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Morning Notes

Published April 3, 2019 at 7:30AM | Updated April 3, 2019 at 10:32AM

Red Flag Warning Today — Updated at 8:45 a.m. — The D.C. region is under a Red Flag Warning this afternoon for strong winds and low humidity, which can lead to wildfires. In Arlington, fire weather like this typically results in small brush and mulch fires that are quickly extinguished. [Weather.gov]

Report on Old Dominion Site Coming Soon — “With a task force prepping its final report on uses for the government parcel at 26th Street North and Old Dominion Drive, what will happen next to the recommendations? For both procedural and financial reasons, don’t expect the county government to jump into development of the 7.6-acre site immediately.” [InsideNova]

Arlington Eateries Among Harper’s Favorite D.C. Memories — Former Rosslyn resident Bryce Harper shouted out Silver Diner and The Italian Store in his farewell to D.C. [Twitter]

Presidential Race May Post Logistical Challenge — “As Arlington’s elections office begins mulling how to handle the 2020 presidential vote, it could be space, rather than money, that proves the biggest challenge.” [InsideNova]

W-L Hockey Player Raising Money for Diabetes Research — “Ethan Rostker, a freshman defenseman for the Washington-Lee hockey team, doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just 20 months old. He wears an insulin pump while playing and completes a 100-mile bike trip yearly to raise money for diabetes research.” [WJLA]

Nearby: Bailey’s Crossroads Fire Update — “1,000 people are still displaced after two transformers burst into flames Monday morning– cutting off power to their Fairfax County apartments.” [WJLA]

Photo courtesy Jessica Hahn

JUST IN: A CVS Is Coming to Shirlington

By ARLnow.com

Published March 28, 2019 at 2:45PM

CVS Pharmacy is planning to open a new store in the Village of Shirlington next year, the shopping center announced this afternoon.

The CVS will open a 10,906 square-foot space at the intersection of Campbell Avenue and S. Randolph Street, apparently in the the former Ping by Charlie Chiang’s and the current Cheesetique spaces.

Ping closed permanently last year. Cheesetique is moving to a larger location in Shirlington at 4024 Campbell Avenue, the former home of Luna Grill and Diner, according to a press release.

There’s still no word about might be coming to an even larger, vacant space in Shirlington — the former Capitol City Brewing location at the corner of Campbell Avenue and S. Quincy Street. A PR rep declined comment today.

Village of Shirlington owner Federal Realty Investment Trust said in this afternoon’s announcement that the new CVS is expected to open in the fall of 2020.

Q&A With Arlington Nominee for Restaurant Employee of The Year

By Airey

Published March 28, 2019 at 10:15AM

One Arlington restaurant worker has a shot to win big at this year’s local “Oscars for the restaurant industry.”

Maria Contreras works as a food runner at José Andrés’ Jaleo at 2250 Crystal Drive in Crystal City and told ARLnow she’s worked her way up in the industry from where she started as a janitor almost 20 years ago.

The award is part of 37th annual RAMMYs, a creation of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington to celebrate D.C. area restaurants and their workers. Only restaurants that are members of the organization are eligible for nomination. Other award categories include best manager, best pastry chef, and best new restaurant of the year.

Contreras’ manager at Jaleo, Nick Porter, described Contreras as “a rock of a food runner” who trains all the front staff at the restaurant and manages communications with the back.

“There is always one constant person in every restaurant who, if they were gone, the effects would be felt across the board, and ours is Maria,” said Porter. He added that Jaleo was “the most family oriented operation” he had ever worked for, with many employees staying years, including Contreras.

“She has been here from the get go, 14 years, and is looked at as the matriarch of the staff,” he said. “It is like celebrating that teacher that has given nothing but the best for so long and has never lost her luster.”

An anonymous panel of judges will decide who wins Employee of the Year, as well as most of the other categories. But the public picks the winners for best restaurant for Fast Bites, Gathering Place, Casual Brunch, and Upscale Brunch.

Typically, D.C. restaurants dominate the RAMMYs while Arlington restaurants get only a handful of nominations — and only the occasional award.

“Arlington has a great up-and-coming culinary scene with an amazing range of cuisines,” said Porter, when asked what winning the award would mean for the area. “Bringing a RAMMY nomination and win would help to solidify that Virginia and the the outlying areas have exceptional cuisine and some of the best people in the industry.”

Andrés, whose volunteer efforts and immigration advocacy earned him an Oscars cameo last month, could not be reached for comment.

People can cast their votes here until April 30 and the winners will be announced at the event’s annual black-tie gala June 30. Tickets to the gala are on sale here for $325.

