Surreal in Crystal City (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Surreal’s crispy tuna poke pillow (courtesy of Jennifer Chase)
Surreal’s spicy beef Saigon with pineapple (courtesy of Jennifer Chase)
Surreal’s ‘Gin of the Lotus’ cocktail (courtesy of Jennifer Chase)
Surreal’s mezze mancheri (courtesy of Jennifer Chase)
Surreal’s tangerine cheesecake (courtesy of Jennifer Chase)
(Updated at 11/30/23) After a 2-year wait, the much anticipated restaurant Surreal in Crystal City is “tentatively” scheduled to open this Friday, according to a restaurant spokesperson.
While a firm opening date is not confirmed, the spokesperson told ARLnow everything is ready and they are “just waiting for one final inspection.”
Located at 2121 Crystal Drive, Surreal — described as an ‘elevated diner’ — was announced in 2021 by developer JBG Smith, which is also behind Crystal City Water Park, a 1.6-acre outdoor food hall and park close by. (A previous version of this article referred to Surreal as a Latin American restaurant.)
The restaurant — co-founded by acclaimed D.C.-based chef Enrique Limardo — anchors JBG Smith’s plans to create a venue inspired by nature.
“Designed as a landscape itself, the interior blurs the line between the indoors and outdoors to create a unique dining-in-the-park experience,” per a press release.
Limardo and his business partner, Ezequiel Vázquez-Ger, manage several restaurants in the D.C. region, including Michelin-starred Imperfecto, under the umbrella of their restaurant group, Seven Reasons Group.
Surreal will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week. The menu includes a variety of dishes, including a Latin-inspired shakshuka for breakfast and items like swordfish carpaccio, gnocchi and a “twisted foot-long hotdog” for lunch and dinner.
Those in the mood for an adult beverage have several options, such as a piña colada made with two kinds of rum or a negroni topped with a “floral and fruity foam,” the release says.
The park is situated in one of the county’s multiple “sip and stroll” zones, meaning guests can take their drinks on the go and enjoy them in the park.
The former Dunkin’ location in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The former Dunkin’ location in Clarendon in 2021 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A former Dunkin’ in Clarendon is set to become a new Jersey Mike’s Subs.
The sandwich shop is looking to move into the storefront at the intersection of Clarendon Blvd and N. Garfield Street, a block from the Clarendon Metro station, according to the beginnings of a permit application filed with Arlington County. The spot has been vacant for two years.
Arlington does not yet have a Jersey Mike’s Subs location, though another one is in the works at the base of the Westmont Apartments at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road. The closest current locations are in Falls Church and Alexandria.
Jersey Mike’s Subs franchisee Beth Wiley is bringing forward both the Clarendon and Columbia Pike locations. She says the process has just started for the Clarendon location: an architect has completed drawings and soon, a contractor will review the project and estimate costs.
The new Clarendon outpost will move into a former Dunkin’ that also housed a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop. It opened in 2017 and closed in 2021, just as a new Dunkin’ came online near Clarendon on Wilson Blvd.
“It’s helpful because it was already a restaurant,” Wiley said. “The work is not quite as extensive. It’s a remodel, as opposed to starting from scratch… Everything is in pretty good shape.”
The county processed the initial request for interior alterations to the nearly 1,400-square-foot space at 3009 Clarendon Blvd last week and now awaits plans and documents, the permit records say.
As for the Pike location, Wiley says the county is reviewing plans, submitted a month ago, and she has a contractor lined up. All that remains is getting the go-ahead from landlord Republic Properties, which held a grand opening for its new development earlier this month.
The franchisee says the two locations could potentially open sometime this spring.
Wiley says she is excited to bring the brand to Arlington as it expands beyond suburban strip malls and into more urban areas.
“When I signed on for Jersey Mike’s, I signed on for Arlington,” she said. “I grew up in this area… It seemed like a great opportunity, if you find the right sites, and here we are, and I couldn’t be happier.”
The now-former home of Meridian Pint in Dominion Hills (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Meridian Pint in Dominion Hills is undergoing yet another change in ownership.
The family restaurant and taphouse closed on Oct. 31 after opening its doors in 2019. This wasn’t the last call for the restaurant space at 6035 Wilson Blvd, however. Next month, it will reopen as Soul Thai Kitchen & Bar.
