new restaurant

P. Brennan’s Is Open For Business

By ARLnow.com

At 11:30 this morning, P. Brennan’s opened its doors to the public for the first time. Columbia Pike’s new Irish pub is huge — boasting a legal capacity of 360 patrons.

Marketing manager Emma Whelan says she expects a crowd to start building around 5:00 tonight, as curious Pike residents check out their newest watering hole. A grand opening celebration will be held on May 8, Whelan said.

For those staying up late on a school night, P. Brennan’s will stay open until 1:30 tonight.

Check out photos and the story behind the pub’s name here.

Lyon Hall Set To Open on Tuesday

By ARLnow.com

Update at 2:15 p.m. — Management is hinting that the public may be able to stop by “soft-opening” events this weekend. One such event is taking place tonight — they’re advising people to stop by after 10:00 p.m.

The ink still damp on the ABC permit that arrived this morning, management at Lyon Hall (3100 Washington Boulevard) is hard at work preparing to open to the public on Tuesday. A small armada of beer and wine vendors will start delivering their wares today.

It’s the most highly-anticipated restaurant opening in recent memory in Arlington. This site alone has received more than 1,100 hits from people who searched for “Lyon Hall” on Google.

Opening in a historic property in Clarendon that most recently housed Dan Kain Trophies (there are trophies used as decorative items throughout the restaurant), Lyon Hall is a Euro-style brasserie with a heavy emphasis on beer, wine and charcuterie.

See more photos, including a glimpse at the menus and beer taps, after the jump.

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Pete’s New Haven Apizza Coming to Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

We just told you about Fire Works Pizza, the huge new wood-fired pizza restaurant that’s coming to Courthouse. Now, a tipster tells us that yet ANOTHER specialty pizza restaurant is on the way.

Pete’s New Haven Apizza, currently of Columbia Heights in the District, will lease a storefront in the new Clarendon Center development. Co-owner Joel Mehr confirms that Pete’s is hoping to open the Arlington restaurant — its third in the D.C. area — at some point this winter.

Washingtonian said the slices at Pete’s are “not only the best in town; they’re worthy of comparison with the best in the country.” Pete’s even got a glowing endorsement from President Obama last fall… seriously.

Mehr says the new Pete’s will likely feature a larger beer and wine menu than the Columbia Heights location.

Between American Flatbread, Faccia Luna, Liberty Tavern and — soon — Fire Works Pizza and Pete’s, locals will have plenty of pizza options.

Writes our tipster: “Clarendon will be the pizza capital of Arlington…  I hope there are enough eaters to go around.”

Fire Works Pizza Bringing the Heat to Courthouse

By ARLnow.com

Watch out, American Flatbread. Another wood-fired pizza place is coming to the area, and it’s bringing the heat.

Fire Works Pizza is moving into a large 5,500 square foot space at 2350 Clarendon Boulevard, within walking distance of American Flatbread’s Clarendon store, which opened just a couple of months ago.

Fire Works is setting up shop in Courthouse after the concept proved to be “wildly successful” in Leesburg, Va. But the Leesburg location won’t hold a candle to the Courthouse iteration. The new Fire Works is promising more of everything — more seating, more beers and more pizza.

Management expects a seating capacity of 276. There will be a huge 112-seat patio, complete with a fire pit (assuming the county permits go through).

“This space is amazing, everything about it is perfect,” said general manager John Hoffmeyer.

A 26-seat bar will feature 31 beers on tap, two cask-conditioned ales, more than 100 bottled beers and a full wine list. Fire Works will have “a great selection of American craft beers” and hard-to-find specialty beers. It’s also billing itself as “Belgian beer heaven.”

An exposed, walk-in beer cooler near the front of the store may eventually host tasting events.

Many of the signature pizzas will be the same as in Leesburg, but they’ll be made in a much larger wood-fired oven (which will be installed in dramatic disassemble-the-front-of-the-store fashion in about two weeks).

Unlike Leesburg, the new Fire Works will also boast a full kitchen, which will allow them to offer more salads, appetizers and other non-pizza items.

The folks behind Fire Works, who also run Magnolias at the Mill in Purcellville, say they’re excited about their inside-the-Beltway foray. We imagine American Flatbread’s owners are considerably less excited.

Expect Fire Works to open in mid- to late-June.

First Look: P. Brennan’s Irish Pub on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Update on 4/16/10 — P. Brennan’s is still awaiting its ABC license. The opening is being pushed back until next week.

Simply put, P. Brennan’s is massive. The soon-to-open Irish pub occupies a total of 8,000 square feet on the ground level of the Halstead apartments at 2910 Columbia Pike, next to Lost Dog Cafe and across from Arlington Cinema ‘n’ Drafthouse.

With a legal capacity of 360 people, P. Brennan’s is quite possibly the largest bar on the Pike. That’s remarkably ambitious, especially for an area that’s still in the “revitalization” phase.

“There is a huge population here who’s not served by a pub,” says marketing manager Emma Whelan. “You talk to people around here and they’re just waiting for us to arrive.”

