Shirlington is getting the newest location of Taco Bamba.
The taqueria is set to open next Thursday (June 29) in the Village at Shirlington, replacing Taco + Piña, which closed last year.
The outpost at 4041 Campbell Ave will be Taco Bamba’s second location in Arlington, after one in Ballston that opened in 2020, and the company’s 10th location in a decade.
“Ten years and 10 locations later, staring down our most ambitious year of growth yet, I’m filled with gratitude for our Taco Bamba family, our guests, and for the opportunity to bring a second location to Arlington,” Chef Victor Albisu said in a statement.
The chef and founder of the burgeoning, taco-centric chain says the Shirlington area is inspiring him to serve up different foods from this particular location, which also has a full bar and patio seating.
“The area has such a vibrant dining scene,” Albisu said. “We look forward to challenging ourselves to provide something new and unexpected to an audience that is already familiar with what we do.”
The Shirlington location’s menu features a mix of Mexican favorites, including al pastor and carne asada, as well as original creations specific to this location, such as a steak, chicken and shrimp-stuffed quesadilla and a foot-long meat spring roll.
Inside, a mural by a local artist depicts the restaurant’s rooster mascot battling a crow — an homage to the ever-present murders of crow terrorizing the streets of the Shirlington shopping center and leaving behind their ever-present droppings.
The first 50 customers who order at the register on opening day will get a free travel mug, which can be used for the complimentary coffee all Taco Bamba locations serve daily, with a purchase, until mid-afternoon, a press release said.
This location will be open Sunday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. People can order online for pickup and delivery.
The owner of garden apartments on the edge of the Fairlington neighborhood nabbed $46.6 million in federal loans to help keep the units affordable and fund upgrades.
Over the last two years, Standard Communities, which owns Park Shirlington (4510 31st Street S.), has been amassing funding — including from Arlington County — to keep the nearly 300 units on site affordable to people earning up to 60% of the area median income, while funding renovations and new construction work.
Last week, commercial real estate company Walker & Dunlop announced it had helped the company nab the $46.6 million in federal funds, on top of $31.9 million in loans from the Arlington County Affordable Housing Investment Fund.
With the new federal loans, it is able to keep the units affordable at least through 2053, according to the announcement.
“Transitioning Park Shirlington from market rate to committed affordable housing was an ambitious but critical objective given the affordable housing landscape in Arlington and many other high-opportunity locations,” said Scott Alter, the co-founder, and principal of Standard Communities, in a statement.
“Standard Communities is proud to have successfully worked with so many other committed stakeholders to ensure that Park Shirlington provides nearly 300 high-quality, affordable housing units for decades to come,” he continued.
Chris Rumul, the leader of Walker & Dunlop’s Federal Housing Administration team, says the availability of affordable housing is a national concern but this complex “is an excellent example of how the federal government, local municipalities, and private investors can collaborate to be part of the solution.”
Arlington County has already done its part, loaning some $31.9 million from its Affordable Housing Investment Fund over the course of 2021 and 2022. This included a $6 million loan that helped Standard Communities purchase the property in 2017, preventing market-rate developers from taking it over and building more expensive housing.
With the new funding, renovation and construction work could start this August, an employee at Park Shirlington said this afternoon, adding that tenants would be notified once renovations begin.
The work was initially predicted to start soon after the close of county financing last fall and wrap up in 2024.
The property owner proposes to build new community center with a co-working space and management office. It will renovate 293 existing units and turn the leasing office into a 294th unit.
The renovations include new kitchens and bathrooms, new boilers and chillers, rooftop solar panels, a new community building with a fitness center, hallway upgrades and exterior work, according to a 2022 report from Arlington County.
Salute the summer with free ice cream this evening at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in Shirlington.
The ice cream shop at 4150 Campbell Ave in the Village at Shirlington will offer free scoops, a limited number of “swag bags” and a sneak peek at new flavors tonight (Monday) from 7-11 p.m.
“This event is our way of saying, ‘Hey it’s summertime, bring your friends and family, come out for a date night’ — we want to celebrate the warm summer months,” said a spokeswoman for the company.
