patching...
Update: Like Patch? Don't forget to like us on Facebook! »
Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

Business

Monday, May 21, 2012

Readers' Choice: Best Beer Selection in Clarendon, Round 3

Help narrow the list to determine who has the best brews.

It's the last call in determining the finalists for our best beer selection in Clarendon contest. The category proved popular early on, so we divided this Readers' Choice category up into three parts. This week's contenders... ...are downtown staples. Treat yourself to an evening remembering why you love each of them and then tell us who has the best beer selection. In early June, we'll take this week's winner and put them up against the winners of Round 1 (Mad Rose Tavern) and Round 2 (Lyon Hall) to determine, finally, who is tops with the hops. And maybe we'll even put together a little something for the ultimate winner to hang on their wall — in case the question ever arises again. Voting in the poll below is open until 9 a.m. Friday. …

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Arlington Native, Celebrity Chef Serves Up 'Good Food America'

Nathan Lyon jetted in from the West Coast to visit a vegetarian/vegan restaurant in Middletown, Conn., for the final taping of the upcoming Veria Living show 'Good Food America.'

MIDDLETOWN, CONN. — A vegetarian lunch date among friends turned into more than soup and salad last week when Sarah-Jane Ripa and Jessica Carso had a brush with fame and agreed to be interviewed by a celebrity chef for a national television show. The duo stopped by Middletown's It’s Only Natural Restaurant after noon Tuesday and found themselves in the middle of the taping of a segment for Chef Nathan Lyon’s Good Food America for the Veria Living network. “Everything about yesterday was unexpected,” Carso said Wednesday. “We went for lunch and when approached by the crew, I think we initially thought we'd be in some panned shots. I had no idea we'd end up being interviewed.” "We're going across the country on a healthy eats food trip and …

Friday, May 18, 2012

Get Out: Concerts in the Park, Taste of Arlington and More

Needs ideas to get your weekend going? Look no further.

1. Concerts in the Park When/Where: Beginning at 5 p.m. Sunday at Volta Park, 1555 34th St. NW, Washington, D.C.  Why Go: This is the 10th year of Concerts in the Park and the 2012 season promises to be better than ever. Sunday, look for music from Georgetown’s own amazing singer and songwriter, Rebecca McCabe, plus balloons from Georgetown Patch, cupcakes from Sprinkles and much more! The theme is pink and green and there's a prize for the most inspired pink-and-green outfit. Pricing: Free! 2. The 25th Annual Taste of Arlington When/Where: Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday on Wilson Boulevard in front of Ballston Common Mall in Arlington. Why Go: Why not go? This annual street festival features live entertainment, children's activities and more than …

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Arlington Company Saves Enough Energy to Power City of 200,000

Opower achieved 1 terawatt-hour milestone this month.

Opower's bright idea is starting to pay off. The Courthouse-based company announced this month that, after five years, its software has helped people across the globe save 1 terawatt-hour of energy. The business expects to reach that goal a second time by the end of 2012. One terawatt-hour equals enough energy to power a city of 200,000 people for one year, according to the company. It represents about $120 million in savings to people around the world. And it's more than half the energy that was generated by the U.S. solar industry in 2011. "We're really excited that we got this," Carly Baker, an Opower policy adviser, told Patch. Opower's success proves that there isn't just one magic bullet when it comes to clean energy, Baker said. "…

Friday, May 11, 2012

Readers Choose Front Page Arlington as Best Spot for Mother's Day Brunch

Restaurant adding extra dessert to its brunch buffet Sunday.

The Front Page Arlington won our special Readers' Choice contest to determine the best place for Mother's Day brunch in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. "We here at the Front Page take a lot of pride in everything we do, but our brunch as always been excellent. It's a great spread," said Emily Garber, the restaurant's events and promotions manager. "We offer almost anything you can think of. We have an omelet station, a carving station, waffles. We have a bloody mary station, where you can make your own bloody mary. It's a fun atmosphere." For Mother's Day, which is Sunday, the Front Page is offering is regular brunch buffet but adding a lot more dessert, Garber said. "We're expecting a good day on Sunday," she said. "The weather should be …

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Get Out: Spy at Night, Hope for A Golden Summer and More

Needs ideas to get your weekend going? Look no further.

