Tasteful Delight in Pentagon City now appears closed (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
It appears that Pentagon City mainstay Tasteful Delight has closed.
The signage is now gone at the long-time Chinese food restaurant on S. Joyce Street. There’s also a lock on the door, plus the interior looks like it has been cleared out. As further proof, online ordering is no longer available on the restaurant’s website and its phone line has been disconnected.
It’s unclear when exactly Tasteful Delight did serve its last meal, with the last Yelp review being from early September.
ARLnow has reached out to the email listed on the restaurant’s website but has yet to hear back as of publication.
Earlier this week, a tip came in that expressed disappointment that the restaurant had closed because “the food was really good.” On NextDoor, there was similar sentiment.
“It was by far the best American style Chinese food I’ve food in the area.” Another says that they “feared” the day it would close and “almost fell to my knees cursing the sky” when they realized they would no longer be able to order from there. Overall, Tasteful Delight garnered 3.5 stars on Yelp.
The restaurant was open at 1301 S. Joyce Street for at least a decade, outlasting until now all the turnover that’s been going on at Pentagon Row — also known as Westpost — over the last two years.
2018 Marine Corps Marathon (Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)
In 39 days, some 30,000 runners will descend on Arlington for the first in-person Marine Corps Marathon since the onset of Covid.
The in-person race on Oct. 30 — canceled in 2020 and 2021 — comes with a new Pentagon City location for the gateway to the Runners Village, the sprawling area providing “essential pre-start support” to runners, including portable restrooms, baggage drop-off and a water station.
“We are excited to announce the new Runners Village Gateway for the MCM and MCM50K is now located at the intersection of Army Navy Drive and S. Fern Street,” organizers said in an email. “This new Runners Village Gateway is only a change in location for participants.”
The village used to be located in the Pentagon North Parking lot.
A map of the Runners Village Gateway (via Marine Corps Marathon)
The start line for marathoners is located on Route 110, just before the Memorial Drive. Runners will cross the finish line in front of the Marine Corps War Memorial in the Rosslyn area.
Participants taking the Metro are encouraged to use the Pentagon Metro station, but now can also ride to the Pentagon City Metro station. Metro will be opening at 5 a.m. on event morning, except for the Arlington Cemetery station which will open at 8:30 a.m.
Signage and volunteers will help direct runners to the village.
Those who drive will have free parking available at the underground lot near 23rd Street S. and Crystal Drive. A shuttle will transport runners to the Runners Village Gateway and at the Finish Festival to transport them back to their cars.
Additional, paid parking can be found at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall.
Course map for the Marine Corps Marathon (via Marine Corps Marathon)
The Runners Village for the 10K is located on the National Mall, near the start line for that race. Registration is still open for the 10K, according to the website.
Dunlap and Mabe are set to perform Sunday at Virginia Highlands Park as part of a new concert series (photo courtesy of National Landing BID)
A new acoustic concert series is set to start strumming at Virginia Highlands Park.
“National Landing Unplugged” brings the Winchester, Va.-based string trio of Dunlap & Mabe to the Pentagon City area this Sunday (Sept. 4) for the first of five Sunday afternoon acoustic concerts happening this fall.
The free music series is being held at the park at 1600 S. Hayes Street and will run from Sept. 4 to Oct. 2. The music begins at 12:30 p.m. and will run for about an hour and a half.
Different artists are set to perform each week, starting with Dunlap and Mabe this Sunday. The remaining schedule of musicians will be announced in the coming weeks.
“Our NEW Unplugged Series will focus on a diverse lineup of mostly acoustic-style groups. We wanted to differentiate from the musical styles/offerings we traditionally feature at our longtime Friday music series,” a National Landing BID spokesperson wrote ARLnow.
The stage will be set up between the tennis courts and sprayground off of S. Hayes Street with the BID working on booking food trucks as well, the spokesperson said.
The stage for “National Landing Unplugged” will be set up between the tennis courts and sprayground (photo courtesy of National Landing BID)
The National Landing BID serves Pentagon City, Crystal City, and Potomac Yard (which straddles Arlington and the City of Alexandria). Virginia Highlands Park and Long Bridge Park are the two largest parks that fall under National Landing BID’s area.
