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By Alice Levitt, James Finley, Kelly Kendall, and Michele Kettner
Christmas Queen
“I’ve been a John Waters fan since I was a kid. (Yes, my parents were very permissive about my viewing habits.) I’ve been lucky enough to interview him twice, but I’ll still take any opportunity to listen to him riff on pop culture. There’s no chance I’d miss catching him at The Birchmere for his annual holiday monologue, A John Waters Christmas.” –Alice Levitt, food editor/critic
Gift Watch
“I will admit that I’m a little late with this year’s holiday shopping. Usually I get everything wrapped up and under the tree by Thanksgiving weekend, but this year I’m struggling to find the perfect gifts for my family, especially one for my mom. This weekend, I’m going to take a drive around to these trendy home decor shops to see if I can’t find something that she, and the rest of the family, will love.” –Michele Kettner, associate digital & research editor
Warming Up
“We recently gave O’Connell’s in Alexandria a shout-out for its holiday decorations, but more importantly, they have a heated rooftop, serve Irish coffee, and will be open late on Christmas Eve.” –James Finley, senior editor
Indian Love Call
“I’ve loved Indian food almost as long as I’ve been a vegetarian, at the age of 18 or so. After reading Alice’s review of Woodlands, the all-vegetarian Indian restaurant, I can’t wait to hustle over there for a thali.” –Kelly Kendall, editor