Arlington Magazine Jan/Feb 2022

It’s Beyond Selling Homes

With sincere gratitude, thank you to these organizations and non-profits that we have worked with to strengthen our community over the past 40 years.

When McEnearney Associates was formed in 1980, John McEnearney knew that he wanted to create a firm that went above and beyond just selling and buying homes for clients... He wanted to give back to the communities that helped grow the firm to more than 350 Associates today. Every Associate that joins our firm stands behind a brand that invests in the communities that we live and work in. They are responsible for our enviable reputation. They are McEnearney Associates.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS INCLUDE: Animal Welfare League of Arlington | Arlington Arts Festival | Arlington Food Assistance Center | Arlington Realtors® Care | Arlington Free Clinic | Capital Area Food Bank | Doorways for Women and Families | Homestretch | Lost Dog and Cat Rescue | Lucky Dog Animal Rescue | PathForward | Meals on Wheels | The Arc of Northern Virginia | Thrive Arlington | Tuckahoe Elementary Home & Garden Tour

CON TENTS

PARENTING

80 The Homework Wars

The results are in! Our readers and editors weigh in with their favorites in 67 categories, from restaurants, doctors, shops and kids’ camps to neighborhood bars, live music venues and more.

Is homework a constant source of tension in your household? It doesn’t have to be. Here are a few things students and study coaches want parents to know.

HOME

88 Rock This House

This historic Arlington home is traditional on the outside, but inside it’s electric, with wall-to-wall rock memorabilia, Day-Glo art and retro collectibles.

Matt Hill (left) and Todd Salvadore win props for Ruthie’s All-Day.

Ensure you can spend more time with the people you love by making this new year the start of a healthier you. Virginia Hospital Center provides the highest quality, personalized healthcare, available virtually or in-person. Let’s be healthy together. Take our free Healthy Habits Assessment at virginiahospitalcenter.com/healthyhabits.

CON TENTS

103 Great Spaces

A treehouse grows in Lyon Village. Oh those views!

104 Prime Numbers

The area’s most expensive home sales. Plus, real-estate trends by ZIP code.

108 Restaurant Review

At Wren in Tysons, chef Yo Matsuzaki’s menu speaks Japanese with an American accent. But first, cocktails.

114 Places to Eat

Bite-size write-ups on more than 250 restaurants and bars near you.

132 Driving Range

Retracing an enslaved heroine’s path to freedom on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.

136 Get Away

Book your escape now. We’ve got sports betting in Philly, a Jimmy Buffett-themed oasis in the Big Apple, and a reason to visit St. Michaels in the off-season.

138 Shop Local

Fidget-spinner rings, pretty ceramics and Arlington’s first weed dispensary.

144 Back Story

Long before Rosa Parks, these local transit riders refused to take a back seat.

His story began in Nazi Germany and carried him to D.C.’s jazz circuit.

112 Home Plate

Filipino feasts in Falls Church, and a celebrated baker’s trade secrets revealed in a new cookbook.

letter from the publisher

Searching for the Best

HAVE YOU EVER SCROLLED through online restaurant reviews and felt a sense of whiplash, followed by total uncertainty about which place to choose? One user review will assign five stars and excitedly proclaim, “We had an amazing experience! You have to go!” The next review will flog the same establishment for its perceived failings—“The waiter was nasty, the food was inedible, I think we saw a rat!”—and award only a sad single star.

This dilemma extends beyond restaurants to many services and service providers, including doctors, dentists, home remodelers and more. How can you, the consumer, make an informed choice when the reviews can be so inconsistent? What if you had a resource that showed your friends’, neighbors’ and fellow community members’ favorite people, places and businesses all in one location?

We have great news for you. This wonderful resource is called Arlington Magazine’s Best of Arlington awards—and you will find the results in this issue! With more than 60 categories at your fingertips, you will discover awesome new restaurants; the best places for tacos, Thai food and pizza; leading doctors and dentists; talented and accomplished architects, remodelers and real estate agents; private schools, tutoring services and summer camps that can enrich your children’s lives; and fun places to experience live music and live theater.

Every August, thousands of you participate in our annual Best of Arlington survey. We change the categories each year to keep things new and interesting and to increase the number of people, places and businesses that are highlighted and recognized. Our editors weigh in with some of their favorites, too!

I hope you will turn to the Best of Arlington survey results throughout the year to help inform your decisions about where to eat, shop, relax, learn and more. Each year’s survey results (2013-2022) can be found at arlingtonmagazine.com.

Bucking the great resignation trend, Arlington Magazine has been on a hiring spree the past few months. I would like to welcome and introduce four new colleagues to our team. Julie Rosenbaum joined us in June, and she is responsible for finance and circulation (magazine subscriptions). Danny Ryan started in July. He handles magazine and digital advertising production and operations. Eliza Tebo Berkon came on board in September as our lead digital writer and web producer. Bette Canter, our new assistant editor, joined us in October. She focuses on editing digital content. And we’re not done! In the coming months, we’re hoping to hire an additional advertising sales account executive. The job description can be found at arlingtonmag azine.com/job-openings/. Please check it out.

I hope you enjoy the January/February Best of Arlington issue. If you have story ideas or letters to the editor, please send them to jenny.sullivan@ arlingtonmagazine.com. If you have thoughts on how we’re doing or new things you’d like to see from us, email me at greg.hamilton@arlingtonmagazine. com. Have a wonderful holiday and best wishes for a happy, healthy 2022!

Greg Hamilton Publisher

At Evermay, wealth planning is about much more than money. It’s about helping your realize your lifetime goals. We work with you to create a comprehensive wealth strategy encompassing investments, estate planning, philanthropy and next-generation guidance.

Call today to speak with an Evermay advisor in our Arlington o ce. Learn how we can help guide you on the path to a richer life.

■ contributors

Liz Nugent

LIVES IN: Ashburn

ORIGINALLY FROM: Milwaukee

FOR THIS ISSUE: Illustrated our Best of Arlington cover featuring the iconic State Theatre in Falls Church, voted “Best Live Music” by readers

ILLUSTRATED HISTORY: “I’ve been drawing since I was a kid (like any kid). I just didn’t ever stop.”

PROJECTS: In addition to a recent Arlington County-commissioned zine about the history of Langston Boulevard (formerly Lee Highway), Nugent has made zines about ADHD, feelings, mental health and the forest. Her clients include Spry Fox, Panoply and Stone Blade Entertainment.

SHOW TIME: She has exhibited at the indie comic shows SPX, CAKE and DC Zinefest.

CURRENTLY WORKING ON: “Figuring out my 3-month-old! Lots of ideas for a zine about pregnancy and new motherhood.”

TIME OUT: “When I’m not drawing I enjoy baking bread, cooking and nature walks with my dog, Ragamuffin.”

AN ARLINGTON FAVORITE: Heidelberg

Pastry Shoppe

ONLINE: liznugentdraws.com, @liznugentdraws on Instagram

Andrea K. McDaniels

LIVES IN: Baltimore

ORIGINALLY FROM: “I was born in Charlottesville and moved around a lot before settling in the suburbs of Northern Virginia in middle school.”

IN THIS ISSUE: Retraces Harriet Tubman’s footsteps in a travel story about the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, which crosses through Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania

PRESS PAST: “I was a newspaper reporter, opinion writer and editor for 25 years at The Charlotte Observer and Baltimore Sun before taking a job this fall in health communications. I have a special interest in health, race and social justice issues and travel stories.

CURRENTLY WORKING ON: “A story about hidden gem beaches in Maryland”

BEST OF BALTIMORE: “The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, walks around the Inner Harbor, La Calle restaurant, Crust by Mack pastries, Sassanova boutique, Druid Hill Park”

OTHER FAVORITE PLACES: “Vancouver, Lebanon, Paris, Belize; I tend to lean toward tropical vacations.”

BUCKET LIST: Africa, Thailand, Bali, Italy, Portugal ON TWITTER: ankwalker

PUBLISHER & CO-FOUNDER

Greg Hamilton

EDITOR

Jenny Sullivan

ART DIRECTOR

Laura Goode

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Danny Ryan

DIGITAL WRITER/WEB PRODUCER

Eliza Tebo Berkon

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Bette Canter

DINING CRITIC

David Hagedorn

COPY EDITOR

Sandy Fleishman

CO-FOUNDER

Steve Hull

WRITERS

Adele Chapin, Christine Koubek Flynn, Sydney Johnson, Stephanie Kanowitz, Andrea K. McDaniels, Kim O’Connell, Rina Rapuano, Jennifer Shapira, Amy Brecount White

PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS

Stephanie Bragg, Josh Brick, George E. Brown, Skip Brown, Jennifer Chase, Laura Chase de Formigny, Sarah Goldman, Lisa Helfert, Tony J. Lewis, Deb Lindsey, Linen & Lens, Liz Nugent, Donna Parry, Robert Radifera, Devon Rowland, Hilary Schwab, John Shore, Johnny Shryock, Jonathan Timmes, Drago Tomianovic, Joseph D. Tran, Michael Ventura, Dixie Vereen, Jenn Verrier

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Traci Ball, Kristin Murphy

FINANCE & CIRCULATION COORDINATOR

Julie Rosenbaum

ARLINGTON MAGAZINE is published six times a year by Greenbrier Media LLC © 2022

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AROUND TOWN

FOR LAUGHS

FEB. 21-MARCH 13

The Servant of Two Masters

Helmed by Vato Tsikurishvili and the Helen Hayes Awardnominated team from the 2019 hit Cyrano de Bergerac, Synetic Theater’s adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s commedia dell’arte masterpiece is a madcap farce of mistaken identity and physical comedy. See website for showtimes and ticket prices. 1800 S. Bell St., Arlington, synetictheater.org

The

PERFORMING ARTS

THROUGH JAN. 2

Rent

Signature Theatre

There’s still time to see Signature’s reimagined take on the iconic rock musical—a tale that finds a group of bohemians in the East Village struggling with gentrification, love, loss and legacies amid the HIV/AIDS crisis. Winner of the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize, Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking opus defined a generation and remains essentially relevant to today’s world. See website for showtimes and ticket prices. 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington, sigtheatre.org

JAN. 28-29, 7 P.M.

Russell Peters: The Act

Your Age World Tour

Capital One Hall

The stand-up comedian from Toronto who

rose to fame on YouTube and earned a spot on Rolling Stone’s recently released “50 Best Comics of All Time” list offers a hilarious take on cancel culture, aging and the current state of the world. Tickets start at $59.75. 7750 Capital One Tower Road, Tysons, capitalonehall.com

FEB. 1-MARCH 20

Daphne’s Dive

Signature Theatre

Colorful characters drink, dance, rejoice and grieve at a neighborhood watering hole in this vivid play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes (known for Water by the Spoonful and In the Heights). A Pride Night performance will be held on Feb. 25. See website for showtimes and ticket prices. 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington, sigtheatre.org

FEB. 10-MARCH 6

Girls of Madison Street

Creative Cauldron

The sisters of a tight-knit African American family confront hidden truths and well-kept secrets as they come together for their mother’s funeral. This “Bold New Works for Intimate Stages” premiere performance is written by Helen Hayes Award winner Iyona Blake. See website for showtimes. $35. 410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church, creativecauldron.org

FEB. 17-MARCH 6

The Phlebotomist

1st Stage

In a sci-fi-inspired world where genomics are the norm, every person is assigned a “rating” at birth based on their genetic map. Bea, a phlebotomist, is pulled deep into the dark side of the genetic testing underworld, even as she falls in love with Aaron, a man she met by accident who has a near-perfect rating that far exceeds her own. Written by Ella Road, this dystopian play was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement. See website for showtimes and ticket prices. 1524 Spring Hill Road, Tysons, 1ststage.org

Servant of Two Masters at Synetic Theater

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TEEN READS

JAN. 4, 7 P.M.

Alechia Dow: The Kindred

Dow’s latest novel takes place in a galactic kingdom where kindred mind pairings create connections between rich and poor—including between a wealthy duke and a commoner from a lowly planet. The author will discuss The Kindred with fellow writer Andrea Tang during this instore event and book signing. Free, but online registration required. One More Page Books, 2200 N. Westmoreland St., Arlington, onemorepagebooks.com

ART

THROUGH JAN. 30

Make Me Happy

Falls Church Arts

Juried by art historian Leslie Ava Shaw, a former tour guide for Manhattan’s Whitney Museum of American Art and now a gallery guide at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, this multimedia show will include “works that elicit joy, bring a smile, lift the spirit.” Gallery hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Free. 700-B W. Broad St., Falls Church, fallschurcharts.org

JAN. 7-29

Little Monsters

Del Ray Artisans

Local artists depict “the little monsters that haunt, terrorize or cause us to giggle endlessly”—both real and imagined— in this member exhibit. Gallery hours are noon-6 p.m. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday; noon-9 p.m. Friday and on the first Thursday of the month. Closed the last Sunday of each month. Free. 2704 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, delrayartisans.org

MUSIC

JAN. 13, 8 P.M.

Dwight Yoakam

Capital One Hall

The Grammy-winning country music legend, whose hits include “Guitars, Cadillacs” and “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere,” released a bluegrass album (Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars) in 2016. Tickets start at $69.50. 7750 Capital One Tower Road, Tysons, capitalonehall.com

JAN. 14-16, 7:30 P.M.

Eddie From Ohio

The Birchmere

Known for an eclectic sound that’s a little bit folk, a little bit alt, but not emo, the band of Northern Virginia natives (they’re actually not from Ohio) got its start at the erstwhile Bad Habits Grille in Arlington, back in the day. $49.50. 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, birchmere.com

JAN. 22, 8 P.M.

Red Not Chili Peppers

The State Theatre

To commemorate its 30th anniversary, the tribute band will be performing the landmark Blood Sugar Sex Magik album

in its entirety, plus other chart-toppers. Attendees must be 18 or older, or accompanied by a parent or guardian. $12 in advance; $15 day of show. 220 N. Washington St., Falls Church, thestatetheatre.com

JAN. 26-27, 8 P.M.

An Evening with Branford Marsalis

Wolf Trap

The Grammy-winning jazz saxophonist, composer and music producer, who most recently created the soundtrack for the Netflix production of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, takes the stage with his eponymous quartet. Tickets start at $68. 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, wolftrap.org

FEB. 12

Beguiling Brahms and Schumann

National Chamber Ensemble

Johannes Brahms’ lyricism and romantic flair will be on display in this Valentine’s concert featuring two of the composer’s sonatas for violin and piano. The program also includes the riveting Sonata in A Minor by Brahms’ friend and contemporary Robert Schumann. Ticket holders will receive an exclusive link to a video recording of the live performance, one week after the show. $36 for adults; $18 for students. Gunston Arts Center - Theatre 1, 2700 S. Lang St., Arlington, nationalchamberensemble.org

FEB. 21-23, 8 P.M.

Mavis Staples

The Barns at Wolf Trap

She’s a Blues and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, a civil rights icon and a chart-topping soul/gospel/R&B pioneer. And she’s still making new music. Staples’ most recent album, We Get By, was produced by Ben Harper. The Grammy-winning legend plays three nights. Tickets start at $85. 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, wolftrap.org

SEASONAL

THROUGH JAN. 2

Meadowlark Winter Walk of Lights

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

Want to keep the holiday magic going a little longer? This half-mile wonderland of lighted trees, shrubs and gazebos will remain open just into the new year.

NADINE

RODLER (DOW)

Timed tickets can be purchased online. See website for hours and prices. 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, Vienna, novaparks.com/events/ winter-walk-of-lights

JAN. 1, NOON-4 P.M.

2022 Predictions & Resolutions

5K

Washington-Liberty High School

Ring in the new year and work off those holiday calories with a brisk jaunt. The USATF-certified course follows the rolling hills of the Custis Trail, starting and finishing at W-L, where bagels will be waiting. No dogs or strollers for this one, folks. Free for DC Road Runners Club members; $10 for nonmembers. 1301 N. Stafford St., Arlington, dcroadrunners.org/sign-up/pr5k

JAN. 17

MLK Day of Service

Volunteer Arlington

Last year more than 1,500 area residents took part in the annual MLK Day of Service in partnership with Volunteer Arlington. Let’s do it again. The day promises plenty of safe opportunities to give back and make a difference in the community. volunteer.leadercenter.org/mlk

AUTHORS & BOOKS

FEB. 10, 7 P.M.

Arlington Reads: Reginald

Dwayne Betts

Arlington Central Library

Sentenced at age 16 to nine years in prison for carjacking, Betts went on to win a National Magazine Award for his New York Times Magazine essay, “Getting Out.” Arlington Public Library director Diane Kresh speaks with the acclaimed poet, memoir writer and advocate about mass incarceration, civil rights, criminal justice reform and his latest collection of poems, Felon. Free. 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington, library.arlingtonva.us/arlington-reads

Arlington nonprofit Read Early and Daily (R.E.A.D.) works to address inequities in book ownership and reading among our youngest and most vulnerable by ensuring babies and young children have access to new, quality, culturally relevant books of their own that are mirrors and windows into their everyday lives and communities

R E A D has given close to 13,000 new books to babies and young children since 2018

R.E.A.D. funds its programming via book sales on the READ Book Bus and its online bookstore, showcasing mirror and window books

R E A D is Arlington's NEW go-to book fair vendor (2022 slots are filling fast).

Got a calendar event we should know about? Submit it to editorial@arlingtonmagazine.com

good stuff

Get the Scoop

Robin Rinearson was preparing to close her optometry practice in Bailey’s Crossroads and retire at the end of 2020, but the shutdown derailed her plans of working less and traveling more. It also left her concerned for her nephew, Jake, 29, who has cerebral palsy and, amid the pandemic, was laid off from his job at E-Tron Systems, a Northern Virginia nonprofit that offers a work environment for people with disabilities.

With travel on hold, Rinearson decided to celebrate the sweet life in a different way. She scaled back her practice hours, acquired a food license and, in August of 2021, opened an ice cream parlor in Falls Church.

Tucked into a strip mall off Columbia Pike, Jake’s Ice Cream now trains and employs some two dozen adults with disabilities ranging from cerebral palsy to autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome.

There are no job descriptions. Instead, employees of the scoop shop work with on-site job coaches from the nonprofit ServiceSource to learn new skills and progressively master specific tasks. “We want to meet people where

Embrace the Rainbow

Need a dose of color therapy to brighten the dreariest days of winter? A new public mural at the Crystal City Metro stop will do you good. Stretching 115 feet long and 20 feet high, “Harmonize” is the work of D.C. artist Lisa Marie Thalhammer, who in October was unanimously selected by the National Landing Business Improvement District (out of more than 30 submitting artists) to create the vibrant street art that now greets commuters and passersby at the top of the escalators. A feminist activist and member of the LGBTQ community whose aesthetic centers on messages of strength and hope, Thalhammer, aka “The Rainbow Dragon,” is known for similar works such as the rainbow-hued “LOVE” mural in D.C.’s Blagden Alley. “I like watching a place come alive with joy and wonderment,” she says. The Crystal City installation is designed to exude “a pleasing, meditative energy that embraces commuters in a hug of color. My murals turn overlooked spaces into portals of positivity.” lisamariestudio.com

they’re at,” Rinearson says. Store managers and parents of some employees also pitch in to help with training.

Jake, for one, loves his new gig. He likes being active, having a job and making new friends. The last part is something he does easily.

“He’s chatty,” Rinearson says. “He’s never met a stranger.”

With the arrival of colder weather,

the shop has expanded its menu with a few confections to stave off the seasonal chill. In addition to ice cream in flavors such as blackberry, maple, cookie dough and vanilla-salted-caramel (plus a few nondairy vegan options), the menu includes hot cocoa bombs and cake pops. Need ice cream for a local event? They do small catering jobs, too. sweetjakesicecream.com

DEVON ROWLAND (MURAL); JOHN SHORE

(JAKE’S ICE CREAM)

Artist Lisa Marie Thalhammer in Crystal City

Jake’s Ice Cream employees Meghan (left) and Leanna

Homestretch

Support homeless families

EduTutorVA

Train College Students as tutors for Fairfax & Arlington County’s Title One Elementary Schools

Timber Lane Elementary School

Provide take-home books for K-3rd graders

Safe Community Coalition

Support Sixth Grade Ethics Day

Langley Residential Support Services

Provide housing and employment for adults with intellectual disabilities

Share of McLean

Provide emergency financial assistance, food, clothing and furniture to families in need

Literacy Council of Northern Virginia

Teach English as a second language to adults

by Kim O’Connell

photo by Michael Ventura

Good Vibes

Born in Nazi Germany, Lennie Cujé sought freedom, and found it in jazz.

THE WALLS OF Lennie Cujé’s living and dining rooms are covered in memorabilia—photos of the many musicians he’s played with, signed notes from politicians, holiday cards and letters, special citations and more.

I’m leaning in to read an autographed photo of Bill Clinton that closes with “You are a true friend,” when Cujé draws my attention to another memento that he seems even

prouder to show off. It’s a plaque given to him 20 years ago by students of what was then Washington-Lee High School (now Washington-Liberty), thanking him for sharing his music and his remarkable life with them.

Cujé, a renowned jazz musician, was born a few miles north of Frankfurt, Germany, into a musical family (his mother was an opera singer, his father an orchestra conductor) on

Jan. 1, 1933, right before the world changed. “I had 30 days of the old Germany before Hitler took over on January 30th,” he says. “I even got a medallion for being one of the first born in the Third Reich.”

Like most German boys of that period, he was conscripted into the Hitler Youth, where he received militaristic training and Nazi indoctrination. To him, the brutal tactics were suspect. “They drive you to the limit of endurance,” he says. “It’s almost sadistic. You get thrown in the mud in your uniform and then you get 30 minutes to get that cleaned up. It’s not a life. I didn’t know jazz then, but it was inside me already. Then I went to this music boarding school, which made it easier.”

During World War II, Cujé and his family were separated as the music

Jazz musician Lennie Cujé at home in Arlington

school students were evacuated to the south of Germany. (His mother stayed behind in Frankfurt, while his father fought in Italy. Although they both survived the war, their marriage did not.)

By the end of the war, Cujé was a machine gunner for the German army. He was taken prisoner by the French but eventually was released to find his way home to Frankfurt, traveling some 300 miles with a friend. He was 12 years old.

On his way north, he heard jazz for the first time, emanating from a guardhouse radio at an outpost in the American occupation zone. To this day, he can remember the song: “Flying Home,” by vibraphonist Lionel Hampton.

“Freedom,” Cujé says, when I ask him what the song made him think of. “Freedom and improvisation, which I didn’t know. At first, I only knew Americans from bombings. But when I got to the American sector and there was that

guardhouse and that music, that was it. And they gave me a pack of cigarettes and a chocolate bar.”

In postwar Germany, Cujé led a catchas-catch-can existence, selling items on the black market with a band of compatriots until 1950. That’s when his aunt Magdalena Schoch, who’d immigrated to America years before, sponsored the teen to come live in her house in Arlington. (His mother and siblings would follow a couple years later.)

Cujé enrolled in high school at W-L, where he became friendly with talented classmates Shirley MacLaine and Warren Beatty, even playing trumpet for one of MacLaine’s dance performances. “I had to learn to become a boy again,” he says. “I was suddenly among what seemed, to me, children, even though they were my age group. I was the first German many of them had seen.”

At the time, jazz was still largely an underground scene and associated mostly

with Black musicians, but Cujé remained captivated by it. After high school, he was drawn to playing the vibraphone, a velvety mallet instrument—in the same family as the xylophone and marimba—that was a staple of jazz music.

He went to East Tennessee State University for college, where he studied music composition, and later found work in a pharmacy. It was one of many jobs he would hold over the years to pay the bills—a list that also includes cabdriver and construction worker—when the income from music was unreliable.

Returning to the D.C. area in the early 1960s, Cujé joined noted jazz musician Buck Clarke’s group on U Street NW. They went on the road, touring up and down the East Coast when they weren’t playing at the Republic Gardens nightclub downtown.

“I grew up musically on U Street,” he says. “At that time, to play jazz was not the thing to do. There was a big sepa-

■ familiar faces

ration between Black and white, but the jazz always crossed over. So I got to know a lot of Black musicians. We’d be in Buck’s Cadillac, and it would be, like, five Black guys and one whitey—me. Some places we had to be careful. It was a different America. That’s where I got to learn to play jazz music, in the Black community and with Black musicians.”

Cujé did a short stint in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, lived in New York and New Mexico for a time, and had a series of romantic relationships. I ask him how many times he’s been married. “Maybe three times,” he says. “It’s hard to be married to a jazz musician.”

During a low point after one breakup, his mother bought him a plane ticket to Germany to see his father, whom he hadn’t seen since the war. The visit settled him. “When I left Germany that time, I knew my home was here,” he

says. “I had become an American.”

For much of the ’80s, Cujé was a fixture at D.C.’s venerable (now defunct) jazz club One Step Down, playing a regular Sunday night show with Steve Novosel, a renowned jazz bassist. He kept a standing gig in a posh Baltimore hotel well into the 2000s, where he got to know visiting Hollywood stars like Sharon Stone and Martin Sheen. But he’s not one to get starstruck.

“I didn’t know who these people were,” he says, “and it turns out they were famous.” By then, he’d met his musical savior, Lionel Hampton, several times, and had become friendly with the legendary Miles Davis, and many others like them.

At various points in his career, Cujé and his bandmates played for George W. Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama. Between 2000 and 2013, he taught several workshops for

students at W-L, the place that had taught him to be a boy again.

Now approaching 89, the once-itinerant musician has settled into a comfortable life in his aunt’s old house in Arlington’s Tara-Leeway Heights neighborhood (which she bequeathed to him upon her passing in 1987). His companion, Trish Russell, answers more than one phone call from his many friends while he and I are chatting.

Before I leave, I ask if he’d play the vibraphone that is still prominently set up in his living room. He kindly obliges, improvising a few mellifluous bars before agreeing to talk to another caller. This is clearly a man who always has another gig. ■

Kim O’Connell writes from her home in Aurora Highlands, where she is the No. 1 fan of her musical husband, son and daughter.

F inancial P ro F essionals Profiles

Arlington Community Federal Credit Union

Awards/Honors:

Arlington Magazine Winner, Best Community Bank 2022-2023

Sun Gazette Best Bank 2021 Arlington Cares Distinguished Corporate Service Award 2020

2130 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22207-2219 5666 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-2700 703-526-0200 | www.arlingtoncu.org

NMLS #477974. Equal Housing Lender. Membership eligibility requirements apply. Federally insured by NCUA.

Q: Why do your members choose ACFCU?

A: At Arlington Community Federal Credit Union, our members are the inspiration behind our motto: “We’re With You”. It is our mission, every day, to find solutions for our members’ financial needs. We share the same goals and dreams, which is why we work so hard to make yours a reality. We are passionate about providing remarkable service, supporting local businesses, and providing the tools and education to empower our members’ financial well-being. When our members prosper, our community thrives.

As a member-owned financial cooperative, we always reinvest your money in the products and services that support your dreams—low-rate loans, creative solutions for first time borrowers, checking accounts that pay YOU every month (not the other way around), and powerful digital banking

services that keep you safe and connected as you conduct your financial business.

Q: How do you serve the community beyond financial services?

A: ACFCU’s core purpose is to financially empower everyone in our communities. We provide free financial education programs on topics ranging from buying your first home to saving for retirement. Our staff passionately gives back through volunteerism, nonprofit board leadership and in-kind financial support for local organizations that need it most. We collaborate with community partners to provide solutions to community goals and challenges.

For nearly 70 years, ACFCU has served and supported the greater Arlington community—including Falls Church, Fairfax and Alexandria—and we take great pride in making a difference. We love this community as much as you do!

Monument Home Loans

Specialties:

VA Loans, Construction Loans, FirstTime Homebuyers, Conventional Loans, Renovation Loans, USDA Rural Development Loans, Reverse Mortgages, Mortgage Down Payment Assistance, Mortgage Refinancing

4075 Wilson Blvd., Suite 823 703-650-7431 | info@monumenthomeloans.com www.monumenthomeloans.com

{Photo caption: From Top Left: Colin Myers, Loan Officer, NMLS #1473250; Kelley Cannon, Loan Officer Assistant, NMLS #2095194: Anshal Rode, Loan Officer, NMLS #816658; Ru Toyama, Loan Officer NMLS #1528382; Scott Gordon, Processing Manager, NMLS #483765; Joe Prentice, Sales Manager NMLS #1610163; Robert Martinson, Branch Manager NMLS #470762.} A division of Mann Mortgage LLC NMLS#2550. Equal Housing Lender. This ad is not from HUD, VA or FHA and has not been reviewed or approved by any government agencies.

