Clarendon’s newest comedy venue is in the basement of a Balkan restaurant.
Starting next Thursday, the speakeasy-style bar underneath Ambar, called BABA, will host free bi-weekly comedy shows.
The “Elite 11 Closed Mic” show with the Savage Gentleman Club will feature seven local comics performing 11-minute skits. For the inaugural show next week, doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.
The comedy show is free but BABA will offer Ambar’s unlimited Balkan dinner menu for $49.99 per person, with the small plates available à la carte as well, and discounted wines. Registration is recommended but not required.
Comedy is not the only way that BABA has been blending dining and experiences, in an effort to maximize use of the restaurant’s basement space. It also hosts “Dine in the Dark,” a blindfolded dining experience in which guests eat relying solely on their taste and smell.
Guests are given a secret three-course menu that caters to their preferred source of protein. This sensory-based experience occurs on most Tuesday evenings but an updated schedule can be found on the website. Registration for this dining experience is required before attending.
Then on Fridays, BABA opens up the dining area for live music from 8-10 p.m.
While Ambar tests out different ways to attract potential patrons to its subterranean space, several other restaurants and nightlife spots in the neighborhood have struggled to stay open.
Over the last year, Clarendon saw the closures of new arrivals Bar Ivy and Chicken + Whiskey as well as more established destinations, including Pamplona, Cava Mezze and The Pinemoor.
For Five Coffee Roasters’ Rosslyn location was already bustling with activity just hours after opening its doors for the first time on Friday.
“I’m so excited!” customer Laura Durie exclaimed to a companion as she looked at the coffee shop’s menu. “Look, they have an omelet!”
Durie has been walking past the 1735 N. Lynn Street location every day for work, eagerly awaiting its opening. But she didn’t know the spacious, two-story café sold food until she walked in.
“We have a lot of coffee shops, but this is just gorgeous,” she told ARLnow as she waited for her drip coffee.
The café, which replaces the Chopt that occupied the location after a Starbucks closed in early 2021, sells pastries, stuffed cookies and breakfast and lunch items in addition to coffee. Additionally, unlike other For Five locations, it will transform on the weekends into a bar with beer, wine and cocktails.
Dusan Sokica, director of operations at For Five, said customers were waiting outside the coffee shop when it opened at 7 a.m. on Friday. He was doing the payroll at another location when the business’s owner called him that morning.
“’Where are you?’” he recalled the owner asking him. “’Why are you not here? The line is out of the door, man!’”
By around 10 a.m., customers had begun to occupy many of the booths in the coffee shop’s upper floor. Sokica expects even bigger crowds on other days of the week, when more people go to work in person.
“This was supposed to be, today, a little, soft opening, but it seems more like it’s a grand opening,” the operations director said.
At 4,316 square feet, the Rosslyn café is the biggest location yet for the New York City-based coffee company. Initially predicted to open in early 2022, the business is about a mile from For Five’s Courthouse location, which opened in 2020.
Asked for his coffee recommendations, Sokica encouraged customers to try the shop’s signature blend. Also popular are the freddo cappuccino and freddo espresso — nods to the founders’ Greek heritage that Sokica thinks will be especially in demand in the spring and summer.
Meanwhile, Durie, who grew up in Texas, is excited to try a dish that reminds her of home.
“I’m definitely going to be back and I’m definitely going to get the huevos rancheros,” she said.
A food hall in Rosslyn will soon undergo a major transformation.
Assembly, the food hall at Rosslyn City Center (1700 N. Moore Street), will be closing on Friday, March 1, a PR rep tells ARLnow. In its place will rise a new food hall called Upside on Moore.
All of the existing concepts at Assembly — from the Fog Point oyster bar to Charo’s Taqueria to Big Day Coffee — will close, we’re told. They are set to replaced by Ghostburger, Stellina Pizzeria, Laoban Dumplings, Lucky Danger, Kam and 46, La Michoacana and another coffee shop.
An opening of the revamped food hall is scheduled for Tuesday, March 19.
More from a media advisory:
Treat yourself to President Biden and Vice President Harris’ favorite burger for lunch or grab a Michelin-rated Margherita pizza before hopping on the metro. Meet a few friends for a happy hour of Chef Tim Ma’s famous dumplings or spring rolls and some nostalgic Filipino nachos or host your birthday on the terrace with all your favorite tacos.
