new restaurant

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Listing Prices Around HQ2 Skyrocket — “From June 2018 to June 2019, the median asking price for a single-family home in Zip code 22202, home to Amazon’s planned Northern Virginia headquarters, skyrocketed a whopping 99.9 percent–essentially doubling over that period–according to a new report from listings service Bright MLS.” [Curbed, Bloomberg]

Board OKs Child Care Parking Changes — “The Arlington County Board today voted to reduce the parking requirements for child care centers, in keeping with the County’s Child Care Initiative to promote the expansion of accessible, available, high-quality child care throughout the County.” [Arlington County]

New Pizzeria Open on Lee Highway — Chicago’s Pizza With A Twist opened a couple of weeks ago on Lee Highway, next to Maya Bistro. The Indian-Italian fusion restaurant serves unique dishes like a chicken tikka masala pizza. [Instagram]

New Pike Bus Stops Approved — “The Arlington County Board today approved a $1.6 million contract with Sagres Construction Corporation to build the first four of 23 transit stations planned for Columbia Pike. Construction is expected to begin this fall and be completed by fall 2020.” [Arlington County]

Arlington GOP Sitting Out County Races — “For the most part, Arlington Republicans will be sitting out the November general election – the party did not field candidates for the County Board, School Board and most legislative races on the ballot, although there are several non-Democrats who are running that might attract GOP support.” [InsideNova]

Swanson Middle School Teacher Honored — “Congratulations to @SwansonAdmirals teacher Mary Beth Donnelly who was named the 2019 Virginia History Teacher of the Year.” [Twitter]

Injured D.C. Fire K-9 Stops GW Parkway Traffic — Updated at 9 a.m. — “Traffic stopped on the George Washington Parkway near Reagan National Airport Tuesday afternoon so a medevac helicopter could land, but the patient wasn’t human — it was a very special dog. The 6-year-old German shepherd named Kylie works for D.C. Fire and EMS as a cadaver dog… [she] seriously hurt one of her hind legs while helping another law enforcement agency conduct a search.” [WTOP]

Flickr pool photo by Brian Allen

Chick-fil-A Coming to Pentagon City

By Vernon Miles

It appears a new Chick-fil-A is coming to Pentagon City, alongside a new Wiseguy Pizza location.

Both locations are ground floor restaurants in the Witmer, a new 26-story luxury apartment at the corner of 12th Street S. and S. Hayes Street, amid the Pentagon Centre shopping center. The Chick-fil-A is located at the top of the Pentagon City Metro station on the east side of S. Hayes Street next to the CVS.

The next closest Chick-fil-A is the one in Crystal City at 2200 Crystal Drive.

There is no information on the Chick-fil-A website about the upcoming Pentagon City store opening. In fact, a Chick-fil-A spokeswoman would not even confirm to ARLnow that the building with a sign saying “Chick-fil-A Coming Soon” is, in fact, a Chick-fil-A:

We are always evaluating potential new locations in the hopes of serving existing and new customers great food with remarkable service. While we hope to be able to expand in Arlington in the future, we do not currently have a location to confirm.

H/t to @CuriousHenwin

‘The Freshman’ Launches Pop-Up in Crystal City Shops Ahead of Main Venue Opening

By Vernon Miles
1/4

The Freshman is, both figuratively and literally, a little underground.

The restaurant comes from Nick Freshman, who’s also behind Spider Kelly’s in Clarendon. The Freshman is not planned to fully launch in its permanent home at 2011 Crystal Drive until 2020, but in the meantime the eatery has had a quiet “soft launch” across the street in Crystal City Shops.

The pop-up officially opened this morning (Thursday), at the north end of the shops at 2102 Crystal Plaza, in the former Au Bon Pain space

“We’re in plans and permitting across the street,” said Freshman, “but that process… it takes a long time, even opening in a place that used to be a restaurant. You plan and design and it could take a year.”

The plans to open The Freshman got pushed further back as the building underwent both interior and exterior renovations. Freshman said he had the equipment and a team ready to go but nowhere to set them up.

Their main location and the former Au Bon Pain are both owned by JBG Smith, so when Freshman approached the company about the idea of opening a pop-up in the empty space, the property owner was on board.

The pop-up does not offer The Freshman’s full menu. Freshman estimated it was about 40 percent of what’s to come, with dinner and cocktails planned for the main site, but the pop-up currently serves up coffee and breakfast and lunch options that Freshman said the area seemed in desperate need of.

