After serving the Bethesda community for more than half a century, the Bethesda Co-op (6500 Seven Locks Rd. Cabin John, MD) has announced it will close its doors at the end of May.

The neighborhood grocery store shared the news earlier this week in a message to customers on social media, confirming that the long-running cooperative will wind down operations after nearly 51 years in business.

The Bethesda Co-op described the decision as a difficult one, noting that its longevity was an accomplishment for a small, community-focused store competing against much larger grocery chains. “We have been in business for over fifty years,” the store wrote. “Quite an accomplishment for a small neighborhood business up against giants in the industry.”

Over the decades, the co-op built a loyal following by offering an alternative model for purchasing food and household goods, emphasizing community involvement and a welcoming environment for shoppers and volunteers alike. Staff said the store has played a role in the lives of many local families, with generations of neighborhood teenagers working their first jobs there. “We have held space for all interested in an alternative way of purchasing and consuming food and sundry goods, in an inclusive and welcoming environment,” the store wrote.

As the final weeks approach, the Bethesda Co-op is encouraging supporters to visit the store, pick up favorite items, and share memories with staff and longtime customers. The co-op said it will offer updates and sales through May as it prepares to close. “We thank you all sincerely for joining us on this epic, once-in-a-lifetime journey,” the message said.

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Two Maryland restaurants received national attention this week after being highlighted by Washington Post food critic Elazar Sontag in his “favorite dishes of February.”

Among the selections were Hijos del Maiz, a Mexican street food truck located at 12151 Rockville Pike in Rockville, and Mandalay Restaurant at 930 Bonifant St. in Silver Spring.

Hijos del Maiz operates out of a gas station parking lot along Rockville Pike, where the husband and wife team behind the concept focuses on traditional Mexican street food prepared with house-made masa. Sontag praised both the food and the unexpected setting. “There is novelty and thrill to eating such thoughtfully made food in a gas station parking lot,” Sontag wrote.

The food truck specializes in dishes built around fresh masa prepared in-house using heirloom corn sourced from different regions of Mexico. According to the owners, the corn is cooked through the traditional process of nixtamalization and then ground in a stone mill without additives or preservatives. The resulting masa is used to prepare menu staples such as tacos, quesadillas, and tostadas.

Also recognized was Mandalay Restaurant, a longtime Silver Spring destination known for its Burmese cuisine. Sontag singled out the restaurant’s pickled mango pork curry as one of his favorite dishes from the past month. “There are plenty of other delights to be had at Mandalay, but no dish compares to this one. It is among the finest curries I have tasted,” Sontag wrote.

Mandalay Restaurant offers an extensive menu that showcases a wide range of Burmese dishes. The offerings include seafood, pork, beef, poultry, vegetarian options, noodles, rice dishes, soups, salads, and appetizers. Popular selections include coconut curries, tamarind fish, and a variety of vegan-friendly tofu entrées.

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The Frederick-Gaithersburg-Bethesda region has once again been recognized as one of the most arts-vibrant communities in the United States, marking a decade of consistent national recognition. SMU DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research, released its 10th annual Arts Vibrancy Index ranking and placed the Frederick-Gaithersburg-Bethesda region at No. 24 among 100 core based statistical areas for 2025.

The region is also one of just 17 communities nationwide that have appeared in the rankings every year since the index was first released in 2015, highlighting sustained investment in arts and culture across the area. The Arts Vibrancy Index evaluates communities through a data-driven approach that examines supply, demand, and government support for the arts. The rankings analyze arts activity, participation, funding, access, and employment using data from more than 900 communities across the country.

“We are pleased that our community ranks high again among the top most arts-vibrant areas, landing in the top quartile in the nation,” said Louise Kennelly, executive director of the Frederick Arts Council. “The arts are a game changer for us, fueling our economic engine while helping provide a sense of identity and meaning.” SMU DataArts expanded the annual list this year to include the top 100 communities, up from 40 in previous editions, in recognition of the program’s 10th anniversary. The expanded ranking highlights what researchers describe as the top 10 percent of arts-vibrant communities nationwide.

The index consistently finds that arts-vibrant communities are spread across the country, reflecting regional artistic diversity and local investment in cultural programming. Seventeen communities have appeared in the rankings every year since 2015, demonstrating sustained commitment to arts and culture despite economic shifts and changing cultural landscapes. Frederick-Gaithersburg-Bethesda joins major metropolitan areas such as New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle among those long-standing honorees.

The Arts Vibrancy Index is built from 13 measures that assess arts and cultural supply, audience demand, and public support. The data is adjusted for cost of living and population differences to allow comparisons across communities of different sizes. Researchers measure communities using Core Based Statistical Areas, which are metropolitan and micropolitan regions defined by the U.S. Census Bureau that reflect the economic and cultural reach of counties and their surrounding areas.