Around Town

A new Japanese restaurant and speakeasy with a menu from a Michelin-starred sushi chef is underway in Courthouse.

Construction has begun on Saki, a sushi restaurant at 2055 15th Street N. by partners Nick Cordero and Greg Lee. The restaurant hopes to offer high quality sushi and cocktails in a casual atmosphere.


Around Town

A local pastry personality is hosting a festival for cake creators in Clarendon next month.

Chanise Nycole, a cake decorator with over 30,000 TikTok followers, announced in a video that she’ll be hosting Cake Fest DMV on Sunday, Sept. 21, at the Arlington Beer Garden (3217 10th Street N.).


Around Town

Panera Bread is coming to Crystal City.

The fast-casual chain known for its soups, salads and sandwiches has confirmed plans to open at 2450 Crystal Drive. Construction has started in the vacant retail bay next to Navy Federal Credit Union, where Panera received a permit to build last month.


Around Town

A bakery off of Langston Blvd and the chef behind a Laotian restaurant in South Arlington walked away with honors at last night’s RAMMY Awards.

Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe received the Honorary Milestone Award for 50 years in business, while local chef Seng Luangrath won “Best Restaurateur of the Year.”


Around Town

A new tavern with Appalachian charm and an Italian American-inspired menu will soon open for business in Clarendon.

Nettie’s Tavern, opening Monday, Aug. 11 in part of the former Whitlow’s space, is named after a beloved family friend of Arlington restaurateur Reese Gardner. The Appalachia native met Nettie, who he identified only by her first name, six years ago in a bar near Berkeley Springs, W.Va.


Schools

Arlington Public Schools ended the 2024-25 school year with nearly a quarter-million dollars in uncollected debt for student meals.

School Board members authorized the transfer of $248,523 in funding to cover the shortfall on Thursday. Of that total, about 80% was from students who have graduated, while the remainder was from students classified as inactive, according to a staff report.


Around Town

From French bistros to fried chicken, dozens of new restaurants have landed across Arlington and Falls Church in recent months.

Here are some of the latest developments in the local dining scene this summer, along with some highlights of anticipated openings over the next few months.


News

An Arlington nonprofit is launching a new program that invites underserved local residents to enjoy a three-course meal planned by guest chefs.

Kitchen of Purpose (KOP) is repurposing its former cafe space at 918 S. Lincoln Street to host “Meals with Dignity,” a monthly three-course meal “prepared with love” by chefs from local restaurants and the bilingual culinary school’s students, CEO Brian MacNair told ARLnow.


Around Town

A new food hall in Rosslyn will celebrate its grand opening this week with a ribbon cutting, giveaways and live music.

Wonder, a new celebrity chef-partnered food hall at 1771 N. Pierce Street, opens for business at 4:30 p.m. this Thursday. The new hall hosts over a dozen vendors, including exclusive Wonder partners and restaurants from across the country.


Around Town

Arlington ice cream shops are preparing to scoop out some sweet deals in honor of National Ice Cream Day this Sunday.

Here’s a look at some local parlors that plan to offer discounted scoops for the annual celebration, along with a couple other local flavors to try anytime.


Around Town

The team behind a Vietnamese restaurant in a closing Annandale food hall is dropping hints about its upcoming project in Crystal City.

Balo Kitchen, which is closing this summer along with the rest of the vendors at The Block in Annandale, has teased a new “project” in Crystal City this fall. Its owners, Huy Nguyen and Long Lai, are slated to design the menu of the upcoming Scapegoat Beer Garden at 556 22nd Street S.


Around Town

A new Syrian restaurant has opened for business in Bluemont, serving traditional cuisine straight from the kitchen of a Damascus native.

Alshami Restaurant offers a wide array of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, platters and flatbreads at 5216 Wilson Blvd. It takes the place of Ya Hala Bistro, a Middle Eastern restaurant that closed last year.


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