The most important meal of the day is… all of them. Breakfast, lunch and dinner — Arlington’s food scene is bursting with tasty new spots.
From neighborhood burger joints to authentic international dining, these fresh establishments have added vibrant flavors and experiences to our community.
Below are top newcomers for “Best New Restaurant in Arlington” as part of our new ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards, selected from a list of openings over the past year by weighing a combination of article views and online reviews.
Consider taste, variety, service and overall atmosphere when choosing your favorite. Don’t see your favorite spot listed? Write it in.
Voting will close in two weeks and then we’ll officially announce the top three vote-getters. So don’t wait and select the spot you can’t stop thinking about.
Early Halloween decorations outside of a home in Rock Spring (staff photo)
Another Chase Ends at the Pentagon — From Dave Statter: “For the second time in less than two weeks police pursued suspected car thieves at the Pentagon… you can see the Accord hit the wall on the left side of I-395N, north of Glebe Rd. Speeds reached 130 mph plus at times. The chase then went onto Washington Blvd and eventually across Pentagon’s South Parking where the car came to a stop.” [Twitter]
Gateway Park for the Dogs? — “The jury is still out on whether a dedicated area for man’s best friends will be part of the amenities as the Arlington County government plans a major renovation at Gateway Park in Rosslyn… numerous respondents said the county government needed to provide more space for dogs and less for a proposed 4,000-person outdoor-events space on the site.” [Gazette Leader]
Local Autumn Festivals — “Paint pumpkins (or your face), sip cider and enjoy live music at these autumnal street fairs and celebrations.” [Arlington Magazine]
Remembering 9/11 in Arlington — “Worry and uncertainty mounted as news trickled into Randy McKnight’s school, H-B Woodlawn in Arlington, about planes crashing into New York skyscrapers and later at the Pentagon on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Some of the English teacher’s students had parents at the Pentagon. Another girl’s father was a pilot. ‘I just remember it so vividly. They couldn’t get in touch,’ McKnight said in an interview.” [Washington Post]
First Responders Remember — “Arlington County Fire Battalion ChiefJustin Tirelli… was new to the Arlington County Fire Department at the time, having only been on the job for about six months. ‘My first day driving the ladder truck was September 11, 2001,’ he told 7News. ‘That’s burned into my memory.'” [WJLA]
Vote on Library Agreement — “They have been partners for decades, but the relationship between the Arlington County library system and Friends of the Arlington County Library is set to be memorialized on paper. Arlington County Board members on Sept. 14 are slated to approve a memorandum of understanding between the two bodies.” [Gazette Leader]
History of W&OD Trail — “The first ride took place on September 7, 1974 in The Little City, where the first segment of the trail purchased and opened by NVRPA was located (the rest was purchased in sections between then and its eventual completion in 1988). Today’s W&OD is a 45-mile long, 100-foot wide park and paved trail (with a 32-mile adjacent gravel horse trail) stretching from Shirlington to Purcellville.” [Falls Church News-Press]
It’s Friday — Expect mostly cloudy skies with a high of around 82 and a northeast wind at 5 to 8 mph. Friday night is anticipated to be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to a low of 64. [NWS]
This sponsored column is by Law Office of James Montana PLLC. All questions about it should be directed to James Montana, Esq., Janice Chen, Esq., and Victoria Khaydar, Esq., practicing attorneys at The Law Office of James Montana PLLC, an immigration-focused law firm located in Falls Church, Virginia. The legal information given here is general in nature. If you want legal advice, contact us for an appointment.
The government likes to release unpopular items on Friday afternoons, and, when the government has something really unpopular to say, the Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend is considered ideal. Last Friday, before the Memorial Day weekend, USCIS published a truly incredible policy reversal – PM 602-0199 (the “May 21 Memo”), which purports to upend the ability of most foreigners to apply for green cards from within the United States. DHS and USCIS’s respective public messaging on the memorandum is clear but wrong. The memorandum was more nuanced, but still, in our view, deeply misleading. The purpose of this advertorial is to explain what happened, why it matters, and offer some predictions about how this unforced error is going to be resolved.