Q: Why choose Monument Home Loans instead of a bank?

A: Home mortgages are what we do— and all we do. Instead of juggling auto loans, ATMs and asset management, we focus solely on ensuring that every client has a smooth and predictable financing experience. As a company, we are committed to hometown values, solid partnerships, streamlined processes and cutting-edge technologies. We are experienced in working with clients from a wide range of backgrounds— first-time buyers, experienced buyers, refinancing, jumbo loans, self-employed, credit-challenged—and we can easily find the right options for any situation for our customers. Regardless of your circumstances, every member of our team shares a common objective—to close your loan on time, as expected, and as efficiently as possible.

Q: What sets Monument Home Loans apart?

A: Our service. While our interest rates are quite competitive, our customer service is what sets us apart. From your first phone call until your final signature, our loan officers and processing team are fully accessible whenever needed, day or night, weekday or weekend. We also understand that mortgages should not be one-size-fits-all. That’s why we offer one of the widest arrays of mortgage products in the DMV and work closely with clients to identify the program that best meets their needs and goals. As a result, we enable people from all walks of life to experience a smooth, predictable process that results in the best mortgage for their circumstances—and to have an experienced loan officer with them every step of the way.

Evermay Wealth Management, LLC

FROM LEFT: DAMON WHITE, ERIC SCHAEFER, ELIZABETH LARSON, ANDREW SPONAUGLE, WILLIAM PITT

“Wealth creates possibilities. We help you lead A Richer Life with a deep understanding of what wealth means to you and your loved ones.”

1776 Wilson Blvd., Suite 520 Arlington, VA 22209

703-822-5696 | info@evermaywealth.com www.evermaywealth.com

Q: What makes your client experience exceptional?

A: We are good listeners. Each client is unique and deserves focused attention, with thoughtful recommendations tailored to their particular circumstances. We do not use a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, we learn what is most important to you and focus our efforts on your financial success.

The complexities of wealth often require multidisciplinary know-how. Our highly credentialed team includes Certified Financial PlannerTM and Chartered Financial Analyst®professionals with decades of advisory experience to help you manage the challenges and opportunities wealth brings.

The world is ever-changing, sometimes with significant impact on our clients’ financial lives. We have helped clients navigate the chaos of a global pandemic, the turbulence of a nationwide banking crisis, the sorrowful loss of loved ones.

As challenging as our jobs can sometimes be, helping clients plan for and reach their goals is the richest reward of all.

Q: How do you help clients achieve a richer life?

A: At Evermay, wealth planning is about much more than money. It’s about helping you realize your lifetime goals. We work with you to create a comprehensive wealth strategy encompassing your investments, estate planning needs, philanthropic ambitions and next-generation guidance.

Our well-established clients include entrepreneurs, executives, foundations and multi-generational families with $1 million to $25 million or more in investable assets. Whether you are funding a grandchild’s college savings plan, exercising stock options, establishing a charitable giving program or reviewing private capital opportunities, our ongoing advice helps ensure your assets are working toward your goals.

EagleBank

COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL (C&I)

VIRGINIA LENDING TEAM

Awards/Honors:

Ranked 8th in the Washington Business Journal’s 2021 Corporate Diversity Index for midsize companies

Named to Executive Alliance’s 20/20 Honor Roll for 2021–designation recognizes publicly-traded companies headquartered in Maryland that employ women in at least 20% of their executive leadership roles and have women in at least 20% of their board of director seats.

4420 N. Fairfax Drive Arlington, VA 22203

571-319-4800 | ContactMe@EagleBankCorp.com www.EagleBankCorp.com

Q: What is your investment approach?

A: From the start, EagleBank never stops listening and learning, because that’s what builds trust and enriches a financial relationship. There is no menu of products and services to review and assign, because EagleBank knows that every business is different. Questions, note-taking and lots of open discussion all lead to the beginning of a mutuallyvaluable, client-bank relationship. No matter how many directions a business wants to turn along the way to success and future growth, a good banking relationship makes the path easier to follow. When that relationship is built on flexible, personalized solutions created by service-oriented EagleBank lenders, bankers, SBA and Treasury Management specialists, anything is possible.

Q: What makes your client experience unique?

A: Established in 1998 by local bankers and business owners, EagleBank’s focus has always been on serving the needs of business organizations that impact our combined D.C.-area economy and serve our U.S. Government-shared community. Working with a successful local bank can make all the difference when time is of the essence to buy equipment or a piece of real estate, or complete an advantageous acquisition before a competitor does. Besides local decision-making and quick response, there’s easy access to local management and opportunities to work and network in the community together. EagleBank is also dedicated to and focused on the same place you, your family and your business call “Home”—whether that’s Arlington or any neighborhood in our local D.C. metro area.

TONY J. LEWIS

Omega Wealth Management

Specialization:

Helping successful entrepreneurial and executive families thoughtfully navigate family legacy transitions.

200 N. Glebe Road, Suite 730 Arlington, VA 22203

703-387-0919

www.omegawealthmanagement.com

Q: How does Omega Wealth Management help your clients meet their real-life challenges?

A: Transition—whether inheritance, divorce, retirement, a growing business or just time for change—can be stressful. Omega serves as a “lifeline” to help people successfully navigate the personal and professional things that come with change. Our clients can expect a very unique and personalized experience. While we ask for all the same financial planning and investment data as other advisors, we take it a step further, spending time getting to know you and your family, your communication preferences and your most important life goals. Through our innovative life-planning process, the vision that emerges from these discussions drives the customized financial life plan and investment strategy that we create for

you. If you are going through a significant life/business/financial transition, our experience, training and special tools help you navigate that transition more smoothly. For many business owners, it may be the first time anyone has taken the time to integrate their personal and business goals in a meaningful manner.

Q: What is your definition of success?

A: When we are able to help a client gain a deeper understanding of who they are and how they can leverage their strengths in conjunction with their financial resources, enabling them to accomplish a goal they thought wasn’t possible— we’ve done our work for the day! Opening up new possibilities for our clients, giving them permission to pursue less traditional goals, and then seeing their delight and satisfaction in the results makes our work much more meaningful.

Steven C. Truitt, Senior Relationship Strategist; H. Kenneth Neely, Jr., CFP®, Senior Relationship Strategist; Rishi Vyas, Market Leader; Heather Wachenheimer, Banking Advisor; and Daniel Wilkinson, CFP®, Relationship Strategist.

The PNC Private BankSM Team

PNC offers credentialed practice group leaders with extensive experience in business succession planning, philanthropy, private banking, fiduciary services, corporate executive compensation, wealth preservation planning, and risk management and insurance.

6805 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, VA 22101 703-506-2752 | R.Vyas@PNC.com www.pnc.com

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (“PNC”) uses the marketing name PNC Private BankSM to provide investment consulting and wealth management, fiduciary services, FDICinsured banking products and services, and lending of funds to individual clients through PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC Bank”), which is a Member FDIC, and to provide specific fiduciary and agency services through PNC Delaware Trust Company or PNC Ohio Trust Company. PNC does not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice unless, with respect to tax advice, PNC Bank has entered into a written tax services agreement. PNC Bank is not registered as a municipal advisor under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. “PNC” is a registered mark, and “PNC Private Bank” is a service mark, of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Investments: Not FDIC insured. No Bank Guarantee. May Lose Value. ©2021. The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Q: What type of client do you specialize in?

A: We work with high net worth and ultrahigh net worth clients, typically business owners, professionals, and families with intergenerational wealth. Our clients interact with a single point of contact to make life easier. This generalist, called the relationship strategist, leads a team of highly credentialed professionals at PNC to advise on banking, credit, investing, and financial planning. Our local team is comprised of Certified Financial Planners, Chartered Financial Analysts® and over 100 years of combined professional experience.

Q: What makes your client experience unique?

A: Customer service is a priority. At PNC Private BankSM, our primary objective is to deliver piece of mind by helping our clients protect their wealth, grow their wealth, and transition their wealth -- all in the most tax efficient manner.

Our investment approach is completely dependent on your needs. We utilize a goals-based model, looking first at your personal and/or corporate goals and then building a customized portfolio with a wide range of non-proprietary funds and investment solutions to meet those goals.

An important distinction of PNC Private Bank is that we are a fiduciary, which requires us to apply the highest standard of care when working with clients in the financial services industry. The needs and interests of the client must come first, and our fiduciary obligation helps to protect clients from any potential conflicts of interest that are inherent within the financial services industry.

Furthermore, we strive for total integration across the entire bank, leveraging commercial and corporate banking services for business owners with private wealth management services to help ensure both your business, your retirement and your family legacy plans are successful!

The McLean based PNC Private Bank Team includes, from left:

Wendroff & Associates, CPA

Awards/Honors:

Arlington Magazine Winner, Best Accounting Firm 2021

Finalist for Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Service Awards as Veteran-Owned Business of the Year Award 2021 Brian Wendroff: Top Financial Professional in Northern Virginia Magazine’s 2021 Peer Survey

George Mason University’s 20 Most Prominent Patriots

2900 S. Quincy St., Suite 360, Arlington, VA 22206

703-553-1099 | bjwendroff@wendroffcpa.com www.wendroffcpa.com

Q: What type of client do you specialize in?

A: We help business owners and executive directors focus on growing their organizations, while we focus on their tax and accounting needs. We offer accounting and business services, from individual and business tax planning and preparation, bookkeeping, budgeting and forecasting to CFO consulting and more. We’ve built our services to scale with our clients. Through budgeting and forecasting, financial modeling and analysis of expenditures, we’ve helped some clients realize revenue increases of more than 60 percent and get a better picture of what’s needed to take their organizations to the next level.

Q: What makes your client experience unique?

A: Our goal is to talk with our clients throughout the year, not just at tax time, and develop a long-term relationship to become their trusted advisor. The individual attention we pay to our clients is unrivaled in the professional services industry. We’re extremely accessible, taking time to answer client questions throughout the year and respond quickly to calls and emails. We are proactive and ensure our clients meet reporting requirements they sometimes don’t even know exist but could result in large penalties should they not comply.

Similar to what makes working at Wendroff & Associates unique, our clients also appreciate that we’re a small, local- and veteran-owned business where you don’t get lost in the numbers. Our biggest strength is our people. We take pride in the friendliness, education and diversity of our staff—everyone is highly knowledgeable of the tax code and they are great communicators.

The Wise Investor Group

SIMON R.B. HAMILTON, MANAGING DIRECTOR

Awards/Honors:

Forbes Top 250 Wealth Advisors 2021

Forbes Best In-state Wealth Advisors 2021

Barron’s Top 1200 Financial Advisors Professionals 2021

Financial Times Top Financial Professionals 2020

Northern Virginia magazine Top Financial Professionals 2021

11951 Freedom Drive, Suite 1000

Reston, VA 20190

866-758-9473 | wiseinvestorshow@rwbaird.com www.thewiseinvestorgroup.com

Q: What makes your client experience unique?

A: The Wise Investor Group is dedicated to fostering long-lasting relationships with our clients—helping people just like you build a future centered around the things that matter most to your everyday life and future. From relieving financial stress to securing your future, our team is committed to serving your unique needs and goals and helping you navigate whatever life may bring.

We believe strongly in the marriage of portfolio management and financial planning. Every investment decision is made in the context of a written, wellarticulated plan. Frequent interactive client reviews involve both a portfolio manager and planner to make sure we are always working cohesively to meet the client’s goals and objectives. We strive to help our

clients remain tethered to their financial plans and disciplined in their focus, while limiting the impact of any biases such as political leanings and hyper-focus on shortterm headline “noise.”

Q: What piece of advice do you most frequently get asked and what’s your answer?

A: I get asked the simple yet crucial question, “How much can I spend without running out of money?” by both retirees and those planning for retirement almost every day. This is why we focus on needsbased planning: We start with the types of spending it takes for the client to have a fruitful retirement, which includes charitable giving and gifting to family, factors in taxes and inflation, and then determines the type of saving rates and investment returns it will take to get there.

West Financial Services

Awards/Honors:

Five Star Professional Five Star Wealth Managers 2021

Northern Virginia Magazine Top Financial Professionals 2021

InvestmentNews Best Places to Work for Financial Advisors 2021

Washingtonian Magazine Top Fee-Only Financial Planners 2021

2010 Corporate Ridge Road, Suite 530

McLean, VA 22102

703-847-2500 | wfs@westfinancial.com www.westfinancial.com

Q: How does the West Financial Services team take care of your clients’ needs?

A: West Financial Services is dedicated to taking a conservative and ethical approach to growing and protecting clients’ wealth and prosperity. Since 1982, we have provided financial services on a fee-only basis, acting as a fiduciary for clients and offering financial planning, investment management and personal consulting services. Our retirement plan consulting services help plan sponsors and trustees meet their fiduciary obligations.

Each member of our team embraces the importance of what their role means for clients, bringing planning excellence, investment discipline and personal service. Though every client is different, there is a common theme: They come to West Financial Services when they are

in need of support and coordination of various facets of their financial lives.

Q: What makes the West Financial Services team stand out from the crowd?

A: In a profession where the people behind a company are as important as the company itself, West Financial is staffed by a team of skilled and experienced financial professionals. The West team members are responsible for crafting your financial plans, selecting your investments, answering questions and guiding you through the financial decisions we all face. At West, we quietly go about meeting the needs of our clients with the expectation that each relationship will be guided by the following principles: Be Responsive in Every Way, Make It Your Own, Always Take the Extra Step, Always Do What is Right and Take the Long View.

Our annual roundup of all things awesome returns! Readers and editors name their favorites in 67 categories, from bars to biscuits, boot camps to summer camps, and a whole lot more.

READER PICK

Ruthie’s All-Day

ruthiesallday.com

This Southern-accented newcomer by Matt Hill and Todd Salvadore serves up comfort food and smiles all day long, starting with fried chicken biscuits and apple-pie pancakes in the morning, then moving on to a lunch and dinner menu centering on a “meat and three” concept. That means choosing from a tantalizing array of sides (charred Brussels sprouts, succotash, grits, mac ’n’ cheese based on Hill’s grandma’s recipe, dirty rice flecked with kimchi) and a protein such as Carolina pulled pork, brisket, smoked duck or wood-grilled bran-

zino. The owners transformed a 1950s-era chocolate factory and ice cream shop in Arlington Heights into a cheery gathering place with craft cocktails, vintage touches—and a big patio that landed the eatery on OpenTable’s 2021 nationwide list of “100 Best Neighborhood Gems” for outdoor dining. –Adele Chapin

Other top vote-getters: Café Colline, Los Chamacos Mexican Restaurant, Preservation Biscuit Co., Smokecraft Modern Barbecue, Stellina Pizzeria, Superette, Whino

Modern comfort food at Ruthie’s All-Day

Cowboy Cafe

thecowboycafe.com

On the inside it’s the best kind of dive bar, festooned with license plates, tinsel, bull horns, Caps gear and taxidermy animal heads. The interior of this Southwest-themed institution hasn’t changed much since its founding in 1991—not even after brothers Mike and James Barnes took ownership in 2011 with fellow Yorktown High alumni Michael Danner and Wes Clough. Outside, the building is enveloped in a bold, new Crayola-colored mural—a pandemic addition by Arlington artist MasPaz—and a former parking lot is now a shaded biergarten where kids play on an AstroTurf patio while sports fans watch their favorite teams on two oversize screens. Burgers make up a big chunk of the menu here, along with crowd-pleasers like chili-topped linguine and house-made jalapeno poppers. (Weekend brunch is also a must.) The drink list finds cans of PBR alongside local pours from Atlas Brew Works and Solace Brewing Co., and boozy go-tos like a spicy margarita or a “dirty pickletini” featuring house-made pickles. –Adele Chapin

Other top vote-getters: The Celtic House, Dogwood Tavern, Dominion Wine and Beer, The Liberty Tavern, Ruthie’s All-Day, Westover Beer Garden

The biergarten at Cowboy Cafe

Cowboy Cafe’s house-made orange crush

READER PICKS

KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT Pie-Tanza

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS:

Clare & Don’s

Beach Shack

Fire Works

Lost Dog Café

Metro 29 Diner

Pupatella

Ruthie’s All-Day

Silver Diner

Uncle Julio’s

CHINESE

Peter Chang Arlington

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS:

Peking Gourmet Inn

Peking Pavilion

TNR Cafe

SUSHI Sushi-Zen

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS:

Endo Sushi

Ichiban Sushi

Sushi Rock

Tachibana

Takumi

Yume Sushi

TACOS

Taco Bamba

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS: Bartaco

District Taco

Taco + Piña

Taco Rock

Taqueria el Poblano

Tortas Y Tacos La Chiquita

EDITOR PICK

Preservation Biscuit Co.

preservationbiscuit.com

Chef Jon Coombs and owner Tricia Barba worked together at Matchbox Food Group before launching this bustling Falls Church storefront in August 2020, where the signature carbs are as big as butter plates and piled high with fillers such as egg, guac and lemon aioli; or fried chicken, hot honey, bacon and smoked Gouda pimento cheese. Coombs, an Army veteran who went to cooking school after 23 years of military service, spent three months perfecting his flaky, salty buttermilk biscuit recipe, and more recently introduced a vegan variation of the Southern staple. Most of the overstuffed sandwiches and shortcake-y sweets on the menu are now available in meatless versions that sub plant-based ingredients for animal products. –Jenny Sullivan

The PBC (pimento cheese, bacon and fried chicken) at Preservation Biscuit Co.

EDITOR PICK

Greens N Teff

greensnteff.com

Fast-casual “build a bowl” eateries are everywhere, but the one Beakal Melaku operates with his wife, Hanna Elias, is distinctive. It’s entirely plant-based and highlights the flavors of their homeland, Ethiopia. Opened in late 2020, their takeout on Columbia Pike boasts a devoted cadre of regulars who continue to bring in more customers through word of mouth. “The repeats, they talk about us, they tell their family, their friends, their neighbors,” Melaku says. Some traditional dishes were changed to fit the meatless model, like the mushroom tibs (which trades fungi for beef); the shimbra asa (chickpea stew) made in the style of doro wot (except sans chicken); and the minchet, which swaps shredded carrot for the usual ground beef. Melaku says modifying Ethiopian dishes to be vegan is fairly easy due to frequent religious fasting, with vegetarian recipes passed down through the generations. “Everybody’s got their lentils and cabbage, it’s just the way of cooking it,” he says. “We cook it a little bit different.” –Rina Rapuano

READER PICK

Thai Noy

thainoy.com

The steady stream of customers leaving with fragrant takeout bags is proof that Thai Noy has quite the following. The kitchen at this Westover Village mainstay has mastered the sweet-sour-salty-spicy complexities of Thai cooking, whether in the tamarind-forward pad Thai or Nam Khao, a crispy rice salad with added crunch from roasted peanuts. Other fan favorites include a fusion-inspired take on eggplant tempura laced with chili-basil sauce, and grilled salmon with red curry and coconut milk. Dining in? Thai art abounds, from traditional paintings and wood carvings to gilded Buddha figures, and a red-painted deck out front offers a breezy spot for al fresco lunches and casual dinners. –Adele Chapin

Other top vote-getters: Bangkok 54, Crystal Thai, Sawatdee, T.H.A.I. in Shirlington, Thai Square

Duck pod pong at Thai Noy

Greens N Teff owners Hanna Elias and Beakal Melaku

Arlington Free Clinic

arlingtonfreeclinic.org

What started in 1994 as a small walk-in clinic treating mostly minor cuts, bruises and stuffy noses is now a critical thread in Arlington’s safety net—providing free, comprehensive medical and dental care and an on-site pharmacy to low-income, uninsured county residents. During the free clinic’s last fiscal year, its volunteers delivered more than $3.5 million in pro bono care, from vaccines and breast

cancer screenings to dental exams, physical therapy, mental health services and education around managing chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension. That included 3,196 primary and specialty care visits, 1,096 specialist referrals, 557 mental health visits, 972 dental appointments and more than 2,175 case management meetings to coordinate medical care with social services. –Jenny Sullivan

EDITOR PICK

Pharmacist Katy Ha volunteers at the Arlington Free Clinic.

Stephen Mabry

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS: Ray Cho

Mary Gregory

Manisha Grover

Karen Harriman

Greg LaVecchia

William Lessne

Adam Roca

Michael Rogers

Jeffrey Sisel

Kristen Bowling Williams

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS: Scott Berman

Harold Frank Darin Iverson

Luposello & Marzban

Crissy Markova

Deirdre Maull COSMETIC

Advanced Kinetics

Physical Therapy and Sports Performance

advancedkinetics.com

Crowned as America’s “fittest city,” Arlington has held the top spot in a nationwide fitness index compiled by the Anthem Foundation and the American College of Sports Medicine for four years running. So it’s no surprise that physical therapy is in high demand here, says Angela Gordon, who cofounded Advanced Kinetics with Kwang Han in 2015. Both previously worked with the Washington Nationals organization and have expertise in treating repetitive stress injuries—particularly those stemming from overhead motions like pitching, throwing, swimming and serving. But their practice isn’t solely focused on PT. Other services include personal training, injury prevention and dry needling. “We really try to look at the root cause of where the pain is coming from,” says Gordon, an avid cyclist and runner. “Our goal is not only to [help athletes] get better, but we want to make this a lasting change.” –Stephanie Kanowitz

Other top vote-getters: Bodies in Motion, Body Dynamics, Capitol Rehab of Arlington, Select Physical Therapy, Source Physical Therapy & Wellness, Virginia Sportsmedicine Institute

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS: Austin-Weston Center for Plastic Surgery

McLean Plastic Surgery

Mesbahi Plastic Surgery

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS: Christopher Annunziata

Anthony Avery

Matthew Buchanan

Steven Danaceau

Ronald Paik

Kevin Sumida

Clay Wellborn

READER PICK

Physical therapist Kwang Han and personal trainer Tessa Harmony at Advanced Kinetics

Gastroenterologist

READER PICKS

CHILD THERAPIST

Child & Family Associates of Greater Washington

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS:

Amare Counseling and Education

Marin Psychology Associates

Catherine McCarthy

Christina Tripodi Mitchell

Sunstone Counseling

DERMATOLOGIST

Courtney Herbert

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS: Aaron Fuchs

Isabela Jones

Gayle Masri-Fridling

Michelle Rivera SkinDC

Lily Talakoub

Marjan Yousefi

READER PICK

gcofnova.com

A product of local universities—American, Howard and Georgetown—Pradeep Gupta is one of five physicians at the Gastroenterology Center of Northern Virginia. “We do the vast majority—virtually 99%—of the inpatient service” at Virginia Hospital Center, he explains, where he is also medical director of the hospital’s gastrointestinal unit. A “procedure guy,” Gupta performs 10 to 20 procedures a day, from routine screening colonoscopies to endoscopic ultrasounds that diagnose and stage tumors. He says he was drawn to the field because it deals with many organs: “You really have to understand physiology as well as anatomy.” The most common ailment he treats is acid reflux—which, he assures patients, can usually ease with dietary and lifestyle changes. –Stephanie Kanowitz

Other top vote-getters: Gabriel Herman, Diego Kuperschmit, Leonardo Mendez, Rachana Potru, Martin Prosky, Truc Trinh

Pradeep Gupta with GI Unit Assistant Patient Care Director Mackenzie Ennis

T H A N K YO U R E A D E R S

READER PICKS

YOGA STUDIO

Sun & Moon Yoga Studio

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS:

CorePower Yoga

EvolveAll

Karma Yoga

Mind the Mat Pilates & Yoga

GYM Gold’s Gym

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS:

Ballston CrossFit

EvolveAll

Evolve to Fit

Good Sweat

Onelife Fitness

Orangetheory Fitness

Patriot CrossFit

VIDA Fitness

BOOT CAMP BbG Fitness

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS: COR FIT

EvolveAll

EDITOR PICK

novaparks.com/climb-upton

Arlington has no literal mountains to climb, but as of this past summer it does have Climb UPton—an aerial ropes course that challenges scramblers of all abilities to test their mettle on 90 built-in elements, from swinging ladders and cargo nets to zip lines and a free-fall element called “Tarzan.” Rising 40 feet off the ground (roughly the height of a three-story building), the ropes course is tucked into Upton Hill Regional Park and run by NOVA Parks. Harnesses, helmets and a “smart belay” clip system ensure the safety of even the most fearless daredevils, and those brave enough to scale the apparatus to its uppermost observation deck can enjoy panoramic views. –Eliza Tebo Berkon

A young climber at Climb UPton

Origins Thai Spa

originsthaispa.com

Thai massage differs from Swedish massage in that it combines passive stretching with muscle kneading and attention to acupressure points. “It goes to the knot tension even deeper,” says Origins owner Uma Carroll, who started her business in Sterling before expanding to Arlington in 2016 and to Alexandria last year. The Clarendon location’s 25 trained therapists see about 2,000 clients each month, using traditional techniques to alleviate stress, tension and sore muscles. Of the 14 treatments available, the most popular are Thai, deep tissue and sports massages. “Our concept is wellness,” Carroll says. “We are not luxury.” You can’t get a mani-pedi here, but waxing, facials and scrubs are also on the menu. –Stephanie Kanowitz

Other top vote-getters: Adara Spa, Aura Day Spa, Azure Dream Day Spa, Massage Envy, Nothing in Between Studio

Urban Halo

urbanhalosalonarlington.com

Styling hair is simply in Nash Noufal’s DNA. The son of two hairdressers (he co-owns Urban Halo with his father, Henry), he also has about 25 other family members in the industry, plus another eight on his wife’s side. In Clarendon, his staff of 20+ stylists are experts in cuts, color, straightening and smoothing. The balayage technique of hand painting hair color is the most requested service, but just because something is trendy doesn’t mean it’s for everyone, Noufal says. “The haircut is really about understanding the need, the purpose and how you want to apply it. People just want a beautiful cut that suits them.” –Stephanie Kanowitz

Other top vote-getters: Casals Salon Collective, Elements McLean Hair Salon, Eli Salon, Hier & Haines Salon, hŌm Salon, Jon David Salon, PR at Partners, Salon Sage, Smitten

READER PICK

A couples’ massage at Origins Thai Spa

READER PICK

Nash Noufal with a client at Urban Halo

FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERS

COINCIDING PURCHASES AND SALES DOWNSIZING | RELOCATIONS INVESTMENT PROPERTIES

Serving Virginia, Maryland and D.C.

TO P 1 % OF REA LTOR S N AT IO N WID E

Washingtonian’s Top Agent List 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

Nor thern Virginia Magazine’s Top Real Estate Agents 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

Katie@WethmanGroup.com

6820 Elm Street Suite 100 | McLean, VA 22201 | 703.636.7300

Thank you Arlington Magazine readers for voting me a Top Vote Getter, Best Real Estate Agent, 2022.

- Katie Wethman, CPA MBA

Kate Reese, a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and her associate Christine Hissong offer a wide variety of Family Law services. Kate is one of the elite family law attorneys in the area who also has a Masters in Counseling.

Ms. Reese and Ms. Hissong have been certified by the Supreme Court of Virginia to serve as Mediators in family law disputes and are trained in Collaborative Law (“the kinder, gentler process”). The firm advocates for clients in family law disputes, whether the parties are married, divorced, never married, or are interested third parties. We pride ourselves on serving the whole community. We approach each client with compassion and empathy, and we have the tools to settle your Family Law case.

CATHERINE M. REESE, ESQ

.

CONCENTRATIONS

Family law using the collaborative process, mediation and advocacy for custody, support, asset and debt matters

AWARDS

Top 10 Attorney Award, National Academy of Family Law Attorneys, Inc.; DC and VA Super Lawyers, including Top 50 Women Attorneys in VA; Best Lawyers in America®

3050 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 510, Fairfax, VA 22030 Tel. 703.279.5140; E-mail Info@ReeseLaw.com On the web at ReeseLaw.com

Aracosia McLean

EDITOR PICK

Manoukian Brothers Oriental Rugs

manoukianbrothers.com

When five brothers fled the Armenian genocide during World War I, landed in D.C. and opened a rug store in 1922, they likely didn’t envision that their shop would one day become a concert venue—during a pandemic, no less. But that’s what happened in 2020, when Mikael Manoukian, a great-nephew of one of the original owners, made room in the family’s 3,500-square-foot showroom on Columbia Pike to stage and livestream 20 “Rug Shop Concerts” featuring local musicians.

