Whitlow’s

Luck of the Vaccinated: St. Patrick’s Day is Back (Sort Of)

By Hannah Foley

(Updated 4:30 p.m. 3/11/21) Although it might not be a normal St. Patrick’s Day, local restaurants and bars are finding a way to celebrate.

The pandemic was not kind to Arlington restaurants. At least 26 places have closed since last March, including the Pentagon City Irish pub Siné (though a replacement is trying to open soon).

The lockdown started right before St. Patrick’s Day last year, canceling the festivities at Ireland’s Four Courts in Courthouse and other popular mid-March gathering spots.

This year, local restaurants are finding ways to safely celebrate. Rather than packing in shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, as might happen during the before times, most places are requiring or highly recommending reservations due to limited capacity. Some have expanded their outdoor seating and some are spreading out their celebration over a few days to avoid crowding.

Below is a list of some local restaurants that are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Arlington this year.

Celtic House (2500 Columbia Pike) — The Celtic House will be celebrating its Irish roots with an extended St. Patrick’s Day celebration. The festivities will kick off on Friday, March 12 and conclude on Wednesday, March 17. A full Irish menu and specials will be available. Reservations are highly advised due to limited capacity. For information call (703) 746-9644.

Ireland’s Four Courts (2051 Wilson Blvd) — Celebrating its 26th St. Patrick’s Day, Four Courts is ready to pick up where it left off last year. The pub will be celebrating March 13-15 and on March 17. There will be Irish dancers on the patio in the afternoon. Due to the pandemic, bar seating will be closed and there will be no live music inside. Making reservations is highly encouraged due to limited seating. For information call (703) 525-3600.

McNamara’s Pub & Restaurant (567 23rd Street S.) — The festivities start early at McNamara’s this year with doors opening at 9 a.m. on March 17. Because of the pandemic, there is a two-hour limit at tables, and reservations are highly recommended. The patio will be open, weather permitting. For information call (703) 302-3760.

O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub (3207 Washington Blvd) — O’Sullivan’s has three days of live music and Irish celebrations lined up. On Friday, March 12, Britton James will be performing at 8 p.m. On Saturday, March 13, Uncle Jesse will be performing at 8 p.m. On March 17, Irish dancers will perform at 2 p.m, Pete Baker will perform at 3 p.m. and Willem Dicke will perform at 6 p.m. Their traditional Irish menu will feature dishes such as their homemade Irish bread topped with smoked salmon, corned beef, beef and Guinness stew, and fish & chips. First come, first serve. For information call (703) 812-0939.

Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub (2800 S. Randolph Street) – Samuel Beckett’s will open its doors from 10 a.m. to midnight on March 17. There will be Irish dancers at 5 p.m., as well as live music from Eddie Pasa at 5:30 p.m. If you are not comfortable eating in the pub, Samuel Beckett’s is offering “Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Home” kits. Family-style meals (serving six people) will be offered as well as a limited supply of Jameson cocktail kits. Orders must be placed at least 24 hours in advance. For information or to order the at-home St. Patrick’s Day kit call (703) 379-0122.

Whitlow’s On Wilson (2854 Wilson Blvd) — Whitlow’s will kick off the St. Patrick’s Day festivities with a live music performance from DjKillabeats24 on Saturday, March 13. On March 17, Irish food will be available along with live music from Timmie Metz featuring Tambo starting at 6 p.m. The rooftop will also be open for patrons, weather permitting. For information call (703) 276-9693.

File photo

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Nat’l Cemetery Time Capsule Opened — “An interdisciplinary team recently unsealed a memorabilia box more than a 100 years old at Arlington National Cemetery, in honor of the Memorial Amphitheater’s centennial. And now, a peek inside the old copper box, along with its historic relics, are available virtually, as ANC hosts it’s first-ever online exhibit starting this week.” [U.S. Army, Washington Post]

Bus Protest on I-395 — A caravan of buses made its way up I-395, through Arlington and into D.C. yesterday. The buses were heading the the National Mall to protest a lack of federal help for the motorcoach industry. [@hhowardWTOP/Twitter, @STATter911/Twitter]

