Around Town

RedRocks Hopes to Open Pike Location Later This Year

RedRocks Pizzeria is hoping to open in Arlington later this year.

As we reported on Monday, D.C.-based RedRocks is planning to open its third location in the Penrose Square development on Columbia Pike. According to a press release, the RedRocks hopes to hopes to open the new Pike location in “early December.”

The restaurant’s 3,800 square foot space at Penrose Square will abut the north end of a new public square that’s currently under construction, at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Barton Street. The restaurant will house a wood-burning oven, 140 indoor seats and a full-service bar and lounge area. Outdoor seating will also be offered.

From a press release:

RedRocks Pizzeria will be the newest addition to Arlington’s Penrose Square development off of Columbia Pike in Arlington. The new restaurant will be an expanded version of the other two locations in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC and in Old Town Alexandria, with a more extensive menu and wider selection of beers on tap.

The 3,800 square foot space is poised to be the local neighborhood spot for Neapolitan-style pizza cooked in a 900 degree wood-burning oven. Designed with a rustic wood and brick theme, the future spot will feature a 140-seat indoor space, a full-service bar and lounge area, and a dining room with elevated booth seating. The restaurant will also offer outdoor seating overlooking the new Penrose Square pedestrian park currently under development by Arlington County.

Menu offerings will be expanded from the other two locations to include everything from fresh pasta dishes and the award-winning RedRocks Neapolitan pizza to small plates and snacks, ranging from risotto croquettes and fava bean crostini, to the popular Meatballs Al Forno.

The new RedRocks location will feature a weekend brunch, similar to the popular brunch offered at the Columbia Heights location. The new menu is crafted by Angel Mendoza, currently head chef at the RedRocks Old Town location and former head chef for 2Amys pizzeria in Washington, DC.

The bar will offer a wide array of cocktails, martinis, specialty drinks, and 15 beers on tap. In addition, the new space will feature a more intimate lounge area with comfortable couches grouped together, perfect for meeting new people.

The anticipated opening date is scheduled for early December 2012. The restaurant is located in the new Penrose Square, which also includes restaurants Eamonn’s Dublin Chipper and Taqueria Poblano. The owners of RedRocks enlisted Paul Beckmann to design the space. Beckmann’s latest restaurant projects include Virtue Grain and Feed and Society Fair in Old Town Alexandria, VA.

Photos courtesy RedRocks Pizzeria