A fish-focused taco spot and Italian restaurant now plan to open in The Boro early next year.

Earlier this fall, a construction contractor working on-site told Tysons Reporter that North Italia was expected this December, but a recent press release says that the restaurant plans to open Feb. 5 at 1651 Boro Place.

The restaurant is slated to host job fair sessions from Jan. 6-18 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., the press release said.

More from the press release:

North Italia’s menu is centered around made-from-scratch Italian favorites for lunch, dinner, weekday happy hour and weekend brunch, along with rotating daily specials.

Made with the freshest ingredients, menu highlights include: White Truffle Garlic Bread with house made ricotta, mozzarella, grana Padano and fresh herbs; Tuscan Kale Salad with crispy pancetta, charred grape, apple, pistachio, breadcrumbs and parmesan vinaigrette; house-specialty Bolognese served atop a bed of fresh tagliatelle noodles sprinkled with grana Padano; a selection of Italian desserts such as the signature Bombolini; and a kids menu offering a variety of child-friendly options.

Back in November, a sign said Fish Taco planned to open in December too.

An employee at Fish Taco said that the Maryland-based eatery has pushed its anticipated opening to early January.

Union Pie will be expanding to Vienna roughly a year after opening its original stand-alone location at the Wharf in D.C.

The eatery’s new location will take over the soon-to-be-former spot of South Block at Jammin Java (227 E. Maple Avenue).

Union Pie specializes in thin-crust, bar-style pizza, according to its website.

The location is expected to open by late February or early March, according to Lana Mahmoud, a spokesperson for Union Pie and Jammin Java.

Though Jammin Java already serves Union Pie pizza, the new location will now offer a full menu — nearly identical to that of the D.C. location, Mahmoud told Tysons Reporter.

“We are looking at adding a few smaller items to supplement the menu, but the pizzas will remain identical,” she said. “Those won’t change anytime soon.”

Mahmoud said that the owners hope that there will be a “quick 48-hour transition” between the time South Block leaves Jammin Java and Union Pie moves into its place.

Both Union Pie, Jammin Java and its affiliate Union Stage are owned by the three Brindley brothers who opened Jammin Java in 2001.

Photo via Union Pie/Facebook

South Block plans to leave its current location at Jammin Java for a new spot in the Town of Vienna.

The juice and smoothie bar will take over the space that Starbucks previously filled at (207 E. Maple Avenue), according to Lana Mahmoud, a Jammin Java spokesperson.

South Block plans to open in the spring of 2020, according to its website.

The business originally applied for building permits to revamp the location’s interior and redesign the exterior in early December, according to Fairfax County documents.

An opening date and future hours of operation have not been announced yet.

Photo via South Block/Facebook

Updated at noon — An employee at Thai’s Corner Restaurant told Tysons Reporter that it has closed permanently.

Earlier: Diners seeking Thai food will have to find an alternative to Thai’s Corner Restaurant, which appears to have closed its Tysons spot.

The restaurant (8607 Westwood Center Drive) served a variety of sushi, soups, fish and curries by the Spring Hill Metro station, according to its Facebook page.

The inside of the restaurant appeared disheveled today (Thursday), with letters and mail piling up on the floor just on the other side of the front door, along with furniture missing. A sign in the window said, “Sorry we’re closed.”

A server at a nearby business said that he ate at the restaurant about a month ago. A tipster told Tysons Reporter that the restaurant was closed earlier this week.

Tysons Reporter reached out to the business owner but has not heard back.

Hat tip to Mia O. 

A few local organizations are working to help people struggling financially.

In Fairfax County, around 56,000 people face food insecurity, according to Feeding America, which means that roughly 5% of the population struggles to feed themselves and their families.

Females from ages 25 to 34 are the largest group living in poverty in Fairfax County, according to data from Data USA.

Food For Others in Merrifield and SHARE of McLean are two organizations working have holiday donation drives.

SHARE of McLean began serving the community in 1967 and continues to fight food insecurity, helping people obtain clean and functional clothing, assisting with holiday celebrations for those in need and hosting fundraising events.

In November, SHARE of McLean collected holiday wishes from people who qualified for assistance. Many of the people who requested assistance included families with young children under 3 years old, and the group is now calling on the community to help put together care packages or donate.

The organization also released a list of high priority food items in December 2019, which include canned fruit, cereals, dry beans, pasta, vegetable oil, coffee and tea.

People seeking assistance with food or clothing can visit the center (1367 Chain Bridge Road) and must either bring a photo ID and piece of mail. Hours of operation are Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. until noon. The center will be closed during the week of Dec. 23.

Meanwhile, Food For Others also supports the community with food supplement programs.

Tomorrow, and every Thursday, people registered can come to the corner of Ellison and Irving streets in Falls Church at 5:45 p.m. to pick up food. 

NoVA residents may also show up at the organization’s warehouse (2938 Prosperity Avenue) from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Those who think they may be eligible for help can bring a photo ID and piece of mail to register or receive a referral before their visit.