“We have high hopes for the area and where it’s going,” said general manager Mark Pantall.

P. Brennan’s, like Twisted Vines before it, hopes to fill a unoccupied local niche. Pike residents currently have to head to Pentagon City or Clarendon for an authentic pint of Guinness and a bite of Shepherd’s Pie.

The owners are Irishmen Brian Dolphin and Greg Whelan, who also own McGinty’s Public House in Potomac Yard and in Silver Spring, Md. They named their latest pub after their friend, bartender “Little Pat” Brennan, who lost his battle against a genetic disease in August 2008.

“Through our service and staff we are aiming to instill some of his professionalism and fun-loving personality into its atmosphere and philosophy,” Greg Whelan said.

P. Brennan’s will have 16 beers on draft. The menu features the usual Irish favorites, as well as a few unique surprises, like a fish and chips salad and a skate schnitzel.

Management is hoping to open later this week, possibly as early as Wednesday, pending one last bit of regulatory approval.

P. Brennan’s phone number is 703-553-1090. More photos, after the jump.

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New Challenger for Best Beer Joint In Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Arlington beer lovers rejoice. Rustico, the suds-centric eatery on Slaters Lane in Alexandria, is coming to Ballston this summer.

The new Rustico is currently under construction on the ground floor of the Liberty Center Two building (4075 Wilson Blvd) near Ballston Common Mall. We’re told the owners are hoping to open in early July.

Rustico Ballston will have as many as 40 beers on draft, according to the YFGF beer blog. According to a Rustico employee we spoke to, it will also have a “huge” two-sided sidewalk patio, featuring more outdoor seating than the Alexandria location. See the photos below to get an idea of where the sidewalk seats will go.

We’re thinking Rustico will give Ballston’s existing beer bars (nearby Rock Bottom comes to mind) a major run for their money, especially on good weather days.

Rock and Sushi Rolls

By ARLnow.com

Perhaps the quietest thing about Sushi Rock was its launch. Courthouse’s new sushi bar welcomed its first paying customers last night amid little fanfare. No signs, no balloons, no screaming radio DJs at folding tables outside. At 5:45 p.m. it was just a bunch of marketing people on laptops finalizing the menu, a reporter, and one curious couple with their baby.

The promised non-stop rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack hadn’t even started yet.

But there’s little doubt that Sushi Rock will soon host hoards of latest-greatest-thing-seeking patrons. The owners — the same folks behind the perpetually-crowded Public Bar in the District — certainly think so. The only question that remains is: will the neighbors mind?

Sushi Rock takes over its space at 1900 Clarendon Blvd from Chinese-Peruvian fusion restaurant Yaku, which closed a few months ago.

We’re told Yaku wasn’t a huge hit with residents in the adjoining Odyssey condominiums. Some condo owners complained about the noise coming from Yaku’s customers. Between the rock music and the planned outdoor seating (still pending county approval), Sushi Rock may face some of the same scrutiny.

But management hopes that Sushi Rock’s hip, upscale atmosphere will help add value to the neighborhood, which is a bit of a no-man’s-land — down the hill from Courthouse but up the hill from Rosslyn. And in case that value proposition fails, Sushi Rock is also offering 20% off to Odyssey residents.

More photos and details on Sushi Rock’s menu and hours, after the jump.

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Afternoon Notes: Lyon Hall Opening by Mid-April?

By ARLnow.com

Lyon Hall Opening by Mid-April — Lyon Hall manager Andrew Limberg tells the Washington Post that they’ve passed their inspections and expect to open within two weeks. Writes WaPo’s Julia Beizer: “Let’s give it up for Arlington, right? Crazy stuff happening over there.” More from today’s Going Out Gurus chat (near the bottom).

Pentagon Security Heightened — The Pentagon police agency will step up its screening of visitors and will conduct more random checks of employees, according to the Associated Press. The Pentagon Force Protection Agency will also improve communication protocols at its command center. The new security measures follow last month’s shooting outside the Pentagon Metro station.

Arlington Volunteer Blog Launched — The Community Volunteer Network has launched a new blog. CVN is a social network that brings 20- and 30-somethings together through community service in Arlington.

Bike Show Planned for April 8 — Not-for-profit bike shop Phoenix Bikes is holding a bike show one week from today in Ballston. The third-annual show will feature an art show, a silent auction, a raffle for free bikes donated by local shops, food, and speeches by local movers and shakers in the bike world. More from People-Powered Arlington.

Northside Social Opening Soon

By ARLnow.com

It’s almost here. The long-awaited Northside Social coffee and wine bar, located in the former Murky Coffee building in Clarendon, will open its doors for the first time, hopefully, either Thursday or Friday, although the opening may be pushed back until next week.

Management had initially hoped to open up earlier in the week but they’re facing one last regulatory hurdle, according to co-owner Stephen Fedorchak.

In case you’re having a hard time waiting for the grand openening, you can get a glimpse of Northside’s menu or check out their Facebook page.

Photo from Northside Social/Facebook.com.

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