Arlington Magazine Mar/Apr 2022

Luxury Experience | Local Expertise | Global Connections

Luxury Experience | Local Expertise | Global Connections

Luxury Experience | Local Expertise | Global Connections

For those who seek exceptional service and an insightful market perspective, The Alliance Group of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty is simply unmatched. Whether you’re buying your rst home, or selling your tenth, we provide every client with a luxury experience built on mutual trust, unparalleled local expertise, and global connections. The Alliance Group’s commitment to excellence has made them the top team in the prestigious TTR Sotheby’s International Realty McLean o ce as well as a multi-year recipient of the Washingtonian Magazine, Best of Arlington, and Real Trend awards

For those who seek exceptional service and an insightful market perspective, The Alliance Group of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty is simply unmatched. Whether you’re buying your rst home, or selling your tenth, we provide every client with a luxury experience built on mutual trust, unparalleled local expertise, and global connections. The Alliance Group’s commitment to excellence has made them the top team in the prestigious TTR Sotheby’s International Realty McLean o ce as well as a multi-year recipient of the Washingtonian Magazine, Best of Arlington, and Real Trend awards

For those who seek exceptional service and an insightful market perspective, The Alliance Group of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty is simply unmatched. Whether you’re buying your rst home, or selling your tenth, we provide every client with a luxury experience built on mutual trust, unparalleled local expertise, and global connections. The Alliance Group’s commitment to excellence has made them the top team in the prestigious TTR Sotheby’s International Realty McLean o ce as well as a multi-year recipient of the Washingtonian Magazine, Best of Arlington, and Real Trend awards

For those who seek exceptional service and an insightful market perspective, The Alliance Group of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty is simply unmatched. Whether you’re buying your rst home, or selling your tenth, we provide every client with a luxury experience built on mutual trust, unparalleled local expertise, and global connections. The Alliance Group’s commitment to excellence has made them the top team in the prestigious TTR Sotheby’s International Realty McLean o ce as well as a multi-year recipient of the Washingtonian Magazine, Best of Arlington, and Real Trend awards

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The Alliance Group +1 703 867 4309, alliancegroup@ttrsir.com, DCAreaLiving.com

The Alliance Group +1 703 867 4309, alliancegroup@ttrsir.com, DCAreaLiving.com

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The Alliance Group

The Alliance Group

The Alliance Group

The Alliance Group

Holly Tennant Billy, Joshua Baumgardner, Tracy Williams, Mona Banes, Janet Million, Libby Gensler, Gregg Zeiler

Holly Tennant Billy, Joshua Baumgardner, Tracy Williams, Mona Banes, Janet Million, Libby Gensler, Gregg Zeiler

Holly Tennant Billy, Joshua Baumgardner, Tracy Williams, Mona Banes, Janet Million, Libby Gensler, Gregg Zeiler

Holly Tennant Billy, Joshua Baumgardner, Tracy Williams, Mona Banes, Janet Million, Libby Gensler, Gregg Zeiler

You won’t find them in ordinary kitchens. Or at ordinary stores.

Sub-Zero, the preservation specialist. Wolf, the cooking specialist. Cove, the dishwashing specialist. Find them exclusively at your local kitchen specialist

CON TENTS

■ FEATURES

44 10 Great Neighborhoods

Nature trails? Historic architecture? A lively vibe? Find out what makes these neighborhoods so singular and so special.

60 Prairie Tale

A remodeled rambler gains square footage and a new look in the form of Prairie-style architecture.

66 A Modern Tudor

The beauty of this showstopping renovation is not just in what was added, but also what was stripped away.

72 Cape Cottage

They finally bought the fixer-upper they’d been renting for years, gutted it and made it their own.

96 It’s Taco Time

Why just Tuesday? We’d gladly eat at these local taquerias every day of the week.

108 Top Real Estate Producers

Aiming to buy or sell a house? Here are the topproducing real estate agents and teams in our area.

home of Chris and Jess Smith. Photo by Carl Bruce/Struxture Photography

CON TENTS

178 Home Plate

Ride out the chilly season with Asian comfort food and handmade pierogi.

187 Places to Eat

Our dining guide includes bite-size writeups on more than 250 area restaurants and bars.

198 Shop Local

Give that room a Grandmillennial-style refresh with vintage home accessories and nature-inspired decoupage dishes.

200 Driving Range

Norfolk, Virginia, isn’t just a nautical stronghold. It’s also home to one of the world’s largest collections of glass art.

Get

Altruistic interior design, green barbecue (so to

and cuddly comfort for kids trying to make sense of their

18 Familiar Faces

Kitten season is nigh, and she is the whisperer when it comes to nursing Arlington’s tiniest felines.

20 My Life

Championships aren’t the only goal in life, says a seasoned soccer coach.

135 Great Spaces

The defining feature in this space-saving kitchen is out of this world.

136 Prime Numbers

Which neighborhoods are the priciest? Where are homes selling the fastest? Our expanded real estate guide compares home sales data in more than 400 neighborhoods.

174 Restaurant Review

The Salt Line has cast its net in Ballston. Raw bar, anyone?

206 Get Away

Visit a boutique hotel honoring influential women, just in time for Women’s History Month.

208 Back Story

Some folks find their happy place at the beach. This Arlington couple had a thing for Antarctica.

Neighborhoods We Love

I GREW UP OUTSIDE of Philadelphia on the Main Line, and you would be hard-pressed to find a prettier collection of towns. I’m from Wayne, which has a charming downtown surrounded by historic homes dating to 1881. As you wind your way through the area, you’ll see a variety of architectures represented, including Shingle Style, Queen Anne, Stick Style, Colonial Revival, Tudor and Craftsman. It looks like a coffee-table book about late 19th- and early 20th-century architecture.

What you won’t find along the Main Line are specific neighborhoods with distinct names, personalities and dedicated fans like we have here. Ask someone from Lyon Park to name the best neighborhood in Arlington and they will likely reply, “Lyon Park, of course.” But if you head west on 50, drive south on Carlin Springs and then hang a left, you will enter the historic neighborhood of Glencarlyn. Ask a Glencarlynite the same question, and it’s easy to guess what their answer will be.

People here are passionate about their neighbors and neighborhood traditions—the Halloween parades, progressive dinners, block parties, pickleball tournaments, Thanksgiving Day football games, morning walks to school, proximity to shops and nature, and more. We’re all loyal to our larger communities of Arlington, Falls Church and McLean, but our specific neighborhoods contribute to our shared sense of civic pride.

In our feature story “10 Great Neighborhoods,” we explore the history and characteristics that make these specific neighborhoods interesting and unique. You may notice we didn’t use the word “best” to describe them—the exercise of selecting neighborhoods is highly subjective. It’s also important to note that all

the neighborhoods in the communities we cover are great in their own way. If your neighborhood didn’t make the list this time around, feel free to write to us at editorial@arlingtonmagazine.com and let us know what makes your neighborhood special. To read about other neighborhoods we’ve highlighted in the past, please visit arlingtonmagazine. com/10-great-neighborhoods/ and arlingtonmagazine.com/10-neighbor hoods-we-love/.

Thinking about remodeling? Three home design stories in this issue focus on renovations with a modern twist. If you are a regular reader of the magazine, you may have noticed that we write about homes of all different shapes and sizes, from single-family homes and townhouses to condos and ADUs. We cover projects large and small, new builds and renovations. We

highlight specific spaces too, like tricked-out basements, super cool kitchens, awesome outdoor living spaces, even a mudroom with a bar (yes, please). The common theme across all these projects is our interest in sharing inspiring local architecture and design with you. Thanks to the homeowners featured in this issue for welcoming us inside their beautifully designed and furnished homes.

I hope you enjoy our March/April Home issue. As always, please send story ideas to jenny.sullivan@arlington magazine.com. If you have ideas or feedback you’d like to share, send it to me at greg.hamilton@arlingtonmaga zine.com. Thanks!

Greg Hamilton Publisher

The Arlington Magazine team: (back row) Bette Canter, Jenny Sullivan, Traci Ball, Danny Ryan; (front row) Eliza Tebo, Greg Hamilton, Kristin Murphy, Laura Goode; Julie Rosenbaum (not pictured).

■ contributors

Nigel F. Maynard

LIVES IN: Hyattsville, Maryland, in a recently renovated 1909 farmhouse. (He wrote about the nine-month renovation process in a five-part series for The Washington Post.)

ORIGINALLY FROM: St. Croix

IN THIS ISSUE: Penned the design feature about Eric and Jill Lyttle’s renovated Tudor in Country Club Hills

SIDE GIGS: “In addition to freelance design writing, I renovate old houses (four so far), and build cabinetry and furniture. My last house was on HGTV’s I Want That!”

CURRENTLY WORKING ON: “My wife and I are in the early stages of building a custom home in Bowie, Maryland. We bought the lot and just hired an architect. I’ve started a blog (customhomehacker. com) to document the process.”

STYLE POINTS: “I love old houses with period details, but for new builds I prefer mid-century and Scandinavian modern architecture. The clean lines mixed with the warmth of natural wood soothe me.”

DESIGN PET PEEVES: “Faux finishes, fake stone and wallpaper are at the top. I really, really hate wallpaper!”

INSTAGRAM: @products_hound and @custom_home_hacker

Gerald Martineau

LIVES IN: Arlington’s Glencarlyn neighborhood

ORIGINALLY FROM: Traverse City, Michigan. “I started my newspaper career there, with The Record-Eagle.”

IN THIS ISSUE: Shares photos of Glencarlyn, the neighborhood he’s called home since 1979, in our feature story on great neighborhoods

WHY IT’S SPECIAL: “The diversity of the people and houses, and its small village atmosphere despite being only 8 miles from the White House. It’s surrounded by parkland on three sides and is home to several historic buildings.”

BEHIND THE LENS: “I was a general assignment staff photographer for The Washington Post, hired in 1970. My career spanned eight presidential administrations—Nixon through Obama.”

CURRENTLY SHOOTING: “Photos for our neighborhood newsletter and Facebook page, live music in nearby pubs, and freelance jobs when they come my way. Just about anything to keep active, photojournalistically.”

NEWS AND MORE NEWS: “I like to think of myself as 76 going on 32! I read The Washington Post paper edition and my hometown paper online daily.”

PUBLISHER & CO-FOUNDER

Greg Hamilton

EDITOR

Jenny Sullivan

ART DIRECTOR

Laura Goode

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Danny Ryan

DIGITAL WRITER/WEB PRODUCER

Eliza Tebo

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Bette Canter

DINING CRITIC

David Hagedorn

COPY EDITOR

Sandy Fleishman

CO-FOUNDER

Steve Hull

WRITERS

Tamar Abrams, Sue Eisenfeld, Roger Friedman, Christine Koubek Flynn, Sydney Johnson, Stephanie Kanowitz, Lisa Lednicer, Nigel F. Maynard, Kim O’Connell, Rina Rapuano, Jennifer Shapira

PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS

Carl Bruce, Ron Cogswell, Will Crawford, Elman Studio, Adam Fagen, Alexis Federoff, Danielle Flowers, Jennifer Girard, Lisa Helfert, Anice Hoachlander, Jon Judah, Danny Kim, Tony J. Lewis, Deb Lindsey, Gerald Martineau, Scott Miles, Mariah Miranda, Dick Patrick, Jessica Patterson, Greg Powers, Tom Sandner, Hilary Schwab, Randy Swart, Jonathan Timmes, Jane Torok, Joseph D. Tran, Michael Ventura, Dixie Vereen, Mykl Wu, Darko Zagar, Stacy Zarin Goldberg

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Traci Ball, Kristin Murphy

FINANCE & CIRCULATION COORDINATOR

Julie Rosenbaum

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

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Phone: 703-534-0519

AROUND TOWN

MARCH 11-13

Fiddler on the Roof

Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher recasts the heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the traditions that define faith and family. See website for show times. Tickets start at $54.50. Capital One Hall, 7750 Capital One Tower Road, Tysons, capitalonehall.com

PERFORMING ARTS

THROUGH MARCH 6

Girls of Madison Street

Creative Cauldron

The sisters of a tight-knit African American family confront hidden truths and well-kept secrets as they come together for their mother’s funeral. Written by Helen Hayes Award winner Iyona Blake. See website for show times. $35. 410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church, creativecauldron.org

THROUGH MARCH 6

The Phlebotomist

1st Stage

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

MARCH 1-APRIL 24

She Loves Me

Signature Theatre

A romantic musical comedy about sparring salesclerks in a 1930s European perfumery, each of whom has an anonymous pen pal. Little do they know their “dear friend” is actually each other. See website for show times and ticket prices. 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington, sigtheatre.org

APRIL 6-24

The Servant of Two Masters

Synetic Theater

Helmed by Vato Tsikurishvili and the

Fiddler on the Roof at Capital One Hall

Helen Hayes Award-nominated team from the 2019 hit Cyrano de Bergerac, this adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s commedia dell’arte masterpiece is a madcap farce of mistaken identity. See website for show times and ticket prices. 1800 S. Bell St., Arlington, synetictheater.org

MUSIC

MARCH 4, 9 P.M.

The Bayside Tigers

The State Theatre

Rock out to covers of ’90s hits ranging from Third Eye Blind to Backstreet Boys. $17 in advance; $20 day of show. 220 N. Washington St., Falls Church, thestatetheatre.com

MARCH 19, 7:30 P.M.

Beloved Baroque Masters

National Chamber Ensemble

Enjoy masterpieces by Bach, Vivaldi, Handel and Tartini in this evening of music from the Baroque period. $36 for adults; $18 for students. Gunston Arts Center -

Theatre 1, 2700 S. Lang St., Arlington, nationalchamberensemble.org

MARCH 28, 7:30 P.M.

America’s Requiem—A Knee on the Neck

Capital One Hall

Conducted by the National Philharmonic’s Piotr Gajewski with chorus master Eugene Rogers, this performance commemorates the life and tragic loss of George Floyd. It features the world premiere of Adolphus Hailstork’s A Knee on the Neck, composed around poetry by Herbert Martin. Featured vocalists are J’Nai Bridges, Norman Shankle and Kenneth Overton. The program concludes with Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor, featuring soprano Aundi Marie Moore. Tickets start at $39. 7750 Capital One Tower Road, Tysons, capitalonehall.com

APRIL 2, 7:30 P.M.

Buddy Guy

Capital One Hall

The legendary blues artist is 85 years old and still bringing the house down. His latest album, The Blues Is Alive and Well,

was released in 2018. Tickets start at $69.75. 7750 Capital One Tower Road, Tysons, capitalonehall.com

APRIL 10, 7:30 P.M.

Cowboy Junkies

The Birchmere

The Canadian alt-country/folk rock band is best known for the single “Sweet Jane.” Their latest album, Ghost, was released in March of 2020. $65. 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, birchmere.com

ART

THROUGH MARCH 19

Negar

Ahkami: Le Caftan, Le Turban

Arlington Arts Center

Negar Ahkami explores the complexities of cultural appropriation in paintings of White fashion icons dressed in caftans and turbans. The works present an intentional collision of Middle Eastern symbolism and Western motifs. See website for gallery

■ around town

hours. Free. 3550 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, arlingtonartscenter.org

THROUGH APRIL 14

Dave Eassa: People and Places

You Don’t Know How to Know Cody Gallery at Marymount University

Colorful new works by Baltimore artist Dave Eassa explore how humans behave on autopilot and the “marching orders” that drive us, shaped by our unique experiences. See website for gallery hours. Free. 1000 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, marymount.edu

APRIL 1-30

Second Life

Del Ray Artisans

This monthlong show features works made with recycled materials, as well as workshops about upcycling, freecycling and other practices that keep items out of our overburdened landfills. See website for gallery hours. Free. 2704 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, delrayartisans.org

RUN FOR FUN

FRIDAYS IN APRIL, 6:30 P.M.

National Landing 5K Fridays

Feeling the need for some fresh air?

Sign up for one or all four evening runs in this spring 5K series, which allows runners to take over the streets of National Landing. Organized by Pacers Running. $35 per race or $85 for the series; $50 for the “run anywhere” virtual 5K series. 2121 Crystal Drive, Arlington, nationallanding.org/do/ national-landing-5k-fridays

DISCOVER LUXURY OF A DIFFERENT KIND

Introducing e Mather in Tysons, Virginia— a forward-thinking destination for those 62 and better.

Forget what you thought you knew about senior living. Inquire today.

(703) 348.8522 | themathertysons.com

AUTHORS & BOOKS

APRIL 26, 7 P.M.

David Heska Wanbli Weiden: Winter Counts

Fairfax County Public Library

Join the author for a virtual discussion of his latest thriller—the tale of a Native American enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Reservation who becomes obsessed with finding and stopping a drug dealer. Free. davidweiden.com

SEASONAL

MARCH 12

Four Courts Four Miler

Ireland’s Four Courts

The finish line for this annual race may not have a pot of gold, but it will have beer, live music and Irish dancers. $40 for virtual “run anywhere” participants; $43 for the in-person event. 2051 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, runsignup.com/Race/VA/ Arlington/FourCourtsFourMiler

APRIL 16, 10 A.M.-NOON

McLean Spring Fest

McLean Community Center

Bring the little ones for arts and crafts, kids’ entertainment, photos with a bunny character and a parentchild egg hunt. $5 (children under 29 months are free). Advance registration required. 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, mcleancenter.org

APRIL 23-24

Arlington Festival of the Arts

Clarendon

Spring brings more than 100 artists and their wares to the streets of Clarendon for this treasured annual art show and sale. Admission is free. Near the intersection of North Highland Street and Washington Boulevard, Arlington, artfestival.com

a calendar event we should know about? Submit it to

good stuff

Home Made

For 15 years, Arlington interior designer Liz Mearns has been helping clients make their spaces feel homier and more like them. During the pandemic, many began asking for help redesigning their bedrooms and home offices.

Those requests got the owner of Imagine Design thinking about how she could create a sense of comfort for people who were less privileged, including families transitioning out of homelessness. She rallied three longtime designer friends in Aurora Highlands—Tiffany McAvoy, Carey Bryant and Lucie McEldowney—and reached out to Carpenter’s Shelter in Alexandria, offering to decorate

apartment units at The Bloom, an affordable housing property the shelter maintains in partnership with the Alexandria Housing Development Corp. Since August 2020, the foursome has furnished nine apartment units and two lounge areas, pro bono, contributing out-ofpocket funds as needed.

Working with a tight budget (about $1,500 per unit) was a challenge, Mearns says, but the outpouring of support was massive. Clients and friends offered cash and in-kind donations. Dozens of volunteers— from neighbors to an entire youth baseball team—helped collect goods; paint, assemble and move furniture; and hang artwork. The response was so robust that the designers found

they had the luxury of being a little picky. “We’re very selective [with furnishings],” Mearns says, “because ultimately, when we do the recipient’s home, we want it to look like it was done with design in mind.” Each unit so far has been designed to match the incoming residents’ tastes. One little girl wanted butterflies. A boy said he liked race cars.

The effort has now blossomed into a nonprofit organization, Imagine Giving Design, with plans for future projects. Mearns says they hope to redesign community spaces at homeless shelters, offering their services as a way to help young interior designers gain experience. Donations and volunteers are welcome. imaginegivingdesign.org

An affordable apartment designed and furnished by Imagine Giving Design

Imagine Giving Design volunteers

Hello, Sunshine

People love their barbecue, but John Snedden is also aware that meat—and the resources needed to produce and distribute it—has a negative impact on the environment. So the founder of Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Co. is making sure his company is doing its part to offset that impact.

In July, the Rocklands outpost on Washington Boulevard became the first commercial business in the county to receive financing via Arlington Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE), a publicprivate partnership devoted to renewable energy improvements. A $125,000 loan from Arlington Community Federal Credit Union paid for two solar panel systems, which will help reduce the restaurant’s greenhouse gas emissions and lower its utility bills—a win-win for the beloved small business and the environment. The photovoltaic panels are expected to save about 59,000 kilowatt-hours per year.

“The bottom line is at the end of the day, it’s the right thing to do,” Snedden says. “We’re cognizant that many of our protein products have a large carbon footprint, as well as the overall energy use of a food production facility, so we are constantly looking for ways to be more energy efficient.”

This solar initiative is not the first action Rocklands has taken toward sustainability. The restaurant sources from local farms whenever possible, cooks with real wood (no chemicals), conducts energy audits at all of its locations, composts and recycles to keep trash from landfills, and uses packaging and supplies made with eco-friendly materials.

The solar roof has been up and running since late-January. “We’re psyched and looking forward to converting the sun’s natural energy into electricity,” Snedden says, “to run our refrigeration and lighting needs.” rocklands.com; arlington-pace.us

All the Feels

The pandemic has unleased a tidal wave of emotions— grief, frustration, boredom, anxiety, restlessness, sadness, loneliness. Now, imagine experiencing such intense emotions as a kindergartner.

Mount Daniel Elementary School teacher Lisa Murphy was in a staff meeting last year when she first heard about Kimochis, a line of plush toys designed to help kids understand their emotions. (Kimochi is the Japanese word for feeling; the parent company is based in San Francisco.) The characters include Cloud, who has unpredictable mood shifts; Bug, a caterpillar who is afraid of change; and Lovey Dove, a bird who feels anxious when others are unkind. Each plushie has a pouch in which children can place “feeling pillows”— emoticons with different facial expressions or words—to recognize that feelings originate inside. “These 5-yearolds experience really big emotions,” Murphy says. “I think in the context of the pandemic, they’re needing to process all these really confusing things.”

Wanting to help her students cope, Murphy applied for and won a $1,000 grant from the Falls Church Education Foundation (FCEF), a nonprofit that raises and distributes supplemental funds to Falls Church City Public School educators. The funds allowed her to order a collection of Kimochis, plus worksheets and lesson plans, which she began using in the classroom in January. “The kids love them,” she says. So far, they’ve prompted conversations about feeling happy, embarrassed, proud, left out and shy. kimochis.com, fcedf.org

Kitten Caboodle

Some might call Marnie Russ a crazy kitten lady. She wouldn’t want it any other way.

AS A KID growing up in Montana, Marnie Russ had a soft spot in her heart for cats—even though her family’s gray tuxedo, Kitsy, was, in her words, “a total jerk.

“I literally have scars on my body from her. She didn’t like people, didn’t want to be around people,” Russ says. “[But] I loved her so much I couldn’t stand it.”

Fast-forward a few decades and Russ was building a career on the Hill in Washington, D.C. Summer internships had brought her here as a University of Montana student, and she returned after graduation to work as a lobbyist. In the evenings, she came home to an orange tabby named Tigger.

“That cat was always lovable and welcomed everyone. He was a gentle giant,” Russ remembers.

Whenever she was nauseous from chronic migraines, Tigger would lie next to her until she felt better. When she’d get out her suitcase for a work trip, he would grab her ankles as if to stop her from leaving. He was so friendly that a veterinarian suggested she take him to hos-

Kitten whisperer Marnie Russ

pitals to cheer up patients—and so she went to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) for training.

As fate would have it, Russ, who lives in Shirlington, started volunteering with AWLA just as the nonprofit was launching a foster program for neonatal kittens under 8 weeks of age. That was in 2000, when shelters across the country routinely euthanized tiny felines. Disturbed by the policy, she became obsessed with trying to save them. She apprenticed herself to a veterinarian in Montana, who taught her how to bottle-feed kittens and keep them alive, and joined the National Kitten Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing kittens’ survival rate.

In 2003, Russ founded her own lobbying firm on the Hill to represent her home state. But by 2016, she had scaled back her office hours and started a neonatal kitten nursery at AWLA after securing a $25,000 grant from a private donor. The nursery, which is about the size of a large closet, holds cages and an incubator for the tiniest patients— kittens that are just hours or a few days old. It saves AWLA thousands of dollars in vet costs because the kittens can be treated right at the shelter on Arlington Mill Drive.

“They’re so little and helpless,” says Russ, 48. “When they grab a bottle and suck on it, you melt.”

That same year, she founded AWLA’s four-tiered Kitten College, which recruits and trains foster families to care for baby felines with varying levels of need. Freshmen families get an underweight kitten that is 6 or 7 weeks old and are charged with making sure it puts on enough pounds to be adopted out. Sophomore fosters care for kittens that require daily medications. Juniors receive animals that require bottle feeding every four to five hours and need help relieving themselves. Seniors get the ones requiring the most intensive care—including round-the-clock feedings every two to three hours and other

Today, AWLA’s Kitten College engages nearly 300 foster families who help save more than 1,500 kitties per year.

interventions to ensure they’re healthy enough to thrive. AWLA covers the costs of foster care, although some families pitch in and buy kitten food.

What began as a startup endeavor with 38 foster families is now a major operation involving nearly 300 foster households. More than 1,500 kittens pass through AWLA’s doors each year. “I keep thinking we’ll hit an adoption saturation point in the community,” Russ says. “It hasn’t happened yet.”

The program drew nationwide attention in 2018 when several of its kittens starred in the “Kitten Bowl,” a Hallmark Channel-sponsored event broadcast on Super Bowl Sunday that aims to raise awareness about fostering and adopting cats.

Today, Russ works at the shelter full time, while still doing some lobbying on the side for Montana hospitals, Native American tribes, battered women’s shelters and other causes. (Previously in her career she also did advocacy work for the national ASPCA.)

“She’s so charismatic,” says Rosemarie Crawford, co-founder of the National Kitten Coalition, based in Gainesville, Virginia. “She pulls people in to hear about these kittens, to give fostering a try. There’s always going to be a need.”

As the Kitten College gained momentum, Russ turned her attention to replicating the model. Prior to the pandemic, she’d spent a decade organizing cat spaying and neutering programs abroad in places such as Peru, Ecuador and the Dominican Repub -

lic. More recently she’s begun helping other shelters in Virginia and beyond establish their own neonatal kitten-care programs.

For a time, Ashley Ney, community cat coordinator for the privately run Middleburg Humane Foundation, kept sending abandoned kittens to AWLA because she had no way of caring for them. Russ finally helped her build a foster program in her area. “Marnie has been there every step of the way when we need her,” Ney says. “She’s a super go-getter and she comes up with great ideas. I don’t know that she sleeps.”

Although Russ has her own cats now—Gamila, a Persian rescued from a dumpster in Kuwait, and Little Roo Russ, a mixed breed from AWLA who has no elbow joints but has a devoted social media following—she still remembers her days as a foster kitten mom. Sometimes she’d have four or five litters at a time in her home, all while working 80 to 90 hours a week getting the Kitten College up and running. She slept little in those days. She has no regrets.

“It’s so rewarding,” she says. “If you look at a kitten that you’ve saved and it goes into a home and someone adopts it, it becomes their Tigger. If someone hadn’t saved Tigger, I wouldn’t have had him.” ■

Writer and editor Lisa Lednicer lives in Arlington with her daughter and husband, who, unfortunately, is allergic to cats and dogs. Instead, they have a pet rabbit named Toby.

by Roger Friedman |

Will Crawford

The Bigger Goal

Most youth athletes won’t receive sports scholarships, and even fewer will go pro. That’s beside the point.

I’VE COACHED HUNDREDS of youth soccer players and none have gone on to win the World Cup.

Despite this obvious coaching shortcoming, I’ve come to realize it doesn’t make me a failure on the sidelines. Even in the hypercompetitive battleground of Northern Virginia travel soccer, where players angle for elusive college scholarships, parents chart playing

time to the second and coaches have no qualms about poaching top talent from their competition, youth sports can and should be important for reasons that supersede the results on the field.

Especially in our tumultuous times, I see the girls on my under-16 travel team picking up life lessons that ultimately will be more valuable to them than the ability to execute a diving header. It just

takes a little effort—for players, parents and especially coaches—to look beyond the trophies and championships. Here are a few takeaways that I hope will shape this generation of players and who they become as adults. I’m a girls’ soccer coach, so I speak in those terms, but similar lessons await on other fields, courts and rinks in the world of youth sports.

The author, giving a pep talk to one of his players

EVERY SHADE OF BLUE TOUR THE HEAD AND THE HEART JADE BIRD

JUN 9

VOODOO THREAUXDOWN TROMBONE SHORTY

TANK AND THE BANGAS, BIG FREEDIA GEORGE PORTER JR. & DUMPSTAPHUNK, CYRIL NEVILLE, THE SOUL REBELS

JUN 18

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND WHEELS OF SOUL 2022 TOUR

LOS LOBOS

GABE DIXON

JUL 19

THE WILD HEARTS TOUR

BONNIE RAITT WITH SPECIAL GUEST LUCINDA WILLIAMS

JUN 10 + 11

STEVE MARTIN AND MARTIN SHORT

THE FUNNIEST SHOW IN TOWN AT THE MOMENT AUG 20 + 21

JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT SHERYL CROW WAXAHATCHEE

JUN 16 + 17

STING MY SONGS TOUR SEP 2–4

ZIGGY MARLEY & STEPHEN MARLEY

BOB MARLEY CELEBRATION

JUL 27

WAIT WAIT... DON’T TELL ME!

AUG 25 + 26

SHARON VAN ETTEN, ANGEL OLSEN, AND JULIEN BAKER WITH SPECIAL GUEST SPENCER.

JUL 21

SILKROAD ENSEMBLE WITH RHIANNON GIDDENS

PHOENIX RISING

JUL 24

YO-YO MA AND PAQUITO D’RIVERA NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

SEP 8

…and many more!

Speak Up for Yourself

Our players have watched their heroes on the U.S. Women’s National Team battling hard on the field while also advocating for themselves on issues like pay equity. Youth soccer empowers girls to speak out and to be heard, but with lower stakes to increase the margin for error. We want our daughters to become comfortable voicing their opinions, even if it doesn’t always go their way. No, we aren’t switching to a four-back set. Yes, we can change our pregame warm-up routine and ditch my musical selections (hurtful, but fair). I hope our players go forward in life with a certainty that they get to have opinions, express them and push for them to be enacted.

Tone Is Tough

As my players demonstrated when they cheered the shelving of my music playlist,

it’s important to keep tone in mind. How we say things affects how those messages are received. On the soccer field, there is a necessary urgency when you’re relaying the fact that the opposing striker is running free and should be marked at a teammate’s earliest convenience. Things can turn shout-y. But we’re learning that a calmer follow-up conversation, after the on-field emergency has passed, can help soothe feelings and get everyone on the same page. And we’re (slowly) learning that we shouldn’t take it personally when someone yells at us. We are all best served if we assume our teammate—or coach—is coming from a place of wanting to help, even if it doesn’t sound that way at the time.

Help a Teammate

Speaking of helping, one of the tenets our team stressed throughout the

past season was the concept of helping a teammate out. In soccer terms, that includes things like making the extra pass or telling a player if she has a man on. Yes, those are nice, considerate things to do. But as importantly, they help build the success of the entire team. When each individual works not only to improve herself but her teammates, it raises everyone together and allows the whole group to achieve shared goals.

Prioritize Your Life

We all learned over the past year that, contrary to what your coach might have told you in the past, soccer is not the most important thing in life. Covid and quarantine and loss of soccer shifted all our perspectives and allowed us to better determine how the pieces should fit together. During the fall sea-

Welcome back, Arlington friends! We grew stronger in our time apart.

Let us help you lower your risk factors for optimal health.

Oral Health

son, we had players miss practices and games for swim meets, high school basketball practices, family trips, marching band competitions, personal wellness and even—gasp— to catch up on schoolwork. And the world did not end. My players helped teach me that soccer is something we do for fun when we can.

