beer

Mad Rose Tavern Previews Beer List

By ARLnow.com

Clarendon’s Mad Rose Tavern is “getting close to opening day,” according to a new update on the bar’s Facebook page.

Once it opens, managers say the bar will feature a “legendary liquor selection,” including an emphasis on Scotch and Irish whiskeys.

General Manager Seamus Phillips told TBD that the extensive renovation of the bar’s space on the ground floor of 3100 Clarendon Boulevard has cost more than a million dollars. Pending county inspections, the tavern should open in early February, Phillips said.

As part of last night’s Facebook update, Mad Rose gave beer geeks something to look forward to with a sneak peak of its work-in-progress beer list. Selections included:

  • Full Sail Bump In The Night
  • Lagunitas Brown Shugga
  • Left Hand 400 Lb Monkey
  • Rogue Chocolate Stout
  • Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout
  • Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold Lager
  • Gulden Drak
  • Lagunitas sumpin sumpin
  • Tuppers Kellar Pils

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Westover Beer Garden Saga Continues — Several months into the battle between the county zoning office and the Westover Market beer garden, a final resolution still has not been reached. Tens of thousands of dollars have been allocated to building new code-compliant restrooms, but more must now be spent constructing a restaurant separate from the grocery section. County regulators “are doing their best to make me a Republican,” market manager Devin Hicks told the Falls Church News-Press.

Fun and Games at the Library — The Westover Library will host a game-playing get-together for all ages this afternoon. From 2:30 to 5:00 p.m., players will face off in board games, card games and Nintendo Wii. More from the Arlington Public Library blog.

Brgr:Shack Wants to Open This Month — A new “better burger” joint is hoping to open soon in Ballston. The efficiently-named Brgr:Shack, located across from the Ballston Metro, was originally slated to open in the fall. They’re now eying a January opening, according to TBD.

Flickr pool photo by Team Rank

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

District Taco Announces Taco Eating Contest — This sounds like a recipe for some fun, or vomit, or both. District Taco (5723 Lee Highway) will be holding a taco eating contest at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 10. Ten contestants will compete to see who can eat the most tacos (without throwing up — seriously, it’s a rule) in 15 minutes. If you think you’ve got what it takes, fill out an entry form and submit it by Thursday. See more information on the District Taco web site.

Blame Technology for Rising Rents — Has your rent gone up recently? If so, a software program may be to blame. A number of large landlords are now using “sophisticated computerized models” to figure out how to price rentals. Arlington-based AvalonBay Communities, which owns rental communities in Ballston and near Shirlington, recently started widespread use of a software package called “Rainmaker” to squeeze every last dollar out of its properties. More from the Wall Street Journal.

Rustico Does Brunch — Rustico’s new Ballston location has launched a Sunday brunch service. Go for the ricotta doughnuts, stay for the oatmeal and coffee-infused beer. More from We Love DC.

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA

Buffalo Wild Wings Opens Today

By ARLnow.com

The Buffalo Wild Wings in Crystal City is officially opening to the public today.

The beer-wings-and-sports joint, with its large expanse of flat screen TVs, is sure to attract a nights and weekends crowd. Today we’ll get our first taste of what the buttoned-up Crystal City workday set thinks of it as a lunch destination. The restaurant will open at 10:00 a.m.

While today is the official opening, some lucky customers were able to sneak in for a free meal this week. The restaurant quietly opened its doors for two hours at a time for employee training. Anyone who happened to wander by got their food for free.

Buffalo Wild Wings Opening Pushed Back

By ARLnow.com

The new Buffalo Wild Wings in Crystal City (at 23rd Street and Crystal Drive) held an employee orientation session for a couple dozen new hires last night.

During the orientation, the glow from the galaxy of overhead flat screen TVs illuminated a relatively wide open, comfortable-looking space. The decor looked a bit more sleek than your standard, suburban Buffalo Wild Wings location. The huge floor-to-ceiling windows facing the street also helped to add a more urban feel.

An employee coming out of the orientation revealed that the restaurant’s opening date has been pushed back. Instead of opening on Monday, as originally planned, the restaurant is now expected to open to the public on Thursday, Dec. 16, he said.

