Santa Claus (Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Jonathan Meath)
You better watch out, you better not cry, because a fully-vaccinated Santa Claus is coming to town.
Santa is going to return to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City starting next Friday (Nov. 19) through Christmas Eve (Dec. 24). Reservations are “strongly encouraged,” notes the mall’s website.
Santa is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, a Fashion Centre at Pentagon City spokesperson confirmed this to ARLnow.
The website of the photography company behind Santa’s appearance also notes that all employees, including Santa and his elves, were required to be vaccinated by October 14, except for those with valid medical and religious exemptions.
Guests will have the choice to sit with Santa or be socially distant for their photos this year.
Masks or face shields are being encouraged for those over two years old, but not mandated at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, a spokesperson confirmed.
“Santa’s helpers will be wearing masks throughout the duration of your visit,” notes the website.
Other safety measures in place include frequent cleaning of high touch-points and access to hands-free sanitizer.
Last year, despite increasing COVID cases and vaccines not yet being publicly available, Santa still came to Pentagon City for “safe and socially distanced” visits. At least he wasn’t in a bubble, like some other Santas across the region.
There’s no word yet on whether Santa will also be making an appearance at Ballston Quarter like in prior years.
The new La Tingeria shop in Falls Church (Photo courtesy of David Peña)
La Tingeria tacos (Staff photo by Matt Blitz)
David Peña of La Tingeria (Photo courtesy of David Peña)
La Tingeria’s menu at the Falls Church shop (Photo courtesy of David Peña)
David Peña and his popular La Tingeria food truck that’s been serving tacos in Arlington since 2012 are moving to Falls Church to open a brick and mortar restaurant.
The new location at 626 S. Washington Street is set to open next month (December), Peña tells ARLnow, and will be offering all the favorites for carry-out, including queso birria tacos, chicken tinga, tostadas, frescas, and fried quesadillas.
La Tingeria was selected by ARLnow readers as an Arlies award winner in the food truck category earlier this year and was No. 15 on a list of the top-ranked Arlington eateries by Yelp ratings.
Usually parked along S. Courthouse Road next to Penrose Park on weekends, the truck has drawn long lines and a need for a bigger cooking space, Peña says. That led him to take the plunge into a permanent location. He wanted to stay in Arlington, but the rent just too high.
“I tried my hardest to find somewhere in Arlington,” Peña says.
He considered spots along Columbia Pike and in Crystal City, but in the end, went with a three-story space in Falls Church about a mile and a half from the East Falls Church Metro Station.
The first floor will be the restaurant, the second floor will be a tattoo shop run by a friend of Peña’s, and the third floor will be office space. Well-known Arlington-based artist Mas Paz, who initially designed La Tingeria’s logo a number of years ago, painted the restaurant’s interior.
Peña began his career in the local restaurant industry more than a decade ago, serving as a sous chef at Rustico in Alexandria and, then, moving to its Ballston location.
It was during this time, he started perfecting his recipes, serving them up at the end of the day to his colleagues.
“They’re called family meals,” Peña says. “At the end of the day, the [leftovers] or the food that’s going to go bad, you put it all together and make some meal for the employees.”
It was his tinga that was most popular.
“Tinga is the marination of the meat,” he says. “So, when we have beef tinga, we braise the beef for eight hours, shred it up, add caramelized onions, and add chipotle-garlic sauce.”
In late 2012, he struck out of his own and opened a food truck that traveled around Arlington, serving lunch on weekdays in Ballston, Courthouse, Wilson Blvd, and Rosslyn.
Peña was comfortable, he says, and never anticipated opening a restaurant. But then the pandemic struck. He thought, like many, that lockdown would only last a few weeks, but it turned into months.
Läderach Chocolate, now at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City
Läderach Chocolate, now at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City (Photo courtesy of Läderach)
Läderach Chocolate, now at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City (Photo courtesy of Läderach)
(Updated, Nov. 9) The Pentagon City mall is getting a little sweeter with the opening of Swiss chocolate shop Läderach.