Focused Fun

When our team plays stressed, we don’t play as well. When we’re chatting about math quizzes and homecoming dresses, we don’t play as well. When we play with a sense of focused fun, we are absolutely at our best. There’s a calmness and a composure and a joy to our performances. There’s a life lesson here about finding things to study and careers to pursue that grab and hold your interest while also being something you enjoy. That’s when you’ll do your best work and be your best self.

Looking at all sports, roughly 7% of high school athletes go on to play a varsity sport in college, according to ScholarshipStats.com.

In girls’ soccer, the odds of a U.S. high school player making any college roster are 10-1; 48-1 for making an NCAA Division I roster; and 1,435-1 for making a pro club.

The odds of learning valuable life lessons about teamwork, conflict resolution, prioritization, selfesteem, friendship and the value of hard work are significantly higher— if we remember what youth sports should be about. ■

Annandale resident Roger Friedman has spent his evenings and weekends coaching soccer for more than 20 years. He coaches his teenage kids on Burke Athletic Club teams that play in the National Capital Soccer League, including the Blast, the team referenced above, which has won the top division three of the past four seasons.

Whether you’re planning to build a new home, age in place, or pass your real estate legacy to your loved ones or favorite charity, the skilled Trusts & Estates Attorneys at Arlington Law Group are ready to help.  Call us today at (703) 842-3025 for assistance with real estate contracts, commercial leasing, investment properties, estate planning, asset protection, tax planning, probate and trust administration.

Test of Time Profiles

TriVistaUSA Design + Build

I love that our work keeps getting more expressive and inventive with every project.

925 N. Garfield St., Suite 106 Arlington, VA 22201

703-243-3171 info@trivistausa.com www.trivistausa.com

Maintaining their artistic essence, husband and wife team Michael and Deborah Sauri of TriVistaUSA Design + Build continue to thrive in the competitive Arlington design/ build market. They attribute much of their success to their long-term core team: Pam, interior designer; Denny, project manager and woodwork artist; and Steve, the director of build who handles logistics like an air traffic controller. Together, they have more than 120 years of combined experience. Designs are collaborative, with their entire team contributing their expertise.

“We see every project as an artistic opportunity,” says Deborah, “and we would never let our clients be cookie-cutter trend victims. At the same time, form must follow function.”

“I love that our work keeps getting more expressive and inventive with every

project,” says Michael. “That’s what TriVistaUSA Design + Build is all about: cool projects for cool people. Those people may be starting to raise a family and need more room or have become empty nesters wanting a fresh new space. Sure, major renovations take time and have a healthy budget, but in the end, our clients say TriVistaUSA’s creative, high quality work is completely transformative.”

Michael, Deborah and company made the decision long ago to concentrate their work in five zip codes. With years of experience in Arlington, they know the sometimes challenging zoning regulations, building codes and local needs, inside and out. With short distances between job sites, it’s easy for a designer or electrician to drop in and check on something for a client without any scheduling hassle.

MICHAEL AND DEBORAH SAURI

Left to right, Pam Harper, Steve Inch, Deborah Sauri, Michael Sauri, Denny Lewis

Dominion Lighting & Dominion Electric Supply Co.

MATT ROWAN, VP, RESIDENTIAL LIGHTING

A completely reimagined experience makes Dominion cutting-edge.

5053 Langston Blvd. Arlington, VA 22207

703-536-4400

www.dominionelectric.com

After 80 years, Dominion Electric Supply continues to be one of the few familyowned and operated electrical distributors in the United States. In 2020, it created an entirely new brand for its residential lighting division: Dominion Lighting.

As part of the rebranding effort, Matt Rowan, now VP of Residential Lighting, worked with CEO Stephen Krooth to “completely rethink the experience of shopping for and understanding lighting.”

The result is truly best-in-class, with elegant and open gallery areas, inspiring vignettes, and a cutting-edge light lab that, through voice command, demonstrates the difference between basic and welldesigned lighting.

Even the client experience was completely reimagined. Complimentary specialty coffee is offered right at the reception desk,

new tags demonstrate transparency and superior pricing, specialty LED bulbs are available to try, and even color temperature is shown to make lighting decisions easy.

Dominion has even partnered with the local community to host a rotating slate of neighborhood artists’ work, as well as an ongoing exhibit of African-American history along the Langston Boulevard corridor.

The new flagship has already been named a Five-Star Showroom by Lutron and won two awards at the Dallas International Lighting Show, an award from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Best Lighting Store from DC Luxury Magazine, and Designers Choice from Home and Design Magazine.

With upcoming renovations/refits to its Chantilly and Laurel locations, Dominion is in a terrific position to last another 80 years.

Vinson Hall Retirement Community

LASEAN MURPHY, DINING SERVICES

It’s always been a place where kindness flourishes.

6251 Old Dominion Drive McLean, VA 22101

800-451-5121

http://www.vinsonhall.org

Vinson Hall Retirement Community (VHRC) prides itself on providing individualized care and engagement to all of its residents. While all of VHRC’s staff exemplify this philosophy, LaSean Murphy, a 21-year VHRC employee, goes above and beyond. Each morning, one of LaSean’s many tasks is supplying the community’s numerous hydration stations with fruit-flavored water. As she navigates the hallways with dispensers of water, she gives everyone a cheery hello.

During the pandemic as VHRC worked to keep residents safe by starting an in-house grocery delivery service, LaSean became a friendly grocery deliverer, filling each order with care and delivering it with a smile. LaSean also loves baking. Her scones and baked goods are always a hit at VHRC’s Farmers’ Market, which is held twice a month and features fresh

fruits and vegetables as well as LaSean’s baked goods.

“It’s my purpose to be here,” LaSean says. “The residents are terrific, and my coworkers are the best team in the world.”

VHRC opened its doors 52 years ago, welcoming military officers and their families to senior living. From the beginning, VHRC’s values have been dignity, security and friendship. It’s always been a place where kindness flourishes. LaSean’s commitment to VHRC’s residents is just one example of the kindness and care found among all VHRC’s staff.

The VHRC Independent Living community is open to U.S. military officers and their families as well as leadership level (GS-14 or higher) federal government employees. Assisted living, skilled nursing, long-term nursing and memory care are open to the public.

Dr. Michael Rogers

FAIRLINGTON DENTAL

In private practice in Northern Virginia for 31 years, his interest in dentistry developed at an early age.

4850 31st St. S., Suite A Arlington, VA 22206

703-671-1001

www.fairlingtondental.com

Dr. Michael Rogers, a native of Southern California, graduated with honors from Harvard and then attended dental school at UCLA. He completed a residency at the Sepulveda Veteran’s Hospital with training in plastic surgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine and oral surgery.

In private practice in Northern Virginia for 31 years now, his interest in dentistry developed at an early age. Due to childhood illnesses, his permanent teeth never developed a normal hard enamel coating. When he took antibiotics, they were stained brown. He had many primary teeth extracted, and his permanent teeth were prone to cavities that required fillings. The next step was braces, which had a positive side effect: For the first time, Rogers could smile like everyone else because the braces hid the brown color. Many young people would try to forget

dentistry ordeals, but Rogers decided he wanted to be an orthodontist. In dental school, however, he found all aspects of dentistry interesting and pursued general dentistry with an emphasis on combining dentistry and medicine. Today, he strives to have the leading practice with that dual expertise for a complete health approach, and the practice is mercury safe as well.

Rogers has invested significant time in ongoing education, learning emerging technologies and techniques in the areas of cosmetic dentistry, implant dentistry, sleep apnea treatment, orthodontics, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders and safe amalgam replacement.

An active participant in the community, Rogers is a sponsor for Encore Theater, Little League of Alexandria, Abingdon Elementary and the Fairlington Farmer’s Market.

Simon R.B. Hamilton

MANAGING DIRECTOR, THE WISE INVESTOR GROUP AT BAIRD

ROBERT W. BAIRD & CO. INCORPORATED

Frequent, interactive client reviews include a portfolio manager and financial planner who work cohesively to meet the client’s objectives.

11951 Freedom Drive, Suite 1000

Reston Virginia 20190

866-758-9473

wiseinvestorshow@rwbaird.com www.thewiseinvestorgroup.com

Simon started his own financial advisory practice straight out of college. Over time, he recognized he would benefit from being part of a team, working with people with different skill sets and perspectives. He soon learned that communication and consistent messaging makes for betterinformed, wise investors.

Members of The Wise Investor Group, of which Hamilton is one of three managing directors, have consistently been recognized as some of the nation’s top advisors by Barron’s, Forbes and more. In the last 30 years, they have guided clients through ups and downs. They advise clients to pay less attention to short-term economic and political disruptions and stay tethered to their long-term plans and goals.

“We are also doing a lot of video conferencing with clients to stay

connected in these trying times,” says Hamilton. These frequent, interactive client reviews include a portfolio manager and financial planner who work cohesively to meet the client’s objectives.

For more than 25 years, the group has hosted the Wise Investor Show on WMAL-FM radio, and they recently transitioned it to a podcast. “It’s always been, and will continue to be, a resource that offers education and advice about financial planning, asset management, investment analysis and insurance,” says Hamilton.

Believing strongly in the marriage of portfolio management and financial planning, every investment decision is made in the context of a written, wellarticulated strategy that aims to relieve financial stress and plan for the future.

Sleep & TMJ Therapy

DR. JEFFREY L. BROWN

Sleep & TMJ Therapy uses non-surgical strategies to help those with craniofacial pain and sleep related problems.

2841 Hartland Road, Suite 301 Falls Church, VA 22043

703-821-1103

www.sleepandtmjtherapy.com

Getting to the root of jaw discomfort and sleeping problems is Dr. Jeffrey Brown’s focus. His practice, Sleep & TMJ Therapy, uses non-surgical strategies to help those with craniofacial pain and sleep-related problems. His mission is to provide the best possible conservative, customized and pain-free treatment plan.

Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction, known as TMJ or TMD, is an internal imbalance of the jaw joints that can cause symptoms throughout the body, including popping and clicking, limited mouth opening, ringing in the ears, headaches, even neck and back pain. In his practice, these conditions can be treated with either a lower or upper appliance to take pressure off the joints and to allow for the discs to move back into the correct place. In addition, the appliance therapy aligns and levels the cranium, achieving an

internal balance and symmetry that helps patients feel much better.

To address sleep issues, customized dental appliances are used to promote healthier breathing habits by supporting the jaw and opening the airway. This supports reductions in symptoms of snoring, interrupted breathing, fatigue, irritability and headaches.

“The team truly enjoys seeing patients get their lives back, resume normal activities and sleep better. That is what it’s all about!” says Dr. Brown.

Dr. Brown is a graduate of Georgetown Dental School and a sought-after international speaker for TMD and sleep apnea. He holds memberships with many academies, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain and a Legacy Provider of the ALF Interface Academy.

Manning, Murray, Barnett & Baxter, P.C.

Back row (left to right): Brent Baxter, Michael Manning, Paul Barnett, Drew Murray; front row: Don Manning, Melinda Burroughs, Bill Murray

The attorneys of MMBB take great pride in being a part of the Arlington community.

6045 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300 Arlington, VA 22205

703-532-5400

www.mmbb.law

Manning, Murray, Barnett & Baxter, P.C. (MMBB) was founded in 1988 as a boutique estate planning law firm by Don Manning and Bill Murray, both graduates of W-L High School. Don and Bill, along with then and current legal assistant Melinda Burroughs and one other assistant, opened their first office on Glebe Road in the Ballston area and moved to their current office on Wilson Boulevard in the Dominion Hills neighborhood in 1994.

Over the years, the firm has grown from two attorneys and two staff to six attorneys and eleven staff. With the growth, MMBB has remained true to its original purpose of providing quality estate planning services to individuals and small business owners residing in Northern Virginia. They assist family members with the administration of loved ones’ estates and trusts and serve as executors and trustees when needed.

Elder law, another area of the firm’s practice, focuses on guiding clients and families through transitions from their homes to retirement or care communities, reviewing nursing or retirement home contracts, advising about public benefits programs, providing bill-paying services, and if necessary, filing guardianship petitions and acting as a fiduciary.

The firm seeks to serve clients young and old, both now and over the years. Because the attorneys span a broad range of ages, clients have continuity of representation and quality service.

The attorneys of MMBB take great pride in being a part of the Arlington community, participating in many local, civic and charitable ventures, frequently in leadership roles.

PathForward

Franny Mack (left), Sr. Shelter Housing Focused Case Manager and Erika Hinson (right), Sr. Permanent Supportive Housing Case Manager, stand outside of PathForward’s Sibert House, an apartment property that is home to recently housed clients.

Case managers ensure that people experiencing homelessness get the services and support they need to move forward with their lives.

2020-A 14th St. N. Arlington, VA 22201

703-200-3425 www.pathforwardva.org

With its 30th anniversary beginning in July, PathForward (formerly A-SPAN) operates Arlington County’s Homeless Services Center (HSC) where it provides a breadth of life-saving supportive services for adult men and women experiencing homelessness. Its mission is to transform lives by delivering housing solutions and pathways to stability.

The HSC, much more than a shelter, is unique because it houses all of PathForward’s programs under one roof where clients can access a range of services 24/7, 365 days a year. These services include the following: a year-round shelter, case management, street outreach, nursing services, medical respite, housing services and a hypothermia shelter (November–March). The center’s day program provides three daily meals, laundry, a clothing room and showers. Integral to the success of these programs are the shelter and housing

case managers who ensure that people experiencing homelessness get the services and support they need to move forward with their lives.

Since the pandemic began, PathForward remained open 24/7 and it even developed the new and growing Mobile Medical Program (MMP) to address the unmet need for equitable healthcare for those living “on the streets.” Through the MMP, a nurse partners with street outreach teams to provide medical care in order to build trust and connect clients to expanded services at the HSC.

In 2021, PathForward sheltered 351 individuals, provided 315 medical visits and served 27,463 meals. Since 2007, PathForward has housed close to 400 formerly homeless individuals, including veterans, and 95 percent of them have remained in housing.

Boone & Sons Jewelers

Trust is our objective: trust in the high quality of our gemstones and attention to detail, and trust with handling customers’ sentimental pieces of jewelry.

1320 Old Chain Bridge Road

McLean, VA 22101

703-734-3997

www.booneandsons.com

In 1966, Boone & Sons Jewelers founder French Boone opened his first store in Washington D.C. with the goal of creating a family business that offered fine jewelry at great prices and even better customer service. In the decades and generations that followed, Boone & Sons expanded to Chevy Chase, Maryland and McLean, Virginia, all the while keeping the small business and familial atmosphere that set them apart.

Today, each of the three locations has a family member on-site, and virtually all employees have been there a decade (or three).

“Trust is our objective: trust in the high quality of our gemstones and attention to detail, and trust with handling customers’ sentimental pieces of jewelry,” says Vice

President and G.I.A. graduate gemologist Erik Boone, who runs the McLean store. “Whether it is a 10-carat diamond or a customer’s grandmother’s jewelry that we are tasked with redesigning and repurposing for the next generation to wear and enjoy, we treat every customer the way we would want to be treated.”

Boone and Sons is proud to handle every aspect of the jewelry business, from services such as watch repair, jewelry repair and appraisals (done on-site), to gifts ranging from several hundred dollars to several hundred thousand dollars.

“We want to be someone’s personal jeweler, from A to Z,” says Erik, one of eight members of the third generation of Boones who are leading the company into the next 50 years of service to the D.C. area.

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman, P.C.

Clients appreciate their accessibility, responsiveness, versatility and creativity.

1775 Wiehle Ave., Suite 400

Reston, VA 20190

703-215-2913

www.ofplaw.com

For 50 years, Odin, Feldman & Pittleman, P.C., a full-service law firm, has been serving clients in the D.C. metropolitan area and beyond. In 1967, when Dexter Odin was working as Fairfax County’s first county attorney and hired David Feldman as an assistant county attorney, neither could have imagined that was the beginning of a partnership that would span more than half a century. In 1973, Jimmy Pittleman left his role as an IRS revenue agent to lead the firm’s corporate, tax and finance practice.

The firm has grown from real estate, zoning and general litigation to a full-service practice for businesses, nonprofits and individuals. Currently, 50 attorneys offer expertise in practice areas spanning the legal field.

As they develop and implement strategies that achieve their clients’ goals, they

always weigh the need for legal work against risks, costs and benefits.

Clients appreciate their accessibility, responsiveness, versatility and creativity. These traits—along with attention to how legal issues impact business and personal life—have fostered relationships that last decades.

“Our solid reputation for effective client representation, extensive knowledge and adherence to the highest ethical values have always contributed to our growth,” says co-founder David E. Feldman. “We deliver for every client, every time, and have since 1972.”

Odin Feldman Pittleman attorneys are recognized among the best in the industry by Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America and Virginia Business magazine’s Legal Elite.

Harrison Design

MARK D. HUGHES, AIA BULENT BAYDAR, AIA

Instead of following trends, we create homes with architecture that endures.

1010 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 835 Washington, D.C. 20007

202-733-1479

www.harrisondesign.com

Founded in the 1990s in Atlanta, Harrison Design is a full-service architecture, interior design and landscape architecture firm. Harrison Design approaches projects as artisans, ensuring that the quality of design is matched by the caliber of the material and workmanship. Established in 2010 in Georgetown, the Washington D.C. office is led by architects Bulent Baydar and Mark Hughes. The award-winning firm is dedicated to architectural excellence by creating functional, refined and enduring spaces.

“Considering each homeowner’s goals and vision is the secret to a successful project,” says Baydar. “Instead of following trends, we create homes with architecture that endures.”

Captivated by buildings and sketching, Baydar fell in love with architecture on an early visit to Barcelona, where he discovered the imaginative designs of

Antoni Gaudí. Hughes grew up in D.C. and, as the son of British parents, he had occasion to visit the British Embassy where he was inspired by the work of famed architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. Then, in a high school drafting class, Frank Lloyd Wright’s work and theories sparked his passion.

“We believe that every project, no matter the size, should be well considered and endowed with good design that enhances and brings pleasure to clients’ daily lives,” says Hughes. “That is our greatest reward.”

Spending so much time indoors has amplified homeowners’ appetites for home offices and outdoor recreational areas.

In Arlington, Harrison Design has taken advantage of the Accessible Dwelling Unit provision designing home offices in back yards to complement their magnificent custom homes.

Paul’s Best Lawn Service, Inc.

Quality and service are what matters.

2880 Hartland Road Falls Church, VA 22043 703-204-2826

www.paulsbestlawn.com

Italian-born Paolo, or Paul, Lo Monaco emigrated to the U.S. from Uruguay, where he was raised. He started the business on a shoestring in 1978 while driving Metro buses full time in D.C. Forty-three years later, his two sons are running the successful business he built. With some overlap, James’ domain is operations and Tim’s is administrative.

“Quality and service are what matters,” says James. “Limiting our business to a specific geographical area helps provide the best service and scheduling to our customers.” Taking excellent care of their core base of customers has resulted in a very high renewal rate and plentiful referrals. James and Tim have streamlined many processes with updated technologically, but Paul’s Best is, above all, a face-to-face operation.

“I look at everyone as my dad’s customers and want to make them just as satisfied as he always did,” James says. “But it’s not just me and my brother who feel that way. Our staff does an incredible job of responding to our customers and scheduling our work to suit their preferences. If the property needs to look its best for holiday or summer guests, we accommodate them.”

Their variety of services include lawn mowing with turf care and property maintenance, such as cleanups, weeding, edging, mulching, gutter cleaning and shrubbery pruning. Other work includes plant and sod installation, drainage and grading, and commercial snow plowing.

“A beautiful lawn is something we create that does not grow in nature,” says James. “And it all starts with the dirt. A rich, healthy base requires fewer chemicals.”

Marymount University

DR. IRMA BECERRA, PRESIDENT

The institution’s core value of service to others is evident every day – from its Food for Thought club that works to alleviate food insecurity, to partnering with Volunteer Arlington every year for MLK Day of Service events.

2807 N. Glebe Road

Arlington, VA 22207

703-522-5600 www.marymount.edu

Guided by the traditions of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, Marymount University is a comprehensive university that encourages intellectual curiosity, service to others and a global perspective.

A Marymount education prepares students for their future careers through a unique mix of STEM, health programs and liberal arts fields in an overall curriculum that provides specialized educational opportunities in a wide range of disciplines. Featuring groundbreaking new programs in areas like engineering, neuroscience and computer science, Marymount provides innovative degrees that the local region needs.

Focusing on the education of the whole person, Marymount guides the intellectual, ethical and spiritual development of each individual. This student-centered community values diversity and has been recognized

by U.S. News & World Report with regional rankings of No. 1 in ethnic diversity and No. 2 for most international students.

Marymount is proud to be known as “Arlington’s University,” contributing significantly to the local economy. Nearly 600 Marymount employees live, work, play and vote in Virginia. Almost 4,000 students call Marymount their home as well.

The institution’s core value of service to others is evident every day. The university’s Saints Center for Service has partnered with more than 55 communitybased organizations where students, faculty and staff spend over 16,000 hours per year volunteering.

Marymount is also the university of choice for NCAA Division III athletes in the DMV area, with 17 percent of its undergraduate students participating in competitive athletics.

St. Luke Catholic School

Many diverse learning programs and resources are tailored to each of its 250 students.

7005 Georgetown Pike

McLean, VA 22101

703-356-1508

Sunny Lake, Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management Registrar@StLukeSchool.com www.stlukeschool.com

Celebrating 60 years of success, St. Luke School has been educating children since 1962. Its large campus, with a 38,000 square-foot building, has 20 acres that include a playground, basketball court and large sports fields.

What sets St. Luke apart, in addition to preparation for Catholic sacraments, are the many diverse learning programs and resources that are tailored to each of its 250 students, pre-K through 8th grade. Three full-time resource teachers help with various learning differences.

Set up for success, the modern classrooms feature wobble chairs, plus moveable, standing desks for the fidgeter in all of us. Organically shaped tables have replaced traditional desks. Every classroom has smart boards for interactive learning. Developed by education consultants who are experts in the field of

growth mindset, St. Luke has implemented a rotating schedule. If a student finds first period math challenging, no worries, it will only be first period once a week.

Creativity and imagination flourish in the Fun Bot Lab, where students have Tinkercad, which is used for 3-D printing, along with iPads and Chromebooks. Middle school electives, which students enjoy choosing, include options such as the journalism club, theater, weightlifting, coding, “Shark Tank,” peer tutoring, art theory and Math Counts. A dedicated extended day staff oversees extracurricular sports such as soccer, basketball and tennis.

Throughout the year, field trips take advantage of what our nation’s capital has to offer. Beyond D.C., classes have traveled to the Baltimore Science Center and the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, where a class watched a heart dissection.

Center for the Arts at George Mason University

4373 Mason Pond Drive Fairfax, VA 22030

703-993-2787

cfa.gmu.edu

Since the Center for the Arts opened in 1990, more than six million people have enjoyed brilliant performances by international touring artists and ensembles, as well as performances by students and faculty of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. The Center has hosted music, including more than 120 GRAMMY Award winners; dance, with premieres by Mark Morris Dance Group and Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, among others; and theater, including many leading touring companies. It not only brings top-level artists to perform but puts them in the classroom with Mason students and community members through its Artist-in-Residence Program. The Center is a cultural hub for the region, with its diverse and distinctive mix of the world’s finest artists and the rising stars of the next generation.

Deirdre J. Maull, DMD, MS

DEIRDRE MAULL ORTHODONTICS

6845 Elm St., Suite 505, McLean, VA 22101

703.556.9400 | www.maullortho.com

Dr. Deirdre Maull opened her orthodontic practice in McLean in 1999. In addition to her residency and master’s degree, Dr. Maull performed a surgical orthodontic fellowship. This advanced training provided additional knowledge and experience that enables her to help patients of all ages with a wide range of issues, from minimally invasive to extremely complex. She has been a member of the INOVA Children’s Hospital Craniofacial Team since she opened her practice.

“I have the best job in the world,” says Dr. Maull, “because every patient finishes with a beautiful smile.” She is deeply committed to her patients, staff, and the community she lives and works in. She believes strongly in supporting local schools and charities, and she is a proud sponsor of the McLean Little League (Go Maullers!).

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Falcons Landing

For over 25 years, the community has been everything the founders dreamed it would be and more.

20522 Falcons Landing Circle

Potomac Falls, VA 20165

703-223-8491

info@falconslanding.org www.falconslanding.org

Like all great endeavors, Falcons Landing started as a dream—a dream to create a place where those who served their nation could relax and savor life to the fullest. It began with a group of retired officers who met regularly for breakfast at Andrews Air Force Base to talk about life, living in the area and issues of the day. Establishing the Air Force Retired Officers Community in 1986, they began a ten-year journey to make their idea a reality for the Washington, D.C. area.

The original board of directors visited communities across the country to determine what would constitute the ideal retirement community. They secured financing, a perfect site, and commissioned the design and construction. Falcons Landing was completed in 1996 and, for over 25

years, the community has been everything the founders dreamed it would be and more. It is home to retired and honorably discharged military officers from all branches of service, their spouse or surviving spouse, as well as senior-level federal retirees, their spouse or surviving spouse.

In 2021, Falcons Landing opened two new luxury terrace home apartment buildings featuring four new floor plans ranging in size, all with outdoor living space. “We hear so often, when people tour Falcons Landing, that they are impressed with our forward thinking, our commitment to the now and to our past,” says Leah Daily, director of sales and marketing. “We have continued to provide first-class service to our residents during this unprecedented time and we continue to look with hope to the future!”

Greg L. LaVecchia

DMD, PC

1515 Wilson Blvd., Suite 103 Arlington, VA 22209

703-528-3336

www.rosslyndentist.com

For five decades, dentists Louis J. LaVecchia, DDS and his son Greg L. LaVecchia, DMD have served Arlington families with comprehensive dentistry. After Louis J. LaVecchia completed a tour of duty in the Vietnam War; he returned to Arlington in 1971 to open his private dental practice. At that time, he was also offered an appointment to the full-time faculty at Georgetown University in the Department of Operative Dentistry, where he taught from 1970 to 1990. Now retired, many of the dentists in the area will say that they learned everything they know from Dr. Louis J. LaVecchia.

Greg L. LaVecchia, DMD and his experienced team continue the legacy of dental excellence with a belief that exceptional dental care happens when old-fashioned service meets modern technology. Dr. LaVecchia and his team offer general, cosmetic, periodontal and implant dentistry using advanced technology and are a provider of Invisalign and CEREC same day crowns.

WOOFS! Dog Training Center

4241-A N. Pershing Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 www.woofsdogtraining.com

Dr. Laura Sharkey opened WOOFS! Dog Training Center in 2002. An accomplished, certified professional dog trainer, Dr. Sharkey has a strong science background—including a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from Georgetown— that informs the modern, humane, science-based training methods at WOOFS!

“Relationships are key. We help forge strong, positive partnerships between our students and their dogs. If we can do that, you will be happy together for years to come,” says Dr. Sharkey.

“Although we have many programs, services and specialties, we love working with everyday pets, especially puppies. We are honored by the number of owners who return to us with their second, and even third, generation of dogs.”

LISA HELFERT

LISA HELFERT

Foxcroft School

Foxcroft is an all-girls boarding and day school for grades 9-12 located in Middleburg, VA. Its outstanding academic program offers challenging courses, including 18+ Advanced Placement classes and an innovative STEM program. The equestrian program is nationally recognized and its athletic teams have won numerous conference and state championships.

22407 Foxhound Lane Middleburg, VA 20117 540-687-5555 www.foxcroft.org

For more than 100 years, families and organizations around Foxcroft School have come to value the intelligence, enthusiasm and care that its students bring to their community service endeavors in the Middleburg and Loudoun County communities. In turn, those experiences provide girls with opportunities for leadership, compassion, problem-solving and communication that cannot be taught in a classroom.

Volunteer opportunities include helping at a nearby therapeutic riding facility, working at the local food bank and animal shelter, and mentoring children at Banneker Elementary School each week. Students help package and distribute food and other supplies each week for the at-risk and homeless youth served by Mobile Hope Loudoun.

Combining learning and giving back, Foxcroft’s STEM classes employ the Engineering Projects in Community Service

(EPICS) curriculum developed by Purdue University. One recent endeavor was a successful partnership with the Goose Creek Association at their Family Festival celebrating the 50th anniversary of its designation as a Scenic River.

Engineering class students designed interactive displays promoting the preservation and protection of Goose Creek, which runs through campus. They created stream monitoring games to test the water’s health and created buffers to catch run-off pollutants. In one exercise to test water quality, kids of all ages enjoyed scooping and categorizing bugs from the creek.

Established in 1914, this all-girls boarding and day high school prepares students for success in college and in life. The school is guided by its mission “to help every girl explore her unique voice and to develop the skills, confidence, and courage to share it with the world.”

Land Art Design, Inc.

CLARE SIEGEL

I’ve been in love with what I do ever since I started.

1304 Vincent Place McLean, VA 22101

703-448-9094 www.landartdesign.com

Land Art Design, Inc. has been designing and building creative landscapes since 1984. Clare Siegel came upon the landscape design industry by happenstance after graduating from college with a degree in liberal arts. A landscape company was doing work at her rental home. Not one to be confined indoors, she struck up a conversation with the owner and found her calling.

Clare attended the George Washington University Landscape Design program. She worked for one year after graduation at a local landscape company then started her own business with a stake body truck and two exchange students.

Today, Land Art Design, Inc. is a fully staffed custom landscape design build company providing every kind of outdoor environment and home enhancement. Services include artfully designed, spatially thought-out

patios and natural fieldstone walls, either to retain grade or as landscape accents.

The company specializes in grading and drainage, creating usable and aesthetic spaces on difficult hillsides or slopes. Their architectural elements have enhanced many a home’s entrance. They also custom design and build porticos, help select and install new front doors, design and build decks and screened porches, pergolas, arbors and sheds, and even new front walks that improve curb appeal.

“I’ve been in love with what I do ever since I started,” Clare says. “Our designs are creative and unique to each client and their home’s earthen environment. Even the most challenging jobs excite me. I believe a home’s landscape should invoke a feeling of beauty and relaxation and especially bring us the best things our natural world has to offer.”

Ilona Grenadier and Benton S. Duffett III

GRENADIER, DUFFETT, LEVI, WINKLER & RUBIN, P.C.

The family law attorneys have had years of experience working for clients who are going through a divorce, one of the most stressful situations someone can endure.

649 South Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314

12359 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 230

Reston, VA 20191

703-683-9000

www.vafamilylaw.com

At Grenadier, Duffett, Levi, Winkler & Rubin, P.C., the family law attorneys have had years of experience working for clients who are going through a divorce, one of the most stressful situations someone can endure. In addition to emotional pain and financial struggles, there are significant legal components. Ilona Grenadier, founding partner, has practiced family law since the late 1960s. The only woman attorney at her first job out of law school, Grenadier was assigned a custody case. “Nobody else wanted to do it,” she says. Grenadier won the case and handled all the firm’s divorce work moving forward. In 1974, Grenadier opened her own law firm in Alexandria. Today, the firm has eight attorneys in two offices. Grenadier has been included as a Super Lawyer for the past 15 years, and she has been

recognized in Washingtonian magazine’s Top Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America (from inception) and has earned Martindale Hubbell’s top AV rating.

