restaurant | ALXnow

Lights On: Two Nineteen Restaurant Reopening Today in Old Town

Published June 23, 2020 at 10:20AM

Two Nineteen Restaurant in Old Town. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

Get your cigar ready. After three months of being shut down, Two Nineteen Restaurant (219 King Street) is reopening its doors to the public at 4 p.m. today. The restaurant has undergone a renovation, too, thanks to receiving a Paycheck Protection Program loan back in April.

“It looks beautiful now,” Two Nineteen’s owner Patty Charoentra told ALXnow. “We’ve completely repainted the interior and repointed the brick. We also installed an air tap draft beer system, so your beer is going to be super cold.”

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Del Ray Pizza Restaurant Converts Parking Deck Into Tropical Oasis Themed Bar

By Vernon Miles

Published June 18, 2020 at 3:30PM | Updated June 18, 2020 at 4:51PM

(Updated 4:50 p.m.) There isn’t a lot of space inside Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap (401 E Braddock Road) to both reopen the restaurant to the half-capacity required in the second phase of reopening and maintain the take-out service, so restaurant operator Dave Nicholas said the restaurant decided to transform

“We decided that our to-go business is really strong,” Nicholas said. “Want to still be able to service neighborhood to-go. We decided to do a pop-up tent and concept on top of the parking deck behind the restaurant.”

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Pines Of Florence Closes in Old Town as Building Redevelopment Looms

By Vernon Miles

Published June 16, 2020 at 4:30PM

Pines of Florence in Old Town (1300 King Street) has closed, though how permanent that close is remained unclear.

An employee of Pines of Florence said over the phone that the closure was due to redevelopment for the building approved last fall. The redevelopment is planned to turn the block into a four-story mixed-use development with 31 condominium units and 6,400 square feet of ground-floor retail

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Mayor and Health Department Urge Caution as Alexandria Moves into Phase 2 of Reopening

By James Cullum

Published June 12, 2020 at 3:25PM | Updated June 12, 2020 at 4:28PM

Enjoying the weather and outside seating on lower King Street in Old Town. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria formally moved into the second phase of its economic recovery today (Friday), and while some businesses are embracing the easing of restrictions, others are taking a slower approach.

Even though there was only one new reported case of coronavirus in the city today, Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson said that phase 2 does not mean that the city is out of the woods just yet.

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Alexandria Cat Cafe Eyes a Mid-Summer Pounce Into Old Town

By Vernon Miles

Published June 11, 2020 at 4:45PM

In a rare bright spot of 2020, the highly-anticipated Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe and Wine Bar (109 S. Alfred Street) announced on social media that progress is continuing slowly but surely.

“Construction at Mount Purrnon is currently ongoing and it’s starting to look great,” owners Kristin and Adam said in a Facebook post. “The work crew is small (but very talented) and all available health precautions are being taken.”

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Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published June 11, 2020 at 9:00AM

Walking on King Street in Old Town, Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

ACT for Alexandria Calls COVID-19 a Racial Issue, Sends $900K to Nonprofits — “To work towards a community where all Alexandrians have an equal chance of living prosperous, fulfilling lives, we must work together to address systemic racism. That is a tall order. But together we can make a difference. Your support of the ACT Now COVID-19 Response Fund is an important step. That support allows our community to better respond to the needs of our neighbors facing overwhelming challenges.” [ACT for Alexandria]

Beyer Finds Fault in Indicted Fairfax County Police Officer — “This officer’s actions were unjustified, and he failed his oath to protect and serve. Body-worn camera footage clearly shows he escalated the situation with unnecessary violence against an unarmed black man.” [Twitter]

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These Alexandria-Based GoFundMe Campaigns Raised Nearly $150K During the Pandemic

By James Cullum

Published June 4, 2020 at 5:15PM

Murphy's Grand Irish Pub at 713 King Street [Photo via Murphy's/Facebook)

Assisting pregnant mothers, raising money for unemployed workers and buying meals for hungry residents are just a few of the causes Alexandrians are tackling through a number of GoFundMe campaigns.

The coronavirus pandemic has created a lot of need throughout the city, and a number of individuals, businesses and nonprofits have raised tens of thousands of dollars with local fundraisers.

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Alexandria Restaurants Adapt to New Standards as Pandemic Moves into Summer

By Vernon Miles

Published June 3, 2020 at 2:15PM

For Alexandria restaurants, reopening is not a return to the pre-pandemic dining experience.

Across the city, restaurants that were closed or had only been open for take-out and delivery are adjusting to new standards to keep customers and staff healthy during Phase 1 of reopening.

News

Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published June 3, 2020 at 9:00AM

Sen. Kaine Features T.C. Senior Graduation Speech — “Thank you to Mathieu from T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria for encouraging the Class of 2020 to be leaders and always lend a helping hand.” [Facebook]

Beyer Calls on U.S. Attorney General to Resign — “The Attorney General is the top law enforcement officer in the country, the leader of an agency meant to protect Americans’ constitutional rights. Barr betrayed that mission by ordering the violent and systematic violation of peaceful protesters’ rights. He should resign.” [Twitter]

News

Chinese and Malaysian Restaurant in Del Ray Reopens

By Vernon Miles

Published May 26, 2020 at 5:20PM

Del Ray eatery South China Restaurant (1302 Mount Vernon Ave) is now reopened for takeout and delivery.

Staff at the restaurant confirmed that the location reopened yesterday, Memorial Day, with a new menu available online.

News

Governor Declares Mask Mandate, Says Alexandria Will Open to Phase 1 on Friday

By James Cullum

Published May 26, 2020 at 4:30PM | Updated May 29, 2020 at 1:06PM

A crowded lower King Street on Thursday, May 21, 2020. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

Northern Virginia will join the rest of the state in reopening its economy on Friday, and that same day all Virginians will have to wear face masks indoors in public, Governor Ralph Northam announced today.

“Everyone will need to wear a face cover when you’re inside at a public place starting this Friday,” Northam said at his weekly coronavirus press conference. “That’s at a store, a barber shop, a restaurant, on public transportation, at a government building or anywhere where people can congregate in groups.”