To mark the one year anniversary of that nationally-reported piece of uniquely Arlington local news (and as the first in a series of ARLnow merch we’re offering in time for the holidays this year) we have a new t-shirt for your online shopping pleasure.
Show your local pride and get the shirt today from Amazon, with either a black or a white logo.
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East West Coffee and Wine, now open in Clarendon (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
East West Coffee and Wine, now open in Clarendon (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
East West Coffee and Wine, now open in Clarendon (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
East West Coffee and Wine, now open in Clarendon (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 5:45 p.m.) A new cafe and bar is now open in Clarendon.
“East West Coffee and Wine” opened last week at 3101 Wilson Blvd, serving tapas, coffee, wine, and more. It joins a bevy of other coffee shops — including chain locations and indie cafes — in the Clarendon area.
According to permits, East West has a seating capacity of up to 65 inside. In warmer months, the restaurant will have seating for up to 34 guests outside.
“I’m excited to see returning customers already, and some people who showed up on Monday and Tuesday were already back on Wednesday,” owner Mehmet Coskun tells ARLnow.
Coffee selections include nitro cold brews, espresso drinks including cortados, and more. Its food menu features small-plate tapas, include muhammara, which Coskun describes as hot pepper dip made from “feta cheese, walnuts, red peppers, and garlic.” The cafe also offers a brunch menu available only on weekend mornings.
It’s the second location for East West. The first location, formerly known as Central Coffee Bar, opened two years ago in Rosslyn (1901 N. Moore Street). It rebranded recently as “East West Coffee and Wine” to match the new location.
Plans are already in the works for a third East West location, which is listed as “Coming Soon” to Tysons.
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“We’re hoping to be open by the end of the month,” said owner Mehmet Coskun.
East West Coffee and Wine will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, per a staff report to the Arlington County Board regarding the outdoor cafe reque. The cafe, which recently applied for a beer and wine license, plans on serving both coffee and alcohol.
“Plus, we’ll have a full kitchen that’ll be able to serve tapas-style dishes to pair with wine, and brunch on the weekends,” Coskun said.
Coskun previously told ARLnow he likes having late hours because “people want to hang out after work and socialize and get something to drink, and we really want to appeal to the locals.”
Coskun opened coffee-and-alcohol joint Central Coffee Bar in Rosslyn (1901 N. Moore Street) two years ago; two weeks ago the cafe rebranded to “East West Coffee and Wine” to match its upcoming location.
The County Board is set to consider the outdoor cafe use permit at its meeting this Saturday, November 16.
The memorial, which overlooks the intersection of Washington, Wilson, and Clarendon boulevards in Clarendon Central Park, will receive 10 new markers on Monday, November 11.
An unveiling ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. on Veterans Day, hosted by the Arlington chapters of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
One of the new markers will delve on the history of the memorial itself, while the others will highlight five armed conflicts over the last two centuries in which Arlington residents lost their lives.
Over two years of work and study has gone into the project, said program coordinator Cynthia Torres.
“Historic research undertaken for the project revealed the names of five additional World War I soldiers whose sacrifice had previously been unrecognized,” said Torres.
Last year, to commemorate the centennial of the World War I, the county’s Historic Preservation staff received partial funding from the U.S. World War I Centennial Committee to develop the historical markers.
“The overall goal of the interpretive project is to enhance visitor engagement with the Clarendon War Memorial by explaining its history and community significance,” said Torres.
The memorial was built in 1931 and has been moved around Arlington several times, but all with the original plaque intact. In May the World War I plaque on the memorial was removed to correct an 88-year-old typo.
The plaque has been the subject of some controversy for its separation of two “colored” soldiers killed in WWI — listed as Arthur Morgan and Ralph Lowe — from the other 11 soldiers.
1051 N. Highland St., the future site of Smokecraft BBQ (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
1051 N. Highland St., the future site of Smokecraft BBQ, in November (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Award-winning BBQ pitmasters are planning to bring their first restaurant in Clarendon this spring.
Smokecraft Modern Barbecue is expected to open in the former Citizen Burger Bar space (1051 N. Highland Street) either in “late March or early April,” according to a spokeswoman from the restaurant.
Restaurant owners Marc “Red” Leone and Andrew Darneille are the team behind “Smokecraft Championship Barbecue.” The duo have won a plethora of BBQ competitions across the Mid-Atlantic, and will be at MetroCooking DC’s BBQ Bash next weekend.
Their upcoming restaurant plans to use a Southern Pride commercial smoker to prepare over 2,000 pounds of barbecue at any given time.
Anticipated menu offerings include “barbecue favorites,” plus unique dishes such as “smoked duck, chipotle maple cedar plank salmon, and smoked spaghetti squash.”
In addition to food, the 3,460-square-foot space will feature a full bar and late-night specials. Citizen Burger Bar closed in June after five years in business.
Former space of Asiatique in Clarendon (photo by Kalina Newman)
Construction inside Asiatique in Clarendon (Staff photo by Kalina Newman)
Asiatique restaurant in Clarendon in January 2018
Just a little over a year after opening, Clarendon’s “Cajun Seafood and Sushi Lounge” has closed for renovations and a rebranding.
When complete, Asiatique — located at 3225 Washington Blvd, on the ground floor of the Beacon at Clarendon apartment building — will be renamed “Utahime.” The newly rebranded restaurant will serve Japanese cuisine.
“Yes, we are closed for remodeling the new restaurant to Utahime,” a representative from Asiatique said. “The reason we’re changing is that we only want to do sushi and hibachi.”