This transition marks the third ownership change in four years. John Andrade, the original owner, passed the reins to Fitzgerald Lewis in 2021. Lewis, a noted figure in the local restaurant scene, has ownership stakes in about 20 eateries in the area, including Crafthouse Arlington in Ballston and Barley Mac in Rosslyn.
Lewis’s tenure was also short-lived, though, with the restaurateur citing the same reasons as Andrade for tapping out: financial losses.
“It was not making money,” he told ARLnow.
One of the co-owners of the new Thai restaurant, Nancy Kittitaraphan, said she has a long-standing relationship with Lewis, having worked as his server for eight years at another Thai restaurant in Clifton.
“He’s known me a long time and said he had this opportunity for me,” Kittitaraphan told ARLnow. “I said, ‘Okay, this is my chance to open my own restaurant.'”
Last month, Lewis sold Meridian Pint to Kittitaraphan and her partners — consisting of family and friends.
“I’ve known Nancy for like seven or eight years. She’s a great operator… I think she’ll do fantastic there because she’s a very hard worker,” Lewis said.
The restaurant began renovations on Oct. 31, with plans to reopen in the first week of December, according to Kittitaraphan.
While there will be some minor cosmetic changes, the restaurant’s aesthetic will largely remain the same, with new owners opting to keep the original furniture and leaving the bar — which features over 20 taps — untouched.
Cheesetique in Shirlington to become Corso Italian (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Owner of Cheesetique and Corso Italian Jill Erber (right) and Cathal Armstrong (courtesy of Scott Suchman)
Cheesetique in Shirlington is set to reinvent itself as an Italian-inspired restaurant and market.
Situated at 4024 Campbell Avenue, the wine and cheese bar’s official last day will be next Wednesday, Nov. 22, according to the company’s Instagram page.
The new restaurant, Corso Italian, is scheduled to start serving dinner in early December, per a press release. Despite the name change, the venue will remain under the stewardship of Cheesetique’s current owner, Jill Erber. Prominent local chef Cathal Armstrong, who is behind Mattie and Eddie’s in Pentagon City, will oversee the restaurant’s menu.
“Italian food is broadly appealing and incredibly diverse, and The Village at Shirlington is the perfect location for Corso Italian,” Erber said in a press release.
“The Shirlington crowd is worldly and hip but unpretentious. They want to eat out multiple times a week,” Erber added. “On Monday, it’s a glass of Barolo and a seasonal, house-made pasta. Over the weekend, they want to celebrate with a Negroni, plate-filling bone-in veal parmesan, indulgent cannoli cheesecake, and after-dinner Amaro.”
Armstrong — who also was the owner and chef of Restaurant Eve, a fine-dining spot in Old Town Alexandria that closed in 2015 — will oversee the culinary direction of Corso Italian. He met Erber more than two decades ago.
The duo say they started the restaurant because of their shared history and passion for Italian specialty cheeses, per the release.
Corso Italian’s menu includes a range of Italian-American classics, such as chicken Vesuvio with red chili and sage, and carbonara with handmade pasta and housemade guanciale.
Having started his culinary career in an Italian kitchen in Dublin, Armstrong said the experience of crafting new Italian dishes “feels like coming home.”
“The canvas we have here is incredibly inspiring. I love waking up in the middle of the night needing to write down menu ideas,” he said.
In addition to an all-Italian wine list, the restaurant will offer a cocktail menu with negronis, spritzes and a bar dedicated to bitter Italian aperitifs and digestifs known as amaro. A gourmet retail market at the front of the restaurant will sell fresh pastas and sauces as well as Italian cheeses, salumi and wine.
Latin American restaurant Maizal plans to open at Pentagon City mall November 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
The Pentagon City mall is adding a dash of South American flavor to its dining options.
Maizal, situated on the mall’s exterior along S. Hayes Street adjacent to Macy’s, is gearing up to open next week, according to a company spokesperson.
The Pentagon City location will be the chain’s second outpost in Arlington. Maizal made its debut in Ballston Quarter’s food hall in 2019. Today, the chain also operates two locations in D.C. and opened a location in Reston yesterday (Monday).
Menu items include “green, grain or mixed bowls, assorted arepas, and specialty items such as south American hot dogs, empanadas, street corn, plantains, yucca, churros and cookie sandwiches,” per a press release.
Details regarding the new restaurant’s hours of operation have yet to be released, but other Maizal locations are open from 11 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m., according to the company’s website.
