Author: Vernon Miles

New North Arlington Dance Program Rises from the Ashes of Adagio Ballet

By Vernon Miles

The pandemic forced Adagio Ballet to close in May, but long-time assistant director Jennifer Ferrigno wasn’t ready to give up just yet. Out of the ashes of Adagio Ballet, Ferrigno and Adagio instructor Evelina Petkova have founded the Virginia Dance Conservatory.

“The closing of the business was a shock to us all,” Ferrigno said in an email. “When the announcement became public, we had kids and parents reaching out in tears, completely devastated by the news. [Petkova] and I decided we needed to do something for these kids and families whose lives have been turned upside down.”

Ferrigno said there was support from within the Adagio dance community to try to open a new dance school, despite the pandemic. The program is currently run out of the Knights of Columbus facility at 5115 Little Falls Road.

“It was a nerve wracking decision to make, but with both us and our husbands without work, kids sending us Instagram stories in tears, parents willing to do anything to help, we had to at least try,” Ferrigno said. “Today, two months later, and nothing short of a miracle, we are proud to announce that we have successfully opened Virginia Dance Conservatory in North Arlington.”

The Virginia Dance Conservatory provides classes in ballet, jazz, modern, tap and lyrical for novice through pre-professional dancers with both weekday and weekend class options, according to the school’s website.

As countless other business owners are discovering, Ferrigno is finding that reopening is not easy, and Ferrigno said it’s kept the ballet school owners on their toes.

“Opening a business during a global pandemic is not for the faint of heart,” Ferrigno said. “The only reason our doors are open is through an outpouring of community support and the willingness of so many to help us in one of the worst situations of our lives.

Ferrigno said the school is partnering with the Knights of Columbus to offer classes to their members and to the community at large. A portion of the fall tuition will be donated to the Arlington Community Foundation.

“We are working day and night to get the word out and provide a bit of relief to so many who had their dance home ripped away from them in June,” said Ferrigno. “We are doing what we can to ‘rise from the ashes’ and create a happy & safe place for dance families across North Arlington.”

Photo via Virginia Dance Conservatory/Facebook

Ballston &pizza Open Again, but More Closures Coming for ‘Operational Changes’

By Vernon Miles
1/3

Update on 8/18/20 — The &pizza in Ballston is now open, but will be closed again next Monday. Darien Bates, head of technology at &pizza, explained that the location had been closed Monday and would be closed again next Monday to make changes to accommodate the store’s increased takeout demand.

Earlier: The &pizza at 3924 Wilson Blvd has been closed for more than a week, with company representatives saying the closure is temporary.

“[The Ballston location] is temporarily shut down due to operational changes,” an &pizza representative told ARLnow.

The fast-casual pizzeria opened near the intersection with N. Quincy Street in late 2017. The &pizza rep said there is no additional information on when the regional pizza chain will reopen the Ballston outpost.

The pandemic has caused financial pain for many local restaurants, including those that serve lunchtime office crowds like &pizza. A number of restaurants and local businesses in Arlington have closed permanently since the epidemic started in March.

Though an &pizza rep said the Ballston location was still closed today, a couple of readers tell us they dined there over the weekend.

https://twitter.com/andpizza/status/1293333732951236614

Sfoglina in Rosslyn Opens Up Rooftop Terrace for Spectacular D.C. Views

By Vernon Miles
1/2

Italian restaurant Sfoglina in Rosslyn has opened an outdoor seating area on the rooftop of its high-rise building for evening dining and drinks with an expansive view of the D.C. skyline.

“We are grateful to Monday Properties for giving us this amazing opportunity to add an incredible bespoke experience to Sfoglina Rosslyn,” said Jessica Botta, a spokesperson for Fabio Trabocchi Restaurants. “The response has been outstanding, and it’s not hard to understand why. This is simply the best view in all of the D.C. area paired with a refreshing lineup of cocktails and savory tastings unique to the Rooftop Terrace.”

The restaurant opened this past October at 1100 Wilson Blvd, one of Rosslyn’s iconic twin towers.