The large Swiss chocolate retailer is expanding to 30 new U.S. locations, many of which are specifically at Simon shopping centers, including the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City.
Läderach is replacing the Godiva store that closed earlier this year, part of an asset purchase agreement that saw them assume the leases of more than 30 Godiva locations across the country. The shop is on the mall’s first level, next to the Ann Taylor.
It had a soft opening last month, a Läderach spokesperson confirms to ARLnow.
The Arlington location is the second in the region. In February, Läderach opened a shop at Union Station in D.C. with a “self-serve carousel.” The Pentagon City mall shop does not have a carousel.
This is all part of the company’s “westward expansion… to meet the growing demand for premium fresh chocolate in the area that we’ve also seen through e-commerce.”
Nonetheless, there’s going to be lots of sweet, sweet chocolate.
“For chocolate lovers, this store is all about the chocolate experience! It offers more than 85 varieties of premium fresh chocolate shipped directly from Switzerland, including its famous FrischSchoggi (fresh chocolate in Swiss German) counter which includes more than 20 varieties of chocolate bark,” says a press release. “All chocolate is made from bean-to-bar in-house and shipped directly to the store guaranteeing its quality and freshness, which is second to none.”
Operating since 1962, Läderach is family-owned and until recently only had stores in Switzerland. Elias Läderach is one of the heirs to this chocolate fortune and was named World Chocolate Master in 2018 for his “lightning-fast technique, perfectionist attitude and flawless execution.”
The chocolate store is one of a number of new shops and eateries at the mall on S. Hayes Street. There’s now a Levi’s store, Mediterranean restaurant Sante, and a Day & Night Cereal Bar that specializes in milkshakes and cereal, among others.
Fried rice and chicken at CHIKO in Shirlington (Photo courtesy of CHIKO).
Co-owners Danny Lee and Scott Drewno cooking (Photo courtesy of CHIKO).
Co-owners Danny Lee and Scott Drewno (Photo courtesy of CHIKO).
Fried chicken at CHIKO (Photo courtesy of CHIKO).
CHIKO, a popular D.C.-based Chinese and Korean eatery, is opening its first Virginia location in Shirlington on Wednesday (Nov. 10).
First announced in July, CHIKO is opening at 4040 Campbell Avenue and is taking over space formerly occupied by DAK Chicken, which closed in summer 2020.
“We look forward to being part of Shirlington’s vibrant restaurant scene and hope to be cooking for the greater Arlington community. Danny and I felt this was a perfect spot for our first foray into Virginia,” co-owner Scott Drewno wrote in the press release.
The fast casual restaurant is owned by Drewno and partner Danny Lee, who make up what they call the Fried Rice Collective and who run otherconcepts in the region.
This is CHIKO’s fifth location, including the fourth in the area. The other regional locations include Dupont Circle, Capitol Hill, and Bethesda. There’s also a shop in California.
“Federal Realty is excited to add another CHIKO location to our DC-metro portfolio,” writes Stuart Biel, Senior Vice President of Federal Realty Investment Trust, which owns the Village of Shirlington as well as Westpost in Pentagon City. “The Bethesda location has seen incredible success during a very challenging time, and we look forward to the same in The Village at Shirlington. CHIKO’s incredible reputation and loyal following mean yet another quality food option in the neighborhood.”
The eatery is known for its dim sum, double-fried chicken wings, and fried rice. Each location has its own speciality fried rice dish, with the one in Shirlington serving up charred siu pork fried rice.
Relatedly, there’s a new “Fried Rice Passport,” which offers a $25 gift certificate for those who try the fried rice at every local location. A new blueberry kaffir lime custard dessert is also exclusive to the Shirlington location.
The restaurant is about 1,500 square feet, has seating inside for 30, and offers carryout as well as delivery. The interior is designed by D.C.-based Natalie Park Design Studio.
Only dinner will initially be available, though lunch and brunch will come later this winter, according to the press release.
At the opening on Wednesday, the first 50 people to come to the shop will receive a free dumpling order.
