The event, “Food Carts: Regulations and Best Practices 2011,” will be held between 6:00 and 8:30 p.m. on March 9 at the Central Library auditorium (1015 North Quincy Street). Registration is free.
Among the featured speakers will be District Taco owner Osiris Hoil, who “will share his insight on how he used his food cart business to secure a retail lease in Arlington County.” Representatives from the Arlington’s health department, police department and tax office will also be on hand.
This news organization would act as a hub of a local news ecosystem, a gateway through which a regional audience could be introduced to the work of independent local journalists and community blogs.
On Feb. 23, 2011, the dream died.
Dozens of gaffers, grips, extras and producers were hard at work filming a Capital One Bank commercial at the corner of Columbia Pike and Monroe Street this morning.
The giant “pin” of one of the company’s signature red push pins was propped up on the sidewalk next to the bank. A lone tennis ball was glued to the top, to act as a guide for 3D artists to later inset the pin’s giant red handle.
Burapa Thai opened its doors on Monday. Located next to Circa at 1210 North Garfield Street, the restaurant serves Thai classics like Pad Thai and Kaprow, in addition to some signature dishes like the crispy Burapa Noodle in spicy chili gravy.
The restaurant also has a sushi bar near the back, allowing it to serve fresh sushi and hybrid dishes like the bento box with spring roll and Pad Thai noodles.
Guas is one of ten chefs nominated for the award in the Mid-Atlantic region, and one of 100 chefs nominated nationwide. Other local nominees include Kyle Bailey of Birch & Barley, Dan Giusti of 1789 Restaurant, and Nicholas Stefanelli of Bibiana.
The ultimate winner will be decided by an online vote. The winners in each of the ten geographic regions will be featured in the July issue of Food and Wine.
Kim Houghton, the owner of Wag More Dogs (2606 S. Oxford Street), sued Arlington County after zoning officials declared her store’s mural of dogs, bones and paw prints — which faces the Shirlington dog park — to be a form of commercial speech and in violation of the county’s sign ordinance. U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema dismissed the lawsuit today “with prejudice.”
Undeterred, Houghton vowed to keep fighting.
The management of TBD will be taken over by its corporate sibling, television station WJLA (ABC 7), the Washington Post reported today. Station Manager Bill Lord will now oversee TBD’s operations, according to the Post. WJLA.com, which has merely redirected to TBD.com for the past six months, will be run as a separate web site. No staffing changes are planned at TBD.
WJLA and TBD are both owned by Allbritton Communications and operated out of the Allbritton offices at 1100 Wilson Boulevard.
The Arlington County Board in December voted to change its recycling regulations and now requires businesses and multi-family homes to accommodate the recycling of additional materials like mixed paper – cardboard, office paper, junk mail, food boxes – along with metal cans and other metal objects, glass, aluminum, and plastic.
County officials say business owners have 90 days, beginning Feb. 1, to get a recycling program in place or they will be in violation of the new ordinance.
The new Renaissance Arlington Capital View and the new Residence Inn Capital View hotels are currently expected to open on March 9.
The hotels will both be owned by developer JBG and managed by Marriott. Construction, which began in 2008, was funded with $129 million in financing from Wells Fargo.
One bank branch is closing in Clarendon while another is opening up.
The PNC Bank at 3033 Wilson Boulevard will be closing after Feb. 18. The bank’s lease is up and, with rent steeply rising, it decided to move its operation into an existing branch several blocks down the road at 2601 Clarendon Boulevard.
Artisphere to Be Named in Contest — Artisphere is holding a contest to name its new restaurant. Anybody with a creative idea will be able to submit it through an online form next week. The winner will receive a private dinner for eight and VIP entrance to an Artisphere event. [TBD]
Columbia Pike Electronics Store May Be Forced to Move — The long-time owner of a small electronics store is trying to decide what to do if he gets the boot from his landlord. Venus Stereos & TV occupies a prime storefront at the corner of the Pike and Walter Reed Drive, next to Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse. Should the store move, many residents are hoping that a cafe takes its place. [Pike Wire]
According to a site plan submitted to the county, the project will consist of three buildings, each between four and six stories high, built on a 4.7 acre parcel of land along Old Jefferson Davis Highway. The office project is expected to replace a number of dilapidated structures, including the Clark Street Playhouse and the abandoned Crystal City Motel.
(The site is shown to the left, during a rain storm last year.)
