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OH, WHAT A NIGHT! Nearly 500 guests came together for last month’s Best of Bethesda Party, celebrating the people, places and businesses that make our community vibrant. From amazing food and drinks to live music from The 19th Street Band, interactive games, dancing, photo experiences and a roaming robot, the evening was filled with energy, connection and local pride. We were proud to support Nourishing Bethesda through an on-site food drive and a silent auction that raised meaningful funds for their mission. Our heartfelt thanks to our gold-standard tastemakers who truly brought their A-game, delighting guests with outstanding food and drink throughout the evening. Special thanks to Save the Date, LLC Events for helping execute a seamless celebration, and to our sponsors, community partners and guests for making it a night to remember.
A NIGHT TO CONNECT AND CELEBRATE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SHINE.
The night was a showcase of our spirit and thriving community, supporting Bethesda Magazine’s mission to inform, connect and inspire.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS & PARTNERS INCLUDING:
Great fun, food , zero-proof cocktails and crafted pours flowed all night
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A.I. Sketch bot caricatures, giant Pac-Man, Golden Tee and a VR coaster delivered nonstop entertainment.
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PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BENNETT KRESS PHOTOGRAPHY
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CONTINUE SHOWING YOUR SUPPORT! The 2027 Best of Bethesda Readers’ Poll Opens July 27
Guests sipped on wine from Jackson Family Wines in the NFP, an Aon Company Wine Lounge.
From interactive photo stations and a roaming robot, to the crowd favorite cartoon A.I. booth, guests enjoyed photo moments that were captured, recognized and texted right to their phones.
The 19th Street Band provided live music and cool vibes all night.
PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BENNETT KRESS PHOTOGRAPHY
The Charles’ luxe lounge offered guests a comfortable setting to relax, connect and enjoy the live music.
11:14 AM
A night to savor. Raw oysters, crab claws, pizza, sushi, pasta, samosas, tuna tartare and more fueled the night.
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The night brought together the Readers’ and Editors’ Picks, including Alexa Landestoy, the face of this year’s Best of Bethesda issue, attending with her family.
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JULY/AUGUST 2026 VOLUME
23
ISSUE
4
Hooper Strait Lighthouse at St. Michaels
68
The Best of the Bay Our guide to destinations on Maryland’s Eastern Shore BY ERIN GIFFORD, MELANIE D.G. KAPLAN, CLAUDIA ROSENBAUM, RENEE SKLAREW AND AMY BRECOUNT WHITE
ON THE COVER: ST. MICHAELS, MARYLAND PHOTO BY STEVEN WALTRICH
Bethesda Magazine (ISSN # 3069-079X; USPS # 25871), July/August 2026, is published six times a year, plus one additional special issue in September, for $19.95 per year by Bethesda Magazine (4520 East West Highway, Suite 612, Bethesda, MD 20814). Periodicals postage paid at Gaithersburg, MD. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Bethesda Magazine. c/o Specialized Fulfillment Services. Attn: Circulation. 3100 Valleywood Drive, Kettering OH 45429.
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FEATURE
80
A Way With Words The winners of our annual Short Story & Essay Contest
92
On a Mission to Heal These healthcare workers have traveled far and wide to treat patients BY OLIVIA YASHAROFF
100
145
Physicians who were nominated by their peers and screened by research company Castle Connolly
The definitive list of dental professionals in Montgomery County and Upper Northwest D.C.
Top Doctors
Top Dentists
PAGE 92 Medical workers take meaningful trips abroad. TOP PHOTO COURTESY MADELEINE CAUGHEY; ILLUSTRATION BY MATTIA RIAMI
THE HEA LTH & W EL L N ES S I S S UE
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L E B A N E S E TAV E R N A / W I L D F I R E / YA R D H O U S E
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26 T H IN G S W E L OV E Free comedy shows at Aura Bar & Lounge
1 58 TA B LE TA LK Six Ways to Sunday opens in Bethesda.
