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Sfoglina in Rosslyn Opens Up Rooftop Terrace for Spectacular D.C. Views

Published August 14, 2020 at 3:00PM

Sfoglina Rooftop Terrace (photo courtesy Sfoglina)

Italian restaurant Sfoglina in Rosslyn has opened an outdoor seating area on the rooftop of its high-rise building for evening dining and drinks with an expansive view of the D.C. skyline.

“We are grateful to Monday Properties for giving us this amazing opportunity to add an incredible bespoke experience to Sfoglina Rosslyn,” said Jessica Botta, a spokesperson for Fabio Trabocchi Restaurants. “The response has been outstanding, and it’s not hard to understand why. This is simply the best view in all of the D.C. area paired with a refreshing lineup of cocktails and savory tastings unique to the Rooftop Terrace.”

Taco Bamba is Planning to Open Next Week in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Published August 13, 2020 at 11:35AM | Updated August 13, 2020 at 12:28PM

Future Taco Bamba location in Ballston

The new Taco Bamba location in Ballston is expected to open to the public a week from today.

Chef Victor Albisu announced last month that what was previously planned as Huevos, a new all-day egg restaurant concept, would instead become a tried-and-true Taco Bamba outpost, in part due to financial pressures from the pandemic.

Target Now Open in Ballston

By Vernon Miles

Published August 12, 2020 at 2:45PM

The new Ballston Target is now open at 740 N. Glebe Road, with a grand opening celebration planned this Sunday.

Don’t go in expecting the full department store experience, though. Target says the new location is a smaller-format store that will focus on offering essentials. The move is part of sizing Targets to fit in increasingly dense urban areas where a traditional store might not fit.

School ‘Victory Gardens’ Used To Grow Food For Local Pantries

By Joseph Ramos

Published August 12, 2020 at 1:00PM | Updated August 13, 2020 at 11:18AM

Victory gardens growing on APS grounds (photo via Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture)

Garden space at Arlington Public Schools is being used to grow produce for local pantries.

When schools closed for the academic year in March, the seeds were planted for victory gardens to grow in the place of classroom gardens.

Banh Mi Sandwich Eatery Opening in Former Ballston Subway Space Next Week

By Vernon Miles

Published August 12, 2020 at 11:00AM

Lee's Sandwiches in Ballston (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

A Subway (801 N. Quincy Street) that closed last year is being replaced by Vietnamese sandwich shop Lee’s Sandwiches with a grand opening planned this coming Tuesday, Aug. 18.

The Ballston spot will be the second location in Virginia for Lee’s Sandwiches — a California-based franchise — with an existing location in Falls Church. The sandwich chain has a variety of sandwich options but specializes in banh mi, a popular Vietnamese sandwich with savory ingredients in a short, toasted baguette.

New Clarendon Smoke Shop Replacing Classic Cigars and British Goodies

By Vernon Miles

Published August 11, 2020 at 3:45PM

Closed Classic Cigars and British Goods (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Long-time local store Classic Cigars and British Goodies in Clarendon (2907 Wilson Blvd) is closed for good, but a new smoking accouterment vendor is planning a move into the same location with an inventory that will pay respect to the late Anglophile establishment.

“Smoke Source Tobacco and Vape is excited to open their fifth location on the highly populated Clarendon Blvd,” Kelsey Sharp, a spokesperson for the regional chain, told ARLnow.

Clarendon Restaurant Buena Vida Folded Into Downstairs Taco Joint

By Vernon Miles

Published August 10, 2020 at 4:35PM

Once upon a time, there was an Arlington restaurant called Buena Vida. It sat on the second floor of 2900 Wilson Blvd, but like many meals once served there, it has been devoured.

Buena Vida has been subsumed into TTT — an abbreviation of Tacos, Tortas and Tequila — the restaurant that inhabits the first floor of the building.

Local Dry Cleaner Hopes To Rise From Pandemic Hit

By Joseph Ramos

Published August 10, 2020 at 9:00AM

Eagle Cleaners (staff photo by Joseph Ramos)

The red letters spelling “We Are Open” on a banner above Eagle Cleaners is easily visible to cars on nearby Williamsburg Blvd.

At the storefront, a door stopper holds the front entrance open throughout the day. Owner Mat Srebrow’s pet parrot, Emma, sits in her perch next to the window, ready to be held by children who enter the store.

Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse Reopens With 1/3 Capacity and Other Restrictions

By Vernon Miles

Published August 6, 2020 at 2:45PM | Updated September 23, 2020 at 11:13AM

After being closed for months, Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) is planning to reopen this weekend, but with restrictions.

Owner Tim Clark said this week’s reopening is a test drive to gauge public interest in attending the entertainment venue while the rate of coronavirus cases is still going up.

ACPD Has a New Police Dog in Training

By ARLnow.com

Published August 6, 2020 at 10:00AM

FRK9 Brooks, a service dog with Arlington County Police Department (via ACPD)

The Arlington County Police Department has a new recruit, and he’s a very good boy.

Brooks, an eight-month-old Lab, is training as a police service dog. His police responsibilities will include participation in community outreach events and helping officers deal with “strong emotions and stress that are often an inherent part of policing.”

Fashion Centre at Pentagon City Remains a Ghost Town Months After Reopening

By Vernon Miles

Published August 5, 2020 at 3:45PM | Updated August 10, 2020 at 11:17AM

Interior of Fashion Centre at Pentagon City in 2020 (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

(Updated 8/10) Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is substantially less crowded than it used to be — particularly the food court, back in the heyday of Popeyes chicken sandwiches — but it is busier than might be expected during a pandemic.

In the mall’s food court, while some fast food options are open, others remain closed. Gyro Wrap and Charley’s Philly Steaks are locked up, with a sign on the metal shutter for the latter saying the closure is temporary and the eatery will be returning at some point.

Sun Gazette Publishes Letter Comparing COVID Contact Tracers to Nazis

By ARLnow.com

Published August 5, 2020 at 2:00PM | Updated September 23, 2020 at 11:13AM

As health officials work to tamp down rising COVID-19 cases in Arlington, the Arlington Sun Gazette published a letter to the editor today comparing local public health efforts to Nazi Germany.

The letter, headlined “Arlington now pitting neighbor against neighbor,” seemingly conflates contact tracing efforts — long used to try to prevent the spread of infectious disease — with “tattling.”