Mister Days Café Reopens in Clarendon
Mister Days Sports Rock Cafe, 1101 N. Highland St., Arlington, opened its doors last Monday directly across the street from its former location, which closed in 2019.
Mister Days Sports Rock Cafe has reopened in Clarendon across the street from its former location. (Photo: Jared Serre)
The space was the former home of The Pinemoor. With a targeted June opening, delays associated with interior updates and work on the outdoor patio pushed back the opening date.
The new space features a DJ booth with five different sound zones allowing for greater auditory harmony between the dining and bar areas. There is also an increased emphasis on the restaurant’s men with signature American-style offerings. Some of the new happy hour menu dishes include buffalo chicken dip, parmesan truffle fries and firecracker shrimp.
Legacy HiFi Opens in Adams Morgan
Legacy HiFi in Adams Morgan serves “slims” — hot dogs — in dinosaur shaped vessels. (Photo: Joy Asico)
Legacy HiFi, 2471 18th St. NW in Adams Morgan, opened last Wednesday with analog TVs, a vintage soda machine and payphones. It replaced rugby bar Tight Five Pub.
From the team behind Legacy DC, Legacy HiFi marks 3-year-old mashup brand’s first foray into hospitality.
Cocktails are $10 for an espresso martini, Moscow mule, margarita, rum punch, paloma, gin Rickey or Old Fashioned plus shot combos, too.
Currently, only cocktails from Tim Slayton, formerly of Marvin, are available. But food will follow from chef Mathew Ramsey, who previously worked at D.C.’s Michelin one-starred Tail Up Goat and two-starred Pineapple & Pearls.
Legacy HiFi will have dinosaur-shaped dining vessels. Brontosaurus figurines house hot dogs topped with edible glitter, while a T-Rex holds the pickles for sliders.
The menu will feature “shorties” (sliders) and “slims” (hot dogs) served on silver trays. Culver’s ButterBurger was the inspiration for his smash patty sliders. Topped with a pat of miso-brown butter for a rich-and-juicy finish, the dry-aged trio on soft potato rolls comes with mustard, pickles, griddled onions and smoky sauce. Another slider stars a slather of kimchi and pimento cheese with a hot honey drizzle. All-beef smoked franks get pickle-brined, deep fried and topped with diced onions and relish.
The walls include graffiti from Tyler Stoe along with random retro goods. That includes coin-operated telephones and a reclaimed soda machine that, with a push of a button, opens to a staircase that leads to a future second level. A roll-up garage door leads to an outdoor patio that will debut in the spring.
Bands and weekly DJs are slated to perform on a newly built stage.
Legacy HiFi is open from 5 p.m.-midnight Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Curry & Clay Oven Opens in Arlington
Curry & Clay Oven, a halal Indian restaurant, is now open in Arlington. (Photo: Curry & Clay Oven/Facebook)
Curry & Clay Oven, a halal Indian restaurant. opened recently at 5645 Langston Blvd., Arlington, in the space formerly occupied by Chicago’s Pizza with a Twist.
The restaurant serves traditional Indian dishes like biryani, palak paneer and curry, as well as fusion dishes such as paneer cheesesteaks, butter chicken pizzas and masala fries.
It uses a tandoor, or a cylindrical clay oven, to prepare chicken, salmon and prawn. Meats are marinated in traditional Indian yogurt and masala spices before being placed over an open fire, which gives the food a smoky flavor and tender texture.
Accompanying tandoori items, the restaurant’s curry options can be ordered with chicken, seafood, goat or lamb or as vegetarian dishes.
Curry & Clay Oven is open from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily, with seating for 24 people inside.
Stupid Good BBQ Coming to Springfield Thursday
Stupid Good BBQ opens in Springfield on Thursday.
(Photo: Great American Restaurants)
Stupid Good BBQ from Great American Restaurants, which also owns Mike’s American, Coastal Flats and other popular Northern Virginia restaurants, will open at 6125 Backlick Road, Springfield, in the Concord Shopping Center on Thursday.
The 2,700 square-foot restaurant across from Mike’s American will feature more than six different “high-quality, slow-smoked” meats, including brisket, turkey, pulled pork and pulled chicken.
According to a press release, the restaurant’s signature offerings are “smashed” baked potatoes, featuring a variety of traditional toppings. Diners can also opt to add chili, brisket or pulled pork.
