The Asian street food eatery Hawkers is coming to Ballston (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
The Asian street food eatery Hawkers is coming to Ballston (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
Hawkers, a growing Asian street food restaurant chain, is looking to start serving in Ballston this summer.
First announced in July 2020, Hawkers had hoped to open its first Arlington location by the spring of 2021. But equipment and supply chain challenges delayed that goal by nearly an entire year, a Hawkers spokesperson tells ARLnow. The eatery is now targeting a June 2022 opening.
The restaurant, which applied for a Virginia ABC permit earlier this month, is located at 4201 Wilson Blvd — on the ground floor of the Ballston Exchange office complex, across from Philz and next to the new El Rey taqueria, which just started slinging tacos in December.
There will also be a walk-up takeout window, a first for Hawkers.
“We think it will be a fun and engaging option that caters to the heavy foot traffic within the Ballston neighborhood,” said the spokesperson.
Orlando-based Hawkers has nearly a dozen open locations, a majority of which are concentrated in Florida. There are also locations in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, and — nearby — in Bethesda. That location opened in late 2020, marking the first in the D.C. region.
The menu highlights Asian street food, including dim sum, baos, pad Thai, noodle dishes, fried rice, and crispy pork belly.
Hawkers in Ballston is also currently hiring, particularly for management positions.
Pirouette is from the wife and husband team of Philippe and Jackie Loustaunau, residents of nearby Virginia Square who currently own a technology consulting business together.
The wine bar at 4000 Fairfax Drive will aim to have a “casual feel” that will focus on a variety of wines that takes the “intimidation” out of wine, Philippe and Jackie tell ARLnow.
The menu will be an assortment of small plates, desserts, and a few entrees that will focus on global cuisine. Vegan and vegetarian dishes will be offered. The head chef is Autumn Cline, who previously was at Rappahannock Oyster Bar and Rose’s Luxury in D.C.
A few dishes expected to be on the menu include bluefish rillettes with housemade pickles, duck confit with Japanese fermented fruit, and a vegan meaty red beet entree. While the wines and menu may be global, the focus is local.
“I love the idea of meeting our customers in the street, going to the park and seeing them with their children, seeing folks at school,” says Philippe. “This is a neighborhood environment, which I think creates community and connects people.”
Philippe is originally from France, so the idea of a neighborhood wine bar is familiar to him. Prior to having children, Jackie worked in the local restaurant industry. She has also volunteered at the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) and worked at Fresh Impact Farms.
They have long dreamed of opening a restaurant and wine bar together.
“Every time a new mixed-use building would go up [in our neighborhood] and the first floor is open, we’d be like ‘Maybe, maybe there’ll be some wine bar… or a good place to get a bite to eat,'” says Jackie. “And that never happened.”
So, they went for it, signing the lease in November. They are starting the interior build-out now and expect Pirouette to open in the summer, barring no further supply chain delays.
With a child in school, it was important to Philippe and Jackie to own a restaurant that was close by, within walking distance of their home together.
“With having a sixth grader, we wanted to do it in a way that [Pirouette] fits our life,” says Jackie. “We don’t need to build in time for a commute. We’re two blocks away and that makes a big, big difference.”
Future Chipotle location in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Permits for a future Chipotle location in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
It looks like a Chipotle is coming to Clarendon, though the company says that’s not the case.
Chipotle has applied for a state alcohol beverage permit to serve beer in a retail bay on the ground floor of the 3000 Wilson Blvd office building. A leasing plan for the building seen by ARLnow says the Chipotle will be located at 3017 Clarendon Blvd, in the empty former Pete’s New Haven Apizza storefront next to Four Sisters Grill.
There have long been rumors of an impending Chipotle arrival in Clarendon, a place that seems like a prime location for the organic-ingredient-centric, fast-casual chain. Clarendon already has all the harbingers, including a Starbucks, a Whole Foods, an Apple Store and a Crate & Barrel.
In 2014, fans of assembly-line-style Mexican cuisine had their hopes raised by Chipotle “coming soon” signs placed on an empty storefront at 3001 Washington Blvd. But the signs were fakes, placed on the outside of the windows, apparently by a local prankster.
This time around, despite the ABC permit application and the leasing plan, plus a posted county building permit for “Chipotle,” a company spokeswoman sought to dash the hopes of the Chipotle faithful in and around the neighborhood.
“We do not have a planned location in Clarendon at this point, but we are always looking to bring our Food With integrity to great new communities,” the spokeswoman told ARLnow Thursday afternoon. We are awaiting further clarification on the origin of the permit applications.
