News & Politics

Best & Worst of 2006

The votes are in–readers love Five Guys, Old Ebbitt, Jim Vance, and Gilbert Arenas. They don't like flying out of Dulles or driving through the Mixing Bowl.

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