DEPARTMENTS TO OUR READERS CONTRIBUTORS
25 Banter 26 28
5 THINGS WE LOVE NEWSMAKERS
38
BEST BETS
42
THE RESCUER
183 Good Life 184 SHOPPING
Sunset on Midsummer sets up shop with tween girls clothing
186 DRIVING RANGE
Asbury Park, New Jersey, makes a cool comeback with its boardwalk and entertainment venues
Noteworthy people and trends Calendar of upcoming events A Potomac resident provides a safe haven for animals
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: COURTESY WILDCARD LAUGHS; PHOTO BY DEB LINDSEY; PHOTO BY DEROSA PHOTO CO.; COURTESY PHOTO
19 19
192
CELEBRATIONS
A Silver Spring couple looked to the books for their library nuptials
200 CROSSWORD
157 Dining
Test your local knowledge with our puzzle
158 TABLE TALK
Japanese bites and comics, Six Ways to Sunday, and a fresh take on Thai in Gaithersburg
165 Home 166
GAME ON Decor and goods for a winning game night
168 CHECK IN TO CHESAPEAKE CHIC An idyllic Kent Island vacation rental
178
BY THE NUMBERS
Real estate trends by ZIP code
Advertising Sections 45
Dentist Profiles
119
Physician Profiles
196
Private Schools
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TO OUR READERS
Summer Reads I USUALLY PLAN A WEEKEND TRIP to the Eastern Shore—it’s not a long
drive for a couple of nights away—and then end up wishing I could stay for a week (or longer). Many of the small towns are close to each other, making it easy to hop around. While they are all charming, each place has a distinct vibe. To make it easier to decide which spots to visit, from Cambridge to Chestertown, read our piece “The Best of the Bay” (page 68). This issue also focuses on health and wellness, so you’ll find our Top Doctors (page 100) and Top Dentists (page 145) features. These are the professionals who have been vetted by an independent company and determined to be the top in their fields. I’ve turned to the directories when I’m searching for a new specialist—sometimes when I can plan ahead (such as finding a new internal medicine doctor) and other times in a panic (the unbearable tooth pain that resulted in a root canal). You’ll also read moving stories about local medical workers who have gone on mission trips to treat patients in other countries (“On a Mission to Heal,” page 92). Every year, I’m excited to read the winning entries in the Short Story & Essay Contest that we sponsor with Bethesda Urban Partnership. This year’s top works showcase the talent of writers in our area (“A Way With Words,” page 80). Bethesda Magazine Associate Editor Jillian Lynch, who coordinated this year’s short story contest, says, “The competition was fierce. The pieces that won our contest are a lot about the change that comes with going from one life stage to the next. It’s powerful stuff.” I hope you enjoy this summer issue of Bethesda Magazine. Please reach out to me at Kathleen.Neary@BethesdaMagazine.com with any feedback.
KATHLEEN NEARY EDITOR
CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT
CLAUDIA ROSENBAUM ANNAPOLIS & SILVER SPRING
BACKGROUND: Rosenbaum is a freelance writer and attorney who grew up in Bethesda and attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. She moved back to the area after living in Los Angeles where she spent an “exorbitant amount of time” covering celebrity trials. “I like to say I attended more Britney Spears hearings than Britney Spears.” IN THIS ISSUE: Rosenbaum wrote the guide to Cambridge, Maryland, as part of “The Best of the Bay” (page 68). FAVORITE MOCO HANGOUT: “After all these years, I still love Bethesda Bagels and now their flagels (flat bagels). I would have no problem eating them every day with chive cream cheese, and don’t get me started on their black and white cookies.”
CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT
STEVEN WALTRICH ST. MICHAELS, MARYLAND
BACKGROUND: “Since 2020 my wife, Peggy, and I have called St. Michaels, Maryland, home. We live on the water in a development across Fogg Cove from the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and the Inn at Perry Cabin. I retired from a career in technology and am now a freelance photographer blessed by my proximity to the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. I have been published in Chesapeake Bay Magazine and have displayed my work at the Waterfowl Festival in Easton and at the Talbot Resident Artists Gallery. Currently, I maintain a presence at the Market at Dover Station in Easton and online at bay-photos.com.” IN THIS ISSUE: Waltrich’s photos are on the cover and in “The Best of the Bay” (page 68). “I love combining my photography with time on the water,” Waltrich says. “Many of my photographs were taken from my boat, Parley.”
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Banter What people are talking about
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BANTER THINGS WE LOVE
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THINGS WE LOVE RIGHT NOW
1 FREE LAUGHS
Head to Aura Bar & Lounge on Wednesdays for a classic stand-up comedy club experience with free admission in Friendship Heights. Part of a series called The Comedy Bluff, the shows bring up-and-coming D.C.-area comedians to a room in the basement bar. Aura opened in November 2024 in the location that was once home to bars called Chadwicks, Chatter and Alley Cat. Doors open at 7 p.m. for the comedy nights, with the show beginning at 8 and ending around 9:30. An RSVP and an ID is required for the shows, which are open to age 21 and older. They are hosted by comedian and producer Noah Spade (pictured right) and co-producer Angel Penn. Get ready for brief sets from several comedians with crowd work and sound effects. A special menu for the comedy shows includes $6 beers, $8 cocktails, $20 beer buckets, and $10 wings, smashburgers and sliders; ladies receive a voucher for two shots of liquor. Members of the audience can order food and beverages from their seats.
Aura Bar & Lounge, 5247 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 202-525-4525, @wildcardlaughs on Instagram
2
Lone Oak Farm Brewing Co., 5000 Olney Laytonsville Road, Olney, 240-261-4967, loneoakbrewingco.com/events
FROM TOP: PHOTO BY WILDCARD LAUGHS; COURTESY LONE OAK FARM BREWING CO.
STEP IN LINE
At line dance nights at Lone Oak Farm Brewing Co. in Olney, you don’t have to know the moves to the popular songs pumping through the outdoor pavilion. During the beginner-friendly, two-hour sessions, instructor Arielle DeReggi calls out the steps to classics and newer hits, from “Footloose” and “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” to “A Bar Song” and “Infectious,” for the partnerless dancing. The open-air space lends to a laid-back vibe that’s a little bit country. While some of the 100 to 200 dancers—enthusiasts, newbies and in between—arrive in cowboy boots and hats or special line dance sneakers, others follow a come-as-you-are approach. Upcoming line dance events at Lone Oak are slated for July 15, Aug. 12 and Sept. 23. Admission is $15 (a ticket includes one drink). DeReggi, who lives in Boyds, got into line dancing about eight years ago and has been teaching for more than two years. She also hosts line dancing events at The Crossvines in Poolesville, The Manor at Silo Falls in Brookeville and the Rockville Moose Lodge 1540. She’s on Instagram @arielledereggi.
