The Town of Vienna has a new source of Nepali cuisine, and it happens to occupy the same space as the previous source.

Royal Nepal Bistro has been serving diners since Sept. 30 out of 131-A Maple Avenue W., the site filled by Mo:Mo House until that restaurant closed permanently on Aug. 28.

Manager Sunil Chaudhary says Royal Nepal Bistro has no connection to Mo:Mo House. Instead, it’s a spin-off of Royal Nepal, a restaurant in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood that wanted to expand its reach.

“This is one of the central points where Tysons is next to us. McLean is very close,” Chaudhary said when asked why Royal Nepal chose Vienna for its second location. “We have Oakton very close…so we thought this was the perfect location where we’d be able to expand.”

The team looked at a couple of other possible venues in Vienna before selecting the former Mo:Mo House space due to its cozy size, which seemed more appropriate for a bistro than the larger dining room that the restaurant has in Alexandria.

Chaudhary says the COVID-19 pandemic “slowed some things down,” with some steps taking a week or two longer than anticipated, but the process of setting up the new eatery was generally “sound and smooth.”

The bistro has been well-received by customers, garnering almost entirely five-star ratings on Yelp and warm mentions on the Vienna VA Foodies Facebook page.

“The response has been great from the community,” Chaudhary said. “They’ve been supporting us a lot, so we’re happy that we’re here in Vienna. It’s been an amazing response from the community.”

In addition to lamb, chicken, and vegetable momo dumplings, Royal Nepal Bistro’s menu features a variety of meat plates, curries, nasi goreng, salads, and Nepalese street food. It diverges from the Alexandria restaurant both in the kinds of dishes offered and their presentation style.

Chaudhary says the menu is different, because the goal is to cater to each community’s preferences. For instance, the popularity of healthy food-oriented eateries like Sweet Leaf Cafe and Chopt in Vienna suggests salads would be a good fit there.

Even though Royal Nepal Bistro has been open for over a month now, patrons can expect to see “a lot of changes” to its interior design, as those renovations are still underway, according to Chaudhary. He says the menu will also be revamped by the new year based on customer feedback.

“We’re looking for the response of the community, and we’ll update everything accordingly,” Chaudhary said.

Youngkin’s Teen Son Tried to Vote Twice — The Fairfax County Office of Elections is investigating reports that Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin’s 17-year-old son attempted to cast a ballot two times on Election Day despite being ineligible to vote. Poll workers told him he couldn’t vote but gave him a form to register for future elections. [NBC4]

Roaming Rooster Opens Doors in Tysons West — “Happy Friday, RR Fam! Our Tysons Corner location is almost ready to hatch. We are having a soft opening this weekend to train our staff. All menu items are 10% off. Please stop by! Grand opening will be announced soon.” [Roaming Rooster/Twitter]

The Boro Resident Criticizes Lack of Accessibility — Retired architect and land developer John G. Colby says the vision of Tysons as an urban center with “‘accessibility for all’ is sadly turning out to be a hollow promise.” The Boro’s second phase is set to be approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors tomorrow (Tuesday) despite having no ADA-reserved curbside parking or streetlights on Westpark Drive, among other issues, he notes. [The Washington Post]

Lucid Motors Opens Tysons Corner Showroom — “Electric vehicle startup Lucid Motors will open a showroom at Tysons Corner Center in Virginia on Saturday [Nov. 6]. It’s the automaker’s 11th showroom to open. Newark, California-based Lucid, founded in 2007, delivered the first of its electric vehicles to customers Oct. 30.” [WTOP]

Robberies Reported in McLean District — A man displayed a firearm and robbed the Tower Market & Deli in the Trillium Apartments complex in Fairfax on Oct. 29, according to Fairfax County police. There was also a robbery in the 7400 block of Lee Highway in the Hollywood Road Park area on Nov. 1, where a man “took the victim’s property by threatening force and left the area in a vehicle.” No injuries were reported in either incident. [FCPD]

Tysons Corner Center is spicing its dining scene up with the opening of a new restaurant that promises aromatic cuisine and a nightclub-like atmosphere in the evenings.

