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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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]
Nightlife on Columbia Pike has just gotten a bit more vibrant with the addition of Club 31-11, a nightclub, hookah bar, lounge and pool hall all rolled into one.
Club 31-11 (3111 Columbia Pike) is housed in a two-story building that was formerly home to an Ethiopian restaurant. It features Latin fusion cuisine and multiple DJ stations in an eclectically-decorated, two floor building. It opened for the first night of publicly-announced music and dancing last night, as first reported by a new blog called Pike Town Center.
The buildings that used to house Arlington Motorcar Service, Medical Service Corporation International and the Fashion Dreams tailor between Rosslyn and Courthouse are no more.
Demolition work has reduced the three small buildings on the 1700 block of Wilson Boulevard to rubble. A large, empty lot and a pile of debris is all that remains. (See the before and after photos below.)
A man was taken into custody after a reported assault at the Courthouse Metro station around 12:30 this afternoon.
Arlington paramedics were called to evaluate the victim, who appeared to have only minor injuries. The suspect was in Metro Transit Police custody near the turnstiles when medics arrived on scene.
The business plans to cash in on its prime real estate and relocate.
“This is not a going out of business,” Diffee said emphatically. “The property is for sale, the business is not.”
Believe it or not, there’s still a remnant of the 2 to 3 inches of snow we got on Dec. 16 hanging around. This dirty snow pile can be found in the median on George Mason Drive near Virginia Hospital Center.
The pile may soon grow a bit. Forecasters are calling for a dusting to an inch of snow overnight.
