Wilson Boulevard

Expansive outdoor cafe and bar in Clarendon is looking to open this month

By Matt Blitz
1/8

With construction nearly complete, Bar Ivy in Clarendon is aiming to open later this month.

Tables and chairs are already out at the large outdoor cafe at 3033 Wilson Blvd, located a block from the Clarendon Metro station. Workers appeared to be putting the finishing touches on the coffee kiosk as much of the signage has also gone up.

The hope is to open Bar Ivy sometime in the second half of May, a spokesperson tells ARLnow.

The mostly outdoor bar and restaurant was first proposed to the County Board in October 2020. Construction began last summer.

Bar Ivy is aiming for a “cool, relaxed vibe of the West Coast with a Mid-Atlantic approach to ingredients,” said an April press release. It’s set to have a large 125-seat patio that will be shaded by mature crepe myrtles. There will also be a 20-seat interior bar plus several booths.

“Guests can expect an elegant but laid-back atmosphere with subtle influences from the opposite coast, with attractive garden dining, an open, airy bungalow-style interior,” the release says.

Bar Ivy is from D.C.-based Blagden Hospitality Group, which owns several popular bars and restaurants in the District as well as Hei Hei Tiger in Tysons. This is the restaurant group’s first foray into Arlington, though Bar Ivy chef/owner Nathan Beauchamp and Executive Chef Jonathan Till previously worked at Restaurant Eve and Evening Star Cafe, respectively, in Alexandria.

The name, according to Arlington Magazine, is a nod to the ivy at D.C.’s Calico and the famed Los Angeles restaurant often frequented by celebrities.

Bar Ivy will initially be open for dinner with a small kiosk serving coffee and pastries all day. The plan is to eventually serve lunch and brunch as well.

The menu will be “heavily influenced by seafood and vegetable-forward dishes,” according to the press release.

The beverage program will be “seasonal herb and produce-forward” along with house-made fortified wines, vermouth, and amari utilizing “self-foraged ingredients.” There will also be a separate menu dedicated to low/no-alcohol drinks.

The menu and exact hours are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. The restaurant group is already planning to open a second Bar Ivy in Bethesda.

NEW: Reality star Michael Darby might be opening a restaurant in the former Clarendon Ballroom

By Matt Blitz
Clarendon Popup Bar, located inside the former Clarendon Ballroom (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Michael Darby — local reality star, developer and former owner of Oz in Clarendon — may be planning a new restaurant in the former Clarendon Ballroom.

County records show that Darby applied for a building permit earlier this month for the construction of a restaurant at 3185 Wilson Blvd, the one-time home of the expansive, long-time local nightlife and event venue.

In December 2020, Darby’s company Monument Realty purchased the building where Clarendon Ballroom was located for close to $7 million, the Washington Business Journal reported. The company then signed a 21-month lease with the owners of the Lot, the outdoor beer garden down the street, to operate a series of themed pop-up bars out of the space as longer term plans were figured out.

But that lease expires later this year and now it appears Darby could be moving into the Wilson Blvd location himself.

When reached for comment about the possibility of a new Darby-owned restaurant, a Monument Realty representative told ARLnow that they would be “in touch when we have additional information to share.”

Darby and wife Ashley star on the Bravo reality show “The Real Housewives of Potomac.” Ashley Darby recently confirmed that she will be returning to the show’s seventh season. Production on the new season is expected to start soon and Ashley said that locals can expect to “see some cameras around the summer.”

The couple opened Oz, featuring cuisine from Michael’s native Australia, in 2015. Its trials and tribulations ended up being a storyline on season two of the show, before the eatery closed in 2019. It’s unclear whether the new restaurant will feature into RHOP’s upcoming season.

The Oz space on Clarendon Blvd — a four minute walk from from the Ballroom space — has sat dormant ever since, but will soon become the first D.C. area location for Asian restaurant chain Wagamama.

BREAKING: Firefighters battling sauna blaze at Ballston mall

By ARLnow.com
1/10

(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) A large fire department response is on scene at the Ballston Quarter mall for a fire on the third floor of the building.

Initial reports suggest that the fire was in a sauna inside the men’s locker room of the Onelife Fitness gym. Light smoke could be seen coming from the roof of the gym near the Ballston pedestrian bridge.

A larger response was dispatched to the mall after the first firefighters on scene confirmed a “working fire” inside the sauna. The flames have since been brought under control, according to scanner traffic.

So far no injuries have been reported. Wilson Blvd is currently blocked in front of the mall.

