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My Two Cents: It’s Time To Raise Bethesda’s Restaurant Game

By WTOP Staff

My Two Cents is a weekly opinion column from Bethesda resident Joseph Hawkins. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of BethesdaNow.com.

Some Bethesda foodies are upset because popular Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema failed to place any Bethesda restaurants on his latest list of top Washington D.C. area restaurants.

Bethesda Beat bellyached that Sietsema “snubbed Bethesda — again.” The piece suggests a Sietsema bias against Bethesda restaurants, and suggests it’s been around for a long time. It’s a sore spot for a town where the nearly 200 restaurants are basically the main attraction.

I’m a loyal Bethesdian. On date nights — every Friday my wife and I go out to dinner — we stay close to home, usually eating in Bethesda. Nevertheless, as a self-diagnosed foodie, I’m taking sides with Sietsema. I see nothing wrong with the latest “Sietsema snub.”

Joseph HawkinsThe Sietsema list totals 37 restaurants. I’ve eaten at 13 of the 37, including the top four: the Inn at Little Washington, Komi, Minibar, and Rasika. I can’t think of an existing Bethesda restaurant that I’d switch out for any of the 13 I’ve tried.

(Note to foodies: I once had a grilled cheese thing at Rasika that blew my taste buds away. Years after eating the grilled cheese thing, I remember it. I dreamed about it.)

Bethesda’s restaurant scene has some really nice, slightly better-than-average places. Black’s Bar and Kitchen, Bistro Provence, Cesco Osteria, Food Wine & Co., Grapeseed, Jaleo, Newton’s Table, Passage to India, Redwood Restaurant and Bar and Wildwood Kitchen are examples of the solid options that abound in a town that takes a lot of pride in being a restaurant town.

But, in my humble foodie opinion, leaving any of these off the list of the region’s top restaurants doesn’t just feel OK, it feels right.

(Note to foodies: Sietsema’s list includes Jaleo, but only its D.C. location. I’ve eaten at both the D.C. and Bethesda Jaleo locations. Can I detect a difference? Not really. But then I’m not the food critic.)

Looking down the road, future Sietsema lists will also likely not include Bethesda restaurants.

One disappointing aspect of Bethesda’s restaurant scene has been the lack of any really great new restaurants.

In the past 18-24 months, I can’t think of one restaurant that opened in Bethesda that would make a foodie forsake what’s new on 14th Street.

More than once, I’ve tried Bobby’s Burger Palace, Momo Chicken and Jazz, Roof, and Yuzu — all relatively new to Bethesda. While each was good (and worthy of placement on the Friday night date list) each came off as just ordinary. Nothing transformative and nothing that infiltrated my dreams.

What’s really unfortunate is the next batch of new restaurants headed to Bethesda aren’t all that promising either.

I’m just not really feeling the chain restaurants headed to Montgomery Mall. Should foodies really get excited about chain joints like CRAVE? How should we feel that some of our newest and freshest restaurant options are coming via the renovation of a mall’s food court — sorry, dining terrace?

Silver Diner as upscale cuisine? Is that meatloaf with truffle oil gravy?

PassionFish masquerading as DC Coast? Sure, why not. And I’m certain most Bethesdians will fall for a three-ounce, $36 crab cake.

Time to gas up the car and head over to 14th Street. Maybe I’ll see Sietsema walking around.

Joseph Hawkins is a longtime Bethesda resident who remembers when there was no Capital Crescent Trail. He works full-time for an employee-owned social science research firm located Montgomery County. He is a D.C. native and for nearly 10 years, he wrote a regular column for the Montgomery Journal. He also has essays and editorials published in Education Week, the Washington Post, and Teaching Tolerance Magazine. He is a serious live music fan and is committed to checking out some live act at least once a month.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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