Whitlow’s Reopening Friday — “Open for carry out daily starting this Friday from 4-8pm! Cocktails, Jell-O shots, frozen boozy slushees and a limited menu! Check out the menu and our new online ordering store.” [Facebook]

Rosslyn BID Offering Reopening Consulting — “Today, the Rosslyn BID announced the launch of Rosslyn Ready, a multifaceted program to support and organize businesses in promoting proper safety measures when people are welcomed back into the neighborhood… In just under a week since launch, 90 businesses and restaurants have signed up to be part of the program.” [Press Release]

New Org Looking for Drivers — “Cooperative for a Hunger Free Arlington is looking for volunteers to deliver meals to local Arlingtonians on Thursdays and Fridays for the next few weeks. You must have your own car and a valid license.” [Facebook]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Elite Yorktown Swimmer Has Bright Future — “So far during her three-year high-school swimming career, Victoria Huske has never lost an individual race. Included in Huske’s victories for the Yorktown Patriots’ standout are six individual state championships in various strokes and she has been a member of five winning relays with one close second.” [InsideNova]

Fairlington Bus Stop Getting a Roof — “Arlington County anticipates beginning work on enhancement of the bus stop at the corner of S. Buchanan Street and 30th Street S., which include installation of a weather shelter, the week of March 9th.” [Twitter]

New Tech Helps County Explore Pipes — “With no interruption to service, our new high-tech pal PipeDiver today explored key Arlington water supply pipes, gathering a wealth of unprecedented data to assess conditions now and for long-term planning.” [Twitter]

Whitlow’s to Serve Beer with Your Face on It — “Ever wanted to drink your face? Well join us [Thursday] night from 6:30pm-8:30pm! @guinness will take your [photo], and in less time than it takes to pour a perfect pint, the 3D Malt Printer puts your face in your beer.” [Instagram]

Police to Host ‘Conversation with a Cop’ Event in Clarendon

By Chris Teale

Two Clarendon restaurants will host the Arlington County Police Department’s “Conversation with a Cop” event next Thursday evening (August 31).

The conversation begins at Don Tito (3165 Wilson Blvd) from 6-7 p.m., then continues at Whitlow’s on Wilson (2854 Wilson Blvd) from 7-8 p.m.

Police said the event is “an opportunity for those who frequent the Clarendon area to get to know the officers regularly assigned to the weekend Clarendon Detail, learn about our partnership with the Clarendon businesses and share your ideas on how we can work together to make Clarendon a safe place to enjoy nightlife and entertainment.”

The area’s drinking culture has been under scrutiny by residents in recent years.

In June 2014 a naked man led police on a chase through Clarendon during that year’s All American Bar Crawl just before the Fourth of July. A month later the Arlington County Board passed new regulations that required crawl organizers to pay for a stepped-up police presence at the events. Both attendance and arrests dropped at subsequent bar crawls.

This year’s All American Bar Crawl was the first in the county this year, after organizers skipped the usual St. Patrick’s Day crawl.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Last-Minute Eclipse Glasses in Crystal City — PBS, which is based in Crystal City, will be giving out the remainder of its supply of eclipse glasses at the Crystal City Water Park this morning at 9 a.m. (Update: They’re all gone.) [Twitter]

W-L Grad Studying Eclipse — Arlington native Adriana Mitchell, a 19-year-old University of Arizona student and Washington-Lee High School graduate, will be studying this afternoon’s eclipse as part of “an unprecedented effort to help solve some of the mysteries surrounding our home star.” [University of Arizona]

Whitlow’s Also Hosting Viewing Party — In addition to the sold-out eclipse viewing party at Don Tito’s in Clarendon, Whitlow’s will be hosting a viewing event at its rooftop tiki bar, featuring “a limited number of eclipse glasses” and half-priced burgers. [Event Calendar]

Petition to Keep W-L Name Gains Support — An alumni petition calling for Washington-Lee High School to keep its name as-is, despite a push to remove Robert E. Lee’s last name and a School Board effort to consider name changes, has collected more than 700 signatures. “Washington-Lee has been part of the lives of Arlington school children since the 1920’s and has been one of the top high schools in the country throughout its existence,” the petition says. “To change the name of the school now is not reflective of W-L spirit nor W-L pride.” [Get Petition]

