Ben Affleck Flick Filming in N. Arlington? — Local residents are telling us that ‘Argo,’ a new Ben Affleck-directed political thriller, is currently in production in the area near Overlee pool. [Forums]
New Restaurant Coming to Shirlington — A new Mediterranean restaurant called Medi is coming to Shirlington. The eatery will offer “uniquely blended flavors, healthy ingredients, and great value,” according to The Village at Shirlington Facebook page. [Shirlington Village Blog]
The Washington Post’s Going Out Guide has today’s scoop that mixologist Todd Thrasher, Northern Virginia’s king of cocktails, will be opening a new bar within the already-announced Eamonn’s: A Dublin Chipper restaurant on Columbia Pike.
According to the Post, the 30-seat bar — named ‘TNT’ — will feature original cocktail creations and a sort of global cocktail “greatest hits” menu. TNT and Eamonn’s is expected to open around the beginning of spring.
Memphis Barbeque, a new restaurant that’s starting to wrap up construction in Crystal City, is now hiring.
The restaurant (320 South 23rd Street) recently posted a help wanted ad on Craigslist seeking bartenders, servers, cooks, and hostesses. The ad also described the concept behind the $750,000 restaurant.
A Chick-fil-A restaurant is under construction at 6108 Arlington Boulevard, not far from the Target store that anchors the shopping center. The 3,700 square foot restaurant is expected to open in April 2012, according to the Falls Church News-Press. Like last year’s Chick-fil-A opening in Crystal City, chicken fans can expect the restaurant to give away free food for a year to the first 100 people in line at the store’s opening.
Next to Chick-fil-A is Cafe Rio, which will be the second Northern Virginia outpost of the Utah-based Mexican restaurant chain. Cafe Rio says its restaurants “offer the highest quality, freshest food you will find anywhere.” As proof of the freshness, the company points out that its restaurants do not have freezers or microwaves.
The still-unnamed restaurant currently serves but one main dish: the “steak and cheese.” A sign next to the cash-only ordering station sums up the difference.
“WARNING: We absolutely do not serve ‘Philly’ or anything ‘cheesesteaks!!!’ We do not claim or attempt to be anyone’s idea of ‘authentic,” the sign reads.
Thanks to new residential and commercial developments, and the coming influx of Fairfax residents on the new Silver Line, the number of customers frequenting local businesses — especially restaurants — will almost certainly continue to grow over time.
Given complaints that we have an overabundance of certain types of restaurants, we thought it useful to ask: what sort of restaurant would you like to see more of?
On the ground floor of two residential developments, at the intersection of so much transportation, a collection of shops and restaurants have been struggling to gain traction. But several new arrivals at the Market Square shopping center hold the promise of reinvigorating the area, bringing in new diners to Arlington’s last (for now) retail frontier.
Paisano’s Pizza, which serves pizza, pasta, salads and sandwiches, opened over the summer. Boasting a large kitchen but very little seating, the restaurant is hoping to capture take-out customers in an area where there’s only metered street parking and garage parking, and where most of the foot traffic comes from residents of the 465-unit condo building above.
County staff is recommending that the Board approve the small outdoor seating area for another year. Meanwhile, Green Pig Bistro is still waiting to start its build-out. The restaurant only recently applied for building permit.
The space, which used to the cozy digs of American Flatbread, has since been largely stripped and emptied out. The rear patio area that Flatbread had hoped to use for outdoor dining — only to have their request denied — is now home to a construction dumpster.
Restauranteur Michael Landrum is up to his mysterious ways again.
Less than a month after the quiet opening of Ray’s to the Third across the street, Ray’s Hell Burger Too (1713 Wilson Blvd), the sit-down table service version of the more casual Ray’s Hell Burger concept, has closed. A sign in the window declares: “Coming Soon… Big New Surprise!”
Are our tastes getting a bit more downscale during times of continued economic uncertainty?
In Ballston, Upper Crust Gourmet Cafe is being replaced by a ‘Daily Deli’ at 1000 N. Randolph Street. Upper Crust, which served a variety of food and was generally well-reviewed, closed in March.
A new Latin bakery and cafe is coming to the heart of Columbia Pike.
Signs in the window of the former La Cabaña Peruvian restaurant at 922 S. Walter Reed Drive that a new eatery called “Señor Pan Bakery and Cafe” is planning to open in the space. According to the signs, the bakery could be open as soon as mid-November.
(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) We’re less than two months away from the opening of Lime Fresh Mexican Grill (2900 Wilson Boulevard) in Clarendon.
The restaurant is currently under construction and, according to a recent job posting on Craigslist, it’s expected to open at some point in November. Located on Fillmore Street near the intersection with Wilson Boulevard, Lime Fresh is expected to have interior seating for 56 people, according to building permits. It’s unclear if it will have a sidewalk seating area, though one has been “proposed.”
