bars

D.C. Area Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fans Finally Have a Local Bar to Call Their Own

By ARLnow.com

Tampa Bay Buccaneers logo(Updated at 12:05 p.m.) There are various lists for D.C. area football fans, telling them where they can watch their favorite NFL team. There is but one team that’s missing across all of those lists: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Even Reddit can’t figure out a decent place to go out and watch a Tampa Bay game with like-minded fans, save a couple suggestions for suburban bars that show every NFL game.

Sure, the Bucs have the worst all-time winning percentage in the league. But the NFL has some of the most fervent fans of any sports league in the country — heck, the local Browns Backers bar packs it in losing season after losing season. One would think in a melting pot city like D.C., there’d be a bar — just one bar — that a Bucs fan can call (mostly) their own.

Enter Brent Robson.

When he moved to the D.C. area three years ago, he immediately joined the alumni organization for his Florida Gators. Every Saturday in the fall, he’d head to Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill (2424 Wilson Blvd) in Courthouse to cheer on the team.

Then, on Sunday — nada.

“I was hoping to find the same type of setup and atmosphere for my Tampa Bay Buccaneers of which I am also a big fan,” Robson told ARLnow.com. “Many other big name teams, such as the Patriots, Steelers, Cowboys, and Packers, have official designated watch party bars, yet the Bucs do not.”

This year, Robson decided to take matters into his own hands.

Arlington Rooftop Bar & Grill“I went to the owner of Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill and pitched the idea of becoming the official D.C. Bucs bar on Sundays,” he recounted. “The owner has had such success with the Gator watch parties and is such a big supporter of the Florida sports fans, he immediately got on board with the idea.”

Arlington Rooftop’s Scott Porter said Robson’s enthusiasm, and the success of his deal with the University of Florida alumni, helped to convince him.

“The Gator fans pack this place from top to bottom!” Porter said. “Brent and his colleges were interested in getting the majority of the Gator fan base back here on Sunday to enjoy the NFL games and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So we said yes! We are excited to be the official host bar, and if it’s anything like the Gators game on Saturdays it’s going to be a great time and season.”

Robson is now focused on getting the word out and drumming up support among other Bucs fans. If being able to watch the game with other Tampa Bay diehards wasn’t enough to get people to show up, he’s hoping some hometown flavor can seal the deal.

“[Arlington Rooftop] has agreed to offer special food and drink discounts specific for Bucs gamedays,” Robson said, “as well as imported kegs of Cigar City beer straight from Tampa.”

The Buccaneers regular season opener against Atlanta is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 11 at 1 p.m.

With Its Patio Temporarily Closed, Mad Rose Tavern Adds New Events This Summer

By Adrian Cruz
1/4

Due to courtyard construction work at 3100 Clarendon Blvd, Mad Rose Tavern is adjusting to a summer without its popular outdoor patio.

With the patio closed for the next month or so, until construction wraps up, the restaurant has added new specials and events to help maintain business during the summer months.

On Tuesdays, it will host District Karaoke, which is moving from the former Hard Times Cafe across the street along, with an extended happy hour.

(The normal daily happy hour is from 4-8 p.m.)

Also recently introduced is a “Rosa Brava” international party night on Thursdays with top 40 and Latin music. Before the party starts, free dance lessons are now being offered starting at 9:30 p.m.

Here is a full list of events and specials, according to the restaurant:

  • Sunday — Yappy Sunday: “Brunch with your best friend” from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. All you can eat for $22. Bowls provided.
  • Tuesday — District Karaoke — Extended happy hour runs through 9 p.m. Karaoke runs through 11 p.m.
  • Wednesday — All You Can Eat Crab Legs: Buffet cost is $29.99. RSVP at https://www.seatme.yelp.com/r/mad-rose-tavern/
  • Thursday — Rosa Brava International Party Night
  • Saturday — Brunch
  • Friday and Saturday nights — DJs: Dance club experience featuring Top 40, EDM and international music.

‘Speakeasy’ Coming to Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Entrance to Room 19, in the back of Boulevard Woodgrill in Clarendon (courtesy photo)Clarendon is getting a new “speakeasy.”

“Room 19,” as the speakeasy is called, will take place weekly in the back of Boulevard Woodgrill restaurant (2901 Wilson Blvd), starting next Monday night, July 11. It will feature classic cocktails in an intimate setting.

