restaurant

‘Rolls By U’ Sushi Restaurant in Rosslyn Shuts Down

By Alex Koma
1/3

A create-your-own sushi restaurant in Rosslyn has now shut its doors.

Sign posted at Rolls By U, located at 1713 Wilson Blvd in the Colonial Village Shopping Center, indicate that the eatery is now closed.

Yelp reviewers and ARLnow readers reported that the location seems to have shut down in early December.

Rolls by U opened in 2015, serving up bowls, rolls and even sushi burritos. Its owners also backed a Courthouse restaurant, the Guarapo Lounge, but that also shuttered in 2016.

The restaurant also has a location in D.C.’s Foggy Bottom neighborhood, which seems to still be open.

After Additional Delays, Yume Sushi Ready to Open Today in East Falls Church

By Alex Koma
1/4

After a few more months of delays, a new sushi restaurant is now set to open today (Monday) in East Falls Church.

Yume Sushi plans to hold a soft opening today at its location at 2121 N. Westmoreland Street, according to spokeswoman Isobel Leandra. She said the eatery then expects to hold a more formal grand opening sometime in “mid-January.”

The restaurant has been working to open since last fall, but has consistently run into permitting and construction challenges. Yume originally hoped to start serving up sushi in late October, but Leandra says that “a combination of permitting and a few other changes behind the scenes to ensure we could roll out all the stops” prompted the additional delays.

The eatery is backed by executive chef and co-owner Saran Kannasute, who was previously the executive chef at Alexandria’s The Sushi Bar.

He plans to serve up not only a large collection of sushi roles, but will also offer “Omakase dining,” stemming from the Japanese phrase that roughly translates to “I shall leave it up to you.” The two-hour sessions give chefs complete creative freedom in creating specially tailored menus for diners.

Yume will be located in the same building as a South Block juice bar, and will be just down the street from the East Falls Church Metro station.

Mike Isabella’s Three Ballston Restaurants Have Shut Down, As ‘Top Chef’ Star Dissolves Company

By Alex Koma
1/5

Three Ballston restaurants owned by chef Mike Isabella have now shuttered, marking the latest fallout from a scandal that has helped sink Isabella’s once-expansive network of D.C. restaurants.

Signs posted at Kapnos Taverna, Pepita Cantina and Yona inform would-be diners that all three eateries have closed, as of this morning (Monday). Eater first reported that the restaurants, all located in the base of an apartment building at 4000 Wilson Blvd, shut down this weekend.

“We are closed,” a sign on Kapnos’ door reads. “Thank you for the love and support. We will miss you all.”

The Arlington eateries have faced an uncertain future ever since Isabella’s company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, after one of the “Top Chef” star’s former managers filed a sexual harassment suit against his company.

Though Isabella settled the suit this spring, revelations about the company’s business practices damaged Isabella’s reputation tremendously. He decided to shutter some of his restaurants in D.C. and Tysons alike in the aftermath, including Graffiato, Isabella’s first restaurant in the District.

Last week, Isabella revealed in court filings that he’d shutting down his entire company, suggesting that most of his remaining restaurants would close up shop by Dec. 27. But within days of the news breaking, people living nearby told ARLnow that they heard rumors that the Ballston restaurants would be closing much sooner than that.

All three restaurants in the building, known as The View at Liberty Center, opened back in 2015. Kapnos offered Greek fare, Pepita served up Mexican food and Yona cooked up ramen and Asian small plates.

At least one eatery with a location nearby is already offering to help out employees displaced by the closures.

It’s been a difficult year for retailers operating in the base of the high-rise — Taylor Gourmet also shut down its location in the building back in September.

Baja Fresh in Clarendon Appears to Have Closed

By Alex Koma
1/3

The Baja Fresh Mexican Grill in Clarendon now seems to be closed.

The restaurant hasn’t been open during normal business hours since at least Wednesday (Dec. 12), and a variety of boxes and furniture are now strewn about the eatery, located at 2815 Clarendon Blvd.

No one answered the phone at the restaurant yesterday or today (Friday), making it unclear if the closure is temporary or permanent.

Baja Fresh’s future has frequently been in doubt over the last few years, as the owner of its building as eyed a major redevelopment of the whole block.

The County Board signed off on plans earlier this year to transform the area, calling for the renovation and expansion of several buildings along the 2800 blocks of Wilson and Clarendon Blvds, and the creation of a “ground level arcade” along the nearby N. Edgewood Street. The property owner, Regency Centers, has also overseen the “Market Common” redevelopment across Clarendon Blvd.

