Illustration by Aldo Crusher
Best Accounting Firm
Murphy & Associates
3319 Duke St., Alexandria, MHMurphyCPA.com, 703-370-9100
For more than 25 years, Murphy & Associates has provided both individuals and small businesses with accounting and tax support. Those who haven’t been meticulous with their bookkeeping throughout the year needn’t worry; Murphy & Associates provides tax services as well as monthly or quarterly accounting services to keep things running smoothly.
second place: Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, Tysons, BakerTilly.com, 703-923-8300
third place: Duvall Wheeler, Manassas, DuvallWheeler.com, 703-392-9292
Best Air Charter Service
Chantilly Air
10761 James Payne Court, Manassas, ChantillyAir.com, 800-720-5387
Founded in 1990, the air charter service has grown from a single jet to a full-service aviation company that provides aircraft maintenance, charter service, storage, ground support, and aircraft sales. Technicians and maintenance personnel are trained by organizations such as Flight Safety International to maintain a safe environment, and 70,000 square feet of hangar space provide ample room for storage.
second place: Corcoran Aviation, Leesburg, CorcoranAviation.com, 386-679-0599
Best Architecture Firm
Loveless Porter Architects, LLC
9000 Center St., Suite 100, Manassas, LovelessPorterArchitects.com, 703-368-1600
Since 1975, the firm has serviced commercial clients in Virginia, D.C., Maryland, and Delaware. The team of three lead architects has tackled everything from medical facilities to breweries. The firm has even taken on a historic church that had fallen into disrepair, renovating it and making it the company’s headquarters.
second place: Randall Mars Architects, McLean, RandallMarsArchitects.com, 703-749-0431
third place: Case Design/Remodeling, Inc., Falls Church, CaseDesign.com, 703-241-2980
Best Caterer
Purple Onion Catering Co.
416 Maple Ave. W, Vienna, PurpleOnionCatering.com, 703-631-0050
Margot Jones founded Purple Onion Catering in her home kitchen almost 30 years ago. It grew into a café and then a catering business specializing in weddings and corporate events. Creative takes on traditional dishes include savory red beet macarons filled with whipped goat cheese and vin blanc grilled chicken with Chardonnay beurre blanc and crispy purple onions.
second place: Amphora Catering, Herndon, AmphoraCatering.com, 703-938-3800
third place: Savoir Fare Limited, Round Hill, SavoirFareLimited.com, 540-338-8300
Best Chiropractor
Dr. Joseph Henderson, DC
1423 Powhatan St., Suite 7, Alexandria, ChiroJoe.com, 703-739-7650
Dr. Joseph Henderson has been practicing in his Alexandria location for almost 20 years. He treats athletes by helping to minimize the repetitive stress that comes with most sports. He addresses postural problems in office workers to help them manage high-stress, high-tech workplaces. Dr. Henderson’s fascination with the workings of the human body helps him give clients individualized, one-on-one treatment.
second place: Loebig Chiropractic and Rehab, Great Falls, LoebigChiropractic.com, 703-757-5817
third place: Dr. Lee Bazzarone, DC, CCSP, Vienna Oaks Chiropractic Center, DrLeeBazz.com, 703-938-9300
Best Cosmetic Surgery Practice
Austin-Weston Center for Cosmetic Surgery
1825 Samuel Morse Drive, Reston, Austin-Weston.com, 703-893-6168
The practice has four board-certified plastic surgeons who have more than 75 years of combined experience. Austin-Weston was founded in 1978 and focuses on natural results. The practice provides a full range of face and body procedures, and nonsurgical procedures such as Botox, fillers, and chemical peels are also available.
second place: The Loudoun Center for Plastic Surgery, Ashburn, LoudounCenterForPlasticSurgery.com, 703-726-1175
third place: Christopher Chang, MD, Fairfax, DrChristopherChang.com, 888-413-3920
Best Day Care
Sparkles! Early Learning Academy at Fair Oaks
12001 Lee Hwy., Fairfax, SparklesOnTheWeb.com, 703-502-8100
Founded in 1991, the day care provides early education to toddlers and preschool-aged children as well as infant care, before and after school programs, and summer day camps. With some staff members remaining with the company for more than 10 years, it aims to provide a caring environment as well as educational activities for students.
