Photo by Matthew Septimus
Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, has lived in Arlington’s Clarendon neighborhood for 30 years—“which is kind of crazy!” she says. Though her work often sends her to Capitol Hill, her days off are usually spent away from politics. Here’s how she likes to fill the hours.
Courtesy of Northside Social Coffee & Wine
Some Like it Hot
“If the weather is nice, I’ll go to Northside Social Coffee & Wine so I can sit outside and enjoy my coffee. I’m very, very picky about coffee—I don’t care how hot it is outside, I need hot coffee. I am not an iced-coffee person! They make excellent cappuccinos there, and they have really good scones and breakfast sandwiches.”
Courtesy of the Smithsonian
Venture Capitol
“From Arlington, you can jump on the Metro and you’re at the Smithsonian in 15 to 20 minutes. You don’t need a car; you just pop over the Potomac. Another fun thing to do is get yourself to the Rosslyn Metro station. Cross over Key Bridge and walk right into Georgetown and go shopping. There are also a lot of galleries. Georgetown’s super fun, especially if you have a teen. Because there are a lot of Georgetown students, there are a ton of stores aimed at that age group.”
Far East Feast
“My go-to place is Four Sisters Grill. It’s a nice, casual Vietnamese restaurant in the heart of Clarendon. I would like to say I’ve had everything on the menu, but I have not. I know what I like, and I get what I like! Their spring rolls are excellent. I also like those thin vermicelli noodles with pork and fish sauce—it’s outstanding.”
Cycle Through
“One of my favorite things about Arlington is how bike-friendly it is. You can take the old railroad line, the W&OD Trail, all the way past Dulles airport. It’s a pretty wide path, and there are some parts that are a little hilly, but it’s not all that challenging. I like to ride from here to Vienna, Virginia, and have a beer at Caboose Brewing, a cute little restaurant off the bike path.”
Steak It Out
“I love Lyon Hall. In my mind, they have the best steak frites in the region. It’s my go-to—I’m making myself hungry! Getting a Manhattan and steak frites and sitting outside there sounds lovely, lovely, lovely.”
Sweet Escape
“You have to get dessert at Bakeshop. They’re well known for their cupcakes, but I love their homemade ice-cream chipwiches, which are so good and humongous. Huge! There is nothing like a good chipwich. They also have—and there are disagreements among Southerners about this topic—but I believe they have the best banana pudding. It cannot be beat.”
This article appears in the Fall 2024 issue of Southbound.
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