Pink Tiger Replacing Kaliwa at The Wharf

Kaliwa, chef Cathal Armstrong’s Southeast Asian restaurant at 751 Wharf St. SW since 2018, will close permanently after dinner service on Dec. 30. But newcomer Pink Tiger will replace it on Dec. 31 with a new owner, look, name, menu and vibe.

Pink Tiger’s pad Thai (Photo: Andrew Noh)

Pink Tiger, which will serve sake flights, sizzling wagyu with ponzu and a makeover, is the first project for Be Our Guest restaurant group. Pink Tiger’s director Brooke Demetriou was Armstrong’s longtime business partner.

Kaliwa was one of the first two tenants at the Wharf, so Demetriou has seen it all. Eight years in, the $3.6 billion, multi-phase development is now home to several restaurants and bars that compete for attention from concertgoers, boaters, tourists and locals. She calls Kaliwa’s closure “bittersweet” but “necessary” — it has “run its course.”

While Kaliwa’s kitchen prepared Korean, Thai and Filipino dishes by the book, Pink Tiger’s menu is going for Southeast Asian fare with American flair.

Demetriou categorizes Pink Tiger as “fun” fine dining, unlike what Del Mar, Limani and the more casual places at the Wharf are doing. Late-night options remain relatively scarce, even on weekends, and Pink Tiger will be open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays with a live singer and newly expanded bar. The restaurant will play everything from disco to Elvis to indie in the dining room during the week.

Newly named Filipino chef Joe Castro, who is classically trained in French and Italian cuisine, most recently worked at Mussel Bar and MGM’s Voltaggio Brothers Steak House before that.

Opening dishes include miso deviled eggs topped with truffles, scallions, bacon and Gochujang; hot crab Rangoon dip with Sriracha cream cheese, scallions, sweet Thai chili sauce and wonton chips; and thinly sliced wagyu beef cooked tableside on a lava stone with ponzu sauce.

Castro, who grew up in the Philippines to parents who were both chefs, stays true to his roots in some cases; he won’t mess with pad Thai, lumpia and adobo at Pink Tiger. He also plans to revive some Kaliwa favorites like its spicy crab curry entree.

The bar will serve sake along with a list of Asian beers, hemp-based nonalcoholic spirits from Aplós and a “very funky and cool” martini menu that toys with oceanic flavors like dashi-infused vodka. Aside from making more room for drinkers at an 18-seat bar, the bones of the two-story space framed with soaring windows and a patio remain largely unchanged.

Pink Tiger gets pink accents with playful tiger prints and an LED-lit fireplace, as well as funky new art and ube-hued floral furniture.

The redesign was done in stages, so there is already evidence of the retro-chic replacement opening in about two weeks. Kaliwa’s sign will come down after its final service before Pink Tiger’s immediately goes up just ahead of its opening New Year’s Eve party, “Disco inFURno,” with live entertainment, an open bar, food stations and passed appetizers. Tickets for its first-ever dinner service from 7-9 p.m. are $125, and a late-night party until 2 a.m. is $85. NYE guests are encouraged to christen Pink Tiger with “retro-glam” attire.

Regular service kicks off Jan. 2, with brunch to follow. Dishes are $35-$45 per person for lunch and $65-$75 per person for dinner, with cocktails ranging from $18–$24.

Seoul Prime Steakhouse Opens in Falls Church

Seoul Prime Korean steakhouse is now open in Falls Church.
(Photo: Seoul Prime)

Seoul Prime Korean steakhouse, from the owners of Honest Grill, is now open at 106 Founders Ave., Falls Church, in the Founders Row apartment complex.

Seoul Prime is an intimate, elegant dining experience with an emphasis on high-quality cuts of beef.

Seoul Prime offers a prix fixe option for $47 per person, with a minimum of two diners per table. Guests can choose the Seoul Prime Tour, a curated tasting of four signature beef cuts: dry aged ribeye, flat iron, hanging tender and marinated beef galbi. Each cut comes with a side dish that complements it. Seoul Prime sources the meats from nearby farms around the Shenandoah and Appalachian regions of Virginia.

An à la carte menu is also available, with additional cuts of meat and Korean offerings such as kimchi bibim guk-soo, galbi dolsot bibimbap and an uni and cod roe rice bowl. There are also appetizers, salads and desserts as well as wines, beers, craft cocktails and mocktails.

Servers prepare the beef on traditional Korean barbeque grills at each table, offering an interactive, engaging atmosphere for guests.