“We were talking about…getting artists together who weren’t performing and reaching the community and using the store space in a way that was kind of novel,” Manoukian says. The shows imparted a unique sort of homeyness during Covid’s darkest days, but they are on hiatus now that business has picked up. The store, whose fine floorcoverings have graced landmarks no less than the U.S. Capitol and the Kennedy Center, has sold almost 9,000 rugs this year. –Stephanie Kanowitz

MICHAEL VENTURA

Mikael Manoukian and his mother, Dona

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS:

Alair Homes Arlington BOWA

Bowers Design Build

Case Architects & Remodelers

C.E. Rivers Residential

CIMA Design & Build

Madison Creek Homes

Marks-Woods

Construction Services

Merrill Contracting & Remodeling

Sagatov Design + Build

INTERIOR DESIGNER

Arlington Home Interiors

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS: BraePark Designs

Erica Peale Design J&L Interiors

KPH Studio

Samara Interiors

READER PICK

DeFalco Home Design

defalcohomedesign.com

Tripp DeFalco is a one-man show, and his clients like it that way. “The advantage,” he says, “is that I’m available to be hands-on. When [clients] tell me something, I take it from their mouth to the drawings and then to the field.” DeFalco is a registered architect, but the fact that he knows the construction side—he ran a design-build firm, Tradition Homes, with his brother Steve for 13 years—has made him a stronger architect since he’s seen the homebuilding process from start to finish. “I don’t design things that can’t be built,” he says. Listening, he adds, is another important skill in the toolbox. “I think a successful project is one that reflects the client, sometimes in ways they don’t realize. There’s no cookie-cutter solution. You have to figure out what the problem is before you can solve it.” –Rina Rapuano

Other top vote-getters: Architectural Design Studio, AV Architects + Builders, Ballard + Mensua, Moser Architects, Renz Architecture, VanderPoel Architecture

Susan Sutter Interiors Whittington Design Studio

KITCHEN & BATH DESIGNER

Bowers Design Build

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS: Braemar Cabinetry

Cameo Kitchens

Case Architects & Remodelers

SKill Construction & Design

TriVistaUSA Design + Build

A contemporary home by architect Tripp DeFalco

Groff Landscape Design

grofflandscapedesign.com

If Rob Groff kept a kudos file, it would be stuffed with praise for his team’s exceptional communication, as well as the beauty and functionality of their landscape designs. Clients appreciate that his Clarendon-based firm is comprehensive, orchestrating everything from pavers and stonework to lighting, electrical and plumbing. But satisfied customers aren’t his sole focus. Groff says he’s well aware that his clients won’t be happy if his 20 employees aren’t. So he strives to be not just a great landscaper, but a great employer, making sure staff are prepared to walk all kinds of cli-

ents through all kinds of design projects. “Some people are very visual,” he explains, whereas others “don’t really know what they like until they’re in the space. Sometimes you really have to walk people through the process carefully to make them feel comfortable with their decisions. That’s a huge skill.” –Rina Rapuano

Other top vote-getters: Andy’s Lawn & Landscape, Artscapes, Joseph Richardson

Landscape Architecture, Land Art Design, Merrifield Garden Center, Wheat’s Landscape

GEORGE

A patio by Groff Landscape Design

Natalie Roy

bicyclingrealty.com

You can take Natalie Roy out of a 30-year career in environmentalism, but you can’t take environmentalism out of Natalie Roy. The founder of Bicycling Realty Group switched professions more than eight years ago, carrying her passion for eco-stewardship into the present by offering home buyers the option of neighborhood tours by bike or on foot, sometimes with an assist from Metro (or yes, by vehicle, if they prefer). The car-free approach has been well-received by house-hunters, she says, because bikeand pedestrian-friendly areas are in high demand. “It’s a really good way to see a [neighborhood]—walking or biking,” Roy says. “It’s not just buying a house; you’re buying into a community.” –Stephanie Kanowitz

Other top vote-getters: Patty Couto, Coral Gundlach, Lauren Heisey, Keri O’Sullivan, Lauren Reardon, Michelle Sagatov, Katie Wethman, Dawn Wilson, Steve Wydler

EDITOR PICK

The Back Dorr

thebackdorr.com

Joni Foerter’s family business is part antique store, part workshop. Instead of rehabbing a piece of furniture completely, they’ll leave it as close to the “as found” condition as possible, which keeps prices lower and leaves room for customization. “I have a bunch of brown wood furniture that you can choose from, and then you work with me to decide the vibe you want it to ultimately have,” says Foerter, a Falls Church resident of 42 years, whose store, formerly known as Front Porch Furniture Rescue, was located in The Little City until the spring of 2021, when it moved to Fairfax. (It was briefly located on Dorr Avenue before settling closer to Fairfax Circle.) The Back Dorr also offers DIY workshops and a robust furniture repair service manned by Foerter’s husband, Dave, a master carpenter, and son, James, who handles refinishing, painting and staining. Foerter says they fix a lot of broken chair legs, modify dressers into bathroom vanities and repair puppy damage. “We’ve gotten things in tote bags, like chairs or dressers that are just pieces, where we have to figure out how they went together,” she says. “Dave rebuilds it and repairs where it’s broken.” –Rina Rapuano

COURTESY OF NATALIE ROY; MICHAEL VENTURA (BACK DORR) READER PICK

Joni Foerter at The Back Dorr

Realtor Natalie Roy

-Michelle Scott, Owner/Director

A small venture launched a year before the pandemic might seem doomed, but business is booming for Anna Novak. Her Falls Church-based firm creates customized plans for people who are looking to move out of one home and into a smaller one. That includes coordinating home repairs, packing and unpacking, and prepping new digs for occupancy. “Downsizing has become more in demand because a lot more people want to simplify their lives,” Novak says. The trickiest part is determining what to do with all the stuff—typically about 80%—that doesn’t make the move, including decisions about what to donate, sell, pass down or toss. “It becomes a logistical challenge,” she says. “So basically I do project management. I see them through, door to door.” –Stephanie Kanowitz

Downsizing consultant Anna Novak takes client items to auction at Quinn’s Auction Galleries in Falls Church.

READER PICKS

Congressional (Congo) Camp

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS:

Boolean Girl

Camp Kids Place

Encore Stage & Studio

ETC Educational Theatre Co.

EverWonder Camps

Knights of Columbus

Summer@Potomac

TIC Summer Camp

YMCA Arlington

SAT/ACT PREP

Tutoring Club of McLean/ N. Arlington/ Falls Church

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS:

MLS Educational Consultants

Zee Tutoring

EDITOR PICK

The Perch at Capital One Center

capitalonecenter.com/the-perch

“Fun for the whole family” is too often a promise unfulfilled, but The Perch, which occupies the rooftop of the new Capital One Hall performing arts venue in Tysons, may just have figured it out. Spanning 2.5 acres, the 11thfloor sky park includes bocce courts, a dog run, a life-size chess game, an open-air biergarten with more than a dozen brews on tap from Virginia’s Starr Hill Brewery, and an amphitheater that stages live concerts and streams professional sporting events on a massive screen. Come spring, the sky-high village green is expected to add mini golf, food trucks (to be hoisted by crane) and a sculpture garden. It’s all part of Fairfax County’s larger plan to make Tysons its “downtown” by 2050. –Eliza Tebo Berkon

The Perch at Capital One Center

Cherrydale Veterinary Clinic

cherrydalevet.com

Treating Arlington’s four-legged finest since 1972, Cherrydale Veterinary Clinic strives to be a one-stop shop for all pet needs—offering dentistry, X-rays, boarding, telemedicine, acupuncture and even cold laser therapy, which uses light to stimulate cell regeneration and manage pain resulting from chronic injury, arthritis or other forms of trauma. “We try to maximize the number of services we can do in-house,” says clinic director Farid Boughanem. “Our clients are busy people, professionally and from a family standpoint.” The clinic’s eight vets see 350 to 400 patients per week—mostly cats and dogs, although one vet is specially trained in treating exotic critters such as hamsters, rabbits and lizards. –Stephanie Kanowitz

Other top vote-getters: Arlington Animal Hospital, Ballston Animal Hospital, Caring Hands Animal Hospital, Clarendon Animal Care, McLean Animal Hospital, Northside Veterinary Clinic, Suburban Animal Hospital

READER PICK

Kennel staffers Khanh Nguyen and Jasmin Cardoso with a puppy named Cody

Sandy Hill Camp & Retreat Center

sandyhill.com

Greg and Kathy Ann Joseph founded Sandy Hill Camp in 1995 and went on to add an air-conditioned gym, equestrian arenas and a ropes course with a double zip line to the 211-acre prop-

erty, located in North East, Maryland, at the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. This year, they acquired Eagle Point, an adjacent 432-acre parcel whose forests and beaches offer even more space for recreational fun. In the summertime, about 450 campers stay for one- or two-week sessions, choosing among instructional activities such as horseback riding, archery, fishing, sailing, survival skills, performing arts and water-

skiing. “We think what sets us apart the most is our staff,” the Josephs wrote in an email during the off-season. “We work hard to recruit, train and mentor these enthusiastic and caring young people [as counselors] from across the USA and around the world.” –Stephanie Kanowitz

Other top vote-getters: Camp Horizons, Camp Rim Rock, Camp Tockwogh, Camp Varsity

Campers at Sandy Hill

A kids’ cooking class at Cookology

Cookology

Ballston

cookologyonline.com

Whether it’s a sushi-making date night you crave, a baking boot camp for the kiddos, or the chance to roll up your sleeves and play with dough, Cookology can broaden your family’s culinary repertoire. The recreational cooking school Maria Kopsidas founded in 2009 in Dulles Town Center—and expanded to Ballston Quarter in 2019—offers classes and workshops almost daily, from lessons in handmade pasta, holiday finger foods and myriad fillings for tacos, to meatless Monday menus that taste great and check the healthy box. Courses are taught by trained chefs, and participants leave with full bellies and skills for life. –Jenny Sullivan

Tutoring Club of McLean/ N. Arlington/ Falls Church

tutoringclub.com/mcleanva

Michelle Scott’s love of tutoring began in middle school when she started helping peers who were struggling with their assignments. That passion stayed with her into adulthood, through a career in marketing. So she returned to it in January 2010 when she opened the area’s first Tutoring Club franchise. Today, the center’s 12 tutors and academic coaches work with about 125 students (pre-K through grade 12) per week, focusing on each child’s individual needs—whether it’s learning to read, brushing up on algebra, improving study habits, preparing for tests (including the SAT and ACT) or filling in the gaps left by pandemic-related school shutdowns. Scott stresses that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to learning. Every person’s brain works differently, and tailoring learning strategies accordingly is what sets the center apart. “It’s really that true vested interest in our students,” she says, “helping them become confident, independent learners.” –Stephanie Kanowitz

Other top vote-getters: Linder Educational Coaching, Mathnasium, MLS Educational Consultants, Prepped Learning

READER PICK

Tutor Jessyca connects with a student, Liam.

EDITOR PICK

Kevin

Sumida, M.D.

David

Romness, M.D.

MAT TERS

READER PICKS

CONSIGNMENT SHOP Current Boutique

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS: Blossom & Buds Lemon Lane Consignment New to You

FRAME SHOP KH Art & Framing

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS: Art and Frame of Falls Church

Art & Framing Club

Framebridge Clarendon Frameworks

Sterling Picture Framing

TOY STORE

Child’s Play

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS: Doodlehopper 4 Kids

Kinder Haus Toys

One Two Kangaroo Toys!

READER PICK

Lemoncello Boutique

lemoncellobtq.com

When Nicole Kahle bought women’s clothing store Lemon Twist, where her mom was a sales associate, five years ago, she decided to give the tried-and-true concept a little more zest. She changed the name to Lemoncello and refreshed the merch, but kept the same basic idea: a neighborhood boutique offering a curated selection of highquality women’s apparel, plus children’s clothes and gift items. These days, the shop’s best-sellers include Scout bags (especially the print one peppered with iconic D.C. landmarks), jeans that feel like yoga pants (uh, yes, please), and wraps and ponchos for outdoor dining. “A lot of that stuff has been really popular with people wanting to wear [real] clothes again but not dressing up,” Kahle says. –Stephanie Kanowitz

Other top vote-getter: South Moon Under

SARAH GOLDMAN

Lemoncello owner Nicole Kahle

Eden Center

edencenter.com

During and after the Vietnam War, an influx of immigrants gave rise to Arlington’s “Little Saigon,” a teeming enclave of Vietnamese shops and restaurants that thrived, for a time, in Clarendon. But with the 1979 arrival of Metro and the escalating real estate prices that followed, many merchants relocated to this vibrant shopping center in the Seven Corners part of Falls Church, where English is not the predominant language and drivers pass through a pagoda-style entry gate flanked by stone lions. Today, Eden Center’s 100+ tenants include beauty parlors, jewelry stores, gift shops, a karaoke bar and a billiards hall, although food is the main draw. Hungry visitors feast on noodles, tofu, banh-mi sandwiches, bubble tea and shrimp chips from the many neon-blazoned mom-and-pop delis, bakeries and takeouts. And the anchor grocery store, Good Fortune, sells everything from chicken feet and live seafood to incense, dragon fruit and rice cookers. Street festivals bring traditional flag ceremonies and lantern parades. –Jenny Sullivan

EDITOR PICK

Eden Center in Seven Corners

Asked what makes the 24-year-old flower shop she co-owns with her husband, John, so popular, Marnie Nicholson is matter of fact:

“We have pretty plants and we do pretty arrangements, and we love what we do.” Her favorite blossoms include peonies, lilac and tweedia—a romantic little number with heart-shaped leaves and delicate blue flowers—but the shop’s full inventory can be quite exotic. They usually have 20 varieties of roses on hand, including some from Ecuador, plus blooms from Holland and California. With more folks spending time at home, green plants have been in demand of late, says Nicholson, who recommends a ZZ plant for its low maintenance and hardiness. As for the “gifts too” part of the shop’s name? Right now it’s coasters with funny sayings that they can’t keep in stock. Handpicked cards are also perennial favorites. –Stephanie Kanowitz

Other top vote-getters: Galleria Florist, HB Fiori, Stem & Thistle, Twin Towers Florist

SARAH GOLDMAN

Company Flowers owners Marnie and John Nicholson

I have a passion for delivering exceptional results for my clients, and I'm honored and humbled to be recognized as a Best of Arlington Realtor for the 5th consecutive time Thank you, to my clients and peers, for making my 20 year career so enjoyable and rewarding.

A home has never meant more and you deserve one you love! And in a highly competitive market, an expert Broker, utilizing an insider approach, is the upper-hand you need. Allow me to tailor my vast experience and market expertise to make your home buying or selling experience memorable. Knowledge is power and my program puts me to work for you via a complimentary consultation, so call me for powerful insights.

READER PICK

Collective

collectiveband.us

Covid was a game-changer for this seven-member cover band—but not in the way you might think. Together since 2017 and rocking out to radio favorites from the ’80s to today, Collective (previously known as Collective A’Chord until January 2021) had several shows lined up when the shutdown brought live music to a screeching halt. Fighting cabin fever and itching to play after a few months, they started rehearsing in lead vocalist Sasha Benning’s driveway in Arlington’s Dover Crystal neighborhood. Soon, neighbors were planning outdoor happy hours around it. “It turned out to be a serious turning point for us in terms of exposure and name recognition

and just super gratifying on every level,” Benning says. Crowd favorites in their repertoire include “Uptown Funk,” U2’s “Vertigo” and Hall & Oates’ “Maneater” (which they totally pull off with Jeff Owens on sax). “You can see the eyes light up when that song gets played,” Benning says— especially now that they’re back to playing gigs at local spots like The State Theatre, The Celtic House and The Renegade. “People really dig it.”

–Rina Rapuano

Other top vote-getters: Curtis Knocking, First Road North, Ladywood, Manther, No One You Know

Collective onstage at The Hamilton in D.C.

EDITOR PICK

David Amoroso

@amorosoart on Instagram

They were the icons of David Amoroso’s youth, growing up in Falls Church on a steady diet of ’70s sitcoms and Billboard hits—Elvis, Dolly Parton, Blondie, Pam Grier, Mister Rogers, The Jeffersons. A commercial photographer early on, Amoroso took up painting in the late ’90s after a trip to Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador left him enamored with Latin culture, its floral motifs and saturated colors. Today, he works out of an Arlington studio off Columbia Pike, where his life-affirming portfolio pays tribute to retro TV and movie stars, luchadors, immigrants, day laborers, Frida Kahlo, John Waters, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Mexican cultural iconography. It’s a feast for the eyes, and a nostalgia trip for anyone who came of age before smartphones. –Jenny Sullivan

Painter and printmaker David Amoroso in his Arlington studio

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS: Katie Cristol

Paul Ferguson

Patrick Hope Rip Sullivan

WEDDING/EVENT PLANNER

Social Scene Events

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTER: Rescue Event Planning

Mr Wash Car Wash

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS: David’s Car Wash

Autowash

OTHER TOP VOTE-GETTERS:

Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse

Creative Cauldron

Synetic Theater

READER PICK

The State Theatre

thestatetheatre.com

The live music scene was looking pretty bleak in the summer of 2020, but this Falls Church concert venue housed in a circa-1935 Art Deco movie theater found a way to make the proverbial lemonade. Realizing they had a huge, empty parking lot at their disposal, the staff called a few bands, put out some tables and chairs, and an outdoor concert program was born. “All of our shows were free, so we were picking up people who were walking by or just trying to get out of the house,” says Meredith Johnstone, State’s COO and primary talent buyer. “Everybody was just getting so into it. We went straight through the winter, through the bitter cold, and all the way through until now.” Known for regularly hosting the popular ’80s tribute band The Legwarmers and iconic blues acts like Buddy Guy (plus a host of other artists and genres), State is now planning to continue staging outdoor gigs indefinitely, weather permitting. “The feedback in the past year has been so invigorating and heartwarming,” Johnstone says. “We plan to…make it a regular part of State.” –Rina Rapuano

Other top vote-getters: The Birchmere, Clare & Don’s Beach Shack, The Renegade

A live show at The State Theatre in Falls Church

Is homework a constant source of tension in your household? Students and education experts speak candidly about what’s helpful from parents—and what isn’t.

BY AMY

BRECOUNT

WHITE

Did you finish those math problems? Did you study enough for that big test? Why do you have a zero??!!

Parents ask their kids these and dozens of other questions about homework weekly, if not daily.

“Parents are very paranoid when it comes to homework,” says Rachel (not her real name)*, a freshman at Bishop O’Connell who, at the time of this interview, was still adjusting to the rigors of a new school. “They don’t always have enough trust in their children when it comes to getting their work done.”

Rachel understands that her parents are concerned about her grades but says their frequent inquiries and checking of her school’s online portal only puts more stress on her. She wishes they had more faith in her abilities. “Loosen up and expect us to get done what we need to,” she says.

It’s a common dynamic in Northern Virginia’s competitive landscape of high-achieving parents and highachieving kids. “Often homework turns into a fight or a nagging situation or an attempt to overcontrol or micromanage,” says Miriam Liss, a professor of

psychological science at the University of Mary Washington and co-author of Balancing the Big Stuff: Finding Happiness in Work, Family, and Life. It becomes a “negative cycle where parents nag, and children get frustrated and find homework to be stressful. Then they want to do homework less.”

But what’s a concerned parent to do—particularly if their child seems to be struggling with schoolwork? We asked 15 local students, ages 13 to 18, and a handful of education experts for their advice. Here’s what they think you should know.

Your child does care about school.

Too often parents leap to the conclusion that Jack didn’t complete an assignment or Christina scored poorly on a test because they don’t care. That’s almost never the case, says Debbie Rosen, founder and co-owner of The StudyPro, a study skills and homework coaching center in McLean.

Assigning blame only compounds stress for students who may have undiagnosed learning differences or need help with executive functioning skills like time management and prioritizing. What may be lacking is not the motivation but the strategy, says Rosen, whose own son was diagnosed with ADHD at age 7. Frustrated that the services in the area didn’t fully address

They don’t want you to do their work for them.

In fact, you might not even know how. Some subjects, like math, are taught differently now than they were back in the day. “Sometimes when I’m doing math homework, my parents learned it one way and I’m learning it another,” says Ellie, an eighth-grader at Dorothy Hamm Middle School. “So they can’t really help me.”

If you’re tempted to do your kids’ homework with them (or, worst case, for them), know that this can backfire. Liss points to a 2018 Frontiers in Psychology study that followed 336 ninth-graders in China and tracked their math achievements. The researchers differentiated between

his needs, she founded her company in 2016 when her son was 16.

Some students simply need an initiation strategy to get started—such as reading the directions out loud, highlighting key words or pasting the prompt they have chosen to answer into a Google doc. The key is figuring

“autonomy-oriented support” (i.e., paying attention to children’s ideas and encouraging their homework initiative) and “content-oriented support” (offering direct help on homework). The former approach, the study found, “resulted in higher subsequent achievement” on two standardized tests, whereas the latter led to “higher subsequent effort, but lower subsequent achievement,” regardless of gender.

They may not realize it, but parents who step in and do the work are “communicating the message to children that they can’t do this, that they’re not competent,” Liss says. Such intervention can erode a student’s confidence in their own abilities.

Kuczmarski kindly but bluntly urges parents to get out of the way. “My strong feeling is that homework is between the child and the teacher

out what works best for each student’s learning style.

If you fear your child truly doesn’t see homework as important, consider having a family discussion about it, suggests Susan Kuczmarski, author of The Sacred Flight of the Teenager: A Parent’s Guide to Stepping Back and Letting Go. (Based in Chicago, she is also a professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.) Call a meeting to “come up with a family set of values that includes everyone’s interests,” she says. “Parents might think it’s obvious, but it may not be to the child.”

While you’re at it, says Liss, ask your kids what they hope to achieve, gradewise, so you aren’t the only one dictating what’s acceptable. “Make sure they have buy-in. They should have their own goals.”

and not the child and the parent,” she says. “If the child or teen is having trouble with homework, they need to go to the teacher. The beauty of this is that it teaches responsibility very early on.”

Kids can start self-advocating as soon as they’re comfortable doing so, she says—definitely by fourth grade. In the long run, it’s a critical life skill: “We don’t want them to go to college and call their parents and say, ‘I can’t do the homework.’ We want them to go to the faculty members and ask for guidance.”

Arturo, a ninth-grader at Wakefield High School, notes that many of his teachers allow students to start their homework in the last 10 minutes of class. That’s by design. “I definitely find it helpful, especially for classes like math,” he says. “My teacher’s there to support me.”

The problem isn’t always what you think it is.

Missing assignment? Bad grade? The issue may not lie in the material. Sometimes other factors are at play. For instance, parents might assume the school’s online portal is easy for kids to navigate, and that’s not always the case. “Often kids don’t know where the assignment is,” observes Kristin Linder Carpenter, founder of Linder Educational Coaching in Arlington. If a teacher changes digital platforms or adopts a new system mid-year, that can throw students off their game.

For older elementary- and middle-school-age students, being aware of the school’s recommendations for time spent on homework is helpful. (Arlington Public Schools has grade-by-grade guidelines and is currently in the process of revising its overall homework policy.) If your student is taking longer than their peers to complete a task, be sure to communicate that to the teacher (this is a time when parental intervention is warranted). It could signal a learning disability or executive functioning challenges.

Yes, some students do struggle with regulating screen time and managing distractions, Rosen says, and they might be tempted to click over to Discord or watch a quick TikTok video when they are supposed to be working. “It’s like the dark playground for them. They’re on it, but they’re not really having that much fun because they know they should be doing other things.”

But punitive measures aren’t necessarily the solution. Rosen suggests asking your child what’s getting in the way of their goals. Helping kids to reflect on their own patterns is the first step toward changing behavior. If they admit to screen distractions, try creating separate desktop profiles for homework vs. fun. That way they’re “not actually seeing the [play] tab that may be the most tempting,” she says.

Factoring short breaks into study time can also be helpful. Dorothy Hamm student Ellie does so routinely and has advised her two younger siblings to follow her lead. “Never just keep doing it if you think you’re about to explode,” says the eighth-grader, who often goes outside or reads a book for a few minutes to clear her head. “Take a break and then get back to it.”

If they’re struggling, they want to talk—but not if you’re angry or checked out.

Yelling about homework never produces the desired outcome. Let’s say you catch Alex watching YouTube instead of writing that essay. Rather than reacting in the heat of the moment, try asking questions later, once the emotion has passed. It’ll be a more productive conversation, whereas putting your child on the defensive will only strain your relationship.

Avoiding accusatory or inflammatory language will also help your child feel supported. “It’s really critical to water the seeds and not the weeds,” Rosen says, advocating positive reinforcement. Instead of focusing on “the weeds” (what’s not working), try to find something good in what your student is doing. Compliment them on a strategy they’re using, such as making flash cards or trying to edit their own work.

Also, put down your phone and give them your undivided attention. “When kids are vulnerable with us, that usually comes at the most inappropriate or inconvenient time,” says Lindsey Thoms, who co-owns The StudyPro with Rosen and serves as the center’s director. “If they are showing vulnerability, be grateful for that moment—even if it’s past the due date and they’re deep in that hole.”

Nina, a senior at Washington-Liberty, says her parents are often unreceptive when she wants to talk about her homework challenges because they are exhausted from their own demanding workdays. “I know it’s selfish of me, but I do wish that they could spend a little more time with me and try to hear what I have to say regarding school,” she says. “They’re very supportive with everything I do, but I wish they could be less dismissive because of how long their day was and try to be more understanding and just listen to me.”

The study habits that work best for them may not be the ones that worked for you.

for her daughter didn’t work for him. He opted for a digital version instead.

Some parents—irritated by what they perceive as a lack of discipline— are tempted to establish homework hours or rules for their kids (e.g., no video games until your assignments are done). While that strategy can help some students, Carpenter of Linder Educational Coaching warns that others may need more flexibility.

help. “A big part of homework is making it contained,” Carpenter clarifies. “Have kids plan when they’re going to be doing homework and when they’re going to be hanging out with friends so that everything doesn’t blur together—so they’re not doing inefficient homework for six hours while they’re texting. Blocking time for all of these things is valuable.”

Time management was always a struggle for Sally Sagarese’s two kids. The McLean mom remembers her daughter (now in college) doing everything at “the last minute, scrambling and trying to get the project done that had been on the calendar for two months.”

Each of her kids benefited from working with a study coach in high school, though their needs were different. Her son, now 18, has dyslexia and physical challenges with handwriting, so the written planner that worked wonders

“Parents forget what it’s like to be learning all day,” she says, noting that most students are “cognitively gassed” by the time they get home. “The process of doing homework requires a lot of different executive skills, all of which are in a weakened state.” Parents may want their kids to get on top of homework or make a to-do list as soon as they walk in the door, but kids who are mentally tired might end up spending their remaining energy on that task rather than on their actual assignments.

That’s not to say that structure won’t

Rosen and Thoms both recommend a 24-hour weekly calendar in which kids can block out school and sleep time and see their available “work windows,” as well as where they have free time. This approach validates a child’s preferred activities, gives them a sense of control, and often preempts family fights. It also reduces anxiety for both parents and kids.

Plus, there’s a larger payoff. Finding an organizational system that works for your kid is part of “the bigger lesson that’s wrapped up in homework,” Carpenter says. “You’re helping them learn to prioritize their life and their work.”

The sheer volume of homework in high school is a beast.

“I wish my parents understood the amount of time that homework for each class takes in my day,” says Nina, the W-L senior. “Sometimes an assignment for one class can take up all my afternoon, especially if it’s for a research project.”

Nina says her parents, who grew up on another continent, never had as much homework growing up as she does now. She gets upset when they think she’s in her room watching movies or “messing around with her phone.” Having packed her schedule with advanced classes, she often stays after school to ask teachers for help, but says her parents think she’s just socializing.

Given her workload, Nina sometimes can’t attend family events or must leave early. She worries that her parents think she’s mismanaging her time. She senses their disapproval when she says, “I can’t go; I have homework.”

