Langston Blvd

District Taco Gets ABC License; Will Expand into D.C.

By ARLnow.com

Big news for District Taco fans.

The restaurant, at 5723 Lee Highway, received its state alcoholic beverage permit today, according to owner Osiris Hoil. That means the eatery — which has thus far been limited to serving soda, juice, water and coffee — will be able to celebrate Cinco de Mayo tomorrow (Thursday) with cold cervezas.

We also learned today that District Taco is planning on opening a second brick-and-mortar restaurant by the end of the year. The restaurant will open somewhere in D.C. proper, Hoil confirmed.

Hoil says they haven’t settled on a location, but hinted that he hopes President Obama will drop by one day. On its web site, District Taco says it also has plans to expand outside the Washington area.

Ruffino’s Opening Today, BGR Hopes to Open Next Week

By ARLnow.com

A quick update on a couple of eagerly-anticipated restaurant openings:

Ruffino’s Spaghetti House (4763 Lee Highway) will tonight for the first time following months of renovations. An answering machine message says the restaurant will open at 4:00 p.m.

The new Clarendon location of BGR: The Burger Joint (3024 Wilson Blvd) is undergoing a final inspection today and hopes to open next week — perhaps as soon as Monday, if the inspection goes well. The restaurant’s interior is complete and employees are wrapping up preparations for the opening.

Ruffino’s Spaghetti House Hopes to Open Soon

By ARLnow.com

Ruffino’s Spaghetti House (4763 Lee Highway) may re-open in a week or two.

The restaurant closed for renovations in September, and loyal customers have been asking when it’s going to re-open ever since. Owner Robin Gamzeh says he hopes to open as soon as next week — if county inspections go well.

Outside and in, nearly everything about Ruffino’s appearance has changed. The exterior is brand new and the interior is completely revamped. One thing that hasn’t changed much is the restaurant’s menu. Gamzeh says everything from the original menu will still be available, with a few new additions.

Gamzeh says the re-opening was delayed several months after a contractor discovered a 5-6 foot basement crawl space while doing plumbing work. The basement, which Gamzeh did not know existed, had to be reinforced in order for renovations to continue.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Lee Highway McDonald’s Remains Closed — The McDonald’s at 4834 Lee Highway was still closed yesterday. An electrical fire broke out in the restaurant’s basement Saturday morning.

Arlington’s Most Accident-Prone Intersections — Following up on our Arlington’s Most Dangerous On-Ramps article, TBD has come out with a list of Arlington’s Most Dangerous Intersections, courtesy of data from the police department. The most dangerous intersection? Route 50 and Southbound Washington Boulevard, with 113 accidents. [TBD]

Brink Wins Passage of Inspector General Bill — An anti-fraud bill co-sponsored by Arlington Del. Bob Brink has won final approval in the Virginia legislature. The bill, HB 2076, will establish a statewide Office of Inspector General “to combat fraud, waste, abuse or corruption in state-funded agencies.” It must now be signed into law by Gov. Bob McDonnell. [Richmond Sunlight]

Cuccinelli Examines Fraud Case Against Donor — A man who gave $55,000 to Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s 2009 campaign may be prosecuted by Cuccinelli for fraud. An investigation by Virginia’s consumer services department determined that the U.S. Navy Veterans Association, which has been accused of diverting money intended for veterans charities, solicited $2 million from Virginians under false pretenses. The head of the group, who donated to Cuccinelli’s campaign, is currently at large. Retiring state Sen. Patsy Ticer sponsored legislation intended to help the group last year, then urged Gov. Bob McDonnell to veto it after she read about the fraud allegations.  [Washington Post]

Courtesy photo

Fire Breaks Out at Lee Highway McDonald’s

By ARLnow.com

A fire broke out at the McDonald’s at 4834 Lee Highway Saturday morning.

The fire started in an electrical panel in the basement around 7:00 a.m. Customers and employees were evacuated as light smoke started to fill the restaurant.

Firefighters eventually were able to shut off the power to the building and get the flames under control.

An electrical inspector and a health inspector were called to the scene once the fire was extinguished.

District Taco Applying for Licence to Serve Cerveza

By ARLnow.com

District Taco (5723 Lee Highway) hopes to have a permit to serve beer in time for some warm-weather cerveza drinking.

The popular new restaurant just applied for an ABC license from the state.

“We think it’s going to be a couple of months” until the license is granted, District Taco founder Osiris Hoil said. “We hope to have it by the summer.”

“A lot of people are asking for it,” Hoil added. “Our salsa makes people sweat… it would really go well with some beer.”

Hoil says he’ll keep the beer list small so that that he can keep the beer as fresh as possible. Among the brews he plans to serve are Negra Modelo, Modelo Especial, Pacifico, Sol, Corona and Tecate — all Mexican beers.

“No Coors Light,” Hoil said with a laugh.

Meanwhile, District Taco is offering special deals for public safety and military personnel. The restaurant is offering 50 percent off for police and firefighters and a free drink for members of the military.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Examiner Promotes Virginia and Maryland Stereotypes — Maryland is for “white wine and brie” liberals and Virginia is for gun-toting “backwoods” conservatives, according to the Washington Examiner. Residents of each state are reluctant to visit the other because of the “culture clash,” the paper says. [Washington Examiner]

Power Outage in North Arlington — Residents who live along Lee Highway between North Veitch Street and Military Road lost power for a period of time Saturday morning. About 1,360 Dominion customers were affected. The lights were back on by 11:00 a.m.

Arlington Population Rises — The latest census figures put Arlington’s official population at 207,627, nearly 10 percent higher than the county’s population in 2000. Arlington’s population growth is slightly below that of the state, which experienced 13 percent population growth between 2000 and 2010. [Sun Gazette]

Arlington Man HiJacks Bus — Investigators say an Arlington man hijacked a bus near Charlotte, N.C. on Thursday, claiming he had a gun and a bomb in a bag. No one was injured, but it did scare everyone on board. [WRAL]

Flickr pool photo by Mark C. White

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Docs Take Money from Drug Companies –– Big pharmaceutical companies have paid tens of thousands of dollars to Arlington doctors over the past two years, raising questions about possible conflicts of interest, according to the Arlington Connection. One doctor who talked to the paper had received more than $63,000 from one drug company over the past two years.

Arlington Eateries on TV — Metro 29 Diner (4711 Lee Highway) was featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives program last night, as Twitter user Joe L. pointed out. Meanwhile, MTV was seen filming a segment for the documentary “True Life: I’m Allergic to Everything” at Busboys and Poets in Shirlington last week, according to Shirlington Village Blogspot.

Iota’s Breakfast Not Catching On, Yet — It’s too bad nobody knows that Iota Club & Cafe in Clarendon (2832 Wilson Blvd) now serves breakfast, says a reader. “Iota in Clarendon has just started serving espresso coffee, pastries, and full breakfast starting at 6:30am. Free wifi too. I just went and the coffee’s good and the place is empty,” Patricia said yesterday via email. Previously: We Love DC.

Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99

Blockbuster Store Closes on Lee Highway

By ARLnow.com

The Blockbuster video store at 5400 Lee Highway has closed up shop.

We’re not sure when it closed — no one is answering the phone, unsurprisingly — but the store’s signs have already been taken down. A number of people could be seen inside the store today, apparently cleaning out the remaining video inventory.

The store was one of Blockbuster’s larger locations, and was noted for having a sizable video selection.

Blockbuster Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September. It expects to close many of its 3,000 stores and focus more heavily on its rental-by-mail and digital businesses, the Wall Street Journal reported.

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