It was just a few short years ago that Arlingtonians had to make lame excuses for why their D.C. friends should trek into the county. In 2006, one DCist writer (and Arlington resident) bemoaned “Arlington’s low bar diversity and mediocre dining choices” while trying to make the case that the Wilson Boulevard Taco Bell was a potential selling point.
Now?
(The county collects a 4 percent “meals” tax on all prepared foods and beverages sold in Arlington. Often, this tax is passed directly on to the consumer.)
A new meals tax delinquency list dated Dec. 14 shows mostly stagnation when compared to the list released on Aug. 31. The amount owed by the three biggest debtors has increased slightly in the past three and a half months, likely the result of the 10 percent interest the county charges on such debts.
Sure, there are some who will testify that the Chinese restaurants here are no different than anywhere else. But there are also plenty of people who have said emphatically that Chinese food was soooo much better wherever they lived before Arlington (New York City, for instance). For them, finding one — just one — comparable restaurant in Arlington remains a challenge.
What do you think? Feel free to share your restaurant recommendations in the comments.
Pentagon Metro Station Closed — The Pentagon Metro Station has been closed due to a suspicious package, reports Dr. Gridlock. Trains are still passing through the station.
Boy Scouts Enter Homeless Shelter Debate — At the county board meeting over the weekend, there was an unusual moment when a speaker used his time at the podium to ask questions rather than pontificate. That questioner was Spencer Cobb of Boy Scout Troop 167, who was inquiring about the possibility of a year-round homeless shelter as part of his citizenship project. There are 530 homeless individuals in Arlington, county officials estimate. More from the Sun Gazette.
The Quarterdeck Restaurant has been saved.
Owner Lou Gatti, who suddenly announced last month that the 31-year-old seafood restaurant would be closing, now says the Fort Myer Heights institution will, in fact, remain open.
The Quarterdeck Restaurant is closing after 31 years of serving seafood, beer and American cuisine in the Fort Myer Heights neighborhood, according to an email distributed to the Radnor / Ft. Myer Heights Civic Association.
Last week, it was reported that the restaurant had agreed to a 15-year lease renewal. But now owner Lou Gatti says that has fallen through.
Owners told employees last night that the restaurant will be closing after tomorrow, and that an American Tap Room bar/restaurant will take its place after renovations, according to sources.
We’re told that the restaurant, which opened in 2005, enjoyed commercial success at first but later struggled to fill tables inside the cavernous space. It was co-owned by restaurateur Franco Nuschese, of Cafe Milano fame.
Sushi Rock volunteered for most of the provisions sought by residents of the high-end condos above the restaurant: keeping doors and windows closed during live entertainment, using sound-dampening materials, testing decibel levels in condos, designating a “neigborhood liason,” prohibiting loitering outside the business, picking up trash outside, and so forth.
Owners did not agree, however, to restricting the use of outdoor speakers on the restaurant’s patio. But that’s exactly what happened last night. The board approved the live entertainment permit with a provision that the outdoor speakers be shut off after 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and 11:00 p.m. on weekends.
Police are out at Yorktown Bistro (5171 Lee Highway) after county code enforcement reported that a back door to the restaurant was open and no one was inside.
Apparently the same thing happened during business hours yesterday, leading at least one officer to believe that the restaurant may be abandoned.
Happy Veteran’s Day — A wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at 11:00 a.m. Most Arlington County government offices are closed today.
W-L High Teacher Heading to South Pole — An 11th-grade physics teacher at Washington-Lee is heading to the South Pole next month. Katey Shirey, 29, was invited to participate in a multi-million dollar Antarctic research project called Ice Cube. She’s only the fifth high school teacher to participate in the project. More from the Washington Post.
The company still hasn’t signed a lease, we learned; it’s waiting for the Arlington County board to approve a site plan amendment for the space it wants to occupy in the Clarendon Center development. That approval is expected next Tuesday, with county staff recommending the changes laid out in the amendment.
With the lease signed, Trader Joe’s expects to be able to open in late spring or early summer. No specific dates were discussed.
As Politico reported, however, such giveaways are illegal under federal election law. Starbucks has also learned that lesson.
But apparently nobody told local burrito chain California Tortilla. The company, which has a store in Courthouse, is offering a free taco to anyone who shows up with an “I Voted” sticker.