1. Wine Class at Citronelle Where/When: Michel Richard Citronelle, 3000 M St. NW, Washington, D.C. The class will run from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. Why Go: If you'd like to learn a little bit more about vino, but don't have the time to hop a flight to Napa, pop into this once-a-month wine class at Citronelle on Saturday. This class will specifically delve into the blending. According to the restaurant's website, "Like a conductor in an orchestra, it takes great expertise and life-long experience to excel in the Art of Blending, but this class will give you a crash course on how it’s done." Pricing: The price of the class is $100. 2. Spy at Night Where/When: International Spy Museum, 800 F St. NW, Washington, D.C. The event is scheduled from 6…

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Key Bridge Marriott Now Has Wi-Fi

Hotel has partnered with AT&T to provide the service.

The Key Bridge Marriott has partnered with AT&T to provide Wi-Fi in all guest rooms, suites, meeting spaces and the lobby, the hotel announced Monday. The hotel, at 1401 Lee Highway, will celebrate going wireless May 16 and 17 by providing all guests with free Wi-Fi, according to a news release. On any other day, Wi-Fi is free in the hotel's lobby and available under a two-tiered pricing structure in its 582 rooms. “We are pleased to join with AT&T to offer our guests state-of-the-art and secure Wi-Fi,” Brian Hilger, general manager of the hotel, said in a statement. “This new wireless solution offers 12 times more bandwidth and more reliable connectivity; allowing more guests to use their iPods, iPads, tablets or laptops at the same time …

Monday, May 7, 2012

Last Chance: Mother's Day Brunch & Gift Certificate Contests

Mother's Day is Sunday.

It's easy to wait until the last minute for... well, for a lot of things. But you don't put off things that matter, right? And what matters more than your own mom? Click here to vote in our Best Mother's Day Brunch contest — and be sure to click on your pick's name so you can leave a rating and review of that establishment. Ratings and reviews are a big part in determining who wins. After all, anyone can click on a poll. Sharing your thoughts about why somewhere is the best — even if it's just a sentence or two — takes dedication. (And remember what your mother said about hard work.) Click here to check out our Best Mom in Arlington County contest — and then click on the big "Upload Photos and Videos" button under the pic of Senior …

Dominion Customers May See Cheaper Bill This Fall

Monthly electric charges could drop to an average of $105 per household by September.

Gas prices may be going up and up, but cost of electricity, at least for Dominion customers, is dropping. The average household electricity bill is expected to drop to $105.90 in September, the company says, a 5.7 percent decrease from January 2012. The calculation is based on the an average use of 1,000 kilowatt-hours. The drop is owed largely to a decrease in Dominion's fuel rate. The proposed fuel rate is 2.706 cents per kilowatt-hour – a decrease of approximately 18 percent from the current fuel rate of 3.289 cents per kilowatt-hour, said Dominion spokeswoman Le-Ha Anderson. The adjustment is the lowest the company has proposed since 2007, Anderson said. It will result in an annual fuel revenue reduction of $388 million. In a company …

Monday, April 30, 2012

Readers' Choice: Best Spot for Mother's Day Brunch

Mother's Day is May 13.

Mother's Day is May 13. So what do you do for the woman who gave you everything? For starters, let her sleep in. Then, surprise her with flowers. (You are getting her flowers, aren't you?) Next, you're off to brunch in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. But where should you take her? This week brings a special Readers' Choice contest in which we're asking you to tell us the best place for Mother's Day brunch in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. We've picked five places to get you started… …but by all means, if your favorite isn't included, feel free to add it in the comments section below. And don't stop at our poll: Give your vote weight by adding a rating and review on Patch Places. Because this is a special Readers' Choice contest, polls will …

Chris Marek

2:55 pm on Thursday, May 3, 2012

I love the front page brunch. It has great menu items or you can get the all you can eat buffet.   more ›

Got a Hot Tip?
 

Videos