Author: Shreeya Aranake

Where to Get Girl Scout Cookies Around Arlington

By Shreeya Aranake

It’s that time of year again — spring is around the corner, Shamrock Shakes are officially back at McDonald’s as of today, and Girl Scout cookies are currently on sale all around Arlington.

So where can you restock on your favorite seasonal baked goods? As in years past, local Girl Scouts are setting up shop all over the county. Most cookie-selling stations are located around grocery stores and Metro stations.

Here are some of the places around town you can get your grubby hands on those delicious cookies.

  • Ace Hardware (2001 Clarendon Blvd) — Saturday, Feb. 22: 12-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • Arlington Soccer Tournament (3600 N. Harrison Street) — Saturday, Feb. 29, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
  • Ballston Metro station (901 N. Stuart Street) — Weekdays: 3:30-7:30 p.m., weekends: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • Cathedral of Saint Thomas More (3901 Cathedral Lane) — Sunday, March 1: 8 a.m.- 12 p.m.
  • Central Place Plaza Rosslyn (1800 N. Lynn Street) — Thursdays and Fridays: 4-7:30 p.m.
  • Crystal City Metro station (1750 S. Clark Street) — Weekdays: 3-7 p.m., weekends: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • Courthouse Metro station (2100 Wilson Blvd): Weekdays: 3:30-7:30 p.m., weekends: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • East Falls Church Metro station (2000 Sycamore Street) — Weekdays: 3:30-7:30 p.m.
  • Giant Food (2501 9th Road S.) — Fridays: 4-8 p.m., Saturdays: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Giant Food (2901 S. Glebe Road) — Fridays: 4-8 p.m., Saturdays: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Giant Food (3115 Lee Hwy) — Fridays: 4-8 p.m., Saturdays: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Giant Food (3450 Washington Blvd) — Fridays: 4-8 p.m., Saturdays: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Market Common Clarendon (2800 Clarendon Blvd) — Saturday, Feb. 22: 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 23: 1-5 p.m.
  • Market Common near Playground/B&N (2801 Clarendon Blvd) — Sunday, March 1: 1-5 p.m.
  • MedStar Capitals Iceplex (627 N. Glebe Road) — Saturdays: 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Sundays: 1-6 p.m.
  • Meridian Pint (6035 Wilson Blvd) — Friday, Feb. 21: 4-8 p.m.
  • Pentagon City Metro station (1200 S. Hayes Street) — Weekdays: 3:30-7 p.m., weekends: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • Pentagon Centre (1201 S. Hayes Street) — Saturday, Feb. 22: 4-7 p.m, Sunday, Feb. 23: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Safeway (2500 Harrison Street) — Fridays: 4-8 p.m., Saturdays: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Safeway (3717 Lee Hwy) — Fridays: 4-8 p.m., Saturdays: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Safeway (1525 Wilson Blvd) — Sundays: 1-6 p.m.
  • Safeway (5101 Wilson Blvd) — Fridays: 4-8 p.m., Saturdays: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Westover Market (5863 Washington Blvd) — Saturdays: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

You can find a full list of places where Girl Scouts are selling their wares here.

File photo

Arlington Agenda: February 18-23

By Shreeya Aranake

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.

Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Tuesday, February 18

Oddball Cinema
Westover Library (1644 N. McKinley Road)
Time: 7-8:30 p.m. 

Are you into offbeat films? Head over to the Westover Library to watch animated, post-apocalyptic fantasy film, 9 (2009). Attendance is free and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Wednesday, February 19

Family Trading Card Game Night
Shirlington Library (4200 Campbell Avenue)
Time: 6-7:30 p.m. 

Play modern trading card games that are simple to learn. Join players for Pokemon, Magic and other popular card games, while trading cards with fellow players.

Thursday, February 20

Home Buying Event!*
Washington Fine Properties (4100 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 250)
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m. 

This event is an informal happy hour conversation on the home buying process and current market trends. Hear from regional experts obtaining financing, the title process, and path to closing.

Metropolitan Park Public Space Open House
JBG Marketing Center (241 18th Street S., 1st floor)
Time: 6:30-8 p.m. 

Learn about the Metropolitan Park’s current conditions, discover opportunities for new features, and share your input regarding how the space can best be used.

