restaurant

Sushi Restaurant Kona Grill Appears to Have Rolled Out of Rosslyn

By Airey

(Updated at 3:15 p.m.) Rosslyn’s Kona Grill is gone for good, the restaurant confirmed in an announcement one tipster forwarded this afternoon.

“Want to thank all our guests for their patronage and hope you’ll visit Kona Grill again when you are near our other locations,” the company’s announcement read.

Tipster Rob Stern said he saw received the announcement as a rewards club member and he is sad to see the restaurant go.

“I’d made a point to go to Kona Grill when I was in town for visits, from Raleigh, NC,” said Stern. “I’ve also enjoyed their Orlando location. Their salmon and macadamia nut chicken were two of my favorites.”

Four other tipsters sent ARLnow pictures of the signs that thank people for their patronage, saying, “We are sorry but we are now closed!!”

The restaurant, located at 1776 Wilson Blvd, served a mix of American fare like sliders and pan-Asian dishes like sushi and pad Thai noodles, according to its menu.

The news comes two weeks after its Arizona-based parent company Kona Grill Inc. announced the chain may file for bankruptcy after reporting $32 million in losses last year and closing eight other restaurants, reported the Phoenix Business Journal.

Last week, the Business Journal reported that the company’s shares were delisted from the stock market.

As of today (Monday), calls made to Kona Grill’s Rosslyn location went unanswered and the restaurant was no longer listed on the chain’s map of locations.

A Yelp reviewer noted yesterday (Sunday) that “stuff is packed up in large plastic tubs, and furniture is being loaded onto a box truck.” The restaurant’s Facebook has not posted since mid-February.

The Rosslyn location originally opened in 2015. At the time, Kona’s general manager Joesph Ortega said Rosslyn was scouted because, “It’s a growing area, young and upcoming” which he hoped would gel with the restaurant’s “very hip or retro feeling.”

The restaurant celebrated Kona Grill Inc.’s 20th birthday in September in Rosslyn, according to Rosslyn BID’s social media.

Photo via Angelika Lipkin

ACPD and Local Bars to Hold Nightlife Safety Event

By Airey

Police and local bar owners are teaming up to talk about alcohol and nightlife safety this week.

The two groups are co-hosting “A Conversation About Nightlife Safety” on Wednesday, May 1 from  7-9 p.m.

The free event will be held at the Hazel conference center at Virginia Hospital Center (1701 N. George Mason Drive). Attendees are asked to RSVP online.

“Patrons, restaurant staff, and those interested in maintaining Arlington County as a safe destination for entertainment are encouraged to attend a community conversation on nightlife safety,” a county press release reads.

Speakers include Freddie Lutz of Freddie’s Beach Bar, John Williams of Whitlow’s on Wilson, and Chris Lefbom of Ragtime, Rhodeside Bar and Grill, and William Jeffery’s Tavern

A panel line-up include officials from the county’s zoning, human services, economic development and fire departments.

Arlington County Police will be sending a member of its Restaurant Liaison Unit to the event, which is a part of the “Arlington Restaurant Initiative” to train bar employees to serve alcohol responsibly and help reduce nightlife crime.

Officials made the restaurant initiative a permanent fixture of Arlington’s nightlife scene back in October after piloting it earlier in 2018.

Last year, ACPD said that increased police presence around bars due to the initiative may have contributed to a jump in reported alcohol-related offenses, even though overall county crime rate dropped by 7.7%. The 2018 report noted  a 73% increase in liquor law violations and a 17% increase in “drunkenness” charges, in addition to police catching 703 fake IDs.

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

County Board Approves Outdoor Cafes for Burger District, Salt Line

By Airey
1/2

The Arlington County Board this week unanimously approved an outdoor dining area at Burger District in Courthouse, as well as a new outdoor bar in Ballston.

Burger District requested Board members amend zoning rules to allow the Courthouse eatery to seat patrons in four feet of space on the sidewalk outside of its 2024 Wilson Blvd location.

That would leave six feet for pedestrians on the 10-foot-wide sidewalk, which requires County Board approval, according to a staff report.

In return, the eatery agreed to:

  • Only operate the outdoor section from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.
  • Keep the rest of the sidewalk (6 feet) clear
  • Not exceed more than 24 seats
  • Hold “no live entertainment or dancing”

“Permitting an outdoor cafe along Wilson Boulevard will help achieve the vision of the Rosslyn to Courthouse Urban Design Study where there are ‘vibrant and people-friendly streets and plazas… full of life’ and ‘small businesses prosper,'” county staff wrote.

The Courthouse restaurant opened in August and serves burgers, shakes, hotdogs, and wings.

Last night the Board also approved a new “fixed” outdoor bar in Ballston, at upcoming restaurant The Salt Line, which is planning to open next spring.