Seafood Restaurant Coming to Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

A seafood restaurant called The Lobster Pot is apparently coming to the ground floor of the Bennett Park apartment complex at 1650 Wilson Boulevard.

The restaurant applied for a license to serve wine and beer this morning. In the Virginia ABC application, the restaurant is described as having a seating capacity of between 101 and 150 seats.

There are a number of Lobster Pot restaurants along the east coast, but none seem to be part of a chain. No word yet on who’s behind this particular restaurant.

Buffalo Wild Wings Sets December Opening Date

By ARLnow.com

It now appears that Buffalo Wild Wings will be opening its Crystal City location in December, after all.

An insider tells us that the wings, beer and sports joint is planning to open on Monday, Dec. 13 (Update: Thursday, Dec. 16). Last month we told you that the restaurant’s opening would either be in December or February, depending on the pace of progress.

The restaurant is located in a large, glass-paneled retail space at the corner of Crystal Drive and 23rd Street, across from Jaleo. Crews were hard at work preparing the interior when we peeked inside yesterday afternoon.

This will be the sixth Buffalo Wild Wings location in the area. It will be one of two that are near a Metro station (in addition to the Rockville location) and the closest to D.C. proper.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Public Forum on Proposed Pike Streetcar — A public meeting will be held tonight to discussed the proposed Columbia Pike/Crystal City streetcar. The meeting will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Walter Reed Community Center (2909 16th Street South). We’ve heard from a few streetcar critics who plan on attending the meeting. They might be surprised to learn that their sentiments aren’t shared by Gov. Bob McDonnell, who told WTOP that Arlington is doing “a good job” with the streetcar project.

Capitol City Brewing Co. Expanding in Shirlington — After losing the lease on its Capitol Hill location, Capitol City Brewing is planning on moving its brewing operations to Shirlington. The company is taking over an adjacent property to enable the expansion, which will make it one of the 10 largest brewpubs in the County. More from Shirlington Village Blog.

Comic Art Show Debuts Tomorrow — Are comic books art? That question will be answered tomorrow, when the Arlington Arts Center debuts its latest show. Party Crashers will feature “fine artists who mimic the appearance of comic art.” More from Clarendon Nights.

George Mason Drive Reopens — George Mason Drive has reopened near Virginia Hospital Center. It was closed for most of the day yesterday, following a powerful storm that knocked over trees and snapped power lines.

Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99

UPDATED: Bayou Bakery Hopes to Open Thursday

By ARLnow.com

Update at 6:40 p.m. — Bayou Bakery is experiencing a delay in getting its Certificate of Occupancy, according to spokesperson Simone Rathle. That may force the hoped-for Thursday opening to be pushed back.

If the food and coffee at David Guas’ new Bayou Bakery taste half as good as the place looks, the bakery may very well be on track to being Courthouse’s favorite hang out.

The elaborately-decorated, Louisiana-themed cafe is expected to open at some point on Thursday, according to Guas. An exact opening time hasn’t been chosen, but the doors could be unlocked as early as 7:00 a.m.

Guas isn’t thrilled with comparisons to Northside Social — the Clarendon cafe was originally supposed to be Bayou Bakery before a disagreement between Guas and his business partners prompted them to open as Northside instead — but Bayou Bakery has the same general business plan: coffee, beer, wine and food in a comfortable, social environment.

What sets Bayou Bakery apart is the focus on the Louisiana theme. Guas, who was born and raised in New Orleans, has filled the space with music, art and knick-knacks that give Bayou Bakery an unmistakable and authentic sense of place. And if the aesthetics don’t let you escape the neighborhood’s urban, workaday surroundings for just a moment, the menu is sure to do the job.

Beignets, gumbo, Andouille sausage, chilled Gulf shrimp, spiced pecans — and even a salty caramel popcorn mixed with pieces of bacon — all promise to satisfy discerning Cajun palates. Localists will be heartened to know that despite the cafe’s Louisiana theme, many of the ingredients will be locally-sourced.

The food menu is more extensive than Northside, but the coffee program is much the same. Guas said it was his intention to serve Counter Culture coffee from the beginning, and he’s not letting Northside’s devotion to Counter Culture change his admiration for the company and its product. One unique twist will be Bayou Bakery’s French-pressed chicory coffee, which is blended in-house using a custom Counter Culture roast and imported chicory.

