Artfully Chocolate

116 E Del Ray Ave
Alexandria, VA 22301

Gayle G. writes: Sweeeet! A certain stretch of Del Ray has fast become my favorite since Fairy Godmother is on one side of it and this place is on the other. What peaked my interest was a sign that read "Chocolate Covered Peaches." Um...yes please!!

First of all, the…

The Wine Specialist
Neighborhood: West End

2115 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20037

Eric C. writes: This is where I found a Shiraz, Molly Dooker's The Boxer 2005, after a long search. They had what I wanted when no one else did, I'll return.

I bought half a case.

Hmm, now do they carry another Shiraz, Glaetzer's Amon-Ra 2005?

Stacy's Coffee Parlor

709 W Broad St
Falls Church, VA 22046

Gayle G. writes: If I am in Falls Church and want to stop for coffee or an amazing brownie, I'll hit up Stacy's. Stacy's feels more like a friend's house rather than a coffee house. There's lots of places to sit and enjoy your beverage of choice and some food --…

Taqueria Distrito Federal
Neighborhood: Columbia Heights

3463 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20010

Jules A. writes: Wander, dear friends, just a few blocks north of Columbia Heights metro and seek out this gem of a place. If you've been here in DC for a while you'll already know that the Mexican fare on offer is about as ho-hum as it gets. Now, I've never been…

Prime Rib

2020 K St NW
Washington, DC 20006

Rebecca J. writes: I really enjoyed The Prime Rib.  We were about a half hour late for our reservation on a Saturday night - NO PROBLEM!  We still got seated right away.   Very courteous and attentive staff.  Tasty apple martinis, good bread, AWESOME salad with…

Patagonia
Neighborhood: Georgetown

1048 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC 20007

MiRIAM w. writes: I was more than a little skeptical when my favorite Washingtonian told me he was going to take back the piece of Patagonia luggage he'd had for years because the lining was disintegrating. Were this suit bag made by any other company it would have…

Bob's Noodle 66

305 North Washington Street
Rockville, MD 20850

Thuy L. writes: There are two reasons why I like eating at Bob's.  The first is the obvious, the food.  The second is seeing a certain grouchy waitress frown at anyone requesting anything.  

I LOVE that waitress!  I find her expressions comical for some reason.  Oh,…

Firehook Bakery
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle

1909 Q St NW
Washington, DC 20009

jenn h. writes: Wanna just grab a yummy pastry and a solid cup of coffee without the ridiculous fanfare of 'triple grande no foam skim blended vanilla cappuccino and my first born being promised to the barista'?  Well, look no further.  It's not fancy, but it's just…

Lambda Rising Bookstore
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle

1625 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20009

Gayle G. writes: It is so frustrating to try to find books written by gay or lesbian authors in a "normal" (Barnes and Noble or Borders) Lifestyles" section is typically a shelf. Not the case here!

One of the great things about Lamda (other than the fact that they…

Bethesda Row Cinema

7235 Woodmont Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814

Ina K. writes: I've noticed that around four out of five movies showing at Bethesda Row have a tomato rating of 85% or more on RottenTomatoes.com. Hence, I give this theater four out of five stars! Thank you, Bethesda Row, for showing these indie, limited-release…

Restaurant Nora

2132 Florida Ave NW
Washington, DC 20008

Peter H. writes: This is as perfect as it gets.

Now that is clearly a matter of point of view.  But when it comes to restaurants, isn't that true of the whole business of reviewing them? We choose as our home that which appeals to our individual needs.  For me, Nora…

The Birchmere

3701 Mount Vernon Ave
Alexandria, VA 22305

Neal E. writes: The Birchmere is Virginia's best kept concert venue secret. While it's well known in the music community, I think a lot of fans of music are unaware of it's existence.