Benton S. Duffett III, an Alexandria, Virginia, native, joined the firm when he began practicing in 1988 and is based in the Alexandria office. He is included in Best Lawyers in America for family law from 2020-2022. Best Lawyers is the oldest, most respected peer review publication in the legal profession. Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, Duffett is also listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers for his expertise in child support, alimony, custody, visitation, name changes and marital agreements. Since 2003, he has served as a neutral case evaluator for the Fairfax County Circuit Court.

The annual Halloween pet parade in Greenway Downs, Falls Church

JANE TOROK

Find out why residents of these areas love where they live, whether it’s pancakes and pickleball, cool history, or location, location, location.

Ashton Heights/Lyon Park

Situated within walking distance of a multitude of shops, restaurants, bars, bike trails, parks and two Metro stations, you could say the adjoining neighborhoods of Lyon Park and Ashton Heights won the location lottery.

But it’s the small-town sense of community that makes this pocket of single-family homes special, says Natalie Roy, owner of Bicycling Realty Group, who has lived in Lyon Park for 30 years. “You walk on the street and people say hello.”

Next door in Ashton Heights, neighbors stay connected through a 600-household listserv, says civic association president Scott Sklar, a resident since 1984 who, during the pandemic, began hosting spontaneous whiskey happy hours in his front yard. “The goal is to know your neighbors and interact with them,” he says.

ASHTON HEIGHTS/ LYON PARK AT A GLANCE

A bonfire outside the Lyon Park Community Center

A remodeled Ashton Heights home by TriVistaUSA Design + Build

Halloween is a particularly big deal in the “sister communities,” as Roy calls them. Ashton Heights’ North Jackson Street is like “Halloween Alley,” she says, with all-out decorations and haunted houses. After trick-or-treating, families head to the Lyon Park Community Center, built in 1925, for a bonfire with doughnuts and cider.

Both neighborhoods were established around 1920 and are designated Historic Districts in the National Register of Historic Places, harboring pretty streets lined with Colonials, Cape Cods, bungalows and Craftsman-style homes.

The Maury School building in Ashton Heights, now home to the Arlington Arts Center, was built in 1910 and is the second oldest school building in Arlington.

But it’s the easy access to Ballston and Clarendon that’s especially driving escalating home values here, along with new construction. One recent new build in Lyon Park—a six-bedroom, sixbath residence topping 5,500 square feet—was listed for $2.4 million.

Most lot sizes tend to be on the smaller side, Roy says. “If it’s 10,000 square feet, that might be considered a farm around here,” she jokes. Houses sit shoulder-toshoulder, contributing to the intimacy.

Resting on the edges of Metro’s Orange Line corridor, both neighborhoods earn high marks for walkability and bikeability: Ashton Heights boasts a Walk Score of 86 and a Bike Score of 91, while Lyon Park has scores of 79 and 85, respectively. –Stephanie Kanowitz

Langley Farms

Average days on market: 60

That Hickory Hill, the former Kennedy estate, is located in Langley Farms speaks to its pedigree as one of the D.C. area’s most exclusive locales. Neighboring homes, including a stunning 1971 contemporary designed by famed architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen, have graced the pages of Architectural Digest and Dwell. Today, the celebrity cachet continues with denizens like Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie, who in 2017 purchased an elegant Frenchstyle chateau in the neighborhood for $5.2 million.

“To me, it’s the prettiest neighborhood in McLean,” says real estate agent Steve Wydler, co-founder of Wydler Brothers of Compass. Tasteful architecture ranges from classic, stone-clad Georgians to Nantucket Shingle-style compounds. Large homes by “top shelf” architects and builders occupy lots averaging one-half to 2 acres and command premium prices.

“As the crown jewel of McLean neighborhoods, it’s very well insulated from market downturns,” Wydler adds. “The values are continually rising. It seems that every few months there’s another record-setting price for sales in Langley Farms.” (In January, a new build on 3.8 acres was listed for $22 million.)

Bordered by Georgetown Pike and Chain Bridge Road, this boutique neighborhood is close to Langley Fork Park, Clemyjontri Park and Scott’s Run Nature Preserve, and just a stone’s throw from CIA headquarters. Its residents enjoy quick access to downtown McLean, Tysons, the Beltway and other major arteries, but they can also avoid the highway and beeline into the District via historic Chain Bridge.

Langley Farms is close to the D.C. area’s political power centers, tech corridors and booming commercial hubs, yet this tony oasis of manicured lawns and stone entry gates feels a world away. –Jenny Sullivan

Homes sold in 2021: 8

Average sale price: $3.8 million

Source: Bright MLS

LANGLEY FARMS AT A GLANCE

A home in Langley Farms

The Maury School building (now home to the Arlington Arts Center)

JFK with a young Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at Hickory HIll in 1957

Greenway Downs

Andrew Painter and his wife, Mary Anne, have lived in Greenway Downs, a neighborhood just to the west of downtown Falls Church City, since 2010. They can’t imagine raising their three children anywhere else. “When we had our twins, friends urged us to move to a larger house farther out,” says Painter, a land use and zoning attorney. “We love it here and chose to stay.”

Carved out of a 100-acre farm in 1927, but largely developed as a working-class neighborhood after World War II, Greenway Downs is bisected by busy South Washington Street (Lee Highway)—meaning that half of it is in Falls Church City and the other half is in Fairfax County.

“It’s a mix of generations—everyone from young singles to older families to retired people,” says Tori McKinney, owner of Rock Star Realty Group and a longtime inhabitant of the neighborhood’s city side, who is known for organizing popular events like the annual Tinner Hill Music Festival. “More energy arrives with each new resident.”

McKinney and her husband moved to Greenway Downs when their now-

grown daughter was only 2. They loved the playgrounds and the camaraderie of neighbors always eager to lend a hand or a missing recipe ingredient.

Both sides of the neighborhood are conveniently within walking distance of retail stores, restaurants and bars, parks and the vintage State Theatre, a popular live music venue. Other nearby landmarks include The Falls Church Episcopal, a historic parish established

in 1732 (for which the city is named), and Tinner Hill Historic Park, a site once owned by civil rights activists Joseph and Elizabeth Tinner, whose fight against segregated property laws led to the formation of the first rural branch of the NAACP.

The character of the neighborhood has evolved as residents old and new have begun renovating or rebuilding the original Cape Cods and Co -

The Halloween pet parade in Greenway Downs

Homes sold in 2021: 28 (22042) 8 (22046)

Average sale price:

$727,552 (22042) $860,125 (22046)

Average days on market: 9 (22042) 21 (22046)

Source: Bright MLS

lonials, rendering the streetscapes more eclectic and unique. “Greenway Downs was built with G.I. Bill housing,” says Falls Church City Council Member Marybeth Connelly, a resident since 1995. “What has happened in American history has happened on our street. Originally, each house was two bedrooms, one bathroom, 1,000 square feet, and they all looked the same. Over the years all that has changed. Every house is different now, after additions and renovations.” –Tamar Abrams

Endless Possibilities

• Salon and barber shop

• Café, library and lounges

• Pool and gardens

GREENWAY DOWNS AT A GLANCE

Spring Fling petting zoo

Fowler’s Addition

When you live in “The Little City,” as Falls Church City is known (population 15,000, according to the latest Census data), you get a walkable, small-town feel with lots of pocket neighborhoods. Incorporated in 1948, the entire municipality spans a mere 2 square miles. And yet, within that tiny footprint, there are distinct areas—like Fowler’s Addition, a rapidly evolving parcel at the western end of Broad Street.

Once comprised of mostly singlefamily homes, Fowler’s is undergoing a metamorphosis as city officials seek to build greater density and diversity into the local housing mix. That plan has heralded the arrival of Founders Row, a six-story mixed-use development with ground-floor retail and more than 300 apartments, as well as the nearby Railroad Cottages, an enclave of 10 small (1,500-square-foot) bungalows designed as a prototype for people over 55.

Jeanne Rorke moved into one of the Railroad Cottages (priced in the mid-$700s) when they opened two years ago. Clustered around a central mews and presented as an alternative to condo living, the little houses share a boardwalk and a common building to encourage a sense of community. “I

love my neighbors,” says Rorke, a retired neonatal intensive care nurse, who lives with her husband, Steve. “We are all good friends and do a yoga class together once a week.” From their new home, the couple can walk to the grocery store, the weekend farmers market, and to their daughter’s nearby home to visit their grandchildren.

City Council Member Phil Duncan offers a more historical perspective of the neighborhood, having moved there with his wife in 1985. Back then, their small 1940s Cape Cod cost them $110,000, which, he says wryly, “is what we could afford as a two-journalist family.” Today, he estimates his home would sell as a teardown for well over a million. “That’s quite an evolution for Fowler’s Addition in less than 40 years.” A strong propo-

Average sale price: $1.8 million

Average days on market: 39

Source: Bright MLS

nent of smart-growth development, Duncan says he loves their home’s proximity to shopping and restaurants along West Broad Street, as well as the nearby Washington & Old Dominion bike path. Morgane Murawiec grew up in Falls Church City and recently moved to an affordable housing unit in Founders Row. Construction on the complex is still underway, but she’s happily settling in with her preschooler. “The building is brand-new, really clean, and has great amenities,” she says, “including a Zen Garden.”–Tamar Abrams

Homes sold in 2021:

FOWLER’S ADDITION AT A GLANCE

A rendering of Founders Row

Halls Hill – High View Park

Established in 1881, Halls Hill has long been a wellspring of firsts. In 1918, residents of the historically Black neighborhood founded Arlington’s first all-Black volunteer fire station (Station 8) at a time when White firehouses would not serve African American communities. In 1937, resident J.J. Carpenter (a carpenter by trade) became the first Black man since Reconstruction to serve on an Arlington trial jury.

Wilma Jones’ brother Michael was one of the first four Black students— all from Halls Hill—to desegregate Arlington’s Stratford Junior High in 1959. “Part of what makes this neighborhood special is that so many who live here are descended from the people who founded it,” says Jones, a fourth-generation resident, author, activist and corporate IT director, now president of the neighborhood’s citizens’ association.

Saundra Green has lived in Halls Hill for 75 years. Her great-great-great grandfather was one of the first African Americans to acquire property there in the 1880s when plantation owner Basil Hall began selling off parcels of his land—in some cases to formerly enslaved people. “I’m glad to be a part of a community that understands that legacy, perseveres and celebrates it,” says Green, who retired from a long career with Arlington Parks & Recreation in 2005.

Much has changed since Green’s childhood during the Jim Crow era. Back then, Halls Hill was segregated and self-sufficient, with its own shops, churches and businesses, offering a safe haven from racism in otherwise White North Arlington. Today, it’s much more diverse, with Black residents representing only about 21% of those who live there. Property values have swelled and many older homes have been remodeled or rebuilt, but certain aspects of Halls Hill—like its

MICHAEL VENTURA

Mr. Moore’s Barber Shop, a Halls Hill institution since 1960

spirit of activism and bootstrap mentality— remain. Last year, Green and Jones both served on the county-appointed working group to rename Lee Highway (now Langston Boulevard), the main artery that passes through the neighborhood’s northern edge.

Homes sold in 2021: 24

Average sale price: $946,854

Average days on market: 14

The annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Bowl at High View Park— a tradition for more than half a century—unites residents young and old on the gridiron, playing for bragging rights and trophies. The day of unity also includes donations of groceries to area families in need, and a $500 scholarship (funded by private donations from neighbors) to a worthy college student with ties to Halls Hill.

A landscaped gateway to the neighborhood next to Calloway Church (circa 1866) on Langston Boulevard is paved with “memory bricks” engraved by members of the community.

“Those of us who are descendants have created a place that is open to everyone,” says resident Marguarite Gooden, a retired Arlington Public Schools teacher and administrator whose father was one of the founding members of Fire Station 8. “I don’t lament our neighborhood changing as it has. I grew up here when it was an all-Black neighborhood and we were a family. Today we have almost every nationality living here. Different people moved in and they were embraced. We have not lost our heritage in that transition. We’ve simply embraced the diversity.” –Jenny Sullivan

A mural by artist Roderick Turner celebrates the history of Halls Hill.

High View Park

Source: Bright MLS

HALLS HILL-HIGH VIEW PARK AT A GLANCE

“Memory bricks” in the park next to Calloway Church

Aurora Highlands

Longtime residents call it “the Village,” but newcomers—and there are always newcomers, thanks to the proximity to the Pentagon—are quickly welcomed into the fold in this genial neighborhood tucked behind Crystal City’s high-rises.

Real estate agent Geva Lester has lived in Aurora Highlands since 1997. “There is such a sense of community,” she says. “The people have really pulled together and made [it] feel like a small town rather than a piece of a big city.”

Laid out on a tight street grid, the

neighborhood was first developed in the early 20th century as a streetcar suburb, but it really took off during World War II, when houses were built in rapid succession for federal workers filling the then-new Pentagon.

Since that time, residents have witnessed the ongoing revitalization of Crystal City along the neighborhood’s eastern border, the development of Pentagon Row (now Westpost) on its north end, and a major face-lift for the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. Today, all eyes are on the massive cranes raising

Amazon’s HQ2 campus, with its spiraling Helix building, in the adjacent district, rebranded as National Landing. Through all the changes, Aurora Highlands, along with its next-door neighbor, Arlington Ridge, has retained its village charm. A designated National Register Historic District, the community still boasts narrow, sidewalklined streets, where kids walk and bike to school, play soccer at Virginia Highlands Park and go sledding behind the Hume School (Arlington’s oldest school building) on Arlington Ridge Road.

Outdoor movies at Virginia Highlands Park

Lester says she appreciates living within walking distance of shops, restaurants, parks, grocery stores and Metro’s Blue Line. She frequents the neighborhood’s 23rd Street “Restaurant Row,” home to local hangouts such as Freddie’s Beach Bar, the Crystal City Sports Pub, Bonsai Sushi and an outpost of Bob & Edith’s Diner.

In 2021, Arlington Ridge resident Nick Freshman opened The Freshman, a coffee-to-cocktails café and bar, a few blocks away on Crystal Drive, where a large wraparound patio with retractable walls provides prime people-watching and a frontrow view of the Amazon construction. Other hip restaurants and eateries are following suit and flocking to what’s become one of the hottest places in town.

“We have a lot of change coming,” Lester says with a nod to the tech giant. “But we have people that have worked to improve our neighborhood since I got here and are still going. This is a great place for people to get involved.” –Kim O’Connell

Source:

Ice skating at Westpost

“Restaurant Row” on 23rd Street

A residential street in Aurora Highlands

Glencarlyn

Turning into Glencarlyn from its access points on Carlin Springs Road means taking a step back in time—into the county’s first planned residential community, once a cooperative, dating from 1887.

Arlington’s oldest standing house, the Ball-Sellers House (circa 1750s), and its historic demonstration garden are located in the center of the neighborhood, around the corner from the county’s oldest public library, established in 1922 with funds and books donated by one of Glencarlyn’s founders. Nearby, a community garden planted by volunteers circles the 1766 Ball-Carlin Cemetery—the resting place of two early Glencarlyn landowner families—and the gleaming white Victorian Carlin Hall, the county’s oldest community center dating to 1892.

Proud homeowners tend original Queen Anne-style houses, Victorians, Colonial Revivals, 1920s Foursquares, and 1940s bungalows and Cape Cods in the Glencarlyn Historic District, which includes more than 300 of the neighborhood’s 550 or so homes. “Charming” and “a wellmanaged, progressive community” is how Jon Larimore, a 50-year resident, characterizes the place.

Even the forests and parks that surround Glencarlyn on three sides are historic: George Washington bought

Parades and pancakes: a Glencarlyn Days tradition

18

Average sale price: $911,728

Average days on market: 15

Source: Bright MLS

land in these woods in 1775. The landscape still features springs where a summer resort once stood. Near the popular Washington & Old Dominion and Four Mile Run trails, keen observers can find old roadbeds and ruins.

“Best-kept secret,” Gerald Martineau, a retired photographer for The Washington Post, says of the neighborhood he’s called home for 42 years.

People who move here tend to stay, like Julie Lee, whose family includes five generations of Glencarlynites. Today, as president of the neighborhood civic association—the oldest such association in the area, and possibly the U.S.—Lee helps organize events such as the annual Glencarlyn Days weekend, which includes a pancake breakfast in the park (a tradition dating to the 1940s) along with a parade, bands and house tours. Neighbors are apt to stroll by and bond over nature sightings, including a coyote that’s been visiting off and on over the past year.

Brandon Hemel, editor of Glencarlyn’s monthly newsletter (published since 1952), says the neighborhood’s narrow streets, small lots and insulated geography contribute to a sense of a true village. Most residents who live here, he adds, feel that “this is where I was meant to be.” –Sue Eisenfeld

Salona Village

Wide lawns, mature trees and lots averaging a third to a half acre are part of the allure of Salona Village. In this enclave of roughly 200 homes tucked between the Pimmit Run Stream Valley, Dolley Madison Boulevard and Old Dominion Drive, neighbors walk their dogs and kids ride bikes to school along quiet streets that are insulated from cut-through traffic.

13

Average sale price: $2.6 million

Average days on market: 52

Source: Bright MLS

Kate Karafotas, a real estate agent with Compass, moved to Salona Village with her family six years ago from Arlington’s Lee Heights neighborhood. “The walkability to downtown McLean is the best part,” she says, noting that quick trips to the store don’t require a car. “You get suburban streets and slightly larger lot sizes but you’re close to things. Our kids can walk to Robeks in five minutes to get a smoothie. It’s the best of both worlds. The streets are always plowed. We never lose power.”

Kids can also blow off steam in adjacent Pimmit Bend Park, and McLean’s celebrated Clemyjontri Park—with its vintage carousel and 2-acre playground designed for youngsters of all abilities—is only a mile away.

And yet, just beyond all that green space are entry points to I-66, I-495, the Dulles Toll Road and the George Washington Parkway, solving a problem for double-commuter households. “We have a lot of families where one spouse works in Maryland and the other in Tysons,” says Steve Wydler, co-founder of Wydler Brothers of Compass. “McLean is almost always where they end up and Salona Village is usually one of the top choices for buyers who have done their homework.” That dichotomy—a pastoral setting in the middle of it all—has made the neighborhood a target for new construction, including a spec home on 1.27 acres that sold for $3.45 million last year. But there is one older residence that won’t be torn down: the namesake Salona.

Built around 1811 on land previously owned by the family of Revolutionary War hero Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee (father of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee), the storied home provided refuge to President James Madison when he fled a burning Washington, D.C., during the War of 1812. Later commandeered as Camp Griffin, the property served as a headquarters for Union Gen. William F. “Baldy” Smith during the Civil War.

Now a private residence owned by the DuVal family since 1953, Salona is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Most of its original 52 acres are protected by county easements, including three large meadows that are said to be the largest remaining stretch of open meadow in Fairfax County. –Jenny Sullivan

Homes sold in 2021:

GLENCARLYN AT A GLANCE

Homes sold in 2021:

SALONA VILLAGE AT A GLANCE

Carlin Hall

A contemporary home in Salona Village

Woodmont

Michael Foster discovered Woodmont quite literally by running into it. He was living in Georgetown when he went out for a jog, crossed Key Bridge and ended up in this woodsy part of Arlington near the Potomac River, bordered by Spout Run Parkway to the east, Lorcom Lane to the south and Windy Run Park to the west.

“It was such a difference of experience from the city, but yet so close to the city,” he says. Years later, he and his wife built a house there. That was more than two decades ago.

“We love it because it feels like you’re really out in the country,” says Foster, an architect whose firm, MTFA Architecture, is based in Arlington. “There’s extensive wildlife, from deer to red fox to rabbits and even an occasional coyote that freaks out the dogs.”

The leafy neighborhood is also home to Fort C.F. Smith, one of 68 Civil War forts (22 in Arlington) built by the Union army to form a protective ring around the District of Columbia. The fort’s earthwork ruins are tucked into a 19-acre park by the same

name, where history buffs can find 11 of 22 gun emplacements dating back to 1863. Hendry House, a restored early-20th-century mansion, now a popular venue for weddings and art shows, sits on the park property.

Quiet and secluded, Woodmont also has an air of mystique. It’s home to The Cedars, a mansion dating to 1875 that serves as the headquarters to a Christian organization called The Fellowship. The group, which is perhaps best known for organizing the annual National Prayer Breakfast in D.C., has, at times, been a source of curiosity amid news reports of burglaries and alleged scandals.

But to many in this live-and-let-live setting, it’s just another house. Woodmont is populated by “really down-toearth people,” says real estate agent Kevin Love, a 27-year resident who has been selling properties in the neighborhood for decades. “[It’s] got such an eclectic group of homes that you could almost build whatever you want, and it will hold value.”

Dotting the streets, on ample-sized lots, are some 320 homes of varying sizes and architectural styles, includ-

sold in 2021: 8

Average sale price: $1.5 million

Average days on market: 38

Source: Bright MLS

ing ramblers, Colonials, cottages, contemporary houses and mansions. Prices have jumped recently—just as they have throughout Arlington, Love says. Turnover is relatively low, but when houses do change hands, it’s not uncommon to see price tags north of $2 million. –Stephanie Kanowitz

Homes

WOODMONT AT A GLANCE

Fort C.F. Smith Park and (below) one of the newer homes in Woodmont

Tara-Leeway Heights

Listen closely and you might hear a familiar voice chatting curbside among the neighbors in Tara-Leeway Heights.

Elliot Segal of DC101’s “Elliot in the Morning” show has called this community home for the past four years, ever since he moved with his family from Falls Church. “We looked at a couple different neighborhoods and [this] seemed like a really good fit. It’s been awesome,” he says. “We’re definitely staying.”

Commute time was a consideration for the radio personality, who needed a direct route into D.C. (which the neighborhood handily delivers with easy access to I-66). “It’s certainly very convenient to getting downtown to the 9:30 Club or to Capital One Arena or to the Wharf,” Segal says.

There are perks closer to home, too, including—for the health conscious and accident prone—access to Virginia Hospital Center, whose campus is right next door. Westover Village, with its charming array of restaurants and shops, is just down the road.

It’s a super social place, says Jon Judah, former president of the Tara-Leeway Heights Civic Association, where folks gather for block parties, progressive dinners and holiday events. During the height of the pandemic, a monthslong pickleball game sprang

up on one street and anyone who happened by was invited to join.

“We had retirees, we had folks right out of college—all kinds of people,” Judah says. “It’s a multigenerational neighborhood that got its start, like [so many in the area], right after the Depression. You’ve got people who have lived here for 60 years, younger families, transitional military families. It just makes for a lot of different perspectives.”

And you never know who you might meet. Judah cites one neighbor who was among the first women to work at the CIA. “That’s the thing with Arlington: Your neighbor could be a former spy or a professor of rocketry at NASA,” he says. “There are fascinating story lines that pop up.”

TARA-LEEWAY HEIGHTS AT A GLANCE

Homes sold in 2021: 18

Average sale price: $1.3 million

Average days on market: 10

Source: Bright MLS

Local lore has it that the Tara part of Tara-Leeway Heights’ name is a reference to the fictional plantation home in Gone With the Wind (a developer’s marketing gimmick back in the day), but you’re more apt to find postwar brick Colonials intermingling with Cape Cods, ramblers and split-levels, many of which have been remodeled in recent years, among the dogwoods and the azaleas. –Stephanie Kanowitz ■

Springtime in Tara-Leeway Heights

A neighborhood pickleball tournament

The kitchen features geometric porcelain tile from Mosaic Tile in Fairfax and painted maple cabinets by St. Clair Kitchens in Alexandria. The island legs were custom-made by a metal fabricator in Turkey.

Prairie Tale

A popped-up rambler maintains a modest profile with an all-American architectural style.

BY JENNY SULLIVAN

PHOTOS BY CARL BRUCE/ STRUXTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

Chris and Jess Smith had wanted to remodel ever since they’d bought the little brick rambler in Arlington’s Rock Spring neighborhood in 2006, when Jess was pregnant with their first child. But then life grew busy, and more kids followed. “We just never got to the intersection of enough money and no infant or toddler running around,” Chris says.

By 2020, however, they realized they were spending a lot on home repairs when what they really wanted to do was tear down and rebuild.

They didn’t tear down. Following the advice of architect and friend Sarah Riddlemoser, principal of Arlingtonbased Moser Architects, the Smiths opted instead for a large-scale renovation that built around their home’s existing

footprint and bumped it up with a second-floor addition.

“They had a beautiful lot, and space to go back,” Riddlemoser says. Adding onto the house made more sense, both in terms of cost and red tape. “They wanted a side-load garage, so we flipped the driveway and left the old basement so as not to introduce new water issues. If you can avoid messing with [site]

grading, it’s best to leave it alone.”

Architecturally, the upgrade to a contemporary Prairie style had advantages that were twofold. The new façade— a mix of Hardie siding and dry­stacked stone with Douglas fir trim—feels fresh in a neighborhood dominated by ramblers, Colonials and newfangled Crafts­

mans and farmhouses. Plus, the style’s characteristically low roofline allowed for a bigger home that still respects the scale of the street. “A steep pitched roof would have resulted in a taller house that looked huge,” Riddlemoser says.

Inside, the Smiths wanted spaces with good flow for entertaining, including friends of their children, who are in ninth, eighth and third grade. “We are close to school,” Jess says (their house is across the street from Discovery Ele­

A powder room features Picasso-inspired wallpaper

The dining room’s pink velvet chairs are a tribute to the Smiths’ daughter Juliet.

The original one-story rambler (before renovation)

mentary). “Kids filter in after school and raid our pantry. We tried to create different areas for kids of different ages so they all have places they can hang out.”

On the main floor, Riddlemoser replaced the old, compartmentalized layout with an open plan in which the kitchen, living area, dining room and screened porch are distinct but interconnected, sharing a common language of neutral tones offset with measured pops of color.

Of particular note are the pink accents—a single pendant light with a cherry cord over a built-in bar; blush chairs bookending the dining room table; rose wallpaper in a powder room. They are subtle, joyful reminders of the Smiths’

daughter Juliet, who was born premature in 2010 and died six months later.

“Even though there are five of us in the house today, we are a family of six,” Chris says. “This is Juliet’s house, too.”

Pink is the signature color of the Juliet Grace Smith Foundation, which the couple founded in 2012 to raise money—hundreds of thousands of dollars to date—in support of local programs for NICU preemies and their families. Jess is a pediatric physical therapist at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, where Juliet received care after she was born.

“I’m responsible for the pink, whereas Jess is responsible for the restraint,” Chris jokes, bringing levity to a difficult

topic. “I like out-there colors and evidently have no eye for design. Our house would have looked like a 5-year-old’s My Little Pony party if I’d had my way.”

Upstairs, a new owners’ suite with windows on three sides is adjoined by a serene, light-filled master bath with a soaking tub, a standing shower and a floating double vanity.

The Smiths are quick to sing Riddlemoser’s praises—“She guided us through from start to finish, had the tough conversations with vendors and the county, and knew how to settle our disagreements,” Jess says.

They extend similar accolades to their contractor, Milton Ortega of Merit Homes in Falls Church, whose ingenu-

Adding a second floor allowed for a spacious owners’ suite and a spa-like bathroom with red birch cabinets.

ity made many of the home’s quirkiest and most endearing features possible.

“Milton was up for any challenge,” Jess says. “He took our crazy ideas and said, Okay, I’ll figure out how to do it.”

Like the secret “snack closet” in Chris’ home office, which allows him to access the kitchen pantry from the back. Or the custom basement shelf with a lip that prevents soccer balls from rolling off. (A former D-III player for Williams College who still plays on a local men’s team, Chris has been coaching with the Arlington Soccer Association for 19 years.)

Ortega tricked out the closet in the owners’ suite to exacting specifications, with dedicated shelves for everything

from suitcases to hats, and 3-by-3-inch cubbies for the neckties Chris no longer wears. “Covid has stolen from me every possible reason to wear a tie,” says Chris, a management consultant (his firm, ChangeSmith, specializes in organizational health), “so now they are just decoration.”

Scandinavian in its simplicity, the remodeled house is easy on the eyes, welcoming to friends and super functional. It’s much more energy-efficient and ecofriendly than before, thanks to a wholehouse water purifier, airtight insulation, a tankless water heater and a dual-zone HVAC system. But the heart and soul of the original structure remain.

“All of our kids were born while we

were living in that house,” Jess says. “It’s cool to still have some of the original walls that held so many memories.” ■

Jenny Sullivan is the editor of Arlington Magazine.

Renovated in: 2020-2021

Neighborhood: Rock Spring

Square Footage: 2,840 before / 5,258 after

Architect: Moser Architects, moserarchitects.com

Contractor: Merit Homes, buildmerit.com

Cabinetry: St. Clair Kitchens, stclairkitchens.com

A Joybird sofa adds a dash of color to the living room. The swivel chairs are from West Elm.

The rear addition features a vaulted ceiling and Hope’s steel doors and windows that match the existing windows on the 1936 home.

A Modern Tudor

The beauty of this streamlined classic is not just in what was added, but also what was taken away.

BY NIGEL F. MAYNARD | PHOTOS BY ANICE HOACHLANDER

The 1936 Tudor in Country Club Hills had seen better days when Eric Lyttle and his wife, Jill, bought it in 2013. Typical of houses from that period, it had a small kitchen tucked in the back, fussy details and a chopped-up layout. Eric, whose father is an architect with a master’s degree in historic preservation, saw the potential; Jill, not so much.

“The house had a ton of character, but it was quite dated,” Eric says. “It had a Queen Anne decor with a lot of floral prints and big heavy drapes. I really had to convince my wife, who’s not the daughter of an architect, that this house was worth it.”

The Lyttles knew, going into the purchase of the 3,900-square-foot home, that they would eventually renovate to keep the good bits—such as the slate roof, copper gutters and huge steel windows—and modernize the house to get rid of the flaws. They just needed to figure out when the work would take place and who would be

tasked with the job. Five years later, that assignment went to architect Donald Lococo, whose eponymous Georgetown firm is rooted in classical design, but over time has transitioned its focus toward contemporary architecture. Who better to blend the two in an 82-year-old house?

The challenge, says the architect, was “trying to maintain some semblance of the original, especially in the front, and its place in the neighborhood, while also inserting a modern addition for the 21st century.”

Lococo walked the house to determine which architectural details were worth keeping and how to reinterpret those elements for a presentday family of four (the Lyttles have two daughters, now 9 and 6). Some rooms—such as the dining room and sunroom on the first level, and the three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the second level—held their place in the floor plan but got a refresh.

Other vestiges of the old house went away.

Stripped of its former wainscoting and crown molding, the foyer now features matte black hardware and clean recessed lighting. Oak flooring throughout the house has a charcoal stain.

Working with Mark Knebel of Clemens Builders in Bethesda, Maryland, Lococo eliminated the more traditional features—the original staircase balusters, handrail and newel post, for example, as well as old molding and wainscoting. “As we removed that trim, the nature of the Tudor revealed itself,” he says, “which was essentially the plaster walls, the metal windows and the original arches.”

The bulk of the structural work, including a sizable addition, applied to

the rear of the home, where Lococo reconfigured a powder room, study and office, and inserted a double-height kitchen, family room, breakfast room, pantry and laundry. On the second level, he reorganized the primary suite, incorporating an existing set of dormer windows into the design. Today, the owners can stand in their bedroom and see into the kitchen below.

A renovated and expanded basement now includes a bigger (three-car) garage, along with a recreation room,

bedroom, bathroom and exercise room.

