Author: Katie Taranto

Lost Dog Cafe to close on Columbia Pike this week after months of declining sales

By Katie Taranto

A longtime Columbia Pike pizzeria is closing its doors for good.

Lost Dog Cafe will serve its last pies at 2920 Columbia Pike this week after 16 years in business there. The closure comes months after the local business’s owner shared concerns of flagging sales amid ongoing roadwork.

“With the construction in the Pike, we aren’t able to stay in business,” managing partner Sarah White told ARLnow. “We have loved our time there and appreciate all that have supported us over the years. We couldn’t be more proud of our staff and their Herculean effort to keep going, but it just isn’t feasible any longer.”

The restaurant’s last day “will likely be Friday, but we aren’t ruling out closing tomorrow [Thursday],” White said. Any events scheduled in South Arlington will be moved to one of the local chain’s other locations, she added.

Lost Dog Cafe had previously considered closing back in 2021, raising concerns about the high cost of parking in a nearby garage.

The restaurant, which serves sandwiches, salad and soups in addition to pizza, has five Northern Virginia locations, including an original Westover spot that opened in 1985. It’s among several small businesses along the Pike that have shared worries of declining revenue during the years-long construction project, which is expected to reach substantial completion by the end of this year.

Last month, owners of the Celtic House Irish Pub & Restaurant expressed disappointment over the roadwork causing the temporary closure of outdoor patios and some parking spaces.

“It’s no surprise that the loss of our patios and construction on the property will have a direct financial impact on our business, especially in the cooler summer and fall evenings,” the owners wrote.

In April, Acme Pie Co. owner Sol Schott attributed storefront construction and restricted sidewalks to a 50% decrease in retail sales since 2023.

The Lost Dog Cafe team hopes to start future projects “in locations that are better suited to doing business,” White said.

H-B Woodlawn music teacher named semifinalist for Grammy educator award

By Katie Taranto

An Arlington Public Schools teacher is in the final rounds for a Grammy award honoring outstanding music educators.

Bill Podolski, the choral director at H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program, is one of 25 nationwide semifinalists for the 2026 Grammy Music Educator Award, announced last week. The accolade is bestowed on one music teacher each year who is honored during the week of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

“I truly was pinching myself, because I just couldn’t believe it,” Podolski told ARLnow. “I felt quite proud of it … but more than that, I’m super humbled by this.”

This year’s semifinalists represent 23 localities across 14 states. A list of 10 finalists will come out next month before the winner of the 2026 Music Educator Award is announced in February.

This award is open to all music teachers in the United States, from kindergarten to collegiate level. Teachers are invited to apply after receiving a nomination from a student, colleague or community member.

Podolski is currently in his 18th year at H-B Woodlawn, where he teaches music, co-directs student musicals and leads the school’s choral program in Rosslyn. He is also an executive board member of the Virginia Choral Directors Association.

He instructs five choirs and interacts with about 130 students each day, in addition to leading initiatives like the school’s public Community Chorus. He also collaborates with APS’ Eunice Kennedy Shriver Program to include students with disabilities in every concert.

Bill Podolski and students (via Arlington Public Schools)

At the core of Podolski’s passion for music education is an “inherent joy in singing.”

“There’s almost no greater joy, no greater expression of emotions, and that feeling of goosebumps than I have felt in singing,” Podolski said. “My quest is to share that experience with as many people as possible, and especially my students.”

Podolski was initially selected in the spring as one of 200 Music Educator Award quarterfinalists from a pool of over 2,000 nominees. He was nominated by a local parent, he said.

In his Grammy application portfolio, Podolski spoke about his goal of creating classrooms that encourage students to be more autonomous.

“How can I teach music in a way that is not me teaching them, but them discovering at their own paces?” he said.

This is not the first time a Northern Virginia teacher has been up for the prestigious award. Last year’s winner, Annie Ray, is the orchestra director and performing arts department chair at Annandale High School in Fairfax County.

The 68th annual Grammy Awards will take place Feb. 1, 2026.

Photo 2 via Arlington Public Schools. 

New bridal boutique and hair salon opening this weekend in Green Valley

By Katie Taranto

A joint grand opening is planned in Green Valley this weekend for a new hair salon and bridal boutique under the same roof.

The Dahnistry Room and Root & Bloom, located at 2112 and 2114 S. Shirlington Road, both open for business at noon on Saturday. Root & Bloom owner Nataki Green described the ventures as “two Black woman-owned businesses proudly rooted in South Arlington.”

During the grand opening event on Saturday the businesses will offer light refreshments and tours of their new spaces, which replace vacancies left by Wayne Cutz and A&J Salon.

“Together, we’re celebrating collaboration, creativity, and the power of women-owned small businesses,” Green wrote in a press release.

The Dahnistry Room will offer ‘curated fashion’

  • Founder and seamstress Dantrese Canady plans to deliver “curated fashion, custom bridal design, professional alterations, and a beautiful space for intimate private events,” according to a release.
  • The designer from Arlington has over 15 years of fashion industry experience, having served musicians like Jade Alston, Jessy Wilson and Vivian Green.
  • Canady founded the alterations company Dahnistry in 2012, and introduced a bridal clothing line, Dahnistry Couture, in 2015.

