Arlington Magazine Nov/Dec 2024

Autumn Clayton, owner of Covet boutique in Arlington

CON TENTS

■ FEATURES

SHOPPING

38 Holiday Gift Guide

Want to shop local? We’ve rounded up some unique finds from independent boutiques and artisans in the DMV.

COMMUNITY

54

A World of Good

Recent studies show a nationwide decline in community service and volunteerism. Our area seems to be bucking that trend.

64 Top

Attorneys

Sometimes you need a lawyer. Here are our area’s most respected attorneys, as nominated by their peers in the legal community.

82 House on a Hill

This Arlington property had enviable views that weren’t being maximized. So the new owners and their architect pivoted.

ON THE COVER: Autumn Clayton, owner of Covet boutique in Arlington.

Photo by Michael Ventura

We can build a healthier tomorrow, together.

VHC Health’s outstanding healthcare is essential for the region’s vibrant communities. Your support for the VHC Health Foundation advances medical innovations, expands life-saving services, and ensures access to personalized care for everyone. Together, we can shape a healthier future for all of us.

Cancer Care

Women’s Health

Health Access & Equity

CON TENTS

If you woke up every morning to this view, you might never get out of bed.

Get festive with holiday concerts, pop-up craft markets, The Nutcracker and the annual Arlington Turkey Trot 5K.

20

A Falls Church shopping center founded by immigrants looks to the future.

22

She knows what it’s like to be an unhoused single mom. Her start-up business donates a portion of its profits to fighting homelessness.

26

The life-affirming power of choosing to be curious.

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

108 Restaurant Review

Chef David Guas brings charm and good eats to a new gathering spot in McLean.

112 Home Plate

Westpost welcomes a new Korean street food joint, and a beloved D.C. wine bar is soon to be resurrected in National Landing.

114 Places to

Consult our dining guide for bitesize write-ups on more than 250 area restaurants and bars.

Fallingwater is an architectural icon. It’s not the only Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands.

Book a scenic train ride with Santa and visit an Ivy League college town.

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letter from the publisher

Get Involved

MY GRANDFATHER, whom we affectionately called Pap Pap, once showed me an award from his local Chamber of Commerce. The memory stuck because you could tell how proud he was of the leadership role he’d played in his local business community.

Fresh out of the University of Pittsburgh in the 1920s, Pap was excited to start his career. Instead, he inherited the family’s fish market—and a lot of debt— from his father who had unexpectedly passed away. Pap felt an obligation to move home to McKeesport, a small steel town about 30 minutes away, take over the business and pay off his family’s obligations. Under Pap’s control, the market flourished and he launched a number of other successful businesses. Pap was a staple at his local country club (and an outstanding golfer), the president of the city men’s club, and an active member of the chamber and local service clubs.

When we launched Arlington Magazine 14 years ago, I felt it was important to get involved in the community. Since then, I’ve been honored to serve on several boards, including the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Arlington Community Foundation, YMCA Arlington, Leadership Center of Arlington and PathForward (formerly A-SPAN—the “A” stood for Arlington). I am a Leadership Arlington graduate and a member of the Arlington Free Clinic special gifts committee. I’ve also coached Arlington youth lacrosse and flag football. My wife jokes that if “Arlington” is in the name, I’m happy to sign up. Perhaps I am channeling my grandfather, too.

Google the phrase “is volunteerism declining” and you’ll see a litany of stories documenting this national trend. The same holds true for civic engagement. So, we asked ourselves, what is the trend here in Arlington, McLean and Falls Church? In our feature story

“A World of Good,” writer Kim O’Connell examines local volunteerism and civic participation. To remain relevant, nonprofits and other community groups need to evolve and adapt to accommodate the shifting reality of people’s busy lifestyles. The good news is that many have made the jump and continue to have a dedicated group of supporters.

In the lead-up to the holidays, we decided to publish our first-ever holiday gift guide in the magazine. We write about local shops and makers in our Shop Local column in every issue, but we haven’t expanded it into a feature story before. The story highlights more than 50 of our editors’ favorite local shops and fun, useful and unique items made by local artisans. We’re not going to shame you for taking advantage of Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals from Amazon and the big-box stores, but please add our local merchants to your holiday shopping plans.

We hope you enjoy our November/December issue. Speaking of which, our very first issue debuted in November/December 2011. It’s hard to believe this is our 79th issue. We are grateful for your support and readership over the years. If you haven’t yet visited our new—and vastly improved—website, please check out ArlingtonMagazine.com. If you like what you see, please sign up for our newsletters. We publish new stories on the site every day, and we’d love to provide you with great content in between issues of the magazine. Thank you!

Greg Hamilton Publisher & Owner

Lynn Borton

LIVES IN: Radnor/Fort Myer Heights

ORIGINALLY FROM: “Berkeley, California, but I grew up mostly in Philadelphia”

IN THIS ISSUE: Writes about the power of being curious

ON THE RADIO: A 34-year Arlington resident, Borton hosts the syndicated podcast “Choose to Be Curious,” which got its start on Arlington Independent Media’s WERA 96.7 FM. “We talk about research and theory, but mostly it’s conversations about how curiosity shows up in work and life.”

GIVING BACK: “For many years my energies went to Arlington Independent Media, and still do. I’ve served on the board and as president of Amigos de las Américas DC. I’m also a big fan of NAMI [the National Alliance on Mental Illness] Northern Virginia and Challenging Racism.”

CURRENTLY WORKING ON: “Regaining strength, stability and flexibility after two surgeries to repair a broken ankle.”

A FAVORITE HOLIDAY TRADITION: “My mother and I knitted stockings for every family member, each decorated with images and patterns that reflect our individual passions. On Christmas, they are stuffed to overflowing with all sorts of quirky goodies.”

ONLINE: lynnborton.com

Donn Dobkin

LIVES IN: Leesburg

ORIGINALLY FROM: California, where he held various executive positions with Silicon Valley tech companies before becoming a professional photographer

IN THIS ISSUE: Photographed the seafood counter at Good Fortune Supermarket for our story about the Eden Center in Falls Church

GIVING BACK: “I have supported Loudoun Cares with art donations for their auctions. Nationally, I support the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Nature Conservancy.”

THE SECRET TO A GREAT PORTRAIT IS: “Connecting and generating emotion. The viewer should feel something and want to linger.”

CURRENTLY WORKING ON: “Portraiture, magazine work and gallery applications. I’m also collecting wildlife and landscape images for my fourth book, which I plan to release next year. Every subject in the book will have been photographed within walking distance of my front door.”

A FAVORITE HOLIDAY TRADITION: “This may sound archaic, but I still mail holiday cards and a comedic letter to distant friends and family. I love staying in touch.”

ONLINE: dobkinphoto.com

PUBLISHER & OWNER

Greg Hamilton

EDITOR

Jenny Sullivan

ART DIRECTOR

Laura Goode

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Danny Ryan

DIGITAL EDITORS

Stephanie Kanowitz, Helen Partridge

WEB PRODUCER

Erin Roby

DINING CRITIC

David Hagedorn

COPY EDITORS

Sandy Fleishman, Barbara Ruben

CO-FOUNDER

Steve Hull

WRITERS

Susan Anspach, Lynn Borton, Christine Koubek Flynn, Zoe Glasser, Colleen Kennedy, Nigel F. Maynard, Kim O’Connell, Amy Brecount White

PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS

Shannon Ayres, Stephanie Bragg, Skip Brown, Donn Dobkin, Stacy Zarin Goldberg, Lisa Helfert, Anice Hoachlander, Tony J. Lewis, Deb Lindsey, Matt Mendelsohn, Kalyn Michele, Donna Owens, Alex Sakes, Hilary Schwab, Albert TIng, Joseph D. Tran, Michael Ventura, J. Michael Whalen, Stephanie Williams, Lloyd Wolf

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Traci Ball, Kristin Murphy, Lori Reale

FINANCE & CIRCULATION MANAGER

Julie Rosenbaum

ARLINGTON MAGAZINE is published six times a year by Greenbrier Media LLC © 2024

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AROUND TOWN

by Colleen Kennedy

Arlington Turkey Trot

Earn those Thanksgiving calories by running or walking a 5K to benefit a variety of local charities. Now in its 19th year, this beloved event attracts more than 4,000 participants each Thanksgiving with the shared goal of helping neighbors in need. This year’s theme, “Community Partners United in Service to Others” celebrates this tradition of giving and thankfulness. $50 adults; $25 children (6-17); free for kids 5 and younger. Online registration closes Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. Lyon Park Community Center, 3020 N. Pershing Drive, Arlington, arlingtonvaturkeytrot.org

PERFORMING ARTS

THROUGH JAN. 12

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Signature Theatre

All roads lead to ancient Rome in Stephen Sondheim’s zany musical comedy—a raucous tale of mistaken identities, tricks and ruses, as well as love with a happy ending. Tickets begin at $40. See website for show times. 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington, sigtheatre.org

NOV. 8-24

Alice in Wonderland/Alicia en el País de las Maravillas

Creative Cauldron

Lewis Carroll’s classic tale of falling down a rabbit hole and into a topsyturvy world of tea parties, talking rabbits and smiling cats is presented in a new bilingual musical production. Join Alice on her journey into Wonderland this winter. $15-$20; streaming options available. Performances 7:30 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 4 p.m. Sundays. 410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church, creativecauldron.org

NOV. 12-24

I’ll Take You There: Stax Records Co.

Signature Theatre

“(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay,” “Soul Man,” “In the Midnight Hour” and the “Theme from Shaft” count among the classics from Stax Records, the Memphis recording company that discovered Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T & the M.G.’s, Carla Thomas and the Staple Singers. Signature presents a cabaret performance of R&B favorites. Tickets begin at $46. See website for performance times. 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington, sigtheatre.org

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As a family-owned brokerage, we believe in putting clients first— offering expert guidance, responsive communication, and dedicated support in every transaction. We don’t just work in Arlington, we live, volunteer, and invest in this community. Let our experience work for you!

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NOV. 19, 7:30 P.M.

Wondery’s Exhibit C Live

Presents: Dr. Death— A Closer Look

Capital One Hall

This live tour of the Dr. Death podcast brings audiences face-to-face with gripping narratives of victims, medical wrongdoings, whistleblowers and the relentless pursuit of justice. Tickets start at $43.75. 7750 Capital One Tower Road, Tysons, capitalonehall.com

NOV. 30, 2 & 6 P.M.

Sesame Street Live!

Say Hello

Capital One Hall

Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster and their Sesame Street friends feature in a brand-new show. Kiddos can sing, dance and play alongside their favorite characters. Tickets start at $35. 7750 Capital One Tower Road, Tysons, capitalonehall.com

DEC. 1, NOON & 4 P.M.

Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet

Capital One Hall

This tale of an enchanted nutcracker prince, sugarplum fairies and dancing mice blends world-class ballet with whimsical puppets, lavish costumes and stunning acrobatics. Tickets start at $35. 7750 Capital One Tower Road, Tysons, capitalonehall.com

DEC. 6-22

Madeline’s Christmas

Creative Cauldron

In this delightful musical adaptation of Ludwig Bemelmans’ picture books, little Madeline must save Christmas after illness prevents her classmates from traveling home for the holidays. $18-$30. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 4 p.m. Sundays. 410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church, creativecauldron.org

DEC.12-29

Laughs in Spanish

1st Stage

An art gallery director and her eccentric squad—including her larger-than-life movie star mother—are determined to save the show in this mother-daughter crime comedy. $55. 1524 Spring Hill Road, Tysons, 1ststage.org

FOR THE KIDS

NOV. 23, 9 A.M.-1 P.M.

Jennifer Bush Lawson Foundation

5K & Family Fun Day

The 10th annual JBLF 5K & Family Fun Day raises funds to provide high-quality maternal and infant care to economically vulnerable women and their babies. Lace up for the certified 5K course and kids’ fun run, then set the kids loose to enjoy moon bounces, laser tag, a rock wall, balloon animals, face painting and community performances. Registration starts at $30. Knights of Columbus, 5115 Little Falls Road, Arlington. jb-lf.org/5k-fun-day

DEC. 18, 7:30 P.M.

A John Waters Christmas

The Birchmere

Cult filmmaker John Waters ( Hairspray , Pink Flamingos ) is filling his sleigh full of tawdry anecdotes and holiday profanity. The Pope of Trash plays St. Nick in this jocular one-man show. $59.50. 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, birchmere.com

ART

THROUGH JAN. 26

Assembly 2024: Horizon Scanning

Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington

In a time of constant crises, MoCA Arlington’s national biennial presents works that contemplate the unstable social and political climate of the present while imagining strategies to navigate rewrite the future. Free. 3550 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, mocaarlington.org

MUSIC

NOV. 1, 8 P.M.

Third Reprise

The Barns at Wolf Trap

Unleash your inner fandom for a night of new takes on classic show tunes. Third Reprise has garnered more than 11 million views of their funkified version of Wicked’s “Defying Gravity.” Tickets start at $28. 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, wolftrap.org

NOV. 3, 2 P.M.

The Judy Carmichael Trio

The Alden

Enjoy swing favorites, from Gershwin and Cole Porter to Frank Loesser and Harold Arlen. $30; $25 for students and seniors; $20 for McLean district residents. 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, mcleancenter.org

NOV. 3, 7:30 P.M.

Sixpence None the Richer

The Birchmere

The dreamy pop group celebrates the 25th anniversary of its self-titled debut,

The JBLF Family Fun Day

featuring such hits as “Kiss Me” and “There She Goes.” Singer-songwriter Dawn Landes opens. $35. 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, birchmere.com

NOV. 5, 7:30 P.M.

Gaelic Storm

The Birchmere Celtic band (by way of Santa Monica, California) Gaelic Storm marries traditional Irish and Scottish music with rock. $55. 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, birchmere.com

NOV. 8, 8 P.M.

Mariachi Herencia de México

The Barns at Wolf Trap

The Latin Grammy-nominated group pushes the boundaries of mariachi in its sixth studio release, Our Latin Thing (Nuestra Cosa). Tickets start at $50. The Barns, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, wolftrap.org

NOV. 9, 7:30 P.M.

Hungarian Musical Masterpieces

National Chamber Ensemble NCE kicks off its new season with

compositions by Bela Bartok, Ernst von Dohnanyi and Franz Liszt, brought to life by the talented Leonid Sushansky (violin), Steven Honigberg (cello) and Carlos Cesar Rodríguez (piano). $40; $20 for students. Gunston Arts Center, Theatre 1, 2700 S. Lang St., Arlington, nationalchamberensemble.org

NOV. 10, 3 P.M.

Virtuoso Winds: Beethoven, Glière, Poulenc, Reinecke

The Barns at Wolf Trap

Internationally renowned woodwind musicians join pianist and Chamber Music Society favorite Anne-Marie McDermott to perform ensemble classics from the 18th through the 20th centuries. Tickets start at $51. 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, wolftrap.org

NOV. 13, 3 P.M.

Abdullah Ibrahim Trio

The Barns at Wolf Trap

Hailing from Cape Town, Abdullah Ibrahim combines traditional African music, gospel tunes, spirituals, American jazz and classical elements in a sound that

is uniquely South African. Tickets start at $58. 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, wolftrap.org

NOV. 21, 7:30 P.M.

Ohio Players

The Birchmere

Get ready to get down with the funk legends and Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Famers known for such hits as “Love Rollercoaster” and “Fire.” $79.50. 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, birchmere.com

NOV. 24, 3 & 7:30 P.M.

DC Anthem Singers Shine

The Barns at Wolf Trap

Local legends Bob McDonald, Caleb Green and D.C. Washington trade in their usual venues (hockey arenas and baseball stadiums) for a return to The Barns just in time for the holidays. Tickets start at $33. 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, wolftrap.org

DEC. 5, 8 P.M.

Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show

The Barns at Wolf Trap

Recognized as the longest-running group

in American music, the 2024 Grammy winners (Best Roots Gospel Album) are known for soul-stirring melodies that are just as resonant now as they were during the Civil Rights movement. Tickets start at $53. 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, wolftrap.org

DEC. 7, 5 P.M.

Enchant

The Arlington Chorale

Bring the whole family for an evening of festive carols, spirited sing-alongs and postshow Christmas cookies. $25 in advance; $30 at the door; free for kids 17 and under. Westover Baptist Church, 1125 Patrick Henry Drive, Arlington, arlingtonchorale.org/ season2425

DEC. 14, 7:30 P.M.

Holiday Cheer

National Chamber Ensemble

This musical evening of holiday favorites includes a carols sing-along with soprano Sharon Christman and NCE’s Young Artist Competition winners. $40; $20 for students. Unitarian Universalist Church, 4444 Arlington Blvd., Arlington, nationalchamberensemble.org

DEC. 15, 2 P.M.

L’Chaim II: A Tribute to the Jewish Legacy of Broadway (and Christmas)

The Alden Theatre

Who do you think wrote all the best Christmas songs? L’Chaim II traces the history of musical theater and its parallels to Jewish-American history with a lineup of stellar vocalists. $40; $30 for students

LIFE ON THE PIKE

NOV. 14, 7-8:30 P.M.

Columbia Pike Documentary Project

Local photographer and documentarian Lloyd Wolf will discuss the ongoing Columbia Pike Documentary Project (CPDP), a multidisciplinary history of one of America’s oldest roads and most internationally diverse communities. Free. Join the Arlington Historical Society virtually on Zoom or in person at the Marymount University Reinsch Library Auditorium, 2807 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org

and seniors; $25 for McLean Community Center district residents. 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, mcleancenter.org

DEC. 21, 7 P.M.

It’s a Jazzy Christmas!

The Alden Theatre

Back by popular demand, saxophonist Lil’ Maceo, gospel violinist Eric Taylor and the rest of the house band convene for an evening of yuletide cool. $30; $25 for students and seniors; $20 for McLean Community Center district residents. 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, mcleancenter.org

AUTHORS & BOOKS

NOV. 4, 6:30-8 P.M.

Author Talk: Anton Treuer

Arlington Central Library

Treuer will discuss Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask. The newly revised edition covers activism and tribal enrollment; truth and reconciliation efforts; gender roles and identities in Indigenous communities; the status of Alaskan Natives and Canadian First Nations; and more. Free. 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington, library.arlingtonva.us

NOV. 14, 6:30-8 P.M.

Arlington Reads: Nana

Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Arlington Central Library

Library Director Diane Kresh welcomes speculative fiction writer Nana Kwame

Adjei-Brenyah, a National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honoree, for a conversation about his debut novel, Chain-Gang AllStars. Free. 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington, Library.arlingtonva.us

SEASONAL

NOV. 11, 11 A.M.

Veterans Day Honor Ceremony

Falls Church Veterans Memorial

Presented by the Greater Falls Church Veterans Council, this event honors all those who have served in the armed forces. Free. 223 Little Falls St., Falls Church, fallschurchva.gov

NOV. 12-13

Merry Market

Dominion Guild

Dominion Guild’s annual shopping bazaar kicks off with a “Bubbly and Bites” evening event (Nov. 12, 5:30-9 p.m.), followed by a full day of shopping on Nov. 13 (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.), with giftable wares from 25 makers and vendors. Proceeds benefit a variety of local nonprofits. Tickets for “Bubbly and Bites” ($55) include admission to the Merry Market the next day. Wednesday-only tickets are $15. 5115 Little Falls Road, Arlington, thedominionguild.org

NOV. 17, 10 A.M.-4 P.M.

Arlington GameFest 2024

Arlington Central Library

Join fellow gamers for board games and

Arlington’s annual Prio Bangla Festival off Columbia Pike

learn more about the library’s vast games collection in celebration of International Games Month. Don’t know how to play? Volunteers will be on hand to coach beginners. Choose from more than 200 board games, Dungeons & Dragons and other brain-teasers. The event will include a low sensory space. Free. 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington, library.arlingtonva.us

NOV. 23-24 & DEC. 14-15, 11 A.M.-4 P.M. URBNmarket

Mosaic District

The popular street fair returns to Mosaic with a curated selection of handmade crafts, vintage goods, artisanal foods, live entertainment and other holiday fun. Admission is free. 2905 District Ave., Fairfax, URBNmarket.com

DEC. 5-8

Rosslyn Cheer

Central Place Plaza

Head to Rosslyn for a dog-friendly happy hour with Santa Paws and an outdoor holiday market with gifts for everyone on your list. Admission is free. See website

for times, vendors and event schedule. 1800 N. Lynn St., Arlington, rosslynva.org/ feature/rosslyncheer

DEC. 7-8

Annual Falls Church Holiday Gift and Craft Show

Falls Church Community Center

Discover unique gifts from more than 50 crafters and artisans selling handmade items, baked goods and more. Free. Hours are 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Dec. 7 and 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Dec. 8. 223 Little Falls St., Falls Church, fallschurchva.gov/643/ holiday-gift-and-craft-show

DEC. 7-8

Holiday Gift Nook

Arlington Central Library

The holiday season should be a magical time for everyone. The library is hosting a free shopping experience stocked with giftable community donations for recipients of all ages. The Holiday Gift Nook is open to all at no cost. See website for hours and details. 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington, Library.arlingtonva.us

Meet Rob, your neighbor and lifelong resident of Northern Virginia. With an impressive 30 years of dedicated expertise in Arlington real estate, he not only understands the neighborhoods but also has a keen insight into the local market trends.

Choose Rob Ferguson for a real estate experience that goes beyond buying or selling – it's about building lasting relationships in the place we all call home.

DEC. 31, 7 P.M.-MIDNIGHT

Annual New Year’s Eve Watch Night

Downtown Falls Church

Join revelers in ushering in the new year at this 27th annual Watch Night celebration presented by the CATCH Foundation and the City of Falls Church. Street closures will make way for live music, inflatables and rides, karaoke and other family fun, while indoor venues will host additional live music, dancing, tours and spots to warm up. The star drop begins at 11:55 p.m. Make a wish for a bright new year. Admission is free. Outdoor festivities to be held at the intersections of Broad Street and Maple Avenue and Broad Street and North Washington Street. Indoor venues include the Falls Church Presbyterian and Falls Church Episcopal. fallschurchva.gov

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

Commemorating 50 Years in the Community OAR of Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church

OAR GIVING GUIDE

Donations of all levels are welcome

$250

$500

supports ID retrieval for participants needed to secure housing and employment.

supports one month of coaching for a participant including wrap-around direct services and employment assistance.

supports housing assistance (rent, application fees, security deposit, evictionprevention,andmore)foroneparticipant. $1,000 $2,500

supports reentry services (transportation, housing assistance, mental health support,substanceusedisordertreatment,laptopswithinternet,smartphones withminutes/data,etc.)forparticipants.

supports OAR’s Alternative Sentencing and Diversion Programs including courtfeesandcostsforparticipantssothattheycanstay inthecommunity.

supports family connection and reunification for 200 children and families whohaveaparentorpartnercurrentlyexperiencingincarcerationorhas beenrecentlyreleased. $10,000

Donate online on the OAR website at http://bit.ly/oardonate Mailed donations to P.O. Box 41030, Arlington, VA 22204

OAR is a community-based nonprofit organization that envisions a safe and thriving community where those impacted by the legal system enjoy equal civil and human rights. “Upstream,” we are confronting and dismantling individual racism and racism in the legal system and across all systems. “Downstream” we are on the journey with individuals of all genders returning from incarceration and their families and offer alternative sentencing options (including community service) and diversion programs so people can avoid the trauma of incarceration and instead help the community thrive.

1400 N. Uhle Street, Suite 704, Arlington, VA 22201 703-228-7030 | www.OARonline.org

Follow OAR on social media! @OARJustice

East End Eden

Forty years ago, it was founded by immigrants. What does the future hold for the Eden Center?

PASS THROUGH THE vivid pagodastyle archway on Wilson Boulevard in Seven Corners and you’ll invariably find a bustle of activity—shoppers of every ethnicity queuing up for fresh tofu, pork buns, banh mi, Vietnamese

coffee, jewelry and electronics from snug, neon-lit storefronts, and emerging from the Good Fortune Supermarket with bags of imported curry paste, mustard greens, jasmine rice, fish sauce and fresh seafood.

Named after the bygone Eden Arcade market in Vietnam’s most populous city, the Eden Center took shape in 1984 as a hub for the diaspora. Many of its early tenants were immigrants who fled war-torn Vietnam and at first landed a few miles away in Clarendon (known for a time as “Little Saigon”), only to have their small businesses displaced by rising real estate prices.

So it’s understandable that some of those same merchants were wary when the Falls Church City Council in 2021 began exploring potential improvements to the tangle of roads and aging commercial buildings around Sev-

big picture

by Zoe Glasser

Photo by Donn Dobkin

en Corners. The Eden Center, with its melting pot of mom-and-pops, was right in the bull’s-eye of the 10-block area under review.

“The familiar sights, sounds and smells are what brings people here,” says Binh Ly, 34, a first-generation Vietnamese American and organizer with the Viet Place Collective, a community group formed to advocate for the protection of Eden Center and its small businesses. “A lot of them have been displaced—if not once, then multiple times in their lives. With that sort of trauma, it’s so important that there is a space like this.”

After gathering feedback from the Viet Place Collective and other community groups in a series of public forums, the Falls Church City Council in 2023 adopted its East End Small Area Plan, which lays out a framework for future public and private investments in the area. The plan envisions a walkable, mixed-use district with Wi-Fi-equipped playgrounds, structured parking, a cultural center, a public square for special events (including a popular annual Lunar New Year celebration), new housing and other amenities.

Forty years after the first Vietnamese tenants gave the Eden Center its

name, the plan also includes strategies for protecting the mall’s small businesses and cultural heritage.

But with another milestone on the horizon—2025 will mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War (or, as Vietnamese people call it, “the American War”)—many shopkeepers remain leery of gentrification and how it might play out long term.

“Vietnamese businesspeople [created this place],” Ly says. “What’s important is...the collection of businesses. In the future, if there were to be redevelopment, we’d want this business community to thrive.” ■

The seafood counter at Good Fortune Supermarket in the Eden Center in Falls Church

Don’t Call Her Cinderella

Skyler Kelley has known hardship. Her coffee shop in National Landing is the first step in an ambitious plan to pay it forward.

IT HAS NOT BEEN a rags-to-riches trajectory for Skyler Kelley.

