All was not quiet in Arlington this past Christmas weekend.
Arlington County police responded to several notable incidents, including a man who allegedly ate at a Courthouse area restaurant, left without paying, and then flashed a gun at an employee.
The dine-and-dash incident happened around 2 p.m. this past Saturday on the 1900 block of Clarendon Blvd, the same block as Sushi Rock restaurant.
“At approximately 1:56 p.m. on December 23, police were dispatched to the report of a person with a gun,” said an ACPD crime report. “Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect dined at the business and exited without payment during which an employee confronted him. The suspect lifted his shirt exposing what appeared to be a firearm before leaving the scene on foot.”
“Responding officers canvassed the area for the suspect yielding negative results,” the crime report continues. “No injuries were reported. The investigation is ongoing.”
The next day, around 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve, a driver was robbed by two armed male suspects who took his wallet and phone, police said.
“The victims were in their parked vehicle when two male suspects approached on foot, brandished firearms and demanded the driver’s wallet and phone,” ACPD said. “The suspects then fled the scene in a maroon SUV. No injuries were reported. Responding officers canvassed the area for the suspects yielding negative results.”
Tuna Restaurant in Cherrydale (photo courtesy of Sak Vong)
The owner of Tuna Restaurant in Cherrydale says she plans to rename the Thai and Japanese eatery “Siam Shinzo.”
The new signage, however, won’t be displayed until early next year. And the menu will stay the same.
“It is official on papers, but the signage is still in the process,” the owner, May Ditnoy, told ARLnow. “I probably won’t have it ready to be installed until early February.”
Located at 3813 Langston Blvd, the restaurant has undergone several changes over the years. Originally a spot for Thai cuisine, it became a sushi restaurant in 2015 following a change in ownership. In 2022, it transitioned to Laotian and Japanese cuisine under new management.
Ditnoy acquired the restaurant this past spring, marking its fourth ownership change in eight years. Despite retaining its name, the menu shifted to Thai and Japanese cuisine.
Ditnoy, a Leesburg resident who also runs a catering business with her mother, said she always intended to rename the restaurant. She chose not to delay the restaurant opening to wait for the name change paperwork.
Nearly eight months later, Ditnoy says she believes a name change will more accurately represent the restaurant’s menu offerings.
“Siam is the shortened original name for the capital of Thailand that is now Bangkok. ‘Shinzo’ means heart in Japanese,” she said.
King of Koshary at 5515 Wilson Blvd in 2019 (staff photo)
Koshari from King of Koshary (staff photo)
Ayob Metry, owner of King of Koshary, in 2019 (staff photo)
The exterior of Bostan, an Uyghur restaurant in 2021 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The interior of Bostan, an Uyghur restaurant in 2021 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Last year Charga Grill topped the Washington Post’s annual list of top casual restaurants in the region.
That sent a flood of new customers to the eatery at 5151 Langston Blvd. Now two other Arlington restaurants, including another along Langston Blvd, are bound to see a big influx of diners thanks to the latest WaPo rankings.
King of Koshary, at 5515 Wilson Blvd, was previously praised by Carman for its “Egyptian food fit for royalty.”
“The King’s koshary is actually a joint effort from Ayob Metry and Nadia Gomaa, a pair of Egyptian natives who used to challenge each other to make the best version of this carb-heavy dish when they worked in the prepared foods department at Whole Foods in Ashburn,” Carman wrote in his latest list, published Tuesday.
Bostan Uyghur Cuisine, at 3911 Langston Blvd, was also noted for its compelling origin story — in addition to the food.
“Faced with the threat of a Chinese ‘reeducation’ camp if he returned to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to renew his passport, Mirzat Salam opted to flee to the United States with his wife, Zulhayat Omer,” Carman wrote. “Trained as a doctor in Xinjiang, Mirzat slipped quietly into the hospitality industry, the same profession that his father, a chef named Abdusalam, had warned him about as a boy.”
Topping this year’s list, in the former Charga spot, is Woodbridge food truck Lechonera DMV.
