Over a dozen former stores and restaurants remain vacant in downtown Bethesda and Chevy Chase in the midst of an ongoing retail shakeout that shows no signs of abating any time soon.

Two food spots are now empty on Elm Street near Arlington Road, following the move by Baja Fresh to shut its Mexican grill a couple of weeks before the expiration of its lease on Jan. 31. “Baja Fresh has closed due to lease expiry,” according to a sign on the door at 4930 Elm St.

Cacao, the French chocolate and pastry shop just around the corner from Baja Fresh, shut down unexpectedly before Christmas, and that shop on the pedestrian mall between Elm Street and Bethesda Row remains empty.

But, for Bethesda, it’s really the area in and near the Bethesda Triangle where vacancies are most prevalent—and where a couple of new vacancies are expected within the next month or so.

A quick survey turned up three prime restaurant spots looking for new tenants, including the former Cesco Trattoria at 4871 Cordell Ave., at the corner of Norfolk and Cordell avenues, and the former Bubby’s deli at 4866 Cordell Ave., across the street. Cesco Trattoria closed on Cordell and reopened as Cesco Osteria in the former McCormick & Schmick’s restaurant on Woodmont Avenue, Patch reported at the end of 2011.

In addition, there’s another 3,000-square-foot building at the corner of Norfolk and Cordell avenues with a large outdoor patio that is also for lease as a potential restaurant property.

And, the 7-Eleven convenience store on Norfolk Avenue, next-door to Starbucks, remains shuttered after closing down last summer.

Meanwhile, over on Wisconsin Avenue, at least four separate store fronts are now vacant in the blocks below Woodmont Avenue.

These available retail spaces include the former Parvizian Fine Rugs, which is moving to a new location farther north on Wisconsin Avenue, as reported previously by Patch, and a relatively small storefront next-door to Miller’s Furs.

Farther south, in Friendship Heights, Filene's Basement, in the Mazza Gallerie, closed about a month ago, while across the street, the former Borders Books location does not yet have a permanent tenant.