Around Town

It’s already Mardi Gras season for Bayou Bakery in Courthouse

By James Jarvis
1/2

Mardi Gras is already in full swing at Bayou Bakery in Courthouse.

From now through mid-February, people can indulge in the bakery’s King Cake, as well as a King Cake-inspired daiquiri, and donuts that look like mini King Cakes.

In keeping with New Orleans tradition, the café and bakery at 1515 N. Courthouse Road kicked off its pre-Lenten festivities on Saturday: the Feast of the Epiphany, commemorating when three Magi visited Jesus after his birth. It will last through Fat Tuesday, Feb. 13, a day of feasting before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.

To mark the festive season, people can order a King Cake for $50, made with the bakery’s signature Creole cream cheese, cinnamon and white icing. It is festively finished with the Mardi Gras colors of gold, green and purple, representing power, faith and justice, and a plastic baby, according to a press release from the bakery.

There is also a daiquiri inspired by the traditional cake made of vodka and Bailey’s Irish Cream. For early birds, the bakery is also selling vanilla and cinnamon “Li’l KC” donuts, which are first-come, first-served, and only available on Tuesdays starting at 9 a.m., now through Tuesday, Feb. 6.

For those wanting to fully embrace the Mardi Gras spirit, Bayou Bakery offers a “Mardi Gras in a Box,” available for in-store pickup. The $150 box includes a King Cake, beads, masks, boas, doubloons, Pat O’Briens Hurricane Cocktail Mix and a mystery game.

The Bayou Bakery King Cake, the Mardi Gras in a Box and catering requests must be ordered 48 hours in advance.

Mardi Gras season at Bayou — owned by celebrity chef and New Orleans David Guas — will appropriately conclude with a party and even more cake.

“On Fat Tuesday, Bayou Bakery will be hosting an evening Bayou Gras party [ticketed] and will also have a variety of specials to celebrate Mardi Gras — like King Cake by the slice,” a PR rep said.

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 8, 2024

By ARLnow.com

Good Monday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Jan 8, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Tuesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

🌧️ Tuesday’s forecast

Rain is expected mainly after 8am, with a high near 56. Conditions will be windy, with east winds increasing from 11-16 mph to 23-28 mph in the afternoon and gusts up to 39 mph. 100% chance of precipitation, with 1-2 inches of new rainfall possible. Tuesday night will see rain mainly before 1am, with a low around 44. Winds will shift from southeast at 21-26 mph to southwest at 15-20 mph after midnight, with gusts up to 46 mph. 100% chance of precipitation and an additional half to three-quarters of an inch of rain possible. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!”
– Audrey Hepburn

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

Chicken + Whiskey in Clarendon has temporarily closed due to ‘lackluster sales’

By James Jarvis
Chicken + Whiskey in Clarendon (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Chicken + Whiskey in Clarendon “temporarily” closed last week, leaving its future uncertain.

Situated at 3033 Wilson Blvd, the D.C.-based South American rotisserie chicken and whiskey bar concept made its debut in the Northern Virginia dining scene last June.

Since its opening, however, the Clarendon outpost — one of four Chicken + Whiskey locations in the D.C. area — has experienced “lackluster sales,” according to a press release.

“Rather than continue to absorb dramatic financial losses throughout the typically slower winter months, the company has decided to conserve its resources, close the doors, and re-open at more appropriate time,” the company said in the release.

Co-owner Desmond Reilly said the Clarendon location’s failure was surprising.

“We thought Clarendon would love our Peruvian Chicken concept,” he said in the release. “We are going to rethink our product offerings and hopefully come back stronger than ever!”

Led by Chef Enrique Limardo, also the head chef at Immigrant Food and D.C.’s Seven Reasons, the restaurant chain serves Peruvian-style chicken, arepas and sandwiches and has a full cocktail and whiskey bar.

Limardo also co-founded the newly opened restaurant Surreal — described as an  “elevated diner” concept — in Crystal City.

Chicken + Whiskey is managed by SRG Concepts, which also operates several other restaurants in D.C. and Maryland, including the Vietnamese street food restaurant Doi Moi, The Walrus Oyster & Ale House and Bennie’s Pizza.

Bennie’s Pizza is also “temporarily closed” for the holidays and is working out some “culinary details” before reopening, according to the restaurant’s Instagram.

Within the last few months, Clarendon has seen the closure of a handful of other businesses, including Mediterranean restaurant Cava Mezze, the international bakery Le Pain Quotidien and outdoor goods store Orvis.

Though located at an address across from the Clarendon Metro station, Chicken + Whiskey is in the rear of the building, fronting N. Garfield Street in the former Hunan Number One space. Another restaurant in the same building but closer to the Metro station, Bar Ivy, closed just over a month ago.

Hat tip to @SCG703 and various other tipsters

Staples in Virginia Square set to close next month, making way for Spanish immersion preschool

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

The Staples store in Virginia Square is closing next month.