Inspired by co-owner Bikram Keith’s experiences touring the world as a DJ for British R&B musician Jay Sean, Leila serves kebabs, naan, and other food from the Middle East, Persian Gulf, and northern India.

The menu was designed to evoke the cultures shaped by the Spice Routes that historically served as the backbone of trade between Europe, the Mediterranean, and Asia.

After opening just for family and friends the previous night, the 210-seat restaurant got a soft public launch last Thursday (Oct. 28), and the response so far has been “unbelievable,” according to co-owner Vinoda Basnayake.

“We are hoping to honor the traditional dishes of each culture represented, yet constantly challenge ourselves with how to be innovative and creative with our menu,” Basnayake said. “We want the people in Tysons to not feel like they have to trek into the city for a good meal and good atmosphere and we want to be a fun destination for Washingtonians who make the trip.”

A close friend of Keith, Basnayake is a principal of Versus Equity, a brand management company behind several D.C. bars, including the nightclub HEIST, Casta’s Rum Bar, and Morris American Bar, according to Northern Virginia Magazine.

Joined by Punjab Grill owner Karan Singh, who created the menu, the trio developed the concept for Leila in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic after noticing that Northern Virginia diners were staying closer to home instead of crossing the Potomac into D.C.

Basnayake says the goal is to celebrate the cuisine of the Spice Route, while also bringing the nightlife party atmosphere of Versus’ D.C. bars to the Tysons area, where Keith grew up.

To that end, Leila’s 5,000 square-foot dining room is complemented by an outdoor patio as well as a bar and cocktail lounge. DJs will also perform at the restaurant on Thursdays through Sundays until 2 a.m.

“I think the ambiance and vibe were really key in nailing what we wanted Leila to be. The lighting and music make you really feel transported from the mall,” Basnayake said, noting that Leila — whose name means “daughter of the night” in Arabic, Farsi, and Urdu — is the only place in the mall open that late.

While the restaurant initially encountered some of the same hiring challenges facing the entire food service industry, Basnayake says the owners are proud of the team they have assembled, including Punjab Grill chef Jassi Bindra and General Manager Hamid Khalili and Versus Beverage Director Hank Bowers.

Located in Suite 7943B near Panera Bread and Shilla Bakery, Leila is now open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, with weekday happy hours, Sunday brunch, and a late-night menu.

According to the mall, other recent arrivals at Tysons Corner Center include Bisnonna Bakeshop, luxury fashion store Aritzia, electric car company Lucid Motors, and the “Japanese-inspired” lifestyle retailer Miniso, which opened its doors in early October.

MetroWest residents no longer need to cross I-66 or Route 29 to grab a bite to eat.

With developers’ plans for retail south of the Vienna Metro station still pending, the first dining options in the mixed-use community come from a more unusual source: The Providence, a 154-unit assisted living and memory care facility that opened in March at 9490 Sprague Avenue.

While the facility’s casual dining-focused Wolf Trap Bistro & Lounge is currently only open to members, The Providence recently launched a fine-dining takeout program for the general public that it hopes to eventually turn into a full-fledged restaurant called Great Falls.

Available between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, the menu features salads, pizza, and sandwiches as well as more high-end entrées like beef filet, shrimp and mushroom marsala, and salmon with chimichurri rojo sauce.

“Creating this all-day menu was an option for us to not only give our members here…more restaurant-like type of food options, but also to incorporate in the restaurant project and have that be available to the public as well,” The Providence Dining Services Director Sabrine Marques told Tysons Reporter.

Previously the general manager of the now-closed PassionFish in Bethesda, Marques developed the Great Falls concept with Executive Director Annamarie Mariani-Huehn at the behest of Silverstone Senior Living and Watermark Retirement Communities, which respectively own and operate The Providence.

Juggling a publicly accessible restaurant with a private assisted living facility has brought a variety of challenges, from meeting state guidelines for both uses to developing a menu that’s affordable to The Providence members and fits their dietary requirements.

The team had hoped to open Great Falls by the end of this year, but that timeline proved impossible due to the additional complications introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the supply chain and staffing issues that have upended retail and service industries across the country.

