I had a great time at La Tasca in Old Town Alexandria last time I was there. Tapas, paella, sangria and other Spanish specialties are served in a lively atmosphere. We wanted to visit Mt Vernon during George Washingtons birthday celebrations but so many other fans of our 1st pres did also, so we took some friends there recently while they were in town. If you haven't been in a while it's even better now with the new exhibits. We did eat at Gadsby's Tavern on George Washington's b-day, which is an old haunt of his which I would also recommend. Oh and you must check out the Torpedo Factory Art Center as well.http://www.torpedofactory.org/