CHIKO joins Bearded Goat Barber and F45, a gym, among the businesses to open in Shirlington this fall.
The last day for the fast casual stand known for their empanadas and peruvian coffee was Sunday, co-owner Giuseppe Lanzone tells ARLnow.
But the brothers went out in style, hosting a party on Sunday. There were Halloween costumes, free cookies, music, dancers, and alpacas.
“In Virginia, it’s much easier to bring alpacas,” says Lanzone, about the animal that’s native to the Andes and part of Peruvian culture. “Fewer regulations than D.C.”
Giuseppe and his brother Mario Lanzone are originally from Peru, but moved with their family to McLean in 1997. Before going into the food business together, Giuseppe was a two-time Olympic rower for Team USA.
The two started their first food truck in 2013. Soon, that one truck became two, then three. Next, the brothers started working with the Peruvian Embassy in D.C.
This got them enough attention to open their first outpost inside of the Latin market La Cosecha in Northeast D.C., next to Union Market. Soon, they were getting accolades from a number of localmediaoutlets.
But then the pandemic hit.
It was at this time that Lanzone was living on Crystal Drive in Crystal City. He would often go for runs and walks “since there wasn’t much else to do” and passed the unoccupied stand (which was previously a rotating cast of pop-up eateries) at the privately-owned park.
“It was just an empty space. I kept think ‘what would be better than being able to stop outside and grab a coffee and an empanada,'” he says. “I didn’t want the space to go to waste.”
In April 2020, he and his brother partnered with National Landing Business Improvement District and made a deal with park owner JBG Smith to bring their Peruvian cuisine to Crystal City.
For the last 18 months, they’ve been serving out of the stand. But their contract is now up as renovations near.
“It was an incredible experience being part of the community,” Lanzone says. “National Landing BID and JBG were great partners to us.”
The 1.5-acre park at 1601 Crystal Drive is scheduled to undergo renovations during the winter, a spokesperson for JBG Smith confirms to ARLnow. It will reopen in the spring of 2023.
New vendor kiosks, an updated performance platform, a bar with a terrace, and restrooms will all be added. There will also be updates to the water feature, a widening of sidewalks, and improved walking and cycling connections.
What it won’t include, though, is the Peruvian Brothers — but that doesn’t mean they are disappearing from Arlington.
Lanzone said they are in discussions for opening a small brick and mortar in the neighborhood. While nothing is finalized and ready to be announced, there have been “talks” about opening up a new outpost that would be accessible to those who work at Amazon’s nearby HQ2.
“We are big fans of National Landing and Amazon and want to be part of the new development,” Lanzone says. In terms of the neighborhood, the feeling seems to be mutual.
“We have greatly enjoyed and appreciated our collaboration with Peruvian Brothers in National Landing,” said Amy Rice, Senior Vice President of Retail Leasing at JBG Smith. “We were thrilled to be able to offer them a temporary outdoor location during the height of the pandemic, and that setting proved to be a hit for National Landing residents.”
“As the transformation of National Landing continues, we are actively working with Peruvian Brothers to find a more permanent home with us in the neighborhood,” Rice added.
Nighthawk Pizza at Westpost in Pentagon City, opening spring 2022 (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
A soon-to-be Target at Westpost in Pentagon City (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream is opening in late 2021 at Westpost in Pentagon City (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
Kusshi, a sushi restaurant, is opening in 2022 at Westpost in Pentagon City (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
The soon-to-be Road Runner Sports at Westpost in Pentagon City (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
Rendering of Arlington location at Westpost (Photo courtesy of Banditos Bar & Kitchen)
Bun’d Up at Westpost in Pentagon City (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
Privai, spa and salon, at Westpost in Pentagon City (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
Nighthawk Pizza at Westpost in Pentagon City, opening fall 2022 (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
(Updated, 4:30 p.m.) A slew of new restaurants and stores are set to open at Westpost in Pentagon City over the next year.
From a “taco temple” to a pizza and beer hall to a running store to a new Target, the shopping center formerly known as Pentagon Row will have more than a half dozen new businesses by the fall of next year.