The building permit was first applied for on Jan. 12, per county records.
At the would-be Chipotle storefront this morning, permits were posted and paper covered the windows, blocking any view of the presumed construction activity inside.
5009 Langston Blvd, soon to be an All About Burger and hookah lounge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
5009 Langston Blvd, soon to be an All About Burger and hookah lounge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
5009 Langston Blvd, soon to be an All About Burger and hookah lounge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A burger restaurant and a hookah lounge are expected to open on Langston Blvd later this year.
All About Burger is gearing up for a new location at 5009 Langston Blvd, owner Mohammad Esfahani tells ARLnow, with the hope it will start serving by May or June of this year. This will be the local chain’s eighth location and third in Arlington, including restaurants in Virginia Square and Ballston.
This will be All About Burger’s largest location yet and will include a 5,000-square-foot rooftop cafe and deck.
Additionally, a hookah lounge is also planned in the back of the building. That should open closer to the end of the year, Esfahani says.
Back in 2019, ARLnow reported that the businesses were set to come to a vacant building on what was then called Lee Highway. However, that project seemingly stalled until early last year, when a new permit revealed that a build out was finally on the verge of happening.
Last month another permit was applied for to finish the work, which is about 70% done. Esfahani says the three year delay has been due to permitting and construction delays.
All About Burger’s menu consists of burgers, cajun fries, onion rings, milk shakes and a “secret menu” with chicken wings, grilled cheese and turkey burgers.
Esfahani cited a lack of higher-quality burger options in North Arlington as why Langston Blvd is a perfect spot for All About Burger’s next location, though there are two fast food spots nearby.
“There’s no burger place like us around here,” Esfahani says. “McDonald’s and Wendy’s are different. We have fresh burgers, fresh buns, fresh french fries. We wash and cut potatoes ourselves. Everything is fresh.”
The burger spot will be situated a half a block from relatively new Bob and Edith’s Diner and just west of Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe, about a three minute walk.
All About Burger originated as a result of a split with another burger joint, Z-Burger. Esfahani and his brother Ebrahim were once partners in that business, but a legal settlement handed branding and naming to his former partner Peter Tabibian. Esfahani was able to retain four locations of Z-Burger, including the one on Wilson Blvd near Clarendon, but he had to rebrand. Hence, the name change from Z-Burger to All About Burger.
Esfahani tells ARLnow that his brother is no longer a partner in the business.
A runner along Long Bridge Park in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Local GOP Supports NAACP’s Caucus Call — “We agree with the NAACP Arlington Branch when they exclaim ‘holding a partisan caucus outside the general election schedule leads to voter confusion and thus undermines voter engagement… and candidate recruitment,’ and we support the NAACP’s strong recommendation that the ‘ACDC cease its School Board caucus and endorsement process…'” [Arlington GOP]
New Mahjong Speakeasy in Pentagon City — “Scott Chung, the restaurateur behind Bun’d Up, was chatting with fellow chef Andrew Lo not long ago about how to best make use of the back room of his Taiwanese gua bao eatery in Pentagon City. Chung had a vision for a dive bar. Lo suggested a hub for mahjong… The end result is Sparrow Room, a speakeasy-style cocktail bar and dim sum restaurant at Westpost (formerly Pentagon Row) that opens Thursday, Jan. 27.” [Arlington Magazine]
ACFD Rolling Out Telehealth Pilot Program — “Hospitals and emergency crews are stretched thin across the region, which has Arlington County turning to telehealth to help. Paramedics will still respond to 911 calls, but the new pilot program will give patients with less serious emergencies the option of skipping the trip to the emergency room and seeing a doctor through a screen instead.” [Fox 5]
Arlington Church Gets Grand Organ — “St. George’s Episcopal Church is slated to formally present Northern Virginia with an extraordinary and lasting musical gift, a magnificent $1.2 million pipe organ designed by world-renowned organ builder Martin Pasi. The grand instrument, to be used in public concerts as well as for congregational services, is described by Pasi as ‘unique in the Northern Virginia area and comparable to the best in Europe.’ And potentially, it could be making music for the next three centuries.” [Sun Gazette]
Lunar New Year Celebration at Eden Center — “Through February 6th, Eden Center will celebrate the Lunar New Year (called Tet in Vietnamese) with traditional lion dances, music, special dishes, and other activities. Like Japan, Korea and Taiwan, Vietnam follows the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar, which assigns each year to an animal in the Chinese Zodiac. This year, the year of the Tiger, promises passion and tumult, according to astrologers.” [Arlington Magazine]
It’s February — Today, Feb. 1, will be mostly sunny, with a high near 40. Sunrise at 7:13 a.m. and sunset at 5:30 p.m. Tomorrow will be partly sunny, with a high near 47. [Weather.gov]
Chasing Tails on N. Westmoreland Street in East Falls Church (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Rendering of Chasin’ Tails in Falls Church (photo courtesy of Au Dang)
Chasin’ Tails co-owners Terrell Wilbourn and Au Dang (file photo)
Rendering of Chasin’ Tails in Falls Church (photo courtesy of Au Dang)
Seafood restaurant Chasin’ Tails is swimming out of Arlington and about a mile down the road to Falls Church, co-owner Au Dang confirms to ARLnow.
