Pentagon Row

Nando’s Peri Peri Plans June Opening in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

Nando’s Peri Peri is opening its first Virginia location next month in Pentagon City.

The restaurant, which is currently under construction on Pentagon Row in the old PR Grill space, is expected to open on June 13 after two days of mock service. The company has several locations in the District and Maryland, but this will be the first Nando’s Peri Peri in Virginia. A location is also planned for Old Town Alexandria.

In addition to its signature Portuguese chicken offerings, the Nando’s menu includes sandwiches, wraps, pitas, sides, salads and “appeteasers.” The restaurant also serves wine, beer and sangria.

In a press release, the company said it’s planning to expand beyond the D.C. area.

These openings mark the beginning of an East Coast expansion of the flame-grilled Portuguese chicken restaurant, which is close to announcing several new leases.

The first Nando’s Peri Peri opened its doors in 1987 outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. Since then, Nando’s Peri Peri has opened restaurants in 34 countries and five continents. Today, it has over 850 restaurants located around the world. Nando’s Peri Peri made its USA debut in 2008, when it opened its first US location on 7th Street in Washington, DC’s Chinatown.  Since then, Nando’s has gone on to open six additional locations based in and around the Washington, DC Metropolitan area, including Dupont Circle, Silver Spring, Annapolis, Bethesda, Gaithersburg, and the National Harbor.

The Pentagon Row location is currently hiring full-time and part-time cashiers and grillers, the company said.

UPDATED: Lime Fresh to Open Pentagon Row Location

By ARLnow.com

 

Update on 5/21/12 — A Lime rep says the opening of the company’s new Pentagon Row location has been delayed until Wednesday, May 30.

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill is expected to open its second Arlington location in Pentagon City next week.

The fast-growing restaurant chain says they’ll be opening in the former Baja Fresh space at Pentagon Row (1101 S. Joyce Street) on Wednesday, May 23. As of last night, interior construction was still underway.

Lime Fresh will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Sunday. No special festivities are planned for the Wednesday opening, but a company rep says a “grand opening fiesta” is being “planned for a date in the near future.”

Lime Fresh opened its first Arlington location, at 2900 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon, in mid-January. Parent company Ruby Tuesday declined to comment on how the location is faring financially, except to say “are excited about the good community response and continuing expansion in the D.C. area.”

Originally launched in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida, Lime Fresh describes itself as a “fast-casual Mexican restaurant” that has “garnered a cult following from locals and celebrities alike throughout Miami.”

Famous for its signature blend of fresh, mouth-watering Mexican dishes, dynamic ambiance, stylized interiors and scrupulous service, Lime was originally conceived in 2004, to complement the vibrant and food-conscious culture of South Beach. Today, Lime delivers light Mexican-style cuisine using fresh produce and meats charbroiled on grills in an exhibition style kitchen. Additionally, all locations feature a signature house-made salsa bar with selections ranging from mild pico de gallo to the spicy habanero salsa, as well as 50 variations of custom hot sauces.

Diners have the option of choosing from a variety of guacamole flavors served with house-made tortilla chips, including the Classic Guac and the Gringo Guac, as well as the Housemade Queso Dip. Entrée favorites include the South Beach Burrito with chicken, jack and cheddar cheese, pico de gallo and shredded lettuce served on a low-carb tortilla; Flautas with chicken, organic black beans, corn, jack and cheddar cheese lightly fried in golden brown, soft yellow corn tortillas and served with a creamy avocado-ranch dipping sauce; and the Surfer Tacos with grilled Mahi Mahi, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo and a cool cilantro sauce. Low carb, vegetarian and whole wheat options are also available for health-conscious diners.

Giada De Laurentiis Holding a Local Book Signing

By Katie Pyzyk

Popular television chef Giada De Laurentiis will soon bring her culinary skills to Arlington.

She’ll be at Sur La Table (1101 S. Joyce St) in Pentagon Row on March 31 to promote her upcoming cookbook, “Weeknights with Giada.” The recipes in the book are touted as home cooked dishes that come together quickly, many in half an hour or less.

De Laurentiis will sign copies of the book starting at noon. Fans who want to attend the book signing must purchase a copy of the cookbook from Sur la Table in Pentagon Row. The purchase will grant the customer one ticket to attend the signing event.

The book goes on sale on March 27.