It also celebrates the kickoff of the first summer season for the Shirlington outpost, which opened earlier this year.
To scoop up this deal, one must be a Jeni’s Splendid Rewards member.
“Rewards members really have so many things in store for them — they get a heads up with news, special deals and rewards,” the spokeswoman said.
People do not have to be members to vye for merch, including tote bags with notebooks, sprinkles, koozies and other freebies. Instead, they need to be one of the first 25 spots in line.
Arlington is a unique place but it is not immune to the charms of free treats from national chains. The free donuts for “National Donut Day” this past Friday drew larger lines than usual to local Dunkin locations, ARLnow observed.
This Thursday, ice cream lovers can commemorate wedding season with the return of Jeni’s “Wedding Cake” flavor — made with vanilla cake, lemon, blackberries and buttercream icing. The seasonal treat will only be available for in-store scoops through June and may retire after just two weeks, the company says.
It appears the tap has run dry for New District Brewing, with the local brewery planning to close for good at the end of the month.
On Saturday, the Arlington County Board approved the purchase of two buildings on S. Four Mile Run Drive in Green Valley. The land will be used to expand nearby Jennie Dean Park.
New District Brewing had also bid to purchase the buildings, so that it could relocate, but the seller went with the county’s offer of $2 million. With that, New District Brewing co-owner Mike Katrivanos tells ARLnow that he has run out of options.
“This was my last shot,” he said, confirming that New District will permanently shut down operations at the end of May.
ARLnow first reported late last year an indoor dog park had come to terms to lease the building that New District Brewery was in. In January, New District confirmed that they had been unable to come to terms with its landlord to stay at 2709 S. Oakland Street. The brewery has been there since 2016, but a rent hike and other related disagreements had led to the indoor dog park getting the lease.
While Katrivanos was disappointed, he also expressed hope that the brewery would be able to purchase a 4,000 to 6,000-square-foot commercial property in Arlington.
More recently, Katrivanos said he has tried to buy three separate properties in the county over the last decade but none of them panned out.
The last shot were the buildings at 3520 and 3522 S. Four Mile Run Drive, located only a few blocks from New District’s current location. With the county purchasing those buildings, Katrivanos said he’s done looking and is making the final decision to close for good.
“We thought we had this other property lined up for purchase and that we’d be able to make a smooth transition, but that is now not the case. I just don’t know if I can go through another Arlington lease, to be honest with you. They are not favorable for long-term business,” he said.
The plan is to hold a going-away party on Saturday (May 20) with the last day of operations set for Sunday, May 28.
“We are going to be serving to the very end,” Katrivanos said.
New District also plans to honor its commitments to serve beer at the Columbia Pike Blues Festival in June and at the Arlington County Fair in August.
As an Arlington native, Katrivanos said it disappoints him greatly that he was “willingness to invest” in the community but it feels like that willingness was not reciprocated.
“It’s a mixture of emotion,” he said. “Being priced out of the area and not being able to find a permanent home for the business, it’s a very, very sad day.”
He has been thinking about what comes next but also needs more time to come to grips with the fact that this is the end for New District.
“It’s just too soon to think on all of that,” he said. “Just shutting down, getting all of this [brewery] gear out of here, and turning [the space] over… it’s just been a lot.”
The County Board is set to vote this weekend on a contract to build a long-awaited pedestrian bridge.
On Saturday, it is expected that the Arlington County Board will approve a $1.6 million contract to construct the Shirlington Road Pedestrian Bridge. The 15-foot-wide prefabricated steel bridge will run the length of Four Mile Run and parallel to the road with the purpose of providing safer bicycle and pedestrian access.
It will connect Shirlington and S. Arlington Mill Drive to Jennie Dean Park and the Green Valley neighborhood. It will also serve local users of the heavily-used Four Mile Run and W&OD trails nearby.
Work on the bridge could begin in the second half of this year if the contract is approved over the weekend, Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services spokesperson Claudia Pors told ARLnow. That would mean a completion date in mid to late 2024.