The Bar at Upside on Moore will feature wines, beers, and specialty cocktails curated and created by Elli Benchimol of Georgetown darling Apéro. […]
The 30,000 square foot space is operated by DMV born and bred Mothersauce Partners, the hospitality group behind Thompson Italian, City-State Brewing Company, and other favorites in the DC area and beyond. The space features both indoor seating, an outdoor terrace, bar seating, and several conference rooms. The space is fully customizable for private events of all sizes and occasions. The space is fully customizable for private events of all sizes and occasions.
A website and Instagram account for Upside on Moore are expected to launch soon.
Mothersauce Partners was founded by local restaurant and nightlife vet Nick Freshman, who was also behind the recently closed Crystal City cafe The Freshman.
The Washington Business Journal reported in December that the owner of the Metro-adjacent Rosslyn City Center building had tapped Mothersauce Partners “to freshen up the design, branding and concept curation at the food hall.”
The change comes as the lunchtime and happy hour crowd in Rosslyn is expected to swell, with the arrival of another major corporate headquarters. CoStar Group is set to eventually have 650 employees working four-day-a-week in person, in the Central Place building across the street from the food hall.
Before the pandemic, it looked like Rosslyn would be home to three separate food halls. In addition to Assembly, which was opened in 2021 by Chicago-based DMK Restaurants, the neighborhood was slated to get Common Ground and Happy Endings Eatery, both in the Central Place development.
The former never opened and the latter has rebranded as The Happy Eatery, de-emphasizing the food hall concept.
Arlington has plenty of dimly lit, romantic restaurants and charming, cozy local spots suitable for a date night.
Whether you’re hoping to share a bowl of noodles “Lady and the Tramp”-style, split a slice (or whole pie) with a partner, or would rather skip straight to dessert, these local spots have you and your loved one covered for Valentine’s Day next week.
Don’t want to venture out on Feb. 14? Stay in with take-home treats from your favorite local spots suitable for solo diners, a duo or even with a group of friends.
1. Village Sweet
5872 Washington Blvd, Westover
We’re starting with dessert on our romance roundup. Begin your Valentine’s Day with the sweet smell of croissants, cookies and other Valentine’s Day treats at Village Sweet Bakery.
The bakery’s holiday offerings are available now and include a royal wedding layer cake, “brown sug’ah” cupcakes with spiced graham buttercream, strawberry and black velvet swirl loaf and chocolate snacking cake with Irish coffee buttercream. Place your order ahead of time or stop by and peruse all of Village Sweet’s offerings.
2. Surreal
2117 Crystal Drive, Crystal City
Step into a garden-like oasis for a dinner experience suitable for both singles and couples at Surreal, a gourmet diner that opened late last year in Crystal City. Surreal is offering a three-course Valentine’s Day menu for single diners starting at 7 p.m. in the private dining room. For couples, Surreal is open for both lunch (12-2 p.m.) and dinner (4-10 p.m.) with creative favorites like chocolate lava cake service and the crispy tuna poke pillow.
Reservations can be made on Surreal’s website.
3. WHINO
4238 Wilson Blvd., Second Floor, Ballston
Step into the colorful and carefully-curated WHINO, a restaurant, bar and art gallery where you and your valentine can peruse art and the menu. This year, WHINO is offering a special Valentine’s Day dinner menu on Wednesday, Feb. 14 from 5-10 p.m. The menu has not yet been made available, but WHINO’s current menu can be found on its website.
Reservations can be made online.
4. Padaek
2391 S. Glebe Road, Arlington Ridge
Elevate your dinner experience with a five-course chef’s tasting menu this Valentine’s Day at Padaek, which opened last fall in the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center.
Inspired by Chef Seng Luangrath’s 35-year marriage, the menu of Southeast Asian dishes include goong nahm paa (Argentine red shrimp with chili garlic and lime sauce), pak naam (flash-fried sweet potato leaves with tamarind sauce), gaeng som (chicken consommé, Chilean sea bass, pickled lime, roasted cherry tomatoes and smoked hot pepper), and kanom soat sai (steamed sticky rice cake stuffed with caramelized shredded coconut and coconut cream).
The dinner is $89 per person. Reservations are required and can be made on Padaek’s website.
5. Ambar
2901 Wilson Blvd., Clarendon
Looking to share new experience this Valentine’s Day? Ambar is offering a Valentine’s Day feast of traditional dishes from the Balkan Peninsula, prepared with a modern twist. The dinner features small plates including spreads, charcuterie, soups and salads, seafood, dessert and more to share.
