RedRocks Pizzeria will be opening its first Arlington location in the Penrose Square development (2501 S. 9th Road) along Columbia Pike, according to public permit records.
RedRocks, which has locations in the District and in Old Town Alexandria, specializes in Neapolitan-style pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven. In addition to various varieties of specialty pizza, its menu features Italian appetizers, salads, paninis, calzones, desserts and a wide variety of beer and wine.
It’s been a big week at Pentagon Row, where two new restaurants officially opened to the public.
Nando’s Peri-Peri has opened in the space that used to be PR Grill, and Lime Fresh Mexican Grill has replaced Baja Fresh.
As the Washington City Paper reported last week, the Tacos el Chilango restaurant is expected to open at some point next month at 1119 V Street NW, in a storefront once occupied by an Italian restaurant. Truck co-owner Jesus Santacruz tells ARLnow.com that his brother, Juan, will be running the restaurant, while he continues to run the truck.
The truck, located at 14th Street N. and N. Queen Street, near Route 50, will remain open Monday through Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
A Bose store is now on the mall’s Metro level (ground floor). According to a mall press release, the location is a Bose “Personal Audio Store,” described as “the newest concept retail store featuring select products for the on-the-go customer who wants Bose to be a part of their active lifestyles.”
The Limited has moved into a new storefront in the mall. “The newly enlarged store will continue to offer the exclusive array of The Limited brand clothing and accessories and will introduce eloquii, their new line of full-figure fashion for plus sized women,” the press release says.
Located at 2800 S. Randolph Street, just off Shirlington’s main Campbell Avenue drag, this will be Cafe Pizzaiolo’s third location, after its Crystal City (507 South 23rd Street) and Fairlington (1623 Fern Street) locations. It’s expected to serve largely the same selection of antipasto, salads, pasta, paninis, calzones, subs, sandwiches, desserts and — of course — pizza. The eatery is currently applying for a liquor license to serve wine and beer.
We’re told that Cafe Pizzaiolo currently expects to open mid-July, though depending on the pace of construction the opening may actually be earlier or later in the month.
In November, Ray’s Hell Burger Too was transformed into a restaurant that only served steak and cheese sandwiches (and tater tots). A month later, the restaurant was quietly re-re-branded as Ray’s Hell Burger Too.
Yesterday (May 30) the Michael Landrum-owned eatery at 1713 Wilson Boulevard in Rosslyn changed identities again — to “Nice ‘N’ Greasy Steak ‘N’ Cheesy.” Nothing about the interior has changed, except the menu.
According to the Village at Shirlington website, Medi says it “offers the vibrant tastes of Mediterranean food, with uniquely blended flavors, healthy ingredients, and great value.”
It also says, “At Medi, we want you to Meet, Eat, Drink, and Indulge – That’s our motto!”
The eatery is going in on the 2400 block of Crystal Drive, right next to Buffalo Wild Wings. The Mexican restaurant will compete with a Chipotle right down the street, at 2231 Crystal Drive.
This will be the Bethesda chain’s third Arlington location, joining the ones in Courthouse (2057 Wilson Blvd) and Reagan National Airport.
‘SmokeHouse’ Coming to Pentagon City — Two veterans of The Palm restaurant are teaming up to create “Epic SmokeHouse,” described as a cross “between a fine dining steakhouse and a barbecue joint.” The restaurant will reportedly be located inside the Millennium at Metropolitan Park apartment building at 1330 S. Fair Street, near Pentagon City mall. [Washington City Paper]
County Launches ‘Green Streets’ Program — Arlington County has launched a pilot program to build bioretention systems into road medians, in an effort to remove pollutants from stormwater runoff before it reaches the Chesapeake Bay. [Connection Newspapers]
Court Rules Against Doggie Daycare Mural — A federal appeals court has determined that Arlington County did not violate a business owner’s free speech by forcing her to cover up a mural that county code interpreted as a commercial sign. Wag More Dogs owner Kim Houghton had argued — unsuccessfully — that the mural was artwork and the county’s action violated her First Amendment rights. [Associated Press]
‘Leek American Bistro’ Coming to Ballston — A new American-style bistro is coming to Ballston. “Leek American Bistro” will feature “upscale” dishes in a casual atmosphere. Chef/owner Nathan Spittal says the new eatery, located in the former Thai Terrace space at 801 N. Quincy Street, will focus on locally-sourced ingredients and locally-sourced beer and wine. Spittal is the former owner of the BBQ Banditos food truck. [Washington Business Journal]
The restaurant, which is currently under construction on Pentagon Row in the old PR Grill space, is expected to open on June 13 after two days of mock service. The company has several locations in the District and Maryland, but this will be the first Nando’s Peri Peri in Virginia. A location is also planned for Old Town Alexandria.
In addition to its signature Portuguese chicken offerings, the Nando’s menu includes sandwiches, wraps, pitas, sides, salads and “appeteasers.” The restaurant also serves wine, beer and sangria.
Update on 5/21/12 — A Lime rep says the opening of the company’s new Pentagon Row location has been delayed until Wednesday, May 30.
Lime Fresh Mexican Grill is expected to open its second Arlington location in Pentagon City next week.