“The existing Shirlington Road vehicular bridge primarily funnels vehicles to/from I-395 and lacks safe, comprehensive accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists traveling through this area,” the report to the Board says.
“This project will provide a key missing link in the County’s bicycle network by providing a north-south protected bicycle facility that will link up with the existing Four Mile Run Trail along South Arlington Mill Drive to the west and along Four Mile Run in the City of Alexandria to the east of the bridge,” the report adds.
The bridge has been under discussion for two decades and has been the topic of conversation among county staff and the public for years.
It will be constructed in two parts, per Pors. First, the span will be built offsite, a process that will take about nine months, while abutments will be added at S. Arlington Mill Drive and Jennie Dean Park where each end of the bridge will go. Around this time, the bridge’s walls will be built and the sidewalk and crosswalk at S. Arlington Mill Drive will be shuttered. Bike and pedestrian traffic will be detoured.
The bridge, then, will be lifted by a crane and installed.
“It’s possible that lanes on the existing bridge will close to accommodate this installation, and the public would be given notice of any detours,” Pors noted.
New street lighting on each end of the bridge will be installed as well, plus median, sidewalk and crosswalk retrofits. A new Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon will be installed in the median as well.
The work is set to be done by D.C.-based Milani Construction, whose $1.38 million bid (plus $277,000 in contingency costs) actually came in under the county engineer’s estimated construction cost.
Last year, work was completed on the parallel vehicle bridge on Shirlington Road. That included resurfacing, routine maintenance, widening the sidewalk by several feet on the west side of the bridge, widening curb ramps, and adding a median at the mid-block crosswalk near 27th Street S.
A number of these improvements came as a result of public feedback.
Additionally, the county is set to study the feasibility of adding another crossing at the intersection of S. Arlington Mill Drive and Shirlington Road.
“County staff have begun study efforts and anticipate reaching out to the public for input this fall,” Pors said.
(Updated at 2:40 p.m.) Ten restaurants and restaurateurs with Arlington ties were named finalists for one of the region’s most prestigious dining awards.
Ruthie’s All Day, Bar Ivy, Circa, and SALT were among the finalists named for a RAMMY award this year, which was announced earlier this week. Plus, the restaurant group that owns Ballston’s Salt Line, Shirlington’s Stellina Pizzeria, a manager at Ambar Clarendon, and the pastry chef at Liberty Restaurant Group, as well as fast casual spots Rasa and Moby Dick House of Kabob, were included in the list.
The RAMMY Awards are handed out by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, the region’s restaurant industry trade association. The intention is to honor restaurants for their work in the previous year, from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2022. A gala is set for July where the winners will be announced. This year marks the 41st edition of the RAMMYs.
For the first time, this year the dining public could choose the finalists for five categories including best bar, best brunch, favorite gathering spot, best sandwich, and favorite fast bites. Diners can now vote for the winners online, with voting continuing through May 31.
In total, ten finalists this year have some Arlington ties, including several up for some of the biggest awards. That exceeds last year’s seven finalists, which were essentially on par with previous years.
Clarendon’s Bar Ivy is a finalist for best new restaurant of the year. The “West Coast-inspired” outdoor garden-centric spot opened on Wilson Blvd this past June.
“The RAMMY nomination has been amazing — there have been so many noteworthy restaurants opening in the last year and to be recognized as one of the top 5 is humbling. We’re over the moon to be recognized for all the hard work from our team and it’s really a tribute to them,” owner Greg Algie wrote in a statement to ARLnow. “We’re always looking at ourselves, thinking of what we can do to be better every day, and an honor like this just pushes us to continue to bring a memorable experience day in and day out.”
The acclaimed Ruthie’s All Day in Arlington Heights was nominated for “Favorite Gathering Place,” given to the restaurant “rooted in its neighborhood where guests come to eat, drink, and get together with friends over and over again.” Last year, diner-esque eatery won for “Casual Restaurant of the Year.” It was also named one of Washingtonian’s Very Best 100 Restaurants earlier this year.