The gym was evacuated due to the fire. Patrons in their exercise gear could be seen standing around in other parts of the mall.

Firefighters are now starting to set up fans to remove the thick smoke that has filled the gym.

Ballston bridge illuminated in blue and yellow in support of Ukraine

By Matt Blitz
1/3

The Ballston pedestrian bridge is shining blue and yellow tonight in support of Ukraine.

The two-year-old pedestrian bridge that stretches over Wilson Blvd, connecting with Ballston Quarter mall, will be running “blue and yellow lights 24/7 for the time being,” a county spokesperson tells ARLnow. It is a show of solidarity with the country that remains under attack by Russia.

Officials worked quickly with Arlington public arts staff to make this happen, after ARLnow was previously told that something of this nature was not in the works.

This comes as other neighboring localities, like D.C. and Alexandria, have enacted similar symbolic gestures in recent days.

On Monday night, the County Board issued a resolution condemning Russia’s “unprovoked attack” on Arlington’s sister city Ivano-Frankivsk in southwestern Ukraine.

“The Arlington County Board… stands in support and solidarity with the people of Ivano-Frankivsk and all of Ukraine in their defense of sovereignty and democracy,” said the resolution.

Spicy chicken shop Hot Lola’s is expanding into Rosslyn

By Matt Blitz
1/2

Spicy chicken sandwich purveyor Hot Lola’s is opening a second Arlington location, this time in Rosslyn.

The restaurant is opening at 1501 Wilson Blvd, sandwiched between Taco Rock and Miracles Salon. A Virginia ABC permit notice on the door announces the eatery’s intention to serve beer, wine, and mixed beverages.

Hot Lola’s first location at Ballston Quarter, which opened in May 2019, does not sell alcohol, though it’s available for purchase by another vendor inside the Quarter Market food hall.

DCist was first with the restaurant’s intent to open in Rosslyn.

Hot Lola’s is replacing Mediterranean fast casual eatery Roti, which appears to have closed a few months ago, after 10 years in business at that location.

ARLnow has reached out to Hot Lola’s about when the Rosslyn location may open, but has yet to hear back as of publication. The restaurant’s windows are papered over, making it difficult to see the construction progress inside.

The eatery from noted D.C. area chef Kevin Tien is known for its spicy “Nashville x Sichuan hot fried chicken sandwiches.” Other popular options include seasoned waffle fries and chicken tenders.

Hot Lola’s made some news when it instituted a 4% “Fair Wage + Wellness” charge to every check, to help pay for employee health insurance, including dental and vision.

Tien has had other ties to Arlington as well, having previously operated his Wild Tiger BBQ collaboration as a pop-up at Bun’d Up in Pentagon City.

Cosmetic business now open, trendy dentist opening soon at Ballston Exchange

By Matt Blitz
1/7

(Updated, 1/27/22) Get a facial and your teeth cleaned all in one day at two new cosmetic-centered businesses opening in Ballston Exchange, the office complex on Wilson Blvd across from the mall.`

The wellness center NM Aesthetics opened in October on the second floor of 4201 Wilson Blvd. The business offers “non-surgical cosmetic work led by an all-female team,” including fillers, hydrafacials and microdermabrasion.

The 3,000-square-foot space features a large lobby, “fun neon signs” and plant walls.

The business started in 2018 as a concierge service for which owner Megan Francis traveled around the area offering the cosmetic work, a company spokesperson tells ARLnow.

Right before the pandemic, Francis moved into Sola Salon Studio on N. Glebe Road, a business that hosts other solo entrepreneurs. Then, this past fall, Francis opened her own space down the street.

Meanwhile, the trendy dentistry practice Tend is opening by the end of the month after a several month delay. It’s also located in Ballston Exchange, on the ground floor.

The plan is to open on Wednesday, Jan. 26, a company spokesperson tells ARLnow, with customers already able to book appointments. It didn’t open in the fall due to “the proliferation of the Delta variant this summer that put some bumps in our schedule,” the spokesperson notes.

Tend advertises itself as a dentist that feels like going to the spa. Appointments are booked through an app, offices are Instagramable, and patients can watch The Witcher on Netflix (or The Babysitters Club, whatever the preference) with noise-canceling headphones during dental work.

There are 20 other Tend locations across the country, including five in D.C., but this is the first in Virginia.

Ballston Exchange has had plenty of comings and goings in recent months, including D.C.-based taqueria El Rey and a group of nonprofits supported by billionaire Charles Koch, which will be moving from offices in Courthouse.