All of these new additions now make Westpost fully leased, confirms a spokesperson for Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT), which owns the mixed-use development.
The next to open will be Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream, which is targeting scooping by the end of this month. The 935-square-foot ice cream parlor was originally going open in the late summer, but that was delayed. Located at 1201 S. Joyce Street, next to Bun’d Up, the shop is owned by local Rollin Amore and named after his daughter. His partner, Sarah, owns an ice cream parlor in Bethesda.
“I have been cooking and creating desserts since I was seven years old and I am excited to make this hobby my job,” Amore told ARLnow back in May.
Kusshi, a sushi restaurant with a location at Bethesda’s Pike and Rose, will be opening in the spring in the space formerly occupied by Namaste Everest, which is next to Mimi’s. We previously reported it was going to start serving by the end of the year.
“Arlington has a lot of business and commerce and has Amazon HQ2 going there as well,” Kusshi’s owner told ARLnow in June about the choice to open at Westpost. “We like to go to mixed-use developments, which is part of our success at Pike and Rose.”
The Baltimore-based Banditos Bar & Kitchen remains on track to also open in the spring. The FRIT spokesperson confirmed that could mean as early as April.
This is the third location of the self-described “taco temple,” but the first in Virginia. The 3,000-square-foot restaurant will have outdoor seating and serve classic fare like tacos, quesadillas, and margaritas.
Also aiming for a spring opening is a 34,000-square-foot Target in the old Bed, Bath, and Beyond space and Road Runner Sports in the former Unleashed space, which shuttered at the beginning of the year.
Target’s target is April while Road Runner Sports is on track for May or “possibly earlier,” says the spokesperson.
Much-anticipated Nighthawk Pizza is also arriving next year. The pizza spot with “a 90s vibe and a beer hall-like atmosphere” is opening “early 2022,” according to a spokesperson. It was originally supposed to start serving slices this fall — in fact, the storefront sticker still advertises this — but that’s been pushed back. (Such delays seem to be common these days, at least in Arlington.)
Other developments at Westpost include the opening of the spa and salon Privai, set for November 22. The 4,127-square-foot spa located at 1101 S Joyce Street Suite B-35 specializes in body treatments, facials, salon services, and guided meditation. It is the salon’s fourth Virginia location.
Bun’d Up, meanwhile, is also going through a renovation, according to the FRIT spokesperson. It currently remains open. That’s owned by chef Scott Chung, will reopen.
Restaurants and stores are not the only openings at Westpost. The center’s ice skating rink opened for the season over the weekend.
There was a rabid raccoon on the loose in Arlington that came into contact with a number of dogs.
Last week, Arlington animal control responded to an incident involving multiple dogs and a raccoon at the heavily-visited Shirlington Dog Park at 2710 S. Oakland Street.
The raccoon was removed and, later, tested clinically positive for rabies — a disease that both humans and animals can get from a scratch or a bit from an infected animal.
This is not the first time in recent memory a rabid animal has threatened Arlington humans and their furry best friends. In May, a potentially rabid fox bit two people near Lacey Woods Park. In February and March, a rabies outbreak in raccoons had pet owners thinking about their own quarantine for their animals.
Animal control is asking residents to make sure their pets are up to date on their vaccines, to keep dogs on a leash and cats inside, to feed pets inside and not to approach wildlife. The department is also asking residents to remove wildlife attractants, such as compost and unsecured garbage cans, from their yards.
“If you, your child, or your pet may have come into contact with any wild animals including bats or raccoons, please call Arlington County Animal Control at 703-931-9241 immediately,” the Animal Welfare League of Arlington said in a message posted on social media. “It is fatal if medical care is not given promptly.”
“Arlington County Animal Control is also urging residents to remain vigilant and if they see any animal that appears sick, lethargic, disoriented, or aggressive to stay away from the animal and call Animal Control immediately,” AWLA said. “If you come across a deceased rabies vector animal (including cats, dogs, foxes, raccoons, and groundhogs) in your yard or a public space please do not handle the animal and contact Animal Control promptly.”