“We feel so fortunate to have such tremendous support from our Arlington community and to be nominated with other outstanding local neighborhood businesses,” said chef and owner Matt Hill.
Salt in Rosslyn made the list for having the best cocktail program. The bar on S. Lynn Street opened in 2019.
“We are over the moon and so honored by your support,” the restaurant wrote on social media about the nomination.
Five additional restaurants with Arlington outposts were nominated for RAMMYs.
Moby Dick House of Kabob was chosen by the public as a “Favorite Gathering Place.” The local kabob chain has a number of locations across the region, including in Clarendon and Shirlington.
Long Shot Hospitality, which owns both Salt Line locations, including the one that opened in Ballston in late 2021, is up for Restaurateur of the Year. Circa, with a Clarendon location, was also nominated by the public for best brunch.
RASA, which has a location in Crystal City, and Stellina Pizzeria, with a spot in Shirlington, will compete against one another in the favorite fast bites category.
Individuals with Arlington connections are finalists too. Ambar Clarendon’s Snjezana Jaksic was nominated for the manager of the year and Bridie McCulla of Liberty Restaurant Group is on the list as pastry chef or baker of the year.
McCulla — who has been nominated before — bakes for Liberty Tavern, Lyon Hall, and Northside Social, all in Arlington.
Other restaurateurs with local ties are up for RAMMYs, though not for their Arlington locations. Hot Lola’s owner Kevin Tien is on the list for chef of the year for his work at D.C.’s Moon Rabbit while Rose Previte is nominated for restaurateur of the year. She’s planning to open up a new restaurant in Clarendon later this year that was previously dubbed Tawle but is now being called Kirby Club.
In addition, restaurant software startup MarginEdge, based in Ballston, is up for an award that “best exemplifies commitment to and support of RAMW.”
The full list of all the Arlington RAMMY finalists is below.
Taco Bamba is expanding its presence in Arlington.
The burgeoning fast-casual chain is planning to open at 4041 Campbell Avenue in Shirlington, a PR rep said this morning. That’s the former location of Taco + Piña, which closed late last year after opening early in the pandemic and never quite finding its footing.
“The 2,100-square-foot space at 4041 Campbell Ave. will include a full bar and patio, and open this spring,” the PR rep noted.
Taco Bamba has an existing Arlington location at 4000 Wilson Blvd in Ballston, which opened in August 2020 after chef Victor Albisu decided to swap out a planned all-day egg concept called Huevos for his tried-and-true taco eatery.
Albisu today also announced the April 4 opening of a new Taco Bamba in Herndon, the restaurant’s ninth location. Additionally, the company is preparing for the impending opening of locations at City Ridge in D.C. and in Raleigh, North Carolina — the first outside of the D.C. area — as well as a new Fair Lakes location in Fairfax opening this fall.
Taco Bamba’s menu includes a variety of tacos, tortas, sides, sweets and cocktails.
Our Mom Eugenia may finally be ready to “opa” later this week in Shirlington.
The popular, family-owned Greek eatery is preparing to open its newest location on Thursday (March 30), per a press release.
It’s moving into a new 3,604-square-foot space at 4044 Campbell Avenue, next to CHIKO. It’s expected to have a similar, if not the same, menu as the other two Our Mom Eugenia locations in Great Falls and the Mosaic District. That includes an all-Greek wine list.
ARLnow first reported Our Mom Eugenia was making its way to Shirlington in May of last year.
The restaurant was originally planning to open in the fall, but serving was delayed to late 2022 and, then, to February 2023 due to a wait for county permits.
Our Mom Eugenia is named after its co-owner Eugenia Hobson, who was raised on the island of Zakynthos in western Greece.
“Eugenia learned the secrets of Greek cuisine from her grandmother for whom she is named,” reads a press release.
Hobson is a long-time local chef who’s cooked at several D.C.-area Greek restaurants, most prominently Nostos in Tysons. In 2016, she ventured out to open her own restaurant in Great Falls with her two sons.