Britepaths in Fairfax is another organization that assists people struggling with poverty and food insecurity. Though the majority of clients are referred to them by social workers, people can also request assistance individually.

Photo via Food for Others/Facebook

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Tysons Reporter also complied a list of the upcoming holiday events, for those seeking festivities.

Monday (Dec. 9)

• NVTC Tech 100 Party — 6 to 8 p.m. at Ritz Carlton Tysons Corner (1700 Tysons Blvd) — This event invites community members involved with technology to network and enjoy drinks and food. The cost of the event ranges from $195-$235.

Wednesday (Dec. 11)

• Holiday Cooking Party — 7 to 10 p.m. at McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue) — Attendees will learn how to create recipes including festive fruits, veggies and desserts. Registration is $80 for the public and $65 for district residents. Participants must be over 18 years old.

Thursday (Dec. 12)

• Tysons Women’s Business Book Club — noon to 1 p.m. at 1751 Pinnacle Drive #600 — This book club invites industry professionals to come network and enjoy a new book. Attendees are encouraged to bring business cards and a lunch or snacks to share. It is not necessary to read the book beforehand.
• Holiday Happy Hour — 4 to 7 p.m. at Whole Foods (1635 Boro Place) — High Point Pub will host a happy hour with live music and drinks from Tory Pratt of Pratt Standard Cocktail Company.

Friday (Dec. 13)

• “The R-Word Film” Screening — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Capital One Bank (1680 Capital One Drive) — The McLean CapAbilities chapter will host this free event to educate the community on the lives of people with disabilities, using key characters in order to shift the conversation and societal views. Lunch will be provided and attendees will hear from the director and people highlighted in the film.
• Vienna Town Council Holiday Reception — 4 to 6 p.m. at Town Hall (127 S. Center Street) — Community members are invited to celebrate the holidays with the Vienna Town Council. This event is free and registration isn’t required.
• Live Nativity Scene — 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1325 Scotts Run Road) — This event will celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus with a nativity — including live animals petting zoo and actors. Cookies and hot cocoa will also be available.

Saturday (Dec. 14)

• “Another Silent Night – The Musical” — 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Columbia Baptist Church, The Sanctuary (103 W. Columbia Street) — This musical invites families to hear about an Army officer who returns from WW1 during the Christmas Season.  Childcare for kids ages 5 and under is available with preregistration. Tickets are $5 per person or up to $20 per family.

Photo via Ed Robertson/Unsplash

A new eatery plans to come to Tysons Galleria’s Taste of Urbanspace.

Hei Hei Tiger, a self-described “Cantonese eatery focused on Chinese barbecue,” is coming to the food hall, according to the eatery’s Instagram.

Washingtonian reported that diners can expect weekend dim sum brunch, a 20-seat cocktail bar, boba teas and a customizable barbecue menu from the team behind Tiger Fork in D.C.

Justin Schuble, the blogger behind DC Food Porn, claimed on Instagram that the eatery is opening “in the next few weeks.”

Hei Hei Tiger will be the latest dining option to join Tysons Galleria — sandwich pop-up LaoWich from the team behind Sen Khao and Butcher’s Cut, which is focused on steak and fries, opened earlier this year in the mall.

Photo via Hei Hei Tiger/Instagram

The owner behind a new taco place in Falls Church is looking to expand in Northern Virginia.

Wild Tacoz celebrated its opening at 7167 Lee Hwy — the former home of Milan Bakery and Miss Donuts — two weeks ago on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

Wild Tacoz is the first location for Kool Foods, a company that makes snacks and pre-packaged meals with dietary and nutritional supplements.

Owner Teddy Koumarianos grew up in the area to a family that worked in the restaurant business — which he credits for launching his passion for food.

He told Tysons Reporter that he created Kool Foods after nutritional foods improved his diabetes, heart disease and other health issues.

Kool Foods and Wild Tacoz focus on “well-proportioned,” healthy food served in an appetizing way, he said, adding that the food at the eatery is made marinated in a powder made from frozen vegetables.

“People love Mexican food,” he said. “You say the word [tacos], and everybody gets hungry.”

Diners can find taco burgers, design-your-own-salads, a salsa bar, packaged snacks from Kool Foods and taco options including soft and crunchy shells on the menu. For beverages, people can try the beet, tart cherry, honey and spice drinks that are made by Wild Tacoz.

Customers should try the combo deal with the taco burger — taco-flavored meat between two pieces of cornbread — and a Kool Foods meal, Koumarianos said.

He dubbed it “Now and Later” — the idea being that people will eat their taco now and save the pre-packaged Kool Foods meal for later.

Koumarianos hopes that the name “Wild Tacoz” will jump out at people traveling along the busy stretch of Lee Hwy in Falls Church. For people driving to the location, there’s parking in the back parking lot of the building off of Cavalier Trails, according to a Facebook post.

