opening

Zoë’s Kitchen Prepares for Saturday Opening

By ARLnow.com

New Ballston eatery Zoë’s Kitchen (4245 Fairfax Drive) is planning to open its doors on Saturday, restaurant managers told ARLnow.com last night.

Interior construction has happened at an impressively rapid rate since the restaurant first announced an ambitious mid-September opening date earlier this month — but the opening is still at least two days before schedule.

The Alabama-based, Greek-inspired restaurant chain offers soups, salads, sandwiches, pitas and lunch/dinner entrees. The menu includes chicken kabobs, Greek salad, tuna salad, freshly-made hummus, a “club pita,” chicken pita pizza, spinach roll-ups and a turkey Reuben sandwich.

Zoë’s is located in the former Aladdin’s Eatery space, across one block from the Ballston Metro. This is the company’s fifth location in the D.C. area, with more locations planned.

American Tap Room Prepares to Open in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

American Tap Room (3101 Wilson Blvd) is putting the finishing touches on its new Clarendon location in hopes of opening after the long holiday weekend. Today the restaurant is doing a trial run for friends and family, but ARLnow.com got a sneak peak.

Dozens of taps line the wall of the bar, which opens up into a large dining room. Beyond the dining area is a glass-enclosed martini bar. During warm seasons, patrons can head outside to the sizable patio and get toasty next to the three fire pits.

“We’re excited to be a part of the Clarendon community,” said Vice President of Marketing Wade Breaux. “We can’t wait to see everyone in a few days.”

Breaux says there’s not any one thing that will set apart American Tap Room from the many other restaurants in the area. Instead, he said, it’s more about the overall experience. He notes the welcoming atmosphere, more than 60 beers on tap, martini room, patio and moderate prices as some of the special features.

“We’re not trying to be the cheapest and we’re not trying to be the most expensive,” Beaux said. “We want to have broad appeal.”

There are still some tweaks necessary before the expected opening on Tuesday, such as getting phone lines up and working. American Tap Room plans to hold a formal grand opening sometime in the next few weeks, when everything is running smoothly.

This is the company’s third American Tap Room location, in addition to locations in Reston and Bethesda.

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Pinkberry Plans Froyo Giveaway in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

The new Pinkberry frozen yogurt store in Clarendon (pictured) is planning a post-work froyo giveaway on Thursday, one day before its planned opening.

Pinkberry will give out free samples from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday. The store then plans to open to the public at 11:00 a.m. on Friday. Offerings include 6 different flavors of frozen yogurt and numerous toppings.

The Clarendon Pinkberry will be the California-based chain’s third D.C.-area location.

New Pentagon City Post Office Now Open

By ARLnow.com

Pentagon City’s new post office opened on S. Fern Street today.

The post office, complete with woodgrain accents and plenty of light thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, replaces an old, dingy post office at 1720 S. Eads Street. With today’s opening, the Eads Street post office is now closed to customers.

The new post office, at 1301 S. Fern Street, is located in the ground floor of the the Millennium at Metropolitan Park apartment building, across from Costco.

Sustainable Art Exhibit Opening at Artisphere

By ARLnow.com

It’s Artisphere’s biggest exhibit yet, and it follows a theme near and dear to the hearts of many in Arlington County.

Tonight is the public opening for “Contain, Maintain, Sustain,” a gallery of contemporary art inspired by sustainability. Among the pieces in the exhibit are beautiful gas cans, inspiring rubbish receptacles, a free-floating trash bag, magazines made into mountains and a box-laden bicycle.

The exhibit — a partnership between Artisphere, the Washington Project for the Arts and the Washington Sculptors Group — features the work of 24 international and locally-based artists.

Tonight’s opening reception is open to the public from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. The exhibit will be on display through July 17. More photos after the jump.

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Ballston’s Buzz Bakery Will Open Monday

By ARLnow.com

Buzz Bakery will open its new Ballston location on Monday.

That’s the word from Neighborhood Restaurant Group, the company that runs Buzz and its next door neighbor on the 4000 block of Wilson Boulevard, Rustico. Buzz is expected to open its doors as early as 7:00 a.m. on Monday, with plenty of free samples of coffee and baked goods.

