Move over Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe, there’s a new pet-themed restaurant in town.
Brewski’s Barkhaus — at 529 E. Howell Avenue, along Richmond Highway near Del Ray — is envisioned as a restaurant and dog park. It will be replacing the Flat Top Burger restaurant that closed last year.
TV Show for Monte Durham’s New Salon? — “There is a possibility that Durham’s salon will be the premise of a new show. ‘I am very proud to say that I have been tapped on the shoulder by a production company out of L.A. that has signed a contract to do a sizzle reel on the hair salon, hopefully to take that to a network and sell it so we’ll have a show on that,’ Durham announced at a Visit Alexandria meeting last month.” [Alexandria Times]
Alexandria BBQ Restaurant on Local TV — “Tommy McFly visit[ed] Myron Mixon’s Pitmaster in Old Town Alexandria to see what it takes to cook award-winning barbecue.” [NBC 4]
Fire Officials Deny Seminary Road Political Pressure — “The AFD representatives… pushed back on allegations that the city had strong-armed the fire department into supporting a certain stance. ‘No one is going to force me… to put people in harm’s way – the first responders or the people that we’re charged to protect,’ Smedley said. ‘That’s my number one goal, and that goal can be accomplished with however many lanes are on the roadway, as long as certain measures are in place. If that is being jeopardized, I will dig in hard.'” [Alexandria Times]
Resident: New Seminary Road is an Improvement — “As someone who lives on a small cul-de-sac off of Seminary Road, I am a daily user of Seminary Road. I use the road several times every day as either a driver, walker, cyclist, or simply as a resident. The new Seminary Road is beneficial to me and to my neighborhood. We are able to live with greater safety no matter how we use the road. We are people who live here — not just drive through to some other location.” [Gazette Packet]
St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub has been a Del Ray staple for decades, and it’s expanding to Old Town North.
Owners Christine and Larry Ponzi recently requested an administrative special use permit request for a change of ownership to operate the coffee shop and restaurant at 529 Montgomery Street in the mixed-use Edens property. Construction plans are set and permit applications will be submitted to the city in the coming weeks.
After months of construction, Old Town’s newest sushi restaurant officially opened its doors on Wednesday.
The Handover and King’s Ransom — two different concepts from the owners of The People’s Drug (103 N. Alfred Street)– opened to the public at 728 King Street. The previous occupant of the space, Eamonn’s Dublin Chipper and the PX cocktail bar, closed last summer.
A new Nepalese restaurant and market is coming to the ground floor of a West End condominium complex.
Gorkha Nepal is a new location that will replace a previous restaurant and market in Watergate at Landmark, according to staff at the condo building. Like the old location, staff said the new Gorkha Nepal will give residents of the gated community a new place to eat and shop for some essential goods.
Late last year there were rumblings of some activity at King Street Blues, but it’s official now: a gastropub called Old Hat is coming to 112 N St. Asaph Street in Old Town.
The awning outside the location still says King Street Blues, a former two-story barbecue and southern cuisine restaurant that’s been empty for at least two years. Inside, however, there’s work being done to renovate the space and turn it into a new pub.
Sushi restaurant The Handover, which is replacing Eamonn’s Dublin Chipper at 728 King Street, is planning opening tomorrow, according to staff at the restaurant.
A sign in the window says the restaurant is focused on hand rolls called temaki.
A new Thai restaurant and bakery is coming to Old Town North.
Sisters Thai tells ALXnow that it plans to open its doors at 530 Montgomery Street by early May.
The Carlyle Diner is set for a soft opening at the end of this month.
The new restaurant is part of The Carlyle Club (2050 Ballenger Ave.), a nightclub featuring jazz and comedy shows and serving alcohol and classic American cuisine for dinner. The retro-style diner promises to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner in the form of pancakes, shakes, burgers and an assortment of pies.
Seminary Road Saga Continues — Despite suggestions “that the Alexandria Fire Department had significant input into the Complete Streets Design Guidelines and whether to narrow Seminary Road, documents obtained by city residents under the Freedom of Information Act reveal this was not the case.” [Alexandria Times]
Sushi Restaurant Coming to ‘West Alex’ — “Sushi Jin Next Door, which opened its first restaurant in Silver Spring in 2006 and now has a second location in Woodbridge, is opening a third location in Alexandria, Virginia. The new location will be part of the West Alex mixed-use development at King Street and North Beauregard Street.” [WTOP]
