Clarendon

Morning Poll: Food Options in the R-B Corridor

By ARLnow.com

The Rosslyn-Ballston corridor will be getting not one but at least two new frozen yogurt stores next year thanks to rapidly-expanding D.C. chain FroZenYo.

While some will take a “more the merrier” approach to food in Arlington, others may question whether a three-mile stretch of Wilson Boulevard can really support 5-6 frozen yogurt shops, not to mention numerous ice cream and gelato places.

Likewise, many people have already wondered aloud whether there are more than enough pizza joints and cupcake bakeries planned for the R-B corridor. Receiving less attention is the abundance of food trucks, cafes and “modern American” style restaurants in the area.

Which of the preceding, if any, do you think has reached the highest “saturation” point?


Crumbs Bakeshop in Clarendon Closer to Opening

By ARLnow.com

The paper has come down from the windows of the new Crumbs Bakeshop in Clarendon, but the NYC-based cupcake chain still has not set a definitive opening date.

A peek inside the store reveals that there’s still interior work to be done. There is, however, a surprisingly comprehensive coffee and beverage menu posted.

A Crumbs rep tells us they’re “working hard” to open by Christmas.

When we reported on Crumb’s impending arrival in February, the company was projecting a May opening.

H/T @CommonCenser

Pre-Thanksgiving Parking Woes at Clarendon Whole Foods

By ARLnow.com

Despite worries about long lines and delays, catching a flight at Reagan National Airport was a relative breeze this morning. Parking at the Clarendon Whole Foods, on the other hand, is a disaster zone.

The heavy volume of shoppers stocking up for Thanksgiving dinner is overwhelming the five (count ’em) neon-vested parking attendants who are currently working the lot.

Sette Bello Closing, To Be Replaced By American Tap Room

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:40 a.m.) Clarendon’s Sette Bello Italian restaurant will serve its last customers Saturday, two sources tell ARLnow.com.

Owners told employees last night that the restaurant will be closing after tomorrow, and that an American Tap Room bar/restaurant will take its place after renovations, according to sources.

We’re told that the restaurant, which opened in 2005, enjoyed commercial success at first but later struggled to fill tables inside the cavernous space. It was co-owned by restaurateur Franco Nuschese, of Cafe Milano fame.

A restaurant source estimated that Sette Bello employed around 30 people.

Renovations are expected to take several months, but no formal time frame has been announced.

Replacing Sette Bello will be American Tap Room, a bar/restaurant that currently has locations in Reston and Bethesda, according to an employee who wished to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak on the record.

Although American Tap Room will have numerous TVs and a game time menu, it’s not a sports bar per se (as previously reported).

“Upscale comfort casual dining,” is the way the employee described the restaurant. “It’s going to be familiar and modern at the same time.”

Photo via Facebook

Concessions Granted, Clarendon Trader Joe’s Moves Forward

By ARLnow.com

Trader Joe’s fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Last night the county board granted the grocery store chain the site plan amendments it sought as a condition of moving into the new Clarendon Center development.

The changes will allow Trader Joe’s to reserve underground parking spaces for customers and shopping carts, utilize the loading dock from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and allow an outdoor display of merchandise.

“I’m very happy to take this vote,” County Board Chairman Jay Fisette said, shortly before members voted 5-0 to approve the amendments without modifications. “It’s about time Trader Joe’s figured out what a great market Arlington is.”

Should the board have denied the site plan amendments, Trader Joe’s indicated it would have walked away from the deal. Instead, following the vote, a Trader Joe’s rep told the board to expect a Summer 2011 opening date.

Most of the handful of residents who spoke out about Trader Joe’s at last night’s board meeting expressed support for the proposed store. Some, however, had specific concerns as well.

Those concerns included the noise from delivery trucks idling, the practicality of the reserved parking scheme, whether validated parking will be abused, the potential for predatory towing in the parking garage and worries about the outdoor product display. In the end, the board discussed but did not specifically act on the concerns.

Fisette and county staff noted that Arlington has a explicit policy of modifying regulations in order to attract grocery stores.

Coming to Clarendon: Larry’s Homemade Ice Cream

By ARLnow.com

Move over Goody’s, a new ice cream place is coming to Clarendon.

Larry’s Homemade Ice Cream has signed a lease in the Clarendon Center project, located less than a block away from the Clarendon Metro.

Larry’s will share the block with BGR The Burger Joint, Pete’s New Haven Apizza and Rabbit, the newly-named salad and froyo place from the owners of TangySweet.

Larry’s Homemade Ice Cream shares a name with an ice cream shop in Dupont Circle, but it’s unclear what connection, if any, there is between the two stores.

A woman who identified herself over the phone as the owner of the Dupont Larry’s Homemade Ice Cream said she wasn’t behind the Clarendon store. A quick web search didn’t reveal any other stores by that name in the area.

With the addition of Larry’s Homemade, the retail space in Clarendon Center’s north building is now completely leased out. Many of the stores are expected to open in the spring, depending on the building’s construction schedule.

Driving School Fail

By ARLnow.com

Police just broadcast a lookout for a vehicle involved in a hit and run at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and 10th Street in Clarendon.

The vehicle that allegedly fled the scene is described as having the name of a driving school on the side.

