Arlington and Falls Church are continuing to maintain a strong presence as this year’s RAMMY Awards advance toward their final stage.
Ten restaurants and restaurateurs representing establishments in the two localities have been chosen for final consideration in the 44th annual RAMMYS.
A well-loved sushi restaurant on Columbia Pike has closed after less than three years in business.
Bluefish Bistro is no longer in business at 950 S. George Mason Drive, owner Andy Park told ARLnow. The eatery, which offered a variety of sushi rolls and sashimi, opened in November 2023 at the mixed-use Centro Arlington development and had secured a 4.9-star average rating on Google.
A Middle Eastern bakery, restaurant and market is expected to replace a deli and cafe in Cherrydale within the next few months.
Habibi’s Kitchen and Market plans to open this spring at 3907 Langston Blvd, offering Middle Eastern cuisine, fresh bread and local produce, owner Hassan Almaala told ARLnow. It’ll be a sister establishment to Almaala Farms, a longtime Union Market stall offering Middle Eastern bites and produce from the Almaala family farm on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Previous plans for an ax-throwing venue inside a forthcoming Clarendon restaurant have gotten the ax.
Three Notch’d Brewing Company no longer intends to let people throw axes at targets in its new restaurant on Barnes & Noble’s former ground floor. Instead, the Charlottesville-based brewery plans to focus the location primarily on dining, a whiskey distillery, tasting room and private event space, President Scott Roth told ARLnow.
A Brazilian and Lebanese-inspired charcoal chicken shop is now open for business on Langston Blvd.
Tio Pelé celebrated its grand opening last week at 3110 Langston Blvd in Lyon Village, slinging whole and half chickens, sandwiches, bowls and fresh juice. Customers lined up around the property to get a taste of the family-owned spot, located at the former site of The Block Oven, a Mediterranean restaurant and hookah lounge.
Plans for a new juice bar across from the Ballston Metro station are moving forward despite the arrest of one of its co-founders earlier this month.
Signs advertising Paradise Juice Bar have recently appeared at 4219 Fairfax Drive, where co-founders Saleh Salim and Sam Ahmed have planned the business since last summer. The juice shop still intends to open within the next month, following Salim’s March 18 arrest as local authorities investigated a regional drug trafficking ring.
Two nightlife venues have closed in Clarendon ahead of a neighborhood redevelopment project.
Arlington Beer Garden is no longer in business at 3217 10th Street N., an employee told ARLnow, and the nearby Clarendon 54 club is now fenced off, with new signage advising of “on-site construction activity” at 3200 Wilson Blvd.
A local Thai restaurant chain with lunch specials and astrology-themed cocktails is celebrating its Falls Church debut this weekend.
After nearly a year of preparations, My Home Thai Bistro plans to host a grand opening this Saturday for its new restaurant at 1009 W. Broad Street. The new eatery aims to bring “a modern take on Thai cuisine with a refined yet welcoming atmosphere,” co-owner Anuchit “Andrew” Suthus-na-Ayuttaya told ARLnow.
A locally owned cafe and bubble tea shop is coming to the Ballston Metro station.
Java Loco is planning to replace the former Starbucks at 901 N. Stuart Street, co-founder Nam Tran told ARLnow. The family-owned cafe, led by Tran and his wife, Nga Ho, serves espresso drinks, Vietnamese coffee, smoothies, pastries and a variety of sandwiches and salads.
The founders of a new cafe at the Lee Harrison Shopping Center are hoping to bring some Vietnamese flair to Yorktown later this year.
Tina Dam and David Le are preparing to open Cup of Bliss “in the summer to early fall” at 2439 N. Harrison Street, Dam told ARLnow. They plan to serve coffee, baked goods and Vietnamese specialities from a retail bay that had been vacant for more than three years.
A family-owned nail salon franchise that opened during the throes of the pandemic has closed for business near Rosslyn.
Paint Nail Bar, a nationwide chain franchised by local couple Kevin and Amber Donohoo, closed at 1520 Clarendon Blvd this week after more than five years in business. The salon is holding a final sale to get rid of merchandise, supplies and furniture at discounted prices through this Saturday.
A new takeout spot for sushi, ramen and poke is coming to Crystal City.
The eatery, Okinami, is expected to open at 244 19th Court S. in four to five months, owner and longtime chef Yong Kang told ARLnow.