Phantom of the Opera
Synetic Theater (1800 S. Bell Street)
Time: 8 p.m. 

Paata Tsikurishvili applies Synetic’s signature gothic storytelling to one of the most famous supernatural novels of all time with a physical adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera.

Friday, February 21

Meetup: Righteous Minds Trying to Understand Other Political Tribes
Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd) 
Time: 7-9 p.m.

In this free Meetup course that will be held once a week over four weeks at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, participants will try to understand their values and beliefs.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event.

28th Annual Feel the Heritage Festival to Celebrate Black History Month

By Shreeya Aranake

This year’s Feel the Heritage Festival will celebrate African-American history on Saturday, Feb. 29.

The county-organized event, held annually for the past 27 years in Arlington, will take place at the Charles Drew Community Center (3500 23rd Street S.) from 1-6 p.m.

Entrance to the festival — which includes live music and dance, food vendors, and activities for children — is free. The event will also feature vendors selling a variety of goods, from jewelry to homemade hot sauce.

For the cooks in attendance, there will be a chance to show off their skills at the festival’s third annual soul food cook-off competition. The festival will also include a Hall of History, where photos and artifacts from Arlington’s historically African-American neighborhoods and organizations will be on display.

On-site parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The community center is accessible via Metrobus 10B and ART bus 77, according to the Arlington Parks and Recreation website.

Photo via Arlington County

Rosslyn Restaurant Hosting Hot Pepper Poppers Eating Contest

By Shreeya Aranake
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The recently-opened Taco Rock in Rosslyn is hosting a “Flammin Hot Poppers Challenge” later this month.

The “offbeat, one-of-a-kind eating contest” will be held on Monday, Feb. 24 from 7:30-10 p.m at Taco Rock (1501 Wilson Boulevard).

Participants will eat as many jalapeño pepper poppers as they can in 10 minutes, without consuming any other food or beverage, a press release said. The winner will take home the Taco Rock Title Belt and a $100 cash prize. Those who come in second and third place will win a medal and a Taco Rock gift card.

“Each contestant will be served up a plate of jalapeño pepper poppers,” said the press release. “They must eat as many flaming hot poppers as they can in ten minutes, one popper at a time, to within one quarter inch of the jalapeño cap.”

Entry to the competition is $10. The event will be free for spectators.

Photos courtesy Taco Rock

Top 15 Restaurants Where Valentine’s Day Reservations Are Still Available

By Shreeya Aranake

Haven’t made Valentine’s Day reservations yet?

You’re in luck. Here are the top 15 best-reviewed restaurants in Arlington, according to OpenTable, that — as of publication time — still have reservations available between 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14.

1. Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant (Crystal City)
Time slots available: 6:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:15 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

2. Maya Bistro (Lee Highway)
Time slots available: 6:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:15 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

3. MeJana (Courthouse)
Time slots available: 5:30 p.m., 5:45 p.m.

4. True Food Kitchen (Ballston)
Time slots available: 5:30 p.m., 5:45 p.m., 8:30 p.m.

5. Heritage Brewpub (Clarendon)
Time slots available: 6:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:15 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

6. Lebanese Taverna (Westover)
Time slots available: 6:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:15 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

7. Sushi Rock (Courthouse)
Time slots available: 5:45 p.m., 6 p.m.

8. Palette 22 (Shirlington)
Time slots available: 5:45 p.m., 6 p.m., 8:30 p.m.

9. Open Road Grill (Rosslyn)
Time slots available: 6:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m.

10. Istanbul Grill (Bluemont)
Time slots available: 6:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:15 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

11. Baba (Clarendon)
Time slots available: 6:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 7:45 p.m.

12. La Bettola Italiano (Crystal City)
Time slots available: 6:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:15 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

13. Osteria da Nino (Shirlington)
Time slots available: 8:15 p.m., 8:30 p.m.

14. Liberty Tavern (Clarendon)
Time slots available: 5:30 p.m., 5:45 p.m.

15. Texas Jack’s Barbecue (Lyon Park)
Time slots available: 6:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

Photo by René Ranisch on Unsplash

Campaign for Young Arlingtonian Fighting End-Stage Heart Failure Raises Thousands

By Shreeya Aranake

An Arlingtonian’s childhood friend is fighting to keep him alive.

