Clarendon

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

McDonnell Gets Seat on Metro Board — Gov. Bob McDonnell “scored a major unexpected victory” last night when the state legislature approved a bill that will allow the governor to appoint a representative to the Metro board. The seat will come at the expense of one seat allocated to Northern Virginia jurisdictions. County Board member and Northern Virginia Transportation Commission chairman Jay Fisette blasted the legislature’s decision, saying McDonnell had “circumvented the process.” [Washington Post]

Slug Passenger Says McKinney Was “Angry and Belligerent” — Former Sgt. Maj. of the Army Gene McKinney was in Arlington County District Court Tuesday, accused of intentionally hitting a slug commuter with his Mercedes back in October. The commuter testified that he asked to be let out of the vehicle after McKinney started driving 95 miles per hour on the highway. After being let off in Pentagon City, the commuter said McKinney hit him with his car. [WTOP]

Dems Announce at ACDC Meeting — Three Democrats announced their candidacy for state and local offices at last night’s Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting. Among those announcing were Walter Tejada, Barbara Favola and Rob Krupicka. [Blue Virginia]

Clarendon Car Dealer On CBS Undercover Report — A Clarendon used car dealership showed up on a CBS Early Show report about recalled cars. According to the report, the dealer did not tell the undercover reporter about a recall for a vehicle they picked out, even when the reporter specifically asked about recalls. [CBS News]

Flickr pool photo by Madame Meow

For Lease: Former Quiznos Storefront in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

It’s not the highest foot traffic area, but this retail storefront in the Reserve at Clarendon Center building (3000 North Washington Boulevard) is now for lease.

The space used to house a Quiznos restaurant, which in September was replaced by a homegrown sandwich shop called Ganges Grill and Ice Cream. Ganges, which was plagued with problems from the start, did not last very long, and now the storefront is up for lease.

We hear that the rent is about $4,000 per month.

Poll: What Would You Like to See Return to Clarendon-Courthouse?

By ARLnow.com

Clarendon and Courthouse have changed — a lot — over the past couple of decades.

The arrival of Metro in the late 1970s and early 1980s heralded the demise of many small mom-and-pop retailers and ethnic restaurants that once gave the area its unique character. It also helped speed along the end of large department and five & dime stores.

Among the categories and names of businesses that have disappeared from the Clarendon-Courthouse area are:

Which of those businesses would you most like to see come back to the area?


It’s worth noting that while there are still a few ethnic restaurants in the Clarendon area — Nam Viet and Taste of Morocco come to mind — there were once many more. Ethnic restaurants might not be gone, but certain specialty cuisines, like Cuban, are.

List of Clarendon Streets Zoned Until the Wee Hours

By ARLnow.com

Our blurb about extended zone parking hours in the Clarendon area has provoked quite a response. In fact, as of this writing it has received 337 comments and counting, an ARLnow.com record.

For those who asked, we now have a list of the Clarendon-area streets that impose zone parking until the early morning hours. Only residents —  or anyone they give a temporary pass to — are permitted to park on the side of the street from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. on these blocks.

  • N. Fillmore St between Franklin Rd and Key Blvd.
  • Franklin Rd. between Edgewood and Filmore Streets
  • N. Garfield St. between Wilson Blvd and Franklin Rd.
  • N. Highland St. between Hancock St and Key Blvd.
  • N. Irving St. between 13th St and Jackson St.
  • N. Herndon St. between 13th St N and Key Blvd.
  • N. Jackson St. between Washington Blvd and 13th St N

In order to obtain the extended hours, residents of each block had to go through the county’s residential permit parking process. First, at least 60 percent of residents signed a petition requesting zone parking hours be extended. Then, county staff studied whether cars from outside the neighborhood were parking on the block, in order to confirm eligibility for the extended hours.

“County staff then surveyed the block to determine if there was parking overspill from outside the neighborhood,” said county spokeswoman Shannon Whalen McDaniel. “In order to meet the overspill standard, 75 percent of the block’s spaces must be filled with cars and 25 percent of the cars must be from outside the neighborhood.”

Popular Chef Leaves Clarendon Whole Foods

By ARLnow.com

Tuesday night cooking classes are on hold at the Clarendon Whole Foods (2700 Wilson Blvd) while the store looks for a new chef.

Chef Michael Kiss, who has been profiled in local blogs and on local TV, left the store for a position at a Whole Foods in Rockville, Md.

The Clarendon store is now searching for Kiss’ replacement.

Photo courtesy Stacey Viera

Zone Parking Becomes More Restrictive Near Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 9:50 a.m.) Some parking restrictions near Clarendon have gotten more restrictive.

The zone parking restriction on this residential stretch of North Highland Street, two blocks from Wilson Boulevard, used to end at 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. Now it ends at 1:00 a.m. seven days a week.

County spokeswoman Shannon Whalen McDaniel says the new signs went up on Monday, March 18.

The Last Days of Jay’s?