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4 READ AND REUSE
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: COURTESY FROM TOPTHE LEFT:PAPER PHOTOHEART BY ADOBE BOOKSTORE; STOCK; PHOTO COURTESY COURTESY TAKOMAHARVESTSHARE; PARK MARYLAND PHOTO LIBRARY; BY BENJAMIN PHOTO BYABERGEL KATHLEEN NEARY
Montgomery County libraries are hosting events that give people an opportunity to build community while rebuilding belongings that otherwise would be discarded. The Takoma Park Maryland Library’s Fixit Clinic program started in March 2024. These events, where volunteers work with participants to restore items, are held every four to six weeks at the library. From sharpening knives to repairing old typewriters, volunteers will equip attendees with skills they can reuse. People with items to repair are asked to provide as much detail as possible about the object they will bring and register in advance for 30-minute appointments within the two-hour clinic. The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection similarly offers sustainability events called Mending Labs at multiple Montgomery County Public Libraries locations. Participants can get assistance making clothing-specific repairs, including hemming pants and replacing zippers. Registration is required and slots fill quickly, but attendees can continue their work after their time is up at an open-mend table. No registration is required to participate in the labs’ gently used clothing swaps to further reduce waste.
3 A NEIGHBORHOOD NOOK
The Paper Heart Bookstore is a small, independently owned bookstore that opened in March in a second-floor space above The Grilled Oyster Co. in Kentlands. Owners Ashley Le and her husband Mike Luu, who are Gaithersburg residents, curated a collection of about 2,000 books and other products such as bookmarks, stickers and tote bags. The store has many big windows and comfy reading chairs throughout, as well as a large table with a puzzle and working space. Additional seating is located on the terrace. The store hosts private events, story times for kids, book bedazzling and pop-up shops featuring local food and drink vendors. Book club themes include novellas, romance and queer literature. Check out a calendar of upcoming events on The Paper Heart’s website. Some activities require reserving a spot or purchasing tickets in advance. The Paper Heart Bookstore, 200 Main St., Suite 200, Gaithersburg, thepaperheartbooks.com
Takoma Park Maryland Library, 101 Philadelphia Ave., Takoma Park, ftpml.org/ fixit; Montgomery County Public Libraries, mcpl.libnet.info/events
5 RESILIENT RECIPES
When Hollywood East Cafe closed in August 2025 after nearly 30 years in Wheaton, it felt like the end of an era. Though you can no longer get a full sampling of the family-owned restaurant’s dim sum and other Chinese fare, it’s now possible to enjoy a few of Hollywood East Cafe’s flavors at home. Grannie Yu’s launched earlier this year to sell products made with the restaurant’s family recipes and offers two items: chili oil ($12), which adds spiciness to any dish, and dumpling sauce ($8), a soy sauce and vinegar mixture with a hint of sweetness. Keep the condiments on hand in the fridge for drizzling or dipping— the legacy of Hollywood East Cafe goes on. grannieyus.com
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HOMEGROWN CHEFS
Meet four culinary stars who grew up in MoCo and work in our area now
Kevin Hsieh
HIGH SCHOOL: Gaithersburg High School YEAR GRADUATED: 2013 CURRENT JOB: Owner and executive chef at Bao Bei
Kevin Hsieh’s first job in the restaurant
industry began where many others peak. In 2022, he created his Bao Bei brand and started selling his Taiwanese street food at local events and markets, then transitioned to running a ghost kitchen for three years. In August 2025, he opened Bao Bei’s brick-andmortar location in Rockville. The 30-year-old Gaithersburg resident says his favorite item at work to make is the restaurant’s swirly buns, which are a brown sugar based mantou (soft, fluffy Chinese steamed buns). Outside of work, Hsieh enjoys dining at Sichuan Jin River in Rockville. To up-and-coming chefs, Hsieh says keep yourself motivated. “I would say you need to get comfortable with failure and things going awry. Feels awful in the moment, but once you begin to reflect on your past mistakes you realize how much you’ve grown and you start looking forward to all the chaos and hardships to come,” he says. His plans moving forward are focused on expanding his business and franchising. “Bao Bei world conquest,” Hsieh says.
HIGH SCHOOL: Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg YEAR GRADUATED: Left in 1995 to pursue a culinary career (would have been class of 1997) CURRENT JOB: Co-founder of Cava and Wildgoat Hospitality Group (Bouboulina, Cava Mezze, Julii and Melina) and executive chef of Cava Mezze
It was during high school as a busboy at Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse in Gaithersburg that
Dimitri Moshovitis first got a taste of working in restaurants. Originally from Darnestown, he became the co-founder of Cava, a Mediterranean fast-casual chain with around 450 locations. Coming soon: Maurizio’s, a new restaurant in Potomac, set to open by the end of the year. “It’s gonna be Italian cooking our style, with clean flavors and lots of the classics reimagined,” he says. Moshovitis, 47, is a fan of Il Pizzico in Rockville and open-fire grilling for his family in their North Potomac backyard.
