The historic Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House site is collecting non-perishable food donations in exchange for admission discounts this holiday season.
Now through Dec. 29, guests who bring one canned good to the Woodlawn admissions desk can receive a 10% discount on individual tour admission. The food drive comes as the museums aim to provide non-perishable, shelf-stable foods in “waterproof food pantries” outside the front gates at the Quaker Meeting House.
A family-owned sushi restaurant is preparing to open soon in Old Town with a menu full of Thai and East Asian specialties.
Interior renovations for Akeno Sushi are wrapping up at 611 King Street, where co-owner and veteran restaurateur Eakachai “Sean” Promsiri hopes to open for business by the end of the month.
There’s a rush of business at Bar 86 in Old Town after midnight, after most of Old Town’s nightlife has died down.
Business is in full-swing at Alexandria’s newest speakeasy. By day, the venue is home to French bistro Café du Soleil, serving coffee, croissants and crepes. But at 5 p.m., a transformation occurs. The business closes, dim green lightbulbs are installed and tables are rearranged and set for 6 p.m. evening service at 215 S. Union Street.
Alexandria’s largest food bank is seeking more donations and volunteers as it experiences increasing demand amid the government shutdown.
Nonprofit ALIVE!, which provides food and financial assistance to about 20,000 people each month, says local needs are rising significantly as more residents find themselves out of work due to federal layoffs and the ongoing shutdown.
After months of interior renovations, Pak Soii Izakaya and Bar is soft-opening at 1909 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Owner Jay Chainam tells ALXnow that it’s been a lot of work to get the restaurant up and running, and that he and his staff are excited. Earlier this month, Chainam and restaurant co-owner Supattra Pummora held a pop-up to finalize the menu for Pak Soii Izakaya and Bar at their sister restaurant, Gin Ramen & Asian Tapas (500 John Carlyle Street).
More than a dozen Alexandria and area restaurants are participating in the 18th annual Taste For Giving in Old Town next month.
Tickets for the Nov. 7 event cost $75, and proceeds benefit several Alexandria nonprofits and charities. The Alexandria Rotary Foundation is hosting the event at the Atrium Building (277 S. Washington Street) in Old Town. Over the past 17 years, the Rotary Foundation has raised more than $1.7 million for organizations throughout the city.
A new restaurant has been proposed at the former home of Kismet Modern Indian at 111 N. Pitt Street in Old Town.
Restaurant Finn and Fire is being proposed for the space, according to plans going before the city’s Board of Architectural Review next month. The property’s landlord confirmed to ALXnow that a lease has been signed, although the restaurant did not return calls for comment. The proposal goes before the BAR on Nov. 5.
The Del Ray Farmhouse Market and Garden, located at 1913 Mount Vernon Avenue, has just opened a small grocery store inside its premises.
Owner Jay Portlance soft-opened the grocery store today (Oct. 8), selling vegetables, fresh bread, and eggs. He said that the store will support local vendors and farms. Portlance noted that the store is a “micro-version” of a standard grocery store and plans to expand its offerings over the next several weeks.
The government shutdown has prompted the Taste of NoVA to move from the National Museum of the U.S. Army at Fort Belvoir, nearly 30 miles west, to the NOVA LIVE event field in Manassas.
More than 120 restaurants and wineries are featured at the Northern Virginia Magazine event on Oct. 11 and 12, and organizers had to think fast as the National Museum of the U.S. Army is closed during the shutdown. Federal workers attending the event can use promo code GOV20 to receive 20 percent off general admission tickets with a valid government ID at TasteOfNoVA.com.
A local bakery just got a big order with a twist, literally.
Bread and Water Co. in the Belle View Shopping Center is now the pretzel maker for Capital One Arena. Throughout the hockey and basketball seasons, as well as during concerts and special events, customers can expect to find pretzels made by Bread and Water’s bakery in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County.
A Playa Bowls franchise just submitted paperwork with the city to open at 1229 King Street in Old Town.
The quick-service restaurant will sell “fruit bowls, oatmeal bowls, smoothies, and juices for takeout and pickup,” according to the special use permit (SUP) filed with the city. The chain was founded in New Jersey in 2014, and there are now more than 300 Playa Bowls locations nationwide, with the nearest one in Arlington, located at 2055 15th Street.
