Around Town

A ‘champagne boutique’ hopes to open in Crystal City within the month

By Matt Blitz
Candy at Beauty by Society Fair (screenshot via Instagram/Beauty by Society Fair)

Beauty by Society Fair, a “champagne boutique,” is hoping to start serving bubbly in Crystal City within the next month, co-owner Zena Polin tells ARLnow.

The store at 576 23rd Street S., which we first reported about in October, is set to be a combination of retail store, bistro and wine shop. The small, 800-square-foot space will include a front room offering items for sale and a side room with 10 seats. The business’s focus will be selling locally produced gifts, serving fresh cakes and treats, and providing space for a glass of wine or, yes, champagne.

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The Cookery has closed in Shirlington, after deciding not to renew lease

By Matt Blitz
The Cookery has closed in Shirlington (photo courtesy of Cary Kelly)

The well-reviewed kitchen and culinary store The Cookery has closed in Shirlington, having shut its doors for the final time late last month after selling out of all its products.

Owner Cary Kelly says the closure was due to the store’s lease expiring and deciding not to renew for another five years. Instead, Kelly is going into “semi-retirement” with plans to travel more, cook more and write in her food blog Cary in the Kitchen.

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Most expensive Arlington homes sold in January

By ARLnow.com
4677 N. Dittmar Road (via Google Maps)

The first month of 2022 flew by, but before we say good bye to January let’s take a look at some of the most expensive homes sold.

According to Homesnap, more than 380 homes were sold across Arlington with a median list price of $600,000 and a median sales price of $617,500. Additionally, homes spent an average of 85 days on the market.

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Burger joint with a side of a hookah lounge is coming to Langston Blvd

By Matt Blitz
5009 Langston Blvd, soon to be an All About Burger and hookah lounge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A burger restaurant and a hookah lounge are expected to open on Langston Blvd later this year.

All About Burger is gearing up for a new location at 5009 Langston Blvd, owner Mohammad Esfahani tells ARLnow, with the hope it will start serving by May or June of this year. This will be the local chain’s eighth location and third in Arlington, including restaurants in Virginia Square and Ballston.

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Rogue chicken caught sneaking around Pentagon entrance

By ARLnow.com
The chicken that tried to sneak into the Pentagon (photo courtesy Animal Welfare League of Arlington)

A very bold and very lost chicken was “caught sneaking around the security area at the Pentagon” early Monday morning.

The adventurous bird was nabbed by Arlington animal control officers, who were called in to help the headquarters of the world’s most powerful military with its poultry problem.

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Girl Scouts bring back more in-person cookie sales, starting this week

By Matt Blitz
Girl Scouts deliver cookies to Virginia Hospital Center (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated, 2/2/22) Girl Scout cookie sales in Arlington are back in person this year, after going mostly virtual in 2021.

Over the next several weeks, residents will be able to purchase their Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs or the newest flavor, Adventurefuls, at 15 booths across the county, according to the Girl Scouts’ Cookie Finder website. Only four locations were set up in 2021.

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Crawfish eatery Chasin’ Tails is leaving Arlington for Falls Church

By Matt Blitz
Chasing Tails on N. Westmoreland Street in East Falls Church (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Seafood restaurant Chasin’ Tails is swimming out of Arlington and about a mile down the road to Falls Church, co-owner Au Dang confirms to ARLnow.

The decade-old restaurant that’s inspired by backyard crawfish boils is heading to Founders Row, a new development just over a mile from its current location at 2200 N. Westmoreland Street in Arlington’s East Falls Church neighborhood. The move is expected to happen possibly in June, depending on permits, with the closing and opening of the restaurants happening simultaneously.

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Nighthawk Pizza in Pentagon City hopes for late March opening

By Matt Blitz
Chef Johnny Spero at Nighthawk Pizza (photo courtesy of Nighthawk Pizza)

Nighthawk Pizza, the beer and food hall with a “’90s vibe,” is aiming for a late March opening in Pentagon City, co-owner Scott Parker tells ARLnow.

The newest venture from the local serial entrepreneur was initially expected to start serving  in the late fall, but supply chain hang-ups (a common refrain these days) pushed the date a few months.

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New District Brewing is purchasing canning equipment with help from the community

By Matt Blitz
Cans of New District beer (file photo)

(Updated at 5:40 p.m.) A community fundraising campaign is helping Green Valley’s New District Brewing Company purchase its own canning equipment.

Earlier this month, Arlington’s first production brewery in a century launched a campaign to raise $8,000 in order to partially pay for a canning line (equipment used to can). The equipment can cost about $23,000, so the initial plan was to cover the rest with a loan.

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Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream opens in Pentagon City, scooping some unique flavors

By Matt Blitz
Mimi's Handmade Ice Cream in Pentagon City (photo courtesy of Rollin Amore)

Opening an ice cream shop in the winter wasn’t exactly Rollin Amore’s plan, but he’s been pleasantly surprised by how good business has been so far.

“I’ve had at least 30 to 40 people the first four weeks basically come back two, three, four, five times,” Amore, owner and ice cream maker at Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream at Westpost in Pentagon City, says. “I’ve built up a loyal following in such a short period. That’s a testament to the product.”

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