Best
Local hero/heroine
1. Anthony Williams2. Joe Gibbs3. Jim Larranaga
Local athlete
1. Gilbert Arenas2. George Mason basketball team3. Santana Moss
Local TV news anchor
1. Jim Vance
2. Gordon Peterson
3. Doreen Gentzler
Local TV sports personality
1. George Michael
2. Tony Kornheiser
3. Michael Wilbon
Local TV weather personality
1. Bob Ryan
2. Doug Hill
3. Topper Shutt
Newspaper columnist
1. Michael Wilbon
2. Tony Kornheiser
3. George F. Will
Local member of Congress
1. Tom Davis
2. Jim Moran
3. Chris Van Hollen
Person I wish would run for Congress
1. Tony Williams
2. Mark Warner
3. Cal Ripken
Person I wish would run for president
1. Mark Warner
2. John McCain
3. Hillary Clinton
Delivery pizza
1. Z Pizza
2. Papa John’s
3. Domino’s
Restaurant pizza
1. Z Pizza
2. 2 Amys
3. Pizzeria Paradiso
Place for a great cup of coffee
1. Starbucks
2. Caribou Coffee
3. Stacy’s Coffee Parlor
Place for a great burger
1. Five Guys
2. Fuddruckers
3. Clyde’s
Place for sushi
1. Sushi-Ko
2. Sushi Taro
3. Cafe Asia
Place for brunch
1. Ritz-Carlton
2. Carlyle
3. Clyde’s
Place for an anniversary dinner
1. L’Auberge Chez François
2. Inn at Little Washington
3. 1789 Restaurant
Restaurant to take out-of-towners
1. Old Ebbitt Grill
2. Zaytinya
3. Sequoia
Place for a great martini
1. Ozio Restaurant & Lounge
2. Zola
3. Mayflower Hotel
Home-computer repair
1. Geek Squad
2. Geeks on Call
3. Comp USA
Clothing store
1. Nordstrom
2. Ann Taylor
3. Hecht’s
Worst
Overrated local athlete
1. LaVar Arrington
2. Mark Brunell
3. Freddy Adu
Talking head I wish would shut up
1. Bill O’Reilly
2. George Bush
3. John McLaughlin
Local villain
1. Marion Barry
2. George Bush
3. Dan Snyder
Local member of Congress
1. Jim Moran
2. George Allen
3. Tom Davis
Person I hope won’t run for Congress
1. Jim Moran
2. Marion Barry
3. Tony Williams
Person I hope won’t run for president
1. Hillary Clinton
2. George Bush
3. George Allen
Customer Service
1. Verizon
2. Comcast
3. Home Depot
Traffic bottleneck
1. The Mixing Bowl
2. The Beltway
3. Route 66
Area airport
1. Dulles
2. BWI
3. Reagan National
At The Washingtonian, we spend a lot of time searching for the best of everything. Here are some of our personal picks—people and places that make this a great place to live.
Best new restaurants in Maryland
David Craig Bethesda, CevicheBest new restaurants in VirginiAFoti’s, Willow
Best new restaurants in DC
Rasika, Notti Bianche
Best reason to go to ArlingtonThe Sunday Georgetown Flea Market has moved to a parking lot near the Court House Metro
BEST REASON TO GO TO CLARENDON
Sette Bello (a.k.a. Cafe Milano West)
BEST REASON TO GO TO FALLS CHURCH
Chocolate milkshake at Elevation Burger
BEST REASON TO GO TO OLD TOWN Alexandria
Opera Night at Trattoria da Franco—arias by Kennedy Center singers with pasta carbonara
BEST REASON TO GO TO SHIRLINGTON
Chocolate waffle with ice cream at Carlyle
Best REason to go to GermantownThe Lancaster County Dutch Market: Thursday through Saturday, Amish farmers sell everything from fresh chicken to oak chests
BEST REASON TO GO TO SILVER SPRING
Movies from Hollywood’s golden age at the AFI Silver Theatre
Best Reason to go to Rockville
Big Train Baseball—college stars playing wooden-bat baseball at Shirley Povich Field
Best Reason to go to Georgetown
Pistachio gelato from Dolcezza
Best reason to go to Dupont circle
Free wi-fi access
Best reasons to go to U Street
Oohhs & Aahhs and Etete for dinner, Twins Jazz for music
BEST SHOE STORE FOR WOMEN WHO CAN’T STAND STILETTOSRichey & Co. in Chevy Chase, Rockville, and McLean
best exciting summer activity
Tubing down the Shenandoah River at Harpers Ferry
Best new face on TV
WRC sports reporter Lindsay Czarniak
Best celebrity You Never KnEw Grew Up Here
Oliver Platt
Best Outdoor film festival
Family-friendly films at Strathmore from August 11 to 20
Best do-it-yourself DC film festivalNetflix offers all 20 hours of the BBC series The Sandbaggers—great espionage drama along with shrewd and cynical bureaucratic infighting
Best opening
Wilson Bridge
Worst closing
Hecht’sBest Public golf Cannon Ridge in Fredericksburg; Mattaponi Springs in Ruther Glen, Virginia; the new Norman Course at the Lansdowne Resort; Whiskey Creek in Ijamsville, Maryland
Best Coming attractionTiger cubs born at the zoo will be on view this fall
best moving view of the citySegway scooter tour
Best theater bargain
All tickets for DC’s Catalyst Theater are now $10
Best happy-hour bargain
Free wine for women on Wednesday nights at Tapatinis on DC’s Barracks Row
BEST LOCAL BEER
Clipper City ales
BEST LOCAL MICROBREWERY
Franklins in Hyattsville
Best new dance crazeRueda, a Cuban style of salsa, heats up the dance floors of South Beach in Bethesda and Cecilia’s in Arlington
Best new CLUB BAND
Medications
Best New Idea
Canopies over Metro entrances
Worst new idea
Charging newlyweds to have pictures taken at the monuments