TOP LEFT PHOTO BY LOUIS TINSLEY; COURTESY PHOTOS
Dimitri Moshovitis
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Aaron Silverman
HIGH SCHOOL: Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville
YEAR GRADUATED: 2000 CURRENT JOB: Founder/creative
director of Rose’s Luxury, Pineapple & Pearls, Little Pearl and private event company Extra Fancy
Rebecca Wuren
HIGH SCHOOL: Bullis School in Potomac YEAR GRADUATED: 2017 CURRENT JOB: Owner and head chef at Nosh Grill House; owner of East Dumpling House and East Grill Karaoke
Rebecca Wuren’s journey in the culinary world began with her parents. Grow-
ing up in Potomac with a chef for a father and a restaurateur for a mother, Wuren earned a hands-on education in the industry as a dishwasher in her parents’ restaurant. “I would watch the chefs working the wok. I thought it was the coolest thing. From afar, it looked like a dance. Every movement is perfectly in sync and beautifully executed against the flames. I asked my dad to teach me, but he refused,” she says. With her parents now retired, Wuren, 26, continues their legacy of creating a culinary space for the Chinese community with their Rockville restaurants, East Dumpling House and East Grill Karaoke, as well as her own Nosh Grill House, also in Rockville. Soon she’ll open a new contemporary Chinese restaurant in D.C.’s Adams Morgan neighborhood with flavors honoring her birth city of Harbin, China. When she’s not working, the Potomac resident enjoys dining in family-owned and locally owned restaurants in the area. “There are fewer and fewer chefs specializing in Chinese cuisine today, especially women,” Wuren says. “Representation matters, and I take great pride in being part of a new generation of chefs continuing this craft.”
As the winner of a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic, Aaron Silverman continues to showcase his culinary achievements at his Washington, D.C., restaurants Pineapple & Pearls, Rose’s Luxury and Little Pearl, and through private event company Extra Fancy. A graduate of the now closed L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Silverman began his career as a host at Geppetto’s, an Italian restaurant in Bethesda that’s no longer open, and reflects on his trajectory to becoming a restaurateur as “standard” for chefs. “That being—an unusual amount of twists and turns to get to where I am today,” he says. For up-and-coming chefs, Silverman’s advice is to keep asking themselves “why—a lot.” The 44-yearold, who lives in D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, continues to enjoy making Rose’s Restaurant Group’s strawberry pasta. —Sofia Appolonio BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | JULY/AUGUST 2026 29
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FROM MOCO TO SPACE NASA astronaut Chris Williams snapped this photo (above)
in April while working aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as it orbited Earth 269 miles above the Indian Ocean. The 2001 graduate of Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring captured the aurora australis (southern lights) crowning the Earth’s atmosphere and a robotic arm stretching from a power and data grapple fixture attached to the Harmony module. Williams, who grew up in Potomac, is pictured (right) while working on scientific hardware in February. His mission aboard the ISS started in November 2025. He’s been taking lots of photos while in space and should have a full album from
his travels to share with his parents, who still live in Potomac, when he returns to Earth (scheduled for July 26). —Kathleen Neary
TOP PHOTO BY NASA/CHRIS WILLIAMS; BOTTOM PHOTO BY NASA/JACK HATHAWAY
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WORDS ON THE WIND
The Game of Love Meaningful compliments inpsired a Germantown couple to create an uplifting deck of cards WHETHER IN THE GROCERY STORE or the fam-
Way back in the woods off New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring, under a mature maple, is a little black phone in a wooden booth. Accessed by a milelong loop trail, there’s no dial tone when you pick up the receiver. The only sounds continue to be those of the forest: chickadees, cardinals and the occasional breeze. The premise of this “wind phone” is as simple as it is healing: Speak into the phone and let the wind carry away your thoughts about grief. Wind phones originated in Japan. The one at Reflection Park, a natural burial ground, was installed in March as the first of two in Montgomery County. The other, located near a path and pond on Booth Street in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands neighborhood, was installed in May. Both are the work of Rockville’s Olivia Chao Delfert, who founded The Little Wind Phone Project, a nonprofit, in June 2025 to process her feelings of anticipatory grief while supporting her parents through serious illnesses. “There aren’t places in our community to process these kinds of emotions openly,” Chao Delfert, 42, says. She realized while caring for her parents “that it was healing just speaking feelings out loud instead of holding things in.” Reflection Park, 16621 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, reflectionpark.org, littlewindphoneproject.org —Amy Orndorff
FROM LEFT: COURTESY PHOTO; PHOTO BY AMY ORNDORFF
Giving old phones new lives as cathartic conduits