“This is a beloved space in the Pentagon City neighborhood that is already full of great programming and we saw an opening for activation on Sunday afternoons — for a fun and light family-friendly gathering in the park,” the spokesperson said of the park.
Along with this acoustic concert series, the “NaLa Fridays at the Park” summer series continues at Long Bridge Park through the rest of September.
Scene of alleged Pentagon City carjacking attempt (via Google Maps)
(Updated at 1:20 p.m.) An alleged Wednesday evening carjacking attempt led to a crash and an arrest in Pentagon City.
Police say a suspect who was armed with a gun tried to forcefully take a car from a driver at the intersection of 12th Street S. and S. Fern Street, near the future Amazon HQ2 campus and the DEA headquarters.
The attempt was unsuccessful and the suspect fled on foot after she and the driver struggled in the car and then crashed into a parked vehicle. The suspect, identified in a crime report Thursday afternoon as an 18-year-old Alexandria woman, was subsequently taken into custody by responding officers, according to Arlington County police.
More from ACPD:
ATTEMPTED CARJACKING, 2022-08310199, 12th Street S. and S. Fern Street. At approximately 5:56 p.m. on August 31, police were dispatched to the report of a hit and run that had just occurred. Upon arrival, officers were flagged down by the victim who stated he had left his unlocked vehicle idling in the 700 block of 12th Street S. and entered a business. Upon exiting, he observed the female suspect enter into the driver’s seat of his vehicle and he ran over and entered into the passenger’s seat. The victim told the suspect to exit the vehicle at which point she drove off at a high rate of speed. A verbal dispute ensued inside the vehicle, during which the suspect allegedly brandished a firearm and threatened the victim. The suspect and victim then physically struggled as the suspect continued driving and struck an unoccupied, parked vehicle. The suspect then exited the vehicle and fled the scene on foot. A lookout was broadcast with the suspect description and officers established a perimeter and searched the area. The suspect was located and taken into custody without incident. During a search of the suspect’s person incident to arrest, a firearm and suspected narcotics were recovered. The victim sustained minor injuries and declined medical attention on scene. Mkyah Hatfield, 18 of Alexandria, VA was arrested and charged with Carjacking, Abduction, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, Possession of Schedule I/II and Possession of a Firearm While in Possession of Drugs. She was held without bond.
The arrest was caught on video, as published by local public safety watcher Dave Statter, below.
Police car speeding to a call at night (staff photo)
A driver who fled from police early Saturday morning in Crystal City then returned, successfully fled again, and returned and tried to flee a third time, police say.
The third time was the charm for officers.
Police say the unusual sequence ended with a foot chase and the arrest of a 19-year-old Springfield, Virginia man near the Pentagon City mall. It followed a vehicle pursuit that originally ended when the suspect crossed the bridge into D.C., but was re-initiated after he inexplicably returned, according to police.
The man is now facing numerous felony charges, including drug possession, three counts of eluding, and attempted malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer for allegedly ramming a police cruiser with his vehicle during the first half of the car chase.
More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:
ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, 2022-08200075, 20th Street S. and Richmond Highway. At approximately 3:54 a.m. on August 20, a patrol officer observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed and attempted a traffic stop in the 2400 block of S. Eads Street. The driver disregarded the officer’s emergency equipment and fled from the stop. At approximately 8:00 a.m., officers observed the vehicle traveling in the area of 20th Street S. and Richmond Highway and attempted a second traffic stop. The driver accelerated, struck a police cruiser with his vehicle, and fled onto Richmond Highway. A vehicle pursuit was initiated and subsequently terminated in Washington D.C. due to the driver’s erratic behavior. Shortly afterwards, officers observed the vehicle reenter the County and reinitiated the pursuit. The driver exited the vehicle in the 800 block of Army Navy Drive and attempted to flee the scene on foot. Following a foot pursuit, officers took the suspect into custody. A search of the suspect incident to arrest yielded suspected narcotics. Adrian Molina, 19, of Springfield, VA was arrested and charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding of a Law Enforcement Officer, Felony Hit and Run, Felony Eluding (x3), Possession of a Schedule I/II Narcotic, Obstruction of Justice and Driving without a License.
