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March Martini Madness Comes To Bethesda Row

By WTOP Staff

The marketing people at Federal Realty’s Bethesda Row are bringing back March Martini Madness, a contest between 10 restaurants on the Row that will compete for the honor of best “Bethesda Row-tini.”

Each restaurant is offering happy hour prices on its special martini throughout the month and wine bar Vino Volo will take part with its own version, called “Malbec Madness.”

Participants can vote for their favorite martini on Facebook and sign up to win a dinner for 10 at one of the restaurants.

The restaurants and offerings are after the jump.

Flickr photo by wickenden

Café Deluxe
Lychee Madness
Vodka, Lychee Liqueur, Lychee juice and garnished with Lychee Berries and sugar rim

Jaleo
“Clouds over the Cosmo”
Citrus vodka, lime juice, white cranberry and simple syrup. Garnished with citrus/white cranberry air

Lebanese Taverna
Row your Mawze , A Crème de Banane Martini
Crème de Banana, Raspberry Vodka, Sweet & Sour Mix and Cucumber Zest with cucumber slice garnish.

Mon Ami Gabi
The Old Peach Basket
Canadian Club, Peach Schnapps, Peach Schnapps shaken in a Martini tin and Strained into a martini glass. Garnished with an orange twist

Mussel Bar
Raspberry Thyme Martini
House-infused raspberry thyme gin, pama liquor, topped with club soda and garnished with a lemon twist

Parker’s American Bistro
Raspberry Lemon Drop Martini
Stoli raspberry, Cointreau, fresh lemon and lime juice. Served up in a cane sugared rim with cherry garnish

Raku
Asian Green Apple-Cocotini
Unfiltered Nigori Sake, Parrot Bay Coconut Rum, Apple Pucker, Midori, Pineapple Juice and Simple Syrup.

Redwood Restaurant and Bar
Constantino’s Daquiri #4
Cane & Abe aged rum,  Lime juice, Simple syrup, Benedictine. Served up with a lime wheel.

Vapiano
The Vapiano Martini
Stoli Razberi, Raspberry liqueur, pineapple juice w/ a sugar rim and gummy bears as a garnish.

Vino Volo
Malbec Madness $12—“Sample 3 Malbec’s from around the world”
2010 Chanarmuyo Malbec, La Rioja, Argentina 9/23
2010 Decero Remolinos Vineyard Malbec, Mendoza, 15/39
2010 Gouleyant Cahors, Cahors, France 11/27

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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