new restaurant

Leek American Bistro Opening Soon in Ballston

By Katie Pyzyk

Ballston is close to adding another new restaurant to the mix. Leek American Bistro (801 N. Quincy Street) expects to open its doors within the next two weeks.

Owner and chef Nathan Spitall had previously owned the BBQ Bandidos food truck. He has worked in restaurants in New York and locally, such as at the former Harry’s Tap Room in Clarendon, and wanted launch a brick and mortar establishment in Arlington.

“The food truck was great, but my home is in a restaurant,” Spitall said.

Spitall said the restaurant space has been renovated and restrooms have been added in the back. Previously, visitors to the old Thai Terrace had to leave the restaurant through a back exit and use restrooms shared with the other tenants in the building.

“Yes, we lost quite a bit of seating,” Spitall said. “But it’s worth it to have bathrooms.”

There’s a focus on using sustainable and locally sourced goods, from the reclaimed wood in the bar to the local beer selections.

“We’re not going to try to compete with Rustico or World of Beer, obviously, but we want to have a nice selection of some local breweries,” Spitall said.

A number of Virginia wines will also be featured on the drink list. Each food item on the menu will have a suggested wine and beer selection noted.

“We don’t want to classify ourselves as a wine bar, but we think our wine list is nice and affordable,” said Spittal.

The food is considered American because it’s a melting pot of different varieties. The menu will include items such as mussels, falafel crusted salmon, crab cake sandwiches, braised pork shank with white bean cassoulet and one of the popular holdovers from the BBQ Bandidos days — pulled pork and biscuits. Many gluten free and vegetarian options will be available.

“We want everyone to be able to chill out, relax, eat some good food, have some wine, have fun,” Spitall said.

Leek American Bistro is expected to open during the first couple of weeks of October.

Photos: Epic Smokehouse Opens in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

Epic Smokehouse, a new upscale barbecue restaurant concept at 1330 S. Fern Street in Pentagon City, opened its doors to the public on Monday.

The restaurant serves “quality smoked meats and seafood paired with innovative cocktails and high-caliber wine at affordable prices,” according to a press release. Lunch items range from$10 to $15, while dinner entrees range from $15 to $25. Soups, sides and salads are priced between $2 to $7. Wines by the glass — available whenever the restaurant finally gets its liquor license — range from $6 to $10.

Lunch items include the EPIC burger (pictured — blend of ground pork and beef, bacon, smoked gruyere cheese, homemade apple wine BBQ sauce, fries); beer belly chicken (beer and herb roasted chicken); and a cho’gall sandwich (slicked brisket, pulled pork, lettuce, grilled onions and chipotle mayo).

Dinner items include apple wine smoked ribs (with fries and Carolina slaw); smoked brisket (with pancetta mac and cheese); black Angus ribeye (porcini rubbed ribeye and bacon sprouts with a red wine sauce); duroc pork loin (kona rubbed duroc pork loin with creamy polenta and Patron Cafe XO sauce); and garlic ginger teriyaki shrimp (marinated shrimp, vegetables and coconut jasmine rice).

Dessert choices include bourbon bread pudding with smoked ice cream, pecan pie, and candied bacon cupcake (pictured below).

The space seats 84 inside and 16 at an outdoor patio.

Co-owners Joon Yang and Wayne Halleran, long-time friends who were most recently working at The Palm restaurant in Tysons Corner, say they want Epic Smokehouse to be a “neighborhood gathering spot.” At the same time, though, they want the restaurant to be a more modern, urban and upscale version of the traditional red-and-white-checkered table cloth barbecue joint.

While some might see Epic Smokehouse’s somewhat inconspicuous location across from Costco as a hindrance to attracting customers — the only other restaurant on the block is a Dunkin’ Donuts — Yang says he sees it as an opportunity.

“We’re kind of lucky I guess,” he said of the location. “When we saw this, we saw the need for it. With the amount of residents that live right here, they need something that’s close to them. When we saw the opportunity to open something here, we jumped at it.”

1/12

brgr:shack Closes, Earl’s Moving in by Weekend

By Katie Pyzyk

Talk about a quick turnaround. Just days after brgr:shack (4215 Fairfax Drive) closed its doors across the street from the Ballston Metro station, Earl’s Sandwiches is nearly ready to open in the space.

Last month, Earl’s co-owner Steve Dugan told ARLnow.com he hoped the restaurant would be able to open in early September, and a sign posted on the window sports the hand-written note “this week.” Dugan confirms the restaurant should open on Friday or Saturday.

brgr:shack, which won the 2012 Taste of Arlington Best Entree, had been at that location for a little more than a year and a half. Workers can be seen inside working on renovating the burger joint into the new Earl’s.