True, her startup business, Brij Coffee, has been buzzing ever since its debut last year just down the street from Amazon’s gleaming HQ2. Occu -

pying one of the kiosks at National Landing’s Water Park, the homegrown venture has cultivated a following with menu items such as salted-caramel lattes, fruit smoothies and breakfast combos. A second Brij location is

set to open in the coming months in Mount Vernon Square in the District.

But Kelley’s mission isn’t simply to keep customers happily caffeinated. Her ultimate goal is to use the business to help eradicate homelessness.

Brij owner Skyler Kelley at her coffee kiosk in National Landing’s Water Park

■ familiar faces

She gives a portion of her earnings to nonprofits that help people who are unhoused. She has bigger plans.

As this issue went to press, Kelley, 30, was unhoused herself. Unable to pay the back rent on the D.C. apartment she’d been sharing with her 8-year-old daughter, Emma, she was forced to vacate. At the time of this writing, they were staying with friends and seeking housing elsewhere in the area.

So behind that mission statement at Brij, there’s real drive.

Currently on the receiving end of the coffee shop’s philanthropy is SMYAL (formerly the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League), an organization that supports queer youth in the D.C. area, including those in need of shelter.

Kelley donates because she has known homelessness herself not once, but many times—from her on-again, off-again spells of being unhoused as a girl growing up in Atlanta, all the way

up through her early days as a single mom in the D.C. region when she lived out of her car with her infant daughter in an Alexandria Walmart parking lot.

“[Housing] is just something that’s never been stable in my life. When I first opened Brij, I wasn’t paying myself,” says the entrepreneur, who raised money to start her business with outdoor wine and jazz nights hosted in a friend’s backyard in D.C.

Kelley arrived in the DMV in 2015 as a “church plant” for Atlanta’s nondenominational Grace Midtown Church. The church was opening a satellite location in the District and seeking volunteer members to help seed the new congregation there.

“It was a calling,” she says.

For a short time, things went well. She found work at the Adams Morgan coffeehouse Tryst, taking to-go orders and prepping for the barista. (She would later learn more about running

a coffee shop while working at Peregrine Espresso in Union Market.)

That same year, however, Kelley was sexually assaulted and became pregnant as a result. She went home to Georgia to have the baby, returning to the DMV with her daughter in 2017. “Homelessness is rampant throughout my family,” she explains. “There was nothing for me in Georgia.”

It wasn’t until the following year that she was able to secure subsidized housing in Germantown, Maryland.

Eventually she and Emma moved into an apartment near Union Market in the District for the sake of launching Brij. (The company name, a play on the word “bridge,” signifies the startup’s connection to community members in need, and Kelley’s goal of serving that population.)

She envisioned the move into the city as a means to an end—a way to be closer to a clientele that wouldn’t

think twice about shelling out $11 for a mocha and a muffin.

“Someone asked me, ‘If you had all the money in the world, would you be open?’ ” she says. “The answer is, probably not. I want to be in housing. I want to work on [that].”

That makes Brij—which sources beans from Georgetown’s Grace Street Coffee Roasters and baked goods from DMV production kitchen RavenHook Bakehouse—a pure-and-simple conduit to Kelley’s larger aspiration of helping people without shelter.

“She thinks about it every second of every day,” says Brian Brenneman, one of Brij’s eight workers. “She’s infectiously ambitious. We give back to community, we help community. We all get hired on that understanding.”

Beyond giving money to SMYAL and other nonprofits, Kelley aims to one day open her own drop-in day center where people who are unhoused can shower,

access personal-hygiene supplies, have a meal and hop on the internet to hunt for jobs. It wasn’t so long ago that she relied on assistance from Friendship Place, a drop-in center, food pantry and shelter network in Northwest D.C.

For people experiencing homelessness, she says, the risks are even greater for women, children and the LGBTQ+ community. “The staff there did help me,” she says of her nights spent at shelters operated by Friendship Place. But the presence of men in those facilities was a source of unease.

Though she and Emma had a separate place to sleep, “it was uncomfortable in the mornings when I would get breakfast.” The still-unsolved Relisha Rudd case, in which an 8-year-old girl living in a D.C. shelter went missing in 2014, weighs heavily on her.

“That shelter was for everyone, not just for moms or families,” Kelley says. “If she had had [a shelter exclusively

for women and children], it wouldn’t have happened.”

With Brij as a source of capital, she hopes to eventually own a few of her own Section 8 (government subsidized) housing units.

That’s not the only long-term goal. Making her face known—including at the order window of her coffee kiosk— will help when it comes time to activate her plan to run for D.C. Council.

Working on policy, Kelley says, is the only way to effect change on a scale that matches the magnitude of the problem.

“No one—I don’t care if you make $100,000 a year—no one should pay $3,000 to $4,000 a month for a twobedroom apartment,” she says. “This is a necessity. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? This is at the bottom.” ■

Susan Anspach is a writer, preschool teacher and mom of three in Vienna, Virginia.

What sets Monument Home Loans apart?

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.

by Lynn Borton | photo by Matt Mendelsohn

Curiouser and Curiouser

A health scare pushed me out of my comfort zone. I haven’t looked back.

“WE’VE PUT OFF a lot until later,” we said. “What if later is now?” And with that, we both quit our jobs. His plan was to write a book. My plan was to get a plan.

After all those years of doing what I thought others expected of me, of what my talents “required” of me, I had no idea what I wanted to do with myself, given the opportunity.

Cancer gave me an opportunity. In 2014, a stressful spring of various and amorphous abdominal discomforts gave way to the sudden need for a hysterectomy that revealed early stage— but still blessedly contained—endometrial cancer. I spent six weeks that summer recovering and returned to work in late July, grateful.

I dodged a bullet, I thought. I’m back! And then: Wait. Not everyone is so lucky. Good fortune deserves something more than the same old same old.

I saw the opportunity, and I took it. I left the nonprofit career I’d been cultivating for decades.

In January 2015, the experimentation began. If I was going to get out of the comfort of my career and my known skill set, then I was going to get way out.

I joined the good-natured crowds at Rehoboth Beach in a polar bear plunge. Air temperature 37 degrees, water tem-

The author in front of “Echo,” an interactive sculpture in Penrose Square inspired by the Three Sisters Radio Towers that broadcast the first trans-Atlantic radio signal in 1915

perature the same. There were warm blankets and hot cocoa waiting for me on the beach with my supportive but incredulous husband.

I modeled for a painter and a photographer. One experience was considerably more intimate than the other. Both provided ample time for reflection. I learned to sit still with my thoughts.

I took a MOOC (a “Massive Open Online Course”) on statistical modeling that would have been helpful 20 years earlier. My calculus was rusty, but it was good to sweep the cobwebs from that corner of my brain.

I went on quilting retreats with my mom. I traveled to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

As a newly minted member of the 2014 Leadership Arlington class, I gave a short talk about curiosity for my Leadership Arlington peers—and my world tilted. I’d been looking for my “new thing.” Suddenly I realized I already had it.

At that point, I’d spent most of my career with NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) and in 2003 had been tapped to become COO. For more than 10 years, I oversaw programs, governance and nearly 1,000 affiliates. It was essentially my job to know everything. But I’d come to realize I was better at the work if I didn’t. I was better if I came at it with curiosity instead.

I was slow to get there. I liked being a font of wisdom and institutional knowledge, invaluable. A gifted teammate who provided organizational training would often nudge me to do better.

“Get curious,” she’d say, and I would roll my eyes. But I was determined to be her best student. I leaned into her assignments and crafted admittedly more engaging workshops, drafted indisputably more effective communications. I discovered it felt good to not be all-knowing. It was a relief.

Impressed, I made myself a student of curiosity. There was theory and research—a small but growing body of work illuminating all that curiosity could offer in education and learning,

Discover Distinctive Independent Living

IN THE HEART OF BALLSTON

The Jefferson is the perfect place for older adults to enjoy an active and engaged lifestyle. Situated just one block from the Ballston Metro, our community puts Arlington and the D.C. area at your fingertips. And with an endless supply of activities and events inside our community, every day can lead to something new and exciting.

Book your personal tour by calling 703-977-4223 or visiting TheJeffersonVA.com.

■ my life

in the workplace, in our relationships. I was hooked.

When I left NAMI at the end of 2014 (suddenly, to the shock of my colleagues, one of whom said she’d always figured I’d just die there), I thought I would consult. I thought maybe I could build that business around curiosity, and that’s what I set out to do.

But in October 2015, when I gave that Leadership Arlington talk, I learned that a new community radio station was launching in Arlington. They were looking for people who wanted to produce radio shows.

I’d never done radio. I didn’t know a thing about audio recording or editing or any of that stuff. If you’d asked me to make a list of 100 things I thought I might do in life, radio would never have been on that list.

Still, I went to an open house, signed up for training and put together a pitch for a show about curiosity. “Curiosity

Radio” I called it, a working title.

In March 2016 the call came: “You’re in! When do you want to start?”

I wasn’t done training. For my pitch, I’d made a list of 25 ideas to see if the concept had legs, but I didn’t have any guests lined up. “Don’t let me chicken out,” I said. “I’ll start in six weeks.”

That was eight and a half years ago. The show—now called Choose to Be Curious—focuses on curiosity itself. We talk about research and theory, but mostly it’s conversations about how curiosity shows up in work and life. I toggle between guest researchers who study the brain mechanisms of curiosity and people who’ve never really thought about curiosity until I ask. We’ve explored curiosity in everything from creativity to engineering, gender identity, humor, adolescence, data visualization, linguistic justice and news literacy.

I’ve learned that each of us has what I call “curiosity practices”—all sorts of

ways that we bring curiosity into our lives. Maybe we read widely, or always ask just one more question. Maybe we set intentions for the day, or wander without intent. Maybe we travel, or meditate, or take courses online. What seems to matter is that we embrace opportunities, however modest, to keep expanding our worlds.

The show is my way of encouraging all of us, given a choice, to choose curiosity, in ways large and small. I honestly think our lives depend on it. Democracy, too. ■

Lynn Borton’s radio show, Choose to Be Curious, got its start in May 2016 on Arlington Independent Media’s WERA 96.7 FM. Now syndicated through Pacifica Radio Network, the show airs on 20 stations around the country and can be found on major podcast platforms. Borton lives with her husband, David Kolker, in Radnor/Fort Myer Heights.

Senior Services PROFILES

Greenspring Senior Living

7440 Spring Village Drive Springfield, VA 22150 1-877-211-3699 www.GreenspringCommunity.com

Greenspring, an Erickson Senior Living-managed continuing care retirement community, features three clubhouses with multiple on-site dining venues, fitness centers, indoor pickleball, an allseason aquatics center, salons, a bank, a CVS and more. With hundreds of clubs to choose from, there are ample opportunities for residents to enjoy current hobbies and explore new ones. Interior and exterior home maintenance and repairs are taken care of, leaving residents free to enjoy the amenities and activities available on campus. A predictable monthly service fee covers utilities, property taxes, 24-hour security, dining and more. To ensure residents’ continued good health and wellbeing, Greenspring has an on-site medical center and a continuing care neighborhood with assisted living, memory care and nursing care.

Vinson Hall Retirement Community

THE SYLVESTERY, MEMORY CARE

Vinson Hall Retirement Community has an Employee Caring Fund that supports staff when they are faced with unexpected expenses. Created with seed money from a Sylvestery family member and increased by many additional generous donations, the Employee Caring Fund has distributed more than $400,000 to staff in need.

6251 Old Dominion Drive

McLean, VA 22101

703-536-4344

www.vinsonhall.org

Vinson Hall Retirement Community provides expert and compassionate care to people with memory loss. The Sylvestery, Vinson Hall’s memory care community, was purpose-built for memory care. It has four interior courtyards that are surrounded by looping window-lined corridors designed to accommodate the wandering behavior that often accompanies dementia. These courtyards offer residents safe access to nature while also letting in natural light to all areas of the building.

Licensed and trained staff at The Sylvestery provide round-the-clock care for those who are still active but require specialized support. Residents participate in activities tailored to engage people with dementia. There are group gatherings in the cozy, light-filled solarium and quiet moments in the sensory oasis

room, a soothing sanctuary of imagery, sounds, textures and scents that encourage relaxation. At The Sylvestery, every moment can present an opportunity for meaning and comfort.

A Sylvestery family member shared, “I was struck by the caring, gentleness, patience and camaraderie of all the staff who work with the residents. The Sylvestery may have won a prize for its wonderful design, but it is the staff who truly excel. They are the heart and soul of the community. My mom was in very good hands, literally and figuratively. Thank you for the peace of mind and reduced stress.”

As a Life Plan Community, Vinson Hall offers independent living with access to a continuum of care. These levels include assisted living, skilled nursing and rehab, memory care and in-residence home care.

The Jefferson

The Jefferson is a great place for older adults to enjoy an active, engaged lifestyle. A block from the Ballston Metro, Arlington and the whole D.C. area are at your fingertips. With an endless supply of activities and events inside the community, every day can lead to something new and exciting.

900 N. Taylor St. Arlington, VA 22203

703-516-9455

www.sunriseseniorliving.com/communities/thejefferson/about.aspx

People who are adjusting to a move to a senior living community often say they wish they had done it much sooner. Gone are all the chores of owning a home and its associated expenses. Many residents free themselves of a car or two, which is not unusual in a place as centrally located as The Jefferson. In the vibrant heart of Ballston, cars often aren’t necessary, which eliminates maintenance and insurance costs.

A county library is nearby, as are walking trails and a farmers’ market. So are grocery stores, dry cleaners, shoe repair, opticians, restaurants and a large movie theater. From The Jefferson campus, public transportation by bus or Metro is easy.

Residents at The Jefferson report a strong sense of community as well as

individual happiness. Google Groups is a great communication tool that announces everything from discounted entertainment tickets to nearby happy hours. Jeffersonians, as they call themselves, like to share what they love about their home and that makes it easy for new residents to find friends and time to work on hobbies or develop new interests.

One of many things residents bond over is The Jefferson’s top-notch fitness and wellness program, with water aerobics, Tai Chi, yoga, line dancing, personal training and more. There are different levels of activities from novice to advanced. The heated pool is a favorite for classes, swimming laps and just relaxing. Jeffersonians also enjoy participating in the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics every year, bringing home lots of medals!

Falcons Landing

Described by residents as a five-star cruise ship that never leaves port, Falcons Landing is an award-winning, not-for-profit CARF-Accredited Life Plan Community. Its careful financial planning means stability today and forever, allowing residents to age in place with peace of mind, knowing their investment is protected and they’ll have access to all the care they need.

20522 Falcons Landing Circle

Potomac Falls, VA 20165

703-404-5151

www.falconslanding.org

At Falcons Landing, community is the mission, and it’s much more than a word. Created to unite seniors with a shared commitment to service and to offer a fulfilling sense of purpose, this active community thrives on a culture of care and camaraderie among residents and staff. The robust social calendar of clubs and activities ensures that there’s always something for everyone. Meaningful volunteer opportunities within the local community include fire and rescue campaigns, support to veterans, Meals on Wheels, and Backpack Buddies.

Residents enjoy luxury, maintenance-free living in a beautiful apartment or cottage with incredible amenities and services, including a fitness center, junior Olympic pool featuring an indoor whirlpool spa, tennis court, security services, long-term-care health insurance, award-winning fine dining and more.

The executive chef and skilled culinary team use the highest quality ingredients delivered fresh every day, and they remain in constant contact with residents, incorporating comments and suggestions into everevolving menus.

Anyone looking for a senior living community should consider accreditation, accolades and reputation but also place a high priority on other intangibles, such as a friendly, caring staff. Location, too, makes a big difference. Falcons Landing residents enjoy the cultural offerings of our nation’s capital as well as a wide variety of local amenities. Many places to shop are within a very short drive. A county park, golf course and the Potomac River are within walking distance. For medical matters, the community is very close to the local rescue squad, two hospitals and three urgent care centers.

Sunrise of McLean Village

From a happy family member: “My mother has lived at Sunrise of McLean Village for nearly a year, and I have only great things to say about the facility and the team. Everything is brand new and lovely. The team is incredibly responsive and kind. There are a lot of social events and outings as well.”

1515 Chain Bridge Road

McLean, VA 22101

703-245-9270

www.sunriseseniorliving.com/communities/va/ sunrise-of-mclean-village

Situated off Chain Bridge Road in a convenient McLean location, Sunrise of McLean Village provides best-in-class assisted living and memory care. Opened last year, the community is surrounded by green spaces and features beautiful outdoor living areas, elevated interior design, light-filled social spaces and spacious suites. Residents and families enjoy easy access to shops and fine dining in Tysons Corner, picturesque parks, and all the cultural events that Northern Virginia, D.C. and the metro area have to offer.

The community’s team members get to know residents on a personal level, allowing them to provide compassionate care tailored to their unique needs and abilities. In addition to personalized assisted living, Sunrise of McLean Village provides expert memory care to residents living with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other forms of memory loss.

Residents choose from a variety of ways to spend their time. They can stay engaged with purposeful programs that focus on areas such as art, fitness, music and continued learning. Activities include group workout classes, book club meetings, and wine and cheese socials that help residents connect and stay active. Memory care residents benefit from specialized programming in smallgroup and one-on-one settings.

The talented in-house culinary team at Sunrise of McLean Village crafts cuisine tailored to residents’ dietary needs and personal tastes. Residents enjoy dining on fresh, flavorful dishes in the elegant dining room alongside good friends and neighbors. Sunrise of McLean Village is proud to offer not only trusted senior care, but also a vibrant lifestyle filled with meaning.

Goodwin Living Foundation

The Goodwin Living music therapists provide programming that enables residents to stay engaged and fulfilled. Music therapy can decrease depression and anxiety and gives residents, especially those who experience cognitive changes, opportunities for reminiscence and self-expression. Music can meet individuals where they are.

— Samantha Tedrow, Music Therapist

4800 Fillmore Ave.

Alexandria, VA 22311

703-824-1200

www.GoodwinLivingFoundation.org

Goodwin Living has been redefining aging since 1967. With a solid reputation for providing options in senior living and healthcare, Goodwin Living is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing care with compassion, dignity and excellence along the aging journey. With multiple campus locations, an aging-at-home program and specialized Medicarecertified services such as home health, rehabilitation therapy and hospice, Goodwin Living also engages in philanthropic efforts.

Thanks to the generosity of donors to the Goodwin Living Foundation, Goodwin Living provides additional benefits and programs to residents, team members, hospice patients and the greater Northern Virginia community. This support makes possible a music therapy program that employs two full time, board certified music therapists who offer individual and group programming to Goodwin Living residents.

The music therapists use proven techniques and music to help individual residents reach goals that focus on function and quality of life. Music therapy in groups provides a space for residents to give and receive support, socialize, express themselves creatively, and maintain their cognitive and physical abilities as they share the joys of making music with others.

Music therapy is one of the many unique programs and benefits of the Goodwin Living Foundation. Others include brain health programming for residents, massage and end-of-life doula services for hospice patients, as well as internships, student loan repayment grants, tuition assistance and a pathway to U.S. citizenship for team members. With generous support from donors, The Goodwin Living Foundation makes it possible for everyone to thrive as they live life with purpose, at any age.

Woodleigh Chase Senior Living

“As you age in life, it’s just more convenient to be able to have a lifestyle where you don’t have to worry about maintenance, and you can get quality services on the spot.”

—Dan G., Woodleigh Chase resident

9805 Woodleigh Lane

Fairfax, VA 22032

1-888-377-2032 www.WoodleighChase.com

Erickson Senior Living is known for building and managing vibrant continuing care retirement communities. With a 40-year commitment to exceptional care and services, they opened their newest community, Woodleigh Chase, in Fairfax, Virginia, in March 2024. Woodleigh Chase offers active, independent living on a beautiful campus close to plenty of shopping, dining and entertainment. Beyond Fairfax, residents have easy access to the many cultural and recreational activities in the capital region.

Residents can choose from a variety of stylish, open-layout apartment homes that suit every need and budget. Oneand two-bedroom floor plans have screened patios and balconies, quartz countertops, crown molding, soft-close cabinetry, double vanities in most

primary bathrooms, and underbuilding parking. Woodleigh Chase offers a worryfree lifestyle without the hassles of home upkeep and yard work. The full-time maintenance team handles repairs and replacements in the apartment home, as well as landscaping and groundskeeping across the entire campus.

Amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness and aquatics center, a bocce court, dog park, unisex hair salon and spa, plus spaces for learning, hobbies and socializing. Multiple dining venues have their own unique ambiance. A full range of health and well-being services are available at the on-campus medical center. The master development plan includes higher levels of care. If health needs ever change, residents can receive support without leaving the community.

Sunrise at Bluemont Park

5910 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22205

703-202-9239

www.sunrisebluemontpark.com

Located in Arlington, Sunrise at Bluemont Park is a beautiful tree-lined community that offers an abundance of engaging programs, events and excursions in the D.C. metropolitan area. Residents enjoy a vibrant, maintenance-free life where they can enjoy their time as they please.

With memory care, assisted living and independent living options, residents can age in place and choose from more than 20 floor plans. For those looking to maintain their independence while still benefitting from the support of 24/7 care and dining services, many suites include full kitchens and washers and dryers. Bluemont’s idyllic setting overlooks parkland, tennis courts and the Bon Air Rose Garden, perfect for scenic views and strolls. Trusted care, meaningful days and fresh cuisine await seniors at Sunrise at Bluemont Park.

Sunrise

at Falls Church

330 N. Washington St. Falls Church, VA 22046

703-202-9239

www.sunrisefallschurch.com

Just steps from downtown Falls Church and a few miles from Washington, D.C., this close-knit, recently renovated community has a small-town feel. The compassionate caregivers are available 24/7 and have established a culture of tailored care by getting to know each resident on a personal level to create individualized service plans that help seniors thrive.

Residents can enjoy engaging programming and social events. Whether it’s expressing creativity through art, getting active with fitness classes or learning something new, there is an opportunity to enjoy a variety of activities that appeal to personal interests and passions. As residents connect with their passions alongside good friends, they will also enjoy sitting down for a chef-crafted meal or grabbing a snack in the bistro.

Culpepper Garden Senior Living

"Culpepper Garden is an award-winning retirement community that provides 346 affordable living housing units with services for low-income seniors over age 62. The 73-apartment assisted living wing was the first of its kind in the U.S. and the only one that exists in Arlington."

4435 N. Pershing Drive Arlington, VA 22203

703-528-0162 www.culpeppergarden.org

In the heart of Arlington, Culpepper Garden stands as a beacon of compassion and dedication in low-income senior living. For over five decades, this nonprofit community has been a cornerstone of support for older adults with limited means, offering a nurturing environment where they can live with dignity and purpose.

Recently, Culpepper Garden celebrated a significant achievement with the announcement of a $2 million federal grant designated for vital structural renovations. This generous funding is a critical step toward addressing the needs of aging buildings, ensuring they continue to meet the highest standards of safety and comfort. The renovation project will modernize infrastructure, enhance accessibility and improve overall functionality, all while maintaining the warmth and character that define Culpepper Garden.

In addition to a beautiful campus and comfortable apartments, there is a wide array of enrichment programs that foster a sense of community, combat isolation and promote an active lifestyle. From health and wellness activities to social and recreational events, these programs play a crucial role in enhancing quality of life.

While this grant marks a major milestone, the journey is far from complete. Although the funding addresses essential structural upgrades, additional support is crucial to sustain the breadth of services and programs that are fundamental to the wellbeing of Culpepper Garden’s residents. With the ongoing support of generous donors and community members, Culpepper Garden will continue to thrive, fulfilling its mission of enhancing the lives of its residents for years to come.

From left: Laura Orihuela, Director of Community and External Relations; Marta Hill Gray, President; Jasmin Witcher, Vice President Development

Holiday Guide

In the Bag

Maximalists: We bet you can’t choose just one of Karina Gaull’s cheerful, handmade carryalls. Pattern play shines in her sizable repertoire of wallets, totes, makeup pouches, fanny packs, cross-body bags, wristlets and clutches ($25-$100), many of which are adorned with fun stitching, charms and cheeky linings. A former graphic designer, Gaull rediscovered her sewing machine making masks during the pandemic and a business was born. Find her wares at TINT Makerspace in Falls Church, or contact the artist to custom design your own creation. karinagaull.com

Breathe Deep

Athletes with sore muscles and stuffy noses will appreciate the magnesium bath soaks ($12) and sinus-clearing shower steamers ($10) in Anusha Moodley’s Thulisa Naturals trove of aromatherapy bath products. Body butters, oils and scrubs ($16$28) round out the offerings in scents such as pink grapefruit and lavender-mint. Discover select offerings at Covet in Arlington and Vivid Chill in the Mosaic District, or shop thulisanaturals.com.

The Urban Farmhouse

For those inclined to deck the halls from top to bottom, Sarah Allen’s sunny Bluemont boutique brings the holiday swag, from Nutcracker and Hanukkah-themed tea towels to snowman mugs and Christmas poppers. Also in stock: pretty baking and serving dishes, Dash & Albert cotton rugs, fancy cocktail fixings and gift-y goods for pet lovers. theurbanfarmhouse.com

Tea Time

One can never have too many kitchen towels, and these cotton numbers make great hostess gifts. ($18)

Trade Roots

Shop Lisa Ostroff’s fairtrade emporium in Westover and the giving is twofold. The selection of global goods includes handmade serving bowls, baskets, linens, jewelry, knitwear and more, with proceeds directly supporting the artisan communities that created them, from textile collectives in Guatemala and Nepal to basket weavers in Uganda. Ostroff has visited 17 developing countries and works with makers in another 25 nations to source unique finds. fairtraderoots.com

Surprise Inside Dress up those holiday place settings with a set of Christmas poppers. Each contains a tiny toy, a joke and a paper crown. ($25)

Teen Approved

According to the highschoolers who work at the store, you can’t go wrong with a cozy, oversize sweatshirt, available in multiple colors. ($50)

Famous Figures

Felt ornaments made from scrap wool in Kyrgyzstan celebrate icons ranging from Bob Marley to RBG. ($22.50)

Task It

Stow pet toys or knitting yarn in this hand-woven basket, or tote it to the farmers market or the beach. ($88)

Geek Out

Treat your favorite techie to an upcycled circuit board frame made in India. ($30)

Covet

Whether you’re on the hunt for the perfect girlfriend gift, swish jewelry, mix-and-match coasters with quotable quips or a Roy Kent tree ornament, there’s no place quite like Autumn Clayton’s Bluemont boutique. The ever-changing merch is a portrait of the proprietor’s edgy sense of humor and style, and there’s fun in exploring every corner. covetinarlington.com

Dangle All the Way

Sweetheart hoop earrings by Nickel & Suede are made with lightweight leather and comfortable for everyday wear. ($39)

Warm Fuzzy

Loved the show?