“The goal of Room 19 is to give the DC and NOVA crowd something they have not experienced before,” wrote Minh Tran, a spokesman for the venture.

“We want patrons to feel as if they have stepped away from 2016 and entered a hidden world,” Tran said in an email. “Room 19 will feel intimate, dark, and secretive. This is about having an immersive experience of the Prohibition era. Jazz music from the 1920’s and 1930’s will add to the ambience. This is a place you want to have a great time with your date or to share a new experience with friends. It is an escape.”

Room 19 graphicBehind Room 19, Tran said, are Boulevard Woodgrill owner Joe Corey and mixologist Chris Bassett, whose resume includes Ping Pong Dim Sum and Old Town Alexandria speakeasy PX. The cocktail menu includes classics like a Negroni, a Sazerac, and a “cedar smoked” Old Fashioned, plus cocktails with names like “Sherry’s got me by the stones,” with tequila, apricot liqueur and sherry; and “That smokey sweetness,” with single malt whiskey, raspberry syrup and lemon juice.

Room 19 will initially take place Mondays from 6 to 11 p.m., but may stay open later if the crowd doesn’t thin out. Additional days of the week are expected to be added.

There’s a dress code: casual attire is allowed, but flip flops, tank tops and “regular,” non-trendy sneakers are all verboten. Those wishing to make table reservations are asked to email [email protected].

Courtesy photo

New Beer Garden Coming to Old Building on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com
1/3

It’s being billed as Columbia Pike’s first beer garden.

BrickHaus, a new beer-centric watering hole and restaurant, is coming to the former Blanca’s Restaurant space at 2900 Columbia Pike, at the corner of S. Walter Reed Drive.

News of the opening comes a year after ARLnow first reported that the long-vacant Spanish Revival-style building was perhaps getting a renovation to accommodate a restaurant with a rooftop seating area. A look inside the window reveals that some work has been performed, but there’s a long way to go before it will look anything like a beer garden.

The building was once briefly considered for a “southside” version of the popular Clarendon cafe Northside Social. But prospective tenants worried about the poor condition of the interior and other challenges, not the least of which is the age and relatively small size of the building and the challenge of setting up any substantial level of outdoor seating on the small adjacent lot or roof.

The potential downsides were not enough to deter Tony Wagner, the owner of BrickHaus, who’s also the owner of Twisted Vines Bottleshop and Bistro, which is located across the street at 2803 Columbia Pike.

“Columbia Pike is such a thriving and growing community, we want to make sure there are great [dining and drink] options out there,” he said. “We’re going to make BrickHaus a great gathering spot for the community… It’s very exciting, this is going to be a fun one.”

Wagner said BrickHaus will be a beer garden on the first floor, with some 20 beers on tap and an approximately 30-seat outdoor patio. The second floor — the mezzanine — will be a sit-down steakhouse.

Wagner said extensive renovations will be getting underway on the “beautiful, historic property,” which was once a bank before becoming a restaurant and then, most recently, serving as the construction office for the next-door Halstead apartment building. The interior will be pretty much all new and the exterior will be rehabilitated. Plans for rooftop seating fell through after it failed to receive Arlington County’s approval, he said.

Beer-wise, BrickHaus will offer almost all regional brews from Virginia, D.C. and Maryland, in addition to perhaps a couple of German beers, Wagner said. Just as Twisted Vines offers wine for sale and a special wine club, BrickHaus plans to offer beer for retail sale and, eventually, a beer club. BrickHaus’ ABC permit application would also allow the business to sell kegs of beer.

Wagner said he got the idea for BrickHaus after listening to feedback from customers at Twisted Vines, who said they wanted an outdoor option on the Pike and were also looking for better beer options. Staring out the front window at the vacant building on the other side of the intersection also sparked his interest.

It’s because of the success of Twisted Vines that Wagner is looking to expand on the Pike. Since taking over ownership last summer, Wagner says Twisted Vines has “had a really fantastic year.” An anniversary celebration is being planned for Aug. 10.

Whereas Twisted Vines has “one of the best wine-by-the-glass and whiskey selections” in Arlington, in Wagner’s estimation, he’s hoping BrickHaus can be its beer counterpart, filling a void in the community.

“We wanted to keep it local,” he said. “We said, let’s give Columbia Pike another great option with great beer.”