second place: Minnieland Academy at Occoquan, Woodbridge, Minnieland.com, 703-491-5035
third place: Montessori School of Herndon, Montessori-Va.com, 703-437-8229
Best Dental Practice
Stephen A. Mabry, DDS, PLC
2800 10th St. N, Arlington, StephenMabryDDS.com, 703-527-3554
The practice’s team provides a full range of dental services, from root canals and emergency services to aesthetic treatments, such as teeth whitening and veneers. Pediatric dentistry and treatment for TMJ-TMD are also available.
second place: Fair Lakes Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, Fairfax, FairLakesDental.com, 703-273-4505
third place: Metropolitan Dental Centre, Fairfax, FairfaxVirginiaCosmeticDentist.com, 703-503-5031
Best Dermatology Practice
Cosmetic Dermatology Center
8377B Greensboro Drive, McLean, Cosmetic-Dermatology-Center.com, 703-827-8600
Nicole Hayre, MD, provides a range of services from basic skin exams, cancer screenings, and mole removal to aesthetic treatments such as injectables, laser treatments, and fillers. Acne treatments are also offered, and the practice is one of the first in Northern Virginia to offer Emsculpt, a procedure that targets fat deposits as well as muscles in the patient’s abdomen.
second place: Prince William Dermatology, Gainesville, PWDerm.com, 571-261-1234
third place: Renewal Dermatology and Medspa, Gainesville, RenewalDermatology.com, 703-753-9860
Best Financial Planning Firm
MiyeWire, LLC
1818 Library St., Suite 500, Reston, MiyeWireLLC.com, 703-925-0308
Owned and operated by women, the firm was founded in 1990 and strives to create a multigenerational relationship with its clients and to help them view financial planning in a positive light rather than as a chore. The firm also has an internal succession and contingency plan in place so that clients can rest assured that their accounts won’t be sold to another firm or taken over by strangers and that their children can continue to work with the same firm.
second place: Buchanan Wealth Management, Reston, BuchananWealth.com, 703-956-2633
third place: Curo Private Wealth, Reston, CuroPrivateWealth.com, 571-526-4581
Best Funeral Home
Money & King Funeral Home
171 Maple Ave. W, Vienna, MoneyAndKing.com, 703-938-7440
Whether offbeat or traditional, Money & King helps its clients design a service that reflects the life of a loved one who has passed and remember them in a personal way. The home also provides both burial and cremation services, as well as a variety of options for permanent memorials.
second place: Pierce Funeral Home, Manassas, PierceFH.com, 703-257-6028
third place: Moser Funeral Home, Warrenton, MoserFuneralHome.com, 540-347-3431
Best Hair Salon
Stylists at North
218 N. Lee St., Suite 220, Alexandria, StylistsAtNorth.com, 571-970-3386
Owner and creative director Luis Miguel Bujia creates an intimate, home-like environment in his salon with a slower pace than traditional salons. Stylists at North offer traditional styling and barbering services as well as balayage highlights and makeup application. Clients can even have their makeup touched up while they get their hair cut.
second place: The Ultimate Barber, Alexandria, TheUltimateBarber.com, 571-483-0032
third place: Three Ways Beautiful Salon, Gainesville, ThreeWaysBeautifulSalon.com, 571-284-5986
Best Home Builder
Drees Homes
8551 Rixlew Lane, Suite 230, Manassas, DreesHomes.com, 703-366-1545
As the nation’s 14th largest privately owned home builder, Drees has been in the business of building homes for almost a century and has been serving Northern Virginia since 1989. The firm designs both custom single-family houses and townhomes and offers energy-efficient options.