“We’re excited to bring our love of delicious BBQ to Stupid Good BBQ,” Great American Restaurants CEO Jon Norton said in a press release. “Our team created a menu that brings out the best in BBQ, using our dedication to quality ingredients, scratch-made cooking and some twists on classic comfort food.”
Other main options include five different sandwiches, as well as a chopped salad and pulled chicken salad. Diners will be able to choose from nine different traditional side dishes, including potato salad, mac and cheese and collard greens. Six different sauce options will also be available, including two influenced by traditional barbecue hotbeds across the country.
Stupid Good BBQ will be open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Dirty Dough Cookies Opening in Rockville This Month
Dirty Dough cookies will open in Rockville this month.
(Photo: Dirty Dough/Instagram)
Dirty Dough will open its first Montgomery County cookie shop on Dec. 18 at 36B Maryland Ave. in Rockville Town Square in the location that formerly housed Berry Cup, which closed in the summer of 2022.
Dirty Dough cookies are engineered from the inside out, with every cookie featuring a combination of layers, mix-ins or filling within the dough.
Dirty Dough Cookies started in a dorm room kitchen in Tempe, Ariz., and is now expanding with many locations throughout the country.
The chain has locations in Laurel and Baltimore. The Rockville store will be open from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. most days, including Sundays.
Beth’s Café Set to Open Friday in Bethesda
Beth’s Cafe & Bar will open Friday in Bethesda. (Photo: Robert Dyer)
Beth’s Café and Bar is set to open Friday at 4950 Fairmonth Ave., Bethesda.
The American eatery shares a building with Eastern Mediterranean restaurant https://www.ala-dc.com/bethesda Ala. Both are owned by Celal Gulluoglu but will have different management.
During the grand opening, guests can sip cocktails or mocktails and listen to a performance by Bethesda-based jazz quartet SK Jazz. The restaurant will have blues and jazz music playing in the background of the 2,750 square-foot restaurant.
The menu will feature an assortment of small plates including baked brie with fig jam and walnuts; Maryland crab dip; a cheese board; hot honey chicken bites; Brussels sprouts; and macaroni and cheese. For larger dishes, Beth’s will offer seafood plates such as fried branzino as well as quesadillas, tacos and sandwiches. Dessert offerings include fudge brownies and cast-iron baked cookies.
A variety of wines and beer will be available, along with cocktails such as the Bethany with hibiscus and jalapeno-infused tequila, and mocktails such as the Bloom with rose water and iced black tea.
Like Ala, which opened in March, Beth’s is located in the former Positano Ristorante, which closed in May 2021 during a lengthy legal battle within the family who owned the restaurant for more than 40 years. It was split into two separate spaces.
The former Italian restaurant’s once ivy-covered banquet rooms have been transformed into a contemporary and industrial space. Wood garage doors open to an outside dining area and bar that is covered and heated and leads into an inner dining room.
Joia Burger Coming to Glover Park in January
Joia Burger will bring its smash burgers and ube soft serve to Glover Park in January. (Photo: Joia Burger/Instagram)
Mount Pleasant’s Joia Burger will bring its smash burgers, fries and purple ube soft-serve ice cream to 2414 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Glover Park, the former home of Z Burger.
Patrice Cleary, who also owns Filipino restaurant Purple Patch in Mount Pleasant, debuted the first location last March. The Glover Park menu will remain the same with American wagyu beef smash patties (single, double, or triple) topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle in special sauce. There will also be the house-made veggie burger topped with Filipino-style papaya salad; a $10 kids’ meal; and the purple ube ice cream.
One addition is coffee from Sun & Stars coffee roaster, which focuses on Arabica beans from the Philippines.
The new location is a bit bigger than the original with 25 seats between booths, tables, and counter space.
Hangry Joe’s Headed to Silver Spring
Hangry Joe’s chicken restaurant will open in the Briggs Cheney Marketplace next year. (Photo: Hangry Joe’s/Facebook)
Hangry Joe’s will open a new location at 13811 Outlet Drive, Silver Spring, in the Briggs Chaney Marketplace. The space formerly housed Metro PCS.
The chain is known for its hot chicken sandwiches, the “Chicken Sando”, and allows diners to choose the spice level of the fried chicken (Plain-Mild-Medium-Hot-Angry Hot). In addition to the chicken sandwich, the menu also includes chicken fingers, chicken and waffles, wraps, nuggets, loaded fries and salads. Sides include cider slaw, waffle fries and fried okra.
