Clarendon Grill (1101 North Highland Street), which recently reopened after extensive renovations, will be hosting a “grand reopening party” Saturday night.
The event will feature local 80’s rock tribute band Toxic Mouse. No word on a set time, but the band will likely take the stage at some point between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m.
HiBall Events is handling promotion for the bash.
Arlington’s hometown professional sports team is kicking off a new season tonight.
The Washington Capitals will take on the Thrashers in Atlanta starting at 7:30 p.m.
A number of local bars are showing the game, but The Front Page in Ballston (4201 Wilson Blvd) is going all out. They’re hosting a Rock the Red Season Opening Party starting at 5:00. The event will feature a raffle for a pair of tickets to Saturday’s home opener at the Verizon Center.
As always, hard core fans can catch Caps practices at Kettler Capitals Iceplex — “presumably the only NHL practice rink built on top of a parking structure” — during the season. See a list of practice times on the Capitals web site.
After some delays, Shirlington’s new Irish pub is expected to open by the end of November.
Signs and renderings posted in the window give an idea of what the place will look like when it opens.
“The entire interior for Beckett’s is coming from Ireland,” a letter to customers reads. “We [will] have a total of three bars, two fire places and a mezzanine level.”
As soon as next weekend, Clarendon Grill will reopen after nearly two months of renovations. Walking through the doors, the long-time C-Grill fans will see a space both familiar and completely different at the same time.
Nearly every surface in the bar has been changed, says owner Peter Pflug. From the long cast-in-place concrete bar to the large-tiled bathrooms to the new dance floor, what was once old and beat up and is now clean and new. That old Clarendon Grill musk, from 14 straight years of eating, drinking, smoking and dancing since the last renovation, has been replaced with the smell of fresh lacquer.
“We’re excited that people, given the state of the place before, will say ‘wow’ when they see us again,” Pflug said.
The biggest change is probably the bar. It’s now longer and more open, which should make it much easier to get a drink on crowded weekend nights. The bar also features “bump-outs” — areas that you can call ahead and reserve that are shaped in a way that make it easier to have a conversation with a group of friends.
The new Clarendon Grill has the same number of beer taps as before, but the taps themselves are new. There will be a new, simplified “gastropub-y” menu. The theme will change marginally from “construction” to “industrial,” with illumination provided by painted steel streetlights procured from a nearby used car lot. Clarendon Grill will remain “sporty” — with sports showed constantly on the new flat screen TVs — but it will not be a sports bar.
The back patio, which was redone six months ago, has not been changed. The focus on live music is unchanged, but bands may now start playing a bit later to encourage dinner business.
Lessons we learned while gathering information about local bars and their World Cup specials:
Soccer is a game meant to be watched with a large group of loud and inebriated fans, so go ahead, summon your old middle school soccer ambitions and yell out those rare soccer-related phrases you remember from the matches (“CORNER KICK!” and “STRIKER!”).
ARLnow’s list of places to watch the World Cup in Arlington is after the jump. The tournament, by the way, kicks off (get it?) at 10:00 a.m. Friday with host country South Africa versus Mexico.
Photo via Facebook: Piola Restaurant all decked out for the World Cup.
Another weekend, another long list of things to do in Arlington.
“The Shat Ball” with The Raspberry Brothers — NYC comedy duo The Raspberry Brothers is back at Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) to rip on another classic cheeseball movie. This time, they aim their barbs at William Shatner’s performance in Star Trek V. From 9:30 to midnight.
Edward Scissorhands Under the Stars — Speaking of cheeseball movies, the latest installment of Rosslyn’s I Love the ’90s outdoor film festival brings us Johnny Depp’s 1990 classic Edward Scissorhands. The flick starts around 7:30 at Gateway Park (1300 Lee Highway).
Fifth Annual Arlington Youth Film Festival Premiere — Arlington Independent Media will screen the finalists for the 2010 Arlington Youth Film Festival. The festival was created to showcase the talents of our local middle and high school students. Doors open at 3:00 p.m. at The Comedy Spot in Ballston Common Mall (4238 Wilson Boulevard).
Classic Rock Concert At Potomac Overlook Regional Park — Local classic rock band Second Wind will headline the first outdoor concert of the season at Potomac Overlook Park amphitheater (2845 N. Marcey Road). The family and picnic-friendly concert will start around 7:00 p.m.
Bike DC Community Bike Ride — See more info from our earlier post.
Virginia’s Fastest Bartender Contest Finals — Crystal City Sports Pub (529 23rd Street South) will host the final round of the Virginia’s Fastest Bartender Contest, starting at 8:30 p.m. The proceeds will go to the Tender Hearts Foundation, which helps children with congenital heart defects.
There’s a lot more on the agenda for Sunday — browse our events calendar for a full list.
Cinco de Mayo celebrates an 1862 battle in which Mexican troops beat back French forces who invaded to force the country to repay a debt.
In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is primarily a regional holiday with “limited significance nationwide.” Across the United States, however, the fifth of May is recognized as a time to celebrate Mexican heritage by some, and as a good excuse to drink lots of Coronas and margaritas by others.
Here are a few of the planned events and specials happening around Arlington on Wednesday. Let us know if we forgot anything.
Mexicali Blues (2933 Wilson Boulevard)
Cantina Mexicana (515 23rd Street South)
Guapo’s Shirlington (4036 Campbell Avenue)
Chevy’s Fresh Mex (1201 South Hayes Street and 4238 Wilson Boulevard)
Hope that P. Brennan’s would open in time for a big St. Patrick’s Day celebration has been squashed. The owners of the new Irish pub on Columbia Pike were trying to wrap up construction and get the proper permits in time for the holiday, but we’re now told that it will instead remain closed.
In its place, however, P. Brennan’s sister pub, McGinty’s, will be hosting a St. Patrick’s Day “extravaganza” featuring a live radio broadcast, a band flown in from Ireland, dancers, specials and giveaways. McGinty’s, located in the Market Square at Potomac Yard development near Crystal City, says it hopes to be “the greenest spot in the county.”
More details on the festivities at McGinty’s and 15 other bars can be found in our St. Patrick’s Day Guide.
St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Wednesday this year. While the midweek date may put a damper on the daytime festivities (or may put a dent in workplace productivity, depending on your level of commitment), it also gives bar owners a chance to ramp up the revelry the weekend before.
After the jump, we’ve compiled a list of the best (mostly over-21) St. Patrick’s Day fun Arlington has to offer, from Thursday the week before to the wee hours of March 17. Enjoy — and please leave the car at home if you choose to imbibe.
Getting cabin fever? Want to get out of the house/apartment and go eat and/or drink your snow sorrows away? Here’s a list of some places that are open in the Clarendon area tonight.
Note: we didn’t include several businesses that said they were currently open but closing early. Unfortunately (if you had hot chocolate in mind) that includes the Clarendon Starbucks, which is closing at 5:00 PM.