The crowning jewel of the lower level is a wine cave tucked into what was formerly a dank, concrete workroom for the previous owner, an avid fly fisherman. “It was dark and had bad lighting, so we converted it into a wine cellar,” says Eric, an attorney. (Jill is an electrical engineer by training and a former Kenmore Middle School math teacher.)

Inspired by a detail the Lyttles had seen at the Louvre in Paris, the climatecontrolled room strikes a dramatic pose

Sandra Meyers of Ella Scott Design helped the Lyttles choose new furnishings. In the living room, she repurposed a former kids’ game table into a sleek coffee table.

The rear exterior, pre-renovation

A large, quartz-topped island anchors the new kitchen. In lieu of upper cabinets, the airy space features custom fabricated open steel shelving by Mohsen Yaghoubi of Iron DC.

with board-form raw concrete walls and floor-to-ceiling glass-and-steel doors. It holds 1,000 bottles of wine.

The renovation also included new exterior features by landscape architect Jennifer Horn, such as a refaced front terrace, a fire pit opposite the family room, a new terrace adjacent to the breakfast room, custom metal screens with climbing English ivy and a green roof.

“We absolutely love it,” Eric says of their revamped classic. “It really serves our family. Quite frankly, we like when people come in and, even if it’s not their style, everybody understands that we were trying to do something special.” ■

Nigel F. Maynard is a freelance design writer who lives in a recently renovated 1909 farmhouse in historic Hyattsville, Maryland.

Renovated in: 2018

Neighborhood: Country Club Hills

Square Footage: 3,900 before / 5,900 after

Architect: Donald Lococo Architects, donaldlococoarchitects.com

Interior Designer: Ella Scott Design, ellascottdesign.com

Landscape Architect: Jennifer Horn Landscape Architecture, jh-la.com

Structural Engineer: Linton Engineering, lintonengineering.com

Contractor: Clemens Builders, clemensbuilders.com

Metal Fabricator: Iron DC, irondc.com

The wine cellar features a glass wall by River Glass Designs and custom cabinets by Benedict Cabinetry.

Climbing ivy will eventually cover a green screen on the exterior.

Cape Cottage

After renting the little house for years, they bought it and made it their own.

BY JENNIFER SHAPIRA | PHOTOS BY MICHAEL VENTURA

Jo and Brock Edwards in their new kitchen, with dog Rusty

Houseplants—some of which Jo has nurtured for 15 years—add splashes of color and texture to the living room.

Jo and Brock Edwards were new parents in 2011 when Jo’s mother, Cathy Kosmides, a real estate agent with Long & Foster, spotted a listing for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom rental house on a corner lot in TaraLeeway Heights. Soon, the young couple had sold their one-bedroom Arlington condo and were moving into the 1937 red-brick Cape Cod with their 5-month-old son. Smitten with its cuteness, they noted that the detached onecar garage would be perfect for Jo, an artist and illustrator, to use as a studio.

For six years they rented, growing ever more attached to the neighborhood and dreaming of all the ways they could improve the little house. By 2017, they were a family of four, plus a dog, Rusty. That’s when they finally convinced their landlords, British expats who had moved back to the U.K., to sell. The fixer-upper had a laundry list of problems, but it was finally theirs.

In 2020, the Edwards family was ready to remodel, trusting Arlington architect Tripp DeFalco and builder Trent Wahl of TW Homes in Fairfax to

reinvent their house. “I liked the idea of a modern cottage,” Jo says. “I wanted something that nobody else had— something warm and beautiful.”

She showed DeFalco photographs of houses and materials she liked, emphasizing her family’s desire to retain the home’s extant charm while making it more functional. She and Brock wanted better flow, room to grow and flexible spaces that their aging parents could someday move into if needed.

“They knew they didn’t want to leave the neighborhood,” DeFalco says. “They have a nice big lot, and Jo has her art studio out back. So the question became, How do we stay here?”

DeFalco and Wahl answered that question with a gut remodel/addition that opened up the house, expanded its square footage and reconfigured most of its existing rooms. They delivered the finished residence right on schedule— “Six months. To. The. Day,” Jo says—in December of 2020.

As the bones of the new floor plan took shape, Jo envisioned colors and finishes, photoshopping her ideas into

DeFalco’s architectural renderings to picture the final product. “Some people look at drawings and they don’t quite get it,” DeFalco says. “But she got it. And she ran with it in her head.”

The new kitchen juxtaposes neutral elements such as a Moroccan Clé back-

Brick floors in the dining room and laundry/mudroom are laid in a rustic herringbone pattern.

splash, an unfussy mix of black, white and stained wood cabinets and contrasting countertops—black granite along the backsplash wall versus a waterfall of Silestone Calacatta Gold quartz on the seven-foot-plus island. Handmade ceramic dishes by Jo’s cousin, a potter,

are displayed on open shelves. The kitchen has practical features, too. Jo can preheat the GE Café range from her phone—a suggestion from her father, a chef—and the microwave sits below the counter, at a kid-friendly height, so the couple’s boys, ages 9

and 11, can nuke their own popcorn. Adjoining the kitchen is a narrow, light-filled bump-out, where the family now eats most of their meals. In warm weather, it acts almost like a porch, hosting impromptu visits from neighbors with a tiny cocktail alcove and a

slender bar-height table that Jo built herself when she couldn’t find anything she liked to fit the space. A wall of exposed red brick—formerly the outside of the house—lends character.

During the design phase, DeFalco worked through the couple’s “pain points” (aspects of the house that weren’t working for them) and helped them see that a spacious, two-story addition off the back could work wonders for their family. “Once I had all that room, then I wasn’t trying to jam three bedrooms into the existing footprint,” he says. “[That] was sort of the key to making the second floor as nice as it is.”

The addition allowed the boys to have their own bedrooms—one of which is outfitted with a custom captain’s bed designed by DeFalco—in the original part of the house. Together, they share what was once the family’s only upstairs bathroom.

The parents, meanwhile, have an enviable new owners’ suite, including an airy bath with a separate shower and soaking tub, black accent tiles and a huge, gold-rimmed mirror that hangs above a double vanity. Add to that a swoon-worthy, 19-foot-long walk-in closet, where Jo, a woodworking hobbyist (she half-jokes that she’ll be a car-

penter in her next life) installed a Container Store Elfa closet system.

“When you live in a house and go through the motions every day, you figure out what you’re lacking and what you need,” Wahl says. “So they had plenty of time to figure that out, for sure.”

During the pandemic, Brock—a business development manager for Planet, an aviation and aerospace company—has been comfortably teleworking from an updated, light-filled home office, where books line blond wood shelves on either side of a tall window.

On the exterior, the renovated, twostory cottage is defined by a dramatic

The remodeled basement includes a play area for the kids, a small home gym and a guest bedroom and bathroom.

black gable and a combination of painted brick, board-and-batten vertical siding and stained cedar wood siding.

The front entry, inspired by the entry to Wahl’s own house, features contemporary black-strapped French doors that invite tons of light inside.

With the arrival of spring, the Edwardses are turning their focus to the outside. Their next plans include fencing the yard for Rusty, fixing up Jo’s garage studio and adding a patio where they can chill and grill.

For now, they’ve got a street-side picnic table on the lawn, where neighbors come by to chat and thirsty dogs drink from a communal water bowl. Jo loves that people frequently stop to take pictures or shout, “Nice house!” as they drive by.

What started as a serendipitous real estate find is now a personalized home that is intentional in every way. Turns out, “that little rental was just the perfect place,” Kosmides says. “It was amazing.” ■

Jennifer Shapira is a home and design writer based in McLean.

Renovated in: 2020

Neighborhood: Tara-Leeway Heights

Square footage: 1,833 before / 3,134 after

Architect: DeFalco Home Design, defalcohomedesign.com

Builder: TW Homes, trentwahlhomes.com

Brock’s updated home office is painted a subdued green that references the outdoors.

The original Cape Cod (pre-renovation)

Home Showcase

Classic Cottages

433 E. Monroe Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301

703-844-9936 | sales@ccottages.com | www.ccottages.com

BIO

Classic Cottages is a Northern Virginia-based custom home builder that builds primarily in Arlington County and provides turnkey solutions for families looking to build a new home. Whether families are looking to build a beautiful model home or a custom home from scratch, Classic Cottages can handle everything from concept to completion. Classic Cottages consistently blends classic community culture with innovative architecture and design through its skilled in-house acquisitions, sales, architecture, design and construction departments.

THE PROJECT

Just as our homes are truly unique, so is the homebuilding process for each of the families we work with. For this home (featured), we spent a while getting to know exactly what our client wanted for their dream home. They loved our Ridgeview model and wanted to use it as a starting point for their home, but there were several floor-plan changes and custom design selections that were important to them when building a home that completely suited their wants, needs and lifestyle. After spending months getting to know the vision for their home and searching for the right lot, we finally found the perfect “homesite” and construction was underway! At Classic Cottages, all aspects of building a new home are completed in-house, from drawing novel floor plans to selecting beautiful design features and finishes. Clients can even choose their home’s furnishings, giving “move-in ready” a whole new meaning. For more information on how you can build a custom home with Classic Cottages, visit www.ccottages.com.

Bowers Design Build

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

BIO

For 32 years, our architects, interior designers and construction professionals have focused on creating beautiful homes for each of our client’s unique needs. Creative designs coupled with our professional budget/project management and our dedicated construction manager approach have garnered a loyal client base. The proof: 30% of our work is for repeat customers and 100% of our clients surveyed would recommend us to a friend.

THE PROJECT

Our design/build process starts with truly understanding the client’s needs—both today and for the duration of their time in the home. This family loved their large, wooded property, but they wanted to create a more modern, functional home. Their objective was to update the kitchen, opening it to the family room and living room while maintaining the integrity of these separate functional space. They also wanted to create better views to their fantastic, wooded property. Lastly, they also wanted to have a large, functional laundry/mudroom between the kitchen and the adjacent garage with lots of storage and a built-in pet washing area for the canine members of their family.

Focusing on client functional and aesthetic needs and delivering an overall great client experience through our tried-and-true process is our recipe for a successful renovation. To see the before, during and after photos for this project, visit our website BowersDesignBuild.com.

TriVistaUSA Design + Build

925 N. Garfield St., Suite 106 Arlington, VA 22201

703-243-3171

info@trivistausa.com www.trivistausa.com

BIO

TriVistaUSA Design + Build provides innovative, award-winning designs to homeowners in Arlington, Falls Church, Alexandria and NWDC. Michael and Deborah Sauri built their team around one mission: “Our thoughtful design builds fine living.” TriVistaUSA provides creative high-design solutions on time and on budget to achieve functional solutions for every client’s lifestyle.

OUR WORK

Design choices can range from modern contemporary to classical, but each TriVistaUSA project begins with the same careful process: Intently listening to our clients’ needs and providing innovative design solutions that stem from extensive creative arts and design backgrounds. Our focused approach means every project is assigned a dedicated team who ensures every detail is designed and built with an artisan’s eye. Our clients receive a highly detailed start-to-finish experience that focuses on maximizing budgets to achieve customized and beautiful functionality.

Marks-Woods Construction Services

205 S. Union St., Alexandria, VA 22314

703-838-9788 | IG: @mwconstruction | www.markswoods.com

BIO

Marks-Woods Construction Services is an award-winning design-build firm. For 20 years, Marks-Woods has been delivering the full spectrum of luxury residential renovations, including bathrooms, kitchens, interior remodeling, additions and exteriors. From concept to construction, Marks-Woods creates beautiful home design solutions customized for each client’s unique lifestyle and needs.

OUR WORK

Marks-Woods offers an array of design and building services to the Arlington, Northern Virginia and D.C. areas. Instead of contracting out all its work, Marks-Woods performs many trades in-house to ensure excellent quality and premium service.

While Marks-Woods is known for its specialized design-build capabilities in kitchens, baths, additions and renovations, it is not limited to design-build. Many times, homeowners bring their architectural plans to Marks-Woods for the build portion of various types of projects. Additionally, Marks-Woods offers superior interior design services to assist with the selection of materials along with kitchen and bath design.

A Marks-Woods distinctive advantage is our ability to value engineer projects to meet each client’s specific scope and budget requirements instead of offering a one-size-fits-all approach. Our process focuses on highlevel communication throughout each project to ensure that every detail is attended to along the way.

Sagatov Design+Build

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

703.534.2500 | sagatovhomes.com | Instagram: @sagatov_design

BIO

Guided by Creative Director Yuri Sagatov, Sagatov Design+Build’s team of design professionals and construction managers combine innovative architecture, interior design, landscape design, and sustainable practices under one umbrella to create responsive and unique custom-built homes. With excellence and innovation as our guiding principles we view every project as a distinct work of art and every client as a partner.

OUR WORK

Our design team works to produce homes that skillfully balance budget, design, and functionality, crafting spaces that are both beautiful and practical. We take enormous pride that every detail in our homes is curated, considered, and responsive to the aesthetic and functional goals of our projects. Accomplished in designing a range of authentic styles—from traditional to modern—our designers are passionate about listening and collaborating with our clients through the entire process.

Our construction services are centered around exacting project management, in conjunction with constant coordination with our design team. Our project managers have decades of experience building complex homes which allows us to craft our high-performance structures and meticulous design detailing with efficient timelines and great attention to detail.

Please visit our website or Instagram profile to explore our work.

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!

James McDonald Associate Architects, PC

10135 Colvin Run Road, Suite 200, Great Falls, VA 22066 (703) 757-0036 | james@jamesmcdonaldarchitects.com www.jamesmcdonaldarchitects.com

BIO

James McDonald Associate Architects (JMAA) is an award-winning design-oriented architecture firm operating in the Washington D.C. region. Family owned and operated, JMAA has been actively working with clients to create their dream homes for 12 years. JMAA’s projects include infill and custom homes, spec homes and renovations.

THE PROJECT

From the beginning, the client was looking for a home that reflects their casual contemporary lifestyle. This house displays wide overhangs and a low-pitched roof. A balance of stucco and stone provide a warmth of materials and color. The horizontal banded stone pattern adds to the clean linear feel, enhancing the modern style.

The design carries a consistency from the exterior front elevation to every room in the house with its use of clean lines. Inside, glass window walls open onto the rear yard and secluded garden grottos. The main family, kitchen and nook areas of the house flow into each other uninterrupted, all with soaring window walls. A covered veranda accentuates the rear of the house, complete with a hidden drop TV, outdoor kitchen and comfortable living area near the pool. Each bedroom offers wonderful light-filled rooms that are extremely livable.

Alair Homes Arlington

Arlington, VA | 703-791-1317

Chad.Hackmann@AlairHomes.com | www.AlairHomes.com

BIO

Alair Homes Arlington provides custom home building and renovations in Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church and D.C. Having lived and worked in the Arlington community for more than 20 years, Chad Hackmann, Regional Partner, has a deep appreciation and understanding of building in Arlington and the surrounding areas.

OUR WORK

Alair Homes Arlington takes pride in all our projects. From multimillion-dollar modern estates to 1940s renovations to budgetfriendly starter homes, we approach each project with the same level of care, workmanship and top-notch customer service. We understand the constraints of Arlington’s smaller home lots and love to help our clients create the home of their dreams. Alair Homes Arlington offers a unique approach with total transparency in pricing. Our highly trained and certified project managers empower clients with authority over their project from start to finish, using our proprietary Client Control™ system which is setting the standard in residential construction management. Whether homeowners want new construction, an addition, whole-home or partial renovation, our clients trust Alair Homes Arlington to provide high-quality construction and a transparent process. Alair Homes Arlington’s industry-experience, process and professional contractors ensure not only beautiful homes, but also save homeowners time and money.

Atlas Moran Construction

4754 1st St. N., Arlington, VA 22203 571-419-0035 | info@atlasmoran.com www.atlasmoran.com

BIO

Atlas Moran Construction is an award-winning Arlington design/ build firm specializing in whole-house projects. We offer a full suite of custom home remodeling services and have the experience, technical capability and design sensibility to execute your dream project.

OUR WORK

We completely transformed this one-story home, maximizing its location adjacent to a park. The client’s goal was to design the project around their special lot and create an open, light-filled family retreat.

The main level was gutted to create an open-concept family room, expanded kitchen and guest suite. The kitchen was transformed with thoughtful design details. New windows throughout provide views of the park and an abundance of natural light.

A modern staircase leads to the new upper level where we added a master suite, office, laundry, and two kids’ bedrooms and bath, smartly designed in the footprint of the original ranch. The stunning screen porch with soaring ceilings brings the outdoors into the home all year.

We loved working with this great family, and we were excited to deliver on their dream project, creating the beautiful living space they had envisioned. Let us help you build your dream home.

Potomac Lawn Professionals

6905 Jefferson Ave., Falls Church, VA 22042 (703) 533-5296

info@potomaclawn.com www.potomaclawn.com

BIO

Potomac Lawn Professionals is a landscape company with a mission to provide busy people a hands-off approach to maintenance and enhancements for their property. With local roots—the owner attended Bishop O’Connell High School—Potomac Lawn serves Arlington County with incomparable attention to client care.

OUR WORK

Working with Potomac Lawn is unlike the experience you will have with many other landscape companies. With professionalism at its core, no matter the job, a job done right is a primary focus for us at Potomac Lawn. We are proud of our 10-year legacy in the area and strive to exceed expectations in all aspects of our work to ensure an optimal client experience. Our role is to demonstrate landscape industry expertise to craft a property you don’t have to worry about all year long. We ensure your property receives high-quality service by keeping our service area dense and providing our clients with routine programs. Some of our services include beds cleanups, garden bed mulching, weekly mowing, routine shrub pruning, bed weeding, fall leaf management, lawn health and renovation, and more. For more information on how Potomac Lawn can partner with you, visit www.PotomacLawn.com or call (703) 533-5296.

Country Casual Teak

7601 Rickenbacker Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879

1-800-289-8325 | info@countrycasualteak.com countrycasualteak.com

BIO

Country Casual Teak is the nation’s leading manufacturer of teak outdoor furniture. This year we are celebrating our 45th anniversary. From our founding in Germantown to our corporate headquarters in Gaithersburg, we have come a long way. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to the highest standards of quality, sustainability, craftsmanship and customer service. Holding true to these values has earned us the trust of homeowners across the country.

OUR WORK

Country Casual Teak manufactures beautiful teak outdoor furniture that transforms outdoor spaces. Our pieces range from classic designs, such as our Seneca and Calypso collections, to our contemporary selections, such as the Casita and Summit. Whether a dining set, Adirondack chair or poolside chaise, we take pride in knowing that our Grade A teak outdoor furniture, constructed with time-honored techniques such as mortise and tenon joinery, will last for generations to come.

AJ Building Services LLC

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

BIO

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

OUR WORK

We love what we do and treat each project as if it was our own home. We’re able to provide exceptionally personalized residential building and remodeling services. From start to finish of every job, we are onsite supervising our teams closely. We work directly with each and every one of our clients to ensure the highest possible quality and satisfaction with our craftsmanship. Here is what one client has to say: “We were very impressed by AJ’s work on our 1920s Craftsman home. AJ came highly recommended by our architect. We were very pleased with their pricing, and then the responsiveness and quality during the construction. In contrast, a smaller renovation a block away started before ours and is still not finished today—seven months after our house was completed. We have recommended AJ’s services to several of our friends and colleagues, and they have reported similar satisfaction with the pricing, quality and timeliness of their projects. As an educated consumer of construction services, I would recommend AJ without hesitation.” - M.A.

Paul’s Best Lawn Service

2880 Hartland Road, Falls Church, VA 22043

703.204.2826 Ext. 118 | sales@paulsbestlawn.com www.paulsbestlawn.com

BIO

Paul’s Best is a local, family-owned company that focuses on lawn rehabilitation and ongoing routine maintenance. Thorough in all aspects of our work, you simply can’t compare apples to apples in this industry, and there is only one Paul’s Best. We stand behind all the work we do, and the work speaks for itself.

THE PROJECT

After the initial clean up, the client asked us to “fix” the lawn. Our turf program is a cost-effective alternative to sodding to achieve the same results over time. Fifteen months and two fall-seeding cycles later, the turf is healthy and free of weeds and disease. Many homeowners lump companies in our industry together as the “lawn guy with a mower and a truck,” assuming we’re all the same but with different prices. Others think they can do this work as well as any company, only needing help if they don’t have the time to do it themselves. After all, it’s just yard work, right? Wrong. Our crews are masters of their craft. We take pride in providing the highest quality service for clients who don’t accept mediocrity. Visit our website to view other examples of our work and see how we can help your property achieve its full potential.

The Mather

Future Site Location: 7929 Westpark Drive, Tysons, VA 22102 703-348-3752 | Info@TheMatherTysons.com www.TheMatherTysons.com

BIO

Mather is a unique not-for-profit organization headquartered in Evanston, Illinois and founded in 1941. Dedicated to creating Ways to Age WellSM, the organization maintains a focus on mission and strategic planning for the future, with an ongoing emphasis on impact, significance and sustainability.

THE PROJECT

The Mather, projected to open in 2024, is a forward-thinking Life Plan Community for those 62+ where you can let go of worries and embrace opportunities. It’s smack dab in the middle of it all, bordering a three-acre urban park and within walking distance of Tysons rail service, retail and restaurants. The Mather’s apartment homes start from 800 square feet up to 3,300 square feet, featuring expansive views, luxury finishes and innovative smarthome technology. Entrance fees start at $646,700. The Mather will feature 38,000+ square feet of amenities, including multiple restaurants, spa, fitness center, indoor pool, rooftop clubroom, art studio, meeting spaces and more! Life Plan Communities are lifestyle communities in which people can pursue new passions and priorities, with a plan in place that supports aging well. Renderings and information shown here are subject to change without notice.

Leo Villalobos, general manager of Tortas Y Tacos La Chiquita, serves up an order of carnitas tacos.

DIXIE VEREEN

Time Taco It’s

Why only Tuesday? We would gladly eat at these taquerias every day of the week. BY

RINA RAPUANO

What’s not to love about tacos? They are filling, comforting, wallet-friendly and versatile—as many restless chefs have proved, stuffing tortillas with the flavors of Memphis, India, Jamaica and the Eastern Shore. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of places turning out time-tested originals like carnitas, lengua and carne asada, too. Whether your hankering skews traditional or nuevo, we’ve got a taqueria for you.

Tortas Y Tacos La Chiquita

Brightly hued walls, trailing plants and smiling faces behind the counter add to the homey feel of this small and traditional Columbia Pike taqueria that got its start as a food truck. Besides tacos, you’ll also find open-faced huaraches and sopes with their masa-dough bases; tortas (sandwiches), as the name of the place suggests; and alambres—your choice of protein topped with sautéed bell peppers, grilled onions, melted cheese and a splash of chipotle sauce. But we’re here for the tacos, which are generously filled with tender lengua (chopped beef tongue), rich pork carnitas and the taco that’s definitely having a moment— birria, a specialty of Jalisco often made with goat and served with a side of consommé (broth) for dunking. Here, it’s made with beef, and you have to pay a little extra for consommé. Order ahead online for speedy pickup or for delivery from one of the apps since parking is scarce. 2911 Columbia Pike, Arlington; tortas-y-tacos-la-chiquita.negocio.site

Carnitas and fish tacos at Tortas Y Tacos

La Chiquita

El Rey

When restaurateur brothers Ian and Eric Hilton open a new place, diners can count on outstanding cocktails, a fun vibe and spot-on flavors. At El Rey, a spinoff of their popular U Street taqueria that opened in Ballston just before the New Year, the grilled birria tacos have been an instant customer favorite. (The trendy filling, made here with beef, also lands in quesadillas, tortas and nachos.) Al pastor, carne asada and carnitas tacos share menu space with a “D.C. taco” filled with fried chicken strips, crispy potatoes and mambo sauce; a Thai shrimp taco; and one featuring Impossible meat. A patio is on tap when the weather turns nicer, according to the owners, who also run Café Colline in Arlington and Parc de Ville in the Mosaic District. Inside, enjoy vibrant murals by local artist Mike Pacheco and a color-popped industrial space, whether you’re knocking back a few frozen margaritas or picking up take-out. 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; elreyva.com

Grilled birria tacos with consommé at El Rey

The bar at El Rey in Ballston

Bartaco

Your first clue that this isn’t a mom-and-pop is the modern, chef-y menu, which unabashedly features Hawaiian poke and a sesame rib-eye taco topped with kimchi. Standouts at this chain found in nearly a dozen other states (and D.C.) include a fried oyster taco accented with remoulade; roasted duck with a tamarind glaze; and that beef number topped with kimchi. The chicken taco, sometimes regarded as a throwaway menu option for less adventurous eaters, gains welcome punches of flavor from a chili-herb marinade and avocado salsa. The Mosaic District location of Bartaco opened in 2018 and the Ballston outpost has been slinging tacos since January 2021. Both offer outdoor dining, online ordering, cocktails and a rotating secret taco that can be found using the hashtag #bartacosecret. 4238 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Ballston); 2920 District Ave., Fairfax (Mosaic District); bartaco.com

La Jarochita #2

Wedged into a tiny plaza near Ballston, La Jarochita #2 may be a welcome antidote for anyone seeking a break from newfangled tacos. Here, as in Mexico, you’ll find all parts of the animal represented on the list of proteins, whether it’s tongue, head, brains, stomach or skin. A crowd favorite at this no-frills little sister to the Manassas original is the spit-roasted al pastor—a rich, sweet blend of pork, spices and pineapple that can be ordered in a taco, a gordita, or atop a sope, a tostada or a huarache. Experiment with the habanero, arbol and guacamole salsas to see which pairs best with each taco, or ask the staff for guidance. The menu also offers up soups, sandwiches, burritos, entrées and a few sides. 85 N. Glebe Road, Arlington

Bartaco in Ballston Quarter

At Bartaco, choose fillings, wrappers (tortillas or lettuce) and sides from a sushi-style menu.

Taco Bamba

When the craving strikes for traditional carnitas or tinga, you cannot go wrong at Taco Bamba, thanks to the watchful eye of chef-owner Victor Albisu, who opened the original Falls Church location with his mother in 2013. But there are “tacos nuestros” too, such as the Spicy ’Shroom made with chipotle portabellas, and the namesake Taco Bamba—a whopper filled with skirt steak, chorizo, grilled guacamole, pickled red onion, pickled fresno chilies, cotija cheese, cilantro and chicharrones. Each of the seven locations also features a couple tacos specific to that spot, such as the La Poutina (exclusive to Falls Church) stuffed with fries soaking up barbacoa jus and topped with spicy mayo, pickled red onion, cotija cheese and bacon; or The Jeneral (in Ballston), which tucks seared ahi tuna, sesame salsa macha, pickled ginger slaw, guacamole and furikake into a cabbage cup. As a testament to its success, the homegrown taqueria recently penned a deal with Investors Management Corp. to grow the brand on a national level. 4000 Wilson Blvd. (Ballston), Arlington; 2190 Pimmit Drive, Falls Church; tacobamba.com

Chef Victor Albisu

The Jeneral (a Ballston special) and the Spicy ’Shroom (below) at Taco Bamba

Taqueria el Poblano

This beloved local mini chain has grown to three locations—two in Arlington and one in Del Ray—since executive chef Glen Adams opened the first one in 1999. It’s now a DMV favorite for margaritas, its Southern California take on Mexican dishes, and for being the kind of place where everyone feels like a regular. In addition to the tacos al carbon on the Platos section of the menu and the tacos al pastor, avail-

District Taco

Is it even possible to be an Arlington resident if you haven’t tried District Taco? The booming chainlet that now operates 15 eateries in Virginia, Maryland, the District and Pennsylvania started as a food truck in Rosslyn in 2009, and folks clearly love its all-day breakfast tacos and its fast-casual ordering setup that allows for customization. You won’t find any fusion tacos here (co-founder Osiris Hoil is from the Mexican state of Yucatan), but the menu gives nods to American tastes by

able only after 5 p.m. among the appetizers, folks flock here for the popular duck carnitas, the Baja fish and the shrimp tacos, as well as the house-made salsas. There’s also an L.A.-style crispy taco stuffed with your choice of chicken, beef, pork or mixed veggies, and daily specials. The bar pours about a dozen types of margaritas made with freshly squeezed limes, and brunch turns up breakfast tacos and Mexican hash. 2401 Columbia Pike and 2503-A N. Harrison St., Arlington; 2400-B Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria (Del Ray); taqueriapoblano.com

letting customers choose garnishes that are traditionally Mexican (cilantro and chopped onion), American (lettuce, pico and shredded cheese), or the granddaddy of topping choices, “el jefe” (American toppings, plus grilled veggies and sour cream). Burritos, quesadillas, nachos and rice bowls round out the tight but crowdpleasing menu, and two vegan options—with a guacamole or a “beyond carne” base—are also available. 1500 Wilson Blvd.(Rosslyn) and 5723 Langston Blvd., Arlington; 5275-C Leesburg Pike, Falls Church; 2676-O Avenir Place, Vienna (Dunn Loring); 1500-C Cornerside Blvd., Tysons; districttaco.com

Taco Rock

With so many taquerias popping up over the past few years, how is a taco slinger to distinguish itself? Taco Rock seems to do just that by offering diners “tacos with attitude”—which is perhaps another way of saying: “Purists, beware.” Sure, there’s a roster of classics served on house-made blue corn tortillas, but the list of riffs is at least double the size. Next to carne asada, barbacoa and al pastor, you’ll find tortillas cradling balsamic mushrooms, a play on the club sandwich, and one named for Colonel Sanders appropriately stuffed with fried chicken, slaw, pickles and comeback sauce. Chef-owner Mike Cordero might be merely flirting with authenticity while catering to American palates, but it’s clearly working since his brand (which has eateries in Arlington and Alexandria) is about to expand with a third location in Falls Church. 1501 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Rosslyn); thetacorock.com

Seared tuna tacos at Taco Rock

Taco Rock’s mangonada slushie with a chili-lime rim

Taco + Piña

This Shirlington Village spot channels the colorful, beachy vibe of coastal Mexico while offering playful spins on traditional flavors—such as the pork carnitas marinated in orange Fanta and topped with dragon’s breath habanero, pineapple and pickled onion. Of course, any modern taqueria worth its salt can’t resist tossing in some Korean flavors, which admittedly do lend themselves nicely to tacos. Here, they appear in a fried chicken taco laced with “K-pop salsa” (a Korean hot sauce), chili-garlic mayo, cotija cheese and curtido, the slightly funky cabbage slaw normally served with pupusas. Don’t miss the crunchyspicy shrimp tacos featuring sriracha mayo, shaved coconut and pineapple salsa; the Baja Bahia made with beer-battered, wild-caught Chesapeake catfish, avocado verde, lemon mayo and purple cabbage; or the hot mess nacho fries, which are every bit as decadent as they sound. Open since Cinco de Mayo 2020, chef Graham Bartlett’s friendly cantina also offers cocktails, catering and curbside pickup. 4041 Campbell Ave., Arlington (Shirlington); tacoandpina.com

Taqueria Cancun

This strip-mall taqueria shows off its Mexican pride with walls cheerfully painted in the bold colors of that country’s flag, plus a few artifacts that hail from the homeland like sombreros, statuettes and textiles. That pride also makes its way into the tacos, which follow the traditional layering of two griddled corn tortillas stuffed with the usuals, from chorizo to cabeza (head), and from chicken to tripe. But traditional doesn’t have to mean boring, as long as you’re doing it right, and it didn’t take long for this humble gem to land on the radar of a few local critics after it opened in 2018. Like many taquerias, this one eventually added the wildly popular birria (goat) tacos to its lineup, and in 2021 it scored a license to serve beer. If cerveza isn’t your jam, drink your way through the rainbow of Jarritos sodas in the cooler. Online ordering is available for a speedy pickup. 7810-G Lee Highway, Falls Church; tacoscancunva.com ■

Washington, D.C.-based freelance writer Rina Rapuano is grateful for any assignment that helps stave off the never-ending hunger of her 15-year-old, taco-loving son.

