new restaurant

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Court Rules Against Doggie Daycare Mural — A federal appeals court has determined that Arlington County did not violate a business owner’s free speech by forcing her to cover up a mural that county code interpreted as a commercial sign. Wag More Dogs owner Kim Houghton had argued — unsuccessfully — that the mural was artwork and the county’s action violated her First Amendment rights. [Associated Press]

‘Leek American Bistro’ Coming to Ballston — A new American-style bistro is coming to Ballston. “Leek American Bistro” will feature “upscale” dishes in a casual atmosphere. Chef/owner Nathan Spittal says the new eatery, located in the former Thai Terrace space at 801 N. Quincy Street, will focus on locally-sourced ingredients and locally-sourced beer and wine. Spittal is the former owner of the BBQ Banditos food truck. [Washington Business Journal]

Board Approved Clarendon Metro Improvements — The Arlington County Board last night approved a $765,000 contract to transform the small park area around the Clarendon Metro station into a “more active, accessible, multi-use plaza.” Planned improvements include landscaping, paving, covered bike parking, seating walls and movable tables and chairs. [Arlington County]

Arlington Business Hall of Fame Inductees — Three men were inducted into the Arlington Business Hall of Fame during a ceremony yesterday morning, May 22. The ceremony also included the Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s annual ABBIEs business award presentation. [Sun Gazette, Arlington Mercury]

Flickr pool photo by Divaknevil

Nando’s Peri Peri Plans June Opening in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

Nando’s Peri Peri is opening its first Virginia location next month in Pentagon City.

The restaurant, which is currently under construction on Pentagon Row in the old PR Grill space, is expected to open on June 13 after two days of mock service. The company has several locations in the District and Maryland, but this will be the first Nando’s Peri Peri in Virginia. A location is also planned for Old Town Alexandria.

In addition to its signature Portuguese chicken offerings, the Nando’s menu includes sandwiches, wraps, pitas, sides, salads and “appeteasers.” The restaurant also serves wine, beer and sangria.

In a press release, the company said it’s planning to expand beyond the D.C. area.

These openings mark the beginning of an East Coast expansion of the flame-grilled Portuguese chicken restaurant, which is close to announcing several new leases.

The first Nando’s Peri Peri opened its doors in 1987 outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. Since then, Nando’s Peri Peri has opened restaurants in 34 countries and five continents. Today, it has over 850 restaurants located around the world. Nando’s Peri Peri made its USA debut in 2008, when it opened its first US location on 7th Street in Washington, DC’s Chinatown.  Since then, Nando’s has gone on to open six additional locations based in and around the Washington, DC Metropolitan area, including Dupont Circle, Silver Spring, Annapolis, Bethesda, Gaithersburg, and the National Harbor.

The Pentagon Row location is currently hiring full-time and part-time cashiers and grillers, the company said.

UPDATED: Lime Fresh to Open Pentagon Row Location

By ARLnow.com

 

Update on 5/21/12 — A Lime rep says the opening of the company’s new Pentagon Row location has been delayed until Wednesday, May 30.

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill is expected to open its second Arlington location in Pentagon City next week.

The fast-growing restaurant chain says they’ll be opening in the former Baja Fresh space at Pentagon Row (1101 S. Joyce Street) on Wednesday, May 23. As of last night, interior construction was still underway.

Lime Fresh will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Sunday. No special festivities are planned for the Wednesday opening, but a company rep says a “grand opening fiesta” is being “planned for a date in the near future.”

Lime Fresh opened its first Arlington location, at 2900 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon, in mid-January. Parent company Ruby Tuesday declined to comment on how the location is faring financially, except to say “are excited about the good community response and continuing expansion in the D.C. area.”

Originally launched in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida, Lime Fresh describes itself as a “fast-casual Mexican restaurant” that has “garnered a cult following from locals and celebrities alike throughout Miami.”