(more…)

New Rosslyn Restaurant Sfoglina Now Hiring

By Airey

Published March 26, 2019 at 11:00AM

Rosslyn’s new Italian restaurant Sfoglina is now hiring.

The new Rosslyn outpost of Sfoglina restaurant is now hiring, a signal that its long-awaited opening is approaching.

Signs plastered over the front windows of Sfoglina Pasta House say the Italian restaurant is “coming soon” and it’s hiring bartenders and sous chefs, among several other positions.

The restaurant is located in a 4,500 square-foot space at 1100 Wilson Blvd, the 31-story building that’s home to local TV station WJLA.

As of today (Tuesday), Sfoglina’s website says its Rosslyn location is “coming soon.” The restaurant owners did not return a request for comment on expected opening dates in time for publication.

The Rosslyn pasta house will be a sister to the flagship Sfoglina co-owners Maria and Fabio Trabocchi opened in D.C.’s Van Ness neighborhood in 2016. The pair also manages several other local culinary hotspots including another Sfoglina in downtown D.C., as well as Fiola, Fiola Mare and Del Mar.

Fabio Trabocchi said in May that opening a location outside of D.C. was “such an exciting opportunity, and we’re delighted to be a part of this vibrant and growing community, while further strengthening our love for the craft of pasta-making.”

At the time, the Trabocchis said they expected to open by the end of 2018, or in early 2019.

New-Look Wendy’s Now Open on Route 7

By ARLnow.com

Published March 19, 2019 at 1:45PM

Now sporting a fresh look to go along with its fresh beef, a Wendy’s along Route 7 has reopened following renovations.

The fast food outpost now features an electronic order status display, a faux fireplace, a Coca-Cola Freestyle drink machine and a flat panel TV currently tuned to ESPN.

Located at 5050 S. Chesterfield Road, not far from Wakefield High School, the renovated Wendy’s sits next to a 7-Eleven store and a Taco Bell, on a small peninsula of Arlington County surrounded on three sides by the borders of Fairfax County and the city of Alexandria.

The renovations are nearly identical to those at the recently reopened Wendy’s at 3431 Columbia Pike.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 19, 2019 at 7:30AM | Updated March 19, 2019 at 8:57AM

Woman Injured When Scooter’s Brakes Fail — “An Arlington, Virginia, woman says she had to jump off of an electric scooter moving 15 mph to avoid oncoming traffic because the rented scooter’s brakes weren’t working.” [NBC 4]

Could Goody’s Challenge Sign Rules? — Goody’s restaurant in Clarendon painted over its outdoor mural after running afoul of Arlington’s sign ordinance, but one attorney says a 2015 Supreme Court ruling may point to an avenue to challenge the county’s regulations. [Reason]

Refugees Get Car from Arlington Diocese — “A Catholic family fleeing religious persecution in their native Pakistan [received] a car Monday in Arlington.” [WUSA 9]

Tornado Drill Today in Va. — Updated at 8:55 a.m. — Virginia is conducting its annual statewide tornado drill today at 9:45 a.m. [Virginia DEM, Twitter]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Goody’s Mural No More After County Regs Force Clarendon Pizza Favorite To Repaint

By Airey

Published March 15, 2019 at 1:30PM

The now-covered mural on Goody’s in Clarendon

The outside of Goody’s is now sporting eye-watering lime green and red paint after county zoning regulations forced the pizzeria to cover its colorful, culinary mural.

Tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, cheese, slices of pizza, and gyros adorned the creme-colored walls along with an Italian flag after Goody’s commissioned the mural from a local artist.

The county’s planning department warned the Clarendon staple that Arlington’s zoning ordinance requires permits for artwork that “relates to the advertisement of a business and its services” and that without a permit they’d be forced to paint over the mural.

Goody’s is owned by Glenda Alvarez who took the reins from Vanessa Reisis last spring and was unavailable for comment Friday morning.

Alvarez’s husband Danny Sabouni owns Arlington Watch Works next door and told ARLnow that Alvarez had to repaint Goody’s yesterday (Thursday) but she was not fined.

“We can put bicycles or cars outside, whatever else. But we cannot put posters or signs advertising what we sell,” Sabouni said of the zoning ordinance’s requirements. “It’s pathetic.”

A spokesperson for the Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development did not respond in time for publication.

Sabouni says Alvarez is considering commissioning a new mural for the eatery, but it’s a difficult process because the language of the ordinance doesn’t clearly distinguish between what’s a sign and what’s art.

“It’s so vague that nobody can understand it,” he said.

Previously, Alvarez said she painted the building to make it more “attractive” to customers, adding “We just wanted to get a little more attention from people walking by.”

County inspectors famously cracked down on artwork judged to be advertising in 2010 when Wag More Dogs on S. Four Mile Run Drive included dogs in their mural.