BrickHaus is hoping to open by late summer, in time for Oktoberfest.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

View from the rooftop of the new Bartlett apartment building in Pentagon City (photo courtesy @rydaka)

Some Developers Are Pessimistic About the Pike — “The mood is not good,” Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization chairman John Murphy said of developers. “Some of them made big investments, big bets based on the county saying we’re going to do the streetcar. They feel betrayed, they’re not happy at all.” [Bisnow]

Board to Buy Bungalow to Bolster Benjamin Banneker — The Arlington County Board this weekend is expected to approve the purchase of a $637,500 property on 17th Street N. in order to expand Benjamin Banneker Park, near the East Falls Church Metro station. [InsideNova]

DCA Flight Path Changes — The Federal Aviation Administration is considering changes to flight paths for planes departing Reagan National Airport, in response to complaints from D.C. residents. Meanwhile, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) is organizing a community meeting to discuss “recent changes to departure procedures for aircraft taking off to the south of the airport.” [WTOP, Rep. Don Beyer]

Chaplain at DCA Mourns Son — Rev. Nace Lanier, the chaplain at Reagan National Airport, is mourning the loss of his 10-year-old son to a brain tumor. [Washington Post]

Clarendon Salon Closed Due to Flooding — Casal’s at Clarendon, a salon and day spa, has been closed for a week “due to a water pipe breaking and flooding the salon.” [Twitter, Twitter]

Sehkraft Makes ‘Hottest New Bars’ List — Sehkraft Brewing in Clarendon is one of the 10 hottest new bars in the D.C. area, according to Zagat, which writes: “This sprawling, pulsating Arlington brewhouse, gastropub, butcher shop, beer garden and live-music venue is powered by the brilliantly colored art on the walls, robust smoked and grilled American fare and curated craft beers.” [Zagat]

Free Smoothies Today — Tropical Smoothie Cafe, which has a location at 3811 Fairfax Drive in Virginia Square, is celebrating National Flip Flop Day by raising money for charity and giving out some free smoothies. The store will offer free smoothies to customers wearing flip flops from 2-7 p.m. [Tropical Smoothie Cafe]

Photo courtesy @rydaka

ACPD Cracking Down on Fake IDs

By ARLnow.com

2015 Shamrock Crawl in Clarendon (photo courtesy ACPD)An influx of fake IDs from overseas has prompted a crackdown by the Arlington County Police Department.

ACPD says it recently started “a high-visibility underage drinking enforcement and education campaign designed to curb the use of fake IDs by underage individuals.” The campaign is targeting the busy Clarendon bar district on weekends.

“Over the last month or so, a number of fake IDs — originating from overseas online shops — have been turned into police by Clarendon businesses,” explained ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “This initiative was developed to address this issue.”

“This is a newer initiative but it’s been going on for about a month,” Savage continued. “We have a great working relationship with the business owners in Clarendon and this is just one more step we can take to continue to make Clarendon a safe area at night. The initiative will be going on this weekend… [and] will be part of the regular duties of the officers working our Clarendon detail on Friday and Saturday nights.”

Savage said the campaign includes enforcement, signboards placed around Clarendon and social media outreach. (The department will be live tweeting from Clarendon on Friday night.)

“We encourage people to enjoy the nightlife Arlington has to offer but do so responsibly – and that includes waiting until you reach the legal drinking age of 21,” said Savage.

The full press release issued by ACPD this afternoon is below.

The Arlington County Police Department will conduct a high-visibility underage drinking enforcement and education campaign designed to curb the use of fake IDs by underage individuals. These efforts aim to deter those underage individuals from abusing alcohol and driving while impaired.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, those under the legal drinking age are at a far greater risk of death in an alcohol-related crash than the overall population, despite the fact that they cannot legally purchase or publicly possess alcohol in any state. That’s why the Arlington County Police Department is reminding underage individuals to think before they drink; underage drinking comes with adult consequences.

Throughout the summer, officers will work with our Clarendon business partners to authenticate identification documents and identify fake IDs used by underage individuals to purchase alcohol and gain access to bars. Individuals using another person’s driver’s license, altering their own driver’s license or reproducing a fake ID may be charged with violation of Virginia Code §18.2-204.2 Possession of a false identification, a Class 2 Misdemeanor and punishable up to 6 months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine and/or Virginia Code §18.2-186.3 Identity Theft, a Class 1 Misdemeanor punishable up to 12 months in jail and up to a $2,550 fine.

