Author: Katie Taranto

Katie Taranto is a reporter at Local News Now, primarily covering business, public safety and the city of Falls Church. She graduated from the University of Missouri in 2024, where she previously covered K-12 education at The Columbia Missourian. She is originally from Macungie, Pennsylvania.

Around Town

New owner gives Falls Church pottery painting studio a ‘glow up’

By Katie Taranto
Jessi Cash at Clay Cafe Studios (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A paint-your-own-pottery studio in Falls Church has received a freshly glazed look under new ownership.

Jessi Cash, who has worked at Clay Cafe Studios since 2019, took over the reins from retired owner Gayla Hassett in January. Since then, Cash has brought 101 N. Maple Avenue a fresh coat of peachy paint and replaced its old farmhouse-style tables, among other aesthetic changes.

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Around Town

Arlington residents can get free windshield wipers, donate old car seats and socks this month

By Katie Taranto
Socks on a clothesline (Photo by Nick Page on Unsplash)

A regional windshield wiper giveaway and two donation programs are available to Arlington residents this month.

Free windshield wiper replacements and installation are available to all D.C.-area drivers through this Saturday as part of Metro Motors’ annual “Wiper Week.” Meanwhile, Casual Adventures Outfitters is collecting used socks in Virginia Square through the end of the month, while Target is collecting old car seats in exchange for coupons.

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Around Town

RAMMY Awards finalists include Taqueria Xochi, Queen Mother’s Kitchen and other local spots

By Katie Taranto
Tacos and fries from Taqueria Xochi (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Arlington and Falls Church are continuing to maintain a strong presence as this year’s RAMMY Awards advance toward their final stage.

Ten restaurants and restaurateurs representing establishments in the two localities have been chosen for final consideration in the 44th annual RAMMYS.

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Around Town

Bluefish Bistro closes in latest business shakeup along Columbia Pike

By Katie Taranto
Bluefish Bistro has closed at 950 S. George Mason Drive (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A well-loved sushi restaurant on Columbia Pike has closed after less than three years in business.

Bluefish Bistro is no longer in business at 950 S. George Mason Drive, owner Andy Park told ARLnow. The eatery, which offered a variety of sushi rolls and sashimi, opened in November 2023 at the mixed-use Centro Arlington development and had secured a 4.9-star average rating on Google.

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Around Town

Middle Eastern bakery and market to replace closing deli in Cherrydale

By Katie Taranto
Billy's Deli/Cafe at 3907 Langston Blvd (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

A Middle Eastern bakery, restaurant and market is expected to replace a deli and cafe in Cherrydale within the next few months.

Habibi’s Kitchen and Market plans to open this spring at 3907 Langston Blvd, offering Middle Eastern cuisine, fresh bread and local produce, owner Hassan Almaala told ARLnow. It’ll be a sister establishment to Almaala Farms, a longtime Union Market stall offering Middle Eastern bites and produce from the Almaala family farm on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

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Around Town

New day-to-night restaurant and rooftop bar coming to Clarendon’s former Wilson Hardware

By Katie Taranto
Wilson Hardware's former space in Clarendon (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A new day-to-night restaurant and rooftop bar with a “supper club vibe” is opening soon at the former Wilson Hardware in Clarendon.

The Boulevard, a restaurant that “blends modern American dining with playful Asian fusion,” is planning to open this spring at 2915 Wilson Blvd — along with Solset, a new bar on the rooftop offering “lighter bites and sunset cocktails.”

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Around Town

Late-night sundae shop The Scoop N Scootery plans summer opening in Clarendon

By Katie Taranto
The Reign of Terror sundae from The Scoop N Scootery(via The Scoop N Scootery/Facebook)

An ice cream sundae shop with late-night hours, a delivery service and a popular online presence is expanding to Clarendon.

The Scoop N Scootery is coming to 1138 N. Irving Street, in the former Jimmy John’s space at the Beacon building. The franchise has amassed 2.3 million TikTok likes on videos of its elaborate sundaes — available for delivery until 2 a.m. — that come with toppings like buttercream frosting, brownie bites, graham crackers and blueberry muffin crumbles.

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News

Creator of demolished Black history mural at Hall’s Hill McDonald’s will paint replacement

By Katie Taranto
The space behind McDonald's on Langston Blvd, where a mural of Hall's Hill's Black history used to be (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

The original creator of a Hall’s Hill mural depicting the neighborhood’s Black history is returning to repaint the artwork, after McDonald’s demolished it last fall.

D.C. artist Roderick Turner will replace the mural on a paneled structure, which will be attached to poles at 4834 Langston Blvd facing the Langston-Brown Community Center, Wilma Jones, president of the John M. Langston Citizens Association, told ARLnow.

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Around Town

Three Notch’d nixes ax-throwing in Clarendon as restaurant plans move forward

By Katie Taranto
Signage in Clarendon advertising the new Three Notch'd Brewing Company (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Previous plans for an ax-throwing venue inside a forthcoming Clarendon restaurant have gotten the ax.

Three Notch’d Brewing Company no longer intends to let people throw axes at targets in its new restaurant on Barnes & Noble’s former ground floor. Instead, the Charlottesville-based brewery plans to focus the location primarily on dining, a whiskey distillery, tasting room and private event space, President Scott Roth told ARLnow.

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Around Town

Pupuseria prepares to reopen after fire damage in Ashton Heights strip mall

By Katie Taranto
Pupuseria Doña Azucena is preparing to reopen on N. Glebe Road (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Renovations are underway at a fire-damaged pupuseria in the Ashton Heights neighborhood, with the goal of reopening this summer.

Pupuseria Doña Azucena has been shuttered at 71 N. Glebe Road since August 2024, when a fire at the strip mall ravaged the space, requiring structural repairs. An exact reopening date has not been set, but “we’re aiming for the second week of June,” owner Heriberto Hernandez said.

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Around Town

Brazilian-Lebanese chicken spot Tio Pelé opens on Langston Blvd

By Katie Taranto
Crowds show up to Tio Pelé's grand opening day at 3110 Langston Blvd (courtesy of Tio Pelé)

A Brazilian and Lebanese-inspired charcoal chicken shop is now open for business on Langston Blvd.

Tio Pelé celebrated its grand opening last week at 3110 Langston Blvd in Lyon Village, slinging whole and half chickens, sandwiches, bowls and fresh juice. Customers lined up around the property to get a taste of the family-owned spot, located at the former site of The Block Oven, a Mediterranean restaurant and hookah lounge.

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Around Town

Ballston juice shop still opening, despite co-founder’s arrest

By Katie Taranto
Signs for Paradise Juice Bar in Ballston (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Plans for a new juice bar across from the Ballston Metro station are moving forward despite the arrest of one of its co-founders earlier this month.

Signs advertising Paradise Juice Bar have recently appeared at 4219 Fairfax Drive, where co-founders Saleh Salim and Sam Ahmed have planned the business since last summer. The juice shop still intends to open within the next month, following Salim’s March 18 arrest as local authorities investigated a regional drug trafficking ring.

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