Hangry Joe’s has additional Montgomery County locations in Wheaton, two in Rockville, Montgomery Village and Germantown, as well as Prince George’s County, D.C. and Northern Virginia.
Flight Club Opening in Mt. Vernon Square This Winter
Flight Club, an upscale darts pub, will open near the convention center this winter. (Photo: Flight Club)
Flight Club, an upscale social darts concept, will open its seventh U.S. location at 641 New York Ave. NW in Mount Vernon Square this winter.
Launched in the U.S. in 2018 by State of Play Hospitality, Flight Club pairs craft cocktails and elevated cuisine with its signature fast-paced, technology-driven social darts experience.
It uses proprietary scoring software that enables automatic scoring and runs several multiplayer games for groups of up to 300 people. A hidden camera captures video of the winner’s final throw and screens an instant replay.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing Flight Club to the nation’s capital this winter,” said Toby Harris, State of Play Hospitality CEO, in a press release. “We’ve had our eyes on D.C. for many years and found the perfect home in Mount Vernon Square.”
Between rounds, players can sip on cocktails or mocktails crafted with top-shelf spirits, including the Espresso Old Fashioned with Woodford Reserve bourbon, espresso, vanilla and chocolate bitters; the spicy Oaxacan Seaglass with green chili house-infused Banhez mezcal, lychee, lime and ginger); or Ladybird with Planteray rum, hibiscus, lime, watermelon and egg white.
Globally-inspired dishes include lobster elote dip with grilled street corn, jalapeños, cilantro, cotija, tajin, lime and mayonnaise served with tajin tortilla chips; flatbreads; mini beef barbacoa tacos topped with a cilantro crema; or mini poké tacos drizzled with gochujang aioli and layered with crushed wasabi peas. For dessert, there is cotton candy.
The D.C. location will be 8,300 square feet with 12 “oches” and semi private playing areas.
Flight Club, launched in London in 2015, is inspired by fairgrounds and the British pub with Victorian-inflected design. It opened its first U.S. location in Chicago in 2018 and now has locations in Boston, Houston, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Denver. New locations in Philadelphia and St. Louis will also open this winter, with a flagship New York City location coming in late 2025.
Sake Express Hibachi Coming to Alexandria
Sake Express Japanese Habachi is coming to Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood. (Photo: James Cullum)
Sake Express Japanese Hibachi, a Japanese steakhouse, will open at 3827 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, in the Del Ray North shopping center within the next two months. The space formerly housed Toppers Pizza, which closed in 2023.
The company has three other locations, including Sake Japanese Steakhouse at 2016 Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria.
The eatery is a full service taipanyaki restaurant and features a variety of house special rolls with sauces, fresh sushi and traditional Japanese cuisine.
Maman Café and Bakery Headed to Courthouse
Maman will open in Arlington’s Courthouse neighborhood next summer. (Photo: Maman/Facebook)
New York City-based Maman, a French-inspired cafe and bakery chain, plans to open in the Courthouse neighborhood next summer on the ground floor of The Commodore apartments, 2055 15th St. N., Arlington.
Maman — meaning “mom” in French — is known for its blue floral aesthetic and menu items like quiche and tartine. While menus vary from location to location, the French countryside-themed cafe serves brunch dishes including omelets and eggs ratatouille, in addition to soups, salads and sandwiches. In the bakery, seasonal pastries like the apple chai pecan rolls accompany classic treats like pain au chocolat and chocolate chip cookies. It will also serve Youky’s Club Sandwich, a dish exclusive to Maman’s DMV locations.
Maman has opened six locations in D.C. and Bethesda since it announced area expansion plans in 2022. The cafe has over 30 locations total across the East Coast and Canada. Last month, it announced it would open its first Virginia location in Fairfax’s Mosaic District.
Miss Likklemores to Replace Philotmo
According to a liquor license application, Miss Likklemores will replace Philotimo at 1100 15th St. NW.
According to the liquor license placard in the window, Miss Likklemores will be a new
Class C restaurant with indoor seating for 260, a summer garden with 50 seats and a capacity of 64, and total occupancy 324.
The restaurant is also requesting an entertainment endorsement to provide live entertainment inside and a holiday extension of hours endorsement.
