Rigoberto Ferman, a former chef at the The Alexandrian hotel in Old Town, is opening “Ferman Bar and Grill” in Arlandria on Monday, July 19.
Ferman, who cooked at The Alexandrian and Hotel Monaco for 15 years, spent the last three months renovating the interior of 4112 Mount Vernon Avenue. The space was formerly occupied by Chirilagua Pollo & Steak, and the overhaul includes new flooring, the installation of three new booths and an extended counter.
After taking a year off, the Around The World Cultural Food Festival will be celebrated later this month at Oronoco Bay Park on the Alexandria waterfront.
It’s the first year that the annual event will be hosted in Alexandria, and it will feature more than a dozen food, dessert and smoothie vendors making dishes from around the world.
National search begins for new City Manager — “City Council has chosen the firm POLIHIRE to conduct a nationwide recruiting search. Members approved initial recruiting materials, including a recruitment brochure and timeline, during a closed executive session during the July 6 meeting.” [Patch]
Free food distribution this Saturday — “On Sat, July 17, @ALIVE4AlexVA will distribute food at 3 sites from 8:30-10:30am. Drive-up: Cora Kelly Elem School & NOVA-Alexandria (lot B-1). Walk-up: Ramsay Rec Center.” [Twitter]
Chef Justus Frank wants you to stay a while, and his strategy is Italian food.
In May, Frank and business partner Jeremy Barber said goodbye to their date night spot Live Oak at 1603 Commonwealth Avenue and reopened with Elo’s Italian Restaurant and Bar pop-up. The new concept opened its patio in May with a focus on family. They even have a kids menu.
Dessert collection of White House Pastry Chef up for auction in Alexandria – “Coming up soon, this fall, The Potomack Company in Alexandria will be auctioning [Roland] Mesnier’s dessert mold collection, which includes molds used to create peach sorbet for Princess Diana in 1985, as well as molds for dessert centerpieces such as a large American bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, the Queen of England’s coach and many others that honored kings and queens, prime ministers and governors.” [Alexandria Living]
City launches Unified Planning Team — “In one of the first major plan alignment efforts of the city, the leadership of [the Alexandria City Public Schools system, the Health Department and Department of Community and Human Services], with support from the Alexandria City Council and the ACPS School Board, agreed to the establishment of a Unified Planning Team to jointly develop the three plans.” [Zebra]
The promise of learning more about what types of city services are available through various departments might sound painfully dull, but fortunately someone in city bureaucracy understood that the promise of free food helps add spice to that offer.
The City of Alexandria, along with a handful of partners like Alexandria Redevelopment Housing Authority and the Campagna Center, is hosting a series of cookouts this week and next to provide more information on local youth and family programs, including Safe Space and anti-bullying programs.
Virginia extends ‘cocktails-to-go’ laws for another year — “During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many restaurants were shuttered, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) created a safe and secure way for restaurants to offer cocktails to go with a meal. The General Assembly has now continued this practice in statute for one year.” [Zebra]
Republican mayoral candidate Catchings announces she won’t get education endorsement — “I will not be receiving the endorsement from APACE – Alexandria Political Action Committee for Education. What matters most is that I receive the support from Alexandria parents and citizens for School Choice !!” [Twitter]
The pandemic is over, right? Not for Volunteer Alexandria.
The nonprofit is still in the thick of finding volunteers to assist with food distributions, in addition to vaccination pod workers and guardians at assisted living facilities.
Volunteers needed for ACPS food distribution — “Kids should ask ‘What’s for lunch?’ not ‘Is there lunch?’ Help distribute two days worth of meals for @ACPSk12 students on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays. Volunteers are needed for both mobile pop-ups and curbside locations.” [Twitter]
Alexandria City Public Schools will continue providing free meals this summer.
There will only be one holiday over the summer break — on July 5. Curbside breakfast and lunch deliveries and pop-up locations will be closed that day. The service will reopen on July 6 and all distribution sites will resume on July 7.
Goodie’s Frozen Custard & Treats officially opened its doors in the the 1930s-era ice house at 200 Commerce Street over Memorial Day weekend.
The frozen custard shop is now open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., or whenever they sell out. In the meantime, owner Brandon Byrd’s ice cream truck “Gigi” will be used for special events.