“I’d rather not do something that is not going to be the way we envisioned and wait until we’re actually ready to do that,” Marques said. “I mean, we want a fine dining experience for people that will be coming here the same way that we’re trying to provide that to our members who live here.”

Given that it serves an older population, bringing heightened COVID-19 risks, The Providence decided to initially limit food service to its residents and those living in The Atrium at MetroWest, which has condominiums for adults aged 55 and older.

When no issues arose, the facility rolled out the Great Falls menu to the public on Oct. 11 as the first phase of its project to establish a full restaurant.

Takeout orders for food and coffee can be placed by phone at 571-396-0500. Orders are made available via curbside pickup within 30-45 minutes, according to The Providence.

While slow at first, Marques says business has started to pick up, including from one neighbor who has already ordered takeout on three different occasions. She hopes the program will find a customer base not just in MetroWest, but also in the wider Fairfax and Vienna area.

“It’s definitely an exciting and challenging project that we have put in place,” she said. “We will continue to work towards [the restaurant], and we are hopeful that we can get that project up and running by next year.”

Beware Vienna Halloween Parade Traffic — Expect major traffic backups on Route 123 tonight (Wednesday), as the Vienna Halloween Parade will close Maple Avenue between Berry and Center streets from approximately 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Most other roads along the parade route will close at 4:45 p.m., with drivers getting detoured on Church and East streets. [Town of Vienna]

Filipino Restaurant Opens in Falls Church — Kamayan Fiesta recently opened its second location at the corner of Annandale and Washington Streets in the City of Falls Church. Started 18 months ago in Springfield, the locally-owned eatery specializes in Filipino cuisine, including different kinds of pancit (or rice noodles) and chicken adobo. [Falls Church News-Press]

1st Stage to Require COVID-19 Vaccinations — 1st Stage Theatre will require patrons to present proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and a photo ID when it launches its first indoor performances of the pandemic on Nov. 18. The theater won’t accept negative test results as an alternative, and masks will also be required inside the Tysons venue. [Tysons Today]

FCPS Book Banning Plea Crops Up in Gubernatorial Race — A failed call to ban Toni Morrison’s novel “Beloved” from Fairfax County Public Schools has resurfaced after the woman who advocated for the book to be removed in 2013 appeared in a campaign ad for Glenn Youngkin, the Republican Party’s nominee for governor, on Monday (Oct. 25). [The Washington Post]

Falls Church Contractor Acquired — Falls Church-based defense contractor PAE Inc. has been acquired for $1.9 billion by Amentum Holdings, the Germantown-based aerospace company announced Monday. Amentum was formed in 2020 and nearly doubled its workforce by purchasing McLean-based DynCorp International that September. [Washington Business Journal]

An Arlington-based gourmet burger eatery could make its way to Tysons later this fall.

Basic Burger, which boasts that if your burger isn’t made to your specifications, they’ll make it right or give you your money back, is preparing to open at Tysons West (1500 Cornerside Boulevard).

“We hope to have Tysons West open within 6 weeks (permits permitting) and continue our regional growth from there,” Jamie Mansy told Tysons Reporter on Friday (Oct. 22).

Signs that recently went up at the shopping center indicate that the restaurant will take over the space previously occupied by the fast-casual, healthy food chain B.Good.

“We are upgrading the kitchen to fit our needs as well as bringing in a muralist to do some art work for us outside,” Mansy said.

Founded in 2015, the company opened its first location in Courthouse before moving to Pentagon Row in 2018. Mansy says they were working on expansion plans when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, temporarily putting those on hold.

Basic Burger serves a range of burgers, shakes, and sides, in addition to chicken sandwiches, salads, and more.

According to Mansy, the restaurant uses locally sourced ingredients where possible, with certified Angus patties hand-pressed daily. Basic Burger also uses French brioche buns, makes its “Basic Sauce” in house and gets its spices from a spice maker in Woodstock.

This is the second restaurant started in 2015 to reveal plans to expand to Tysons West in as many weeks. Roaming Rooster is also slated to open there this fall.

An Italian restaurant named after a Virginia-born cowboy and featuring a “Hell’s Kitchen” chef is slated to open on Nov. 8, Jack’s Ranch tells Tysons Reporter.