“There’s no point in doing it if we don’t do it well,” Freshman said. “The challenge is worth it because the community is dying for a viable alternative to [existing] breakfast and lunch options.”

The breakfast and lunch offerings include a tofu scramble with vegan cheese, plus sandwiches or salads for lunch. Prices range from $6 for an egg and cheese sandwich to $14 for a Reuben sandwich.

An unofficial “soft opening ” for the restaurant started on Monday, the same day that Arlington was hit with heavy storms from which the county is still struggling to recover.

“We’re underground, so for a while it looked like we might be underwater, but we stayed totally dry,” Freshman said. “We saw more of a surge [of customers] than expected. But even in dry weather, people use this corridor. If you don’t work or live here, you don’t know about it, but if you do it’s a critical part of your movement.”

Currently, Freshman says the pop-up is planned to stay open through the end of the year, but the stay is largely dependent on how fast or slow progress is across the street.

“Right now, we’re meeting people and listening,” Freshman said. “Every night, we’ve been making tweaks to the menu, but that’s normal opening stuff.”

Hilton Brothers Bringing ‘Cafe Colline’ to Lee Heights Shops

By ARLnow.com

A group of restaurateurs known for their D.C. hotspots are planning to open a new eatery in Arlington.

Brothers Ian and Eric Hilton, along with Chef Brendan L’Etoile, are partnering to open Cafe Colline in the former Cassatt’s space at 4536 Lee Highway, in the Lee Heights Shops. Cassatt’s, a beloved but tiny New Zealand-themed restaurant, closed last summer shortly after being sold by its longtime owner.

The new restaurant will open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, and will serve “classic, traditional French cuisine,” Ian Hilton told ARLnow today.

He said the trio is “redecorating” the Cassatt’s space but largely keeping it as built and avoiding heavy construction. The cozy restaurant will include a dining room and a 12-seat bar.

The partners are hoping to open Cafe Colline at some point this fall.

The Hilton brothers have received national attention for their burgeoning D.C. restaurant empire — notable spots include Chez Billy Sud in Georgetown (where L’Etoile is executive chef), Brighton at the Wharf, and El Rey taqueria on U Street NW. But they announced plans to expand outside the District late last year.

“D.C. is so saturated,” Hilton told Washingtonian at the time. “Take a look around. I don’t know what’s left to do in D.C., quite frankly. I really don’t.”

Their first Virginia effort, French bistro Parc de Ville, is expected to open this fall in the Mosaic District, replacing disgraced restaurateur Mike Isabella’s Requin.

Hilton — who lives in Arlington’s Donaldson Run neighborhood, five minutes from the future Cafe Colline — told ARLnow this is the most excited he’s been for a new restaurant in some time.

Update at 10:35 a.m. — Additional information about the new restaurant, from a PR rep:

Located at 4536 Lee Highway, Cafe Colline will take a few cues from its sister establishment Chez Billy Sud, the acclaimed Georgetown favorite known for its elevated-but-accessible French fare. The equally French-driven new menu at Cafe Colline will feature dishes like Provencal fish soup, pork rillette and steak frites, served all day, as well as a carefully curated wine list and weekend brunch. Under the direction of Chez Billy Sud Chef Brendan L’Etoile and his impeccable staff, Cafe Colline’s open concept kitchen will offer a unique vantage point ideal for everything from date night to after-work wine & bites. The 50-seat Cafe Colline will also feature outdoor seating, ample parking and reservations for dinner. Stay in the loop by following @CafeColline on Instagram.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Police Operation in Ballston — Arlington County Police say they arrested a wanted individual in Ballston Wednesday evening, in front of the DARPA building on N. Randolph Street. Officers used a “diversionary device” — witnesses described it as a flashbang grenade — during the operation, a police spokeswoman told ARLnow. “One suspect was taken into custody without incident,” ACPD spokeswoman Kirby Clark said. Additional details were not immediately available. [Twitter]

‘Perfect Friday Night Date in Rosslyn’ — “A round of miniature golf is one of summer’s pleasures, whether putt-putting past pirate statues at a course by the beach or playing in a regional park closer to home. It works equally well as part of a date night or a group outing with friends. And it’s definitely not the kind of thing you’d expect to find popping up in the plaza outside a Rosslyn office building.” [Washington Post]