Maddie, a Wakefield senior taking multiple AP classes, says her parents don’t always understand the hard choices she has to make. “Often I

have to sacrifice quality to just get the quantity of work done,” she explains. “When they get frustrated with me for cutting corners on assignments, they don’t realize that it’s either that or not turn in some assignments at all.” Ultimately, she wants to be trusted to make her own decisions.

When it comes to crunch time, don’t assume procrastination is the culprit. “It’s very difficult to get homework done in advance,” says Aaron, a recent Wakefield graduate, now a freshman in college. “Teachers sometimes don’t even [post] assignments until the day they’re due, so it’s impossible to finish anything early.” He remembers one of his high school teachers assigning an essay at 1 p.m. on a Friday with a surprising midnight deadline. He had to skip movie night with his perturbed parents, who assumed he’d been goofing off and had waited until the last minute.

The online gradebook is a snapshot.

Don’t freak out.

If you log in to your child’s Canvas or ParentVUE account and see a zero or a missing assignment, don’t panic. “Always having that accountability of the gradebook is not the way to go, and that’s how most parents handle communication,” Carpenter says. They check the portal, see something amiss and text their kid. “That’s incredibly anxiety producing. It interrupts the child’s day and makes them more anxious and less likely to want to talk about concerns.”

The online gradebook may not even be accurate if the teacher hasn’t had a chance to record a test score or up-

date a grade. And teachers do occasionally make mistakes. Carpenter advises parents to keep their oversight “less micro and more macro.” If you see a clear downward trend over time, then it’s a good idea to ask broader questions, like How do you feel about your system of organization? Or, How do you feel about the amount of time you’re putting into homework?

“Kids tend to be pretty reflective and often will volunteer their ideas,” she says, and collaborative problemsolving is more impactful and longlasting than “receipt/accountability conversations.”

University of Mary Washington’s Liss remembers being tempted to check her high school son’s grades often, even

though her conscience told her to let him manage his own work. “I was having a hard time with his need to be autonomous,” she confesses. “I had to take my own advice from books I’ve written.”

Talking calmly, she and her son negotiated a way forward in which she promised to review only his interim and semester grades. “The fact that he knows I’m not checking—and I’m really not— means he has to check [them himself],” she says, which supports his growing independence.

Conversations about school are an opportunity to connect.

All parents want their kids to do well, find their bliss and succeed in life. Homework hounding almost always comes from a place of good intentions.

Tough conversations can easily become adversarial, but they can also have the opposite effect if parents approach them with an open mind. “When I interviewed children for my book, especially teenagers and middle schoolers, they told

me they felt like their parents didn’t know who they were inside,” Kuczmarski says.

She urges parents to try to “establish the sort of talk that’s about anything, really—from the silly to the serious. Help [your kids] walk down unknown conversational paths when they’re trying to figure things out.”

(Recognizing that our educational system rewards certain aptitudes and learning styles over others, she also encourages families to explore Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, but that’s a topic for another article.)

If the mere mention of the word homework is a sore subject in your house, consider setting aside a week-

ly or monthly discussion time so the topic doesn’t dominate every family meal. This may alleviate stress while fostering a more open dialogue. Encourage your kids to use the time to bring up any topics or concerns they have. Let them be the ones asking for advice if it’s needed. (Side note: This approach also works well for college applications.)

Above all, Liss says, kids need to hear this message from their parents: “I want you to do well, and I know you can do well, but I love you no matter how you do.” ■

Amy Brecount White co-raised three children in Arlington and now coaches high school seniors on writing their college essays.

ROCK HOUSE THIS

On the outside, this historic Arlington home is an emblem of tradition. Inside, it’s a party.

By Jennifer Shapira

Photos by Robert Radifera Styling by Charlotte Safavi

Fearless colors and sumptuous fabrics electrify every corner of the house, including the master bedroom.

The white-stucco, black-shuttered exterior of this 1871 center-hall Colonial in Country Club Hills belies its flamboyant interior. That’s part of the fun. A century and a half ago, the stately home was likely built as a summer residence for a wealthy D.C. family.

Today, it’s owned by Ben and Dina Hitch, a pair of concert-going music and art aficionados whose vast collection of original record albums and American artwork spans decades. In their free time, the 40-something couple who work in IT (for different companies) habitually scour estate sales and flea markets. They shop online, hit dumpsters and have been known to pull off onto the side of the road for a better look at oddities left on the curb.

“I love the juxtaposition of it being a really traditional house and them having very edgy taste,” says Arlington interior designer and longtime friend Ame Gold. “It’s an interesting dynamic.”

The Hitches bought their home—a historic landmark that’s on the National Register—in 2016, bringing to it an eclectic mix of objects kitschy and rare, antique and glam. They liked the house for its character: Vintage features that remain include an old boarded-up coal chute and an original newel post.

At roughly 3,800 square feet, it’s got plenty of room for the couple and their teenage daughter to spread out, although the family’s extensive collection of art, memorabilia and knickknacks has maxed out its storage space. The Hitches buy things they like, then col-

laborate with Gold to exhibit favorite pieces. The result is a vibrant push/pull of old and new objects with creative, intentional swaths of color.

Crisp white walls were nonnegotiable from the time the Hitches moved in; Gold wanted their artwork to sing. “If we want to paint the walls with pictures, we can do that,” she told her friends.

Ben Hitch grew up in McLean and bought his first collectible—a 1980 Topps Pete Rose baseball card—at the age of 4 in 1981. Dina, originally from Cherry Hill, N.J., comes from a long line of art appreciators: Her mother and grandmother worked in antiques. Growing up, she says, her mother had a storefront in their home, and insisted that price tags remain on all items for possible resale—then, a source of

embarrassment; now, a trait she values.

In the family room, display shelves showcase objects such as an original 1967 Green Lantern lunch box, Liddle Kiddle dolls from the 1960s and an oversize Barbie Pez dispenser. Framed originals and limited-edition prints on the walls include a large Purple Rain poster that Dina happened upon before Prince died, a fuchsia-toned photograph of Kurt Cobain and framed tickets from Grateful Dead shows the couple attended.

A 1949 Buick dashboard, scored at the DC Big Flea, takes center stage above the fireplace (see pages 88-89), and a black velvet sectional sofa from Highland House Furniture provides ample seating for music listening and Netflixing. Gold breathed new life into

a swivel chair that belonged to Dina’s mom, reupholstering it in a Christian Lacroix ladylike tweed with a bold graphic around the outside.

Built-in electric-blue shelving tricked out with LED lights spotlights hundreds of LPs and 45s, including some sealed, original first pressings. Genres in the Hitches’ music collection range from punk to funk, metal to rap and nearly everything in between. Their most cherished records include The

Velvet Underground & Nico, horror soundtracks, a Special KISS Tour album from 1976 and vintage bluegrass EPs by Bill Monroe. Some of the record collection’s spillover resides in a poparty New York Post newspaper box that Dina nabbed on Etsy.

The kitchen’s clean white cabinets and Carrara marble countertops might almost seem subdued, if not for the turquoise center island and a wallpapered ceiling that vibrates with pineapples and butterflies in fuchsia, cobalt and grass green. (The pattern has been a particular point of curiosity over the past year during video calls for work, Dina says.)

Gold’s shop (amegolddesign.com) customized the Roman window shades, adding kelly green Kate Spade band-

In the living room, a silvery-blue nailhead couch from Century Furniture harmonizes with a gallery wall of 1950s pinup girls. The exterior of the home (below) is more buttoned up.

ing. “It’s whimsical and kitschy,” says the designer, “just like the kitchen.”

The hood above the Wolf range is covered with magnets that impart snippets of Hitch history, from tokens of trips they’ve taken to inside jokes and favorite movies. There are even a few magnets from Dina’s youth, salvaged from her mom’s fridge.

“When we go to estate sales, [Ben] goes straight to refrigerators to see what they have up there,” says Dina, who also collects vintage glassware. One favorite, which she inherited from her mom’s collection, is a fanciful set of turquoise Pyrex chip-and-dip bowls from 1958.

The vibe continues in the cheerful dining room, where Dina and Gold gave her beloved late mother’s sideboard a modern face-lift, adding legs to make it buffet-height and painting it a sunny yellow with white trim.

Across the room, a black 1985 Gibson Flying V electric guitar is joined by “The American Indian,” a 1970 blacklight work by pop artist John Van Hamersveld, who also designed record jackets for bands no less than the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

The star of the room may well be the showstopping dining table, which incorporates a surfboard by Santa Barbara, Calif., artist Brent Green. Dina, a self-described “surf enthusiast,” was browsing a beachfront arts and crafts show when she saw the board and fell for its intricate design, which fuses black-and-white photos with pops of hot pink, lemon yellow and mint green. She texted Gold a picture in hopes of finding a home for it. After initially responding, “We’re out of wall space,” Gold came up with the idea of suspending the board beneath a glass top to create a table. A Maryland company engineered a

frame that allows the board to rest on a Lucite base, taking great care to ensure that no knees would get bumped.

“Everyone who walks into our house thinks it’s the coolest thing,” Dina says. There’s plenty of rock-star swagger in the aesthetic, but above all, the owners want their home to be comfortable. Growing up, Dina says, “My mom was always like, ‘Don’t touch that.’ And my aunt had plastic on [her] furniture. I said, ‘No, I’m going to buy and enjoy it.’ ”

Gold gives her friends props for their fearless sense of style. The role of the designer, in this case, is really “just making sure that everything works well together,” she says. “I always say to [Dina]: Not everything can be the Beyoncé. We need some good backup singers.” ■

Jennifer Shapira is a home and design writer based in McLean

The kitchen’s Shaker-style cabinets and marble countertops are traditional, but the ceiling goes rogue with a botanical wallpaper print by Matthew Williamson for Osborne & Little.

In the dining room, a New York City street scene by pop artist Charles Fazzino hangs above a yellow family heirloom sideboard. Harlequin-inspired chairs congregate around a custom table with a surfboard suspended under the glass.

Look Good, FeeL Good Profiles

Advanced Kinetics Physical Therapy and Sports Performance

ANGELA GORDON, CO-FOUNDER

KWANG HAN, CO-FOUNDER

Named Best Physical Therapy Practice by Arlington Magazine’s readers in 2022, Advanced Kinetics offers first-rate innovative outpatient rehabilitation and injury prevention services. In 2015, co-founders Dr. Angela Gordon and Kwang Han set out to reinvent physical therapy and help patients and athletes of all ages reduce pain and improve function.

510 W. Annandale Road, Suite 202

Falls Church, VA 22046

1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 200

McLean, VA 22102

703-988-4664 www.advancedkinetics.com

Q: What made you decide to open your own practice?

A: After working for larger organizations, where the focus became more about the dollar than treating patients, we opened Advanced Kinetics Physical Therapy and Sports Performance (AKPT) in 2015 to provide better quality, individualized care — while still accepting insurance. We also wanted to address the high burnout rate among physical therapists. Our patientcentric clinic fosters a more productive and enjoyable environment for our patients as well as our physical therapists and trainers.

Q: What makes your client experience unique?

A: Driven by our motto, “Physical Therapy Reinvented,” we developed a one-of-a-kind physical therapy practice that bridges the gap between rehabilitation and fitness and offers a specialization in sports medicine.

In addition to physical therapy, our services include trigger-point dry needling, personal training and various sport-specific injury prevention programs. We also have a recovery room filled with state-of-the-art recovery aides, including an Alter G antigravity treadmill, NormaTec boots and an infrared sauna. Our therapists incorporate the latest performance technology, and all are manual physical therapy trained. We don’t just treat symptoms; we get to the root of the problem.

Q: What brings you the most satisfaction in your work?

A: When someone is in pain, they can become a completely different person. Whether we are working with a high school or professional athlete, a weekend warrior or anyone in between, being a part of our patients’ transformation and helping them get their lives back, is why we do what we do.

Advanced Plastic Surgery Center

TALAL A. MUNASIFI, MD, FACS JAMES M. ECONOMIDES, MD

Drs. Munasifi and Economides are passionate about sharing their extensive knowledge in the field of plastic surgery. A member of the clinical faculty at Georgetown’s School of Medicine, Dr. Munasifi presents at conferences worldwide. Dr. Economides reviews and writes scholarly articles and textbook chapters in the field and has delivered lectures to colleagues internationally.

1635 N. George Mason Drive, Suite 380, Arlington, VA 22205 703-841-0399 | www.advancedplasticsurgerycenter.com info@advancedplasticsurgerycenter.com IG: @advancedplasticsurgerycenter | IG: @DrEconomides

Q: What makes your practice unique?

A: Dr. Munasifi: We are very patient-focused. We truly care about our patients’ wellbeing and always have their best interests at heart. We personally call our patients on the night of their surgeries, follow up with them in the office the next day and are the ones to see them for all follow-up visits throughout their recovery. We also prioritize patient safety and operate under the highest standards of safety.

Dr. Economides: Our practice is unique in that we have two experts who specialize in both facial and breast/body surgery, while also having a wide range of nonsurgical tools to ensure our patients get the results they want. Still, we maintain a small practice feel and spend time getting to know our patients, who truly become like family to us.

Q: What is one thing you wish more people knew about plastic surgery?

A: Dr. Economides: I wish people knew that plastic surgery is almost nothing like what they see in the media! People only tend to notice the “bad” outcomes or “overdone” looks. The best results don’t stand out for a reason—if you choose the right surgeon, people won’t know you’ve had work done.

Q: What brings you the most satisfaction in your work?

A: Dr. Munasifi: The bright smile on my patients’ faces when we take the dressing off after surgery. In a few hours, we can take patients back to the way they looked 10-15 years ago, and it’s rewarding to see their transformation as their confidence improves.

Manisha Grover, DDS

CLARENDON DENTAL ARTS

In 2009 at the age of 17, Dr. Grover was one of three candidates accepted to VCU School of Dentistry’s prestigious eight-year guaranteed dental program. While there she volunteered with Missions of Mercy, providing free dental care to underserved communities in rural Virginia. She completed her residency at the New York Medical College at Metropolitan Hospital.

2700 Clarendon Blvd., Suite R480 Arlington, Virginia 22201

703-525-5901 | cdarts@clarendondentalarts.com www.clarendondentalarts.com

Q: What brings you the most satisfaction in your work?

A: Helping my patients live healthier lives! Oral health is directly linked to systemic health. Our “Mouth, Mind and Body” philosophy empowers patients to include dentistry in their overall long-term health plan. Our goal is to create beautiful, potentially life-changing smiles, transforming our patients’ lives by optimizing their oral health. We have invested in the latest tools and technologies, allowing us to do much more than offer diagnoses. Rather than treating patients reactively, dealing with issues only as they arise, we use today’s scientific advances and technology to provide conservative and proactive treatment options based on life challenges, genetic risk factors and science. Studying each patient’s oral biome enables us to uncover a comprehensive picture that encompasses eating habits, health

challenges, breathing patterns and alignment, among other variables that impact oral and systemic health.

Q: What can patients expect when visiting your office?

A: Our team of dental health experts is dedicated to creating a caring, personal and calm environment, while always striving to go above and beyond to make sure our patients are comfortable. Our office has a spa-like feel with amenities that include complimentary Bose comfort headphones, Pandora downloads and personal viewing options with patients’ choice of Netflix shows and movies.

Q: How would your patients describe you?

A: Honest, compassionate, empathetic and dedicated. I enjoy getting to know each of my patients as individuals, and I love helping them along their unique dental journeys to achieve their dental goals.

Giannina Galliani, DDS

GROWING SMILES OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA

After receiving her doctorate, Dr. Galliani completed a two-year pediatric dental specialty program. Her extensive training encompassed hundreds of pediatric patients (healthy and medically compromised) and patients with special healthcare needs. Additionally, Dr. Galliani is highly trained in hospital dentistry and holds hospital privileges at Inova Fairfax Hospital and Pediatric Specialists of Virginia.

80 E. Jefferson St., Suite 400B Falls Church, VA 22046

703-241-5437

www.growingsmilesofnova.com

Q: The global pandemic has had a profound impact on the mental and emotional well-being of healthcare providers worldwide. How were you able to navigate the challenges Covid-19 presented?

A: I will be forever thankful for the tremendous strength and perseverance my team has shown throughout the pandemic. From a business perspective, it was quite scary. I am grateful for my team’s constant support. The pandemic also made me want to bring awareness to the added stress and pressure placed on healthcare providers. We are all doing our best to be there for our patients and provide the highest quality of service. As members of our community, we can help by motivating each other to be kind.

These past two years have been difficult for everyone in every industry. What I

love about the Northern Virginia area is that when I opened my practice in 2014, I was pleasantly surprised by how accepting everyone was of me, someone with an accent who came from a different culture. Although no one here knew me, they still gave me a chance. As a result, I was able to build a successful practice and deliver the best dental care possible to our patients, all while having fun and meeting new people in our community. I can genuinely say that my patients bring positivity and happiness to my life. My message to our community: Kindness breeds health and happiness. So, just like my little patients, let’s bring good vibes to everyone during these hard times and make people in our community feel supported.

Tamara Garrett, DDS

ARLINGTON DENTAL SOLUTIONS

3801 Fairfax Drive, Suite 50 Arlington, VA 22203

703-524-7031 | arlingtondentalsolutions@gmail.com www.arlingtondentalsolutions.com

Q: What can patients expect when visiting your office?

A: Arlington Dental Solutions is a family-friendly general dentistry practice. We tailor treatment plans to meet each patient’s specific needs to help them reach optimal dental health. In addition to our warm and pleasant atmosphere, many patients have complimented our fastidious Covid-19 protocols. In such an aerosol-laden profession, I believe it is important for the safety and well-being of my patients and staff to use the most protective measures. We stagger the schedule, block family appointments and avoid using the waiting area. From employees wearing N95 masks and full protective gear to dental rooms stocked with air filters and disinfected with fogging intervals, our patients can rest assured they are getting the best dental care in the safest possible environment.

Child & Family Associates of Greater Washington (CFA)

STEVEN

M. HARNER, PSY.D.

6063 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA 22044

New Referrals: 703-533-3930 extension 1 www.cfa-gw.com

Q: Why Choose CFA?

A: Voted Best Child Therapist by Arlington Magazine readers in 2022, CFA is a collaborative group of skilled mental health clinicians who employ innovative, strengthbased approaches proven to help our clients resolve conflicts and lead more productive lives. Our team meets weekly to share resources and ideas; clients benefit from our connections with many helping professionals. Through integrative psychotherapy, we combine the best traditional forms of psychotherapy with the most effective cognitive and behavioral interventions. By helping clients focus on their strengths and reframe their more negative or unproductive thoughts, we equip them with the skills they need to navigate challenges most effectively. Our work is solution-oriented and goal-based, so clients and families can continue to grow and thrive independently.

h Ō m salon

CARISSA LAWLOR, OWNER

hŌ m Salon opened its doors in May 2021 and offers luxury beauty services, including hair cutting, coloring, styling and brow services. Its talented stylists are highly educated in current trends and enjoy collaborating with clients to create their vision. hŌ m specializes in blonding, natural coloring techniques and easy-tomaintain styles.

2020 Wilson Blvd.

Arlington, VA 22201

703-705-4410

www.salonhom.com

Q: What made you decide to open your own salon?

A: I have been styling hair in the Washington metropolitan area for more than 10 years, and I wanted to create a new kind of salon. One that is inclusive, collaborative and deeply connected to the local community; one that invests in the professional development of its staff; and one that offers a space where hairstylists can thrive in their careers and where they and their guests can collaborate and truly connect.

Q: What is the meaning behind the name hŌm?

A: I was inspired by the symbol ōm, which represents the unity of mind, body and spirit. Our salon encourages the discovery of beauty, self and community. We offer one-on-one styling sessions, selfexploration events, pop-up shopping, and local outreach and volunteer opportunities.

Q: What makes your client experience unique?

A: Our salon is a fully collaborative experience. Our guests enjoy services by all our stylists and appreciate the flexibility collaboration offers them. hŌm fosters a sense of community. We provide an inclusive space where everyone is welcome—and encouraged—to just be. We are proud to be a sustainable business and strive to take care of our planet. We partner with Green Circle Salon and recycle up to 95 percent of our beauty waste.

Q: What brings you the most satisfaction in your work?

A: As a team, we are delighted when our guests see their genuine beauty reflected back at them and feel supported and encouraged by each of us.

TBRACES Orthodontics

HANI THARIANI, DDS, MMSC

VINCENT BOYLE, DMD, MSD

LADAN BASIRI, MA, DMD, FACD, FICD

2501 N. Glebe Road, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22207 703-527-5654 | www.tbraces.com

Q: Why choose TBRACES Orthodontics?

A: Dr. Thariani: We use the latest technology to provide all phases of orthodontic treatment, creating radiant, healthy smiles while limiting stress. I am proud to be the only Harvard-trained orthodontist and VIP Diamond Plus Invisalign provider in Arlington and serve as one of the most experienced orthodontists in the D.C. metropolitan area. My wife, Dr. Ladan Basiri, a Harvard-trained dentist and past DC Dental Society president, also works in our practice, lending her expertise as a dental consultant.

Dr. Boyle: I joined the practice after receiving my doctorate degree at the University of Pennsylvania and completing my orthodontic residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. I strive to provide our patients with the best experiences while optimizing their treatment results.

Sara Varghai, OD

NOVA OPTIQUE + EYECARE

672 N. Glebe Road Arlington, VA 22203

703-879-4326 www.novaoptique.com

Q: What can patients expect when they visit NOVA Optique + Eyecare?

A: We have combined the medical and fashion worlds, allowing us to serve all our patients’ eye care needs in order to give them a unique experience. Our premier eye care services include comprehensive eye exams, specialty contact lens exams, dry eye treatment, diabetic eye exams, glaucoma treatment, macular degeneration testing, ocular emergency care, and LASIK and cataract comanagement. Once finished with their eye exams, patients can peruse our extensive selection of specially curated, one-of-a-kind eyewear. Looking for new glasses should be a fun and exciting process, and our caring team of professionals is always ready to offer expert guidance. At NOVA Optique + Eyecare, we are dedicated to improving patients’ quality of life and vision wellness through personalized care and unrivaled customer service.

OrthoBethesda of Arlington

JOSEPH O’BRIEN, MD

ERIC FEUCHTBAUM, MD

LONNIE DAVIS, MD

RAYMOND THAL, MD

OrthoBethesda’s team of highly skilled and specially trained orthopedic surgeons have been restoring function and improving quality of life for 50+ years. The group is now pleased to welcome Dr. Raymond Thal. Internationally recognized, he served as the Washington Football Team’s head physician from 2000-2008 and has consulted for numerous other professional, collegiate and scholastic sports teams.

Virginia

Q: Why do you do what you do? What motivates and inspires you?

A: Dr. Davis: In the simplest sense, I enjoy my work because I like fixing things. In a more detailed sense, I enjoy orthopedics because it is a marriage of science and humanity. The treatment process is a journey between the physician and the patient—not every broken bone or torn ACL requires the same treatment, nor do all treatments lead to the same results. I am inspired by this process and my role in helping my patients recover from injury and return to their normal lives.

Dr. Thal: Maya Angelou once said, “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love.” I honestly love orthopedics and am passionate about helping patients return to the activities they love. This passion inspires my

contribution to the advancement of orthopedics. I am proud of my significant involvement in orthopedic innovation and its dramatic impact on my patients’ quality of life.

Dr. Feuchtbaum: The best reward for a surgeon is seeing your patient with an improved quality of life after surgery. That’s why we went into this field. We really can make a tremendous impact on each patient’s life.

Q: What qualities do you think are most important to being a successful orthopedic surgeon?

A: Dr. O’Brien: Healthcare is personal. It’s so important to have the patient’s best interests in mind. I’ve always tried to give the patient the care I would want.

Jeffrey L. Brown, DDS, MBA

SLEEP & TMJ THERAPY

Dr. Brown is a graduate of Georgetown Dental School and an international speaker for TMD. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain and holds memberships with many academies. His extensive knowledge in the combined fields of TMJ, sleep and orthodontics gives him a unique perspective.

2841 Hartland Road, Suite 301 Falls Church, VA 22043

703-821-1103 | office@sleepandtmjtherapy.com www.sleepandtmjtherapy.com

Q: What do you find most satisfying about your job?

A: The most satisfying aspect of my job is providing an alternative to help patients who have been suffering for years from slipped discs in the jaw joint and cranial distortions. In helping them alleviate the pain and discomfort, it is incredibly gratifying to hear them speak about how much their lives have improved. I also enjoy teaching and sharing my findings with other healthcare professionals as an alternative to medication, surgery or simply no treatment at all.

Q: What made you decide to go beyond general dentistry to become a craniofacial pain specialist?

A: I knew I could do more to help people experiencing severe pain. I trained in osteopathy, physical therapy, dental

sleep medicine and various other fields for years to better understand my patients’ pain, and now I can help them feel better and, in turn, live healthier, more functional lives.

Q: How would your clients describe you?

A: Most of my patients find that my diverse training allows me to help with their head and neck pain better than anyone they have seen over the years. They have complimented my approach to explaining the cause of their pain and how we are going to fix it, describing it as highly informative yet easy to understand. Of course, they also appreciate that I do my best to keep costs down and minimize their time in treatment. Mostly, my patients know that I will always try my best to avoid surgery whenever possible.

Point of View

SANDRA ALBOUM HAD been fascinated by the five-story “treehouse” in Lyon Village ever since she read about it when it was first built in 1990. Designed by architect Berny Hintz, its vertical, stacked massing was a unique response to a steep and seemingly unbuildable site, and the contemporary-style architecture was a departure from Arlington’s ubiquitous Colonials.

When the house hit the market in October of 2020, “I knew I would kick myself if I didn’t at a minimum go take a look,” says Alboum, who owns a company specializing in language translation and interpretation services.

By year’s end, she and her two kids (now 13 and 15) were moving out of a Clarendon townhouse and basking in the natural light of their new home’s abundant windows with bird’s-eye views of the treetops.

To give the interiors a refresh—starting with the third-floor dining and living areas—a friend of a friend referred Alboum to Kelly Holland and Lauren Withers of KPH Studio in Arlington. “I knew buying a home like this meant that I could no longer get away with Ikea [furniture],” Alboum says. But updating the aesthetic while preserving the architect’s original intent was a balance.

The designers began by removing a partition wall (added by the previous owners) that was interrupting the flow of sunlight between the kitchen and living areas. Aiming for a more serene aesthetic, they brightened up the perimeter walls, trading a dingy beige for an almost-white Benjamin Moore gray, and used furniture vignettes, in lieu of walls, to delineate the open plan’s functional areas. A tailored sectional sofa (fabricated by Total Design and uphol-

stered in teal Pindler fabric) and a custom-sized C.G. Coe & Son area rug now anchor a corner hangout across from a fireplace and flatscreen TV, with access to a leafy deck. “Furnishing the corner expands the entire main floor of the home,” Holland says, “and takes advantage of the natural light.”

Pops of color—such as an orange table lamp by Robert Abbey—are coupled with neutral pieces that “float,” including an acrylic side table by Ballard Designs and slender coffee tables by Industry West, the tops of which are sections of tree trunks (a nod to the treehouse concept). The original windows remain. The key, Holland says, was choosing slim-profile furnishings that complement but don’t compete with the spectacle of nature outside. ■

OCTOBER’s Most Expensive Home Sales

22201 (Arlington)

3155 20th St. N.

List Price: $3.75 million

Sale Price: $3.75 million

Days on Market: 8

Listing Office: TTR Sotheby’s International

Realty

Neighborhood: Lyon Village

Year Built: 2015

Bedrooms: 6

Full/Half Baths: 5/1

22202 (Arlington)

1306 24th St. S.

List Price: $1.45 million

Sale Price: $1.4 million

Days on Market: 5

Listing Office: Keller Williams Realty

Neighborhood: Arlington Ridge

Year Built: 1941

Bedrooms: 4

Full/Half Baths: 3/1

22203 (Arlington)

733 N. Emerson St.

List Price: $1.45 million

Sale Price: $1.59 million

Days on Market: 9

Listing Office: McMullin Real Estate

Neighborhood: Bluemont

Year Built: 2021

Bedrooms: 5

Full/Half Baths: 4/1

22204 (Arlington)

4709 Eighth Road S.

List Price: $1.42 million

Sale Price: $1.43 million

Days on Market: 40

Listing Office: Classic Cottages Realty

Neighborhood: Barcroft

Year Built: 2021

Bedrooms: 4

Full/Half Baths: 4/1

This information, courtesy of Bright MLS as of Nov. 16, 2021, includes homes sold in October 2021, excluding sales in which sellers have withheld permission to advertise or promote. Information should be independently verified. The Bright MLS real estate service area spans 40,000 square miles throughout the mid-Atlantic region, including Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. As a leading Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Bright serves approximately 95,000 real estate professionals who in turn serve over 20 million consumers. For more information, visit brightmls.com.