Ruthie’s All-Day in Arlington Heights (courtesy photo)
Ruthie’s All-Day (courtesy photo)
Ruthie’s All-Day (courtesy photo)
Ruthie’s All-Day (courtesy photo)
Ruthie’s All-Day (courtesy photo)
Ruthie’s All-Day in Arlington Heights (courtesy photo)
Ruthie’s All-Day (courtesy photo)
Washingtonian is out with the results of its 46th annual restaurant survey and while the rankings are decidedly D.C.-centric, one Arlington restaurant stands out.
Ruthie’s All-Day, which opened in Arlington Heights in 2020, was voted by the magazine’s readers as the No. 1 favorite restaurant in Virginia.
“Breakfast biscuit sandwiches, meat-and-three barbecue plates, and a family-friendly approachability are the draws,” Washingtonian wrote of the all-day eatery at 3411 5th Street S.
The No. 2 and 3 reader favorite restaurants in the Commonwealth were Thompson Italian, in Falls Church and Alexandria, and long-time Michelin star magnet The Inn at Little Washington.
Ruthie’s is no stranger to acclaim, of course, having garnered a RAMMY award in 2022 and an entry in the Washington Post’s prestigious Fall Dining Guide this year.
“We are humbled and honored,” Ruthie’s chef and owner Matt Hill told ARLnow. “We could not be prouder of the dedication of our team and the support of our wonderful guests… A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported us and made RAD such a special place.”
Hill also said something potentially newsworthy about the future of the eatery
“We are actively seeking a second home for Ruthie’s and would love to hear your suggestions,” he said.
Some other restaurants with Arlington connections also made Washingtonian’s list of reader faves, including:
Boston-based chain Tatte, with an existing location in Clarendon and a planned location in Crystal City, was No. 3 for Favorite Breakfast
Chinese-Korean restaurant Chiko, which has a location in Shirlington, was No. 2 for Favorite Korean Restaurant
Bar Ivy on Dec. 1, 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Bar Ivy on Dec. 1, 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Bar Ivy on Dec. 1, 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Bar Ivy in Clarendon (courtesy photo)
Bar Ivy in Clarendon (courtesy photo)
Bar Ivy in Clarendon (courtesy photo)
Bar Ivy started offering specialty coffee drinks, including lattes (courtesy photo)
(Updated at 3 p.m.) There’s no official word on its website, but it looks like Bar Ivy in Clarendon may have closed permanently.
The “West Coast-inspired” restaurant at 3033 Wilson Blvd, noted for its expansive and verdant outdoor patio, opened in the summer of 2022. Earlier this fall it introduced a breakfast and coffee menu, in addition to existing lunch and dinner service.
Bar Ivy was the first Virginia venture of Blagden Hospitality Group, which is behind Tiger Fork, Hi-Lawn and Calico in D.C. A promised second Bar Ivy location in Bethesda was last reported in May to be opening in early 2024.
A PR rep for Bar Ivy did not respond to a request for confirmation, sent earlier this week, that the restaurant was closing. But the evidence is mounting.
“A friend was to have their holiday party at BarIvy, but were informed… the restaurant is permanently closed,” one tipster told ARLnow. Another tipster pointed out that Bar Ivy’s Facebook page says it is “permanently closed,” in an update made on Tuesday.
No one answered the phone at the restaurant today, during what should be business hours. And Bar Ivy’s online reservation page lists no available future dates.
A sign outside, however, says it is “closed this week for private events.”
Blagden Hospitality closed gastropub Fainting Goat, on U Street NW in the District, this past May, Washingtonian reported.
“It has been an amazing run, but the time has come for Pamplona’s final turn! To our loyal regulars, guests and friends, we can not say thank you enough; just know we could not have done it without you,” the post said.
“We want to thank our staff (past and present) for their hard work and dedication throughout the years. We formed countless memories with all of you, and we will forever be grateful,” the restaurant said.
Its final day appears to be Saturday, Dec. 16, per the post.