Beer Hall Nears Opening in Ballston — The opening of Bronson Bier Hall in Ballston, the successor to A-Town Bar and Grill, is about a month away. Most of the major interior construction appears to have been completed. [Instagram]

Amazon Hosts LGBT Reception — “A special reception [was] hosted by Amazon at a location in the heart of its massive planned expansion was held at Freddie’s Beach [Bar in Crystal City] to greet the area’s LGBT community.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Subsidies for Late Night Commuters — “The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has kicked off an effort to support late-night workers who travel when transit service is not available. Since July 1, qualified workers – such as those in the hospitality or health-care industries – have been eligible to receive a $3 subsidy toward travel on Lyft for trips taken between their home and workplace between midnight and 4 a.m.” [InsideNova]

Arlington Community Foundation Awards Scholarships — “The Arlington Community Foundation awarded new college scholarships totaling more than $540,000 to 72 students who will attend college next year. An additional 105 scholarships totaling $281,000 were renewed for returning college students, for a total of 177 recipients.” [Press Release]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

Sloppy Mama’s Now Open on Lee Highway

By Vernon Miles

Sloppy Mama’s Barbeque is now open at 5731 Lee Highway.

The location is the first full bricks-and-mortar restaurant for the popular D.C. food truck. The barbecue joint does have an outlet in the Ballston Quarter Market food hall, but co-owner Joe Neuman told ARLnow the Lee Highway restaurant handles much of the cooking for the Ballston Quarter location.

The Lee Highway restaurant also offers a wider array of barbecue options not available in the Ballston Quarter location or the food truck due to size constraints. So if you’re interested in a full slab of cooked meat, the North Arlington eatery is the Sloppy Mama’s to go to.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. today (Friday) and Saturday, and from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday, then will be closed on Monday to review the first few days and make some final tweaks, Neuman said. The restaurant was also open on the Fourth of July, and said via Facebook that it was “crushed” by crowds of customers.

Come for the bbq stay for the Mrs Pac-Man…. In case you didn’t hear we opened the door at 5731 Lee Hwy yesterday and…

Posted by Sloppy Mama's BBQ on Friday, July 5, 2019

“Thanks to all the friends, family and loyal Sloppy Mama’s BBQ lovers out there that have helped us get here we hope to see you sometime soon for some proper BBQ,” the company said in a press release.

UPDATE: ‘The Lot’ to Open Today Near Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Update at 5:20 p.m. — In a new Facebook post, The Lot says it received its ABC permit at the last minute today and will serve beer tomorrow, on the Fourth of July. The beer garden says it will serve liquor starting tonight.

Update: We have received our ABC license at 5 pm!! (Third of July miracle!) We will serve liquor tonight, and beer and liquor tomorrow. Stand by for door opening time!

Update at 4:45 p.m. — The Lot did not, in fact, obtain a Virginia ABC permit necessary for serving beer, according to a new Facebook post. The beer garden will still open today and will serve tacos instead, with free tacos for the first 200 customers, they said on social media.

Good news and bad news. The good: Huge shout out to Arlington County for granting Health and Occupancy for the Lot to open!! The bad: ABC did not grant our license in time for an order to be placed before the Holiday. BUT!! We are are all here waiting to serve you all sooo we will still opening the Rebel Taco truck on the Lot, and the first 200 people to arrive tonight will get a free taco! Come eat and play in the sand…drinking will have to wait one more week, but hey, what’s one more week when we have waited 2 years.

Earlier: After years of planning and permit drama, The Lot beer garden near Clarendon says it is opening today “against all odds.”

According to an event page on Facebook, the beer garden at 3217 10th Street N. will be open “with a limited food and beverage menu” today at 5 p.m. It is also planning to be open starting at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow (July 4), at 5 p.m. on Friday, and at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.

More from the event description:

Against all odds and contrary to popular belief, The Lot IS OPENING! A 22,000 square foot open-air beer garden and event space, the Lot features container bars, food trucks, and an adult SANDLot for all your bucket pong and corn hole needs.

Join us… July 3, weather-permitting, for a preview party with a limited food and beverage menu. We will continue the party straight through the weekend with soft openings on the 4th (11:30 am – close), 5th (5 pm – close), and 6th (11:30 am – close) of July.

Thank you to all our neighbors and friends who supported us through this tedious process and kept the faith.

Come eat, drink, and play at The Lot!

