new store

First Look Inside Northside Social

By ARLnow.com

It’s still a work-in-progress, but yesterday we got a look inside Northside Social, Clarendon’s new coffee and wine bar.

Construction is taking place at a furious pace at the old Murky Coffee building. When we arrived after the short walk from Northside’s big brother, Liberty Tavern, general manager Alison Christ was surprised to see a chandelier already installed on the second floor, which the wine bar will call home.

On the first floor the makings of the coffee bar were coming together. Christ, formerly the sommelier at Willow Restaurant in Ballston, said the centerpiece of the store — a top-of-the-line espresso machine — was in the process of being flown in from Italy.

An adjacent “sun room,” which we’re told will be furnished with couches and other comfy furniture, was still barren concrete.

After it gets its necessary county permits, Northside will have seating for about 100 people, including 65 outdoor patio seats. With new stores popping up monthly, and with an added emphasis on outdoor seating and street life, Christ says she sees Clarendon developing into a “New York-style neighborhood.”

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First Look: Twisted Vines Wine Bar and Bottleshop

By ARLnow.com

If today’s final county inspection goes according to plan, the new Twisted Vines Wine Bar and Bottleshop on Columbia Pike will open its doors to customers for the first time this weekend, with a grand opening celebration to be held on March 6.

Twisted Vines will feature seating for 43, a selection of 128 bottles of wine from most of the major wine-making countries, cheese and charcuterie plates, and some more substantial fare from chef Caroline Guelle (hired away from Grand Cru in Ballston).

For owner Sybil Robinson, the journey from consulting management (her former career) to wine bar management started in Argentina.

Sybil, along with husband and co-owner Josh, had already followed their passion for wine to such viticulture meccas as France, Italy and Chile. Then in Mendoza, Argentina, while sitting at a wine bar overlooking the vineyards, lightning struck. They decided they wanted to bring the same comfortable, enjoyable, educational wine experience back home with them. The idea for Twisted Vines was thus born.

Since signing the lease at 2803 Columbia Pike in July, however, their vision for a wine lover’s paradise has been less about wine and more about construction and regulations.

“I’m talking about sheet metal and drywall when I’d rather be talking about wine,” Sybil said Thursday, amid a flurry of phone calls from a contractor. Luckily, “the fun is about to start.”

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Another Cupcake Bakery Coming to Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Watch out, Bakeshop. Another cupcake shop is coming to Clarendon, and they’re bringing along a loyal following.

Manhattan-based Crumbs Bakery is opening seven stores in the Washington area. As first reported by Washingtonian, one of the stores will be in Clarendon.

A Crumbs representative told arlnow.com that the Clarendon location is scheduled to open in May. She said she was unsure of the future store’s exact location.

First Look at Clarendon’s New Cupcake Shop

By ARLnow.com

Upscale cupcake bakeries are nothing new. Georgetown Cupcake, Baked & Wired, and Hello Cupcake are just a few of the gourmet baked goods establishments lining the streets of the District. Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe on 2150 N. Culpeper Street in North Arlington has won some online acclaim for its more traditional cupcakes. But Bakeshop, at 1025 N. Fillmore Street, has the distinction of being the first of its kind in Clarendon.

The store is a labor of love for chief cupcake maker Justin Stegall. Stegall’s sweets have been sold at various DC coffee shops, including Chinatown Coffee Co. (hat tip: Washington City Paper). Now, he finally has a storefront to call his own.

Bakeshop hasn’t officially opened yet, but Stegall has been inviting people to check out the store during special hours announced via Twitter. During Saturday’s snow storm, about 60 people stopped by for a so-called soft opening. Within five hours, the store was sold out.

(Pictures and an expert cupcake review, after the jump.)

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Fro-Yo Comes to Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Update on 5/4 — Red Mango has set a tentative opening date for its Clarendon store.

Texas-based frozen yogurt chain Red Mango is opening up a location in Clarendon, according to District Tattle. The store will open up at Clarendon Commons (2831 Clarendon Blvd.), near the Whole Foods, sometime in May.

Red Mango describes itself as “the fastest-growing retailer of all-natural nonfat frozen yogurt in the United States.”