ily room, Natalie Star, 42, says she and her husband, Philip Herbert, 46, enjoy sharing words of affirmation. “We just love how compliments make people feel,” Star says. To spread the love, the Germantown couple created I See You, a 50-card deck of prompts to spark a meaningful compliment. More than just “nice shoes” or “I like your hair,” the cards feature phrases such as “A moment that made me proud of you…” and players finish the sentence. Star says any size group can enjoy the deck, which comes with directions for spotlighting one individual for a birthday or milestone. The game also can be tailored for solo play with mirror affirmations. Star says she and Herbert are serial entrepreneurs. Their other releases include The Black Pack, a standard 52-card deck with iconic African Americans such as Gladys Knight and John Legend, and other card games in partnership with comedian Martin Lawrence. The I See You game launched in March and costs $26.99. It’s available at iseeyouniverse. com. “This game is not Black, white, young, old,” says Star, who grew up in Montgomery County and graduated from Magruder High School in Rockville. “It’s for everyone.” —Jillian Lynch
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BAGEL BOOM
Bethesda gets ready to be even more well-rounded
with three shops slated to open in Bethesda in the coming months. Here are the mouthwatering details:
POPUP BAGELS
The hype is rising around Connecticut-based Popup Bagels’ upcoming location in downtown Bethesda. The roughly 1,200-square-foot spot on the ground floor of the Solaire apartment building will be the chain’s first in Maryland and follows one that opened to big crowds in April in Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood. Popup Bagels serves just a few flavors—plain, salt, sesame, everything and poppy seed—and all are intended to be ripped apart and dipped in tubs of schmear. Bagels are made on-site and are hand-rolled and kettle-boiled. “The dough is proofed, it’s boiled, it is seeded and baked and served hot right at the location,” says Brian Harrington, a franchiser of six Popup Bagels, including the Bethesda and D.C. locations. Razzle-dazzle comes from a rotating weekly menu of schmears, with flavors and collabs dropping to a dedicated social media following (June offered a cream cheese made with Truff brand hot sauce, and a flavored butter made with Boston-born Grillo’s Pickles). In early June, Harrington said the shop was “getting close” to opening. Popup Bagels, 7607 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, popupbagels.com
ESVIN’S BAGELS AND CAFE
Esvin Gramajo Barrios and his father, Esvin Gramajo Hernandes, have worked in restaurants and eventually decided to open a bagel venture together. Esvin’s Bagels and Cafe will offer handrolled, kettle-boiled bagels in a variety of flavors, and drinks made with coffee from Gramajo Hernandes’ native Guatemala.
The Oxon Hill, Maryland, residents plan to offer unique bagel sandwiches, such as the Chimichurri Bagel, a housemade bagel topped with chimichurri sauce and steak. The space in Westfield Montgomery mall will feature an olive green and cocoa brown scheme and an outdoor patio (near The Cheesecake Factory). As of mid-June, Gramajo Barrios says the shop is waiting to receive a plumbing permit before it can open. Esvin’s Bagels and Cafe, 7101 Democracy Blvd. (Westfield Montgomery mall), Bethesda, esvinsbagelandcoffee.com
CALL YOUR MOTHER
This Washington, D.C.-based bagel business rolled out its first location in 2018. Several shops have opened since and by early August Call Your Mother plans to open a shop with a teal exterior paint job at the corner of St. Elmo and Norfolk avenues, according to co-owner Andrew Dana. Call Your Mother makes its dough with honey for light sweetness and boils its bagels at a central commissary. The bagels, baked at each location, come in seven “core” flavors plus seasonal offerings (the summer menu features a pretzel bagel). The Call Your Mother menu centers on imaginative bagel sandwiches that are the creations of co-owner and chef Daniela Moreira. Summer items include a Chicago hot dog on a bagel bun, and the Delray Club, a bagel sandwich stacked with bacon, jalapeno, potato chips, nectarine slices and peach-flavored cream cheese. Call Your Mother’s Woodmont Triangle location will offer espresso drinks, such as a peanut butter and jelly-flavored iced latte. Call Your Mother, 4828 St. Elmo Ave., Bethesda, callyourmotherdeli.com —J.L.
FROM TOP: COURTESY POPUP BAGELS; COURTESY CALL YOUR MOTHER
The humble yet beloved bagel is experiencing a renaissance
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2,247
Created soon after the start of the COVID19 pandemic by Jo Rasi of the Silver Spring nonprofit Carpe Diem Arts, the Daily Antidote of Song kicked off on April 6, 2020, and it hasn’t stopped since. The idea is simple: Every day, an artist teaches a song, and then everyone on the Zoom sings along with their microphones muted. What started as a way to combat isolation and provide work for performers during the pandemic has transformed into
an ongoing phenomenon. With participants logging on from around the world when it is noon in Maryland, the events are also livestreamed on YouTube and saved there for later viewing. Most run about 20 minutes. More than 750 artists have led a session, including choir directors, songwriters and some recognizable names: Peggy Seeger, Ysaye Barnwell of Sweet Honey in the Rock, and Dan and Claudia Zanes.
Rasi, who lives in Takoma Park, says 50 to 75 people usually join the live sessions, with many more viewing the recordings later. One participant told Rasi it feels like she’s singing a duet with the song leader. “Lots of folks will talk about trying out harmonies against the person who’s singing,” Rasi says. Anyone can join in; check out carpediemarts.org/ daily-antidote-of-song.