Maizal joins a list of fast-casual eateries moving into the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, including Mezeh Mediterranean Grill. The restaurant, similar to Cava and Roti, announced its upcoming opening with a “Coming Soon” banner in August.
Middle Eastern restaurant and hookah lounge Ya Hala Bistro is now open in Bluemont (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Inside Ya Hala Bistro (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Inside Ya Hala Bistro (staff photo by James Jarvis)
A new Middle Eastern restaurant and hookah lounge has opened in Bluemont.
Ya Hala Bistro, located where Layalina Restaurant used to be at 5216 Wilson Blvd, hosted a soft opening last Saturday and is planning a grand opening in the coming weeks.
“We’re not 100% open yet. It’s just like a soft opening slowly, then when we figure out everything and everybody is trained, we can open in the next two or three weeks,” owner Mohamed Alkadi told ARLnow.
Although the official grand opening is scheduled for later this month, the bistro’s operating hours, 11-2 a.m. seven days a week, will remain the same.
The menu features a variety of savory Mediterranean dishes, including chicken shawarma and baba ghanoush, alongside craft cocktails and a “premium hookah experience,” per the restaurant’s website.
Ya Hala joins a number of other Middle Eastern restaurants and hookah lounges in Arlington, including Tarbouch Cafe in Lyon Village, Darna in Virginia Square and Eska on Columbia Pike.
Rappahannock Coffee along Columbia Pike (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Rappahannock Coffee is set to close at the end of November, making way for a new café with a different name.
Located at 2406 Columbia Pike, the independent coffee shop first opened in May 2001, according to its website. Owner Gi Lee said that after two decades of brewing coffee, he is ready to retire.
“I’m too old,” Lee told ARLnow as he served a line of caffeine-deprived customers Tuesday morning.
While ARLnow could not confirm the exact last day of operation, Lee’s landlord, Yao Yao, said it would likely be in the final week of November.
The same week Rappahannock Coffee closes its doors, a new café plans to open under a different name, according to Yao.
“He’s gonna sell coffee and sandwiches… his plan is to start his business here as soon as possible,” Yao said.
Jose Lopez, the owner of the upcoming café, did not respond to requests for comment before our publication deadline.
A handful of other retail stores along Columbia Pike surround Rappahannock Coffee, including vape shop Thicker Cloudz and electronic repair shop Wireless Rxx.
At one point, the commercial strip that houses the businesses was slated to become a mixed-use development. Local developer B.M. Smith submitted plans to Arlington’s Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board in 2013 and in 2020 the County Board approved a special use permit.
B.M. Smith sold the properties to Yao in 2020, he said. The new owner put the plans on hold in 2022, citing economic conditions.
Yao maintains that he has no plans to revive the mixed-use development proposal any time soon, citing high interest and construction costs.
“The business environment and the economy are not very conducive for to the new development at this time,” he said.
The new café will operate in the interim and will have big shoes to fill. Over its nearly two decades in business, Rappahannock Coffee built a loyal following that has kept it afloat despite competition from the Starbucks that opened in the Penrose Square development across the street in 2015.
For Rappahannock, its following comes down to its in-house roasts.
“Big corporate coffee shops can’t control the time between roasting and brewing, giving up on achieving true coffee flavor,” the website reads.
Ocean Shack is scheduled to open in Waverly Hills in November 2023, replacing Thirsty Bernie (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Inside of the forthcoming Ocean Shack seafood spot in Waverly Hills (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Ocean Shack is gearing up for its grand opening in two weeks.
The new seafood restaurant near the corner of Langston Blvd and N. Glebe Road, formerly home to the local watering hole Thirsty Bernie, is planning to open on Wednesday, Nov. 15.
ARLnow peeked inside and the renovations appeared to be still in progress. Window signs also announced the restaurant is hiring staff.
Thirsty Bernie shuttered its doors in May after a 15-year run in the Glebe Road Shopping Center, in the Waverly Hills neighborhood, citing lackluster sales. ARLnow reported in August that Ocean Shack planned to take over the 1,767-square-foot space, aiming to open sometime between November and early December.
Cody Zhou, the man behind Ocean Shack, also owns a Southern-style seafood place in Chantilly called Ocean Crab.
Much like its Chantilly counterpart, Ocean Shack aims to offer several different seafood dishes, such as lobster rolls, tilapia sandwiches, fried oyster baskets, fried shrimp tacos and snow crab bowls.
The restaurant also plans to keep 16 beers on draft and serve specialty cocktails.