The Valentine’s Day menu is $94.99 per person (tax and gratuity not included) at Ambar Clarendon. Pre-selected cocktails are priced at $0.99 per drink and featured beverages include an Ambar Old Fashioned, mango lemonade, margarita, kiwi smash, red punch sangria and a variety of wine and beer. Ambar’s Valentine’s Day menu will be available exclusively on Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 4-11 p.m.
There is a 2-hour time limit for all parties. Reservations can be made on Ambar’s website.
Results from Arlington’s first guaranteed income pilot reveal that an additional $500 per month significantly enhanced the quality of life for impoverished families.
Parents with children under 18, earning less than $46,600 annually, reported that the additional $500 monthly helped them obtain better-paying jobs, address basic needs and improve their overall well-being, according to a new report by the Arlington Community Foundation (ACF), the local nonprofit that oversaw the pilot.
Moreover, the monthly payments enabled individuals to invest in certifications and educational advancement and tackle their medical bills, credit card debt and student loans.
Between September 2021 and last December, ACF provided the monthly stipend to families earning 30% of the area median income so they could continue living in Arlington, which is known for having some of the highest living costs in the nation.
The pilot sought to challenge the stigma associated with guaranteed income, which grants a minimum income to those who do not earn enough to support themselves. It drew inspiration from similar programs in Stockton, California, and Jackson, Mississippi.
In the long term, Arlington’s Guarantee is meant to persuade state and federal lawmakers to implement some form of guaranteed income. This is not to be confused with universal basic income, another touted policy reform that guarantees income to people regardless of their eligibility for government assistance or their ability to work.
Findings from the pilot come on the heels of a separate report, which found that more than half of families living in South Arlington cannot afford basic food, housing, medical and childcare expenses, compared to just 15% of families in North Arlington. ACF noted that most guaranteed income pilot participants reside in South Arlington.
While private donations and philanthropy fully funded the $2 million program, Arlington County’s Department of Human Services (DHS) helped select, track and evaluate participants.
DHS randomly chose 200 households to receive $500 a month and created a control group with similar demographics and income levels, which did not receive stipends, to compare the results. Most (53%) of participants identified as Black or African-American, followed by people who identify as white (23%). Thirty percent identified as Hispanic or Latino and 70% as non-Hispanic.
(Updated at 11 a.m.) The McDonald’s on N. Glebe Road in the Buckingham neighborhood is on track to get a second drive-thru lane.
The fast food restaurant at 40 N. Glebe Road plans to add another queuing lane leading up to the existing drive-thru window, increasing how many customers can place orders at the same time. The change is expected to bring shorter lines, cutting down on the amount of cars that back up onto the road, according to a county report.
The Arlington County Board last week signed off on a site plan amendment making this project possible.
“These modifications will alleviate a common occurrence of vehicles queueing in the single drive-through lane and backing up onto North Glebe Road,” the report says.
The change will involve removing four parking spaces and relocating a dumpster. Between 60 and 80 vehicles will be able to move through the drive-thru each hour.
The Board unanimously approved the expansion as a consent calendar item, usually reserved for non-controversial actions.
The Arlington Heights Civic Association and Buckingham Community Civic Association expressed support for the proposal, the county report says. The changes will affect only the drive-thru lanes and will have no impact on the building or the existing drive-thru window.
By contrast, the McDonald’s location at 4834 Langston Blvd faced opposition from county officials in 2020 over its initial plan to add a second drive-thru ordering lane and a recirculation lane. A revised plan, minus the recirculation lane, was approved by the County Board last year. Construction has yet to start on that project.
Photo via Google Maps
In light of the recent snowstorms, a number of Arlington restaurants participating in this winter’s Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week are extending their promotions for an extra week.
The event, organized by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), will now run from today (Monday) through Sunday, Jan. 28.
“The decision to extend Winter Restaurant Week is reflective of our commitment to the well-being and enjoyment of our restaurant community and its consumers,” RAMW President and CEO Shawn Townsend said in a press release. “This extension is an opportunity for more people to safely enjoy what our local restaurants have to offer, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of our industry.”
Roughly half of Arlington’s eateries that participated in the initial Winter Restaurant Week are extending their offers, as of this article’s filing. The continuing restaurants will retain their previous promotions, including three-course lunches and brunches at $25 or $35 and dinners for $40, $55, or $65.