This will be the second location for Earl’s, which already has a restaurant in the Courthouse/Clarendon area (2605 Wilson Blvd). Dugan said the goal was to expand, but remain nearby.

“We have a following in this area, but we are maxed out in this location and can’t serve any more customers,” Dugan said. “We like Northern Virginia and wanted to stay close by.”

The menu at the Ballston location will be the same as the original Earl’s, with the addition of beer and wine. Initially, the restaurant will only be open during the day, but will eventually add evening hours.

Fuego Cocina y Tequileria to Open in October

By ARLnow.com

Fuego Cocina y Tequileria, a new Mexican restaurant in Clarendon, has started hiring and is hoping to open as soon as Oct. 1.

The restaurant is opening in the former Market Tavern space at 2800 Clarendon Blvd. Interior construction is still underway, but the restaurant started accepting applications from job candidates this week. Job applications — for server, bartender, cooks and other positions — will be accepted through Sept. 7, according to the Market Common shopping center website.

Like Market Tavern (formerly Harry’s Tap Room), Fuego will have two levels: a tequila bar featuring more than 120 tequilas on the first level, and a restaurant serving Mexican small plates and entrees on the second level.

“Fuego [Cocina] y Tequileria will be a temple of traditional Mexican cuisine serving in-your-face-food with authentic, robust, not-for-the-faint-of-heart flavors and textures,” according to the restaurant’s new website. Once it opens this fall, Fuego will serve dinner seven nights a week and will also be open for weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

Fuego is owned by the Passion Food Restaurant Group, which also owns DC Coast, Acadiana, Ceiba, District Commons and Burger Tap and Shake in the District, and Passionfish in Reston. The new restaurant will be helmed by Chef Alfredo Solis, who has been the chef at District Commons and Burger Tap and Shake.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Opens in Virginia Square

By Katie Pyzyk

There was no fanfare for the opening of Tropical Smoothie Cafe (3811 Fairfax Drive) in Virginia Square on Monday because it was a surprise for everyone — including the owner.

Owner Marcus Barnett said after the typical county permitting delays, he finally received word yesterday that the restaurant could open. He hurried to the bank, and had the doors open for customers by 4:00 yesterday afternoon. Today is the first full day of operation.

Barnett noted two things that set Tropical Smoothie Cafe apart from its smoothie competitors: the restaurants serves food and uses natural ingredients.

“I know everyone says that,” Barnett said. “But even in our smoothies, we don’t use concentrates. It’s all real fruit that you can see and we blend it up.”

The menu includes salads, sandwiches, wraps and flatbreads. In keeping with the healthy theme, there’s also a focus on portion control.

“It’s just enough, not to overdo it,” Barnett said. “That’s the reason I got into this, to do something healthy. I wanted to find a place that had good food and good quality as well.”

Barnett is a Virginia native who attended The College of William and Mary, where he met his friend and current business partner, Manish Singh. The two frequented a Tropical Smoothie Cafe there and became friends with the owner. For years, the goal has been to eventually open a location of their own in the D.C. metro area.

The two were particularly drawn to Arlington because they notice residents making efforts to lead healthy lifestyles.

“We love how Arlington is very active. We see people run in front of our store all day long, Gold’s Gym is there, Sport and Health and all these bikers,” Barnett said. “I think that goes hand in hand with what we’re doing.”

The restaurant will have its grand opening from Thursday, September 20 through Saturday, September 22. All customers who purchase a smoothie those three days will receive a free food item. Barnett hopes that helps people realize the restaurant serves more than just smoothies.

Starting now, anyone who follows the restaurant on Facebook or Twitter will get 10 percent off their purchase when they mention it at the register.

Although there are no immediate plans for area locations other than Virginia Square, Barnett is leaving it open as a possibility.

“If we can win over Arlington we can do anything,” he said.

1/9

Earl’s Sandwiches Expanding to Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Earl’s Sandwiches, located at 2605 Wilson Blvd in the Clarendon/Courthouse area, is expanding with a second location in Ballston.

The restaurant will be replacing an existing deli across the street from the Ballston Metro station. Co-owner Steve Dugan told ARLnow.com that he hopes to open in early September, after a couple days of renovations. Dugan was unable to confirm the exact address of the restaurant due to a confidentiality agreement.

Earl’s of Ballston is applying for a license to serve beer and wine, according to Virginia ABC records.

Earl’s in Courthouse offers sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs and wraps, as well as soups, chili, fries and salads. Most sandwiches are made with fresh-roasted meats and range in price from $7 to $9.