Rosebud Film Fest Kicks Off At Artisphere on Saturday

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s homegrown film fest, the Rosebud Film and Video Festival, is coming to Rosslyn on Saturday.

The annual event will get underway at 12:30 p.m. at Artisphere’s Dome Theater. The seven-hour long, 20 film showcase features documentaries, dramas, comedies, animations and projects that defy classification.

“The twenty works in this year’s showcase are as diverse and rich as our region itself,” festival organizers said in an email. “Rosebud honors the innovative, experimental, unusual, and deeply personal in creative film and video making.”

For $10, attendees can see all 20 films in Saturday’s nominee showcase. The price of admission also comes with an invite to Sunday’s awards gala, which will be held from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Clarendon Ballroom.

Check out some of the nominees at TBD’s Rosebud guide, and see the festival’s screening schedule after the jump.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Happy Veteran’s Day — A wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at 11:00 a.m. Most Arlington County government offices are closed today.

W-L High Teacher Heading to South Pole — An 11th-grade physics teacher at Washington-Lee is heading to the South Pole next month. Katey Shirey, 29, was invited to participate in a multi-million dollar Antarctic research project called Ice Cube. She’s only the fifth high school teacher to participate in the project. More from the Washington Post.

Restaurant Permits Up for Renewal — Restaurants in Shirlington and Clarendon will go before the County Board on Saturday. The Shirlington restaurants have their outdoor seating permit up for renewal, while the Clarendon restaurants have their live entertainment permits up for renewal. The requests will likely be granted, but new restrictions may be imposed on the Clarendon restaurants. More from the Sun Gazette.

Civ Fed Rejects Sign Vigilante Proposal — Buckingham resident Bernie Berne, who says he’s fed up with the proliferation of illegal signs in Arlington County, has suffered another setback in his quest to make it legal for citizens to remove unlawful signs from public property. The Arlington County Civic Federation rejected a resolution that would have supported Berne’s brand of sign vigilantism, which is currently frowned upon by local officials. More from TBD.

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA

Crime Report: Busy Weekend Edition

By ARLnow.com

It was a very busy weekend for the Arlington County Police Department, as reflected in this week’s crime report.

Early Sunday morning, a man’s relaxing massage in Clarendon turned into anything but. According to the report, he allegedly robbed the masseuse and then, when police arrived, pulled a knife on officers. That move bought him some deep tissue stimulation courtesy of an officer’s Taser.

ASSAULT ON POLICE-ARREST 11/07/10, 3000 block of Washington Boulevard. On November 7 at 4:45 am, a man assaulted a woman that he had hired for a massage and also robbed her. When police approached him, he displayed a knife and was not compliant. An officer deployed a tazer and the suspect was taken into custody. Patrick Whitesell, 34, of Arlington was charged with Assault on Law Enforcement, Grand Larceny, Larceny from a Person and Assault and Battery. He was held without bond.

Thinking that getting assaulted by belligerent suspects sounds like a fun volunteer opportunity, one young man is accused of impersonating Johnny Law by installing police lights in his car.

IMPERSONATION OF POLICE-ARREST 11/05/10, 5200 block of S. 8th Road. On November 5 at 10:40 am, a man was seen driving a vehicle with police lights through traffic. Josue Chicas, 20, of Arlington, was charged with Impersonating a Police Officer. He was released on a summons.

Late Saturday night, a bridal shower got way out of control in Clarendon. After the glass bottles stopped flying, a 25-year-old Maryland woman was arrested.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT-ARREST 11/06/10, 3100 block of Clarendon Boulevard. On November 6 at 11:30 pm, two women argued during a bridal shower at a bar. A glass bottle was thrown during the fight, and a bystander was struck in the face. Jazmine Geans, 25, of Lusby, MD, was charged with Disorderly Conduct. She was held on a $2,000 bond.

It was not a good weekend for cab drivers. One was carjacked, and another was assaulted with a belt.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING 11/07/10, 1800 block of N. Oak Street. On November 7 at 2:30 am, a man assaulted a cab driver with a belt rather than pay his fare. Nabil Guermoudi, 27, of Arlington, was charged with Malicious Wounding. He was held without bond.

CARJACKING-ARREST 11/07/10, 4200 block of Wilson Boulevard. On November 7 at 6 am, a man assaulted a cab driver, and then drove the cab away. Police apprehended the suspect. David Norman, 28, of Redondo Beach, CA, was charged with Carjacking. He was held without bond.

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Developer Moves Forward With Clarendon Project

By ARLnow.com

The now-empty lot at the corner of 10th Street and Washington Boulevard near Clarendon is finally ready for some construction.

Thanks to a $48 million bank loan, local developer Ironwood Realty is moving forward with construction of a 163,000 square foot mixed-use building on the site, which was most-recently home to a CVS Pharmacy. Work is set to begin in the next 2-3 weeks, according to the Washington Business Journal.

When completed, the development — dubbed Garfield Park at Clarendon Village — will house 149 luxury apartment units, 20,000 square feet of retail space and nearly 300 underground parking spaces.

Ironwood is also apparently eying some sort of redevelopment of the triangular block near Clarendon Metro known as the Silver Diner block.

In addition to Silver Diner, the block is home to a large parking lot, a service station, a used car lot, the Doctors Building and another small office building.

We’re currently not sure about the extent of Ironwood’s plans on the block. A company official has not returned our phone call.

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