Keep the feel-good vibes going with a Ted Lasso mug full of something cozy and a plate of biscuits. ($17.95)

One More Page Books

Want to give the gift of a good read? The book-loving staff at this indie shop in East Falls Church will happily steer you in the right direction, whether the recipient is partial to escapist fiction, scathing satire or a good murder mystery. While you’re at it, check out the selection of witty bookmarks, socks, mugs, stickers and puzzles. onemorepagebooks.com

Light It Up

Go fan girl with a prayer candle honoring Midwest Princess Chappell Roan, patron saint of the Pink Pony Club.

Stocking Stuff

Life is short. Wear fun socks. These obvious dandies are made with a comfy blend of cotton, nylon and spandex. ($13.99)

Sticker Shock

If birds could talk, they would say the snarky, judgy things in this all-purpose collection of ornithological insults. A perfect gift for the bird obsessed. ($8)

Monet Monet

A pretty vase of flowers always makes an impression. ($50)

Got Sauce?

Condiment king Dave Forbes has rebranded a few times, but the plantbased spreads and sauces in his evolving product line, Dave’s Friggin Awesome (formerly Disturbingly Delicious Foods), are as cheeky and piquant as ever. Stop by his stand at the Falls Church Farmers Market or his Little City storefront (open Saturdays and by appointment) and build your own gift basket of gourmet goodies ($8-$20) such as eggless black truffle “schmaioli,” fivealarm hot sauces, artisanal chili crisp and all-purpose syrups with names like Cranberry Blueberry Reaper. davesfrigginawesome.com

Sew Good

Armed with his grandmother’s 1970s sewing machine, Isaac Richardson started his one-man Arlington operation, Voyager Bag Works, in 2019. Today his collection of durable, long-lasting travel and work bags includes backpacks (starting at $305), satchels and slings ($59 and up) fashioned out of water-repellent waxed canvas or Ecopak, a waterproof polyester made of recycled plastic bottles. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Richardson takes custom orders, too. A portion of every sale goes to nonprofits devoted to equity and sustainability. voyagerbagworks.com

Salve Yourself

Victoria Makinde’s bestselling lavender Pain Relief Oil ($20-$56) “was born from a place of love and care. I crafted it specifically for my mother as she dealt with the aches of arthritis,” explains the founder of Arlington brand Hello Wellness. The natural products in her therapeutic skin care line—which also includes organic body butters, scrubs, soaks and face masks—are formulated to soothe eczema, stress and chronic pain. Sample them at the Mosaic District’s holiday URBNmarket (Nov. 23-24) or shop hellowellness.com.

Two the Moon

Personalized presents are a breeze at Johanna Braden’s cozy boutique in Arlington’s Williamsburg Shopping Center. The shop offers custom embroidery and vinyl monogramming on oodles of gift-worthy goods, from baby blankets, beach towels, kitchen aprons, hoodies, hats and bags to tumblers and beer cozies. The shelves are also chockablock with fun things for kids, entertaining essentials and seasonal decor. twothemoon.com

Botanologica

Tucked inside a little pink house in Falls Church, this leafy paradise is brimming with evergreen wreaths, petite poinsettias, lush ferns and low-maintenance houseplants. Proprietor Sarah Orrison also stocks garden ornaments, Japanese incense, ceramic planters, beauty products and nature-inspired home goods. botanologica.com

custom monogrammed

Tailgate and toast your favorite college or university with an embroidered can cooler from Smathers & Branson.

Dress up your front entry with a classic, hand-tied evergreen wreath with mixed foliage and berries. ($72)

For seasonal blossoms, pair a Christmas cactus ($18) with a pretty ceramic pot ($36).

Hokie Dokie

($35)

Door Decor

Late Bloomer

Posh Pets

Local dog mom Hannah Moskowitz was bored by the sartorial options on the market for her two pit-bull mix rescue pups, so she created LunaBlu, a line of functional and fashionable pet accessories including collars ($25), bandannas ($18) and leash packs ($20), with designs ranging from spring florals and foodthemed prints to holiday plaid. Committed to sustainability, her venture recycles all fabric and webbing scraps, uses recyclable mailers and offers a “reFURbish” program that reuses existing buckles and hardware while replacing worn-out straps. lunablucreates.com

Whiskey Business

Nick Cioffi, Mark Turner and Zach Gasper are builders and architects by trade, but their spinoff business, Lost Whiskey Club, is also about quality and craftsmanship. For the spiritslover, it’s hard to imagine a gift more ruggedly romantic than a bottle of small-batch bourbon ($33-$50) adorned with a branded leather strap and a hand-lettered “story number.” “It’s a small keepsake to remember how and with whom that bottle was shared,” says Cioffi, who oversees the boutique distillery and its tasting room in Merrifield. Watch for the release of their latest 10-year double barrel American whiskey ($70) in Virginia ABC stores around Thanksgiving. lostwhiskey.com

Zip and Sip

In her spare time, Arlington Public Schools teacher and “proud Argentinean” Ana Sicer gets creative with Ana Just Made It, a fun collection of sassy bags, water bottles and other handy accessories for girls on the go. On-trend items include puffer-style totes ($50-$60), pop-collage tumblers for Swifties ($20), zippered pouches ($20) and cross-body bags ($40-$55) featuring travel-inspired printed fabrics. She’ll be at the Washington-Liberty High School Holiday Bazaar on Dec. 7. anajustmadeit.square.site

Le Village Marché

As its name suggests, this Shirlington shop carries items that are sure to delight any Francophile, including milled soaps from Provence, Parisianinspired jewelry and, for the new baby, a Little Prince cutlery set referencing the classic novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Other items reflect owner Angela Phelps’ sophisticated sense of style, from floral trinket trays to etched barware and coupe glasses. levillagemarche.com

Coupe de Grace

Take that cocktail soiree up a notch with these showstopping Champagne glasses. ($14)

Nice Spice

Hand-poured soy candles in winter scents are all about ambience. ($30)

Casual Adventure

For nearly 80 years, this family-owned outfitter and sporting goods store has been Arlington’s go-to for camping and outdoor gear, Scouting staples and sports equipment. “We can outfit you from Great Falls to Nepal,” says owner Eric Stern. Find items ranging from tactical tools and snowboarding helmets to ergonomic baseball bats, kerchiefs, down sleeping bags and camp cushions for canine travelers. casualadventure.com

Flip a Disc

Go to Pieces

When the weather outside is frightful, have a cup of cocoa and tackle the 1,000piece Snowfall on Park Avenue puzzle. ($18)

Disc golf is a game of skill with a side of cool graphics. The shop’s inventory of Innova, Discmania and MVP discs includes limited editions and sport classics.

knife is a backcountry essential. ($170-$350)

Go to Extremes

Frigid temps outside? Wicked winds? No problem with highperformance outerwear from The North Face Summit Series. ($170-$600)

COURTESY

PHOTOS

Catch Some Rays

Bring a little sparkle to someone’s window with a vivid suncatcher or plant propagator ($55 and up) by Arlington glass artist Maria Milton of MarzDM Studio. Many of her geometric designs are inspired by elements in nature. marzdmstudio.com

Yay for Clay

Seeking something special for your favorite cook or gardener? Spring for a speckled egg plate ($40), nesting tapas dishes ($29) or a set of herb garden markers ($28) by Persimmon Street Ceramics Arlington artist Heather Lezla says her objects are “designed for utility,” but they also have a homespun quality that is undeniably precious. Find select pieces at The Urban Farmhouse, Botanologica and online at etsy.com/shop/ persimmonstreet.

Like a Charm

Del Ray artisan Meg Talley is the talent behind Meg By Hand, a collection of hand-hewn earrings and stacking rings ($30 and up) made with reclaimed precious metals. Her delicate motifs include tiny leaves, Virginia dogwoods and cherry blossoms. Scope out her wares at Port City Brewing popups (Nov. 25 and Dec. 15), the Clarendon Holiday Market (Dec. 7-8) and at Shop Made in VA. megbyhand.com

Not Potted

Who says houseplants must live in conventional containers? Take a cue from Arlington plant whisperer Christina Foy of Plants & What Knot. Her whimsical displays include kokedama (Japanese moss balls, $25$55) and air plants suspended from sea urchin shells to look like jellyfish ($15-$48). Boho types will also dig her retro macrame plant hangers (starting at $28) and mini holiday ornaments called “gnomie homies” ($18), available at Shop Made in VA and plantsandwhatknot.com.

Candy Man

Chocolatier Rob Kingsbury closed his Alexandria storefront one year ago, but he’s still bringing sweet temptations such as fleurde-sel caramel truffles, cashew-porter toffee and pine-cone-shaped hot cocoa bombs to popups all over town. Peruse his confections at the Mothers of North Arlington (MONA) Holiday Market (Nov. 14), One More Page Books (Nov. 16 and Dec. 8) and Clarendon Courthouse Plaza (Nov. 21 and Dec. 18). @KingsburyChocolates

Small Stuff

Amiga Hormiga Studio (the name means “ant friend” in Spanish) specializes in bilingual paper goods “inspired by all the little things that make life feel big,” explains owner Virginia Strobach, whose fanciful greeting cards and affordable art prints ($5-$30) are a celebration of plants, nature, food and friendship. Her limited-edition “I Know a Spot” series features portraits of beloved local eateries such as The Broiler, El Pollo Rico, Bob & Edith’s Diner and Kabob Palace. Find her at Shop Made in VA and amigahormiga.com.

The light bulb moment for this ingenious travel accessory occurred to Arlington entrepreneur Seth LaPierre shortly after he boarded a plane in 2017. “My wife crushed her coffee in my seatback pocket before I even buckled my seat belt,” he says. “I stared at that cup thinking there must be a better way. There wasn’t, so I invented one.” His patented, 3D-printed FLYGA ($13)—the name is Swedish for “fly”—comes in multiple colors. It can be hooked onto an airplane seat back and used as a cup holder, or flipped over to serve as a smartphone stand for watching inflight movies. upflyga.com

Paper Party

Want a festive holiday table without any fuss? Skip the dirty dishes and throw a bash with paper goods from Lucy Grymes. Style maven Lucy Dean’s mixand-match bundles ($50-$78) include coordinated place mats, paper plates and napkin ties, as well as hand-folded paper vase wraps that can turn any old pickle jar and grocery store bouquet into a work of art. As party season hits full swing, keep a stash of her wine and gift bags (6 for $18) on hand for gifting pretty. lucygrymes.com

Heaven Scent

For the gift recipient who has everything, you can’t go wrong with consumables. Arlingtonian Heather O’Hara’s Lemon & Whim line of vegan and crueltyfree aromatherapy products includes seasonal candles ($28) with names like Sweater Weather (think pumpkin spice), and pretty soaps ($10) in fragrances such as the earthy-evergreen Fir Sure, and an invigorating blend of citrus and mint called Slay Today. lemonandwhim.com

Bird Is the Word

Owls, cardinals, hawks, goldfinches and other feathered creatures are the stars of Jess Michetti’s studied portraits, but here’s a fun fact: Her Falls Church studio, Good Goose Graphics, is actually named after her first dog. A graphic designer, Michetti also does murals, stationery and tattoo design. “Most of it comes back to a deep love of nature,” says the artist, who sells cards ($6.50), art prints ($45) and hand-painted ornaments at Botanologica and online at etsy.com/shop/ goodgoosegraphics.

Make a Statement

Khadeejah Honesty’s Soultry brand polymer clay jewelry is ideal for wearers who aren’t afraid to go big. In addition to her growing collection of showstopping earrings, the Arlington entrepreneur has recently branched out with a skin care line, apparel and DIY jewelry-making kits. Keep your eyes peeled for polymer clay workshops and pop-up sales around town, and browse her latest wares at Shop Made in VA or online at soultrybrand.com.

LOCAL SHOPS

The Golden Fox Boutique

Paula Frishman’s preppy Clarendon boutique has a little something for everyone, whether it’s a cozy throw, cashmere sweater, candy-colored desk lamp, plush dog toy, or a hooked throw pillow for your favorite beach-lover. Seasonal goods and fragrances keep the selections fresh. shopgoldenfox.com

Ace This

Need a gift for the next up-and-coming Coco Gauff?

Score points with a set of cotton embroidered tennis towels from Court Girl. ($38)

Shine On Cordless, dimmable LED lamps by Zafferano come in multiple sizes and colors, each with a rechargeable battery. Great for tight spaces and tiny desks. ($125 and up)

For Fido

This durable, Stanley cup-inspired squeaky toy from Haute Diggity Dog has a tennis shoe lining for playful pups who are spirited chewers. ($25)

Take the Cake

What started as a holiday pop-up at Tysons Galleria is now Bisnonna Bakeshop, a bustling Fairfax business turning out scratch-made biscotti, pizzelle, Sicilian fig cuccidati, creamfilled sugarplums, gingerbread-eggnog tiramisu and other Italian goodies. Inspired by family recipes passed down through generations, the bakery is a love letter to pastry chef Nicole Liberatore’s great-grandmother and her husband Dominick’s grandmother. Don’t skip the bestselling hand-rolled cannoli ($10-$15 for three), available this season in flavors such as sticky toffee, peppermint bark, Nutella, pistachio and classic chocolate chip. bisnonnabakeshop.com ■

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Volunteers bag onions at the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC)

Volunteerism is reportedly on the decline nationwide. Our local community is bucking the trend.

WORLDGOOD of A

BY KIM O’CONNELL

On a recent morning, the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) just off South Four Mile Run Drive felt like a Richard Scarry children’s book sprung to life. Everything was in motion. In one area, volunteers subdivided bulk shipments of rice and potatoes into smaller portions. Some made stacks of canned goods that were five feet tall. In the distribution room, others formed an assembly line handing out food—produce, meat, bread and cake— to a steady stream of walk-in clients. Outside, AFAC’s bright yellow van sat awaiting its next mission while another volunteer loaded up his car to deliver food to people who are homebound. When it comes to recruiting volunteers, it helps that AFAC is a household name. “Almost everybody in Arlington has heard of us,” says Danielle Rampton, director of volunteer services for the nonprofit. “So, in that sense, it’s been easy. We have a pretty easy sys-

tem to access. You can come in, create an application on a Monday, get a link to our calendar on Wednesday and start volunteering on Thursday.”

It also helps that AFAC’s army of volunteers includes a host of regulars, some of whom have been giving their time for well over a decade. “Our home delivery clients and volunteers are paired up, so they form a relationship,” Rampton says. “For some, our volunteer might be the only person they see all week. And it might be their only access to food.”

The wellspring of free labor that keeps AFAC humming isn’t an anomaly in the place we call home. Do-gooders give their time in support of a wide range of issues, from food insecurity, homelessness and affordable housing to refugee assistance and disease research. Volunteers serve on PTA boards and faith-based or civic committees. They coach youth sports, organize coat drives, participate in environmental cleanup events and help their neighbors

with lawn mowing and snow shoveling. They contribute to grassroots GoFundMe campaigns—like the one that raised nearly $250,000 to support a Bluemont family who lost their duplex in a house explosion last December.

On the massive Arlington Neighbors Helping Each Other Facebook group—now more than 31,000 members strong—a legion of kind people, most of whom are strangers to each other, responds to every request for assistance and advice imaginable.

But the picture isn’t entirely rosy. Research points to a nationwide decline in volunteerism and civic engagement, and the pandemic took a toll here, just as it did elsewhere. AFAC lost three quarters of its regular volunteers in March 2020, Rampton says. The staff worked overtime to cover the shortfall. Although organized helping has bounced back since then, it hasn’t been universal or always predictable. The needs are still great.

■ a world of good

WITH THE ARRIVAL of the Digital Age, the mechanisms for volunteering have changed. Throughout the last century, people often gave back to their communities through service clubs and fraternal organizations. Think Rotary Club, Kiwanis, Optimists, Lions, the local Elks lodge or the Knights of Columbus—groups your grandfather might have belonged to. Traditionally, these groups charged a membership fee and hosted weekly or monthly club meetings or guest speakers. Many such clubs originally limited their memberships to White men, although those segregated policies have long been overturned.

The service clubs that began in the 20th century centered on “hyperlocal” activism well before that was a popular term, providing a way for people to participate in civic life. Rotary Club Inter-

national’s chief motto, for example, is “Service Above Self”; the Kiwanis motto, “Serving the Children of the World,” is realized via local channels.

In Arlington, chapters of these clubs took shape and grew alongside a rapidly suburbanizing county. The Arlington Knights of Columbus chapter, for one, traces its origins to 1923, just three years after the county changed its name from Alexandria to Arlington. Arlington’s Rotary chapter dates to 1929, and the Arlington Kiwanis Club dates to 1931.

The Falls Church Rotary has been around since 1952, and the New Dominion Women’s Club, a service organization in McLean, began in 1968. All these chapters and clubs are still active today, but the environment in which they operate has changed dramatically.

By the end of the 20th century, traditional service clubs were swept up in a wave of social change that saw widespread declines in what many viewed as bedrock channels of civic engagement—local politics, faith-based programs, community groups and the like.

In his landmark 2000 book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, social scientist Robert D. Putnam wrote that membership in traditional service clubs had fallen by 58% in the previous 25 years. He pinned the decline on several factors, including women entering the workforce in greater numbers and increasingly individualized entertainment and technology—trends that have only intensified in the quarter century since the book was published.

Putnam is one of several prominent

voices in Join or Die, a 2023 documentary created by Falls Church filmmaker Peter Davis and his sister, Rebecca Davis, that argues that joining community clubs is essential to reversing the tide.

“You should join, your kids should join and, if there’s not an organization you want to join, create one,” Hillary Clinton says in the film, which also features commentary from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and Princeton religious studies professor Eddie S. Glaude Jr., among others. The documentary makes the case that nothing less than the fate of America is depending on it.

“Where we are struggling is with young professionals,” laments one Arlington service club member, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “We are having to compete for their time. They are starting to have families and are struggling to survive, and some are just working like dogs. It’s really challenging to get these people to help. If the clubs haven’t switched their model, if it’s still ‘pay your dues, come for lunch, and sit and listen to a speaker,’ you’re never going to get these folks.”

VOLUNTEERISM

TODAY is often framed into two categories—before the pandemic and after the pandemic. Even before Covid, volunteerism was waning nationwide. The pace accelerated when fears about the coronavirus sent those who could afford it into the protective cocoons of their homes.

According to a study released by the U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps in January 2023, more than half of Americans aged 16 and over (51%) help their neighbors informally, while just under a quarter (23%) volunteer formally with an organization.

Volunteerism across the U.S. declined by 7 percentage points between 2019 and 2021, the report found, with formal volunteerism hitting its lowest point in 20 years. But the outlook wasn’t quite so bleak for the greater Washington, D.C., region, which ranked fifth among the top 10 states (or state equivalents) for formal volunteering, and sixth in a ranking of the top metro areas for informal volunteering.

In 2014 (the most recent year for which data is available) the Arlington Chamber of Commerce estimated that 32% of Arlington residents volunteered through formal channels— beating national trends by nearly 10 percentage points. A 2019 survey of Fairfax County and City of Falls Church residents ages 50 and older found an average of 28% making time for regular, weekly volunteer work.

Fast-forward to 2024 and Lisa Fikes contends that local volunteerism is alive and well. She should know. As president and CEO of the Leadership Center of Arlington, Fikes oversees Volunteer Arlington, a public-private partnership between the Leadership Center and the county. Volunteer Arlington connects individuals, nonprofit groups, businesses and government to promote handson giving in a variety of ways.

If volunteerism is eroding across the country, Fikes isn’t seeing it here. Activity is robust on the Volunteer Arlington website, she says, which posts specific giving opportunities, as well as events such as the organization’s periodic Causes & Cocktails gatherings and Arlington’s annual observance of the MLK National Day of Service. The latter drew about 2,000 people earlier this year to help with various community projects. A soon-to-debut Volunteer Arlington app will make these connections even easier.

“We’ve got well over 20,000 users [interested volunteers] in the system and more than 400 partners,” Fikes says. “When we say partners, we mean non-

Arlington is still home to a number of formal service clubs.

A coat drive organized by Virginia Hospital Center on behalf of PathForward

■ a world of good

profit or county organizations that are looking for volunteers. We offer Causes & Cocktails three times a year, where we bring in our partners and attendees get a short overview. It’s an organic space for people to connect while they’re having a cocktail. On average we have 75 to 100 people signing up to come for that. With the Day of Service, our hope is that, if somebody’s never volunteered, we move their needle to coming for that one day. And if people are interested and maybe volunteered on that day, it might turn into longterm service.”

Volunteer Arlington collaborates with Volunteer Alexandria and Volunteer Fairfax, sharing best practices and making connections, adds Elise Neil Bengtson, a former CEO of Volunteer Fairfax who now serves as executive director of the City of Falls Church Chamber of Commerce (she’s also a regular volunteer with the Bai-

leys Crossroads Rotary Club and the Virginia Chamber Orchestra). “Volunteerism builds community,” Bengtson

says. “When you have a strong community, you’re in a more solid position to support other communities.”

Volunteer Arlington's 2024 MLK Day of Service engaged some 2,000 volunteers in projects countywide.

Our team's civic engagement spans decades in Northern Virginia. Collectively, this has included running for Arlington County Board; serving as president and vice-president of the Lyon Park Civic Association in Arlington; serving as president of the Jefferson Middle School PTA; political activism to reduce gun violence; coaching Yorktown High School’s girls’ varsity tennis team for 17 years; serving as a Mentor at Casa Chirilagua in Alexandria and on the board of the Hillbrook Tall Oaks Civic Associa-

tion; volunteering for Ayuda, a non-profit that provides legal and social services to low-income immigrants; volunteering for SERVE, Inc, a non-profit emergency food bank (Stafford, VA); serving on the Stafford County School Board’s Capital Improvement Planning Committee (CIPAC); serving as a Cheer Commission for the VA American Youth Football Alliance (VAYFA); and leading a 501(c)(3) wellness non-profit, Be Bold Be Brave. Believe dedicated to community health and wellness (a Stafford County Public School System partner).

■ a world of good

This summer, Volunteer Arlington gave its 2024 Lifetime of Service Award to local resident Sue MacLane, recognizing her work with the Arlington Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Among other things, Arlington CERT helps stage mock disasters— such as plane crashes or active shooter scenarios—to provide training for first responders. “We lost a number of volunteers during Covid,” MacLane says. “There’s still a good fraction of people who are staying disconnected from things. But I think it’s coming back.”

Recruiting volunteers can be especially tough when you factor in people who are juggling demanding jobs, busy kid schedules, health concerns and aging parents. Fikes says the solution lies in new ways of thinking about philanthropy.

LIKE MANY NONPROFITS , the Arlington homeless services organization

PathForward (previously known as ASPAN), lost volunteers during the pandemic. “We have medically vulnerable individuals that we work with,” says Liz Nohra, PathForward’s vice president of philanthropy. “People used to volunteer all the time. Since Covid, they don’t volunteer as much. We lost some volunteers to other organizations who could keep their doors open [during the pandemic] when we couldn’t.”

PathForward is now rebuilding its network, offering multiple pathways to those who want to donate their time— from serving meals in the shelter or organizing a clothing closet to sharing their professional expertise. “That could be teaching a computer class or basic financial literacy or yoga or meditation,” Nohra explains.

The nonprofit also engages corporate teams and local service clubs in organized acts of service. This summer, Arlington Kiwanis club members gathered

to make 100 bagged lunch sandwiches for neighbors who are unhoused.

Fikes of Volunteer Arlington says offering plenty of choices—including options for people who can only work virtually or show up occasionally—fits with a philosophy called the Civic Circle. Developed by the Points of Light organization, the Civic Circle concept embraces multiple modes of giving, from donating and volunteering to listening or speaking. The idea, Fikes says, is that, yes, volunteering doesn’t look like it used to. But it doesn’t need to.

“You have to meet [people] where they are,” concurs Jennifer Owens, president and CEO of the Arlington Community Foundation (ACF), which connects county residents with nonprofits to foster philanthropy and volunteerism, and honors outstanding volunteers through its annual Spirit of Community Awards. “We try to discourage the kind of volunteering that’s just

‘Let’s paint a fence one more time.’ That leads to dissatisfaction,” Owens says. People who donate their time want to know that they made a difference.

Like many charitable groups, ACF is exploring various ways to cast a wider net. Soon it will publish a directory of Arlington nonprofits to complement Volunteer Arlington’s work. And the foundation recently changed the mechanics of its well-known scholarship program that provides college tuition assistance to graduating high school seniors. In the past, volunteers reviewing scholarship applications were required to sit in a high school gym at an appointed time reading printed copies. Now they can do the work online.

“The [former approach] was great for older, retired people who didn’t also have to be at the soccer field at that time, or it wasn’t their one day to get groceries,” Owens says. “Now you get assigned a link and you have

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• High-quality, cost-effective care close to home.

Jim Dooley, a retired climate scientist, volunteers with the Arlington Addiction Recovery Initiative and the Arlington CERT program.

■ a world of good

two or three weeks to review [the applications], so you can do it after the kids are in bed. Those scores are really meaningful [in determining] who is going to receive those dollars. Now we have a greater diversity of people to help make those decisions.”

In June, the civic club known for 70 years as the Arlington Committee of 100 rebranded and changed its name to Advance Arlington. Board chair Jeanne Broyhill says Advance Arlington will continue its mission of hosting nonpartisan discussions on a range of community issues—the focus being on bridging ideological divides to prevent polarization. But it plans to be even more intentional and inclusive in its choices of topics and participant outreach going forward.

“I’m optimistic that we’ll continue to be successful in providing a forum for the type of open conversation that so many issues today require,” Broy -

hill says. “We will continue to evolve.”

Arlington Rotary is adapting to the times as well. “As with most organizations, our club has endeavored to increase diversity in membership and adapt to the post-Covid era’s demand for flexibility,” says club president Sherri Barrier Oliver.

Rotary used to host four in-person lunch meetings per month. Now its monthly schedule includes one in-person meeting, one virtual meeting and typically one or more service projects, some of which are combined with a happy hour. “If members can see the difference their volunteer hours, dues and donations make in the community and form friendships and have fun in the process,” Oliver says, “we think our club will be around for another 100 years.”

