new restaurant

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Bayou Bakery Sneak Peak — Eat More Drink More scores the first photos inside Courthouse’s new Bayou Bakery. The elaborately-decorated cafe/restaurant has a distinct New Orleans theme, which extends from the decor to the food. It could be open as soon as Monday, Nov. 15.

County Government Closed for Veterans Day — Most Arlington County offices will be closed on Thursday in honor of Veterans Day. More from the Sun Gazette and Arlington County.

Virginia’s Redistricting Process Demystified — The Virginia Public Access Project has a handy video guide to the upcoming redistricting process in the Commonwealth.

Immigrant Groups Continue Push — Arlington has more or less given up on trying to opt out of the Secure Communities immigration enforcement program. But the immigrant rights groups that led the charge for withdrawing from the program aren’t done fighting. They filed a Freedom of Information Act request last month for more details about the opt-out process, and plan on sharing the results with Arlington County. More from the Washington Independent.

Flickr pool photo by pderby

Crystal City Chick-Fil-A To Give Out 10,000 Free Sandwiches

By ARLnow.com

When Chick-fil-A does a grand opening, they do it big. The opening of the new Crystal City store at 2200 Crystal Drive will be no exception.

The company is expecting people to start lining up for the Nov. 18 opening at 6:00 a.m. on Nov. 17.

The reason people would brave the cold for a fast food restaurant opening? The store is offering a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A meals to the first 100 adults in line (a $260 value).

The queue will be set up in the park across the street, so the campers don’t get clog the sidewalk. A company spokesperson said 200 people lined up 24 hours prior to a restaurant opening in Denver last week for the same “First 100” promotion.

If there are more than 100 people in line in Crystal City by 6:00 a.m. on Nov. 17, the first 100 spots will be determined by a raffle.

In advance of the opening, Chick-fil-A will also be doing a big sandwich giveaway. The restaurant will distribute 10,000 chicken sandwiches during the lunch hour of Nov. 15 and 16.

Chick-fil-A says the store, which will employ nearly 50 people, is the result of years of market research.

“With the company having researched locations in the area since 2004, the Crystal City restaurant provides an opportunity for the chain to be a part of the Crystal City streetscape,” the company said in a press release. “The Chick-fil-A restaurant also is conveniently located to mass transit and the Pentagon.”

“Mudbug” Coming to Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

A new bar/restaurant is taking over the old El Pollito space on 23rd Street in Crystal City.

The place will be called “Mudbug,” according to a state alcoholic beverage application advertised today in the Washington Post.

What Mudbug will serve is anyone’s guess, but the word mudbug is a Creole slang term for crawfish. That seems indicative of a Louisiana/Cajun theme (sounds familiar, right?).

One of the business’ principals, Measar Saengplai, is a bartender at Rosslyn’s Cafe Asia, according to his Linked In page.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Cuccinelli Celebrates GOP Victories in Arlington — Partying with Tea Party leaders at the Leadership Institute in Clarendon, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli hailed the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives. He said he hopes the new congress comes to Washington to “change it, not join it.” He also spoke about the lawsuits he’s filed to protect Virginia against “the overreach of federal power.” More from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Bayou Bakery Could Open in Two Weeks — Chef David Guas’ new Bayou Bakery will be opening in the old Camille’s space in Courthouse soon, perhaps as early as Nov. 13. First, however, the 60-seat restaurant must pass a round of county inspections. Bayou will feature a New Orleans-inspired food menu as well as pastries, beer and coffee. More from WCP’s Tim Carman.

Parks and Rec Award Needs Nominees — Arlington County is still looking for nominees for its 2011 Bill Thomas Park Service Award, which honors individuals for their passionate support of the county’s parks. More from Arlington County.

Flickr pool photo by philliefan99

Korean BBQ Coming to South Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Alexandria’s Heebeen Restaurant is opening an outpost in the Eclipse at Potomac Yard condominium complex, just south of Crystal City.

The restaurant is described as an “Asian bistro buffet,” featuring primarily Korean and Japanese cuisine. Specialties include Korean BBQ, sushi and sashimi, in addition to traditional Korean dishes.

Unlike the Alexandria location, which has been in business for 18 years, food at the Arlington Heebeen won’t be grilled at the table. The restaurant will be “very upscale” — which also means that there won’t be a delivery option.

Co-owner Mike Kim says he expects the space to be able to seat 160 people. That includes seating at an outdoor patio.

Kim says he hopes to open the new Heebeen at some point in the spring.

Hat tip to @hoborocks for the heads up

First Look: Rustico Hours Away From Opening

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 7:20 p.m.) With just hours to go until the long-anticipated opening of Rustico restaurant in Ballston, the staff is breaking out the Red Bull and the Mountain Dew, preparing for a long night of putting on the finishing touches and getting ready for the first customers to walk through the door at 11:30 tomorrow morning.

