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Texas Jack’s Barbecue Set to Open This Month Near Clarendon

Published November 3, 2015 at 10:30AM

A new restaurant is looking to serve classic Texas barbecue near Clarendon this month.

Texas Jack’s Barbecue is occupying the former home of Tallula and EatBar at 2761 Washington Blvd in Lyon Park, after it closed last year. There is no target date for the BBQ restaurant, but it is hoping to open later this month, said restaurant rep Lindley Thornburg.

While Texas Jack’s window signs and website say it’s “coming fall 2015,” the restaurant is still currently undergoing construction inside.

“Steve, Remzi [and] Matt are working around the clock to get our doors open soon…” the restaurant said on its Facebook page Oct. 29.

Once opened, Texas Jack’s will be able to hold 145 people inside the restaurant between its 14-seat bar, tables and 20-seat communal table, and will have 25 seats on its patio, according to a press release.

The menu will consist of classic barbecue offerings like brisket, pulled pork and beef short ribs, as well as items from Mexican and German cultures. Matt Lang, winner of Food Network’s Best in Smoke in 2011, will head up the kitchen.

“The menu for Texas Jack’s is focused on barbecue classics, while also showcasing the Mexican and German food cultures that served as early inspiration for what barbecue has become today,” the restaurant said.

The theme of classic barbecue will extend to the restaurant design, which will consist of western murals and a combination of wood and brick to give the place a “rustic yet refined” look.

“Guests will find western murals, repurposed wood and other salvaged materials combined with sleeker urban finishes to create a comfortable, relaxing vibe for dining,” the restaurant said.

Texas Jack will play homage to the original owner of the Washington Blvd property — Whitey’s. The owners kept the “EAT” sign that hung outside Whitey’s as well as the original bar.

Roberts said the new Texas Jack’s sign uses the same colors and font as the “EAT” sign and both will light up at night.

RedRocks Closing Tonight, To Be Replaced By Wood Fire Kitchen and Whiskey Bar

By ARLnow.com

Published November 2, 2015 at 2:45PM

RedRocks Neapolitan Bistro, the anchor restaurant at Penrose Square on Columbia Pike, will be closing after tonight.

RedRocks first opened at 2501 Columbia Pike in early 2013, then “relaunched” last year with lower prices, more burgers and delivery service. With middling results, the owners decided to shutter RedRocks and launch an all-new restaurant.

RedRocks will close its doors after 10 p.m. tonight.

A new restaurant and bar called Marble and Rye will be opening in its place, “offering a locally-sourced, seasonal menu highlighting the wood fire stove.”

Marble and Rye will offer “20 craft beers on tap, a carefully thought out cocktail menu, and bourbons and ryes to pair with every item on the menu,” according to its website.

“Marble and Rye is moderately-priced contemporary American wood fire kitchen and whiskey bar that combines locally-inspired, seasonal, and creative food with one of the best and most extensive lists of whiskeys, and specialty seasonal cocktails,” a restaurant spokeswoman, Sarah Lakey, tells ARLnow.com.

“It will offer high quality food with a great atmosphere, ambiance, have a friendly and knowledgeable staff, and provide free and convenient parking in order to create a sense of ‘place’ and provide a great experience to our customers.”

Helming the new restaurant will be chef Kate Bennett, who has most recently been working as a private chef for a local real estate developer. Before that she worked for as an assistant kitchen manager for a large restaurant group in New York City.

“Our chef, Kate Bennett’s menus are always fresh and adapting with the seasons in order to provide farm-fresh northeast ingredients… from nearby farms and specialty purveyors,” says the website.

An early menu sent to ARLnow.com includes small plates from roasted marrow bone to mushroom gnocchi, a selection of wood-fired vegetables, salads, wood oven pizzas and grilled entrees like cedar plank salmon, caramelized diver sea scallops, baby back ribs, two types of burgers and quinoa cakes.

Entree prices range from $13 for a basic “chef’s burger” to $26 for an espresso rubbed filet.

“The restaurant will offer a lunch menu that will compliment our dinner menu, including specialty pizzas, salads and sandwiches, a daily happy hour, weekly events including Whiskey Wednesdays where customers can experience high end whiskeys from our tasting room at a reasonable price and a unique Sunday brunch with drink specials,” said Lakey.

The restaurant will also “actively promote and support local breweries and distilleries with an attractive tasting room and open floor plan for private events.”

While still majority owned by the owners of RedRocks, it will be run under the leadership of Bennett and a new management team.

Marble and Rye is expected to open in mid-to-late November.

Sugar Shack Donuts, 1000 Degrees Neapolitan Pizza Coming to Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Published November 2, 2015 at 11:35AM | Updated November 2, 2015 at 12:52PM

(Updated at 12:50 p.m.) Two popular restaurants will be joining Chipotle on the corner of Columbia Pike and Glebe Road.

Sugar Shack Donuts, a Richmond-based eatery serving fresh donuts and coffee, and 1000 Degrees Neapolitan Pizza, a quickly-expanding New Jersey-based pizza chain, are coming to the ground floor of the Pike 3400 apartment building, according to building permits.

