best of DC list

"The Pitch" always did a best of KC list every year, and McGill did his own 'best of' list. So, after living in the DC for almost 20 months, I think that its time that I did my own "Best Of DC" list. Please comment. Heavily.
Best Lunch Place - The Brown Bag, 818 18th St NW (18th St, between H and I Streets) - I love this place. Best salads and sandwiches around. Never too too crowded, like Cosi and things. And if you feel like it, you can grab lunch, sit outside, and girl watch for a little while. Awesome.
Best Restaurant - Domku, 821 Upshur St. NW - I love this place. Sometimes, the hours can get a little temperamental, as they won't be open when you want them to be. But when its open, the best food + beers in DC. Scandinavian food and things. The only downside is that its hard to Metro there - you have to drive, almost. Bad access, poor hours, and yet, I'm still recommending this place as my favorite restaurant. That says something.
Favorite Store - Logan Hardware, 1416 P St. NW - I love this place. They have everything. You can buy a basketball, speaker wire, a mixing bowl, power drill, potting soil, some screws, and a 3-prong plug all in one trip. And the people there act like they know what they're doing.
Best Happy Hour - This is a tough one, but, begrudgingly, I'm giving it to Smith and Wollensky's (1112 19th St. NW). Outdoor seating, and lots of it. Attentive servers. Enormous glasses of wine. I was a little shocked by this one myself, but I stand by it.
Best Public Gathering Place - Farragut Square - south of K, between Connecticut and 17th - Its close to my office, with plenty of seating. While DuPont Circle has its charms and fountains, this place wins. During the week, you can go and sit there for a second, and start wondering how many lobbyists, spies, and other power brokers are sitting around. As well as the homeless. I don't get this vibe from DuPont Circle.
Best Summer Place - National Sculpture Garden, on Fridays (7th and Madison) - sitting outside, beer and sangria, jazz, and art. Perfect Friday evening kick-off.
Best Street - Baltimore/Washington Parkway (295) - This one may lose out soon. Unfortunately, there are no classic streets here like in my former favorite places (Ward Parkway, Forest Park International Raceway, Providence Road, etc.) But this is kind of a beautiful road, despite not having many turns. Tree lined, but kind of wide, its amazing how you can see this place, and realize that you're only 10 minutes away from the Nation's capital, as well as Baltimore. Rock Creek Parkway may overtake this one, though - the jury's still out.
Best Bar - We all know that this is the one that awaits the Brock Seal of Approval - the Wonderland Ballroom (1101 Kenyon St. NW) My favorite bar in DC. A giant sign that says 'Kung Food', an outdoor picnic area, a little bit dangerous walking there, an upstairs dancing area with DJs and everything, good beer, good everything. I love that anybody that I talk to at this bar most likely shares many of the same thoughts and ideas as me. And I'm pretty sure that they can read. That is a huge bonus in this town. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go to Glover Park.
Only Reasons to go to Georgetown - (tie) Riccardi's (3232 M St. NW) and the Puma Store (1237 Wisconsin Ave. NW) - I hate Georgetown. But these two places bring you back. Alex, owner of Riccardi's, knows how to put a suit on you, and knows his ties. And the Puma store is just plain cool, and they know how to help out a customer. I love them both. Shows that both a local guy and a national brand can coexist nearby, and treat you right. Note: thest two places are the only reason to go to Georgetown.
Best Brunch - Cafe St. Ex - 1847 14th St. NW - kind of some bittersweet memories of this place, for obvious reasons, but still - on a Saturday or Sunday morning, there is no better place to go and get an $8 quiche, some Trappist ale, and sit outside and people watch. Still overpriced for dinner, though.
Best Place to Walk Around - Eastern Market - 7th and North Carolina Ave, SE - The flea market, the farmer's market, the everything. The best thing on Capitol Hill. Where else can you buy a mid-century chair, a sushi serving set, and a bunch of basil, all within 20 minutes? Its awesome.
Best Music Venue - 930 Club - 815 V St. NW - I've seen the Smashing Pumpkins, The Good, The Bad, and the Queen, TV on the Radio, Cold War Kids, Tokyo Police Club, and I'm thinking a few other acts there. This year. And had to turn away Arctic Monkeys, Be Your Own Pet, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and Peter Bjorn and John tickets this year. I love this place - I could spend every Wednesday there.
Best Place to Run To - the reflecting pool, in front of the Capitol - sometimes, its nice to wake up early, and take a run down to the Capitol. Stop for a moment, look around, look in the reflecting pool. And tell me that you don't feel kind of lucky, no matter how bad your life seems. I do.
Best Bartender/Waitress - Valarie, Science Club - 1136 19th St. NW - I may have screwed up her name - I just know that its a V name. But every time I order a Pernod and soda, she has one with me. I love it. Still, Janice, from The Point, remains the all-time best waitress/bartender ever. For multiple reasons.
Best Athlete - Gilbert Arenas - This was actually a tough one. Clinton Portis is pretty awesome, and Mike Hall (also from the Wizards) lives down the hall from me. Alexaner Ovechkin might be the best player in the NHL. Ryan Zimmerman is always a good kid, as well as Nick Johnson, who is injured or something. But Gilbert, wow. You just don't get this level of talent, weirdness, and openness from anybody. Even if he wasn't in DC, he'd still be my favorite NBA player.
Best Local University - George Mason University - Final Four appearance? Check. Nobel Prize winning economists? Check. That's all I need.
Best Grocery Store - Giant - 14th and Park St, NW - a giant, suburban grocery store in DC. And the lines are never long. While I usually go to the Whole Foods at 14th and P, the Giant is the one I actually look forward to going to. Why? Because it has bad things. Count Chocula, Nestles Cocolate Chips, Doritos, Miller Lite, and all those other things that I love that are bad for me. No snobism - just pure, bad food, for the cheap. And without hassle.
OK, one more category:
Favorite Place: The Warehouse - 1017 7th St. NW - Art studio/bar/coffee shop/performance theatre/sandwich place/concert hall. Is there anything more you can ask for? And they have free wi-fi. This place is a staple of my weekend routine - go to the gym, stop by Warehouse for an iced mocha, check email, begin the day. And the fact that i'm not so secretly in love with Sarah the Coffee Girl doesn't hurt, either. This place is closing at the end of July, and (hopefully) relocating, because property taxes became too expensive. I wish that I had been given a better opportunity to help, becuase tax appeals are part of what I do for a living. But we have a couple more weeks of this place remaining in existence. I hope to have a happy hour here, soon.