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Fisette Delivers State of the County Address — After delivering the annual State of the County address before a group of business leaders in Crystal City, County Board Chairman Jay Fisette was peppered with pointed questions about some of the county’s costly projects and initiatives. Fisette defended Arlington’s lawsuit against proposed high-occupancy toll lanes, said the $160 million Columbia Pike streetcar plan will not be put to a referendum vote unless necessary to obtain financing, and called BRAC, the federal law that will result in thousands of defense jobs moving out of Arlington, “one of the worst decisions ever.” More from the Sun Gazette.

D.C. Bummed About Poor Ranking in List Topped By Arlington — Yesterday we told you that Parenting Magazine had bestowed the somewhat unscientific title of “Best City for Families” on Arlington. Now one commentator is wondering why the District was so low on the list. NBC Washington’s P.J. Orvetti rightly points out the absurdity of D.C. being ranked third from last in terms of recreation. Orvetti goes on to make the case for D.C. being ranked closer to Arlington, but fails to mention the elephant in the room: that the District’s low-performing schools and high crime rate preclude it from serious consideration on a list of family-friendly cities.


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The flavors will rotate. This weekend they’re serving French vanilla and local organic strawberry. Other flavors in the works include mocha caramel, wildberry creme fraiche, and red velvet.

How does it taste? Very good. The creaminess is definitely a notch or two above your standard dining hall soft serve machine. We recommend getting the swirl.


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On Saturday night, with the smell of fresh paint mixing with the aroma of espresso beans, Northside Social opened for a private pre-opening celebration.

It was a chance for the new neighborhood hangout to show off some of its well-curated wine and beer selections, as well as a few items from the food menu. It was also a chance for employees of Northside Social and Liberty Tavern — both co-owned by brothers Mark and Stephen Fedorchak — to step back, take a breather, and marvel at the fruits of their labor.


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Construction is taking place at a furious pace at the old Murky Coffee building. When we arrived after the short walk from Northside’s big brother, Liberty Tavern, general manager Alison Christ was surprised to see a chandelier already installed on the second floor, which the wine bar will call home.

On the first floor the makings of the coffee bar were coming together. Christ, formerly the sommelier at Willow Restaurant in Ballston, said the centerpiece of the store — a top-of-the-line espresso machine — was in the process of being flown in from Italy.


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See updated articles on Lyon Hall here and here. See more on Northside Social here.

Liberty Tavern’s owner is expanding his presence in Clarendon with two new storefronts, expected to open in a few weeks. Northside Social, a high-end coffee shop and wine bar, will be located at Wilson Blvd and Fairfax Dr, across from Silver Diner. Lyon Hall, a “European-style brasserie,” will be located at Washington Blvd and N Highland St.