Built on the former Rosenthal car dealership, Pike 3400 is currently home to the only Chipotle location on the Arlington stretch of Columbia Pike.

Sugar Shack attracted plenty of cult-like buzz — and actor Kevin Bacon — when it opened in Alexandria earlier this year. The location is owned by former Virginia delegate Rob Krupicka and makes its donuts in-house, without the help of machines.

The new Sugar Shack on the Pike will also be owned by Krupicka. He told ARLnow.com that the store should be open in “early 2016.”

1000 Degrees has been opening hundreds of new locations nationwide, building a business based around $7.99 personalized pizzas which are cooked in two minutes — similar to existing local fast-casual eateries like Spinfire. 1000 Degrees also offers breadsticks, build-your-own salads and fire roasted wings.

So far there’s no word on when 1000 Degrees will open.

Another building permit application indicates that a Supercuts hair salon is also planning to open at 3400 Columbia Pike.

Hat tip to Joe M.

Spring Mill Bread Co. Set to Open Tomorrow

By ARLnow.com

Published October 30, 2015 at 1:30PM

The Spring Mill Bread Company is expected to open its doors on Pershing Drive on Saturday.

The bakery’s owner tells ARLnow.com that final preparations are underway and the aroma of freshly-baked bread should begin wafting from the 2209 N. Pershing Drive location in Lyon Park tomorrow.

Spring Mill sells fresh-baked breads, baked treats and soups and sandwiches, in addition to coffee and sodas. It has existing locations on Capitol Hill, in suburban Maryland and in Pennsylvania.

Spring Mill joins a number of existing businesses on the block, including Paisano’s Pizza, Bonchon and Streets Market.

‘Honeygrow’ Coming to Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

Published October 30, 2015 at 10:45AM

Philadelphia-based fast casual stir fry eatery Honeygrow is coming to Pentagon City.

A PR rep confirmed that the restaurant will be opening in the expanded portion of the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City along S. Hayes Street. So far, no opening date has been set.

Founded in 2012, Honeygrow offers stir fry bowls, salads, smoothies and honey-covered fruit bowls, using local and seasonal produce. The restaurants also feature touch screen ordering stations.

The company received a $25 million investment for expansion earlier this year.

Honeygrow will join three big name restaurants in the still under-construction expansion of the mall, when it opens: Matchbox, Sugar Factory and Shake Shack.

New Pizza Restaurant Opens in Clarendon

By Heather Mongilio

Published October 27, 2015 at 4:35PM

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza, a new pizza restaurant on N. Hudson Street in Clarendon, has fired up its oven.

The new pizza joint, located at 1119 N. Hudson Street next to Nam Viet, opened yesterday, and business has been good so far, said general manager Roberto Gonzales.

Brixx serves regular and gluten-free pizza on vegan crust. It has traditional pizza options, like four cheese and pepperoni and mushrooms, along with specialty pizzas, like roasted butternut squash and spicy shrimp. In addition to pizza, the restaurant offers sandwiches, pastas, salads and alcoholic drinks.

“Most of our products are made from scratch,” Gonzales said. “We have a good wood fire oven.”

The North Carolina-based chain’s newest location will be able to seat 150 people, between its inside and outdoor seating. The restaurant is set up to welcome both groups or people or single customers, with tables and booths, as well as bar seating and a counter.

“We have something for just about everyone,” Gonzales said.

The atmosphere is meant to be energetic and friendly, Gonzales said. The tables are situated in a way that allows patrons to watch employees make pizza.

“We want to create a relaxed atmosphere in which customers can feel the same as if they were home,” Gonzales said.

The new Clarendon joint is the third Brixx location in Virginia — there is one in Charlottesville and Woodbridge. Brixx is open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday.

New Sushi Restaurant Opens on Lee Highway

By Heather Mongilio

Published October 20, 2015 at 6:00PM | Updated October 20, 2015 at 9:15PM

A new sushi restaurant has opened on Lee Highway in Cherrydale.

Maneki Neko Express opened six weeks ago in the spot of former Thai restaurant Thai 24 (3813 Lee Highway). The new restaurant will serve both Japanese and Thai food as part of a partnership with the former Thai 24’s owners, said Maneki co-owner KanyaThongprasert.

“Maneki Neko Express will be serving Japanese and Thai food in a cafe-like setting,” the restaurant said on its website.

The Cherrydale restaurant is the Maneki Neko’s second location. Maneki Neko first started in Falls Church about 14 years ago, Thongprasert said, adding the original location only serves Japanese food.

Business at the new restaurant has been ok in the first few weeks,Thongprasert said. Customers from the Falls Church location have followed the company to Arlington, she added.

“They love it. They love the taste,” she said.

The most popular dishes include pad thai and the restaurant’s bento box option, which allows customers to pick items from the sushi bar and the kitchen, such as a California roll and teriyaki chicken.Thongprasert has applied for a liquor license and plans to serve beer, wine and sake on and off the premise.