By ARLnow.com

Jay’s Saloon and Grille, at 3114 N. 10th St. in Clarendon, opened in 1993 and bills itself as “one of the last true ‘Dive Bars’ in Arlington.” Unfortunately, like many Arlington dive bars before it, Jay’s will eventually become another victim of redevelopment.

Kathi Moore, who co-owns the bar with her ex-husband, Jay Moore, says their lease is up at then end of the year and she does not expect the landlord to renew it. The landlord, an ownership group led by Clarendon-based Buck and Associates, is under contract with a developer that plans to redevelop the land occupied by Jay’s and two small, adjacent commercial buildings.

That is not to say that Jay’s will close at the end of the year — they may be kept on a month-to-month lease until the developer is ready to proceed with its project. But one thing is for sure: Jay’s days are numbered.

Buck and Associates owner William Buck says he’s not sure of the developer’s exact plans, but offered that it’s a “safe bet” that the redevelopment would start “within five years.” He declined to discuss lease agreements.

The prospect of Jay’s closing, Moore lamented, is like losing a family.

“It’s a neighborhood bar,” she said last night, perched at a bar stool with a newspaper in front of her. “We’ve had weddings and funerals in here… I literally know everybody’s name.”

Moore, who worked for the government before devoting herself to Jay’s, says she works at the bar seven days a week and can’t remember the last time she took a vacation. Her work ethic is old-school, just like the bar itself. Jay’s sells $8 pitchers of beer during happy hour, lets dogs hang out with their owners on the patio, and has a senior citizen who DJs on Friday nights using only cassette tapes.

Moore compared the bar to “Cheers,” adding that customers who moved to the area from other parts of the country often tell her that Jay’s reminds them of bars from home. She says Jay’s caters to a mature, 35-to-65 year old clientele not well-served by other Clarendon bars, which tend to attract a preponderance of 20-somethings.

Asked about her plans should Jay’s be forced to close, Moore said she’s not sure what she would do, but admitted that she isn’t actively looking for a place to relocate the bar, at least at this point. Pressed on what the future holds for Jay’s, she was reluctant to elaborate.

“It’s personal,” she said.

Management Change at Mad Rose Tavern

By ARLnow.com

It’s been a rocky start for Mad Rose Tavern (3100 Clarendon Boulevard).

The Clarendon restaurant opened last month to mixed reviews and underwhelming crowds. Now, we hear, a management change has already taken place.

General Manager Seamus Phillips, who has been credited with the restaurant’s name and initial concept, is out. On his Facebook page on Tuesday, Phillips told friends that he was fired.

“Make your own conclusions,” he wrote. “And please don’t tell me you told me so.”

Among those who responded to Phillips’ post with words of encouragement was his wife.

“All I know is I love this man and I watched him bust his ass for these people,” she wrote. “Everything that has happened over there is wrong… [I] think it’s gonna be one hell of a year in court.”

Mad Rose Tavern’s owners reportedly spent around $1 million launching the restaurant.

Pete’s New Haven Apizza Plans Sunday Opening

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 12:25 p.m.) The new Pete’s New Haven Apizza restaurant in Clarendon is planning to open its doors on Sunday.

Pete’s co-owner Tom Marr tells us the restaurant has gotten all the necessary county occupancy and state alcohol permits, and is on track to open Sunday at 11:00 a.m. It could open today, he said, but management is focusing on training staff.

Pete’s serves New Haven-style pizza, which is explained at length on the company’s web site. Their “specialty apizzas” include: “Boola Boola” with house-made meatballs, roasted peppers, caramelized onions and cherry peppers; “Merritt Parkway” with Prosciutto di Parma, Kalamata olives, caramelized onions, basil and extra virgin olive oil; “New Haven” with white clams, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, Pecorino Romano and oregano; and “Nighthawk” with basil pesto, grilled chicken, wild mushrooms, caramelized onions and fresh mozzarella.

The price of an 18″ pie ranges from $18.95 to $25.95. In addition to offering pizza by the pie, Pete’s will offer a few varieties of pizza by the slice for $2.50 to $3.25.

Other menu items include appetizers, paninis, pasta dishes and homemade seasonal desserts. Twelve beers will be available on draft. Patrons will be able to choose between outdoor and indoor seating.

The restaurant, at 3017 Clarendon Boulevard, will be the first business to open on the ground floor of the recently-completed Clarendon Center north building. BGR: The Burger Joint is expected to open within the next two weeks.

More photos, after the jump.

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Cava in Clarendon Shooting for May Opening

By ARLnow.com

Cava, an upscale Greek restaurant that’s coming to the 2900 block of Clarendon Boulevard, is hoping to open its doors in early May.

Owner Ted Xenohristos says construction is underway on the 4,000 square foot restaurant, which will be Cava’s third location in the D.C. area. Last July, Xenohristos told the Washington Business Journal that he was excited about the prospect of opening a restaurant in Clarendon.

“It’s like a little city over there,” he said.

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