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.”
The restaurant replaces the four-year-old Cherrydale Deli, but remains under the same ownership. Though some of the same deli items remain on the menu, Billy’s will focus specifically on — you guessed it — cheesesteaks.
The menu includes an “authentic” Philly cheesesteak, with steak, onions and Cheez Whiz. Other offerings include the smoky-sweet Arlington cheesesteak (steak, onions, provolone and Billy’s steak sauce), the Bacon Steak (steak, ham, onions, provolone and bacon) and the Pizza Steak (steak, marinara, provolone). Lettuce, tomatoes and mayo are available, but only on request.
With no formal announcement to speak of, save a modest “now open” sign outside the door, restauranteur Michael Landrum opened his latest “Ray’s” restaurant in Rosslyn last night.
“Ray’s to the Third” (1650 Wilson Blvd) is, at first blush, a casual-ified version of Ray’s the Steaks, with a bar. The menu, which is still being worked on, consisted primarily of steak and seafood items from Ray’s the Steaks (2300 Wilson Blvd) at a slightly lower price point. (The familiar Ray’s steak dishes are now all served as steak frites.)
The Purcellville, Va. restaurant is in the midst of scouting out available storefronts in Arlington County, according to co-owner Pamela Swanson.
“We are currently looking at a few different locations in Arlington but haven’t decided on one particular spot as of yet,” Swanson said. “We would like to confirm a location as soon as possible and be open within the next few months.”
Cafe Caturra, a Richmond-based coffee shop/wine bar/soup-salad-and-sandwich restaurant, is now open in the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center. The 3,400 square foot eatery, which features a decor partially made from reclaimed materials, officially opened its doors to customers on Friday.
Located at 2931 S. Glebe Road, Cafe Caturra offers specialty coffees, 24 boutique wines, two draft beers, and 20 bottled beers. The restaurant is offering mimosa specials on Sunday and is planning to eventually offer a weekday happy hour, according to marketing director Melissa Kirkpatrick.
The restaurant will be built on the ground floor of 1735 N. Lynn Street, which is also home to Chipotle, Starbucks and Chop’t. It’s not clear where exactly Perfect Pita will be located, but one possibility is the recently-cleared space along Wilson Boulevard that was once Tomo Sushi.
Perfect Pita’s menu includes homemade hummus and homemade meat and vegetarian pitas, as well as salads, appetizers and pizzas.
Interior construction has happened at an impressively rapid rate since the restaurant first announced an ambitious mid-September opening date earlier this month — but the opening is still at least two days before schedule.
The Alabama-based, Greek-inspired restaurant chain offers soups, salads, sandwiches, pitas and lunch/dinner entrees. The menu includes chicken kabobs, Greek salad, tuna salad, freshly-made hummus, a “club pita,” chicken pita pizza, spinach roll-ups and a turkey Reuben sandwich.
A new steakhouse is coming to the Village at Shirlington, according to a ‘help wanted’ ad placed on Craigslist.
Called “4 Seasons Steakhouse,” the restaurant is looking to hire an executive chef (“Experience with dry-aged steaks a PLUS!”), a general manager, bartenders and servers.
Dozens of taps line the wall of the bar, which opens up into a large dining room. Beyond the dining area is a glass-enclosed martini bar. During warm seasons, patrons can head outside to the sizable patio and get toasty next to the three fire pits.
“We’re excited to be a part of the Clarendon community,” said Vice President of Marketing Wade Breaux. “We can’t wait to see everyone in a few days.”
General Manager Dave Cottrell said the Ballston location may open as soon as Sept. 15, if everything goes well. We suspect that it may take a little while longer for Zoë’s to obtain all the necessary permits after construction wraps up.
Founded in 1995, Alabama-based Zoë’s is a rapidly-growing chain with restaurants from Arizona to Florida. Its menu includes kabobs, sandwiches, pitas and a variety of soups and salads.