Famous for its signature blend of fresh, mouth-watering Mexican dishes, dynamic ambiance, stylized interiors and scrupulous service, Lime was originally conceived in 2004, to complement the vibrant and food-conscious culture of South Beach. Today, Lime delivers light Mexican-style cuisine using fresh produce and meats charbroiled on grills in an exhibition style kitchen. Additionally, all locations feature a signature house-made salsa bar with selections ranging from mild pico de gallo to the spicy habanero salsa, as well as 50 variations of custom hot sauces.

Diners have the option of choosing from a variety of guacamole flavors served with house-made tortilla chips, including the Classic Guac and the Gringo Guac, as well as the Housemade Queso Dip. Entrée favorites include the South Beach Burrito with chicken, jack and cheddar cheese, pico de gallo and shredded lettuce served on a low-carb tortilla; Flautas with chicken, organic black beans, corn, jack and cheddar cheese lightly fried in golden brown, soft yellow corn tortillas and served with a creamy avocado-ranch dipping sauce; and the Surfer Tacos with grilled Mahi Mahi, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo and a cool cilantro sauce. Low carb, vegetarian and whole wheat options are also available for health-conscious diners.

‘Protein Bar’ Coming Soon to Ballston

By Katie Pyzyk

A restaurant putting its attention on healthy food will be coming to Ballston. The Chicago chain Protein Bar is branching out and planning locations in Arlington and D.C.

Signs are up on the ground floor of the building under construction at 800 N. Glebe Road, but there’s not much visible progress on the site yet.

Protein Bar’s website says the mission is to “provide active, on-the-go people with healthy, flavorful choices while having a positive impact on everyone we meet and in everything we do.”

The strong focus on health comes through on the menu, where nutritional information for each dish is clearly listed. Everything on the menu is less than 600 calories.

Many of the dishes include quinoa instead of rice, such as the restaurant’s signature “Bar-ritos,” which are also made with low calorie wheat wraps. Protein Bar claims the quinoa makes their burritos have half the calories of most others. There are also salads, chilis and blended drinks.

On its website, Protein Bar says it expects to open in Ballston “later in the summer.”

District Taco to Open D.C. Restaurant Tomorrow

By ARLnow.com

District Taco is planning to open its new brick-and-mortar restaurant in the District tomorrow.

Founder Osiris Hoil tells ARLnow.com that the new location, at 1309 F Street NW near Metro Center, will open to the public on Friday. Hoil, who launched the District Taco cart  in 2009 after being laid off from a construction job, called new restaurant “my American dream” on Twitter.

The D.C. eatery is District Taco’s second location. Hoil opened the original restaurant, at 5723 Lee Highway in Arlington, in November 2010.

Hoil says El Toro — the District Taco cart that parks in various parts of Arlington during the week — will be out of service for a “couple weeks” to allow the company to focus on training staff and getting the new restaurant off the ground.

Photo via Twitter

Taqueria Poblano Opens on the Pike With Limited Hours

By Katie Pyzyk

Taqueria Poblano’s newest location at 2401 Columbia Pike has opened, but only for limited hours.

Workers have been preparing for the opening for weeks, and the interior is now all set. The public was allowed to come in and taste the food this past weekend.

For now, the restaurant will open at 5:00 p.m. from Monday through Saturday, and at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. A manager tells us that once the kinks are worked out and things start running smoothly in a couple of weeks, the normal lunch hours will kick in as well.

In the meantime, the restaurant is hiring for a variety of positions to get up to full staff by the time regular hours begin.

1/3

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Good Stuff Eatery Opens Tonight — The new Good Stuff Eatery location at 2110 Crystal Drive in Crystal City will open to the general public for the first time tonight. The burger and shake restaurant will be open for dinner only today; it will start opening for lunch and dinner tomorrow. A television production crew is expected to be filming at the restaurant tonight for an upcoming episode of ‘Life After Top Chef.’