Should the restaurant indeed be shutting down, Arlington would be left without a Baja Fresh location. One in Rosslyn shut down back in 2013.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arrest Made in Rosslyn Stabbing — “Police identified the [stabbing] suspect as Isiah Hill, 61, of Washington D.C. and obtained warrants for Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Abduction. At approximately 2:15 p.m. on December 12, the U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Arlington County Police Department, took the suspect into custody in Washington, D.C.” [Arlington County]

Isabella Restaurants File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy — Embattled chef Mike Isabella’s restaurant group has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation. Barring a last-minute rescue, most of his restaurants, including Pepita, Yona, and Kapnos Taverna in Ballston, are likely to close by Dec. 27. [Washingtonian]

Home Sales Still Down in Arlington — “A total of 198 properties went to closing across the county in November… That’s down nearly 22 percent from a year before, coming on top of a 13-percent year-over-year drop in October sales. But year-over-year average sales prices were stable in two of the three segments of the market.” [InsideNova]

Another Big Metro Shutdown Planned — “Next summer’s shutdown of the Blue and Yellow lines south of Reagan National Airport will run from May 25 through Sept. 2, 2019. Additional Blue Line single-tracking between Van Dorn Street and Franconia-Springfield is planned from Sept. 3 through Sept. 29.” [WTOP]

Video: Dogs and Santa in Shirlington — “About 100 dogs got their pictures taken with Santa Claus by a professional pet photographer at Dogma Gourmet Dog Bakery and Boutique in Arlington, Virginia. From large Golden Retrievers to pint-sized Chihuahuas, the pups were dressed for the holidays.” [Voice of America]

Photo courtesy Ray Villarreal

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Prepares for Winter Weather — Though a winter storm this weekend is looking increasingly unlikely for the area, Arlington County says it is preparing for a snowy winter and “will be ready to fight back” against snow and ice. [Arlington County]

More Solar Panels for APS — “Arlington County Public Schools signed a contract on Thursday night that they say will save them millions of dollars. Five of their schools will be made over with solar panels as part of a power purchase agreement, or PPA, with a Charlottesville, Virginia firm called Sun Tribe Solar.” [WUSA 9]

Fire at Ledo Pizza — Firefighters responded to an electrical fire at the Ledo Pizza restaurant in the Red Lion hotel in Rosslyn yesterday. The fire was extinguished by a sprinkler system. [Twitter]

Amazon, Pentagon City and Housing — Most or even all of Amazon’s permanent presence in Arlington could actually be in Pentagon City, not Crystal City. That presents an opportunity to add more housing, including affordable housing, in Pentagon City. [Greater Greater Washington]

American May Add Flights at DCA — “American Airlines is closely ‘studying’ online retailer Amazon’s plans to open a second headquarters steps away from its hub at Ronald Reagan Washington National airport, where it is already planning to add seats at the slot-controlled facility. ‘We absolutely plan to upgauge at DCA,’ the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier’s vice-president of network Vasu Raja tells FlightGlobal.” [FlightGlobal]

Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration — “On Saturday, December 8, approximately 300 people are expected to pour into Saint Agnes Catholic Church’s Parish Hall in Arlington to celebrate the anniversary of the apparition of the Blessed Mother to Juan Diego on December 12, 1531. Following the Mass, there will be a candle lit procession with some of the faithful carrying a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, followed by praying the rosary, and a potluck dinner with live entertainment -a mariachi band!” [Diocese of Arlington]

Flickr pool photo by Tom Mockler

Ruby Tuesday in Rosslyn Office Building Shuts Down

By Alex Koma
1/3

The Ruby Tuesday restaurant in Rosslyn has closed.

The eatery, located on the first floor of an office building at 1300 Wilson Blvd, now has signs posted informing would-be diners that the location has shut down.

The signs encourage people to head to the chain’s location in Bailey’s Crossroads, at 5880 Leesburg Pike, instead. The restaurant’s website also shows two locations in Alexandria.

A tipster first informed ARLnow of the restaurant’s closure yesterday (Wednesday), saying that employees in the building noticed that the Ruby Tuesday “closed suddenly” this week.

County permit records don’t show any applications for new businesses in the space, as of yet.

UPDATED: Large Crowd Reported at Clarendon Cheesecake Factory Amid Free Cheesecake Promotion

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:25 p.m.) Arlington County police and medics have responded to Clarendon after a promotion for free cheesecake got out of control.

Police were called to the area of the Cheesecake Factory at 2900 Clarendon Blvd earlier today for a report of a large crowd and heavy traffic in the area. Around 1 p.m., another dispatch went out for a fight in progress at the restaurant, though officers did not find an active fight when they arrived.

The culprit: the Cheesecake Factory is giving away free slices of cheesecake in honor of its 40th anniversary, but only to those who order on Doordash. The result, according to an Arlington County Police spokeswoman: an unruly crowd of delivery drivers inside the restaurant, trying to pick up orders, and a rash of double parking around the Clarendon area.

The scene was “a little hectic” and officers were working to bring order and “calm the situation down,” ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow.com.

During the fracas, according to Savage, one person refused police commands to leave the restaurant and a struggle with officers ensued. That person was arrested and is expected to be charged with disorderly conduct, Savage said. He requested to be transported to a local hospital by medics for evaluation of possible injuries.

Here is what the Cheesecake Factory said about the promotion on its website:

In celebration of our 40th anniversary, on December 5th only starting at 11:30AM local time, we’re giving away 40,000 FREE slices* of cheesecake! Get a free slice* of cheesecake when you order delivery through DoorDash! Use promo code FREESLICE at checkout. Get it while you can because an offer this sweet won’t last long!