Wardian Still Good at Running, Humaning — Arlington’s own Michael Wardian is not only keeping up his impossible, superhuman distance running schedule, at the age of 43, but he’s also continuing to be a really nice guy in the process. [DelmarvaNow]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Sunset over Four Mile Run in Shirlington

County Looking at Fire Station Alternatives — The Arlington County Board on Saturday approved an agreement with Arlington Public Schools that would allow it to build a temporary fire station on the grounds of the new H-B Woodlawn school in Rosslyn. However, in response to parent concerns the Board directed county staff to look into potential alternative locations. [InsideNova, Arlington County]

Couple: Snow Melter Fumes Contaminated Our House — A couple who lives near Bluemont Park says diesel fumes from a snow melter that the county was using about 40 yards from their home this past winter has contaminated the home. The county paid for the couple to live in a hotel while the snow melter was running, in the wake of January’s blizzard. Now the couple wants the county to pay for a thorough cleaning of the home. [Washington Post]

Henry Gate to Reopen — The Henry Gate along Route 50 at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall will reopen to military bicyclists and pedestrians on Aug. 1. Among other expected benefits, the gate is expected to serve military users of Uber and Lyft; the ride hailing services are not available on the base. [Mobility Lab]

Police Escort Ducklings Across Road — An ACPD officers and a couple of “alert citizens” helped a mother duck and her ducklings cross N. Stafford Street on Friday. [Twitter]

More on Clarendon Drug Bust — One of the regular meetups for the alleged Clarendon drug ring was Whitlow’s on Wilson, where two of the suspects worked. “It was shocking, disappointing and frustrating to hear that any of this activity took place around our business and the neighborhood,” said Whitlow’s manager Jon Williams, noting that most other Clarendon bars were also named as areas of drug activity. [NBC Washington]

Two Park Renovations Approved — The County Board unanimously approved $1.65 million in upgrades to Bluemont Park and High View Park over the weekend. [Arlington County]

Board Approves Changes to Ballston Building — Originally proposed as an office building, the last building in the Founder’s Square project in Ballston will instead be built as a mixed use building, with a mix of retail, office and apartments. [Arlington County]

Whitlow’s to Celebrate 20th Anniversary Tonight and Saturday

By ARLnow.com

Whitlow's on Wilson (photo via Facebook)(Updated at 5:55 p.m.) Whitlow’s is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Clarendon with two nights of free events.

To start, the local watering hole at 2854 Wilson Blvd will hold a release party for a new signature beer tonight.

Created as a collaboration with Devil’s Backbone Brewing near Lexington, Va., the beer is being called the “Whitlow’s Good Time IPA.” It’s a moderately hoppy beer that’s 4.7 percent alcohol by volume, according to Whitlow’s manager Jon Williams.

Locals can get their first taste of the beer for a big toast at 7 p.m. The beer will be offered for $3 from 7-9 p.m. Then, starting at 10 p.m. tonight, local party band For the Win will play a free show (correction: there will be a $5 cover after 10 p.m.).

On Saturday, the band Virginia Coalition will play a free show at Whitlow’s. “VaCo” used to play at the bar every Tuesday night during the early 2000s before getting big.

“We’re looking forward seeing some old faces,” said Williams.

Williams reflected on Clarendon’s evolution since Whitlow’s first opened. (Before coming to Clarendon in 1995, Whitlow’s was a greasy spoon and bar in D.C. It first opened there in 1946.)

“The neighborhood has changed,” he said. “The condos got built and the demographics have gotten younger. And obviously there’s a lot more competition now.”

Despite the competition, Whitlow’s has managed to stay busy, attracting both younger bar-goers and long-time “neighborhood folks.” Williams chalked that up to Whitlow’s not straying far from its roots.

“We don’t try to be something we’re not,” he said. “We’re not pretentious at all and we just stay true to what we started out as — a neighborhood gathering spot — and I think people appreciate that. It’s a gathering place people who have lived here a long time know they’re pretty much guaranteed to run into someone they know.”

The most recent major change: the opening of a new rooftop bar, Wilson’s on Whitlow’s, a few years back.

