Numerous restaurants and sports bars in Alexandria are gearing up for March Madness this week, with plans to offer specials on drinks and bites while the games play on.
Fans will get to see how their March Madness brackets fare when the NCAA men’s tournament’s first round begins Thursday (March 19) and women’s tournament follows on Friday (March 20). Games run until the final championship games on April 5 (women) and April 6 (men).
The Commodore, a self-described “five-star dive bar,” is now open for business in Old Town.
Owners Rob Van de Graaff and Steve Kim used a huge trident to pierce the ribbon on their new bar and restaurant at 220 N. Lee Street yesterday (Thursday). It was an on-brand move for the business, which is filled with nautical decor.
Alexandrians can now get falafel with their cheesesteak, as a Falafel Inc. franchise soft-opened this week in the longtime home of the Philadelphia Cheesesteak Factory at 3060 Duke Street. Its new owner plans on running with both concepts, according to staff at the new restaurant.
The restaurant officially opened on Sunday, March 9. A grand opening event is currently in the works, but a date has not been set, staff told ALXnow.
Meet Kelly, a handsome dog at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria who will bring a mix of his playful and chill nature to his next adopter.
This 2-year-old is no longer a puppy, making it an ideal point for positive reinforcement training, an AWLA volunteer told ALXnow. The pup weighs 43 pounds and has a black and tan coat.
Alexandria’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade may have come and gone, but there are plenty more festivities coming to Alexandria celebrating the Emerald Isle.
Across the city, upcoming events include multiple bar crawls, live performances of Irish music and a feline-friendly “St. Catrick’s Day” at Mount Purrnon Cat Café + Wine Bar.
A software developer in Alexandria is piloting a new digital tool to help job seekers improve their resumes.
Craig Certo created Career Catalyst last year. It’s an application designed to cross-analyze a user’s resume and offer fine-tuned editing suggestions based on job postings they’re applying for.
A new children’s book is highlighting the historic work of Samuel Wilbert Tucker, an attorney from Alexandria who pioneered one of the first library sit-ins against Jim Crow segregation.
“Fight for the Right to Read” tells the story of the Alexandria Library sit-in as Tucker, at age 26, led a group of five young Black men to enter the whites-only Alexandria Library on Aug. 21, 1939. Co-authors Jeff Gottesfeld, Michelle Y. Green and illustrator Kim Holt came to the Alexandria recently to discuss the September release and sign copies during Black History Month.
The National Industries for the Blind (NIB) is celebrating a special anniversary — 15 years as a member of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce (The Chamber ALX).
NIB is the largest employment resource for people who are blind in the U.S. and is an active participant with the chamber. In 2024, NIB and its associated agencies provided employment to 5,142 people who are blind, culminating in more than $172 million in wages and benefits.
A new restaurant self-described as a “five-star dive bar” will cut the ribbon at its new location in Old Town on Thursday.
The Commodore (220 N. Lee Street) is the second location for business partners Rob Van de Graaff and Steve Kim, who also own The Commodore in D.C.’s Dupont Circle. The space was previously home to Mystic BBQ & Grill, which closed last fall after being open for a year and a half. Before that, it was home to Myron Mixon’s Pitmaster BBQ.
Two chefs from Alexandria are vying to be the next “Top Chef” winners as the show’s new season premieres today (Monday).
Anthony Jones, the executive chef at Marcus DC, and Jonathan Dearden, corporate chef at KNEAD Hospitality + Design, are representing Alexandria in season 23 of Top Chef. The first episode will appear on Bravo at 9 p.m. tonight.
It was a cool but clear day on Saturday as the 43rd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade passed through Old Town.
Dozens of pipe bands, Irish dance schools, community groups and local businesses marched along Alexandria’s historic streets for the event, which is hosted by the nonprofit Ballyshaners, Inc, whose name translates to “Old Towners” in Gaelic.
