Cafe Wilson (3033 Wilson Blvd) closed up shop on Friday.
The cafe and deli was noted for its vegan sandwich options and its close proximity to the Clarendon Metro station.
The cafe’s owner told ARLnow.com that she was not given the option of renewing her lease, though she would have liked to. The owner, who declined to give her name, said she hopes to reopen at some point in a different location on Wilson Boulevard.
Clarendon seems to be a hotbed of fall-themed events over the next week.
Tomorrow (Oct. 22), from noon to 2:00 p.m., the Whole Food Market in Clarendon (2700 Wilson Blvd) will be hosting AppleFest — a “harvest tasting event” devoted entirely to apples.
“From juicy and aromatic apples to those that are fine textured, families and apple-enthusiasts can welcome the new fall season while sampling a variety of tasty apples and enjoying its culinary and crafty delight,” Whole Foods said in a press release. Planned activities include cooking demonstrations, crafts, tastings and an apple scavenger hunt.
Next Saturday (Oct. 29), the Market Common shopping center in Clarendon (2700 Clarendon Blvd) — across from Whole Foods — will be hosting its annual FALLoween event.
The free, family-friendly event will feature a petting zoo, a kids circus, face painting, sidewalk chalking, a comedy show, a DJ and other live entertainment. Plus, there will be trick-or-treating for the kids at a number of stores and each attendee will have the opportunity to take home a free pumpkin.
FALLoween is being held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Costumed people and pets are also invited to join a FALLoween parade, which kicks off at 11:30 a.m.
Also on Saturday, Oct. 29, Doorways for Women and Families will be organizing a Howl-O-Ween Dog Walk for the Homeless.
From 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., dog owners are encouraged to dress up their pooches and bring them to the James Hunter dog park for a mini-walk to support Doorways. The park is located at the corner of N. Herndon and 13th Streets in Clarendon.
“All human participants will help Doorways to reach our walker goal for the Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Walkathon, while our animal participants will get the chance to compete for prizes from local pet store merchants, including Wylie Wagg and Kissable Canine,” Doorways said on its website.
Registration for the walk is $30 for adults and $20 for youth 25 and under. Pets are free.
Earlier this year, all signs pointed to The Papery (2871 Clarendon Blvd) going out of business. The high-end Clarendon stationery store was perpetually low on stock, the entire inventory was 50 percent off, the landlord had the Papery’s space listed for lease and the store’s website was no longer functional.
Well, what a difference a couple of months make. The store was recently restocked and, as of this morning, its website is back up.
“We’re a family-owned business and for awhile we had a very, very rough period,” admitted Shana, a store manager. But the family has now recommitted to the store — the last of what were once five D.C.-area Papery stores.
“They all pulled together their resources and they’re going to make this store work,” Shana said. “We’ve been part of this community for a long time, and we intend to stay here.”
The Papery’s offerings include custom stationery, custom wedding invitations, business cards, baby announcements, greeting cards, paper goods and gifts.
Trader Joe’s has been interviewing potential employees all week to help fill positions at its new Clarendon store.
A “now hiring” sign outside the store advises interested job seekers to apply at the Arlington Employment Center, at 2100 Washington Boulevard. The employment center’s blog indicates that hourly wages start at $10 per hour.
Interior construction on the store, located at 1109 N. Highland Street, seems to be progressing swiftly. The company’s signature blue walls and wood-accented aisles are visible through the large front windows.
Last we checked, Trader Joe’s is planning to open the store at some point next month.
It’s not every day that someone wearing Mickey Mouse clothing is a) out past midnight in Clarendon, b) in her 20s, and c) punching someone in the face. So the following item from this week’s Arlington County crime report is a bit unique.
ASSAULT AND BATTERY, 10/15/11, 1100 block of N. Highland Street. On October 15 at 12:10 am, a woman punched another woman in the face. The suspect is and Asian female in her late 20’s, 5’4″ and 130 lbs. She was wearing red and white scrubs with a “Mickey Mouse” design.
The rest of the crime report, after the jump.
Rabbit Salad and Grill (3035 Clarendon Blvd) will be bringing a couple of new options to Clarendon’s late night food scene this week.
The restaurant, a newcomer to the area, will be launching a late night outdoor grill dubbed the “Rabbit Hole.” From the restaurant’s patio, employees will be serving three “grilled to order” sandwiches: The Cuban (braised pork shoulder, deli ham, dill pickles, mozzarella and Dijon aioli), Classic Grilled Cheese (American and sharp cheddar cheese), and Nutella and Banana (sweet hazelnut spread and a hint of cocoa and slice bananas).
“All three standout sandwiches are served on fresh artisanal breads from a local bakery and offered at a discounted price: $8 for the Cuban and $6 for both the Nutella & Banana and Grilled Cheese sandwiches,” the restaurant said in a press release. “With recipes inspired by Consulting Chef Katsuya Fukushima, an Iron Chef winner, as well as one of celebrity Chef José Andrés most trusted collaborators, “Rabbit Hole” is sure to satisfy any late-night hunger pangs.”
The Rabbit Hole will be open from 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings, starting this coming Friday.