Maison Cheryl in Clarendon looks to future, despite Covid concerns and wait for permits

By Matt Blitz
1/4

The past several months haven’t exactly gone as expected, but Maison Cheryl in Clarendon is very much looking forward to the future, chef and co-owner Robert Maher tells ARLnow.

The bistro officially opened in early September in the former Heritage Brewing space at 2900 Wilson Blvd, looking to appeal to “older millennials.”

The business has been growing and already has a number of regulars, Maher says, but a combination of continued COVID-19 concerns and not securing an outdoor seating permit has dampened expectations a bit.

“We’re still trying to get our outdoor seating, which is amazing how it’s been like five months and we still don’t have it,” he says. “But we should be getting that next week.”

Though, mid-January isn’t exactly the ideal time to eat outside.

Nonetheless, Maher is encouraged by the experiences he’s had so far in Arlington. He and his wife moved from New York City to Bethesda during the pandemic to be closer to family. He initially looked at opening a restaurant there and in D.C., but was attracted to Clarendon’s growing population.

“It looked like such a growing area. Not only with people that have been here for decades and live in the houses, but younger [people] who are working in D.C.,” he says. “I think it’s one of the best places to open a restaurant.”

Another thing that Maher is learning is the amount of work it takes to be both the head chef and co-owner of a restaurant.

“There’s a lot on the plate,” he says. “There’s so much that has to be done besides cooking, food ordering, costs…that’s been the most eye-opening experience. I take a lot of work home with me.”

Maher is a trained French cook and the menu is inspired by “French-New American” cuisine. Best sellers are the Maison Wagyu burger and seared duck breast, but his personal favorite is the bucatini and fried burrata in a zucchini sauce.

Maison Cheryl changes the menu seasonally and next week it will shift to winter. Most of the favorites will still be on it, but Maher is adding several new dishes including mussels mariniere, a honey lavender duck breast, and bouillabaisse with muscles, clams, shrimp and Chilean sea bass.

“Bouillabaisse is one of the first dishes I perfected so I love coming back to it especially during the cold winter months,” he says.

He’s enjoying his time growing Maison Cheryl and becoming part of the Clarendon community.

“I’m hoping to see the same faces over and over again,” Maher says. “One day, I might think of [opening] another one, but right now just trying to become a staple in the community. I’m having the time of my life doing that.”

The Highlander Motel is being demolished with a CVS set to open in its place late next year

By Matt Blitz
1/9

The Highlander Motel is finally coming down, with a CVS set to go up in its place.

Demolition has begun on the nearly six-decade-old, two-story motel on Wilson Blvd after it closed a year ago. The tear down is expected to be completed within the next several days, according to former owner Billy Bayne.

Video taken by a local filmmaker, below, shows a large excavator eating through the brick, siding, and metal of the old building.

Despite the motel turning into rubble, construction on the new CVS won’t actually start for a “few months” due to it being winter, a construction manager tells ARLnow. A tentative time frame for the building to be completed is mid-to-late August, but that deadline is weather-dependent.

The Atlanta-based Project Builders Inc. is the general contractor, as county permits show.

After the project is turned over to CVS, it likely will take at least a month for the store to open, notes the construction manager, putting an estimated opening date around late September.

There are currently at least three other CVS stores within about a mile of where the new one will be constructed, including locations in Clarendon and Ballston.

The plan to demolish Highlander Motel and replace it with a CVS has been in place since at least 2016, with permit applications being filed two years ago. Bayne still owns the land at 3336 Wilson Blvd and is leasing it to CVS.

As for the Highlander, Bayne admits watching it be demolished does conjure up emotions.

“I grew up running around there,” Bayne says. “Eating [Mario’s] pizza with Lefty and Joe, my father playing cards, the [Boozefighters’] big party every year. Lots of good memories there.”

But it’s time for it to go, Bayne says. The motel was struggling to stay afloat and had overstayed its usefulness, he says.

“My father would be happy since [leasing the property] is going to help out his children and grandchildren,” Bayne says, “Plus, having a CVS there is good for the neighborhood.”

Modern Peruvian restaurant Inca Social opening tomorrow in Rosslyn

By Matt Blitz
1/10

Inca Social, a restaurant serving modern Peruvian cuisine in an elaborately-designed space, is set to open tomorrow in Rosslyn.

The eatery is opening in the 7,600 square foot space at 1776 Wilson Blvd formerly occupied by Kona Bar and Grill. This is the business’s second location; the other, in Vienna near the Dunn-Loring Metro station, opened in early 2019.

