new restaurant

Italian Restaurant Concept Coming to Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

La Tagliatella, an Italian restaurant concept from Spain, is coming to the former Restaurant 3 space at 2950 Clarendon Blvd.

The restaurant chain, which has some 135 locations in Spain, France and Andorra, is expanding rapidly. AmRest, the restaurant’s European parent company, recently announced that it’s opening La Tagliatella locations in China, India, Germany and the United States. In addition to Arlington, news reports indicate another location is coming to Atlanta.

La Tagliatella is described on the restaurant’s web site as “a chain of restaurants specialising in high-quality Italian gastronomy…  from the [Northern] Italian regions of Piamonte, Liguria, and Reggio Emilia.”

From the web site:

At La Tagliatella, we explore every aspect of Italian gastronomy so as to provide the best tastes and textures directly from their origin. Our attention to such detail starts from the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, with its own Denomination of Origin (ripened in caves for 24 months), our pizza dough, elaborated with two different kinds of grain to achieve its particular taste and consistency, to Bocconcino, our buffalo’s milk mozzarella made following the genuine traditional Italian recipe.

We have designed our menu so that our customers can fully enjoy it with loved ones. Pizzas are made in a traditional forno italiano, our carpaccio with genuine buffalo mozzarella, salads in the shape of the tower of Pisa, made with real grilled vegetables, risottos with duck maigret, truffles, and Iberian cold meat. We have more than 400 combinations of pasta and sauce, panna cotta, tiramisù and home-made ice-cream… our extensive choice, with its generous portions, is perfect to be enjoyed in the company of your loved ones. In addition, all our recipes are cooked with real extra-virgin olive oil.

The company is currently seeking to hire managers for the Clarendon restaurant. According to a help wanted ad, the prospective managers would be flown to Spain for 2-4 weeks of training.

No word yet on when La Tagliatella is hoping to open.

Chipotle Plans October Opening For Lee Heights Franchise

By Aaron Kraut

The Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant slated for the former Cafe Parisien space at 4520 Lee Highway in the Lee Heights shopping center is scheduled to open on Oct. 16, according to a company spokesperson.

The franchise owner and a team of contractors were on site today (Monday) to tour the still-empty interior. But a sign on the boarded-up front of the store promised the “Burritofication” of the former French restaurant and long-time Lee Heights fixture, which closed suddenly last summer.

This will be Chipotle’s fifth Arlington location after one opened in June in the Pentagon City Mall food court.

Bronx Pizza, A-Town Bar & Grill to Open Next Week

By ARLnow.com

Update at 2:25 p.m. on 8/17/12 — Bronx Pizza is now expected to open on Wednesday, Aug. 22.

Local restaurateur Mike Cordero is planning a culinary one-two punch next week, with official openings scheduled for two Arlington restaurants in successive days.

First up is A-Town Bar & Grill, the renovated successor to Caribbean Breeze in Ballston (4100 Fairfax Drive). Cordero says the restaurant will likely start serving customers this coming Wednesday as part of a quiet “soft opening,” but will hold its official opening on Friday, Aug. 10.

A-Town will feature an expanded beer list; an “eclectic” menu including sushi, sandwich creations, flatbread pizzas and steaks; a redone outdoor patio; a birchwood bar; historic photos of Arlington on the walls; and lots of flat screen TVs.

Cordero says former Caribbean Breeze patrons “are not going to recognize the restaurant” when they walk in. He acknowledged that he’s taking a risk by replacing the successful Caribbean Breeze, but insists “the odds are in our favor to succeed here and increase our sales.”

“One of the reasons we switched from Caribbean Breeze to A-Town is that Caribbean Breeze was more of a specialty operation,” he told ARLnow.com. “I figured we could support the locals and cater to Arlington, not just to Miami… It will be a place you could eat at every day.”

Bronx Pizza (3100 Clarendon Blvd), which has been “coming soon” to Clarendon since February 2011, will open the doors to its first customers on Saturday, Aug. 11, according to Cordero.

Cordero, who grew up in the South Bronx and started working in a mom-and-pop pizza place at the age of 13, says the opening will feature something unique to Arlington: actual Bronx pizza makers.

“Old friends of mine who have been in the pizzeria business for 20 years, they’re going to come down and help [with the opening],” he said. “The reason we call it Bronx Pizza is I am from the Bronx, two blocks from Yankee stadium.”

In addition to bona fide Bronx natives, the shop will feature plenty of other touches from the northernmost New York City borough, including photos of the Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Michael Corleone (from the filming of The Godfather), and the George Washington Bridge.

Cordero is expecting late night food to be a big component of the shop’s business.

“It will be a big bang,” he said of the planned Saturday opening, “considering all those bars and clubs are going to get out at 2:00 a.m. and we’ll be open until 4:00 a.m.”

Interior construction on both restaurants is expected to wrap up by Monday.

Flickr pool photo (top) by Maryva2

Z-Burger Set For Fall Opening In Virginia Square

By Aaron Kraut

The owners of the growing Z-Burger local burger chain say they plan to open a franchise in Virginia Square this fall, perhaps as soon as September.

