Author: Katie Taranto

Katie Taranto is a reporter at ALXnow. She previously covered local businesses at ARLnow and K-12 education at The Columbia Missourian. She is originally from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania.

Around Town

Alexandria participating in Bike to Work Day with prizes, giveaways next week

By Katie Taranto
Cycling at Potomac Yard Park (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria and the D.C. region are gearing up for an annual celebration of bike commuting next week.

On Friday, May 15, Alexandria will host six citywide “pit stops” for national Bike to Work Day, where cyclists can partake in special events and giveaways. The free event “encourages the public to consider bicycle commuting as an affordable, fun, and environmentally friendly mode of transportation to get to work,” according to a city announcement.

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Around Town

Annual ALX Craft Beer Festival coming to Atlas Brew Works this month

By Katie Taranto
Atlas Brew Works beer (courtesy of Atlas Brew Works)

Several regional breweries will come together later this month for the annual ALX Craft Beer Festival, offering a taste of their signature brews.

The festival will feature a variety of ale, lager, pilsner and other beers from local makers, including host Atlas Brew Works. The festival is scheduled from 1-5 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at the Atlas Alexandria Brewery & Tap Room at 2429 Mandeville Lane.

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Around Town

Hank’s Pasta Bar launching dine-in service in Old Town this week

By Katie Taranto
Hank's Pasta Bar in Old Town (courtesy of Deb Lindsey Photography)

An Italian takeout and delivery spot in Old Town with customizable pastas is preparing to celebrate the launch of its new dine-in service.

Hank’s Pasta Bar, located above Hank’s Oyster Bar at 600 Montgomery Street, is officially launching dine-in service this Thursday, May 7, with a grand opening celebration scheduled next Thursday, May 14. The restaurant, an “elevated casual eatery,” has a full bar and offers a menu of “traditional Italian fare with contemporary touches,” according to a press release.

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Around Town

Old Town’s Il Porto to celebrate rebrand with ‘Renaissance’ dinner tomorrow

By Katie Taranto
Il Porto Ristorante on King Street (via Google Maps)

A longtime Italian restaurant in Old Town is celebrating its rebranding with a special dinner tomorrow night (Thursday).

Il Porto Ristorante is working on “refreshing the brand” at 121 King Street, with plans for a new logo, revised website and updated menus “to reflect a more modern look while staying true to what Il Porto has always been,” a spokesperson told ALXnow.

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Around Town

Alexandria paralegal spends weekends leading tours of local Korean cuisine

By Katie Taranto
Soomin Kim leads a Virginialicious tour (courtesy of Virginialicious)

An Alexandria-based food tour company is celebrating two years of teaching people about the local Korean culinary scene.

Alexandria resident Soomin “Mina” Kim spends her weekdays immersed in the world of law as a paralegal in Old Town. But her weekends are reserved for Annandale in Fairfax County, where she guides culinary Koreatown adventures for her small business, Virginialicious.

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Around Town

The Perfect Pita reopens after scaled-down renovations in Old Town North

By Katie Taranto
The Perfect Pita in Old Town North (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A Mediterranean restaurant in Old Town North has reopened after temporarily closing for renovations.

The Perfect Pita reopened earlier this week at 951 N. Fairfax Street. The restaurant’s previous plans for a second level and additional interior seating never materialized, but the newly renovated space features an expanded kitchen, a new shop counter and forthcoming outdoor seating.

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Around Town

LGBTQ+ café Friends of Dorothy aims for 2027 opening as fundraising continues

By Katie Taranto
Friends of Dorothy (via GoFundMe)

An opening date is on the horizon for a queer-owned, family-oriented café hoping to establish itself near Alexandria.

Friends of Dorothy Cafe founder Dorothy Edwards has raised about $25,000 for the café’s creation since launching a crowdfunding campaign last June. As the campaign’s first anniversary and Pride Month approach this June, Edwards told ALXnow the new business is aiming to open sometime next year.

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Around Town

Old Town Books owner prepares to launch literary-inspired Fabled Ice Cream brand

By Katie Taranto
Fabled Ice Cream (courtesy of Ally Fitzpatrick)

A sweet new release is coming soon to Old Town Books — although it isn’t the latest summer romance or nonfiction read.

The independent bookstore is preparing to enter the confectionery world this summer with Fabled Ice Cream, a new ice cream brand by store founder Ally Kirkpatrick. The brand is planning weekly drops of literary-inspired flavors, available in small-batch pints at Old Town Books (130 S. Royal Street).

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Around Town

Family-owned bakery Eclairons flourishes at new location in Old Town

By Katie Taranto
Eclairons' new location in Old Town (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A family-owned bakery and café from Arlington has officially expanded to Old Town, offering French pastries with Lebanese flavors.

Eclairons held a soft opening in February at 430 S. Washington Street and is now spending its first spring in Alexandria. The business replaced a vacancy left by Firehook Bakery, bringing a fresh look to the space with new outdoor pergolas and flowers.

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News

VRE to host info session on May weekend construction at Alexandria Union Station

By Katie Taranto
Alexandria Union Station sign (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Construction is coming to Alexandria Union Station during multiple weekends next month, prompting some single-block road closures.

During three weekends in May, the Virginia Railway Express will be directing improvements at Alexandria Union Station and working to replace the King & Commonwealth bridges. The projects at 110 Callahan Drive will result in some “limited weekend work” and single-block road closures, VRE said in an announcement.

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Around Town

USPTO cafeteria reopens to the public with chef-curated menus

By Katie Taranto
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) cafeteria reopens under new management. (courtesy of Jay Premack/USPTO)

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s cafeteria has reopened under new management, coinciding with a busy season at the federal campus that recently welcomed the National Science Foundation.

USPTO’s Roundhouse Café officially reopened to the public March 30 at 600 Dulany Street in Carlyle, offering sushi, a made-to-order deli, salad bar, self-serve hot entrées and a hot bar, the agency announced. The venue plans to serve a rotating variety of “chef-curated” menus, seasonal promotions and guest restaurants.

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