Red Apron Out, HiFi Tex-Mex In at Mosaic District

HiFi Tex-Mex BBQ’s two meat combo with prime beef brisket and smoked turkey. (Photo: HiFi Tex-Mex BBQ/Instagram)

Neighborhood Restaurant Group will replace its Red Apron retail butcher, 8298 Glass Alley, Unit 110, Fairfax, in Merrifield’s Mosaic District with HiFi Tex-Mex BBQ in February.

Red Apron closed permanently earlier this month after 11 years. Now Chef Nathan Anda’s HiFi Tex-Mex BBQ is tentatively scheduled to replace it in February,

Red Apron sat just off the main stretch of the Mosaic District, which brings with it reduced foot traffic compared to other businesses in the mixed-use neighborhood.

Neighborhood Restaurant Group anticipates that Mosaic’s lone barbecue restaurant will be more attractive to customers than a niche retail store.

HiFi’s Merrifield location will be the brand’s third, joining one in The Roost food hall in D.C. and another at 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. in Alexandria’s Del Rey neighborhood.

The menu features traditional barbecue fare like chopped pork, smoked turkey and prime beef brisket. But the Tex-Mex influence, seen in green chili mac, fried plaintains and loaded yuca fries, distinguishes the restaurant from other barbecue joints.

“HiFi will feature everything from prime beef brisket, spare ribs, chopped pork and link sausages to tacos, queso, nachos, wings and more,” according to the restaurant’s website. “Backstopped by a fun menu full of margaritas, cold beer and good wine, HiFi aims to become your one-stop shop for all things delicious.”

A limited renovation of the store will introduce shuffleboard and vintage video games, as well as updated decor and beverage options.

Neighborhood Restaurant Group is looking for additional locations to revive Red Apron’s retail concept.

B Side, a bar and restaurant that’s also under the Neighborhood Restaurant Group umbrella, will remain open next door to the HiFi space.

Midori Tea House Debuts in Falls Church

Midori Tea House, a cafe serving Japanese matcha and French pastries, is now open in Falls Church. (Photo: Katie Taranto)

Midori Tea House, a cafe serving Japanese matcha and French pastries, opened last month at 450 W. Broad St., Falls Church, which formerly was home to Stylish Patina Home boutique.

Midori’s menu includes sparkling fruit drinks, hot tea, petite desserts and the cafe’s specialty, matcha. The café currently offering 12 variations of the green tea drink.

The business, named after the Japanese word for “green,” offers standard matcha lattes plus flavors like orange, a purple ube and maple and sea salt.

Drinks can be customized by sweetness level or by adding toppings like Biscoff cookie crumble. The cafe, which recommends a lower sugar content, also provides non-dairy options.

Bite-sized confections can also be found at the tea house. Homemade treats like macarons pull on European influences, while others, like a yuzu mousse cake and ube tres leches, spotlight Asian flavors.

Over time, Midori’s matcha flavors may rotate, such as seasonal flavors like toffee nut.

The tea house previously operated as a pop-up shop around Northern Virginia for about a year.

Thai Thai in Arlington is Now Thai Leaf

Thai Leaf has replaced Thai Thai in Arlington.
(Photo: Thai Leaf/Facebook)

Thai Thai rebranded to Thai Leaf, 5123 Langston Blvd., Arlington, this fall under the new ownership of Pichamon Dobson, a friend of the previous owner.

While Dobson spent months renovating the restaurant, much of Thai Thai’s cuisine remains on the menu under the same chef.

Thai Leaf serves a wide-ranging menu of Thai classics, including drunken noodles, hot and sour soups, curries and pad Thai. The restaurant also offers Thai tea, coffee, juices and bubble tea, as well as desserts like mango sticky rice.

Cashew chicken is one of the latest menu additions. Made with sautéed chicken, crunchy cashews and fresh peppers and onions, the dish is like a savory counterpart to Chinese orange chicken.

With padded wooden booths and potted succulents on floating shelves, the renovated interior carries a rleafelaxed, natural theme.

Thai Leaf had been owned and operated by the same family since around 1995. Some of those family members and staff are still around to help the new restaurant’s legacy.

Dobson has nearly a decade of experience in Thai restaurants, most recently in Maryland. Owners are currently working on a limited-time winter menu that is coming soon.

Zaytoun Halal Grill Opens in Alexandria

Zaytoun’s chicken tikka over rice. (Photo: Zaytoun)

Zaytoun Halal Grill opened Dec. 12 in the former AJ’s Pizza and Cheesesteak at 5418 Duke St., Alexandria.

