The now-former home of Meridian Pint in Dominion Hills (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Meridian Pint in Dominion Hills is undergoing yet another change in ownership.
The family restaurant and taphouse closed on Oct. 31 after opening its doors in 2019. This wasn’t the last call for the restaurant space at 6035 Wilson Blvd, however. Next month, it will reopen as Soul Thai Kitchen & Bar.
This transition marks the third ownership change in four years. John Andrade, the original owner, passed the reins to Fitzgerald Lewis in 2021. Lewis, a noted figure in the local restaurant scene, has ownership stakes in about 20 eateries in the area, including Crafthouse Arlington in Ballston and Barley Mac in Rosslyn.
Lewis’s tenure was also short-lived, though, with the restaurateur citing the same reasons as Andrade for tapping out: financial losses.
“It was not making money,” he told ARLnow.
One of the co-owners of the new Thai restaurant, Nancy Kittitaraphan, said she has a long-standing relationship with Lewis, having worked as his server for eight years at another Thai restaurant in Clifton.
“He’s known me a long time and said he had this opportunity for me,” Kittitaraphan told ARLnow. “I said, ‘Okay, this is my chance to open my own restaurant.'”
Last month, Lewis sold Meridian Pint to Kittitaraphan and her partners — consisting of family and friends.
“I’ve known Nancy for like seven or eight years. She’s a great operator… I think she’ll do fantastic there because she’s a very hard worker,” Lewis said.
The restaurant began renovations on Oct. 31, with plans to reopen in the first week of December, according to Kittitaraphan.
While there will be some minor cosmetic changes, the restaurant’s aesthetic will largely remain the same, with new owners opting to keep the original furniture and leaving the bar — which features over 20 taps — untouched.
The event commemorates Jennifer Bush-Lawson, an Arlington resident who was struck and killed in 2014 by a dump truck while placing her child into a minivan near Nottingham Elementary. More pedestrian fatalities have since occurred on the same stretch of Little Falls Road, though new safety measures were installed earlier this year.
The race, first held in 2015, kicks off at 9 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus (5115 Little Falls Road). Those who want to support the cause without running in the cold can participate in a “Family Fun Day” festival, featuring a beer garden, a children’s fun run, moon bounces, laser tag, a rock wall, balloon animals, face painting and live performances.
The registration fee for the race is $40, which includes a T-shirt, or $35 for those opting out of the shirt. Participants can also choose to donate without participating in the race.
Festival-only tickets are priced at $25, granting access to all activities excluding the 5K. A combined ticket for both the race and festival is available for $50.
Proceeds support the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation, founded in 2015 by Jennifer’s husband, Neal Lawson, to provide women in need and their babies with maternal and infant care.
“This event carries on the legacy of Jenn Lawson, a dedicated mom and runner who was passionate about making available to all mothers the same level of care she received for her own complicated pregnancies,” the event page says.
In line with previous years, the Arlington County Police Department has announced several road closures for the duration of the event.
The following roadways will be closed from approximately 8:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to accommodate the event:
Yorktown Boulevard, from Little Falls Road/N. Greenbrier Street to N. Kensington Street
Little Falls Road, from N. Edison Street to Yorktown Boulevard and from Yorktown Boulevard/N. Kensington Street to N. Ohio Street
N. Lexington Street, from Yorktown Boulevard to 27th Street N.
27th Road N., from the dead end to N. Lexington Street
27th Street N., from N. Lexington Street to N. Ohio Street
John Marshall Drive at 27th Street N.
N. Ohio Street, from 27th Street N. to Little Falls Road
When safe to do so, residents of the affected areas will be escorted through the road closures, as necessary, to minimize the impact on the community. All roadways are expected to reopen at 10:30 a.m. Community members are asked to park vehicles in driveways to reduce the congestion on the course and to allow for standard traffic conditions to return as quickly as possible.
If The county intended the change to improve the customer experience at the garage, which has garnered some negative online reviews over the past couple of years, but some users say they have found the new system confusing or restrictive.