A representative for Pamplona could not be reached before publication. Its owner, Mike Bramson, also owns The Lot, an open-air beer garden that began its long goodbye this year ahead of development plans for the site it occupies.
Janet Saedi and Essy Carriage House owner Essy Saedi (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The long-time former owner of Essy’s Carriage House has died.
Essy Saedi died on Thanksgiving, November 23, at the age of 76. He owned the beloved family-owned Cherrydale restaurant before its closing earlier this year. As he told ARLnow, Saedi was looking forward to traveling in his retirement.
“I’m excited… I get to go to Las Vegas more,” he said.
Saedi immigrated to the United States from Iran in the 1960s and helped open the restaurant Langston Blvd near the corner of N. Quincy Street and Cherry Hill Road in 1975. He took over as full owner a year later, renaming the eatery after himself — Essy’s Carriage House.
In nearly five decades, Saedi’s restaurant became a local staple, serving up steak, liver and comfort food to a loyal customer base. It had the “best crab cakes we’ve ever had. Anywhere,” according to one customer.
Even as he closed in on retirement, Saedi still did much of the prep work at the restaurant, including the sauce-making and meat-braising.
Essy’s Carriage House was known for its white-clothed tables and fresh-cut flowers on each table. Throughout its run, the restaurant served judges, military brass, lawmakers, lawyers, and, even “four-star generals,” according to Saedi. He primarily ran the restaurant with his wife, Janet Saedi, whom he married in the 1980s.
“It’s really been fundamentally the two of us running this place,” Janet told ARLnow in February. “But it’s been beautiful.”
But it was Essy who was the face of the restaurant and a big reason why customers kept coming back for close to five decades.
“I guess I’m just cute,” Essy said earlier this year.
He was known for “his warmth, his story telling, his mixed metaphors and his sometimes inappropriate sense of humor,” his obituary reads. Saedi could be seen on most nights at his restaurant running between tables, chatting with customers, and telling everyone what to order.
Essy had a “quirky sense of humor that some people adore… and there are people who don’t quite get it,” Janet said.
He embraced his quirkiness and was once named “the most colorful character in Arlington” by a local newspaper, notes his obituary. Saedi often called himself the “Luckiest Persian Alive.”
In the weeks before the restaurant was set to close, Essy was still busy at the restaurant and doing what he did best: sharing laughs with customers.
“They’ve become family and friends. We’ve done this for 50 years and we see [many] like once a week,” Essy said in February, taking a long pause. “Maybe I’ll pass them at the grocery store someday.”
Essy Saedi is survived by his wife Janet, daughters Lorena and Tonya, and sister Mehry. The family is planning a private burial and, in lieu of flowers, is asking for donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
A “For Lease” sign sits in the window of Cava Mezze in November 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Cava Mezze has quietly shuttered in Clarendon, with a “For Lease” sign recently placed out front.
This comes after the restaurant — the upscale original version of the popular, publicly traded Mediterranean chain — changed its status to “closed” on the company’s website last month. Google, however, still lists it as “temporarily closed.”
During a visit to the eatery at 2940 Clarendon Blvd on Oct. 4, ARLnow observed minor construction and scattered materials inside. A manager, seen turning away puzzled would-be customers, said the closure was due to renovations but offered no details on when the restaurant might reopen.
Now, the “For Lease” sign sits in the window of the restaurant, which first opened in 2011, strongly suggesting that the closure is permanent.
Neither the company nor the property manager CBRE responded to ARLnow’s request for comment before publication.
Both Cava Mezze locations in Rockville and Olney, Maryland, are still open, as are the two fast-casual Cava locations in Rosslyn and Ballston.
Tacos El Chilango truck in Radnor-Fort Myer Heights (file photo)
National Taco Day earlier this month reminded us that, for an East Coast suburb, Arlington has some pretty solid taco options.
But which one is the best? On this Taco Tuesday, we’re letting readers weigh in.
The following selections were compiled via a number of lists, including this recent list from Arlington’s tourism website. If we missed your favorite, let us know in the comments.
