A buzzy restaurant team from D.C. will open a new Middle Eastern eatery at the Mosaic District in Merrifield this summer.
As the Washingtonian first reported yesterday (Tuesday), Tawle comes from Rose Previte and Mike Schuster, who own Compass Rose and Maydān. The former offers food from around the world, while the latter has drawn praise for its Middle Eastern cuisine and wood-fired grill.
The Mosaic District restaurant will be the pair’s first venture into Virginia, a Maydan spokesperson confirmed.
“We’re excited to join the Northern Virginia community, an area where many of our guests live and now work as well,” Previte said in a statement. “Bringing Tawle to their backyard and the opportunity to reach new guests was an opportunity that drew us to this project.”
The concept for Tawle, which comes from the Arabic word for “table,” was first revealed in September, when plans for a location in a new food hall at International Square in downtown D.C. were announced.
However, the Mosaic restaurant is expected to open first. It is envisioned as a casual spot with family-style meals, prix-fixe menus, and à la carte dishes available for dining in, takeout, and delivery. The venue will include a bar with cocktails, beer, and wine.
Tawle’s executive chef will be Omar Hegazi, whose resume includes stints as head chef of the New York-based Egyptian fast-casual restaurant Zooba and as sous chef at Bourbon Steak in D.C.’s Four Seasons hotel.
The new restaurant will move into the space at currently occupied by Jinya Ramen Bar (2911 District Avenue, Suite 140), but a manager at Jinya’s Mosaic location told Tysons Reporter that the noodle soup eatery isn’t closing.
Instead, it will just be moving a couple of doors down to a larger corner site, presumably Suite 170, which has been vacant since Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen shuttered in 2019.
The Jinya manager says there is no definitive date yet for when the relocation will occur.
Fairfax County processed an application from Tawle for an interior renovations permit on Dec. 28, according to county records.
Tysons Mass Vaccine Site Reopens — After two days of canceled appointments due to snow, the Tysons Community Vaccination Center at Tysons Corner Center will resume regular operating hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are strongly encouraged. [VDH]
County Waste Collection Resumes Today — “Due to Solid Waste staff being re-assigned to snow clearing duty, we will collect Monday’s trash and recycling routes on Wednesday and will continue on a sliding schedule throughout Saturday.” [Fairfax County Public Works/Twitter]
Founders Row Lands Family-Friendly Restaurant — The team behind Rooster & Owl, an upscale American restaurant in D.C., will open a new, more casual spot called Ellie Bird in Falls Church City’s Founders Row development in late 2022. Planned dishes like seafood paella and grilled corn ravioli were inspired by the takeout offerings that Rooster & Owl created during the pandemic. [Washingtonian]
Palchik Makes History with NVTC — Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik will be the first Latina person to serve as vice chair for the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, which advocates and coordinates funding for public transit across the region. Palchik and the rest of the commission’s appointed 2022 slate will be approved at a meeting tomorrow (Thursday). [NVTC]
Tysons IT Contractor Acquired — “Fairfax-based management consulting firm ICF International Inc. announced Monday that it had completed its acquisition of McLean-based IT federal contractor Creative Systems and Consulting. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.” [Virginia Business]
A popular empanadas food truck has launched a dining space in Tysons Galleria.
Empanadas De Mendoza owners Gabi and Tyler Steelman opened up the new brick-and-mortar venue on the third floor of the mall on Thursday (Dec. 16). The restaurant offers meat and vegetarian options for the handheld pastries with light, flaky crusts.
The move brings the couple full circle to when they started selling their empanadas out of a food truck to Tysons offices over five years ago, eventually expanding their operations throughout Northern Virginia.
The made-to-order empanadas (from the Spanish word empanar, meaning “to bread”) feature a variety of fillings: traditional and spicy beef, honey barbecue pork, pineapple chicken, spinach ricotta, and three cheese. Churros and sides are available, along with pastry desserts known as alfajores, featuring coconut shavings.
Gabi Steelman said Saturday (Dec. 18) that they’ve had customers trickling in, many of them regulars who follow the business’ social media channels, and an electronic menu said January dates are coming soon.
Gabi Steelman started the business in 2013 at a local farmers market in Fairfax out of a desire to share her culture and how much empanadas mean family, friends, and fun in her hometown of Mendoza, Argentina.
She soon married Tyler Steelman, and the couple quit their full-time jobs to pursue Empanadas De Mendoza.
In 2020, the couple got a storefront with a production kitchen in Lorton, where they also host parties, and a second food truck.