“I think this will be an awesome place for people to hang out drinking and watching sports,” Zhou told ARLnow in an email, adding the restaurant will have nine TVs.
At least eight of them “will for sure consistently play sports for the patrons,” he said.
The restaurant will also have “karaoke equipment” for events like open mic nights.
Zhou says he’s still ironing out the details but expects to offer food and drink promotions.
The establishment will operate from 5 p.m. to midnight Monday through Wednesday, from noon to midnight on Thursdays and Sundays, and from noon to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Front view rendering of the new indoor dog park and bar, Snouts & Stouts (courtesy of Snouts and Stouts)
Rendering of the new indoor dog park and bar Snouts & Stouts (courtesy of Snouts and Stouts)
Rendering of the new indoor dog park and bar Snouts & Stouts (courtesy of Snouts and Stouts)
Rendering of the new indoor dog park and bar Snouts & Stouts (courtesy of Snouts and Stouts)
Rendering of the new indoor dog park and bar Snouts & Stouts (courtesy of Snouts and Stouts)
An indoor dog park and bar is set to officially open its doors next month in the former home of New District Brewing.
Snouts & Stouts, located at 2709 S. Oakland Street in Green Valley, has announced it will start serving dogs and their humans on Saturday, Nov. 18.
“We believe that Snouts & Stouts is [complementary] to the existing Shirlington Dog Park and gives the community one place where they can have the best of both worlds with a massive outdoor dog park, and the option of an indoor dog park & bar,” Founder and CEO Daniel Ramos said in a press release.
The opening next month is a few months behind the initial plans Ramos announced to open this August.
The 6,000 square-foot climate-controlled dog park and bar includes a beer and wine bar, snack cafe, specialized turf, dog treat shop, dog daycare, boarding and training, according to the website.
Additionally, staff — nicknamed the “Dog Patrol” — will roam the area to ensure it stays clean and that dogs are playing well and staying hydrated.
“This way you can relax and grab a drink,” the website says.
Although it is advertised as the “only indoor dog park and bar in Northern Virginia,” there is another indoor dog park and bar in Alexandria called Barkhaus.
“While others have tried to create an indoor dog park in the area, you often see that their ‘indoor’ section is reduced to a small room where not many dogs can play off-leash,” Ramos said in the release.
While humans 18 and older can enter for free, dogs need a membership or day pass. An annual membership is $365 for the first dog and $120 for each additional dog. A monthly membership option is also available at $45 for the first dog and $13 for any additional dogs. Limited-time discounts on memberships are currently available.
Day passes run at $10 on weekdays and $15 on weekends. Any additional dog is an extra $5, regardless of the day.
Before entering, dog owners must show proof of up-to-date vaccinations, and dogs older than one year must be spayed or neutered. Pups younger than 16 weeks won’t be allowed.
Dog daycare and boarding are only available during the week. Below are the hours of operation, according to the website:
Monday – Thursday:
7:30 AM – 5:00 PM Dog Daycare & Boarding
5:00 PM – 9:00 PM Bar & Public Playtime
Friday:
7:30 AM – 5:00 PM Dog Daycare & Boarding
5:00 PM – 10:00 PM Bar & Public Playtime
Saturday:
10:00 AM – 10:00 PM Bar & Public Playtime
Sunday:
10:00 AM – 8:00 PM Bar & Public Playtime
Before launching Snouts & Stouts, Ramos ran a marketing consulting firm and worked in data analytics, according to his LinkedIn. In the release, Ramos said he was inspired to open a dog park after becoming frustrated at the lack of indoor spaces for his dog, Cooper, to play in the area.
“I also always hate leaving my dog at home when I want to go out and get drinks with friends, so I put those two activities together and BOOM… Snouts & Stouts was born,” he said in an Instagram post in June. “This is truly a dream come true for me and I can’t wait to share my dream with the community!”
Gov. Glenn Youngkin shakes hands with Peruvian Brothers co-owner Giuseppe Lanzone (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Peruvian Brothers co-owner and chef Mario Lanzone teaches Gov. Glenn Youngkin to make lomo saltado, or beef stir-fry (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks to a crowd of attendees at a campaign event at Peruvian Brothers restaurant in Pentagon City (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Peruvian ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra Velásquez watches Gov. Glenn Youngkin make lomo saltado during campaign event (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin swung by the new Peruvian Brothers restaurant in Pentagon City yesterday to sizzle some lomo saltado and rally support from the Hispanic community.
