HAMBURGER HAMLET IS BEING REPLACED BY NOT YOUR AVERAGE JOE'S IN BETHESDA, HINODE TO CLOSE, AND LIVING IN THE 90s

Not Your Average Joe's is taking over the vacant Hamburger Hamlet space, in the Georgetown Square Shopping Center in Bethesda. I think it's a positive turn of events, compared to some of the rumored tenants we had heard about.

The chain was launched by founder Steve Silverstein in 1994, with the goal of bringing high-quality American cuisine to suburban areas. The Kentlands location's menu sounds good, particularly the Peanut Butter Thing on the dessert menu. Pizzas, burgers and sandwiches share billing with more upscale fare, like rosemary skewered scallops and saffron cod with pan-seared crab cake.

In sadder news, Hinode is closing July 19 on Hampden Lane in downtown Bethesda. Its Rockville and Frederick locations remain open. Hinode is definitely one of the restaurant names that comes to mind when I think of the 1990s dining scene in downtown Bethesda. Houston's, anyone? How about Cooker? Slade's (the short-lived downtown location, later Mongolian Grill and now Panera Bread)? Then there was that time that Mike Tyson showed up at Uno's...