A sign posted on the entrance to the office supply store at 3804 Wilson Blvd says the location is closing on Feb. 23.

“We’re still here for you,” the sign says, listing locations in Bailey’s Crossroads, Falls Church and Alexandria.

It will not be long before a new business moves in. The replacement for Staples is a franchise location of the national Spanish immersion, STEM-focused preschool and daycare called Tierra Encantada.

Franchise co-owner Mustafa Durrani says he is still in the permit review phase but construction could start sometime in April. He anticipates the work will take four months and the school could open one month after that.

“It depends on the permitting process, really,” he told ARLnow. “Once that happens, our construction team is ready, everything is ready, and we’re excited for the Arlington location.”

Once open, the preschool would operate Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and serve up to 150 children. One highlight of the preschool, for Durrani, is the organic food it will serve to students.

“I believe we’re one of the only schools in the area offering organic food,” he said.

Durrani has already opened a Tierra Encantada franchise location in Alexandria. He is working to open one in Falls Church around the same time that the Arlington location opens.

The Arlington County Board approved a use permit for Tierra Encantada this July. A county report at the time noted nearby civic associations had concerns about traffic and noise.

Durrani said traffic engineers were enlisted to help come to traffic solutions, while a fence will be built to reduce noise.

“As far as traffic is concerned, we’re going to have a lot more parking than currently exists,” he said. “We’re also going to have off-site parking where we’ll be leasing from a local garage, so that should alleviate some of the things.”

Local golf pro named regional PGA Golf Professional of the Year

By James Jarvis
Local professional golfer Jay Dufty (middle) was named Golf Professional of the Year by the Middle Atlantic section of the PGA (courtesy of the Middle Atlantic PGA)

Local golf professional Jay Dufty has been honored with the Professional Golf Association’s (PGA) highest regional distinction.

Dufty, the golf director at the Washington Golf & Country Club in North Arlington, was named PGA Golf Professional of the Year by the Middle Atlantic section of the PGA (MAPGA) last week.

The award is given based on criteria such as overall performance, professional image, commitment to the MAPGA, leadership qualities, promotion of golf, and the ability to inspire fellow professionals, per a press release.

A PGA member for over 25 years, Dufty was one of 13 golf professionals from Virginia, Maryland and Delaware to receive an award. He resides in Sterling.

It was Dufty’s father, a college wrestling coach at the University of Minnesota-Morris and a passionate golfer, who sparked his son’s interest in golf at a young age. While in high school, he worked under and was mentored by Larry Murphy, the head PGA professional at the time, per the release.

Encouraged by Murphy, Dufty joined the PGA Golf Management Program at New Mexico State University. Post-graduation, he accepted an assistant role at Blueberry Pines Golf Club in Menahga, Minnesota, and in 1997, became the club’s head professional, achieving PGA membership a year later.

Before his current role at Washington Golf & Country Club, Dufty managed various high-end golf facilities for two decades, including 15 years with the Tournament Players Club (TPC) Network and a 12-year stint as the Head PGA Professional at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac, Maryland.

Dufty has been honored with several awards, including the Bob Metz First Tee of Montgomery County Award in 2013, the MAPGA President’s Award in 2014, the TPC Network Head Professional of the Year in 2014, the MAPGA Private Club Merchandiser of the Year in 2018 and the MAPGA Bill Strausbaugh Award in 2020.

He also serves on multiple MAPGA boards and First Tee of Montgomery County.

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 5, 2024

By ARLnow.com

Good Friday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Jan 5, 2024.

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  1. NEW: The Freshman has closed in Crystal City (14838 views)
  2. Le Pain Quotidien in Clarendon has closed (12576 views)
  3. Rice Crook in Ballston Quarter Market has closed, but several new eateries are moving in (6184 views)
  4. Fight over Columbia Pike parking space leads to gun charges (5441 views)
  5. Falls Church to host inaugural restaurant week this month (5156 views)
  6. Bank swaps branch locations in Ballston (4481 views)
  7. Pedestrian injured after SUV runs into bank next to Pentagon City Metro station (4329 views)
  8. Morning Poll: How much snow do you think we’ll actually get this weekend? (4082 views)
  9. New County Board chair announces Arlington’s first ‘visioning process’ since 1986 (3298 views)
  10. Video: ACPD cruiser rear-ended and then pushed in Courthouse (2961 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Saturday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

🌧️ Saturday’s forecast

Expect a mix of rain, snow, and sleet until 11am, transitioning to rain and possible snow until 1pm, followed by rain for the rest of the day. Highs will be around 38°F with winds changing from southeast to northeast in the afternoon and gusts up to 18mph. Precipitation chances are 100%, with minimal snow and sleet accumulation. Saturday night will likely see rain until 10pm, then mostly cloudy conditions with lows near 33°F. There is a 60% chance of precipitation and potential accumulation between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
– Theodore Roosevelt

🌅 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. 👋

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 4, 2024

By ARLnow.com

Good Thursday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Jan 4, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Friday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

☀️ Friday’s forecast

Expect sunshine and a high of 42 degrees, with northwest winds at 6 mph shifting to southwest by the afternoon. For Friday night, anticipate increasing cloudiness and a low of 29 degrees accompanied by a south wind at 3 to 5 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.”
– Samuel Beckett

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

Most and least expensive homes sold in Arlington (December 2023)

By ARLnow.com

Here in Arlington, real estate is a spectator sport. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive single-family homes sold last month (December 2023).

