Arlington Restaurant Co-Owned by 'Real Housewives' Star

PHOTO of Ashley Darby courtesy of Bravo TV; Darby is co-owner of Oz, a new restaurant and bar that recently opened in Arlington.

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If you stop by Arlington’s Oz Restaurant & Bar, you just might see a face soon to become familiar on Bravo’s “Real Housewives” franchise.

Located at 2950 Clarendon Blvd., the eatery serves up cuisine and beverages inspired by Australia. The Washington Post gave the newly opened restaurant a 1-star review this weekend, but not to worry. Critic Maura Judkis noted in the Post’s Sunday magazine that “restaurants owned by Real Housewives, if they become fan favorites, are critic-proof. Exhibit A: Lisa Vanderpump, whose Los Angeles hot spots draw guests in droves despite terrible online reviews.”

Enter Ashley Darby, cast member of Bravo’s latest “Housewives” series, “The Real Housewives of Potomac,” which debuts Jan. 17 at 9 p.m. Darby is the co-owner of Oz with her husband Michael, an Australian millionaire and DC real estate tycoon 29 years her senior, according to Bravo.

The oldest child in her family, Ashley Darby grew up juggling multiple jobs to help support her single mom and younger siblings, according to Bravo. When she turned 18, she attended the University of Maryland and bartended on the side to keep both her and her family financially stable. While bartending, Ashley was scouted by the Miss District of Columbia Pageant and went on to take the crown in 2011.

Here’s more about Darby, from her bio page on Bravo: “Ashley may seem like an all-American girl, but she found love Down Under. She’s married to Michael Darby, who is originally from Australia. Ashley and Michael first met when she interned at Monument Realty, the Washington, D.C.-based real estate firm that he is the principal and co-founder of. Michael proposed to Ashley in a helicopter over the Hudson during a trip to New York, after which they stopped at the city’s iconic Tiffany & Co. where she got “the ring of my dreams,” she told The Washington Post‘s Reliable Source after the couple got engaged in 2012. Despite the cultural and age differences (Michael is 29 years Ashley’s senior), these two seem to be made for each other.”