apt, 4th floor, kitchen, fire on stove top w/ some extension (cabinets), no injuries, NOTE: occupant closed door on way out (contained fire), some smoke, bldg partially evacuated, Damage ~$5K, sprinkler system OOS”


View More Stories