The decade-old restaurant that’s inspired by backyard crawfish boils is heading to Founders Row, a new development just over a mile from its current location at 2200 N. Westmoreland Street in Arlington’s East Falls Church neighborhood. The move is expected to happen possibly in June, depending on permits, with the closing and opening of the restaurants happening simultaneously.
While it’s not a big move distance-wise, Dang says setting up in the new development is a good opportunity for the restaurant.
“We saw an opportunity at up and coming Founders Row,” he says. “It wasn’t anything about the current situation. It’s just an amazing spot in Falls Church.”
The development will actually be home to three restaurants from the same ownership group, Happy Endings Hospitality. Chasin’ Tails will be joined by Roll Play, which currently has a location in Tysons, and Vietnamese restaurant Nue.
All three are different concepts and will have “separate experiences,” Dang notes.
Dang and his co-owners, which includes his brother, aren’t completely leaving Arlington, though. They still own the Happy Eatery food hall in Rosslyn, which opened in late 2019 under the slightly longer and more risque name “Happy Endings Eatery.”
The last decade hasn’t come without its challenges for Louisiana-inspired Chasin’ Tails, but it’s all led to this point of expansion, Dang says.
“We had hard lessons to learn,” he says. “We’ve taken all the knowledge we’ve acclimated to make improvements in interior design and overall branding. This is the best we have to offer.”
Chef Johnny Spero at Nighthawk Pizza (photo courtesy of Nighthawk Pizza)
Nighthawk Pizza at Westpost in Pentagon City, opening spring 2022 (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
Nighthawk Pizza at Westpost in Pentagon City, opening fall 2022 (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
Tavern-style pizza at Nighthawk Pizza (photo courtesy of Nighthawk Pizza)
Smoked wings at Nighthawk Pizza (photo courtesy of Nighthawk Pizza)
Fried cheese curds at Nighthawk Pizza (photo courtesy of Nighthawk Pizza)
Nighthawk Pizza, the beer and food hall with a “’90s vibe,” is aiming for a late March opening in Pentagon City, co-owner Scott Parker tells ARLnow.
The newest venture from the local serial entrepreneur was initially expected to start serving in the late fall, but supply chain hang-ups (a common refrain these days) pushed the date a few months.
The head chef is Johnny Spero, breakout star of Netflix’s Final Table and one of the buzziest chefs in the D.C. region right now. The menu will feature thicker-crust Sicilian pizzas and a crisper, thinner tavern-style pizza as well as sandwiches, smoked wings, fried cheese curds, ribs and ice cream sundaes.
The 10,000 square foot beer and pizza eatery is leaning hard into the ’90s vibe with the design inspired by the after-school hot spot “the Max” on the television show “Saved by the Bell.”
“The whole space is not going to be as bright or as loud, but when we were looking for design touches, that was the inspiration,” Parker says. The interior is currently under construction, so photos are not available quite yet to compare Nighthawk to Zack Morris’s favorite place to hang out.
There will also be an outdoor bar, which pairs nicely with Westpost now permitting “sipping and strolling.” Meaning, patrons can roam the shopping plaza with a drink in hand.
He says one of the reasons he chose to open his newest creation at Westpost was because of the abundance of buzzy openings in recent months, including Lucky Danger, Mattie and Eddie’s, and soon-to-open Banditos Bar & Kitchen. Amazon’s arrival in the neighborhood is driving these restaurants to set up shop in Pentagon City, says Parker.
As to why Arlington is constantly the setting for Parker’s new businesses, he says it’s because of the clientele.
“There are so many people who are doing well professionally right out of college,” he says. “It’s just a great demographic with a lot of people who have disposable income. For the business I’m part of, that just fits well.”
