Chip City appears to be on track to open its first Arlington location in Clarendon as early as next month.
The New York City-based cookie shop announced earlier this year it planned to open two new locations in the county: at The Crossing Clarendon, at 2700 Clarendon Blvd, and the Village at Shirlington, at 4014 Campbell Avenue.
The Clarendon location is currently undergoing renovations and an electrician was on-site installing hardware when ARLnow stopped by last week to take a peek.
While an exact opening date has still yet to be confirmed, Theodore Gailas, the company’s co-founder and chief brand officer, told ARLnow that the Clarendon location is likely to open between “late October” and “early November.” Gailas noted Shirlington location is still slated for “early January.”
“That is of course you know, assuming no surprises,” he said.
Known for its large, gooey 5.5-ounce cookies, Chip City has a rotating weekly menu of 40 different flavors, including the classics, chocolate chip and triple chocolate, and more unique flavors, from cannoli to horchata.
If the Clarendon location opens this fall, as projected, patrons may get to squeeze in a seasonal pumpkin spice latte cookie.
Chip City’s move into Arlington is part of a 40-store expansion in the D.C. area and across the country. This includes a Bethesda location Gailas also says could open in “early October.”
But Chip City will have some competition as cookie stores continue to gain popularity locally.
Captain Cookie and the Milkman opened in Courthouse earlier this year. Crumbl Cookies has plans to open this fall at the Lee-Harrison Shopping Center. And delivery-only local cookie purveyor MOLTN has a mobile kitchen at a parking lot across from Whole Foods in Clarendon.
Good Friday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
🕗 News recap
The following articles were published earlier today — Sep 15, 2023.
- 9:30 am: Amid declines in non-fatal overdoses, local addiction treatment options for youth are taking hold | 🗣️ Comments
- 10:30 am: Cleveland-based ‘loaded fries’ eatery launches delivery-only kitchen in Clarendon | 🗣️ Comments
- 11:30 am: Carlin Springs Road clocks another crash near Kenmore Middle School | 🗣️ Comments
- 12:30 pm: Adoptable Pet of the Week: Ike | 🗣️ Comments
- 1:30 pm: ‘Coming soon’ sign out for new Chinese dim sum restaurant in Clarendon | 🗣️ Comments
- 3:30 pm: Large teen gatherings after Yorktown and W-L football game prompt police response | 🗣️ Comments
Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.
- NEW: At long last, Astro Beer Hall to open in Shirlington next Tuesday (9367 views)
- Morning Poll: How do you feel about duplexes? (7014 views)
- Covid cases on the rise in Arlington, but so far lower than last year (5720 views)
- Arlington art teacher and parent learns to ‘walk with cancer’ after a diagnosis upended her life (5684 views)
- Listing of the Day: 309 N. Fillmore Street (5453 views)
- ACPD: Theft suspect throws fake gun at officers in Courthouse (4852 views)
- Construction on apartments next to Ballston Harris Teeter set to wrap up this year (3606 views)
- Public review of four major redevelopment projects could start up this fall (3154 views)
- Nottingham ‘swing space’ proposal puts cart before horse, says county-wide PTA (3131 views)
- Crystal Drive was closed for several hours yesterday due to utility company accident (2757 views)
- County Board, community leaders recommend tweaks to strengthen draft Plan Langston Blvd plan (2689 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Saturday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
- 8:00 am: Rock-n-Recycle
- 8:00 am: Free Basketball Skills Training!
- 8:30 am: Aaliyah in Action x Xtend Barre Arlington Fundraiser
- 10:00 am: Painting the Rose from Life with Teresa Oaxaca Workshop at Art House 7
- 👉 10:00 am: Rosh Hashanah Services
- 10:00 am: Make Your Own Water Kefir
- 10:00 am: Encore Stage & Studio’s Fall 2023 Open House
- 2:00 pm: Sound Bath in the Tiffany Gallery at Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington
- 3:00 pm: MAP Coaching Group Workshop
Here are the events planned for Sunday:
- 10:00 am: No Experience Required Artist Spotlight: Allie Tripp — Print a Local Postcard!