The restaurant, located at the Lumen apartments (1755 Tysons Central Street), will feature “smoked meats, salumi and cheeses procured from the finest artisans in the world and prepared by culinary masters,” along with hand-made pasta and certified Roman and Napolitano pizza, according to its website.

The executive chef is Declan Horgan, who has worked in Dublin and D.C. restaurants and appeared on the 19th season of “Hell’s Kitchen.” His past patrons have included former first lady Michelle Obama, who ordered fish and chips from a restaurant he ran before going to an Erykah Badu concert. His TikTok account has also turned heads.

Jack’s Ranch spokesperson Jennifer Grinnell shared the following:

We are happy to say that we are on track for opening to the public Monday, November 8. Our kitchen equipment is installed (including two giant smokers for smoked meats, our Stefano Ferrara pizza oven for certified Roman and Neapolitan pizzas and top-of-the-line pasta machine for house-made pasta), Executive Chef Declan Horgan is finalizing the menu and we are definitely hiring.

Job openings listed online include a bartender, dining room server, and dining room host.

The restaurant is named after John Omohundro, also known as Texas Jack, a 19th century figure who was born near Palmyra and ended up moving to Texas, where he found fame on the stage and had his life illustrated in dime novels. He also met and married an Italian dancer and actress, Josephine Morlacchi.

The addition comes from restaurateur Steve Roberts, an Air Force veteran who started Texas Jack’s Barbecue in Arlington. However, Texas Jack’s Barbecue partner Paul Capetanakis said the two restaurants are separate.

According to its website, the Tysons venue will also feature a Josephine’s Italian Market and Café with “gourmet smoked meats and cheeses, sandwiches, our fresh pasta and house-made sauces, salumi, coffee and wine selections.”

New Early Voting Sites Open Today — “Fairfax County will open an additional 13 early voting sites starting Thursday, Oct. 21. In total, there will be 16 voting locations available across the county until the last day to vote early on Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. Early voting began last month starting with three sites open.” [Fairfax County Government]

Gallows Road Bridge to Be Demolished This Weekend — “Southbound Gallows Road travel lanes will shift to a new Gallows Road bridge over I-66 during the daytime hours on or about Thursday, October 21. Pedestrian access across I-66 will shift to the sidewalk on the east side of Gallows Road, with detours using the crosswalks at Cottage Street and Avenir Place/Bellforest Drive.” [VDOT]

Local DJ Brings New Restaurant to Tysons Corner — A new Spice Road-inspired restaurant from D.C.-based DJ and music producer Bikram Keith will open at Tysons Corner Center in early November. Located by Nordstrom’s, the 210-seat venue will serve cuisine from the Middle East, Persian Gulf, and Northern India in a 5,000 square-foot dining room, lounge, and patio. [Patch, Northern Virginia Magazine]

FCPS Allows for Limited Snow Days — “FCPS has announced updates to its inclement weather policy for the 2021-22 school year. The first five inclement weather days will be traditional inclement weather days…Once these five days have been taken, FCPS will use the flexibility provided by the General Assembly to have unscheduled virtual learning days, wherever possible, to maintain continuity of learning.” [FCPS]

Metrorail Returns Normal Service After Train Derailed — “On Friday, October 15, normal service will resume on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines. Intermittent delays are possible as the investigation into Tuesday’s derailment continues.” [WMATA]

Vienna ExxonMobil Now Serves Up Indian Cuisine — “Raja and Bindu Puri opened Chit Chaat cafe inside the gas station at 200 Maple Avenue E a few months ago. The husband and wife do all the prep and cooking. Their children Neil, Maggie, and Nikki take on respective roles in operations, finance, and social media. Although it’s not the family’s first restaurant, it’s their first one surrounded by fuel pumps.” [DC Eater]

Sexual Assault Reported Near Bailey’s Crossroads — Fairfax County police are looking for two men who reportedly broke into a woman’s apartment in the 6000 block of Knollwood Drive around 5:10 a.m. yesterday morning (Thursday). The woman told police that she woke up to one of the men sexually assaulting her. He punched her, and they ran from the apartment. [WTOP]