The restaurant serves a Mediterranean menu.

Dishes include fish and lamb gyros, kabab platters, salads, falafel, proteins served over fries, philly and chicken cheesesteaks, sandwiches and wings. Desserts include baklava, tres leches cake and churros.

Zaytoun is open from 10 a.m.-2 a.m. daily.

Rooftop Recess Coming to Courthouse

Rooftop Recess is coming to the Courthouse neighborhood in early 2025. (Photo: Katie Taranto)

Rooftop Recess, a new rooftop restaurant and bar, is coming to 2424 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, in the Courthouse neighborhood.

The new restaurannt will serve classic American food in a fun, relaxed setting with “expertly handcrafted cocktails and outstanding American cuisine,” according to its website. The restaurant plans to open in early 2025.

Leaning into laidback nostalgia, Rooftop Recess is “inspired by fond memories of playing outside and having fun with friends.”

Rooftop Recess appears to be going for heartier dinners, with options like a smashburger, braised short rib, chili crunch salmon and roasted half chicken. The restaurant will also serve salads and a rotating soup of the month.

Appetizers include bang bang shrimp, Maryland crab dip and parmesan truffle fries, along with several flatbreads. The “Prosciutt-Dough” is topped with mozzarella and goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic, red onion, arugula, balsamic glaze and prosciutto.

The food will accompany an interior that “reflects the hip sensibilities of the surrounding area while also providing a fun atmosphere for a lively happy hour experience.”

Happy hours could include up to 17 signature cocktails, including classics like the negroni, Moscow mule and espresso martini. There are also a handful of nonalcoholic beverages, including fruity mocktails, whiskey alternatives and a hazy IPA from Athletic Brewing Co.

Advertised as a spot for “catching up with friends or enjoying a cozy date night,” the Recess concept is from owner Gary Ouellette, who also owns Union Jack’s, a British-themed pub in Columbia, Md.

The rooftop property has been vacant since Arlington Rooftop Bar & Grill closed last December. The former restaurant was in business for more than a decade but received frequent noise complaints, leading the county to revoke its live entertainment permit in 2021.

Sharbat Bakery & Café Eyes Former Chewish Deli

Sharbat Bakery & Cafe wants to replace Chewish Deli on King Street in Old Town. (Photo: Austin G./Yelp)

Sharbat Bakery & Café, an Azerbaijani bakery and café, has applied for a change of ownership for the former Chewish Deli at 1640 King St., Alexandria.

Despite stellar reviews, Sharbat closed its D.C. location earlier this year. Now owners Ilhama Safarova and Natavan Aliyeva are asking Alexandria city officials to also approve adding outdoor tables and chairs to the proposed shop.

“The last business in this location was a restaurant, and we plan to use the space with the same equipment and purpose for our shop,” the owners said in their special use permit application. “The outdoor area is part of the private property, and we plan to set up approximately four tables with seating for 10-12 guests.”

The applicants continued, “We offer authentic Azerbaijani sweet and savory pastries like baklava, a variety of cakes, shawarma sandwiches and plated bites, as well as lunch and dinner options. We also serve all-day breakfast. In our shop, we feature a small selection of handmade souvenirs from Azerbaijan and branded items.”

There will be minimal interior renovation, according to the application.

“We will only adjust the front counter to make space for displaying our sweet and savory pastries,” the owners said in the application. “We have coffee machines, a cake display fridge, a fridge for canned and bottled drinks and mixers for pastry and bread dough.”

Chewish Deli opened at the former Dunkin’ Donuts location in 2022 and closed earlier this year. The owner said four months ago on Reddit that there were “internal and external issues” that led the business to close.

Chewish Deli is open at its 807 Pendleton St. location.

Sharbat isn’t the only Azerbaijani bakery coming to Alexandria. Baku Delicious also filed a permit to open in the Parker-Grey neighborhood.

Yami Buffet to Replace Red Lobster on Van Dorn St.

Yumi Buffet wants to move into and expand the former Red Lobster on Van Dorn Street in Alexandria. (Photo: Google Maps)

Yami Buffet, an “Asian and Japanese restaurant” wants to open in the former Red Lobster, 555 S. Van Dorn St., Alexandria.

The owners of Yami Buffett recently filed a special use permit application for change of ownership and increased seating at the empty restaurant. Red Lobster abruptly closed at the location on Aug. 31 as part of the chain’s bankruptcy.