—K.N.
PHOTO CREDIT TK
COURTESY PHOTO
The number of virtual singalongs hosted by the Daily Antidote of Song as of May 31.
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Farm Fiction
MORE RECENT BOOKS BY LOCAL AUTHORS: •
The Breast Is Yet to Come: Cartoons for Nursing Moms (Blue Star Press, April 2026) by Bethesda residents Jan and Howard Bennett
•
Draw Near to Me (Keylight Books, July 2026) by Glen Echo resident Michelle Brafman
•
Heartlines: A Blood Triangle (Bloomsbury, March 2026) by Chevy Chase resident Chandrani Ghosh
•
Liberty Island (St. Martin’s Press, May 2026) by Chevy Chase resident Virginia Hume
•
The Neighbors Are Watching (Minotaur Books, June 2026) by Bethesda resident Aggie Blum Thompson
•
Forgotten Souls: The Search for the Lost Tuskegee Airmen (Dafina, January 2026) by Silver Spring resident Cheryl Thompson
•
Capital Love (Washington Writers’ Publishing House, May 2026) an anthology with works by 55 writers across the D.C. area, including Bethesda resident Roberta Beary; Silver Spring’s Keshni Washington and Ellen Aronofsky Cole; Potomac resident Caroline Bock; and Northwest D.C.’s Charlotte Van Schaack and Therese Doucet
ABOUT EIGHT YEARS INTO her career as a lawyer,
Shannon Sanders started participating in workshops at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda in 2014. She was curious to explore writing and says she was hooked right away. Sanders’ debut short story received the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers in 2020 and she went on to compile a book of short stories that was published in 2023. Her debut novel, The Great Wherever (Henry Holt and Co.), comes out in July. The 41-year-old, who grew up and still lives in Silver Spring, did this while juggling her day job and raising three boys (now 8 and 5-yearold twins). “Writing a novel was really fun and invigorating—even though it was quite a challenge,” Sanders says. “It felt a little bit like training for a marathon. It just became part of my daily practice.” She wrote most nights after the kids went to bed and on weekends. The novel is about a young woman from D.C. who inherits a family farm in Tennessee that is filled with secrets and ghosts. Sanders drew inspiration from her 93-year-old grandmother, who co-owns a farm in Tennessee with her siblings, a place Sanders visited for summer reunions as a child.
—Caralee Adams
Outsider Rising A politician from North Potomac shares her immigration story LOOKING FOR LITERATURE ON immigrant communities and political engagement, Lily Qi says she came up empty. So, the first Chinese-born member of the Maryland House of Delegates decided to fill the void by sharing her story in Elected American: From Red China to Blue Maryland (Temple University Press, July 2026). “So much of our discussions about immigration are about legal and illegal, unfortunately,” says the 62-yearold North Potomac resident. “I want to elevate this conversation to focus on immigrant integration—not just culturally—but also politically, because that is the ultimate frontier of immigration.” Qi moved to the United States by herself in 1989 with $300 and became a citizen 10 years later. She has an MBA from American University and held various positions with Montgomery County, including liaison to the Asian American community and assistant chief administrative officer on economic and workforce development. Qi, a Democrat, has represented the state’s 15th legislative district in Montgomery County since 2019. “Despite all her flaws and the contradictions, this is still the only country in the world that I can think of where people like me—an ultimate outsider, as a woman, minority and immigrant who speaks English as a second language—can choose to belong by stepping up,” Qi says. “This is the community that I jokingly said that elected a name that they still cannot pronounce.”
—C.A.
FOR A HAVE AN IDEALOCAL A N O Y R STO BUSINESS? RESIDENT OR itorial@ Email ed azine.com BethesdaMag
COURTESY PHOTOS
In her first novel, a lawyer from Silver Spring explores family secrets
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READING LIST
These were the bestselling books at Wonderland Books in Bethesda in April.
Voted Best Financial Advisor by the Readers of Bethesda Magazine 9 Consecutive Times
Fiction 1 Yesteryear Caro Claire Burke 2 Project Hail Mary Andy Weir 3 Theo of Golden Allen Levi 4 Kin Tayari Jones 5 The Keeper Tana French 6 The Correspondent Virginia Evans 7 Dungeon Crawler Carl Matt Dinniman 8 American Fantasy Emma Straub 9 Good People Patmeena Sabit 10 Kitchens of the Great Midwest J. Ryan Stradal
Nonfiction 1 Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage Belle Burden 2 London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth Patrick Radden Keefe 3 How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay: Tips and Tricks That Kept Me Alive, Happy, and Creative in Spite of Myself Jenny Lawson 4 Famesick: A Memoir Lena Dunham 5 Raising Hare: A Memoir Chloe Dalton 6 On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century Timothy Snyder 7 Dogs, Boys and Other Things I’ve Cried About Isabel Klee
Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America Andrew McCarthy 8
Family of Spies: A World War II Story of Nazi Espionage, Betrayal, and the Secret History Behind Pearl Harbor Christine Kuehn
COURTESY PHOTOS
9
10 Solito: A Memoir Javier Zamora
David B. Hurwitz
Hurwitz Wealth Advisors
David B. Hurwitz, CFP®, AIF®, BFATM,BFA® CFP®, CRPC®, CRPS®, RICP®, APMA®, APMA®, CRPCTM, RICP®, AEP®, CRPSTM
A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC
Private Wealth Advisor Private Wealth Advisor
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Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC.