Located in a building built in the late 1940s, the space is a prime spot because of its low rent and close proximity to single-family homes in the Falls Church, Arlington and Merrifield areas, Koumarianos said.

The building’s age did cause delays, though. A sign last June said that it was coming in fall 2018 and then a sign in May said that it planned to open in the summer.

The wood beams holding up the roof had to get reinforced and the building required updates to its plumbing, Koumarianos said, adding that the permit process with Fairfax County took longer than expected.

Now that the Falls Church location is open, Koumarianos aims to make Wild Tacoz a chain. He said he’s hoping to expand to Arlington, Reston, Chantilly and Ashburn.

Photos via Wild Tacoz/Facebook

Two new local locations for Jersey Mike’s are gearing up to open soon.

The spot at 1501C Cornerside Blvd by the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons plans to open next Wednesday (Dec. 4), according to the website.

Over in Falls Church, the Falls Plaza location at 1108-A West Broad Street is also expected to open the same day, according to a spokesperson for the company.

The sandwich chain currently has job openings in Falls Church.

Next Saturday will be the last chance to drink beer at Tysons Biergarten by the Greensboro Metro station.

“Our landlord… recently informed us they would need our land for redevelopment,” according to a letter from Matt Rofougaran, the CEO and managing partner of Tysons Biergarten.

The owners behind the beer garden are planning to open a new concept called The Shipgarten at Scotts Run, which is set to open in spring 2020, the letter said.

The Shipgarten plans to have four themed shipping containers:

• “The Biergarten” with German and Belgium beers and German food
• Roll Bär offering Asian fusion cuisine and Japanese whiskey
• Chalkboard BBQ serving a rotating menu of barbecue and international craft beer
• Tysons EuroBar — a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant

A “Grand Closing Festival” on Saturday (Nov. 30) will celebrate Tysons Biergarten’s last days at 8346 Leesburg Pike.

Here’s the full letter:

Friends, Family, Patrons, and Supporters,

My name is Matt Rofougaran and I am writing this message on behalf of Paymon and Abe Hadjiesmailoo, Ryan O’Connor, and Nick Rodriguez, the proud owners of Tysons Biergarten. This is one of the hardest letters I have ever written, as it is with great sadness and a heavy heart I inform you we will be closing our doors on Saturday, November 30, 2019.

Tysons Biergarten began as nothing more than a dream shared by 5 guys. Our team successfully transformed a rustic, aging warehouse into a successful restaurant by hand through hard work and determination. We signed our lease with the understanding we would be a pop-up bar, and that one day we would need to shut down. Our landlord (one of the greatest and nicest landlords a small business could ever have) recently informed us they would need our land for redevelopment, which is not much of a surprise as Tysons is well underway becoming America’s next great city!

That being said, our team is not finished here in Tysons! Our next concept will be something this area has never seen before; The Shipgarten! The Shipgarten will be very unique, as it will feature four shipping containers (each with its own concept) along with four large tents for seating and games. The first container will be “The Biergarten”, which will have 20+ German/Belgium beers on draft, German sausages, schnitzels and more! The second shipping container will be Roll Bär our Asian Fusion concept featuring poke bowls, custom made egg rolls, sushi burritos, infused liquor bubble teas, Japanese whiskey, and more! The third container will be Chalkboard BBQ which will feature a rotating menu of barbecue and craft beer from around world along with a wide array of sauces, rubs, and seasonings which will change on a regular basis! Our final container will be called Tysons EuroBar, Tysons’ latest Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant. The menu’s main focus is custom meals. Pitas and bowls with grains are dressed up with meats including beef, lamb, chicken, doner kebab, and falafel, with a variety of toppings from feta cheese to harissa. Mediterranean cocktails, beer, and of course WINE from all over the Mediterranean will be available to compliment your meal.

We also have another restaurant in Del Ray, Alexandria, on the corner of Glebe Road and Mount Vernon Ave called Hops N Shine. Hops N Shine is much smaller than Tysons Biergarten, however, it features 52 beers on draft, custom made grilled cheese sandwiches, and moonshine!

The hardest part about all this is having to part ways with our incredible staff. While we are able to bring a few people over to our sister location in Alexandria, we do not have room for everyone and have contacted numerous bars and restaurants in the area that have all expressed interest in hiring. If you are are aware of anyone looking to hire in the Northern Virginia area, please email [email protected].

Words cannot express how proud we are of the Tysons Biergarten legacy and our opportunity to become a member of such a wonderful community. We have hosted hundreds of events from fundraisers, yappy hours, comedy shows, concerts, corporate happy hours, birthdays, weddings, retirements, holiday gatherings, and much more. You, our guests, along with our spectacular Tysons Biergarten team, have enabled us to build tremendous notoriety these past few years, and I can not thank you enough for allowing Tysons Biergarten to be a part of your lives. Thank you for your years of support and we ask everyone to come in now and use up those tokens before our doors close at the end of the month!

Sincerely,

Matt Rofougaran
CEO and Managing Partner, Tysons Biergarten