Ballston

Rebel Heroes Invade Ballston

By ARLnow.com

A new food truck made its debut today. Rebel Heroes, which serves up cheap, delicious Vietnamese-Latin fusion sandwiches, parked near the Ballston Metro and attracted a sizable lunchtime crowd.

Like D.C. food truck veterans Fojol Brothers, On the Fly, and Sweetflow Mobile, Rebel Heroes uses Twitter to announce its location.

“We’re doing pretty well so far just by Twittering,” co-owner Tan Nguyen said, shortly after an all-out assault on the truck by hungry office workers.

She said she got the idea for a Banh Mi truck a decade ago but didn’t decide to actually go for it until last year, when food trucks began enjoying a surge in publicity and commercial success.

Planning began last fall. Today the truck served its first customers.

“Vietnamese is perfect for food trucks… [and] spring is the perfect time to have a food truck,” Nguyen said.

Rebel Heroes lets patrons customize their sandwiches by checking boxes on a small paper order form. Nguyen said the food’s Latin flare, and the ingredient options, make her Banh Mi-style sandwiches more accessible than similar fare from Northern Virginia’s numerous brick-and-mortar Vietnamese restaurants.

Nguyen claims culinary inspiration from her mother, who provided some of the recipes, and from her friend Josie Smith-Malave, a contestant on Top Chef season two. Smith-Malave is not formally affiliated with the truck.

Rebel Heroes will be exclusively serving Arlington’s Rosslyn-Ballston corridor until this summer, when Nguyen hopes to secure the necessary permits to operate in the District. She says it’s easier to operate a food truck in Arlington due to the District’s heavily bureaucratic permitting process.

Eventually, Nguyen hopes to establish a schedule that will take the truck to points in D.C. and Arlington on a regular basis.

Rebel Heroes will be serving both breakfast (including coffee) and lunch (including chips and Mexican fruit sodas), starting as early as 7:30 a.m.

This week only, they’re offering a coupon for a free sandwich with the purchase of a drink or a bag of chips.

More photos, after the jump.

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New Challenger for Best Beer Joint In Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Arlington beer lovers rejoice. Rustico, the suds-centric eatery on Slaters Lane in Alexandria, is coming to Ballston this summer.

The new Rustico is currently under construction on the ground floor of the Liberty Center Two building (4075 Wilson Blvd) near Ballston Common Mall. We’re told the owners are hoping to open in early July.

Rustico Ballston will have as many as 40 beers on draft, according to the YFGF beer blog. According to a Rustico employee we spoke to, it will also have a “huge” two-sided sidewalk patio, featuring more outdoor seating than the Alexandria location. See the photos below to get an idea of where the sidewalk seats will go.

We’re thinking Rustico will give Ballston’s existing beer bars (nearby Rock Bottom comes to mind) a major run for their money, especially on good weather days.

To Do Tonight: Phoenix Bike Show

By ARLnow.com

Phoenix Bikes, a small not-for-profit bike shop located in Barcroft Park, is holding its third annual bike show tonight.

The event will feature an art show, a silent auction, a raffle for four bikes and various accessories donated by local shops, free food and drinks, and speeches by movers and shakers in the local bike world. Arlington County board chairman and cycling supporter Jay Fisette will serve as the master of ceremonies.

Tickets for the show are $20 online (available until 2:00 p.m.) or $25 at the door, and include two raffle tickets. The proceeds will benefit Phoenix Bikes, which serves the community and youths in South Arlington.

The show is taking place between 7:00 and 9:00 tonight at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (4301 Wilson Blvd) in Ballston.

Ballston Among Finalists for Northrop Grumman HQ

By ARLnow.com

Giant defense contractor Northrop Grumman has narrowed its search for a Washington-area headquarters down to Ballston, Falls Church, and Rockville, Md, according to the Washington Post.

The news is a blow to the District, which had pumped up its campaign for the headquarters with tax breaks and slams hurtled at Crystal City.

It’s a partial victory for Rep. Jim Moran (D). The Ballston and Falls Church sites are within the confines of his congressional district. But the defense appropriations committee member was apparently not successful in trying to convince Northrop to move to Rosslyn.

The Ballston site being considered by the company is a yet-to-be-built office building on North Glebe Road, the Post reports.