Yami Buffett is owned by Odenton, Md.-based Good Charm, LLC. The applicant wants to increase the number of seats for the 7,900 square-foot restaurant from 292 to 360 seats with a 2,600-foot expansion.

“The applicant intends to totally renovate the interior of the restaurant,” according to the application. “The interior of the building will be completely renovated and upgraded including new building systems, equipment and fixtures and furniture.”

Good Charm estimates there will be 40 to 50 employees working in shifts, according to the application.

As for parking, there are 128 parking spaces for the restaurant.

“The current parking requirements for the 7,900 square-foot building is a minimum of 9 parking spaces and a maximum of 27,” according to the application. “With the additions, a minimum of 11 parking spaces and a maximum of 33 parking spaces are required.”

Like Red Lobster, the proposed hours of operation are from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily.

Akeno Sushi Bar and Thai Wants to Replace Java Grill

Akeno Sushi Bar and Thai plans to move into the former Javi Grill in Old Town. (Photo: Akeno Sushi Bar and Thai)

Akeno Sushi Bar and Thai wants to take over the former Java Grill, 611 King St., Alexandria.

A new permit filed to the City of Alexandria requests a change of ownership of Java Grill, which closed in 2021.

The new restaurant is an Old Town location for Akeno Sushi Bar and Thai, which also has a location at 6650 Little River Turnpike and another at 523 Eighth St. SE, Second Floor.

The menu for the other locations features a mix of bento box meals, noodle dishes, sushi and more.

The proposed restaurant would have approximately 118 seats and be open from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The interior of the restaurant will also be redecorated with “traditional Japanese decor with a contemporary flare.”

Veggie-Forward Westville Coming to Clarendon

Veggie-forward Westville will replace Jos. A. Banks at The Crossing Clarendon. (Photo: Google Maps)

Westvile, a casual eatery with a “veggie-forward” menu, is coming to 2800 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, in the former Jos. A. Bank space at The Crossing Clarendon next year.

It will be Westville’s first location outside of New York City

The restaurant applied for a state license to serve alcoholic beverages last month.

The nearly 4,000 square-foot space will look “simple and inviting, emphasizing a neighborhood feel,” while offering “a diverse menu with high-quality ingredients prepared simply and deliciously.”

In New York, the restaurant offers soups, salads and heartier dishes like smokey mac n’ cheese, turkey chili and burgers, including vegan Beyond Meat burgers.
Apart from Westville’s brunch, lunch and dinner menus, the restaurant is known for its long list of market vegetables.

At $8 each, customers can order a la carte from a menu of freshly prepared veggies, from brussels sprouts with honey dijon mustard to lemon Greek potatoes with fresh herbs and garlic butter.

Three to four market vegetables can also be ordered as a “Market Plate,” and Westville’s chicken, salmon and steak plate meals come with two vegetables of choice.

Ugly Dumping Coming to Fair Oaks Mall in March

Ugly Dumpling will replace On the Border at Fair Oaks Mall in March. (Photo: Trip Savvy)

New Jersey-based Ugly Dumpling open next March in the former On the Border space at Fair Oaks Mall. On the Border closed in May 2022.

Ugly Dumpling will fill almost 6,700 square-feet on the mall’s second level, near Elevation Burger, Panda Express and Auntie Anne’s.

The restaurant will be the chain’s second in Fairfax County, following July’s opening of an “express” location in Springfield that has drawn rave reviews.

“Ugly Dumpling Express has been met with tremendous enthusiasm since opening, which has been great,” Margaret Farrell, head of marketing for parent company Vertex Hospitality, said. “People seem to love having something new and different in town.”

Unlike the Springfield location, the Fair Oaks restaurant will be full-service.

A sample menu for the location features the chain’s soup dumplings, which allow diners to choose from six different protein fillings accompanied by a savory soup broth.

Also on the menu will be nearly a dozen different dim sum dishes and other traditional items, including fried rice, wontons and stir-fried noodles. Ugly Dumpling also serves a variety of milk teas and iced teas, as well as brown sugar boba, fruity yogurt drink and more.

In September, Fairfax County issued a permit allowing for the installation of a new sign above the restaurant’s space, according to the county’s permitting website. Interior renovations have been underway since a work permit was issued in April.

Ugly Dumpling has a location in Frederick, Md., and is opening another in Richmond.

Crisfield Seafood in Silver Spring Closing Dec. 22

Crisfield Seafood in Silver Spring will close on Dec. 22.
(Photo: Robert Dyer)

Crisfield Seafood, 8012 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, will close permanently on Dec. 22.