Another alleged assault on police happened early this morning in Clarendon. Police say a drunk man started “became disorderly and uncooperative” along the 3100 block of Clarendon Blvd, near some of the neighborhood’s bars, after officers tried to “have him secure a safe ride home.”
From the crime report:
At approximately 1:35 a.m. on August 22, police were dispatched to the report of an intoxicated individual. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the male suspect and attempted to have him secure a safe ride home. The suspect ignored the officer’s instructions and became disorderly and uncooperative. As officers attempted to take the suspect into custody, he actively resisted arrest and a physical struggle ensued. With the assistance of additional officers, the suspect was successfully detained. While being walked to a transport vehicle, the suspect assaulted the arresting officer.
A 27-year-old D.C. man “was arrested and charged with Assault and Battery of a Law Enforcement Officer, Public Intoxication and Obstruction of Justice,” ACPD said. “He was held without bond.”
On Sunday afternoon, meanwhile, police arrested a 40-year-old South Carolina man in a Pentagon City parking lot near the mall, after a woman said she saw him in a car exposing himself.
The man has an extensive history of indecent exposure arrests, according to variousnewsreports.
From ACPD’s crime report:
INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2022-08210124, 800 block of Army Navy Drive. At approximately 3:23 p.m. on August 21, police were dispatched to the report of an indecent exposure that had just occurred. Upon arrival, the victim stated she was going to exit her parked vehicle when she observed the unknown male suspect allegedly exposing himself in the car parked next to hers. The suspect was located on scene and taken into custody without incident. Berrino McClary, 40, of Kingstree, SC, was arrested and charged with Indecent Exposure. He was held without bond.
Rosa Mexicano is looking to open in the former home of Sugar Factory on S. Hayes Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Rosa Mexicano will not be opening next month in Pentagon City but is aiming to start serving later this year.
The new restaurant that’s moving into the former Sugar Factory space is looking to open its doors sometime this fall, a company spokesperson told ARLnow.
That’s a bit of a push from what was reported back in June, when the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City website noted a September 1 opening for the new 4,200-square-foot dining space on S. Hayes Street.
However, the Rosa Mexicano spokesperson tells us the aim was always to open later in the fall. The mall’s website has since been updated and it now simply says “coming soon.”
Either way, it appears that the New York-based upscale Mexican eatery will be serving its tableside guacamole in Pentagon City by the end of the year. It will be the region’s second currently operating location, though locals might remember a previous one in D.C. across the street from Capital One Arena. That location closed only last summer after 16 years.
The first Rosa Mexicano opened in New York City close to four decades ago.
The decor and menu in Pentagon City are still being worked on, but it will likely hue close to recently-opened locations in Philadelphia and Boston. While the menu is set to be “revamped,” it is likely the eatery will still have its guacamole prepared tableside as well as other well-known Mexican dishes like tacos, ceviche, and enchiladas.
There have been plenty of comings and goings at Pentagon City mall recently, beyond Rosa Mexicano.
Menswear store Psycho Bunny is now hopping towards an October opening while local chicken wing restaurant Soul Wingz and Latin American cuisine Maizal are also listed as “coming soon.” Earlier this year, Rihanna’s lingerie brand Savage x Fenty opened a storefront at the mall as well.
A man allegedly got mad and drew a gun when an employee at a local car wash asked him to move his vehicle.
The incident happened around 10:15 a.m. Tuesday at the Mr. Wash car wash on the 100 N. Glebe Road, according to scanner traffic. No one was hurt.
Police say they have since identified the suspect.
From today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:
BRANDISHING, 2022-08160067, 100 block of N. Glebe Road. At approximately 10:16 a.m. on August 16, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined an employee of the business approached the suspect and requested he move his parked vehicle which was blocking other customers. A verbal dispute ensued, during which the suspect allegedly brandished a firearm before fleeing the scene in his vehicle. No injuries were reported. During the course of the investigation, officers identified the suspect and obtained a warrant for Brandishing a Firearm within 1,000 feet of a School. The investigation is ongoing.
Also Tuesday morning, a man allegedly robbed a 7-Eleven store in Virginia Square, assaulted an employee, and then went back into the store to steal more items.