ON AN EARLY September evening, as the sun was setting, a group of people gathered for a candlelight vigil at

Courthouse Plaza to reflect on the ravages of opioid addiction. Against a backdrop of cutout hearts featuring the names of lives lost, listeners clustered around four speakers who shared their own stories of opioid recovery.

At a small table off to one side, Jim Dooley, 58, stood prepared to teach anyone who was interested in how to administer Narcan, the opioid reversal medicine that has saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

“I’ve trained 2,500 people in Arlington,” says Dooley, a retired climate scientist and longtime volunteer with the Arlington Addiction Recovery Initiative and the Arlington CERT program. “What motivated me to do that was a few years ago, when I read that there were 107,000 [opioid] deaths per year. This is just my modest attempt to alleviate suffering in the world. I don’t think there should be any stigma around keeping people alive.”

Donna and her team went above and beyond, putting together so many special touches for the tours and open house. Cannot say enough good things about Donna!

Dooley also likes to boost the signal of organizations doing good work. This past spring, he posted a note on the Arlington Neighbors Helping Each Other Facebook group to spread the word about the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program, which pairs drivers with cancer patients needing a lift to and from doctor’s appointments.

One person who saw the post was Barcroft resident Jennifer Lis, 57, a former health care consultant. “The post said that all these rides were going unfulfilled, and it seemed pretty flexible,” Lis says. “There was an online training program, a little bit of paperwork and they did a background check, but basically after that I had access to the ride [requests]. I’ve been doing it for three months so far. I will probably do more.”

“There’s so much we can do to support our neighbors,” Kellen MacBeth, the Facebook group’s administrator, wrote on the site in August 2022. “We’ve

raised tens of thousands of dollars for charity, provided help to many who were suffering and inspired numerous spin-off groups who are doing amazing work.”

Rebecca Carpenter is a longtime volunteer teacher with REEP, the Arlington Education and Employment Program, which has educated more than 90,000 adult English language learners from more than 110 countries since 1975 (REEP stands for the program’s former name, the Refugee Education and Employment Program). Carpenter says she has recruited other volunteer teachers by posting on the Facebook group.

“That Arlington Neighbors group is such a gift to the community,” she says. “Just in the name itself, it becomes a self-selecting group of people who want to do good for their neighbors. You know you have a rich pool of people who are naturally inclined to help in their community.”

Whether it’s recruiting volunteers, fundraising for grassroots causes or soliciting product donations to an Amazon wish list, it’s clear that much of what used to happen in service club meeting halls now happens online. The key point, however, is that it’s still happening.

Dooley says that volunteering helped him recover emotionally and physically from a medical event a few years back.

“To me, one of the benefits of volunteering is it connects you to this larger aspect of humanity, so you don’t get lost in the darkness,” he says. “If I’m too much in my head and need to get out and do something, I go online and think, ‘Oh my goodness, there’s so much out there to do.’ ” ■

A former PTA president and Girl Scout troop leader, Kim O’Connell is an active volunteer and writer in Aurora Highlands.

Left to right: Juanita Ferguson, Bean, Kinney & Korman; Manuel Leiva, The Leiva Law Firm; Michelle Kaminsky, ShounBach

TOP ATTORNEYS

Our area’s most respected attorneys as nominated by their peers in the legal community

This feature reflects the results of a survey conducted by Arlington Magazine in which local attorneys were asked to nominate their peers in 21 practice areas. Participants were allowed to recommend attorneys in their own firms, provided they also recommended an equal number of attorneys (or more) in other firms. The list is limited to attorneys who are located in Arlington County, Fairfax County, the City of Falls Church and the City of Alexandria. Arlington Magazine administered the survey but was not involved in the selection process.

Appellate

Beth Bittel

ShounBach

Colleen Haddow

Schinstock & Haddow

David Ginsberg

Cooper Ginsberg Gray

David Masterman

Masterman Krogmann

Doug Ross

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

James Kinsel

Protorae Law

John Cottrell

Cottrell Fletcher & Cotrell

Jon Sheldon

Sheldon & Flood

Juli Porto

Blankingship & Keith

Kristen Kugel

Cooper Ginsberg Gray

Laura Dove

Mullett Dove & Bradley Family Law

Matthew Kaplan

Kaplan Law Firm

Monica Monday

Gentry Locke

Muhammad Elsayed

Elsayed Law

Raighne Delaney

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Bankruptcy/ Creditors Rights

Andrea Campbell Davison

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Ashley Morgan

Ashley Morgan Law

Brian Lee

Lee Legal

Bruce Henry

Henry & O’Donnell

Dan Press

Press & Chung

Don King

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

Jeremy Root

Blankingship & Keith

Robert Marino

Redmon, Peyton & Braswell

Stephen Leach Hirschler

Steve Ramsdell

Tyler, Bartl & Ramsdell

Tom Repczynski

Offit Kurman

Xue Connelly

Friedman, Grimes, Meinken & Leischner

■ top attorneys

Business

Corporate

Benton Burroughs

Reed Smith

Colin Smith

Holland & Knight

David Kuhnsman

Protorae Law

Eric Lemmer

Arlington Law Group

Jennifer Schiffer

Bean, Kinney & Korman

John Cook

Cook Craig & Francuzenko

Justin Banford

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Philip Chung

Chung & Press

Quinton Robinson

Blankingship & Keith

Ryen Rasmus

Lipp Law

Tom Quinn

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

Zach Andrews

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Construction

Alison Mullins

Cipriani Werner

David Gutkwoski

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

Edward Cameron

Cameron McEvoy

Juanita Ferguson

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Michelle West

Fox Rothschild

Robert Moore

Moore & Lee

Shannon Briglia

Smith Currie Oles

Steven Krieger

Steven Krieger Law

Thomas Powell

Offit Kurman

Tim Hughes

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Criminal Defense

Aaron Book

Webster Book

Ann Thayer

The Law Office of Ann Thayer

Anna Dvorchik

MDE Law Group

Brendan Harold

Harold Law Firm

Chris Holley

Holley & Levine

James Abrenio

Abrenio Law

Jennifer Leffler

Leffler Phillips

Manuel Leiva

The Leiva Law Firm

Marina Medvin

Medvin Law

Mark Cummings

Sher, Cummings and Ellis

Matt Kapuscinski

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

Peter Greenspun Greenspun Law

Elder

Betsy Wildhack

MWM Legal Group

Carole Capsalis

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Cary Cucinelli

Cucinelli Geiger

Catherine Schott

Murray Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

Evan Farr Farr Law Firm

Valerie Geiger Cucinelli Geiger

Employee

Broderick Dunn

Cook Craig & Francuzenko

Doug Taylor Bean, Kinney & Korman

Jessica Summers

Lerch Early

John Berry

Berry & Berry

John Cook

Cook Craig & Francuzenko

Katie Lipp Lipp Law

Marc Pasekoff

Shannon & Wright

Maureen Carr

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Tom Spiggle

The Spiggle Law Firm

Employer

Brian Chandler Protorae Law

Declan Leonard

Berenzweig Leonard

Doug Taylor

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Edward Isler

Isler Dare

Garen Dodge

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

John Cook

Cook Craig & Francuzenko

Katie Lipp

Lipp Law

Laurie Kirkland

Blankingship & Keith

Maureen Carr

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Roya Vasseghi

Vasseghi Law Group

Thomas Murphy

Jackson Lewis

Family

Camille Crandall

Hicks Crandall Juhl

Carly Anderson

Cooper Ginsberg Gray

Carolyn Abbate

Grenadier Duffett Levi Winkler & Rubin

Carolyn Grimes

Friedman, Grimes, Meinken & Leischner

Christian Lapham

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Courtney McCarthy

MWM Legal Group

Jennifer Bradley

Mullett Dove & Bradley

Family Law

Jennifer McCammon

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Jennifer Mullett

Mullett Dove & Bradley Family Law

Jessica Leischner

Friedman, Grimes, Meinken & Leischner

Jill Seiferth

Bean, Kinney & Korman

John Byrnes

Kelly Brynes Danker & Luu

Julia Yolles

Blankingship & Keith

Laura Dove

Mullett Dove & Bradley Family Law

Lynn Hawkins

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Mary Huff

Blankingship & Keith

Michelle Kaminsky

ShounBach

Nathan Olson

Cooper Ginsberg Gray

Nicole Grejda

Curran Moher Weis

Rebecca Kinsel

Protorae Law

Sean Schmergel

Schmergel & Mersberger

Sonya Powell

Powell Radomsky

Stephanie Smith

Cooper Ginsberg Gray

Theresa Mihalik

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Government Contracts

Daniel Strouse Cordatis Law

David Black

Holland & Knight

Devon Hewitt

Potomac Law Group

James Boland Venable

Lars Anderson

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

Richard Kelley

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Stephanie Wilson Berenzweig Leonard

Immigration

Eileen Blessinger

Blessinger Legal

Lysandra Pachuta

Pachuta & Kammerman

Ofelia Calderon

Calderon Seguin

Pratibha Agarwal

Agarwal Law Group

Intellectual Property

Jeff Smith

Millen White Zelano & Branigan

Kandis Koustenis

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Kevin Oliveira

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

Michael Fortkort Protorae Law

Ryen Rasmus

Lipp Law

Tim Hsieh

MH2 Technology Law Group

Land Use/ Zoning

Andrew Painter

Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh

Courtney Harden

Briglia Hundley

Evan Pritchard

Wire Gill

Gifford Hampshire

Blankingship & Keith

Mark Viani

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Matt Roberts Hirschler

Michelle Rosati

Altmiller Melnick

DeMers Steele & Rosati

Roy Shannon

Shannon & Wright

Sara Mariska

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

Theodora Stringham

Kramer Elias

Zack Williams Venable

Legal Aid/

Pro Bono

Bruce Blanchard

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

Colleen O’Conor

Legal Services of

Northern Virginia

Robert Stoney

Blankingship & Keith

Litigation

Alexander Lewis

Cooper Ginsberg Gray

Craig Franco

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

John Altmiller

Altmiller Melnick DeMers

Steele & Rosati

Laura Dove

Mullett Dove & Bradley Family Law

Meg Marks

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

Michael Kim

Blankingship & Keith

Mikhael Charnoff

Charnoff Simpson

Raighne Delaney

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Robert Hicks

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Stephanie Smith

Cooper Ginsberg Gray

Steven Krieger

Steven Krieger Law

Zachary Chapman

Shannon & Wright

Nonprofit

Ben Kinder

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

John Hale

Hale Ball Murphy

Tim Hughes Bean, Kinney & Korman

Personal Injury/ Workers Comp

Amy Bradley

Blankingship & Keith

Charles O’Donnell

The Law Offices of

Charles W. O’Donnell

David Marks

David Marks Law

James Abrenio

Abrenio Law

Juli Porto

Blankingship & Keith

Libbey Van Pelt

Libbey Van Pelt Law

Mark Cummings

Sher, Cummings and Ellis

Matthew Perushek

Frei, Mims and Perushek

Real Estate

Blake Frieman

Bean, Kinney & Korman

David Hannah Hirschler

Jane Imperatore

Rodrigues Wright

Jennifer Schiffer

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Jo Anne Bitner

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

John Kelly

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Minturn Wright

Shannon & Wright

Mona Wilcox

M. Wilcox Law

Philip Chung

Chung & Press

Steven Krieger

Steven Krieger Law

Schools & Education

Amanda DeFede

McIntyre DeFede

Ashley Hamilton

Blankingship & Keith

Doug Taylor Bean, Kinney & Korman

Gabrielle Best

Husband

G. Best Husband Law

Joan Proper

The Law Office of Joan H. Proper

Juliet Hiznay

J.D. Hiznay

Tax

Brian Abbott

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

Burton Haynes

Burton J. Haynes, Attorneys at Law

Christopher Wright

Shannon & Wright

Elizabeth Morrogh

Blankingship & Keith

James McNair

Reed Smith

Trusts & Estates

Alvi Aggarwal

Yates Campbell

Christopher Wright

Shannon & Wright

David Knasel

Protorae Law

Deborah Matthews

Law Office of Deborah G. Matthews

Elizabeth Gray

McCandlish Lillard

Gretchyn Meinken

Friedman, Grimes, Meinken & Leischner

James Anderson

Arlington Law Group

Jennifer Lucey

Lucey Law

Jennifer Schiffer

Bean, Kinney & Korman

Lamya Moosa

MWM Legal Group

Martha Sotelo

Vaughn Fincher & Sotelo

Miriam Epstein MDE Law Group

Mona Wilcox

M. Wilcox Law

Pam Morand

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman

Paul Abraham PJI Law

Paul Melnick

Altmiller Melnick

DeMers Steele & Rosati

Ryan Brown

Arlington Law Group

Seth Royster

Shannon & Wright

Xue Connelly

Friedman, Grimes, Meinken & Leischner

MARC PASEKOFF

ROY SHANNON

MINTURN WRIGHT SETH ROYSTER

Profiles

MWM Legal Group, PLLC

Contemplating and dealing with major life events is incredibly stressful. You deserve expert advice to help you make important decisions about your legacy and your future. Our experienced and compassionate team at MWM Legal Group is here to help you plan for your family’s present and future.

200 N. Glebe Road, Suite 1000 Arlington, VA 22203

703-237-0027

www.mwmlegalgroup.com

Q: What makes MWM Legal Group unique?

A: Our legal team is smart, compassionate and warm. We have a wide diversity of experience and expertise that comes from our careers in different industries prior to becoming attorneys in estate planning, estate and trust administration, family law, special needs planning and elder law. We have decades of legal experience and prioritize our connection to our clients on a personal level. In fact, we have many families for whom we have served multiple generations.

Q: What should potential clients know about your firm?

A: We listen first. We dedicate each consultation to carefully understanding

the needs of each individual and each family. Our lawyers never go into a meeting with a potential client with a list of services to sell. We want to help. Our ultimate goal is to help our clients plan for and navigate successfully through some of their most difficult times.

Q: How do you relate to your clients?

A: At MWM Legal Group, we understand that every person, family and situation is unique. As a result, we invest the time to understand our clients and help them define and clarify their needs and objectives, so that they are able to get where they want or need to be. We stay focused on what is best for our clients, realizing that most of their concerns and objectives are highly personal and, at times, stressful and emotionally-charged.

From left: (back row) Elisabeth L. Swanbery, Esq.; Tesia F. Kempski, Esq.; Hannah M. Littlefield, Esq.(seated)

Lamya Moosa, Esq.; Courtney K. McCarthy, Esq.; Elizabeth L. Wildhack, Esq.

Bean, Kinney & Korman, P.C.

Awards/Honors:

Best Places to Work in Virginia

Best Places to Work in Arlington Arlington Magazine Top Attorneys, 20192024

Arlington Magazine Best Family Law Practice, 2018, 2024

2311 Wilson Blvd., Suite 500

Arlington, VA 22201

703-525-4000

info@beankinney.com www.beankinney.com

(Responses provided by Christian Lapham, Shareholder, on behalf of the firm’s family law practice.)

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

A: On a very basic level, we are in the business of helping people solve one of the most challenging problems in their lives. When we are finished helping them, sometimes even weeks or months later, seeing our clients in a better place is always satisfying.

Q: What makes Bean, Kinney & Korman different than other lawyers/ law firms?

A: Because we have subject matter experts in other practice areas (corporate, estate planning, intellectual property, real estate, etc.), we can more

nimbly represent our professional clients. We routinely represent business owners, healthcare professionals and real estate professionals who confront myriad legal issues in their family law case and appreciate the breadth of our practice areas.

Q: What is the most significant change in the legal profession during your career?

A: Certainly, the most significant change we have seen is the rise of mediation, collaborative law and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in helping families solve their unique problems. While we are skilled litigators, litigation makes sense for so few families, and it has been encouraging to see more and more clients and attorneys resolve these cases outside the courtroom.

Family Law Practice, from top left: Christian Lapham, Taylor Klauza, Jill Seiferth, Jennifer McCammon, Theresa Mihalik, Alexandra Fletcher, Lynn Hawkins, Michelle Bieber

Mullett Dove & Bradley Family Law, PLLC

Honors/Awards:

Washingtonian Top Lawyers, 2018-2024

Best Law Firms™ 2015-2025

Best Lawyers™ 2013-2025

Best Lawyers™ 2022 Lawyer of the Year—Family Law

Best Lawyers™ 2024 and 2021 Lawyer of the Year— Collaborative Law

Super Lawyers™ 2013-2024

Virginia Business Magazine Top Lawyers

Northern Virginia Magazine Top Lawyers

Three Ballston Plaza 1100 N. Glebe Road, Suite 1100, Arlington, VA 22201

703-522-8100 | mdb@mdbfamilylaw.com www.mdbfamilylaw.com

Q: How do you relate to your clients?

A: The number one complaint we hear from clients who come to us after working with other firms is that their calls and emails were rarely returned, which left them feeling as if they didn’t know what was happening in their own case. We make client communication a priority, ensuring our clients are involved in developing a strategy for reaching the best resolution possible for their unique circumstance.

Q: What do your clients say about you?

A: “A class act. Competent, smart and tough when needed—yet unfailingly respectful and professional to everyone involved.”

“Took the time to listen to my concerns. I was never treated like a number or a customer.”

“Top-notch representation. Stuck to the relevant points, worked for a quick resolution and kept me abreast of every step as we reached a favorable conclusion.”

“I have recommended MDB to my friends, which I think is the litmus test of their competency.”

“Kind, professional, knowledgeable, attention to detail.”

“Incredibly responsive, offered excellent advice and was an exceptional listener.”

“Available on short notice, provided intelligent analysis/ advice along the way.”

“Prompt responses to my emails and phone calls.”

“Always punctual when something needed to be addressed.”

“Honest and answered my questions based on the law and her experience, not just with an answer I wanted to hear.”

“Superb work ethic and extensive knowledge of the law.”

The Erlich Law Office

JOSHUA ERLICH

Awards/Honors:

Washingtonian—D.C.’s Best Lawyers

Virginia Super Lawyers

Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers

Virginia Business Magazine—Virginia Legal Elite

Virginia State Bar Harry L. Carrico Professionalism Course—Faculty

1550 Wilson Blvd., Suite 700

Arlington, VA 22209

703-791-9087

www.erlichlawoffice.com

Q: How did you get started in civil rights law?

A: I started out in class actions and quickly learned that, while you may represent 40,000 people, you rarely speak to any of them. I wanted to work with individual clients to help people solve their specific problems.

In 2012, I started this firm and I’ve worked closely with well over a thousand clients since then. I help people find justice—whether they’ve been fired unfairly, subjected to police violence or otherwise hurt by individuals in power.

Q: What is keeping you busy right now?

A: We are always busy with cases that involve workplace violence, sexual assaults and racial discrimination. We have seen a lot of pregnancy

discrimination lately, and we’ve also been busy with prisoners’ rights cases. Virginia’s jails and prisons are notoriously dangerous.

Beyond that, Virginia has vastly expanded its employment protections in recent years, including the right to pursue claims for unpaid wages under state law and discrimination laws which cover sexual orientation and gender expression. And we finally have a private sector whistleblower law so you can’t be fired for reporting illegal activity to your supervisor or the government.

Q: What makes you different than other firms?

A: The thing I hear most from clients and potential clients is some version of “thank you for your candor.” We are always straight with people, even if it isn’t what they want to hear.

Sher, Cummings and Ellis

MARK CUMMINGS

Virginia Lawyers Weekly “Hall of Fame”, 2023 “Preeminent” rating by Martindale-Hubbell Super Lawyers since 2007

Best Personal Injury Law Firm, Arlington Magazine, 2023

AVVO Rating: 10

Lawyers of Distinction: Excellence in Civil and Criminal Trials in Federal and State Courts (2023)

Outstanding Foundation Partner Award to Vicky Collins Foundation, David Sher and Mark Cummings, trustees

3800 Fairfax Drive, Suite 7

Arlington, VA 22203

703-525-1200

www.shercummingsandellis.com

Q: What’s an example of something in your professional life that you’re particularly proud of?

A: The firm is proud to have turned a client’s injury and misery into a legacy that gave her suffering lasting meaning.

We represented Vicky Collins, a 33-yearold senate aid, after she suffered a debilitating stroke that left her in “locked in syndrome.” Her lawsuit was a major challenge to our small firm at the time, but we prevailed with a $6,000,000 settlement. In her honor, the firm’s partners created the Vicky Collins Charitable Foundation, a foundation that is centered around providing aid for indigent disabled children. The foundation has provided over $3 million to the Arlington Pediatric Center, Doorways, Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) and other local non-profits.

Q: What makes you different than other law firms?

A: Sher, Cummings and Ellis is a “teaching” law firm that brings a unique dedication, persistence and legal scholarship to our clients’ causes.

Mr. Cummings has been an adjunct professor at Scalia Law School at George Mason University for 25 years and proudly mentors and employs students, playing a vital role in their development as young lawyers. Our office environment is energetic, fast-paced, and always welcoming. We pride ourselves on attention to detail in service of our clients’ varying needs and expectations. Over the past year, the firm eclipsed $7,000,000 in wrongful death and personal injury cases. Additionally, we have resolved scores of civil and criminal cases in the region.

(From left) back row: Solomon Sefera, Mark D. Cummings, David E. Sher, Natalie Nachman, Adam M. Collins; front row: Courtney Robertson, Claire Gorman, Danielle Saman

Sean P. Schmergel, Esq.

SCHMERGEL & MERSBERGER, PLC

Areas of Practice: Divorce, property division, custody, child and spousal support, premarital and separation agreements, protective orders

Recognized as a top family law attorney by Arlington Magazine, Washingtonian, Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers

Secretary, Arlington Bar Association

Co-Chair Judicial Screening Comm., Alexandria Bar Association

Chair, VSB Disciplinary Committee—Alexandria

Admitted in Virginia & D.C.

1550 Wilson Blvd., Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22209 703-549-5335 | sschmergel@smplclaw.com www.smplclaw.com

Q: What is the biggest challenge for a family law attorney?

A: The most challenging aspect of a family law practice is working with clients who are extremely hurt and vulnerable, often at the lowest emotional point in their lives. Their spouse may have been unfaithful or abusive, or they may be cut off from their children. It is difficult for anyone under these circumstances to make sound decisions, particularly those that will impact them and their children for the rest of their lives. The past twentyplus years in family law practice—in addition to having my own family with children—have afforded me the appropriate insight and ability to empathize with these clients, meet their needs and focus them on the family, legal and financial aspects of their cases to achieve the best possible outcome.

Q: What’s an example of something in your professional life that you’re particularly proud of?

A: Our attorneys regularly accept appointments from the local courts as court-appointed counsel or as guardians ad litem for children in abuse matters. I have taken great pride in those cases where a child is spared an abusive situation and goes on to have a happy and successful life. One such case involved a juvenile living with an abusive parent in a nomadic lifestyle under an assumed name with a false birth certificate and social security number. With a herculean effort from the local Department of Human Services, this child was literally given a new lease on life and, for the first time, learned his true identity.

Arlington Law Group

Arlington Magazine Top Attorney Awards:

Ryan A. Brown, Esq.: Business/Corporate (2019, 2021 - 2023), Nonprofit (2019, 2021), Tax (2019, 2023), Trusts & Estates (2019, 2021 - 2024)

Eric M. Lemmer, Esq.: Business/Corporate (2019, 2023, 2024)

Bridget A. Alzheimer, Esq.: Trusts & Estates (2019); Tax (2023)

James F. Anderson, Esq.: Trusts & Estates (2019, 2024)

1739 Clarendon Blvd.

Arlington, VA 22209

703-842-3025 clients@arlingtonlawgroup.com www.arlingtonlawgroup.com

Q: How do you support the Arlington community?

A: Arlington is full of individuals who work tirelessly to help our community thrive. As lawyers, we work directly with local organizations, and we help our individual, business and nonprofit clients as they support our community.

When we prepare and carry out estate plans for clients, one of the most rewarding jobs is helping our clients with charitable legacy planning. It is amazing to see how many individuals volunteer their time to support our local non-profits, and then often leave substantial gifts to organizations, such as the Arlington Community Foundation, to continue to support Arlington for years to come.

We also enjoy helping our small business clients succeed. The many locally and

family-owned businesses in Arlington create jobs and places for our community to connect, and they make Arlington a special place to live and work. In addition to volunteering our time at local organizations like the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the Salvation Army and Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, our firm provides pro bono legal services to several local nonprofits.

Q: What makes the Arlington Law Group team special?

A: After starting as a solo law practice in 2007, we have grown to four attorneys and two paralegals. Each new member of the firm has brought their own expertise, but we are all committed to taking care of our clients and each other. We have been lucky to build a supportive, collaborative environment for our staff, which is reflected in how we help our clients each day.

From left: Eric M. Lemmer, Esq.

Ryan A. Brown, Esq.

Bridget A. Alzheimer, Esq.

James F. Anderson, Esq.

Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, P.C.

Practice Areas: Land Use & Zoning

Real Estate Transactions

Litigation

Business Transactions

Eminent Domain Estate Planning & Administration

2200 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 1300 Arlington, VA 22201

703-528-4700

mgoetzman@thelandlawyers.com thelandlawyers.com

Q: What particular expertise can you offer clients in the Arlington community?

A: Since 1983, Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, P.C. has been a leading presence in Arlington, specializing in land use, zoning, commercial real estate law, civil litigation and real estate transactions. With offices across Northern Virginia, including Arlington, we are deeply connected to the region’s real estate market. Our team handles a broad range of zoning cases, from community projects to Fortune 500 headquarters, with a strong focus on community concerns, sustainability, historic preservation and affordable housing. Our attorneys and planners are highly respected, with many dedicating their careers to Northern Virginia. Their deep involvement in civic and political organizations gives us unparalleled insight and influence. Combined with well-established relationships with local

Arlington Office Shareholders:

Robert D. Brant

Thomas J. Colucci

Nicholas V. Cumings

H. Mark Goetzman

Michael R. Kieffer

Antonia E. Miller

Andrew A. Painter

M. Catharine Puskar

Kathleen Harney Smith

Lynne J. Strobel

authorities, we effectively guide clients through complex legal matters, helping them achieve their goals while actively supporting community causes.

Q: What is your secret to client satisfaction?