Botta emphasized that the rooftop is not a bar, but that it does have an array of cocktails, wine and beer along with small plates. The terrace is open in the evenings and at nights, from 5-11 p.m. on Wednesday-Sunday, with the last seating at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, or 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

“Appetizer style dishes include: Chilled Shrimp or Lobster Cocktail, Crab Salad on Brioche, Heirloom Tomato Salad, and design-your-own style options from the Mozzarella Bar,” Botta said.

Whether the new rooftop access is permanent or not is still undecided, but Botta said it has helped the restaurant handle some of the pandemic-related restrictions.

“Time may be limited to how long we might extend the rooftop offering,” Botta said, “but it has been an enormous help in allowing us to continue to operate a unique experience from Sfoglina and serve our guests despite capacity restrictions during these complicated times.”

Target Now Open in Ballston

By Vernon Miles

The new Ballston Target is now open at 740 N. Glebe Road, with a grand opening celebration planned this Sunday.

Don’t go in expecting the full department store experience, though. Target says the new location is a smaller-format store that will focus on offering essentials. The move is part of sizing Targets to fit in increasingly dense urban areas where a traditional store might not fit.

“This location will be Target’s 10th small-format location and 49th total store in the greater D.C. area, which altogether employ more than 8,500 team members,” the company said.

The Target is on the bottom floor of The Waycroft, a new mixed-use development that will also eventually be home to a new Silver Diner and more.

According to Target, the new store will include:

  • Apparel and accessories
  • Home decor
  • Health, beauty and personal care items
  • Groceries and fresh produce
  • An “adult beverage” assortment
  • A CVS pharmacy

The location will also offer a pick-up where customers can order items and pick them up at the store.

Target said in the press release that employees and guests, except for small children or those with medical conditions, will be required to wear masks.

The store will be open from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Banh Mi Sandwich Eatery Opening in Former Ballston Subway Space Next Week

By Vernon Miles
1/4

A Subway (801 N. Quincy Street) that closed last year is being replaced by Vietnamese sandwich shop Lee’s Sandwiches with a grand opening planned this coming Tuesday, Aug. 18.

The Ballston spot will be the second location in Virginia for Lee’s Sandwiches — a California-based franchise — with an existing location in Falls Church. The sandwich chain has a variety of sandwich options but specializes in banh mi, a popular Vietnamese sandwich with savory ingredients in a short, toasted baguette.

Lee’s is also noted for its Vietnamese iced coffee.

The grand opening of the restaurant had been scheduled for Aug. 4 but a sign outside the restaurant said the grand opening is now scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 10 a.m. For the grand opening, any sandwich purchase will also come with a free cup of Lee’s coffee or a hot baguette.

Staff at another Lee’s Sandwiches said social distancing will be required for customers and staff inside the restaurant when it opens.

The Subway at 801 N. Quincy Street was a somewhat hidden spot for quick meals in Ballston, away from the lunchtime crowds along Wilson Blvd. Another Subway remains open near the Ballston Metro station.

New Clarendon Smoke Shop Replacing Classic Cigars and British Goodies

By Vernon Miles
1/3

Long-time local store Classic Cigars and British Goodies in Clarendon (2907 Wilson Blvd) is closed for good, but a new smoking accouterment vendor is planning a move into the same location with an inventory that will pay respect to the late Anglophile establishment.

“Smoke Source Tobacco and Vape is excited to open their fifth location on the highly populated Clarendon Blvd,” Kelsey Sharp, a spokesperson for the regional chain, told ARLnow.

Smoke Source Tobacco and Vape has other locations in Northern Virginia, including in Manassas, Chantilly and Fairfax, but the new store will be a little different in an homage to Classic Cigars and British Goodies, which closed in March and never reopened.

“Not only will the new store provide tobacco and vape products and accessories but also offer a variety of cigar brands including Padròn, Montecristo and Davidoff and continue to stock specialty British goods as well as an assortment of craft beer and wine,” Sharp said. “The store is under new ownership but, in an effort to please the current customer base, Smoke Source Tobacco and Vape will continue to stock the British goodies as well as expand their inventory.”

The store is currently still stocked with the remaining Classic Cigars and British Goodies supply — including bottled drinks, teas, biscuits and candies imported from the UK — but that could change over the new few months.

“The new store is currently undergoing a full refresh and hopes to be open by the end of this summer,” Sharp said.

