wine

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Petition Contractor Waives Extradition — The man whose company was hired to collect signatures for a petition to change Arlington’s form of government is likely headed to the Arlington County lockup. Shawn D. Wilmoth, 24, was indicted last month on voter fraud charges. Yesterday he waived extradition in Macomb County, Mich. [Washington Post]

McLean Residents May Sue Over Redistricting ‘Insult’ — McLean residents are apparently none too pleased that their pristine ‘burb has had its state Senate representation split in two by redistricting. One of the new McLean districts is the 31st, which also includes most of North Arlington. One resident said it was an “insult” to have their neighborhood lumped in with Arlington. A McLean citizens group is contemplating a lawsuit over the redistricting outcome. [Sun Gazette]

Curious Grape to Hold Moving Sale — The Curious Grape will be closing its Shirlington location at the end of the month. To help prepare for the move to a new, thus-far-unannounced location, the store is holding a moving sale. Alexandria-based wine-and-cheese retailer Cheesetique will be taking over the store after Curious Grape moves out. [Shirlington Village Blog]

How to Score Free Coffee — Patch has come up with a comprehensive guide for scoring free coffee in and around Arlington. Among the tips: pretend like you’re interested in the espresso maker at Williams Sonoma and ask for a sample, go car shopping and ask for coffee, or get free samples at Whole Foods. [Patch]

Shirlington’s Curious Grape to Become Cheesetique?

By ARLnow.com

Alexandria’s Cheesetique will be taking over operations at the Shirlington location of fellow cheese-and-wine shop The Curious Grape (4056 Campbell Avenue) in Shirlington later this year, according to Cheesetique owner Jill Erber.

“I can confirm that we plan on opening in the current Curious Grape [location] this autumn,” Erber said in an email yesterday afternoon. “The details are being hammered out, so I don’t have more specifics for now.”

Cheesetique, located in the Del Rey section of Alexandria, is a specialty cheese shop with an integrated wine and cheese bar. In addition to cheese, the bar also serves small plates, simple entrees and charcuterie.

A message left for The Curious Grape management on Monday has not been returned.

Update at 4:40 p.m. — Apparently there’s some confusion stemming from the fact that we said Cheesetique was taking over “operations” at Curious Grape’s Shirlington location. Erber wants it known that Cheesetique is not taking over Curious Grape as a company, only the physical store location.

Update at 3:55 p.m. — We’ve finally heard back from Curious Grape’s management. They issued the following press release this afternoon.

The report that a cheese shop is taking over the operations of Arlington’s A List #1 wine store, The Curious Grape, is false.   No other entity is taking over The Curious Grape or its operations.  While we do not think that ARLnow report was intended to be misleading, the report is totally untrue.  We are unsure how anyone could have come to the conclusions as reported in ARLnow, but there has been no discussion, plans or agreement between the Curious Grape and Cheestique, or anyone else, to take over The Curious Grape’s operations.

The Curious Grape would invite Cheestique to retract any impression that it will take over The Curious Grape’s operations.  Further, the use of the Curious Grape logo in the ARLnow report was in no way authorized by The Curious Grape, and that misimpression should be corrected as well.  While we wish Cheestique well, the misleading publicity is unfortunate.

The simple fact is that The Curious Grape will not be continuing in its present location in Shirlington, and will make an announcement at the appropriate time of its future plans.   Please do not announce the demise of Arlington’s WUSA A List number one wine retailer.  We are very alive, well and will continue!  Please stand by for future announcements about The Curious Grape.

“Corkage” Bill Will Let Restaurant Patrons Bring Their Own Wine

By ARLnow.com

Yesterday, by a vote of 78-18, the Virginia House of Delegates approved SB 1292, a bill that will allow restaurant patrons to bring their own bottles of wines to restaurants.

If the bill is signed by Gov. Bob McDonnell, as expected, any Virginia restaurant with a liquor license will be able to charge customers a “corkage” fee to open their home-brought wine and pour it at the table.

The measure had the backing of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.

“RAMW supports the rights of consumers to have a choice, and we see no evil in allowing patrons to BYOB, so long as there is no restriction on a restaurant’s right to charge a service fee or so called corkage fee,” the organization said on its web site. “Not having such an option puts Virginia restaurateurs at a competitive disadvantage in locations that are in close proximity to areas that allow BYOB, thereby depriving Virginia of sales, and the attendant sales tax and revenue. The availability of this option allows restaurants to attract the high end wine aficionado who enjoys dining out, but prefers the option of bringing wine from their own collection.”