Images 1 and 2 via staff reports 1 and 2.

County Board to Consider The Salt Line’s Planned Outdoor Cafe

By ARLnow.com
1/2

Seafood restaurant The Salt Line is coming to Ballston next year and plans to have a large outdoor patio space with seating for up to 100 patrons.

Before it opens, however, The Salt Line’s future landlord at 4040 Wilson Blvd is seeking Arlington County Board approval to build the outdoor cafe, which will sit on private property and feature a fixed bar. The site plan amendment is on the County Board’s agenda next week and county staff is recommending the Board approve it.

More from the county staff report:

As part of their build out, the tenant proposes to establish an outdoor bar in the planned outdoor café space. The café area begins on Wilson Boulevard, wrapping around the corner and lining the façade of the Salt Line along the new public plaza area. The entirety of the fixed bar area and the outdoor seating are located on private property. The number of proposed interior seats is greater than the number of proposed exterior seats, so the outdoor café does not need a use permit…

The request to permit a fixed bar in a private outdoor café requires County Board approval in order to modify the requirements of ACZO Section 12.9.15, which requires outdoor café furnishings to be temporary.

This area was envisioned for private outdoor seating and therefore is not inconsistent with the original approval, and since the fixed bar does not encroach into the public realm, staff is supportive of the request. Staff has recommended a condition requiring removal of the fixed bar at the termination of the lease with The Salt Line, thus freeing up the space for future retail uses that would not necessarily be restaurants.

County staff is “supportive” of the outdoor cafe proposal but is also recommending “conditions related to the proposed design and window transparency in order to ensure that the space, as planned, becomes a vibrant and active pedestrian plaza,” according to the staff report.

The Salt Line, which first opened in D.C.’s Navy Yard in 2017 to critical acclaim, is hoping to open the new Ballston location next spring, telling ARLnow that they plan to make the restaurant “a real neighborhood gathering place.” The building, meanwhile, is nearing the end of its construction process and is expected to open to office and retail tenants by the end of the year.

New Sushi and Ramen Restaurant to Open in Courthouse

By Vernon Miles
1/4

Takeshi Sushi — a new Japanese restaurant at 2424 Wilson Blvd — is planning an opening sometime in May.

Owner Wu Lin said the restaurant is planning to offer sushi, ramen, and other Japanese food in a quick-service style eatery.

The new restaurant is located next to Delhi Dhaba Indian Restaurant and under Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill. Takeshi Sushi is replacing a Subway that closed in November.

Lin said the restaurant is his first location, but they are planning to simultaneously open another Takeshi Sushi in the Fairfax Circle Shopping Center, in the Fairlee neighborhood of Fairfax.

Ballston Quarter Market Launches Next Round of Openings Tomorrow

By Vernon Miles
1/3

Two new restaurants are planning soft openings Thursday in Ballston Quarter’s new food hall, Quarter Market, with another planning a grand opening happy hour celebration.

Local Oyster, a Baltimore-based seafood joint, is planning to launch tomorrow with a limited menu. The full menu for the eatery includes beer as well as seafood like lobsters, scallops, crab legs, and — of course — oysters.

Next door, sushi and dumpling restaurant Roll’d — helmed by Sushi Taro’s Chef Nobu Yamazaki — is also tentatively planning a launch with a limited menu.

Meanwhile, the food hall’s main bar, Ballston Service Station, has been serving drinks for a couple weeks now, but the bar’s staff said a grand opening is planned tomorrow around 4 p.m.

The new openings coincide with the “Ballston Quarter Celebration” at the mall. From 11 a.m.-2 p.m., the first 100 guests to check in at the Ballston Quarter tent will receive a voucher for a complimentary lunch at any vendor in the market.

A family-friendly happy hour is planned for 5-7 p.m. with live music, a caricature and face painter, and food and drink specials.

Other restaurants currently open in Quarter Market include Copa Kitchen and Bar, Hot Lola’s, Ice Cream Jubilee, Mi & Yu Noodle Bar, Rice Crook, Sloppy Mama’s BBQ, and Turu’s by Timber Pizza Co.

Ragtime and Rhodeside Grill Owner Wilson Whitney Dies

By Airey

Local restaurateur Wilson Whitney, 60, has died of lung cancer, family and co-workers say.

Whitney passed away Wednesday, April 10, after being diagnosed with cancer last May, according to his business partner Chris Lefbom and his father Herbert “Bud” W. Whitney.

The restauranteur was behind some of Arlington’s most enduring watering holes, including Rhodeside Grill in Rosslyn, Ragtime in Courthouse and William Jeffrey’s Tavern on Columbia Pike. He also opened several restaurants in Falls Church.

Whitney was born in Tyler, Texas in 1958 and studied construction before finding a taste for the restaurant industry while working part-time at a barbecue joint in Lubbock, Texas, according to an obituary written by his father.

