Owner and chef Nathan Spitall had previously owned the BBQ Bandidos food truck. He has worked in restaurants in New York and locally, such as at the former Harry’s Tap Room in Clarendon, and wanted launch a brick and mortar establishment in Arlington.
“The food truck was great, but my home is in a restaurant,” Spitall said.
The restaurant serves “quality smoked meats and seafood paired with innovative cocktails and high-caliber wine at affordable prices,” according to a press release. Lunch items range from$10 to $15, while dinner entrees range from $15 to $25. Soups, sides and salads are priced between $2 to $7. Wines by the glass — available whenever the restaurant finally gets its liquor license — range from $6 to $10.
Lunch items include the EPIC burger (pictured — blend of ground pork and beef, bacon, smoked gruyere cheese, homemade apple wine BBQ sauce, fries); beer belly chicken (beer and herb roasted chicken); and a cho’gall sandwich (slicked brisket, pulled pork, lettuce, grilled onions and chipotle mayo).
Talk about a quick turnaround. Just days after brgr:shack (4215 Fairfax Drive) closed its doors across the street from the Ballston Metro station, Earl’s Sandwiches is nearly ready to open in the space.
Last month, Earl’s co-owner Steve Dugan told ARLnow.com he hoped the restaurant would be able to open in early September, and a sign posted on the window sports the hand-written note “this week.” Dugan confirms the restaurant should open on Friday or Saturday.
The restaurant is opening in the former Market Tavern space at 2800 Clarendon Blvd. Interior construction is still underway, but the restaurant started accepting applications from job candidates this week. Job applications — for server, bartender, cooks and other positions — will be accepted through Sept. 7, according to the Market Common shopping center website.
Like Market Tavern (formerly Harry’s Tap Room), Fuego will have two levels: a tequila bar featuring more than 120 tequilas on the first level, and a restaurant serving Mexican small plates and entrees on the second level.
Owner Marcus Barnett said after the typical county permitting delays, he finally received word yesterday that the restaurant could open. He hurried to the bank, and had the doors open for customers by 4:00 yesterday afternoon. Today is the first full day of operation.
Barnett noted two things that set Tropical Smoothie Cafe apart from its smoothie competitors: the restaurants serves food and uses natural ingredients.
The restaurant will be replacing an existing deli across the street from the Ballston Metro station. Co-owner Steve Dugan told ARLnow.com that he hopes to open in early September, after a couple days of renovations. Dugan was unable to confirm the exact address of the restaurant due to a confidentiality agreement.
Earl’s of Ballston is applying for a license to serve beer and wine, according to Virginia ABC records.
The “Arlington Pub” will be located on the second floor area of the store and will offer local draft beers, wine by the glass, bottled craft beer, growlers and an organic coffee bar in a “pub style atmosphere.” The pub will also offer “tasty nibbles” for patrons. All beer will come from a 200 mile radius.
Whole Foods is planning a grand opening celebration for the pub on Thursday, Sept. 20. The event, which is open to the public, will feature raffles, beer mug giveaways, beer and food tastings, and meet and greets with brewery representatives.
EPIC Smokehouse is being billed as a neighborhood restaurant that “combines the best aspects of a fine dining steakhouse and a barbecue joint.” Work on the restaurant’s interior is still in progress, but according to a press release the eatery is expected to open in “early September.”
“The vision behind the smokehouse is simple — quality smoked meats and seafood paired with innovative cocktails and high-caliber wine at affordable prices, all complete with incomparable service,” according to the release. “Above all, [owners Joon] Yang and [Wayne] Halleran want their place to be an integral part of the neighborhood.”
After some delays caused by permitting issues, the owners of Bronx Pizza in Clarendon are hoping to open next week.
Owner Mike Cordero tells ARLnow.com that he expects to open the pizzeria on Wednesday, Aug. 22.
The cocktail-bar-slash-restaurant is in its “soft opening” phase and will be open starting at 5:00 p.m. each day this week. The owners are currently anticipating a more formal opening on Friday. At some point, the owners say, Eamonn’s will open for lunch — but for now it’s only open for dinner service and cocktails.
The eatery represents a significant expansion for EatGoodFood Group, which operates Restaurant Eve, Eamonn’s, PX, The Majestic and Virtue Feed and Grain, all in Alexandria. Not only is this the first Arlington restaurant for the company, but it expands on the simple fish and chips menu of the Old Town Alexandria Eamonn’s with new menu items like burgers, chili, wings, and shepherd’s pie.
It may be only a matter of days before Columbia Pike’s most ambitious bar/restaurant effort to date opens to the public.
Eamonn’s A Dublin Chipper and T.N.T. Bar, at 2413 Columbia Pike in the Penrose Square development, were hoping to open this coming Monday, but the opening had been delayed due to permitting issues, according to a PR rep. Nonetheless, the interior of the restaurant appears to be nearly finished and T.N.T. is already being touted as the ” latest and greatest bar” yet for famed local mixologist Todd Thrasher.
The restaurant chain, which has some 135 locations in Spain, France and Andorra, is expanding rapidly. AmRest, the restaurant’s European parent company, recently announced that it’s opening La Tagliatella locations in China, India, Germany and the United States. In addition to Arlington, news reports indicate another location is coming to Atlanta.
La Tagliatella is described on the restaurant’s web site as “a chain of restaurants specialising in high-quality Italian gastronomy… from the [Northern] Italian regions of Piamonte, Liguria, and Reggio Emilia.”