The restaurant has been a Montgomery County staple for nearly 80 years. It opened in Silver Spring in 1945.

Crisfield has been owned by the Landis family since 1945. Today it is owned by the third generation, with the seven owner/cousins being the grandchildren of Crisfield’s original owner, Lillian Landis.

“Our time has come! After nearly 80 years, we have decided it is enough,” the restaurant’s https://www.facebook.com/crisfieldseafoodrestaurant/ Facebook page posted last Wednesday. “The original Crisfield Seafood Restaurant will close December 22nd. The Landis Family would like to thank all the great people, customers and teammates, that made this a very special place for 8 decades.”

The restaurant offers a variety of seafood that hasn’t changed much in decades. According to The Washington Post, “The Crisfield restaurant on Georgia Avenue deserves to be called a Maryland institution. (Okay, a Silver Spring institution.) After all, it was serving stuffed shrimp and crab imperial when Harry Truman was in the White House, when cars still had fenders and when most folks considered squid just another form of bait.”

Over the years, plenty of local restaurants offered similar fare. In Silver Spring, Wheaton and Bethesda, there were Fred and Harry’s, the Anchor Inn and Bish Thompson’s. Today only Crisfield remains.

Crisfield Seafood has a wall dedicated to singer Jimmy Buffett, who visits every time he has a show in town.

Firehook Bakery Closing Permanently

Firehook Bakery will close its final three locations on Dec. 24.
(Photo: Gooner10-8/Tripadvisor)

Firehook Bakery will permanently close all three of its retail bakeries on Dec. 24. However, its Firehook organic backed cracker business will continue.

The bakery first opened in 1992 in Alexandria. At one time, it had nearly a dozen locations including Eastern Market, Metro Center and Cleveland Park, and ran the café at the National Building Museum.

Firehook’s remaining locations are at 1909 Q. St. NW in Dupont Circle; 430 S. Washington St. in Old Town Alexandria; and 14701 Flint Lee Road, Chantilly.

In April 2024, Firehook was acquired by Greenwich, Conn.-based private investment firm Forward Consumer Partners for an undisclosed sum. Found Pierre Abuschacra retained a minority ownership stake in the company.

With the closing of the three retail bakeries, Firehook will no longer sell specialty baked goods online but will continue to sell its Mediterranean baked crackers in stores nationwide and online.

Firehook’s Dupont Circle location will become the Dupont Coffee Collective owned by current Dupont employees. The collective will continue to serve the same locally roasted coffee, as well as a frsh assortment of sweet and savory options.

El Sapo Cuban Social Club Closing in Silver Spring

El Sapo Cuban Social Club in Silver Spring closed permanently on Sunday. (Photo: El Sapo Cuban Social Club/Facebook)

El Sapo Cuban Social Club, 8455 Fenton St., Silver Spring, closed permanently close on Dec. 15.

The restaurant was opened in 2018 by Chef Raynold Mendizabal, who also owned Urban Butcher, which closed in 2020.

El Sapo offered a menu of Cuban-inspired street food, entrées and sandwiches, featuring dishes like empanadas with beef ragu, salted cod croquettes, ropa vieja and the classic Cuban sandwich.

El Sapo described itself as a “hip, festive, forward-thinking Cuban restaurant, and the first of its kind in the Washington, D.C. metro area.”

California Tortilla Closes in Arlington’s Courthouse

California Tortilla closed its store in Arlington’s Courthouse neighborhood on Nov. 30. (Photo: Google Maps)

Arlington’s last California Tortilla, 2057 Wilson Blvd., in the Courthouse neighborhood closed at the end of November.

The fast-casual Tex-Mex restaurant closed its doors Nov. 30, according to a sign posted on the door. The Bethesda-based restaurant opened in Courthouse 20 years ago.

“It is with a heavy heart that we at California Tortilla must announce the closure of our business,” the message read. “We want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your support over the years. It has been a pleasure serving you.”

But it appears the space will not stay empty long. The storefront will reopen as a new restaurant “in very short time,” according to another sign.

The unnamed business is not yet evident in recent permit filings or state records.
California Tortilla’s Arlington closure comes as the local chain shuttered its Gaithersburg restaurant on the same day.

California Tortilla used to have locations in Crystal City, Tysons Corner Center, the Ronald Reagan Building and L’Enfant Plaza. While no other locations currently exist in Arlington, the company has several remaining stores in the DMV.