24 Local Businesses in DC You NEED

Did you just move to DC and feel lost? You left some great things behind in your old hometown, didn’t you? Don’t know where to get your car fixed, your clothes tailored, don’t know where to get your hair done? I’ve been here over 20 years, and I have my own short-list of go-to people and places for various services so that you don’t have to be one of those people who still visit the old hometown twice a year and sneak in a trip to the dentist.

We always need a disclaimer. Here’s mine. I’m a little bit basic. These are the long-standing tried and true places. I’m not giving you a spa here for a massage or a $400 a cut type of salon. You are not going to find any Zagat or Michelin star restaurants here. That’s not how I roll.

Best Italian Food: Hands down it’s Filomena. I don’t want to hear any nonsense about famous chefs and fancy food where you get 11 kernels of Orzo with tomato tapenade for $89. This is not how I roll when it comes to most food but Italian food for sure I don’t go the way of the celebrity chefs.

Opened in 1983 in Georgetown, Filomena is hands down the best for Italian food. Joanna Filomena moved here from New York, and having found a scarcity of excellent Italian Food, she designed the menu around her mother’s recipes. The goal was to recreate that homey feeling of being in her mother’s kitchen where so many memories were made, and stomachs were filled. Some of the furniture in the restaurant is from Joanna’s mother’s home!

Insider Tip: If you don’t get the cannoli, you lose.

Best Italian Food: But you just did this Melissa! Yeah, Filomena’s mine. But Michael’s is Caruso’s Grocery. They have two locations – one in Capitol Hill and one in North Bethesda at Pike & Rose. The Washington Post calls it the “Old School Italian Restaurant of your Dreams.” They have a very concise menu, serving the basics but doing it well.

Best Sit-Down Greek Food: Parthenon in Chevy Chase DC opened in 1989. The walls are filled with signed photos of the famous DC people who have dined here. The owner, Pete, will be making the rounds every evening, checking on all his guests to make sure they are enjoying every bite. From the bread to the baklava, everything is delicious.

Insider Tip: Get the Saganaki. If you leave Parthenon without getting the Saganaki, you’re dead to me.

Best Casual Greek Food: Big Greek Café has several locations around the metro area. They started in Maryland, and they are now going to open stores in DC. I cannot stop myself from going here at least once a week. There’s one by my hair salon and I’ll order while I’m getting my fro-done. There’s one by my daughter’s volleyball class, so I drop her off and we go grab dinner. There’s one in Frederick County where my husband goes a lot for his work as a real estate developer and he’ll bring food back from there as well. They were just on the Maryland side of the Potomac, but word has it they are moving into Northern Virginia.

Best Ethiopian Food: Living in DC it’s a requirement that you try (and hopefully love) Ethiopian food. You aren’t going to get ambience at many Ethiopian restaurants but trust me, that’s what you want. As my husband says, the one with the most cab drivers is the place to go. Ethiopian food is basic, but it’s delicious. There are tons of Ethiopian Restaurants in DC and Silver Spring Maryland, but my personal favorite is Dukem at 12th and U. They get the level of spicy just right for me. I like a little heat.

Best Pizza: It depends what kind of pizza you like. I’m from Connecticut and my favorite pizza place, Colony Grill, expanded and opened their first restaurant outside the Connecticut shops in Arlington. We eat here a lot.

Best Cupcakes: In Georgetown, go find all the tourists lined up at Georgetown Cupcake. Then laugh at them. The people who think these are the best cupcakes just because they had a TV show are doing it wrong. Baked & Wired has the best cupcakes hands-down and the locals all know this. They will also have a line but the difference in the patrons is almost comical. If you’re in the line with hipsters, you’re at Baked and Wired. If you’re in the line with giggling girls in Lululemon, you’re at Georgetown Cupcake.

Insider Tip: If you want a cupcake and you can’t deal with a line, Sprinkles is pretty darn good too.

Best Massage: I’m about to tell you something you may never have known. Mustard Seed is the place for an amazing massage. They have a location downtown on K Street, another on Capitol Hill and just opened a third at Union Station. The locations all have different massage therapists. I’m partial to the K Street Location because I can let Terrence or Caleb hack away at my muscles when they need attention. Their massages are magical.

Best Tailor: Ms. Lee at Georgetown Alterations on Wisconsin Avenue is a treasure. She’s a little wild and crazy, but her eye is excellent. Stop at the ATM because it’s cash only.

Best Hair Salon: I’ve been going to Michael who owns M Studio in Bethesda since before the kids were born. I was someone who had all but given up on my hair because there was no hope for my Greek-fro. Michael is a magician. He’s the most under-the-radar stylist and he shouldn’t be. I won’t go anywhere else.

Best Veterinarian: I’m a Georgetown Veterinary Hospital fan. Dr. Morgan has seen every single one of my dogs. I’ve been seeing him for 18 years. He’s got such a sweet disposition, and he speaks dog better than anyone I know.

Insider Tip: Dr Morgan just wrote a book about his many years volunteering on the Iditarod. Four Thousand Paws by Lee Morgan, you can get it online or you can buy it direct from him at the office and he’ll sign it!

Best Dog Rescue Group: Duh, this would be mine. In 2017 I started East Coast Corgi Rescue. The following year I was thankfully joined by a few other ladies, to help bail me out of the “oops I bit off more than I can chew” situation I was in. We run this rescue with such care, transparency and efficiency that I’m honored to call this one of my life’s greatest achievements. I mean, aside from the kids of course.

