Local hospitality veterans Mackenzie Ryan and Jody Hessler think their new restaurant concept, The Roasted Vine, has the recipe for success.
Coming late this year to the Village at Shirlington, TRV, as they call it, will be an all-day café serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and grab-and-go items, plus coffee, wine and cocktails. Ryan and Hessler have spent years in the business, most recently at other restaurants in Shirlington. Together, they also own a pub in Clarendon.
“I love creating places that become part of somebody’s daily life—not just somewhere to eat or drink, but somewhere they just generally feel at home,” Ryan says. “I’m connected to the Shirlington area pretty deeply. I’ve worked there for over a decade. Shirlington was our No. 1 spot to open The Roasted Vine. That was our dream location.”
“We see an opportunity to complement what’s already there,” she adds.
The duo aim to create what she calls “a third place—not home, not work, but somewhere in between that people genuinely enjoy spending time, and they naturally return to throughout the week.”
Patrons can start their day at TRV with coffee, meet a friend for lunch and stay to work remotely, and then unwind after work with a glass of wine and dinner.
‘Freshest Coffee You Can Get’
Although the menu details are still TBD, guests can expect plated lunch and dinner dishes centering on fresh meats and organic produce, Ryan says, and an entire section devoted to charcuterie. For the lunch crowd, the options will also include grab-and-go salads and artisanal sandwiches.
The “roasted” part of the name is a nod to a robust coffee program including traditional drip coffee, signature cold brews and espresso-based drinks made with house-roasted beans and house-made syrups. In-house roasting “gives us complete control of quality from start to finish,” Ryan says.
Coffee begins to lose its aromatic oils and flavor compounds shortly after roasting, she explains, so roasting in small batches is key. Bags of fresh-roasted beans will be sold a la carte and by subscription. Regulars will also be able to buy subscriptions for unlimited coffee refills.
“Jody is a big coffee guy,” Ryan says. “In the last 10 years, he would always take a weeklong trip to the beach in the summertime and go to like these cute little coffee cottages where there’s a line out the door. That’s where this dream of ours started. This is going to be the freshest coffee that you can get in the area.”
The “vine” part of the name refers to an ample wine (and beer) menu with a significant focus on Virginia wines and craft beers. Wine dinners and beverage tastings will be part of the events rotation. A full bar promises signature cocktails such as the Espresso Martinez, an espresso martini that swaps the vodka for tequila, and a smoked espresso old fashioned featuring house-made coffee bitters.
Creating a Community
Ryan, a musician who sings at local venues four nights a week, says that hosting community events will be an important part of TRV, in keeping with the spirit of the neighborhood. (Both she and Hessler have a track record of helping to stage annual events such as Shucktoberfest.) TRV will continue that tradition with acoustic music nights and other live performances.
Aesthetically, the café will feel cozy and warm, with natural wood, earthy colors, comfy couches and a center fireplace. A bar area toward the back of the restaurant will accommodate about 85-90 people. A patio will seat another 30 and welcome leashed dogs.
“A lot of coffee shops feel cold and minimalist,” Ryan says. “We want people to walk in and feel completely comfortable. Think of Friends’ Central Perk, with a mix of grandma’s country cottage.”
It Takes a Village
Mike Ennes is SVP of Asset Management at Federal Realty Investment Trust, which has owned the Village at Shirlington for three decades. He says TRV is a good fit for a neighborhood whose other locally owned tenants include Astro Beer Hall, Busboys & Poets, Corso Italian, Copperwood Tavern, Dudley’s Sport & Ale and Palette 22.
The morning-to-late evening concept also fills a niche, he says, and is part of a neighborhood-wide revamp emphasizing expanded sidewalks and outdoor dining. “You won’t feel like you have to tiptoe between the café zones and the street edge,” he says. “We’ll have new art programs, new lighting. I think that they will be very successful here.”
Find The Roasted Vine at 4150 Campbell Ave., Arlington (Shirlington)
