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When you think of diners, the greasy spoon image is the one that typically comes to mind. But Silver Diner is determined to appeal to a higher, more healthy culinary calling. The local chain, which includes the iconic location in the heart of Clarendon, is now calling itself “the next generation diner.”

As Stacey Viera writes at Every Food Fits, Silver Diner has launched a new menu that includes fresh, healthy, locally-sourced options.


Events

Via Every Food Fits, we learn that Michael Kiss, resident chef at the Clarendon Whole Foods, will be teaching a class on whole grain salads tonight. What are whole grain salads? Well…

We all know that we need to incorporate more whole grains into our diets, although in practice it can be overwhelming and frustrating. Chef Kiss will showcase light and flavorful vegetarian salads, great for summer entertaining at patio dinners and picnics!


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On the heels of the announcement of the neighborhood’s eleventh and twelfth pizza restaurant (seriously) comes word that Clarendon will be getting its third cupcake bakery (after Bakeshop and Crumbs, which is opening in August or September) and second trendy frozen yogurt store (after Red Mango, opening later this month).

A “TangySweet Garden” and Red Velvet Cupcakery will be moving into a ground-level space on Clarendon Boulevard, in the new Clarendon Center development. The store will be located between Hard Times Cafe and the future Pete’s New Haven Apizza.


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Red Mango, a fast-growing chain originally founded in South Korea in 2002, plans to open its new Clarendon location at 2831 Clarendon Blvd as early as May 22, according to a store rep.

The date is tentative and may have to be pushed back, we’re told. Nonetheless, it seems likely that Arlingtonians will be able to enjoy a Pomegranate yogurt with mandarin oranges and Fruity Pebbles by Memorial Day.


News

Did you know that all of Arlington’s storm drains empty directly into local streams and waterways? Many people do not, which is part of the reason why 50-100 cases of stream contamination are reported each year.

To help reduce that number, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment and Whole Foods are teaming up to put “Don’t Dump” markers on neighborhood storm drains.


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We stopped by the hotly-anticipated European brasserie over the weekend for one of the “soft opening” events and, despite the high expectations, left thoroughly impressed.

The first thing we tried was the mussels. Lyon Hall has two distinct mussel varieties: spring garlic/English peas/fontina/mustard and Hungarian lamb sausage/celeriac-apple-beer broth. We went with the Hungarian lamb and were not disappointed. You’d be hard-pressed to find a tastier plate of mussels anywhere in the D.C. area. And the $14 “large” option was more than enough for two people.


News

A man that witnesses identified as a parking attendant was hit by a van as he directed the driver into a parking spot in a small lot behind Boulevard Woodgrill (2901 Wilson Boulevard) in Clarendon Friday night.

The driver of the van accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake, a police officer at the scene said. The van apparently hit the man, smashed into a wood fence and sideswiped an adjacent car.


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Update at 2:15 p.m. — Management is hinting that the public may be able to stop by “soft-opening” events this weekend. One such event is taking place tonight — they’re advising people to stop by after 10:00 p.m.

The ink still damp on the ABC permit that arrived this morning, management at Lyon Hall (3100 Washington Boulevard) is hard at work preparing to open to the public on Tuesday. A small armada of beer and wine vendors will start delivering their wares today.


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The circumstances were even more somber. Lucy McCausland, the owner of a.k.a. spot, was moving to Florida to be closer to her family following the passing of her mother. After some soul-searching, she had decided that traveling back and forth between Florida and Arlington would not be feasible.

But last night McCausland made the bittersweet announcement. While a.k.a. spot was closing, its legacy of promoting pet wellness would be preserved.


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This will the first mid-Atlantic location for the Brooklyn, New York-based Fitness Collective, which some have described as “a gym for people who don’t like going to gyms.”

“Clarendon Fitness Collective is a specialized fitness center that combines strength, cardio, flexibility, and nutrition into a program specialized for each individual,” Rodriguez said


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