Faves and raves by
DOUGLAS HOLTZ-EAKIN
Former director of the Congressional Budget Office, president of the American Action Forum
PERSONAL STATS
AGE: 54
NUMBER OF YEARS IN D.C. AREA: 11
NEIGHBORHOOD: Arlington
– Brian Hughes
1. FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD HANGOUT
Bar at the Hotel Helix, Rhode Island Avenue NW. Second place: Willow Bar on Fairfax Drive in Arlington.
2. BEST MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
Taxi. I don’t own a car and rely on the kindness of strangers … and cash.
3. FAVORITE LOCAL SPORTS EVENT
Marine Corps Marathon. Great way to visit D.C. I ran it several times before my career was interrupted by a plague of sloth and decrepitude. The sheer energy of the crowd, joy of the participants and class of the Marine Corps sets it apart. Second place: Nationals games.
4. BEST PLACE FOR LIVE MUSIC
Nashville. In D.C., the National Cathedral for Evensong
5. BEST PLACE FOR OUT-OF-TOWN VISITORS
NOT driving; NOT trying to cross street; NOT wearing the same T-shirt
6. FAVORITE MUSEUM
National Gallery of Art
7. MOST ROMANTIC SPOT
American Action Forum, 555 13th Street NW
8. FAVORITE WAY TO SPEND A LAZY SUNDAY
Put on Steelers jersey (Jack Lambert), black and gold dreadlocks, and join other Steelers true-believers at Carpool in Arlington — and have Steelers win. Tie for second: watch Patriots, Ravens, Bengals or Browns lose.
9. BE’S CHILI BOWL, OLD EBBITT GRILL OR CAFE MILANO?
Old Ebbitt by default. Have never been to either Cafe Milano or Ben’s. Old Ebbitt is at its best right at opening; fabulous maitre de and wait staff.
10. BEST RETREAT OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY
Inn at Little Washington. Simply awesome.
11. BEST RETREAT INSIDE THE BELTWAY
Ritz-Carlton on the concierge floor. Go, turn off your electronics, and pretend you’re out of town. It works.
12. BEST PLACE FOR LATE-NIGHT EATS
Get in the car. Drive to Pittsburgh and find Primanti Brothers in the strip district. You may not come back.
13. PROUDEST PART OF LIVING IN D.C.
I travel a lot and never tire of the view when landing. I love coming down the east side of the city and then landing to the north over the Potomac. You can appreciate the original vision of the city, and now it is my city.
14. EMBARRASSING PART OF LIVING IN D.C.
Being booed by audiences when I’m introduced as head of a “Washington-based think tank.” Ouch.