Instead of getting a ticket at a gate, drivers entering the county-owned garage at 627 N. Glebe Road now park and then pay at a kiosk, online or through an app. There is a 15-minute grace period after entering the garage when parking is free, however, the new system keeps track of those in the facility by recording license plates upon entry.
Once parked, users can pay with cash or credit card at one of the many kiosks in each elevator lobby, after entering their license plate number and selecting an exit time. They can also pay through the Parking.com mobile app or by scanning a QR code that redirects them to a payment portal.
Here, users must enter their cell phone and license plate number, choose an exit time, and provide their credit card information, postal code and email address. This method, however, charges a 35-cent service fee.
In addition to creating more payment options, the county hopes the new system will “improve customer experience” by offering garage users the flexibility to add extra time as needed and stores their information for future transactions, says Melissa McMahon, the county’s parking and curb space manager.
Removing physical gates and automated ticket machines has allowed the “operations team to focus on customer experience and enforcement, rather than mechanical equipment malfunctions,” McMahon told ARLnow.
Several anonymous tipsters raised concerns about the poor internet connection inside the garage and the system’s reliance on smartphones.
“God forbid you don’t have a cell phone,” one tipster said.
Anticipating some confusion about the changes, McMahon said the county sent out letters to local community stakeholder groups and posted flyers throughout the garage. During the first month post-installation, garage staff were also posted around the facility to help users navigate the new system.
Still, several people said that the changes caught them “off guard.”
“Instead of a ticket at entry/exit, you are supposed to pay via the web (entering license plate into a form) or at a machine,” one tipster told ARLnow via email. “Luckily, there was a security guard sitting in the lobby off Level 3 asking people if they had paid and, if not, directing them to the machine. I know others did not realize they had to pay since the arms at the entry/exit lanes were all up.”
The same person who raised concerns about smartphone access also said the fliers were in “tiny print and difficult to understand.”
Individuals with concerns can contact the new garage operator, Chicago-based SP Plus, which provides a customer helpline and email support. County staff regularly visit the garage to “observe operations, talk to staff and customers, and work with garage management on refinements to improve customer experience,” says McMahon.
Cheesetique in Shirlington to become Corso Italian (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Owner of Cheesetique and Corso Italian Jill Erber (right) and Cathal Armstrong (courtesy of Scott Suchman)
Cheesetique in Shirlington is set to reinvent itself as an Italian-inspired restaurant and market.
Situated at 4024 Campbell Avenue, the wine and cheese bar’s official last day will be next Wednesday, Nov. 22, according to the company’s Instagram page.
The new restaurant, Corso Italian, is scheduled to start serving dinner in early December, per a press release. Despite the name change, the venue will remain under the stewardship of Cheesetique’s current owner, Jill Erber. Prominent local chef Cathal Armstrong, who is behind Mattie and Eddie’s in Pentagon City, will oversee the restaurant’s menu.
“Italian food is broadly appealing and incredibly diverse, and The Village at Shirlington is the perfect location for Corso Italian,” Erber said in a press release.
“The Shirlington crowd is worldly and hip but unpretentious. They want to eat out multiple times a week,” Erber added. “On Monday, it’s a glass of Barolo and a seasonal, house-made pasta. Over the weekend, they want to celebrate with a Negroni, plate-filling bone-in veal parmesan, indulgent cannoli cheesecake, and after-dinner Amaro.”
Armstrong — who also was the owner and chef of Restaurant Eve, a fine-dining spot in Old Town Alexandria that closed in 2015 — will oversee the culinary direction of Corso Italian. He met Erber more than two decades ago.
The duo say they started the restaurant because of their shared history and passion for Italian specialty cheeses, per the release.
Corso Italian’s menu includes a range of Italian-American classics, such as chicken Vesuvio with red chili and sage, and carbonara with handmade pasta and housemade guanciale.
Having started his culinary career in an Italian kitchen in Dublin, Armstrong said the experience of crafting new Italian dishes “feels like coming home.”
“The canvas we have here is incredibly inspiring. I love waking up in the middle of the night needing to write down menu ideas,” he said.