Ice cream flavor “Szechuan Spicy Girl” at Mimis Handmade Ice Cream in Pentagon City (photo courtesy of Rollin Amore)
Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream in Pentagon City (photo courtesy of Rollin Amore)
Opening an ice cream shop in the winter wasn’t exactly Rollin Amore’s plan, but he’s been pleasantly surprised by how good business has been so far.
“I’ve had at least 30 to 40 people the first four weeks basically come back two, three, four, five times,” Amore, owner and ice cream maker at Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream at Westpost in Pentagon City, says. “I’ve built up a loyal following in such a short period. That’s a testament to the product.”
Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream, named after the owner’s youngest daughter, opened in December (after initially aiming for a summer opening) in a space at 1201 S. Joyce Street that’s been a bit of a revolving door for businesses. The delayed opening was due to supply chain issues, a common refrain these days.
This is Amore’s first foray into the ice cream business, after spending nearly four decades in finance.
Saying that retirement isn’t for him, he decided to turn his longtime passion of cooking into a new business. One of the biggest thrills he has is watching people enjoy what he makes.
“This is a real passion, a labor of love,” he says, speaking to ARLnow on the phone while behind the counter at the shop. “I don’t need to work, so this isn’t for money.”
Amore makes all the ice cream in-house and says he’s hyper focused on quality and flavor. That means roasting bananas for hours or grilling ubes (purple yam from Asia).
“Most everything comes from scratch. I’m not using any flavorings because they tend to be unnatural. I try to get the flavor from whatever it is I’m making. By doing that, the [ice cream] is a little better than most.”
Amore also has given himself the unfortunate job of being the taste tester, having a creamy spoonful of every single batch that comes off the line.
“That’s the hardest part of the job,” he jokes.
One of every five or six batches doesn’t make the cut and gets thrown out, he notes.
The ice cream purveyor finds inspiration everywhere. On a recent trip to a local Harris Teeter, a whiff of spearmint led him to make a whole new flavor of ice cream. Quickly creating a small batch, his spearmint ice cream sold out nearly as fast.
Mimi’s menu of flavors consists of a mix of traditional favorites (mint chocolate chip and strawberry) and more eclectic ones, like ube, beet, and a flavor that Amore calls “Szechuan Spicy Girl.”
That one has roasted peppercorns, peanuts, and it’s savory as opposed to sweet. Plus, it’s got a “kick,” he says.
Amore is hopeful that the Pentagon City location is just the first of a chain of Mimi’s across Northern Virginia. While he’s a longtime D.C. resident, he thinks the Virginia suburbs is a better market for his brand of ice cream because the flavors appeal to “children and adults alike.”
As Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream settles into Westpost, along with a slew of other new restaurants and businesses, Amore is thrilled to be serving up scoops of ice cream he made himself to pleased customers. Even on a cold, winter’s day.
“The ice cream business is the best business in the world,” says Amore. “Because everyone is happy.”
Future location of Papa Deeno’s Pizza on Columbia Pike (via Google Maps)
A new family-owned, halal pizza shop is looking to open next month on Columbia Pike.
Papa Deeno’s Pizza at 4109 Columbia Pike was initially supposed to open at the end of last year, but a family health emergency and supply chain challenges has pushed the opening by a few months.
The plan is now to open mid to late February, says co-owner Roxanne Mannan.
Mannan is opening the restaurant with her husband, Sapon Rahman, who’s been in the pizza business for more than 15 years. Owning their own pizza place is a fulfillment of a family goal.
“My daughter always wanted to have a pizza restaurant,” Mannan says. “She tells me ‘Mommy, my dream is to own a pizza shop.'”
So much so, that the 8-year-old designed the business’s logo, a slice dripping with cheese.
Papa Deeno’s Pizza from their website (Photo via screenshot)
What also makes the shop unique is that it will be all halal, similar to the taco shop La Tingeria in Falls Church.
“We are Muslim and eating out can be a challenge,” Mannan explains. “We thought it would be good to have some place that’s purely halal so people could have [that] choice.”
While the family doesn’t currently live in Arlington, Mannan attended Wakefield High School and grew up in the county. In fact, on Columbia Pike and in Quebec Apartments which is almost exactly across the street from where Papa Deeno’s will be.
“It really is a dream to find a place where I have a lot of memories,” she says.
Papa Deeno’s is expecting to do a brisk delivery business, with about 225 pizza deliveries over a course of a week, according to an October Arlington County staff report. That would potentially account for 30% to 40% of the business’s sales.