Still Hungry?

LA TINGERIA

Try these places, too…

David Peña’s beloved food truck, which has been making the rounds in Arlington since 2012, now has a storefront in Falls Church serving tacos, tostadas, elote, churros and more. 626 S. Washington St., Falls Church, @LaTingeria on Twitter

TACOMBI

The chain that began as a taco-serving bus on the beaches of the Yucatan peninsula (and went on to launch 11 taquerias in New York City) has arrived at National Landing. Pretend you’re surfside in Mexico with an order of beer-battered fish tacos and an agua fresca. 1550 Crystal Drive, Arlington, tacombi.com

TTT

Ivan Iricanin’s taco-centric rooftop bar in Clarendon is worth a visit for the views alone. Watch the sunset with a plate of braised mole short rib tacos and a mango margarita. 2900 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, tttrestaurant.com

Taco + Piña in Shirlington

Taco + Piña

TOP PRODUCERS

Looking to buy or sell a house?

Here are the top-producing residential real estate agents and teams based on home sales in Arlington, McLean and Falls Church that occurred between Nov. 1, 2020, and Oct. 31, 2021. The data was provided by local real estate offices. If you are a real estate professional and your office did not receive the survey, please email editorial@arlingtonmagazine.com with “top producers” in the subject line.

AGENTS | $5,000,000 - $7,499,999

Casey Aboulafia COMPASS | Chevy Chase

Bob Adamson

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Ashley Alperin KW Metro Center

Mike Anastasia

COMPASS | McLean

Ahmad Ayub Redfin

Shawn Battle

CENTURY 21 Redwood - Arlington Office

Erik Beall

KW United - Falls Church

Karina Beltran Srebrow

Beltran & Associates Realty

JB Benson

Long & Foster McLean

Andrew Biggers

KW United - Falls Church

Manavi Boeser

CENTURY 21 Redwood - Arlington Office

Sarah Bunn

Long & Foster McLean

Erich Cabe

COMPASS | Chevy Chase

Robin Cale

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Tony Cammarota

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

Alyssa Cannon

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Shane Canny

Long & Foster Arlington

Jay Caputo

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Joan Caton Cromwell

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Clayton Chamberlin

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Cody Chance

Long & Foster Arlington

Jonathan Chvala

FASS Results Group | eXp

William Close

KW Metro Center

Heather Corey

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Patty Couto

COMPASS | Arlington

Lee Cronin

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Becky Cullinan

Keller Williams Capital Properties

Amy Davis

Washington Fine Properties

Deborah Davis

RE/MAX Allegiance

Brittanie DeChino

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Todd Delahanty

COMPASS | Arlington

Gabriel Deukmaji

KW Metro Center

Hania Dickson

Long & Foster McLean

Phil Dickson

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Grant Doe Jr.

Long & Foster Arlington

Gary Dopslaff

Washington Fine Properties

Josh Dukes

KW Metro Center

John Edelmann

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Laura Fall

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Glenn Feagans

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Christine Fischer

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Kathleen Fong

KW Metro Center

Chris Fraley

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Mark Goedde

Long & Foster McLean

James Gregory

Washington Fine Properties

Janet Gresh

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Ben Grouby

Redfin

Nate Guggenheim

Washington Fine Properties

Jacob Hamilton

KW Metro Center

Melanie Hayes

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Pam Hazen

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Elizabeth Hitt

COMPASS | Arlington

Kristen Hopkins

Long & Foster McLean

Tyler Jeffrey

Washington Fine Properties

A team built on reputation

When McEnearney Associates opened for business, we had one simple goal… attract the best real estate agents in the business so that we could provide the highest level of service to our clients. And for more than forty years, this goal has remained the same. Our Associates are the reason so many clients trust McEnearney. They are responsible for our enviable reputation. Congratulations to all of our Associates who made Arlington Magazine’s 2022 Real Estate Top Producer list.

Left to Right: Betsy Twigg, Laura Schwartz, Sarcone Schneider Team LLC (Susan Sarcone & Mitchell Schneider), Chris Pritchard, Anne Cronin, Linda Murphy, Susan Tull O’Reilly, Lisa Joy, Bob Johnson, The Stokes Group (Anslie Stokes, Dana Zalowski, Keith Milne), Jillian Keck Hogan, Sarah Picot, Martha Floyd, Joan Reimann, Julian Burke, Laura Fall, Jen Walker, Alyssa Cannon, Mary Schrodt, Daniel Pierson, Donna Sehler, Eric Kutch, Christine Fischer, Bob Adamson, Merelyn Kaye, Robin Cale, Hannah Kim, Janet Caterson Price, Phuong Tran, Joan Caton Cromwell, Clayton Chamberlin, Leslie Wilder. Not Pictured: Renneye Pike, Maureen Sloan.

■ top real estate producers

AGENTS | $5,000,000 - $7,499,999

Mimi Jones

Weichert Realtors/McLean

Valerie Kappler

Long & Foster Oakton Vienna

Denny Kaudouh

Long & Foster Arlington

Gitika Kaul

COMPASS | Chevy Chase

Merelyn Kaye

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Claudia Kern

COMPASS | McLean

Hannah Kim

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Theresa Kim

RE/MAX Allegiance

Warren Kluth

Long & Foster McLean

Lisa Koch

Weichert Realtors/Arlington

Nina Koeppen

Long & Foster McLean

Roy Kohn

Redfin

Eric Kutch

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Melissa Lango

COMPASS | Chevy Chase

Deborah Larson

Long & Foster McLean

Mark Lawter

KW Metro Center

Tammy Le

Redfin

Leo Lee

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Deborah Lembo

COMPASS | McLean

Lex Lianos

COMPASS | McLean

Jean-Pierre Lteif

KW Metro Center

Malin Luca

KW Metro Center

Jason Mandel

Washington Fine Properties

Jenny McClintock

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Sarah McLaren

Washington Fine Properties

Megan McMorrow

Long & Foster Arlington

John McNamara

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Mark Middendorf

Long & Foster Arlington

Alison Miller

KW United - Falls Church

Trevor Moore

COMPASS | Arlington

Diana Morahan

Long & Foster McLean

Mary Elise Moran

Long & Foster Arlington

Christine Morgan

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Jennifer Morris Mitchell

COMPASS | Arlington

Rick Mountjoy

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Nick Mullen

RE/MAX West End

Dick Nathan

Long & Foster Arlington

Andrea Nielsen

Long & Foster Arlington

Julie Nirschl

Long & Foster Oakton Vienna

Roxane Nunes

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Norman Odeneal

KW Metro Center

Joe O’Hara

Washington Fine Properties

Kelly Olafsson

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

Elliott Oliva

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Dino Pasquali

Redfin

Danielle Perl

Washington Fine Properties

Han Peruzzi

COMPASS | McLean

Daniel Pierson McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Renneye Pike McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Caitlin Platt

RE/MAX West End

Shelly Porter

CENTURY 21 Redwood - Arlington Office

Janet Caterson Price McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Joe Reef

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Tom Reilly

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Michael Rodgers

RE/MAX Allegiance

Stacey Romm

Washington Fine Properties

Michael Roschke

KW Metro Center

Tanya Salseth

KW United - Falls Church

Brandy Schantz

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Mary Schrodt McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Aaron Scruggs

Washington Fine Properties

John Seggerman

KW United - Falls Church

Donna Sehler

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Meet Our Top Producers

Abella

Melody’s enthusiasm for helping people live their best life drives what she does daily as a trusted Real Estate Advisor. She is known for diplomatically representing her clients’ real estate goals while navigating the entire process with grace and expertise. Licensed in VA and DC, Melody is a Partner of The Seward Group – a top-producing team at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. A yogi at heart, she continues to teach one yoga class a week at Port City Brewing.

Boyer O’Dea & Grant

Ruth Boyer O’Dea, Sheri Grant

Ruth +1 703 338 2277

Sheri +1 703 405 1016

Consistently the top-selling team in the Arlington brokerage, Ruth and Sheri are proven advisors, advocates, and partners. But it’s so much more than that. Representing and helping clients – with a primary focus on client experience and results – is what they do naturally. Ruth and Sheri are highly successful, hands-on agents who actively listen, tailoring their approach to consistently surpass their clients’ goals. Clients know them to be not only experts, but also life-long friends.

Brittanie DeChino m +1 202 802 0158 brittaniedechino.ttrsir.com

Brittanie lives in Oakcrest/Aurora Hills and couldn’t be happier walking her pups on the hilly streets and spending time with her awesome neighbors. A huge fan of the Ballston remodel, Brittanie spends a great deal of time at her gym, Vida Fitness, and the nearby conveniences. Her husband, Christopher, serves on the board of EcoAction Arlington and, together, they are pleased to support continued initiatives to keep Arlington environmentally friendly.

Edelmann Love Toregas Group

Lynn Kern, Je Love, John Edelmann, Alex Cernik, Chadley Toregas m +1 202 423 6900 | eltgroup.ttrsir.com

The Edelmann Love Toregas Group has more than 75 years of combined experience selling real estate. Our group has continuously achieved and exceeded our client’s goals and maximized the return on their investments. We provide the best in real estate services and care deeply about our community. We support the great work at Arena Stage, College Bound, The Humane Society and the Edlavitch JCC of Washington DC. We sell the most important home in the world…yours.

Sharon Hayman

m +1 703 402 2955 sharonhayman.ttrsir.com

Sharon and her family have been steeped in the tradition of real estate since the early 1970s here in the DMV. Loving and living in the Metro area Sharon is familiar with the nuances of the DMV neighborhoods. Sharon loves to make MAGIC for her clients, from nding the home of their dreams in an untouched neighborhood to selling homes at recordingbreaking values and in some cases, helping build the home of their dreams if it cannot be found!

Pam Hazen

m +1 703 587 7300 pamhazen.ttrsir.com

Pam’s background as a construction contract attorney and photojournalist perfectly blend to ensure comprehensive service for her buyer and seller clients. Attention to detail, aesthetic insight and top negotiation and deal management make her a successful and adaptable ally in this fastpaced market, and her clients appreciate her diligence to provide a luxury experience and top-level performance regardless of price point. A 30-year resident of Arlington, Pam is a relocation specialist and licensed in DC and VA.

listModern

Ron Mangas, Jr, Matt Flood, Rachael Hesling, Steven Mangas

m +1 703 298 2564 | listmodern.com

listModern is the only real estate team devoted to modern homes. With a depth of knowledge and authentic enthusiasm, we take a methodical approach to elevate architecturally conscious homes from the ubiquitous and convey the architect’s vision to potential buyers, resulting in unparalleled exposure to the most likely buyers, both domestic and international.

Brandy Schantz

m

brandyschantz.ttrsir.com

Brandy has lived in the D.C. metro area since 2017. A proud Virginia Tech grad and dog lover, she can often be seen walking her 3 Pomeranians by the water in Old Town or cheering on her Hokies at a local bar. Brandy is an accomplished, solutions-focused, and dynamic professional offering a personalized approach to real estate that provide each client the luxury experience.

Dawn Wilson

m +1 703 217 4959

dawnwilson.ttrsir.com

Dawn has been a full-time Realtor® in the DC metro area since 2005. Prior to that, she practiced law locally. Dawn is licensed in Virginia, DC, and Maryland. Dawn has repeatedly been recognized by Arlington Magazine as a Top Real Estate Producer and has helped hundreds of sellers and buyers achieve their real estate goals. Dawn has a global reach in the real estate marketplace. Let Dawn’s experience, expertise, and education serve you whether you are selling or buying.

■ top real estate producers

Audrey Shay

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Matt Shepard KW Metro Center

Cristina Sison

COMPASS | McLean

Maureen Sloan

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Virginia Smith

Arlington Realty

John Stacey

COMPASS | McLean

Laura Steuart

COMPASS | Bethesda

Lisa Stransky

Washington Fine Properties

Kris Thomas KW United - Falls Church

Susan Thomas

Washington Fine Properties

Phuong Tran

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Kristin Usaitis

Long & Foster Arlington

Dianne Van Volkenburg

Long & Foster Great Falls

Reid Voss

Golston Real Estate

Jen Walker

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Ashleigh Wehmeyer

Leslie Wilder

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Christopher Wilkes

Washington Fine Properties

Jinny Wilkes

Washington Fine Properties

T.Jay Williams Redfin

Brad Winkelmann

RE/MAX Allegiance

Dane Work RE/MAX Allegiance AGENTS | $5,000,000 - $7,499,999

Justin Tanner

RE/MAX Allegiance

David Wolfe COMPASS | Arlington

Cheryl Wood Redfin

COMPASS | Arlington

Tessa White

Long & Foster McLean

RE/MAX Distinctive Team in Arlington

We have been living, working and raising our families in Arlington for over 30 years.

Whether you plan to buy or sell, we are ready to roll up our sleeves and be your trusted guide to an exceptional real estate experience.

• Complimentary home staging

• Complimentary home repair coordination

• Neighborhood experts

• Digital and print marketing

• Professional contract negotiation

• Consistently recognized as top producers

We’re proud to receive the majority of our business in the form of repeat clients and word-of-mouth referrals. 2022 is already a hot market—let us help you be successful in it!

Direct: 703-403-1064, Office: 703-821-1840

www.beallrehill.com

1307 Dolley Madison Blvd, McLean VA 22101

■ top real estate producers

AGENTS | $7,500,000

Melody Abella

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Hala Adra

COMPASS | McLean

Jeff Beall

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

Albert Bitici

KW Metro Center

Brian Blackburn

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Pat Brosnan

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Lilah Bross

CENTURY 21 Redwood - Arlington Office

Julian Burke

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Brittany Camacho

CENTURY 21 Redwood - Arlington Office

Yon Chung

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Jason Curry

KW Metro Center

Joy Deevy

COMPASS | McLean

Michelle Doherty

RLAH Real Estate

Olivia Farrell

COMPASS | Arlington

Martha Floyd McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Mike Gallaher Redfin

Elena Gorbounova

RE/MAX Allegiance

Dina Gorrell Redfin

Cheryl Hanback Redfin

Archie Harders

COMPASS | Arlington

Ellen Heather

Long & Foster Arlington

- $9,999,999

Ricardo Iglesias

Buck & Associates

Isabelle Jelinski

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Erin Jones

KW Metro Center

Jillian Keck Hogan

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Lynn Kern

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Nadia Khan

Keri Shull Team

Brad Kiger

KW Metro Center

Lauren Kolazas

RLAH Real Estate

Melissa Larson

KW Metro Center

Matt Leighton

CENTURY 21 Redwood - Arlington Office

Toby Lim

COMPASS | McLean

Eduardo Manus

KW Metro Center

Craig Mastrangelo

COMPASS | Arlington

John Mentis

Long & Foster Arlington

Janet Million

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Andrew Musser

KW United - Falls Church

Andrew Novins

KW United - Falls Church

Keri O’Sullivan

RE/MAX Allegiance

Lisa Parcells

Washington Fine Properties

Sarah Picot

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Lauren Reardon

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

Joan Reimann McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Doug Richards

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Meg Ross KW Metro Center

Scott Sachs COMPASS | Chevy Chase

Omar Samaha

Long & Foster McLean

Jeanne Scott Keri Shull Team

Crystal Sheehan

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Mindy Venuto

COMPASS | McLean

■ top real estate producers

AGENTS | $10,000,000 - $14,999,999

Andre Amini

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Chris Audino

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Chip Benjamin Long & Foster Arlington

Robert Bradshaw Keri Shull Team

Jeremy Browne

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Billy Buck Buck & Associates

Marcia Burgos-Stone Redfin

Kara Chaffin Donofrio Long & Foster McLean

Carolyn Connell

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Anne DiBenedetto

COMPASS | McLean

Bethany Ellis

Long & Foster McLean

Jonathan Fox

COMPASS | Arlington

Raya Fridental Redfin

Dennis Furey

Keri Shull Team

Coral Gundlach

COMPASS | Arlington

Susan Hand

COMPASS | Arlington

Sharon Hayman

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Tania Hosmer

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Fenny Hurwitz

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Bob Johnson

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

John Jorgenson

Long & Foster McLean

Lisa Joy

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Terrilynn Kelley COMPASS | McLean

Brian Klotz

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Keith Lombardi Redfin

Kevin Love

RE/MAX Allegiance

Ron Mangas

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Margaretha McGrail

Long & Foster McLean

Louise Molton

RE/MAX West End

Jim Nelson

Long & Foster McLean

Carole Pearson

KW Metro Center

Marga Pirozzoli

COMPASS | Arlington

Justine Pope

COMPASS | Arlington

Chris Pritchard

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Alyssa Rajabi Redfin

Kathy Rehill

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

Julie Rice

KW United - Falls Church

Christine Rich

Long & Foster Arlington

Kate Ryan

Long & Foster McLean

Melinda Schnur

KW United - Falls Church

Beth Sheehy

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Melinda Solley

Keri Shull Team

Crystal Street

KW United - Falls Church

Holly Tennant Billy

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Susan Tull O’Reilly

McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Natalie Vaughan

COMPASS | Arlington

Jason Walder

COMPASS | Arlington

Mike Webb

RE/MAX Allegiance

Katie Wethman

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Dawn Wilson

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Susan Wisely

COMPASS | McLean

You You...

■ top real estate producers

AGENTS | $15,000,000 - $19,999,999

Mona Banes

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Lee Brady

Casey Margenau Fine Homes

Renata Briggman

KW Metro Center

Bret Brock

Brock Realty

Holly Brock Amaya

Brock Realty

Jon DeHart

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Tonya Finlay

KW Metro Center

Monica Gibson

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Bill Hoffman

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

David Lloyd Weichert Realtors/Arlington

Liz Lord COMPASS | Arlington

Katie Loughney COMPASS | Arlington

Casey O’Neal COMPASS | Arlington

Tim Pierson KW United - Falls Church

Dixie Rapuano RE/MAX West End

Peggy Richardson Washington Fine Properties

Heidi Robbins Buck & Associates

Diane Schline CENTURY 21 Redwood - Arlington Office

Laura Schwartz McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Brian Siebel COMPASS | Arlington

Jake Sullivan RE/MAX Allegiance

Carol Temple Coldwell Banker Realty

Jeff Wilson TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

AGENTS | $20,000,000+

Sherif Abdalla

COMPASS | Arlington

Patricia Ammann Redfin

James Andors

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Ruth Boyer O’Dea TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Karen Briscoe

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

David Cabo

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Karen Close

CENTURY 21 New Millennium

Lizzy Conroy

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Micah Corder

Washington Fine Properties

Karina Corell-Mallona

Washington Fine Properties

Mansoora Dar

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Tracy Dillard COMPASS | McLean

Lisa Dubois-Headley RE/MAX West End

Chris Earman

Weichert Realtors/McLean

John Eric COMPASS | Arlington

Ali Farhadov COMPASS | Arlington

Rob Ferguson RE/MAX Allegiance

Maria Fernandez COMPASS | Arlington

Tom Francis

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Mara Gemond Redfin

Ted Gossett

Washington Fine Properties

Sheri Grant

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Lilian Jorgenson Long & Foster McLean

Fahed Khatib

Washington Fine Properties

George Koutsoukos COMPASS | McLean

Anthony Lam Redfin

Geva Lester Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Barbara Lewis

Washington Fine Properties

Diane Lewis Washington Fine Properties

Casey Margenau

Casey Margenau Fine Homes

Laurie Mensing Long & Foster McLean

Jane Morrison Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Christina O’Donnell RE/MAX West End

Brian Prendergast Washington Fine Properties

Marianne Prendergast Washington Fine Properties

Will Prendergast Washington Fine Properties

Sean Ragen KW United - Falls Church

Michelle Sagatov Washington Fine Properties

Scott Shawkey

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Jennifer Thornett Washington Fine Properties

Betsy Twigg McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Theresa Valencic Long & Foster McLean

Kris Walker KW United - Falls Church

Tracy Williams TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Steve Wydler COMPASS | McLean

Dean Yeonas Yeonas & Shafran Real Estate

Penny Yerks

Washington Fine Properties

Piper Yerks

Washington Fine Properties

■ top real estate producers

TEAMS | $10,000,000 - $24,999,999

Alliance Home Group (7)

COMPASS | Arlington

Amy, Abby, Brooke, Rachel & Drew (5) Keri Shull Team

Ann Wilson Homes (2) KW Metro Center

Anne Cronin & Linda Murphy (2) McEnearney Associates REALTORS

The Battle Group (5)

CENTURY 21 Redwood - Arlington Office

Beall & Rehill (3)

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

Bicycling Realty Group (2) KW Metro Center

Capital Key Team (6)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Casaday Allison Group (8)

COMPASS | Chevy Chase

The Casey O’Neal Team (3) COMPASS | Arlington

Coral Gundlach Homes (2) COMPASS | Arlington

Edelmann Love Toregas Group (5) TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Gary Dopslaff & Aaron Scruggs Team (2) Washington Fine Properties

The Goodhart Group (6)

COMPASS | Alexandria

Hoffman Real Estate Group (3)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Homes From DeHart (4)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

HRL Partners (3)

Washington Fine Properties

The Kristin Francis Team (2) KW Metro Center

Lauren & Lacey (2) Keri Shull Team

Libby & Rafael (2) Keri Shull Team

listModern (3)

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Loughney Residential (2)

COMPASS | Arlington

Marga + Justine (2)

COMPASS | Arlington

Metro Platinum Group (3)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

The Mike Webb Team (2) RE/MAX Allegiance

Mollaan Group (7)

COMPASS | Logan Circle

Molton Real Estate (2) RE/MAX West End

Mosaic Residential (2) KW United - Falls Church

Novins & Street (2) KW United - Falls Church

Peggy Richardson & Stacey Romm Team (2)

Washington Fine Properties

Pierson Real Estate (3)

KW United - Falls Church

Red Door Metro (3)

KW Metro Center

The Reef Team (3)

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

The Robert Ferguson Team (3) RE/MAX Allegiance

Sarcone Schneider Team, LLC (2) McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Siebel-Adem Homes (4) COMPASS | Arlington

SRG Real Estate Group (3)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

The Stokes Group (3) McEnearney Associates REALTORS

Talout International (5) Long & Foster McLean

Team Cathell (6)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

The Wethman Group (7)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

The Wilkes McLaren Team (3)

Washington Fine Properties

TKsellshomes (4) COMPASS | McLean

Treasury Homes (6)

COMPASS | McLean

Trent & Co. (3)

COMPASS | Chevy Chase

Your P&rtners (6)

COMPASS | Chevy Chase

@rlahdmv

@michdoh

@laurenkolazas

■ top real estate producers

TEAMS | $25,000,000+

Andors Team (2)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

The Alliance Group (6)

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Billy Buck & Co. (2) Buck & Associates

Boyer O’Dea & Grant (2)

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Capital Area Homes (12)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

CHRISSY + LISA TEAM (5)

RE/MAX West End

Close Co. (9)

CENTURY 21 New Millennium

The Davenport Group (6)

RLAH Real Estate

Debbie Shapiro Team (3)

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Diane Lewis & Barbara Lewis Team (2) Washington Fine Properties

Dutko | Ragen Homes & Investments (7)

KW United - Falls Church

Eli Residential Group (4)

RLAH Real Estate

Elizabeth & Brianna (2)

Keri Shull Team

FASS Results Group (6)

FASS Results Group | eXp

Francis Real Estate Group (4)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

The Gaskins Team (4)

KW United - Falls Church

Geva and Jane Real Estate (4)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

HBC Group (14)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Hive Residential (2) COMPASS | Arlington

JD Callander & Associates (2) Weichert Realtors/McLean

Jennifer Thornett & Micah Corder Team (2) Washington Fine Properties

John Eric + Trevor Moore (2) COMPASS | Arlington

Kay Houghton & Associates (3) KW Metro Center

McFadden Partners (2) COMPASS | Georgetown

Moore Homes (3) COMPASS | Arlington

The Prendergast Team (3) Washington Fine Properties

ROCK STAR Realty Group (3) KW Metro Center

Numbers

The Sherif and Ali Group (7) COMPASS | Arlington

Three Stones Residential (4) KW Metro Center

Tracy Dillard Team (2) COMPASS | McLean

Walker Team Realtors (3) KW United - Falls Church

Wydler Brothers (15) COMPASS | McLean

The Yerks Team (4) Washington Fine Properties

Jennifer

Jonathan

Justine

Liz

Susan Wisely

susan@choosewiselygroup.com

703.927.3126

Susan’s award-winning success of the past 22 years stems from her deep knowledge of the local markets, extensive experience, hard work, strong negotiation skills and ability to find creative solutions. She operates with the utmost integrity and is passionate about service to her clients.

“Way back when, Susan helped me buy the home we just sold. Susan explained her strategy at every step and kept in constant contact, facilitating our efforts to prepare our home for sale. Susan’s savvy with preparations, marketing and her negotiations got us far beyond what we ever anticipated; getting us $180K over list price very quickly. Susan is knowledgeable, hardworking and knows the market; she knows what to do to sell for top dollar and makes the process as easy and stress-free as possible. I would highly recommend her and would suggest to pay close attention to her advice.” — Jon B.

$23M+ in sales in 2021

Ashleigh Wehmeyer

ashleigh.wehmeyer@compass.com 703.254.9761

Get Way More with Wehmeyer

As a West Point Grad, Army Veteran, Military Child and Spouse, Ashleigh has moved over 20 different times, living in 18 different states, as well as Spain and Korea. She understands the stress and upheaval that can accompany a move, be it across town or across the big blue ocean. She also understands the exhilaration of exploring a new

town and the thrill and anxiety that often comes with buying or selling a home. She has been on both sides of the transaction and knows what it feels like to sit at the settlement table. This also helps her know what buyers and sellers want and need from their agents.

Elizabeth Emery Hitt

elizabeth.hitt@compass.com 202.617.1486

With vast experience in the Arlington and surrounding markets as well as a keen understanding of the contract process, Elizabeth’s combination of work ethic and her service-oriented approach has allowed her to achieve an outstanding record of client satisfaction and consistently gain repeat and referral business.

”Elizabeth ended up finding us our DREAM house and helped us get an amazing deal. It is everything we could have wanted and I’m so grateful to her for helping us find our home and helping secure it in these competitive times. The whole buying process was seamless and she was always reachable no matter what day/time.” -Annie F.

John Eric + Trevor Moore

office@johnandtrevor.com 703.822.7400

More than the sum of many parts, our team comes together with a way of seeing: an obsession for detail, a refined sense of space, and an intimate understanding of what it means to come home.

Set foot on a JE + TM property, and discover an undeniable difference from the very first step. Our dedicated professionals combine over 50 years of luxury industry experience, pouring deep dedication and invaluable nuance into every inch of our homes.

Real estate with this team is personal, passionate, and deeply memorable.

Coral has been quietly and steadily growing her real estate business in Arlington and beyond since 2004. When she moved here in 2001 and bought her own first home with her husband John, she got the bug to be a real estate agent.

She left her career in advertising after the birth of her first son, got her real estate license a year later, and has never looked back. That baby is now a college freshman and he works as her intern when he is home, and her second son can also be seen helping her set up and remove staging, putting up signs, and doing any general running she needs done. They have lived in 3 houses in Arlington within a block of each other: a fixer upper, a whole house renovation, and are currently in newer

Coral Gundlach

coral@compass.com

703.200.3631

sellwithcoral.com

Volume Sold in 2021

Years in Arlington Clients Helped

construction. These experiences help her see her clients’ perspectives and care for each one as if they were her own.

Her passion for her neighborhood and helping her clients has fueled her success, having gotten to know many neighbors, turned clients, turned friends and enjoys a business that’s nearly 100% repeat and referral.

She shies away from much of the “horn tooting” in real estate, but she’s proud of this business she’s built over two decades, the people she’s guided through life changes, the growth she’s experienced, and the wonderful relationships she’s made along the way.

susan.hand@compass.com 703.608.5056

Committed to Exceeding your Expectations!

With over 25 years in real estate, Susan’s business has been built on client referrals. She takes great pride in being there for her clients every step of the way, whether they are firsttime homebuyers or savvy investors. Susan’s job is to make sure that she protects her clients by utilizing her experience, knowledge, and skills throughout the transaction - before you even know you needed them. She aims to make the buying and selling process as fun, interesting, informative, and successful as possible.

Susan Hand Marga + Justine

Marga Pirozzoli + Justine Pope margaplusjustine@compass.com 703.585.4844 | 571.388.7359 compass.com/agents/marga-justine

Marga is an Associate Broker in Virginia and the District of Columbia with nearly three decades of experience in residential real estate sales, rentals, and purchases. Prior to working in the real estate industry, she worked as a successful attorney in Fairfax, VA. Before Justine was a Realtor, she spent over 20 years working at Fannie Mae in a number of positions that provided her with unique perspective into the home-buying experience.

Marga + Justine provide reliable service in a relaxed manner, focusing on what matters most to serve their clients’ needs and to work to help bring people together. They have the tools, experience, and commitment to assist you with all of your home buying and selling needs.

Hala Adra

As an Associate Broker with almost 30 years experience, Hala offers extensive insight into the entire DMV area—from the manicured sidewalks of McLean to the bustling streets of DC, and the scenic pathways of Bethesda. hala.adra@compass.com 703.980.4041

Combining unrivaled local insight, creative vision, and the compassionate drive to make a difference in the lives of her clients, Hala knows that buying or selling is a transformative life milestone. One that’s often defined by numerous complexities and challenges. Hala is known for helping clients navigate every potential roadblock to make their dreams a reality. Whether she’s guiding out of area buyers or seasoned sellers, Hala is a dedicated advocate for every client, always putting their best interests first. The results she’s achieved are proof of her success, it’s no surprise that her business is 90% repeat and referralbased, or that she’s built a reputation as one of the most reliable, devoted Realtors around.

Melissa Lango

Team Koki melissa.lango@compass.com 610.554.9689

Melissa brings unique experience and perspective to real estate through her experience as a military spouse and previous career in sports. In professional sports, the hospitality ethic and savviness required to succeed in that industry has served her well and undoubtedly contributed to her becoming a top producer. Being a military spouse she understands firsthand how important it is to be flexible and focused and she supports her clients by meeting them where they are both emotionally and physically. A leader within Team Koki, Melissa embodies the belief that service to her clients and community are the most important things to pursue in life and business.

great spaces ■

by Jennifer Shapira | photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Stellar Makeover

A tiny kitchen gets the star treatment.

GEORGE BRAZIER HAD been wanting to redo the kitchen in his two-bedroom, two-bath Courthouse condo for years. At 83 square feet, the cramped, U-shaped space was outdated and didn’t fit his personality.

Perhaps it was in the stars, but a favorite work of art that hangs in Brazier’s living room inspired and now complements his statement-making kitchen, which was renovated in 2020. Called “Milky Way Dreaming,” the painting is by an aboriginal artist he discovered while traveling in Australia.