Bayou Bakery will initially feature one draft beer — Abita Amber, naturally — and six bottled beers, including four other varieties of Abita. There will be eight wines by the glass, including an ice wine.

Guas, a big fan of root beer, will start with three different varieties. He plans to eventually serve eight to ten types of root beer. Luzianne sweet tea, homemade lemonade, Trickling Springs milk, Boyland’s Vintage Soda, and Virginia-bottled Aquava mineral water are also on the drink menu.

Bayou Bakery is expected to get its certificate of occupancy today, the last regulatory step before opening. Guas says the cafe, which includes a comfy lounge with a flat-screen TV, should seat about 60. This spring, the bakery plans to open a sidewalk cafe with seating for another 30.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Glebe Road Sewer Project Keeping Residents Up At Night — The county has started a new sewer project on South Glebe Road between 5th Street and 1st Road. The project will increase the capacity and reliability of the sewer system in the area. But the work of tearing up the road is being done at night, which has some residents complaining about the noise. More from the Washington Post.

Marine Corps Marathon Goes Off Without a Hitch — With stepped-up security in place, some 30,000 runners safely participated in the 35th Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday. Air Force 2nd Lt. Jacob Bradosky won the 26.2 mile race, which winds through Rosslyn, Crystal City and the District, with a time of 2:23:30. Kenyan Janet Cherobon won the women’s field with a time of 2:42:38. More from the Washington Post.

IOTA Club Expands Beer List, Plans Renovations — Clarendon’s IOTA Club has expanded its draft beer list to 12 beers. The music venue’s current selection includes craft beers like Moonglow Weizenbock, Bear Republic Racer 5, Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere. The decision to upgrade the beer taps “is part of a larger improvement project at IOTA which includes an interior renovation/reconfiguration, a new outdoor front seating area, a new menu, coffee service, and many other things.” More from DC Beer.

Voter Turnout Could be Record — According to a projection by county treasurer Frank O’Leary, this year could be a record in turns of the number of voters voting in an off-year when the House of Representatives race is the marque race. But the percentage of active voter turnout will not be a record, O’Leary predicts. The dry weather predicted for tomorrow should help turnout. More from the Sun Gazette.

Flickr pool photo by philliefan99

Music Could Return to Westover Beer Garden by Spring

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:20 p.m.) In August, the county zoning enforcement office told the owners of the Westover Market that concerts and crowds were not allowed at the store’s popular outdoor beer garden. Since then the store has hired a land use attorney, drummed up impressive public support and taken steps to meet the county’s requirements.

Soon, the store will submit plans to the county for building new handicap-accessible bathrooms. Completing code-compliant bathrooms would be the first step toward getting approval to operate the beer garden as an entertainment venue.

Hicks says that the store’s relationship with county regulators has changed significantly since collecting nearly 2,000 signatures from supportive residents and getting nominated for two ABBIE awards.

“The county is now working with us to jump all these hurdles,” Hicks said. “And it’s all because of the support.”

Once the bathroom plans are approved and the facilities are built — at the cost of $25,000 to $35,000 — the market should have all the elements in place to be recognized by the county as a restaurant, Hicks said. Once it receives the restaurant designation, it will be eligible to apply for a live entertainment permit.

In addition to allowing musicians to perform in the beer garden, regulatory approval could increase the allowed beer garden occupancy from the current 9 to nearly 100, Hicks said.

Hicks expects to have the bathrooms built by January, and hopes to get the live entertainment permit soon thereafter.

In an earlier version of this story, Hicks said that plans for the new restrooms had been submitted to the county. However, county official Hunter Moore later told us that the market’s plan for new restrooms have, in fact, not been submitted yet.

Moore also says that more steps may be necessary in order for the market to be considered a restaurant, and thus eligible to apply for a live entertainment permit.

“The County staff remain committed to working with the Westover Market to achieve as much of the owner’s goals as possible,” Moore added. “We realize the community wants it and we want to be supportive of local business, but at the same time they have to play by the same set of rules that everybody else plays by.”

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