In addition to an all-Italian wine list, the restaurant will offer a cocktail menu with negronis, spritzes and a bar dedicated to bitter Italian aperitifs and digestifs known as amaro. A gourmet retail market at the front of the restaurant will sell fresh pastas and sauces as well as Italian cheeses, salumi and wine.
One Medical opens in Rosslyn, November 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
One Medical’s front lobby in Rosslyn (staff photo by James Jarvis)
One Medical’s front lobby in Rosslyn (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Amazon’s One Medical recently opened a new healthcare clinic in Rosslyn, offering more than just the usual medical services.
Like a regular primary care doctor’s office, patients can seek treatment for a range of medical issues, from common illnesses to routine health check-ups.
The membership-based service offers other benefits such as 24/7 virtual care, same-day appointments and minimal wait times, for an annual fee of $199. Last week Amazon announced that Prime members could get One Medical membership for $9/mo or $99/year.
Located at 1771 N. Pierce Street, at the base of the Cortland Apartments and a stone’s throw from the upscale market and café Foxtrot, this clinic marks One Medical’s first foray into Arlington.
It joins similar full-service clinics in the area, including in Tysons and the Mosaic District.
Amazon, which completed the first phase of its second headquarters in Pentagon City this summer, acquired One Medical in February.
This was a significant shift for the company, which unsuccessfully tried to start its own telemedicine and primary care provider.
A “For Lease” sign sits in the window of Cava Mezze in November 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Cava Mezze has quietly shuttered in Clarendon, with a “For Lease” sign recently placed out front.
This comes after the restaurant — the upscale original version of the popular, publicly traded Mediterranean chain — changed its status to “closed” on the company’s website last month. Google, however, still lists it as “temporarily closed.”
During a visit to the eatery at 2940 Clarendon Blvd on Oct. 4, ARLnow observed minor construction and scattered materials inside. A manager, seen turning away puzzled would-be customers, said the closure was due to renovations but offered no details on when the restaurant might reopen.
Now, the “For Lease” sign sits in the window of the restaurant, which first opened in 2011, strongly suggesting that the closure is permanent.
Neither the company nor the property manager CBRE responded to ARLnow’s request for comment before publication.
Both Cava Mezze locations in Rockville and Olney, Maryland, are still open, as are the two fast-casual Cava locations in Rosslyn and Ballston.
A lit candle celebrating Diwali (via Wilson Matthew/Unsplash)
DC Dosa warm carrot pudding (courtesy of DC Dosa)
The Water Park in Crystal City will be illuminated tomorrow evening in celebration of the annual Hindu festival, Diwali.
On Friday, from 6-9 p.m., the park will transform into a luminous display of floating lanterns and sparklers, symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness in the Hindu religion.
The evening’s activities include a dance performance by Bethesda-based Kalanidhi Dance and music from a live DJ.
One of the food kiosks at the water park, DC Dosa, which specializes in South Indian street food, will serve a special Diwali treat: gajar halwa, a warm carrot pudding infused with almonds, raisins and cardamom.
The water park at 1601 Crystal Drive reopened last month after a 3-year renovation. The 1.6-acre outdoor food hall and park has 11 different food vendors as well as a bar and performance stage.
Lang Street Community Gardens in November 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Lang Street Community Gardens, facing the north end of the property (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Front view of property at 28th Street South and South Lang Street (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Rear view of property at 28th Street S. and S. Lang Street (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Side view of property at 28th Street S. and S. Lang Street (staff photo by James Jarvis)
The Arlington County Board is considering buying a property adjacent to the Lang Street Community Gardens to expand its gardening space.
The Board is set to review — and likely approve — the $1.2 million sale agreement for the house at 1128 28th Street S. during its meeting this Saturday.
If approved, it will be the county’s ninth property acquisition on this same block in the Arlington Ridge neighborhood since 1969, according to a spokesperson for the Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services.
The most recent was a 0.2-acre site at 2822 S. Arlington Ridge Road — situated on the block’s southeastern edge — which the county bought in 2015 for $699,000. That house was demolished to create 45 half-sized plots.
Following the purchase of the nearly 0.3-acre property on 28th Street, the house would be razed to add “approximately 43 new 10’ by 20’ garden plots,” according to a county report.