Brazier granted Case Architects & Remodelers creative free rein with the kitchen, says designer Alexandria Hubbard, who was thrilled at the prospect of giving the small space a face-lift. The team was limited to working within the existing footprint, but delivered on their client’s one ask—and then some: “He wanted something modern and bold,” she says.

Hubbard perused cosmic designs on Instagram before landing on the abstract slabs of composite aluminum by Italian artist Alex Turco that would become Brazier’s out-of-this-world backsplash. Browsing her picks, Brazier selected as his “soulmate” a cerulean star-dusty vision with nebular streaks of gold and silver.

“We let that be the focal point and drive the rest of the design,” Hubbard says. Bright-white Crystal cabinets with handy pullout shelves cede the starring role to the backsplash. The same is true of the pale Dekton countertops, which, unlike the backsplash, have uniform color and zero movement.

Appliances by Bosch include a slim, 18-inch dishwasher, which Brazier confesses he rarely uses (he’s more apt to store unopened wine bottles in its slide-out silverware rack). An induction cooktop and unassuming vent hood

maintain the sleek, minimalist profile. To showcase the kitchen’s clean lines, Brazier made the unconventional decision to forgo a traditional refrigerator. Instead, the space is equipped with two 24-inch JennAir drawers (one fridge and one freezer), paneled to match the cabinetry. It was a drastic change at first, but over time it’s made his grocery trips more intentional. He likes thinking carefully about what he can store.

Brazier, a retired foreign service officer who continues to work for the State Department, says he’s over the moon about the form and function of his tailored space. The backsplash evokes happy memories and makes him feel at home.

As a kid, his family had property in the Shenandoah Valley. Sometimes he and his brothers would fall asleep outside, under the stars. “Kind of like that,” he says, gesturing to his kitchen’s night sky. ■

Data provided by Bright MLS and MarketStats for ShowingTime as of Jan. 10, 2022. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Home Sales Trends

In more than 400 neighborhoods

Which neighborhoods in our area are seeing the heaviest turnover or rapidly rising home prices? Where are properties selling the fastest? The following chart tracks residential sales for single-family homes, condos and townhouses. You’ll find figures indicating the number of homes sold, average sale price and average days on market in more than 400 neighborhoods in Arlington, Falls Church and McLean from 2017 to 2021. Condo buildings are typically listed as individual subdivisions. The neighborhoods included had at least 15 total sales during the last five years. (However,

the totals for each ZIP code reflect all sales in that ZIP code, not just the totals for the neighborhoods shown.) Because subdivisions entered into the Bright MLS database are not required to follow a standard nomenclature, we have expanded the data set to account for misspellings and inconsistencies in many subdivision names. Real estate agents may also enter sales into the database retroactively. As a result, some of the historical data may vary slightly from the data in previous years’ charts. A designation of “NR” indicates that no sales were reported for that year.

22201 ARLINGTON

22202 ARLINGTON

■ prime numbers

22203 ARLINGTON

22204 ARLINGTON

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 rst phone call until your nal signature, our loan o cers and processing team are fully accessible whenever needed, day or night, weekday or weekend. We also understand that mortgages should not be one-size- ts-all; that’s why we o er 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 o cer with them every step of the way.

22205 ARLINGTON

22206 ARLINGTON

TOGETHER: A BETTER WAY TO FIGHT CANCER

n Multidisciplinary team approach

n Highly specialized medical oncology, hematology, radiation therapy, orthopedic oncology/surgery, breast surgery, thoracic surgery, genetic counseling, palliative medicine and research

n Highly-rated physicians and surgeons in our community

n State-of-the-art technology, labs, and on-site pharmacy

n Access to Clinical Trials, including Phase I

Robert Christie, MD, FACP

John Feigert, MD

Keeran Sampat, MD

Patricia Rodriguez, MD

Jessica Heintz, MD, FAAHPM

22207 ARLINGTON

22209 ARLINGTON

22213 ARLINGTON

22101 MCLEAN

■ prime numbers

22102 MCLEAN

22041 FALLS CHURCH

22042 FALLS CHURCH

22043 FALLS CHURCH

■ prime numbers

22044 FALLS CHURCH

22046 FALLS CHURCH

About Bright MLS — The Bright MLS real estate service area spans 40,000 square miles throughout the mid-Atlantic region, including Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. As a leading Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Bright serves approximately 95,000 real estate professionals, who in turn serve over 20 million consumers. For more information, visit brightmls.com.

About SHOWINGTIME — ShowingTime is the leading showing management and market reporting technology provider to the residential

estate industry. Its showing products take the inefficiencies out of the appointment scheduling process, while its analytics tools help subscribers generate interactive, easy-to-read local market reports.

Rob Ferguson is as local as they come. A lifelong Northern Virginian with more than 24 years of Arlington real estate expertise, Rob knows the neighborhoods and the local market.

Let Rob show you how his clients become clients for life.

Rob Ferguson GRI & Associate Broker

Real Estate Agents

Close Partners

KAREN CLOSE, CANDEE CURRIE CENTURY 21 NEW MILLENNIUM

“It’s not only how much you know, it’s also about how much you care.” Karen and Candee are savvy professionals who care about how they do business and they care about you.

5904 Washington Blvd., Arlington, VA 22205

Karen: 703-517-9477 | karen.close@C21NM.com

Candee: 703-203-6005 | candee@C21NM.com

www.karenclose.com

Q: What’s your approach to real estate and to working with clients?

A: Karen: It’s a simple one. I tell our clients: “This is about you, not me. We are looking for a home to fit you and your life, not mine. We are selling your home (one that you know), not mine.” That means we have a common purpose—YOU. It also means when Candee and I meet with clients, we do a little more asking than telling.

Q: How has your new partnership affected your business?

A: Karen: It just made it better—two working for you is better than one! We’re hometown gals with 70 years of combined local knowledge. We offer teamwork from the team that works!

Candee: Karen and I both have a strong work ethic—and we’re problem-solvers. That’s important because every transaction is different. A big part of our job is working through the issues and finding effective solutions.

Q: How is real estate changing?

A: Candee: Technology is increasingly important. But it can only do so much. We combine technology’s benefits with a personal touch, taking care of the details, understanding the market, and working hard and creatively for our clients.

Karen: With Candee and me, our clients have partners who have been there before, who have their best interests at heart and who know the market. Helping someone achieve their goals—to find their dream home or to sell their current home under the terms that are satisfying to them is hugely satisfying. And we love it!

Wydler Brothers of Compass

STEVE WYDLER

Awards & Honors:

Arlington Magazine Best Real Estate Agent (Winner 9 consecutive years, Top Vote Getter 2022)

Bethesda Magazine Best Real Estate Team, Winner 2021

#1 in Virginia and #28 in USA Large Teams by Volume, 2021 Rankings by Real Trends “The Thousand” Voted Best Son by Mom

6849 Old Dominion Drive, Suite 400

McLean, VA 22101

703-348-6326

steve@wydlerbrothers.com

www.wydlerbrothers.com

Q: How would your clients describe you?

A: I’m biased but I think my clients would say that I (and my team) add tremendous value throughout the home buying and selling process. We provide strategic and practical advice and ultimately help them make the best-informed decisions for them and their families.

Q: What is your professional and educational background?

A: I practiced law for seven years (Shaw Pittman and then in-house counsel at AOL) before deciding to work with my brother Hans as real estate agents. I have a BA from Dartmouth and a JD from Vanderbilt Law.

Q: What are your interests outside of work?

A: I love spending time with my teenage daughters and rambunctious Bernedoodle. I also enjoy playing squash, tennis and golf.

Ken Matzkin

BUCK & ASSOCIATES

“As I near retirement, I’m motivated most greatly by transferring the knowledge I’ve gained over 24 years in this occupation to my colleagues who are interested in accepting it.”

2519 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22201 703-528-2288 x118 ken@buckrealtors.com www.buckrealtors.com

Q: What is the most significant change in real estate during your career?

A: The advent and rapid growth of online shopping, now heightened by the COVID epidemic, has diminished the need for operating space by many kinds of retail enterprises. This has, in turn, greatly reduced the need for that element of my services. COVID has also dampened the need for office space, at least in the near term. It is unclear if, when this pandemic has (at least substantially) subsided, the demand for office space outside of the home will return to previous levels or remain at a lower level. If curtailed, how much lower will it be? Recent surveys indicate that it is very likely that the demand for office space will not rebound to pre-pandemic levels for at least the foreseeable future.

Q: How would your clients describe you?

A: I believe my greatest strength, valued by most clients, is my willingness to “go the extra mile.” Commercial real estate agencies typically operate during the normal Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. business hours. As my clients are often consumed with running their own, typically small businesses, I work according to their individual availabilities and needs. Moreover, I keep up with communications: What spaces are still available, which are not; why some are not appropriate for the client’s need, why others may be better. My clients appreciate that I serve primarily as their partner in seeing that their space needs are met.

Renata Briggman

THE ARLINGTON EXPERT

Awards/Honors:

Arlington Magazine Top Producer 2019-2022

Best of Washingtonian 2015-2021

Best of Northern Virginia Magazine 2016-2021

5-star ratings on Google, Zillow and Yelp

KW Metro Center

2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1050

Arlington, VA 22201

703-217-2077

renata@thearlingtonexpert.com www.thearlingtonexpert.com

Q: What makes you different from other real estate agents?

A: My big focus is Arlington real estate. Most agents seem to specialize in fairly large geographical areas—that’s not me. I don’t believe you can be an expert in everything. I love Arlington so much. It’s not just a place, it’s a community I belong to. So many people are looking for their home—not just in a sense of a structure, but in a sense of a place they feel connected to.

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

A: It’s the process of guiding my clients from confusion and anxiety to success. There are many ways to buy and sell a home these days—the amount of available

information is mind numbing. But be careful! Buying and selling a home is one of the largest financial transactions of one’s life. One wrong move can cost you thousands. As a Realtor for 19 years, I know what’s important and what is not. I don’t believe in cutting corners when the stakes are so high.

Q: What are your interests outside of work?

A: I’m a mom of two amazing kids and my life revolves around them. I love adventure—so we ski, skate and hike. We RV’d up the coastline of Maine in 2020 and had a big Alaskan adventure last summer. When I’m not spending time with my children, you will find me reading, spending time with friends, drinking wine, hiking, journaling or riding my Peloton!

Natalie U. Roy

BICYCLING REALTY GROUP, KW METRO CENTER ARLINGTON

Licensed in VA, MD and D.C.

Awards/Honors:

Arlington Magazine Winner, “Best Real Estate Agent” 2022

Washingtonian “The Face of Real Estate” 2022

Washingtonian “Top Agent” 2021

Virginia Living “Top Realtor” 2021

Sun Gazette “Best Arlington Residential Realtor” 2021

ARLnow.com, Arlies Award, Best Agent for Buyers 2021

2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1050, Arlington, VA 22201

703-224-6000 (o) | 703-819-4915 (c)

homes@bicyclingrealty.com

natalieuroy@gmail.com

www.bicyclingrealty.com

Q: What has been your biggest challenge these past few years?

A: The biggest challenge—and my biggest reward—comes from helping buyers and sellers navigate today’s challenging, but potentially rewarding, real estate environment.

Throughout these volatile times, we experienced a fast-paced real estate market that’s been much stronger than anyone could have predicted. Home sale prices skyrocketed, interest rates remained at competitive lows and housing stock remains historically thin. In this seller’s market, competition for homes in prime DMV locations is fierce. COVID itself—and may it end soon!—has also created unique challenges on both the buying and selling fronts. The good news is that the real estate industry has successfully adapted.

Q: What is your game plan for working with new clients?

A: The questions I get from new clients include: Are we in a housing bubble? Will prices keep increasing? Will I be better off waiting to sell? Should I put off a purchase and wait until the market collapses? These are all great questions, and we answer them as best we can, but no one has a crystal ball.

I start by drilling down to the fundamentals, asking my clients the basic questions: Why are you selling? What timeline works best for you? Why do you and your family want more space (or less)? Why do you want to make an investment purchase now?

Once we get a handle on those fundamentals, the rest follows. The key for me and my team is to prepare a strategic game plan that achieves our clients’ desired goals.

ROCK STAR Realty Group

TORI MCKINNEY

Being a Realtor® perfectly blends my passion for Falls Church and finding clients their dream homes. I am ever so grateful for all of my ROCK STAR clients and the community that I serve. Call ROCK STAR Realty Group to help you find the home you LOVE!

KW Metro Center

2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1050 Arlington, VA 22201

703-867-8674

tori@ROCKSTARRealtygroup.com www.ROCKSTARRealtyGroup.com

Q: What makes you different than other real estate agents?

A: I am the go-to Falls Church City Real Estate specialist and neighborhood resource for my clients and friends who live here or are contemplating moving here. I love committing to the “Little City” community by consistently supporting and promoting our local businesses and schools through our community outreach.

Q: What are your interests outside of work?

A: As most people know, my passion is live music and supporting musicians, along with visiting my second home in New Orleans. I also love the opportunity to serve on the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation’s board, whose mission is preserving and presenting the African American legacy and promoting

racial reconciliation. I volunteer as the executive producer of the Tinner Hill Music Festival, the foundation’s largest charity event taking place right in Falls Church City. This year’s festival is June 11, 2022. Mark your calendars!

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

A: By providing ROCK STAR service, my team and I treat our clients like the true VIPs they are. Spending valuable time with our buyers and listening intently to their desires allows us to deliver a seamless home-buying experience. Delivering the best possible offer to our sellers and seeing the look on their face at the settlement table is indescribable. Helping our clients, friends and family find the home they LOVE is my greatest joy!

Donna Hamaker

BUCK & ASSOCIATES

Awards/Honors:

Arlington Magazine Top Producers 2019-2021

Washingtonian Top Real Estate Agents 2017-2021

Virginia Magazine Top Real Estate Agents 2018-2021

2519 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22201

703-582-7779

donna@buckrealtors.com www.DonnaHamaker.com

Q: What are your clients saying about you?

A: The McNeely family in McLean shared their experience:

“Buying and selling during a global pandemic was certainly not what we had in mind, but Donna made the process pain free and, dare I say, enjoyable? We were extremely impressed by her marketing skills, as they resulted in almost seventy showings of our home (and seven offers!) in one weekend. We ended up accepting a no-strings offer for well over list price. She also assisted with the purchase of our new home. Her knowledge of the Northern Virginia area, advance work and follow-up with the selling agent, and her expert guidance during the offer and contract process

made for one very happy family. Thank you, Donna, for helping us secure our forever home!”

Q: What are your interests outside of work?

A: Family is so important. My husband and I love every moment we’re able to share with our grown children and their families who live locally, in Charleston, S.C. and in Austin, TX. They also make for wonderful subjects for my avid interest in photography! I enjoy giving back to the community with Doorways for Women & Families, Homeward Trails Animal Rescue and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Being on the Board of Directors of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and a graduate of Leadership Arlington give me an “ear to the ground” to better serve my clients!

TONY J. LEWIS

Diane Lewis

WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES

Awards/Honors:

Over $50M sold, 2021

Arlington Magazine Top Producer, 2022

Consistently recognized as Washingtonian Top Real Estate Agent

America’s Best Real Estate Professionals, Real Trends, 2021

Northern Virginia’s Best Real Estate Agents, 2021

1364 Beverly Road, Suite 100

McLean, VA 22101

703-973-7001

diane@lewisteam.com

www.lewisteam.com

Q: How would your clients describe you?

A: Our clients say it best:

“Diane Lewis is an exceptional Realtor. We have used her to both buy and sell in Arlington. She is professional, knowledgeable and knows the local market better than anyone. She was able to sell our home the first weekend it was on the market for above the asking price! Thanks to her advice and attention to detail, the whole process from preparation to list, staging, negotiating and closing was seamless. She provides great communication throughout the entire process. Diane is outstanding, wonderful to work with and we highly recommend her!”

Q: What is the biggest challenge in your job right now?

A: We are in the most competitive market I have ever experienced. Since

most homes are receiving multiple offers significantly over the list price, we have had to figure out ways to “win” the houses and still protect our clients. Our team of inspectors, lenders, title attorneys and contractors work with our clients on short notice to help them make good decisions quickly, which is critical in this market. We’ve also been successful finding offmarket homes for our clients.

Q: What are your interests outside of work?

A: I love to travel, and play tennis and golf. Before selling real estate, I worked for the U.S. Professional Tennis Registry in Hilton Head, S.C., where I specialized in sports marketing and membership services. I’m now on the Board of Directors at the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation, which allows me to give back to the community while doing something I love.

The Chrissy & Lisa Team

CHRISSY O’DONNELL & LISA DUBOIS RE/MAX WEST END

710 W. Broad St., Falls Church, VA 22046

703-372-9191 | info@chrissyandlisa.com www.chrissyandlisa.com

Q: Why do your clients refer you to their friends and family?

A: From the start, we listen. We ask open-ended questions, and we listen to our clients’ needs, wants and goals. This information allows us to tailor our efforts and negotiate smartly on their behalf. Our clients love our money-saving programs, such as our Complimentary Home Staging (a savings of over 1% of the sale price) and our Seller Concierge Service (which allows clients to pay for home improvements at settlement).

We hold our client’s interests at heart and work tirelessly to ensure they are satisfied before, during and after closing. By listening, we build long-lasting relationships, often working with clients on multiple transactions. We know they are satisfied because they happily refer us to their friends and family.

The Wethman Group—Keller Williams

KATIE WETHMAN, MBA, CPA

Awards/Honors: Washingtonian’s Top Agent List Northern Virginia Magazine’s Top Real Estate Agents Arlington Magazine’s Top Producers

6820 Elm St., Suite 100, McLean, VA 22101 703-655-7672 | Katie@wethmangroup.com www.wethmangroup.com

Q: How would your clients describe you?

A: Clients describe us as detailed and process oriented. They often look back and say they can’t believe how smooth everything was! Our experience means that we can identify potential issues before they happen. Our outstanding team approaches each client as if we’re taking care of family, giving honest advice even if it means that we don’t get any immediate business. We’re confident that by doing the right thing, our business will continue to grow.

LISA

LISA HELFERT

Dick Nathan + Cody Chance

LONG & FOSTER REALTORS

Selling area real estate since 1983, Dick Nathan (AB, William & Mary) earned his Master’s in Urban Planning from George Washington University. He was named a Top Agent by Washingtonian magazine, 2019 and a Top Producer by Arlington Magazine, 2019, 2020, 2022. Cody Chance (BA, Furman University) earned Top Producer honors from Arlington Magazine, 2019, 2022.

4600 Cherry Hill Road (formerly Lee Highway) Arlington, VA 22207

703-216-7127

Dick.Nathan@longandfoster.com Cody.Chance@longandfoster.com

Q: What sets you apart from other agents working with senior clients?

A: We focus on providing education and information to make the sales process less overwhelming and less stressful, particularly for clients selling homes they may have been in for decades.

To that end, we have developed three seminars that people find useful and sometimes attend more than once:

• “Right-Sizing” uses our proprietary Workbook, developed and refined over five years and 20+ seminars, with copious information on how to handle a lifetime’s worth of possessions and get them into the hands of people who will value them.

• “Demystifying Retirement Communities: How They Work and What They Offer” is a perfect introduction for someone considering a continuing care retirement community for

themselves or a loved one. Every community is different, and we talk with representatives from three local communities who will help attendees learn to evaluate the financial models and costs, amenities offered, and how daily living and health care can be easier than remaining at home.

• “Selling Gold, Silver, and Jewelry” is led by our colleague with expert knowledge of the industry who will share how gold and silver values are determined, and what constitutes a fair offer.

Additionally, we both hold the National Association of Realtors’ SRES designation [Seniors Real Estate Specialist], which provides extra knowledge and expertise to guide homebuyers and sellers over the age of 50 through major financial and lifestyle transitions.

For more information on our programs, please get in touch.

Michelle Sagatov

THE MICHELLE SAGATOV GROUP WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES

Affiliate with Sagatov Design+Build New Construction Expert

4100 Fairfax Drive, Suite 250, Arlington VA 22203 703-402-9361 | michelle.sagatov@wfp.com michellesagatov.com

Q: Tell us a success story from 2021.

A: Last year was an extremely challenging market for buyers due to record low inventory. We were able to help 26 buyers secure homes in 2021 by finding creative ways to help them succeed. We were able to secure six off-market properties for our buyers. We also put together a winning team with local lenders and settlement companies that was able to help prepare 19 strong winning offers in competitive multiple-offer situations. Our communication, competitive edge and market strategy benefitted our buyers over and over again in a highly competitive market. Our success is our buyer’s success.

Diane Schline

CENTURY 21 REDWOOD REALTY

1934 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201 703-258-9439 | diane@theschlinegroup.com www.century21.com/real-estate-agent/profile/diane-schlineP25258087

Q: What do you feel is the top reason your business has grown so organically?

A: I think my clients can feel how personally invested I am in their journey. They know that I truly have their best interest at heart, and that doesn’t involve any sort of over-the-top effort on my part. That’s just naturally how I operate, and I think that has created a strong client referral network. That network is one of the things I’ve loved the most about business growth. I’ve gotten the chance to help entire friend groups, circles of colleagues, parents of past clients, etc. and there’s this circle of trust that forms. I’m endlessly thankful for that and don’t take it for granted.

COURTESY

Sarah Picot

MCENEARNEY ASSOCIATES

Sarah Picot has been a Top Producing Realtor since her second year in the business, and she has owned several companies including Picot Pilates. A former professional dancer, she sits on the Board of Directors for Complexions Contemporary Ballet and is on the Diversity Council at McEnearney Associates. She knows Arlington well, having raised two sons here.

4720 Langston Blvd. Arlington, VA 22207

703-525-1900

spicot@mcenearney.com sarahpicot.net

Q: What advice would you offer for someone just starting out in your profession?

A: I would say find a supportive brokerage, get a strong mentor and then do everything! You want to gain as much experience and knowledge as possible. Do open houses, help to stage homes, take out rental clients, sit in on closings, attend classes, etc. If you don’t really understand something, ask! If you don’t have the answers, get them.

Q: How would your clients describe you?

A: Hopefully my clients will feel that I am a calm presence. They will see me as a knowledgeable guide and problem-solver who is their ally and support system.

Q: What is the biggest challenge in your job?

A: Balancing all the things I do when real estate is a 24/7 job. I also have a Pilates business where I train NFL players. They go hard from January to May, which coincides with the spring market. The good news is the busier I am, the better I work.

Q: What is the one thing that your clients should know about you?

A: I like to have my hand in everything. How your home looks when it hits the market and how it is presented to the market is of the utmost importance to me. Therefore, I am going to be in your home the weeks leading up to it going live and ensuring that the painters, contractors, stagers, landscapers and cleaners are all doing what they need to do to ensure your house will stand out.

Andre Amini

TTR SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

“I am dedicated to achieving extraordinary results for my clients.”

6723 Whittier Ave., Suite 101 McLean, VA 22101

703-622-4473 aamini@ttrsir.com andreamini.ttrsir.com

Q: How do your clients perceive you?

A: I’ll let them tell you in their own words: Michael H., Seller: “Every once in a while, you meet someone whose word can be trusted and has the ability to make winwin arrangements happen. We met such a person in Andre, and we unreservedly recommend him to anyone seeking to buy or sell a home.”

Krystina J., Seller: “Andre is simply amazing. He is an excellent agent and a wonderful person. He was super responsive throughout the whole process, very knowledgeable and helpful. He made the selling process a breeze for me personally, free of aggravation and delay. From start to finish, Andre is a class act and consummate professional! I would not work with anyone else.”

Ali M., Buyer: “Andre had a significant

positive impact on my home buying process. He was very attentive to my needs and was able to negotiate on my behalf to get the best deal possible. He always had my best interests at heart. I was very grateful to have him representing me in this daunting process!”

Q: What is the one thing that your clients should know about you?

A: Honesty and integrity — I care about my clients and have their best interests at heart. As both an agent and a neighbor, I can help guide you through the nuances of our local market. With access to top listings, a worldwide network, exceptional marketing strategies and cutting-edge technology, I will work hard to make your real estate experience memorable and enjoyable. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you. Please don’t hesitate to contact me today!

Lauren Reardon

RE/MAX DISTINCTIVE REAL ESTATE

Awards/Honors:

Arlington Magazine Top Vote Getter, Best Real Estate Agent 2022

Arlington Magazine Top Producer 2019-2022

Northern Virginia Magazine Top Producing Real Estate Agent, 2020-2021

Washingtonian Top Agent 2015, 2018-2021

Northern Virginia Association of Realtors Lifetime Top Producer

RE/MAX Platinum Agent

1307 Dolley Madison Blvd. McLean, VA 22101 703-731-2313

LaurenReardon@Remax.net laurenreardon.remax.com

Q: What makes you unique in this profession?

A: Before becoming a top-producing agent in Northern Virginia, I spent a lot of my life away from the tangible sense of home that I now help people find on a daily basis! Today, I know this town like the back of my hand (being married to a native Arlingtonian has helped), but I spent many formative years either on the seas as a study-abroad student or in the skies as a flight attendant. As a result of spending so much time catching glimpses of sundry cultures and lifestyles across the globe, I now happily find myself at home in wonderfully diverse Arlington.

Q: How do your life experiences benefit your clients?

A: With my feet firmly planted on the ground here for over two decades (and they move fast as I get my job done with Hall of Fame level results!), life in the air and on the water is behind me. My travels shaped me into a savvy, quick learner, and my service industry experience greatly impacted my client interaction standards. The vast network I’ve steadily built while living here has added considerable value to my agent services, and it only continues to grow. I find it absolutely thrilling to help clients navigate the housing market as they look for a place to land between their own adventures! Now, I do still have the travel bug – but Fiji can wait! Until then, if you have a real estate need, let’s chat.

The Reef Team

TTR SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

PETER NGUYEN

JOE REEF

CHRIS WEATHERS

Awards/Honors:

Joe Reef (Vice President | Associate Broker) LGBTRES, ESRES

Peter Nguyen (Vice President) Certified ASP Stager

Chris Weathers (Vice President) Washingtonian Top Teams 2015-present NVAR Lifetime Top Producers

2300 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22201 703-981-8980 | SellingMetroDC@gmail.com www.SellingMetroDC.com

Q: What are your interests outside of work?

A: Outside of being huge local sports fans, our team has built an emphasis on volunteering and giving back to the communities in which we live. Through our give-back program, we contribute a portion of our commissions to local charities each year ($13,000 in 2021). This year, we have selected Arena Stage, SMYAL and Gift of Life International, and we are looking forward to working with our clients to increase our donations.

Chamberlin Brothers Real Estate

CLAYTON CHAMBERLIN MCENEARNEY ASSOCIATES

3033 Wilson Blvd., Suite 250, Arlington, VA 22201 703-738-4449 | 571-243-8831 cchamberlin@mcenearney.com www.chamberlinbrothers.com

Q: What makes you different from other real estate agents in our area?

A: I have very strong roots in the area. I am a fourthgeneration Arlingtonian and am proud to be a fourthgeneration Chamberlin working in the Northern Virginia real estate industry. Growing up with a land developer father and a Realtor mother, I was able to learn about the building and selling process at a very young age.

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

A: I get great satisfaction from being a problem solver. When a transaction presents an obstacle or a challenge that requires a creative solution, I enjoy facing the challenge head on and thinking outside the box. Over the course of my career, I have learned a number of creative solutions to difficult situations.

Anne Cronin and Linda Murphy

REALTORS®, MCENEARNEY ASSOCIATES

“We’d rather lose business being honest than win business being dishonest.”

4720 Langston Blvd., Arlington, VA 22207

703-597-3082

703-850-0190

acronin@mcenearney.com lmurphy@mcenearney.com www.AnneandLinda.com

Q: What is the biggest challenge in your job?

A: One of the biggest challenges is dispelling the “glamour myth.” Most people aren’t aware of the hard work and effort that goes on behind the scenes in real estate. When we start working with clients, they are often surprised to see us clearing debris and hauling junk, mopping floors after a toilet or dishwasher overflows, and doing other challenging chores to help with a sale. We are extremely dedicated and committed to our clients and helping them with every sale and/or purchase.

Q: What is the one thing that your clients should know about you?

A: We met when our children were in preschool. We have lived in Arlington for a combined 50+ years and each have three children who attended Arlington Public Schools. We reconnected at a field hockey game and decided to start our real estate partnership. We’ve grown to be very dear friends and have always been there for each other when life throws a curveball. We like our clients to know that when they hire us, they get two Realtors for the price of one.

Q: What do your clients say about you?

A: “Anne and Linda were responsive, very honest and helpful through the entire process.”

“I experienced no pressure and pure support.”

“This dynamic duo work tirelessly for their clients through the entire process.”

“We loved working with Anne and Linda...the team concept was fantastic.”

“Linda and Anne were very responsive and had answers to all of my questions as a first-time home buyer.”

Charlene Bayes

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HS PENFED REALTY

3050 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 105, Fairfax, VA 22030 703-597-4067 (c) | charlene.bayes@penfedrealty.com www.charlenebayes.penfedrealty.com

Q: What makes you different from other Realtors?

A: I put myself in my clients’ shoes ... how would I like my Realtor to be? How would my Realtor present, photograph, guide me, sell my house? I give my clients the attention, thoughtfulness and trust that I would love someone to give my family members. Known for my investigative research skills, I ensure my clients have the information needed to truly make an informed decision.

I’m a two-time cancer survivor and avid reader. I love exploring small towns. I’m fascinated with the evolution of smart home technology, constantly exploring the latest products for my clients to update the technology in their homes.

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

A: When my clients become friends for life!

Tanya Salseth

KW UNITED

105 W. Broad St., Suite 200, Falls Church, VA 22046 202-823-9864 | tanyasalseth@kw.com www.tanyasalseth.com

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

A: Helping my clients use real estate not just as a primary home, but also as an investment vehicle to build financial and generational wealth. For clients with limited incomes, purchasing in this expensive market can be nerve-wracking. Helping them become the first in their family to own a home is a wonderful privilege.

Q: What makes you different than other real estate agents?

A: I started in real estate over a decade ago as a buy-and-hold investor, so I have always viewed real estate through an investment lens. As a proud landlord with 19 rental properties (and counting!) here in the D.C. area, I can speak to rental regulations in all three states and what kind of property makes a great rental in our area.

JOSEPH TRAN

Emery Shirey Group

MCENEARNEY ASSOCIATES REALTORS ® TERRY BOZZO; ANN EMERY, ASSOCIATE BROKER, GRI, SRS, ABR, MCNE; JIM SHIREY, TEAM LEAD, MRE (GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY), CRS, E-PRO, MRP, ABR

Specialties:

- Serving Northern Virginia, Washington D.C. and Maryland

- Facilitating clients’ smooth transition from their current address to their new residence

4720-D Langston Blvd., Arlington, VA 22207

703-525-1900 | Ann: 703-868-1396

Jim: 202-607-6534 | Terry: 703-201-2375

jim@emeryshireygroup.com www.emeryshireygroup.com

Q: What are important considerations when selecting a Realtor?

A: Whether you are considering the purchase, sale or rental of a property, your real estate decision is an important one! You will want to work with an agent who understands your goals, provides knowledgeable guidance and knows the dynamics of the current market.