Clarendon Restaurant Buena Vida Folded Into Downstairs Taco Joint

By Vernon Miles

Once upon a time, there was an Arlington restaurant called Buena Vida. It sat on the second floor of 2900 Wilson Blvd, but like many meals once served there, it has been devoured.

Buena Vida has been subsumed into TTT — an abbreviation of Tacos, Tortas and Tequila — the restaurant that inhabits the first floor of the building.

Both dining options have the same ownership and opened together last year. Buena Vida had focused on “traditional, indigenous fare that incorporates recipes that have been handed down through generations,” while TTT on the first floor was fast-casual, serving quick Mexican fare like tacos and and enchiladas. The third floor of the complex is a rooftop bar that was dubbed Buena Vida Social Club.

Now, both the Silver Spring and Arlington locations of Buena Vida are being rebranded to just TTT as part of a focus on the fast-casual option, Bethesda Magazine first reported.

Locally, staff said there was another reason.

“It’s a little misunderstanding with the guests,” an employee at TTT in Clarendon said. “We had three floors and people kept getting confused about that. They’re rebranding to change the whole thing to TTT.”

Arlington Cybersecurity Startup Gets Funding Boost

By Vernon Miles

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, StartupMonday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups and their founders, plus other local technology happenings. Monday Properties is proudly featuring Shirlington Gateway. Say hello to the new 2800 Shirlington, which recently delivered a brand-new lobby and upgraded fitness center. Experience a prime location and enjoy being steps from Shirlington Village, a large retail hub with a variety of unique restaurants and shopping options. Spec suites with bright open plans and modern finishes are under construction and will deliver soon!

Ballston startup HyperQube recently announced a new batch of funding that will help boost its growth efforts.

The startup specializes in taking a company’s digital infrastructure, cloning it, then throwing every hack and virus imaginable at the clone to see what gets through. Once those weaknesses are found, HyperQube helps companies review, document, and fix their code to be more secure.

HyperQube raised $2.5 million in seed funding, primarily from Leawood Venture Capital, a fairly small Kansas-based investment group that also recently financed Sorcero, a language intelligence startup based out of D.C.

Craig Stevenson, HyperQube’s founder and CEO, said that more companies moving towards working from home as a result of the pandemic will result in an increased necessity to maintain safe and stable online infrastructure.

“With the growing remote workforce necessitating a rush to the cloud, HyperQube is poised to accelerate and manage that process while simultaneously reducing costs and enhancing security,” Stevenson said in a press release.

Beyond cybersecurity, HyperQube’s cloned structures allow companies to test and alter code on their websites safely to see what the results look like without compromising their main website.

The press release said HyperQube plans to use the funding to expand the sales, marketing, and engineering teams.

Photo via HyperCube

Lebanese Taverna Spearheads Fundraising Drive to Support Relief Efforts in Beirut

By Vernon Miles

On Tuesday, Grace Abi-Najm Shea — a co-owner of Lebanese Taverna — was one of those watching in horror as an explosion tore through Beirut. She said they took the day to cry and grieve at the loss that happened in the country her family left years ago. The next morning, they got to work.

The regional Lebanese restaurant chain that started in Arlington in 1979 has since raised nearly $30,000 for the Lebanese Red Cross on GoFundMe.

This weekend, the company is planning to start a deal where $1 from every hummus order at Lebanese Taverna and LebTav locations will be going to the World Central Kitchen. Dany Abi-Najm, Grace’s brother and another co-owner, will be traveling to Beirut with D.C. celebrity chef Jose Andres as part of the World Central Kitchen team to deliver supplies and offer food to those who have been displaced by the explosion.

“It feels good to be doing something,” Shea said. “We mobilized pretty quickly on Wednesday morning. We just needed to do something. It was heartbreaking. My father lives there, he moved back 12 years ago, and the scenes on TV were just too much. I know so many people wanted to help.”

Shea said Lebanon has a history of corruption leading to mistrust of organizations and the government, so she said Lebanese Taverna wanted to be sure the money got to the right places.

“There was the immediate need with the Red Cross and [we’re] addressing the ongoing need starting this weekend with World Central Kitchen,” Shea said.

Shea said while there’s global empathy for Lebanon as it goes through this crisis, many people locally have felt connected to it indirectly via the restaurant that has served Arlington for 41 years.

