DFH coming to Falls Church

[ClockworkOrange]

Here's the link for Dogfish's new location in N. VA ,you lucky bastards:D

http://www.dogfish.com/news/N._VA_City_Annouced_For_2nd_Dogfish_Head_Alehouse/614/index.htm

[Beefsteak]

This is the best news I've heard in a while.

[chazwicke]

We all have been guessing which place they have leased. It appears it will be in the 7 Corners area.

I may be hitting the Gaithersburg location Friday afternoon.

[Derekt2]

I'm still betting it's Fortune.

Beefsteak, be aware I'm across the street. No more excuses, okay?:p

[Insidious Rex]

Seven Corners? I would think they would want to put it closer to Tysons. At least in Falls Church City proper where you have some upscale folk locally. The Seven Corner shopping area seems so transient not to mention its a vast collection of ethnic home bases. Will it be near little Saigon? Or further up 50 near the beltway? Or further down 7 near Columbia Pike?

[Chiliman101]

I tried to pry it out of the Dogfish rep. Only thing he is allowed to say is it's definately 7 Corners.

Randy

[kinjar]

7 Corners is just a sucky area to get to, and that says a lot for North. VA. With all the traffic Charlie Browns in the area, its the Charlie Browniest. (sorry, been watching Charlie Brown xmas way too much with my son).

I'm glad I don't commute there every day (sorry Derek).

[PhilipDC]

7 Corners doesn't suck to get to if you already live there! Can't wait to find out the exact location to see if it is walking (or stumbling) distance

I don't think it's the Pizzeria Uno we speculated about before because it is still open. Could be Fortune, but as far as I know, they are still open also.

Parts of 7 Corners may not be that affluent, but there is a very affluent Falls Church city neighborhood and an upper middle class Fairfax County neighborhood bordering it just to the west.

[Chubber]

I lived 1/2 mile from Seven Corners for 8 years, and as soon as I move to Florida, you open a LHBS and now a Dogfish Head 3 minutes from my house! Cruel, cruel world!

See you at myLHBS on Saturday.

[chazwicke]

I've been told from sources that it will be the Uno restaurant.

[ClockworkOrange]

Does that Pizza Uno have a brewhouse in place already? I know the one in Jersey does and they do a decent job there.

[denver brewhoo]

they won't need a brewhouse, they ain't brewing any beer on site at any of these.

[ClockworkOrange]

They don't brew at Gaithersburg? I didn't know that.

[chazwicke]

These are basically restaurants that franchise the Dogfish Name and beer. They are not brewpubs.

[ClockworkOrange]

Oh, I see. Thanks for the info.

[PhilipDC]

Can confirm the Pizzeria Uno location. A neighbor was there last night and saw an ABC sign posted, dated Dec. 19, looking for comments on the application of one Dogfish Head Ale House to sell beer and mixed drinks on the premises. 10-day comment period.

Seems a February opening would be a tad optimistic...

[Chubber]

That will make my Seven Corners friend very happy. I forwarded this info to him and he asked if he could lend a hammer!

[ClockworkOrange]

Did the Pizzeria Uno relocate or did it close permanently?

[Derekt2]

Originally posted by ClockworkOrange
Did the Pizzeria Uno relocate or did it close permanently?

Neither, it's still there. It just must not be a very profitable outlet for the chain.

[Insidious Rex]

Which makes you wonder why Dogfish thinks it will have that much more success. The immediate neighborhood doesnt really strike you as a high end beer population. I guess they figure beer geeks and connoisseurs are more willing to travel a good distance with some regularity to drink their beer than people would be to travel there to eat Unos pizza. And seeing as how I have a number of times made the trip from southern Maryland to Gaithersburg just to visit the bewpub there I think I may have verified my own hypothesis…

Still, a site in Falls Church City or the Tysons area would have been more ideal.

[Derekt2]

Originally posted by Insidious Rex
Which makes you wonder why Dogfish thinks it will have that much more success. The immediate neighborhood doesnt really strike you as a high end beer population. I guess they figure beer geeks and connoisseurs are more willing to travel a good distance with some regularity to drink their beer than people would be to travel there to eat Unos pizza. And seeing as how I have a number of times made the trip from southern Maryland to Gaithersburg just to visit the bewpub there I think I may have verified my own hypothesis…

Still, a site in Falls Church City or the Tysons area would have been more ideal.

And also more expensive. If people will go the extra mile (and they will) why not? Guess we'll see as I can see the building from my window.

[Chubber]

Originally posted by Derekt2
And also more expensive. If people will go the extra mile (and they will) why not? Guess we'll see as I can see the building from my window.

Derek,

Sounds like a natural match. Can you get a Route 7-front sign that says something like "Love Good Beer? Come in and find out how to make it!". That should catch the eye of the average pub goer.