Direct: (301) 263-8509 Direct: (301) 263-8509 Email: david.b.hurwitz@ampf.com Email: david.b.hurwitz@ampf.com davidbhurwitz.com davidbhurwitz.com
2026 Ameriprise Financial, Inc., All rights reserved. © 2024
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BANTER CALENDAR
July 3
Montgomery County 250th: Shine Together Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence and the establishment of Montgomery County—it was founded on Sept. 6, 1776—at this free event at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington. The party begins at 7 p.m. with live music from local band The Nighthawks with fireworks expected to begin around 9:15. Parking with shuttle service is available at Westfield Wheaton mall starting at 6:30 p.m. montgomerycountymd.gov
July 4
Germantown Glory This Independence Day celebration at South Germantown Recreational Park kicks off with live music from TFC, a band specializing in soul, Motown and top 40 hits, at 7 p.m., with fireworks around 9:15. Bring chairs, blankets and picnics to this free family-friendly event. montgomerycountymd.gov
Rockville’s Independence Day Celebration Enjoy live music before a 20-minute fireworks display marking the 250th anniversary of the country’s independence. The free event starts at 7 p.m., followed by fireworks around 9:15, at Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park in Rockville’s King Farm neighborhood. rockvillemd.gov/services/ independence-day-celebration
Upper Montgomery County VFD Fourth of July Fireworks The Upper Montgomery County Volunteer Fire Department’s signature annual display takes place at the polo fields off Hughes Road in Poolesville, where vendors will be selling food
This annual morning of movement at Gaithersburg’s Bohrer Park at Summit Hill Farm celebrates sports. It starts at 8 a.m. with the SportsFest 3K Run Fundraiser benefiting the city’s youth and teen sports programs (registration required). After the run, kids entering kindergarten through eighth grade can participate in free sports stations, including soccer, football, baseball, track and field, basketball, volleyball and an inflatable obstacle course. gaithersburgmd.gov/ recreation/sports/sportsfest
Aug. 16
Hey Cousin Culture Fest
and specialty items. Gates open at 4 p.m.; fireworks start around 9. $10 cash per car. Rain date is July 5. umcvfd.org/july4
Fairs and Festivals July 19
Silver Spring International Food and Craft Festival An artisan market featuring handmade items from around the world is the highlight of this free event at Veterans Plaza in Silver Spring that also features international cuisine, cultural performances, a DJ and dancing. chiceventsdc.com
Aug. 14-22
Montgomery County Agricultural Fair “Barn in the USA” is the theme of this year’s fair, which features carnival rides and games, farm animals, craft and hobby contests, and grandstand entertainment that includes monster truck, rodeo and demolition derby shows. It all takes place at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg. mcagfair.com
Local bands and musicians, dance teams and a DJ provide entertainment at this free event celebrating the Black diaspora. The family-friendly festival also features a market selling art, crafts, apparel and food at Veterans Plaza in Silver Spring. eventbrite.com/e/2026-hey-cousin-culturefest-tickets-1986580366353
Aug. 23
Washington Folk Festival Hundreds of performers present dancing, storytelling and music ranging from Americana to international at this free event organized by the Folklore Society of Greater Washington at Glen Echo Park. Food trucks will be on-site. glenechopark.org/events
Community Events July 19
Sketching a Century In celebration of the centennial of Rockville’s Glenview Mansion, artists are invited inside the historic landmark to sketch, paint and create works inspired by the building’s architecture, interior and grounds. rockvillemd.gov/services/ glenview-mansion-centennial
PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF GAITHERSBURG
July/August
Independence Day
July 11
SportsFest
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Music Through Sept. 5
FROM LEFT: PHOTO COURTESY STRATHMORE; PHOTO COURTESY ROUND HOUSE THEATRE
Glenstone’s Summer Music Series The outdoor concert series at Glenstone art museum in Potomac continues into September with shows featuring jazz, classical and international music. The series is inspired by Glenstone’s “Ties of our common kindred” exhibition, which commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the concerts feature musicians who bridge American sounds and ideas. glenstone.org/summer-music-series
July 16-Aug. 2
July 1-Aug. 12
Adrift: A Medieval Wayward Folly
Live From the Lawn
Strathmore’s annual free summer concert series returns to North Bethesda with performances on Wednesdays (and one Saturday) featuring Americana, folk-bluegrass, jazz and world music groups. It kicks off with a show by Strutman Lane, a funk/pop/soul band with a vibrant horn section. strathmore.org
July 9, 16, 23
Cool Concerts for Kids Three free interactive concerts for children are also on the lawn at Strathmore this summer. The first features folk duo Larry & Joe, who combine
Happenstance Theater presents this medieval-themed show at Round House Theatre in Bethesda. The production combines characters inspired by the tarot and the paintings of 15th-century Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch, puppetry, and physical comedy to tell the story of a ship of fools adrift at sea after an apocalypse, trying to figure out: “What do we do now?” roundhousetheatre.org