A: Client satisfaction at Walsh Colucci stems from our long-term, trusting relationships. We focus on adding significant value to our clients’ assets while positively impacting their communities. Our experience spans diverse projects, from small community initiatives to major corporate developments, each approached with a tailored strategy. Our collaborative environment ensures exceptional service, as our team works closely together to meet clients’ needs. With strong local government relationships and profound regional knowledge, we consistently deliver high-quality solutions, fostering lasting client loyalty.

Charnoff Simpson PLLC

Mike Charnoff practices a wide range of civil and commercial litigation. He has 25 years of experience in jury trials, bench trials and arbitrations throughout Virginia, Maryland and D.C. His trials and motions practice has been covered in The Washington Post, Virginia Lawyers Weekly and national publications.

111 Church St., NW, Suite 202A Vienna, VA 22180 703-291-6550 www.charnoffsimpson.com

Q: What makes you different than other lawyers/law firms?

A: First, we try cases. I’m surprised at how many lawyers litigate but seldom actually conduct a jury trial to verdict. Many cases will settle, but early on you need to be able to close your eyes and picture what the trial will look like. You need to be comfortable sizing up your jury pool, the orientation of the bench, the presentation of the parties and key witnesses, your ability to source just the right expert witness, and otherwise envision what your optimal trial looks like. Experience matters.

Second, I spent a dozen years defending civil cases before I began a significant plaintiff side practice. But, outside of medical malpractice and product liability cases, I still spend half my time

defending cases. This gives our law firm a balanced perspective on accepting cases on either side, how to conduct discovery, how to approach a mediation, how to prepare for trial and how to run a trial. Balance matters.

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

A: The most satisfaction comes from the validation of convincing a judge or jury that your client’s narrative is the right one. You sometimes have to argue around tough facts, juror biases or talented opposing counsel. But when you walk your factfinder through the evidence, walk them through the elements of the cause of action and you can see the light go on, you know you did your best to tell your client’s story.

From left: Eden Mason, Mike Charnoff, Andrew Simpson, Zach Boron

Kelly Byrnes Danker & Luu, PLLC

JOHN E. BYRNES, ESQ.

In addition to Arlington Magazine, John has been consistently recognized by Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers and Northern Virginia Magazine for his legal skills in family law.

3975 Fair Ridge Drive, Suite 275N

Fairfax, VA 22033

703-224-0888 www.kbdfamilylaw.com

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

A: As a family law attorney, I am generally helping people through their most difficult life challenge. Being able to obtain a successful resolution without contested litigation is a very satisfying accomplishment. Helping clients focus on the important matters, while giving credence to all of their concerns, is an essential skill that helps them focus on the critical issues and progress to the next phase of their life.

Reese Law

CATHERINE “KATE” REESE, ESQ.

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Masters in Counseling Leader of the Year 2020, Virginia Lawyers Weekly The Best Lawyers in America® DC and VA Super Lawyers

12150 Monument Drive, Suite 225 Fairfax, VA 22033

703-279-5140 reese.law

Q: What is the most significant change in the legal profession during your career?

A: The introduction of collaborative law in family law has been monumental, letting people utilize self-determination to avoid litigation. Collaborative law is a kinder, gentler process for divorce, custody modifications and other legal proceedings. An early commitment to civility eliminates many disagreements and benefits all parties. The best part is that the clients interact pleasantly and know we are all working toward a peaceful resolution.

Blankingship & Keith, P.C.

Q: What should potential clients know about Blankingship & Keith?

A: Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Fairfax, Blankingship & Keith is a general practice law firm recognized for its exceptional legal services. For nearly 45 years, Blankingship & Keith has been known for our commitment to serve clients diligently, expertly and comprehensively. Our 28 partners and 42 lawyers overall handle most aspects of civil practice, for a diverse clientele, including large corporations, small businesses and individuals.

allowing us to effectively handle complex cases for diverse clients, including individuals, businesses and government entities. Known for our strong track record, collaborative team environment and commitment to community involvement, Blankingship & Keith upholds the highest ethical standards, ensuring we deliver exceptional legal representation with integrity and professionalism.

Q: How do you serve your clients?

12 Attorneys Recognized by The Washingtonian in 2022

10 Attorneys Recognized by Northern Virginia Magazine 2023

703-691-1235

www.blankingshipandkeith.com

Q: What makes you different than other law firms?

A: Blankingship & Keith sets itself apart through a client-centered approach that emphasizes consistent communication and personalized service, particularly within Virginia. The firm combines deep local knowledge and established relationships with a broad range of specialized legal services,

A: Our areas of practice encompass civil litigation, appellate and trial consulting, commercial real estate, condemnation, personal injury, land use, education and local government law, family law, creditor’s rights, estate planning, and general business matters. This broad spectrum of legal services underscores our versatility and depth. We understand that law is a service profession, and we make every effort to deliver services to our clients in accordance with the highest standards.

From left: (front) David Gogal, Laurie Kirkland, Elizabeth Morrogh (back) Amy Bradley, Michael Kim, Juli Porto, Gifford Hampshire, Robert Stoney; Not pictured: Julia Yolles

Smollar Kuntz Locey, PLLC

We are a full-service matrimonial law firm serving clients in the DMV with our considerable experience in a broad range of pre- and post-divorce matters.

1900 L St. NW, Suite 611 Washington, D.C. 20036 202-318-7155 Contact@SKLFamilyLaw.com www.SKLfamilylaw.com

Q: Is now the right time to speak to a divorce lawyer?

A: Every situation is unique, but there is never a bad time to seek information. Meeting with an attorney does not commit you to getting divorced. Whether before or after separation, an initial conference is the best way to gain valuable information about the process and to have an experienced attorney assess your situation. Don’t hesitate to contact us to help you explore all possibilities.

Hicks Crandall

Juhl, P.C.

CAMILLE A. CRANDALL, ESQ.

Attorney Camille Crandall was named a 2024 Arlington Magazine Top Attorney in Family Law, recognized for her expertise, dedication and compassionate client representation.

3201 Jermantown Road, Suite 200 Fairfax, VA 22030 703-691-4848 www.hcj-law.com

Q: What sets HCJ Law apart?

A: We combine specialized family law expertise with a tailored approach. Whether navigating complex financial issues or sensitive family matters, we protect your interests efficiently without wasting resources. Trust and transparency are key.

Q: What areas do you specialize in?

A: We focus on family law, property division, spousal maintenance and custody matters. Our attorneys provide skill, empathy and clear direction through every step.

HILARY

TONY J.

LEWIS

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman, P.C.

For more than 50 years, the attorneys of Odin, Feldman & Pittleman have shared a passion for the law and a commitment to collaborating with clients to find creative, cost-effective solutions for their legal matters. We deliver efficient, practical, reliable solutions for every client. Every time. Since 1972.

1775 Wiehle Ave., Suite 400

Reston, VA 20190

703-218-2100 www.ofplaw.com

Q: What is the secret of Odin, Feldman & Pittleman’s success in an extremely competitive industry?

A: OFP provides clients with expert legal counsel and a full range of services tailored to support a business through seasons of both growth and challenge. We’re former prosecutors, clerks and accountants, city planners, and trusted advisers practicing law in a collegial, entrepreneurial environment. Our attorneys have the freedom to chart their own course and follow their passions as they build their practice and qualifications. Our associates find challenging, hands-on opportunities out of the gate. Many lateral partners find the rest of their careers with us. The firm’s attorneys are collocated in a single office, encouraging collaboration and enabling close communication. This environment fosters diversity of thought, allows flexibility in practice develop-

ment and places an emphasis on collaborative client relationships.

Q: Why should prospective clients choose to work with Odin, Feldman & Pittleman?

A: OFP’s attorneys offer a depth of experience and capabilities across industries and issues, including experience handling complex litigation and transactions. We make big-firm expertise accessible to clients of all sizes. Our solid reputation for effective client representation reflects our extensive knowledge and tenacity. Each year, our attorneys are recognized among the best in the industry by Super Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America®and Virginia Business magazine’s Legal Elite. OFP’s attorneys handle sophisticated and complex transactions to help our clients protect and maximize their business investments. When you hire OFP, you get practical solutions that protect your interests.

Arlington Magazine Odin Feldman Pittleman

2024 Top Attorneys: (from left) Jo Anne Bitner, Catherine Schott Murray, David Gutkowski, Lars Anderson, Garen Dodge, Matthew Kapuscincki (seated) Sara Mariska, Pamela Morand; Not pictured: Brian Abbott, Bruce Blanchard, Craig Franco, Benjamin Kinder, Don King, Meg Marks, Kevin Oliveira, Tom Quinn, Doug Ross

Painted millwork in an archway off the foyer hides a coat closet.

Hill HOUSE ON A

This Arlington property had enviable views that weren’t maximized. So the architect and owners pivoted.

STORY BY NIGEL F. MAYNARD | PHOTOS BY STACY ZARIN GOLDBERG

Kevin and Alyssa Wheeler lived in Washington, D.C., for many years—first in Mount Vernon Triangle and then in Southwest—but, like many urbanites, they yearned for a single-family home where they could start a family. Their search took them to Arlington.

“We zeroed in on a couple of potential neighborhoods, but ultimately settled on Country Club Hills,” says Kevin, an attorney who works in private practice. (Alyssa is also a lawyer.) “A large part of it was because of the location and how accessible it is.”

The neighborhood hit all the right notes, with its mature trees, diverse mix of architectural styles and easy commute into D.C.

Bonus: The elevated property they ended up buying in 2020 offered views of the National Cathedral and beyond, although the existing house on the lot wasn’t taking advantage of that asset.

In fact, the old home, a split-level, had seen better days. Built around 1940, it wasn’t in great shape. Razing it and starting from scratch made sense.

To build the five-bedroom house of their dreams, the Wheelers select -

ed GTM Architects in Bethesda and Arlington contractor Ventura Group. “We were aware of GTM because we had seen them around,” Kevin says, “but we have a close mutual friend who introduced us to [principal] Mark Kaufman.”

The couple’s brief to Kaufman was relatively simple. They wanted “a traditional home that had updated styling” and pointed to a GTM-designed home they liked in Chevy Chase as a starting point. “It wasn’t a replica, but it definitely provided some inspiration for our house,” Kevin says.

Kaufman’s first—and perhaps most important—decision was where to position the 7,000-square-foot residence on the lot, which spanned nearly a third of an acre. The previous house had faced east, with a 14-foot slope running from south to north. The Wheelers had a strong preference for a sunny, southfacing front door.

“We had to reorient and rethink how the lot was being utilized,” Kaufman says, “meaning if there’s a big sloping lot from left to right … it’s now gonna be from the front of the house to the back of the house.”

Rotating the new home’s orientation opened up a number of design opportunities. It allowed the architects to tuck a garage into the lower level, add a terrace and a pool in back, and maximize the views from the upper floors.

“With the slope, they’re able to drive under the house into the basement level for the garage, so we’re not sacrificing any first floor living space for a two-car garage,” Kaufman says. “And because we have a full walk-out on the north side of the house, you get great light.”

In addition to the garage, the lower level contains an exercise room, wine cellar, guest bedroom and rec room, and connects to a covered patio with access to the pool.

The main level is essentially a modified open plan. A foyer flanked by a dining room on one side and a living room (“which we call the ‘piano room’ because that’s what we use it for,” Alyssa says) on the other leads to the kitchen in back. The main floor also has a powder room, home office, screened porch, stairs and an elevator.

The uppermost level features three generously sized bedrooms, plus an owner’s suite with a large deck that captures views of the D.C. skyline to the north.

High ceilings (10 feet on the main level and 9 feet in the bedrooms) make the spaces feel grand. A collaboration with Bethesda-based interior designer Erica Burns produced an aesthetic that can be described as “pared back traditional,” with beefy trim work, crown moldings, wall paneling and extra-large windows.

“On the first floor, we did 9-foot-tall double-hung windows. They start about 9 inches above the floor and go all the way up,” Kaufman says. “In the main family room spaces, you really want to have a lot of connection to the outside and a lot of daylight.”

The kitchen exudes French country vibes with white-painted perimeter cabinets topped with quartz countertops, and an island with the same door style but rendered in oak. A blue French range strikes a dashing pose and is complemented by a large, plaster-finished range hood. For continuity, the same plaster technique was used on the fireplace in the adjacent family room. With its pitched roof, operable shutters, copper gutters and downspouts, and clapboard siding, the house fits in nicely among the neighboring Tudors, Colonials and Federal-style homes. The whitewashed brick was a client request. Additional cladding in fiber ce-

The rear of the new home faces north with a covered walk-out patio, a screened porch and an upperlevel deck off the owner's suite.

ment and composite slate contribute to a low maintenance exterior.

“A lot of the material you see on the house is consistent within the neighborhood,” says the architect. “We might have used it in a slightly different manner or had some different architectural elements.” But the palette speaks the same language.

As in so many successful custom homes, landscaping completes the look. A plan by D.C. landscape architect Joseph Richardson uses retaining walls to create terraces, combined with an array of trees, shrubs and flowering plants for privacy and aesthetics.

Having lived in their new home for two years now—during which they welcomed a baby boy—the Wheelers say it’s everything they hoped it would be.

“The benefit of building a custom home is that we were able to design it with our life in mind,” Alyssa says. “The spaces feel like they all have their

purpose, which was really important to us. We didn’t want [anything to feel] awkward. Everything has a purpose. I think that helps it feel like home.” ■

Nigel F. Maynard is a writer and DIY home remodeler in historic Hyattsville, Maryland. Follow him on Instagram @products_ hound and @custom_home_hacker.

PROJECT CREDITS

Architect:

GTM Architects, gtmarchitects.com

Interior Designer: Erica Burns Interiors, ericaburns.com

Landscape Design: Richardson & Associates Landscape Architecture, jrichardsonla.com

Builder: Ventura Group, venturagroupllc.com

Kitchen Cabinetry: Amy Collins, Division 12 Design

The kitchen (right) features a luxe French range, gold fixtures and a large oak island. The plaster finish on the range hood is repeated in the family room fireplace (below).

Kitchen and Bath Showcase

ODE Design

205 W. Jefferson St., Falls Church, VA 22046

703-534-2500 | info@ode-design.com www.ode-design.com | IG: @ode_design_

BIO:

ODE Design by Sagatov Design + Build is a custom architecture and design firm offering newbuild, full-scale renovation and comprehensive furnishing services. For over forty years, our team has been continuously pushing boundaries by incorporating the newest materials and building practices to create organic modern homes.

OUR WORK:

Using the organic warmth of wood, stone and marble to contrast the high-tech matte finish on the cabinets allows this kitchen to exist as a functional work of art. Architectural lighting spotlights the work surfaces, while the handcrafted pendant acts as a 3D sculpture of restraint. The millwork includes custom walnut trim and grain-matched panels on the fridge and freezer.

The primary bathroom uses the same palette of dark and light with natural stone and wood to create a tailored space that includes tall storage cabinets, a custom mirrored wall with medicine cabinets and a glass-enclosed wet room with a freestanding tub and three shower heads. Natural lighting floods the space due to the strategically placed corner window in the wet room and the center skylight. Heated floors, textural leather pulls and ramp-style sinks are some of the specialized details in this space.

Bowers Design Build

703-506-0845 | info@BowersDesignBuild.com www.BowersDesignBuild.com

BIO:

For over 34 years, our talented in-house staff of architects, designers and construction professionals has been delivering beautiful, functional renovations and new homes! Our creative and needs-based designs and exceptional construction process have earned us a loyal client base with 30% repeat business!

OUR WORK:

We’re all about client happiness. Our award-winning projects, including kitchens and baths, start with understanding your needs. The result? A stunning, highly functional space with construction integrity you’ll enjoy for years. This Arlington family adored their charming 1930s stone home, but an odd two-level rear addition added by a previous owner was a letdown. It added space but left the tiny kitchen intact and created cumbersome circulation throughout the main level. They dreamed of a larger eat-in kitchen that would flow seamlessly to their family room. Moving the kitchen to the addition allowed us to repurpose the old kitchen into a large walk-in pantry. Relocating the laundry and powder room created room for a large eat-in space. Our talented design and construction team is excited to help you explore endless possibilities, always keeping your budget and timeline front and center. We love helping clients create something amazing! To see all the before and after photos of this project, visit BowersDesignBuild.com.

Arlington Designer Homes Construction, LLC

4719 24th Road North, Arlington, VA 22207 703-475-9313 | arlingtondesignerhomes@gmail.com www.ArlingtonDesignerHomes.com

BIO:

Andrew Moore is president of Arlington Designer Homes. As an Arlington native, he has served his community in many different ways, including as a translator at the Arlington Free Clinic and president of the Custom Builders Council. Mr. Moore lives in South Arlington with his wife, two kids and dog Sara.

OUR WORK:

Arlington Designer Homes is a true custom design-build firm. We specialize in green and energy-efficient building. We are the proud winners of more Arlington County Green Home Choice awards than any other firm. We build new custom homes and remodels in and around Northern Virginia, and we never build the same house twice. As an Arlington-based company, we understand what it takes to design and build within the regulations and process of Arlington County. The first step in every new project is understanding what you can and cannot do. Any construction project, whether building new or remodeling, is complicated. We have broken that process down into manageable parts and created systems that allow us to better serve each customer’s unique needs on a project-by-project basis. Visit our website at www.arlingtondesignerhomes.com or contact us today at arlingtondesignerhomes@gmail.com for a professional consultation. We build for the way you live!

TriVistaUSA Design + Build

3103 N. 10th St., Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22201 703-243-3171 | info@trivistausa.com www.trivistausa.com

BIO

Voted Best Remodeler 2024 by the readers of Arlington Magazine, TriVistaUSA Design + Build’s trusted team of architects, interior designers and skilled craftsmen will turn your goals into a reality. We aim to provide creative bespoke solutions on time and on budget, achieving beautiful results for every lifestyle.

OUR WORK

This Arlington home transformation focused on creating a spa-like ambiance in the primary bathroom and refreshing the kitchen. In the bathroom, we reconfigured the layout to add a bathtub while maintaining two sinks and ample vanity storage. The spacious shower was redesigned as a wet room, featuring elegant neutral tile work.

In the kitchen, we addressed 14 years of wear by refacing the cabinets and installing new, durable countertops and a stylish backsplash. The couple’s vision for a hood that matched the cabinetry was beautifully realized, elevating the space while preserving the open concept layout and existing appliances. The project resulted in a harmonious blend of functionality and beauty in both essential areas of their home.

MC3 Design

1308 Vincent Place, McLean, VA 22101

202-599-7779 | info@mc3group.com www.mc3group.com

BIO:

MC3 Design was established by husband-and-wife duo, John McKenna and Maya Chehab, as a family-owned architectural and design-build firm based in McLean, Virginia. Our projects range from new builds to complex renovations. We specialize in crafting designs that effortlessly blend aesthetics, functionality and innovation.

OUR WORK:

MC3 is a full-service architectural firm offering bespoke designbuild services to both residential and commercial clients. We work closely with each client to create spaces that meet their individual needs while also drawing from industry best practices to create a unique product that withstands the test of time.

MC3 works along the east coast and we are AIA licensed architects in Virginia, Washington D.C., Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida. Our architecture background enables us to go beyond the services of traditional design-build firms. With MC3, you have a licensed architect on your side from start to finish, ensuring that your project is done correctly the first time.

Whether you are looking to build your dream home, renovate your existing space or understand the art of the possible, MC3 can be your one-stop-shop from initial design all the way through to movein day ensuring a seamless and stress-free experience.

Alair Homes Arlington

202-409-1280

www.AlairHomes.com/Arlington

BIO:

Alair Homes, an award-winning custom builder with 20+ years of experience, serves Arlington, McLean, D.C. and Falls Church from our Arlington and new Falls Church offices. We specialize in custom homes, additions and renovations delivering outstanding results through a transparent, client-focused process that brings each homeowner’s vision to life.

THE PROJECT:

Our team recently transformed a 1,400-square-foot South Arlington home into a 4,500-square-foot modern craftsman-style residence, perfect for family living and entertaining. Working within zoning restrictions, we preserved part of the original foundation, expanding and elevating the space to meet the homeowner’s needs.

This new home offers ample living space with five bedrooms, six bathrooms and an au pair suite. The open-concept main floor boasts a spacious great room, a modern kitchen with high-end paneled appliances, an oversized quartzite island and a butler’s pantry. On the second floor, a luxurious primary suite includes a spa-like bathroom with a spacious walk-in shower featuring dual showerheads, sleek floating vanities and a freestanding soaking tub. Every detail of this home reflects our commitment to craftsmanship, from the wall-mounted faucets to the custom lighting features and white oak flooring stained to perfection.

Schroeder Design Build

3918 Prosperity Ave., Suite 100, Fairfax, VA 22031

703-449-1700 | info@schroederdesignbuild.com schroederdesignbuild.com

BIO:

Schroeder Design Build is a second-generation family-owned designbuild firm specializing in kitchen and bathroom remodels, additions, whole-house renovations and outdoor living spaces. Our skilled team is dedicated to maximizing your home’s comfort and value. We offer all-inclusive pricing, multiple design options, and a personalized, transparent process for a seamless remodeling experience.

THE PROJECT:

Looking to transform your home into a blend of modern style and functional ease? This Falls Church family did just that with the help of Schroeder Design Build! They brought their 1957 home into the 21st century, crafting an accessible, family-friendly space that’s as beautiful as it is practical.

From spacious walkways and custom storage solutions to a dreamy pantry with ample space, this home is all about modern living. A touch of luxury ties everything together with Wellborn cabinetry in satin oyster, elegant matte black fixtures and a stunning QMSI quartz countertop in Calacutta Miraggio Gold.

With its elegant finishes and thoughtful design, this renovation proves that functionality and style go hand in hand. Explore the transformation that took this classic home to the next level of sophistication!

AJ Building Services LLC

Servicing Northern VA 703-638-4666 | aj.bld.services@gmail.com www.ajbuildingservices.com | IG: @ajbldservices

BIO:

We’re a family-owned and -operated home remodeling company with more than 40 years of experience in new custom home building, additions and remodeling. That experience is invaluable with projects in Arlington because the homes have a wide range of ages, styles and homeowner needs. We’ve seen just about everything and solved many building challenges for our clients.

OUR WORK:

“AJ Building Services is, by far, the best contractor I’ve had the pleasure of working with. We feel very fortunate to have found AJ as they are very honest and only do quality work. Our addition came out beautifully and we are much happier as a family. Andy and Daniel stay within budget and communicate with you every step of the way. Also, they finished my addition ahead of time. They will do a walkthrough with you and make sure you are satisfied. AJ Building Services is the only contractor who has ever checked on us after the project was done to make sure we are truly happy. AJ is a keeper, and I will not hire anyone else to do projects in my home.” —M.C.

Van Metre Design+Build

43045 Van Metre Drive, Suite 175, Broadlands, VA 20148

703-764-5440 | info@vanmetredesignbuild.com www.vanmetredesignandbuild.com

BIO:

We are a full-service design firm that specializes in bespoke custom homes and luxury renovations. With a highly skilled team, we bring our clients’ visions to life through meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to exceptional quality. Our timeless design with contemporary elements result in spaces that are both classic and on-trend.

OUR WORK:

Whether it’s creating a stunning architectural masterpiece or transforming a space into a functional and elegant sanctuary, our experienced professionals work closely with each client to understand their unique preferences, needs and aspirations. We believe that every project is a reflection of our clients’ individual styles, which is why we invest the time to ensure their vision is fully realized. Our team takes pride in surpassing expectations with every detail, offering personalized solutions that blend aesthetics, functionality and innovation. From concept to completion, Van Metre Design+Build provides a seamless, transparent and collaborative experience. We guide our clients through every step of the design and construction process, fostering clear communication and trust. Whether it’s a custom home or a luxury renovation, we ensure the journey of building or renovating is as enjoyable and rewarding as the result, delivering a space that exceeds all expectations.

CR Custom Homes

2430 S. Kenmore St., Arlington, VA 22206

703-525-5255 | office@commonwealthrestorations.com www.builtbyCR.com | IG: @builtbyCR

BIO:

Since 1971 Commonwealth Restorations has been an innovative leader in the construction and remodeling industry in Arlington and the greater Northern Virginia area. To better serve those looking to build a new home, sell their lot or buy new, we launched CR Custom Homes—a designated new build division—this past year. We are a locally-owned and -operated business, and we are proud to call many of our clients neighbors and friends.

OUR WORK:

CR Custom Homes creates state of the art homes that exceed industry standards by providing excellent care and craftsmanship. We offer what few other home builders can, paying attention to the details from the beginning of a project and using the highest selection of products as a starting point. It’s our standard—never an upgrade—to provide high-grade lumber, quality brand products, and detailed coordination with our expert design and construction team. For our clients who are more involved from the beginning of a project, we aim to deliver a superior customer experience, with open communication, transparent budgeting, staffing and onsite organization. Building on our breadth of experience in home renovations, we can confidently and successfully make your dream home come to life. Contact us today to learn more.

Sullivan | photo by Anice Hoachlander

Nature’s Embrace

With this view, why would you ever get out of bed?

THE AGING SPLIT-LEVEL that occupied this lot in Lake Barcroft wasn’t much of a looker, but the couple who bought it knew they’d stumbled upon a rarity in this real estate market: waterfront property. They hired Falls Church architect Charles Moore to maneuver a whole-house remodel, completed in 2011, that maximizes views of the serene lake in back.

“The most spectacular spot in the house is the master bedroom ‘cube’ perched high above the property,” says Moore, who worked with senior associate Jill Gilliand and Falls Church builder GN Contracting to rethink and reorient the home’s primary forms.

Though the street-facing front facade still maintains a low profile, the rear of

the residence achieves some serious vertical, thanks to a steep, sloping yard that drops 46 feet down to the lake’s edge. Occupying the uppermost floor, the owners’ suite feels like a treehouse, enjoying unobstructed views of water and woods.

“Floor-to-ceiling windows [on two sides] create a wonderful connection and transparency to the outdoors,” Moore says. Maple wood floors and a floating walnut wall partition behind the bed complete the aesthetic.

Speaking of that handsome wall partition—it also serves a secondary purpose. To avoid cluttering the view with dressers and other furniture, the plan tucks a walk-in closet, extra storage and a dressing area behind it, out of sight.

Clerestory windows wrap the space

on all sides, channeling natural light inside during the day. Motorized solar blinds hidden inside a wide valance can be lowered to block the morning sun and prevent unwanted heat gain, but they aren’t really needed for modesty.