ROBBERY, 2022-08160042, 3500 block of Fairfax Drive. At approximately 8:42 a.m. on August 16, police were dispatched to the report of a dispute in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined the unknown male suspect entered into the business, took several items off of the shelves and attempted to leave without paying. An employee confronted him, during which a verbal dispute ensued. Another employee attempted to intervene and the suspect struck him before leaving the business. The suspect quickly reentered the business, stole additional merchandise and fled the scene on foot. A lookout for the suspect was broadcast and officers canvassed the area yielding negative results. No injuries were reported.
That afternoon, another retail robbery led police on an ultimately futile search for the suspect, who is believed to have fled via Metro.
The robbery happened at the Costco store in Pentagon City.
“At approximately 12:54 p.m. on August 16, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery,” ACPD said. “The investigation determined the unknown male suspect was allegedly attempting to leave a business with unpaid merchandise when he was confronted by loss prevention.”
“A verbal dispute ensued, during which the suspect implied he had a knife before fleeing the scene with the stolen items,” the crime report continues. “The employees followed the suspect out of the business as he continued to verbally threaten them.”
The suspect was seen fleeing into the Pentagon City Metro station, but officers arrived at the platform just as a Blue Line train was departing, according to scanner traffic. That led to unsuccessful efforts to get Metro to stop the train at the Pentagon, at the Arlington Cemetery station, and finally in Rosslyn, per police radio traffic.
“A lookout for the suspect was broadcast and officers canvassed the surrounding area with negative results,” said the crime report.
The revamped park is expected to re-open at some point next year.
The proposed red brick structure, harkening back to the area’s past as a hub for brick production, will also include a decorative interior that park-goers will be able to freely enter.
Made with reclaimed bricks and illuminated by LED uplighting, the tower will seek to carry forward the legacy of the Black enclaves of Freedman’s Village and, more specifically, Queen City — two of several that dotted Arlington a century or more ago.
Freedman’s Village, founded on the former estate of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee during the Civil War, was closed by the federal government in 1900 and became part of Arlington National Cemetery. Queen City was founded nearby in response to the closure of Freedman’s Village.
But Queen City, too, would eventually be razed by the federal government — in 1942, to make way for the freeway network built around the newly-constructed Pentagon.
From the doctoral dissertation of Lindsey Bestebreurtje, Ph.D., a curator in the National Museum of African American History and Culture:
Together with the adjacent community of East Arlington, Queen City was located in south-eastern Arlington on flat land, prone to flooding from the nearby Potomac River, near several factories and along the Washington, Alexandria, and Mt. Vernon trolley line. Queen City was built around the Mt. Olive Baptist Church which had roots in Freedman’s Village. Saving one-fourth of an acre for the church, the remaining land was parceled into forty lots to be sold to church members leaving the Village. With small plots of 20 feet by 92 feet, this subdivision transformed the former farm land into a more dense and suburban environment. Many of the homes constructed by former residents of Freedman’s Village at this time were reminiscent of the simple clap-board houses they called home in the Village, making housing type another product of the Village’s diaspora.
By 1942 more than 200 working class families lived in modest but well-kept frame houses. Just as was the case in Freedman’s Village, where residents saw a thriving community, outsiders saw the black neighborhood as a ghetto. In January of 1942 construction began for the Pentagon’s road networks in the path of the communities. Properties were seized through [eminent] domain laws with modest payments. With this loss some community members left the area entirely, while other residents and institutions relocated to Arlington’s remaining black communities of Hall’s Hill, Johnson’s Hill, or Green Valley.
The dissertation notes that the destruction of the Queen City community was personally approved by the president at the time.
As it did last summer, the truck will be setting up shop along Pentagon Row this weekend, offering its baked goods and pink-hued merchandise to the masses. Only credit and debit cards will be accepted during the event, which is set to take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, near the DSW store.
The truck will only be in the area for one day. After the Arlington stop on the truck’s East Coast tour, it’s off to New Jersey.
More from a press release, below.
The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is continuing its 2022 tour across the U.S. with its all-pink cafe on wheels carrying exclusive treats and collectibles celebrating all things Hello Kitty.