There is a Miss Likklemore’s in Toronto, Ontario. It serves Caribbean food including crispy fried snapper; pesto cassarece, house made pasta with collards, confit tomato, pine nuts, scotch bonnet pangrattato and parmigiano; slow braised oxtail spinners, butter bean puree, crispy shallot and chile; plantain chips;
tempura okra; and doubles with masala chickpeas, tamarind glaze, kuchela and cucumber pickle.
Chef Nick Steffanelli’s Philotimo closed in May.
Quickway to Replace Khana in Burtonsville
Quickway Japanese Habachi is coming to Burtonsville next year. (Photo: Quickway Japanese Habachi)
Qucikway, a Japanese hibachi restaurant, will replace Khana a Claypot Grille at 15616 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, in the Burtonsville Town Square. Khana closed in September.
Quickway will open its eighth Montgomery County location next to Jersey’s Mike’s. There is no word on an opening date yet, but mid-year is certainly possible.
The regional chain’s signature hibachi chicken is $9.25 and other meals range from $9.25-$13.85. Bento boxes, beef, shrimp, tofu, salmon, sushi, poke bowls and more are also on the menu.
Quickway opened its first location in 2012.
Port of Subs Eyes 70 DMV Shops Over Next Decade
Port of Subs will open its first DMV location in Arlington in May. (Photo: Port of Subs)
Port of Subs, the Nevada-based submarine sandwich chain, is expected open at open an Arlington shop next May as it rolls out plans for a DMV expansion.
The nautical-themed chain expects to establish 70 locations in the region over the next decade, Port of Subs announced last month.
Port of Subs is looking at “key cities” including Arlington, Frederick, and National Harbor for its first Mid-Atlantic stores, according to a press release.
The company offers hot and cold subs, wraps, salads and desserts.
“Through this 70-unit development deal, the brand intends to bring its community-centric approach to operations and high-quality food to new neighborhoods across the East Coast, starting with this agreement,” a spokesperson wrote.
The local expansion will be led by franchisee Bryan Denson, an Air Force veteran and former national security worker.
“I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and enjoyed researching and trying new ways to improve and innovate, regardless of whether it was a military task, a policy task or working in my wood shop,” Denson said. “I felt the time was right to bring all my experiences together to create a new opportunity to serve.”
Outside the DMV, Port of Subs is growing nationwide with 300 shops currently in development in the Midwest, the South and California. These plans came following the chain’s acquisition by Area 15 Ventures LLC, a private equity firm led by RE/MAX co-founder Dave Liniger.
California Tortilla Closes Gaithersburg Location
California Tortilla closed its Spectrum Town Center location in Gaithersburg last week. (Photo: TJ B./Yelp)
California Tortilla closed its 255 Spectrum Ave., Gaithersburg, at the Spectrum Town Center permanently on Nov. 27. Its restaurant at 12211 Darnestown Road, Gaithersburg, remains open.
The restaurant had a 10 year run, opening its doors in December 2014. California Tortilla has nearly 50 restaurants in the DMV, and its first location opened on Cordell Avenue in Bethesda in August 1995. The restaurant’s headquarters are currently located in Potomac.
A sign on the Gaithersburg store door states, “We will be permanently closing at the end of the day on Wednesday, November 27th. We sincerely appreciate your patronage over the past ten years and are fortunate enough to call many of you friends. We hope you understand that we will be slowly running out of certain items over the next several days and some flexibility on orders might be necessary. We will do our best to accommodate you with our remaining inventory. We wish you all of you and your family a happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday season. Sincerely, the team at California Tortilla Paramount”
Earlier this year, California Tortilla signed an agreement with a new franchise group to open a new location in Montgomery County by early 2025. The group consists of former Olney location employee, Erin Bila, her husband, Rogerio, and a business partner. Though the exact location is not yet available, we were told it will be located somewhere between Chevy Chase and Gaithersburg, likely along Rockville Pike.
The company is looking to grow around Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and to span out along the Eastern seaboard, with a goal of adding 100 new locations in the next five years. Although in recent years, the chain has closed several locations including Chinatown and Cleveland Park.
SoHo Tea & Coffee Closes in West End
SoHo Tea & Coffee closed in D.C.’s West End after it couldn’t reach a new lease. (Photo: PoPville)
SoHo Tea & Coffee, 2150 P St. NW, has closed.
The space was totally emptied out overnight, the phone disconnected and its Facebook page cleared.
PoPville reported that SoHo wasn’t able to reach an agreement with its landlord about rent. Others said it never recovered from Covid closures.