The new store’s special hours for the rest of this month are today (Dec. 23) and next Tuesday through Thursday (Dec. 28-30) from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sushi Koji is now open and serving up roll platters alongside bowls of ramen and udon noodles.
Run by former Sushi Taro chef Hyung Joon Lee and his wife, Grace Park, the Japanese restaurant had a soft opening at 262 Cedar Lane on Thursday (Dec. 16). It is the first of three eateries slated to move into Vienna’s Cedar Park Shopping Center this winter.
“We were so excited to open and see many people try out our food,” Park said by email. “We are getting a lot of positive comments about the food and new types of dishes they haven’t seen before. It has been packed since the first day of opening which was unexpected and also so exciting/heart pounding.”
Park says the opening has been a success so far, even though Sushi Koji is facing the same hiring challenges that have been affecting the food service industry nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With some of the hired employees still undergoing training and getting accustomed to their roles, the staffing shortage is expected to become a bigger issue once the restaurant gets cleared to serve alcohol, which could happen as soon as this week, according to Park.
Sushi Koji has been waiting for a license to allow wine and beer service on its premises since Nov. 3, according to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. A mixed-beverage license has been pending since Nov. 9.
Park says they are particularly looking for additional wait staff and chefs or cooks.
While the restaurant initially opened just for dine-in customers, Park confirmed that patrons can now get takeout and deliveries as well.
The current hours of operation are:
- Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5-9:30 p.m.
- Friday: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5-10:30 p.m.
- Saturday: noon-10:30 p.m.
- Sunday: noon-9:30 p.m.
Sushi Koji anticipates having a more official grand opening at some point, but a date for that hasn’t been scheduled yet.
“Since we are still training staff and looking for more staff, we won’t have the grand opening anytime soon until they are fully trained,” Park said. “We want to make sure we give good service and people leave happy.”
The former Amphora Restaurant building in Vienna could soon reawaken as another eatery.
Plans are currently going through the Town of Vienna and Fairfax County to get it approved as a new restaurant dubbed The Maple Room, according to town spokesperson Karen Thayer.
Amphora closed in January after four decades in Vienna in response to the challenges of running a restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic. A Sterling-based real estate developer, Christos Sarantis, acquired the property for $4.875 million on Dec. 29, 2020, according to county and state records.
Sarantis didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
A county permitting database says the property at 377 Maple Ave. West is looking to renovate the building’s exterior, upgrading its facade, roof, handicap access and other features.
Town staff have been reviewing the site plan, according to a development activity map.
The Cholakis and Bilidas families opened Amphora in 1977. The restaurant was known for its 24/7 service, comfort food, and all-day breakfast.
Amphora Group, the company founded by the families, has shifted its focus to its Herndon operations. It has Amphora Diner Deluxe and catering businesses on Elden Street, and Amphora Bakery operates in the Sunset Business Park.
Cha Tea House has arrived at Tysons Corner Center, intent on sharing a love not just of Pakistan’s food, but also its people and culture.
Located between &Pizza and Cava Mezze Grill, the cafe will welcome customers for the first time with a soft opening at 10 a.m. today (Friday). This is Cha Tea House’s first brick-and-mortar location after it started in October 2020 as a food truck in Springfield.
“Excited and anxious,” co-owner Sofhia Qamar said yesterday (Thursday) when asked how she felt about the impending opening. “We think we’re ready, but you’re never actually ready until you’re in business and operating.”
Some passersby had already popped in, perhaps drawn by the colorful signage and chairs on the eatery’s outdoor patio. Qamar says it’s been hard turning those visitors away, so she’s eager to be able to tell people that they’re now open and serving.
In addition to tea and coffee, the menu features burgers, chicken sandwiches, and burrito rolls wrapped in paratha, a traditional South Asian flatbread, along with various sides like samosas.
The snack and dessert offerings are more extensive than what Cha Tea House is able to provide at its Springfield location. Some items, like a paan milkshake, are being reintroduced after proving popular there but too challenging to make in a food truck.
Once the initial frenzy of opening a new tea shop subsides, the team plans to expand the menu further with salads, rice bowls, and other dishes, adding one new item each month, Qamar says.
Though a brick-and-mortar cafe can’t replicate the roadside dhabas that inspired Cha Tea House as closely as a food truck, Qamar and her fellow owners incorporated touches of their parents’ native Pakistan throughout the space.
A hall lined by flower boxes suggests “an outdoor vibe,” as Qamar put it, even though it’s inside, and the walls are decorated with paintings done by Pakistani artists and shipped over to the U.S. There is also a Cha Market in the back that will sell mugs, water bottles, and other products handcrafted by artists in Pakistan.