In March 2011, Z-Burger co-owner Mohammad Esfahani told ARLnow.com that he hoped to have the location open last summer. But co-owner Peter Tabibian said today the company is now focused on opening its new Columbia Heights location first, in the next few weeks.

Esfahani said construction is ongoing for the 4,000-square-foot space at the corner of Wilson Boulevard and N. Kenmore Street. This will be Z-Burger’s sixth location and first in Virginia.

A BGR: The Burger Joint opened last year in Clarendon, and the location will also face competition from a nearby Five Guys (2300 Wilson Boulevard) and Wiinky’s (3902 Wilson Boulevard), among others.

The two-story red brick building that used to house a video conversion business and a realty company has made way for a new structure. A crew was working on the new building’s interior today (Wednesday). The before and after comparison is below.

 

New Ethiopian Restaurant Opens on Columbia Pike

By Aaron Kraut

(Updated at 10:05 a.m.) The Karamara Ethiopian restaurant (3205 Columbia Pike), set for a late-August grand opening, is about 10 years in the making.

Owner Selamawit Belete emigrated from Ethiopia to the U.S. a decade ago. Establishing a restaurant, such as the one her family owned in Ethiopia, was always in the back of her mind.

She’ll have plenty of competition.

The nearby Dama Cafe has earned praise as one of the Washington area’s best Ethiopian eateries. Then there’s Harar Mesob at 542 S. 23rd Street in Crystal City and Meaza just over the Fairfax County line at 5700 Columbia Pike.

Karamara had a soft-opening last Wednesday and will be open with an abbreviated menu until Belete can get her liquor permit approved. She expects that process to take a few more weeks.

New Frozen Yogurt Shop Coming to Pentagon City

By Aaron Kraut

Is there enough room in Pentagon City for two self-serve frozen yogurt stores?

Tutti Frutti franchise owner Geoff Trout is betting on it. He hopes to open shop on South Fern Street, next to the Post Office in the Millennium at Metropolitan Park apartments, in late August or early September.

The self-serve frozen yogurt trend hit Pentagon Row earlier this year when Yogiberry replaced Maggie Moo’s ice cream. The Tutti Frutti concept is similar — a rotating menu of flavors combined with 35 to 40 fruit and candy toppings.

“I feel very confident in the product,” Trout said. “I don’t think Pentagon Row is close enough. This is a company that has really taken off.”

The Los Angeles-based company claims it’s the largest self-serve frozen yogurt chain in the world, with 584 franchises.

Plans Revealed for New McDonald’s on Wilson Blvd

By Katie Pyzyk

McDonald’s is releasing some information about what its new restaurant in the Bluemont neighborhood will look like.

The existing restaurant closed earlier this month and will be demolished. An entirely new McDonald’s will be built on the site (5009 Wilson Blvd).

The interior will include the traditional booths and chairs, but a new lounge type of area will be added, as will new community tables. The different styles of seating are designed to give customers a variety of dining options to fit their lifestyles — from meeting new people at the communal seating to enjoying a quiet cup of coffee in the lounge. Plasma screen TVs and free Wi-Fi will also be available.

“This construction is a part of McDonald’s focus to modernize and elevate the restaurant experience through upgrading to a more modern exterior design and providing upscale and contemporary interior décor,” said local McDonald’s franchisee Kyu Rhee.

Plans for the exterior are said to be consistent with the McDonald’s brand, while still allowing for flexibility with color and design materials to adapt to the neighborhood. There will be new landscaping and an easily identifiable drive through.

The construction is intended to show McDonald’s customers that the company can change with the times and with customer needs, while retaining the brand’s basic principles. The new restaurant is expected to open late in October.

Ballston Buffalo Wild Wings Opening Next Week

By Katie Pyzyk

Buffalo Wild Wings is preparing to open its newest location (950 N. Glebe Road) in Ballston next week.

Passers-by may notice a lot of activity at the site right now, because new employees are going through training this week. But the sports themed restaurant won’t open to the public until Monday, July 16, after a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m.

Regional manager Don Rizzie said based in part on the success of the Buffalo Wild Wings in Crystal City, the decision was made to expand in Arlington.

“It’s a great area, it’s bustling,” said Rizzie. “Northern Virginia is the place to be right now.”

Rizzie said the Ballston location is expected to be a top five store within the company. The Crystal City location, which has been open for about a year and a half, came in third in sales last year for all Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants across the country. It’s anticipated that the one in Ballston will perform as well, if not better.

“You’re not going to be able to beat the lunches we do around here,” said Rizzie.

Although the Ballston area is quickly accruing sports bar style restaurants, such as the recently opened Greene Turtle, Rizzie doesn’t think competition will be a problem. He said there are things that set Buffalo Wild Wings apart from the competition, specifically the high energy employees who put an emphasis on customer service.

“What really makes Buffalo Wild Wings is our people. That’s why we’re so selective about hiring,” Rizzie said. “Anybody can have signature sauces and put up TVs and show all the sporting events, but what we have is the energy.”