The doors to the Birchmere Box Office open at 5:00 pm. You can then pick up your…

National Arboretum

3501 New York Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002

Monty C. writes: For those DC area residents that play tour guide on a regular basis and find themselves running out of fresh ideas, you may want to consider taking your next group of friends/relatives/passers by to the National Arboretum. Check their web site first…

L'Auberge Chez Francois

332 Springvale Rd
Great Falls, VA 22066

Mary S. writes: Wow!  This is a wonderful French restaurant hidden off a winding road in Great Falls.  I never really enjoyed French food until I dined at L'Auberge Chez Francois.  Their food and service are always outstanding.  The meal starts off with an Amuse…

Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant
Neighborhood: Adams Morgan

2434 18th St NW
Washington, DC 20009

Saurabh G. writes: Ethiopian vegetarian food is a lot like Indian food. It is so similar that you could actually mistake one for the other, if not for the spices, color, tomatoes, and the lack of Injera present in Indian cuisine.

I used to eat Ethiopian cuisine fairly…

Phillips Collection
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle

1600 21st St NW
Washington, DC 20009

Jim S. writes: This is, by far, one of my most favorite - and one of the most sublime - art  museums in the world.  Any trip to DC must include an afternoon in this oasis of beauty and surprise.  As you can tell, I just love this place - and I miss it so much now…

Asylum
Neighborhood: Adams Morgan

2471 18th St NW
Washington, DC 20009

Anne L. writes: Asylum:  Biker Haven or Vegan Delight?

In this Adams Morgan classic, Dungeon chic rules and secures the line against tacky theme restaurants.  The upstairs is cozy with draped velvet, chandeliers, live music, and black dragon adorned bar and DJ booth.…

Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse
Neighborhood: Chevy Chase

5015 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20008

Gayle G. writes: How appropriate to review this place the day after Election Day. It has been awesome to see this store move across the street to a bigger space, add a cafe and most recently buy up the place next door. They carry a good amount of books- the claim is…

Cake Love
Neighborhood: U Street Corridor

1506 U Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

Evan C. writes: As a fat man, I know cake, I've lived with cake, in fact I may be part cake.  With that being said I love Cake Love.  They don't make the traditional American style cake, you know the one where its all icing with a hint of cake, this is more European…

Sushi Taro
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle

1503 17th St NW
Washington, DC 20036

Jason C. writes: With over 100 reviews to its credit, there seemingly isn't more I could do to entice the sushi lover to come here. So I won't. What I will do, however, is state that it's the perfect sushi place for non-sushi fans.

That may not sound compelling at…

Indique
Neighborhood: Cleveland Park

3512 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20008

Kevin L. writes: This is a total date place.  Come here to impress your somewhat cultured sig-o with a pricey meal of actually decent Indian fare that's beautifully presented while dining in a chic, upscale environment.  Did you manage to follow that?

Good:
Meats -…

Smithsonian National Zoological Park
Neighborhood: Woodley Park

3001 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20008

alexis g. writes: The Zoo is free and metro-accessible, so no one has an excuse not to go. If you walk around here on a nice day, you're getting great exercise and seeing lots of cute animals. I know that a lot of people think zoos are bad, and they probably are in…

Murky Coffee

3211 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201

PC W. writes: As I sit in Murky Coffee and wait for the power to be restored in my apartment, I discover that I have yet to yelp it.  I'm not a coffee drinker so I don't frequent Murky too often.  I like it - the grungy atmosphere is most befitting of the…

The Tombs
Neighborhood: Georgetown

1226 36th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007

Leila S. writes: If I were to post on craigslist tonight, it would look a little something like this...
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washington, DC craigslist // district of columbia // missed connections
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Wednesday night at the bar @ The Tombs…

Thai Square

3217 Columbia Pike
Arlington, VA 22204

Bill M. writes: Thai Square is like Emmanuel Lewis' smile - tiny and addictive.

Like the others here have said, it's small. My bird and I went early on a Friday (like 5:30) and we had to wait 10-15, which isn't bad, but when we were leaving, the queue was longer and…

Tachibana Japanese Restaurant

6715 Lowell Ave
McLean, VA 22101

Xi W. writes: The fish here is amazing.  How amazing?

I could not control myself from moaning as I tasted the uni (urchin gonads).  Then again when I tasted toro (fatty tuna).  The most amazing part of my entire sushi dining experience was when I tasted my friend's…

Galaxy Hut

2711 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201

Michelle H. writes: AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWESOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOME.

Awesome. Awesome awesome awesome.

