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Morning Notes

Published January 4, 2011 at 5:10AM

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.

News

What’s Going on With Yorktown Bistro?

By ARLnow.com

Published November 17, 2010 at 3:17PM

Police are out at Yorktown Bistro (5171 Lee Highway) after county code enforcement reported that a back door to the restaurant was open and no one was inside.

Apparently the same thing happened during business hours yesterday, leading at least one officer to believe that the restaurant may be abandoned.

Around Town

District Taco Restaurant Opens Today

By ARLnow.com

Published November 11, 2010 at 9:14AM | Updated November 11, 2010 at 9:59AM

After a number of delays, the big day is finally here. The guys behind the the District Taco cart are holding the grand opening for their first brick-and-mortar restaurant (shown here, still under construction), at 5723 Lee Highway.

The restaurant’s menu consists of basic, fresh Mexican cuisine, served over a counter. There will also be weekly specials, where owner Osiris Hoil will get to show off a bit more of his culinary prowess. See an early preview of the menu here.

News

Storm Causes Problems Around County

By ARLnow.com

Published October 27, 2010 at 2:53PM | Updated October 28, 2010 at 9:18AM

(Updated at 3:00 p.m.) Driving rain and high winds knocked out power, flooded roads and led to numerous accidents in Arlington this morning.

Parts of Ballston and the area around Lee Highway and North Glebe Road lost power during the storm. A storm-related electrical fire in the parking garage of the National Science Foundation building caused dozens of workers to be evacuated. As of 2:50 p.m., the Arlington Central Library was still without power.

Around Town

Interior Construction at District Taco’s Lee Highway Restaurant

By ARLnow.com

Published October 25, 2010 at 2:10PM

Interior work on the new District Taco restaurant on Lee Highway is well underway.

What was once Restaurant Vero is now morphing into a brick-and-mortar version of the popular taco cart. Some walls have been painted yellow, and a long metal counter has been installed. The black and white checkered floor and the pressed metal ceiling has remained the same.

Around Town

District Taco Restaurant Opening Delayed by Tortilla Machine

By ARLnow.com

Published October 14, 2010 at 4:59PM

Owner Osiris Hoil says that interior construction is wrapping up, and he has most of his county permits in hand, but he’s still waiting on a tortilla-making machine.

He believes the tortilla machine will arrive in time to open the restaurant during the first week in November.

News

Power Outage in North Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published September 28, 2010 at 12:25PM | Updated September 28, 2010 at 2:16PM

Nearly 3,500 Dominion customers in North Arlington are without power this afternoon. The outage was possibly caused by a branch that hit a power line and caused a transformer to catch fire.

Police report that traffic lights on Glebe Road are out from I-66 near Ballston to Lee Highway. The outage at the busy Lee Highway and North Glebe Road intersection has the potential for a significant traffic impact.

News

County Board Meeting Roundup

By ARLnow.com

Published September 27, 2010 at 1:07PM

In case you wanted to enjoy Saturday morning outside rather than spend it inside watching the first county board meeting following the summer break, here’s a summary of what happened.

Around Town

Ruffino’s Spaghetti House Closes for Renovations

By ARLnow.com

Published September 10, 2010 at 3:02PM | Updated September 10, 2010 at 4:22PM

We stopped by Ruffino’s Spaghetti House (4763 Lee Highway) today to check out a tip that it had closed down. Good news, pasta fans: a recorded message on the restaurant’s answering machine reveals that it’s only undergoing renovations and will reopen “in a few weeks.”

Not much else to say about it, so here’s an amusing review of Ruffino’s posted by Yelp user “Chelsea M.”

Around Town

Update on District Taco’s Brick-and-Mortar Restaurant

By ARLnow.com

Published August 31, 2010 at 10:24AM | Updated October 14, 2010 at 5:04PM

We’re hearing that the planned opening for District Taco’s forthcoming brick-and-mortar restaurant has been pushed back ~~a month, to October 1~~. (Update on 10/14: The opening is now said to be set for the first week in November.)

The storefront at 5723 Lee Highway is now being used to prepare ingredients for the District Taco cart, following some changes to the existing kitchen (once used by the former occupant, the now-defunct Restaurant Vero). Tables and chairs are ready to go, we’re told, but there are still additional interior details and regulatory hurdles to be taken care of.

News

Fire Engulfs Vacant Home on North Edison Street

By ARLnow.com

Published August 17, 2010 at 4:59AM | Updated August 18, 2010 at 12:43AM

A fast-moving fire engulfed a home on the 2100 block of North Edison Street, near the Langston-Brown Community Center, early this morning. Initial reports suggest the home was abandoned, utilities were turned off, and nobody was inside at the time.

The blaze started on the porch around 3:30 a.m. and spread to the second floor. It took firefighters nearly an hour to extinguish the flames.

Around Town

Time Runs Out for Cherrydale Clockworks

By ARLnow.com

Published August 3, 2010 at 2:06PM

Cherrydale Clockworks, at 3510 Lee Highway, went out of business about a month ago. Now, at least one former customer whose clock was being repaired at the store is trying to figure out how to get it back.

The store, once filled with clocks of all shapes and sizes, is now empty. A sign on the door indicates that the landlord changed the locks. “For Lease” signs hang in the front window. A phone number for the store is forwarded to a full voicemail box.