Around Town

Brass Rabbit Pub is looking to open next month, in the Clarendon space formerly occupied by the Bracket Room.

In July, ARLnow reported that a new bar planning to have “elevated pub fare with a healthy twist” is coming to 1210 N. Garfield Street. Now, owner Reese Gardner tells us that he’s looking at a mid-February opening for Brass Rabbit Public House, barring delays in securing county permits and passing inspections.


Around Town

A new wine shop and bar is opening on the ground floor of J Sol apartments in Ballston.

Not much is known about what is coming and when besides what’s noted in the permit application, which was just submitted last week.


News

The new restaurant at the former Green Valley Pharmacy won’t be opening until later this year due to some pushback from the community.

The local Arlington landmark at 2415 Shirlington Road is currently undergoing extensive renovations to transform it from a seven-decade-old pharmacy that served the Green Valley neighborhood into a kabob and burger eatery called “Halal Spot.”


Around Town

A new Korean comfort food restaurant is coming to Rosslyn.

The local fast casual chain SeoulSpice is opening a new location in Rosslyn at 1735 N. Lynn Street, on the ground floor of the International Place office building. This will be the the company’s the first location in Virginia and its sixth location in the D.C. area, with the most recent opening in November in D.C.’s Penn Quarter neighborhood.


Around Town

The former Whitlow’s space will apparently three separate identities when it reopens under new ownership.

In December we reported that Michael Bramson, who’s behind The Lot beer garden and the Clarendon Pop-Up Bar, was opening something new called B Live in the long-time local watering hole’s former Clarendon home. Before that, we also reported that locally-founded burger chain Five Guys was planning to take part of the space, perhaps as soon as this summer.


News

New Restaurant Coming to Arlington Ridge — “Chef Seng Luangrath, the Laotian chef who has been recognized by Michelin and the James Beard Foundation, plans to open a new restaurant at a grocery-anchored retail center in South Arlington. Luangrath, whose restaurants include Thip Khao in Columbia Heights, has signed a lease with Edens for a roughly 3,500-square-foot space at the Arlington Ridge shopping center, according to marketing material and a source familiar with the situation.” [Washington Business Journal]

De Ferranti Looks Back at 2021 — “[Arlington County Board Chair Matt] de Ferranti’s year as chair began in early January 2021, and the surprises started early. ‘I did not expect to need to impose a curfew on my second full day as chair due to the rioting and insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6,’ he noted. But addressing COVID and its myriad implications was the issue that was at the top of the to-do list for much of the year.” [Sun Gazette]


Around Town

Eska, a family-friendly eatery and hookah lounge that is replacing the troubled Purple Lounge on Columbia Pike, is finally set to open around Feb. 1, the owner tells ARLnow.

The alcohol-free restaurant will highlight Arabic culture, owner Layth Mansour says. But its opening has been delayed by months, due in part to permitting issues and Mansour’s health.


Around Town

Inca Social, a restaurant serving modern Peruvian cuisine in an elaborately-designed space, is set to open tomorrow in Rosslyn.

The eatery is opening in the 7,600 square foot space at 1776 Wilson Blvd formerly occupied by Kona Bar and Grill. This is the business’s second location; the other, in Vienna near the Dunn-Loring Metro station, opened in early 2019.


Around Town

It looks like the former Whitlow’s space in Clarendon will not be vacant for much longer.

The long-time local watering hole at 2854 Wilson Blvd closed in June. In July, we reported that the locally-founded burger chain Five Guys was planning to take part of the space. Now, it appears that another venue is also in the works.


News

Extra DUI Enforcement Starts Today — “The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) during the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign… From December 15, 2021 – January 1, 2022, motorists nationwide can expect to see increased messaging about the dangers of driving under the influence, coupled with increased saturation patrols to identify and apprehend impaired drivers.” [ACPD, WJLA]

Historic Board Takes Up New Restaurant — “A proposal to turn the former Green Valley Pharmacy into an eatery will breathe new life into a structure that has been vacant for several years… Members of the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) this week will consider a proposal to permit several exterior adjustments to the former Green Valley Pharmacy, which was operated by Leonard “Doc” Muse from 1952 until his death in 2017.” [Sun Gazette]


Around Town

Ballston is about to get a 6,300-square-foot taqueria and “margarita garden.”

U Street NW taco spot El Rey is branching out from D.C. and opening on the ground floor of the Ballston Exchange building at 4201 Wilson Blvd. After nearly two-and-a-half years of anticipation, following pandemic-related delays, the eatery is finally set to open its doors.


News

The City of Falls Church is no longer forcing La Tingeria to shut down its new restaurant by January, a city spokesperson tells ARLnow.

Last month, the popular Arlington food truck La Tingeria set up shop at 626 S. Washington Street in Falls Church. But only a few weeks later, the city sent a notice to owner David Peña saying it was pulling the restaurant’s certificate of occupancy due to neighbor complaints about customers parking on neighborhood streets.


View More Stories