Piola pizzeria in Rosslyn, which has since closed (photo via Facebook)
A note on the door of the Piola restaurant in Rosslyn (courtesy photo)
Longtime Rosslyn pizzeria Piola has now shut its doors.
The restaurant, located at 1550 Wilson Blvd, announced the move on its social media channels last Wednesday (Dec. 26). Piola had operated out of the space for the last 12 years.
“To our many regular customers and social media fans, we are very grateful for the support you gave us,” staff wrote in a Facebook post. “This day would have come much sooner if it wasn’t for you! We apologize for not informing you sooner, but hope you understand that the cards were not in our favor.”
Piola was known for its pizza-heavy brunches, beer specials and large World Cup watch parties every few years.
It’s now the second long-tenured restaurant on the block to close down in recent years; Cafe Asia shut down next door back in 2016. The Bash Boxing gym and South Block smoothie shop have since moved into that space.
Piola’s former home also sits across from a massive redevelopment project that will someday become bring three new residential towers, a new fire station and an improved Rosslyn Highlands Park to the area.
The pizza chain also seems to have shuttered its D.C. location, according to its website. Piola is a Miami-based company, with several South Florida locations, and a few in Texas and North Carolina as well.
Wagner owns both businesses (which sit just steps away from each other at 2803 Columbia Pike and 2900 Columbia Pike, respectively), and the closures will leave him with just the newly opened Josephine’s Italian Kitchen in the Penrose Square shopping center still operating in the area.
Wagner says he made the “difficult” decision to shutter BrickHaus after concluding that it “never took off the way we expected and hoped it would,” a development made all the more painful by the months of permitting and construction woes he endured to open the bar.
He said Twisted Vines remains quite popular on the Pike, however, but he started to feel its current space didn’t have enough room for it to grow. And with its lease up at year’s end, and a new restaurant just down the road, he saw an ideal opportunity to regroup.
“We have a great new venue in Josephine’s and figured it was a great opportunity to take Twisted down there until we can find it a new home,” Wagner said. “Twisted has been part of the Pike community for a long time and it should be back.”
Wagner dubbed his new Italian eatery, which first opened in late October, as a “home away from home” for Twisted Vines during the transition. He plans to move much of the wine shop’s offerings to the restaurant, and will keep hosting the bar’s wine club and regular wine dinners at Josephine’s.
“Josephine’s is Twisted with value added, basically,” Wagner said. “It’s a better space, with a lot more room for us.”
He’s hoping to find a new location for Twisted Vines sometime in the coming months. But, in the meantime, all the shop’s whiskey will be half off over the next few days, then all wine be marked down by 50 percent this weekend. The location will also play host to one final dinner on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the restaurant.
Wagner will also hold a “New Year’s Eve blowout” at BrickHaus, with 50 percent off all checks. He said he wouldn’t necessarily be opposed to bringing back a similar beer garden to the Pike going forward, but given the challenges he faced at BrickHaus, he’s not optimistic about the prospect.
“We’re always interested in new opportunities,” Wagner said. “We listen to people and find out what people want and give it a try. If that doesn’t work, then we keep trying. The ultimate goal is to find a concept that resonates with the community.”
Rolls by U sushi in Rosslyn, which seems to have closed.
A sign posted at Rolls by U sushi in Rosslyn.
Rolls by U sushi in Rosslyn, which seems to have closed.
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.
Yume Sushi in East Falls Church (courtesy of Isobel Leandra)
Yume Sushi in East Falls Church (courtesy of Isobel Leandra)
Planned menu offerings at Yume Sushi (via Yume Sushi)
Planned menu offerings at Yume Sushi (via Yume Sushi)
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.
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.
Allthreerestaurants 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.
Attn: Employees of Mike Isabella Restaurant Concepts We will have a walk in Hiring Open House Monday December 17 at all four of our locations : (Cleveland Park, Barracks Row, Bethesda and Arlington ) 1pm-4pm. Management , FOH and BOH employees #makingtheholidaysgreatagain
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.
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.
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]
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]
Ruby Tuesday in Rosslyn, after it closed in December 2018
Signs at Ruby Tuesday in Rosslyn, which has closed.
Ruby Tuesday in Rosslyn, after it closed in December 2018
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 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.
@ARLnowDOTcom lots of police activity at the Clarendon cheesecake factory. Possibly tied to free cheesecake day. One ambulance, fire chief vehicle, and a dozen cruisers
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 socialmediareports 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.
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]