Pentagon Row Skating Rink Still Open, Will Close Sunday

By ARLnow.com

Outdoor ice skating may not be the most popular recreation activity in 70 to 80 degree sunny weather, but the Pentagon Row ice rink is still open for business should anybody want to try their luck on the wet ice.

The rink had a thin layer of water on top of it when we stopped by around lunchtime today. No one was skating, but plenty of people were eating their lunch outside around the plaza.

The skating rink will remain open despite the warm weather, we’re told. The last scheduled day of skating for the season is Sunday, March 18.

Expanded Pentagon Row Skating Rink Approved

By ARLnow.com

On Saturday the Arlington County Board approved a plan to expand the size of the Pentagon Row skating rink while extending the length of time the rink is allowed to be open.

Under the approved site plan amendment, the privately-owned rink will be expanded by 40 feet — to 57 by 120 feet — and the rink will remain open for an additional month, opening in October instead of November. The rink will continue to operate through March.

“The bigger rink, operating a month longer each season, will be able to serve more neighbors and visitors looking for a low-cost, fun way to get some exercise in the late fall and winter,” County Board Chair Mary Hynes said in a statement. “This project will make an already popular public space even better.”

The revamped Pentagon Row plaza design also includes two free standing, 800 square foot retail structures, a fire pit, an interactive water display, year-round seating and elevated bleachers during the cold season to view the ice rink. During warmer months, the rink will be replaced by an artificial turf lawn and stage area.

The site plan amendment, which was supported by the local Aurora Highlands Civic Association, was approved on an unanimous 4-0 vote.

County Board to Vote on Changes at Pentagon Row

By Katie Pyzyk

During its meeting on Saturday, the County Board is expected to vote on the proposed revamp of the central plaza at Pentagon Row.

The proposal includes plans to expand the length of the ice rink by 40 feet, add synthetic turf and add two 800 square foot freestanding retail structures. Approving the proposal would also add an additional month to the ice rink’s operating season, making it October through March, instead of November through March.

This proposal came up at the December 10 County Board hearing but was deferred to January. When it came up at the January 21 meeting, the proposal was again deferred to resolve issues with the plan’s two freestanding structures.

The small structures would be added to the northeastern and southwestern areas of the plaza, to be used year-round. At the January meeting, county staff suggested only adding the northeastern structure. There was concern that the southwestern structure along S. Joyce St would obstruct views into the plaza and make the space feel too crowded. When the applicant, Street Retail, Inc., said it wouldn’t be economically feasible to build only one, the issue was deferred until this Saturday’s meeting.

County staff recommend approval of the plan, with a few tweaks to the original proposal. To prevent visual obstruction, the new freestanding structures will have to be as transparent as possible. The one on S. Joyce St will also be built with a flat roof instead of a gabled roof.

As part of the expansion of the ice rink area, two existing planters will be removed. To make up for the lost green space, artificial turf will be added. It would be exposed during warmer months and covered by the rink during colder months. Adding the turf actually allows for an additional 775 square feet of space that is currently largely unusable due to the planters. A number of conditions must be met to ensure the turf is of high quality and can handle hot weather.

The plaza design also includes temporary shade structures, a fire pit, an interactive water display, year-round seating and elevated seating during the cold season to view the ice rink.

Street Retail, Inc. has been working with the Aurora Highlands and Arlington Ridge civic associations to address questions and concerns about the proposed changes. Residents were surveyed about the proposal and 70 percent are in favor of the plan. Some of the new conditions in the proposal were added in response to concerns raised by neighbors.

The vote on the proposed changes comes amid a restaurant shakeup at Pentagon Row. Several restaurants suddenly shut their doors late last year, and will be replaced by new ones in the coming months.

Yogiberry Coming to Pentagon Row

By ARLnow.com

A Yogiberry frozen yogurt store will be replacing the shuttered Maggie Moo’s ice cream shop at Pentagon Row.

“Coming soon” signs are up in the windows of the store. Interior construction is either underway or imminent, as workers could be seen entering the store today.

The change from ice cream to frozen yogurt is a bit of deja vu — in 2010 a Yogiberry location opened in Shirlington Village, in another shuttered Maggie Moo’s storefront. Shirlington Village and Pentagon Row are both owned by Federal Realty Investment Trust.