Photo via Facebook

Clarendon Whole Foods to Add New ‘Arlington Pub’

By ARLnow.com

The Whole Foods Market at 2700 Wilson Blvd in Clarendon is building a new “beer room” overlooking the store.

The “Arlington Pub” will be located on the second floor area of the store and will offer local draft beers, wine by the glass, bottled craft beer, growlers and an organic coffee bar in a “pub style atmosphere.” The pub will also offer “tasty nibbles” for patrons. All beer will come from a 200 mile radius.

Whole Foods is planning a grand opening celebration for the pub on Thursday, Sept. 20. The event, which is open to the public, will feature raffles, beer mug giveaways, beer and food tastings, and meet and greets with brewery representatives.

“Pull up a stool, fill up a mug and join Whole Foods Market Arlington in celebrating the official opening of Arlington Pub,” the store said in an invitation to the event.

The coffee bar will open at 8:00 a.m. daily, and the pub will remain open until 9:30 p.m.

Photo courtesy Erin Johnson

EPIC Smokehouse Expected to Open in Early September

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:25 p.m.) An “epic” new restaurant is coming to 1330 S. Fern Street in Pentagon City, across from Costco.

EPIC Smokehouse is being billed as a neighborhood restaurant that “combines the best aspects of a fine dining steakhouse and a barbecue joint.” Work on the restaurant’s interior is still in progress, but according to a press release the eatery is expected to open in “early September.”

“The vision behind the smokehouse is simple — quality smoked meats and seafood paired with innovative cocktails and high-caliber wine at affordable prices, all complete with incomparable service,” according to the release. “Above all, [owners Joon] Yang and [Wayne] Halleran want their place to be an integral part of the neighborhood.”

Yang and Halleran, formerly of The Palm restaurant in Tysons Corner, say the idea for EPIC Smokehouse has been in the works for years.

“We’ve been waiting for the opportunity to make this concept a reality for a few years, and we are ecstatic to have found the perfect location here in Pentagon City,” said Yang, who will serve as the restaurant’s general manager, in a statement. “Our goal is not only to provide delicious food and the most amazing wine list in the region, but to engage our neighbors in a way that makes us a staple in the community for years to come.”

Signature dishes at the restaurant in include horseradish-crusted prime rib, chipotle-seasoned sea bass, a light poached peach and prosciutto salad, pancetta macaroni and cheese, Carolina slaw and fried asparagus.

EPIC Smokehouse will be one of three restaurants on its particular stretch of S. Fern Street, which is located across the street from Costco and two blocks from Pentagon City mall. The street is home to a Dunkin’ Donuts store and Nell’s Carryout.

The street could be getting a lot busier in the next couple of years, however.

A proposed development that’s currently being reviewed by the county’s Site Plan Review Committee could bring up to 2 million square feet of new office and hotel space along S. Fern Street, and a new 18-story, 411-unit apartment building is in the early stages of construction at the intersection of S. Fern Street and 12th Street S.

The press release for EPIC Smokehouse, after the jump.

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Bronx Pizza to Open Next Week

By ARLnow.com

After some delays caused by permitting issues, the owners of Bronx Pizza in Clarendon are hoping to open next week.

Owner Mike Cordero tells ARLnow.com that he expects to open the pizzeria on Wednesday, Aug. 22.

Located at 3100 Clarendon Boulevard, Bronx Pizza is intended to be an Arlington version of a neighborhood pizza joint like the one Cordero started working at in the South Bronx at the age of 13. Cordero says the closest thing to Bronx Pizza in Arlington right now is the Italian Store (3123 Lee Highway). What Bronx Pizza lacks in Italian groceries, however, it makes up for in decorations — including photos on the wall of Mickey Mantle, Tony Soprano, the Rat Pack and New York City’s George Washington Bridge.

The menu at Bronx Pizza includes New York style pizza by the slice — $2.75 for a jumbo cheese slice, $2.95 for a Sicilian slice and $3.25 for a specialty jumbo slice. Whole New York style pies start at $14.95 for a large 16 inch and $17.95 for an extra-large 20 inch. Specialty options include the Whitestone Bridge pizza (Alfredo sauce, ham, broccoli, Parmesan and mozzarella), the Grand Concourse veggie pizza (fire-roasted peppers, mushrooms, spinach and broccoli), the Tremont Avenue chicken carbonara (roasted chicken breast with carbonara sauce) and the Pelham Bay Park BBQ chicken pizza (BBQ chicken with homemade BBQ sauce).