“We all grew up here and have so much support from so many people,” Shea said. “For them to want to do something for the country we left is very touching.”

Shea said she and her family have concerns about their brother traveling internationally during the pandemic, but that it’s a risk they have to take.

“There’s a thing called COVID going on,” Shea said. “You can’t help other people without taking a risk, really in anything that you do. I think it’s something much bigger than us. There are 300 people displaced from their homes in a minute. One of them being my cousin, but thankfully he has a support system. His home was completely demolished.”

For many Lebanese, Shea said growing up during the civil war left them prepared for the risks.

For those who have donated, Shea had one message to share.

“Thank you,” Shea said. “The number of people who donated and the number of shares is incredible.”

File photo 

Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse Reopens With 1/3 Capacity and Other Restrictions

By Vernon Miles

After being closed for months, Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) is planning to reopen this weekend, but with restrictions.

Owner Tim Clark said this week’s reopening is a test drive to gauge public interest in attending the entertainment venue while the rate of coronavirus cases is still going up.

“It feels weird, but good,” Clark said. “There are a lot of unknowns, but we’re excited to get back up. [We’ll be at] 33% capacity for everything, and with social distancing probably under that… We just really want to see how the room flows and how people react.”

Clark said he recognized that the prospect of reopening the venue, which has been closed since March 13, is likely to concern people.

“At this point, we feel pretty confident in how we’re going to reopening,” Clark said. “We’re keeping to all of the mandates and recommendations. We’re doing everything we can. We still have bills and have everything going forward, so having zero revenue was going to be detrimental to the business. We’re seeing a small window and this is really a test.”

Clark said the venue will be run by what’s left of his staff. Many people have moved out of the area or found other jobs. While recognizing that it wasn’t exactly environmentally friendly, Clark said in the interest of public health the venue is also going fully disposable containers and utensils for its limited menu.

“Excited to see if people come out,” Clark said. “I think people are itching for it.”

According to the theater website:

Mask or facial covering will be required for entry into theater and must be worn while moving around inside the theater, no exceptions.   Once you are seated the masks may be removed for eating/drinking.  Seating will be in compliance with social distancing Virginia phase 3 mandates.  Full menu will be available for purchase tableside.   High touch areas will be sanitized regularly during and between events.  No one with a fever, COVID 19 symptoms or know exposure to COVID 19 with in the last 14 days will be permitted in the establishment.

This weekend, comedian Sarah Tollemache is scheduled to perform stand-up shows at 7 and 9:30 p.m. on Friday (Aug. 6) and Saturday (Aug 7). Tickets will be $20.

The venue will also be showing The Goonies on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets are $5.

Photo via Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse/Facebook

Fashion Centre at Pentagon City Remains a Ghost Town Months After Reopening

By Vernon Miles
1/7

(Updated 8/10) Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is substantially less crowded than it used to be — particularly the food court, back in the heyday of Popeyes chicken sandwiches — but it is busier than might be expected during a pandemic.

In the mall’s food court, while some fast food options are open, others remain closed. Gyro Wrap and Charley’s Philly Steaks are locked up, with a sign on the metal shutter for the latter saying the closure is temporary and the eatery will be returning at some point.

The space that had been Subway is closed, with the Fashion Centre website saying it will eventually be replaced by a new restaurant called Flaming Cajun. The Fashion Centre website says the location is scheduled to open Sept. 4.

Dining in the food court is spaced out, with the crowded booths cordoned off and the handful of diners spaced out across scattered tables. Security guards at various entrances offer protective equipment and sanitary supplies.

Despite officially reopening in late May, the rest of the mall is a similarly mixed bag, with some stores like Gamestop open with limited numbers of guests allowed inside while others remain closed.

“The health, safety and well-being of the community we serve will always be our highest priority, and we have developed a thorough and detailed set of protocols highlighting the exceptional measures we’ve implemented for shoppers, retailers and employees as we reopen,” Jonathan Juricic, General Manager at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, said in a press release. “We also recognize that individuals and families in our community are suffering significant hardship as a result of both COVID-19 and the economic shutdown, and we believe that reopening our property will not only help people get back to work during these challenging times, but also enable us to use our property to further support charitable initiatives.”

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