- 12:00 pm: Reason 2 Rock Music Festival
- 👉 12:00 pm: Old World Wine Tasting
☀️ Saturday’s forecast
The weather forecast predicts a sunny day with a high temperature near 82 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 7 to 9 mph. Saturday night will be mostly clear and cool, with low temperatures around 58 degrees and a gentle west breeze. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”
– Robert Frost
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋
A restaurant in Clarendon has hung up the ever-elusive promise of a “coming soon” sign.
It is one sign of progress for two Asian restaurants taking up residence next to each other on the 3200 block of Washington Blvd, in a retail strip that includes a pizza place and O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub.
The “coming soon” sign advertises the impending arrival of Tiger Dumpling, a Chinese dim sum restaurant. A construction permit for the space was filed last winter.
Meanwhile, a liquor license is now “pending” for Japanese restaurant called Izakaya 68, set to occupy a space next door to Tiger Dumpling. This restaurant is modeled after informal Japanese bars serving drinks, snacks and small plates.
Both restaurants are owned by the Ivea Restaurant Group, which lists these locations as “coming soon” on its website. The group runs a number of Asian-inspired restaurants across the region, including Ballston’s Gyu San, which opened this summer.
Neither Ivea Restaurant Group nor the permit holder listed on permits posted in the window of Tiger Dumpling returned requests for updates on when the pair of eateries would open.
Ivea Restaurant Group previously told ARLnow they were aiming for a summer 2023 opening for the pair of restaurants.
Tiger Dumpling and Izakaya 68 are set to replace Utahime and La Finca, which closed in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
These restaurant spaces have seen considerable turnover over the years, and were once home to European pub Park Lane Tavern, ‘Top Chef’ contestant Katsuji Tanabe’s Le Kon and a cajun seafood-and-sushi place, Asiatique.
Age is just a number and this furry senior knows it. Meet Ike, the newest Adoptable Pet of the Week!
This black and white Shih Tzu is currently in foster through the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.
His foster had this to say about him:
He’s an absolute GEM who has so much love and companionship to give! Although Ike may be a senior dog, age is just a number for this little guy!
For starters, he loves to get outside and walk. Even though his back legs are a tad wobbly and he appreciates a lift on stairs, he loves to stroll, check out new smells, and meet other humans… followed by a long nap!
More than anything, Ike LOVES to keep up with his people. Whatever you are doing — cooking, laundry, watching TV, hanging out with friends — Ike wants to be nearby chillaxing. He has snoozed through many work calls, so we can vouch for his performance as a good employee!
Just know that Ike is HOPING you might eat something yummy that you’ll be eager to share (hint hint). If you’re looking for the sweetest, low-maintenance buddy, you’ve found him!
Ike’s favorite things are: COMPANIONSHIP. Ike wants to be your bestie, and he wants to look into your eyes and know that you feel the same way! EATING. He lives for food, and a variety of flavors really gets him going! COZINESS. He loves a comfy bed, with clean bedding being especially exciting as he paws it into a state of perfection before flopping down with a contented sigh!
If Ike was an ice cream flavor, he would be: Cookies and cream. Let’s state the obvious, he looks like cookies and cream — heavy on the cookie! He’s sweet and comforting, but still upbeat and guaranteed to make you feel happy!
And don’t forget his best friend Kiki! Ike and Kiki are two seniors living their best life and need to stick together. Learn more about Ike by reading his entire profile!
Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with 2-3 paragraphs about your pet and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos.
A new delivery-only restaurant specializing in “loaded fries” has opened in a parking lot near Clarendon.
For Your Fries Only is serving up fries slathered in sauce and topped with a protein of choice from a trailer in the vacant Courthouse West parking lot across from Whole Foods.
It joins a handful of other food trailers selling everything from fried chicken sandwiches to Asian street food to asada fries via third-party delivery apps.
The owner told ARLnow the business had officially launched last week. It operates from one of the three trailers owned by REEF Technology, a company specializing in transforming underutilized urban parking lots into hubs for food and logistics. The food service arm of Reef is called NBRHD Kitchens.
