A sushi bar coming to Tysons later this year is making a guest appearance as a pop-up in Arlandria this Saturday.
Roll Bär is scheduled to take over local bar Hops N Shine (3410 Mt Vernon Avenue) from 1-6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22. The event will showcase items from the upcoming Roll Bär menu, like hand-rolled sushi.
(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) Procrastinating on your Valentine’s Day reservations? You’re in luck.
Here are the top 15 best-reviewed restaurants in (and within a stone’s throw of) Alexandria, according to OpenTable. As of publication time, each of these eateries still have reservations available between 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14.
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.
After three years in business, Adriana Penachio-Sifakis is ready for growth, and that means franchising.
At just 700 square feet, her sub shop and market The Italian Place (621 Wythe Street) can get busy fast, but customers don’t wait too long. A new self-serving kiosk in the shop and online ordering have made for a quicker experience, she says, and those who choose to stick around for a few minutes might get carried away by the dulcet tones of Frank Sinatra while perusing the market full of gourmet Italian products.
The Italian restaurant replacing Hank’s Pasta Bar (600 Montgomery Street) in Old Town could feature a brand new rooftop deck if it gets approval from the city tomorrow.
The building owners are scheduled to go to the Board of Architectural Review tomorrow (Wednesday) for approval of a full suite of changes, including the new rooftop patio. The new deck is part of a suite of changes planned as the restaurant prepares to reopen sometime this year as Hank & Mitzi’s Italian Kitchen, according to Eater.
Less than two years after opening its doors in Del Ray, Charlie’s on the Avenue is closing.
Owners Jeremy Barber and Justus Frank told customers that the family-friendly restaurant at 1501 Mount Vernon Ave. will be shutting down after this weekend. The last day will be Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 2).
Best Local Valentine’s Day Options — “We asked readers what they thought was the most romantic dining spot in the city. A few of the suggestions were Vermilion, Fontaine and The Wharf. Some suggested following up dinner with desserts from places like Alexandria Pastry Shop, Alexandria Cupcake and Blüprint Chocolatiers.” [Patch]
New Alexandria Tourism Campaign — “Tourism in Alexandria continues to be a major economic driver, and Visit Alexandria is launching a new marketing campaign to encourage even more visitors to come experience Alexandria’s charm. The campaign is targeted at overnight travelers who live outside the D.C. region.” [Alexandria Living]
Suggestion of Affordable Housing at School Sets Listserv Ablaze — “A contractor for Alexandria’s public schools set off an online firestorm by accidentally including a rendering of an apartment building with affordable units in a presentation about modernization plans for an elementary school… the mistake occasioned a ‘3 day+ rager‘ about affordable housing, racism, and–because this is Alexandria–dockless scooters, the halal chicken slaughterhouse, and a ‘road diet’ imposed on a different leafy neighborhood.” [Washingtonian]
Pushback on (Actual) Affordable Housing at School Proposal — “Members of the MacArthur Advisory Committee and the community were left scrambling last week after the city indicated it would be exploring affordable housing on the Douglas MacArthur Elementary School site. The announcement that the city would not only be exploring co-location options, but also providing funding to Alexandria City Public Schools for an architectural exploration of potential housing options, surprised members of the advisory committee.” [Alexandria Times]
If you’ve followed the recent widespread war over the best chain-restaurant fried chicken sandwich on the market, there’s a new homegrown player in Old Town.
Reston-based Thompson Hospitality, the owner of Hen Quarter at 801 King Street, has converted the first floor of the restaurant into the southern-style restaurant The Rub. While the second floor is still devoted to Hen Quarter, the new establishment, which opened on Thursday (Jan. 17) offers five fried chicken sandwiches with fries ranging in price from $8.50 to $12.50. The sandwiches are all made to order and take about eight minutes to prepare.
Starting this weekend, roughly 70 restaurants throughout Alexandria will start offering new specials on multi-course meals to get locals to try new places.
Alexandria’s Winter Restaurant Week is scheduled to run for just over a week, from tomorrow (Friday) through Sunday, (Jan. 26). The event, put together by Visit Alexandria, aims to showcase local chefs in areas throughout the city.