Potomac Overlook Naturalist Retiring — Martin Ogle, who is retiring next week after 27 years as chief naturalist at Potomac Overlook Regional Park, is being credited with playing a key role in a number of environmental initiatives in Arlington over the years. [Falls Church News-Press]

Moran Challenger Worries About GOP Inclusiveness — Patrick Murray, the Republican who will be trying again to unseat incumbent Rep. Jim Moran (D) in November, is concerned that the GOP is straying from Ronald Reagan’s belief in a ‘Big Tent.’ Murray issued a statement following Ric Grenell’s resignation from Mitt Romney’s Republican presidential campaign. Grenell resigned as a spokesman for the campaign after social conservative groups began criticizing the campaign because Grenell is openly gay. Murray said he was “disappointed” to learn that Grenell stepped down. [Sun Gazette]

Good Stuff Eatery Holds Party in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Spike Mendelsohn brought some glitz and glamour to Crystal City Friday night at the private opening party for his newest Good Stuff Eatery location.

Between the the celebrity DJ inside (Josh Madden), the Ferrari parked outside (it belonged to one of Spike’s investors), and the reality show production crew that filmed the whole thing (we were told they were working on “Life After Top Chef”), the party was more Hollywood Boulevard than Crystal Drive. Taking in the excitement — and the beer, fries, burgers and milkshakes — was a capacity crowd that included young partiers, local notables, and Mendelsohn family members.

The restaurant, at 2110 Crystal Drive, is set to open to the public on Wednesday.

1/21

Retail, Street Improvements Coming to Pershing Drive

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 9:55 a.m.) A grocery store and as many as four restaurants could be coming to Pershing Drive in Lyon Park over the next year or so.

Construction on the new $62 million apartment project at 2201 Pershing Drive, at the intersection with Route 50, is nearing completion. One of the two buildings is expected to open in mid-July, with the other expected to open in September. The apartments in each feature sound-resistant windows, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, and in-unit washer/dryers.

The 188-unit complex is currently leasing for both residents and for retail tenants.

The buildings together have 31,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. Developers envision up to four restaurants, with outdoor sidewalk seating, and a 12,000 square foot specialty grocery store, like Yes! Organic Market or Balducci’s. One of the retail bays is pre-built for a wood burning oven, with the hopes of attracting a Matchbox-type restaurant.

Though the complex is about a 15 minute walk from Clarendon, most retail customers who do not live in the immediate area are expected to drive. To accommodate them, a 125-space at-grade retail parking lot has been built behind the buildings. That’s in addition to the 270 underground spaces for residents. Both the residential and retail parking areas will have electric car chargers.

While attempting to bring a revamped retail district to Pershing Drive (the apartment complex replaced a former strip mall), developer Equity Residential is also paying for improvements to the streetscape. Company officials expect the road construction currently in progress will be complete by the time the first apartments open in July. Improvements include a complete repaving, planted center medians, trees, brick planters, overhead utility relocations.

DelMarVa’s Southern Cafe Coming to Crystal City

By Katie Pyzyk

Some comfort food is coming to Crystal City. DelMarVa’s Southern Cafe and Taphouse is apparently moving in at 2450 Crystal Drive, according to its website.

The restaurant touts itself as serving comfort foods traditional to the Delmarva Peninsula. Some menu items include the “Chesapeake Chicken” sandwich, which is topped with crab dip, and the “Eastern Shore” fried egg sandwich. The drink menu features wines and beers crafted in the Delmarva area.

The website says the restaurant, which will offer a casual atmosphere, hopes to be open this fall. A location in Baltimore is scheduled to open sometime this spring.

Vietnamese Restaurant Coming Soon to Shirlington

By ARLnow.com

A new French-Vietnamese style restaurant called Lotus Grill and Noodles is coming to Shirlington.

The restaurant, which currently under construction in a 2,100 square foot space next to Extra Virgin restaurant, will feature Vietnamese specialties like phở, crispy spring rolls, grilled pork rolls, and other lunch and dinner items.

Building permits for the 40-seat restaurant were issued in March. A liquor license application indicates the restaurant will serve beer and wine.

Photo by Kham Tran via Wikipedia

View More Stories