That is within shouting distance of 2017’s voter turnout — 59% — which was the highest in more than two decades for a non-presidential election.
Other nearby localities are also seeing high turnout. With still several hours left for voting, Fairfax County is reporting that nearly 50% of those registered have voted. 2017 saw a 56% turnout in that county. Alexandria has had slightly over 51% turnout as of 4 p.m.. In 2017, Alexandria’s turnout was nearly 58%.
The numbers that are currently being reported both locally and statewide have some predicting that this election is going to set a new bar for statewide turnout in a non-presidential election year.
Going to smash all turnout records today for a Governor’s race. I mean seriously smash- going past 3 million total.
Early voting is playing a big role in the turnout numbers this election cycle as well. In Arlington, there were more than three times the number of early votes than compared to 2017.
The high early voting totals plus administrative changes in how those results will be publicly reported could skew the first release of results in surprising ways, tweeted the Virginia Public Access Project.
The only thing less predictable about the results of the @TerryMcAuliffe–@GlennYoungkin is HOW the results will come in tonight. Those who are expecting the traditional sequence of #Virginia results (red areas early; blue areas late) could be in for a big surprise. MORE->
— Virginia Public Access Project (@vpapupdates) November 2, 2021
Voting at Swanson Middle School in 2021 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Voting stickers (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Voting underway at Swanson Middle School in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Voting underway at Swanson Middle School in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Voting at Swanson Middle School in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A voter emerges from Drew Community Center in Green Valley (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
A polling place sign near Ballston on Election Day (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
The polling place at George Mason University’s Arlington campus in Virginia Square (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
Voting at Barrett Elementary School in Buckingham (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
Voting at Clarendon United Methodist Church (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
(Updated, 4:10 p.m.) Today, Arlington residents are arriving at community centers, churches, libraries, schools, apartment complexes, and university lecture halls across the county to vote.
“Our voice matters,” one voter told ARLnow standing outside of her polling place at Drew Community Center. “It’s our duty. It’s important to have a voice for our kids, for our community, for our health.”
With the eyes of the nation on Virginia, ARLnow stopped by seven polling places, from Clarendon to Virginia Square to Green Valley. Lines at those polling places were either non-existent or very short.
One poll worker at Barrett Elementary near Ballston described it as a “steady stream” of voters so far.
The lack of lines perhaps has to do with high early voting turnout. Just over 41,000 votes were cast early, be it by in-person or mail-in voting, according to Arlington’s voting dashboard.
That’s approximately 26.5% of all registered voters in Arlington and more than three times the number of early voters in the last gubernatorial election in 2017.
Nonetheless, there are many locals who waited until today to cast their vote.
“Maybe I’m old, but I like that today is Election Day and that’s why I voted today,” a voter said in front of Clarendon United Methodist Church on N. Irving Street. “It feels patriotic.”
“I want to set a good example for our son,” said another voter outside the church, shifting her child from one arm to the other. “We want to make sure he understands that voting is the most basic form of contributing to where you live and your community.”
As of 9 a.m., election day turnout was about 7%, according to a tweet from Arlington County elections office. Another update is expected to come later this afternoon.
It's time for a 9am turnout update. Polling places are showing ~7% turnout. This does NOT include early and mail ballots. This is just election day turnout.
Adding that to the early voting totals, that means more than a third of registered voters in Arlington have already voted.
Eric Olsen, Arlington’s deputy director of elections, said turnout is likely higher than that since a number of absentee ballots haven’t been counted yet.
In terms of how that compares to the final voter turnout in 2017, which was 59% in Arlington — the highest in two decades for a non-presidential election — Olsen says it’s hard to say.
“Voting patterns have changed with more people early-voting and mailing-in, those are the voters who are more likely to vote anyway,” he says. “So, it’s really difficult to say [how it compares to 2017].”
He also notes that early morning was a bit slow, with polls opening at 6 a.m., but reports from pollings places suggest it has accelerated during the mid-morning.