As an added bonus, DoorDash is offering $0 delivery fee** on all of The Cheesecake Factory delivery orders from December 5 – 11! No promo code needed!

There are social media reports that the promotion has caused chaotic scenes at other Cheesecake Factories across the country.

Later Wednesday afternoon, photos and video emerged on Twitter that appeared to show the arrest and some of the chaos inside the restaurant.

https://twitter.com/pat_patsy_cake/status/1070411021305688066

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Menorah Lighting in Clarendon Tonight — “Arlington Police Chief Jay Farr will light the menorah at a Chanukah Festival of Lights ceremony, to be held on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. at Clarendon Central Park.” [InsideNova]

County Spraying Brine on Roads — Ahead of a possible snowstorm this weekend, the odds of which are increasing, Arlington County is applying brine to some local roadways. [Twitter]

Most of Va. Feeling Good About HQ2 — “There may be some angst in Arlington over Amazon.com Inc.’s impending entrance to the market, but overall, the state is feeling good about HQ2.” [Washington Business Journal]

Nearby: Bush 41’s Favorite Chinese Restaurant — “In a non-descript Falls Church strip mall, a culinary secret: the Peking Gourmet Inn, where George H.W. Bush dined with his family more than a hundred times over the last thirty years. The restaurant even had plaques for the president and his wife Barbara on two of their chairs, and a window with bullet-proof glass to protect Bush as he dined at a semi-private table with Secret Service only feet away.” [WJLA]

Photo courtesy Andrew Clegg

JUST IN: A-Town Bar and Grill Closing

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 5:20 p.m.) Ballston watering hole A-Town Bar and Grill, which opened in 2012 and helped launch a mini nightlife empire in Arlington, is closing.

Scott Parker, a partner in the business, said in a Facebook post Tuesday evening that A-Town will close as its lease ends on Jan. 1, 2019. It will be replaced by “a brand new concept” in the same space, Parker said.

After an amazing run, our lease is up on January 1st and that will be the end of A-Town. It’s been an amazing journey that we couldn’t be more thankful for, but with our lease ending it’s time to say goodbye. However, we won’t be leaving! We’ve made a deal with the landlord to start a new lease, and we’ll be bringing a brand new concept to the exact same space which we will announce this spring, and plan to open early next summer. Stay tuned!

Though it was often crowded, and had a particularly devoted clientele for its “Sunday Funday” celebrations, A-Town did face challenges over the years. Rowdy customers made notable appearances in crime reports, and Arlington County officials sometimes balked at renewing its live entertainment permit.

Still, the good times kept rolling.

“We had an amazing run, it surpassed all of our expectations a million times over,” Parker told ARLnow.com

“The landlord wants to reinvest in us with a new concept,” he continued. “We’ll announce the concept sometime next spring and hope to open in early next summer.”

In the meantime, said Parker, A-Town fans can expect “a couple big parties” prior to the closing.

“[We] want to thank everyone that supported this place from the bottom of our hearts, we couldn’t have done what we’ve done in this city without A-Town,” Parker said.

Photo by Maryva2

Clarendon’s Alto Fumo: Authentic House-Made Italian Fare With Flair (and a Great Bar)

Not every neighborhood is lucky enough to have a chef-owned, non-chain, full-service Italian restaurant with a lively bar, but Clarendon does. And oh look: Free parking in the rear.

Alto Fumo Pizza and Pasta Bar in the heart of Clarendon is a locally owned business that takes pride in offering fresh and wholesome authentic Italian dishes, created from the finest regionally sourced ingredients and prepared by chefs with more than 30 years of experience.

The pasta is made in the kitchen, nothing is ever frozen, and the pizza… well, one look at the Yelp! reviews and you will be curious about what the raving is about.

There are daily specials on the menu, including Monday evening’s 12-inch, two-topping pizza with two salads and two glasses of wine for a whopping $25. Happy hour Monday-Friday from 3-7 p.m. as well as Saturday and Sunday from 12-7 p.m. includes $4 drinks as well as a list of substantial small plates for $5 — among them, fried oysters in remoulade sauce, the popular crispy calamari and the killer meatball sliders.

You can do the traditional “prima piatto” method of Italian multi-course dining — and you should! — but for a simpler after-work weeknight dinner, Alto Fumo has you and your wallet covered. The pasta portions are generous, the salads ample and the “Old School Subs” (with fries) will easily get you to your next meal.

And if for some rare reason the pizzas and pastas on the menu are not striking your fancy, you can “build your own” from the kitchen’s house-made pastas, crusts, sauces and toppings. It’s your chance to get creative with capellini, gnocchi, ziti, tri-color fettuccine, basil pesto cream, Bolognese, marinara and vodka sauce.

Clarendon is lucky to have a locally owned, authentic Italian restaurant owned and operated by chefs who take deserving pride in their efforts.

Did we mention the free parking in the rear?

Alto Fumo–the name means “high-rising smoke,” as if from a fired pizza oven–is at 2909 Wilson Boulevard; the phone number for carry-out and reservations is 703-276-3099; the email address is [email protected]. Delivery and kids’ menu are available.

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