Two New Restaurants Open in Ballston Quarter’s Food Court, With Others Nearly Ready for Diners

By Alex Koma

Published March 14, 2019 at 2:30PM

Copa Kitchen and Bar at Ballston Quarter.

A seating area adjacent to Copa Kitchen and Bar at Ballston Quarter.

Turu’s by Timber Pizza Company at Ballston Quarter.

The location for Cucina al Volo at Ballston Quarter.

Slowly, but surely, restaurants in Ballston Quarter’s food court are opening to diners.

When the development opened up its “Quarter Market” to customers earlier this month, just one restaurant (Mi & Yu Noodle Bar) was open for business. In the days since then, two more have joined the club.

The first was Copa Kitchen and Bar, a Spanish restaurant serving up small plates, flatbreads and sangria from its “sangria garden.”

Copa opened for business last week, according to Ballston Quarter’s social media accounts, and the restaurant space is now adorned with all manner of soccer-themed apparel. Eventually, Copa also plans to offer outdoor seating in the development’s plaza.

Next up was Hot Lola’s, a fast-casual restaurant offering spicy, fried chicken sandwiches. The eatery opened last weekend.

Chef Kevin Tien, who also backed the Petworth restaurant Himitsu, plans to use Sichuan spices to flavor the sandwiches, which should pack plenty of punch. Diners will also be able to order chicken tenders, but those aren’t available on the restaurant’s menu just yet.

Ice Cream Jubilee, a local chain offering exotic ice cream flavors of all kinds, could well be the next shop to open. The stand is mostly set up, and an employee there said the eatery could be ready to serve up scoops as early as next week.

Workers also seem to have made plenty of progress on Turu’s, a restaurant from the creator’s of D.C.’s Timber Pizza Company, though no employees were at the stand Wednesday afternoon.

Nearby, another restaurant backed by Timber Pizza’s owners, the Ballston Service Station, also seems to be nearing an opening.

Details are still scarce about what, exactly, the location will serve up, but a quick glance behind some construction screens revealed what appeared to be a line of beer taps. State records show that the restaurant is asking for a permit to serve both beer and wine at the location.

It’s been a series of false starts for Quarter Market, and the development as a whole, though shops at Ballston Quarter did start opening slowly this fall. A project to build a new pedestrian bridge linking the development to the area’s Metro station via the Ballston Exchange building has also faced some hold-ups.

Here are Some Ways to Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day Around Arlington

By Airey

Published March 13, 2019 at 4:30PM | Updated March 13, 2019 at 4:55PM

(Updated at 4:50 p.m.) St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday this year — meaning more events for everyone looking for their fix of “kegs and eggs.”

There are plenty of local restaurants and bars hosting green-themed shenanigans — too many to list here. But it’s a safe bet that if you go to one of Arlington’s Irish pubs this weekend, it’s going to be crowded.

Whether you’re Irish or want to be Irish, here are some of the St. Paddy’s highlights around Arlington:

Pamplona and Bar Bao (3100 Clarendon Blvd in Clarendon: Attendance is free and this outdoor event will feature food, DJs, party favors, and prizes, per the Eventbrite invite.
The G.O.A.T. (3028 Wilson Blvd in Clarendon): The bar is hosting both March Madness games on TV and an Irish breakfast buffet all day Sunday from 9 a.m.-3 a.m. The buffet costs $21.95 per person, and the pub’s drink deals include $4 Guinness, $6 Jameson or $5 Tullamore, and green beer and mimosas.
Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub (2800 S. Randolph Street in Shirlington): On March 17, the bar will open at 9.a.m. to host live music from Aidan Croke, Ciaran Quinn, and the Shamrockers (no cover charge) and a performance by the Irish dance group from the Boyle School of Dancers.
Celtic House Irish Pub & Restaurant (2500 Columbia Pike): The restaurant is serving brunch on Saturday (from 10 a.m.) and Sunday (from 9 a.m.) and features Irish musician Pat Garvey on Saturday from 7-8 p.m. Garvey returns to the restaurant Sunday at 2 p.m., along with Irish dancers.
O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub (3207 Washington Blvd in Clarendon): The pub will host two performances by the Boyle School Irish Dancers on Sunday at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., as well as showcase performances by musicians Greg Snyder, Britton James, Mike Leverone and Willem Dicke.
Ireland’s Four Courts (2051 Wilson Boulevard in Courthouse): The bar will have a heated tent for bar-goers along with live music, Irish dancers, and traditional food served all weekend. March Madness will also be on the screen for any die-hard fans not wanting to choose between watching college sports and listening to bagpipers. Four Courts is also hosting daily events (listed on its website) this week leading up to the big day.
O’Malley’s Pub (2650 Jefferson Davis Highway in Crystal City): Enjoy Irish food favorites like fish and chips, and bread pudding, along with a $4 Guinness special at this pub from Friday to Sunday.
Liberty Tavern (3195 Wilson Blvd in Clarendon): The restaurant is serving a bottomless brunch buffet of traditional Irish fare from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. After 3 p.m. the restaurant will offer drink specials, and will add “beer bucket” specials and DJ music at 8 p.m.
Wilson Hardware (2915 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon): The three-story bar is throwing a 90’s party promising songs from Irish artists and plenty of their “shareable” pub food appetizers. Party will start at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