We at the Emery Shirey Group are experienced, informed and dedicated to providing clients a great real estate experience. Our pledge to each client is:

• We will work diligently, implementing the best practices of real estate

• We will inform, using data and dialogue interpreted with integrity and resulting in sound advisement

• We will negotiate the transaction of our client’s choice and go ‘above and beyond’ to accomplish closure of our client’s sale, purchase or lease

Q: What are your clients saying about you?

A: “Terry was fantastic—super knowledgeable with the area, very friendly and patient, and committed to helping us find the right home.”

“This is the sixth real estate transaction Jim and Ann have handled for me or my extended family. They are professional, no nonsense and personable. I strongly recommend this team.”

“Ann Emery was wonderful! She’s a skilled negotiator and all-around professional. She really took the time to get to know us and understand our vision. Ann was a pleasure to work with. We closed on a home we love, in a great neighborhood. I would highly recommend her.”

Mary Elise Moran

REALTOR LICENSED IN VA & D.C. LONG & FOSTER REAL ESTATE SERVICES

4600 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22207 (703) 731-0136 | mary.moran@longandfoster.com www.maryelisemoran.com

Q: How did the chaos of 2021 effect your business?

A: I had my best year yet, including the highest-priced single family home sale in Arlington (3155 20th Street N., left), among other notable deals. My niche has always been negotiating outside-the-box transactions. I work on a referral-only basis and tend to bond closely with my clients. It turns out that approach worked well during the upheaval of this past year.

Q: Why is the Arlington real estate market so expensive?

A: I’ve lived here for 25 years, raising our kids amidst fabulous parks, restaurants, libraries and some of the nation’s top schools. My dad led this region in Congress for decades, so I’m probably biased, but I honestly think Arlington is among the best places you can live anywhere in the world.

Peggy Richardson

WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES

4100 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 250 Arlington, VA 22203 703-346-8326 peggy.richardson@wfp.com wfp.com

Q: How would your clients describe you?

A: My clients describe me as someone who is there every step of the way during the process of selling or buying a home—one of their biggest investments. When selling, the process of “editing” a home to get it market ready can be daunting. When buying, it can be emotional entering and navigating this competitive market. I make the entire experience manageable, even fun at times.

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

A: I am particularly proud of and grateful for my five children who now have each forged their own path. They are kind, considerate, appreciative and have great senses of humor. They bring me lots of joy.

STEPHANIE WILLIAMS

LISA HELFERT

Kathleen LoGiodice Fong

THE KATHLEEN FONG GROUP

“From Arlington to Chevy Chase, Falls Church City to U Street, there’s a neighborhood for everyone. It’s our passion to help you live the life you love.”

KW Metro Center

2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1050 Arlington VA 22201 703-927-1737 hello@kathleenfong.com www.kathleenfong.com

Q: What is the difference between a home and a house?

A: A home holds incredible power. Homes create memories and nurture dreams. Home is where we go to find calm and balance. Today, “home” plays an essential role in our mental well-being. While a house is an investment, it’s not a true commodity because it only provides shelter, while a home is much more. It’s foundational to the story of our lives.

Q: How does your life experience benefit your clients?

A: My background in fine arts and a lifelong love of architecture, theater and space have nurtured my innate sense of style, design and visual perspective. With 25 years of success and experience as a guide, my team and I utilize a highly developed blend of skills to provide each client with a unique layer of insight into potential opportunities.

Q: What should potential clients know about you and your team?

A: In our practice, we work beyond what is expected to make any transition an easy, positive experience— never forgetting that bricks, wood and stone come with a power of their own.

A true love for helping others, combined with a long history of supporting the nonprofit community, is the fuel that powers my nonstop energy. Whether ensuring food was delivered to front line workers during the early months of the pandemic to raising funds for the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, Encore Stage & Studio, AFAC, or Lost Dog and Cat Rescue, my team and I seek to embody the real meaning of growing relationships and giving from the heart.

Kristin Francis Team

KW METRO CENTER

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1050 Arlington, VA 22201 571-348-4604 kristin@kfteams.com www.dcnovarealty.com

Q: How do you view the work you do?

A: From my perspective, what we do is less about selling homes and more about helping our clients build wealth through real estate. While it’s relatively easy to put retirement funds into a 401(k), it requires a real expert to help you achieve your wealth-building goals in real estate. That’s where we come in. We have specific expertise in investments—in fact, we created investment vehicles to help our clients achieve their individual goals. Buying and selling houses is the first layer in our clients’ wealth-building journey.

Q: What sets you apart in this competitive marketplace?

A: Our business is entirely repeat and referral. That’s an amazing amount of trust—in just about six months last year, our sales exceeded $50 million! Our clients are surprised and delighted during the transaction and long after the sale is completed. Whether you’re looking for a Realtor now or twenty years from now, we’ll be here for you.

Q: How does real estate fit into the bigger picture?

A: Our mission is to maximize our community’s wealth, resources and opportunities through real estate to create a legacy of global giving. Our team lives this mission in every sense. For example, over the holidays we organized an initiative to make and distribute more than 120 blankets within the local homeless community. We build our client’s wealth so that they are in a stronger position to help those in need around us. While we’re really great at selling homes, we always look for ways to leverage our success for the greater good.

The Office of Robert Crawford and Tyler Jeffrey

WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES

Awards/Honors:

Arlington Magazine Top Producer 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022

Bethesda Magazine Top Producing Real Estate Team, 2018, 2020 & 2021

Washingtonian “Best of” 2015-2021, Top Agents 2019, 2020 & 2021

Real Trends Top 20 Real Estate Team in Washington, D.C. 2017, 2019, 2020 & 2021

3201 New Mexico Ave., NW, Suite 220

Washington, D.C. 20016

202-746-2319

robert.crawford@wfp.com | tyler.jeffrey@wfp.com

Q: www.robertandtyler.com

Q: What differentiates you from other area Realtors?

A: We are very proud of our sales records and accolades, but our core focus has always been the client experience. Our team takes great pride in providing specialized customer service, access to invaluable vendor relationships and unparalleled market knowledge. We also take great pride in our broad knowledge of the region, which can be extremely helpful in a competitive landscape like the one in Arlington.

Q: How would your clients describe you?

A: As an energetic and extremely knowledgeable team of professionals that approach real estate with care and a truly personal touch. Our clients often note that our team’s attention to detail and ability to stay ahead of any potential hurdles is unmatched by others in the market. We

often joke that we are wolves in scout outfits: We’ll do anything to protect our clients, but we will always stay above board when doing so with a smile on our faces and a joke at the ready.

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

A: We get tremendous satisfaction from knowing that we’re helping our clients achieve a goal. If it’s buying their first home, expanding their rental portfolio or finding that forever home—it’s a big deal. People putting their trust and hard-earned money in our hands is a huge compliment and one that we cherish. We love our clients and, with 95% of our client base coming from referrals, we always remain grateful for their continued trust and support.

The "Perfect Storm" double Bloody Mary

on the Half Shell

The Salt Line in Ballston is a winning outpost of the seafood restaurant’s D.C. flagship.

THE SALT LINE’S “PERFECT STORM” double Bloody Mary is quite literally a thirst trap. Instagrammable to the max, the $30 monster cocktail arrives in a tiki glass garnished with a lobster claw, cocktail shrimp, a dressed oyster, a fried coddie (salt-cod fritter) and other “accoutrements.” I know it’s meant to entice weak people like me with its folly and excess, and I thoroughly enjoy the interactive fun of it—the cracking of the lobster claw, the slurping of the oyster—not to mention the buzz.

The Ballston seafood restaurant, which opened in October, is an offshoot of the original Salt Line that debuted in 2017 next to Nats Park. (Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman is an investor in both locations.) Parent company Long Shot Hospitality, which also owns Dauphine’s in downtown D.C.—its partners are Jeremy Carman, Gavin Coleman, Paul Holder, Jon Ball and chef Kyle Bailey—chose Ballston for their first expansion of the concept, in part because the neighborhood has a density and clientele akin to Navy Yard’s. “It could be a place for date nights or families,” says Bailey. “And the outdoor space was a huge plus.”

The outdoor space he’s referring to, designed by GrizForm Design Architects, includes a patio with seating for 40, plus a hybrid outdoor bar with heaters and removable wall panels that accommodates another 30 at the counter and 15 at high tops. GrizForm also designed the restaurant’s 3,800-square-foot, nauticalthemed interior, which seats 90.

Chef Matt Singer, who helms the kitchen in Ballston, collaborated with Bailey on a menu that includes a few classics from The Salt Line in D.C. (coddies,

Chef Matt Singer

THE SALT LINE

4040 Wilson Blvd., Arlington 703-566-2075 | thesaltline.com

HOURS

Monday through Thursday: 4 to 10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

PARKING/METRO

Street parking or the Ballston public parking garage in Ballston Quarter. The Ballston Metro station is three blocks away.

PRICES

Appetizers: $6 to $18; Entrées: $27 to $34; Desserts: $6 to $16

lobster rolls, stuffed clams), plus original dishes influenced by Singer’s experience working at Italian restaurants in Boston—most recently a four-year stint at Bar Mezzana.

It’s no accident that guests are immediately greeted by a bountiful raw bar stocked with oysters, crab legs, shrimp and clams, and an overhead sign that reads Let’s shellebrate. A shellfish tower is never a bad way to get the party started, although if you don’t want to

shell out (oops) $150 for “The Kraken” (that being the smaller of the two towers), consider downing a couple oyster shooters instead. I can recommend the sake bomb, which finds a glistening bivalve dressed in ponzu, scallions and chilies, resting on a shot glass filled with yuzu, sake and Optimal Wit beer.

The piping hot pimento crab dip, rife with lump crab and gooey cheddar and served with puffy Old Bay chips, is also a fine starter to tide you over as you ponder your next menu choices.

The crudos here are stunners. My favorite of the four features thin slices of Atlantic halibut topped with avocado, lemon, shaved fennel, celery, Kalamata olives and a drizzle of bay leaf oil. It’s pretty to behold and a clever balance of fat, salt, acid and sweetness. Another crudo gives rockfish belly the tartare treatment, mixing it with Fresno chilies, cucumber, red onion and olive oil, with an orange-lime dressing.

I’m drawn to many of The Salt

Arturo Gonzalez shucks oysters at the raw bar.

The crispy fish sandwich

Banana split

Line’s classics, including the stuffies— large clam shells packed with chopped clams, linguiça sausage, Parmesan, Parker House breadcrumbs and hot sauce. Chef Singer’s clam chowder relies on cream and clam stock for a tasty broth, rather than being thickened (and ruined) by a pasty roux, as so many places do.

An entrée of Ritz-cracker-encrusted baked cod finds the flaky fish perched atop perfectly al dente haricots verts and Yukon Gold potato purée, then finished with lemon-pepper butter. It’s a simple, sumptuous dish.

Don’t overlook the sandwiches. They score extra points because the fries that come with them are made fresh, not frozen. The lobster roll—which you can order warm and bathed in drawn butter, or cold and dressed with mayo, shallots, tarragon and lemon—doesn’t skimp. It’s packed with 4.25 ounces of tail and claw meat. Bailey says the kitchen goes through about 300 pounds of lobsters per day.

The crispy fish sandwich, an enormous hunk of buttermilk-dipped and battered Chesapeake blue catfish with lettuce and pickled-pepper tartar sauce, wins out over any other I’ve had. Bonus: Blue catfish are an invasive species that prey on our precious blue crabs, so consuming them performs a public service. Do another one by

washing your meal down with a glass of Olé & Obrigado Garnacha rosé; a portion of each sale goes to the Oyster Recovery Partnership, a nonprofit whose mission is protecting the Chesapeake’s waterways.

There were a couple clunkers on my visits to The Salt Line, perhaps due to inconsistencies in the kitchen. The night I ordered bucatini and scallops with ’nduja (a spreadable, spicy pork sausage), the noodles were stuck together and the scallops were visibly overcooked. But the same dish looked completely different—the pasta fluffy, the shellfish plump and inviting—when I spied it on a neighboring table a different evening.

A chilled seafood salad of calamari, mussels and scallops was tragically overmarinated and dubiously accompanied by deep-fried artichoke hearts that were cold.

Like that colossal Bloody Mary, the desserts here are quite photogenic and obviously crafted with social media in mind. A banana split featuring three ice creams, three sauces, multiple toppings and made to look like a pirate ship, complete with a skull-and-crossbones flag, is AARGHuably tasty and picturesque. (Sorry!)

A parfait of devil’s food cake and butterscotch mousse adorned with chocolate pearls and caramel popcorn

WHAT TO DRINK

Economies of scale kick in when you’re a high-volume company, and the beverage offerings at The Salt Line are remarkable.

The wine list includes 3 sparkling, 5 reds, 5 whites and 2 rosés by the glass or bottle, plus another 8 sparkling, 23 reds, 23 whites and 7 rosés by the bottle only. Wine prices range from $11-$19 (glass) and $15$298 (bottle).

Beers, including 14 on tap and 13 canned, run $5-$10.

Spirits aficionados will be impressed by The Salt Line’s booze offerings, too. Most of the 9 craft cocktails are $12-$13, save the $30 “Perfect Storm” double Bloody Mary with its panoply of seafood garnishes. The cleverly named "Wilson Boulevardier" (rye, Aperol, sweet vermouth, orange), $13, is silky smooth.

was so enticing that it elicited a Pavlovian response from the gawking couple next to us. Score another dessert sale for The Salt Line.

GrizForm’s fresh, sophisticated, playful décor speaks the vernacular of New England and Chesapeake Bay seafood restaurants with subway tile, a blue-and-tan color scheme, bleached wood accents and the requisite harpoon. Fish on. ■

Rockfish tartare

Hagedorn

Peerless Pierogi

“Oh my god, it smells so good it’s driving me crazy!” my husband reported after picking up a pierogi order from Ewa Fraszczyk, who shares kitchen space with La Cocina VA, selling her pan-fried Polish dumplings from the nonprofit’s Columbia Pike café every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Arlington chef’s pierogi, all delicate and delicious, come six to an order ($10-$12) in four varieties— potatoes and Gruyere; sauerkraut and mushrooms; bacon and potato; and meat (a blend of ground chicken and ground beef)—with caramelized onions and pickled-cabbage-carrot slaw on the side.

Fraszczyk, 37, hails from Słupsk, Poland. She came to the U.S. 12 years ago and started working in restaurants, climbing the ranks from salad station to line cook and front-of-the-house management at

various D.C. establishments. Laid off during the pandemic, she was called back in when restrictions eased— at which point the burnout she was already experiencing became more pronounced. “My love, it’s time for you to do something for yourself,” her boyfriend finally told her.

She enrolled in Escala, a sixweek, multilingual entrepreneurship program provided by the nonprofit Northern Virginia Family Service, learning the nuts and bolts of opening a small business, including writing a business plan, obtaining the necessary certifications, getting licensed and creating a website.

Her first inclination was to offer fine-dining catering, but there didn’t seem to be a market for it, so she decided to cook what was close to her heart—the Polish food her mother had taught her how to make. She soon found an enthusiastic customer base at farmers markets in Maryland and D.C.

Pierogi Thursday by Chef Ewa at La

Cocina VA launched in September at 918 S. Lincoln St. (the café entrance is on Columbia Pike). In addition to dumplings, her other specialties include barszcz (beet soup, $9) and golabki (stuffed cabbage, $13).

“I make pierogi every single day. I get up and I make 250, 400, whatever I can,” Fraszczyk says, apologizing for her repeated assertions about how happy she is as a one-woman operation. She makes her own dough (no packaged spring roll or wonton wrappers here) and everything else, too. chefewa.com

Pierogi by Chef Ewa

ORDER THIS now

Citrus lobster with grapefruit butter

at Patty O’s Cafe & Bakery

When Patrick O’Connell, chef and owner of the three-Michelin-star Inn at Little Washington, opens a new place, it is de facto worth a road trip. In October, the self-proclaimed “Pope of American Cuisine” opened Patty O’s Cafe & Bakery catty-corner to the Inn in Washington, Virginia, offering a more casual and wallet-friendly way to partake of the chef’s talents without sacrificing the flair. (Case in point: Water at the café is served from cowboy-boot-shaped pitchers with red bandannas tied around the ankles, and a splendid outdoor dining patio features heaters that resemble enormous white table lamps.) We’re mad for this pretty dish of pan-roasted lobster, arranged with grapefruit segments and baby bok choy over a grapefruit-butter sauce ($36). It’s visually stunning and a cunningly delicious balance of acidity, sweetness and richness. pattyoscafe.com

Let’s Go CHIKO

Scott Drewno and Danny Lee had an instant hit in 2017 when they opened the first CHIKO, a fast-casual eatery specializing in Chinese-Korean takeout, in D.C.’s Barracks Row. Now devotees of their cumin lamb stir-fry and “orangeish” chicken don’t have to go into the District to get the goods. In November, the chefs opened their fifth CHIKO—the first in Virginia—in the former DAK Chicken space (4040 Campbell Ave.) in the Village at Shirlington.

Prior to launching their partnership, The Fried Rice Collective, Drewno worked for Wolfgang Puck’s Fine Dining Restaurant Group for 19 years— 10 of them as chef of The Source (now closed) in D.C. Lee co-owns Mandu in the District with his mother, chef Yesoon Lee. The Fried Rice Collective also owns Anju Korean restaurant in Dupont Circle.

“Ever since we opened [CHIKO] in D.C., we had guests who’d come in from Virginia and ask us when we were going to open there,” says Lee, who grew up in Falls Church and Vienna. “Now we have, and we’re incredibly proud.” The Shirlington café, designed by Lee’s wife, Natalie Park, is 1,300 square feet with seating for 30 inside and 12 outside.

Every CHIKO has a fried rice dish and a custard dessert that are exclusive to that location. Arlington’s renditions are a Chinese roast pork (char siu) fried rice, created by Drewno, and a makrut lime custard with blueberry compote, fresh blueberries and brittle-like candied sesame crackers. Other standout dishes include kimchi stew packed with braised pork belly, dukbokki (chewy Korean rice cakes) and tofu in a ginger-chili oil broth; and salmon fillets rubbed with black-bean paste and furikake seasoning, served atop seasonal veggies in ponzu sauce. The stir-fried cumin lamb with wheat flour noodles, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, chili paste and fried shallots is also a fan favorite.

Make sure to order what CHIKO calls a “full monty” of six banchan (snacks). The spread features pickled daikon radish slices; a spicy Sichuan jicama-celery-carrot salad; Napa cabbage kimchi; steamed rice with furikake butter; Korean potato-and-egg salad; and poached shrimp with apple kimchi, chili oil and scallions. chikodc.com

ChineseKorean fare at CHIKO

SUMMER CAMPS

●

SPECIALTIES

Fun full-day camps where students work alongside theatre professionals and teaching artists in dancing, singing, and acting in an immersive environment. Space is limited!

Provide your children with a wonderful introduction to visual art! Projects are taught by artists and may include drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and much more.

● Explore West Virginia mountains with dynamic, knowledgeable staff. Science and nature based, tree canopy, outdoors

● ALL OUTDOORS! Wilderness adventures, water sports (including sailing, kayaking & standup paddleboarding), challenge course, hiking, rock climbing, and weeklong adventure trips for teens.

● Flexible scheduling with early and extended-care options available. Specialty options: STEAM, Theater, adventure, History, French, sports, water, and more!!

●

●

● Camp Horizons provides a safe environment where your child will grow, learn new skills, and set out on an adventure they’ll never forget

Learn to code your own video games and experience the world of STEM for a half-day or full day at Code Ninjas!

● ● ● 40-acre campus with pools, horses, zip line archery and much more! Best of Arlington winner.

Drama, Acting, Movement, Stories, Performance, Music, Singing, Games, Dance, Creative Writing, Costumes

● Headfirst Summer Camps offers a variety of programs where campers develop social emotional learning blocks through our camp curriculum.

●

● The nation’s premier multidisciplinary summer arts program. Guided by internationally renowned artists, campers study music, theatre, dance, visual arts, creative writing, and film.

Reading/Writing, STEM, outdoor team building Ice skating, team sports, figure skating and hockey.

● Our award-winning rock climbing camps offer both indoor and outdoor, single-day or week-long camp experiences.

Baseball, basketball, field hockey, football, lacrosse, performance training, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, volleyball, wrestling

● With Ultimate Sports, Adventure & Gaming and Sport Specialty Camps, The St. James is dedicated to the best summer ever.

● ● Beginning & Advanced Acting Training. Day camps expand imaginations and friendships. Sleepaway Camps & Conservatoires (by audition) rehearse and perform plays outdoors. Studio in Tysons Corner Center.

Programs for Every Young Artist

INTERLOCHEN ARTS CAMP | Grades 3-12

World-renowned summer arts programs

INTERLOCHEN ONLINE | Grades 2-12

Live virtual instruction and master classes with experienced arts educators

2022 SUMMER SPORTS CAMPS

This summer, St. John’s College High School has something for every athlete! SJC offers a wide variety of summer sports camps for both boys and girls, including:

Baseball Football Soccer Basketball Ice HockeyTrack & Field Field Hockey Lacrosse Volleyball

For more information, please visit us online at www.stjohnschs.org/summercamps

ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL

2607 Military Road, NW, Chevy Chase, DC 20015 202-363-2316 / www.stjohnschs.org

SUMMER SPORTS CAMPS

places to EAT

ARLINGTON

A Modo Mio Pizzeria

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

Aladdin Sweets & Tandoor

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

Ambar Clarendon

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

O R L D G V $$

Arlington Kabob

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

Arlington Rooftop Bar & Grill

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

O C R L D A G V $$

Assembly

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

Baba

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

B R L D G V $$

Bakeshop

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

Ballston Local

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

Bangkok 54

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

Barley Mac

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

Bartaco

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

Bar Bao

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

Basic Burger

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

$ under $20

$$ $21-$35

$$$ $36-$70

$$$$ $71 or more

o Outdoor Dining

c Children’s Menu

B Breakfast

R Brunch

L Lunch

D Dinner

A

After Hours/Late Night

G Gluten-Free

V Vegetarian

s Best of Arlington 2021 or 2022 Winner

Pamplona in Arlington

■ places to eat

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

Bob & Edith’s Diner

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

Bollywood Bistro Express

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

Bonsai Sushi at Crystal City

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

Bostan Uyghur Cuisine

3911 Langston Blvd., 703-522-3010, bostanuyghur. com. Discover the wonders of Uyghur Chinese dishes such as kabobs, lagmen (hand-pulled noodles), manta (dumplings) and honey cake. L D $$

Bread & Water Company

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

Bronson Bierhall

4100 Fairfax Drive, 703-528-1110, bronsonbier hall.com. You’ll find communal tables, 16 German and regional beers on tap, sausages, schnitzel and

cornhole in this 6,000-square-foot bar ode to Munich. O L D A $$

Busboys and Poets

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

The Café by La Cocina VA

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

Café Colline

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

Café Sazón

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

Caribbean Grill

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

Carlyle

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

Sparrow Room in Arlington

CarPool Beer and Billiards

900 N. Glebe Road, 703-516-7665, gocarpool. com. After four years in Fairfax, Mark Handwerger’s garage-themed watering hole has returned to Ballston with 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 $$

Cava Mezze

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

The Celtic House Irish Pub & Restaurant

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

Chasin’ Tails

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

Cheesetique

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

Chiko

4040 Campbell Ave., 571-312-0774, chikodc.com.

The Chinese-Korean concept by chefs Danny Lee

and Scott Drewno serves fan favorites like cumin lamb stir-fry and double-fried chicken wings, plus a few surprise dishes that are exclusive to the Shirlington location. C D G V $$

Circa at Clarendon

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

Colony Grill

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

Copperwood Tavern

4021 Campbell Ave., 703-522-8010, copperwood tavern.com. The hunting-and-fishing-themed saloon serves up steaks and chops, 24 draft beers and 30 small-batch whiskeys. O R L D $$$

Cowboy Café s

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

Crafthouse

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

Crystal City Sports Pub

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

C B R L D A G V $$

Crystal Thai

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

Dama Pastry Restaurant & Cafe

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

B L D V $$

Darna

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

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

Detour Coffee

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

District Taco

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

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

Dudley’s Sport & Ale

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

Earl’s Sandwiches

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

East West Coffee Wine

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

El Charrito Caminante

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

■ places to eat

El Paso Café

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

El Pollo Rico

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

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 $

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 local artist Mike Pacheco. L D A $$

Endo Sushi

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

Epic Smokehouse

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

Essy’s Carriage House Restaurant

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

Farmbird

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

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

Federico Ristorante Italiano

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

Fettoosh

5100 Wilson Blvd., 703-527-7710, fettoosh.com. Overstuffed pita sandwiches and kabobs keep the kitchen fired up at this bargain-priced Lebanese and Moroccan restaurant. C R L D G V $ Fire Works

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

First Down Sports Bar & Grill

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

Four Sisters Grill

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

The Freshman

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

Gaijin Ramen Shop

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

Galaxy Hut

2711 Wilson Blvd., 703-525-8646, galaxyhut.com. Pair craft beers with vegan bar foods like “fricken” (fake chicken) sandwich melts and smothered tots with cashew cheese curds. L D A G V $$

Gharer Khabar

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

Good Company Doughnuts & Café

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

Good Stuff Eatery

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

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

Green Pig Bistro s

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

Greens N Teff s

3203 Columbia Pike, 571-510-4063, greensnteff. com. This vegetarian, fast-casual Ethiopian carryout prompts customers to choose a base (injera bread or rice) then pile on spicy, plant-based stews and other toppings. O L D G V $

Guajillo

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

Guapo’s Restaurant

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

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

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

Hanabi Ramen

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

Happy Eatery Vietnamese Kitchen

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

Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe

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

Highline RxR

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

Hot Lola’s

4238 Wilson Blvd. (Ballston Quarter), hotlolas chicken.com. It’s all about Kevin Tien’s Nashvillemeets-Sichuan hot chicken sandwiches. L D $ Inca Social 1776 Wilson Blvd., 703-488-7640, incasocial.com. Empanadas, saltados, chicharron, ceviche, sushi and pisco sours round out the menu at this Peruvian cousin to the original by the same name in Dunn Loring. R L D G V $$

Ireland’s Four Courts

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

Istanbul Grill

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

The Italian Store s

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

Kabob Palace

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

Kanpai Restaurant

1401 Wilson Blvd., 703-527-8400, kanpai-sushi.com. The STTR (spicy tuna tempura roll) is a must at this Rosslyn sushi spot. O L D G V $$

L.A. Bar & Grill

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

La Côte D’Or Café

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

Layalina

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

Lebanese Taverna

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

Le Pain Quotidien

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

The Liberty Tavern

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

Livin’ the Pie Life

2166 N. Glebe Road, 571-431-7727, livinthepielife.

com. The wildly popular pie operation started as an Arlington farmers market stand. B L V $$

The Local Oyster

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

Lost Dog Café

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

Lucky Danger

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

Lyon Hall

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

Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery

1550 Crystal Drive, 703-718-4418, mahzedahr bakery.com. Café fare at this bright, new addition to National Landing includes La Colombe cof-

fee, pastries, cookies, focaccia, sandwiches and snacks. O B L D $

Maison Cheryl

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

Maizal

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

Mala Tang

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

Mario’s Pizza House

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

Mattie and Eddie’s

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

Maya Bistro

5649 Langston Blvd., 703-533-7800, bistromaya.

com. The family-owned restaurant serves Turkish and Mediterranean comfort food. L D V $$

McNamara’s Pub & Restaurant

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

Me Jana

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

Mele Bistro

1723 Wilson Blvd., 703-522-0284, melebistro.com.

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

Meridian Pint

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

Metro 29 Diner

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

■ places to eat

Mexicali Blues

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

Moby Dick House of Kabob

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

Mussel Bar & Grille

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

Nam-Viet

1127 N. Hudson St., 703-522-7110, namvietva.com. The venerable restaurant specializes in flavors of Vietnam’s Can Tho region. O L D V $$ Northside Social Coffee & Wine s 3211 Wilson Blvd., 703-465-0145, northsidesocial arlington.com. The homey, two-story coffee and wine bar (with a big patio) is always busy...which tells you something. O B L D V $$

Oby Lee

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

Old Dominion Pizza

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

Open Road

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

Origin Coffee Lab & Kitchen

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

O B R L D V $$

Osteria da Nino

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

O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub

3207 Washington Blvd., 703-812-0939, osullivans irishpub.com. You’ll find owner and County Kerry native Karen O’Sullivan behind the bar, pouring pints and cracking jokes. L D A $$ Palette 22

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

Pamplona

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

Peking Pavilion

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

Peter Chang Arlington s

2503-E N. Harrison St., 703-538-6688, peterchang arlington.com. The former Chinese Embassy chef

brings his fiery and flavorful Sichuan cooking to the Lee Harrison Shopping Center. C L D $$

Pho 75

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

Pie-tanza s

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

Pike Restaurant (Pike Pizza)

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

The Pinemoor

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

Poppyseed Rye

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

Pupatella s

5104 Wilson Blvd.; 1621 S. Walter Reed Drive, 571-312-7230, pupatella.com. Enzo and Anastasiya Algarme’s authentic Neapolitan pies are considered among D.C.’s best. O L D V $$

Pupuseria Doña Azucena

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

Quarterdeck

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

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

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

Ragtime

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

Rako Coffee Roasters

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

Rasa

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

Ravi Kabob House

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

Rebellion on the Pike

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

The Renegade

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

Rhodeside Grill

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

Rice Crook

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

Rien Tong Asian Bistro

3131 Wilson Blvd., 703-243-8388, rientong.com. The large menu includes Thai and Chinese standards, plus sushi. L D V $$

Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Co.