After moving to Arlington in 1988 as the local manager of the Black-Eyed Pea restaurant chain, Whitney delved into his first venture by buying eatery T.T. Reynolds in Fairfax. Then in 1994 he re-opened U Street’s Republic Gardens and later sold it. In 1994 he founded the Rhodeside Grill on 1836 Wilson Blvd which remains open today.

It was at Rhodeside Grill that he hired Adam Lubar and Lefbom as bartenders, later opening Ragtime (1345 N. Courthouse Road) together with them in 2001.

Whitney also partnered with three other Grill employees — Aimee Suyehiro, Stephen Scott, and Adam Roth — to open fine Italian dining spot Argia’s in Falls Church which closed after 18 years in September.’

One of Whitney’s most recent ventures was William Jeffrey’s Tavern at 2301 Columbia Pike, which he opened with business partners with Lubar and Lefbom in 2011. Previously, the trio opened Dogwood Tavern in Falls Church.

To Lubar and Lefbom Whitney was “a mentor, boss, manager, partner and friend to hundreds of restaurant employees over the years,” the two said in a Facebook post last week.

When he wasn’t helming his armada of restaurants, Whitney enjoyed boating on Lake Barcroft, practicing carpentry, and the Washington Nationals, Lefbom told ARLnow.

“He was scheduled to retire in July and didn’t quite make it,” Lefbom said. “I would’ve loved to see him relaxed in retirement with zero stress from the restaurant industry. He deserved it.”

Whitney lived in Arlington for the past 23 years and is survived by his wife Alica Lima-Whitney and two daughters Emma and Clara as well as his extended family: parents Herbert “Bud” W. Whitney and Elaine Whitney and sister Merrie Whitney of Richardson, Texas, brother David Whitney of Montrose, Colorado, and sister Laura Daly of Austin, Texas.

Rhodeside Grill, Ragtime and William Jeffrey’s Tavern were all closed for lunch today (Monday) to allow restaurant employees to “say goodbye to and celebrate the life of our friend, co-worker and boss,” according to social media posts.

Crystal City Restaurant Row Looks to Adapt to Amazon, But Keep Its Community

By ARLnow.com

By Shilpa Gogna

Business owners and residents near Crystal City’s Restaurant Row are gearing up and adapting in anticipation of Amazon’s planned HQ2 nearby.

Freddie Lutz has owned Freddie’s Beach Bar for 18 years and shepherded it through changes in the gay and straight communities. This week Lutz shared that more and more small-business owners are expressing interest in opening up shop or expanding on Crystal City’s 23rd Street S. now that Amazon inked its move-in deal.

“Restaurant Row continues to thrive, with a steady increasing flow of consumers” Lutz shared with me, adding “this trend fueled my recent decision to open up Frederico.”

Lutz also serves on the Crystal City Business Improvement District board and is the president of the neighborhood’s business development group. He said other surrounding small-businesses anticipate an increase in customer traffic in the near future, which should help business.

It’s a bonus many restaurants have looked forward to after years of lean time after BRAC and other federal government moves emptied out Crystal City office buildings and resulted in the loss of thousands of potential customers.

Fiona’s Irish Pub owner Martin White previously told ARLnow that he had chosen the former Tortoise and Hare Bar and Grill location before Amazon selected Crystal City for its second headquarters, but it was a “happy coincidence” his new restaurant would have the customers.

Now, Lutz says he’s thinking of expanding weekday business hours at Freddie’s to accommodate the growing lunch crowd.

“I imagine customer traffic will increase well with future development coming to Crystal City, and after losing some customer traffic following the Department of Defense relocations almost a decade ago, which impacted business sustainability, small-business owners here are excited about the future,” Lutz noted.

Many buildings in and around Restaurant Row are part of a trust owned by Stratis Voutsas and Georgia Papadopoulos, who seek to improve neighborhood infrastructure so that Restaurant Row can continue to flourish.

The pair told the Washington Business Journal they plan to build a park and plaza in the neighborhood, with subsidized artist housing nearby.

Restaurant Row’s unique community boasts a charming and eclectic conglomeration of small businesses, ranging from shops selling some sweet fashionable finds, like vintage dresses and post-war era accessories, shops selling prized collectables like NFL Lombardi trophies, and quaint long-time restaurants serving up food from all over the world.

The charm is also about the people behind the counters.

As I walked with Lutz, who introduced me to the owners at a few other nearby establishments, it warmed me up to see how sociable he, other shop owners, and passing patrons were.

The co-owner at neighboring Royal Pawn of Arlington, Nicholas Rizer, shared a story that exemplified just that.