Arlington County’s Office of Historic Preservation determined the residence, built around the 1930s, does not have any historical or architectural significance, per the report. The item is on the Board’s Consent Agenda, reserved for items deemed noncontroversial by county staff.
Arlington County aims to enlarge Lang Street Community Gardens by acquiring residence at 1128 28th Street S. (via Arlington County)
By creating more garden plots, the county aims to ease the high demand for the nearly 2.3 acres of community garden space throughout Arlington.
The waiting period for larger gardens, including Lang Street, is often under a year, but for smaller ones, such as 1601 Key Blvd, the wait can extend to three to five years, according to a spokesperson for the Dept. of Parks and Recreation.
As of this past Monday, the waitlist for Lang Street Community Gardens had 1,094 hopeful gardeners.
The potential purchase also advances the county’s strategic plan to add at least 30 acres of new public space, including two more community gardens, over the next 10 years as part of the 2019 Public Spaces Master Plan.
In addition to the property’s purchase price, county officials estimate that demolition costs would be about $350,000.
Foxtrot “opening soon” sign in Ballston (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Upscale market and café Foxtrot plans to open a new location in Ballston.
“Opening soon” signs are up in the space previously occupied by the fast-casual chicken sandwich shop Farmbird, which closed in 2022.
Foxtrot — which advertises itself as a high-end corner store, market and café with a swift delivery service — has expanded into Virginia over the last two years with locations in Old Town Alexandria and Rosslyn.
The Ballston outpost would be the Chicago-based company’s third in Virginia and ninth location in the D.C. area. In all, the company operates 23 stores across the U.S.
Foxtrot did not respond to a request for more details before publication.
The boutique market joins a handful of other coffee shops, stores and restaurants that have announced openings in the Ballston neighborhood this year, including Greenheart Juice Shop, Panera Bread and Roggenart Bistro & Café.
Latin American restaurant Maizal plans to open at Pentagon City mall November 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
The Pentagon City mall is adding a dash of South American flavor to its dining options.
Maizal, situated on the mall’s exterior along S. Hayes Street adjacent to Macy’s, is gearing up to open next week, according to a company spokesperson.
The Pentagon City location will be the chain’s second outpost in Arlington. Maizal made its debut in Ballston Quarter’s food hall in 2019. Today, the chain also operates two locations in D.C. and opened a location in Reston yesterday (Monday).
Menu items include “green, grain or mixed bowls, assorted arepas, and specialty items such as south American hot dogs, empanadas, street corn, plantains, yucca, churros and cookie sandwiches,” per a press release.
Details regarding the new restaurant’s hours of operation have yet to be released, but other Maizal locations are open from 11 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m., according to the company’s website.
Maizal joins a list of fast-casual eateries moving into the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, including Mezeh Mediterranean Grill. The restaurant, similar to Cava and Roti, announced its upcoming opening with a “Coming Soon” banner in August.
Middle Eastern restaurant and hookah lounge Ya Hala Bistro is now open in Bluemont (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Inside Ya Hala Bistro (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Inside Ya Hala Bistro (staff photo by James Jarvis)
A new Middle Eastern restaurant and hookah lounge has opened in Bluemont.
Ya Hala Bistro, located where Layalina Restaurant used to be at 5216 Wilson Blvd, hosted a soft opening last Saturday and is planning a grand opening in the coming weeks.
“We’re not 100% open yet. It’s just like a soft opening slowly, then when we figure out everything and everybody is trained, we can open in the next two or three weeks,” owner Mohamed Alkadi told ARLnow.
Although the official grand opening is scheduled for later this month, the bistro’s operating hours, 11-2 a.m. seven days a week, will remain the same.
The menu features a variety of savory Mediterranean dishes, including chicken shawarma and baba ghanoush, alongside craft cocktails and a “premium hookah experience,” per the restaurant’s website.
Ya Hala joins a number of other Middle Eastern restaurants and hookah lounges in Arlington, including Tarbouch Cafe in Lyon Village, Darna in Virginia Square and Eska on Columbia Pike.