‘Empowering’ hairstyling at Room & Bloom

  • Next door, Green’s new hair salon, Root & Bloom, is “dedicated to empowering women through culturally aware hairstyling and self-care — rooted in love, legacy and community.”
  • The professional hair stylist offers a variety of styling, cuts, braiding and other treatments through an independent booking service online.

Van Leeuwen opens in Clarendon this Friday with discount ice cream scoops

By Katie Taranto

Van Leeuwen’s new Clarendon shop will celebrate a grand opening this week with discounted scoops and a tote bag giveaway.

The New York City-based chain is set to open its doors at 2831 Clarendon Blvd this Friday, Oct. 17. The incoming business replaces the longtime ice cream parlor Nicecream, which closed in August after 11 years at the address.

“We’re excited to bring Van Leeuwen to Clarendon and share our love of good ice cream with this community,” co-founder Ben Van Leeuwen said in a release. “We can’t wait to welcome guests in for the Clarendon Pumpkin Cheesecake Sundae, our fall flavors lineup, specialty toppings, milkshakes, floats, and more.”

Discounted scoops are available on Friday

  • Van Leeuwen will offer $1 scoops from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday to celebrate its first day in business, and the first 100 guests will receive a limited-edition Van Leeuwen tote bag.
  • The new shop will serve 30 of the chain’s signature flavors, including peanut butter brownie honeycomb and vegan banana bread pudding with fudge swirls.
  • A new signature sundae includes seasonal pumpkin cheesecake ice cream, caramel sauce, honey almonds and whipped cream.

Van Leeuwen is expanding in the D.C. area

  • This is the second Van Leeuwen in Arlington. A Crystal City location opened last year.
  • Another scoop shop is currently underway in Old Town Alexandria, and the company also appears to be eyeing a Ballston storefront, according to permit records this year.
  • Van Leeuwen will be open in Clarendon from 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday.

Arlington amputee to participate in charitable Mount Kilimanjaro hike

By Katie Taranto

An Arlington man is preparing to scale the highest peak in Africa with a prosthetic leg, aiming to fundraise for clean water and inspire other amputees.

Jacob Rainey, who walks with an artificial right leg, is embarking on a seven-day, 43-mile challenge to hike Mount Kilimanjaro this February. Alongside a group including veterans and former athletes, he is raising funds for Waterboys, a clean water advocacy initiative by former NFL defensive end Chris Long.

Rainey, who shares a hometown connection and mentor-like relationship with the retired player from Charlottesville, told ARLnow that he is motivated by a desire to provide clean water around the world while inspiring people who may share a similar story of adversity.

Rainey was a high school quarterback when, in 2011, his knee was dislocated while being tackled during a scrimmage. The dislocation severed his popliteal artery, leading doctors to amputate the leg above the knee to save his life.

He returned to the field with a prosthetic leg as a captain during his senior year, and later joined the University of Virginia’s football team as a preferred walk-on. The story earned national attention from outlets like ESPN and the New York Times, which reported on the young man’s journey of fortitude.

“That’s one of the reasons why I enjoy getting involved in different foundations, giving back where I can, because I know there’s other people out there that maybe haven’t been as fortunate, in terms of the support systems and resources,” Rainey said.

This winter, Rainey, who currently works for a D.C. investment firm, hopes to continue spreading the message of defying expectations while giving back.

“You don’t let anyone else set expectations for you,” he said. “Hopefully it does reach others that can feel inspired to get going … you know, not let any sort of adversity get in their way and slow them down.”

The Waterboys’ annual hike raises funds to construct new water wells across Tanzania. Past participants have included the likes of Jason Kelce and Beau Allen, and hikers fundraise through a donation page on the program’s website.

Climbing one of the world’s tallest peaks is no small task. Rainey said he is preparing for the trip with vigorous uphill treadmill walks, long weekend hikes with his wife and dog, and a recent vacation spent hiking the Italian Dolomites.

“Kilimanjaro definitely makes me a little uncomfortable in terms of the challenge, which I think is a good sign that it’s the right thing to do to challenge myself,” he said.

Local photographer documents Ballston construction crew across months of hard-won progress

By Katie Taranto

A tight-knit construction crew’s months of labor and progress in Ballston are the subject of an online photo album by a neighborhood photographer.

Since the spring, David Moss has captured dozens of scenes conveying the teamwork and physical feats of construction workers at the UrbA phase II redevelopment site next to Harris Teeter, where a 197-unit apartment building is getting built at 600 N. Glebe Road.

Moss first noticed the crew from Hyde Park Condominiums’ courtyard in April. The construction site’s unique figures, textures and lighting all appealed to the longtime photographer. But it was the team of about 15 workers who captivated him most.

“Being somebody looking from the outside, seeing what, at first, looked like controlled chaos, I then realized that everybody knows where to go … the teamwork is amazing,” Moss said. “Spying on them from afar, there’s a camaraderie, a real teamwork.”

