restaurant

Sauca Restaurant on Columbia Pike Closes

By ARLnow.com

 

Less than a year after it first opened, Sauca restaurant at 4707 Columbia Pike has apparently closed.

The eatery was shuttered and dark last night, with only a single piece of printer paper in the door to announce its demise. It read: “Regretably [sic] Sauca has closed this location. Thank you for your patronage and wishing you all the health and happiness in the world.”

Sauca was unique in that it took the menu from an existing fleet of food trucks and tried to build a brick-and-mortar restaurant around it. Despite the fact that it added a lush outdoor patio, a liquor license, and happy hour specials to the food-truck-to-restaurant formula, we’re told that Sauca still struggled to attract a consistent customer base to its slightly off-the-beaten-path location.

Sauca is owned by Farhad Assari, a former international investment banker who left a lucrative gig in Dubai to move closer to his family and pursue his culinary dreams. The Sauca Twitter account has not been active since last Tuesday.

Then and Now: Tops Drive Inn on Glebe Road

By Katie Pyzyk

 

The photo on the left is of Tops Drive Inn at 40 N. Glebe Road, circa 1955. In 1953, James J. Mathews opened this restaurant, the first of what would become an 18 restaurant chain in the D.C. metro area. Tops touted itself as “Home of the Sir Loiner,” which was a double decker hamburger similar to today’s Big Mac.

The original Tops was a 15 seat facility, but really became popular for its “Teletrays” — the drive-in restaurant feature that allowed visitors to order food without leaving the car.

Mathews was friends with Col. Harlan Sanders, who founded Kentucky Fried Chicken. Mathews secured the exclusive franchise rights for serving the Colonel’s recipe chicken in the metro area, and served on KFC’s board after Col. Sanders retired.

In 1967, Mathews merged Tops with Gino’s Hamburgers, a Maryland chain. The Marriott Corporation bought Gino’s in 1972.

The photo on the right is how that location at Glebe Road and Route 50 looks today. It’s still home to a burger joint, but now it’s a McDonald’s.

After the jump: A vintage Tops commercial that ran on WTTG-TV in 1957.

Historic photo courtesy Arlington Public Library’s Virginia Room

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Person Burned Inside Courthouse Wendy’s

By ARLnow.com

 

The Arlington County Fire Department responded to the Wendy’s in Courthouse (2038 Wilson Boulevard) this afternoon for a potentially serious burn injury.

Initial reports suggest a technician who was working on one of the restaurant’s fryers somehow had scalding hot oil spilled on his or her abdominal and groin area. Medics on the scene told the dispatcher that the burn injury was “significant.”

The patient was transported via ambulance to the Medstar burn center in D.C., according to ACFD spokesman Capt. Gregg Karl. No other details about the incident, which happened around 2:30 p.m., were immediately available.

Chevys in Pentagon City Alive and Kicking for Cinco de Mayo

By Katie Pyzyk

Despite the closing of Chevys in Ballston — and rumors of its own demise — the Chevys Mexican restaurant in Pentagon City (1201 S. Hayes Street) is alive and kicking. So much so, it’s holding Cinco de Mayo specials every day this week.

The daily specials started yesterday and include deals like $4 1800 fresh fruit margaritas (Wednesday) and $5 Dos Equis Grandes (Friday).

In addition to the drink deals, there are also food specials and chances to win free dinners. On Saturday, May 5, there will be games and dancing for the big Cinco de Mayo bash. The fiesta ends on Sunday with a “Kids’ Cinco” featuring balloons and face painting.

‘DARNA’ Restaurant Wants Live Entertainment

By Katie Pyzyk

The Costa Verde restaurant near Clarendon is no more, and another tenant has quietly taken over the space. A restaurant called DARNA (946 N. Jackson Street) has apparently moved in, and it’s seeking a live entertainment permit from the county.

This location has had live entertainment permits dating back to 1994. According to the county staff report, when Costa Verde’s permit came up for review in February, it was discovered that the restaurant no longer existed. At that time, staff members learned that DARNA was looking at continuing the permit. The county zoning office confirmed that the new restaurant is not currently providing live entertainment.

DARNA requested to have entertainment and dancing from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., Wednesday through Sunday. But reviewers raised concerns about the hours, and the owner has agreed to modify the times to 8:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 8:00 p.m. to midnight on Wednesdays and Sundays.

The owner also has to agree not to play music outside, and to keep windows and doors shut to soundproof the structure. Security must be provided on nights when there is music and dancing.

Because police and neighbors haven’t expressed concern, county staff doesn’t anticipate trouble with the request. Reviewers recommend the County Board approves the permit request at its meeting on Saturday.

We have been unable to get in contact with the owner to get more details about the restaurant.