Besides Our Mom Eugenia, Shirlington is also planning for another notable restaurant opening this spring. The long-planned Astro Beer Hall and its “donut robot” is aiming for a May debut. It’s moving into the space once occupied by Capitol City Brewing Co.
There’s a large emergency response in Shirlington following reports of an armed man suffering a mental health crisis.
Numerous police units are on scene, along with medics standing by, due to the incident on the 4200 block of Campbell Avenue. Some roads in the Shirlington Village area have been blocked during the response.
An Arlington County police spokeswoman confirmed the incident, which started around 2 p.m.
“Police remain on scene investigating,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.
Update at 3:50 p.m. — The situation has been resolved and officers are now leaving the scene, according to police.
POLICE ACTIVITY: ACPD investigated a mental health call for service in the 4200 block of Campbell Avenue. The investigation did not reveal an ongoing threat to the community and officers are returning to service. pic.twitter.com/SbybkZV4Bh
— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) March 17, 2023
ChiKo in Shirlington (4040 Campbell Ave) will take part in the local chain’s Dumpling Week next week.
For Dumpling Week, co-owners Danny Lee and Scott Drewno are drawing inspiration from several cuisines to offer customers a different dining experience each day.
“The world needs dumplings,” Lee said.
The dumpling festivities will run from Monday, March 13 to Sunday, March 19, starting on Monday with a $58 tasting menu.
The tasting box hosts five pieces per flavor for a total of twenty-five dumplings — Chinese sausage and shrimp, chicken wonton, fried yachae mandu, shrimp and scallop siu mai, and classic pork and chive. Dipping sauces will be served with this dumpling smorgasbord at no extra cost.
On Tuesday — 3/14 — ChiKo plans to honor dumplings in dessert form with “Pie Day.” The restaurant’s second special includes fried apple dumpling hand pies with a vanilla glaze ($7).
China Chilcano’s head chef Will Fung has partnered with ChiKo to serve its customers handmade Hong Kong-style shrimp wontons with white pepper dashi on Wednesday.
The chef’s “Mama Fung” sauce is drawn from his mother’s culinary influence and included in the dish to accompany the wontons. The proceeds from Wednesday’s special will be donated to World Central Kitchen — restaurateur Jose Andres’s non-profit that works to serve international populations affected by humanitarian crises.
Fung’s feature precedes the week’s latter dishes: chicken dumplings with ghost pepper chili oil on Thursday ($12), St. Patrick’s Day-inspired Irish beef dumpling stew on Friday ($15) and Korean barbecue dumplings on Saturday ($13).
The celebration will close with Sunday’s crab rangoon special ($14).
ChiKo’s wide-ranging interpretations of the traditional dumpling parallel Lee and Drewno’s multifaceted culinary backgrounds. The owners use Dumpling Week to get creative and share their love of the doughy dish.
“Dumplings equal joy,” says Drewno.
All featured plates are exclusive to the annual event and are not included on the standard menu. Dumpling Week specials will be available during dinner hours; ChiKo will serve its regular lunch options throughout the week.
Jeni’s Ice Cream in Shirlington is giving away free ice cream next week.
While the new shop at 4150 Campbell Ave has already been open for a couple of weeks, there will be a “grand opening” event on Wednesday, March 8.
At the event, employees will be scooping free ice cream starting at 7 p.m. until closing at 11 p.m, the company announced in a press release.
“All ice cream, up to and including a signature (three flavors), will be free,” a Jeni’s spokesperson confirmed to ARLnow.
Plus, the first 50 people in line at 7 p.m. will get “swag bags” with Jeni’s merchandise.
After nearly a year since the initial announcement, Jeni’s Ice Cream finally opened in Shirlington earlier this month. With the closings of Yogiberry and I-CE-NY over the last several years, there were no dedicated frozen dessert shops in the shopping center until the Columbus, Ohio-based ice cream shop made its debut.
The scoop shop is open every day from noon to 11 p.m., providing night owls a chance to satisfy their sweet tooth.
Jeni’s is not the only highly-anticipated opening in Shirlington. A block away, Astro Beer Hall (and its donut-making robot) plan to start serving in May.