Tysons Senior Living Development Lands Construction Financing — “Mather, an award-winning senior living provider, announces that it has secured $300 million in construction financing for The Mather, a luxury Life Plan Community being constructed in Tysons, Virginia, with the syndicated transaction led by The Huntington National Bank. Expected to open in 2024, The Mather is a $500 million development.” [The Mather]

I-66 Paving Work to Close Lanes and Ramps in Vienna — I-66 East will be reduced from four to three travel lanes throughout the day tomorrow (Oct. 16), with just a single lane open overnight today and tomorrow. The Nutley Street North and South ramps will also be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for paving work as part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway project. [VDOT]

Tysons Consultant Plans Major Spending — “Tysons-based consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton plans to step up its spending on acquisitions over the next few years, targeting companies…in areas such as healthcare technology and cybersecurity services, the Wall Street Journal reported. Booz Allen plans to spend about $4 billion between April 2022 and March 2025, largely on acquisitions, executives said last week at the company’s investor day.” [Fairfax County EDA]

(Updated at 10:30 a.m.) Step aside, Starbucks: Tysons has a new option for residents looking for a cup of coffee to start their day.

Bluestone Lane officially opened the doors of its cafe at The Boro yesterday (Wednesday), marking the first foray into Virginia for the New York-based but Australia-inspired company.

Located at 1671 Silver Hill Drive, Bluestone Lane Tysons operates from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, according to its website and Instagram announcement. In addition to coffee, the cafe serves tea, juice, and other beverages as well as lunch wraps, bowls, and burgers and all-day brunch — or “brekkie,” as it’s called on the menu.

“Bluestone Lane is a perfect fit for mixed use spaces, like The Boro’s local dining and entertainment district, because we provide business professionals, residents and visitors with delicious coffee and healthy meals in a vibrant, relaxed setting unlike anywhere else,” founder and CEO Nick Stone said by email. “We are expanding into Tysons Corner and other metropolitan suburbs to serve the droves of people moving into these lively, diverse communities.”

Bluestone Lane is the brainchild of Stone, a former American Football League player who moved to New York City from Melbourne, Australia, in 2010, and Andrew Cook, who worked as an occupational therapist in Perth before becoming Stone’s business partner, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Fueled by a desire to introduce Americans to Australia’s coffee culture, Stone and Cook opened their first Bluestone cafe in the Big Apple in 2013.

They now have 51 coffee shops and cafes across the country, including the Tysons cafe and seven spots in downtown D.C., along with a site in the Cayman Islands.

According to Stone, the company is best known for introducing the U.S. to flat white coffee and avocado smash, two staples of Australian cuisine.

“Bluestone Lane is leading the charge to modernize US coffee culture with an emphasis on the quality of our coffee, fresh healthy food and a hyperfocus on creating an optimal customer experience where we have ‘locals’ not customers,” Stone said. “We have enjoyed rapid adoption from Gen Z and millennials looking for superior coffee, an elevated experience and healthier menu options.”

DC Eater first reported the company’s plans to move into The Boro, which was still under construction, back in December 2018. The cafe anticipated opening in late 2019 or early 2020, but a prolonged permitting process and, later, the COVID-19 pandemic appear to have upended that timeline.

According to Fairfax County’s inspections database, Bluestone filed for a commercial interior alteration permit to construct a standalone building at the heart of The Boro in January 2019, but the permit wasn’t finalized until Nov. 30, 2020.

Construction brought its share of challenges as well, as a backlog of projects built up during the initial months of the pandemic limited the availability of workers and supplies when everything restarted at the same time, a contractor told Tysons Reporter in August.

Bluestone Lane declined to comment on the development process and delays.

However, The Boro believes residents will find the extended wait worthwhile.

“We’re excited to welcome Bluestone Lane to The Boro,” a spokesperson for the mixed-use development said. “We have been working with the Bluestone team to bring their Australian-inspired coffees, juices, meals, and more to our neighborhood, and we are sure they’ll be a fast favorite of our residents, tenants and guests.”

The Boro still has Circa Bistro, the Mexican restaurant El Bebe, and Caliburger on deck for next year. Circa and El Bebe respectively, are currently scheduled to open on March 1, 2022, according to the development’s site plan.