4245 N Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VAImmigrant Food has opened its fourth location (and first location outside of DC) in Arlington at the global headquarters of The Nature Conservatory. Mission-aligned, this will be Immigrant Food’s largest location. In honor of this partnership, the Immigrant Food team implemented several eco-friendly practices into the restaurant, from sustainable construction practices to a carry-out and catering program that utilizes recyclable materials. The restaurant design also honors The Nature Conservancy with lush greenery in the decor and a vast patio for guests to enjoy the outdoors. In honor of this relationship, the restaurant menu also features a new signature cocktail only available at the Ballston location: The Kanha. Chef Ben Murray’s culinary talents are on display at Immigrant Food Ballston, which offers lunch, brunch, happy hour, and dinner. Highlights from the Culinary Director and Executive chef includes new menu items and Immigrant Food favorites. For more information, visit their website here.Photo by Hawkeye Johnson

50 Massachusetts Avenue NEVan Leeuwen Ice Cream, the beloved brand known for its made-from-scratch dairy and vegan ice cream, has opened its fifth DMV, located within Union Station. Van Leeuwen is known nationally for creative seasonal flavors with a genuine focus on good ingredients and no unnecessary stuff, and for out-of-the-box limited-edition collaboration flavors. The Union Station scoop shop features more than 30 signature flavors including its award-winning Vanilla Bean, Honeycomb, Pistachio, Marionberry Cheesecake, Praline Butter Cake and Earl Grey Tea, in addition to sundaes, housemade waffle cones, ice cream sandwiches, root beer floats, milkshakes and pints to-go. Popular vegan flavors that are also available include Banana Bread Pudding, Peanut Butter Brownie Honeycomb, Cookies & Cream Caramel Swirl, and more. Van Leeuwen Union Station is open Monday - Saturday from 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. For more information, visit their website here. 

6902 4th Street NWPynk Saffron, a new spice and tea boutique and online store, has opened in DC’s Takoma neighborhood. Owned by Debra Harrison, Pynk Saffron offers specially curated spice blends with distinctive salt free options. The blends are inspired by diverse cultures to bring a range of flavors and traditions. Some highlights include the Titan Burger, Pasta Rasta Supreme, Curry-Gold Rush, and more. Pynk Saffron is open Wednesday - Sunday from 10:00 a.m.  - 5:00 p.m. For more information, click here.

3000 K Street NW Residents Cafe and Bar Founders, Farid Azouri and David Nammour have opened a new elevated restaurant and bar concept, River Club. Guests can get excited for a refined dining experience rooted in attainable luxury at River Club. At River Club, you can embark on a captivating adventure through the flavors of Lebanon, Italy and Spain. From mezze style plates, to rich aromatic entrees, to craft cocktails, every sip and bite is prepared with attention to detail and with the finest ingredients. River Club is designed for comfortable elegance with completely custom furniture and bespoke design elements. For more information, visit their website here.Photo by Scott Suchman

417 Morse Street NE Chef Michael Rafidi has opened a new Union Market location of his Levantine café, YELLOW. Known for its pastries, mezze, wood-fired pita sandwiches, and speciality coffee, this 3,500 square-foot space boasts 60 seats and an open kitchen, pastry case, and carryout window. YELLOW Union Market is open in the evenings to serve “All the Kebabs” from their hearth grill. In the evenings, the coffee bar pivots to serving wines by the glass, as well as a list of Middle Eastern beer curated by Wine Director William Simons. Contemporary cocktails are also available from Bar Director Alex Bookless. For more information, visit YELLOW's website here.

1250 9th Street NW Chef Mike Friedman and his team have opened a new concept, Fossette Focacceria. This new all-day concept showcases a tight menu of Italian-inspired breakfast items, pastries, and sandwiches on housemade focaccia.  Guests can also get excited for espresso drinks featuring Coava Coffee Roasters and a market stocked with pantry goods, cookbooks, wines, and more. Some menu highlights include Mortazza, Parmigiano, Bottega, and much more. Fossette Focacceria is open Wednesday - Sunday from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. For more information, click here.

10 Village Square Suite 10, Baltimore, MD Cece's Roland Park has opened in Baltimore's Village of Cross Keys. Cece's Roland Park brings an elevated dining experience to Baltimore. This new restaurant boasts a 7,000 square-foot interior and a 3,500 square-foot exterior. Michelin-Starred Chef Nick Sharpe leads the kitchen at Cece's, which features an innovative European menu with coastal influences. Cece's also has a carefully created wine and cocktail menu that offers Cece's Signature Martini, tequila selections, and a collection of French and Italian wines. For more information, visit their website here.Photo from Cece’s Roland Park Website

 699 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA A new hotel, Hotel Heron, has opened in the heart of Alexandria. Originally opened in 1926 as the George Mason Hotel, Hotel Heron combines the iconic inn with a new building that houses a modern event space and elevated guest rooms. This new 134 room boutique hotel has a ground floor restaurant, KILN, serving hearth inspired Mid-Atlantic cuisine, a cozy craft cocktail bar in the heart of the hotel, and an open-air seasonal rooftop bar with views of the Potomac. Some amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness center and meeting spaces. For more information, click here.

885 New Jersey Avenue SEA new all day dining concept, Ama, has just opened from Micah Wilder and Johanna Hellrigl. Ama embodies the essence of Northern Italy and features an indoor-outdoor caffè and Genovese-style focacceria by day, and transforms into an aperitivo bar over the course of the afternoon and convivial restaurant by night. Throughout the day and night at Ama, guests can enjoy Genovese sandwiches, Ligurian seafood, cornetto, and more. The bar program at Ama channels old world apothecary approach. Sustainability and well-being extend at every corner of Ama. Ama is open for aperitivo and stuzzichini service Tuesday - Saturday from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m., with dinner available from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. For more information, click here.Photo from Ama Website

1520 14th Street NW The team behind Bar Chinois team has opened a new izakaya restaurant, Bar Japonais, in the space formerly home to Estadio. Similar to its sister restaurant, Bar Japonais seamlessly blends French and Japanese flavors. Guests can get excited for Japanese-inspired dishes and a French wine and cocktail menu, in an energetic atmosphere. Some menu highlights include Negima, Katsu Kare, Pork Gyoza, and more. Bar Japonais also boasts a carefully curated drink list with unique cocktails as well as an extensive wine list and sake selection. The restaurant provides a variety of seating options for its guests, including intimate tables for dinners, high-tops, bar stools surrounding a central bar, freestanding and banquette tables, and a 40-seat outdoor patio. Bar Japonais is open Tuesday - Sunday from 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. For more information, visit their website here.