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Morning Notes

Published February 3, 2015 at 9:15AM | Updated January 16, 2018 at 2:33PM

New Chinese Restaurant? — Noted chef Peter Chang appears to be planning to open a new Chinese restaurant at the Lee Harrison Shopping Center on Lee Highway. [Washington Business Journal]

Rosslyn: Hub of Hillary Intrigue — Rosslyn is home to an organization devoted to helping Hillary Clinton’s presidential prospects, an organization that spends much of its time trying to dig up dirt on Hillary, and a news organization that is covering the 2016 presidential race. This has created some awkward moments at Rosslyn’s few after-work watering holes. Concludes a magazine article: “The epicenter of the country’s great Hillary debate remains a small, charm-deficient enclave across the river from D.C.” [National Journal]

Around Town

Highline in Crystal City Plans Weekend Opening

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 2, 2015 at 3:50PM | Updated February 2, 2015 at 5:13PM

Highline RxR in Crystal City, in 2015 (staff photo)

(Updated at 5:10 p.m.) All that stands between Crystal City’s newest bar and its future, thirsty patrons is an Alcohol Beverage Control Board inspector.

Highline RXR, on the second floor of 2010 Crystal Drive, is built out with reclaimed wood and windows from barnhouses and industrial facilities across the country. Co-owner Peter Bayne said once the ABC inspector comes, he must order about $30,000 worth of beer and liquor and set them all up before opening. He predicts the bar will open this weekend.

Around Town

Kapnos Taverna Opens in Ballston Tomorrow

By Ethan Rothstein

Published January 26, 2015 at 11:45AM

Marinated mussels and octopus at Kapnos Taverna in Ballston

“Top Chef” contestant Mike Isabella’s first restaurant venture in Arlington is finally opening its doors tomorrow (Tuesday).

Kapnos Taverna was announced September 2013 and planned for summer 2014. As most openings in the local restaurant industry go, delays pushed Kapnos Taverna’s debut back significantly — Isabella said they were waiting for the building at 4000 Wilson Blvd to finish construction.

Around Town

Spring Mill Bread Co. Could Come to Pershing Drive

By Ethan Rothstein

Published January 23, 2015 at 11:00AM | Updated January 23, 2015 at 4:25PM

Spring Mill Bread has locations on Capitol Hill and in Bethesda and Gaithersburg. It’s in discussions to move into a vacant retail space at 2209 Pershing Drive, ARLnow.com has learned.

The leasing documents have not been signed, we’re told, but the property owner, Equity Residential, has filed for building permits with the county in anticipation of a deal getting done.

Around Town

Kona Grill Coming to Rosslyn

By Ethan Rothstein

Published January 21, 2015 at 1:30PM | Updated January 21, 2015 at 2:16PM

Photo via Facebook

Kona Grill, an Arizona-based sushi and seafood restaurant chain, is planning to open its next location in Rosslyn, across from the Colonial Village Shopping Center.

Building permit applications were filed in November and are undergoing review by county planning staff. If it opens as planned, the location could be Kona’s second in Virginia and first in the D.C. area. The chain has one restaurant near Richmond and one in Baltimore.

News

New Cafe Coming to Arlington Mill Center

By ARLnow.com

Published January 20, 2015 at 12:15PM | Updated January 20, 2015 at 12:47PM

The Board is scheduled to vote on the lease at its Saturday meeting. The lease calls for rent of the 1,875 square foot restaurant space inside the community center to start at $43,200 annually, or $23.04 per square foot. That will rise to more than $30 per square foot by the end of the lease.

The tenant is Alami Abderrahim, a former manager at Lebanese Taverna and owner of the now-closed Moroccan restaurant Souk on H Street NE in D.C.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 20, 2015 at 10:05AM | Updated January 20, 2015 at 10:29AM

Target Eyes Rosslyn — A vacant storefront at 1500 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn may become home to the D.C. region’s first TargetExpress, a smaller, grocery-oriented version of the big box retailer’s stores. So far, Target has not confirmed the news. The storefront has previously hosted Rosslyn BID-sponsored pop-up market events. [Washington Business Journal]

Key Bridge Rehab Planned — The D.C. Department of Transportation is planning to begin a two-year rehabilitation project on the Key Bridge this spring. Most of the work will focus on the bridge’s substructure so traffic impacts will be limited. Other planned work includes new LED streetlights, stronger barriers between the road and the sidewalk, and a new paint job for the bridge’s fence. [Georgetown Dish]

Around Town

Pizza Restaurant Under Construction in Clarendon

By Ethan Rothstein

Published January 13, 2015 at 4:15PM

Brixx Pizza is planning on opening its second location in the D.C. area in a new building next to the alleyway behind CVS. The site is owned by Gene Roberts, who also owns the CVS, and is already under lease to Brixx Pizza.

The restaurant will be the building’s sole occupant and take up 3,700 square feet of space, Roberts told ARLnow.com this afternoon. Roberst is looking at a mid-summer opening.

Around Town

Sweet Leaf to Open Ballston Location Next Month

By Ethan Rothstein

Published January 9, 2015 at 11:00AM

The location of the newest Sweet Leaf Cafe at 650 N. Quincy Street in Ballston

Sweet Leaf Cafe is preparing to open its second location in Arlington next month in the county’s most popular spot for new restaurants.

The location, at 650 N. Quincy Street, will be one building over from 4000 Wilson Blvd, which houses Taylor Gourmet, which opened in July, and upcoming restaurants Kapnos Taverna, Pepita Cantina and ramen restaurant Yona.

Around Town

UPDATED: BBQ Restaurant to Replace Tallula & EatBar

By ARLnow.com

Published December 30, 2014 at 10:50AM | Updated December 30, 2014 at 3:15PM

A permit has been filed for a new restaurant — “Texas Jack’s Barbecue” — at 2761 Washington Blvd. That’s the former address of Tallula and EatBar, which closed in October after the owner was “unable to reach an agreement with the landlord on renewing Tallula’s lease.”

Texas Jack’s co-owner Steve Roberts talked to ARLnow.com Tuesday afternoon and said he hopes to open the restaurant by April or May. Roberts said Texas Jack’s will be a neighborhood-centric restaurant serving “classic central Texas barbecue.” Roberts noted that he has no plans for making Texas Jack’s a franchise — rather, he and his business partner plan on treating it as their “second home.”

Around Town

Wiseguy N.Y. Pizza Coming to Rosslyn

By Ethan Rothstein

Published December 9, 2014 at 10:30AM | Updated December 9, 2014 at 10:54AM

Rosslyn is finally getting a restaurant that serves pizza by the slice.

Wiseguy NY Pizza is opening a location, at 1735 N. Lynn Street, in the former Quiznos Subs location. In October, Wiseguy owner Tony Errol told Eater.com that the shop should open “in about three months or so.” So far, Wiseguy has not replied to a request for comment from ARLnow.com.

Around Town

Highline Hiring, Requesting Live Entertainment Permit

By Ethan Rothstein

Published December 8, 2014 at 1:30PM | Updated December 8, 2014 at 1:55PM

Highline, the new Crystal City bar from the owners of CarPool in Ballston and the Continental in Rosslyn, is taking the last steps before an anticipated early January opening.

The bar applied for a live entertainment and dancing permit, which the Arlington County Board is set to review on Saturday, laying out plans for “musical ensembles, solo performers, deejays, karaoke, and comedians” to perform nightly until 2:00 a.m. County staff has recommended approving the permit with conditions that amplified music be limited to Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, when all windows and doors to the outside are closed.