“We really want to kind of educate people about how amazing Pakistan is and how rich the culture is,” said Qamar, who was born in the U.S. to parents who immigrated from Pakistan. “We’re really proud of it, and we want to share that pride with other people and let them enjoy it as well.”
Cha Tea House is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to midnight on Fridays, 9 a.m. to midnight on Saturdays, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.
The cafe is preparing to hold a bigger grand opening in January that Qamar says will include musical performances. After that, there will be musicians and other kinds of entertainment every weekend.
“We’re just really happy to be part of Tysons,” she said. “It’s a very up-and-coming area. It’s always been an up-and-coming area, but [we want] to bring a bit more diversity and introduce Pakistani food to a very, I think, adventurous group at Tysons.”
(Updated at 5:55 p.m.) Rape Case Moves to Supreme Court — “A Virginia man who’s serving 65 years in prison for brutally raping two lifeguards in Alexandria and Fairfax County will ask Virginia’s Supreme Court to overturn his convictions, based on the way he was caught. On Tuesday, attorneys for Jesse Bjerke will ask the commonwealth’s highest court to throw out his 2020 conviction and sentence for attacking lifeguards at deserted pools in Fairfax in 2014 and Alexandria in 2016.” [WTOP]
Restaurants Confirmed for Founders Row — Four tenants, all restaurants, have signed leases for a total of 10,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space at Falls Church’s Founders Row, developers told the city council’s economic development committee yesterday. The restaurants offer seafood, upscale Asian cuisine, healthy Asian street food location, and ‘elegant modern American cuisine.'” [Falls Church News-Press]
Mosaic District Apparel Company Makes Acquisition — “Custom Ink LLC is finally coming up for air after a very tough 2020…First, the Fairfax custom printing and retail startup is fresh off an acquisition of New York-based corporate gifting company Swag.com, and revenue is around $500 million a year, [CEO Marc] Katz said, up both from 2020 and from 2019, though he declined to share more specifics.” [Washington Business Journal]
Commercial Burglaries Reported — Three commercial burglaries occurred in the Mosaic McLean District last Wednesday and Thursday (Dec. 8-9). The targeted businesses were a Shell gas station and Sun Cleaners on Chain Bridge Road as well as Tysons Florist, where someone painted the walls with graffiti in addition to taking property. [FCPD]
Vienna Chiropractor Prepares for Retirement — “‘I fell in love 34 years ago and as I drove down Maple Avenue on a Sunday morning and found my office space, and I said a little prayer,’ Avedisian said. ‘And the next morning I was signing a lease. I felt very connected, it felt home and felt like this is where I belong.'” [Patch]
A new restaurant featuring the tastes of Persia plans to open soon in McLean.
Divan is currently expected to open in early December. The menu will feature stews with eggplant or herbs, pastas, and kabobs, chef Vicente Torres told Tysons Reporter yesterday (Monday).
“It’s pretty close to opening,” said Torres, who has worked throughout the D.C. region, including at a now-closed Kowkabi establishment, Catch 15.
Divan (1313 Old Chain Bridge Road) is tucked away on the side of a retail complex next to an upcoming Lidl.
The Italian restaurant Pulcinella is relocating nearby. While the website says a mid-November opening is expected, the venue appeared to still be undergoing major renovations when Tysons Reporter passed by yesterday.
In contrast, wine glasses, napkins and silverware adorn tables at Divan.
“Divan Restaurant is a labor of love many years in thought,” its website says. “The multi-cultural diversity of the McLean, Tysons and DC area makes Divan’s location the best place to try this new concept.”
The website for Divan notes that owner Gholam “Tony” Kowkabi, a longtime resident of the Wolf Trap area, has ties to the restaurant industry in D.C., namely Ristorante Piccolo in Georgetown.
Kowkabi was sentenced for mail fraud and failure to collect or pay tax in 2006 regarding several restaurants he owned in D.C., including Ristorante Piccolo, Alamo Grill, and Sole restaurant in Georgetown; Tuscana West near the White House; and Home nightclub in the Penn Quarter neighborhood.
According to court documents, he underpaid sales tax, falsely stated in monthly forms the sales tax he collected from patrons, and was ordered to pay $1.77 million in restitution.
Kowkabi didn’t respond to messages seeking comment.
Torres said Divan has hired around eight employees so far, but they’re still looking for line cooks and kitchen staff.
After making its Virginia debut in the Town of Vienna last year, Crumbl Cookies will add a second location in the Tysons area, this time at Birch & Broad (1200 W. Broad Street) in Falls Church.
