Bethesda may be considered the ‘burbs to some, especially those who can’t fathom the idea that an actual nightlife may exist outside of the District. But if you are willing to take the relatively short trek to the corner of Woodmont Avenue, you may be pleasantly surprised at what you’ll see.
Rather than finding the space that used to be McCormick & Schmick’s, you’ll find a restaurant and lounge combo which gives guests a taste of chef Francesco Ricchi’s fare and developer and architect Mitch Weber’s sass: CESCO Osteria and Co2 Lounge.
“Francesco has been a celebrity chef in many restaurants for many years. The cuisine is amazing and he became a little disheartened with the business that had dropped on the other side of Bethesda since Bethesda Row has emerged and he was looking to move. I told him I had a vision for the rest of the space-to create a place where we not only have celebrity cuisine but we have an arts and entertainment and culture center where it places art, DJ music, live performances, fashion, sculpture and generally all of the arts under one roof where you can have an experience and not just a meal. When you come to dance, you can dine on cuisine, you can watch Brazilian dancers on one of our stages. It’s basically a place, I feel has sorely been missing not only from Bethesda but from the entire Washington, DC scene,” Weber told Yeas & Nays Wednesday.
Both venues, which opened quietly on Monday, offer Tuscan inspired dishes and delicious cocktails, but Co2 Lounge offers something a little bit more — a members only after hours club. “Unlike L2, here it will be $1,200 for a membership and you will get $300 in vouchers for meals and drinks, zero cover charge year round, and you will avail yourself of all of the amenities that partnering businesses would like to do,” Weber explains. Some of those deals include monthly member dinners with Ricchi, discounted room rates at the Hyatt Hotel, Euro Motor Cars and Equinox gym. Additional memberships with more exclusive perks will also be available for a bit more.
Is Bethesda ready for this? Weber seems to think so, “Bar raised, enveloped pushed, gravity defined. This place is not only a design that gives people the wow factor but it’s a place people are saying is going to change the way they live in Bethesda.”