Of course, only certain restaurants will allow the practice if the bill does become law. For the inquisitive, here’s some advice on the etiquette of bringing your own wine.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Congressman Dated Pentagon City Mall Employee — Disgraced former Congressman Christopher Lee (R-NY)  had “a relationship” with a young woman who “worked at an upscale Pentagon City department store,” according to the New York Post. GOP leadership reportedly ordered Lee to “curtail his randy DC antics” after word got out he was dating the “young salesclerk.” There is a Macy’s and a Nordstrom department store at Pentagon City mall. [New York Post]

Post Editorial Slams Arlington, Again — Three days after declaring that Arlington Public Schools should investigate the explosive claims of a former middle school teacher, the Washington Post’s editorial board is on Arlington’s case again. The Post says Arlington won “a battle over HOT lanes but may lose a war.” By effectively killing the I-395 HOT lanes project and blocking the widening of I-66, Arlington’s “NIMBYism” is “frustrating the county’s populous and fast-growing neighbors” while “undercut[ting] its own economic interests.” [Washington Post]

Another Day Added to Wine Walk — Crystal City is adding another day to its inaugural “1K Wine Walk.” The indoor wine-tasting “race” will now be held on Feb. 26 & 27. Buy tickets for the event here.

Red, Red Wine at EatBar

By Uriah Kiser

Wintertime temperatures for wine drinkers mean red wine, and EatBar will have plenty of it available Saturday.

The popular gastropub will present its Viva Le Rouge! Red, Red Wine tasting from 1 to 4 p.m., offering those who may be new to drinking wine to the most experienced wine drinkers the chance to try something new, and to buy their favorites at reduced prices.

“Over the years, we’ve learned people love to taste new things and they like to stock up for Valentine’s Day,” said EatBar spokeswoman Jennifer Eberline.

Nearly 20 wines will be offered during the tasting and the obvious catch for the Red, Red Wine Tasting: they’re all the same rougey color. (more…)

Mad Rose Tavern to Bring High-End Drinking to the Masses

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) Mad Rose Tavern, a new restaurant and watering hole coming soon to Clarendon, will be many things to many people.

It is a Modern American-style restaurant with Irish, Italian, French and Asian influences. It is a restaurant, bar and lounge that will have extensive outdoor seating. It is a place to get small plates and half bottles of wine, or hearty entrees and tall glasses of beer. What it is not, according to dining room manager Scott Arnold, is a place where only the wealthy will be able to enjoy the finer things in life.

“We’re going to be providing a high-end product at a moderate price,” Arnold said enthusiastically. “I want to give you the best freaking product out there, within reason, for the same price everybody else is charging for crap.”

The best example of Arnold’s luxury-for-the-masses concept is wine. He says the restaurant is going to great lengths to have the best wine available for any price. But the biggest difference will be with high-end wines. Instead of marking a wine that costs $100 wholesale up to $300, like many restaurants do, he said the Mad Rose price might be around $150.

Arnold said his goal is to provide the absolute cheapest price for high-end wines — retail included.

“In-store or online, I will be cheaper,” he said.

With two fulls bars, drinks will be the main attraction at Mad Rose Tavern. The bar will feature 20 beers on tap, all of which will be artisan or craft brews, with the exception of Guinness. Miller Light, Amstel and other “mainstream” beers will only be available by the bottle.

Mad Rose will feature about 20 Irish whiskeys and 40 Scotches. The wine list will hover around 100 different wines, at least at first.

“It’s all about shock and awe,” enthused Arnold, adding that he would have stocked 200 wines had there been enough storage space at the restaurant’s prime 3100 Clarendon Boulevard location.

Alcoholic beverages won’t be the restaurant’s only focus, however.

(more…)

Details About Crystal City Wine Walk Revealed

By ARLnow.com

Last month we told you about a new event in Crystal City that will combine light exercise with moderate drinking. Now we get more details and a new date:

Lace up your sneakers and cleanse your palette; it’s time to start training for the Crystal City 1K Wine Walk. Presented by the Crystal City Business Improvement District in partnership with the Washington Wine Academy, the 1K Wine Walk promises “racers” the opportunity to taste and learn about between 30-40 wines as they make their way through the shops and interior walkways of Crystal City.

On Saturday, February 26th, tasters will have the option of four different hourly heats to choose from (2 PM, 3 PM, 4 PM and 5 PM) before walking and sipping through a series of hydration stations staffed by Washington Wine Academy experts. In addition to great wines, tasters will also have the opportunity to take in photographs on display from finalists and youth category winners from FotoWeek DC before ending up at the “finish festival” in the former food court turned tasting lounge.