Vote for up to three of your favorite taco spots in Arlington, below.
As is usually the case, the vast majority of the 40 restaurants on critic Tom Sietsema’s list are located in D.C. But one Arlington eatery made it: Ruthie’s All-Day (3411 5th Street S.).
Chef Matt Hill’s spot for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner was praised by Sietsema for its tasty Southern cuisine and for being both kid- and dog-friendly.
From the Post:
Restaurateurs can plan all they want, but not until after a business is born do they know how customers will use it. Take this all-American hot spot in Arlington, going on three years. Co-owner Todd Salvadore says he and chef Matt Hill envisioned Ruthie’s as “a parents’ date night place.” Instead, it became a magnet for young households. “We’re watching all the kids grow up!” says Salvadore.
There’s no children’s menu, but the regular list includes a roll call of dishes (chicken tenders, mac and cheese) that appeal to little ones and their minders. Want a one-patty burger or a single pancake at brunch? The kitchen can honor both requests. Ruthie’s, named for Hill’s grandmother, also stocks a score of high-chairs and a patio that welcomes four-legged companions and accepts reservations.
Ease in with some songs of the South: pink folds of rich Surryano ham arranged with craggy buttermilk biscuits, pimento cheese and red onion jam on what looks like a slice of tree trunk. The bestseller is brisket, smoked overnight and seasoned with paprika, garlic and onion powder, what the kitchen knows as TCB, or Taking Care of Business. The meaty delight comes with tender milk bread, house-made pickles and a choice of two or three sides. Make sure one of them is dirty rice tossed with charred kimchi.
Arlington has seen some banner years for its food scene in the Fall Dining Guide, such as in 2019 when Thai Square on Columbia Pike, Sfoglina in Rosslyn and Buena Vida in Clarendon all made the cut.
Notable Arlington-adjacent restaurants on the 2023 list are the Bethesda outpost of The Salt Line, which also has a Ballston location, and Rice Paper, located in the Eden Center, just across the county line in Falls Church.
Despite Arlington’s meager showing this year, it could have been worse: no restaurants from Alexandria made Sietsema’s latest list.
Exterior of Ambar restaurant in Clarendon (file photo)
SeoulSpice in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Food from Korean fast-casual eatery SeoulSpice (photo courtesy of SeoulSpice)
Urban Tandoor in Ballston (file photo)
Food from Urban Tandoor in Ballston (file photo)
Barley Mac in Rosslyn (file photo)
Chef Mike Cordero at Barley Mac (courtesy photo)
Patrons at JINYA Ramen Bar (courtesy photo)
A table of food from JINYA Ramen Bar (courtesy photo)
The exterior of Clarendon’s Maison Cheryl in 2021 (staff photo)
Seared duck breast entree at Maison Cheryl (photo courtesy of Maison Cheryl)
Smokecraft Tacos (courtesy photo)
The Celtic House (file photo)
Freddie’s Beach Bar in Crystal City (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington Restaurant Week returns this month with almost five dozen eateries for local foodies to explore.
This marks the Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s fifth consecutive year organizing the week-long event, starting Monday, Oct. 16. It is also the third year in a row Amazon has sponsored the event.
Currently, 49 restaurants plan to participate but “new restaurants are being added daily,” per a press release from the chamber. They include Ambar, Barley Mac, SeoulSpice and Urban Tandoor, among others.
The event is open to all Arlington restaurants, “from fast-casual spots to five-star dining establishments,” the release says, adding that participating restaurants can also pick their prices and offer both dine-in and carry-out options.
Participating restaurants are primarily located along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor and in Pentagon City and Crystal City, with a few others on Langston Blvd, in Shirlington and near Falls Church.
“Arlington Restaurant Week continues to be a testament to our commitment to supporting local restaurants, especially as they navigate ongoing challenges like staffing shortages, rising food costs, and supply chain disruption,” Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kate Bates said in the release. These establishments are essential to Arlington’s economic vitality and contribute to our community’s character.”
The list of participating restaurants as of this article’s writing is below.