I've been looking for a decent bar since I got here. And I finally found it. Excellent outsider-type art on the walls, a killer cheeseburger (I had them put jalapenos on mine,…

Hank's Oyster Bar
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle

1624 Q St NW
Washington, DC 20009

Kevin L. writes: Dang!  The most concise way I can describe Hank's phenomenal lobster roll is this:  Five Guys meets Phillips Seafood!  

Instead of a little bun that's barely enough to support the giant meat patties offered up by a Five Guys burger, imagine a very…

The Italian Store

3123 Lee Highway
Arlington, VA 22201

Courtney R. writes: We had an office lunch catered today by this place. Easily the best hoagie I've had outside of Philly/Jersey (but the bread is nowhere near as good, as if that's possible anyway).

Minus one star because there were no tomatoes included in the big…

Ichi Ban Sushi Restaurant

6821A Old Dominion Dr
Mc Lean, VA 22101

Maggie B. writes: Before you do anything, just listen: get the calamari salad. Trust me. I wouldn't steer you wrong. Be warned: it's highly addictive and you will find yourself with uncontrollable hankerings.  If it's chilly and your tummy needs some warming, get the…

Kabob Bazaar

3133 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201

Leila S. writes: Am I biased writing a review for my parents' own restaurant? YES, but I don't care! :)

Kabob Bazaar does it's best to offer you an authentic Persian cuisine experience. There are a variety of things we offer, including traditional kabobs (chicken,…

Green Pets
Neighborhood: Logan Circle

1722 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20009

Kristen F. writes: Sassafras says:  I love my new collar.  It's awesome.  I really wish that Kristen bought me some of their delicious treats, but she says I'm fat & must be on a diet.  (don't worry, I take my revenge out on her couch w/ my super sharp claws).  Anyway,…

M.E. Swing Coffee Roasters
Neighborhood: Foggy Bottom

1702 G Street N.W.
Washington, DC 20006

Kevin L. writes: I had to go make a pit stop up near the GWU campus but wanted to get some work done while in the area, and my favorite fashion adviser came through with a tweet about a great local coffee shop.  So there I went, traipsing across half of NW DC - from…

Zipcar
Neighborhood: Penn Quarter

717 D Street N.W.
8th Street Entrance
Washington, DC 20004

Lori m. writes: I love Zip car is so fast and easy to get. I love there service and they totally on it! all the cars are cute and it's so easy. I would never want to rent a car ever again.
This has been amazing for the city!
love!

Ozuki Salon
Neighborhood: Georgetown

1025 Thomas Jefferson NW
Washington, DC 20007

MiRIAM w. writes: Making new friends, learning your way around town, finding great places to eat - all of these are recognized parts of the transition process when you move to a new city. Finding someone new to cut your hair though, that's one nightmare that's less…

Whole Foods

4501 Market Commons Dr
Fairfax, VA 22033

Becky L. writes: Whole Foods is finally open and it is very cool. This is the place to try new things, go for a fun wine tasting spree with friends and do lunch or dinner.

Highlights of my first visit:

Holding an emu egg!

Trying to decide which station I would eat at -…

FDR Memorial

1850 W Basin Dr SW
Washington, DC 20024

Bill B. writes: The stroll from the Jefferson Memorial to the southern end of FDR Memorial was very pleasant, walking past all the cherry trees and flanked by the Potomac River and the tidal basin. The two huge bodies of water significantly impacted the temperature,…

Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries
Neighborhood: Georgetown

1335 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20007

jenn h. writes: The lowdown: hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon burger - which of the three do you want?  The "regular" is not so regular because it has two patties; the "little" has one patty - but it's not exactly all that little!  Decent meat, and they make your…

McKeevers Pub

6625 Old Dominion Dr
Mc Lean, VA 22101

Aaron E. writes: Atmosphere (smokey and laid back), GET THE WINGS.

This pub has been around for a really long time. It looks that way too. The pub is small and surrounded by dark, smoke stained wood. The walls are lined with hundreds of dusty, exotic beer cans; the…

National Archives and Records Administration

700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20408

Barrie C. writes: Every American needs to come here at least once to view the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.  It should be mandatory for everybody in this country, especially in a time when a lot of people in America, especially…