The list of Arlington restaurants extending their promotions is below.
- La Cote D’or Cafe, French/Mediterranean, $25 and $35 brunch, $25 and $35 lunch, $40, $55, and $65 dinner
- Makers Union Arlington, American, $25 lunch, $40 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
- Matchbox Pentagon City, American, $40 dinner
- Osteria Da Nino, Italian, $40 dinner
- Rustico-Ballston, Pizzeria, $40 dinner
- Ruthie’s All-Day, American/Southern, $25 lunch, $40 and $55 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
- Sabores Tapas Bar, Latin/Spanish, $25 lunch, $35 brunch, and $40 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
- SER Restaurant, Spanish, $25 brunch, $25 lunch, and $40 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
- Sfoglina Rosslyn, Italian, $25 lunch, $55 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
- The Salt Line-Ballston, seafood, $25 lunch, $55 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
- Yume Sushi, Japanese, $35 brunch, $35 lunch, $40, $55, and $65 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
At least two dozen Arlington eateries are taking part in the semi-annual Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week that kicked off yesterday.
This week-long culinary event, spanning from January 15 to 21, is organized by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington. RAMW is a regional trade association dedicated to representing the restaurant and food service industry across the D.C. area, according to its website.
Participating restaurants have advertised three-course lunches and brunches for $25 or $35 and three-course dinners for $40, $55 and $65.
Menus and pricing are specific to the Restaurant Week event, and some menus include cocktail or wine pairings with a meal. Below are the Arlington restaurants listed as participating in the event, so far.
- Ambar Clarendon, Eastern European, $25 lunch and $35 dinner
- Buena Vida Clarendon, Mexican, $40 dinner
- Circa at Clarendon, American, $35 lunch, $55 and $65 dinner
- Corso Italian, Italian, $35 lunch, $55 dinner
- Epic Smokehouse, barbeque/seafood/steakhouse, $25 brunch, $25, lunch, $55 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
- La Cote D’or Cafe, French/Mediterranean, $25 and $35 brunch, $25 and $35 lunch, $40, $55 and $65 dinner
- Lyon Hall, American, $55 dinner
- Makers Union Arlington, American, $25 lunch, $40 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
- Matchbox Pentagon, American, $40 dinner
- Morton’s, steakhouse, $55 dinner
- Mussel Bar and Grill Arlington, Belgian, $25 lunch, $40, $55 and $65 dinner
- O’Malley’s Pub, $40 (paired wine or cocktail included)
- Osteria Da Nino, Italian, $40 dinner
- Potomac Social Tavern, American, $40 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
- Rustico-Ballston, Pizzeria, $40 dinner
- Ruthie’s All-Day, American/Southern, $25 lunch, $40 and $55 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
- Sabores Tapas Bar, Latin/Spanish, $25 lunch, $35 brunch and $40 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
- Sfoglina Rosslyn, Italian, $25 lunch, $55 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
- Spice Kraft Indian Bistro, Indian, $65 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
- The Liberty Tavern, American, $35 lunch and $55 dinner
- The Melting Pot Arlington, Fondue, $55 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
- The Salt Line-Ballston, seafood, $25 lunch, $55 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
- Whino, international, $40 and $50 dinner
- Yume Sushi, Japanese, $35 brunch, $35 lunch, $40, $55 and $65 dinner (paired wine or cocktail included)
Mardi Gras is already in full swing at Bayou Bakery in Courthouse.
From now through mid-February, people can indulge in the bakery’s King Cake, as well as a King Cake-inspired daiquiri, and donuts that look like mini King Cakes.
In keeping with New Orleans tradition, the café and bakery at 1515 N. Courthouse Road kicked off its pre-Lenten festivities on Saturday: the Feast of the Epiphany, commemorating when three Magi visited Jesus after his birth. It will last through Fat Tuesday, Feb. 13, a day of feasting before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.
To mark the festive season, people can order a King Cake for $50, made with the bakery’s signature Creole cream cheese, cinnamon and white icing. It is festively finished with the Mardi Gras colors of gold, green and purple, representing power, faith and justice, and a plastic baby, according to a press release from the bakery.
There is also a daiquiri inspired by the traditional cake made of vodka and Bailey’s Irish Cream. For early birds, the bakery is also selling vanilla and cinnamon “Li’l KC” donuts, which are first-come, first-served, and only available on Tuesdays starting at 9 a.m., now through Tuesday, Feb. 6.