Slated to open in March, the gourmet cookie shop will fill a 1,597 square-foot space in between Jersey Mike’s Subs and Domino’s Pizza at the shopping center formerly known as Falls Plaza, property owner Federal Realty announced yesterday (Wednesday).
The chain is also planning to open a Reston location in January.
“We’re looking forward to sharing Crumbl’s specialty cookies with the Falls Church community once we open at Birch & Broad,” franchise co-owner Brigg Bunker said. “…Crumbl will be the perfect place to stop in and grab dessert after a meal or for a sweet treat on the go.”
The shopping center will also add Taco Rock, Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen, and Aqua-Tots Swim Schools in the coming months, while finishing a renovation project that began in April, according to a press release.
“As we approach the completion of the renovation, we are thrilled to welcome the addition of three more notable merchants advancing Birch & Broad to almost full occupancy,” Federal Realty Vice President of Asset Management Deirdre Johnson said.
Taco Rock
Taco Rock announced in June that it had closed a deal to build a 2,815-square-foot taqueria and tequila bar at Birch & Broad.
At that time, the Rosslyn-based restaurant expected its new venue to be ready in October, but beverage manager Ana Barrera tells Tysons Reporter that they now hope to open in December.
“We were anticipating on opening the first week of December,” Barrera said by email. “Unfortunately, since the supply chain for equipment is so backed up, we are moving our opening date to the last week of December if all goes smoothly…We look forward to opening our doors sooner rather than later!”
Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen
Created by CEO Chris Gannon and his father, Outback Steakhouse founder Tim Gannon, Bolay is a fast-casual concept that sells salad, rice, and noodle bowls with an emphasis on healthy ingredients.
The Falls Church location will be Bolay’s first outside its native home of Florida. The 2,972 square-foot space is expected to open across the street from Birch & Broad’s CVS Pharmacy next summer.
“We’re in a growth phase and this will be a really exciting opening for us” Chris Gannon said. “Guests can expect fine dining food at the speed and cost of fast casual.”
Aqua-Tots Swim Schools
Aqua-Tots will open a 7,287 square-foot space adjacent to Staples next year.
Despite its name, the franchise provides swimming lessons and services to all ages. Its Northern Virginia presence currently consists of sites in Centreville, South Riding, and Leesburg.
“This is a moment of major expansion for the franchise, and we are excited to invite local families to register their little ones for world-class swimming lessons,” Andrew George, owner of the Falls Church site, said. “There are a lot of kids in the Falls Church area, and we can’t wait to get them in the water.”
Editor’s Note: Tysons Reporter is following a lighter publishing schedule today (Friday) for Veterans Day weekend.
Falls Church Police Seek Man in Sexual Assault Case — “The City of Falls Church Police are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the pictured individual who was in the area at the time of an assault. Late night on Wednesday, November 10, an adult female was sexually assaulted in the vicinity of 444 W. Broad St.” [City of Falls Church]
County to Add Veteran Services Coordinator — “Today, I’m excited to share that we will be hiring a Veteran’s Services Coordinator to improve the well-being of veterans in our community. This person will help vets access resources and advocate for new tools to help our veterans. Thank you to our vets for your service!” [Chairman Jeff McKay/Twitter]
See Marshall HS Veterans Day Display — “Students, staff, and parent volunteers at Fairfax County’s Marshall High School set up close to 400 American flags outside the school on Wednesday afternoon. The display is a tradition at Marshall, installed twice a year ahead of both Veterans Day and Memorial Day.” [ABC7]
County Adopts Plan to Eliminate Waste — “On Nov. 9, the Board of Supervisors adopted the Fairfax County Government and Schools Zero Waste Plan. This sets county government and Fairfax County Public Schools on a path toward zero waste by 2030 with two goals: diverting 90% of waste away from landfills or incinerators and decreasing the total amount of waste generated by 25%.” [Fairfax County Government]
Meadowlark Replaces Korean Bell Garden Totems — “Four freshly carved wooden totem poles — representing a king, queen, bride and groom — now stand guard over the Korean Bell Garden at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in the Vienna area. NOVA Parks officials held an installation ceremony for the poles Nov. 8…Traditionally placed at the entrances of Korean villages, the totem poles symbolically protect residents from misfortune.” [Sun Gazette]
Roaming Rooster Grand Opening Tomorrow — “Great news RR Fam! Rooster #5, our first VA location, officially hatches in Tysons Corner this weekend. As part of our grand opening, we will be giving out free samples, RR merch, and $20 gift cards randomly throughout the day on Sat & Sun. Come check us out!” [Roaming Rooster/Twitter]