With about 200 indoor seats and 100 outdoor seats (which will stay in storage until next year), Rustico is trying to become the premiere lunch, dinner, happy hour and sophisticated night spot in Ballston.

It will certainly have the largest beer selection in Ballston, if not in all of Northern Virginia: 400 bottles, 40 drafts and 3 cask ales (the casks will be installed next week). By comparison, the original Rustico, in Alexandria, has 300 bottles, 30 drafts and 2 cask ales.

The bottles are displayed prominently behind the bar in two bright display cases. The taps, however, form the bar’s centerpiece — two dense horizontal arrays of colorful tap handles in a cut-out nook between the display cases.

Unlike the Alexandria location, the Ballston Rustico will feature a bar area separated from the dining area. There will also be a semi-private dining areas for groups and parties.

The bar area features five flat screen TV’s (tuned primarily to sports), two long tables, a dozen booths and at least a dozen seats at the bar itself. The bar stools are modern, padded and comfortable, with a foot rest and arm rests.

The dining area is elegant and modern. The seats are molded wood — no padding, but surprisingly comfortable. Booths run along either side of the room.

The lighting fixtures are particularly fascinating. Elaborate, artistic chandeliers adorn the bar and the private dining area. Long, antique Edison bulbs light the general dining area.

Management tells us that more interior touches will be put into place in the two weeks after opening. A bare wall near the bar will be decorated, a raw wooden wall in the dining area will be illuminated with LED lighting and more mirror accents will be installed.

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Interior Construction at District Taco’s Lee Highway Restaurant

By ARLnow.com

Interior work on the new District Taco restaurant on Lee Highway is well underway.

What was once Restaurant Vero is now morphing into a brick-and-mortar version of the popular taco cart. Some walls have been painted yellow, and a long metal counter has been installed. The black and white checkered floor and the pressed metal ceiling has remained the same.

Owner Osiris Hoil is hoping to open at some point next week, but the date is still in flux.

Meanwhile, the store is hiring cooks, servers and managers, according to a sign in the window. Anyone interested in a position should email jobs [at] districttaco.com.

After the jump, a first look at DT’s menu.

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Sweetgreen Ballston Opening Nears

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s first Sweetgreen store is less than three weeks away from opening in Ballston.

The environmentally-friendly salad and frozen yogurt store is expected to open in the second week of November, the company said today. An exact opening date has not been chosen.

The store will be located at 4075 Wilson Boulevard, next to Rustico, which is expected to open for business tomorrow. The store will be Sweetgreen’s second in Virginia, following the opening of a location in Reston Town Center last month.

From a company press release:

As a standard in all Sweetgreen stores, the Ballston location will be outfitted with reclaimed hickory from an old Virginia barn, recycled bowling alley wood tables and chairs, energy efficient lighting, and providing plant-based compostable packaging.  “It’s been a long time coming,” said co-founder, Nathaniel Ru, “the values that we have are very parallel to the vibrant, progressive culture of Arlington, and we’re excited to be a part of that.”

Sweetgreen’s food truck, Sweetflow Mobile, will be making the rounds around the R-B corridor until 2:30 this afternoon “as a teaser” for the Ballston opening.

The truck will also make a regularly-scheduled appearance at the last Crystal City Freshfarm Market of the season tomorrow, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Buffalo Wild Wings May Open in December

By ARLnow.com

The new Buffalo Wild Wings in Crystal City may open as soon as December, a source tells ARLnow.com.

The restaurant, which specializes in “wings, beer and sports,” is being built in an empty ground-level space near the corner of 23rd Street and Crystal Drive, across from Jaleo.

It will be the sixth “BW3” in the area, one of two that are near a Metro station (in addition to the Rockville location), and the closest to D.C. proper.

Should the restaurant not be able to open in December, we’re told the company will likely push the opening back to February.

Opening Date Set for Crystal City Chick-Fil-A

By ARLnow.com

The new Chick-Fil-A in Crystal City will open its doors on Thursday, Nov. 18, a PR rep for the Georgia-based company told ARLnow.com this afternoon.

The eagerly-anticipated restaurant will be located between the Corner Bakery Cafe and the Neramitra Thai restaurant on the 2200 block of Crystal Drive.

A groundbreaking ceremony featuring a company executive and the famous Chick-Fil-A cow was held in July.

The 3,683 square-foot restaurant will seat up to 81 people. It’s owned by a franchisee and mother of four, Natalie Yang, who is moving from Georgia to run the restaurant.

District Taco Restaurant Opening Delayed by Tortilla Machine

By ARLnow.com

Fans of the District Taco cart (Optimus Prime, for instance) will have to wait a bit longer for the crew’s new brick-and-mortar restaurant on Lee Highway to open to the public

Owner Osiris Hoil says that interior construction is wrapping up, and he has most of his county permits in hand, but he’s still waiting on a tortilla-making machine.

He believes the tortilla machine will arrive in time to open the restaurant during the first week in November.

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