File photo

Spider Kelly’s in Clarendon to Open Huge New Beer Garden

By ARLnow.com
1/5

It’s being billed as a beer garden — arguably the first or one of the first in Clarendon — and within about a month it will start serving Clarendon bar-goers who want to want to enjoy their brews outside.

Spider Kelly’s (3181 Wilson Blvd) is currently putting the finishing touches on a new, 2,500 square foot outdoor patio. It’s located to the right of the Clarendon watering hole’s back door, behind Don Tito and across N. Hudson Street from Brixx Pizza.

No opening date has been set yet, but co-owner Nick Freshman says he’s hoping planning to open “sometime before Memorial Day weekend.”

“It’s an extension of existing SK with same style and atmosphere,” Freshman tells ARLnow.com. The beer garden will feature:

  • Capacity for 300
  • 20+ foot concrete bar with canvas awning
  • Two fire pits
  • Bar tables, communal picnic style tables, benches and other types of seating
  • A large, commissioned graffiti-style mural
  • Six-foot fence around the patio
  • Lots of beer: 16 taps, 30 cans, ciders, sangrias, etc.
  • Large, telescoping umbrellas for shade
  • Tivoli-style string lighting

Freshman said Spider Kelly’s is also adding new bathrooms inside, doubling the existing restroom capacity.

Four Courts Gearing Up For Four Miler, Anniversary Celebration and St. Paddy’s Day

By ARLnow.com

2014 Four Courts Four Miler road race produced by Pacers Events. Saturday, March 15, 2014. Arlington, VA. Photo by Brian W. Knight/Swim Bike Run PhotographyIt’s going to be a busy six days at Ireland’s Four Courts (2051 Wilson Blvd) in Courthouse.

On Saturday morning, the local watering hole will again sponsor the sixth annual Four Courts Four Miler race. After the 9 a.m. race, the bar will be packed with runners enjoying their complimentary beverage and other post-race libations. There will also be a live band.

Registration is still open and will be available at Four Courts on the day of the race.

On Wednesday, Four Courts will mark its 20th anniversary. To celebrate, the bar will be offering Guinness for the original 1996 price of $4.50 from 4-8 p.m. Live music will follow, with Sanford Markley taking the stage at 6 p.m. and Sheen Righter at 9 p.m. There will also be a giveaway of $1,000 cash and other prizes, “in support of your loyal patronage.”

On Thursday, St. Patrick’s Day, Four Courts will open at 9 a.m. for the usual St. Daddy’s festivities. There will be live music all day and a heated tent in the back to help accommodate the crowds.

Dave Cahill, an Irishman and Four Courts’ long-time general manager, credits the establishment’s longevity, amid all the change in Arlington, to its core mission of being a community-oriented place to eat and hang out.

“I think we’ve never lost sight of the fact that we’re a neighborhood restaurant,” he told ARLnow.com today. “We have a great relationship with the community, we sponsor sports teams and donate to charities. We have a home-like atmosphere.”

The evidence of customer loyalty is literally hanging from the walls: Four Courts has sold 2,750 pewter mugs to its regulars. The mugs are proudly displayed around the bar, available for use when a customer comes in. Want more proof? Some of the staff are the now-grown children of Four Courts’ first customers.

In addition to pouring Guinness and running Four Courts, Cahill has another race day duty. He’s the race’s official running leprechaun, of course.

Ten minutes after the race starts, Cahill will take off down the course, dressed in green and accompanied by a lady leprechaun on a bicycle, announcing his approach. By the end of the four mile race, Cahill, 44, will have passed about two-thirds of the field.

“I usually catch the first people around the mile and a half mark,” he said. “I catch more people on the mile 2-3 turn. Then, coming up the hill [on Wilson Blvd between Rosslyn and Courthouse] people start looking over their shoulder waiting to see the leprechaun coming.”

Those who beat the leprechaun get a prize from Pacers. For every runner Cahill passes, $1 is donated to the Arlington County Police Benevolent Fund.

How does he do it? It’s not by tricks or the luck of the Irish. Cahill happens to be a very accomplished amateur runner. At last year’s Potomac River Run Marathon, he clocked a 3:10 finish time, good enough to qualify for his first Boston Marathon, in April.

The Four Miler will result in some road closures Saturday morning. The traffic alert from the Arlington County Police Department, after the jump.