[Derekt2]

Originally posted by Chubber
Derek,

Sounds like a natural match. Can you get a Route 7-front sign that says something like "Love Good Beer? Come in and find out how to make it!". That should catch the eye of the average pub goer.

Thanks! Your check is in the mail. ;)

[Chubber]

How about a sign that says

"90 minute IPA: $1.00/pint (Some assembly required)"

[Derekt2]

Originally posted by Chubber
How about a sign that says

"90 minute IPA: $1.00/pint (Some assembly required)"

You're good!

[Chubber]

Originally posted by Derekt2
You're good!

Thanks. You can pay me in hops.

[celebrator]

Hope they have live music,
and more elbow room than Jv's.

Gburg is mixing 60 and 90 min to make 75 min tavern ave.

I've been boiling hops separetly, in 60 min boils, as wort cooling water, and to taste diff hops,
going to make a "death by Mt hood" I I PA,
any reccomendations ?

I've heard too much malt hinders the hops from taking, T/F?
Is the reverse True?
does hops need a minimal malt content for best absorbtion ?

[Phatz]

Sounds like a good reason to travel South more often ;-)

Cheers!
Matt

[kinjar]

Originally posted by Derekt2
Thanks! Your check is in the mail. ;)

I have a strange feeling that the mylhbs store hours will shrink dramatically later this year.

Or at leas a sign on the door directing homebrewers across the street.

[Derekt2]

Originally posted by kinjar
I have a strange feeling that the mylhbs store hours will shrink dramatically later this year.

Or at leas a sign on the door directing homebrewers across the street.

:D Nah!

Of interest: as of last night (1/2/07) the UNO's is alive and kicking. If there were to close it and open as something new in 5 weeks, I would have though 12/31 would have been an ideal closure date.

[Derekt2]

As of last night (1/11) UNO's is still alive and kicking, and busy too.

[zoom6zoom]

Stopped by Derek's shop today and UNO is now CLOSED!

[Derekt2]

Originally posted by zoom6zoom
Stopped by Derek's shop today and UNO is now CLOSED!

Yeah, they were unusually busy the other night and then abruptly closed -- employee party most likely. Now I guess we'll see how long before it is DFH.

Nice to meet you, btw, and thanks!

[Chubber]

Derek, is the DFH making progress at the old UNOs?

[Derekt2]

Originally posted by Chubber
Derek, is the DFH making progress at the old UNOs?

Not yet. I hear they are having licensing problems that are preventing them from getting permits to build out.

[Theakston]

2008!!! That's what the manager at Rehoboth told me this weekend. Apparently there are a whole bunch of problems with licenses, neighbors etc etc. so they are not expecting to open any time soon.

[chazwicke]

Yikes! I knew they should have gone to Centreville / Fairfax area. Greenbriar Shopping Center has a vacant establishment.

[D0nc0smic]

i wonder why they are having so many problems, i mean they aren't going to produce beer on the premisses, and the Uno's had a liquor license, so i really don't see why the neighbors would have a problem with it or anything like that.

[pizzaandbrew]

Don't know if this restaurant is going to be opened by the same folks in Gaithersburg or not (understand the new units are franchises?), but if their menu is comparable, fire and building permits could be an issue. Looking at Gaithersburg menu, imagine they are bringing in new equipment (wood burning grill and stone oven - I don't know what kind of oven an Uno's would use) that requires substantial investments/building changes/permitting that can bring the process to a grinding halt. Additional differences in code from jurisdiction to jurisdiction/state to state can also be painfully frustrating.

[chazwicke]

Thanks for that insight. Always valuable to have it from someone in the field. I do think that the owners of the Falls Church location are the same as Gaithersburg.

[Chubber]

Just another reason why I will never start a restaurant.

[D0nc0smic]

yea i do remember reading that they had moved a wood burning oven into the restaurant, so i guess uno's didn't use one, and they stated that their state liquor license application was going well, so it must be something with the local building codes.

[Insidious Rex]

This is why I approach these kinds of announcements with a "I’ll believe it when I see it" (or when I have a cold 60 minute draft in my hand) approach despite all the "it's a done deal" proclamations. What are the chances they cut their losses if they continue to encounter problems and seek a different location?

[Chubber]

They should have moved into the old Chilis at Route 50 and Annandale Road. Only about 1/2 mile down the road from 7 corners and, more importantly, within walking distance from my house!

[Insidious Rex]

That closed? That the one near JV's? I used to live just off 7 across from St. James and used to walk down to Bangkok Blues. What a great place that is... They even had some interesting beers once in a while. And you cant beat a decent beer, Thai food and good live blues all in the same setting 3 blocks from your house.

[Chubber]

Originally posted by Insidious Rex
That closed? That the one near JV's?

The Chilis caught fire about a year ago and about 1/2 of it burned. It closed. I think it is still closed. The last time I was over there, about 2 months ago, it was still just boarded up. I live out of town, but still visit up there all of the time.

