Whole Foods Cooking Classes Back for 2011
The Whole Foods Market in Clarendon (2700 Wilson Blvd) is gearing up for another year of free cooking classes with in-house chef Michael Kiss.
On the menu for January are two vegetarian classes and a how-to for curried lamb. The classes are held from 7:00 to 7:45 p.m. on Tuesdays.
Seating is limited. Interested cooks are asked to reserve a spot by emailing michael.kiss[at]wholefoods.com with the subject line “Cooking Class.”
See the list of January classes after the jump.
Flickr pool photo by Erin Johnson
Marymount University President to Retire
The president of Marymount University is retiring, the school announced today.
Dr. James Bundschuh has served as Marymount’s president since July 2001. He oversaw the recently-completed 26th Street Project, which added several new buildings to the school’s main North Arlington campus.
Marymount is a Catholic university with approximately 3,600 students enrolled in a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs. The school has about 450 full-time employees and 300 part-time employees.
Marymount’s press release about Dr. Bundschuh’s retirement, after the jump.
Reminder: Taco Eating Contest Tonight at District Taco
District Taco (5723 Lee Highway) will be holding a taco eating contest starting at 6:00 tonight.
Ten contestants will compete to see who can eat the most tacos, without vomiting, in 15 minutes. They will have to consume four different varieties of tacos, in the following rotating order: breakfast taco, pollo asado, carnitas, carne asada.
According to District Taco’s contest web page, the winner of the contest will receive a number of prizes and honors, including free tacos and apparel.
Their picture will be taken and placed on the Wall of Fame with much fanfare and celebration. The champion and runner-ups will also receive District Taco awards such as t-shirts, hats, stickers and best of all–free tacos.
History will shine upon the grand taco-eating champions of District Taco!
Editor’s Note: If any photographers are going to be in attendance, we would love to use a couple of your photos tomorrow (with credit, of course). Send them to arlingtonnews [at] gmail.com as soon as possible.
Ruby Tuesday in Rosslyn Closed Due to Fire, Renovations
The signs outside say the Ruby Tuesday restaurant in Rosslyn (1300 Wilson Boulevard) is renovating. That’s true, we’re told, but those renovations are coming on the heels of a gas-fed kitchen fire that broke out around 11:00 p.m. Thursday night.
An employee who answered the phone today said Ruby Tuesday will be closed for at least the next couple of days, although an exact reopening date has not been set.
The employee said that the renovations were planned, but were started earlier than anticipated after the fire damaged the restaurant’s kitchen.
Thank you to J.A. for the tip
County Tax Assessor Unveils New Campaign Song
Ingrid Morroy may be best known for being Arlington’s chief tax assessor, but on the campaign trail she’s known as the chief singer-songwriter for county Democrats.
Morroy, the county’s Commissioner of Revenue, often performs songs about political causes and candidates at Arlington County Democratic Committee events.
Together with her sister Judith, Morroy unveiled a new tune over the weekend, in support of Commonwealth’s Attorney candidate Theo Stamos. Stamos is expected to face defense attorney David Deane in the Democratic primary later this year.
Morroy, who’s also up for reelection this year, performed the song at the home of former Falls Church mayor Robin Gardner. The Morroy sisters also perform locally with their band, The Constituents.
Video courtesy of James E. Martin
Samuel Beckett’s Opens in Shirlington
Shirlington’s new Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub opened to a capacity crowd Saturday afternoon.
Photos on Shirlington Village blog show people lining up along Campbell Avenue for a chance to check out the the long-anticipated pub, which not only imported building materials from Ireland but also imported actual Irishmen to work there.
The Samuel Beckett’s web site is now live, although much like any restaurant opening there are still some kinks to work out. For one, the title of the home page reads “Samue Becketts.”
The web site also includes a link to a video showing the interior of the new pub.
Flickr pool photo by Amber Wilkie
Parking To Get Cheaper in Certain Areas
Concerned about “very low utilization” of certain metered parking spaces, Arlington County will be experimenting with lower hourly rates.
There are about 4,800 metered parking spaces in Arlington, according to Traffic Engineering and Operations Bureau Chief Wayne Wentz. After studying the occupancy rate of parking spaces around the county, officials decided to take action to improve the utilization of about 180 spaces that are on the fringes of commercial areas.
The rate at those spaces will be lowered from $1 per hour to $0.50 per hour for a six month “trial period.” After the trial period, county officials will evaluate the results of the change and decide what to do next.
Wentz said making the change is “relatively easy.” It involves flipping switches inside the meters and changing stickers to reflect the new price. The new parking rates should “go live” by the end of February, Wentz said.
The changes are being made in the following areas. More detailed information was not immediately available.
- Sequoia Plaza (near the county’s new Department of Human Services facility) — 70 spaces
- Outside the Courthouse area on Barton Street — 35 spaces
- Penrose area near Columbia Pike — 31 spaces
- Pentagon City (Joyce Street south of 15th Street) — 23 spaces
- Arlington Ridge area — 12 spaces
- East Falls Church (Westmoreland Street, near Metro) — 10 spaces
Renovations Continue at Ruffino’s
Ruffino’s Spaghetti House (4763 Lee Highway) closed for renovations in September. Four months later, work is still well underway.
For now, it appears that the deep blue doors and windows won’t be back, nor will the big neon sign. We did not get a good look at the interior.
No word yet on when the beloved neighborhood restaurant may open back up. A call to Ruffino’s main number is answered by an brief automated message that provides precious little information.
“We are remodeling and we will reopen as soon as we can,” the message says.
Pre-renovation photo (right) courtesy Kevin Borland
Morning Notes
Arlington Tourism Declines — Tourism revenues in Arlington County, Virginia’s top tourist destination, declined by $276 million between 2008 and 2009, according to data released in December. Arlington is currently seeking state approval to renew a hotel tax surcharge that funds its tourism promotion efforts, but county officials acknowledge that Arlington’s tourism draw is primarily its proximity to the District. [Washington Examiner]
McDonnell To Propose Transportation Spending Splurge – Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell wants to borrow $3 billion over the next three years to pay for transportation projects in the state. [Washington Post]
Arlington Lawyer Gets Year in Prison — A local lawyer convicted of defrauding the parents of special needs children has been handed a one year sentence by an Arlington County judge. [Washington Post]
Mexican Food Search Reveals Uncle Julio’s — After three years of searching for some decent Mexican food in Arlington, a couple has finally discovered Uncle Julio’s Rio Grande Cafe in Ballston. [Patch]
Flickr pool photo by Paul Derby