Inca Social is known for its modern take on Peruvian cuisine, but co-owner Fito Garcia told ARLnow last month that the Arlington location will focus on Nikkei cuisine — a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese that’s becoming popular in Peru.

That includes sushi and ceviche, combining Amazonian fish with Japanese ingredients and preparation methods.

For the moment, though, Arlington’s Inca Social will have the same menu as the one in Vienna while adding a “few special fusion dishes,” a spokesperson says. An Arlington-specific menu will be rolled out in January.

Traditional dishes on the menu include empanadas, Peruvian street style skewers of beef heart, causas (“potato salad on steroids“), and tres leches. There’s also set to be a to-go market with ceviche kits and bottles of Inca Social’s leche de tigre marinade for sale.

A large indoor bar, specializing in pisco sours, has windows that also serve the restaurant’s outdoor patio.

Decor is a large part of Inca Social’s vibe in Arlington.

While it does resemble the original location, the interior also has colorful murals, moss-lined walls, and cherry blossom trees meant to invoke Japanese culture. Globe lights and cooper lights spread out through the space are intended to symbolize the sun, which the Incas worshiped. The tables, if pushed together, depict the Amazon River and much of the art is supposed to be reminiscent of Nazca lines. Additionally, there’s wall art featuring llamas, an animal important in Peruvian culture.

“The interior… will tie together inspiration from Machu Picchu and the Inca civilization into the restaurant’s modern environment,” says a press release.

Inca Social co-owner Fito Garcia is an owner of Courthaus Social in Courthouse, just up the street. He told ARLnow in November that he always envisioned opening an Inca Social in Arlington.

This Friday, Santa is in Ballston to take photos with your dog

By Matt Blitz
The Ballston Quarter location of Heart + Paw (courtesy photo)

Dog parents can get a few photos of their furry best friend with Santa while chowing down on free donuts in Ballston over the next couple of days.

This Friday afternoon (Dec. 17) from 1-3 p.m., four-legged locals can join Santa outside of Ballston Quarter’s Hearts + Paw for holiday pet photos. The combination veterinarian, dog daycare, and grooming business opened in May.

Then, on Saturday, free donuts and hot cocoa kits from District Doughnut will be available at the mall from 1-3 p.m. along with $25 gift cards to REWILD, the trendy plant shop that opened at Ballston Quarter earlier this fall. The snacks and gift cards are available while supplies last with only one giveaway given per person. Holiday tunes will also be spun by local D.J. Cyndi Tran.

Both events are taking place at and hosted by Ballston Quarter on Wilson Blvd.

Elsewhere in Ballston this weekend is a holiday wreath market at the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Stuart Street. That event is being organized by the Ballston BID and will feature live music, a local TikTok star (the cello-playing one), a light art projection, holiday wreaths for sale, and Santa selfies.

There’s plenty of other holiday cheer in Arlington this weekend with Christmas now just over a week away. There’s the Rosslyn holiday market (with Santa and dog photos, too), holiday light displays in Crystal City, and a number of local Christmas tree sales (depending on availability among the current tree shortage).

Ballston Silver Diner looking to open its doors this summer

By Matt Blitz
1/2

The new Silver Diner in Ballston is planning to open its doors this June, a company spokesperson tells ARLnow.

Signs and stickers advertising the regional chain’s summer opening are now on the windows of 750 N. Glebe Road, near the intersection with Wilson Blvd.

First announced in 2017, the 6,700- square-foot restaurant will join Target (which opened in the summer of 2020) and Enterprise Rent-A-Car on the ground floor of the recently-built Waycroft apartment building.

In July of this year, the Arlington County Board approved the restaurant’s two-part application requesting approval to install lighted architecture features and operate a sidewalk café, which is expected to be 961 square feet with 68 seats.

Silver Diner “anticipates operating the restaurant 24 hours a day… [but] to limit the operation of the outdoor café to 2 a.m,” notes a county staff report.

A company spokesperson confirmed to ARLnow that plans remain the same from when the restaurant first submitted the application to the county over the summer.

When the Ballston location opens next year, there will be two Silver Diners within about a mile of one another.

The one in Clarendon on Wilson Blvd remains in operation, though both the Silver Diner and the Lot beer garden are expected to be replaced at some point by new development that’s currently planned as a 224-room hotel and a 286-unit residential building. The redevelopment is part of raft of development plans that could significantly change Clarendon.

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