“The floor elevation of the master bedroom is approximately 66 feet above the water level of the lake,” Moore says. “Looking out into the foliage, the space is quite private.” ■

PROJECT CREDITS:

Architect: Moore Architects, moorearch.com

Builder: GN Contracting, gncontracting.com

August’s Most Expensive Home Sales

22201

(Arlington)

2513 11th St. N.

List Price: $3.2 million

Sale Price: $3.2 million

Days on Market: 6

Listing Office: eXp Realty

Neighborhood: Clarendon

Year Built: 2015

Bedrooms: 7

Full/Half Baths: 6/1

22202

(Arlington)

2110 S. Grant St.

List Price: $1.1 million

Sale Price: $1.1 million

Days on Market: 6

Listing Office: Compass

Neighborhood: Addison Heights

Year Built: 1930

Bedrooms: 3

Full/Half Baths: 3/0

22203 (Arlington)

6004 Fourth St. N.

List Price: $1.7 million

Sale Price: $1.7 million

Days on Market: 7

Listing Office: KW Metro Center

Neighborhood: Spy Hill

Year Built: 1995

Bedrooms: 5

Full/Half Baths: 3/1

22204 (Arlington)

5421 Fourth St. S.

List Price: $1.68 million

Sale Price: $1.63 million

Days on Market: 23

Listing Office: Perennial Real Estate

Neighborhood: Carlin Springs

Year Built: 2023

Bedrooms: 4

Full/Half Baths: 4/1

This information, courtesy of Bright MLS as of Sept. 16, 2024, includes homes sold in August 2024, 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 100,000 real estate professionals who in turn serve over 20 million consumers. For more information, visit brightmls.com.

44th St. N., Arlington SALE PRICE: $6.4 MILLION

■ prime numbers

22205 (Arlington)

1300 N. Quintana St.

List Price: $1.98 million

Sale Price: $1.96 million

Days on Market: 22

Listing Office: Compass

Neighborhood: Madison Manor

Year Built: 2024

Bedrooms: 5

Full/Half Baths: 4/1

22206 (Arlington)

4217 36th St. S.

List Price: $725,000

Sale Price: $725,000

Days on Market: 4

Listing Office: eXp Realty

Neighborhood: Fairlington Glen

Year Built: 1940

Bedrooms: 3

Full/Half Baths: 2/0

22207 (Arlington)

3901 44th St. N.

List Price: $7 million

Sale Price: $6.4 million

Days on Market: 5

Listing Office: Yeonas & Shafran Real Estate

Neighborhood: None listed

Year Built: 1951

Bedrooms: 3

Full/Half Baths: 2/0

22209 (Arlington)

1881 N. Nash St., #702

List Price: $1.8 million

Sale Price: $1.71 million

Days on Market: 48

Listing Office: RLAH @properties

Neighborhood: Rosslyn

Year Built: 2009

Bedrooms: 2

Full/Half Baths: 2/1

22213 (Arlington)

2705 N. Venable St.

List Price: $1.55 million

Sale Price: $1.51 million

Days on Market: 43

Listing Office: Compass

Neighborhood: Berkshire Oakwood

Year Built: 1952

Bedrooms: 6

Full/Half Baths: 5/1

22101 (McLean)

1111 Ingleside Ave.

List Price: $5 million

Sale Price: $4.8 million

Days on Market: 47

Listing Office: Keller Williams Realty

Neighborhood: Reids Grove

Year Built: 2024

Bedrooms: 7

Full/Half Baths: 7/2

22102 (McLean)

7789 Solitude Court

List Price: $3.15 million

Sale Price: $3.15 million

Days on Market: 3

Listing Office: Long & Foster Real Estate

Neighborhood: Garfield Park

Year Built: 2000

Bedrooms: 5

Full/Half Baths: 4/1

22041 (Falls Church)

3609 Bent Branch Court

List Price: $1.6 million

Sale Price: $1.44 million

Days on Market: 103

Listing Office: Burch Real Estate Group

Neighborhood: Barcroft Woods

Year Built: 1962

Bedrooms: 3

Full/Half Baths: 3/1

22042 (Falls Church)

903 Hillwood Ave.

List Price: $1.35 million

Sale Price: $1.46 million

Days on Market: 6

Listing Office: KW Metro Center

Neighborhood: Hillwood

Year Built: 1937

Bedrooms: 5

Full/Half Baths: 4/1

22043 (Falls Church)

6601 Rockmont Court

List Price: $2.88 million

Sale Price: $2.88 million

Days on Market: 0

Listing Office: Non-subscribing office

Neighborhood: Merrell Park

Year Built: 2024

Bedrooms: 7

Full/Half Baths: 7/2

22044

(Falls Church)

3425 Stoneybrae Drive

List Price: $1.25 million

Sale Price: $1.21 million

Days on Market: 11

Listing Office: RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

Neighborhood: Lake Barcroft

Year Built: 1961

Bedrooms: 4

Full/Half Baths: 3/0

22046 (Falls Church)

303 Shadow Walk

List Price: $2.29 million

Sale Price: $2.29 million

Days on Market: 0

Listing Office: Century 21 Redwood Realty

Neighborhood: Great Falls/Little Falls

Year Built: 2024

Bedrooms: 5

Full/Half Baths: 4/1

3609 Bent Branch Court, Falls Church SALE PRICE: $1.44 MILLION

Real Estate Sales Trends

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22209

22102

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22043

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At Arlington Community Federal Credit Union, we proudly support leaders like Jorge Figueredo, who make meaningful impact through organizations like Edu-Futuro. Just as Edu-Futuro provides essential resources for future leaders, ACFCU is committed to offering financial solutions that help businesses and individuals achieve their goals. Because when our community thrives, we all succeed.

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Up WoodFired

Chef David Guas brings charm and good eats— with hints of New Orleans—to McLean.

BY DAVID HAGEDORN | PHOTOS BY DEB LINDSEY

I’M NOT OFTEN INTRIGUED by every food item on a menu. But I was on my first visit to Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen, the full-service restaurant chef David Guas opened in McLean in June. One starter in particular grabbed my attention because it transported me back to trips to New Orleans with my father, who loved the chargrilled oysters at Acme Oyster House and Drago’s. For his version, Guas roasts six wild-caught Chesapeake bivalves with lemony garlic butter in the 700-degree wood-fired oven that was left behind by the building’s previous tenant, a pizzeria. Lightly poached during their pass through the fire, the oysters arrived crusted with golden brown Parmesan cheese. I added a few dashes of Crystal hot sauce, slurped them down and sopped up the garlicky liquid with French bread from the Crescent City’s Leidenheimer Baking Co.

Resisting the urge to order a second helping, I downed my glass of Boxwood

rosé and tried the Pink Palm, a housemade frosé bumped up with vodka, strawberry, basil and lime.

The next dish to arrive was pimento cheese—a fan favorite that Guas has carried over from his beloved Bayou Bakery in Arlington. Here, the Southern staple is made even dreamier by its accompanying saltines, which are

dredged in clarified butter, sprinkled with everything seasoning and re-baked for schmearing.

Neutral Ground is, in many ways, a reflection of the Guas family’s life story. The chef, 49, is a first-generation Cuban American whose father fled Castro’s regime as a teenager with his family in 1959. Guas and his wife, public relations executive Simone Rathlé, hail from New Orleans, where both worked at that city’s prestigious Windsor Court hotel— he as a pastry chef and she doing PR— although not concurrently. They met in Washington, D.C., in 1998, when Windsor Court’s executive chef, Jeff Tunks, offered Guas a job at a restaurant he was opening in the District called DC Coast (for which Rathlé was doing the PR).

They married a year later and eventually raised two sons, Kemp and Spencer, in a neighborhood six minutes from the stretch of Old Dominion Drive that is now home to Neutral Ground.

Guas’ career flourished in the DMV.

David Guas and Simone Rathlé

He helped DC Coast’s parent company—Passion Food Hospitality—launch other restaurants, wrote two cookbooks ( Dam Good Sweet in 2009 and  Grill Nation in 2015), had a 12-episode run hosting American Grilled on the Travel Channel and, in 2010, opened Bayou Bakery in Courthouse.

For years, neighbors and friends beseeched him to open a straightforward, unfussy American bar and grill in McLean. With the pandemic be -

hind him and empty-nester-hood before him, he finally felt the timing was right. The 4,000-square-foot former Assaggi Osteria space, which seats 100 inside with a 14-seat bar, fit the bill with plenty of parking, outdoor seating for 20, and that workhorse woodburning oven.

The restaurant’s name was chosen with intention. It references the chef’s current home outside the nation’s capital, where fraught political conver-

sations are the norm, as well as his Louisiana hometown, where, in the mid-19th century, the green space median on Canal Street that separated rival French Creole and Anglo-American neighborhoods was referred to as “neutral ground.”

Guas puts the wood-fired oven he inherited to good use. Fueling it with a combination of oak and applewood, he roasts the red peppers for his pimento cheese in it, and—drawing inspiration from a viral TikTok recipe by Baked by Melissa—chars cabbage wedges that are then shredded to fashion a salad with Parisian cucumbers and a yogurtbased green goddess dressing packed with serrano chilies and fresh herbs.

A scored, salted whole branzino hits the oven until its skin is crackling, its flesh perfectly cooked in the center. The fish is joined by a potato-cauliflower purée, an orangey olive tapenade and a pile of mizuna from Arlington’s Fresh Impact Farms.

A thick, 12-ounce brined and fireroasted Duroc pork chop is smoky, charkissed and divinely tender, served with mustard sauce and apple-fennel slaw. Even dessert takes a turn in that oven. Smoked mandarin orange segments in burnt orange caramel adorn a flourless chocolate cake layered with crunchy praline and enrobed in a shiny dark chocolate glaze.

Fried quail with sweet-sourspicy sauce and pickled cucumbers

Black pepper pavlova with blueberries and tarragon lime cream

Starting with a bowl of crispy fried shoestring Vidalia onions is de rigueur at Neutral Ground. They’re delectable even without their buttermilk-dill ranch dressing. With it, they’re otherworldly.

Mushroom fans (like me) will love the spinach salad dressed with a simple balsamic vinaigrette and rife with a mélange of roasted and charred oyster, baby portabella and shiitake mushrooms, accented with Parmesan shavings.

Guas has wisely resurrected a winning appetizer from his DC Coast days—a fine tartare of cubed ahi tuna tossed with coconut milk, serrano chilies, lime juice, cilantro and fish sauce and offered with wonton crackers.

Entrées also shine at Neutral Ground. The menu touts tender quail, doublefried, Korean-style, for extra crunch, as “gbd” (golden brown and delicious). That’s truth in advertising. With its sweet-and-sour gochujang glaze, it’s literally finger-licking good, although resorting to that cleanup tactic isn’t necessary. The dish is delivered with napkin service—extra rolled-up cotton dinner napkins and hand wipes stamped with the American flag.

Thoughtful details like this abound. Each table is outfitted with a silverware tray so that if a server fails to replace utensils after a course, diners can do it themselves. Smart.

Two other mains also get napkin service. A smashburger made with two

3.5-ounce Shenandoah Randall Lineback beef patties from Virginia has all the fixings (American cheese, housemade pickles, shaved Vidalia onions, yellow mustard and ketchup on a potato bun) and is as delightfully messy as it sounds. So are the New Orleansstyle barbecue shrimp, which are griddled head-on, in-the-shell, and served with a Worcestershire, butter and lemon-based sauce for dunking.

D.C.-based //3877 designed the restaurant space, but Rathlé masterminded the fixtures and finishes. It’s a bright and airy spot with a tropical vibe—a nod to Guas’ Cuban and Louisiana roots—with a little Palm Springs, Lilly Pulitzer and a dash of Golden Girls thrown in. Think blond wood flooring, palmetto leaves, rattan pendants, cane panels and boldly patterned Spoonflower wallpaper in shades of grassy green, sunset orange and hot pink.

I’d prefer the lighting a little lower, the mellow music a little louder and some additional soundproofing, but these are minor quibbles.

Guas is a pastry chef, so don’t pass up dessert, be it his perfect rendition of creme brulee, a lemon icebox tart with blistered strawberries, or a baked meringue pavlova spiked with black pepper and topped with stewed blueberries and tarragon-lime whipped cream. Any choice guarantees a lasting impression that is anything but neutral. ■

NEUTRAL GROUND BAR + KITCHEN

6641 Old Dominion Drive, McLean 703-992-9095

neutralgroundbarandkitchen.com

HOURS

Tuesday through Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m.

PARKING

There is a very large parking lot behind the restaurant.

PRICES

Snacks: $7 to $9

Salads and appetizers: $12 to $22

Entrées: $20 to $48

Desserts: $11 to $13

WHAT TO DRINK

Neutral Ground offers 13 signature cocktails ($12 to $15), two of which are zero proof. Among the spirited offerings are the Neutral Ground (pineapple rum, dry vermouth, Curaçao, grenadine and blackstrap bitters); the Sunset Spritz (Aperol, amaro, orange juice, lemon juice, sparkling wine); and the Peychaud’s Original (rye, Herbsaint liqueur, demerara sugar, Peychaud’s bitters).

The well-curated wine list numbers 35 selections, including three zero-proof options and one orange wine, in addition to the usual reds, whites, bubblies and rosés. Wines range from $42 to $159 per bottle, with 16 available by the glass ($10 to $20). There are also four wines ($8 to $16) and four beers ($7 to $9) on tap.

The Pink Palm, a frosé-style cocktail

David Hagedorn

Taking Flight

Kabir Amir and Swati Bose are proving the adage that when one door closes, another opens. In 2014, the husband-and-wife team realized their dream, leaving jobs in policy and finance to open Flight Wine Bar in D.C.’s Penn Quarter neighborhood.

Hailed for its reasonably priced wines sourced from all over the world, the place was nominated in 2020 and 2023 for a James Beard Foundation award for Outstanding Wine Program. But on the eve of Flight’s 10th anniversary in 2024, the couple made the painful decision to

not renew their lease.

“We didn’t realize the impact Covid would have on the neighborhood,” says Bose. “The four years that followed were excruciating.”

Now the good news: The duo is on track to resurrect their business in January as a boutique wine shop inside The Grace, a new mixed-use development by JBG Smith near Amazon’s HQ2 in National Landing.

Flight Wine Shop will highlight around 300 selections of smaller production, minimal intervention (organic, sustainable) wines, with roughly 70% from Old World producers and 30% from the New World. Most bottles will be priced between

$15 and $30, though the offerings will also include some higher-end wines from regions such as Bordeaux and Champagne.

“There won’t be any on-site consumption other than at tastings to be held at one long table in the middle of the space,” Bose says.

The 2,175-square-foot shop will also sell wine-friendly takeaway foods such as cheese, charcuterie, tapenade and tinned fish.

“The staff will be well-versed and engage with our customers and we’ll have meet-and-greets with winemakers,” she adds. “That’s the hospitality part of the business that Kabir and I love so much.” flightwineshop.com

Wine sellers Swati Bose and Kabir Amir

Noonchi

Time

In the spring, Arlington resident Scott Chung phased out Sparrow Room, the mahjong speakeasy behind his Westpost bao eatery, Bun’d Up, and in its place introduced Noonchi, a beer and soju bar featuring Korean street food.

Noonchi (which literally translates as “eye measure” in Korean) means “reading the room”—something Chung had to do when Sparrow Room’s chef, Andrew Lo, moved to California.

“He and a lot of people associated with Sparrow Room had Chinese backgrounds,” explains Chung, who is also a chef. “I took the opportunity to do something I’m more familiar with and focus on Korean street food.”

Chung consulted his mother and other family members to develop the menu and recipes for the new concept. Sparrow Room’s dark, sexy decor remains, but he’s changed the seating to picnic tables that seat 40.

Appetizers ($7-$9) include roasted corn with gooey mozzarella cheese, and gimmari, a snack of deep-fried, nori-wrapped vermicelli served with

gochujang mayo. Equally tempting are the sotteok sotteok—griddled skewers of chewy Korean rice cakes and cocktail sausages with gochujang barbecue dipping sauce. “Sotteok is totally a Korean dive bar food,” says the restaurateur.

Mains ($13-$21) include Korean double-fried chicken and galbi—grilled short ribs marinated in soy, sesame and ginger, which are served with cucumber salad, rice and kimchi. Crispy, savory pancakes called jeon are stuffed with shrimp, veggies or kimchi and cut into wedges like pizza. With colder weather upon us, check out the oxtail soup ($19) or the kimchi jjigae ($15), a hearty soup made with tofu, kimchi, bacon and daikon radish. Also satisfying to beat the chill is gamjatang ($16), a spicy pork neck and potato stew. @noonchipocha on Instagram

On the Go

The Instagram algorithm gods recently introduced me to Del Ray resident Sarah Stusek (@sarahstusek), a gastro-enthusiast who loves to show and tell her latest food finds. The busy and supremely relatable owner of a local media production company makes dashboard reels of herself eating in the driver’s seat of her Range Rover Evoque. (One reel captured her taking an enormous bite of a chicken Caesar wrap from Aldo’s Italian Kitchen in Alexandria and declaring it a “10 out of 10!”) Favoring sandwiches and hand-helds—lobster rolls, breakfast sammies, burgers, gas station burritos—Stusek hits spots all over the DMV and beyond, consuming with gusto and sharing her frank, enthusiastic assessments in posts that often get hundreds of thousands of views. Count me among her 70,000-plus hungry followers.

Instagram influencer Sarah Stusek

Gimmari at Noonchi

Scott Chung

places to EAT

ARLINGTON

2910 Kitchen & Bar

2910 Columbia Pike, instagram.com/2910rest aurant. Save your appetite for prime rib, scallop risotto and duck confit with house-made potato gnocchi. R D $$$

A Modo Mio Pizzeria

5555 Langston Blvd., 703-532-0990, amodomio pizza.com. Dig into authentic Neapolitan pies, house-made gnocchi, lasagna, spaghetti del mare and cannoli. o L D V $$

Aladdin Sweets & Tandoor

5169 Langston Blvd., 703-533-0077. Chef Shiuli Rashid and her husband, Harun, prepare family recipes 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. O R L D G V $$

Anita’s New Mexico Style Bar & Grill

3444 Fairfax Drive, 571-290-0659, anitacorp.com. The local chainlet has 10 NoVA locations serving burritos, enchiladas, fajitas and other Tex-Mex standards. O C B R L D G V $

Arlington Kabob

5046 Langston Blvd., 703-531-1498, arlingtonka bobva.com. Authentic Afghan fare includes kebabs, shawarma and lamb shank with rice. L D $$

Astro Beer Hall

4001 Campbell Ave., 703-664-0744, astrobeer

hall.com. The space-themed brewpub and coffee shop promises a fun time with made-to-order doughnuts, fried chicken, burgers, old-school arcade games and a retro basement billiards hall called 1969. o B R L D A $$

B Live

2854 Wilson Blvd., 571-312-7094, bliveva.com. Go for beach-inspired eats, a bloody mary bar and live music five nights a week. o R L D A $$

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 s

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 $$

Banditos Tacos & Tequila

1301 S. Joyce St., 571-257-7622, banditostnt. com. Mexican street food, tequila, mezcal and sugar-skull décor keep the party going at this Westpost cantina. o L D G 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 $$

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 $$

Barley Mac

1600 Wilson Blvd., 703-372-9486, barleymacva. com. Upscale tavern fare, plus 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 $$

Basic Burger

1101 S. Joyce St., 703-248-9333, basicburger. com. The homegrown eatery and food truck cooks with locally sourced, certified Angus beef and cagefree, antibiotic-free chicken. L D $$

Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery

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 $

Beauty Champagne & Sugar Boutique

576 23rd St. S., 571-257-5873, beautycham pagneandsugar.com. Find champagne, cookies, cocktail fixings, small plates and gifts at this woman-owned bistro and market. Closed Mondays. L D $$

Bethesda Bagels

1851 N. Moore St., 703-312-1133, bethesdabagels. com. The popular D.C.-area chain has an outpost 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, veggie or turkey burger with add-ons like grilled jalapeño, pineapple or fried egg. C L D V $

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 2023 or 2024 Winner

Colada Shop

■ places to eat

Big Buns Damn Good Burger Co. s 4401 Wilson Blvd., 703-276-3032; 4251 Campbell Ave., 703-933-2867, eatbigbuns.com. Satisfy your cravings with “designer” burgers, shakes, beer and booze. L D $$

Bluefish Bistro Sushi & Kitchen

950 S. George Mason Drive, 703-270-0102, blue fishbistro.com. Try specialty rolls with names like Green Dragon and King Kong, or go for a “chef’s choice” spread of sushi or sashimi and be surprised. Closed Tuesdays. L D G V $$

Bob & Edith’s Diner

2310 Columbia Pike, 703-920-6103; 539 23rd St. S., 703-920-2700; 5050 Langston Blvd., 703-5940280; bobandedithsdiner.com. Founded in 1969, the 24-hour eatery whips up pancakes, eggs, meatloaf, and pie à la mode. C 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 $$

Bostan Uyghur Cuisine

3911 Langston Blvd., 703-522-3010, bostanuyghur. com. The Uyghur Chinese dishes include kebabs, lagmen (hand-pulled noodles), manta (dumplings) and honey cake. L D $$

Brass Rabbit Public House

1210 N. Garfield St., 703-746-9977, brassrabbit pub.com. Pair carrot “fries” and lettuce wraps with craft cocktails like the El Conejo, featuring tequila, carrot juice, ginger, lime and cilantro.

O R L D V A $$

Bronson Bierhall

4100 Fairfax Drive, 703-528-1110, bronsonbier hall.com. Find communal tables, German and regional beers, sausages, schnitzel and cornhole in this 6,000-square-foot ode to Munich.

O L D A $$

Bubbie’s Plant Burgers

1721 Crystal Drive, bubbiesburgers.com. Grab a plant-based or kosher burger, a fried green tomato sandwich or a plate of avocado fries at this outdoor kiosk in National Landing’s Water Park. O L D V $

Buena Vida s

2900 Wilson Blvd., 703-888-1528, buenavida gastrolounge.com. Savor the flavors of Mexico, from tacos to churros, and head to the top floor for one of the best rooftop bars around. O R L D $$

Burger Billy’s Joint

3800 Langston Blvd., 703-512-0102, burgerbillys joint.com. Order smashburgers made from grassfed, locally sourced Angus beef (or plant-based), as well as hot dogs, wings and fries, using a food locker pickup system. L D V $

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 café offers an eclectic menu with oodles of options for vegetarians. O C B R L D G V $$

The Café by Kitchen of Purpose

918 S. Lincoln St., 703-596-1557, kitchenofpur pose.org/cafe. Operated by the nonprofit Kitchen of Purpose (formerly La Cocina VA), this lunch spot serves soups, salads, sandwiches, pastries and Swing’s coffee. L V $

Café Colline

4536 Langston Blvd., 703-567-6615, cafecolline va.com. The cozy French bistro in the Lee Heights

Shops satisfies with 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 $$

Carbonara

3865 Wilson Blvd., 703-721-3905, carbonarava. com. Savor house-made pastas, eggplant parm, chicken cacciatore and the spirit of Sinatra at chef Mike Cordero’s old-world-meets-modern Italian trattoria. 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, greatameri canrestaurants.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 $$$

CarPool Beer and Billiards

900 N. Glebe Road, 703-516-7665, gocarpool. com. Mark Handwerger’s garage-themed watering hole has pool, pub grub and an extensive beer list, including “house” suds brewed at sister bar the Board Room. D A $

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 $$

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

Charga Grill

5151 Langston Blvd., 703-988-6063; 3203 Columbia Pike, 703-574-5050; chargagrill.com. How do you like your chicken? Choose Peruvian, jerk, Tandoori or Pakistani charga or sajii at this flavorpacked eatery and takeout. L D $$

Chiko s

4040 Campbell Ave., 571-312-0774, chikodc.com. Fan favorites at this Chinese-Korean joint include cumin lamb stir-fry and double-fried chicken wings.

C D G V $$

Circa at Clarendon

3010 Clarendon Blvd., 703-522-3010, circabis tros.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 $$$

Coco B’s

2854 Wilson Blvd., 571-312-7094, lovecocobs. com. The sister to B Live features a rooftop bar, live music, tiki drinks and tropical dishes like ceviche and jerk chicken. Closed Monday and Tuesday. O D A V $$$

Colada Shop

2811 Clarendon Blvd., 571-771-8400; 244 19th Court S., 703-631-5320; coladashop.com. Hit this colorful Caribbean coffee cafe and bar for beachy vibes, tropical drinks and Cuban-inspired eats.

C B R L D 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. This hunting-and-fishing-themed sa-

loon serves up steaks and chops, draft beers and 30 small-batch whiskeys. O R L D $$$

Cornerstone

2900 Columbia Pike, 703-512-2056, pikecorner stone.com. The menu is heavy on apps and shareables such as wings, nachos and mini skewers, but you’ll also find salads, burgers and rib-sticking entrees. C O R D A $

Corso Italian

4024 Campbell Ave., 703-933-8787, corsoitalian. com. Find fresh pastas, porchetta and veal chop Milanese at this Italian trattoria, a joint venture of chef Cathal Armstrong and Cheesetique “cheese lady” Jill Erber. Closed Mondays. O r L D V $$$

Cowboy Café

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 $$

Cracked Eggery

1671 Crystal Drive, crackedeggery.com. Sandwiches on toasted challah include the Abe Froman (sausage, scrambled egg, cheese) and the Inigo Montoya (chorizo, fried egg, pepper-jack and arugula with lemon aioli). C O B R L $

Crush Pizza + Wine

1601 Crystal Drive, crushpizzaandwine.com. Enjoy New York-style pizza, wines by the glass and patio crushers at this al fresco dining spot in National Landing’s Water Park. O L D V $$

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, trivia and poker nights, beers and bar snacks. 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 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 kebabs, 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 B R L 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. The sports bar specializes in tacos, tequila and beer, with a rooftop bar. O R L D $$

Dudley’s Sport and Ale

2766 S. Arlington Mill Drive, 571-312-2304, dudleyssportandale.com. A spacious sports bar with wall-to-wall TVs, a roof deck, a ballpark-inspired beer list and weekend brunch. O C R L D A $$

Earl’s Sandwiches

2605 Wilson Blvd., 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 Cafe

3101 Wilson Blvd., 571-800-9954, ewcafe.com. The Clarendon cafe serves espresso drinks, brunch (try the massive Turkish breakfast spread), sandwiches, tapas, beer and wine. B L D $ 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 Pike Restobar

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

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 $ El Rey

4201 Wilson Blvd., 571-312-5530, elreyva.com.

The Ballston outpost of the beloved U Street taqueria serves tacos, margs and draft brews in a colorful interior featuring street-art murals by Mike Pacheco. Visit The Filling Station, its bar-within-abar event space, for live music in an intimate setting. L D A $$

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 $

Eli’s Taqueria

3207 Columbia Pike, 703-663-4777. Dig into beef birria tortas, shrimp tacos and pupusas at this homey spot (a spin-off of the Taqueria La Ceibita food truck) run by Nevi Paredes and his daughter, Yorktown alum Elizabeth Marquez. L D $

Endo Sushi

3000 Washington Blvd., 703-243-7799, endosu shi.com. A neighborly 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 $$$

Falafel Inc.

