Are we in a restaurant boom?
Yes.
In Arlington’s Ballston neighborhood alone, Washington Business Journal reports the area is “oversupplied for restaurants by more than 60,000 square feet,” (subscription required). In 10 years that number could double, predicts the retail consultancy firm Streetsense.
But let’s not fear the bubble. Not just yet. We have too much too eat. Too many bowls of ramen. Too many slices of high-end barbecue brisket. Too many twirls of housemade bucatini. And probably just enough smoking baskets of wood arriving at the table …
Now online (and still on newsstands): Northern Virginia Magazine‘s 50 Best Restaurants of 2016.
And because things are always changing, here’s an addendum:
Updates, news, etc.:
Aldeerah includes a service charge for parties of any size, but servers do not mention this fact, which can lead to accidental double tipping. Apparently this is a trend nationwide. [LA Weekly]
Here’s more on the upcoming Ashby Apothecary, which will feature goods from the the The Ashby Inn & Restaurant. [NVM]
Goodstone Inn & Restaurant has a new chef: Jeffrey Surma. He was most recently executive chef of The Capital Grille in McLean. [more]
From the Out List:
Brabo closed for renovations last month and is reopening to the public today. [more]
Harrimans lost its founding chef, Chris Edwards. Ryan Arensdorf is currently the executive chef of the resort, according to a Salamander Resort & Spa representative. More information on a new Harrimans’ chef will be released next year.
WK Hearth hired a new chef, ditched the Italian-ish theme and is instead concentrating on local steak. [NVM]
