restaurant | FFXnow

Owners of McLean restaurant plead guilty to tax evasion, Covid relief theft

Published August 16, 2023 at 10:15AM

Gholam and Karen Kowkabi own Divan, a Persian restaurant in McLean (staff photo by David Taube)

A Vienna couple who own multiple restaurants in the D.C. area, including Divan in McLean, pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this week to evading over $1 million in taxes and stealing COVID-19 relief funds.

As part of the plea agreement, Gholam Kowkabi, 63, and Karen Kowkabi, 64, will give the IRS the $1.35 million that they failed to pay in taxes related to their D.C. restaurants Ristorante Piccolo, Catch 15 and Tuscana West, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. announced on Monday (Aug. 14).

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NEW: Planned Spanish restaurant put on hold at Capital One Center

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 14, 2023 at 10:15AM

A map of Capital One Center in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Santi is no longer coming to Capital One Center — at least not in the immediate future.

Michelin-starred chef Pepe Moncayo, who recently opened Jiwa Singapura in Tysons Galleria, has paused plans to bring a new Spanish restaurant concept to Tysons, he confirmed through a public relations representative.

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Neighboring restaurants in Chantilly Park Shopping Center permanently close

By Vivian Hoang

Published August 8, 2023 at 1:30PM

Bravo Peruvian Chicken and Picante!, neighboring restaurants, have closed (staff photo by Vivian Hoang)

Two longtime family-owned restaurants in the Chantilly Park Shopping Center have closed their doors for good.

Located side-by-side to one another, Bravo Peruvian Chicken (14513 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway) and Picante! (14511-B Lee Jackson Memorial Highway) have both recently announced permanent closures.

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Brown Bag restaurant in Reston’s Plaza America folds permanently

By Fatimah Waseem

Published July 31, 2023 at 2:15PM

Brown Bag in Reston has officially closed (Image via Google Maps).

Brown Bag, a restaurant that sells salads, sandwiches and bowls, has officially closed its doors at Plaza America in Reston.

The business closed earlier this month. The company did not return a request for comment to clarify the exact date of closure by press time.

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Centreville dessert shop reopens as Cafe Bdan, rolling out an expanded menu

By Vivian Hoang

Published July 27, 2023 at 11:45AM

Centreville shoppers may have experienced a bit of déjà vu stepping into the recently opened Cafe Bdan at 13814 Braddock Road.

That’s because the new Korean-Japanese fusion dessert shop is a rebranding of fan-favorite Iron Ice, which closed down for six weeks before reopening as Cafe Bdan on Saturday, July 15, according to shop owner Charlie Shin.

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Family-owned Lebanese restaurant closes for good in Vienna

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 24, 2023 at 10:15AM

Zenola founder and executive chef Samer Zeitoun prepares a dish (via Zenola)

Zenola has permanently closed its kitchen in Vienna.

The Lebanese restaurant announced on Friday (July 21) that its owners, the Zeitoun family, had “made the difficult decision to close” after more than three years in Danor Plaza at 132 Branch Road SE.

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New ‘virtual food hall’ brings cuisine from around the D.C. area to Tysons

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 20, 2023 at 2:15PM | Updated July 24, 2023 at 3:31PM

The Lebanese kebab shop Yasmine is offering takeout and deliveries through The Kitchen Collective, a new "virtual food hall" in Tysons (courtesy Yasmine)

(Updated at 3:30 p.m. on 7/24/2023) Tysons residents can now pick up a meal from D.C.-based eateries without needing to cross the Potomac River, thanks to a just-launched “virtual food hall” in Fairfax Square.

The Kitchen Collective has opened a pickup window in the office and retail center at 8045 Leesburg Pike, Suite L160, where it will facilitate takeout and delivery orders for a slate of partner restaurants and food concepts.

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Four restaurants with Fairfax ties honored at 2023 RAMMY awards

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 11, 2023 at 1:30PM

RASA, which opened a Mosaic District location in 2022, won the 2023 RAMMY award for Favorite Fast Bites (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County residents don’t have to cross the Potomac to taste some of the best cuisine that the D.C. area has to offer, as decreed by the 2023 RAMMY awards.

Announced at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in D.C. on Sunday (July 9), the annual honors from the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) feted four restaurants with ties to the Fairfax area — including three in Merrifield’s Mosaic District.

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NEW: Urbanspace has left Tysons Galleria, creating uncertainty for food hall eateries

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 5, 2023 at 11:00AM

Twelve Twenty Coffee is one of three tenants left in the food hall after Urbanspace and Tysons Galleria parted ways (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Barely a year after relaunching its food hall, Tysons Galleria is angling for yet another reboot.

Andy’s Pizza, Empanadas De Mendoza and Twelve Twenty Coffee are the only eateries remaining on the mall’s third floor after the recent departure of Urbanspace, the New York-based market operator that oversaw the “Taste of Urbanspace” food hall.

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Annandale’s Seoul Plaza to swap parking for outdoor dining space

By Melanie Pincus

Published June 8, 2023 at 11:45AM

Seoul Plaza in Annandale (via Google Maps)

Annandale diners could soon see more outdoor seating at Izakaya Khan in Seoul Plaza (4231 Markham Street).

To make room for year-round outdoor dining at the Japanese restaurant, the center will lose off-street parking spaces, dropping its total from 210 to 200 spots. In addition to removing nine regular parking spaces, Seoul Plaza will also remove one accessible parking space to make possible a new trash dumpster layout.