Asked what the future holds, Williams wasn’t sure.

“We’re going to keep chugging along and keep coming up with silly ideas,” he said. “You have to keep doing stuff to stay fresh and current in people’s minds. That’s the biggest challenge. We’re going to get through this weekend and put on the thinking caps again.”

Man Charged With Stealing Liquor from Whitlow’s

By ARLnow.com

Whitlow's on Wilson (photo via Facebook)A D.C. man was arrested Monday morning after allegedly trying to steal liquor from Whitlow’s in Clarendon.

Police say the man entered the bar, at 2854 Wilson Blvd, just after 9:00 a.m. and stole six bottles of liquor. An alert employee, however, was able to foil the alleged theft and hold the suspect until police arrived on scene.

Wilber Johnson, 37, was arrested and charged with statutory burglary and grand larceny, according to a crime report.

 

Late-Night Rumble Outside Whitlow’s Broken Up by Police

By Ethan Rothstein

Police car lights

A brawl involving more than a dozen people broke out in the street outside Whitlow’s on Wilson in Clarendon early this morning.

About a dozen squad cars arrived to the 2800 block of Wilson Blvd at about 1:15 a.m. today to more than a dozen people in the street fighting with each other, ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said.

Police tried to disperse the crowd and “urged everyone to get into cabs and leave,” Sternbeck said, but witnessed one person urinating in the bushes. Before police could apprehend him, he jumped in a cab where his friends were waiting, and the taxi drove off.

Police caught up with the taxi, Sternbeck said, when a female occupant got out and started cursing at officers. She was arrested and charged with drunk in public.

“We tried to send people on their way, but ultimately they got mouthy,” Sternbeck said. “We were trying to do the right thing.”

No injuries were reported from the brawl, and no other arrests were made, Sternbeck said.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

The normally busy parking lot at Gravelly Point is closed and empty, due to the government shutdown

Library Sets Another Summer Reading Record — Arlington Public Library has set another summer youth reading record. This summer, 8,079 students participated and read more than 32,000 books, up from 7,415 participants and 30,000 books in 2012. [Arlington Public Library]

‘Arlington’s Got Talent’ Seeks Contestants — Leadership Arlington is seeking local acts for its annual “Arlington’s Got Talent” show. The event will take place on Nov. 18. Video submissions from performers are due by Oct. 28. [Leadership Arlington]

Neighbors Peeved With Turf Choice — Some residents around Williamsburg Middle School are upset with the choice of turf on the fields that are being built along with a new elementary school. The fields will have artificial turf instead of Bermuda grass. “Not since Custer, have people been ambushed this badly,” one resident told the County Board, about the choice. [Falls Church News-Press]

Arlington is #3 County to Work In — Arlington has been named the No. 3 county in the U.S. in which to work. The rating is based on Arlington’s low unemployment rate, low commute time and high median income. Loudoun County ranked No. 2 and Williams County, North Dakota, which is in the midst of an oil boom, ranked No. 1. [Nerd Wallet]

Whitlow’s Filled With ‘Old Stuff’ — If you recently sat at a table at Whitlow’s on Wilson (2854 Wilson Blvd), chances are you either sat on a pew from St. Patrick’s Cathedral or in a chair from the old Arlington courthouse. If you sat at the bar, you likely rested your beer on a former bowling lane. Much of the interior is recycled from various places around the D.C. area and beyond. [Preservation Arlington]

Rooftop Restaurants Prepare to Open for Season

By Katie Pyzyk

While some local outdoor cafes have been open for business already due to a smattering of warm days like today, the popular rooftop decks in the area remain closed.

The good news is they’re preparing to open soon. The bad news is you’ll have to wait a few more weeks.

Here is the current list of seasonal openings for Arlington’s popular rooftop establishments:

  • Arlington Rooftop Bar & Grill — April 1.
  • Whitlow’s — Although the website says the opening will be March 8, an employee told us it will actually be St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.
  • Clarendon Ballroom — There is no firm date. Management will decide after the threat of frost has passed, which could be anytime from March through the beginning of May.
  • Eventide — Late April is when regularly scheduled evenings will begin. However, the rooftop will be ready starting March 15 and may open on especially warm evenings.
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