Other menu options include various types of calzones, rolls, hot 10 inch subs, cold 10 inch hoagies, and Italian pastas, as well as appetizers and desserts like boardwalk style fries, Italian fried cheese balls, fried pickles, homemade cannoli and tiramisu.

Bronx Pizza is located in a relatively small space, but includes a few tables for indoor seating.

1/3

Eamonn’s and TNT Bar Now Open on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Eamonn’s and TNT Bar (2413 Columbia Pike) quietly opened to the public last night, serving up fish, chips and artisan cocktails to residents who happened to walk by and see signs announcing the otherwise unannounced opening.

The cocktail-bar-slash-restaurant is in its “soft opening” phase and will be open starting at 5:00 p.m. each day this week. The owners are currently anticipating a more formal opening on Friday. At some point, the owners say, Eamonn’s will open for lunch — but for now it’s only open for dinner service and cocktails.

The eatery represents a significant expansion for EatGoodFood Group, which operates Restaurant Eve, Eamonn’s, PX, The Majestic and Virtue Feed and Grain, all in Alexandria. Not only is this the first Arlington restaurant for the company, but it expands on the simple  fish and chips menu of the Old Town Alexandria Eamonn’s with new menu items like burgers, chili, wings, and shepherd’s pie.

The menu, the moderate prices and the space — with its laid-back rock ‘n’ roll motif and sound track (which isn’t too loud) — is meant for casual dining, the owners say.

TNT Bar occupies about one third of the space, in the back of the restaurant. Conceived by famed local mixologist Todd Thrasher — who named the bar after his son, Trystan Noah Thrasher — the bar offers a half dozen original Thrasher cocktail creations, and about a dozen of Thrasher’s favorite cocktails that were created by his bartender friends around the country.

Priced between $6 and $16, the cocktails are made with premium liquor and made-from-scratch mixers and infusions. Thrasher said the ingredients that go into the drinks are expensive, but he tried to keep the prices from reaching too high, even pricing one or two cocktails at a loss for the bar.

To enhance the bar-goer’s experience, Thrasher, who grew up in Arlington near Wakefield High School, went so far as to order a custom-designed “bar stage” which sits behind the bar and allows customers to see their cocktails being made.

Thrasher co-owns the establishment with Cathal and Meshelle Armstrong. Meshelle, who grew up on Seminary Road, says they’re excited to be opening a restaurant on Columbia Pike.

“I think [Columbia Pike] needs a place like this,” Armstrong said. “We ran these streets when we were kids. We love the people in this area, we think it’s up and coming, we just want to be able to provide them with something fun, new and different. I think this neighborhood… can support that.”

1/18

Eamonn’s and T.N.T. Bar Opening Soon on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

It may be only a matter of days before Columbia Pike’s most ambitious bar/restaurant effort to date opens to the public.

Eamonn’s A Dublin Chipper and T.N.T. Bar, at 2413 Columbia Pike in the Penrose Square development, were hoping to open this coming Monday, but the opening had been delayed due to permitting issues, according to a PR rep. Nonetheless, the interior of the restaurant appears to be nearly finished and T.N.T. is already being touted as the ” latest and greatest bar” yet for famed local mixologist Todd Thrasher.

This is the first Arlington eatery and watering hole for EatGoodFood Group, which operates Restaurant Eve, Eamonn’s, PX, The Majestic and Virtue Feed and Grail, all in Alexandria.

Eamonn’s serves fish, chips, appetizers and small desserts in Old Town Alexandria. An official menu for the Columbia Pike location has yet to be released, but a press release (below) says it will expand on the concept with new offerings like southern fried chicken wings, mini meat pies, house-made biscuits with corned beef, sausage rolls in pastry, “Eamonn’s Dream Burger” (with salami and chicken), sardines, soft-shell crabs (in season), and “Hangover Chips” with cheese, Texas chili and a fried egg. There will also be an expanded dessert selection featuring Cadbury candies.

T.N.T. Bar, a new concept, will serve specialty cocktails in a 30-seat space with a rock ‘n’ roll vibe.

“Todd Thrasher wowed and wooed the district when he introduced us to the craft of cocktails at side-street speakeasy, @PX,” according to a Facebook page. “Now, the city’s granddaddy of grown-up drinks and mixology magic explodes all over again with the new TNT. (Named after his son, Trystan Noah Thrasher) His latest and greatest bar will mix a rock ’n’ roll casual atmosphere with a fizzy fun, “homage to the greats” cocktail list.”

No word yet on an exact opening date. The press release for Eamonn’s and T.N.T., after the jump.

Rendering courtesy EatGoodFood Group

 
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