1631 Crystal Drive, falafelinc.org. Fill a pita or bowl with falafel, pickled veggies and your choice of sauces. The eatery donates a portion of its sales to feed refugees. O L D V $

Fat Fish

1641 Crystal Drive, fatfishrolls.com. Grab poke bowls, sushi and bento boxes from this budgetfriendly kiosk in National Landing’s Water Park.

O L D G $

Federico Ristorante Italiano

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

Fettoosh

5100 Wilson Blvd., 703-527-7710. Overstuffed

pita sandwiches and kebabs 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. Enjoy wood-fired pizzas and more than 30 craft beers on tap. 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. Three cheers for draft beers and snacks ranging from sliders to queso dip. L D A V $$

For Five Coffee Roasters

1735 N. Lynn St.; 2311 Wilson Blvd., 571-2577219, forfivecoffee.com. This micro roaster serves everything from espresso drinks to espresso martinis, plus breakfast sandwiches, acai bowls, avo toast and “stuffed” cookies. B R L G V $

Four Sisters Grill

3035 Clarendon Blvd., 703-243-9020, foursisters grill.com. A go-to for banh mi sandwiches, papaya salad, spring rolls and noodle dishes. O L D $$

Freddie’s Beach Bar

555 23rd St. S., Arlington, 703-685-0555, freddies beachbar.com. Freddie Lutz’s long-standing “gay, straight-friendly” hangout is always a party, with pink and purple Barbiecore décor, flashy drinks, drag bingo and weekend brunch. O R D A 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 $$

■ places to eat

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; 1350 S. Eads St., 703-894-1002; gocodough.com. The family- and veteran-owned eatery serves house-made doughnuts, Intelligentsia coffee and savory cafe 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, grandcrubistro. com. This intimate European-style café includes a wine shop next door. O R L D G $$$

Green Pig Bistro

1025 N. Fillmore St., 703-888-1920, greenpig bistro.com. Southern-influenced food, craft cocktails, happy hour and brunch draw fans to this congenial neighborhood hideaway. R 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 Tex-

Mex 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. L D $$

Gyu San

4300 Wilson Blvd., 571-312-7373, gyusan.com. Go for Japanese barbecue, sushi, soba noodles and saki. L D G $$$

Hal & Al’s BBQ

4238 Wilson Blvd., 703-400-8884, halandals bbq.com. There’s no pork on the menu at this halal ’cue joint. Go for beef brisket, turkey sausage or beef “Dino” ribs rubbed with Old Bay and other spices. L D $$

Hanabi Ramen

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

1800 N. Lynn St., 571-800-1881, thehappy eatery.com. Asian comfort foods are the draw at this Rosslyn food hall from the team behind Roll Play, Lei’d Poke and Chasin’ Tails. L D $$

Haute Dogs

2910 N. Sycamore St., 703-548-3891, hautedogs andfries.com. Cookout fare goes gourmet with hot dog toppings ranging from banh mi with sriracha mayo to a buffalo dog with blue cheese. L D $ Hawkers Asian Street Food 4201 Wilson Blvd., 703-828-8287, eathawkers. com. Satisfy that craving for hot chicken, pork belly

bao and other Asian street foods, plus sake, whiskey and zero-proof quaffs. G V L D $$

Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe

2150 N. Culpeper St., 703-527-8394, heidelberg bakery.com. A local favorite for baked goods and 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), 1501 Wilson Blvd. (Rosslyn), hotlolas.com. It’s all about Kevin Tien’s Nashville-meets-Sichuan hot chicken sandwiches. L D $

Idido’s Coffee & Social House

1107 S. Walter Reed Drive, 703-253-1576, ididos socialhouse.com. Devotees go for the pastries, sandwiches and Ethiopian coffee. B L V $

Immigrant Food

4245 N. Fairfax Drive, 703-203-0337, immigrant food.com. Global dishes from this “gastroadvocacy” kitchen range from Salvadoran pupusas and Filipino fried chicken to a Kamala Harris-inspired coconutcurry chicken and rice bowl. O R L D G V $$

Inca Social

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

Ireland’s Four Courts

2051 Wilson Blvd., 703-525-3600, irelandsfour courts.com. Stop in for a pint and an EPL game over an order of fish and chips. C R L D A $$

Istanbul Grill

4617 Wilson Blvd., 571-970-5828, istanbulgrill virginia.com. Feast on Turkish meze and kebabs 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 favorite for pizzas, sandwiches, prepared entrées, espresso and gelato. O L D G V $

Kabob Palace

2315 S. Eads St., 703-486-3535, kabobpalaceusa. com. Open 24 hours, this Crystal City storefront serves grilled halal meats, pillowy naan and savory sides. L D A G V $$

Kanji Izakaya

4301 Fairfax Drive, 703-512-0017, kanjiarlington. com. Dive into teriyaki, ramen, yakitori and hibachi dishes, plus traditional and signature sushi rolls. L D G $$

Khun Yai Thai

2509 N. Harrison St., 703-536-1643, khunyaithai va.com. The family-owned restaurant serves “homestyle Thai” cuisine. L D G V $$

King of Koshary

5515 Wilson Blvd., 571-317-7925, kingofkoshary. com. Washington Post critic Tim Carman dubbed its menu “Egyptian food fit for royalty.” Try the hearty namesake dish, grilled branzino, beef kofta, roasted chicken or any of the tagines (stews). L D G $$

Kusshi

1201 S. Joyce St., 571-777-1998, kusshisushi. com. Feast your way through shishito peppers, sushi, oysters and mochi at this Westpost café. Or splurge for omakase. 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 $$

Fat Fish

La Coop Coffee

4807 First St. N., 571-257-7972, lacoopcoffee. com. Stop in for single-origin Guatemalan coffee, house-made horchata, breakfast sammies, empanadas and ice cream. B L $

La Côte D’Or Café

6876 Langston Blvd., 703-538-3033, lcd6876.com. This little French bistro serves standards like crepes and steak frites. O R L D G V $$$

Láylí

3033 Wilson Blvd., 703-512-3094, layligarden.com. Chef Samer Zeitoun’s menu centers on the flavors of Lebanon, Turkey and Greece in dishes such as hand-rolled grape leaves, beef tenderloin shawarma and hummus with duck confit. O R L D $$$

Lebanese Taverna

5900 Washington Blvd., 703-241-8681; 1101 S. Joyce St., Pentagon Row, 703-415-8681; lebanese taverna.com. A hometown favorite for shawarma, kebabs, flatbreads and more. O C 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 $$

Lost Dog Café

5876 Washington Blvd., 703-237-1552; 2920 Columbia Pike, 703-553-7770; lostdogcafe.com. Known for its pizzas, subs and beer selection, this deli/café supports 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 and lo mein. L D V $$

Lyon Hall s

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 moules frites. O C R L D A V $$$

Mah-Ze-Dahr

1550 Crystal Drive, 703-718-4418, mahzedahr bakery.com. Café fare at this bright and tempting bakery includes coffee, pastries, focaccia, sandwiches and snacks. O B L D $

Maison Cheryl

2900 Wilson Blvd., 703-664-0509, maisoncheryl. com. Seared duck breast, steak frites and madeleines are among the offerings at this French American bistro. R L D V $$$

Maizal Latin Street Food

4238 Wilson Blvd. (Ballston Quarter), 571-3966500, maizalgrill.com. South American street food—arepas, empanadas, churros. L D V $

Makers Union

1450 S. Eads St., 703-419-3504, makersunionpub. com. Pop in for comfort food (mac ’n’ cheese, Nashville hot chicken, steak frites), creative cocktails and live music several nights a week. R L D G 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., 703-525-0222, mariospizza housemenu.com. Open into the wee hours, it’s been cooking up subs, wings and pizza since 1957. O C B L D A $

Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls

4017 Campbell Ave., 571-431-6530, masons lobster.com. Order lobster rolls your way (butter or mayo) at this Shirlington outpost of the Annapolisbased seafood chainlet. 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 friendly watering hole on Crystal City’s restaurant row. O R L D A $$

Meda Coffee & Kitchen

5037 Columbia Pike, 571-312-0599, medacoffee kitchen.com. A casual café serving coffee, baked goods and traditional Ethiopian dishes like kitfo and tibs. C B L D G V $$

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. This farm-to-table Mediterranean restaurant cooks with fresh, organic, free-range, regionally sourced, non-GMO ingredients. O R L D 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 fla vorful sides. L D $$

Mpanadas

2602 Columbia Pike, 571-312-0182, mpanadas usa.com. Try barbecue pork and cheeseburger empanadas, birthday cake paletas and java chip macaroons. B 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 in what was once Arlington’s “Little Saigon” neighborhood specializes in flavors of Vietnam’s Can Tho region. O L D V $$

Nighthawk Pizza

BALLSTON LOCAL

1201 S. Joyce St., nighthawkpizza.com. Visit this Westpost brewpub and sports bar for personal pizzas (both thick and thin crust), beer and smashburgers. L D V $$

NiHao

1550 Crystal Drive, 703-512-4109, nihaoarlington. com. Sichuan small plates by chef Peter Chang include walnut shrimp, spicy dry-fried eggplant, and pork ribs with fries. Enjoy cocktails made with baijiu, a Chinese liquor, or tea-infused whiskey.

O L D G V $$

Noonchi

1201 S. Joyce St., 571-451-7030, @noonchipocha. Visit Scott Chung’s Korean street food and soju bar for bulgogi, kimchi fried rice, kimbap and other comfort fare. L D G $

■ places to eat

Northside Social Coffee & Wine s 3211 Wilson Blvd., 703-465-0145, northsidesocial va.com. Tucked inside a red house on the edge of Clarendon, the two-story coffee and wine bar with a big patio is always busy...which tells you something. O B L D V $$

Ocean Shack

2163 N. Glebe Road, 703-488-7161, oceanshack arlington.com. Dig into a seafood boil, a fried oyster basket or an order of fish tacos and pretend you’re at the beach. R L D A $$

Oh K-Dog

4238 Wilson Blvd. (Ballston Quarter), 703-5673376, ohkdog.com. Try a fried Korean rice dog with add-ins like sweet potato, cheddar or squid ink. L D $

Old Dominion Pizza Co.

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. 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, 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 $$ Our Mom Eugenia

4044 Campbell Ave., 571-970-0468, ourmom eugenia.com. See Falls Church listing. L D $$ Padaek

2931 S. Glebe Road, 703-888-2890, padaekdc. com. Chef Seng Luangrath’s kitchen in Arlington Ridge turns out Lao, Thai and Burmese fare—satay, curries and noodle dishes. O L D G V $$ Palette 22

4053 Campbell Ave., 703-746-9007, palette22.com. The Shirlington gallery-café specializes in international small plates and is a hoppin’ brunch spot. O R L D 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 $$ Peruvian Brothers

1450 S. Eads St., 703-625-6473, peruvianbroth ers.com. Dig into sandwiches (try the chicharron with pork, sweet potato and salsa criolla), saltados, empanadas, rotisserie chicken and power bowls. Grab a bottle of hot sauce to take home. L D V $ Peter Chang Arlington 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. Purported to have curative properties, the piping-hot soup at this local institution is all about fresh ingredients. O L D V $ Pho & Banh Mi Eatery Café 3000 Washington Blvd., 703-489-8212, eatery

cafeva.com. Fill up on banh mi (with tofu, grilled chicken or pork), steaming bowls of pho and poke bowls. L D G V $

PhoWheels

1731 Crystal Drive, phowheelsdc.com. The popular food truck serving Vietnamese pho and banh mi now has a kiosk at Water Park. O L D G $

Pie-tanza

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 $$ Pines of Florence

2109 N. Pollard St., 703-566-0456, pinesofflor encearlingtonva.com. The classics include linguine with pesto, veal parm and chicken cacciatore, plus housemade pizza and subs. L D V $$

Pirouette Café & Wine Shop

4000 Fairfax Drive, pirouette.cafe. Pair your favorite vino with cheese, whole roasted fish, a pork cutlet for two and other enticing plates at this Ballston cafe and wine shop. L D G V $$

Poppyseed Rye

818 N. Quincy St., poppyseedrye.com. Pick up sandwiches, biscuits, salads, flower bouquets and gift items (beer and wine, too). O r L D G V $

Pupatella s

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

1601 Crystal Drive, 703-997-8474, queenmother cooks.com. Grab a fried chicken sandwich and a side of duck fat fries at chef Rock Harper’s kiosk in the Water Park at National Landing. O L D $ Quincy Hall

4001 Fairfax Drive, 703-567-4098, quincyhallbar. com. Go for pints, meatballs and New York-style pizza at this spacious beer hall in Ballston. 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. There’s a waffle and omelet bar every Sunday. O R L D A V $$

Rasa

2200 Crystal Drive, 703-888-0925, rasagrill.com. Build a bowl with options like basmati rice, chicken tikka, lamb, 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, kebabs and delectably spiced veggies keep this strip-mall café plenty busy. C L D V $$

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—with snacks ranging from lambchop lollipops to lo mein. B L D A $$

Rhodeside Grill

1836 Wilson Blvd., 703-243-0145, rhodeside grill.com. Find 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. s 3471 Washington Blvd., 703-528-9663, rocklands. com. Owner John Snedden has been slow-cooking barbecue at this Arlington favorite since 1990. O C L D G V $

Roggenart European Bakery, Bistro & Café 4401 Wilson Blvd., 703-721-3182, roggenart.com. Stop in for breakfast, coffee, pastries and sandwiches on house-baked bread. B R L D V $$

Ruffino’s Spaghetti House

4763 Langston Blvd., 703-528-2242, ruffinosarling ton.com. Fill up on classics such as veal Parmigiana and chicken piccata. C L D 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 “meat and three” serves up wood-smoked proteins with creative sides like crispy Brussels sprouts with fish sauce vinaigrette. Breakfast (with house-made biscuits) offered daily.

O B R L D G V $$

Ryu Izakaya

3030 Columbia Pike, 703-399-9052. A spot on the Pike for sushi, sake and yakitori. L D G $$

Sabores Tapas Bar

2401 Columbia Pike, 571-970-1253, saboresva. com. Dig into ceviche, lomo saltado and classic gambas al ajillo at this tapas bar on the Pike. R L D G V $$

Saigon Noodles & Grill

1800 Wilson Blvd., 703-566-5940, saigonnoodles grill.com. Traditional Vietnamese pho, banh mi and noodle dishes round out the offerings at this restaurant and takeout owned by Jovian Ho. L D $$

Sakaki Izakaya

3227 Washington Blvd., 703-718-4931. Try mini “sushi burgers,” Wagyu fried rice and the dazzling Egg on Egg dish (king salmon, quail egg, ikura and wasabi soy in a smoking bowl). Closed Tuesdays. L D A G $$

Salt s

1201 Wilson Blvd., 703-875-0491, saltrosslyn.com. The speakeasy-style cocktail bar serves cheese plates and carpaccio, classic sazeracs and old-fashioneds, as well as nouveau craft cocktails. D $$

The Salt Line s

4040 Wilson Blvd., 703-566-2075, thesaltline.com. Hit this seafood-centric oyster bar for clam chowder, lobster rolls, stuffies, smashburgers 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 shrimp saganaki, whole roasted branzino and 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 and bottle shop offers tastings, wine classes, and small plates for sharing and pairing. O C R L D G V $$

Seamore’s

2815 Clarendon Blvd., 703-721-3384, seamores. com. Dine on sustainably sourced seafood, from clams and mussels to arctic char and yellowfin tuna. Brunch on weekends. O R L D G V $$$

Seoulspice

1735 N. Lynn St., 703-419-5868, seoulspice.com. Korean fast-casual comfort food, anyone? L D G V $

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 urbane trattoria serves housemade pasta (you can watch it being made), a “mozzarella bar” and Italian cocktails. Closed Sundays. O L D V $$$

Silver Diner

4400 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 $$

Skydome

300 Army Navy Drive, 703-416-3862, hilton.com. Savor craft cocktails, Mediterranean-influenced dishes and views of the D.C. skyline in this revolving restaurant atop the DoubleTree Hilton in Crystal City. Closed Sunday and Monday. D G V $$$

Sloppy Mama’s Barbeque

5731 Langston Blvd., 703-269-2718, sloppyma mas.com. Joe and Mandy Neuman’s barbecue joint offers wood-smoked meats galore, plus pimento cheese, hearty sides and banana pudding for dessert. O B R L D V $$

Smokecraft Modern Barbecue

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 $$

Snouts & Stouts

2709 S. Oakland St., 571-317-2239, snouts nstouts.com. Grab a beer and some pulled-pork pretzel bites with beer cheese while your pup runs around this indoor dog park and bar. L D $

Soul Thai Kitchen & Bar

6035 Wilson Blvd., 703-300-9655, soulthaikitchen andbar.com. The restaurant in the former Meridian Pint space serves curries, noodle dishes and other Thai classics. L D G V $

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; 1350 S. Eads St., 703-465-8423; southblock.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 restaura-

teurs 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 and a deli counter with house-made pastas, sauces and dolci to take home. O R L D $$

Supreme Hot Pot

2301 Columbia Pike, 571-666-1801, supreme hotpot.kwickmenu.com. This Pike eatery specializes in Szechuan hot pot, skewered meats and a few Cajun seafood dishes. D G $$

Surreal

2117 Crystal Drive, surrealpark.com. Find playful dishes like a foot-long Boomdog, “swirl” pancakes and old-fashioneds made with cornflake-infused whiskey at chef Enrique Limardo’s all-day diner in National Landing. O B L D $$

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

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. O C B L D $$

Taco Bamba s

4000 Wilson Blvd., 571-777-1477; 4041 Campbell Ave., 571-257-3030; tacobamba.com. Taco options range from classic carnitas to cheffy creations like the El Rico Pollo, stuffed with chicken, green chili, aji Amarillo aioli and crispy potato. B L D V $ Taco Rock

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

Taqueria el Poblano

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 $$

Tatte Bakery and Café

2805 Clarendon Blvd., 571-312-8691; 269 19th Court S., 571-357-1470; tattebakery.com. Grab a breakfast sandwich, tartine, panini or grain bowl from the all-day menu, or keep it simple with a coffee and pastry. O B R 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 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. Enjoy options ranging from crispy squid with basil and roasted duck curry to pig knuckle stew. O L D G V $$

Tiger Dumplings 3225 Washington Blvd., 571-970-4512, tiger dumplings.com. There are dumplings, of course, plus five-spice beef, roast duck and vegan options like tofu skin with peanuts. L D G V $$

Tiki Thai

1651 Crystal Drive, tikithai.com. Order up a round of tiki drinks, crispy Thai spring rolls and khao soi noodles. O L D $$

TNR Cafe

2049 Wilson Blvd., 571-217-0766, tnrcafe.com. When you have a 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; 510 14th St. S.; tobysicecream.com. Stop in for cups, cones, 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; 3811 Fairfax Drive, 703-512-4137; tortasytacoslachiquita. com. The beloved eatery that started as a food truck does tacos, alambres, huarache platters, flautas and more. B L D $

Trade Roots

5852 Washington Blvd., 571-335-4274, fairtrade roots.com. The Westover gift shop and cafe serves fair-trade coffee, tea, pastries, salads, organic wine and snackable small plates. 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 s 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 $$

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 $$$ Upside on Moore

1700 N. Moore St., upsideonmoore.com. Rosslyn’s newest food hall includes DMV concepts Ghostburger, Stellina Pizzeria, Lucky Danger, Laoban Dumplings and a rotating roster of pop-ups. L D G V $$

■ places to eat

Urban Tandoor

801 N. Quincy St., 703-567-1432, utandoorva.com. Sate your appetite with Indian and Nepalese fare, from tandoori lamb to Himalayan momos (dumplings). Lunch buffet daily. L D V $$

Variedades Catrachas Restaurant

3709 Columbia Pike, 703-888-0906, variedades catrachas.com. The Latin fare at this nearly 24-hour homey Honduran eatery includes huevos rancheros, pupusas, carne asada, fried fish with plantains, cervezas, tequila drinks and horchata. B L D A G V $

Wagamama

2950 Clarendon Blvd., 571-901-9242, wagamama.us. Feast on ramen, teppanyaki, rice bowls, bao buns, boba tea and sake cocktails at this wildly popular pan-Asian concept that originated in the U.K. O L D G V $$ Water Bar

1601 Crystal Drive, nlwaterbar.com. The succinct menu at this sleek oyster and cocktail bar overlooking National Landing’s Water Park includes salads, sandwiches and sharable seafood dishes. O L D G 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

5863 N. Washington Blvd., 703-536-5040, westo vermarketbeergarden.com. It’s a hive for burgers, draft microbrews and live music. O C L D A $$

Westover Taco

5849 Washington Blvd., 703-297-3030, westover taco.com. Tacos, guac, margs and beer keep things casual at this neighborhood hangout. L D V 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 features cocktails, shareable plates, brunch, street-art murals and “low brow” art exhibits. R L D A $$

William Jeffrey’s Tavern

2301 Columbia Pike, 703-746-6333, william jeffreystavern.com. 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

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

Ya Hala Bistro

5216 Wilson Blvd., yahalabistrolounge.com. Enjoy shawarma, kabobs and traditional mezze at this cocktail and hookah lounge in Bluemont. L D A G 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 sanctuary-like spot offers beautifully composed seasonal dishes and expert wine pairings. 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 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, smashburgers and beef-fat fries steal the show at this cozy bar adjoining Red Apron Butcher. 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, balqeesva. com. The Lebanese and Yemeni specialties include lamb in saffron rice, saltah (a vegetarian stew) and saffron cake with crème anglaise. O L D V $$ Bamian

5634 Leesburg Pike, 703-820-7880, bamianres taurant.com. Try Afghan standards 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 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 has a hopping patio. Order house brews and creative eats, from wings and fried pickles to plant-based buddha bowls. 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 $

Chasin’ Tails

944 W. Broad St., 571-777-9596, chasintailsss. com. The Viet-Cajun menu includes crawfish boils, char-broiled kimchi oysters and scallop crudo with citrus vinaigrette. L D $$

Chay Restaurant

6531 Columbia Pike, 571-378-1771, chayrestau rant.com. A destination for vegetarian hot pot, spring rolls, noodles and other plant-based Vietnamese specialties. 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 $$

Colada Shop

2920 District Ave., 703-962-3002, coladashop. com. See Arlington listing. O B R L D V $$

District Dumplings

2985 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 703-884-7080, districtdumplings.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 $

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 & 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 curries and grilled meats at this long-standing destination for Thai cuisine. O R 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 $$

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 $

Ellie Bird s

125 Founders Ave., 703-454-8894, elliebirdva. com. From the owners of D.C.’s Michelin-starred Rooster & Owl, a neighborly place serving cheffy dishes such as kimchi bouillabaisse, octopus ceviche and braised lamb shank alongside kid-friendly fare. c o D G V $$$

The Falls Restaurant & Bar

370 W. Broad St., 703-237-8227, thefallsva.com. Dig into crabcakes, clever salads and other seasonal dishes in the restaurant formerly known as Liberty Barbecue. But don’t worry, Liberty fans: The fried chicken and brisket are still on the menu.