Board to Address Permits for William Jeffrey’s Tavern

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 11:25 a.m.) William Jeffrey’s Tavern (2301 Columbia Pike) is expected to be a topic of conversation at Saturday’s Arlington County Board meeting. The restaurant has requested a permit for live entertainment and dancing, in addition to a permit to have outdoor seating.

The entertainment permit would cover the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. every day of the week. However, restaurant owners indicate they only intend to provide live entertainment and dancing during late evenings on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and for brunch on Sundays.

Although the restaurant is in a mixed-use building, county staff points out it is not directly adjacent to any housing, and would therefore not disturb residents. Permit reviewers also believe allowing William Jeffrey’s Tavern to have live entertainment would assist in achieving the county’s goal of revitalizing Columbia Pike. For these reasons, the recommendation is to allow the permit.

One of the requirements for obtaining the permit is to provide dedicated security during times when there is live entertainment. The restaurant will also have to keep its doors and windows shut during performances, to comply with the county noise ordinance. The permit will come up for review in one year.

The recommendation for the outdoor cafe permit, however, is to defer the issue until the board’s May 19 meeting. At issue is compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, due to a grade change where the outdoor cafe would be on the sidewalk. Staff also wants to ensure that the seating will be only for temporary use, which the county typically defines as nine months of the year.

The recommendation to defer until the May 19 meeting is to give the owners of William Jeffrey’s Tavern adequate time to address the county’s concerns.

Anniversary Celebration for Liberty, Lyon and Northside

By ARLnow.com

Liberty Tavern, Lyon Hall and Northside Social will be each be celebrating their anniversary tomorrow.

The sister establishments will be holding a joint anniversary event at Liberty Tavern (3195 Wilson Blvd) tomorrow night (Thursday, April 12). From 4:00 p.m. until close, the restaurant will be offering two specialty cocktails from its opening menu — the “Pursuit of Happiness” and the “Industrial” — for $5. Starting at 9:00 p.m., at the bar and lounge, Liberty Tavern will also be offering complimentary Liberty pizza, Lyon Hall frankfurters and Northside Social confections.

There’s no cover charge for the event. All three eateries first opened their doors in April — Liberty Tavern in 2007 and Lyon Hall and Northside Social both in 2010.

Charlie Chiang’s In Crystal City Closed for Renovations

By ARLnow.com

Renovations are still in progress at Charlie Chiang’s in Crystal City (320 23rd Street S.).

With little warning, the Asian restaurant closed last month for “remodeling.” A manager at the Charlie Chiang’s location in Centreville told us that the restaurant is not expected to reopen for another week or two.

In a note on the door addressed to the restaurant’s “royal customers,” management apologized for the sudden closing.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience!” the note said. “We will be back! Better than ever!”

Sam’s Corner in Clarendon to Close?

By ARLnow.com

The mysterious Sam’s Corner deli at 3201 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon may be getting ready to close, according to a tipster.

The no-nonsense, cash-only deli has fascinated some locals with its irregular hours, its general lack of customers, and its ability to remain in business in a high-rent area. But the business may be closing soon after all.

The daughter of the older couple who own the deli has told friends that her parents will be shutting down the restaurant, perhaps by the end of the month, according to our tipster. The owners have simply decided to retire, we’re told.

An emailed request for comment was not returned.

Firefighters Battle Restaurant Blaze in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 3:35 p.m.) Arlington County, Alexandria and Fort Myer firefighters are battling a restaurant fire in Crystal City.

A fire that broke out in the kitchen of the Matsutake Hibachi Steak and Sushi restaurant (320 23rd Street S.) spread to the duct work, making firefighting efforts more difficult than usual. Half an hour after the initial fire dispatch, no flames could be seen from inside the restaurant but light smoke was still billowing out of the doors and vents.

A crowd of onlookers gathered to watch the fire response. S. Clark Street has been shut down at 23rd Street due to emergency equipment in the roadway. Meanwhile, smoky conditions have been reported in the nearby Buchanan apartment building as a result of the fire.

As of 3:35 p.m., firefighters were starting to pack up their gear and most of the smoke had dissipated.

Update at 4:55 p.m. — Per Arlington Alerts, S. Clark Street has reopened.

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Las Delicias Restaurante Closes

By ARLnow.com

It appears that Las Delicias Restaurante (1621 S. Walter Reed Drive) has closed.

A tipster first noticed that the Latin/Mexican restaurant was closed and its sign had been painted over two weeks ago. As of Thursday afternoon, there was still no activity inside the eatery.

Las Delicias had poor reviews on Yelp — a cumulative average of only 2 out of 5 stars — and was the scene of a violent brawl in January.

Hat tip to Tony B.

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