A Venezuelan restaurant takes over the Blue Moon space in Annandale

*A mural in the soon-to-be expanded Con Sazon Venezolano inside the Blue Moon building.*

Annandale’s newest restaurant features the food of Venezuela.

Con Sazon Venezolano recently opened in a separate space inside the former Blue Moon restaurant, at 7201 Little River Turnpike.

On Oct. 11, the date of its Grand Opening, Con Sazon Venezolano will take over the entire Blue Moon building. The party starts at 4 p.m.

*The current restaurant space will be converted to a playroom for kids.*

The current menu features hamberguesas with lots of toppings, empanadas, grilled meat plates, and, of course, arepas, Venezuela’s national dish, consisting of flatbread made from maize with fillings, such as shredded beef, avocado, or cheese.

The restaurant’s specialty, says manager Yerko Aliendre, is bandeja paisa, a Colombian dish with pork, beans, a soft-boiled egg, and plantains.

Also on the menu: cocktails and fresh juice made from mangos, carrots, watermelon, strawberries, and other fruits.

After Con Sazon Venezolano reopens in the Blue Moon space, there will be live music after 10 p.m. on weekends, Aliendre says.

The interior has been renovated; the walls are now covered with colorful murals. A new exterior sign will be installed soon.

Aliendre envisions Con Sazon Venezolano as a family-friendly place where children can play while their parents enjoy dining out.

The smaller space where the restaurant is now located will be converted to a playroom for kids, he says. A corner in the larger space will have a play kitchen with kid-sized appliances and toy food.

Con Sazon Venezolano will be open 11 a.m.-2 a.m. seven days a week.

One of the restaurant’s partners acknowledges concerns with the Diamond Lounge next door. That bar has been the subject of numerous complaints about crime, drugs, fights, and noise. He says, “It’s a problem, but we can’t stop them.”