Like other “ghost kitchens,” For Your Fries Only operates exclusively through third-party delivery platforms such as Uber Eats and DoorDash.
The concept has attracted a lot of media buzz and investors in recent years, especially during the pandemic when many people were getting food delivered more frequently. Based on its popularity, the Arlington County Board amended its zoning ordinance in June to streamline delivery for small businesses.
For Your Fries Only initially started with two locations in Ohio and has since expanded to Baltimore, Maryland and Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, according to its website.
The eatery offers toppings ranging from chicken and steak to shrimp and pepperoni, as well as various sauces. The menu also features chicken wings, available in sets of 10, 20, or 30, and customers can have them tossed in a choice of two sauces.
Photos via For Your Fries Only/Instagram
Good Thursday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
🕗 News recap
The following articles were published earlier today — Sep 14, 2023.
- 9:30 am: Crystal Drive was closed for several hours yesterday due to utility company accident | 🗣️ Comments
- 10:30 am: Wine robber arrested on bus after allegedly threatening employee with bottle | 🗣️ Comments
- 11:35 am: Turning grief into action, local mother aims to raise $100K this year for childhood cancer research | 🗣️ Comments
- 1:45 pm: NEW: At long last, Astro Beer Hall to open in Shirlington next Tuesday | 🗣️ Comments
- 2:45 pm: Local food bank avoids canned food shortage with donation from Bloomberg Industry Group | 🗣️ Comments
- 3:45 pm: Schools were in the hot seat during County Board candidates forum this week | 🗣️ Comments
- 4:45 pm: Most and least expensive condos sold in Arlington (August 2023) | 🗣️ Comments
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Friday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
- 10:00 am: 2 Week Clay Bells Workshop at Art House 7
- 10:00 am: Park(ing) Day
- 4:00 pm: Mattie & Eddie’s Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day – Sept. 15-17
- 5:00 pm: Free Great Lakes Beer Tasting at The Brew Shop
- 5:30 pm: Zumba Power Hour
- 6:00 pm: Rosslyn Rivals Spelling Bee
- 👉 6:00 pm: 50 First Dates x The Renegade: Speed Dating
- 6:00 pm: Music on the Plaza: Collective
- 6:30 pm: Erev Rosh Hashanah
☀️ Friday’s forecast
The forecast for the day is sunny conditions with a high temperature near 76 degrees and a north wind blowing at 9 to 11 mph. The night will remain clear, with temperatures dropping to around 55 degrees and the north wind slightly decreasing to 6 to 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”
– Franklin D. Roosevelt
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
Here in Arlington, real estate is a spectator sport. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive condos sold last month (August 2023).
Most expensive condos sold
- 1781 N Pierce St Unit 2601 — Rosslyn — $3,800,000 (3 beds | 2.5 baths | 2,564 sq. ft.)
- 1615 N Queen St Unit M502 — Rosslyn — $1,200,000 (2 beds | 2 baths | 1,691 sq. ft.)
- 1418 N Rhodes St Unit 128 — Clarendon/Courthouse — $925,000 (2 beds | 2.5 baths | 1,832 sq. ft.)
- 1201 N Garfield St Unit 609 — Clarendon/Courthouse — $835,000 (2 beds | 2.5 baths | 1,487 sq. ft.)
- 1805 Crystal Dr Unit 606S — — $765,000 (3 beds | 2 baths | 1,515 sq. ft.)
Least expensive condos sold*
- 4501 Arlington Blvd Unit 615 — Buckingham — $215,000 (1 beds | 1 baths | 533 sq. ft.)
- 1200 N Nash St Unit 508 — Rosslyn — $215,000 (– beds | 1 baths | 485 sq. ft.)
- 4306 N Pershing Dr Unit 3 — Buckingham — $220,000 (1 beds | 1 baths | 699 sq. ft.)
*Minimum home value of $200,000 set to exclude certain land sales, retirement condos, properties with expiring ground leases, etc.
The Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) says it avoided a canned goods shortfall with a timely donation from Bloomberg Industry Group.