“Recently, we saw a nearby shop owner having difficulty moving a bulky piece of equipment off a truck into his establishment,” said Rizer. “Within a few minutes, staff from nearby shops were outside lending a helping hand, and the job was done in a few minutes.”

Rizer noted that such behavior was common on Restaurant Row, which makes him proud to be part of the community. And the community feel is one of the reasons why Los Tios chose the spot.

Los Tios’ owner German Mejia thanked the community for spreading the word after the restaurant opened its Crystal City doors last month.

“In just our first week of opening, without much advertising, we were seeing high volumes of customers,” said Mejia.

The preceding feature article was funded by our Patreon community. Want to help fund more in-depth, independent community journalism in Arlington? Join the community. 

From Baltimore to Ballston, Local Oyster Eyes Opening Next Week

By Airey
1/4

Baltimore-based seafood joint Local Oyster may open their new Ballston Quarter location as early as next week, staff say.

Founder and co-owner Nick Shauman said he’s planning a soft opening next Thursday, April 18, pending final permits (which, it should be noted, don’t always come through on time).

“We’ll definitely be shucking oysters and pouring beers,” Shauman said confidently. “Fingers crossed.”

The eatery will feature a full kitchen, beer lines, and big metal baskets awaiting oysters as well as claims, lobsters, scallops, mussels, crab legs, and catfish. Today (Wednesday) a back wall was decorated with a wall of buoys, and bright red metal stools fresh out of their packing are lined up around wooden high-top tables.

For next week’s hoped-for opening, Shauman plans to serve up a special limited menu.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwAtIaEnj9T/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The full menu includes cocktails, wine, beer and cider, in addition to its oysters and clams, soups, sandwiches and lobster rolls, crab cakes, and vegetable sides.

Local Oyster sources its oysters from its farm in southern Maryland, the True Chesapeake Oyster Co., in Southern Maryland. Shauman said the Ballston location will carry their house oyster, dubbed the “skinny dipper.”

“We are no frills seafood,” said Beverage Director Chelsea Gregoire. “We do it well, we do it local.”

Gregoire said she’s developing a cocktail menu that makes diners “feel like they’re at the beach” and focus on fresh fruit and tasty spirits “to go with your shrimp salad sammie.”

Shauman told ARLnow that Local Oyster has hired 16 “badass bartenders and shuckers” so far.

“This whole thing started as a pop-up about six years ago,” he said of Local Oyster’s origins in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood, where he says he just might know some Honfest ladies willing to journey to Ballston for the restaurant’s grand opening.

The Local Oyster is the latest addition to the Quarter Market where restaurants have opened rapid fire since March. The market is inside the renovated Ballston mall where cooking classroom Cookology opened this week.

Ballston IHOP Closed After Another Fire

By ARLnow.com

For the second time since October, the Ballston IHOP has closed after an early morning fire.

The fire was reported around 3 a.m., in the kitchen at the 935 N. Stafford Street restaurant, filling it with smoke, according to the Arlington County Fire Department. No injuries were reported.

This morning signs on the restaurant’s doors said it was closed due to a “maintenance issue.” IHOP was closed for more than a week after the October fire, but there’s no word as to how long this closure may last.

A fire department spokesman said the causes of the two fires are not initially believed to be related.

JUST IN: Longtime Clarendon Sports Bar Mister Days Closing Soon

By Airey
1/2

(Updated at noon) Clarendon sports bar Mister Days is closing next week, according to owner Robert E. Lee.

Furniture, fixtures, and some equipment were sold Thursday morning to Arlington chef Patrick Crump of the Clarendon Grill, which closed in October after 22 years in business.

Mister Days will close on April 12 or 13, Lee said, but before that happens there will several parties.

“A series of the last days of Days,” he said.

Crump is expected to open a new restaurant called “The Grill on Highland” in the space within the next two months, Lee told ARLnow.

Mister Days has been a favorite stop for local office workers, weekend partiers, pub trivia contestants, college students and sports fans for almost half a century and has served Hollywood stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and hosted performances by Mary Chapin Carpenter, according to Lee.

Lee is subletting the space to the new group, but says he’s keeping the “Mister Days” brand name in case he wants to sell it or open another establishment.

“The name comes from the fact we were only open [during] daytime or happy hours,” he said. “Maybe something like that works.”

Lee, who’s turning 80 this year, cited ongoing health issues as a reason for closing the bar and said the decision had nothing to do with rent costs.

He asked patrons to keep an eye on the Mister Days website, which will post details tomorrow about next week’s going away parties.

The bar celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2017.

It first opened in the Dupont Circle area of D.C. in 1977, then moved to Georgetown, finally settling in Arlington in 2001 as it grew from an alley pub to a community institution.

Lee previously said he was weighing whether to invest in renovations or retire.

“Forty-three years is a lot of history,” he said Thursday.

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