second place: Daniels Design & Remodeling, Fairfax, DanielsRemodeling.com, 703-239-2700
third place: Mike Garcia Construction, Woodbridge, MikeGarcia.com, 703-897-0900
Best Hospital
Inova Fairfax Medical Campus
3300 Gallows Road, Falls Church, Inova.org, 703-776-4001
The flagship location for Inova, the hospital has 923 beds and serves Northern Virginia and the surrounding area. The campus features Northern Virginia’s only Level 1 Trauma Center, an organ transplant center, the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute, the Inova Children’s Hospital, and the Inova Women’s Hospital. It also partners with eight nursing schools and seven pharmacy schools.
second place: Inova Loudoun Hospital, Leesburg, Inova.org, 703-858-6000
third place: Virginia Hospital Center, Arlington, VirginiaHospitalCenter.com, 703-558-5000
Best Independent School
The Congressional School
3229 Sleepy Hollow Road, Falls Church, CongressionalSchool.org, 703-533-9711
Founded in 1939, the school serves infants through eighth graders and seeks to cultivate intellectual curiosity and a sense of academic adventure in its students. Congressional also has an athletics program, summer camps, and horseback riding lessons with horses that reside on campus during the warmer months.
second place: St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes Upper School, Alexandria, SSAS.org, 703-751-2700
third place: Flint Hill Preparatory School, Oakton, FlintHill.org, 703-584-2300
Best Interior Design Firm
AKG Design
10130 Colvin Run Road, Suite C, Great Falls, AKGDesignStudio.com, 571-446-1108
AKG was founded in 2016 by Anna Gibson as a boutique design firm specializing in kitchens and bathrooms. Gibson attends design fairs around the world to bring current styles and materials to her customers. She designs for a range of home sizes, from multi-unit condominiums to multi-million-dollar custom homes. This spring AKG plans to open a new showroom in Great Falls in collaboration with other designers and artists from the local community.
second place: Whittington Design Studio, McLean, WhittingtonDesignStudio.com, 703-533-3705
third place: Daniels Design & Remodeling, Fairfax, DanielsRemodeling.com, 703-239-2700
Best Kitchen Design Firm
AKG Design
10130 Colvin Run Road, Suite C, Great Falls, AKGDesignStudio.com, 571-446-1108
Designer Anna Gibson’s design studio walks clients through every step of the kitchen design process, from an initial vision board to choosing fixtures. Gibson’s international experience helps her designs and materials stay current, and the team’s hands-on approach helps clients design a kitchen that reflects their needs and lifestyle.
second place: Case Design/Remodeling, Inc., Falls Church, CaseDesign.com, 703-241-2980
third place: Daniels Design & Remodeling, Fairfax, DanielsRemodeling.com, 703-239-2700
Best Landscaping Company
Kane Landscapes, Inc.
105 Douglas Court, Sterling, KaneLandscapes.com, 703-803-3146
Founded in 1991 when its current president and head designer, Josh Kane, was only 14 years old, Kane Landscapes designs, installs, and maintains landscape designs for residential clients in Northern Virginia. Many of its managers and designers hold degrees in horticulture. Kane also provides snow removal for homes and businesses during the winter months and lawn care during the summer.
second place: Rosemont Landscaping and Lawncare, Alexandria, RosemontLC.com, 571-215-1275
third place: Rossen Landscape, Great Falls, RossenLandscape.com, 703-327-2284
Best Law Firm
Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig, PLLC
211 Church St. SE, Leesburg, DBLawyers.com, 703-777-7319
A veteran-owned law firm with attorneys who are licensed to practice in more than 40 states, Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig has a wide range of areas of expertise, including business, immigration law, intellectual property disputes, real estate, and trusts and estates. The firm also has an office in China and can settle intellectual property disputes in China’s courts.
second place: Rich Rosenthal Brincefield Manitta Dzubin & Kroeger, LLP, Alexandria, RRBMDK.com, 703-299-3440
third place: Graham Law Firm, PLLC, Leesburg, GrahamLawFirmVa.com, 703-687-6817
Best Massage Therapy Group
Meg Donnelly, Licensed Massage Therapist
464 Herndon Pkwy., Suite 116, Herndon, MassageTherapyByMeg.com, 908 514-8149
Meg Donnelly opened her studio in 2018 and focuses on weekend warriors: active adults who pursue athletics in their spare time. Her clients’ goals include everything from performance recovery to relaxation and stress relief. Her quiet studio features a shared relaxation zone with complimentary herbal tea for clients.
