new restaurant

Restaurant/Framing Store Combo Opens in Ballston

By Katie Pyzyk
1/10

When is a restaurant not just a restaurant? When it’s connected to a framing store, like the new Rus Uz in Ballston.

The restaurant is connected to Ballston Art and Framing (1000 N. Randolph Street), which is owned by the family behind the KH Art and Framing store on Lee Highway. Jamil Hakimi runs the framing business and said he originally had planned on just running his store until he was approached by the Rakhmatullaev family about sharing the space, which previously had been occupied by Daily Deli.

“I’ve been in the framing shop business for a long time. I was going to turn this into a whole frame shop. We actually put up walls around the kitchen,” Hakimi said. “Then these guys came in one day, we introduced each other, and from there we just went half-half, basically.”

Prior to moving to the Ballston location, Rus Uz had been a catering business in Alexandria specializing in cuisine from Russia and Uzbekistan. Bek Rakhmatullaev said his father has been a cook for more than three decades and served several different presidents and embassy officials as a caterer. He had been toying with opening a restaurant for years, though, and finally saw the perfect opportunity.

“He saw a demand and he always wanted to open a place. Everyone was always asking for a tasting room,” Rakhmatullaev said. “With catering, you have to have big orders.”

The family believes the combination of Russian and Uzbek foods will make their restaurant stand out from others.

“There isn’t anything around like us that combines the two,” Rakhmatullaev said.

As far as the framing portion, it’s connected to the restaurant via an open doorway. Hakimi is still working out a schedule and how closely it will coincide with the restaurant hours. He notes that for food safety reasons, no framing work will be performed at the new shop; all of the framing orders from the Ballston location will be worked on at the Lee Highway location.

Rus Uz is currently in the process of obtaining its license to serve alcohol. The owners plan to have grand opening sometime in the near future after the business has more time to get everything running smoothly.

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt Opens in Penrose

By Katie Pyzyk
1/6

Columbia Pike is getting in on the frozen yogurt craze, with the opening of a Menchie’s (2405 Columbia Pike) in Penrose Square.

The shop opened on Friday (December 28) and features a wall of 16 self-serve frozen yogurt machines and dozens of toppings. Menchie’s tries to cater to people with food allergies, so there are dairy free and gluten free options, as well as extensive ingredient labels for each flavor. Menchie’s has its own organic dairy in California which supplies the products and provides some flavors not available anywhere else.

Franchise owner Robert Guinn said business has been steady since the opening and customers have been receptive to the frozen yogurt shop.

“We were looking for someplace we could fit in and growth with,” Guinn said. “The community is really strong and we’ve been really happy with the retail traffic coming by.”

The chain is recognized around the world partly due to its team of “Sweet Friends” such as Menchie, Mookie, Barry and Sprinkle. Guinn said kids can identify with the Sweet Friends according to their different personalities considering each character has different traits. Employees at the Columbia Pike location having been taking turns dressing up as Menchie to draw customers into the store.

“All of our team members thought they’d never want to be in a Menchie costume, and honestly all of them have been out there and loved it,” Guinn said.

This is the first Menchie’s location in Arlington. The shop plans to hold a grand opening starting next Saturday (January 12) which will run for a week. There will be a variety of events announced, including frozen yogurt and t-shirt giveaways.

New Chinese Restaurant Coming to Nauck

By ARLnow.com

A new Chinese restaurant is coming to the Nauck neighborhood.

China House, at 2249 S. Shirlington Road, will offer Chinese cuisine via carry out and delivery. The restaurant is also applying for an ABC permit to serve beer.

An individual who answered the phone at a number listed for the restaurant said the owners expect to open in “a couple of weeks.”

La Tagliatella to Open Early Next Year

By ARLnow.com

European-based Italian restaurant chain La Tagliatella will be opening its third U.S. location in Clarendon at some point early next year.

The company is opening two restaurants in Atlanta this month, and plans to open the Arlington location — in the former Restaurant 3 space at 2950 Clarendon Blvd — in “early 2013.” Interior and exterior work on the restaurant is currently underway.

“We’re thrilled to bring this popular Italian concept to Clarendon. This thriving neighborhood is the perfect location for our mid-Atlantic debut in the United States,” said Mike Muldoon, a La Tagliatella executive, in a press release. “Europeans have been enjoying the unique cuisine, warm hospitality and generosity of La Tagliatella for the past two decades; now Virginians will be able to enjoy them, too.”