Construction workers at the UrbA II site in August (courtesy of David Moss)

His photos capture the hard work and heavy metal of a construction site as workers haul wood planks and scaffolding, operate the gritty landscape’s heavy machinery, and don matching hard hats and reflective vests to work as a coordinated team.

“It’s very skilled, dangerous, hot and sweaty work, but they just do what has to be done,” he said. “These are almost all Latino immigrants, who some people would like locked up and expelled. But apparently we don’t mind them doing our dirty work.”

Especially during a time of surging immigration enforcement across the country and in Arlington, Moss hopes his work helps others see the humanity in migrant communities, as he has with the crew.

“We’re all just people trying to get through life, and just because you came from another place doesn’t mean you don’t have a right to exist or to thrive,” Moss said. “We shouldn’t be demonizing people, and we shouldn’t be treating people cruelly.”

Over time, the photographer said his frequent visits fostered a real “human connection” between him and the crew.

Nowadays when he arrives, the workers meet him with waves, thumbs-ups or poses — some of which are captured in his portfolio.

“I chatted with one guy and I showed him on the phone, I said, here,” Moss said. “He’s like, ‘Oh, that’s my uncle,’ and ‘oh, that’s my brother,’ so I think they were pleased.”

One day, the photographer plans to take some of the workers to lunch. Until then, he’ll continue to show up to the site with his Canon DSLR.

Phase II of the UrbA project is slated to wrap up in May 2027.

New ‘modernized’ McDonald’s on Langston Blvd expected to reopen next month

By Katie Taranto

Langston Blvd has been without its McDonald’s for about seven months, but that’s about to change.

The company is in the final stages of constructing a “modernized” restaurant on the grounds of its former red-roofed joint at 4834 Langston Blvd. The new build, which replaces the old-school look with the franchise’s updated, neutral color palette, is expected to open next month.

“The location is getting closer to completion,” construction manager Michele Miller told ARLnow. “We are still planning to open this year sometime in November.”

McDonald’s shut its former Langston Blvd restaurant down in April, demolished it in June and initially eyed plans to reopen this month.

The new restaurant will not have a PlayPlace, but it will have self-ordering kiosks and an outdoor patio. Also in the works is a side-by-side drive-thru, which will have two ordering lanes that merge at pickup to “improve efficiency,” Miller previously said.

It’s an upgrade from the former single-lane drive-thru at the spot, which often contributed to traffic along Langston Blvd.

Arlington Restaurant Week returns Monday with over 80 participating businesses

By Katie Taranto
Kimchi ramen with beef, bean sprouts, kimchee, seaweed and a poached egg from Ryu Izakaya (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A week of countywide dining deals kicks off on Monday with the return of the annual Arlington Restaurant Week.

Over 80 Arlington restaurants plan to offer discounts, specials and prix fixe meals from Oct. 13-20 as part of the yearly promotion by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. Participants range from fast-casual to formal dining and include local favorites like The Italian Store.

“From neighborhood favorites to new culinary experiences, this week is an opportunity for our community to come together, discover something different, and show our appreciation for the restaurants that make Arlington such a vibrant place to live, work, and visit,” Chamber CEO Kate Bates said in a release.

Here are some of the highlights.

Bayou Bakery

In Courthouse, the New Orleans-inspired bakery plans to serve a $12.50 “breakfast bundle” with a biscuit egg sandwich, tater tots and drip coffee from 7-11 a.m. It is also offering some three-course, prix fixe lunch deals starting at $17.

1515 N. Courthouse Road

Big Buns

In Ballston and Shirlington, Big Buns is offering a $35 lunch for two. Choose between a blackened red snapper sandwich or a wagyu burger. Each sandwich comes with fries.

4401 Wilson Blvd and 4251 Campbell Avenue

Colony Grill

Two pizza pies from this Clarendon pizzeria will go for $19.35 during restaurant week. Extra toppings are available at $1.95 each.

2800 Clarendon Blvd

Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe

From Oct. 14-19, the longtime bakery is dishing out bagel sandwiches and a 12-ounce coffee for $7.25. Croissant sandwiches are available for $1 more. For lunch, try a $10.25 chicken curry salad sandwich and cookie or wurst on a roll with strudel for $11.95.

2150 N. Culpeper Street

Ryu Izakaya

The Japanese fusion spot on Columbia Pike is offering a three-course $15.99 lunch and $22.99 dinner menus, with entrees like pad thai, chicken teriyaki donburi and bulgogi udon soup.

Several other deals are planned along the Pike at Abi Azteca Grill & Bar, Pike Cornerstone, Mpanadas and Celtic House Whiskey Bar.

3030 Columbia Pike 

T.H.A.I. in Shirlington

Three-course dinners go for $40 per person at this longtime Shirlington eatery, which is allowing diners to choose any item from its appetizers, entrees and desserts for each respective course.

4029 Campbell Avenue

1983 Chinese Cuisine

A four-course “special meal” from this new Cantonese dim sum spot is available at $48 per person. Options include crispy jumbo shrimp with fried garlic, honey-glazed char siu (barbecue pork) and steamed spare ribs.

1101 S. Joyce Street 

A complete list of participating restaurants is available on the Chamber’s website and a map of their locations is below.