The 2,000 square foot shop will have many of the same features and menu items of the original Buzz location on Slaters Lane in Alexandria, but will add treats like breakfast pop tarts, made-to-order waffles, individual serving quiches, homemade ice cream, sorbets, popsicles and “take-and-bake” products.

See more information on Buzz’s Ballston location from the company’s press release, after the jump.

Photo courtesy Neighborhood Restaurant Group

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Buzz Bakery in Ballston Opening Next Month

By ARLnow.com

There’s finally an opening date in sight for Buzz Bakery in Ballston.

“Coming soon” signs have been up at the storefront on the 4000 block of Wilson Boulevard for almost a year now. Next-door sister eatery Rustico opened in October while Buzz remained closed. Now, at long last, comes word that Buzz will start serving cupcakes and cappuccinos early next month.

Neighborhood Restaurant Group spokeswoman Jennifer Eberline says the company expects to announce an official May opening date “very, very soon.”

The will be NRG’s second Buzz Bakery. The first, on Slaters Lane in Alexandria, serves breakfast, baked goods, paninis, coffee, tea, wine and beer.

Ruffino’s Opening Today, BGR Hopes to Open Next Week

By ARLnow.com

A quick update on a couple of eagerly-anticipated restaurant openings:

Ruffino’s Spaghetti House (4763 Lee Highway) will tonight for the first time following months of renovations. An answering machine message says the restaurant will open at 4:00 p.m.

The new Clarendon location of BGR: The Burger Joint (3024 Wilson Blvd) is undergoing a final inspection today and hopes to open next week — perhaps as soon as Monday, if the inspection goes well. The restaurant’s interior is complete and employees are wrapping up preparations for the opening.

Ruffino’s Spaghetti House Hopes to Open Soon

By ARLnow.com

Ruffino’s Spaghetti House (4763 Lee Highway) may re-open in a week or two.

The restaurant closed for renovations in September, and loyal customers have been asking when it’s going to re-open ever since. Owner Robin Gamzeh says he hopes to open as soon as next week — if county inspections go well.

Outside and in, nearly everything about Ruffino’s appearance has changed. The exterior is brand new and the interior is completely revamped. One thing that hasn’t changed much is the restaurant’s menu. Gamzeh says everything from the original menu will still be available, with a few new additions.

Gamzeh says the re-opening was delayed several months after a contractor discovered a 5-6 foot basement crawl space while doing plumbing work. The basement, which Gamzeh did not know existed, had to be reinforced in order for renovations to continue.

Pete’s New Haven Apizza Plans Sunday Opening

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 12:25 p.m.) The new Pete’s New Haven Apizza restaurant in Clarendon is planning to open its doors on Sunday.

Pete’s co-owner Tom Marr tells us the restaurant has gotten all the necessary county occupancy and state alcohol permits, and is on track to open Sunday at 11:00 a.m. It could open today, he said, but management is focusing on training staff.

Pete’s serves New Haven-style pizza, which is explained at length on the company’s web site. Their “specialty apizzas” include: “Boola Boola” with house-made meatballs, roasted peppers, caramelized onions and cherry peppers; “Merritt Parkway” with Prosciutto di Parma, Kalamata olives, caramelized onions, basil and extra virgin olive oil; “New Haven” with white clams, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, Pecorino Romano and oregano; and “Nighthawk” with basil pesto, grilled chicken, wild mushrooms, caramelized onions and fresh mozzarella.

The price of an 18″ pie ranges from $18.95 to $25.95. In addition to offering pizza by the pie, Pete’s will offer a few varieties of pizza by the slice for $2.50 to $3.25.

Other menu items include appetizers, paninis, pasta dishes and homemade seasonal desserts. Twelve beers will be available on draft. Patrons will be able to choose between outdoor and indoor seating.

The restaurant, at 3017 Clarendon Boulevard, will be the first business to open on the ground floor of the recently-completed Clarendon Center north building. BGR: The Burger Joint is expected to open within the next two weeks.

More photos, after the jump.

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