Over Labor Day weekend, the local food bank said it received more than 3,600 canned goods from the Arlington-based affiliate of Bloomberg, which provides legal, tax and business reporting and services.
In a press release, AFAC says it was facing a week-long shortage of canned food donations, which “threatened to disrupt the lifeline they provide to thousands of Arlington families.”
The donation comes as the food pantry, which serves around 3,300 Arlington families a week, is seeing an uptick in clients. It attributes the uptick to inflation and rollbacks in Covid-era federal food assistance and child tax credits.
“As demands for food assistance exponentially increase due to economic setbacks like inflation and cuts in government assistance, AFAC’s mission to provide essential resources to vulnerable families has never been more crucial,” the nonprofit said in a press release.
That need is particularly acute in South Arlington, according to a recent study, which found the area has one of the highest concentrations of families in the nation who cannot afford basic necessities and childcare.
Overall, Bloomberg Industry Group — which has hosted food drives and helped bag food for AFAC before — collected 14,290 pounds of food for distribution.
“It was our privilege to lend a helping hand to AFAC in their time of need,” says Josh Eastright, CEO of the company, which has offices in Crystal City. “We’re proud to support the great work they do serving our local community, and I want to thank our team for their generosity supporting this effort.”
Last Saturday, employees of another company with a significant local presence volunteered with a food distribution event.
Amazon employees teamed up with nonprofit Food for Neighbors, which combats child hunger in the region, to collect nearly 20,000 pounds of food and toiletries, according to a press release.
After the collection, dubbed a “Red Bag” event, the items were distributed to more than 5,800 students across 42 secondary schools across Northern Virginia, including Arlington Community High School, Gunston Middle School, Kenmore Middle School and Wakefield High School.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Amazon as a Food For Neighbors Community Champion and sponsor of our first Red Bag food and toiletry collection event of the new school year,” Karen Joseph, founder and executive director of Food For Neighbors, said in the release.
The event was part of Amazon’s Global Month of Volunteering, “when tens of thousands of Amazon employees around the world will go out in their communities and do good together,” Melissa Robinson, principal program manager of Volunteering at Amazon, said in a statement.
Amazon previously helped feed Arlington Public Schools families last fall via a $155,000 donation to Food For Neighbors from Amazon Fresh, Joseph noted.
(Updated at 3:10 p.m. on 9/15/23) The long-anticipated Astro Beer Hall will open next week in Shirlington, serving decadent donuts by day and “astronomic” sandwiches and apps late into the night.
Ahead of the Tuesday opening, owners Elliot Spaisman and Peter Bayne are running around, making finishing touches on the 14,000-square-foot, galactic-themed space, while the team trains and awaits deliveries.
“We’ve got a lot going on over here,” Spaisman tells ARLnow.
The Village at Shirlington location is the second for the hall, which debuted in D.C. in 2019. The owners are bringing over some famed foods — including fried chicken sandwiches made with savory doughnuts — and debuting new bites. There will also be arcade games and, eventually, billiards.
The beer hall, with a sprawling 140-seat patio and adjacent coffee shop, took over the old Capitol City Brewing Co. space at 4001 Campbell Avenue, which closed five years ago. The Tuesday opening caps off two years of work in the midst of Covid and supply chain and permitting issues, the co-owners say.
The owners say they’re more than ready to open their doors.
“There’s a million pounds off my shoulders. It’s been such a whirlwind and a beast to get this thing open,” Bayne said. “It was so frustrating along the way, so to get to this moment where we can have a beautiful spot we can open up, feels so good.”
He and Spaisman opened the first Astro Beer Hall location all of four months before Covid lockdowns. While the location is faring well now, Bayne said the downtown D.C. scene is still stifled post-pandemic and he is excited to come to Arlington, which he says is “where it’s at.”
“This is nice because it’s a dense residential area in Shirlington with commercial and offices, a nightlife strip, and a ton of great options around us,” Bayne said. “It’s a hub people want to go to on a Friday or Saturday. It’s a little bit of something for everyone.”
That seems to be the plan with Astro Beer Hall, too.
There will be a coffee shop open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., serving baked goods, compliments of a doughnut-frying robot, and Compass Coffee beverages.