The restaurant has outdoor seating for 75 people. There will be some TVs inside the establishment that face out toward the patio for those who want to keep up with the games while getting some fresh air.

Rizzie points out that even though the chain is known for its wings, there is a full menu available for anyone who wants something a little different. There will be a variety of lunch specials on weekdays.

As part of the opening festivities, next week the restaurant will be raffling off a year of free wings every hour, along with other freebies.

“Come out and see us next week,” said Rizzie. “It’s going to be a party!”

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‘Burger 7’ Coming Soon to Lee Highway

By ARLnow.com

 

A new burger restaurant is coming to Arlington.

“Burger 7” is coming to the 2500 block of Lee Highway, next to a 7-Eleven store in the old Chickpeas Restaurant space. Burger 7 has an existing location at 7505 Leesburg Pike, in Falls Church and, in addition to the Arlington location, will be opening an Alexandria location later this year.

Burger 7 bills itself as a restaurant that’s “committed to bringing you a juicy gourmet burger that will take you to burger heaven.” According to the company’s website, Burger 7 uses certified Angus beef, which is ground fresh daily. The beef is said to be sourced from humanely-raised cattle that has been fed an all-vegetarian diet and which has never been given hormones or antibiotics.

Other menu items at Burger 7 include french fries cooked in olive oil, sweet fries, onion rings handspun shakes made with organic milk and grass-fed all-beef hotdogs.

No word yet on when the Lee Highway location is expected to open. Calls to the phone number listed for the company were not answered.

Slight Delay on Opening, but Progress at World of Beer

By Katie Pyzyk

Construction is progressing at World of Beer (901 N. Glebe Road) in Ballston, and it should be open in a month.

Owner Evan Matz said the original goal was to open by the end of July. That’s been pushed back to August 6, however, due to a few delays including the late arrival of some supplies due to last week’s storm.

Earlier this year, the County Board approved a request for outdoor seating and live music at the establishment. Free live entertainment will take place on Wednesday through Saturday evenings.

Matz said although there will be televisions for sports fans, WOB will be different from the other restaurants and sports bars in the area. Instead of a focus on sports and food, Matz said the focus is on providing good quality beer with a social atmosphere.

“We don’t carry Michelob, Budweiser, Miller, Pabst Blue Ribbon. We don’t do two dollar pitchers. It’s not that kind of place,” Matz said. “We’re giving Ballston and Arlington a place to enjoy that has better tasting, better quality beer.”

If WOB gets 1,000 Facebook fans and 500 Twitter followers, it will throw a special pre-grand opening party for all the fans next month.

World of Beer is currently hiring friendly, energetic people for all positions at the Ballston location. Those interested can download an application online and email General Manager Sarah Miller at [email protected] for more information.

RedRocks Hopes to Open Pike Location Later This Year

By ARLnow.com

RedRocks Pizzeria is hoping to open in Arlington later this year.

As we reported on Monday, D.C.-based RedRocks is planning to open its third location in the Penrose Square development on Columbia Pike. According to a press release, the RedRocks hopes to hopes to open the new Pike location in “early December.”

The restaurant’s 3,800 square foot space at Penrose Square will abut the north end of a new public square that’s currently under construction, at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Barton Street. The restaurant will house a wood-burning oven, 140 indoor seats and a full-service bar and lounge area. Outdoor seating will also be offered.

From a press release:

RedRocks Pizzeria will be the newest addition to Arlington’s Penrose Square development off of Columbia Pike in Arlington. The new restaurant will be an expanded version of the other two locations in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC and in Old Town Alexandria, with a more extensive menu and wider selection of beers on tap.

The 3,800 square foot space is poised to be the local neighborhood spot for Neapolitan-style pizza cooked in a 900 degree wood-burning oven. Designed with a rustic wood and brick theme, the future spot will feature a 140-seat indoor space, a full-service bar and lounge area, and a dining room with elevated booth seating. The restaurant will also offer outdoor seating overlooking the new Penrose Square pedestrian park currently under development by Arlington County.

Menu offerings will be expanded from the other two locations to include everything from fresh pasta dishes and the award-winning RedRocks Neapolitan pizza to small plates and snacks, ranging from risotto croquettes and fava bean crostini, to the popular Meatballs Al Forno.

The new RedRocks location will feature a weekend brunch, similar to the popular brunch offered at the Columbia Heights location. The new menu is crafted by Angel Mendoza, currently head chef at the RedRocks Old Town location and former head chef for 2Amys pizzeria in Washington, DC.

The bar will offer a wide array of cocktails, martinis, specialty drinks, and 15 beers on tap. In addition, the new space will feature a more intimate lounge area with comfortable couches grouped together, perfect for meeting new people.

The anticipated opening date is scheduled for early December 2012. The restaurant is located in the new Penrose Square, which also includes restaurants Eamonn’s Dublin Chipper and Taqueria Poblano. The owners of RedRocks enlisted Paul Beckmann to design the space. Beckmann’s latest restaurant projects include Virtue Grain and Feed and Society Fair in Old Town Alexandria, VA.

Photos courtesy RedRocks Pizzeria

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