Big Restaurant Shakeup at Pentagon Row

By ARLnow.com

There’s a big restaurant shakeup underway at Pentagon Row. Baja Fresh and PR Grill have closed their doors at the shopping center, while Lime Fresh Mexican Grill and Nando’s Peri-Peri restaurant will be opening later this year.

Baja Fresh, located near the Harris Teeter grocery store, closed on Dec. 31, according to a note in the window. The restaurant’s main sign has already been taken down.

Baja Fresh will be replaced by Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, a fast-growing chain that’s also opening a location in Clarendon. The Pentagon Row Lime Fresh location is expected to open this spring, according to the Pentagon Row Facebook page. The Clarendon location, meanwhile, is now expected to open on Jan. 16.

Florida-based Lime Fresh is backed by the company behind the Ruby Tuesday restaurant chain.

PR Grill closed recently so that the owners could “concentrate on other business,” according to a web site where just about everything remaining inside the restaurant is being auctioned off. PR Grill’s web site is still live, however, touting the restaurant’s “variety of American steak and seafood dining hot off the grill.”

It’s unclear if it will be opening in the old PR Grill space, but Pentagon Row announced this afternoon that Nando’s Peri-Peri will be opening in the shopping center this summer. The local chain bills itself as “the home of legendary, Portuguese, flame-grilled, Peri-Peri chicken.”

The restaurant shakeup comes as Federal Realty, the company that owns Pentagon Row, is preparing to revamp the property’s central plaza area. The company’s proposal to reconfigure the plaza is expected to be considered by the Arlington County Board later this month. The reconfigured plaza would allow for a larger skating rink, among other changes, we’re told.

Update at 2:30 p.m. — A reader points out that Pentagon Row eateries Sandella’s Flatbread Cafe and Maggie Moo’s have also recently closed.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Shirlington, Pentagon Row to Get Electric Car Chargers — Federal Realty Investment Trust is installing electric vehicle charging stations at five of its D.C. area shopping centers, including The Village at Shirlington and Pentagon Row. [Washington Business Journal]

Daggers Found in Book at DCA — Two throwing daggers were found in a hollowed-out book in a passenger’s carry-on baggage at Reagan National Airport on Monday. The knives and the book were confiscated by authorities. [NBC Washington]

ART Canned Food Drive Ends — ART bus passengers donated a total of 376 canned food items from Nov. 14 to Dec. 16, during the transit service’s food drive. The canned items are being donated to the Arlington Food Assistance Center. [CommuterPage Blog]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Grass Gets Mowed After Article — High grass that had been obstructing the view of drivers on the already-dangerous ramp from eastbound Columbia Pike to northbound Washington Boulevard was mowed yesterday, one day after ARLnow.com published an article about it.

Potomac Avenue Bridge Opens — One can now drive from Potomac Yard to Crystal City without having to hop on Route 1. The Potomac Avenue bridge over Four Mile Run has opened to traffic, making Arlington’s Market Square shops and restaurants more accessible for residents in the new Potomac Yard housing developments in Alexandria. [Patch]

Trick or Treating at Pentagon Row — Dozens of Pentagon Row merchants will be greeting little trick-or-treaters Saturday afternoon. Some stores will also be offering Halloween specials for shoppers. [Facebook]

Republicans Optimistic About State Senate Race — Arlington Republicans are becoming more optimistic about the 32nd District state Senate race between Patrick Forrest (R) and incumbent Janet Howell (D). “People are realizing this is a very close race,” one operative told the Sun Gazette. Meanwhile, the Arlington County Republican Committee raised $8,404 in October, which is $8,400 more than it raised in September.

Coming Soon: Ice Skating at Pentagon Row

By ARLnow.com

Yes, it’s that time of the year again.

Workers have started installing the ice skating rink at the Pentagon Row shopping center (1101 S. Joyce Street). What serves as a concert and outdoor dining venue during the summer will soon be transformed into a wintry skating rink, complete with instructors providing skating lessons and (starting as soon as Nov. 12) a nightly artificial snow fall.

Weather-permitting, the skating rink is expected to open two weeks from today, on Tuesday, Nov. 1.

In other ice-related news at Pentagon Row, the Maggie Moo’s ice cream shop is no longer Maggie Moo’s. The shop is still selling ice cream and frozen yogurt, but without the Maggie Moo’s branding.

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