For those wanting to fully embrace the Mardi Gras spirit, Bayou Bakery offers a “Mardi Gras in a Box,” available for in-store pickup. The $150 box includes a King Cake, beads, masks, boas, doubloons, Pat O’Briens Hurricane Cocktail Mix and a mystery game.
The Bayou Bakery King Cake, the Mardi Gras in a Box and catering requests must be ordered 48 hours in advance.
Mardi Gras season at Bayou — owned by celebrity chef and New Orleans David Guas — will appropriately conclude with a party and even more cake.
“On Fat Tuesday, Bayou Bakery will be hosting an evening Bayou Gras party [ticketed] and will also have a variety of specials to celebrate Mardi Gras — like King Cake by the slice,” a PR rep said.
Falls Church is gearing up for its first-ever restaurant week later this month.
Starting on Friday, Jan. 19 and concluding on Sunday, Jan. 28, over 40 Falls Church eateries, including The Falls — sister restaurant to Clarendon’s Liberty Tavern — along with Thompson Italian and Borek-G, plan to offer discounted dishes and three-course meal deals.
“Its goal is to promote and increase visitors to restaurants and businesses within the City of Falls Church and increase awareness and consideration of Virginia’s culinary experiences,” according to a press release.
Below is the current list of participating restaurants.
- Audacious Aleworks
- baddpizza
- Bakeshop
- Borek-G
- Cafe Kindred
- Caribbean Plate
- Chasin’ Tails
- Clare and Don’s
- Cuates Grill
- Disturbingly Delicious Foods
- Dogwood Tavern
- Dominion Wine and Beer
- Ellie Bird
- Harvey’s
- Hot N Juicy Crawfish
- Ireland’s Four Provinces
- Izaka Donburi
- Kyo Matcha
- Kyuramen
- La Tingeria
- Luzmila’s Bolivian Restaurant
- Moby Dick House of Kabob
- Northside Social
- Nue
- Panjshir
- Pho Ga Vang
- Pizzaria Orso
- Plaka Grill
- Preservation Biscuit Co.
- Rare Bird Coffee Roasters
- Roll Play
- Scramble
- Sfizi Cafe
- Solace Outpost
- Taco Rock
- TeaDM Plus
- The Falls
- The Happy Tart
- Thompson Italian
- Vivi Bubble Tea
While The Little City is planning its first restaurant week, neighboring Arlington has, of course, had one for awhile — most recently held this past October.
The event is sponsored by the Falls Church Economic Development Office, Virginia Tourism Corporation and the American Rescue Plan’s Tourism Recovery Program.
Arlington’s Pupatella has been recognized by an international pizza ranking guide as one of the premier pizza chains worldwide.
The Italy-based guide 50 Top Pizza gave Pupatella and a few dozen other notable pizza chains special mention alongside its “50 Top World Artisan Pizza Chains 2023” list, an annual selection of the best pizzerias in the world.
“Their style, highly appreciated by the public, nods to contemporary Neapolitan-style pizza,” 50 Top Pizza said on its website.
“On the menu, you’ll find pizzas divided between red and white, all traditionally topped with ingredients often of Italian origin,” the website description continued. “The Napoli Street Snack section dedicated to fried items is a must-try.”
Founded by Naples, Italy natives Enzo Algarme and his wife Anastasiya Laufenberg, the pizzeria started as a modest pizza cart near the Ballston Metro station in September 2007.
Almost three years later, the duo opened their first brick-and-mortar location at 5104 Wilson Blvd — which nearly closed at one point — in the Bluemont neighborhood in 2010.
Since its inception, Pupatella has garnered numerous awards and this week, Algarme welcomed the news that Pupatella was mentioned in the guide.
“At Pupatella, we believe in doing things the old-fashioned way, which is why I think we’ve become a staple in our community since opening in 2007,” he said in a statement to ARLnow.
“We also feel it’s important to invest in the community that gave us our start to build long lasting relationships instead of following trends,” he continued. “We try to be the kind of place where people come back to because they grew up going there — and they know the experience they’re going to get when they come to any of our locations.”
The pizza chain has expanded to seven additional locations across the D.C. area, including another in Arlington on S. Walter Reed Drive, and outlets in D.C., Reston, Springfield, the Mosaic District, Leesburg and Richmond, Virginia.
It intends to open four new locations in D.C., Alexandria and Chantilly, Virginia, and Columbia, Maryland, according to its website.