Author: Katie Pyzyk

Green Pig Bistro Opens in Clarendon

By Katie Pyzyk

Green Pig Bistro (1025 N. Fillmore St) opened on Wednesday, and already the restaurant is seeing a steady flow of customers.

Arlington native Scot Harlan owns the restaurant and serves as a chef. His co-chef, Will Sullivan, also hails from Arlington.

Harlan has traveled around the world in an effort to perfect his culinary skills and has worked in kitchens of famed chefs like Gordon Ramsay. He made his way back to the area to work at notable local establishments such as 2941 and Inox, but now wants to try his hand at running a restaurant in the community his family has called home for many years.

“We’ve been here a while and we’ve seen this location change from a Sears parking lot to an area hot for 20 to 30 somethings,” said Harlan.

He said one of the things that will make Green Pig Bistro stand out is that it’s not run by a corporate entity, but instead by a chef-owner. Harlan thinks his desire to keep it simple and let the food shine without experimenting with exotic blends of spices in dishes will keep customers coming back.

“I’ve spent the last 10 years doing tiny, 16 touches on a plate,” Harlan said. “I find more value in not going in that direction. You’re not paying for the paint on the plate, you’re paying for the food and ingredients and our staffing. Not for innovation.”

He likes innovation in cooking techniques, but not in flavor combinations. Harlan believes some classic dishes just shouldn’t be messed with.

“Customers don’t always really dig it,” Harlan said. “It’s just a small percentage of customers looking for something like that. I’m trying to get everybody in here.”

Harlan stresses that the restaurant is an American take on a French bistro. But he wants customers to remember that “bistro” doesn’t mean “small restaurant.” Rather, it connotes a certain theme, such as Green Pig’s “nose-to-tail” cooking, in which all of an animal is used.

The menu will change slightly based on which items are available seasonally. One of the more unique dishes available right now is a “rabbit cake,” which is the Green Pig’s spin on a crab cake. More traditional items, such as hamburgers or steaks, are also available. Harlan’s pastry chef training shines through in simple desserts, such as a donut with chocolate and peanut butter ice cream.

The back of the restaurant houses most of the seating, and patrons can see into the kitchen. The front, which overlooks 11th St N. and Fillmore St, has a bar and a few tables. Harlan believes many customers will like the bar area not just for the food and ambiance, but also because he tries to keep beer prices below those of many nearby establishments.

For now, Green Pig Bistro is only open in the evenings, but the plan is to start serving brunch in about a month. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.

“People think it’s strange to be closed on Tuesdays, but I think it’s strange that people close on Mondays,” Harlan said. “You’ve got many holidays, you’ve got Monday night football.”

Green Pig Bistro’s grand opening party is scheduled for April 17.

1/15

CVS to Replace Borders at Pentagon Centre

By Katie Pyzyk

The empty store space in Pentagon Centre that used to house a Borders book store should be getting a new tenant soon.

ARLnow.com received a tip that a CVS will be moving in. A building permit issued on January 27 confirms that the pharmacy will be the new tenant.

Borders moved out last year after the chain filed for bankruptcy and closed all of its stores across the country. Its former space in Pentagon Centre has sat vacant for months.

Although there were lights on inside today, the store remains empty and no construction appears to be underway. There’s no word on when the CVS is expected to open.

Hat tip to @schwars1

Village at Shirlington Begins Monthly Ladies’ Event

By Katie Pyzyk

The Village at Shirlington is kicking off a monthly event aimed toward the ladies. Starting tonight, the first Thursday of every month will be “Shirlie’s Girls Night Out.”

Shops and restaurants will offer a variety of specials, discounts, and trunk shows. Some stores will even offer cocktails or snacks to shoppers.

Participating establishments include CakeLove, Capitol City Brewing Company, Cheestique, Dogma Bakery & Boutique, Extra Virgin Modern Italian Cuisine, Hair Cuttery, Hardwood Artisans, Johnny Rockets, Le Village Marche, Luna Grill & Diner, Periwinkle, Studio Salon & Spa and VisualEyes Optical Boutique.

A similar type of event kicked off Shirlington’s restaurant week in October. Danielle Bolger, Marketing Coordinator for BrandLinkDC, says the event last fall was so successful and there was so much positive feedback, the decision was made to turn it into a monthly happening.

The event officially runs from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m., but hours for the specials may vary slightly among the individual establishments. You can see what each store and restaurant will offer on the Village at Shirlington website.

Teen Arrested for Brandishing Fake Gun at Abingdon Elementary

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 3:10 p.m.) A teen with a fake gun threatened a group of children outside Abingdon Elementary School in Fairlington yesterday afternoon.

Students told police a male suspect approached them, carrying a gun with an orange tip. Police radio traffic reported that while displaying the weapon, which was at first thought to be real, the suspect asked the children if they were ready to die.