The Tuesday afternoon visit came ahead of the pivotal November election, with control of the Virginia legislature in the balance. Youngkin wasted no time getting behind the grill of the fast-casual Peruvian eatery, which opened earlier this month on the ground floor of the Amazon’s HQ2.
Almost as soon as he was escorted in by co-owner Giuseppe Lanzone, he donned an apron and started cooking. The governor then took a moment to celebrate Giuseppe and his brother Mario for successfully opening their second brick-and-mortar establishment.
Peruvian Brothers started out as an Alexandria-based food truck and catering business and has since expanded into D.C. and Arlington.
“As governor, it’s really important to me that we have a pro-small business environment so that, when entrepreneurial brothers want to start a restaurant, they do it in Virginia,” Youngkin said, speaking to a mix of locals, campaign aides and Peruvian Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra Velásquez.
The Republican governor also highlighted the importance of Virginia’s Latino population.
“I want to emphasize how important the Latino community is to Virginia. It is such a vibrant and important part of our Virginia, and to have so many Peruvian Virginians makes Virginia better,” he said.
Wrapping up the event, Youngkin urged attendees to cast their ballots in the upcoming election. The governor has been campaigning across the state for Republicans seeking local office and urging people to “vote early.”
“I want to encourage everyone, please, as we’re in the election season, go vote,” he said. “One of the important parts of being a Virginian is to cast your ballots and to participate in our democracy.”
After the Pentagon City stop Youngkin visited the Eden Center, just across the Arlington border in Falls Church, to meet with members of the local Asian-American community.
Outside the new Chinese restaurant Tiger Dumpling in Clarendon (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Chengdu spicy chili oil chicken (left), Four of a Kind royal oat bran and tofu skin mix with peanuts at Tiger Dumpling in Clarendon (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Dan dan noodles offered at Tiger Dumpling in Clarendon (courtesy of Street Food Wow)
Spicy pork soup dumplings offered at Tiger Dumpling in Clarendon (courtesy of Street Food Wow)
Black truffle Wagyu beef dumplings offered at Tiger Dumpling in Clarendon (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Inside the new Chinese restaurant Tiger Dumpling in Clarendon (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Inside the new Chinese restaurant Tiger Dumpling in Clarendon (staff photo by James Jarvis)
A new restaurant specializing in Chinese dumplings will celebrate its grand opening later this week in Clarendon.
Tiger Dumpling is slated for an official opening this Friday. It joins a handful of restaurants, including O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub and Stone Hot Pizza, in a retail strip along the 3200 block of Washington Blvd.
Last month, ARLnow spotted “coming soon” signs outside Tiger Dumpling and its next-door neighbor Izakaya 68, both owned by 20-year Arlington resident Leopold Liao and Maryland-based Ivea Restaurant Group. Ivea also owns Gong-Cha Tea Shop in Rosslyn and Gyu-San BBQ in Ballston.
The grand opening Friday comes after Tiger Dumpling held a soft opening for friends and family over the weekend. Starting next Monday, Oct. 30, the restaurant will be open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
A native of China, Liao moved to the United States more than two decades ago. Eager to make a mark in the food scene, he first operated a food truck, Hot People Food, in Arlington in the early 2010s, serving modern Asian cuisine.
Although the food truck is no longer in operation, Liao has opened multiple D.C. establishments, including bubble tea shop E-Tea and ramen bar Reren Lamen.
Liao, an H-B Woodlawn graduate, started looking across the Potomac at Arlington once more after the pandemic because the prospect of opening another restaurant in D.C. had become too pricey.
After some convincing from his wife and children to stay closer to home, Liao approached his business partner Ivea with an idea for a restaurant specializing in dumplings and wheat-based dishes native to Inner Mongolia, where his family is from.
“If you look at the menu, you realize it’s different than other Chinese restaurants… we don’t do southern Chinese style, so like General Tso chicken, beef broccoli — we have none of those,” Liao said.
Those dishes are Western takes on traditional Cantonese cuisine but they dominate the Chinese food landscape in the U.S. Liao aims to rival this by introducing different flavors to Arlington’s Asian food scene.
“The main thing we focus on is dumplings with a different filling,” he said. “We have pork, chicken, lamb, beef, fish or shrimp.”
Diners can also watch chefs handcraft the dumplings from behind a small, glass-enclosed preparation station.
“If people want to learn, they can take a look how we make them,” Liao said.