22205 (Arlington)

2252 N. Nottingham St.

List Price: $1.75 million

Sale Price: $1.75 million

Days on Market: 4

Listing Office: McEnearney Associates

Neighborhood: Overlee Knolls

Year Built: 2010

Bedrooms: 5

Full/Half Baths: 4/2

22206 (Arlington)

4919 25th St. S.

List Price: $750,000

Sale Price: $765,000

Days on Market: 9

Listing Office: Coldwell Banker Realty

Neighborhood: Claremont

Year Built: 1954

Bedrooms: 4

Full/Half Baths: 2/0

22207 (Arlington)

4151 39th St. N.

List Price: $2.7 million

Sale Price: $2.65 million Days on Market: 32

Listing Office: Compass

Neighborhood: Chain Bridge Forest Year Built: 2021

Bedrooms: 6

Full/Half Baths: 6/1

22209 (Arlington)

1421 N. Nash St.

List Price: $2.1 million

Sale Price: $2.1 million

Days on Market: 6

Listing Office: Compass

Neighborhood: Bromptons at Monument Place

Year Built: 2002

Bedrooms: 3

Full/Half Baths: 4/2

22213 (Arlington)

6541 Williamsburg Blvd.

List Price: $1.05 million

Sale Price: $1.1 million Days on Market: 3

Listing Office: Compass

Neighborhood: Williamsburg

Year Built: 1950

Bedrooms: 3

Full/Half Baths: 3/1

22101 (McLean)

1008 Pine Hill Road

List Price: $6 million

Sale Price: $6 million

Days on Market: 5

Listing Office: Yeonas & Shafran Real Estate

Neighborhood: McLean

Year Built: 1997

Bedrooms: 5

Full/Half Baths: 4/2

22102 (McLean)

900 Alvermar Ridge Drive

List Price: $3 million

Sale Price: $2.83 million Days on Market: 100

Listing Office: Washington Fine Properties

Neighborhood: The Reserve

Year Built: 2006

Bedrooms: 7

Full/Half Baths: 7/1

22041

(Falls Church)

3524 Maple Court

List Price: $930,000

Sale Price: $930,000

Days on Market: 14

Listing Office: Re/Max Gateway

Neighborhood: Courtland Park

Year Built: 2004

Bedrooms: 4

Full/Half Baths: 4/1

22042 (Falls Church)

6445 Eppard St.

List Price: $950,000

Sale Price: $1.01 million

Days on Market: 6

Listing Office: Compass

Neighborhood: Sleepy Hollow

Year Built: 1950

Bedrooms: 5

Full/Half Baths: 4/0

22043 (Falls Church)

6606 Orland St.

List Price: $1.8 million

Sale Price: $1.88 million

Days on Market: 6

Listing Office: Compass

Neighborhood: Westmoreland Heights

Year Built: 2014

Bedrooms: 6

Full/Half Baths: 5/1

22044 (Falls Church)

6649 Van Winkle Drive

List Price: $1.35 million

Sale Price: $1.51 million

Days on Market: 6

Listing Office: Century 21 Redwood Realty

Neighborhood: Rich E Land

Year Built: 1955

Bedrooms: 4

Full/Half Baths: 4/0

22046 (Falls Church)

310 N. Van Buren St.

List Price: $1.68 million

Sale Price: $1.8 million

Days on Market: 4

Listing Office: Re/Max West End

Neighborhood: Broadmont

Year Built: 1952

Bedrooms: 6

Full/Half Baths: 4/1

900 Alvermar Ridge Drive, McLean

Real Estate Sales Trends

22201

22206 Number

22202

22207

22102

22041

22042

22203

22209

22043

22204

22213

22044

22205

22101

22046

Hamachi tartare with housemade potato chips at Wren

inIzakayaSky the

Classy cocktails, rooftop views and chef Yo Matsuzaki’s Japanese-inspired menu make Wren a soaring new destination in Tysons.

I HAVE YET to taste a morsel of food, but the bar at Wren has already made a favorable first impression, thanks to the savvy cocktail program by beverage director Luis Mantilla. His chilled Martinez, featuring gin, Grand Marnier, Luxardo maraschino liqueur and allspice bitters, reveals a touch of smokiness, having aged for 30 days in a charred American oak barrel. My companion’s refreshing gin and (cucumber) tonic, meanwhile, catches the eye as well as the palate. Made with Sunset Hills Virginia gin, it’s served in an enormous Burgundy wineglass and garnished with juniper berries, fresh thyme sprigs, a lemon wheel and a thin strip of cucumber threaded onto a metal cocktail skewer like ribbon candy.

We’re a few sips in when two of chef Yo Matsuzaki’s small plates arrive and prove just as captivating. The hamachi tartare—yellowtail sashimi mixed with olive tapenade, shallots and white-truffle vinaigrette—is served with a side of house-made potato chips that round out each bite with a nice crunch. For his umi masu, Matsuzaki cures steelhead trout with fennel and beets, which lend hints of sweetness and licorice while turning the fish a stunning ruby red. He then arranges delicate slices of it around a pool of citrus sauce, with dots of orange trout roe and sprigs of shiso, dill, mint and Thai basil.

If you haven’t been to Tysons lately, you’re in for a surprise. The area is undergoing a veritable renaissance. Wren, which opened in September on the 11th floor

Umi masu (cured steelhead trout) with caviar and herbs

WREN

1825 Capital One Drive South, Tysons

(Enter from the 11th-floor lobby of the Watermark Hotel at Capital One Center)

703-707-0478 | wrentysons.com

HOURS

4 p.m. to midnight (bar) and 5 to 10 p.m. (restaurant), daily

PARKING/METRO

Free garage parking is available in the building. Validate your ticket at the hotel’s front desk. Capital One Center is also steps from the McLean Metro Station on the Silver Line.

PRICES

Appetizers: $10 to $21; Entrées: $15 to $30; Desserts: $9

of the new Watermark Hotel, shares a rooftop with The Perch, a 2.5-acre outdoor “sky park” with manicured landscaping, a sculpture garden, lawn games, a dog run, a Starr Hill Biergarten and an outdoor amphitheater that hosts live concerts and airs major sporting events on a jumbotron.

The restaurant and sky park are part of Capital One Center, a mixeduse development that comprises 6 million square feet of retail, hospitality and entertainment space. They sit atop Capital One Hall, a sparkling new performing arts center that’s home to a 1,600-seat proscenium stage, a 225seat black-box theater, large-scale event

spaces and a Wegmans grocery store.

Wren, which seats 82 inside and 28 outside, is so completely integrated into the Watermark’s loungy 11th-floor hotel lobby (with a pool table to boot) that on my first visit, I wasn’t even sure I was in the restaurant. Seeing no host stand or host, I inquired at the handsome brassand-glass bar—it’s shaped like the bow of a ship—if I was in the right place.

“Yes!” said the affable bartender. “Sit wherever you want!” (They’ve since added a host stand, although they don’t take reservations.)

Eating at the bar is delightful but do try to score one of the tables positioned next to the stunning floor-to-ceiling windows, which offer a sweeping view of the Tysons skyline.

Wren’s name—both a bird and a homophone for the Japanese word for love—reflects its dual identity as a highstyled izakaya (a casual spot for drinking and snacking) that speaks Japanese with an American accent. A hotel in Tysons needs to have meat and potatoes on the menu. Here, it’s a Wagyu burger on a brioche bun with chili ai-

The Virginian G&T Tokyo chicken

Miso-marinated sea bass with blistered shishito peppers

oli and fries, or a grilled rib-eye steak with mushroom demi-glace and wasabi mashed potatoes.

Matsuzaki, 52, started out as a salesman in his native Japan, but went on to build an impressive culinary résumé. Surmising that his homeland’s societal structure was too limiting to allow him to pursue his dream of becoming a French chef, he moved to New York City to learn the craft at the Institute of Culinary Education. He later worked under famed chefs Masaharu Morimoto (who insisted he learn the intricacies of sushi making) and Nobu Matsuhisa, and was the executive chef at Zentan in Washington, D.C., from 2014 to 2018. More recently, he was the corporate chef for Ozumo Concepts International in Northern California.

Wren’s menu is divided into raw bar items (including the aforementioned crudos), salads, and small and large shareables, otherwise known as appetizers and entrées. Fortessa stoneware vessels provide a rustic backdrop for the chef’s sophisticated yet unfussy cooking.

As a starter, don’t miss his Tokyo chicken—large cubes of thigh meat marinated in soy, ginger and sake, then fried until crispy and tossed with sake and koji, an umami-rich ingredient often used in Japanese cuisine. The nuggets rest on a bed of slaw and come with house-made pickles.

Matsuzaki makes a lovely bowl of ramen with roast pork, corn and a 7-minute egg, its rich broth derived from chicken necks and fat instead of pork. A vegetarian dish of jidori—pleasing egg noodles resembling spaetzle in appearance, taste and texture—packs in the flavor with maitake mushrooms, zucchini and corn, the lot dressed in shiso pesto.

The star of the show is sea bass marinated in Saikyo white miso paste and sake for 24 hours, after which it is seared, broiled and crowned with a nest of frizzled leeks. The final result is a cunning balance of sweet and salty, complemented by a side of blistered shishito peppers with just a kiss of char.

One dish I don’t get is two seared

scallops served with bacon-wrapped bundles of enoki mushrooms. The fungi were as rubbery as chewing gum and hard to swallow.

There are only three dessert options at Wren. One of them—soft-serve ice cream—wasn’t available during my visits because the machine’s delivery was delayed by supply-chain issues.

Skip the pasty doughnuts and unremarkable hazelnut chocolate mousse and opt instead for a liquid finish to your meal. I’m talking about Mantilla’s seductively boozy Nightcap, an elixir of coffee-infused vodka blended with salted caramel and topped with Grand Marnier whip.

Or, pop into Wegmans on your way out and pick up a bag of Rolos for the ride home. ■

WHAT TO DRINK

Beverage director Luis Mantilla has curated a clever and intriguing bar menu that includes an extensive selection of scotches and bourbons and, not surprisingly, several sake and Japanese beer offerings.

Wines lean toward France and California, with 11 bottles of red ($40 to $250), 10 whites ($55 to $105), 6 bubblies ($44 to $425) and a couple of rosés, about $50. The roughly 17 wines by the glass range from $13 to $20.

Mantilla’s cocktail creations ($14 to $19) are the true showstoppers here— especially the gargantuan, beautifully garnished gin and tonics, classic(ish) quaffs like a bourbon rickey laced with ginger, and signature cocktails such as Green with Envy, made with tequila, Cointreau, lime, mint and kiwi.

Beverage director Luis Mantilla

David Hagedorn

85 Recipes for Delicious

Mary Lee Montfort’s family knew not to bother requesting the recipes for her mint-chocolate cupcakes, Boston cream pie, M&M bars, or any of the other delectable offerings of Mary Lee’s Desserts, the baking business she ran out of her Vienna home for 15 years. They were well-guarded secrets. In September 2019, Montfort and her husband, Rick—their two boys grown and out of the nest— downsized and moved to McLean. “When I sent out the e-blast saying I was retiring, my ego expected a lot of, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry! We will miss you so

much!’ ” she says with a laugh, “but, no, I got people asking me for my recipes! I was smart enough not to give them out. It was a running joke in our family.”

Now Montfort, who was born and raised in Arlington (she’s a Yorktown High School alumna), is finally revealing her tricks of the trade with the release of Baking the Best of Mary Lee’s Desserts, a self-published cookbook with more than 100 color photos accompanying recipes for cupcakes, cakes, icings, cookies, bars, tartlets and other goodies.

The book is a primer of stylish (mostly) American treats with tips on ingredients (the author names her preferred brands) and techniques. Cupcakes, for instance, are best made in Reynolds Kitchen Foil Baking Cups (“They are a bit bigger than their paper counterparts and they help the cake layer stay really moist,” she writes), which should be placed freestanding on baking sheets rather than in muffin tins for better rise and more even baking.

Montfort learned how to cook from her mother, Lee Hessney Pomponio. After earning a degree in communications from the University of Texas, she embarked on a career in advertising, first in New York City, then in San Francisco, where she met Rick. The couple later moved to Seattle, where Montfort ditched advertising and became a line cook at Union Bay Café. The fact that she had no professional kitchen experience appealed to chef/owner Mark Manley, who liked training green cooks on his own terms. “He taught me everything,” she says. “I did prep and made all of his desserts. I was on my feet all day but loved it. I’d sing my way to work and sing my way home.” In 2000, Rick’s job as an attorney brought them back to Virginia.

A labor of love, Montfort’s cookbook ($45) took a year to write. She covered the printing costs herself and is donating all of the proceeds to three nonprofits: José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and The Trevor Project, which focuses on suicide prevention for LGBTQ and questioning youth.

Want in on another secret? To ensure that the greatest share of each cookbook sale goes to a good cause (and not to the hefty cuts taken by major online retailers), purchase it through Montfort’s publishing outfit, BookBaby.com, or at Bards Alley Bookshop in Vienna. Find more purchasing options at maryleesdesserts.com

Cookbook author and baker Mary Lee Montfort

ORDER THIS now Espresso Martini at R

A Filipino Feast

Be prepared for indecision the first time you encounter the steam table at Kamayan Fiesta in Falls Church. Filipino dishes such as chicken adobo, deep-fried pompano, beef kaldereta (a spicy stew) and baby squid braised in soy and ginger are made fresh daily at this tiny, 600-square-foot café that opened in September. I thought I had finally made a selection (as the person

Sisters Lisa and Melissa Gerben co-founded RAKO Coffee Roasters in 2019, specializing in sustainably farmed, single-origin coffee sourced from Ethiopia, Sumatra, Guatemala and Burundi. (The business is named after a mountain in Ethiopia’s Yirgacheffe coffee region.) They began selling their beans online in 2020, and in August 2021 opened their first café in Arlington’s Courthouse neighborhood—with a liquor license. Our favorite drink on the cocktail list, created with the help of spirits curator Stephanie Dissette, is the espresso martini ($14), made with vodka, Ethiopian Sidamo Kercha cold brew, allspice dram, Benedictine, simple syrup and chocolate bitters. It hits all the right notes of complexity and deep flavor, and supplies not one buzz, but two! rakocoffee.com

behind the counter waited patiently to dish up my request) when out came a pan of bicol express—pork cooked with coconut milk, hot peppers and shrimp paste—and I had to rethink my plan. Platters of one to four entrées range from $7.99 to $24.99 and include rice and bottled water. The café has two small tables inside and a 15-seat outdoor patio.

This is the second location of Kamayan Fiesta for founder Ray Ann Bacolanlan Duran, who opened the first in Springfield in 2020. She and her wife, Jhett Dalo Duran, are the chefs. They co-own both eateries with Jhett’s brother, Leo Dalo Duran.

The Falls Church expansion was rather serendipitous. Ray Ann was scrolling through Facebook Marketplace in search of kitchen equipment for another location (which, as of press time, was due to open in Oxon Hill, Maryland, in December) when she noticed the former Johnsons Café space on South Washington Street was for sale. She struck a deal three days later, got a permit in two days and opened in less than three weeks.

Entrepreneurial by nature, Ray Ann previously owned a beauty shop, a restaurant and a store in the Philippines, where samesex marriage is illegal. She gave

them all up to marry Jhett, who immigrated to Virginia in 2005. The couple maintained a long-distance relationship for years until Ray Ann finally moved stateside in August 2016. They married two weeks later.

The Durans have more than 55 dishes in their repertoire, offering roughly 20 at a time, Monday through Friday, and 35 on weekends. Various pancit (noodle) dishes are made to order. Don’t see favorites such as crispy pata (pork shank) or grilled pork belly? They may be available—just ask.

Diners who are new to the wonders of Filipino cuisine may want to request a guided tour of the steam table, as the dishes aren’t labeled. On weekends, Kamayan Fiesta offers sisig (a hash of pig ears, snout and belly, with peppers, onions and crispy pork skin), lechon (crispy-skinned pork belly) and chicken inasal (leg quarters that are marinated in lemongrass and then grilled).

A kamayan, by the way, is a feast in which multiple dishes are spread out on a table lined with banana leaves and eaten with your hands. Kamayan Fiesta offers such feasts (also known as Boodle Fights) as takeout to serve at home, complete with banana leaves. The feasts range in price from $35 to $50 per person and require two days’ advance notice. kamayanfiesta.com

ˉ AKO Coffee Roasters

A Boodle Fight from Kamayan Fiesta

places to EAT

ARLINGTON

A Modo Mio Pizzeria

5555 Langston Blvd., 703-532-0990, amodomio pizza.com. Joe’s Place Pizza and Pasta has rebranded with a new chef, a new menu (centering on woodfired pies) and an interior makeover. L D $$

Aladdin Sweets & Tandoor

5169 Langston Blvd., 703-533-0077. Chef Shiuli Rashid and her husband, Harun, prepare family recipes of curries and kabobs from their native Bangladesh. L D $$

Ambar Clarendon

2901 Wilson Blvd., 703-875-9663, ambarrestau rant.com. Feast on Balkan fare such as stuffed cabbage, mushroom pilav and rotisserie meats. An outdoor terrace with dining pods is available.

O R L D G V $$

Arlington Kabob

5046 Langston Blvd., 703-531-1498, arlingtonkab obva.com. Authentic Afghan fare includes kabobs, wraps, shawarma and quabli palou (lamb shank with rice). L D $$

Arlington Rooftop Bar & Grill

2424 Wilson Blvd., 703-528-3030, arlrooftop.com. There’s plenty of bar food to go with the games, from burgers and wings to oysters and flatbread.

O C R L D A G V $$

Assembly

1700 N. Moore St., 703-419-3156, assembly-va. com. The 29,000-square-foot food hall above the Rosslyn Metro contains a smorgasbord of dining concepts, from oysters and cocktails to Asian street food, tacos and diner fare, plus a gourmet market with prepared foods. B R L D G V $$

Baba

2901 Wilson Blvd., 703-312-7978, baba.bar. This subterranean café, which transforms into a cocktail lounge at night, is a sister to Ambar next door. B R L D G V $$

Bakeshop

1025 N. Fillmore St., 571-970-6460, bakeshopva. com. Hit this tiny storefront for coffee, cupcakes, cookies, macarons, icebox pies and other treats. Vegan sweets are always available. B V $

Ballston Local

900 N. Glebe Road, 703-852-1260, ballstonlocal. com. Pair your local brew with a plate of poutine or a New York-style pizza. L D V $$

Bangkok 54

2919 Columbia Pike, 703-521-4070, bangkok54res taurant.com. A favorite for Thai curries, grilled meats, stir-fry, noodles and soups. L D V $$

Barley Mac

1600 Wilson Blvd., 703-372-9486, barleymacva.com. You’ll find upscale tavern fare and more than 100 kinds of whiskey and bourbon. R L D A G V $$

Bartaco

4238 Wilson Blvd. (Ballston Quarter), 571-3908226, bartaco.com. A lively spot for tacos (13 kinds) and tequila. Feels like vacation. L D V A $$

Bar Bao

3100 Clarendon Blvd., 703-600-0500, barbao.com. The trendy watering hole serves dishes reminiscent of Chinese and Taiwanese street food, plus sake, soju and Asian fusion cocktails. L D V $$

Basic Burger

1101 S. Joyce Street, 703-248-9333, basicburger. com. The homegrown eatery (and food truck) cooks

Assembly in Arlington

with locally sourced, certified Angus beef and cagefree, antibiotic-free chicken. L D $$

Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery s 1515 N. Courthouse Road, 703-243-2410, bayou bakeryva.com. Chef David Guas’ New Orleans-inspired menu changes often, but you can always count on beignets and gumbo. Breakfast all day on weekends. O C B R L D G V $

Bethesda Bagels

1851 N. Moore St., 703-312-1133, bethesdabagels. com. The popular D.C.-area chain is now in Rosslyn. Eat a sandwich! O L V $

BGR the Burger Joint

3129 Langston Blvd., 703-812-4705, bgrtheburger joint.com. Top your dry-aged beef with add-ons like grilled jalapeño, pineapple or fried egg. Veggie and turkey burgers are options. C L D V $

Big Buns Damn Good Burger Co. 4401 Wilson Blvd., 4251 Campbell Ave., Arling-

KEY: Price designations are based on the approximate cost per person for a meal with one drink, tax and tip.

$ under $20

$$ $21-$35

$$$ $36-$70

$$$$ $71 or more

o Outdoor Dining

c Children’s Menu

B Breakfast

R Brunch

L Lunch

D Dinner

A After Hours/Late Night

G Gluten-Free

V Vegetarian

s Best of Arlington 2021 or 2022 Winner

ton, 703-933-2867, eatbigbuns.com. Satisfy your cravings with “designer” burgers, shakes, beer and booze. L D $$

Bob & Edith’s Diner

2310 Columbia Pike, 703-920-6103; 539 23rd St. S., 703-920-2700; 5150 Langston Blvd., 703-5940280; bobandedithsdiner.com. Founded in 1969, the 24-hour eatery whips up pancakes, eggs, grits, meatloaf, shakes and pie à la mode. B L D A V $

Bollywood Bistro Express

4238 Wilson Blvd. (Ballston Quarter), 571-3121071, bollywoodbistroexpress.com. Build your own bowl with fillers such as chicken tikka, paneer, chana masala and pickled onions. L D V $$

Bonsai Sushi at Crystal City

553 23rd St. S., 703-553-7723, crystalbonsai sushirestaurant.com. A go-to for sushi, sashimi, yakisoba, tempura, teriyaki. Closed Mondays. L D $$

Bread & Water Company

1201 S. Joyce St., 703-567-6698, breadand watercompany.com. The cafe-bakery serves sandwiches, salads, soups and pastries. Grab a loaf of Markos Panas’ addictive, rustic “M” bread to take home. B L V $

Bronson Bierhall

4100 Fairfax Drive, 703-528-1110, bronsonbier hall.com. You’ll find communal tables, 16 German and regional beers on tap, sausages, schnitzel and cornhole in this 6,000-square-foot bar ode to Munich. O L D A $$

Busboys and Poets

4251 S. Campbell Ave., 703-379-9757, busboys andpoets.com. Known for its poetry slams, onsite bookstore and social justice programming, the cafe offers an eclectic menu with oodles of options for vegetarians. O C B R L D G V $$

The Café by La Cocina VA

918 S. Lincoln St., 703-596-1557, lacocinava.org/ café-main. This lunch spot operated by La Cocina VA, a nonprofit that trains immigrants for culinary careers, serves soups, salads, sandwiches, Dog Tag Bakery pastries and Swing’s coffee. L V $

Café Colline

4536 Langston Blvd., 703-567-6615, cafecolline va.com. Helmed by executive chef Brendan L’Etoile, the cozy French bistro in the Lee Heights Shops satisfies with dishes such as paté maison, duck confit and chocolate pots de creme. O L D $$

Café Sazón

4704 Columbia Pike, 703-566-1686, cafesazon. com. A homey Bolivian café specializing in dishes such as silpancho and empanadas. B L D V $$

Caribbean Grill

5183 Langston Blvd., 703-241-8947. Cuban preparations such as jerk-style pork, fried plantains and black bean soup are mainstays. C L D G V $

Carlyle

4000 Campbell Ave., 703-931-0777, greatamerican restaurants.com/carlyle. The original anchor of Shirlington Village is a reliable pick for fusion fare, happy hour and Sunday brunch. O C R L D G V $$$

Cava

1201 Wilson Blvd., 703-652-7880; 4121 Wilson Blvd., 703-310-6791; cava.com. Build your own salad, wrap or bowl, choosing from an array of Greek dips, spreads, proteins and toppings. L D G V $$

Cava Mezze

2940 Clarendon Blvd., 703-276-9090, cavamezze. com. Greek small plates include octopus, roasted eggplant, zucchini fritters, souvlaki, briny cheeses and succulent lamb. R L D G V $$$

The Celtic House Irish Pub & Restaurant 2500 Columbia Pike, 703-746-9644, celtichouse. net. The pub on the Pike serves favorites like corned beef and traditional Irish breakfast. C R L D A $$

Chasin’ Tails

2200 N. Westmoreland St., 703-538-2565, chasintailscrawfish.com. It’s the place to go for a spicy, messy, finger-lickin’ Cajun crawfish boil. Lunch on weekends only. L D $$

Cheesetique

4024 Campbell Ave., 703-933-8787; cheesetique. com. The cheese shop and wine bar offers small plates, cheese boards and more. O B L D V $$

Chiko

4040 Campbell Ave., 571-312-0774, chikodc.com. The Chinese-Korean concept by chefs Danny Lee and Scott Drewno serves fan favorites like cumin lamb stir-fry and double-fried chicken wings, plus a few surprise dishes that are exclusive to the Shirlington location. C D G V $$

■ places to eat

Circa at Clarendon

3010 Clarendon Blvd., 703-522-3010, circabistros. com. Bistro fare ranges from salads and small plates to steak frites and wild mushroom pizza. Sit outside if you can. O R L D A G V $$$

Colony Grill

2800 Clarendon Blvd., 703-682-8300, colonygrill. com. The Stamford, Connecticut-based pizza chain specializes in ultra-thin-crust “bar pies” with a spicy, pepper-infused hot oil topping. L D G V $$

Copperwood Tavern 4021 Campbell Ave., 703-522-8010, copperwood

tavern.com. The hunting-and-fishing-themed saloon serves up steaks and chops, 24 draft beers and 30 small-batch whiskeys. O R L D $$$

Cowboy Café s

4792 Langston Blvd., 703-243-8010, thecowboy cafe.com. Cool your heels and fill up on sandwiches, burgers, brisket and chili mac. An outdoor beer garden features a mural by Arlington artist MasPaz. Live music on weekends. O C R L D V $$

Crafthouse

901 N. Glebe Road, 703-962-6982, crafthouse usa.com. Locally sourced bar food, plus Virginia beer, wine and spirits equals a good time. O L D A $$

2022 ■ ArlingtonMagazine.com

Crystal City Sports Pub

529 23rd St. S., 703-521-8215, ccsportspub. com. Open 365 days a year, it’s a sure bet for big-screen TVs, pool tables and pub grub.

C B R L D A G V $$

Crystal Thai

4819 First St. N., 703-522-1311, crystalthai.com. A neighborhood go-to for traditional Thai curries, grilled meats and house specialties like roast duck. L D V $$

Dama Pastry Restaurant & Cafe

1503 Columbia Pike, 703-920-3559, damapas try.com. The Ethiopian family-owned business includes a breakfast café, market and dining room.