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

Rogi

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

Ruffino’s Spaghetti House

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

Rustico

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

RusUz

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

Ruthie’s All-Day s

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

Saigon Noodles & Grill

1800 Wilson Blvd., 703-566-5940, saigonnoodles grill.com. The Rosslyn eatery owned by Arlington

resident Tuan Nguyen serves pho, banh mi and other traditional Vietnamese dishes. L D G V $$

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

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

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

Santé

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

Sawatdee Thai Restaurant 2250 Clarendon Blvd., 703-243-8181, sawatdeeva. com. The friendly eatery (its name means “hello”) is frequented by those craving pad thai or pad prik king. L D V $$

Screwtop Wine Bar and Cheese Shop

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

Sense of Place Café & Roastery

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

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

Sfoglina Pasta House

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

Silver Diner

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

Slapfish

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

Sloppy Mama’s Barbeque

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

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

Smoking Kow BBQ

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

South Block

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

Sparrow Room

1201 S. Joyce St., 571-451-7030, sparrowroom. com. Hidden behind Bun’d Up, Scott Chung’s 40seat mahjong parlor presents dim sum and Chinese-inspired craft cocktails in a moody setting. Open Thursday through Sunday, 5-11 p.m. D $$

Spice Kraft Indian Bistro

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

Spider Kelly’s

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

Stellina Pizzeria

2800 S. Randolph St., 703-962-7884, stellina pizzeria.com. Pay a visit for Neapolitan pies, fried artichokes, squid ink pasta and a deli counter that offers house-made pastas, sauces, antipasti and dolci to take home. O L D $$

Supreme Hot Pot

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

Sushi Rock

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

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

Sweetgreen

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

Sweet Leaf

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

1110 N Glebe Rd, Arlington

SER

703-746-9822 serrestaurant.com

Taco Bamba Ballston s

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

Taco + Pina

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

Taco Rock

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

Taqueria el Poblano s

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

Ted’s Bulletin & Sidekick Bakery

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

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

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

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

Thai Square

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

Thirsty Bernie

2163 N. Glebe Road, 703-248-9300, thirstybernie.

■ places to eat

com. Wiener schnitzel, pierogies and bratwurst provide sustenance in this Bavarian sports bar and grill. O C R L D V $$

TNR Cafe

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

Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream

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

Tortas Y Tacos La Chiquita

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

Trade Roots

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

Troy’s Italian Kitchen

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

True Food Kitchen

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

TTT – Tacos, Tortas & Tequila

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

Tupelo Honey Café

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

Turu’s by Timber Pizza

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

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

Urban Tandoor

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

Weenie Beenie

2680 Shirlington Road, 703-671-6661, weenie beenie.net. The hot dog stand founded in 1954 is still serving half smokes, bologna-and-egg sandwiches and pancakes. B L D $

Westover Market & Beer Garden s 5863 N. Washington Blvd., 703-536-5040, westo vermarketbeergarden.com. A local hive for burgers and draft microbrews. The adjoining market’s “Great Wall of Beer” stocks more than 1,000 domestic, imported and craft beers in bottles and cans. O C L D A $$

Which Wich

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

Whino

4238 Wilson Blvd., 571-290-3958, whinova.com. Part restaurant/bar and part art gallery, this latenight spot (open until 2 a.m. Thursday-Saturday) features cocktails, shareable plates and a dynamic interior featuring street-art murals and “low brow” art exhibits. L D A $$

Wild Tiger BBQ s

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

William Jeffrey’s Tavern

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

Wilson Hardware Kitchen & Bar

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

World of Beer

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

Yayla Bistro

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

Yume Sushi

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

FALLS CHURCH

2941 Restaurant

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

Abay Market Ethiopian Food

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

Al Jazeera

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

Alta Strada

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

Anthony’s Restaurant

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

B Side

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

Badd Pizza

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

Bakeshop

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

Balqees Restaurant

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

O L D V $$

Bamian

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

Bartaco

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

Bing & Bao

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

Caboose Commons

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

O L D V A $$

Café Kindred

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

Celebrity Delly

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

Clare & Don’s Beach Shack

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

DC Steakholders

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

District Dumplings

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

District Taco

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

Dogfish Head Alehouse

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

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

O C R L D A V $$ Dominion Wine and Beer

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

O R L D V $$

Duangrat’s

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

Elephant Jumps Thai Restaurant

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

Elevation Burger

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

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

Fava Pot

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

First Watch

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

Four Sisters Restaurant

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

Haandi Indian Cuisine

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

Harvey’s

513 W. Broad St., harveysva.com. Sidle up to chef Thomas Harvey’s new neighborhood bar for a cheesesteak with IPA beer cheese, cedar-plank salmon, Russian honey cake, local beers and good company. B R L D $$

Hong Kong Palace

6387 Seven Corners Center, 703-532-0940, hong kongpalacedelivery.com. The kitchen caters to both

ex-pat and American tastes with an enormous menu of options. C L D $$

Hong Kong Pearl Seafood Restaurant 6286 Arlington Blvd., 703-237-1388. Two words: dim sum. L D A V $$

Huong Viet 6785 Wilson Blvd., 703-538-7110, huong-viet. com. Spring rolls, roasted quail and shaky beef are faves at this cash-only Eden Center eatery.

C L D G V $$

Ireland’s Four Provinces 105 W. Broad St., 703-534-8999, 4psva.com. The family-friendly tavern in the heart of Falls Church City serves pub food and Irish specialties.

O C B R L D $$

Jinya Ramen Bar

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

JV’s Restaurant

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

Kamayan Fiesta

301 S. Washington St., 703-992-0045, kamayan

fiesta.com. Find Filipino specialties such as chicken adobo, pork in shrimp paste, lumpia (egg rolls) and cassava cake. B L D V $$

Koi Koi Sushi & Roll

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

Lantern House Viet Bistro

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

La Tingeria

626 S. Washington St., 571-316-6715. A popular food truck in Arlington since 2012, David Peña’s concept now has a brick-and-mortar location in Falls Church. The queso birria tacos are a must. Open Thursday-Sunday, noon to 4:30. L $

Le Pain Quotidien

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

Liberty Barbecue

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

Duangrat’s in Falls Church

■ places to eat

Little Saigon Restaurant

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

Loving Hut Vegan Cuisine

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

MacMillan Whisky Room

2920 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 240-994-3905, themacmillan.com. More than 200 kinds of spirits are offered in tasting flights and composed cocktails. The food menu includes U.K. and American pub standards. O R L D $$

Mark’s Duck House

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

Meaza Restaurant

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

Mike’s Deli at Lazy Sundae

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

Miu Kee

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

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

Mom & Pop

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

Nhu Lan Sandwich

6763 Wilson Blvd., 703-532-9009, nhulansandwich. com. This tiny Vietnamese deli at Eden Center is a favorite for banh mi sandwiches. L D V $ Northside Social Falls Church s 205 Park Ave., 703-992-8650, northsidesocial va.com/falls-church. Come by in the morning for a breakfast sandwich and a latte. Return in the evening for a glass of wine and a plate of charcuterie, or a wood-fired pizza. O B L D V $$

Oath Pizza

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

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

The Original Pancake House

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

Our Mom Eugenia

2985 District Ave. (Mosaic District), 434-339-4019, ourmomeugenia.com. Beloved for its real-deal

Greek fare, from saganaki to souvlaki, the critically acclaimed family business that began in Great Falls has a sister restaurant in the Mosaic District. O L D $$

Padaek

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

Panjshir Restaurant

114 E. Fairfax St., 703-536-4566, panjshirrestau rant.com. Carnivores go for the kabobs, but the vegetarian chalows elevate pumpkin, eggplant and spinach to new levels. O L D V $$

Parc de Ville

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

Peking Gourmet Inn

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

Pho 88

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

Pizzeria Orso

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

Plaka Grill

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

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

Pupuseria La Familiar

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

Raaga Restaurant

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

Rare Bird Coffee Roasters

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

Red Apron Butcher

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

Rice Paper/Taste of Vietnam

6775 Wilson Blvd., 703-538-3888, ricepapertasteofvietnam.com. Try a combo platter of pork,

seafood and ground beef with rice-paper wraps at this Eden Center favorite. L D G V $$

Settle Down Easy Brewing

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

Sfizi Café

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

Silver Diner

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

Sisters Thai

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

Solace Outpost

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

Spacebar

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

D A V $$

Sweetgreen

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

O C L D G V $

Sweetwater Tavern

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

Taco Bamba s

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

Taco Rock

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

Takumi Sushi

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

L D V $$

Ted’s Bulletin

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

C B R L D $$

Thompson Italian s

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

Trio Grill

8100 Lee Highway, 703-992-9200, triomerrifield.

com. Treat yourself to steaks, chops, raw bar, craft cocktails and cigars. The patio opens daily at 4 p.m. for happy hour. O D $$$

True Food Kitchen

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

Uncle Liu’s Hotpot

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

MCLEAN

Agora Tysons

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

Amoo’s Restaurant

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

Aracosia

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

Asian Origin

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

Assaggi Osteria & Pizzeria

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

Badd Pizza

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

Café Oggi

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

Café Tatti French Bistro

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

Capri Ristorante Italiano

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

Eddie V’s Prime Seafood

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

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

Esaan Tumbar

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

Fahrenheit Asian

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

Fogo de Chao

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

Founding Farmers

1800 Tysons Blvd., wearefoundingfarmers.com. The farm-to-table restaurant features Virginiasourced dishes and drinks. B R L D $$$

Han Palace

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

Ichiban Sushi

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

L D $$

Jack’s Ranch

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

J. Gilbert’s s

6930 Old Dominion Drive, 703-893-1034, jgilberts.com. Everything you’d expect in a steakhouse and lots of it—prime cuts of beef, lobster, wedge salad, steak-cut fries and cheesecake.

C R L D G V $$$

Kazan Restaurant

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

Lebanese Taverna

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

O C L D G V $$

Leila

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

Lost Dog Café

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

Masala Indian Cuisine

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

McLean Family Restaurant

1321 Chain Bridge Road, 703-356-9883, themcleanfamilyrestaurant.com. Pancakes, gy-

ros and big plates of lasagna hit the spot, and you may stumble upon a politico or two. Breakfast served until 3 p.m. daily. C B L D V $$

Miyagi Restaurant

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

Moby Dick House of Kabob

6854 Old Dominion Drive, 703-448-8448; 1500 Cornerside Blvd., 703-734-7000; mobyskabob.com. See Arlington listing. L D $$

Mylo’s Grill

6238 Old Dominion Drive, 703-533-5880, mylos grill.com. Enjoy spanakopita, souvlaki and American classics. Friday is prime-rib night. O B L D $$

Pasa-Thai Restaurant

1315 Old Chain Bridge Road, 703-442-0090, pasa thairestaurant.com. Go for a classic Bangkok curry, or a chef’s special such as spicy fried rockfish with chili-basil-garlic sauce. O L D $$

Patsy’s American 8051 Leesburg Pike (Tysons), 703-552-5100, pat sysamerican.com. Find greatest-hit dishes from other Great American Restaurants properties in a space resembling a vintage railway station. O C R L D A G V $$

Pulcinella

1310 Chain Bridge Road, 703-893-7777, pulcinella restaurant.com. A stop for classic spaghetti and meatballs, linguine and clams and wood-fired pizza since 1985. L D $$

Randy’s Prime Seafood & Steaks

8051 Leesburg Pike (Tysons), 703-552-5110, randysprime.com. Randy’s (named for Great American Restaurants co-founder Randy Norton) serves prime cuts, duck-fat fries, seafood towers and other steakhouse standards. L D G $$$$

Rocco’s Italian 1357 Chain Bridge Road, 703-821-3736, roccos italian.com. The Juliano family makes everything in-house from family recipes. O C L D G $$

Roots Provisions & Grocery

8100 Old Dominion Drive, 703-712-7850, roots provisions.com. Part café and part gourmet market, it's got sandwiches, smoothies, acai bowls, salads, espresso drinks, pie, cocktails and graband-go snacks and pantry staples. B L G V $

Silver Diner

8101 Fletcher St., 703-821-5666, silverdiner.com. See Arlington listing. C B R L D A G V $$

Simply Fresh

6811 Elm St., 703-821-1869, simplyfreshva. com. A local favorite for pulled pork, chicken and brisket. Plus Greek diner fare. family-style takeout meals and breakfast. O C B L D G V $

Tachibana

6715 Lowell Ave., 703-847-1771, tachibana.us. Stellar sushi aside, the chef’s specials here include starters such as clam miso soup, monkfish paté and savory egg custard. C L D $$

Wren

1825 Capitol One Drive S., thewatermarkhotel. com. Topping the new Watermark Hotel at Capital One Center in Tysons, this tony izakaya helmed by former Zentan chef Yo Matsuzaki offers Japanese American fare (hamachi tartare, Wagyu burgers, miso-marinated sea bass), stupendous cocktails and sweeping skyline views. D G V $$$

shop local

by Rina Rapuano

New Vintage

Kristen Alcorta hadn’t planned on becoming a photo stylist and interior designer when she opened her Falls Church antiques shop, Pursuing Vintage, in 2017. The evolution just sort of happened.

It started when other designers began asking her to pull distinctive home accessories from her boutique to help tie their projects together. Next she was styling shoots for magazines like This Old House, including a recent cover. In January, she finally launched her own interior design business, Kristen Alcorta Interiors.

Her home furnishings shop is entirely online now, thanks to Covid, but Alcorta plans to keep it going and keep it fresh with a curated selection of things she loves—like a recently featured pair of brassbased candlesticks with groovy Lucite accents. She gravitates toward objects with “a little bit of mid-century flash, ’60s and ’70s flair” as well as baskets, boxes, vases and vessels featuring blue-and-white designs. Soon she’ll be adding nonvintage wares like throw blankets and custom pillows to the mix. Prices vary wildly, as one would expect with retro finds, but a recent peek at her collection showed home accessories ranging from $15 to $175.

“When I had the brick-and-mortar [shop] I would pull in some furniture pieces,” says Alcorta, who lives in Arlington with her husband and two children, “but being online, that’s not a direction I’m going anymore.”

These days, she observes, many folks who are bored with their surroundings are updating draperies and rugs rather than going for a full overhaul with new furniture. She’s also seeing clients incorporating the

Grandmillennial style, which she describes as “bringing back a lot of those things that maybe were stylish from your grandma’s house,” such as rattan, florals and rich woods. “People are…mixing patterns and

colors, which is more that retro sort of feel,” Alcorta says. “If it’s done well, it’s fun and it’s vibrant and it’s a little bit nostalgic, which is I think what people like about it.” pursuingvintage. com; kristenalcortainteriors.com

JESSICA PATTERSON

Bookshelves designed and styled by Kristen Alcorta

She Sells Seashells

The oyster shells Nafia Syeed embellishes with brightly patterned decoupage might be her current bestsellers, but the Falls Church artist has more than one trick up her sleeve. She’s been studying art ever since her mother enrolled her in an art school at around 8 years old in her hometown of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

“I’m actually an interdisciplinary artist, so I explore new fields of art and expand my horizons creatively,” she says, listing oil painting, sculpture, jewelry-making and resin art among her many skills.

Syeed and her husband moved to the D.C. area from Bangladesh in 2020 (for his work) with their

two children. Since then, the industrious artist founded Nafiart Studio, creating her colorful oystershell dishes ($17–$25) along with jewelry made from butterfly wings encapsulated in resin ($22–$30). She works only with found butterflies that died of natural causes, which means their wings show imperfections like tears and discolorations.

“I always try to collect things from nature and turn them into a piece of art with my style,” says the artist. “I love nature’s vibrant colors.” In Virginia, she has been especially taken with the seasonal changes in the landscape—something she wasn’t accustomed to seeing in Bangladesh.

Syeed donates a dollar of each sale to the World Wildlife Fund and

incorporates sustainable practices into some of her artwork—such as the earrings she recently started making out of recycled Bangladeshi wedding outfits her mother brings from home. She hopes her maximalist, colorful designs will bring a little magic to those who need it. “I want to inspire people to be more positive,” she says. “With my art, I want them to realize the blessings of nature.”

Next on her wish list of skills to master are mosaics, clay art and digital art. She’s currently adding hand-painted accent tables and jewelry boxes to her repertoire of online offerings, which can be found on Etsy, Amazon Handmade, Facebook and Instagram, in addition to her website. nafiartstudio.com

Decoupage oyster-shell dishes by Nafiart Studio

Heart GLASS of

Exploring Norfolk’s vast collection of glass art

BY CHRISTINE KOUBEK FLYNN

A Tiffany lamp at the Chrysler Museum of Art

NNorfolk, Virginia, is known as a nautical hub, boasting the world’s largest naval base and the Nauticus science and maritime museum, where you can tour the USS Wisconsin battleship. Not as well known is that the city is home to one of the world’s largest collections of glass art.

“You’re going to see a bunch of bowls?” a friend quipped when I mentioned my upcoming weekend of immersion in the city’s glass art scene.

The moment you enter the Glass Light Hotel & Gallery and see the 1,100-pound opalescent glass rabbit that sits near the front desk, your vision of what can be created from glass expands. “Bunny,” as the sculpture is affectionately called by staff, is one of two rabbits crafted for the hotel by renowned Dutch artist Peter Bremers. The other,

dubbed “Pops,” reclines on a large pedestal overlooking the bar.

Hundreds of works of glass can be found throughout the hotel and gallery—courtesy of arts patrons Doug and Pat Perry, whose son Chris Perry is the hotel’s developer and CEO. The gallery, which opened in October, includes evocative works ranging from a vase of glass flowers in a riot of colors to an ethereal dusk-colored dress from Karen LaMonte’s “Nocturnes” series. There’s also a stringed musical instrument in glass by Venetian artist Davide Salvadore, the “strings” created by stretching compact masses of hot glass.

My 25-year-old son, Cameron, joined me for the weekend to explore. “It’s hard to believe some of these are made from glass,” he said as we finished

The Glass Light Hotel & Gallery

checking out the gallery’s second floor. Our tour guide shared backstories of the art, including details about Amber Cowan’s “Bridesmaid’s Search for the Desert Rose,” which was created from vintage rose-colored scrap and found glass. The longer you study the three-

dimensional scene, the more you find: swans, desert roses, a sun, a giraffe. Later that night in our guest room, I thumbed through the coffee-table book Bunny—the title is a nod to Pat Perry’s nickname, which was inspired by the Pat the Bunny book she read to

her children and now grandchildren. In the book, she offers details on the couple’s collection and what sparked their interest in the medium, writing: “For us, witnessing the simple act of firing-up a handful of sand and ash, then blowing it, molding it, pulling it, twisting it, and shaping it into exquisite objects felt intrinsically satisfying. It became the whispering trumpet, luring us into its mystery and the magical song of its nature. This is the reason we began our pursuit of glass.”

That pursuit included funding for the Perry Glass Studio, less than a mile from Glass Light. The studio opened in 2011 in partnership with the Chrysler Museum of Art, which is across the street. You can catch a free demonstration at the studio every Tuesday through Sunday at noon, seeing pieces take shape as a staff member explains the artisanal processes behind stained glass, fused glass, hot sculpting and more.

We watched as a few instructors, wearing T-shirts that read “Get Fired Up,” turned a molten blob of glass into a ball, then a vase with layers of color, teaming up to put the piece in and out

The sculpture known as “Bunny” by Peter Bremers at the Glass Light Hotel

A chess set by Italian artist Gianni Toso at the Chrysler Museum of Art

of the oven and coaxing it into the desired shape with various tools. We returned later in the day for a workshop, feeling the intensity of the oven’s heat as we learned how to make glass ornaments with swirls of color.

Between those experiences we saw more works at the Chrysler Museum of Art. Its glass collection includes more than 10,000 pieces spanning over 3,000 years. The museum originally was opened in 1933 as the Norfolk Muse-

um of Arts and Sciences; in 1971, automotive heir Walter P. Chrysler Jr. gifted much of his collection of 20th century art—which included paintings, sculpture and glass—to the institution and it was renamed in his honor. The venue includes a café, gardens, a gift shop, a theater, and galleries arranged by medium and era.

Inside the first-floor glass art galleries you’ll find masterworks from artists around the globe, including Dale Chi-

huly (perhaps the United States’ best known glass artist), several glass pieces by Tiffany, and a chess set with lampworked glass figures—each with its own fun and sometimes cheeky expression— created by Italian artist Gianni Toso. You can view additional works at the Barry Art Museum. Opened in 2018 in Old Dominion University’s arts district, Richard and Carolyn Barry’s extensive collection contributed to the region’s reputation as a glass art center. You’ll find contemporary glass sculptures, one of Chihuly’s chandeliers, and, in the center of the sculpture court, a massive bronze and cast-glass “Fountain of Knowledge” that is a wellspring of lit-

The Barry Art Museum (here and below)

The “Fountain of Knowledge” at the Barry Art Museum

n driving range

erary quotes. Letters projected on the water’s surface swirl into words, then sentences as they appear on a nearby wall. “There are over 800 quotes,” the woman at the front desk told us. “I don’t think I’ve seen the same one twice, and I’ve worked here for a year.”

During our short visit to Norfolk, we saw glass in hundreds of fascinating forms, including the lovely (and functional) spun-glass bowl sinks in Glass Light’s guest rooms. One of my favorite works was Lucy Lyon’s “Duel,” located in the hotel’s lobby. The sculpture is composed of two nearly identical men gazing curiously at each another, one cast in bronze, the other glass. I wondered if one was intended to be the ghost of the other, or perhaps a duel for the artist between mediums.

Or, to me, a novice observer, maybe their juxtaposition—and the way light and color plays on and in the glass figure—is a way to capture how a person is lit from within, and the power glass has to illuminate.

Where to Explore

View Glass Artwork

Admission is free at these Norfolk spots that feature great collections of glass art.

Barry Art Museum at Old Dominion University, 1075 W. 43rd St., 757-6836200, barryartmuseum.odu.edu

Chrysler Museum of Art, One Memorial Place, 757-664-6200, chrysler.org

Glass Light Gallery, 201 Granby St., 757-222-3033, glasslighthotel.com

Have a Guide

Glass Light Gallery offers a free guided tour that can be arranged via email. Send a note to experiences@ glasslighthotel.com. The Chrysler Museum offers a free docent-led tour of its highlights every day at 2 p.m.

Watch Artists at Work

Located in Norfolk’s NEON (New Energy of Norfolk) District, d’Art Center is a good place to see and meet artists in more than 20 studios, take an art class and purchase the artists’ works. (Note: Some pieces are sold through their Etsy shops.) 740 Boush St., 757625-4211, d-artcenter.org

Take a Class

The Perry Glass Studio offers classes in which you can make everything from a fused soap dish to mosaics, jewelry, colorful botanicals and an air terrarium. Some classes are available for kids as young as 5; most are for ages 12 and older. Tip: Join the Chrysler Museum and get 20% off classes and 10% off in shops (memberships begin at $40). 745 Duke St., 757-333-6299, chrysler.org

A Dale Chihuly chandelier at the Barry Art Museum

Take a Stained Glass Driving Tour

Many of Norfolk’s historic churches are graced with stained glass masterworks. The Virginia Arts Festival program’s stained glass window driving tour of Norfolk—found at visitnorfolk.com/ articles/post/stained-glass-windowdriving-tour-of-norfolk-va—offers more than addresses. Each listing on this self-guided tour includes the highlights and the meaning behind each window.

Where to Eat & Drink

Cafe Stella. A local coffeehouse favorite, Cafe Stella features plentiful seating— some sofa arrangements, many tables— and an array of vintage bric-a-brac. The menu includes numerous warm beverages (many sourced from their own coffee roaster), breakfast and lunch sandwiches, house-made granola and paczki (deepfried dough filled with jam or cream).

1907 Colonial Ave., 757-625-0461, cafestellaroasters.com

Grain. A short stroll from The Glass Light Hotel & Gallery, this rooftop beer garden offers a wide selection of craft beers and sweeping views of Norfolk and the Elizabeth River. 100 E. Main St., 757-763-6279, grainnorfolk.com

La Brioche Bakery & Coffee. Yvan and Jacqueline Pavilla started La Brioche to offer the same types of made-from-scratch artisan baguettes, croissants, sandwiches and quiche you’d find in a Parisian café. Watch the bakers at work behind the glass window, and take the back staircase to the pretty-in-pink loft seating area. 765 Granby St., 757-226-9745, labriochenorfolk.com

Omar’s Carriage House. This former tearoom and long-ago carriage house for horses serves American-Mediterranean

Luce, helmed by chef and owner Antonio Caruana, is part lively wine bar, part snug restaurant, with an emphasis on traditional Italian dishes with a twist, such as wild boar ragu, lobster and prosecco gnocchi, and a delicious mushroom toast with truffle oil. Be sure to reserve in advance to snag a weekend table. 245 Granby St., 757-502-7260, lucenorfolk.com

fare, including Moroccan chicken tagine, kabobs, and a lamb burger served with the restaurant’s popular garlic-ginger fries. Outside dining is available on a heated patio; blankets are available. 313 W. Bute St., 757-622-4990, omarscarriagehouse.com

Where to Stay

Four Eleven York Street. Nestled among the cobblestone streets of the Freemason neighborhood and less than a half-mile from the Chrysler Museum, this boutique inn and restaurant features four spacious suites. Each has a gas fireplace, a bar cart with complimentary snacks, and heated marble bathroom floors. Rates begin at $267 and include breakfast (blue crab Benedict and a rye avocado BLT are two options) that can be enjoyed in the dining room or brought up to you for breakfast in bed. 411 W. York St., 757-963-7000, fourelevenyork.com

Glass Light Hotel & Gallery. A member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, the hotel features a top-floor fitness center with great views, a restaurant with a chef’s counter, and 113 guest rooms and suites, each with unique art, a vintage Frigidaire mini refrigerator and Illy espresso maker. Rates start at $189 per night. 201 Granby St., 757-222-3033, glasslighthotel.com ■ Christine Koubek Flynn, the magazine’s Get Away columnist, loves discovering what is new and notable in mid-Atlantic travel.

Stained glass at Epworth United Methodist Church, a stop on the self-guided driving tour

Rustic Italian fare at Luce

Guilded Treasure

Celebrate Women’s History Month in March with a stay at Philadelphia’s new Guild House Hotel. This 1855 row house and National Historic Landmark was once owned by a 19th-century working women’s advocacy and support group known as the New Century Guild, whose ranks included notable abolitionists, suffragists, activists, poets and artists.

The boutique hotel opened in September with 12 rooms and suites named after former guild members— among them, Eliza Sproat Turner, a teacher, writer and New Century Guild founder; Florence Kelley, a founding member of the NAACP; and Emily Sartain, artist and director of the Philadelphia School of Design for Women (now Moore College of Art and Design).

In the guild’s former library, the

Eliza junior suite (aka “The Founder’s Suite”) gives a nod to Eliza Sproat Turner’s love of the Pennsylvania countryside with a palette of lush greens, botanical prints and a pastoral mural. The cozy Ruby Suite—named for a ruby butterfly pin once worn by guild members—repurposes a former billiards room with soft velvets, original millwork wainscoting and an Art Nouveau chandelier.

Upon arrival, guests gain building and room access with pin codes provided in a confirmation email (there is no front desk). Enjoy creature comforts such as afternoon cookies, handmade chocolates and curated products sourced from women entrepreneurs around the country, including Sip & Sonder coffee and bath-and-body products by Fork & Melon.

Outside the hotel, you’ll find many of the city’s prominent attractions within walking distance (or a short

transit ride away), from the Avenue of the Arts to popular Walnut Street shopping—plus charming Old City, home to the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and more. Rates begin at $239. Guild House Hotel, 1307 Locust St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1-855-484-5333, guildhousehotel.com

The Library Lounge inside Philadelphia’s Guild House Hotel

On the Bay

Maryland’s Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park reopened in April 2021 with a new, nearly $1 million museum-wide permanent exhibition, Our Changing Waterfront, featuring a variety of immersive and interactive ways to learn about the Chesapeake Bay’s history, ecosystems and oyster economy. Highlights include an oral history narrated by a holographic Chesapeake Bay waterman, a virtual reality boating experience, and two 500-gallon aquariums that compare the health of the Chesapeake Bay in the 1700s to today.

An animated “Harry Potter-style” book examines the Bay’s watershed, while a touch-screen table game allows players to weigh the pros and cons of various oyster harvesting methods, including their economic and ecological impacts.

Luxe Redux

Located outside Charlottesville, amid rolling hills and wineries at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, luxury resort Keswick Hall reopened last fall after a multimillion-dollar renovation. Notable additions to the 1912 property include a new guest wing, infinity pool, red clay tennis courts and a rustic-chic restaurant, Marigold, helmed by acclaimed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. A new spa is slated to open in April.

At Marigold, diners can enjoy picturesque mountain views and menus built around organic ingredients sourced from local farms—including produce from nearby Oakdale Farm, which is owned by Molly and Robert Hardie, who also own Keswick Hall. Enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail and a game of boules (similar to bocce) on the Pétanque court, surrounded by fragrant beds of herbs and flowers.

The hotel’s 80 guest rooms and suites are appointed with premium mattresses, Frette sheets and a UV-light air purification system that

After learning about the bay, set sail aboard the Wilma Lee, a refurbished 1940 Chesapeake Bay skipjack (one of only 20-some skipjacks still plying the bay’s waters today). The 75-foot boat offers two-hour heritage, sunset and Wednesday Night Sailboat Race watch cruises.

Museum admission is $7 for adults; $5 for seniors, military and kids 3-12. Free for children younger than 3. Skipjack tours begin at $40 and must be booked separately. Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park, 723 Second St., Annapolis, Maryland, 410-295-0104, amaritime.org

targets airborne pathogens. Custom bath products feature Keswick’s signature scent, “Dawn Meadow,” a bright, floral blend of the grass, herbs and flowers native to the resort grounds. Each room’s unique lighting system allows you to choose from three levels of brightness, and an underbed night-light comes on whenever your feet hit the floor.

Relax indoors in the plush Snooker Room, which features a vintage pool table and table-top shuffleboard, or in the adjacent library, where guests

can borrow from the wide selection of books tucked into floor-to-ceiling shelves. Both rooms have fireplaces and cozy seating nooks.

Outdoor pursuits at Keswick include nature trails, an awardwinning 18-hole golf course, an 80-foot heated infinity pool, and a tennis facility that brings the first European sub-irrigated red clay courts to the mid-Atlantic. Rates begin at $495. Keswick Hall, 701 Club Drive, Keswick, Virginia, 434-9793440, keswick.com

The infinity pool at Keswick Hall

The Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park

back story ■ by

Kim O’Connell

From Antarctica to Arlington

Paul and Ruth Siple made enduring contributions to the study of the southern continent.

PAUL SIPLE WAS 19 and an Eagle Scout when he was chosen to represent the Boy Scouts of America on an expedition to Antarctica led by prominent naval officer and explorer Richard E. Byrd. The year was 1928, and the experience kick-started a lifelong career in Antarctic exploration—one that ultimately included six expeditions to the southern continent, a doctorate, numerous awards and the authoring of several books.

By 1942, Siple was commanding captain of the Army Quartermaster Corps, living on North Jackson Street in Ashton Heights with his wife, Ruth, and their young daughter, Ann Byrd (the couple would later welcome two more daughters), where they frequently hosted explorers from around the world.

By all accounts, Siple’s family shared

and embraced his devotion to the world’s frigid zones. In December 1956, a Time magazine cover story featured the intrepid explorer in a fur-lined coat with penguins waddling in the background. Ruth and her daughters signed a letter to the editor that was published a month later. “It has taken us all these days to come down out of the clouds,” they enthused, “because we were so thrilled and proud to be the family of ‘Antarctic Explorer Siple.’ ”

When Paul Siple died in November 1968, following a stroke, Ruth wore white to his funeral.

From then on, Ruth took up various roles at the Antarctican Society, a nonprofit organization founded in 1960, of which her husband had been a prominent member.

In the late 1970s, she was named the society’s president and began hosting meetings from her new home in Arlington’s Bluemont neighborhood, where she displayed an impressive collection of penguin figurines. (The late Paul Dalrymple, the society’s longtime editor and then treasurer, once said that Ruth served coffee that was “only fit for truck drivers on transcontinental drives.”)

Ruth finally visited Antarctica herself in 1975—something she hadn’t done while her husband was alive— and returned there a few years later. She died on Jan. 23, 2004, at the age of 92. She and Paul are buried at National Memorial Park in Falls Church, beneath a large oak tree.

After her passing, the Antarctican Society dedicated an entire newsletter to the woman Dalrymple called “the first lady of the Antarctic.” At the South Pole, the American flag was lowered to half-staff.

Today, Paul Siple is known for coining the meteorological term “wind chill.” Several locations in Antarctica are named for him, including Mount Siple, a 10,000-foot peak that is the highest point on Siple Island off the coast of West Antarctica. Historic records indicate that the explorer tried, without success, to have that mountain named after his wife. ■

Left: Ruth Siple at the second dedication of the AmundsenScott South Pole Station in 1975. Right: Paul Siple (left) with Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd in 1947.

Joni lives in Chantilly with her husband. You might run into her at the gym or the grocery store. We’re real, we’re in your community, and we’re ready to get personal in order to achieve your nancial goals. Give Joni a call