restaurant

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Local Real Estate Market Lags — While the average home sales price in Arlington was up 4.6 percent for the first half of 2011, the total volume of sales was down 19 percent compared to 2010. [Sun Gazette]

Garvey ‘Home’ in Alexandria, Arlington — State Senate candidate and Arlington School Board member Libby Garvey is trying to play up her local chops to both Arlington and Alexandria Democrats. “Garvey, a resident of Fairlington, considers Alexandria to be her neighborhood,” the Huntington-Belle Haven Patch reported yesterday. Meanwhile, Garvey told the Arlington County Democratic Committee last night that after debates in Fairfax and Alexandria, “it’s really nice to be home tonight.”

Shirlington Jazz Festival Starts Tonight — Shirlington’s outdoor summer jazz festival starts tonight. Local jazz group The Oscillators will perform at the Village at Shirlington Plaza from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The festival runs on Thursday nights through August 25. [Shirlington Village Blog Spot]

Shirlington Hilton Garden Inn Gets a Chef — The Shirlington Hilton Garden Inn (4271 Campbell Avenue), which has been trying to lure local diners to its Great American Grill restaurant, recently hired a new chef. [Shirlington Village Blog]

Deal of the Day: 50% Off Pines of Florence in Va. Square

By ARLnow.com

Our partners at WTD are offering a great deal at the already reasonably-priced Pines of Florence restaurant in Virginia Square.

Through the end of the week you can get $30 worth of food (see menu) and non-alcoholic drinks for $15. The restaurant’s specialties include Italian classics like fried calamari, baked ziti and white pizza.

The deal is good for dining in at Pines of Florence’s pizza counter or main seating area. The restaurant is located at 3811 Fairfax Drive, two blocks from the Virginia Square Metro station.

See WTD’s other Northern Virginia deals here.

County Board to Consider Lower Restaurant Fees

By ARLnow.com

On Saturday the County Board will vote on a measure that would dramatically reduce the license fees paid by restaurants and food trucks.

In September, the Board voted to hike the license fee from $100 to $285, in response to a mandate from the Virginia Department of Health. Earlier this year, state authorities reversed themselves and decided to slash the statewide fee — which is administered by localities — to just $40. The Board must now approve the change for Arlington.

The $40 fee will apply to license applications and renewals for both restaurants and mobile food vendors. In addition to the license fee change, the cost of reviewing plans for new or remodeled food establishments will drop from $200 to $40 if approved by the Board, as expected.

County staff is recommending that the fees be modified “on an emergency basis” so that the change can take effect immediately.

Arlington’s health department is responsible for licensing and inspecting restaurants in the county. The department is funded cooperatively by the state, which sets the fees for licensing and other services.

Patrons Can Now Bring Wine to Virginia Restaurants

By ARLnow.com

Starting today, Virginia residents can bring their own bottles of wine to restaurants.

In February, the Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill allowing the practice, and it was later signed into law by Governor Bob McDonnell.  Restaurants that choose to allow BYOW can charge a corkage fee, which would vary by establishment. No requirements on minimum or maximum prices for the fees were established in the law.

While some are calling this a move that will prevent consumers from paying inflated prices on alcohol in restaurants others, like chefs, believe it could cheapen the dining experience.  Opponents of the practice say bringing wine to a restaurant is the equivalent of bringing outside food into a restaurant.

The District already allows patrons to bring their own wine to restaurants, and Maryland is expected to take up the measure sometime this year.

Pete’s to Roll Out Pizza Delivery by Segway

By ARLnow.com

Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza in Clarendon may be the first D.C. area pizzeria to offer delivery via Segway.

The three-month old restaurant will soon be launching delivery service, and co-owner Joel Mehr says the newly-purchased Segway will allow his delivery staff to serve residents of Arlington’s dense urban core faster than traditional delivery methods.

The Segway — once it’s outfitted with a custom pizza-holding basket — will be able to transport multiple pies at a time, unlike deliveries by foot, and will be able to park anywhere, unlike deliveries by car. Plus, Mehr said, it’s cheap and eco-friendly — only requiring a $0.20 overnight charge for eight hours of operation.

“We just thought this would be an extremely efficient way to deliver to urban residents within a mile radius,” said Mehr, who noted that the original idea for Segway deliveries came from an offhand suggestion from a customer.

The personal transportation device will not be the only vehicle in the delivery fleet, however. While the Segway will handle deliveries within a mile of the store, a gas-powered scooter will handle deliveries within two miles. Cars will be used for more distant deliveries and during bad weather.

Segways can travel up to 12 miles per hour. Expect to see the Pete’s Segway, decked out with stickers and other decorations, out and about in Clarendon in a couple of weeks.

Deal of the Day: 50% Off at Mad Rose Tavern

By ARLnow.com

Our partners at What’s the Deal (WTD) have just launched a revamped daily deals offering for Northern Virginia, and their first deal is for a restaurant ARLnow.com readers are familiar with: Mad Rose Tavern.

The Clarendon eatery has gone through well-documented management and menu changes since its February launch. Credit the changes or the warm weather — but it’s clear that, at the very least, Mad Rose has started attracting sizable crowds to its outdoor seating areas.

If you want to try it out yourself, WTD is offering 50% off food and non-alcoholic drinks at Mad Rose Tavern for the next two weeks.

Photo via WTD

Long-Overdue Restaurants Paying Off Tax Debts

By ARLnow.com

Good news for county coffers — some restaurant owners have been repaying their long-overdue tax debts.

A new list of meals tax delinquencies from the Arlington County Treasurer’s Office shows that certain restaurants have reduced or even eliminated their debts. Here are the highlights from the list, as of May 31.