B L D V $$

Darna

946 N. Jackson St., 703-988-2373, darnava.com. Grilled kabobs, mezze and traditional Lebanese comfort foods are served in a modern setting. The upstairs is a hookah bar. L D V $$

Delhi Dhaba Indian Restaurant

2424 Wilson Blvd., 703-524-0008, delhidhaba.com. The best bargain is the “mix and match” platter, which includes tandoori, seafood, a curry dish and a choice of rice or naan. O L D G V $$

Detour Coffee

946 N. Jackson St., 703-988-2378, detourcoffee co.com. This comfy cafe has a college vibe and serves up locally roasted coffee, light bites and weekend brunch. O R L D V $

District Taco

5723 Langston Blvd., 703-237-1204; 1500 Wilson Blvd., 571-290-6854; districttaco.com. A local favorite for tacos and gargantuan burritos. C B L D G V $

Don Tito

3165 Wilson Blvd., 703-566-3113, dontitova.com. Located in a historic building, the sports bar specializes in tacos, tequila and beer, with a rooftop bar. O R L D $$

Dudley’s Sport & Ale

2766 S. Arlington Mill Drive, 571-312-2304, dudleyssportandale.com. The 13,000-square-foot sports bar has wall-to-wall TVs, a roof deck, a ballpark-inspired beer list and pub food, plus weekend brunch. O C R L D A $$

Earl’s Sandwiches

2605 Wilson Boulevard, 703-647-9191, earlsinarling ton.com. Made-to-order sandwiches use prime ingredients, like fresh roasted turkey. O B L D G V $

East West Coffee Wine

1901 N. Moore St., 3101 Wilson Blvd., 571-8009954, eastwestcoffeewine.com. The cafe with locations in Rosslyn and Clarendon serves espresso drinks, brunch (try the massive Turkish breakfast spread), sandwiches, tapas, beer and wine. B L D $

El Charrito Caminante

2710-A N. Washington Blvd., 703-351-1177. This bare-bones Salvadoran takeout counter hits the spot with tacos, burritos and pupusas. L D V $

El Paso Café

4235 N. Pershing Drive, 703-243-9811, elpaso cafeva.com. Big portions, big margaritas and bighearted service make this Tex-Mex cantina a local favorite. C L D G V $$

El Pollo Rico

932 N. Kenmore St., 703-522-3220, elpollorico restaurant.com. A local institution, this rotisserie chicken mecca gained even more street cred after a visit from the late Anthony Bourdain. L D V $

The Salt Line in Arlington

Elevation Burger

2447 N. Harrison St., 703-300-9467, elevationburger. com. Organic, grass-fed beef is ground on the premises, fries are cooked in olive oil and the shakes are made with fresh-scooped ice cream. O L D V $

Endo Sushi

3000 Washington Blvd., 703-243-7799, endosushi. com. A go-to spot for sashimi, teriyaki, donburi and maki. L D V $$

Epic Smokehouse

1330 S. Fern St., 571-319-4001, epicsmoke house.com. Wood-smoked meats and seafood served in a modern setting. O L D G $$$

Essy’s Carriage House Restaurant

4030 Langston Blvd., 703-525-7899, essyscarriage house.com. Kick it old school with crab imperial, lamb chops and prime rib. B L D G $$$

Farmbird

4211 Wilson Blvd., 571-431-6158, farmbird.com.

Grilled chicken is the main attraction at this healthful counter-service café. Order a plate and choose your sides. B L D G $

Federico Ristorante Italiano

519 23rd St., 703-486-0519, federicoristorante italiano.com. Find pasta, chianti and red-checkered tablecloths at this Crystal City trattoria co-owned by Freddie’s Beach Bar proprietor Freddie Lutz. L D V $$

Fettoosh

5100 Wilson Blvd., 703-527-7710, fettoosh.com.

Overstuffed pita sandwiches and kabobs keep the kitchen fired up at this bargain-priced Lebanese and Moroccan restaurant. C R L D G V $

Fire Works

2350 Clarendon Blvd., 703-527-8700, fireworks pizza.com. Wood-fired pizzas and more than 30 craft beers on tap are mainstays. You can also build your own pasta dish. O C L D A G V $$

First Down Sports Bar & Grill

4213 Fairfax Drive, 703-465-8888, firstdownsports bar.com. Choose among 20 draft beers and snacks ranging from sliders to queso dip. L D A V $$

Four Sisters Grill

3035 Clarendon Blvd., 703-243-9020, foursisters grill.com. Here, the family behind Four Sisters in Merrifield serves up banh mi sandwiches, papaya salad, spring rolls and noodle dishes. O L D $$

The Freshman

2011 Crystal Drive, thefreshmanva.com. Nick Freshman’s neighborly dining concept has something for every appetite and every time of day, from coffee and breakfast sandwiches to oysters and negronis. O B L D V $$

Gaijin Ramen Shop

3800 Langston Blvd., 703-566-9236, gaijinramen shop.com. Choose your broth and toppings, from pork shoulder to pickled vegetables. Gaijin makes its own noodles in-house daily. D V $$

Galaxy Hut

2711 Wilson Blvd., 703-525-8646, galaxyhut.com.

Pair craft beers with vegan bar foods like “fricken” (fake chicken) sandwich melts and smothered tots with cashew cheese curds. L D A G V $$

Gharer Khabar

5157 Langston Blvd., 703-973-2432, gharerkhabar togo.com. Translated as “home’s food,” this artfilled, 14-seat café serves Bangladeshi fare cooked by chef Nasima Shreen. L D $$

Good Company Doughnuts & Café

672 N. Glebe Road, 703-243-3000, gocodough.com. The family- and veteran-owned eatery serves housemade doughnuts, Intelligentsia coffee and other breakfast and lunch fare. B L V $$

Good Stuff Eatery

2110 Crystal Drive, 703-415-4663, goodstuff eatery.com. Spike Mendelsohn’s Crystal City outpost offers gourmet burgers (beef, turkey or mushroom), shakes, fries and salads. L D G V $

Grand Cru Wine Bar and Bistro

4301 Wilson Blvd., 703-243-7900, grandcru-wine. com. This intimate European-style café includes a wine shop next door. O R L D G $$$

Green Pig Bistro s

1025 N. Fillmore St., 703-888-1920, greenpig bistro.com. Southern influenced food, craft cocktails, a daily happy hour and weekend brunch draw fans to this congenial neighborhood hideaway. Chef Tracy O’Grady helms the kitchen. R L D G V $$$

Greens N Teff s

3203 Columbia Pike, 571-510-4063, greensnteff.

■ places to eat

com. This vegetarian, fast-casual Ethiopian carryout prompts customers to choose a base (injera bread or rice) then pile on spicy, plant-based stews and other toppings. O L D G V $

Guajillo

1727 Wilson Blvd., 703-807-0840, guajillo mexican.com. Authentic Mexican dishes such as carne asada, mole poblano and churros are favorites. O C L D G V $$

Guapo’s Restaurant

4028 Campbell Ave., 703-671-1701, guaposres taurant.com. Expect hearty portions of all the TexMex standbys—quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas, tacos and burritos. O C R L D G V $$

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

1119 N. Hudson St., 571-527-0445, gyu-kaku.com. Marinated meats, veggies and seafood are cooked on tabletop grills. D $$

Hanabi Ramen

3024 Wilson Blvd., 703-351-1275, hanabiramen usa.com. Slurp multiple variations of the popular noodle dish, plus rice bowls and dumplings. L D $$

Happy Eatery Vietnamese Kitchen 1800 N. Lynn St., 571-800-1881, thehappy eatery.com. Vietnamese comfort foods (think banh mi, noodle soups and rice bowls) are the stock-intrade at this Rosslyn establishment. L D $$

Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe

2150 N. Culpeper St., 703-527-8394, heidelberg bakery.com. Fill up on baked goods as well as Old Country specialties such as bratwurst and German potato salad. Closed Mondays. B L $

Highline RxR

2010-A Crystal Drive, 703-413-2337, highlinerxr. com. A Crystal City bar offering draft beers, draft wines, a whiskey menu and a retractable wall that opens up in nice weather. O L D A $$

Hot Lola’s

4238 Wilson Blvd. (Ballston Quarter), hotlolas chicken.com. It’s all about Kevin Tien’s Nashvillemeets-Sichuan hot chicken sandwiches. L D $

Inca Social 1776 Wilson Blvd., 703-488-7640, incasocial.com. Empanadas, saltados, chicharron, ceviche, sushi and pisco sours round out the menu at this Peruvian cousin to the original by the same name in Dunn Loring. R L D G V $$

Ireland’s Four Courts

2051 Wilson Blvd., 703-525-3600, irelandsfour courts.com. Irish fare includes cider-braised short ribs, a Guinness-marinated burger and imported cheeses from general manager Dave Cahill’s family farm in County Limerick. C R L D A V $$

Istanbul Grill

4617 Wilson Blvd., 571-970-5828, istanbulgrill virginia.com. Satisfy your craving for Turkish meze and kabobs at this homey spot in Bluemont. L D V $$

The Italian Store s 3123 Langston Blvd., 703-528-6266; 5837 Washington Blvd., 571-341-1080; italianstore.com. A cultstatus destination for pizzas, sandwiches, prepared entrées, espresso and gelato. O L D G V $

Kabob Palace

2315 S. Eads St., 703-486-3535, kabobpalaceusa. com. A Crystal City favorite for grilled meats, pillowy naan and savory sides. L D A G V $$

Kanpai Restaurant

1401 Wilson Blvd., 703-527-8400, kanpai-sushi.com.

The STTR (spicy tuna tempura roll) is a must at this Rosslyn sushi spot. O L D G V $$

L.A. Bar & Grill

2530 Columbia Pike, 703-685-1560, labargrill.com. Regulars flock to this dive bar on the Pike (L.A. stands for Lower Arlington) for cold brews and pub fare. D A $$

La Côte D’Or Café

6876 Langston Blvd., 703-538-3033, lacotedorarling ton.com. This little French bistro serves standards like crepes and steak frites. O R L D G V $$$

Layalina

5216 Wilson Blvd., 703-525-1170, layalinares taurant.com. Lebanese and Syrian dishes aim to please at this family-owned restaurant. Closed Mondays. O L D A V $$

Lebanese Taverna

5900 Washington Blvd., 703-241-8681; 1101 S. Joyce St., Pentagon Row, 703-415-8681; lebanese taverna.com. A local favorite for mezze, kabobs, flatbreads and more. O C L D G V $$

Le Pain Quotidien

2900 Clarendon Blvd., 703-465-0970, lepainquo tidien.com. The Belgian chain produces Europeanstyle cafe fare. B L D G V $$

The Liberty Tavern

3195 Wilson Blvd., 703-465-9360, thelibertytavern. com. This Clarendon anchor offers a spirited bar and creative cuisine fueled by two wood-burning ovens. O C R L D A G V $$$

Livin’ the Pie Life

2166 N. Glebe Road, 571-431-7727, livinthepielife. com. The wildly popular pie operation started as an Arlington farmers market stand. B L V $$

The Local Oyster

4238 Wilson Blvd. (Ballston Quarter), 844-7482537, thelocaloyster.com. Seafood lovers can feast on raw bar, steamers, crabcakes, lobster rolls and “sammies” at this outpost of the Baltimore original. L D G $$

Lost Dog Café

5876 Washington Blvd., 703-237-1552; 2920 Columbia Pike, 703-553-7770; lostdogcafe.com. Known for its pizzas, subs and craft beer selection, this deli/café and its multiple franchises support pet adoption through the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation. L D G V $$

Lucky Danger

1101 S. Joyce St., Unit B27 (Westpost), luckydanger. co. Chefs Tim Ma and Andrew Chiou put a fresh spin on Chinese American takeout with dishes such as duck fried rice, lo mein and egg omelet with pickled radish. L D V $$

Lyon Hall

3100 N. Washington Blvd., 703-741-7636, lyonhall arlington.com. The European-style brasserie turns out French, German and Alsatian-inspired plates, from charcuterie and sausages to mussels and pickled vegetables. O C R L D A V $$$

Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery

1550 Crystal Drive, 703-718-4418, mahzedahr bakery.com. Café fare at this bright, new addition to National Landing includes La Colombe coffee, pastries, cookies, focaccia, sandwiches and snacks. O B L D $

Maison Cheryl

2900 Wilson Blvd., 703-664-0509, maisoncheryl. com. Seared duck breast, steak frites and mad-

eleines are among the offerings at this French American bistro. R L D V $$$

Maizal

4238 Wilson Blvd. (Ballston Quarter), 571-3966500, maizalstreetfood.com. South American street food—arepas, empanadas, yuca fries, Peruvian fried rice, street corn and churros. L D V $

Mala Tang

3434 Washington Blvd., 703-243-2381, mala-tang. com. Chef Liu Chaosheng brings the tastes and traditions of his hometown, Chengdu, to this eatery specializing in Sichuan hot pot. O L D G V $$

Mario’s Pizza House

3322 Wilson Blvd., mariopizzahouse.com. Open into the wee hours, it’s been cooking up subs, wings and pizza since 1957. O C B L D A $

Mattie and Eddie’s

1301 S. Joyce St., 571-312-2665, mattieand eddies.com. It’s not just an Irish bar. Chef Cathal Armstrong’s kitchen serves farm-to-table dishes like lobster pot pie, house-cured corned beef, black pudding and sardines on toast, and Irish breakfast all day. O R L D $$$

Maya Bistro

5649 Langston Blvd., 703-533-7800, bistromaya. com. The family-owned restaurant serves Turkish and Mediterranean comfort food. L D V $$

McNamara’s Pub & Restaurant

567 23rd St. S., 703-302-3760, mcnamaraspub. com. Order a Guinness and some corned beef or fish and chips at this watering hole on Crystal City’s restaurant row. O R L D A $$

Me Jana

2300 Wilson Blvd., 703-465-4440, mejanarestau rant.com. Named for an old Lebanese folk ballad, this Middle Eastern eatery offers prime peoplewatching in Clarendon. O C L D G V $$

Mele Bistro

1723 Wilson Blvd., 703-522-0284, melebistro.com. Like to know where your food comes from? This farm-to-table Mediterranean restaurant cooks with fresh, organic, free-range, regionally-sourced, nonGMO ingredients. O R L D G V $$

Meridian Pint

6035 Wilson Blvd., 703-300-9655, meridianpint. com. The brewpub that John Andrade transplanted from D.C. to Dominion Hills is now under new ownership, but it still serves craft brews, burgers, salads and bar food. C R D A G V $$

Metro 29 Diner

4711 Langston Blvd., 703-528-2464, metro29. com. Classic diner fare includes triple-decker sandwiches, mile-high desserts, burgers, roasted chicken and breakfast. C B R L D V $

Mexicali Blues

2933 Wilson Blvd., 703-812-9352, mexicali-blues. com. The colorful landmark dishes out Salvadoran and Mexican chow. O C R L D G V $$

Moby Dick House of Kabob

3000 Washington Blvd., 703-465-1600; 4037 Campbell Ave., 571-257-8214; mobyskabob.com. Satisfy that hankering for Persian skewers and flavorful sides. L D $$

Mussel Bar & Grille

800 N. Glebe Road, 703-841-2337, musselbar.com. Chef Robert Wiedmaier’s Ballston eatery is known for mussels, frites, wood-fired pizza and more than 100 Belgian and craft beers. O L D $$

Nam-Viet

1127 N. Hudson St., 703-522-7110, namvietva.com.

The venerable restaurant specializes in flavors of Vietnam’s Can Tho region. O L D V $$

Napoli Salumeria

1301 S. Joyce St. (Westpost), 571-431-7903, napoli salumeria.com. Chef Antonio Ferraro’s market/café offers pizza, pasta, panini, dolci and grab-and-go provisions. O L D V $$

Northside Social Coffee & Wine s 3211 Wilson Blvd., 703-465-0145, northsidesocial arlington.com. The homey, two-story coffee and wine bar (with a big patio) is always busy...which tells you something. O B L D V $$

Oby Lee

3000 N. Washington Blvd., 571-257-5054, obylee. com. Crepes and quiche are the bill of fare at this European-style café, bakery, wine shop and coffee roastery. O B L D G $$

Old Dominion Pizza

4514 Langston Blvd., 703-718-6372, olddominion pizza.com. Order thin crust or “grandma style” pies named after local high school mascots. L D G $

Open Road

1201 Wilson Blvd., 703-248-0760, openroadgrill. com. This second location of the American saloon (the first is in Merrifield) is a solid pick for burgers and beers, or a proper entrée and a craft cocktail. O L D $$

Origin Coffee Lab & Kitchen

1101 S. Joyce St., 703-567-7295, origincoffeeco. com. The industrial-chic coffee shop roasts its own beans and serves all-day breakfast, as well as bar munchies and dinner plates.

O B R L D V $$

Osteria da Nino

2900 S. Quincy St. (Village at Shirlington), 703820-1128, osteriadaninova.com. For those days when you’re craving a hearty portion of spaghetti and clams, or gnocci with pesto. O D G V $$$

O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub

3207 Washington Blvd., 703-812-0939, osullivans irishpub.com. You’ll find owner and County Kerry native Karen O’Sullivan behind the bar, pouring pints and cracking jokes. L D A $$

Palette 22

4053 Campbell Ave., 703-746-9007, palette22.com. The gallery-café specializes in international small plates. O R L D V $$

Pamplona

3100 Clarendon Blvd., 703-685-9950, pamplona va.com. Spanish tapas, paella, grilled fish, pintxos, cocktails, snacks and sangria. O R D A V $$

Peking Pavilion

2912 N. Sycamore St., 703-237-6868. This family-owned restaurant serves standbys such as moo shu pork and beef with broccoli. L D $$

Peter Chang Arlington s

2503-E N. Harrison St., 703-538-6688, peterchang

arlington.com. The former Chinese Embassy chef brings his fiery and flavorful Sichuan cooking to the Lee Harrison Shopping Center. C L D $$

Pho 75

1721 Wilson Blvd., 703-525-7355, pho75.res taurantwebexpert.com. The piping-hot soup at this local institution is all about fresh ingredients. O L D V $

Pie-tanza s

2503-B N. Harrison St., 703-237-0200, pie-tanza. com. Enjoy pizza (including gluten-free options), calzones, lasagna, subs and salads. C L D G V $$

Pike Restaurant (Pike Pizza)

4111 Columbia Pike, 703-521-3010. Bolivian dishes satisfy at this no-frills eatery. Try the salteñas stuffed with chicken or beef, olives and hard-boiled egg. L D $

The Pinemoor

1101 N. Highland St., 571-970-2592, thepine moor.com. Reese Gardner’s country-western saloon turns out steaks, burgers, local seafood and weekend brunch. O R L D G V $$

Poppyseed Rye

818 N. Quincy St., poppyseedrye.com. Pick up craft sandwiches, salads, avocado toast, cold-pressed juice, flower bouquets and gift items (beer and wine, too) at this pretty café in Ballston. L D G V $

Pupatella s

5104 Wilson Blvd.; 1621 S. Walter Reed Drive, 571-312-7230, pupatella.com. Enzo and Anastasiya

■ places to eat

Algarme’s authentic Neapolitan pies are considered among D.C.’s best. O L D V $$

Pupuseria Doña Azucena

71 N. Glebe Road, 703-248-0332, pupuseriadona azucena.com. Beans, rice and massive pupusas at dirt-cheap prices. C L D V $

Quarterdeck

1200 Fort Myer Drive, 703-528-2722, quarterdeck arlington.com. This beloved shack has served up steamed crabs for 40 years. O C L D V $$

Queen Mother’s Fried Chicken

918 S. Lincoln St., 703-596-1557, queenmother cooks.com. Chef Rock Harper’s celebrated fried chicken sandwich operation shares a kitchen and dining space with The Café by La Cocina VA. L D $ Quinn’s on the Corner

1776 Wilson Blvd., 703-640-3566, quinnsonthe corner.com. Irish and Belgian favorites such as mussels, steak frites, and bangers and mash, plus draft beers and a big whiskey selection. B R L D A $$

Ragtime

1345 N. Courthouse Road, 703-243-4003, ragtime restaurant.com. Savor a taste of the Big Easy in offerings such as jambalaya, catfish, spiced shrimp and oysters. Or feast on the waffle and omelet bar every Sunday. O R L D A V $$

Rako Coffee Roasters

2016 Wilson Blvd., 571-2312-4817, rakocoffee. com. Sister roasters Lisa and Melissa Gerben, whose beans are on the menu at Maketto and other D.C. hotpots, now have a cafe in Courthouse. Try a baklava latte or an espresso martini. R L D V $$

Rasa

2200 Crystal Drive, 703-888-0925, rasagrill.com. Enjoy big flavors at this Indian fast-casual eatery by co-owners Sahil Rahman and Rahul Vinod. Build a bowl with options like basmati rice, chicken tikka, lamb, charred or pickled vegetables, lentils, chutneys and yogurt sauces. O L D G V $

Ravi Kabob House

350 N. Glebe Road, 703-522-6666; 250 N. Glebe Road, 703-816-0222. Curries, kabobs and delectably spiced veggies keep this strip-mall café plenty busy. C L D V $$

Rebellion on the Pike

2900 Columbia Pike, 703-888-2044, rebellionon thepike.com. The irreverent tavern sports a deep list of craft beers and whiskeys, and serves burgers (including one zinger called the “Ramsay Bolton”), six kinds of wings and other pub grub. O R B D A $$

The Renegade

3100 Clarendon Blvd., 703-468-4652, renegadeva. com. Is it a coffee shop, restaurant, bar or live music venue? All of the above. And Patrick Crump’s adventurous menu includes everything from cinnamon lambchop lollipops to lo mein. B L D A $$

Rhodeside Grill

1836 Wilson Blvd., 703-243-0145, rhodeside grill.com. Feast on chops, meatloaf, burgers and po’boys accompanied by every kind of hot sauce imaginable. O C R L D A V $$

Rice Crook

4238 Wilson Blvd. (Ballston Quarter), ricecrook.com. Korean-inspired rice bowls, salads and wraps made with locally sourced meats and produce. L D $$

Rien Tong Asian Bistro

3131 Wilson Blvd., 703-243-8388, rientong.com.

The large menu includes Thai and Chinese standards, plus sushi. L D V $$

Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Co.

3471 Washington Blvd., 703-528-9663, rocklands. com. Owner John Snedden has been slow-cooking barbecue since 1990. O C L D G V $

Rogi

4238 Wilson Blvd. (Ballston Quarter), 703-5506220, eatrogi.com. Chef Ed Hardy’s pierogi operation (formerly Zofia's Kitchen) stuffs the Polish dumplings with all kinds of fillers—brisket, bratwurst, beets, crab Rangoon and smoked whitefish, to name a few. L D V $

Ruffino’s Spaghetti House

4763 Langston Blvd., 703-528-2242, ruffinosarling ton.com. Mina Tawdaros bought this local institution in 2020, fulfilling a lifelong dream. The menu still includes classics such as veal Parmigiana and chicken piccata. C L D V $$

Rustico

4075 Wilson Blvd., 571-384-1820, rusticorestau rant.com. You’ll find more than 400 beers to complement dishes from pizza to grilled trout and pastrami pork ribs. O C R L D G V $$

RusUz

1000 N. Randolph St., 571-312-4086, rusuz.com. The family-run bistro serves hearty Russian and Uzbek dishes such as borscht, beef stroganoff and plov—a rice pilaf with lamb. L D $$

Ruthie’s All-Day s

3411 Fifth St. S., 703-888-2841, ruthiesallday.com. Chef Matt Hill’s Southern-inspired “meat and three” serves up wood-smoked meats, chicken and fish with creative sides ranging from kimchi dirty rice to crispy Brussels sprouts with fish sauce vinaigrette. Breakfast (with house-made biscuits) offered daily. O B R L D G V $$

Saigon Noodles & Grill

1800 Wilson Blvd., 703-566-5940, saigonnoodles grill.com. The Rosslyn eatery owned by Arlington resident Tuan Nguyen serves pho, banh mi and other traditional Vietnamese dishes. L D G V $$

Salt

1201 Wilson Blvd., 703-875-0491, saltrosslyn. com. The speakeasy-style cocktail bar, which shares a kitchen with Open Road, serves tasty nibbles (cheese plates, oysters, carpaccio) with classic Sazeracs and Old Fashioneds, as well as nouveau craft cocktails. D $$

The Salt Line

4040 Wilson Blvd., 703-566-2075, thesaltline.com. The seafood-centric oyster bar that started next to Nats Park in D.C. now has an outpost in Ballston serving raw bar, clam chowder, lobster rolls, stuffies, pasta, double-patty smash burgers and fun cocktails. c O R D $$$

Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub

2800 S. Randolph St., 703-379-0122, samuel becketts.com. A modern Irish pub serving Emerald Isle recipes. O C R L D A G V $$

Santé

1250 S. Hayes St. (inside the Ritz-Carlton), 703412-2762, meetatsante.com. Mediterranean fare includes shareable dishes like shrimp saganaki, grilled oysters and chickpea fries, and mains ranging from whole roasted branzino to lamb “osso bucco.” B R L D G V $$$

Sawatdee Thai Restaurant

2250 Clarendon Blvd., 703-243-8181, sawatdeeva.

com. The friendly eatery (its name means “hello”) is frequented by those craving pad thai or pad prik king. L D V $$

Screwtop Wine Bar and Cheese Shop

1025 N. Fillmore St., 703-888-0845, screwtop winebar.com. The congenial wine bar/shop offers tastings, wine classes, and small plates for sharing and pairing. O C R L D G V $$

Sense of Place Café & Roastery

4807 First St. N., 571-319-0414, senseofplacecafe. com. The “laptop free” café serves Enzymo coffee drinks, matcha tea, sweets and sandwiches. B L $

SER

1110 N. Glebe Road, 703-746-9822, ser-restau rant.com. Traditional Spanish and Basque dishes in a colorful, friendly space with outstanding service.