Abel Yohannes has organized a fundraiser on GoFundMe, the popular crowdfunding platform, for his 23-year old friend, Alex, who’s fighting end-stage heart failure. The money will help cover Alex’s mounting hospital bills, Yohannes said in the GoFundMe post.

Alex, an Arlington native, is currently hooked up to a left ventricle assist device, which is keeping him alive, Yohannes’ post said. The only next step is for Alex to get a heart transplant.

“As we look towards the next steps, the only thing that will be able to save Alex is a heart transplant which has a median cost of $450k,” the post said. “We all know how complex the healthcare system is in the United States with insurance companies only covering a certain amount of total cost.”

Alex’s life has taken a turn for the worse since he was admitted to the hospital in mid-November.

“Alex was always very active and loved to play sports,” Yohannes said. “He was also very ambitious and even served in the military for several years, being stationed in different parts of the U.S. He decided to end his tenure in the military to be close to his family and follow his entrepreneurial dreams.”

Since his diagnosis, Alex has lost much of his muscle mass, Yohannes added.

Yohannes posted the fundraiser on the website a week ago today. So far, he has raised over $85,000 of the $200,000 goal.

Arlington Agenda: February 10-16

By Shreeya Aranake

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.

Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Tuesday, February 11

Design Public Hearing — Arlington National Cemetery Defense Access Road Project*
Sheraton Pentagon City (900 S. Orme Street)
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m. 

Join the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to view displays and learn more about this project, its preliminary design, and its tentative construction schedule.

George Mason University School of Business Graduate Programs Showcase
Van Metre Hall (3351 Fairfax Drive) 
Time: 5:30-7 p.m.

This event will have a showcase of GMU’s business school graduate programs in Arlington: MBA, JD MBA Dual Degree, Accounting, Management, and more.

Thursday, February 13

Breakfast Connection Combined with the Northern Virginia Hispanic American Chamber
Residence Inn by Marriott – Rosslyn (1651 N. Oak Street)
Time: 7:30-9 a.m. 

This event focuses on roundtable power networking and provides attendees the chance to exchange business cards, develop new prospects and share a 60 second pitch with each table.

Friday, February 14

Beckett’s Anti-Valentine’s Day
Samuel Beckett’s Irish Pub (2800 S. Randolph Street, suite 110) 
Time: 6-11:30 p.m.

Samuel Beckett’s Irish Pub is holding an anti-Valentine’s day party for those who are Valentine-less this year. There will be special drinks and food, and some “adult content.”

Anti-Valentines Day Celebration
The Renegade (3100 Clarendon Blvd) 
Time: 10 p.m.-close

Celebrate being single at The Renegade Anti-Valentines Day event. There will be live music, cash card giveaways by the band, and music. Must be 21+. No cover charge.

Saturday, February 15

National Chamber Ensemble — Swingin’ Sweethearts Day, Valentine’s Tribute To Benny Goodman*
Gunston Arts Center Theater One (2700 S. Lang Street)
Time: 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Clarinet star Julian Milkis, the only student and protege of swing and jazz great Benny Goodman, joins NCE to perform a concert in tribute to his teacher and mentor.

Sunday, February 16

Celebrate Presidents’ Day with the Nats Racing Presidents
Market Common Clarendon (2800 Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 1:30-3:30 p.m. 

The event will have a photo booth with presidential props, complimentary hot cocoa from Nicecream, and a U.S. President trivia game. Kids 18 years and younger can guess the number of Lincoln pennies in the jar and win them all.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event.

Youth Mentoring Program Looking for Volunteers

By Shreeya Aranake

Arlington’s RISE program is looking for volunteers to mentor court-involved high school students.

The program aims to provide a support system for young adults in Arlington County who might not have one at home, program coordinator Erika Yalowitz said. RISE also welcomes the siblings of at-risk students to participate in the activities.

RISE — which stands for Respect, Integrity, Self Esteem and Empowerment — offers group and one-on-one mentor-mentee interactions in sessions that are both recreational and formational, to build lasting quality relationships, Yalowitz said. One part of the program is about self-improvement and planning for the future, while another aspect is mentors and mentees bonding via activities like going to a movie theater or carving pumpkin.

