My Favorite Place . . .

By Sara Levine , Cynthia Hacinli , Ann Limpert

Herndon mayor Steve DeBenedittis digs into the wings at Jimmy's Old Town Tavern. Photograph by Michael Ventura.

Herndon mayor Steve DeBenedittis digs into the wings at Jimmy's Old Town Tavern. Photograph by Michael Ventura.

Herndon mayor Steve DeBenedittis loves the camaraderie at Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern (697 Spring St., Herndon; 703-435-5467), where he goes for juicy burgers and spicy wings. For quick lunch meetings, he heads to Amphora’s Diner Deluxe (1151 Elden St., Herndon; 703-925-0900), but if he’s looking to impress a fellow mayor, he goes to Zeffirelli’s (728 Pine St., Herndon; 703-318-7000), where he orders the chicken Marsala.

Bladensburg town clerk Patricia McAuley favors the Italian Inn (6221 Annapolis Rd., Hyattsville; 301-772-2100) for drinks after work, well-done pasta and salads, and the best calamari she’s had. For a cheap and delicious lunch, she likes Peruvian Super Chicken (4323 Kenilworth Ave., Bladensburg; 301-277-3522)—the quarter and half rotisserie chickens with beans and rice are “the best deals in town.” The Annapolis native also loves Tsunami (51 West St., Annapolis; 410-990-9868) for metropolitan rolls and Galway Bay (63 Maryland Ave., Annapolis, 410-263-8333) for corned beef and shepherd’s pie.

Maryland attorney general Doug Gansler likes Meiwah (4457 Willard Ave., Chevy Chase; 301-652-9882) for family meals and what might be his favorite dish of all time: the squid-with-spiced-salt appetizer. Another good family spot: Tia Queta (4839 Del Ray Ave., Bethesda; 301-654-4443) for “perfect sizzling fajitas and seafood.”

Chicago native Evan Glazer, principal of Alexandria’s Thomas Jefferson High School, may be biased, but his comfort food of choice is the crispy-crusted deep-dish pizza at Armand’s Chicago Pizzeria (multiple area locations). At Zaytinya (701 Ninth St., NW; 202-638-0800), a favorite in his neighborhood of Penn Quarter in DC, the goat-cheese mezze is his top pick. In Virginia, he’s a fan of Huong Que (6769 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-538-6717), where the five-spice beef is “probably the best dish I’ve ever had.”

Find A ...
Find A Restaurant







  1. Only show Delivery
    Only show Kid Friendly
    Only show Late Night
    Only show Party Space
    Only show Weekend Brunch
Find Events




Find A Happy Hour





  1. search_finda.gif
Find A Spa




  1. search_finda.gif
Find a Home





  1. search_finda.gif
  2. Powered by  

Where & When: What To Do This Weekend

Happy Fourth of July! In the weekend picks, we’ve got all the Fourth fun you’ll need, from fireworks to parties to recipes. There’s also a poolside happy hour, a midtown bar crawl, and a musical adaptation of, um, Debbie Does Dallas. more

Fourth of July Recipe: Jamie Leeds's Grilled Bluefish with Radish-and-Mozzarella Salad

A couple of summers ago, Hank's Oyster Bar chef Jamie Leeds and her son Hayden helped fisherman reel in bluefish in East Hampton, New York. Inspired by the light flavors of the summer catch, Leeds created this easy dish that's become a favorite of her backyard barbecue guests. more

100 Best Restaurants 2008

Openings by celebrity chefs! A bistro renaissance! Twenty new restaurants! There’s plenty of excitement on the Washingtonian 2008's list of very best restaurants, ranked from 1 to 100. more

  1. Readers' Favorite Restaurants 2007
  2. Washingtonian.com and Washingtonian Magazine Photo Galleries
  3. Great Hair: 45 Great Salons
  4. Beyond Waffles: Our Guide to the Best Brunches