Maneki Neko Express offers special sushi rolls, such as a Three Amigos roll, which is a roll with tuna, salmon, yellowtail, avocado, jalapeño and spicy mayo. Customers can also choose from daily specials.

One of the specials is a Halloween roll, pumpkin tempura, eel and tobiko, and the restaurant is prepared for the upcoming holiday with ghosts, pumpkins and spiderweb decorations on its windows.

The restaurant serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 4-9 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Saturday the restaurant serves lunch from noon to 2 p.m. and dinner from 4-9 p.m. and on Sunday, it is only open for dinner from 4-9 p.m.

New Burger Restaurant Coming to Courthouse?

By ARLnow.com

Published October 19, 2015 at 11:35AM

A new burger restaurant may be coming to the Courthouse neighborhood.

On Friday a building permit application was filed calling for a tenant fit out for an establishment called “Basic Burger.” The restaurant will be located on the first floor of the new apartment building at 2001 Clarendon Blvd.

Little information is available about Basic Burger, but one could make obvious assumptions about the type of food it will serve.

The arrival of a new burger restaurant could come at a good time for Courthouse: the Wendy’s just up the street is slated to be torn down at some point for a new office development approved by the County Board earlier this year.

Hat tip to Chris Slatt. File photo.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 15, 2015 at 9:45AM

Church Squatter Arrested — A man who has managed to squat in the attic of an Arlington church for three years has been arrested and charged with trespassing. An air conditioning repairman discovered the man and his makeshift living space in the attic of St. Ann’s Catholic Church, near Ballston. [NBC Washington]

New Rosslyn Sushi Restaurant Close to Opening — Rolls By U, a new sushi restaurant at 1731 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn, is getting set to open next week, after originally hoping to open last month. The restaurant will offer burrito-sized sushi rolls in addition to regular-sized rolls. [Washington City Paper]

Fundraiser for Former Yorktown Football Player — Friends have organized an online fundraising campaign for a former Yorktown High School football player who was injured in an incident that was caught on video. Josh Bunche was attempting a flip while tailgating at a Clemson football game, but he slipped and suffered serious facial injuries. [Patch, GoFundMe]

McMenamin Responds to Sewage Plant Fence — Independent Arlington County Board candidate Mike McMenamin has issued a statement calling the $350,000 public art installation along a fence at the county’s sewage plant “wasteful.” Said McMenamin: “Extravagant projects like this help drive up taxes in Arlington County, making it more costly to own a home or to start a business.”

County Touts Fully Funded Pension — Arlington County’s employee pension fund is now 99 percent funded, thanks to prudent management. While some other communities struggle with underfunded pensions, Arlington has now been able to decrease the percentage of employee compensation going to the pension fund, from 24 percent — about $58 million — last year to 22 percent this year. [Arlington County]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

‘Secret Chopsticks’ in Rosslyn Is Being Secretive About Its Opening

By ARLnow.com

Published October 9, 2015 at 3:45PM | Updated October 9, 2015 at 4:17PM

The paper has been taken off the windows at Secret Chopsticks in Rosslyn, but when is it opening? Well, that’s a secret.

A restaurant representative declined to speak on the record to an ARLnow.com reporter this afternoon and declined to allow photography inside the soon-to-open contemporary Chinese eatery. Inquisitive members of the public, however, can walk up and see the interior for themselves by looking through the large plate glass windows.

Secret Chopsticks (1850 N. Fort Myer Drive) was originally slated to open last summer. We were told in August that construction and permitting delayed the opening by more than a year.

The restaurant will feature authentic modern Chinese cooking, Secret Chopsticks’ Robin Li said previously.

“Whatever they are cooking in China now, we are going to cook,” he said.

Update at 4:15 p.m. — Secret Chopsticks general manager Malia Milstead explains via email: “We are striving for perfection and want to do [a] preview for press in a couple of weeks.”

New Shirlington Pool Hall Looks to Open Next Week

By Heather Mongilio

Published October 7, 2015 at 1:45PM | Updated October 8, 2015 at 11:45AM

Billiards may return to Shirlington as a new pool hall looks to open next week.

Chester’s Billiards Bar & Grill is opening in the same building that housed pool hall Lucy’s ARL until 2013, said co-owner Derrick Fulghum, Sr.

The restaurant hopes to have “a busy atmosphere with great food,” said Fulghum. It’s currently waiting on some permits from the county before it can open, but hopes to have those by Thursday.

In the meantime, Chester’s owners are hanging the restaurant’s new sign and putting the final touches on its menu.

The menu currently includes appetizers like chicken tenders, buffalo wings and crab cakes, salads, soups and a raw bar. The restaurant is opening with a special of barbecue and “all you can eat salad” for $8.75.

The menu will mostly contain American cuisine, “and everything is pretty much under $10,” Fulghum said.

Once open, the restaurant is planning to serve food from 11 a.m. midnight Monday through Wednesday, and until later at night on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It will be open until 11 p.m. Sunday, according to Fulghum.