(more…)

Here’s What’s Open in Arlington Despite Snowy Conditions

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 3:10 p.m.) The conditions outside still are treacherous for travel, so staying indoors for a while is the best idea. But if you’re already suffering from cabin fever and have the ability to easily and safely walk somewhere for a bite or a drink, there are options. Some places are even running winter storm specials.

Here’s the list of Arlington restaurants and bars that told us they’re definitely open, at the very least with limited hours and menu selections:

Is something open in your neighborhood that didn’t make our list? Tweet us or send us an email so we can check out your tip and add the establishment to our list.

Whiskey Is Finding Its Place on the Pike

By Jennifer Currier

Whiskey at Twisted Vines (via Facebook:Twisted Vines)A new beverage trend is making its way into Arlington via Columbia Pike, and residents will soon have the opportunity to figure out what the hype is all about.

In such close quarters, a bar battle may be brewing — or perhaps, distilling — as the up-and-coming beverage in this case is whiskey.

Last week, Twisted Vines at 2803 Columbia Pike introduced 31 bottles of the brown liquor to its menu of wines and craft beer and is calling itself the first whiskey bar in the area.

(Copperwood Tavern, in Shirlington, may disagree.)

A short walk down the road from Twisted Vines is 2501 Columbia Pike, the home of the forthcoming Marble and Rye, a self-proclaimed wood fire kitchen and whiskey bar that’s planning a soft opening by the end of next week. Its current whiskey list includes 160 bottles and has plans to cap its selection at 200.

So, why whiskey, and why in Arlington?

“For us it’s actually a natural brand extension because we want to be a destination for fine wines, and now fine whiskey,” Tony Wagner, owner of Twisted Vines said. “People were asking for it. It’s a lot like with craft beer and wine in the sense that consumers are more knowledgable and interested in learning more about it.”

Wagner said when the restaurant first introduced its “extensive whiskey program” they started with the 31 bottles but hope to add 15 or 20 by the end of the year.

“We’re really proud of it,” he said of his whiskey plans. “Customers are becoming more sophisticated in their taste, so they want to go to a place where they can expand on that taste.”

Marble and Rye also hopes to teach locals the ways of whiskey, with a designated tasting room and cocktails that are “appealing to new whiskey drinkers and the whiskey fanatics.”

Whiskey at Marble and Rye (via Facebook:Marble and Rye)Restaurant spokeswoman Sarah Lakey described the restaurant’s menu as contemporary and locally-inspired while taking a sophisticated twist by pairing whiskeys with menu items. This is in the hopes that more customers will be encouraged to give the dark liquor a try.

“Whiskey is being enjoyed more and more as people realize there’s something for everyone,” she said.

The challenge of having a new whiskey bar as a next door neighbor, however, is welcomed.

“We are pleased that other restaurants on the Pike are expanding their whiskey offerings,” Lakey added. “Our hope is that the Columbia Pike corridor will become a destination for strong whiskey programs.”

The question of exactly how much room is on the Pike for whiskey bars, then, remains unclear. It seems that’ll be left for the drinkers to decide.

County Board to Hear Carpool Development Proposal

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The Arlington County Board is scheduled this month to hear a proposal to replace Ballston watering hole Carpool with a 22-story luxury apartment building.

Developer Penzance and a real estate investment firm acquired the Carpool property and an adjacent office building just under a year ago. In a site plan amendment, Penzance is proposing to build a 330,000 square foot, 330-unit residential building on the Carpool site at 4000 Fairfax Drive.

The 1960s-era, 10-story Webb Building next to Carpool, which was recently renovated and is being used on an interim basis by Marymount University during construction on its “Blue Goose” site, will remain “for the near future.”

The new residential building will have a 264-space parking garage, but 66 spaces will be made available to residents in the Webb Building’s garage, which has 286 spaces. The residential building will also have 8,400 square feet of ground floor retail space, and will be built to LEED Gold sustainability standards.

The Arlington Planning Commission heard testimony from the developer last night (Monday). The County Board is expected to decide on final approval at its Nov. 14 or 17 meeting. A draft document indicates that county staff is recommending the site plan amendment be approved.

There’s no word yet on when Carpool will close nor when construction will start on the new building.

Update at 11/17/15: Consideration of this development was deferred to the County Board’s December meeting.

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