Fans of Hello Kitty can look forward to edible goodies and limited-edition merch, including:
NEW Hello Kitty Cafe Glass Mug with Sprinkle Handle
NEW Hello Kitty Cafe Coin Bank
NEW Hello Kitty Cafe Lunchbox
Hello Kitty Cafe Lavender T-Shirt
Hello Kitty Cafe Canvas Tote
Stainless Hello Kitty Cafe Rainbow Thermos (18oz and 32oz)
Hand-Decorated Cookie Sets
Madeleine Cookie Sets
Other best-selling items include: Hello Kitty Cafe Plush Toys and giant Hello Kitty Cafe chef cookies.
Following DC, the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck will continue its 2022 East Coast tour with a stop in Cherry Hill, NJ on 8/20.
Since the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck made its debut in October 2014 as part of Sanrio’s first food-related venture, the cafe on wheels has delighted thousands of fans from all over the U.S., drawing crowds of up to hundreds of Hello Kitty lovers at each stop. To date, two Hello Kitty Cafe trucks have traveled to more than 100 cities across both coasts – from Los Angeles, Seattle and Houston – to Chicago, New York and Miami.
The regional event will be held between Monday, Aug. 15, and Sunday, Aug. 21 and is currently set to feature nearly a dozen Arlington restaurants.
During the event, the participating restaurants are expected to offer lunches for $25 and dinners for either $40 or $55.
The participating Arlington restaurants include:
Big Buns Damn Good Burgers (Ballston and Shirlington) — serving burgers, burger bowls, cocktails, shakes and fries. Menu not yet released.
Epic Smokehouse (Pentagon City) — will offer a three-course meal, charging $25 for lunch and $55 for dinner.
La Cote d’Or Café (East Falls Church) — three-course menus of traditional French cuisine, priced at $25 for lunch and $40 or $55 for dinner.
McCormick & Schmick’s (Crystal City) — a seafood restaurant that offers a $55 dinner option. Menu not yet released.
Mussel Bar and Grill (Ballston) — a Belgian restaurant offering three-course menus at $25 for lunch and $40 for dinner.
Osteria da Nino (Shirlington) — three-course meals of Italian cuisine, priced at $40 for dinner.
Ruthie’s All-Day (Arlington Heights) — the award-winning restaurant that specializes in Southern cuisine will offer $40 and $55 dinner options. Menu not yet released.
SER Restaurant (Ballston) — three-course meals of Spanish cuisine, priced at $25 for lunch and $40 for dinner. The Freshman (Crystal City) – a café that serves bar food, sandwiches and pastas. Menu not yet released.
The Melting Pot (Ballston) — three-course menus of fondues, priced at $40 for dinner and $5 extra per person for a chocolate fondue.
Yume Sushi (East Falls Church) — five-course menu of Japanese cuisine for $55 per dinner.
Some of the restaurants listed above are pairing their meals with wine or cocktails. All the eateries, except The Melting Pot, offer delivery, takeout or outdoor spaces in addition to indoor dining.
Organized by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, which also hosted the RAMMY awards, the event is sponsored by public and private groups, such as the D.C. Mayor’s Office, the National Landing Business Improvement District and Airbnb, according to its website.
Over 200 restaurants from the D.C. metropolitan area are participating this year, according to a RAMW tweet.
Police on scene of theft of cash at the Harris Teeter in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police on scene of theft of cash at the Harris Teeter in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police on scene of theft of cash at the Harris Teeter in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A man absconded with thousands of dollars yesterday after swiping a bag of cash from an employee who was filling an ATM in Pentagon City.
The incident reportedly happened around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Harris Teeter store at 900 Army Navy Drive, in the Pentagon Row shopping center.
“Upon arrival, it was determined the reporting party was filling an ATM with money when the unknown suspect approached and stole a bag containing an undisclosed amount of cash,” Arlington County police said today in a crime report. “The suspect then fled the scene on foot.”
An armored truck could be seen parked outside of the store as an ARLnow photographer arrived on scene. Initial reports suggest that the suspect may have stolen tens of thousands of dollars simply by running off with the cash without any use or threat of force.
“There was no force reported,” ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “The incident is a larceny.”
The suspect was described as a teen or man in his early 20s. Police searched the area but did not locate him.
“The suspect is described as a Black male in his late teens to early 20s with a slim build,” said the crime report. “He was wearing dark gray pants, a black long sleeve shirt and carrying a backpack. The investigation is ongoing.”