O R L D V $$$

Sfoglina Pasta House

1100 Wilson Blvd., sfoglinapasta.com/rosslyn. Fabio Trabocchi’s Rosslyn outpost is a destination for housemade pasta (you can watch it being made), a “mozzarella bar” and Italian cocktails. Closed Monday-Wednesday. O L D V $$$

Silver Diner

3200 Wilson Blvd., 703-812-8600, silverdiner. com. The kitchen cooks with organic ingredients, many of which are sourced from local suppliers. Low-calorie and gluten-free menu choices available. O C B R L D A G V $$

Slapfish

671 N. Glebe Road, 571-312-4610, slapfishrestau rant.com. Grab some clam chowder, fish tacos or a lobster roll and pretend you are beachside. L D $$

Sloppy Mama’s Barbeque

5731 Langston Blvd., sloppymamas.com. Joe and Mandy Neuman’s barbecue joint offers woodsmoked meats galore— brisket, pork, chicken, ribs, turkey, sausage. Plus hearty sides and banana pudding for dessert. O B R L D $$

Smokecraft Modern Barbecue s

1051 N. Highland St., 571-312-8791, smokecraft bbq.com. Every menu item here is kissed by smoke, from ribs, crabcakes and spaghetti squash to the chocolate cherry bread pudding on the dessert list. O L D G V $$

Smoking Kow BBQ

2910 N. Sycamore St., smokingkowbbq.com. At this Kansas City-style ’cue joint, meats seasoned with a rub of 15 spices are smoked over cherry and hickory wood for 18-20 hours. L D $$

South Block

3011 11th St. N., 703-741-0266; 1550 Wilson Blvd., 703-465-8423; 4150 Wilson Blvd., 703-4658423; 2121 N. Westmoreland St., 703-534-1542; southblockjuice.com. Cold-pressed juices, smoothies and acai bowls. O B L V $

Spice Kraft Indian Bistro

1135 N. Highland St., 703-527-5666, spicekraft va.com. This contemporary concept by restaurateurs Anthony Sankar and Premnath Durairaj gives Indian classics a modern spin. O L D $$

Spider Kelly’s

3181 Wilson Blvd., 703-312-8888, spiderkellys.com. The “come as you are” bar offers a sizable beer list, creative cocktails, salads, burgers, snacks and breakfast at all hours. C D A G V $$

Stellina Pizzeria

2800 S. Randolph St., 703-962-7884, stellina pizzeria.com. Pay a visit for Neapolitan pies, fried

artichokes, squid ink pasta and a deli counter that offers house-made pastas, sauces, antipasti and dolci to take home. O L D $$

Supreme Hot Pot

2301 Columbia Pike, 571-666-1801, supreme hotpot.kwickmenu.com. This Pike eatery specializes in Szechuan hot pot, as well as skewered meats and a few Cajun seafood dishes. A sauce bar allows diners to choose and create their own dipping sauces. D G $$

Sushi Rock

1900 Clarendon Blvd., 571-312-8027, sushirockva. com. Play a little air guitar while sampling sushi rolls and beverages named after your favorite bands, from Zeppelin to Ozzy to Oasis. D A G V $$

Sushi-Zen Japanese Restaurant s 2457 N. Harrison St., 703-534-6000, sushizen. com. An amicable, light-filled neighborhood stop for sushi, donburi, tempura and udon. C L D V $$

Sweetgreen

4075 Wilson Blvd., 703-522-2016; 3100 Clarendon Blvd., 571-290-3956; 575 12th Road S., 703-8881025; 2200 Crystal Drive, 703-685-9089; sweet green.com. Locally grown ingredients and compostable cutlery make this salad and yogurt chain a hub for the green-minded. O C L D G V $

Sweet Leaf

2200 Wilson Blvd., 703-525-5100; 800 N. Glebe Road, 703-522-5000; 650 N. Quincy St., 703527-0807; sweetleafcafe.com. Build your own sandwiches and salads with fresh ingredients. O C B L D $$

Taco Bamba Ballston s 4000 Wilson Blvd., 571-777-1477, tacobamba.com. Every Bamba location tucks an homage or two onto its menu. Here, the taco options include the El Rico Pollo, stuffed with “Peruvian-ish” chicken, green chili puree, aji Amarillo aioli, salsa criolla, serrano chile and crispy potato. B L D V $

Taco + Pina

4041 Campbell Ave., 703-567-4747, tacoandpina. com. Try an order of Fanta pork carnitas or the vegetarian “chile relleno” taco, and cool your heels with a frozen roasted pineapple margarita. O L D V $$

Taco Rock

1501 Wilson Blvd., 571-775-1800, thetacorock.com. This rock-themed watering hole keeps the margaritas and Micheladas flowing alongside creative tacos on housemade blue-corn tortillas. B L D V $$

Taqueria el Poblano s

2503-A N. Harrison St., 703-237-8250, taqueria poblano.com. Fresh guacamole, fish tacos, margaritas and mole verde transport patrons to the Yucatan. C L D G V $$

Ted’s Bulletin & Sidekick Bakery

4238 Wilson Blvd. #1130 (Ballston Quarter), 703848-7580, tedsbulletin.com. The retro comfort food and all-day breakfast place has healthier fare, too— which you can undo with a visit to its tantalizing bakery next door. C B R L D G V $$

Texas Jack’s Barbecue

2761 Washington Blvd., 703-875-0477, txjacks.com. Brisket, ribs and pulled pork, plus sides like raw carrot salad and smashed cucumbers. O L D A $$

T.H.A.I. in Shirlington

4209 Campbell Ave., 703-931-3203, thaiinshirling ton.com. Pretty dishes include lemongrass salmon with black sticky rice. O L D G V $$$

Thai Noy s

5880 Washington Blvd., 703-534-7474, thainoy.com. Shimmering tapestries and golden Buddhas are the backdrop in this destination for Thai noodles, curries and rice dishes. L D $$

Thai Square

3217 Columbia Pike, 703-685-7040, thaisquarerestaurant.com. The signature dish is No. 61, deep-fried, sugar-glazed squid topped with crispy fried basil. O L D G V $$

Thirsty Bernie

2163 N. Glebe Road, 703-248-9300, thirstybernie. com. Wiener schnitzel, pierogies and bratwurst provide sustenance in this Bavarian sports bar and grill. O C R L D V $$

TNR Cafe

2049 Wilson Blvd., 571-217-0766, tnrcafe.com. When you have hankering for Peking duck, moo shu chicken, Szechuan beef or bubble tea. L D G V $$

Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream

5849-A Washington Blvd., 703-536-7000, tobys icecream.com. Owner Toby Bantug makes premium ice creams, floats and sundaes. Coffee, pastries and bagels available in the morning. B L D V $

Tortas Y Tacos La Chiquita

2911 Columbia Pike, 571-970-2824, tortasytacosla chiquita.com. In addition to its namesake foods, the eatery that started as a food truck also does alambres, huarache platters, flautas and more. B L D $

Trade Roots

5852 Washington Blvd., 571-335-4274, fairtrade roots.com. Lisa Ostroff’s Westover gift shop and cafe serves fair-trade coffee, tea, pastries, salads, organic wine and snackable fare like mini empanadas and Portuguese flatbread. O B L $

Troy’s Italian Kitchen

2710 Washington Blvd., 703-528-2828, troysitalian kitchen.com. Palak and Neel Vaidya’s mom-andpop serves pizza, pasta and calzones, including a lengthy vegan menu with options like “chicken” tikka masala pizza. L D G V $

True Food Kitchen

4238 Wilson Blvd. (Ballston Quarter), 703-5270930, truefoodkitchen.com. Emphasizing “anti-inflammatory” fare, the menu will convince you that healthy tastes good. O L D G V $$

TTT – Tacos, Tortas & Tequila

2900 Wilson Blvd., tttrestaurant.com. Ivan Iricanin’s ode to Mexico has all the colorful options you’d expect—tacos, enchiladas, street corn, six kinds of salsa and fruity margaritas, plus a sprawling rooftop lounge with expansive views. O B R L D $$

Tupelo Honey Café

1616 N. Troy St., 703-253-8140, tupelohoneycafe. com. The Southern fusion menu includes dishes like roasted snapper with sweet potato and farro. C R L D $$

Turu’s by Timber Pizza

4238 Wilson Blvd. (Ballston Quarter), timber pizza.com. Neapolitan(ish)-style pizzas fresh from a wood-fired oven. L D V $$

Uncle Julio’s Rio Grande Café

4301 N. Fairfax Drive, 703-528-3131, unclejulios. com. Tex-Mex highlights include mesquite-grilled fajitas, tacos and margaritas. O C R L D $$$

Urban Tandoor

801 N. Quincy St., 703-567-1432, utandoorva.com.

Sate your appetite with Indian and Nepalese fare,

1110 N Glebe Rd, Arlington

SER

703-746-9822 serrestaurant.com

from tandoori lamb to Himalayan momos (dumplings). Lunch buffet daily. L D V $$

Weenie Beenie

2680 Shirlington Road, 703-671-6661, weenie beenie.net. The hot dog stand founded in 1954 is still serving half smokes, bologna-and-egg sandwiches and pancakes. B L D $ Westover Market & Beer Garden s 5863 N. Washington Blvd., 703-536-5040, westo vermarketbeergarden.com. A local hive for burgers and draft microbrews. The adjoining market’s

■ places to eat

“Great Wall of Beer” stocks more than 1,000 domestic, imported and craft beers in bottles and cans. O C L D A $$

Which Wich

4300 Wilson Blvd., 703-566-0058, whichwich.com. A seemingly endless menu of sandwiches and wraps with more than 60 toppings. O B L D V $$ Whino

4238 Wilson Blvd., 571-290-3958, whinova.com.

Part restaurant/bar and part art gallery, this latenight spot (open until 2 a.m. Thursday-Saturday) features cocktails, shareable plates and a dynamic interior featuring street-art murals and “low brow” art exhibits. L D A $$

Wild Tiger BBQ s

1201 S. Joyce St. (Westpost), wildtigerbbq.com. The pop-up concept by chefs Kevin Tien and Scott Chung does barbecue with an Asian flavor profile. Shin-shamen-rubbed proteins like pulled pork, ribs and brisket are served with kimchi pickles and five house-made sauces. L D $$

William Jeffrey’s Tavern 2301 Columbia Pike, 703-746-6333, william jeffreystavern.com. Brought to you by the owners of Dogwood Tavern, this pub on the Pike features Prohibition-era wall murals and mixes a mean martini. O C R L D A G V $$

Wilson Hardware Kitchen & Bar 2915 Wilson Boulevard, 703-527-4200, wilson hardwareva.com. Order a boozy slushy or craft beer and head the roof deck. The menu includes small plates, burgers and entrées like steak frites and duck confit. O R L D A G V $$$

World of Beer

4300 Wilson Blvd., 703-576-0395, worldofbeer. com. The beer emporium features 40 taps and a rotating roster of hundreds of brews to go with your German soft pretzel, parmesan truffle fries or pimento cheeseburger. L D V $$

Yayla Bistro

2201 N. Westmoreland St., 703-533-5600, yayla bistro.com. A cozy little spot for Turkish small plates, flatbreads and seafood. Pita wraps available for lunch only. O C L D $$

Yume Sushi

2121 N. Westmoreland St., 703-269-5064, yume sushiva.com. East Falls Church has a destination for sushi, omakase (chef’s tasting menu) and a sake bar with craft cocktails. L D V G $$$

FALLS CHURCH

2941 Restaurant

2941 Fairview Park Drive, 703-270-1500, 2941. com. French chef Bertrand Chemel’s unlikely sanctuary in a suburban office building offers beautifully composed seasonal dishes and expert wine pairings in an artful setting. C L D V $$$

Abay Market Ethiopian Food

3811-A S. George Mason Drive, 703-820-7589, abaymarketethiopian.com. The seasoned grassfed raw beef dish kitfo is the specialty at this friendly, six-table Ethiopian café. L D $$ Al Jazeera

3813-D S. George Mason Drive, 703-379-2733. The top seller at this Yemeni cafe is oven-roasted lamb with yellow rice. L D $$

Alta Strada

2911 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 703-2800000, altastrada.com. Chef Michael Schlow’s menu includes house-made pastas, pizza and modern Italian small plates. R L D $$$

Anthony’s Restaurant

3000 Annandale Road, 703-532-0100, www.an thonysrestaurantva.com. The family-owned Greek and Italian diner serves standbys like spaghetti, pizza, gyros and subs, plus breakfast on weekends. R L D V $$

B Side

8298 Glass Alley (Mosaic District), 703-676-3550, bsidecuts.com. Nathan Anda’s charcuterie steals the show at this cozy bar adjoining Red Apron Butcher. The cocktails rock, too. L D $$

Badd Pizza

346 W. Broad St., 703-237-2233, baddpizza.com. Order a Buffalo-style “cup-and-char” pepperoni pie and a baddbeer IPA, locally brewed by Lost Rhino Brewing Co. L D $$

Bakeshop

100 E. Fairfax St., 703-533-0002, bakeshopva.com. See Arlington listing. B V $

Balqees Restaurant

5820 Seminary Road, 703-379-0188. Order Lebanese and Yemeni dishes like lamb in saffron rice, saltah (a vegetarian stew) and saffron cake topped with rose petals and crème anglaise.

O L D V $$

Bamian

5634 Leesburg Pike, 703-820-7880, bamianres taurant.com. Try Afghan specialties like palau (seasoned lamb with saffron rice) and aushak (scallion dumpling topped with yogurt, meat sauce and mint). C L D V $$

Bartaco

2920 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 571-549-8226, bartaco.com. See Arlington listing. L D V A $$

Bing & Bao

7505 Leesburg Pike, 703-734-0846, bingandbao. com. Chinese street foods (crepes, steamed bun and fried rice) are the main attraction at this fast-casual eatery. Founders Rachel Wang and Mark Shen hail from Tianjin, China. L D V $

Caboose Commons

2918 Eskridge Road (Mosaic District), 703-6638833, caboosebrewing.com. The microbrewery that started along the W&OD Trail in Vienna has a second location serving house brews and creative eats, including plant-based options.

O L D V A $$

Café Kindred

450 N. Washington St., 571-327-2215, cafe kindred.com. Pop in for a yogurt parfait, avocado toast, grilled eggplant sandwich, or an espresso fizz. B R L V $$

Celebrity Delly

7263-A Arlington Blvd., 703-573-9002, celebrity deliva.com. Matzo-ball soup, Reubens and tuna melts satisfy at this New York-style deli founded in 1975. Brunch served all day Saturday and Sunday. C B L D G V $

Clare & Don’s Beach Shack

130 N. Washington St., 703-532-9283, clareand dons.com. Go coastal with fish tacos, coconut chicken or one of the many meatless options, and maybe catch some live outdoor music. Closed Mondays. O C L D A G V $$

DC Steakholders

6641 Arlington Blvd., 703-534-4200, dcsteakhold ers.com. The cheesesteak truck has a storefront in the former Frozen Dairy Bar space, where proprietors Usman Bhatti and Lilly Kaur are carrying forth FDB’s nearly 70-year frozen custard recipe. L D $$

District Dumplings

2985 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 703-884-7080, districtdumplingsfairfax.com. Asian-style dumplings, sandwiches and wraps. L D $$

District Taco

5275-C Leesburg Pike, 571-699-0660, district taco.com. See Arlington listing. C B L D G V $

Dogfish Head Alehouse

6220 Leesburg Pike, 703-534-3342, dogfishale house.com. Microbrews, burgers, sandwiches, salads and wood-grilled pizzas. C L D G V $$

Dogwood Tavern

132 W. Broad St., 703-237-8333, dogwoodtav ern.com. The menu has something for everyone, from ancient grain Buddha bowls to jambalaya, burgers and coconut-curry salmon.

O C R L D A V $$

Dominion Wine and Beer

107 Rowell Court, 703-533-3030, dominionwine andbeer.com. Pairings come easy when a café shares its space with a wine and beer shop. Order up a plate of sliders, a cheese board or some Dragon shrimp to snack on while you imbibe.

O R L D V $$

Duangrat’s

5878 Leesburg Pike, 703-820-5775, duangrats.com. Waitresses in traditional silk dresses glide through the dining room, bearing fragrant noodles and grilled meats, in one of the D.C. area’s most esteemed destinations for Thai cuisine. O R L D V $$

Elephant Jumps Thai Restaurant

8110-A Arlington Blvd., 703-942-6600, elephant jumps.com. Creative and comforting Thai food in an intimate strip-mall storefront. L D G V $$

Elevation Burger

442 S. Washington St., 703-237-4343, elevation burger.com. See Arlington listing. O L D V $

El Tio Tex-Mex Grill

7630 Lee Highway, 703-204-0233, eltiogrill.com. A family-friendly spot for fajitas, enchiladas, lomo saltado, combo plates and margaritas. O L D $$

Fava Pot

7393 Lee Highway, 703-204-0609, favapot.com. Visit Dina Daniel’s restaurant, food truck and catering operation for Egyptian fare such as stewed fava beans with yogurt and lamb shanks with okra. And oh the bread! B L D G V $$

First Watch

5880 Leesburg Pike, 571-977-1096, firstwatch. com. Popular dishes at this breakfast and lunch café include eggs Benedict, lemon-ricotta pancakes, housemade granola, power bowls and avocado toast. O CB R L V $$

Four Sisters Restaurant

8190 Strawberry Lane, 703-539-8566, foursisters restaurant.com. Mainstays include clay pot fish, grilled meats, lettuce wraps and pho. O L D V $$ Haandi Indian Cuisine

1222 W. Broad St., 703-533-3501, haandi.com. The perfumed kabobs, curries and biryani incorporate northern and southern Indian flavors. L D V G $$ Harvey’s

513 W. Broad St., harveysva.com. Sidle up to

chef Thomas Harvey’s new neighborhood bar for a cheesesteak with IPA beer cheese, cedar-plank salmon, Russian honey cake, local beers and good company. B R L D $$

Hong Kong Palace

6387 Seven Corners Center, 703-532-0940, hong kongpalacedelivery.com. The kitchen caters to both ex-pat and American tastes with an enormous menu of options. C L D $$

Hong Kong Pearl Seafood Restaurant

6286 Arlington Blvd., 703-237-1388. Two words: dim sum. L D A V $$

Huong Viet

6785 Wilson Blvd., 703-538-7110, huong-viet. com. Spring rolls, roasted quail and shaky beef are faves at this cash-only Eden Center eatery. C L D G V $$

Ireland’s Four Provinces

105 W. Broad St., 703-534-8999, 4psva.com.

The family-friendly tavern in the heart of Falls Church City serves pub food and Irish specialties.

O C B R L D $$

Jinya Ramen Bar

2911 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 703-9927705, jinya-ramenbar.com. Embellish your tonkotsu or umami-miso broth with more than a dozen toppings and add-ins. O L D A V $$

JV’s Restaurant

6666 Arlington Blvd., 703-241-9504, jvsrestaurant. com. A dive bar (the best kind) known for its live music, cold beer and home-cooked meatloaf, lasagna and chili. L D A V $$

Kamayan Fiesta

301 S. Washington St., 703-992-0045, kamayan fiesta.com. Find Filipino specialties such as chicken adobo, pork in shrimp paste, lumpia (egg rolls) and cassava cake. B L D V $$

Koi Koi Sushi & Roll

450 W. Broad St., 703-237-0101, koikoiva.com. The sushi is fresh and the vibe is fun. O L D $$

Lantern House Viet Bistro 1067 West Broad St., 703-268-2878, lantern houseva.com. Satisfy that craving for pho, noodles and banh mi at this family-owned Vietnamese eatery. L D G V $$

Le Pain Quotidien

8296 Glass Alley (Mosaic District), 703-4629322, lepainquotidien.com. See Arlington listing. B L D V $$

Liberty Barbecue

370 W. Broad St., 703-237-8227, libertyfallschurch. com. This ‘cue venture by The Liberty Tavern Group serves smoked meats, fried chicken and all the accompaniments. Order a Grand Slam (four meats, four sides) and feed the whole fam. R L D $$

Little Saigon Restaurant

6218-B Wilson Blvd., 703-536-2633. Authentic Vietnamese in a no-frills setting. O L D $$

Loving Hut Vegan Cuisine

2842 Rogers Drive, 703-942-5622; lovinghut fallschurch.com. The Vietnamese-inspired vegan eatery offers menu items like rice vermicelli with barbecued soy protein and claypot rice with vegan “ham.” L D G V $$

MacMillan Whisky Room

2920 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 240-994-3905, themacmillan.com. More than 200 kinds of spirits are offered in tasting flights and composed cock-

tails. The food menu includes U.K. and American pub standards. O R L D $$

Mark’s Duck House

6184-A Arlington Blvd., 703-532-2125. Though named for its specialty—Peking duck—it offers plenty of other tantalizing options, too, such as short ribs, roasted pork and dim sum.

R L D A V $$

Meaza Restaurant

5700 Columbia Pike, 703-820-2870, meazaethio piancuisine.com. Well-seasoned legumes and marinated beef are signatures in this vivid Ethiopian banquet hall. O C L D G V $$

Mike’s Deli at Lazy Sundae

112 N. West St., 703-532-5299, mikesdeliatlazy sundae.com. Fill your belly with homemade corned beef, cheesesteaks, breakfast and scratch-made soups. Save room for ice cream! O B L D V $

Miu Kee

6653 Arlington Blvd., 703-237-8884. Open late, this strip-mall hideaway offers Cantonese, Sichuan and Hunan dishes. L D A $$

Moby Dick House of Kabob 444 W. Broad St., 703-992-7500, mobyskabob.com. See Arlington listing. L D $$

Mom & Pop

2909 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 703-9920050, dolcezzagelato.com. The little glass cafe serves light fare, snacks, gelato, coffee, beer and wine. O B R L D A $$

Nhu Lan Sandwich

6763 Wilson Blvd., 703-532-9009, nhulansandwich. com. This tiny Vietnamese deli at Eden Center is a favorite for banh mi sandwiches. L D V $

Northside Social Falls Church s 205 Park Ave., 703-992-8650, northsidesocial va.com/falls-church. Come by in the morning for a breakfast sandwich and a latte. Return in the evening for a glass of wine and a plate of charcuterie, or a wood-fired pizza. O B L D V $$

Oath Pizza

2920 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 703-688-6284, oathpizza.com. The dough here is grilled and seared in avocado oil (for a crispy texture) and the toppings are certified humane. L D G V $$

Open Road

8100 Lee Highway, 571-395-4400, openroadmerri field.com. See Arlington listing. O C R L D $$

The Original Pancake House

7395-M Lee Highway, 703-698-6292, ophrestau rants.com. Satisfy your breakfast cravings with pancakes, crepes, waffles, French toast and more. C B R G V $

Our Mom Eugenia

2985 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 434-339-4019, ourmomeugenia.com. Beloved for its real-deal Greek fare, from saganaki to souvlaki, the critically acclaimed family business that began in Great Falls has a sister restaurant in the Mosaic District. O L D $$

Padaek

6395 Seven Corners Center, 703-533-9480, padaekdc.com. Chef Seng Luangrath’s celebrated Falls Church eatery, hidden in a strip mall, offers both Thai and Laotian cuisine. L D G V $$

Panjshir Restaurant

114 E. Fairfax St., 703-536-4566, panjshirrestau rant.com. Carnivores go for the kabobs, but the

Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Co. in Arlington

■ places to eat

vegetarian chalows elevate pumpkin, eggplant and spinach to new levels. O L D V $$

Parc de Ville

8926 Glass Alley (Mosaic District), 703-663-8931, parcdeville.com. Find French fare such as omelets, escargots, duck confit and boudin blanc at this spacious Parisian-style brasserie. Hit the rooftop lounge for cocktails. O R D $$$

Peking Gourmet Inn

6029 Leesburg Pike, 703-671-8088, pekinggour met.com. At this James Beard Award semifinalist for “Outstanding Service,” it’s all about the crispy Peking duck. C L D G V $$

Pho 88

232 W. Broad St., 703-533-8233, pho88va.com. Vietnamese pho is the main attraction, but the menu also includes noodle and rice dishes. Closed Tuesdays. L D $$

Pizzeria Orso

400 S. Maple Ave., 703-226-3460, pizzeriaorso. com. Neapolitan pies and tempting small plates, such as arancini with chorizo and Brussels chips with shaved grana. O C L D G V $$

Plaka Grill

1216 W. Broad St., 703-639-0161, plakagrill.com. Super satisfying Greek eats—dolmas, souvlaki, moussaka, spanakopita. L D V $$

Preservation Biscuit s

102 E. Fairfax St., 571-378-1757, preservation biscuit.com. Order the signature carb with a sampler of house-made jams, or as a sandwich with fillers ranging from fried chicken, hot honey and candied bacon to guacamole and egg with lemon aioli. L D V $

Pupuseria La Familiar

308 S. Washington St., 703-995-2528, pupuseria lafamiliar.com. The family-owned Salvadoran eatery turns out pupusas, fried yucca, chicharron, carne asada and horchata. L D $$

Raaga Restaurant

5872 Leesburg Pike, 703-998-7000, raagarestau rant.com. Chicken tikka, lamb rogan josh and cardamom-infused desserts. O L D G V $$

Rare Bird Coffee Roasters

230 W. Broad St., 571-314-1711, rarebirdcoffee. com. Lara Berenji and Bryan Becker’s charming Little City café roasts its own beans and recently expanded its space. L D $

Red Apron Butcher

8298 Glass Alley (Mosaic District), 703-676-3550, redapronbutchery.com. The premium butcher shop and deli sells hot dogs, burgers, charcuterie, prime steaks and sandwiches. L D V $$

Rice Paper/Taste of Vietnam

6775 Wilson Blvd., 703-538-3888, ricepapertasteofvietnam.com. Try a combo platter of pork, seafood and ground beef with rice-paper wraps at this Eden Center favorite. L D G V $$

Settle Down Easy Brewing

2822 Fallfax Drive, 703-573-2011, settledowneasy brewing.com. The rotating beer list at this nanobrewing operation is always fresh. Neighboring El Tio Tex-Mex Grill provides a taco stand and other food choices. Closed Mondays. O L D $

Sfizi Café

800 W. Broad St., 703-533-1191, sfizi.com. A family-owned trattoria, deli and wine shop serving classic Italian fare—pasta, pizza, parm. L D $$

Silver Diner

8150 Porter Road, 703-204-0812, silverdiner.com. See Arlington listing. C B R L D A G V $$

Sisters Thai

2985 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 703-280-0429, sistersthai.com. The Thai restaurant has a vibe that feels like you’re dining in your cool friend’s shabbychic living room. L D $$

Solace Outpost

444 W. Broad St., 571-378-1469, solaceoutpost. com. Filling the former Mad Fox space, this Little City microbrewery serves house-brewed suds, plus fried chicken, five kinds of fries and woodfired pizza. D A V $$

Spacebar

709 W. Broad St., 703-992-0777, spcbr.com. The diminutive bar offers 24 craft beers on tap and 18 variations on the grilled cheese sandwich. D A V $$

Sweetgreen

2905 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 703-9927892, sweetgreen.com. See Arlington listing.

O C L D G V $

Sweetwater Tavern

3066 Gatehouse Plaza, 703-645-8100, great americanrestaurants.com. A modern alehouse serving seafood, chicken, ribs, microbrews and growlers to go. C L D G $$$

Taco Bamba s

2190 Pimmit Drive, 703-639-0505, tacobambares taurant.com. Taco choices range from traditional carne asada to the “Iron Mike,” a vegan rendition stuffed with roasted cauliflower, salsa macha and mole verde. B L D $

Taco Rock

1200 W. Broad St., thetacorock.com. At press time, Mike Cordero's rock-themed taqueria was poised to open a new location in the renovated Birch & Broad shopping center. See Arlington listing. B L D V $$

Takumi Sushi

310-B S. Washington St., 703-241-1128, takumiva. com. The sushi and sashimi here go beyond basic. Think tuna nigiri with Italian black truffle, or salmon with mango purée. Closed Sundays and Mondays. L D V $$

Ted’s Bulletin

2911 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 571-830-6680, tedsbulletinmerrifield.com. See Arlington listing.

C B R L D $$

Thompson Italian s

124 N. Washington St., 703-269-0893, thompson italian.com. Gabe and Katherine Thompson’s celebrated kitchen turns out house-made pastas (including cook-at-home meals and supper trays) and some of the best desserts around. O C D $$$

Trio Grill

8100 Lee Highway, 703-992-9200, triomerrifield. com. Treat yourself to steaks, chops, raw bar, craft cocktails and cigars. The patio opens daily at 4 p.m. for happy hour. O D $$$

True Food Kitchen

2910 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 571-3261616, truefoodkitchen.com. See Arlington listing. O C R L D $$$

Uncle Liu’s Hotpot

2972 Gallows Road, 703-560-6868, uncleliushot pot.com. Customers do the cooking in this eatery inspired by the ubiquitous hot pots of China’s Sichuan province. L D V $$

MCLEAN

Agora Tysons

7911 Westpark Drive, 703-663-8737, agoratysons. com. The Dupont Circle mezze restaurant brings its Turkish, Greek and Lebanese small plates to a second outpost in Tysons. R L D G V $$$

Amoo’s Restaurant

6271 Old Dominion Drive, 703-448-8500, amoos restaurant.com. The flavorful kabobs and stews are crowd pleasers at this hospitable Persian establishment. O C L D G V $$

Aracosia

1381 Beverly Road, 703-269-3820, aracosiamclean. com. Score a table under strings of white lights on the covered patio and order savory Afghan specialties such as braised lamb shank and baadenjaan chalou (roasted eggplant with saffron rice). O L D V $$

Asian Origin

1753 S. Pinnacle Drive, 703-448-9988, asianorigin va.com. Liu Chaosheng’s restaurant hits all the standards (kung pao chicken, beef with broccoli) plus twists like pumpkin with steamed pork. L D V $$

Assaggi Osteria & Pizzeria

6641 Old Dominion Drive, 703-918-0080, assaggi osteria.com. Enjoy a date night over plates of orecchiette with artichoke and veal paillard. The adjoining pizzeria serves wood-fired pies. O L D G V $$$

Badd Pizza

6263 Old Dominion Drive, 703-356-2233, badd pizza.com. See Falls Church listing. L D $$

Café Oggi

6671 Old Dominion Drive, 703-442-7360, cafeoggi. com. Choose among classic Italian dishes such as mozzarella caprese, beef carpaccio, spaghetti with clams and tiramisu. O L D G V $$$

Café Tatti French Bistro

6627 Old Dominion Drive, 703-790-5164, cafetatti. com. Open since 1981, the kitchen whips up classic French and continental fare. Closed Sundays. L D G V $$$

Capri Ristorante Italiano

6825-K Redmond Drive, 703-288-4601, capri mcleanva.com. A chatty, family-friendly spot known for tried-and-true Italian dishes such as spaghetti carbonara and veal Marsala. O C L D G V $$$

Eddie V’s Prime Seafood

7900 Tysons One Place, 703-442-4523, eddiev. com. Total steakhouse vibe, except with an emphasis on seafood (and steaks, too). L D $$$$

El Tio Tex-Mex Grill

1433 Center St., 703-790-1910, eltiogrill.com. See Falls Church listing. L D $$

Esaan Tumbar

1307 Old Chain Bridge Road, 703-288-3901, esaanmclean.com. This tiny eatery specializes in northern Thai dishes—papaya salad, larb, nam tok. A good bet for those who like heat. L D $$

Fahrenheit Asian

1313 Dolley Madison Blvd., 703-646-8968, fahren heitasian.com. A no-frills destination for Sichuan spicy noodles, dumplings, mapo tofu and other Asian comfort foods. L D V $$

Fogo de Chao

1775 Tysons Blvd., 703-556-0200, fogodechao. com. The upscale chain showcases the Brazilian tradition of churrasco—the art of roasting meats over an open fire. R L D $$$

Founding Farmers

1800 Tysons Blvd., wearefoundingfarmers.com.

The farm-to-table restaurant features Virginiasourced dishes and drinks. B R L D $$$

Han Palace

7900 Westpark Drive, 571-378-0162, hanpalace dimsum.com. Pay a visit to this all-day dim-sum emporium for made-to-order buns, dumplings, crepes, roast duck and noodles. L D $$

Ichiban Sushi

6821-A Old Dominion Drive, 703-48-9117, ichiban sushimclean.com. A neighborhood go-to for sushi, udon, tempura and teriyaki. Closed Sundays. L D $$

Jack’s Ranch

1755 Tysons Central St., 703-663-4755, jacks ranch.com. Helmed by Hell’s Kitchen alum Declan Horgan and owned by Steve Roberts (Texas Jack’s) it’s got a 360-degree bar, a multi-level patio, pizza, pasta, smoked meats galore and house-made desserts. L D G $$$

J. Gilbert’s s

6930 Old Dominion Drive, 703-893-1034, jgilberts. com. Everything you’d expect in a steakhouse and lots of it—prime cuts of beef, lobster, wedge salad, steakcut fries and cheesecake. C R L D G V $$$

Kazan Restaurant

6813 Redmond Drive, 703-734-1960, kazanrestau rant.com. Zeynel Uzun’s white-tablecloth restaurant, a fixture since 1980, is a nice spot for kebabs, baklava and Turkish coffee. L D V $$

Lebanese Taverna

1840 International Drive, 703-847-5244, lebanesetaverna.com. See Arlington listing.

O C L D G V $$

Leila

7934B Tysons Corner Center, meetleila.com. Savor the flavors of the Middle East and Northern India in dishes such as htipiti (roasted peppers and feta), tandoor-roasted salmon and chicken fesenjoon (pomegranate-walnut-chicken stew), plus house-fired breads, fine cocktails and hookah. R L D A $$

Lost Dog Café

1690-A Anderson Road, 703-356-5678, lostdog cafe.com. See Arlington listing. L D $$

Masala Indian Cuisine

1394 Chain Bridge Road,703-462-9699, masa lava.com. A specialty here are “momos,” Nepalese dumplings with meat or vegetable fillings. The menu also includes tandoori biryani and Indian curries.