Over in the beer hall, patrons can watch sports from what Spaisman says is “a massive amount of TVs.” They can play classic arcade games such as skee ball and Ms. Pacman and, in the coming months, billiards in the basement.
Once it is beer o’clock — as early as 11 a.m. on the weekends but 4 p.m. on Mondays — the hall will start serving snacks, sandwiches and salads for lunch, happy hour and dinner.
(Updated 12:07 p.m.) Michele Fleming says losing a child to cancer is the “hardest possible thing you can imagine.”
Though Fleming is still reeling from the loss of her 18-year-old son Nathan, who lost his battle with cancer in 2019, she has used that grief to raise more than $300,000 toward childhood cancer research.
“It’s honestly still very hard to talk about,” Fleming told ARLnow. “But doing this — trying to help other kids in Nathan’s honor — is very healing.”
Following Nathan’s passing, Fleming founded Nathan’s Cancer Slayers in 2020 in collaboration with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, an organization created in memory of 8-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Scott, who died of cancer in August 2004.
Since establishing Nathan’s Cancer Slayers, Fleming and her nationwide team of hundreds of volunteers have collectively raised $310,759 by hosting lemonade stands and participating in the annual “Million Mile” event, where participants of all ages log miles walked, bicycled or run throughout September to raise funds for children with cancer.
This weekend, she will be hosting another lemonade stand at Beyer Volvo in Falls Church and other local vendors have pledged to donate portions of their sales this month.
Fleming aims to raise $100,000 by the end of this year. The money would fund ongoing research by Drs. Jeff Toretsky and Aykut Üren at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Toretsky was also Nathan’s oncologist.
For years, Toretsky and his colleague Üren have worked to find better drug treatments for rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of cancer that develops in voluntary muscles that control movements, such as those in arms and legs. Nathan had been diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, which commonly affects large muscles in the torso, arms and legs.
While Toretsky said he and Üren have made progress, one of the main challenges in pediatric cancer research is finding funding to develop a drug treatment for a specific type of cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 400 to 500 new cases of rhabdomyosarcoma are diagnosed each year in the United States. The majority of these cases occur in children and teens, with over half affecting children younger than 10 years old. Rhabdomyosarcoma constitutes about 3% of all childhood cancers.
Because these numbers are so low, Toretsky said it is difficult to get grants from drug makers to fund the research, noting Fleming’s fundraising is a primary reason why he and Üren have been able to continue their research.
Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
🕗 News recap
The following articles were published earlier today — Sep 13, 2023.
- 9:30 am: Morning Poll: How do you feel about duplexes? | 🗣️ Comments
- 10:45 am: Construction on apartments next to Ballston Harris Teeter set to wrap up this year | 🗣️ Comments
- 11:45 am: Arlington art teacher and parent learns to ‘walk with cancer’ after a diagnosis upended her life | 🗣️ Comments
- 1:45 pm: Public review of four major redevelopment projects could start up this fall | 🗣️ Comments
- 2:45 pm: Great Arlington-area plumbers who charge fair prices? Not a pipe dream. | 🗣️ Comments
- 3:30 pm: County Board, community leaders recommend tweaks to strengthen draft Plan Langston Blvd plan | 🗣️ Comments
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
- 11:00 am: Washington DC Career Fair
- 11:30 am: Tiny Stage
- 3:30 pm: Let’s Switch it Up: Video Game Social
- 4:30 pm: MoCA on the Move: Art Making Happy Hour — Stencils
- 👉 5:30 pm: Maximizing Your Social Security
- 6:00 pm: Pilates with Mind the Mat
- 7:00 pm: Honoring the Immigrant Experience in Arlington
- 7:30 pm: DMV Comedy Wars! Benefits Humane Rescue Alliance!
☀️ Thursday’s forecast
The weather forecast for Thursday is sunny with a high temperature near 77 degrees, accompanied by a north wind blowing at 6 to 10 mph. As for Thursday night, the sky will remain clear, reaching a low temperature around 57 degrees, with a north wind at 6 to 9 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
– Albert Einstein
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