The suspect and children all left the scene. However, when police arrived, some of the children returned to describe the suspect and incident.

A short time later, police found a 17-year-old boy in the area matching the students’ description. The teen was arrested and charged with brandishing a firearm on school property, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Although he did not have the weapon with him at the time of the arrest, it was later recovered and revealed to be a BB gun.

Nobody was hurt during the incident. The suspect, who police say is an Arlington Public Schools student, was released to his parents.

New Interactive Map Shows County Development

By Katie Pyzyk

It seems like development projects are always popping up somewhere in Arlington. A new online map highlights all that development, and gives data about each project.

The county’s Planning Research and Analysis Team recently released a report summarizing residential and commercial development activity for the 2011 calendar year. Along with the report, the research team set up an interactive Development Tracking Map to show the locations of projects under construction, completed, demolished or approved by the County Board. Additional information accompanies each entry — some of which date back more than 50 years — and pictures are available for certain locations.

At the end of last year, most of Arlington’s ongoing commercial construction was located along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. In fact, according to the report, 90 percent occurred just in Ballston. In regards to ongoing construction of apartment and condo buildings, 43 percent was located in Rosslyn, and 33 percent could be found outside the Metro corridors.

The report shows that the County Board approved three site plans in 2011 for residential and commercial use — Virginia Square Towers, Wakefield Manor in Courthouse and Boeing in Crystal City. That makes 2010 and 2011 the years with the least number of approved projects since 2000.

A positive sign is the number of residential construction starts, with a net gain over 2010 of 975 units. The report notes this stops a trend that began in 2008, of net losses occurring in year-over-year construction starts.

WMATA Launches Anti-Sexual Harassment Campaign

By Katie Pyzyk

Metro has officially embarked on an awareness campaign to fight incidents of sexual harassment against people using the system.

“This purpose of this outreach is to let people know that it’s not okay to sexually harass people on Metro,” said Metro General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles on WMATA’s website. “We are encouraging anyone who may be harassed to report the incident to Metro Transit Police.”

Phase one included this week’s launch of an online reporting system. Victims have the option of remaining anonymous, but all reports will be sent directly to Metro Transit Police. An email address, [email protected], has also been set up to allow customers to send photos or video to assist in an investigation.

According to the website, reportable behavior includes “extended leering, sexual comments, indecent exposure, stalking and groping.” Even if an incident doesn’t seem like a crime, victims are asked to still report what happened so Metro can spot trends and try to prevent future crimes from occurring. Right now, WMATA does not track such statistics.

“Prior to this initiative, we were not collecting data on reported harassment that did not rise to the level of a crime,” said WMATA spokesman Dan Stessel. “Over the next few months, we will track the data, develop a baseline for future comparisons, and report statistics publicly on a quarterly basis.”

A number of Arlington incidents of harassment on Metro have been made public over the last couple of years. An apparent repeat offender at the Courthouse station was reported to police by at least one woman whom he grabbed after taking a cell phone photo up her skirt. Another apparent repeat offender has been reported at the Pentagon stop in posts on the advocacy website Collective Action for Safe Spaces.

“The changes that Metro is making to address public sexual harassment and assault is a testament to the hundreds of stories we received on our site,” Collective Action for Safe Spaces Co-founder Chai Shenoy said on WMATA’s website. “We see this partnership as a step in the right direction and a model for other transit agencies around the world to follow.”

As part of the anti-harassment initiative, soon customers will see posters for the campaign displayed on buses and in train stations. Materials will be handed out throughout the system. Metro is also working on enhancing training for its employees on the front lines.

New Location for Artomatic 2012

By Katie Pyzyk

Artomatic is changing locations. It’s still going to be in Crystal City, as announced in January, but the location will be a few blocks away from the originally named venue.

Instead of taking place at 2511 S. Clark St, the event will be held at 1851 S. Bell St. Crystal City Business Improvement District President Angela Fox explained that while the agreement to use the Clark Street location was being finalized, Vornado announced plans to replace the Bell Street venue with a new building. Vornado then put forth an offer to hold Artomatic at the old building before it’s torn down.

“This presented an amazing opportunity to showcase the transformation of Crystal City,” Fox said in a press release.

The new location is closer to the Crystal City metro and has an extra 50,000 square feet of space compared to the original venue.

Artomatic is a free event and starts on May 18.

Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser.

Workers Report Ghost Sightings at Overlee

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 3:15 p.m.) Something eerie is going on at the Overlee property, and it has nothing to do with logistics of the pool renovation project. Workers report seeing an extra person lingering at the construction site — a ghost.