  • Chef Roberto Donna continues to make small court-ordered payments on his $150,715.96 debt from the failed Bebo Trattoria
  • The Front Page in Ballston (4201 Wilson Blvd) has repaid most of the $46,531.82 it owed in February — it now owes only $2,935.59
  • Extra Virgin in Shirlington (4053 Campbell Avenue), which still owes the most of any restaurant that’s currently in business, reduced its debt from $71,171.50 to $65,098.93
  • Kora Restaurant in Crystal City (2250 Crystal Drive) has reduced its debt from $25,908.06 to $21,400.40
  • In one not-so-bright spot, the Quiznos in Virginia Square (3434 Washington Blvd) has seen its debt increase from $31,429.93 to $36,526.74

In addition to the Virginia Square location, four other Quiznos franchises owe the county money. That makes Quiznos the most delinquent chain in Arlington (by number of restaurants). The debts include:

  • Quiznos (1215 S. Clark Street) in Crystal City — $9,596.13
  • Quiznos (3000 Washington Blvd) in Clarendon, now defunct — $6,069.57
  • Quiznos (2231 Crystal Drive) in Crystal City — $5,421.32
  • Quiznos (1555 Wilson Blvd) in Rosslyn — $2,519.40

The 4 percent county meals tax is collected on all prepared foods and beverages sold in Arlington. This tax is passed directly on to the consumers in the form of a tax charge on the bill. Sometimes restaurants simply pocket the cash rather than remit it to the county, leading to delinquencies and debt.

Memorial Day Weekend Crawfish Boil in Courthouse

By ARLnow.com

Bayou Bakery in Courthouse (1515 N. Courthouse Road) will be holding a crawfish boil this weekend to help celebrate Memorial Day Louisiana-style.

Owner and chef David Guas will use a traditional recipe of lemons, cayenne pepper, paprika, bay leaves, garlic and salt to spice up the crawfish, which will be sold for $15 per pound with an accompaniment of potatoes and corn on the cob. Seven different types of Abita beer will also be offered.

In addition to the crawfish and beer, Bayou will be selling New Orleans-style sno-balls — thinly shaved ice topped with flavored syrups and a dollop of condensed milk.

To help welcome Rolling Thunder to town, the restaurant will be offering 10 percent off (excluding alcohol) to all vets and riders.

The boil will be held on Saturday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Mad Rose Tavern Adds Outdoor Seats, Preps for Grand Opening

By ARLnow.com

Slowly but surely, business has been picking up at Mad Rose Tavern (3100 Clarendon Blvd).

The Clarendon restaurant got off to a rocky start, but thanks to a new chef, outdoor seating and some positive buzz, General Manager Dennis Holland says they’re “starting to get off the ground.”

Over the weekend, the Arlington County Board approved the restaurant’s request for sidewalk seating along Washington and Clarendon Boulevards. The new seats — about 60 of them in total — should arrive either tonight or tomorrow, Holland said. The seating will supplement Mad Rose’s existing outdoor lounge which, according to Holland, seats about 80 patrons.

With approval of a permanent sign at least three months away, Holland hopes that the sidewalk cafe will help provide some much-needed visibility. The additional seating will serve not only to cater to customers who enjoy dining outside, but to attract attention and “let people know this is a restaurant,” Holland said. Mad Rose is located on the ground floor of the Olmsted building which, between the late ’80s architecture and the armed guards (the building houses the Defense Intelligence Agency), makes its entrance look decidedly unwelcoming from a distance.

In addition to getting ready for the new outdoor seats, Holland says he’s been busy planning Mad Rose Tavern’s grand opening celebration, which is scheduled for Saturday. The event will feature a cruise giveaway, 30 percent off all food items and a discount on drinks.

Coming Soon: Live Entertainment, Sidewalk Cafe, Metro Kiosk

By ARLnow.com

On Saturday, the County Board is expected to approve a sidewalk cafe for Mad Rose Tavern, live entertainment for Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub, and a Commuter Store kiosk outside the Ballston Metro Station.

The three items are all part of the board’s site plan amendment agenda.

County staff is recommending the board approve Samuel Beckett’s request for live entertainment from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and federal holidays. The Shirlington pub, at 2800 S. Randolph Street, has said that it wants to host traditional Irish music.

Staff is also recommending a sidewalk cafe for the struggling Mad Rose Tavern in Clarendon (3100 Clarendon Blvd). The sidewalk seating would wrap around the restaurant from Washington Boulevard to Clarendon Boulevard, and would operate from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. seven days per week. Staff says the cafe “would serve to activate the streetscape at this major intersection” and is consistent with other sidewalk cafes in the area.

Finally, the board will consider whether to place a county-run Commuter Store kiosk at the Ballston Metro Station. Currently, there are Commuter Stores in the Ballston Common Mall, Crystal City Shops, Rosslyn Metro Center Mall and at the Shirlington Bus Station — in addition to a mobile Commuter Store RV.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

CERT Graduates Number 500 — The Arlington Community Emergency Response Team program graduated its 500th resident on Saturday. CERT says this weekend’s graduating class of citizen emergency responders was their largest one yet.

More on Mala Tang — Rebecca Cooper, formerly of TBD.com, takes a look at Mala Tang, the new Chinese “hot pot” restaurant near Clarendon. Unanswered question: are there enough potential customers who are willing to sit down and learn the hot pot process — and who don’t mind their meal getting “a little messy?” [Washingtonian]

Empty Shelves at Papery — Is Papery in Clarendon merely restocking its supply of stationary products, or is it in danger of closing? The store says they’re “making way for new stock.” [Clarendon Culture]

Elementary Students Run TV Show — Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy’s “Snapshots” TV segment visits the televised morning announcements show run by Henry Elementary students. [AETV]

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