L D V $$

McLean Family Restaurant

1321 Chain Bridge Road, 703-356-9883, themcleanfamilyrestaurant.com. Pancakes, gyros and big plates of lasagna hit the spot, and you may stumble upon a politico or two. Breakfast served until 3 p.m. daily. C B L D V $$

Miyagi Restaurant

6719 Curran St., 703-893-0116. The diminutive sushi bar gets high marks for its friendly service and fresh maki and nigiri. L D $$

Moby Dick House of Kabob

6854 Old Dominion Drive, 703-448-8448; 1500 Cornerside Blvd., 703-734-7000; mobyskabob.com. See Arlington listing. L D $$

Mylo’s Grill

6238 Old Dominion Drive, 703-533-5880, mylos grill.com. Enjoy spanakopita, souvlaki and American classics. Friday is prime-rib night. O B L D $$

Pasa-Thai Restaurant

1315 Old Chain Bridge Road, 703-442-0090, pasa thairestaurant.com. Go for a classic Bangkok curry, or a chef’s special such as spicy fried rockfish with chili-basil-garlic sauce. O L D $$

Patsy’s American

8051 Leesburg Pike (Tysons), 703-552-5100, pat sysamerican.com. Find greatest-hit dishes from other Great American Restaurants properties in a space resembling a vintage railway station.

O C R L D A G V $$

Pulcinella

1310 Chain Bridge Road, 703-893-7777, pulcinella restaurant.com. A stop for classic spaghetti and

meatballs, linguine and clams and wood-fired pizza since 1985. L D $$

Randy’s Prime Seafood & Steaks

8051 Leesburg Pike (Tysons), 703-552-5110, randysprime.com. Randy’s (named for Great American Restaurants co-founder Randy Norton) serves prime cuts, duck-fat fries, seafood towers and other steakhouse standards. L D G $$$$

Rocco’s Italian

1357 Chain Bridge Road, 703-821-3736, roccos italian.com. The Juliano family makes everything in-house from family recipes. O C L D G $$

Roots Provisions & Grocery

8100 Old Dominion Drive, 703-712-7850, roots provisions.com. Part café and part gourmet market, it's got sandwiches, smoothies, acai bowls, salads, espresso drinks, pie, cocktails and graband-go snacks and pantry staples. B L G V $

Silver Diner

8101 Fletcher St., 703-821-5666, silverdiner.com. See Arlington listing. C B R L D A G V $$

Simply Fresh

6811 Elm St., 703-821-1869, simplyfreshva. com. A local favorite for pulled pork, chicken and brisket. Plus Greek diner fare. family-style takeout meals and breakfast. O C B L D G V $

Tachibana

6715 Lowell Ave., 703-847-1771, tachibana.us. Stellar sushi aside, the chef’s specials here include starters such as clam miso soup, monkfish paté and savory egg custard. C L D $$

Wren

1825 Capitol One Drive S., thewatermarkhotel. com. Topping the new Watermark Hotel at Capital One Center in Tysons, this tony izakaya helmed by former Zentan chef Yo Matsuzaki offers Japanese American fare (hamachi tartare, Wagyu burgers, miso-marinated sea bass), stupendous cocktails and sweeping skyline views. D G V $$$

Leila in McLean

SUMMER CAMPS

Essential Information on Summer Camps

Fun full-day camps where students work alongside theatre professionals and teaching artists in dancing, singing, and acting in an immersive environment. Space is limited!

● Campers will learn about contemporary artists, explore painting, sculpture, and many other mediums and techniques, as well as take field trips into AAC’s gallery spaces!

● Offers children to develop strong bonds with the community. Nature Programs, Science, Engineering, Art, Entrepreneurship, Tennis, Basketball, Theater, Flag Football, Ultimate Frisbee, Pickleball, Robotics, Chess

Painting, Drawing, Ceramics, Fiber Arts, 3-D Arts, Crafts, and small camp sizes

● ALL OUTDOORS! Wilderness adventures, water sports (including sailing, kayaking & standup paddleboarding), challenge course, hiking, rock climbing, and weeklong adventure trips for teens.

● Flexible scheduling with early and extended-care options available. Specialty options: STEAM, Theater, adventure, History, French, sports, water, and more!!

● ● ● Camp Horizons provides a safe environment where your child will grow, learn new skills, and set out on an adventure they’ll never forget

● ● Camp Kids Place is an 8-Week Camp with 8 Differently Themed Camps catered to a wide age-range!

● ● ● Our camp experience promotes independence, decision making, socialization, skill-building, confidence, creativity, and self-discovery in a safe and nurturing environment.

Drama, Acting, Movement, Stories, Performance, Music, Singing, Games, Dance, Creative Writing, Costumes

●

●

● ● Independent Lake Camp is a Superior Co-ed Sleep away camp for kids aged 6-17. ILC is dedicated to Powerful Individualized Programming, Diversity, Creativity, and Superb Facilities.

● The nation’s premier multidisciplinary summer arts program. Guided by internationally renowned artists, campers study music, theatre, dance, visual arts, creative writing, and film.

● Fosters the development of young people through numerous activities such as Lego building, chess, jiu jitsu, math, chemistry, music, and sports.

Ice skating, team sports, figure skating and hockey.

● ● Robotics, Speech, Debate, Financial Literacy, sewing and Nature

● ● Offering traditional, sports, and specialty camps like coding, fishing, art, K-prep, drones, game design, and summer academic classes. Week-long sessions, extended day, and optional lunch. 16

Programs for Every Young Artist

INTERLOCHEN ARTS CAMP | Grades 3-12

World-renowned summer arts programs

INTERLOCHEN ONLINE | Grades 2-12

Live virtual instruction and master classes with experienced arts educators

SUMMER CAMP

CLASSES & CAMPS FOR AGES 5-18

Summer camp at Arlington Arts Center will take campers on a creative journey in which they will explore painting, sculpture, and more. Our complete camp schedule will be announced in February, to learn more and to sign up for emails please visit arlingtonartscenter.org

arlingtonva.us/dpr/summer camps to get our Summer Camp Catalog by email in January. Registration begins in February.

HARRIET TUBMAN’S following footsteps

A self-guided driving tour through Maryland and Delaware offers a glimpse into the heroine’s life.

BY ANDREA K. McDANIELS

MY HUSBAND AND I arrive at the Brodess Farm in Dorchester County, Maryland, to quiet and serenity. The only sound is the melodious chirping of insects, birds and other wildlife this city couple can’t identify.

We are at the childhood home of Harriet Tubman, on the farm once owned by her enslaver, Edward Brodess. In one respect, I am in awe of the site where the mighty Tubman spent her formative years. It was here that she began to build the courage that ultimately precipitated her harrowing escape to freedom in 1849. She would return 13 times to lead about 70 others north.

At the same time, I am overwhelmed with emotion as I reflect on how savage this now seemingly peaceful place was for enslaved people like Tubman. History tells us she feared she might be sold to another plantation, never to see her family again. She endured beatings and had no control over her fate.

This was the first of three October outings I would spend making my way along the self-guided driving tour of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. The Brodess Farm in Bucktown is stop 16 on the list of 45 places. Though the byway itself might be drivable in one pass, there’s too much to see in a single day. Even three days left me breezing past some of the stops (I had to skip Philadelphia entirely) and feeling as though I hadn’t fully absorbed all that there was to experience and learn.

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek, Maryland

n driving range

We made it through 18 stops that first Saturday, starting at the Dorchester County Visitor Center in Cambridge, with its beautiful water views and exhibits on Maryland’s slave history, and ending at the Bestpitch Ferry Bridge in Bucktown, which was closed the day we visited (at press time, it was still closed for repairs). The bridge wasn’t significant in Tubman’s life, but historic accounts indicate that fleeing slaves would stow away on ferries and hide in marshes around bridges like this one.

Snaking my way along 125 miles of Maryland’s Eastern Shore and 98 miles through Delaware, I tried to imagine the heroine’s mindset. A downloadable audio guide made the experience more immersive, as if I were in Tubman’s shoes.

At the Brodess Farm, a narrator depicting Tubman herself describes the moment she became old enough to be forced to work at a farm away from her family: “The man come after me riding horseback. He put me up front of him on the horse, and off we went.”

She soon missed her family. “I used to sleep on the floor in front of the fire-

place,” the dramatization continues. “And there I lie and cry. Oh, I cry.”

THAT FIRST OUTING also took us to the Harriet Tubman Memorial Garden in the heart of Cambridge, across from a grocery store and off a busy street. Charles Ross, a descendant of the abolitionist, painted the mural, a portrait of her, that’s located on the site.

At the nearby Dorchester County Courthouse, where Tubman’s niece Kessiah and her two children escaped from the auction block in 1850, we walked down the steps to the spot where the auction was once held—and where a concrete block stands, although it is unclear if it is the original. We then progressed to Long Wharf, where slaves were once sold along the waterfront.

The Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center, a storefront museum on Race Street in downtown Cambridge, is a little worn but has a downto-earth grassroots vibe that drew me in and offered what I considered one of the best parts of the tour. I met volunteers who for decades had fought for greater recognition for Tubman, took

a picture next to a mural as if I were holding Tubman’s hand, listened to a jazz ensemble and watched a museum-sponsored lantern parade for local children. Lanterns once identified safe houses for escaping slaves.

The Cambridge museum has endured, even after the 2017 arrival of the 10,000-square-foot Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center in nearby Church Creek, which has all the staples of a modernday museum, including a theater airing documentary films and glossy exhibits chronicling Tubman’s life, from childhood to her service in the Civil War. An outdoor nature path at the visitor center is reminiscent of the woods and marshes Tubman traversed in the dark of night to avoid capture.

Stop 14, the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge, offers another example of the forested wetland terrain fleeing slaves were forced to navigate, often at their peril. I felt like an impostor as I followed Tubman’s path from the comfort of my car.

Traveling the byway reveals how historic churches, cemeteries and other landmarks are immersed in the communities that have built up around them—in some cases, with modernday businesses and houses right next

“Take my Hand,” a mural outside the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center in Cambridge, Maryland

The Bucktown Village Store

A weight at the Bucktown Village Store

door. I found myself worrying about the preservation of these important pieces of history, while also noting how much they are treated as sacred ground.

At Stop 17 we encountered the Bucktown Village Store, a restoration of the building where Tubman was nearly killed when she was hit in the head by a 2-pound weight thrown at an escaping slave. The building was closed due to Covid restrictions, but a peek through the windows showed a setting that looks as it might have during Tubman’s era, with artifacts related to slavery. Her refusal to assist in that slave’s capture was said to be her first act of resistance.

THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND my husband and I drove to Delaware, where the Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park in Wilmington holds a beautiful sculpture of the abolitionist. The park overlooks the Christina River, near where Tubman once was trapped while hiding from slave catchers.

Three stops were closed when we arrived: the Center for African American Heritage in Wilmington; the New Castle Court House Museum; and the Old State House in Dover, where Samuel D. Burris, a free Black Underground Railroad conductor, was arrested, tried and convicted. I decided to return at a later

date, making a mental note to check the hours of operation ahead of time.

Picking back up where we had left off in Maryland, we drove past Scott’s Chapel in Bucktown, which doesn’t offer public access but is worth a view from the outside. Brodess worshipped there, and Tubman might have as well.

At Webb Cabin in Preston, once owned by a free African American farmer, I lifted the floorboards to see the “potato hole,” a small space where slaves were hidden while trying to avoid capture. I got claustrophobic just thinking about being confined to such a tight space for hours, if not days. We ended the day at the Tuckahoe Neck Meeting House in Denton, a Quaker site that was friendly to slaves.

THE NEXT SATURDAY , my mom tagged along as I finished the Maryland part of the byway tour and revisited the Delaware sites that had been closed the first time around. We easily could have stayed a couple of hours at the 440-acre Adkins Arboretum in Ridgely, Maryland, which offers a separate audio tour and educational programs on how fleeing slaves survived in similar conditions. I also could have spent a day hiking the trails at Blackbird State Forest in Smyrna, Delaware.

If You Go

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway self-guided tour map, driving guide and audio guide can be downloaded at harriettubmanbyway.org, or you can stop by the Dorchester County Visitor Center for a printed copy. I found the map hard to navigate, but the driving guide—with stop-by-stop directions and a description of each site—is a good resource. There are guided tours in some of the towns and at some museums and historical sites; they are separate from the official byway tour.

“Blackbird” was one of the landmarks on Tubman’s route, according to the byway driving guide.

Back at the New Castle Court House Museum in Delaware, we learned the story of Quaker abolitionists Thomas Garrett and John Hunn, who were put on trial in 1848 and found guilty of violating the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793. New Castle was also a stop on the Underground Railroad.

One of the unanticipated joys of the byway tour was venturing off the beaten path—to places where tractors drive on the main road and produce stands operate on the honor system. We discovered small-town taverns, antiques stores, mom-and-pop retailers and beautiful water views.

As our country grapples with a racial reckoning and the accuracy of its taught history, which often glosses over slavery, I found the byway’s honest celebration of Tubman and other abolitionists refreshing. With each mile, my appreciation grew for this monumental figure, her resilience and the way she changed history. ■

Andrea K. McDaniels is a Baltimorebased writer. She is planning to spend a few more days exploring the sites she didn’t get to on the byway.

Inside the Bucktown Village Store, where Tubman made her first public act of defiance and nearly lost her life

Escape to Margaritaville

Get in a beachy state of mind on an island that’s far from tropical: Manhattan. Opened in the summer of 2021, Margaritaville Resort Times Square was designed to feel like an escape, from a lobby check-in desk inspired by the keel of a sailing ship to New York City’s largest tiki bar and Times Square’s only year-round outdoor heated resort swimming pool (at the hotel’s LandShark Bar & Grill).

The island vibe is carried through the 234 guest rooms in weatheredtexture wood furnishings with rope

cabinet pulls, bleached white walls, turquoise accessories and soundproof windows to help with getting away from the city’s hustle-bustle.

The property’s five restaurants and bars include the two-story Margaritaville Restaurant, home to the tiki bar and a 32-foot replica of the Statue of Liberty playfully holding a margarita in place of her torch. The margarita glass is made from custom-made LED screens that show images of Manhattan and the tropics set to Jimmy Buffett songs. For a VIP

experience, book the booth inside the statue—the text on her tablet reads “No Passport Required.”

The License to Chill Bar on the hotel’s seventh floor has indooroutdoor seating and cozy firepits on the terrace. The 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar is the spot for craft cocktails with 360-degree views from the 31st and 32nd floors. Rates begin at $202.

Margaritaville Resort Times Square, 560 Seventh Ave., New York, 212221-3007, margaritavilleresorts.com/ margaritaville-resort-times-square

The 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar at the Margaritaville Resort Times Square

Cozy Up by the Shore

Opened in July in St. Michaels, Maryland, The Wildset Hotel evokes a sense of the Danish term “hygge,” which refers to a cozy atmosphere built on warmth in many forms: blankets, fire, reading nooks, a convivial ambience. The hotel, which is composed of five historic structures, features those comforts and more. The 34 guest rooms and suites have wide-plank oak floors, aged brass and pewter accents, and casually elegant custom furniture and bedding, plus books for guests to read by authors such as Barbara Kingsolver and Mary Oliver. Several rooms have a built-in bench with pillows, a fireplace and a private balcony or patio. The hotel’s sundry shop includes a coffee bar and shelves lined with bath salts, blankets, candles and literary best-sellers.

Head outside to the oversize stone firepit to relax with a glass of wine or to roast marshmallows for s’mores (free kits are available year-round). A complimentary daily breakfast features fresh pastries, yogurt and house-made granola.

Seafood-centric restaurant Ruse—named as a nod to St. Michaels being known as the town that fooled the British during the War of 1812—has a full bar and a lovely oyster bar with a hand-painted tile base.

Learn how generations of locals have lived and played on the bay at the nearby Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Bikes are available for cruising around town, and a pool is slated to open in May. Rates begin at $197 per night.

The Wildset Hotel, 209 N. Talbot St., St. Michaels, Maryland, 410-745-8004, thewildset.com

Get Your Game On

Live! Casino Hotel Philadelphia, which opened in February 2021, is in the heart of the city’s Stadium District with easy access to the venues of four major professional sports teams. See a game in person or watch several at once at the hotel’s Sports & Social bar, which sports a 52-foot LED display and 24 TVs. Within the bar is FanDuel Sportsbook and Lounge, with self-service kiosks and retail windows for placing bets.

Casino highlights include more than 150 table games, over 2,100 slot machines and a 29-table poker room. Fuel up at The Prime Rib steak house or at Luk Fu, which features Southeast Asian fare and private karaoke rooms. Quick eats options are found in the 10th Street Market food hall; don’t miss Lorenzo and Sons Pizza, a South Philly staple since 1970, and Termini Brothers Bakery, a beloved South Philadelphia establishment that serves cannoli, cookies and cakes.

The Event Center at Live! seats up to 1,000 guests and is home to comedy, live music and headliners. The hotel’s 208 contemporary guest rooms include pillow-top mattresses, Nespresso coffee and Ultra HD 55-inch TVs. Spacious studio suites offer a separate living area, an expansive marble bathroom and sweeping skyline views. Rates begin at $189 per night midweek, $249 on weekends.

Live! Casino Hotel Philadelphia, 900 Packer Ave., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 833-472-5483, livecasinohotelphilly.com

The Prime Rib steak house at the Live! Casino Hotel in Philly

The Wildset Hotel in St. Michaels, Maryland

shop local

Hand to Hand

Ceramicist Heather Lezla laughs when asked if her popular spice spoons can be used for measuring ingredients.

“I actually use my hands to make the scoop part of the spoon, so they’re all different sizes. Nothing is standard about them,” says the Arlington-based artist. “I’ve had people request measuring spoons done like that, but…trying to make them all the same just doesn’t work. They’re like mini sculptures.”

Lezla, who sells handmade home and garden items ($10-$80) on Etsy as Persimmon Street Ceramics (etsy. com/shop/persimmonstreet), says that each piece she makes “has a different personality and resonates with different people for different reasons.”

She draws inspiration from nature, organic forms and the primitive objects she collects, as well as the view from her window in different

seasons. “Sometimes I go a little bit more pastel during the summers,” she says, whereas this fall prompted a dark green, blue and brown neutral palette. “In the winter, I’ll probably do something kind of stark, more like black and white.”

Lezla also taps into her interests— particularly gardening—when coming up with new ideas. She collaborated with Botanologica co-owner Julie Liu to create an updated version of a flower frog ($35-$42) that fits atop a glass jar and is sold exclusively at the shop in Falls Church. (You’ll also find her pieces at The Urban Farmhouse in Arlington.)

“I’m a big fan of traditional craftsmanship, but I try to take those traditions and update them a little bit and make them more modern,” she says.

Art has always been a part of Lezla’s life—her mother is a painter—but it wasn’t until college that she consid-

ered turning it into more than a hobby. While she mainly gravitates toward making functional objects like espresso cups, deviled egg plates and vases, she recently began veering into decorative ceramics, partly inspired by visits to fiber shop Tint in Falls Church.

“I’m starting to get into adding fiber to the ceramic pieces that I make,” she says. “I’d like to get into sort of knotting and making it more sculptural, rather than just concentrating on having something to use.

I’m going more decorative, more aesthetic, and embellishing the ceramics with the soft yarns.” –Rina Rapuano

Tapas bowls and spice spoons from Persimmon Street Ceramics

Cannabis products at Beyond/Hello

Herbal Remedy

The grass will soon be greener and more plentiful in Arlington. Jushi Holdings, a Florida-based company that cultivates, processes and dispenses cannabis products under the retail name Beyond/ Hello (beyond-hello.com), is bringing Arlington’s first medical marijuana dispensary to Clarendon. The storefront at 2701 Wilson Blvd. is expected to open sometime in 2022. Authorized patients with a medical marijuana card will have the option of ordering products (including flower brands such as The Bank and Sèche) online for home delivery or for pickup at the dispensary. Last April, Virginia became the first Southern state to legalize weed for medical use. –Eliza Tebo Berkon

Take a Spin

Anyone with school-age kids likely knows all about fidget spinners. But grown-ups can also benefit from the soothing effects of handheld gadgets that feel or sound satisfying—usually with a click or a pop emulating the sensations made by things like light switches, buttons or bubble wrap. The trend (and, perhaps, the fraught times we live in) might be why Falls Church jewelry artist Charles Agel has seen an uptick in sales of his spinner rings.

“Most times when you have a piece of jewelry, when you have a necklace around your neck, you don’t play with it—or, at least, maybe you shouldn’t play with it,” says Agel, who sells jewelry at pop-ups and online under the name The Captured Muse (thecaptured muse.com). “But the spinner rings encourage you to play with it. That’s why they’re made.”

A former professional photographer, Agel has taught art classes, including jewelry making, at Justice High School (previously J.E.B. Stuart High) for 19 years. He says students love watching raw materials transformed into something wearable. “It’s kind of amazing when you can take a piece of metal, whether it’s a wire, sheet or tube...and manipulate it into whatever it is you’re making,” he says. “It’s exciting to watch it go from raw material to something that’s shiny and beautiful.”

Agel worked with enamels for years, making a line of fish earrings ($40) that were popular with art show customers, but his current obsession is silver rings. Stackable rings run from $60 to $78, depending on the complexity of the piece or if there are any stones.

As for the spinner rings, which go for $95, Agel especially loves the interactive aspect and the tinkly, metallic sound they make when they move. According to one customer, they also have a practical use that the artist never intended; she says her ring (and how aggressively she is spinning it) provides a warning gauge for her husband when she’s having a tough day. “All guys could use a ring like that,” Agel says. “It would make relationships so much easier.” –Rina Rapuano

Jewelry by Charles Agel of The Captured Muse

PURSUING GOODNESS AS WELL AS KNOWLEDGE

There’s still time!

Be honored for who you are and who you will become. Build the foundation to solidify gaps and be positioned for academic success. Gain opportunities to thrive in your passions. Be ready for the academic challenges of college and the world beyond. Lead with goodness and integrity.

Accepting applications until January 15.

Alexandria, VA Age 3-Grade 12 Coed Episcopal Small Class Sizes (12-15) Extensive Bus Service

Discover Foxcroft Experts in Educating Girls

Home to Artists, Actresses, Riders, Musicians, Scholar-Athletes, Poets, Gamers, Animal-Lovers, Bibliophiles, Food Enthusiasts, Deep-Thinkers, and World Travelers since 1914

Our 4 Promises:

• Unique Learning Experiences in and Out of the Classroom

• An Uncommonly Beautiful Setting in Which to Learn, Grow, & Thrive

• A Residential Community of Understanding Hearts

• A lifetime of Friendships and Global Connections

1:5 11 Faculty/ Student Ratio Average Class Size

• Girls’ school graduates have an edge in math, public speaking, and writing compared to peers of coed schools (UCLA, 2009 & 2018)

75% Boarding, 25% Day - however every student has a dorm room, roommates, and a bed on campus

Over 30% of recent Foxcroft graduates have gone on to pursue an undergraduate major in a STEM field

4 Academic Concentrations

• STEM

*First girls’ school in VA to utilize Purdue University’s Engineering Projects in Community service

• Animal Science

• Global Studies

• Arts

In-Person Experiential Learning

43 miles west of Washington, D.C.

Foxcroft students are from 18 different states, Washington DC, and 9 countries 500 acres; 48 buildings, including:

25% of domestic students self-identify as a student of color

• 3 full-size gyms

• 8 tennis courts

• 2 turf fields

• 60-stall stable

• Indoor riding arena

Traditions and Fox/Hound

17

11 teams sport offerings

Class of 2021: 43 students; 218 acceptances; $3.1 million in merit scholarships awarded

www.foxcroft.org/admission/why-foxcroft 540.687.4340 | admission@foxcroft.org

At Langley, we create a curriculum that develops every child’s intellect and emotional acuity in equal measure. Balanced learning prepares students to think critically, tackle challenges, and make good decisions.

Where vital academics meet a deep respect for childhood Preschool through grade 8 in Northern Virginia

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Girls from 22 Countries. Teachers from 17. Being here opens your mind to possibilities.

An independent JK through 8th Grade school

back story

■ by Kim O’Connell

Before Rosa Parks

Residents of the DMV have a long history of protesting segregated transit ridership.

ON MARCH 6, 1933, Miller Brockett was cooling his heels in the Arlington County jail. As far as law enforcement was concerned, the 23-year-old Black resident of Arlington’s Halls Hill neighborhood had committed a crime— assaulting a bus driver who’d ordered him to move to the back of a bus in accordance with Virginia’s segregationist Jim Crow laws. Brockett saw his act as a form of righteous protest.

According to a Washington Post report, the incident occurred aboard a bus that started out in Washington, D.C., then crossed over Key Bridge into Rosslyn, at which point the driver told Brockett to change seats. Brockett refused, and when the bus stopped in Halls Hill, he allegedly struck the driver and fled. (Documents indicating the length of his jail sentence and whether he was fined are elusive.)

Brockett wasn’t the only Black transit rider in the area to resist segregated seating. In fact, many did so long before Rosa Parks’ famous 1955 act of defiance in Montgomery, Alabama.

In January 1946, officers removed Alfred and Anna Marshall, who lived

in Nauck (now Green Valley), from an Alexandria, Barcroft & Washington Transit Co. bus for refusing to move to the rear, the Post reported. The Marshalls’ case went to court, where their defense attorney was James H. Raby— a prominent Black lawyer who rose to fame later that same year when he defended activist Lottie Taylor, who had similarly refused to relinquish her bus seat in Fairfax County. The Taylor case made it to the Virginia Supreme Court, which in 1948 ruled in Taylor’s favor and desegregated bus travel in the commonwealth.

Other acts of protest took place before there were buses. Decades earlier, in August 1906, D.C. resident Barbara Pope boarded a train at Union Station that was heading west to a resort

town in Loudoun County. As Pope’s train crossed into Virginia, the conductor instructed her to move out of the white section. She refused and was taken off the train in Falls Church, precipitating a landmark state court decision that determined interstate travelers could not be fined under segregationist state laws.

According to D.C.-based historical writer and author David A. Taylor (no relation to Lottie), Pope testified in court that she had “been annoyed before” by Jim Crow laws and “didn’t want to be annoyed again.”

“Pope’s spirit of activism,” Taylor says, “infused following generations with the conviction that principled civil disobedience can achieve victories for civil rights.” ■

Two girls at D.C.’s Greyhound bus terminal the day before Christmas, 1941

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