The news isn’t entirely surprising to those who know the history of Overlee. The Victorian clubhouse, which was recently torn down, had been built in the 1890s and came to be known as the Febrey-Kincheloe House. Ernest Febrey built the house and later it was inhabited by the Kincheloe family. After her husband’s death, Mrs. Kincheloe turned the house into Crestwood Sanitarium, a home for elderly Washington dignitaries.

But the ghost isn’t believed to be one of the sanitarium inhabitants. Mike Maleski, who is on the Overlee Board of Directors, said that for decades people have reported seeing a girl in Victorian clothing. Researchers think the girl is Margaret Febrey who died in January 1913, and was said to be 14 years old. A family member reported that the Febrey family stopped using the house after Margaret’s death.

Over the years, some managers for the property had lived in the upper levels of the house and encountered the ghost. Managers and contractors have reported seeing a girl in odd clothing near the stairs of the basement. In January, some crew members demolishing the house admitted to talking to a girl who fit the description, and they believe it was the Febrey ghost.

The Febrey ghost isn’t the only unusual activity that’s been reported on the property.

“There were other ghost stories as well,” Maleski said. “Music and strange noises and things. I don’t know if that’s been idenfitied as one person. Most people believe it’s from the time when it was a sanitarium.”

The Febrey ghost appears to be friendly and has chatted with numerous people on the property throughout the years, we’re told. She also has been known to enjoy playing with children at the Overlee pool.

Nobody has reported any additional sightings since January.

Courthouse Plaza Construction Progressing, but Slowly

By Katie Pyzyk

There’s progress on the brick work construction that has left Courthouse Plaza torn up for more than a year. But not enough progress that visitors can expect to walk through anytime soon without dodging fences.

A section near N. 15th Street, close to the AMC Theatres, appears to be finished and crews have moved farther into the plaza. Just looking around the area reveals that there’s a significant amount of brick that hasn’t even been torn up yet, much less replaced. The project is already nearly a year behind schedule.

Some business and restaurant owners are frustrated with how long the project has taken, and how it has driven away customers. Toscana Grill Operating Partner Joe Smith said the construction has definitely hurt his business. With the warm weather, the restaurant has set up tables outdoors. However, the usual area for outdoor dining is currently reduced because it’s partially blocked by the brick work.

“I knew there were going to be things that I have to overcome, and this is just one of those things. We’re just trying to bide our time and stay optimistic,” Smith said. “We’re looking forward to the brand new patio.”

Smith says customers have commented on the construction, but many dedicated patrons continue to show up despite the mess. He notes there’s been a lot of progress recently and hopes crews will move on to a new section in a week or so, and Toscana Grill will be able to reclaim its full outdoor space.

We contacted Vornado, which owns Courthouse Plaza, but did not receive a call back.

1/9

Bluemercury Store Set to Open in Clarendon

By Katie Pyzyk

Update at 3:55 p.m. — Bluemercury did open to the public this afternoon, as scheduled.

Clarendon is getting its first store dedicated solely to cosmetics, skincare and scents, plus a spa. Bluemercury is set to open to the public today.

An employee told us if all goes well, the store will open at noon. The store is located at 2855 Clarendon Blvd, where Best Cellars was located until closing last July.

Bluemercury touts its high end beauty products, including what it calls hard to find imports. Unlike other cosmetics stores, the chain also provides spa services such as facials, waxing and massages.

“We love the young professional, young family vibe of the Clarendon neighborhood,” Bluemercury Co-Founder Marla Beck said in a statement.

Spokesman Dan Brashear echoed the excitement, saying the company had been looking for the right location in Arlington for years. The company is based in the District, and the Clarendon store is Bluemercury’s first in Virginia. Brashear said the company is growing rapidly and there’s potential for more Bluemercury stores to open in Northern Virginia.

The store hopes to hold a grand opening celebration in about a month when things settle down, but so far no formal plans have been made.

Feedback Wanted on Bikeshare Expansion Plan

By Katie Pyzyk

Earlier this year, Arlington announced plans to create a six-year plan for the growth and utilization of Capital Bikeshare in the county. Now, the public is being asked to weigh in and give suggestions on the plan.

An online forum has been set up for gathering feedback about the plan, which will cover fiscal years 2013-2018. Four scenarios were created and posted on the BikeArlington website as a general guide for expansion. Users are asked to comment about the favorable and unfavorable aspects of each scenario. Designers expect that none of the existing scenarios will be strictly adopted, but rather that elements of each will contribute to the final proposal.

One of the goals of the plan is to project costs and adjust budgets accordingly. All transit agencies in Virginia are required to complete a transit development plan every six years.

Comments can be posted at the online forum until April 13. There will also be a public meeting to address expansion on March 29, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at George Mason University’s Arlington Campus (3351 N. Fairfax Dr). The public is encouraged to attend and provide input.

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