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Dining in Bethesda


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From The Post:  A family ate at every restaurant in downtown Bethesda in 2014, and this is the father's account.  (They didn't all eat at every restaurant.  The rules/parameters are explained in the article.)

Having lived in Bethesda in the past and visited many of the restaurants at that time, I found the article a fun piece, little more.  And it was a fun piece without pretensions about being a significant addition to reviews on all restaurants.   Good for the family.  Having eaten their way through Bethesda, I think a years worth of exercise is a heckuv an idea.

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Hard Times Cafe (DaveO)

Steamers (jandres374)

Brasserie Monte Carlo (Pool Boy)

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  Its been way too long since I've dined anywhere in Bethesda...(take that back)...had a breakfast/business meeting at Booeymonger  (I guess that doesn't count for dining) a couple of years ago.

My overly simplified review of the current Bethesda restaurant scene...there are plenty of good places to eat at if you're there, but nothing actually worth traveling to Bethesda for.

Minor hedging...I haven't been to one of the special dinners at Grapeseed that people here rave about.

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My overly simplified review of the current Bethesda restaurant scene...there are plenty of good places to eat at if you're there, but nothing actually worth traveling to Bethesda for.

Minor hedging...I haven't been to one of the special dinners at Grapeseed that people here rave about.

Grapeseed any time, not just the special dinners, but Passage to India is also worth the drive.

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Grapeseed any time, not just the special dinners, but Passage to India is also worth the drive.

Agree with both of these.  Kapnos is also worth a drive (I've only been twice is the caveat) if you don't mind a quite noisy environ.  Barrel & Crow is great too.

But Grapeseed is the one that should get far more love than it does.

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I work in Bethesda, so I am happy to try any place someone wants me to try. There are plenty of acceptable places, but you are right there are not many that are really notable to go out of your way. I'll echo the other comments (Grapeseed, Passage to India).

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36 minutes ago, MarkS said:

The parking garages in Bethesda are killer.  Going both directions on the same ramp bring a new meaning to the parking experience.  Funny that a fried of mine is head on Montgomery County parking garages. 

Having lived in Bethesda (outside of the downtown) and in Arlington I appreciate the garages.  Infinitely more and easier parking than much of urbanized Arlington. In Ballston I liked the mall parking- easy like Bethesda.  Clarendon-pita.   

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7 hours ago, MarkS said:

My son lives in the Ballston/Clardeon area.  Uber is his parking solution. 

I will never Uber.

9 hours ago, DaveO said:

Having lived in Bethesda (outside of the downtown) and in Arlington I appreciate the garages.  Infinitely more and easier parking than much of urbanized Arlington. In Ballston I liked the mall parking- easy like Bethesda.  Clarendon-pita.   

Ugh. I got used to having free office parking when I worked in Bethesda. What I realized after my foray to COTR was to avoid the closer/more-convenient (and older, more cramped) parking garage in the future. There is a fancy newer one two blocks over that is far, far superior.

10 hours ago, MarkS said:

The parking garages in Bethesda are killer.  Going both directions on the same ramp bring a new meaning to the parking experience.  Funny that a fried of mine is head on Montgomery County parking garages. 

Truly. I think a large part of the problem is the crowd of idiots that decide to dine in Bethesda earlysh on a Friday evening I suspect these are the rich that own the $3-5M houses and driiiiive the 5 minute walk it would be and spend 20 minutes trying to find parking crowd gumming up the works.

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11 hours ago, Pool Boy said:

Truly. I think a large part of the problem is the crowd of idiots that decide to dine in Bethesda earlysh on a Friday evening I suspect these are the rich that own the $3-5M houses and driiiiive the 5 minute walk it would be and spend 20 minutes trying to find parking crowd gumming up the works.

Pretty much this - I'm about a ten minute walk to downtown Bethesda and am astounded how many of our neighbors drive there.  That being said, the surrounding neighborhoods have a very high proportion of older residents, which may cause some of the driving.  

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We lived in North Bethesda. Berhesda had to be the place we dined the most.  Driving into any urbanized area for evening dining is always a pain with parking always being the issue.  The plethora of parking garages  always made it infinitely easier than DC.  North Arlington has far fewer than Bethesda.

I would think the parking garages are an enormous boon to the total volume of restaurants and retail in Bethesda.  If you live in a residential area outside of the urban area I’m sure driving is the 90%+ alternative.

Also for as many Bethesda residents who could walk there are infinitely more in more distant distances who have to drive 

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Lots of people out in Bethesda this past weekend, dining in the street, at actual tables!  Encouraging to see!!

They have blocked off some parts Norfolk Ave., and parts of Bethesda Row, so the restaurants can serve patrons at tables set up in the street at some distance from eachother.

They are calling this 'Bethesda Streetery.' I think I would have used 'ReStreetraunt.'  which explains why I am not in marketing.

Be advised if you have been relying on curbside pickup at some of these restaurants, since you can no longer do drive-bys.  (WhIch is how I stumbled upon the Streeteraunt.) 

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On 6/16/2020 at 5:39 PM, Sluggo said:

Lots of people out in Bethesda this past weekend, dining in the street, at actual tables!  Encouraging to see!!

They have blocked off some parts Norfolk Ave., and parts of Bethesda Row, so the restaurants can serve patrons at tables set up in the street at some distance from eachother.

They are calling this 'Bethesda Streetery.' I think I would have used 'ReStreetraunt.'  which explains why I am not in marketing.

Be advised if you have been relying on curbside pickup at some of these restaurants, since you can no longer do drive-bys.  (WhIch is how I stumbled upon the Streeteraunt.) 

Not interested in dining out - at all. Inside or out. Nope. I will continue to be a patron of carry out. I order way, way too much food and I tip 30-40%. That is what I am able to do and be safe. Eating out? Nope. And, if yáll have read my posts over, ummmmm, 15 years, you know there is almost nothing on the world that I love more than dining out with my wife.

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7 hours ago, zgast said:

Should this topic be moved to Rockville, where Bethesda is actually based? Sorry - been up since 4 am.

8 hours ago, Kibbee Nayee said:

Microsoft had some loose change in their pocket when TikTok went to Oracle and WalMart.

When I first read the headlines for this it made it sounds like "Bethesda" was purchased, not the game company.  Don--Was that what you were going for with your post?

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