Among the Rabbit Hole’s late night food competitors will be Goody’s (pizza), Mario’s (pizza and subs), BGR: The Burger Joint (burgers and shakes), East West Grill (kabobs), Hard Times Cafe (chili, wings, burgers, etc.) and Silver Diner. Each of those Clarendon-area restaurants has a closing time between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m.
Cool, sunny weather is expected Sunday morning for the Acumen Solutions Race for a Cause 8K.
The race will shut down a number of major Arlington streets — from Ballston to Clarendon to Columbia Pike — for much of the morning. Among the expected closures:
The Race for a Cause 8K, which also features a 1-mile Family Fun Run, benefits a number of local charities. Runners get to choose which charity they want to support with their registration: Greenbrier Learning Center (the only Arlington-based nonprofit benefiting from the race), the Boys and Girls Club, Build Metro DC, Education Pioneers, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, For Love of Children, Literary Council of Northern Virginia, Medical Care for Children Partnership Foundation, National Fatherhood Initiative or The Women’s Center.
Registration for the race is $30 online, $35 on race day.
The race will kick off at 8:00 a.m. Runners and walkers alike are encouraged to participate. The flat, out-and-back course starts and ends on N. Quincy Street in Ballston.
Photo via Facebook
Green Pig Bistro, at 1025 N. Fillmore Street in Clarendon, will be asking the Arlington County Board this weekend for the same sidewalk cafe seating that its predecessor, American Flatbread, fought so hard for before it closed last winter.
County staff is recommending that the Board approve the small outdoor seating area for another year. Meanwhile, Green Pig Bistro is still waiting to start its build-out. The restaurant only recently applied for building permit.
The space, which used to the cozy digs of American Flatbread, has since been largely stripped and emptied out. The rear patio area that Flatbread had hoped to use for outdoor dining — only to have their request denied — is now home to a construction dumpster.
In July, Green Pig Bistro owner M. Scot Harlan told ARLnow.com that the restaurant would feature “sustainable American comfort food with high-quality ingredients and reasonable prices.” At the time, Harland said he was hoping to open in either November or January.
The third annual Week ‘O’ Bacon at Restaurant Three (2950 Clarendon Blvd) is set to get started tomorrow.
From Thursday to Saturday, Oct. 22, the Clarendon restaurant will be devoting an entire menu to its in-house cured and smoked bacon. Among the items on the menu:
The bacon festivities will kick off tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. with a pig roast and $5 pork sandwiches. Each night of bacon week will feature a bacon happy hour from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., complete with bacon specials. Sunday’s brunch will feature a Bacon Benedict and the “Graceland Waffle” — a bacon waffle topped with caramelized bananas and a caramel/peanut sauce.
“We love bacon here at 3, and decided 3 years ago that we wanted to make a week-long celebration of bacon and dedicate an entire menu to it,” the restaurant said on its web site. “We have been curing and smoking fresh pork bellies since we opened and are really proud of the bacon we make. We worked hard on this year’s menu to make sure that every item was full of bacon flavor. We hope that you enjoy it and have as much fun as we have had creating it.”
Three’s Week ‘O’ Bacon is popular among locals, but it has even gained nationwide notoriety thanks to a Travel Channel segment filmed at the restaurant last year.
(Updated at 6:30 p.m.) A person has been hit by a train at the Clarendon Metro Station.
Emergency vehicles have surrounded the station, shutting down N. Highland Street and partially blocking Clarendon and Wilson Boulevards. Public access to the station has been cut off.
Technical rescue crews from the fire department and from Metro managed to free the victim, who was reported to be trapped under the train. The victim has been rushed to a local hospital via ambulance.
Riders on the striking train were not able to exit the train until 6:15 p.m., almost 75 minutes after the victim was struck. A woman who had a minor medical emergency while on the striking train was earlier taken to an ambulance via stretcher. The remaining passengers are now walking out of the station. Many are heading on foot to their destinations further up the Orange Line.
Firefighters were preparing to distribute water to those passengers at the end of the platform, according to riders. While the air in the trains was described as hot and stale, riders we spoke to said no one panicked.
“It was very cordial,” one man said.
Metro riders have reported significant delays throughout the Orange Line. Shuttle service has been requested between Rosslyn and Ballston, according to Metro. Very crowded conditions have been reported at the Rosslyn Metro station. Arlington County police have responded to the station to assist passengers, according to department spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal.
Arlington County says the Clarendon station may remain closed for “several hours.”
Update at 7:20 p.m. — Orange Line trains are now running on both tracks through the Clarendon Metro station, according to WMATA.
Update at 7:35 p.m. — Roads near the station have reopened.
Update at 8:25 p.m. — The following photos were taken shortly after emergency responders arrived at the station.
Clarendon residents have taken note of two big, recent changes along Washington Boulevard.
About a week ago, a set of new traffic signals at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and N. Garfield Street were switched on. The traffic lights are helping to bring some order to what was previously a somewhat tricky intersection for Garfield Street traffic.
One block away, meanwhile, the Garfield Park at Clarendon Village luxury apartment complex has rapidly taken shape. A wooden outline of the 5-6 story, 149-unit building has sprung up where, just two months ago, there was nothing but a one-story foundation.