The restaurant hopes to reopen by Friday, November 15, “depending on the construction and printing new menus.” The former Asiatique signage has largely been taken down, and work has begun inside the restaurant.
A contractor said they were installing individual grills on the tabletops, so “people can grill all kinds of meats.”
Nearby in Clarendon, Japanese BBQ restaurant Gyu-Kaku features a similar cook-your-own meat dining experience at 1119 N. Hudson Street.
Crews working on repaving Clarendon Circle (Staff photo by Airey)
Crews working on repaving Clarendon Circle (Staff photo by Airey)
Crews working on repaving Clarendon Circle (Staff photo by Airey)
Crews working on repaving Clarendon Circle (Staff photo by Airey)
Rendering of new Clarendon Circle design (Image via Arlington County)
A rendering of improvements at the intersection of Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards (via Arlington County)
Crews have finished repaving some section of Clarendon Circle (Staff photo by Airey)
Map of new Clarendon Circle design (Image via Arlington County)
Rendering of new Clarendon Circle design (Image via Arlington County)
Rendering of new Clarendon Circle design (Image via Arlington County)
Washington Blvd near the “Clarendon Circle” intersection in December 2018 (Staff photo by Alex Koma)
(Updated at 10:10 a.m.) The reconfiguration of Clarendon’s worst intersection is one step closer to finishing as crews begin paving.
Working began repaving the roads that together form the notoriously dangerous “Clarendon Circle” — a.k.a. the intersection of Wilson, Clarendon, and Washington Blvds — this past weekend.
The paving work will continue for the rest of this week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is expected to close some traffic lanes and cause temporary detours, the county’s Department of Environmental Services warns on its webpage for the project.
“Increased traffic congestion is expected, and drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes and avoid Clarendon Circle during this work if possible,” DES said on its website.
On Monday, for instance, through traffic on Wilson Blvd was blocked and redirected to Washington Blvd. On Tuesday, steam and a burning rubber smell clouded the intersection as crews directed traffic around a cluster of paving equipment.
Work on the project is expected to wrap up by Veterans Day, this coming Monday.
The county has long aimed to redesign the intersection to be safer for pedestrians and cyclists and less confusing for motorists, with a goal of reducing crashes. The project design selected will realign Wilson and Washington Blvd, shorten crosswalks, and widen sidewalks.
Construction kicked off last year after the Arlington County Board awarded a $2.5 million contract to Ardent Construction Company.
Since then, the county has made several changes to the tricky nexus of roads, including cutting off N. Irving Street and banning left turns onto Wilson from Washington — though many drivers at least initially ignored the ban.
A bus driver was sprayed with pepper spray by a woman who tried to ride the bus without paying over the weekend, police say.
The incident happened Friday night in Clarendon.
According to Arlington County Police, the woman and several other people boarded a bus without paying shortly after 7 p.m. at the intersection of Clarendon Blvd and N. Highland Street. When the driver said they would have to pay the fare or get off, the woman pepper sprayed him, police say.
The driver was treated by medics at the scene.No arrests had been reported as of Monday afternoon.
More from an ACPD crime report:
MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2019-11010270, Clarendon Boulevard at N. Highland Street. At approximately 7:12 p.m. on November 1, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with a weapon just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect attempted to board a bus with a group of individuals without paying. When the bus driver informed them they would need to pay the fare or exit the bus, the suspect assaulted the driver and sprayed him with pepper spray. The suspect exited the bus and fled prior to police arrival. The driver was treated by medics on scene for minor injuries. The suspect is described as a black female, 18-25 years old, 5’0″-5’4″, 100-120 lbs., regular build, wearing a gray hoodie and a bandanna. The investigation is ongoing.
The restaurant business has notoriously thin profit margins. Which makes a new promotion from Clarendon sports bar Bracket Room (1210 N. Garfield Street) seem extra risky.
The restaurant, which opened in 2013 and is co-owned by Chris Bukowski of Bachelor fame, says it will refund the checks of every guest for the entire year if the Washington Nationals go back-to-back and win another World Series in 2020.
There’s a catch, however — you have to keep the receipts. From a Facebook post:
We are launching a promotion to celebrate the Washington Nationals winning the #WorldSeries! If the Nats win the 2020 World Series we will refund every check for the entire year! Hold on to your receipts bc if the Nats go #back2back you will receive a full refund on all food, beverages and taxes (excludes tips) from Nov 2, 2019 to when the 2020 champion is crowned!
As unlikely as everything about the offer sounds — but still, go Nats — perhaps an even greater stretch of credulity is the challenge issued by Bracket Room to the entire D.C. area.
“The owners of {Bracket Room}… challenge everyone in the DMV to eat and drink with them 7 days a week over the next year,” the company said in a press release. That might be difficult to achieve: at last check, Bracket Room had a seating capacity of 100 inside and 36 on the outdoor patio.
Champagne was spraying, people were jumping around and the whole room filled with deafening shouts.
That was the scene at the Washington Capitals’ annual Halloween party last night, as the Stanley Cup-winning hockey team celebrated D.C.’s newest champions, the World Series-winning Nationals.
The Caps held the team Halloween party at The G.O.A.T. in Clarendon, but the event turned into a World Series watch party. Alexander Ovechkin was among the players partying as the last strike was called in the bottom of the 9th.
The event for the team and spouses was held in a private event space at the sports bar, located across the street from the Clarendon Metro. Video from the celebration was posted online and quickly reposted by the Washington Post, Barstool Sports and local sports blogs.