And of course the holiday offers more than just booze. Here are two St. Patrick’s Day-themed activities that are family friendly and bound to get you moving:

Four Courts Four Miler: If you’re a runner, the annual Four Courts Four Miler offers a challenging course from Courthouse, through Rosslyn, and back. Registration for the Saturday morning race is currently priced at $43.
50th Anniversary Ceili: The O’Neill James School of Irish Dance is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a traditional Irish dance party (called a “céilí” in Irish Gaelic) at the Knights of Columbus (5115 Little Falls Rd) Sunday from 5-8 p.m. Tickets cost $10 online, $15 at the door, families pay no more than $60. Kids 5 and under are free.

Photo by Cobalt123 via Flickr

Clarendon Restaurant Le Kon Closed, With Plans to Reopen as ‘La Finca’

By Airey

Published March 11, 2019 at 3:30PM | Updated March 11, 2019 at 5:10PM

Clarendon’s Le Kon restaurant on the construction-ridden Washington Blvd is closed as of March 12 and is scheduled to re-open as a Mexican restaurant “La Finca”.

(Updated at 5:10 p.m.) Clarendon’s Mexican-Asian restaurant Le Kon is closed and rescheduled to re-open as “La Finca” later this week.

An employee of the restaurant said management needed to close the restaurant while finalizing the new liquor license but that the eatery is expected to re-open under its new name tomorrow (Tuesday) or Wednesday. ARLnow was unable to reach the restaurant’s management for more information prior to publishing.

The restaurant’s new name,”La Finca,” refers to a traditional Mexican farmhouse. The menu now posted outside the blue doors reflects the shift to Mexican cuisine with a focus on burritos, chimichangas, quesadilla, and tequila.

Le Kon opened six months ago as the D.C.-debut of chef Katsuji Tanabe who appeared on the reality television program Top Chef in 2014. Tanabe’s restaurant served Asian-Mexican fusion fare with items like crab guacamole, per Yelp reviews. At the time it replaced another establishment, Park Lane Tavern, that closed after eight months.

It’s unclear why the restaurant changed hands, and whether Tanabe is still involved. Tanabe last tweeted about the restaurant in September, and the restaurant’s last Instagram post was a table flower arrangement on Feb. 18.

Today (Monday), the backlights on the “Le Kon” sign were off and construction equipment rumbled as crews continued work on the Washington Blvd and Wilson Blvd road projects, which is expected to continue all year.

As of Monday afternoon, Le Kon’s website reads “Thank you for visiting — Le Kon Restaurant has closed. This Website is not available anymore.”

Police: After Man Skipped Out on Clarendon Restaurant Tab, Bystanders Stopped Him

By Airey

Published March 8, 2019 at 4:30PM

A dine-and-dash in Clarendon turned violent this week after police say a man tried to run out on his bill and assaulted an employee who confronted him.

Police say they were responded to a call along the 3100 block of Clarendon Blvd at 8:52 p.m Tuesday, after a patron allegedly left the establishment without paying. The block is home to popular bars including Mister Day’s, Bar Bao and Pamplona.

Police believe the customer struck a restaurant employee in the face before attempting to flee the scene. But when he tried to take off, bystanders stopped him, and held him, until officers arrived.

Police identified the man as 28-year-old Arlington resident John Strittmatter.

Strittmatter was charged with malicious wounding, a crime punishable by five to 20 years in prison and a fine of to $100,000, according to the Virginia criminal code.

Police also charged him with “defrauding an innkeeper,” which is Virginia legalese for leaving unpaid bills and is a non-jailable offense, but may carry a fine depending on the size of the unpaid bill.

Full details from the county crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2019-03050244, 3100 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 8:52 p.m. on March 5, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect left a restaurant without paying his bill. When confronted, the suspect allegedly struck an employee in the face before fleeing the scene on foot. Additional citizens detained the suspect until police arrived. John Strittmatter, 28, of Arlington, VA was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding and Defrauding an Innkeeper.