M. Slavin & Sons, a seafood seller located on South Glebe Road near I-395, has closed.
The store maintained a well-reviewed retail business of selling fresh seafood to consumers via a front counter. It also distributed seafood wholesale to local businesses.
We caught up with a few local foodies at Lyon Hall (3100 Washington Blvd) in Clarendon earlier this month and asked them what they like about Arlington’s food scene.
Do you agree or disagree with their assessments?
In the latest installment of the county-run Arlington Virginia Network’s “Food for Thought” segment, host Katie Greenan interviewed local resident Lisa Cherkasky, who has made a 25-year career out of preparing food to be photographed.
District Taco Announces Taco Eating Contest — This sounds like a recipe for some fun, or vomit, or both. District Taco (5723 Lee Highway) will be holding a taco eating contest at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 10. Ten contestants will compete to see who can eat the most tacos (without throwing up — seriously, it’s a rule) in 15 minutes. If you think you’ve got what it takes, fill out an entry form and submit it by Thursday. See more information on the District Taco web site.
Blame Technology for Rising Rents — Has your rent gone up recently? If so, a software program may be to blame. A number of large landlords are now using “sophisticated computerized models” to figure out how to price rentals. Arlington-based AvalonBay Communities, which owns rental communities in Ballston and near Shirlington, recently started widespread use of a software package called “Rainmaker” to squeeze every last dollar out of its properties. More from the Wall Street Journal.
The Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network is holding a Christmas Eve dinner for homeless individuals at the county’s Emergency Winter Shelter in Courthouse.
The non-profit issued the following press release about the event.
Sure, there are some who will testify that the Chinese restaurants here are no different than anywhere else. But there are also plenty of people who have said emphatically that Chinese food was soooo much better wherever they lived before Arlington (New York City, for instance). For them, finding one — just one — comparable restaurant in Arlington remains a challenge.
What do you think? Feel free to share your restaurant recommendations in the comments.
From noon to 6:00 on Saturday, thousands of beer drinkers will jam Campbell Avenue in Shirlington Village for the 10th annual Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest. Wear your best lederhosen and bring extra cash for bratwurst. Oh, and bring a non-drinking friend who can help you get home safely AND provide a few extra sample tickets to your group (for $25, each attendee gets 10 tickets good for one 4 oz. beer sample each).
Dog lovers skipping the Oktoberfest may want to check out Dogtober Day and Barker’s Bash, a dog show and festival full of fun and games. It’s taking place at Lacey Woods Park (1200 N. George Mason Dr.) from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Things will kick off Saturday at 8:20 a.m. with a 5K race, followed by a 10K and a Kids Dash.
Then at 11:00 a.m., the main festivities get underway.
The always-entertaining event, taking place from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, will feature “food, music, art, fitness classes, kids’ activities, health screenings and more.”
Among the more than 15 local restaurants that will be selling food at Clarendon Day are Whitlow’s, Hard Times Café, Rocklands BBQ, Screwtop Wine Bar, Northside Social, Bakeshop, Liberty Tavern, Lyon Hall, and Kabob Bazaar.
A crowd that included county board members, school board members, state legislators, elected county officers and Democratic donors gathered outside the Lyon Park Community Center for the end-of-summer tradition, which also featured drinks, music and a moon bounce for the kids.
Guests of honor included the three local Democrats up for reelection this year: county board member Chris Zimmerman, school board member Sally Baird and congressman Jim Moran. Virginia House of Delegates minority leader Ward Armstrong was also on hand for the afternoon event.
Cleopatra’s Mediterranean Bistro opened in March with little fanfare outside the immediate neighborhood and the local Arabic community. Serving up Middle Eastern food in addition to Italian carryovers from Pines of Italy, Cleopatra’s is as eclectic as it is unassuming. For those who care to indulge, there’s also a bar.
Cleopatra’s prices are exceedingly reasonable, and there are coupons available online to make a visit even more affordable.
Clarendon Day 2010 will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 25.
For runners, three Pacers-sponsored races will be held before the start of the festival: A 5K at 8:20 a.m., a 10K at 9:00 a.m. and a kid’s dash at 10:30 a.m. (Register here.)
