Heavy Seas Alehouse in Rosslyn (1501 Wilson Blvd) opened last week and welcomed big crowds immediately.
General Manager Keith Kirkland said the restaurant has done more than $70,000 in business in just five days, including its soft opening last Wednesday. They’ve also gone through more than 50 kegs of Heavy Seas beer, he said.
A new location of the Little Caesars pizza chain is expected to open in the Columbia Pike Plaza shopping center at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Dinwiddie Street.
The location is in the former AT&T Wireless store at 5025 Columbia Pike, in the shopping center across S. Dinwiddie Street from the Arlington Mill Community Center. There’s no hint of an expected opening date.
The eatery plans to sell wine and beer, according to a permit application.
No word yet on an opening date for the new restaurant, which is located in Lyon Park. Paisano’s has one location in Arlington — near Crystal City — in addition to two in Falls Church and one in Alexandria.
Workers erected a sign at the new Ben’s Chili Bowl in Rosslyn this morning.
The sign, advertising the landmark D.C. eatery’s half-smokes, burgers, hot dogs and milkshakes, is now up at 1725 Wilson Blvd, which was formerly the home of Ray’s Hell Burger. (Ray’s moved to a new location across the street.)
Heavy Seas says it will open to the public on Thursday, February 27. It’s the Baltimore brewery’s second restaurant location.
A press release from the company notes that it plans to make food, not just beer, a major draw.
Interior construction on the restaurant, at the Liberty Center South development (4000 Wilson Blvd), is scheduled to start this month, we’re told.
Construction is expected to take about three months, shortly after which the restaurant will open.
APS Boosts Bus Service to TJ, Kenmore — In response to criticism from parents, Arlington Public Schools has extended bus service to more than 200 additional Thomas Jefferson Middle School students. It has also added bus service for another 28 Kenmore Middle School students. [Sun Gazette]
TV Station Goes on Pothole Patrol in Arlington — WUSA9 has gone on “pothole patrol” in Arlington and found “a plethora of pits along North Harrison Street.” One of the station’s attempts to report the potholes online apparently didn’t work and the county acknowledged there were “a few bugs in the system.” We’ve previously reported on pothole problems on Columbia Pike and elsewhere in the county. [WUSA9]
Yayla Bistro, at 2201 N. Westmoreland Street, applied for a liquor license with the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on Jan. 15, requesting the ability to sell wine and beer on and off premises.
According to an employee at La Côte D’Or Cafe next door, the restaurant will be located in their former private dining room, which was sold recently “to a group that wants to open a Turkish restaurant.”
The Twitter account @alongthepike first reported the news, then wondered aloud about the combination of business lines. “Really? Those go together?” @alongthepike tweeted.
Building permit applications show that a business tentatively called “Al-Huda Hookah & Smoothie Bar” is seeking permission to construct a new interior, with a section for hookah smokers and another for smoothie drinkers. The business will replace the former White Birch Traditional Martial Arts kung fu, tai chi and kettlebell gym, located in the back of the small brick-construction strip mall on the 2500 block of Columbia Pike.
“We are aiming for somewhere around the week of Feb. 17,” The Alehouse said last week. “No official date yet, though.”
The alehouse, affiliated with the Baltimore brewery of the same name, was originally targeting a December opening date. In recent months, it has been hiring staff and, last Friday, announced its Chef de Cuisine would be Marc Kennedy, former executive chef at McCormick & Schmick’s in Crystal City.
A new Indian restaurant recently opened in Crystal City.
Taj of India opened in the former Cucina Vivace space at 509 23rd Street S. It’s a second storefront for Taj of India, which originally opened in Georgetown 12 years ago.
In November, we reported that permits were filed for a “Thaiger Asian Bistro” in the space at 3035 Clarendon Blvd. Now it appears that those plans have changed and “Four Sisters Grill” will be opening instead.
Lai has been executive chef at Four Sisters, now located in Merrifield, for more nearly 15 years. Arlington Magazine called Four Sisters, which is owned by Lai’s parents, “arguably the most sought-out Vietnamese eatery in the D.C. area” in a profile last year.
