The restaurant, located near the corner of Wilson Boulevard and North Highland Street, next to Hard Times Cafe, is still in the midst of construction. But exterior signs are up and much of the interior decorating is complete. General Manager Greg Comer says he expects the restaurant to open at the beginning of next month, perhaps as soon as April 1.
“It’s coming along pretty well,” he said outside the store today.
A Naked Pizza restaurant will be replacing Pizza Milano, in a storefront that faces the Harris Teeter parking lot on the northern end of Pentagon Row. Pizza Milano, which used to offer free delivery, is now closed.
New Orleans-based Naked Pizza is noted for its devotion to making positive social change — it claims to be “part of the solution to the global epidemic of obesity and chronic disease” by making fast food “healthful instead of harmful” — as well as its health-minded pizza.
New Bar Coming to Columbia Pike — William Jeffrey’s Tavern will be a 6,500 square foot bar and restaurant on the ground floor of the Siena Park apartment complex, across the street from Bob & Edith’s Diner. The tavern, owned by the team behind Ragtime and Rhodeside Grill, is expected to open this fall. [Pike Wire]
Arlington Funds Slugging Web Site — Each year, Arlington allots $10,000 out of its $8 million commuter services budget to fund Slug-Lines.com, a privately-run internet resource for the area’s unique, grassroots carpooling system. [Miller-McCune Magazine]
Zpizza Opens in Rosslyn — Office-dwellers in Rosslyn have another lunchtime option. Local pizza chain Zpizza has opened next to the Baja Fresh at 1100 Wilson Boulevard. [TBD]
Alexandria Mayor Endorses Krupicka for State Senate — Alexandria City Councilman Rob Krupicka (D), who’s running for the state Senate seat currently held by the retiring Sen. Patsy Ticer, has received a quick if unsurprising endorsement from Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille. Ticer’s 30th District seat– which encompasses most of Alexandria and South Arlington — is also being sought by Del. Adam Ebbin and Arlington School Board Chair Libby Garvey. [Krupicka for State Senate]
According to the restaurant’s web site, Sichuan hot pot is a 1,000 year old cuisine that consists of “a colorful array of meats, seafood, vegetables, bean curd and noodles that each diner chooses from and dips in a communal pot of simmering liquid.” The pot can be served in mild or spicy varieties.
No word on when Mala Tang will open — it just applied for a liquor license today and nobody is answering the phone — but the restaurant already has a Twitter and a Facebook presence. They’re in the process of hiring restaurant staff, according to a recent Craigslist ad.
Holiday Closures — Most federal and Arlington County government offices are closed in observance of Washington’s Birthday — better known as President’s Day. ART is operating on a holiday schedule and Metro is operating on a modified schedule with on-going closures on the Blue and Orange Lines.
Real Estate Prices Up — Arlington real estate continues its upward trend. The median sales price in Arlington rose by 7.5 percent, according to Arlington Real Estate News.
Burapa Thai opened its doors on Monday. Located next to Circa at 1210 North Garfield Street, the restaurant serves Thai classics like Pad Thai and Kaprow, in addition to some signature dishes like the crispy Burapa Noodle in spicy chili gravy.
The restaurant also has a sushi bar near the back, allowing it to serve fresh sushi and hybrid dishes like the bento box with spring roll and Pad Thai noodles.
Illegal Immigrant Bills Killed in State Senate — Most of the bills that immigrant advocates spoke out against at a rally last week have suffered a quiet death in a state Senate subcommittee. The bills would have prevented illegal immigrants from attending public universities in Virginia and would have required citizenship checks for anyone arrested by police. [Washington Examiner]
Cyclist Gets Doored on Clarendon Boulevard — It’s a non-uncommon tale of woe from the cycling world. A bicyclist was riding in the bike lane on Clarendon Blvd when a parked motorist suddenly opened his door. A collision ensues. Police and medics are called. The next day, however, the injured bicyclist wasn’t able to get the driver’s insurance information from police. While this raises police procedure questions, there is also the larger question: Is there a way for drivers and bicyclists to share the road without injuring or cursing at each other? [TBD, Patch]
Mad Rose Tavern (3100 Clarendon Blvd) has acquired all the necessary county permits and will open to the public Wednesday afternoon, management said Tuesday.
The restaurant, shown here still under construction, will open its doors at 4:00 tomorrow afternoon after some last-minute cleaning. For the rest of the the week, Mad Rose will be open for evenings only. Starting on Monday, it will also be open for lunch.
The good news is that a new restaurant is apparently coming to Shirlington.
The bad news is that we’re pretty thin on details.
The board will consider the proposed site plan amendment at its meeting on Saturday. County staff is recommending the changes be approved.
American Tap Room is proposing a sizable outdoor cafe with three fire pits and seating for about 75 people, according to architectural drawings.
It is a Modern American-style restaurant with Irish, Italian, French and Asian influences. It is a restaurant, bar and lounge that will have extensive outdoor seating. It is a place to get small plates and half bottles of wine, or hearty entrees and tall glasses of beer. What it is not, according to dining room manager Scott Arnold, is a place where only the wealthy will be able to enjoy the finer things in life.
“We’re going to be providing a high-end product at a moderate price,” Arnold said enthusiastically. “I want to give you the best freaking product out there, within reason, for the same price everybody else is charging for crap.”
