Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. North wind around 5 mph. At night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. South wind 5 to 15 mph becoming north after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
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Authentic Brick Pizza Oven (Photo by Nick Barahona)
Face of A Modo Mio (Photo by Nick Barahona)
Entrance to A Modo Mio (Photo by Nick Barahona)
Booth seating inside A Modo Mio (Photo by Nick Barahona)
Bar inside A Modo Mio (Photo by Nick Barahona)
Pizza station inside A Modo Mio (Photo by Nick Barahona)
A Modo Mio POV (Photo by Nick Barahona)
1962 Fiat Car (Photo by Nick Barahona)
A Modo Mio along Langston Boulevard (Photo by Nick Barahona)
âJoeâs is the past, A Modo Mio is now!â
These are the words from Rosario, part owner of what used to be Joeâs Pizza Place, but is now A Modo Mio.
Joeâs made a name for itself and became a community favorite with its pizza, pasta, subs and most memorably, their buffet. Fast forward to 2020, with Covid in full effect, the restaurant changed its name, concept and menu to stay alive.
A Modo Mio was born.
Located at 5555 Langston Boulevard, A Modo Mio stands as a location serving its community authentic Italian cuisine.
âA Modo Mio, it came to be because of Covid. The previous concept wasnât Covid friendly. With the buffet and salad bar, you just canât do it,â co-owner Rosario Farruggio said. â[At first] we didnât know what to do actually. We knew Joe’s wouldnât be able to survive.”
The answer: a sit-down dining experience that borrows some of the Italian playbook from its restaurant cousin, the well-liked Georgetown eatery il Canale.
âJoe from Joe’s Place has another restaurant in D.C. called il Canele, and because of that restaurant and because of Antonio, one of the head chefs there when il Canele first opened, they were able to partner up and bring that concept here to Arlington. He knew the cuisine and we had the location, we made it happen,â says Rosario.
Born in the Agrigento region of Sicily, Italy, Joe Farruggio is an award winning restaurateur, pizzaiolo, chef and author that has over 53 years of food service experience. He opened the first Joeâs Place in Baileyâs Crossroads in 1978.
Joe, Rosario, and master pizza chef Antonio Biglietto — who’s from Naples, Italy — all came together to bring a piece of home to life here in Arlington, saving the location’s business.
âIn August of 2020, we shut Joe’s down, remodeled and reopened in October as A Modo Mio,â says Rosario. The name translates to âmy wayâ in Italian.
âNot inspired by the Sinatra song,â says Rosario. âIt was something Joe came up with.”
What was new about this restaurant, other than the name?
âThis is real authentic Italian, not like an Olive Garden. One of the main things that showcases that and what the people appreciate and recognize is that we are VPN certified,â says Rosario.
VPN stands for Vera Pizza Napoletana and can be seen within the menu. To that end, a Modo Mio has a custom made, hand built brick oven from Italy.
âTo get certified, you have to be authentic,” says Rosario. âYou need to have real Italian ingredients imported from Italy, like our flour and tomatoes, and you need real mozzarella cheese, fresh mozzarella.â
The restaurant’s employees are even trained by a certified Neapolitan pizza maker.
“We have the roots so now we can actually teach that art,â says Rosario. The authenticity extends to other parts of the menu, too.
âThe pasta that we have, it’s authentic in how we make it. It’s all house made,â Rosario says.
Partly sunny, with a high near 75. East wind 7 to 10 mph. At night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. East wind 3 to 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
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Dr. John L. Crowder Jr., 86, of Roanoke, Va. went to be with the Lord on Thursday, May 18, 2023.
John was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Virginia Crowder, and brother, J. Robert âBobâ Crowder.
He was a native of South Hill, Va. and retired as an educator after 35 years of service as a teacher, coach and administrator. John graduated from Randolph Macon College and served his doctorate from George Washington University. He was a lifelong member of The United Methodist Church and was a local member of Woodlawn United Methodist Church.
Surviving are his wife, Wanda Lee Crowder; two daughters and sons-in-law, Virginia and Scott McLaughlin of Palmyra, Va. and Catherine and John Patrick of Palmyra, Va.; and step-daughter, Kim Perley and husband, Gregg; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two sisters, Jeanene Turney and husband, Ed (deceased), of Ocean City, Md., and Lucy Williams and husband, Donald, of South Hill, Va.; sister-in-law, Kathy Crowder of Colonial Heights, Va.; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Funeral Services will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at Oakeyâs South Chapel with Pastor John Snyder officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to service. Burial will follow in Cedar Lawn Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, family suggests memorials be made to Woodlawn United Methodist Church, 2922 Corbieshaw Road, SW, Roanoke, VA 24015. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.Oakeys.com.
Arrangements by Oakeyâs Funeral Service â South Chapel, Roanoke, VA (540) 989-3131.
A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. East wind 5 to 8 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%. At night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, then a chance of showers between 11pm and 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. See more from Weather.gov.
đĄ Quote of the Day
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.” – Robert Frost
đ Tonight’s sunset
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. đ
2023 Arlington Best Business Award Winners (L-R: Dr. Jelena Kecmanovic, John Benner, Scott Donelson, Deborah Simpson Taylor, Mark Zetlin)
2023 Arlington Business Hall of Fame Inductees (L-R: Ralph Johnson on behalf of the late Bert W. Johnson, Lola C. Reinsch, Robert H. Hawthorne)
2023 Arlington Best Business Awards (staff photo)
2023 Arlington Best Business Awards (staff photo)
2023 Arlington Best Business Awards (staff photo)
2023 Arlington Best Business Awards (staff photo)
2023 Arlington Best Business Awards (staff photo)
2023 Arlington Best Business Awards (staff photo)
2023 Arlington Best Business Awards (staff photo)
2023 Arlington Best Business Awards (staff photo)
Mastercard, Mercedes-Benz of Arlington and a behavioral health clinic in Courthouse are among the latest winners of the annual Arlington Best Business Awards.