Seafood Restaurant Coming to Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

A seafood restaurant called The Lobster Pot is apparently coming to the ground floor of the Bennett Park apartment complex at 1650 Wilson Boulevard.

The restaurant applied for a license to serve wine and beer this morning. In the Virginia ABC application, the restaurant is described as having a seating capacity of between 101 and 150 seats.

There are a number of Lobster Pot restaurants along the east coast, but none seem to be part of a chain. No word yet on who’s behind this particular restaurant.

UPDATED: Bayou Bakery Hopes to Open Thursday

By ARLnow.com

Update at 6:40 p.m. — Bayou Bakery is experiencing a delay in getting its Certificate of Occupancy, according to spokesperson Simone Rathle. That may force the hoped-for Thursday opening to be pushed back.

If the food and coffee at David Guas’ new Bayou Bakery taste half as good as the place looks, the bakery may very well be on track to being Courthouse’s favorite hang out.

The elaborately-decorated, Louisiana-themed cafe is expected to open at some point on Thursday, according to Guas. An exact opening time hasn’t been chosen, but the doors could be unlocked as early as 7:00 a.m.

Guas isn’t thrilled with comparisons to Northside Social — the Clarendon cafe was originally supposed to be Bayou Bakery before a disagreement between Guas and his business partners prompted them to open as Northside instead — but Bayou Bakery has the same general business plan: coffee, beer, wine and food in a comfortable, social environment.

What sets Bayou Bakery apart is the focus on the Louisiana theme. Guas, who was born and raised in New Orleans, has filled the space with music, art and knick-knacks that give Bayou Bakery an unmistakable and authentic sense of place. And if the aesthetics don’t let you escape the neighborhood’s urban, workaday surroundings for just a moment, the menu is sure to do the job.

Beignets, gumbo, Andouille sausage, chilled Gulf shrimp, spiced pecans — and even a salty caramel popcorn mixed with pieces of bacon — all promise to satisfy discerning Cajun palates. Localists will be heartened to know that despite the cafe’s Louisiana theme, many of the ingredients will be locally-sourced.

The food menu is more extensive than Northside, but the coffee program is much the same. Guas said it was his intention to serve Counter Culture coffee from the beginning, and he’s not letting Northside’s devotion to Counter Culture change his admiration for the company and its product. One unique twist will be Bayou Bakery’s French-pressed chicory coffee, which is blended in-house using a custom Counter Culture roast and imported chicory.

Bayou Bakery will initially feature one draft beer — Abita Amber, naturally — and six bottled beers, including four other varieties of Abita. There will be eight wines by the glass, including an ice wine.

Guas, a big fan of root beer, will start with three different varieties. He plans to eventually serve eight to ten types of root beer. Luzianne sweet tea, homemade lemonade, Trickling Springs milk, Boyland’s Vintage Soda, and Virginia-bottled Aquava mineral water are also on the drink menu.

Bayou Bakery is expected to get its certificate of occupancy today, the last regulatory step before opening. Guas says the cafe, which includes a comfy lounge with a flat-screen TV, should seat about 60. This spring, the bakery plans to open a sidewalk cafe with seating for another 30.

(more…)

Crystal City to Hold Underground “Wine Walk”

By ARLnow.com

Final details are still being firmed up, but Crystal City is planning a unique event that will combine wine sampling with some exercise — in the dead of winter.

The Crystal City 1K Wine Walk will be a one kilometer “race” through Crystal City’s interior walkways (the “underground”). Wine and food sampling stations will be set up along the way.

At the end, there will be a “finish festival” in the former underground food court.

Crystal City’s Washington Wine Academy will be a partner in the event, and will help select the wine.

The Wine Walk is tentatively planned for Sunday, Feb. 20., during President’s Day weekend.

ArtJamz Coming to Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

The art/nightclub mash-up known as ArtJamz will be coming to Crystal City later this year.

The event will take place from Dec. 2-5, in the lobby of the building on 23rd Street that housed the G-40 street art ‘summit’ earlier this year. It will feature the same mixture of music, drinks and art creation that has drawn crowds at ArtJamz events in DC. However, the Crystal City event will be double the scale of previous ArtJamz — with 50 easels available for painting simultaneously.

Would-be artists — who reserve an easel ahead of time — are supplied with a canvas and paint, and then have four hours to create a piece of original art that they can take home.

The event, created by local artist Michael Clements, will also feature a specially-designated day for kids to create their own art.

In related news, the dates and location for the returning Crystal Couture fashion festival were revealed today. Crystal Couture will take place from Feb. 1-5 in the space used by the Crystal City Shops food court.

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