O R L D G V $$$

Fava Pot

7393 Lee Highway, 703-204-0609, favapot.com.

Visit Dina Daniel’s restaurant, food truck and cater-

ing operation for Egyptian eats 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 C B R L V $$

Godfrey’s Bakery & Café

421 W. Broad St., 571-378-1144, godfreysbakery cafe.com. Pop in for breakfast sandwiches, housebaked breads and pastries, grazing boards, Romanstyle pizza and Illy coffee drinks. B R L D V $$

Haandi Indian Cuisine

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

Harvey’s

513 W. Broad St., 540-268-6100, harveysva.com.

Chef Thomas Harvey’s casual café brings roasted chicken, beer-cheese cheesesteaks, banana splits and other comfort fare to the City of Falls Church. O C B R L D V $$

Hong Kong Palace

6387 Seven Corners Center, 703-532-0940, hong kongpalacedelivery.com. This 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), 571-3272256, jinyaramenbar.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 $$

Kirby Club

2911 District Ave., 571-430-3650, kirbyclub. com. From the owners of D.C.’s Michelin-starred Mayd¯an, a lively kebab concept (with a great bar) that allows diners to mix-and-match proteins, dips and sauces. R D V $$

Koi Koi Sushi & Roll

450 W. Broad St., 703-237-0101, koikoisushi. com. The sushi is fresh and the vibe is fun. Teriyaki, tempura and bento boxes round out the menu. 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 $$

Lazy Mike’s Delicatessen

7049 Leesburg Pike, 703-532-5299, lazymikes deli.com. A Falls Church institution churning out homemade ice cream, packed sandwiches and breakfast faves. O C B R L D G V $

La Tingeria

626 S. Washington St., 571-316-6715. A popu-

lar food truck in Arlington since 2012, David Peña’s concept also has a brick-and-mortar location in Falls Church. The queso birria tacos are a must. Open Wednesday-Sunday. L D $

Little Saigon Restaurant

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

Loving Hut

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 clay pot 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. 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 also offers plenty of other tantalizing options, such as short ribs, roasted pork and dim sum. R L D A V $$

Meaza Restaurant

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

Met Khao

6395 Seven Corners Center, 703-533-9480, padaekdc.com. Chef Seng Luangrath has transformed the former Padaek space into a fast-casual eatery serving Thai and Laotian fare. L D G V $

Miu Kee

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

Immigrant Food

■ places to eat

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 $$

MQR Cafe

6343 Columbia Pike, 571-378-1012, mqrcafe.com. Find cardamom lattes, kunafa French toast, harissa burgers and chicken shawarma sandwiches at this Halal café and coffee shop. B R L D G V $ Nhu Lan Sandwich

6763 Wilson Blvd., 703-532-9009, nhulancafe.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. 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 woodfired pizza. O B L D V $$

Nue

944 W. Broad St., 571-777-9599, nuevietnamese. com. The elegant Viet-modern menu (think grilled oysters, coconut-curry risotto and a seafood tower with yuzu nuoc cham) has a stunning space to match. R L D G 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), 434-3394019, ourmomeugenia.com. This family-owned spot is beloved for its real-deal Greek fare, from saganaki to souvlaki. O L D $$ Panjshir Restaurant

114 E. Fairfax St., 703-536-4566, panjshirrestau rant.com. Carnivores go for the kebabs, but the 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 salmon rillettes, duck confit, tuna nicoise and steak frites at this spacious Parisian-style brasserie. Hit the rooftop lounge for cocktails. O R L 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 $$ Pho Ga Vang

6767 Wilson Blvd., 571-375-8281, phogavang. com. Find more than 12 kinds of pho, plus other

Vietnamese homestyle dishes at this Eden Center café. L D G $$

Plaka Grill

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

Preservation Biscuit

102 E. Fairfax St., 571-378-1757, preservation biscuit.com. Order the signature carb with housemade jams, or as a sandwich with fillers ranging from fried chicken to guac and egg. O C B L 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 $$

Puzukan Tan

8114 Arlington Blvd., 571-395-4727, puzukantan. com. From brothers Sam and Kibum Kim comes this Korean barbecue destination featuring dryaged meats, banchan and ramen. O 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 makes an artful latte. Try one of the seasonal specials. L D $

Rasa

2905 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 571-3780670, rasa.co. See Arlington listing. L D G V $

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 $$

Roll Play

944 W. Broad St., 571-777-9983, rollplaygrill. com. Stop by this Founders Row eatery for Viet street foods such as banh mi, pho and build-yourown rice paper rolls. L D G V $$

Settle Down Easy Brewing

2822 Fallfax Drive, 703-573-2011, settledowneasy brewing.com. Pair a pint from the nanobrewery’s rotating beer list with tacos from neighboring El Tio Tex-Mex Grill. 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 menu is traditionally Thai, but the vibe feels like you’re dining in your cool friend’s shabby-chic living room. L D G V $$

Solace Outpost

444 W. Broad St., 571-378-1469, solaceoutpost. com. The Little City microbrewery serves housebrewed suds, plus fried chicken, five kinds of fries and wood-fired pizza. D A V $$

Spacebar

709 W. Broad St., 703-992-0777, spcbr.com. This

diminutive and funky 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, tacobamba. com. Tacos range from traditional carne asada to the vegan “Iron Mike,” stuffed with cauliflower, salsa macha and mole verde. B L D $

Taco Rock

1116 W. Broad St., 703-760-3141, thetacorock. com. See Arlington listing. o B L D V $$

Taco Zocalo

6343 Columbia Pike, 571-376-3859, zocalotaco. com. Chow down on tacos, chimichangas, quesadillas and burrito bowls with sides of Mexican street corn and refried beans. O L D $

Takumi Sushi

310-B S. Washington St., 703-241-1128, takumi va.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 124 N. Washington St., 703-269-0893, thompson italian.com. Gabe and Katherine Thompson’s celebrated kitchen turns out house-made pastas and some of the best desserts around. O C D $$$

Trio Grill

8100 Lee Highway, 703-992-9200, triomerrifield. com. Treat yourself to steaks, seafood, raw bar, craft cocktails and live piano music. O D $$$

True Food Kitchen s

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 kebabs and stews are crowd pleasers at this hospitable Persian establishment. O C L D G V $$

Aracosia s

1381 Beverly Road, 703-269-3820, aracosia mclean.com. Score a table under strings of white lights on the covered patio and order savory Af-

ghan specialties such as braised lamb shank and baadenjaan chalou (roasted eggplant with saffron rice). O L D V $$

Badd Pizza

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

Big Buns Damn Good Burger Co. s 1340 Chain Bridge Road, 571-456-1640, eatbig buns.com. See Arlington listing. L D $$

Café Tatti French Bistro

6627 Old Dominion Drive, 703-790-5164, cafe tatti.com. Open since 1981, this romantic little bistro whips up classic French and continental fare. Closed Sundays. L D G V $$$

Call Your Mother Lil’ Deli

6216 Old Dominion Drive, 571-395-9097, call yourmotherdeli.com. The wildly popular “Jew-ish” deli serves bagel sandwiches and babka muffins from a pink trailer in the Chesterbrook Shopping Center. o b R L V $

Capri Ristorante Italiano

6825-K Redmond Drive, 703-288-4601, capri mcleanva.com. Known for tried-and-true dishes like spaghetti carbonara and veal Marsala.

O C L D G V $$$

Circa

1675 Silver Hill Drive, 571-419-6272, circabistros. com. See Arlington listing. O L D 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 G $$$$

Él Bebe

8354 Broad St., 571-378-0171, el-bebe.com. Feast on tamales, tacos, street corn, mole and tequila-based cocktails. C O L D V $$

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. This meaty 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 spacious farm-to-table restaurant features Virginia-sourced 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 $$

J. Gilbert’s

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

Joon/MayBar

8045 Leesburg Pike, 571-378-1390, eatjoon.com. Savor refined Persian dishes such as lamb-pista-

chio meatballs with pomegranate glaze and rotisserie-style duck with sour-cherry rice. The restaurant’s built-in MayBar serves casual (and more affordable) bar snacks and clever cocktails.

O 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 $$

The Kitchen Collective 8045 Leesburg Pike, Suite L160, 571-378-0209, tkcfoodhall.com. The takeout-only “virtual food hall” has pizza, kebabs, acai bowls, cookies and much more. C L D G V $$

Kura Sushi

8461 Leesburg Pike, 571-544-7122, kurasushi. com. Choose maki and nigiri from a revolving conveyor belt at this Tysons sushi bar, where drinks are served by a robot. L D G V $$

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

O C L D G V $$

Lost Dog Café

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

Maman Joon

1408 Chain Bridge Road, 571-342-4838, maman joonkitchen.com. Find dolmeh, falafel, lamb shank and kebabs (plus a built-in Z Burger with shakes in 75 flavors) at this Persian eatery. L D V $$

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. 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 like burgers and cheesesteaks. Friday is prime-rib night. O B L D $$

Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen

6641 Old Dominion Drive, 703-992-9095, neutral groundbarandkitchen.com. Chef David Guas is serving up whole branzino, fried quail, bone-in pork chops and “social hour” specials in a beautiful new space. O D G V $$$

Ometeo

1640 Capital One Drive N., 703-748-7170, ometeo texmex.com. An upscale “texmexeria” with Mexican renditions of duck, venison, beef and a wide variety of sea creatures. O L D G $$$

Pasa-Thai Restaurant

1315 Old Chain Bridge Road, 703-442-0090, pasa thaimclean.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. For those who find comfort in the familiar, Patsy’s serves 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 $$

Peter Chang McLean

6715 Lowell Ave., 571-405-6686, peterchang mclean.com. See Arlington listing. L D G V $$ Pikoteo 6811 Elm St., 703-891-0123, pikoteo-usa.com. Escape to warmer climes with Latin and Caribbean delights such as ceviche, arepas, mofongo, smoked pork ribs and arroz con pollo. O R L D $$

Pulcinella Italian Kitchen 1310 Chain Bridge Road, 703-893-7777, pulcinellarestaurant.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. Treat yourself to prime cuts, duck-fat fries, seafood towers, massive slabs of chocolate cake 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, including minestrone, pizza, calzones, subs, pasta and cannoli.

O C L D G $$

Roots Kitchen & Bar

8100 Old Dominion Drive, 703-712-7850, roots provisions.com. Find sandwiches, smoothies, salads, espresso drinks, pie, cocktails and grab-andgo 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 $

Starr Hill Biergarten

1805 Capital One Drive, starrhill.com. Anchoring an 11-story-high sky park, this indoor-outdoor beer garden offers more than 20 brews on tap, and snacks like soft pretzels with beer cheese. O C L D V $

Stellina Pizzeria

1610 Capital One Drive, stellinapizzeria.com. See Arlington listing. R d V $$

Sushi Umi

7599 Colshire Drive, 571-378-0903, sushiumiva. com. Stop in for Wagyu beef and fried chicken bowls, and sushi. Closed Sundays. L D $$

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 $$

The Union

1379 Beverly Road, 703-356-0129. An eclectic, global menu from Giridhar Sastry, former executive chef of the Mayflower Hotel in D.C. o C L D $$ Wren

1825 Capitol One Drive S., thewatermarkhotel. com. Topping the Watermark Hotel, chef Yo Matsuzaki’s sleek izakaya offers Japanese American fare (hamachi tartare, Wagyu burgers, miso-marinated sea bass), stupendous cocktails and sweeping skyline views. D G V $$$

Fallingwater in Mill Run, Pennsylvania

IWright This Way

Explore architectural

masterpieces

by Frank Lloyd Wright amid the natural beauty of Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands.

BY AMY BRECOUNT WHITE

n 2019, UNESCO confirmed what many already knew—that Frank Lloyd Wright was a master of his craft—when it added eight of the architect’s iconic structures to its World Heritage List. Among them was Fallingwater, the waterfall-straddling home that in 1936 jump-started Wright’s career amid the Great Depression.

Fallingwater may be the most famous architectural marvel in the Laurel Highlands, a forested stretch of southwestern Pennsylvania, but it’s not the only one. Three additional Wright-designed homes have made the area a mecca for 20th-century design enthusiasts.

Wright, who lived from 1867-1959, is considered one of the most influential figures of the midcentury modern movement, having designed more than 1,000 structures (532 of which were built) over the course of his career. His penchant for open floor plans, locally

sourced natural materials, low-pitched roofs and strong horizontal massing makes his designs instantly recognizable.

Fallingwater

Wright’s connection to the Laurel Highlands can be traced to the son of Fallingwater’s original owners, Edgar and Liliane Kaufmann.

After completing an architectural fellowship at Taliesin, Wright’s self-designed home and studio in Wisconsin, Edgar Kaufmann Jr., introduced the architect to his parents. The elder Edgar Kaufmann was a wealthy Pittsburgh department store owner who, like Wright, enjoyed pushing boundaries. His department stores were known for speedy and efficient home deliveries.

“We call him the first Amazon,” quips Sandy Spagnola, our tour guide during a recent visit to Fallingwater on a crisp fall day.

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Back then, Pittsburgh had earned dubious nicknames such as “the smoky city” and “hell with the lid off,” she says, referencing the fiery and sooty iron and steel town the Kaufmanns sought refuge from.

Wright took a liking to the Kaufmanns, and in 1934 visited the roughly 1,900-acre property they had purchased about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. He noted the stone ledges over Bear Run—the stream that spills

into a waterfall—and the abundance of local Pottsville sandstone, a resource that would become one of the home’s primary building materials.

Wright’s philosophy, Spagnola explains, was that “a house should look like it grew there. [He] tied the house to the waterfall itself and created cantilevered terraces that mimic the rock edges of the waterfall.”

The Kaufmanns had pictured a home with pretty views of Bear Run.

Wright wanted them to live on top of it. His clients were initially shocked by that radical notion, but eventually came to embrace his vision. The construction of Fallingwater broke ground in 1936 and was completed in 1938.

Wright was notoriously stubborn. (For a deeper dive into his character, read the excellent fact-based novel Loving Frank by Nancy Horan.) He refused to budge on his designs, and at times demanded that workers dismantle and redo elements that hadn’t been crafted to his exact specifications. He often built furniture into a house so it couldn’t be changed.

But some clever clients, like Kaufmann, found ways to circumnavigate the architect’s obstinance. According to Spagnola, when the businessman saw how little space Wright had allocated for a home office desk at Fallingwater, he sent a letter: “I can’t write a check to an architect on this small of a desk,” he wrote. Wright promptly enlarged it. Kaufmann, in turn, ended up writing much larger checks than anticipated. The house that had been initially quoted at $35,000 came in with a final price tag of $148,000, with $11,300 in added architectural fees.

Taking up residence in their new home, the Kaufmanns enjoyed bracing morning dips in the spring water that fed their outdoor plunge pool. (They could walk down the stairs and into the pool from inside the house.) Albert Einstein and Frida Kahlo counted among

Nearly half of Fallingwater’s square footage is made up of outdoor terraces.

Local sandstone is a prominent building material, inside and out.

The Kaufmann family in the 1940s

the luminaries who came for dinner or overnight stays. The furniture and artwork that remain on display are originals, including a Tiffany lamp and several Picassos.

Fallingwater spans 9,300 square feet in total but nearly half of that (4,400 square feet) is comprised of outdoor terraces, as befits Wright’s philosophy that houses should rest in harmony with nature.

After his parents died, Edgar Kaufmann Jr.—by then an adjunct professor at Columbia University—entrusted the home to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963. His partner, Paul Mayén, designed the visitors center. Occasionally, Spagnola says, Edgar would give tours without wearing a name tag and ask visitors, “How do you like my house?”

Kentuck Knob

Though Fallingwater usually gets top billing, nearby Kentuck Knob is another Wright masterpiece worth a visit.

“The house is going to come right out of the hillside, like the prow of a ship,” explains our guide, Jennifer Nicklow, as our shuttle bus approaches the low structure. There are audible gasps inside the bus as the home’s copper patina roof and rich stonework seemingly emerge from the land itself.

Commissioned in the mid-1950s by ice cream magnates I.N. and Bernardine Hagan to occupy the apex of an 80acre site, the home is an expression of Wright’s so-called “Usonian” principles.

Usonia, Nicklow explains, was a term the architect coined to express his “vision for a more modern, yet distinctly American style of architecture.” (The word is thought to be an abbreviation of “United States of North America.”) Impacted by his memories of the Great Depression, Wright wanted to design dwellings that a middle-class family could afford and revolutionize the way Americans felt in their homes by emphasizing their connections to nature.

Most Usonian homes are one story with a small (around 1,500 square feet), open footprint, often in an L shape that

wraps around an outdoor terrace. Favoring natural and local building materials and large expanses of glass, Wright often employed cantilevered overhangs to promote passive heating and cooling, along with radiant heat in concrete slab floors.

He hated clutter. Many of his homes featured open carports, built-in furniture and minimal closets.

Designed without any 90-degree corners, Kentuck Knob unfolds as a series of parallelograms and hexagons. Most of the angles in the house are 60 or 120 degrees—although Nicklow shares that the contractors did have to make two exceptions to accommodate the plumbing in two bathrooms. They never told Wright.

Occupying 2,300 square feet, Kentuck Knob also embodies Wright’s “compression and release” philosophy, in which low entries, small doorways and narrow hallways blow open

into more spacious communal areas. Wright was 5-foot-5 and usually designed to that height. Many customers, including 6-foot-tall I.N. Hagan, had to request accommodations.

Kentuck Knob (here and below) is an experiment in avant-garde geometry.

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Like Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob embraces a mostly natural palette, save a few of the architect’s signature “Cherokee red” touches. I smile at the sixsided kitchen, with its red tile floor, red countertops and large skylight. Bernardine Hagan reportedly asked Wright to enlarge the kitchen, only for him to respond by shrinking the adjacent hallway.

“I don’t often use the word comfortable with Frank Lloyd Wright furniture,” Nicklow says, pointing to a set of angular chairs designed by the architect. But the aesthetic is captivating. Hexagonal cutouts in the home’s dramatic overhangs cast playful patterns on the stone terrace.

that the owner of the Berndtsondesigned homes (Balter House and Blum House) was aiming to sell and possibly harvest the forest on the property. Papinchak bought the parcel and the homes, “and then told his wife the next day,” Hoffer jokes.

The Papinchaks subsequently transplanted two threatened Wright homes from Minnesota and Illinois to Polymath Park with the approval of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. Both homes were dismantled, their parts cataloged and numbered, before they were transported crosscountry and then painstakingly reassembled on-site.

Stepping inside Wright’s circa-1952 Mäntylä, I’m smitten by the retro vibe of the earth-toned living room with its wall of windows and small cushioned stools. I picture myself enjoying cocktails with stylish friends in this groovy conversation space. (And for a mere $875 per night, I could. All of the homes at Polymath Park can be booked for overnight stays.)

Polymath Park

Since 1986, Kentuck Knob has been owned by Peter Palumbo, an art collector, philanthropist and former member of the British House of Lords, and his wife, Hayat. The Palumbos converted the house into a museum more than two decades ago and live elsewhere.

Take a short stroll from the residence along the forest trail and sculpture garden to the nearby overlook for a gorgeous view of the Youghiogheny River Valley below.

For yet another peek inside Wright’s world, head to nearby Polymath Park in Acme, Pennsylvania. This privately owned, 125-acre preservation site is home to two Wright-designed houses—Duncan House and Mäntylä—as well as two homes designed by Wright apprentice Peter Berndtson that follow the Usonian playbook, with large windows framing woodland views and stunning stonework inside and out.

The Wright structures weren’t always located here, explains our tour guide, Robert Hoffer. In 2000, after moving to the Laurel Highlands to enjoy its wooded seclusion, entrepreneur Tom Papinchak and his wife, Heather, learned

Duncan House, a prefabricated Wright prototype originally built outside Chicago in 1957, is a Usonian structure marked by narrow, woodpaneled hallways that open into charming living spaces with bright red floors and countertops.

Now there’s even more Wright-inspired architecture coming to Polymath Park. Soon to be constructed on the site is Birdwing, a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. As the name implies, its roof resembles the outstretched wings of a bird in flight.

Visitors who overnight here appreciate “the peace and the ability to detach and reconnect in nature,” Hoffer says. I’m certain that’s true, just as Wright intended. ■

Arlington resident Amy Brecount White (amybrecountwhite.com) agrees with Frank Lloyd Wright’s belief that we all need more nature in our lives.

Mäntylä House at Polymath Park

Duncan House at Polymath Park

If You Go

THE WRIGHT HOMES

Fallingwater (fallingwater.org) offers guided architectural tours ($36) from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily (closed Wednesdays and Thanksgiving), March through Dec. 1. See website for holiday hours in December. Special events include forest-to-table dinners and fireside talks. The 5,000-acre site includes scenic walking trails and an extensive gift shop.

At Kentuck Knob (kentuckknob.com), guided home tours ($30) are offered daily, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (noon to 3 p.m. Wednesdays), March through November. See website for holiday hours in December. If the weather’s fine, take the woodland trail that showcases owners Peter and Hayat Palumbo’s sculpture collection, including works by Andy Goldsworthy and Wendy Taylor, and enjoy

a scoop of local Hagan ice cream. Polymath Park (franklloydwrightovernight. net) offers architectural tours with lunch ($75) through Nov. 24, as well as overnight stays in homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and Wright protégé Peter Berndtson ($475 to $825 per night).

WHERE TO EXPLORE

In nearby Shanksville, the Flight 93 Memorial (nps.gov/flni/index.htm) pays tribute to the brave passengers who perished while diverting a hijacked plane on Sept. 11, 2001. This sobering memorial includes walking trails and

A dining pod at Polymath Park’s TreeTops Restaurant

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Laurel Highlands, PA

audio clips of victims’ cellphone calls to loved ones. Admission is free. The Westmoreland Museum of American Art (thewestmoreland.org) in Greensburg is a large, contemporary museum in a charming small town. Currently on display are works by Pakistani American multimedia artist Anila Quayyum Agha. The town of Ohiopyle (population 37), recently named the Best Small Town in the Northeast by USA Today, is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. The adjacent Ohiopyle State Park offers rafting, biking and waterfall hikes along the Youghiogheny River, and is bisected by the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail (gaptrail.org), a scenic bike route that later connects to the C&O Trail.

WHERE TO EAT

For a leafy dining experience at Polymath Park, book a table at TreeTops

Restaurant (treetopsrestaurant.net) or one of its treehouse-style dining pods and enjoy locally sourced dishes by chef/owner Heather Papinchak. The outdoor bar will stay open into November, weather permitting. In December, a holiday progressive dinner that serves a different course in each of the site’s historic homes invariably sells out. Silverhorse Coffee (silverhorsecoffee. com) in Donegal serves up espresso drinks, kombucha, breakfast burritos and locally made pastries, as well as portable snacks (think energy bars and beef jerky) made by Pennsylvania purveyors. Another spot for a caffeine fix is Bittersweet Café (bittersweetfresh. com) in Farmington, known for its barista specialties and sandwiches made with locally sourced ingredients. Falls City Pub (fallscitypub.com) in Ohiopyle features casual dining and live music.

Ohiopyle, PA

WHERE TO STAY

The Slopeside Hotel at Seven Springs Mountain Resort (7springs.com) has 414 guest rooms and suites, as well as rental cabins. The 1907 Historic Summit Inn Resort (summitinnresort.com), an original “grand porch hotel,” is on the historic National Road and also has dining options. Nemacolin resort (nemacolin. com) is an upscale place to eat, play and stay, with many onsite activities, including golf and a ropes course.

Westmoreland Museum of American Art

The GAP trail in Ohiopyle

The Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville

Ride With Santa

Book Smart

Sink into a leather sofa with a good book at the new Graduate by Hilton Princeton hotel’s tome-lined, two-story lobby/library in New Jersey. Opened in August just steps from Princeton University, the hotel joins 32 others in the collegiate-themed Graduate collection, which became part of Hilton in March. Nods to the town and its Ivy League institution are incorporated throughout, from a hand-carved wooden reception desk flanked by four tigers— the school’s beloved mascot—to vintage embroidered “reunion jackets” (given to alumni at their 25th reunion) displayed on the walls. The lobby’s 30-foot study table is a great place to work or gather with friends.

Seersucker drapes in Princeton’s signature orange, lamps modeled after Revolutionary War-era cannons, and framed artwork depicting storied school traditions are just a few university-inspired elements in the hotel’s 180 guest rooms. The green tile bathrooms with custom botanical wallpaper were inspired by the campus arboretum.

At the hotel’s Ye Tavern restaurant, named after a bar that occupied the site in the 1930s, try the cleverly titled “In Honore of Jack,” a Manhattan that pays tribute to the owner of Jack Honore’s Barber Shop that once stood across the street. The Gothic-style Princeton University Chapel and the Princeton University Art Museum are worth a campus stroll. Visit the Princeton Public Library for its beautiful architecture, cozy seating areas and an event schedule packed with author talks, story times for kids and more.

Hotel room rates begin at $299. Graduate by Hilton Princeton, 10 Chambers St., Princeton, New Jersey, 609-4369400, hilton.com/en/hotels/pctgpgu-graduate-princeton

Virginia Scenic Railway offers year-round sightseeing excursions with a full Santa takeover during the holidays. Riders can visit with St. Nick, snap selfies, sip hot cocoa, and snack on sweet treats while listening to holiday tunes during the roughly 50-minute, round-trip ride. The train is decked out with colorful lights, a faux fireplace near Santa’s chair and Christmas trees. Each year, Santa gives kids a collectible coin stamped with the year and Virginia Scenic Railway imagery.

Note: Book soon, as these excursions sold out in 2022 and 2023 around late November. Rides begin Dec. 1 and continue through Dec. 22, with Santa outings daily except Mondays. Day and night times are available. The train departs from the Amtrak station in downtown Staunton, about 150 miles from Arlington. Factor in time to find parking. $65 per person; children under age 2 ride for free on a parent’s lap. Virginia Scenic Railway departs from 1 Middlebrook Ave., Staunton, Virginia, 434-391-9772, virginiascenicrailway.com/rides/santas-scenic-railway

The Graduate by Hilton Princeton get away ■ by Christine Koubek Flynn

back story ■ by

Kim O’Connell

Tomb Raiders

Arlington’s long-demolished Abbey Mausoleum held gems that live on.

IN LATE OCTOBER 1976, police discovered a gruesome scene inside the Abbey Mausoleum, a once grand burial place next to Arlington National Cemetery. Vandals had tampered with a dozen caskets and 15 urns, placing a copy of Circus (a now-defunct music magazine) into one opened coffin. In the gray cremains from an overturned urn, someone had drawn a smiley face.

It wouldn’t be the tomb’s only raid. In another incident three years later, saboteurs desecrated dozens of skeletons, mounting some of the skulls on broomsticks. By the 1990s, the mausoleum was shrouded in overgrowth, and investigators found evidence of satanic rituals, including dead cats, pentagrams, candles and bloody handprints.

“It was in horrible disrepair,” says Angela Anderson Adams, director of Arlington Public Art. “Vandals had broken some of the windows, and people were getting inside. It had this creepy formaldehyde smell.”

It was a dark outcome for a stately granite and marble structure that the

U.S. Mausoleum Co. had built between 1924 and 1926 as a final destination for judges, military officers and other notable figures. Housing more than 650 crypts, the mausoleum featured 13 stained-glass windows designed by the famed Louis Comfort Tiffany studio— “the only known example [of Tiffany windows] in Arlington,” according to Lorin Farris, acting Arlington County historic preservation supervisor.

By the 1950s, however, the mausoleum was suffering from financial losses and neglect. Many families disinterred relatives and buried them elsewhere. A half-century later, the federal government slated the building for demolition in 2001. Today, the site is part of the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall complex.

At the time the wrecking ball was looming, officials from Arlington

County’s historic preservation and public art programs worked together to salvage the Tiffany windows. Eight of the original 13 were deemed in good enough condition to be restored and installed in other county sites, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, the Fairlington Community Center and the Westover Library.

Just one window remained in county storage: “Christ in Blessing,” the largest at 6-by-9 feet, which was the only one bearing Tiffany’s signature. Earlier this year, after a meticulous restoration by Washington Art Glass Studio, county and church officials found a home for the window in the newly renovated Central United Methodist Church of Ballston, part of the mixed-use Ballston Station development.

“The Tiffany windows are a big deal,” Adams says. “Due to the patience and diplomacy of historic preservation and public art, the vision did not get lost.”

Perhaps now, the ghosts of the Abbey Mausoleum have finally been laid to rest. ■

The Abbey Mausoleum in 1996

The restored Tiffany “Christ in Blessing “window