The event, organized by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Arlington Community Federal Credit Union, was held earlier this week at Army Navy Country Club. It also included three inductions into the Chamber’s Arlington Business Hall of Fame.
Mastercard is based in Purchase, New York, but has a technology hub in Ballston. Its ubiquitous logo tops the office building at 4250 Fairfax Drive.
More, below, from a Chamber of Commerce press release.
On May 16, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce celebrated the 37th Annual Arlington Best Business Awards at Army Navy Country Club, sponsored by Arlington Community Federal Credit Union. The Best Business Awards are presented to area businesses that consistently deliver exceptional quality of service to their customers, are industry leaders or offer a unique approach to delivery of goods or services, achieve significant growth or stability over the lifetime of their business, display an interest and concern for the success of the Arlington community, and demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The 2023 Best Business Award Winners are:
Home Energy Medics — 2023 Sustainable Business of the Year
National Capital Treatment & Recovery — 2023 Nonprofit Business of the Year
Mercedes-Benz of Arlington — 2023 Retail Small Business of the Year
Arlington/DC Behavior Therapy Institute — 2023 Service Small Business of the Year
Mastercard — 2023 Large Business of the Year
This prestigious awards dinner recognized businesses in the Arlington community that go above and beyond to serve clients and make Arlington a great place to work and live.
“We’ve been doing business in Arlington for 86 years, and we’re very proud of our history,” said Mark Zetlin, of Mercedes-Benz of Arlington. “We always aim to take the best care of our customers, and we are proud to be valued by this diverse community.”
Following the presentation of the awards, the Chamber inducted the late Bert W. Johnson, Lola C. Reinsch, and Robert H. Hawthorne into the Arlington Business Hall of Fame.
The inductees captivated the sold-out crowd as they shared inspiring tales of how their upbringing influenced their careers. From leveraging family connections within the Arlington Chamber to secure their first post-college job to joining a traveling circus on the weekends, the Hall of Fame speeches not only entertained the audience but also showcased the diverse paths that led these individuals to their success.
Mr. Johnson served as the first professional County Manager for Arlington, from 1962 to 1976. He had the insight to develop the Rosslyn neighborhood as an office center and was instrumental to the Metro subway system construction in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor.
Ms. Reinsch is the second-generation President and CEO of the Reinsch Companies. She noted that her father specifically wanted to develop properties along Columbia Pike, due to its proximity to the Pentagon and Washington DC. Her philanthropic efforts have led to her directing capital campaigns for VHC Health and Marymount University.
Mr. Hawthorne most recently was the Market President for United Bank, before retiring in 2021. Despite his monumental career in banking, Hawthorne never forgot the community that helped raise him. He noted that he first started with the Chamber, helping his bank at the time win the Arlington Chamber membership campaign, which lead to him initiating the first Membership Development Committee of the Chamber. Hawthorne would become the Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors in 1997. He also co-founded the Leadership Center for Excellence in 2000 and served as its first Chair.
“One of the biggest things that I’ve really seen the Chamber become is a place where there is a nice balance between small, medium, and large businesses,” said Robert H. Hawthorne. “I know that the business community will continue to help the Chamber, and keep up the good work!”
The Arlington Business Hall of Fame honors men and women with a connection to Arlington County who have demonstrated a long record of successful management, expertise, and business skills, along with notable achievements and exceptional civic and community involvement.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. Southeast wind 7 to 10 mph. At night: A chance of showers after 3am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Southeast wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
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Steel Life Booksellers at Pentagon City mall (image via Instagram)
A South American restaurant and a new bookstore appear to preparing to open at the Pentagon City mall.
Maizal Grill is planning to start serving sometime later this month, a spokesperson for Fashion Centre at Pentagon City told ARLnow. Itâs opening on the mallâs street level in the former home of Honeygrow, next to Rosa Mexicano, which opened late last year.
Maizal Grill bills itself as serving âSouth American street foodâ with a menu that features burritos, arepas, and bowls. This is the restaurantâs second Arlington location, with another eatery inside of Ballston Quarter. That one opened in 2019.
Elsewhere in the mall, a new independently-owned bookstore called Steel Life Booksellers is opening on the first level in between Kay Jewelers and shoe seller Steve Madden. Construction appears to be ongoing, though the mall spokesperson could not provide an exact opening date.
ARLnow reached out to the owner about more information but has yet to hear back as of publication.
In addition, the womenâs accessory store New York New York 2 opened this past on the second level next to Savage x Fenty. It’s the sister store to New York New York, also located in the mall.
Last month, Kong Dog opened its first Virginia location at the mallâs food court.
Sunny, with a high near 69. Northeast wind 7 to 9 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. Southeast wind 6 to 10 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
“Padaek 2.0” is planning to open in “mid-to-late June,” Axios reported Tuesday. It will feature an outdoor patio and will feature some Thai and Burmese dishes, in addition much of the original Padaek menu, according to Axios.
ARLnow was unable to reach a restaurant representative for additional information by publication time. Alexandria newspaper Zebra appears to have been the first to report the Padaek plans in January 2022.
Meanwhile, Padaek is not the only new restaurant coming to the shopping center. Posters in the window of the standalone retail building also advertise the impending arrival of Palm Berries.
The açai bowl franchise from North Carolina will be occupying a 1,000-square-foot spot next to Padaek. The Instagram page for Palm Berries lists an Arlington location as “COMING SOON!!”