Best Hardwood Flooring Contractor: You won’t find him online, but another treasure in the DC area is Jimmy of Jimmy’s Floors. He has no website so you’ll have to call me for his number. The man can knock it right out of the park.

Best Handyman/Contractor: Miguel for Maryland and DC, and William for Virginia and DC. More men you won’t find online, but I can provide their info, just call me.

Best General Contractor: How does a retired Arlington Cop do when he changes careers to open a home renovation company? That skill set of the attention to detail, people management, patience and honest transferred right with him. His prices are also very fair. Nash, who owns Carpenters of Georgetown, is my go-to for everything. He did our entire renovation when we bought our house over a decade ago. I’ve referred him to many friends, neighbors and clients and everyone has been thrilled with his work. Also – he finishes on time!

Best Car Repair: There are a few good ones in the city. Distad’s on Capitol Hill used to be everyone’s go-to but they got bought out by Metro Motors. We have been going to the Georgetown Shell for years and they are fantastic, but they tend to get great service managers then promote them or move them around. They just got a new manager there, the 3rd they have had in the past 12 years, and this one hasn’t proven himself yet. We’ve only been there once but my husband knows cars and he thought the charges were a little suspect, like, very inflated. Right now I don’t have a solid answer but many people in our neighborhood recommend the Shell at 4900 Wisconsin Avenue. Unfortunately, great mechanics will always be moving targets. They get so good they get promoted or bought out.

Best Car Detailing: Lutrell owns Hollyworkz Detailing. He has a shop now, but he’s come to our house as a mobile car detailer. He’s so nice and when he told me his price for an entire day of work I said no way, and gave him extra. He’s lovely and his work is impeccable.

Best HVAC/Plumbers: D& A is the kind of company that sings to my soul. The history here is that the employees all used to work for a different HVAC Company. The owner of that company would send his workers out on calls, and they would call the office to say, “The breaker flipped, so I just charged the client the service call fee of $180” or whatever it was. And the owner of that company would say, “Don’t leave until you find $600 worth of things that need repair.” So, a group of the guys got together and opened their own company rooted in fairness and honesty.

Best Junk Removal & Hauling: I don’t know how we found Dave West who owns We Haul DC, but everyone who hires him puts him on speed dial. He’s awesome. I called him once and he said, “Oh I’m in a truck in the Midwest.” I thought I bugged him on vacation, but he said he was doing a long distance moves now. I’ve had so many clients even use him for moving and they’ve been thrilled with his work and his pricing.

Best Plumbers: I’ve got a couple for you. Aspen Hill Plumbing and BL James and Son. Both show up on time, diagnose and fix the issue, and don’t cost a fortune.

Best Dentist: Nadine Soga’s office is downtown on 19th Street and she is by far a fantastic dentist. I’ve had some duds over the years, but she’s excellent. She doesn’t do anything before it is needed, and doesn’t try to talk you into stupid crap. Though I still haven’t gotten that bite guard.

Best Children’s Dentist: We were among the very first clients at a children’s dentistry practice that evolved into a zoo. That’s not the environment your kid needs when they are going to the dentist. We switched. We have been thrilled with Dr. Roya Pilcher at Smile Valley Pediatric Dentist. Everyone is so sweet, and it really helps to ease the anxiety for the kiddos, which I can really appreciate.

Hospital: I used to see docs with Medical Faculty Associates throughout my pregnancy with my older daughter. I gave birth at GW Hospital which is their affiliated hospital. It was terrible. I didn’t even realize the doctors weren’t that good. I wrote a letter. It was 4 pages. My husband said, “You turned into your parents.” They always write letters. GW apologized profusely, launched investigations and promised to improve. I believe in second chances for most offenses (unless you abuse children, the elderly or animals.)

On the 2nd pregnancy, I made good on that 2nd chance. And, I ran screaming at 30 weeks from Medical Faculty and their BS. And I mean I literally ran screaming. They told me at 30 weeks I was in labor, and I was going to be hospitalized for the duration of my pregnancy. They tried to put the catheter in my vein and my arm almost exploded. They kept putting my bloodwork and Group B test down and forgetting where it was. When they put it in the windowsill I was done. I walked out of the hospital with them chasing me. It was a scene because you can’t just walk out of Labor and Delivery. They tried to make me sign things absolving them of guilt. All my frustration at how bad they are came out and I lost my crap. My husband called and said, “Where are you?” I said, “I’m getting on the metro.” He said, “Christ you really have turned into your parents! TAKE A CAB YOU’RE IN LABOR!”

I was not in labor. The next morning I went to Georgetown University Hospital and they said I was not in labor, and I should go home and continue life as usual.

Giving birth at Georgetown was like a dream compared to the chaos and nastiness at GW. Locally, I’m a fan of the MedStar Group.

Pediatrics: My love of MedStar also extends to Georgetown Pediatrics. We were with another popular pediatric group in DC and finally I just felt like we were getting subpar service by all the doctors in the practice. We switched to MedStar, and again, a world of difference. Everyone checking you in or out is nice, the nurses are great and the docs are great.

I could keep going about the best of the best, but this is what will get you started. When you are renovating the house or appliances break, I got you covered there too. We keep a very up-to-date list on our website, MichaelandMelissa.com of the best contractors in the DC Area.