Snowmageddon’s Last Hurrah

By ARLnow.com

Nearly two months later, and there’s at least one last remnant of Snowmageddon left in Arlington (which should make the county board feel better about passing that temporary snow removal ordinance three weeks ago).

Flickr pooler Expresso2222 snapped this photo yesterday next to the Ballston Common Mall Parking lot.

The shady spot has allowed the giant pile of snow to stick around through rain storms and sunny 70+ degree days. Whether it will survive today’s high of 80 degrees is yet to be seen.

Washington Capitals and Inova Beat Blood Drive Record

By Alex

The Washington Capitals and Inova partnered for a very successful blood drive, with 609 units of blood donated by 642 fans.  The event, held at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston on Saturday, was the highest yielding blood drive hosted by a D.C. sports team to date.

Donors received various gifts including a limited edition Alexander Semin T-shirt, a bobblehead doll, and the possibility of winning a 22″ Sharp TV with built-in DVD player.

The Caps and Inova will be hosting another blood drive on Saturday, July 24, in Sterling, Va.

A single donation of blood can potentially save up to three lives.  There’s hope that the 609 units will help over 1,800 patients.

Eat and Drink Cheap for a Good Cause Tomorrow

By ARLnow.com

The experience of being diagnosed with lupus can be depressing and frustrating, says Arlington resident Krista Blackburn. When she was diagnosed with the incurable autoimmune disease in 2007, at the age of 21, she didn’t even know what lupus was. Now, she’s trying to remove some of the mystery surrounding the disease.

Blackburn will be holding a fundraiser at The Front Page in Ballston (4201 Wilson Blvd) tomorrow, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. The goal is to “raise awareness and find a cure for this stupid disease,” as she likes calling it.

Blackburn and her “Kickin’ It For Krista” team, which is raising money for the DC Walk for Lupus Now event next month, will be selling $5 wristbands that will allow participants to take advantage of specially-arranged food and drink specials.

Among the specials: half price appetizers and burgers, $2 Miller Lite bottles, $2.75 rail drinks, $3 drafts and $3.25 glasses of house wine.

Caps tickets, Best Buy and Lost Dog Cafe gift certificates and movie passes will be raffled off during the fundraiser. There will also be performance by 90s cover band The Civilians, whose members have recently moved to the DC area from Charlottesville.

Blackburn says she expects between 100-150 people to show up, but she’s hoping even more people will come to chip in for the cause and learn about the disease. “This walk means a lot to me personally,” Blackburn said.

Weekend News Roundup

By ARLnow.com

Iraqi Election Voting in Ballston — The Iraqi government set up a polling center at the Hilton hotel in Ballston so Iraqis living in Washington could vote in their country’s parliamentary elections. Voting took place Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Arlington site is one of nine polling locations set up in the United States. More from the Washington Post and Fox 5.

Gas Leak Reported in South Arlington — Arlington firefighters and Washington Gas crews converged on the residential area of S. Edgewood St. and 17th St. S. on Sunday afternoon for a report of a natural gas leak. Police relocated several parked cars as gas company crews prepared to dig up part of the street.

Twisted Vines Holds Grand Opening — A large crowd showed up for the grand opening of Twisted Vines, Columbia Pike’s new wine bar. A photo posted on Twisted Vine’s Facebook page shows a sizable crowd enjoying selections from the restaurant’s 100+ bottles of wine.

Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Police responded to the Ballston Comfort Inn on N. Glebe Road this afternoon for a report of a pimp and his prostitute in one of the hotel rooms. After officers arrived on scene, the suspected pimp apparently jumped out of a second story window in an attempt to get away.

Paramedics treated the suspect and brought him to a local hospital with an apparent broken leg. It’s unclear whether the alleged prostitute will face any charges.

When we arrived a group of police officers and hotel employees were standing near a small pool of blood on the sidewalk, gazing up at an open window about 15-20 feet above street level.

Officers and employees declined to discuss the incident. We’re still waiting on official comment from Arlington PD.

Firefighters Investigating Hazmat Situation

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington Fire Department is on the scene of a hazmat situation at N. Stuart St. & 9th St. N., near the Ballston Metro. Initial reports suggest a truck is leaking fuel into a storm drain.

Update at 3:00 p.m. — An ambulance was called for a man who was complaining of chest pains, apparently caused by the fumes. The hazmat situation itself appears to be under control.

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