second place: Hideaway Massage, Leesburg, HideawayMassage.com, 703-777-7373
third place: My Bodyoga, Woodbridge, MyBodyoga.com, 703-494-9642
Best Optometrist
The Eyewear Gallery
11900 Market St., Reston, Eyewear-Gallery.com, 703-709-5400
The team at The Eyewear Gallery provides not just eye exams, but consultation to help customers choose the most flattering, stylish frames as well. The staff travels to cities like Paris, Milan, and New York to select the glasses and sunglasses offered at The Eyewear Gallery. Service for contact lens wearers is also provided.
second place: David R. Gore, OD, PC, Haymarket, HaymarketFamilyEyeCare.com, 703-753-6633
third place: Dr. Sam L. Weir & Associates, Warrenton, WarrentonEyes.com, 540-347-0555
Best Orthodontic Practice
Orthodontics by Crutchfield
14012 Sullyfield Circle, Suite E, Chantilly, OBCOrtho.com, 703-263-0575
This orthodontic practice’s beach-themed office has a relaxed atmosphere without a lab coat in sight. Digital imaging is used so that plaster casts aren’t needed to make impressions. In addition to traditional orthodontic care, the practice offers cold laser pain management, TruDenta Migraine Therapy, and Invisalign.
second place: Barakat Orthodontics & Invisalign Center, Sterling, BarakatOrtho.com, 703-433-9330
third place: Sporting Smiles Pediatric Dentistry & Family Orthodontics, Gainesville, SportYourSmile.com, 703-743-5937
Best Orthopedic Practice
Blue Ridge Orthopaedic & Spine Center
52 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton, BROAVa.com, 540-347-9220
Founded in 1975, Blue Ridge Orthopaedic and Spine Center offers both surgical and nonsurgical solutions. The center’s infection rate is one fourth of the national average, and surgeries are always done by the patient’s doctor, not by a trainee. Blue Ridge is also the only orthopedic practice in the region to routinely use computer imaging when doing hip replacements.
second place: Arthritis & Sports Orthopaedics, Sterling, ArthritisAndSports.com, 703-444-5000
third place: OrthoVirginia, Reston, OrthoVirginia.com, 703-810-5202
Best Pediatric Practice
Northern Virginia Pediatric Associates
107 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church, NorthernVirginiaPediatrics.com, 703-532-4446
Since 1975, this pediatric practice has provided care for children from infancy until the age of 21. The clinic has walk-in hours during the week for acute illnesses, such as pink eye, or sudden injuries, and someone is always available to answer questions through the 24-hour phone line.
second place: All Pediatrics of Lakeridge, Woodbridge, AllPeds.com, 703-491-4131
third place: Children’s Medical Associates of Northern Virginia, Alexandria, CMANVa.com, 703-914-8989
Best Pet Boarding
Dogtopia
10352 Balls Ford Road, Manassas, Dogtopia.com, 703-278-2101
Dogs can enjoy up to 10 hours per day of supervised, open play at Dogtopia. Webcams are also provided so that owners can keep an eye on their pets during the stay. All locations of Dogtopia are Pet Safe Certified, and most staff members are certified in Pet First Aid and CPR.
second place: Paws Awhile Pet Motel, Warrenton, PawsAwhilePetMotel.com, 540-347-4855
third place: Seneca Hill Animal Hospital Resort & Spa, Great Falls, SenecaHillVet.com, 703-450-6760
Best Physical Therapy Group
Virginia Therapy & Fitness Center
11800 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VTFC.com, 703-297-8133
Each patient receives a full hour with their physical therapist at Virginia Therapy and Fitness Center, founded in 2004. It is also the only facility in Virginia to offer the Hydroworx 300 Underwater Treadmill, which allows patients to rehabilitate injuries or do conditioning work with less impact on joints.
second place: Blue Ridge Orthopaedic & Spine Center, Warrenton, BROAVa.com, 540-347-2918
third place: Arthritis & Sports Orthopaedics, Sterling, ArthritisAndSports.com, 703-444-5000
Best Pool Company
Town & Country Pools, Inc.