The menu consists of typical fare – pizzas, salads, pastas, sandwiches and chicken wings. The website also lists a second location in Chantilly that’s coming soon.
It’s moving into a space formerly occupied by Columbia Pike Cleaners.
Mannan notes that they understand it is a bit risky opening a restaurant during a pandemic, but believes this is the right time for her and her family.
She says, “When [customers] taste our product, I hope they can tell…the quality we can give to the community.”
Oh-K Dog & Egg Toast, coming soon to 23rd Street S. in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Korean rice dog at Oh-K Dog & Egg Toast (via @ohk.dog/Instagram)
Egg toast at Oh-K Dog & Egg Toast (via @ohk.dog/Instagram)
It still may be another month or two before Korean rice dog eatery Oh K-Dog and Egg Toast opens in Arlington.
In November, we reported that the fast casual franchise was set to open two new locations in Arlington, one in Crystal City and one in Ballston, perhaps as soon as December, as part of the franchise’s country-wide expansion.
However, it appears both locations are now delayed in opening, restaurant spokespeople tell ARLnow.
The Crystal City location at 509 23rd Street S is now aiming for a mid-February opening while the Ballston Quarter one at 4238 Wilson Blvd is looking at March.
ARLnow has asked for any reasons behind the delay, but has not gotten a response to that inquiry as of publication.
The Crystal City eatery is moving into the space formerly occupied by Taj of India and in the neighborhood’s restaurant row. Last month, a significant fire caused nearly $2 million in damage to restaurants next door. It remains unknown if this had any impact on Oh K-Dog and Egg Toast’s opening there.
The Ballston Quarter location is taking over the lower level stall that was formerly Mi & Yu Noodle Bar, which closed about a year ago.
Korean rice dogs are comparable to corn dogs, but more elaborate. The deep fried treat is quite popular in South Korea and is now enlisting fans in the United States as well.
“Unlike a typical hot dog, we specialize in using a stick to deep fry our signature item until it crips golden brown,” says the Oh K-Dog’s website. “It’s the perfect snack filled with your choice of mozzarella cheese, squid-ink, rice cake, potato, and more.”
Oh K-Dog and Egg Toast will also serve egg toast, another Korean speciality that’s reminiscent of a breakfast egg sandwich.
Tsutomu Nakano, owner of Takohachi Japanese Restaurant (staff photo)
Takohachi Japanese Restaurant at Penrose Square (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
The menu at Takohachi Japanese Restaurant at Penrose Square (staff photo)
Inside of Takohachi Japanese Restaurant at Penrose Square (staff photo)
Inside of Takohachi Japanese Restaurant at Penrose Square (staff photo)
Takohachi Japanese Restaurant at Penrose Square (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
Takohachi Japanese Restaurant at Penrose Square is planning to finally open within the week, owner Tsutomu Nakano tells ARLnow.
Back in July, the four-year-old sushi restaurant was forced to close its location at Westmont Shopping Center on Columbia Pike due to the shopping center’s impending redevelopment. However, plans were in place for the restaurant to move up the Pike to Penrose Square with a hoped-for opening date in September.
While the Takohachi is finally readying itself to start serving in January, hiring employees has continued to be a challenge (something that’s been the case across the region and country). Nakano says he’s still looking to hire, particularly servers.
Takohachi Japanese Restaurant is known for its sushi, tempura, and Japanese food. The interior of the new space is quite a bit larger than the previous iteration, with a wooden bar in the middle with sectioned-off seating areas to the left and right.
Nakano, who is the chef and owner, moved to America from Japan about two decades ago and opened his first restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland. In 2017, he opened Takohachi at Westmont Shopping Center. However, only two years later, the Arlington County Board approved a redevelopment plan that included a six-story mixed-use building with 250 apartments and 22,500 square feet of retail space.
The sushi restaurant and a number of other longtime businesses there have since closed. The shopping center is now rubble, demolished earlier in 2021.
Takohachi did get a reprieve, thanks in part to the Columbia Pike Partnership, which assisted the restaurant’s move a few blocks away to 2501 Columbia Pike.
It’s been more than two years since that space was occupied, with the last tenant being Josephine’s Italian Kitchen. Prior to that, Marble & Rye and Red Rocks were in the location. None of the three restaurants made it more than three years there, though.
Nakano says the reason he wanted to continue to keep Takohachi on Columbia Pike is because of the “regulars” who helped support the business over the years.
Along with this new Arlington location, Nakano also owns another Takohachi in Centreville which opened a few months ago.