The mentorship program’s goal is to build relationships that will benefit the mentees even after they graduate high school.

“Most [mentees] have stayed at least until they complete high school,” Yalowitz said. “And then when they find a job or when they want to go to college, they have someone in addition to their parents, or their uncles or aunts or teachers at school to give them recommendation letters for a job or for college, and that is very valuable because we are creating a support structure that they didn’t have before.”

The program is currently in need of male mentors. Many of the mentors are women, while a majority of the mentees are boys. Preferably, the program coordinators would like to partner boys with male mentors and girls with female mentors, Yalowitz said.

Those interested in applying can reach out to Yalowitz via email at [email protected].

Mezeh to Open at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City

By Shreeya Aranake

Mezeh will open at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City later this year, ARLnow has learned.

The fast-casual Mediterranean grill, which just opened a new location at Ballston Quarter mall, is planning to open at the Pentagon City mall in late summer or early fall, according to Renaud Consulting leasing agent John Marigliano.

The restaurant is set to open on the same level as the food court, Marigliano said. It is not yet clear as to which space it will occupy.

The company’s first stand-alone restaurant opened in Crystal City, at 2450 Crystal Drive, in 2015.

Photo courtesy Mezeh

G.O.A.T. Sports Bar to Host Fundraiser for Australian Wildlife

By Shreeya Aranake

(Updated at 10:45 a.m.) The G.O.A.T. Sports Bar in Clarendon will be hosting a fundraiser to help animals affected by the recent, devastating wildfires in Australia next week.

The event will kick off at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 11, and run through closing. Entrance to the event will cost $10, which includes two drink tickets. The proceeds will go to Animals Australia, an animal protection nonprofit.

“Animals Australia is providing resources and support to expert veterinarians and caretakers tending to needs of affected wildlife,” the sports bar said in a press release.

The sports bar and lounge is located at 3028 Wilson Blvd, across from the Clarendon Metro station.

Arlington Agenda: February 3-9

By Shreeya Aranake

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.

Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Tuesday, February 4

The Art of Meditation
Arlington Art Center (3550 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 7:30-8:30 p.m. 

Gen Kelsang Demo, the Resident Teacher at Kadampa Meditation Center in Washington, is teaching a meditation class. She has been a student and disciple of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche and has been teaching for 18 years.

Wednesday, February 5

Virginia Tech MBA Programs Information Sessions*
Virginia Tech Ballston (900 N. Glebe Road)
Time: 12-1 p.m. 

This online information session will explore Virginia Tech’s three different MBA program options, including the Ballston-based Executive MBA. They will discuss the courses, format, and admissions requirements for each program option.

Thursday, February 6

AUSA’s Lemnitzer Series Presents Author James M. Scott
Association of the United States Army (2425 Wilson Blvd) 
Time: 5:30-7 p.m.

The Lemnitzer Lecture Series will present a discussion with James M. Scott, the author of “Rampage: MacArthur, Yamashita, and the Battle of Manila,” a book about the history of the wars in the Pacific. Scott  was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2018 for his other book, “Target Tokyo.”

Friday, February 7

Art and Pizza Night for Kids (5-10 years)
Art House 7 (5537 Lee Highway) 
Time: 6-9 p.m.

Art House 7 will look after your kids for three hours. Kids will complete an art project led by two teenagers, have pizza and watch a video. There will be an adult to supervise. The child must be between 5-10 years old and there will be an entrance fee of $40.

Saturday, February 8

Darwin Trivia & MST3K Movie Night
Arlington Mill Community Center, Room 418 (909 S. Dinwiddie Street)
Time: 7:15-10 p.m.

To commemorate Darwin Day, friends of the David M. Brown Planetarium will be hosting a trivia night. Following the trivia session, the Mystery Science Theater 3000 presentation of “The Giant Gila Monster” will be shown.

Sunday, February 9

Annual Giant Used Book Sale!*
Saint Ann Church Parish Hall (5300 10th Street N.)
Time: 8 a.m.-2 p.m. 

The sale will have a wide variety of books, ranging from politics, history, biographies, self-help, language, cookbooks, school texts, mysteries, romance, travel, sci-fi, fantasy, and books for teens and kids as well. There will be coffee and tea served all day.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event.

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