The restaurant will serve lunch and dinner Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. La Tagliatella’s phone number is 571-257-4600.

La Tagliatella has some 130 locations in Europe and Asia, in addition to its new U.S. locations. A description of the restaurant’s cuisine, from the press release, after the jump.

Photo via Facebook

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Kite Runner Cafe Coming to Cherrydale

By Katie Pyzyk

A new eatery is making its way to Cherrydale, although most of the details of the future business are still a mystery.

Signs have gone up on the ground level of 3800 Lofts (3800 Lee Highway) announcing that Kite Runner Cafe is coming soon. It will sit between Subway, which opened earlier this year, and House of Steep, which opened in September.

No permits have yet been displayed and no workers could be spotted on site. So far we have not been able to get in touch with the owner to get more information about the type of restaurant Kite Runner Cafe will be or when it’s scheduled to open.

New Coffee Shop Coming to Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

A new Italian-influenced independent coffee shop is coming soon to Rosslyn.

Caffe Aficionado is hoping to open at 1919 N. Lynn Street, near the main entrance of the Corporate Executive Board building, at some point in April or May 2013. Owner Adiam Berhane, who spent part of her childhood in Italy, says she’s going for an Italian vibe, eschewing the laid back “Northwestern” vibe of Starbucks and other coffee chains, while serving American coffee.

“America beats Italy in coffee,” Berhane said. “I probably won’t be allowed back in the country after saying that.”

Caffe Aficionado will serve Handsome Coffee, which is roasted in downtown Los Angeles, and Steven Smith Tea, a high-end artisanal tea from Portland, Oregon. The shop will also offer hot chocolate, Liege waffles and locally-made patries.

Berhane, who speaks Italian, moved with her family from Italy to D.C.’s Adams Morgan neighborhood later in her childhood (her parents own restaurants in Adams Morgan). Most recently, she was working in music management and magazine publishing in New York City, before deciding to open a coffee shop and “live a more Italian life” closer to her parents.

“I wanted to open a business I really like and that I’m passionate about,” she said.

The cafe is being designed by the same architects who design Taylor Gourmet restaurants. Berhane said she wants the cafe to emphasize “elegance and service” while also being a welcoming “third place” for people to hang out.

Coffee lovers can follow the progress of the store’s build-out on Twitter and Facebook.

Photo via Facebook

New Bolivian Restaurant on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

A new Bolivian restaurant opened on Columbia Pike last month.

El Tutumaso moved from a location in Falls Church to the former Sauca Restaurant space at 4707 Columbia Pike. The building also once housed a second Bob & Edith’s Diner location.

The restaurant serves Bolivian cuisine like parrillada (mixed grill), pollo campeon (roasted chicken) and salteña (savory baked empanadas). El Tutumaso is open seven days a week, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

The restaurant held its grand opening on Nov. 10.

Photo via Eltutumaso.com

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

BonChon Chicken Coming to Arlington — BonChon Chicken, a popular Korean-based chicken chain, will be coming to the ground floor of the new 2201 Pershing apartment building. The restaurant, noted for its wings, expects to open in the summer of 2013. [Washingtonian]

Galaxy Hut Goes Vegetarian — Galaxy Hut has introduced a new menu and meat is nowhere to be seen. The revamped menu is all-vegetarian and includes tofu seitan and vegetable-based cheesesteaks, burgers and barbecue sandwiches instead of the genuine article. Some meat-based meals are still available, but by request only. [Washington Post]

Wakefield Half-Way Finished — Construction of the new Wakefield High School has hit the half-way mark. The new $115 million high school is expected to open next summer in time for the 2013-2014 school year. [Sun Gazette]

Church Prepares Meals for the Hungry — Instead of a traditional Sunday service, members of Arlington-based Grace Community Church prepared nearly 100,000 meals for those in need. The church meets at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. [WUSA]

Black Lime Now Open in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com
1/8

(Updated at 4:20 p.m.) The flagship location of a new Mediterranean/Middle Eastern restaurant concept opened in Crystal City this week.

After some initial delays, Black Lime Café opened its doors at 2450 Crystal Drive on Monday. The quick casual restaurant serves a largely lunch time crowd, and owners tell us they’re encouraged by the response from customers so far.