Most expensive single-family homes sold

  1. 2503 16th St N — Lyon Village — $3,700,000 (7 beds | 7.5 baths | 7,700 sq. ft.)
  2. 3162 N Pollard St — Bellevue Forest — $2,674,200 (6 beds | 8 baths | 6,463 sq. ft.)
  3. 4012 Vacation Ln — Cherrydale — $2,660,000 (6 beds | 6.5 baths | 5,805 sq. ft.)
  4. 1507 N Hartford St — Lyon Village — $2,540,000 (5 beds | 4.5 baths | 3,973 sq. ft.)
  5. 3914 17th St N — Cherrydale — $2,332,845 (6 beds | 6.5 baths | 6,255 sq. ft.)

Least expensive single-family homes sold*

  1. 3709 3rd St S — Alcova Heights — $649,000 (2 beds | 2 baths | 864 sq. ft.)
  2. 612 S Barton St — Penrose — $730,000 (3 beds | 3 baths | 1,568 sq. ft.)
  3. 1727 N Cameron St — High View Park — $750,000 (3 beds | 1.5 baths | 1,248 sq. ft.)

*Minimum home value of $200,000 set to exclude certain land sales, retirement condos, properties with expiring ground leases, etc.

Rice Crook in Ballston Quarter Market has closed, but several new eateries are moving in

By James Jarvis
Rice Crook in Ballston Quarter has quietly closed (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Fast-casual Korean restaurant Rice Crook has quietly closed its location inside Ballston Quarter Market.

The restaurant, a creation of noted local chef Scott Chung that was known for its customizable rice bowls, moved into the food hall at 4238 Wilson Blvd in 2019. Now, all that remains is a sign above its former stall.

There was no closure announcement on the restaurant’s Instagram page and Chung did not respond to a request for comment. Chung also owns Bun’d Up in Westpost (formerly Pentagon Row) and, in a spare room of that restaurant, a speakeasy-style bar, restaurant and mahjong hub called Sparrow Room.

Ballston Quarter General Manager TaVida Rice confirmed the closure is permanent and revealed several forthcoming additions to the food hall.

Japanese crêperie T-Swirl is set to open this spring and D.C.-based Dumpling District is slated to open in the fall. Hal & Al’s BBQ, which serves halal brisket sandwiches, ribs and mac and cheese bowls, opened last month.

Korean BBQ restaurant Top Pot, meanwhile, is set to open in a restaurant space along the Glebe Road side of the mall, next to Chick-fil-A. And laser hair removal company Semper Laser is slated to open this spring in the mews area near Lenscrafters, Rice said.

None of the new businesses will take over Rice Crook’s former spot, and the shopping center is still looking for a replacement, she noted.

Hat tip to Jason Gooljar

Petco to close store near Ballston, slated to become urgent care clinic

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The Unleashed by Petco store near Ballston is closing this month.

The smaller-format chain pet store — which also offered pet vaccinations, dog training and a self-serve washing station — has been in business at 3902 Wilson Blvd for just over 10 years.

It plans to close on Saturday, Jan. 20, and is offering discounts of 10-60% as part of a store closing sale.

ARLnow reported on a “for lease” sign outside of the single-story, 4,666 square foot commercial building early last year.

Unleashed opened in the space in September 2013, replacing the quirky, homegrown burger-and-hot-dog restaurant Wiinky’s.

A leasing flyer noted that the building was last renovated in 2013, when Petco moved in, and that it has 19 parking spaces.

The last remaining Unleashed store in Arlington is located at 5400 Langston Blvd. It opened in 2011. A previous Pentagon City location closed in 2021.

While store employees were not sure what would be replacing Petco, permits filed in September show that it will be an Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care clinic. Planned interior construction work to the circa-1925 building includes new rooms, walls, ceiling soffits, restrooms, lighting and relocated stairs.

An Inova spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment by publication time. The healthcare system is in the midst of a major expansion that will see new hospitals in Springfield and Alexandria, as well as a sizable healthcare facility near Potomac Yard.

Jo DeVoe contributed to this report

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 3, 2024

By ARLnow.com

Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Jan 3, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

  • No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.

🌤️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect a high of 43°F today with mostly cloudy skies clearing by mid-morning, and northwest winds initially blowing at 6-11 mph before increasing to 12-17 mph in the afternoon, with potential gusts reaching 25 mph. Tonight, skies will be clear with a low around 25°F, and northwest winds will prevail at 7-14 mph, gusting up to 21 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
– Nelson Mandela

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

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