7540 Fullerton Court, Springfield, TownAndCountryPools.com, 703-451-6660
Town & Country has been building and servicing pools since 2010 and always has at least one, and sometimes several, supervisors on site when building pools to make sure everything goes smoothly. The company designs, builds, repairs, and upgrades pools and has more than 60 years of combined pool service knowledge.
second place: Aquaman Pool Service, Dulles, AquamanSwim.com, 703-996-8900
third place: Lewis Aquatech, Chantilly, Lewis-Aquatech.com, 703-631-2800
Best Primary Care Practice
Herndon Family Medicine
387 Elden St., Suite 1000, Herndon, HerndonFamilyMedicine.com, 703-481-1505
Trained to provide comprehensive care to patients of all ages, all physicians at Herndon Family Medicine are board certified and trained in internal medicine, pediatrics, gynecology, and family counseling. It is a member of the Fairfax Family Practice Centers group, which has served Northern Virginia since 1971.
second place: Piedmont Family Practice, Warrenton, PiedmontDocs.com, 540-347-4400
third place: Fairfax Family Practice, FairfaxFamilyPractice.com, 703-391-2020
Best Real Estate Firm
The Spear Realty Group
20130 Lakeview Center Plaza, Suite 110, Ashburn, TheSpearRealtyGroup.com, 703-618-6892
With an extensive relationship network in Northern Virginia, the Spear Realty Group has a track record of selling homes 15 days faster than the average agent. Founded in 2004 by Kim Spear, it seeks to give concierge-style service in a competitive market.
second place: Jody Donaldson & The Donaldson Team, Chantilly, TheDonaldsonTeam.com, 703-818-0111
third place: Century 21 Redwood Realty, Ashburn, C21Redwood.com, 703-790-1850
Best Spa
Lansdowne Resort & Spa
44050 Woodridge Pkwy., Leesburg, LansdowneResort.com, 703-729-8400
Spa Minérale offers a full range of spa services —including massages, facials, and body treatments—a fitness studio, an indoor heated pool, a hot tub, and a salon. A visit to the spa is a perfect way to wind down after a day of play at the resort’s golf course or to primp for a special event.
second place: Skin Facial Bar, Vienna, SkinFacialBar.com, 703-827-3777
third place: Salamander Resort & Spa, Middleburg, SalamanderResort.com, 844-303-2723
Best Veterinary Hospital
Pender Vet Animal Hospital
4001 Legato Road, Fairfax, PenderVet.com, 703-591-3304
The veterinary hospital has 24-hour care, as well as boarding and training, and has served the area for more than 40 years. There are 29 veterinarians on staff. House-call service is also provided through the Pender Mobile service for pets that don’t like to ride in the car.
second place: New Baltimore Animal Hospital, Warrenton, NewBaltimoreAnimalHospital.com, 540-347-0964
third place: Stonewall Veterinary Clinic, Gainesville, StonewallVet.com, 703-754-9888
Best Wedding Venue
Heritage Hunt Golf and County Club
6901 Arthur Hills Drive, Gainesville, HeritageHunt.net, 703-743-1100
Heritage Hunt’s newly renovated wedding venue can welcome up to 330 guests. The venue can provide caterers, DJs, florists, and private suites for both the bride’s and groom’s parties. The venue is also available for events such as birthday and retirement parties.
second place: Lansdowne Resort & Spa, Leesburg, LansdowneResort.com, 703-729-8400
third place: The Winery at Bull Run, Centreville, WineryAtBullRun.com, 703-815-2233
Winners were determined by our Best of Virginia Readers’ Survey in January and published in our Best of Virginia 2019 issue.