First, here’s what DHS and USCIS said about their own memo.
What do these press releases mean? They mean to highlight the following distinction: some people apply for a green card from inside the United States, at USCIS field offices; others apply for a green card from outside the United States, at U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad. Per both press releases, nearly everyone who applies from inside the U.S. is ineligible to become a lawful permanent resident. Almost everyone who applies for a green card should do so via U.S. Embassies and consulates abroad.
That might seem reasonable, and, ex ante, it could be, if our laws and institutions were set up properly. There are, unfortunately, a few problems with this new policy position, both practical and legal. (more…)
Expect mostly cloudy skies with a high of around 82 and a northeast wind at 5 to 8 mph. Friday night is anticipated to be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to a low of approximately 64. The east wind at 5 to 8 mph will become calm as the evening progresses. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius
Title game were all play on the Barcroft Park fields
The annual First Responders Cup girls softball tournament finished Sept. 8 in Arlington when four age-group champions were crowned at different Barcroft Park fields to complete the two days of competition.
Join Jadin O’Brien, Olympic athlete, 3x NCAA pentathlon champion and 10x All-American (heptathlon) winner for this in-person and virtual 5K. This event is sponsored by The Alex Manfull Fund to raise awareness and advance research on debilitating infection-associated neuroimmune disorders (including PANS and PANDAS) that affect young people. The 5K is part of the organization’s 36 Hours for PANS and PANDAS Advocacy in Motion event. Runners will receive a Finisher’s Medal, Technical (Drifit) Event Shirt and A Chip Timed Event. The event commemorates the life of Alex Manfull, who died at age 26 due to PANDAS. Susan and William Manfull established the Fund in their daughter’s name with the vision that no life ever again be cut short—or interrupted—by these illnesses. Learn more at TheAlexManfullFund.org.
Renderings of a proposed development at 1840 Wilson Blvd (via Arlington County)
A proposal to build a 187-unit apartment building at the site of an office building and two long-standing restaurants is scheduled for consideration this weekend.
A proposed site plan amendment at 1840 Wilson Blvd, near Courthouse, calls for demolishing the buildings housing Rhodeside Grill, Il Radicchio and the headquarters of the National Science Teaching Association to make way for a seven-story structure with 11,948 square feet of ground-floor retail.
Despite recent improvements, a history of complaints related to noise and rowdy customers at Darna Lounge has attracted county scrutiny in a five-year permit review.
The lounge and restaurant at 946 N. Jackson Street has been the subject of 285 police calls and three citations for noise violations since 2019, a county staff report says.
Kenmore Middle School's athletic fields are set to be converted to synthetic turf (courtesy of Arlington County)
Two new synthetic turf fields could be coming to Kenmore Middle School by spring 2027.
Pending final design approval and a proposed $2 million contribution from two local sports organizations, construction on the new fields is slated to begin in winter 2025.
Charga on the Pike, 3203 Columbia Pike (courtesy of Ibrahim Al-Amin)
A halal chicken restaurant based on Langston Blvd has opened a sister eatery on Columbia Pike, with a grand opening expected later this month.
Charga on the Pike is the second venture of Charga Grill, an eatery whose original location at 5151 Langston Blvd surged in popularity after claiming the No. 1 spot on The Washington Post’s ranking of the best casual restaurants in the D.C. area in 2022.
Power outage in Ballston on Sept. 12, 2024 (via Dominion)
Update at 8:55 p.m. — Dominion is still reporting 663 customers without power in the area, with an updated restoration time range between 11 p.m.-4 a.m. According to an email shared with ARLnow by a local resident, the outage involves burned underground power lines that need to be replaced and tested.
Earlier: Hundreds are without power this morning in the Ballston and Virginia Square area.