[PhilipDC]

Chubber,
You must be awfully close to me. I'm just up one light from Annandale and 50 in the Hillwood neigborhood.

I hope it really isn't 2008, but we drove by the Uno's over the weekend and it didn't look like anything had been done externally. DFH had a note about it on their website recently and made it sound like it would just be a couple more months.

[Derekt2]

Spoke with Devon of DFH yesterday and he told me the restaurant group has now taken possession of the keys and can start to build out. As they don't have that much renovation to do, they expect to meet their end-of-July deadline, or at least et very close to it.

On a similar note, I finally completed my move into my new storefront which faces the soon-to-be DFH (same building but now downstairs). With more space I've brought in even more specialty grains, whole hops and wine kits -- some very interesting ones to boot.

Speaking of which, Chubber, what's the 411 on that Blanche yeast you tried? It seems to sell but I still have never gotten any feedback on it.

- D

[Chubber]

Originally posted by Derekt2

Speaking of which, Chubber, what's the 411 on that Blanche yeast you tried? It seems to sell but I still have never gotten any feedback on it.

- D

Derek, I have been meaning to do a write up on it, but I have been too busy emptying the keg of wit! It was a good yeast to use.

From my notes: Hydrated in 90 degree water for 15 minutes, stirred in and let sit for another 15 minutes. 12 hours to active fermentation in my 6 gallons of 1.056 wort, well oxygenated at 70 degrees. First fermentation finished in 4 days from pitch, then the activity fell off quickly, but not completely, and it petered along for another 6 or 7 days. I don't secondary, so I let it stay a total of almost 3 weeks in the fermenter, then bottled and kegged.

Taste profile was a little "cleaner", less spicy than the liquid Belgian wheat yeasts I have used in the past, but I didn't do a head-to-head comparison and the spicing was different in this batch, so that may have affected it. Color stayed high and the suspended yeasts give is a nice golden haze. If I was coming to town soon, I would bring you a bottle.

I will be submitting the Wit to some competitions in the next month or so, and I will let you know how they score and the comments.

You can't beat the convenience of it, either.

[Chiliman101]

Out of respect for DFH I'm not going to say exactly where but I'm in the restaurant business and just lost out of a site in Loudoun County to DFH.

Now these things can come and go and it's far from signed on their end but it's far enough along that the landlord has pulled my offer off the table. You have to figure sometime in 2008 considering how far behind Seven Corners is.

[Chubber]

Just an update from the DFH site:

DFH Alehouse, Falls Church

Location: 6363 Seven Corners Center, Falls Church, VA, 22044

Phone: 703-534-3342

Coming Soon!

Stay tuned - the current projected opening date is the third week of September.

From DFH Website (http://www.dogfish.com/eats/DFH_Alehouse,_Falls_Church/4/index.htm)

And they need staff. (http://www.dogfish.com/news/DFH_Alehouse_in_Falls_Church_is_now_hiring!/923/index.htm)

[zoom6zoom]

On a similar note, I finally completed my move into my new storefront which faces the soon-to-be DFH (same building but now downstairs). With more space I've brought in even more specialty grains, whole hops and wine kits -- some very interesting ones to boot.

I stopped in and visited Derek this morning and picked up a few necessities... if you haven't visited his shop lately it's a big upgrade from the old location. Big ol' sign and reserved parking for customers right out front. I probably would have paid more for shipping than I did for my entire order - support your local shops!

[Derekt2]

Hey, thanks Zoom!

- D

[abeck1969]

I think it is about time I visited Falls Church again :-)

Used to live there back in the day. I remember Fresh Fields (now Whole Foods). I don't think it was the one in Falls Church, but, I think the first trappist beer I had was purchased at a Fresh Fields.

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=6363+Seven+Corners+Center%2C+Falls+Chur ch%2C+VA%2C+22044&daddr=7511+Leesburg+Pike%2C+Falls+Church%2C+VA+220 43&hl=en

[kinjar]

Originally posted by zoom6zoom
I stopped in and visited Derek this morning and picked up a few necessities... if you haven't visited his shop lately it's a big upgrade from the old location. Big ol' sign and reserved parking for customers right out front. I probably would have paid more for shipping than I did for my entire order - support your local shops!

I love the new location and am glad I have a place close to work to pick up my supplies.

Will we be having a myLHBS meet at the new DFH when it opens?

[PhilipDC]

Supposedly DFH Falls Church is opening Wednesday, Sept. 26th.

[Derekt2]

Correct, at 4 PM for dinner, and also presumably happy hour which runs from 4-7.

[zoom6zoom]

Darn, I gotta be in Richmond that night (and the rest of the week!)

[Fritz_Hahn]

Actually, it's opening at 5, or so the managing partner told me. Sam's going to be in the house, and happy hour runs until 7. Read more here (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/goingoutgurus/2007/09/very_happy_hour_in_falls_churc.html)