It’s unclear if The Lot was able to obtain all of the necessary permits needed to open. The Arlington County and Virginia ABC websites still list some permits as pending, though the information might be outdated or The Lot may have obtained temporary permits not reflected online.

A tipster tells ARLnow that opening preparations appear to be well underway, with less than two hours to go until opening.

“I also live within visual sight of The Lot and can see upwards of 10 workers making cosmetic improvements to the site as I write,” the tipster said just after 3 p.m. today.

New Italian Eatery Opens in Ballston Quarter

By Ashley Hopko
1/4

Cucina Al Volo opened for business this past weekend in the Quarter Market food hall at Ballston Quarter mall (4238 Wilson Blvd). 

The restaurant is known locally for serving up authentic Italian cuisine and prides its on using ingredients from local farmers markets whenever possible. An employee of the new location told ARLnow that business has been good so far and they’re expecting new customers to continue discovering it in the mall’s food hall, near Copa Kitchen and Bar.

Since this is a smaller Cucina Al Volo than the company’s other stand-alone restaurants, it’s not able to serve an expanded menu. The location’s offerings include pasta dishes, with a range of pasta and sauce options, plus appetizers and sandwiches.

“Cucina Al Volo has opened its fifth outpost at Quarter Market, serving up scratch-made pasta and sauces to dine in or take home,” said a spokeswoman for the mall. “Specials change daily, from Lamb Ragu to Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli to Lobster and Shrimp to Chicken Marsala. They also sell packages of pasta and sauce that can be prepared at home.”

Sandwiches are priced at $10 while pastas range from $11-15 depending on the sauce selection. As of lunchtime Friday, however, employees said the sandwiches were not yet available.

The restaurant was founded by Matteo Catalani and his business partner and uncle, Daniele Catalani. Other Cucina Al Volo locations can be found near Adams Morgan, Cleveland Park and Union Market in D.C., and in downtown Baltimore.

This is the first location to open in Arlington.

Cucina Al Volo is open Monday through Sunday, from 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.

Sfoglina Aims for Post-Labor Day Launch in Rosslyn

By Vernon Miles

Sfoglina — an acclaimed Italian restaurant run by chef and restaurateur Fabio Trabocchi, with two locations in D.C. — is planning an opening in Arlington soon after Labor Day.

Jessica Botta, director of training and culinary development at Fabio Trabocchi Restaurants, told ARLnow that construction is currently humming along at 1100 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn and the opening is expected sometime in September.

The restaurant is pronounced sfoal-yee-nah and is named for the female artisans who traditionally rolled sheets of pasta with rolling pins.

The restaurant is planned to open in a 4,500 square-foot space inside the 32-story building that also houses TV station WJLA.

The restaurant is still hiring restaurant and general managers. Those interested can email [email protected] or apply online.

New Crystal City Bowling Alley Strikes 2019 Opening Plans

By Vernon Miles
1/3

A new bowling alley is delaying its plans to open in Crystal City by a year.

“The Bowlero location is undergoing construction,” Jillian Laufer, a PR rep for Bowlero Corp., said in an email. “But there are tentative plans for the center to open in spring 2020.”

Bowlero is a bowling alley and restaurant chain with three locations in Northern Virginia. The location at 320 23rd Street S. is described as family friendly, though plans for the Crystal City location include a bar. A press release from the organization said Bowlero features blacklight bowling lanes, lounge seating, and an interactive arcade.

The Queen Ammanisa Uyghur restaurant previously in the location has since vacated, though signs for the restaurant remain in the windows. Inside, the space has been gutted.

Laufer said the delay is caused by construction “taking longer than anticipated.” The location was originally slated to open “mid-2019.”

Image 3 via Bowlero

‘Stone Hot Pizza’ in Clarendon Now Open

By Vernon Miles
1/2

(Updated at 1:35 p.m.) Two-and-a-half years after the initial permits were filed, Stone Hot Pizza finally opened in Clarendon earlier this year.

Staff at the restaurant said they started cooking up the first pizzas in March, though a “now open” sign still adorns the front entrance.

The pizzeria advertises a lunch special of $7.99 for a one-topping pizza with an option to add a soda for 99 cents. It also offers paninis and other sandwiches for around $8.

Located at 3217 Washington Blvd, just off Clarendon’s main drag and next to Spirits of ’76, Stone Hot Pizza is open from 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 10:30 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

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