Black Lime seeks to be to falafel sandwiches what Chipotle was to burritos. It allows customers to customize their meal, picking either a pita, salad bowl or baked potato (kumpir) as a base and choosing ingredients like falafel, black lime-marinated chicken, shawarma-spiced beef, grilled shirmp, several types of hummus, babaganoush, seasoned rice, grilled vegetables and a variety of other toppings.

Sides include chips and hummus, regular fries, eggplant fries, sweet potato fries, lemon chicken soup and a soup of the day. The beverage menu features a rose water lemonade and will eventually include beer, we’re told.

Co-owner Paul Stratmeyer said he and business partner David Levitt — who have experience building restaurant chains like Maggie Moo’s, Outback Steakhouse, Bennigan’s, and California Tortilla — have high hopes for Black Lime.

“The burrito market is kind of done. This is the next iteration,” said Stratmeyer. “Falafel is the number one selling sandwich in the world. It’s still a deep fried product, but it’s very healthy.”

Stratmeyer said he’s particularly proud of the food and the restaurant’s interior design.

“The food is where it’s at,” he said. “Our spice blend is unique, and it’s awesome. ”

Additional Black Lime locations will be opening in D.C., according to Stratmeyer. Other locations may be in the works for Richmond, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Colorado Springs. He and Levitt chose to open the first location in Crystal City in part due to the high concentration of military personnel in the area.

“We didn’t pick this spot by accident,” said Stratmeyer. “Lots of military guys who’ve been in the Middle East have tasted this food, they understand it. And they’re going to prove to us whether we’re doing it right.”

He said the restaurant will donate between $2,500 and $3,000 in partial proceeds from the first two days in operation to the Armed Forces Foundation.

Black Lime Café to Open in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Update on 11/19/12 — The restaurant opened briefly but had to shut down due to a sprinkler problem, a PR rep said today (Monday).

“The restaurant was open for about 3 hours and then they encountered a sprinkler problem, forcing them to shut down. The fire department is still at Black Lime Café this morning fixing the issue; they hope to open again tomorrow morning,” we’re told.

Earlier: A new “quick casual” Mediterranean restaurant will be opening in Crystal City tomorrow (Friday).

Black Lime Café, located at 2450 Crystal Drive, will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily. The 2,300 square foot restaurant has seating for 80.

It’s the first of at least a dozen planned Black Lime Café locations in the D.C./Baltimore area, the company says. Named after a Mediterranean spice, Black Lime will offer a Chipotle-like counter service menu, allowing customers to build their own pita, salad bowl or kumpir (baked potato).

“Black Lime Café is a counter-service restaurant offering a build-your-own meal menu which includes authentic favorites such as falafel, black lime chicken and Shawarma marinade flank steak, all complete with homemade hummus,” the company said in a press release. “Black Lime Café also boasts an extensive catering menu for local business and private events.”

This weekend, the restaurant will be celebrating its opening by donating 100 percent of restaurant proceeds to the Armed Forces Foundation, which provides financial support to the families of injured veterans, according to the press release.

Black Lime Café isn’t the only new restaurant concept coming to Crystal City. Owners Paul Stratmeyer and David Levitt are planning to open a second restaurant next door to Black Lime Café. DelMarVa’s Taphouse, as the restaurant will be called, will offer a menu of traditional southern dishes and “local crafted beer and wine.”

DelMarVa’s Taphouse is expected to open in Crystal City in the summer of 2013, according to a PR rep.

Courtesy photo

Burger 7 Opens on Lee Highway

By ARLnow.com

 

A new burger eatery has opened in Arlington.

Burger 7, at 2515 Lee Highway, opened its doors to the public yesterday. It is open today and will celebrate its “grand opening” tomorrow (Friday) with a 2-for-1 burger deal.

Burger 7 is a new local burger chain, touting itself as “committed to bringing you a quality, juicy burger.”

“Our special proprietary blend is 100% certified Natural Angus Beef, ground right here each day,” according to the restaurant’s web site. “Our cattle are only fed a high quality vegetarian diet and we are proud our cattle are [humanely] raised and tracked from their birth. They are never given hormones or antibiotics, no fillers or artificial ingredients.”

In addition to beef, turkey and vegan burgers, the eatery offers fresh-cut olive oil french fries, all-beef hot dogs, and hand-dipped milkshakes. Other menu items include sweet potato fries, onion rings and a salad.

Burger 7 has locations and planned locations in Tysons Corner, Alexandria and Falls Church. The Arlington location, situated next to a 7-Eleven Store off of Lee Highway, will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Photo (top, right) via Facebook

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