There have been a few minor hiccups at several of Arlington’s 54 pollings places, says Olsen, but nothing that they haven’t dealt with on prior election days. A few poll workers didn’t show, a few machines went down, and workers couldn’t get inside one polling place until right up until 6 a.m., he said.
“All common stuff,” says Olsen. “It’s all been rectified and running pretty smoothly.”
The closely-watched Virginia gubernatorial race has drawn the national media to Arlington today. CNN was broadcasting live this morning from outside of Arlington Central Library in Virginia Square.
Voters head to the polls today to decide on races that could hold clues for 2022. In Virginia, Democrat Terry McAuliffe faces off against Republican Glenn Youngkin for governor. CNN's @SunlenSerfaty has more from Arlington, Virginia. pic.twitter.com/y5WYrZnKti
Pentagon Row Ice Skating Rink at Westpost (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
(Updated, 11:40 a.m.) Pentagon Row Ice Skating Rink opened for the season this past weekend, despite not-quite-winter temperatures.
Starting the season a week earlier than last year, the nearly-7,000 square foot rink located in the plaza at 1201 S. Joyce Street in Pentagon City is said to be the “largest outdoor ice skating rink in Northern Virginia” and the second-largest in the state.
The rink will be open until mid-March, providing about four and a half months of skating time. There are a few changes at the rink from last year, when capacity and mask restrictions were quite a bit tighter.
Masks are now optional while skating, an employee tells ARLnow, as opposed to required last year, though will still be sanitizing high-touch areas including skates and rails around the rink.
Capacity is increasing from the 50% mark in 2020 to full capacity. That means the number of skaters allowed on the ice at any given time is being doubled, from 75 last year to 150. Social distancing is still being requested while on the ice, waiting to get on the ice, and at the rental facility, though.
There’s also a pricing change, with admission rates increasing by a dollar from last season. It now costs $11 for those 13 years and older. For those younger than 13 and senior citizens, admission is $10. Skate rentals are $5.
Group and party rates are being offered once again as well as private skating lessons. Reservations for skating can still be made online.
Despite the shopping center on S. Joyce Street rebranding late last year to “Westpost,” the ice skating rink remains called “Pentagon Row Outdoor Ice Skating Rink.” However, that could change in the coming months, writes a rink manager in an email to ARLnow.
In 2013, the ice skating rink underwent a renovation that increased the size by 50% and added an outdoor dual-sided stone fireplace on the side of the rink for those off the ice.
The rink is open every day of the week, including holidays:
“Virginia Hospital Center is committed to making quality healthcare accessible to everyone in our community,” writes Adrian Stanton, Vice President of Business Development & Community Relations at Virginia Hospital Center. “Opening the new VHC Physician Group office in South Arlington provides convenient access to personalized care, allowing patients who may have previously faced barriers due to distance or lack of transportation to receive treatment in their own neighborhood.”
The Columbia Pike corridor, long-considered one of the more affordable areas to live in the county, is generally underserved in terms of medical care. The new location is the only Virginia Hospital Center primary or OB/GYN care office in the 22204 zip code.
Improving maternal care has also become a focus point nationally as well as in Virginia. The US ranks last among industrialized countries in maternal mortality rate.
“Because of the intimate nature of OB/GYN care, building a close relationship with your provider is especially important,” writes Stanton. “OB patients, in particular, may have to make frequent visits to their physician’s office. Bringing a new office to South Arlington allows patients in the area improved flexibility for scheduling appointments, making it easier than ever for them to receive top-quality care.”
Additionally, having multiple types of care, particularly family-related care, in one location greatly improves convenience.
“Providing a variety of services in one location allows for incredible continuity of care, which has tremendous health benefits for the patient,” writes Stanton. “Additionally, providing primary, family, and OB/GYN services in a centralized location allows families the flexibility to schedule multiple appointments in one day — greatly reducing the barriers that can sometimes prevent patients from seeking critical medical care.”
The location currently offers in-person as well as telehealth appointments.