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Venezuelan and Appalachian traditions. Wendy & DB, a Grammy-nominated blues- and rock-influenced duo, is next. Rock and hip-hop group Big Bang Boom closes out the series. strathmore.org
July 19
Aug. 14
The Steely Dan Sessions: Aja Local musicians The Sidleys, Al Williams III and Eddie Montalvo perform Steely Dan’s lauded album Aja in its entirety as well as other Steely Dan classics and other popular songs of the time at the Bethesda Theater. bethesdatheater.com
July 24
Rose Royce In the 1970s, this R&B group scored hits with songs such as “Car Wash,” “Wishing on a Star,” “I’m Going Down” and “I Wanna Get Next to You.” Expect to hear those favorites and more when they perform at the Bethesda Theater. bethesdatheater.com
July 29
Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers The influential singer-songwriter and pianist comes to The Music Center at Strathmore with The Noisemakers. Hornsby has collaborated with 1960s and ’70s icons such as the Grateful Dead, Don Henley and Bonnie Raitt, as well as contemporary rock musicians including Haim and Ezra Koenig. Although Hornsby’s music draws from rock, bluegrass and jazz, his biggest hit, “The Way it Is” from 1986, was sampled by several rap artists, including Tupac Shakur. strathmore.org
Theater Through July 12 Sister Act
A nightclub singer pretends to be a nun to escape the mob in this musical comedy based on the 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg. While hiding in a convent, Deloris Van Cartier and the Little Sisters of Our Mother of Perpetual Faith find they have a lot to learn from each other. The show is by Rockville Musical Theatre at F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre in Rockville. r-m-t.org
July 2-Aug. 23
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder After the death of his mother, Monty Navarro
All-Star Comedy Show
discovers he’s distantly related to the wealthy D’Ysquith family but is eighth in line to inherit the title Earl of Highhurst in this musical comedy at Olney Theatre Center. Navarro hopes to advance his place by dastardly deeds, and local actor Tom Story plays all seven members of the D’Ysquith family who are killed. olneytheatre.org
July 24-Aug. 2 Anything Goes
Montgomery College’s summer dinner theater presents an updated adaptation of Cole Porter’s classic musical about a stowaway who boards a ship in pursuit of the woman he loves. There will be a preshow meal with passed hors d’oeuvres and chef stations at the Theater Arts Building on the Rockville campus. montgomerycollege. edu/events/summer-dinner-theatre
Aug. 8
A Midsummer Night’s Dream The Rustic Mechanicals, a West Virginia Shakespeare troupe, brings the Bard’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the stage at BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown. The group strives to make Shakespeare’s plays accessible to modern audiences. blackrockcenter.org
Film July 25, July 31, Aug. 7 Bethesda Outdoor Movies
The free annual outdoor film series returns with three nights of movies shown on a huge inflatable screen at County Parking Lot 24, behind the Farm Women’s Market in downtown Bethesda. This year’s lineup features Ocean’s 8 on July 25, La La Land on July 31 and Bring It On on Aug. 7. While
Cabin John Regional Park becomes a comedy club for this free event, featuring a lineup of local comedians from Improbable Comedy, plus food trucks and local craft beers. Bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating. Recommended for age 17 and older. montgomeryparks.org/events/allstar-comedy-show
limited seating is available, attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs. bethesda.org
July 30-Aug. 20 Movies in the Parks
Catch a different family flick in a different Rockville park each Thursday during this free series. The lineup includes An American Tail: Fievel Goes West in Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in Montrose Park, Freakier Friday in Fallsgrove Park and Turning Red in Isreal Park. All movies are rated G or PG. In the event of inclement weather, films will be shown at the Rockville Senior Center. rockvillemd.gov/ services/movies-in-the-parks
Aug. 14
Movie & Meteors Come for the science fiction and stay for the real science at Observatory Park in Gaithersburg. The night starts with a screening of classic sci-fi flick Close Encounters of the Third Kind. After the movie, stay to observe the Perseids meteor shower, the best of the year, according to NASA. gaithersburgmd.gov/recreation/ parks-fields/observatory-park/ skywatching-programs —Stephanie Siegel Burke See our weekly list of things to do at BethesdaMagazine.com. Submit events at BethesdaMagazine.com/submitcalendar-event.
PHOTO COURTESY MONTGOMERY PARKS, M-NCPPC
July/August
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BANTER ANIMALS
Michele Waldman at Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary, which is home to roughly 50 animals
The Rescuer A Potomac resident gives goats, pigs and other animals a safe haven BY KATHLEEN NEARY
On a breezy afternoon in May, Bruce snatches an envelope out of Michele Wald-
man’s hand and eats it, leaving her with no idea who it was from or what was in it. To be fair, he’s a goat. Then there’s Mickey, who playfully clamps his mouth onto Waldman’s arm, leaving slobber on her jacket. The 3-year-old Holstein thinks of Waldman, 58, as his mom, since she bottle-fed him when he arrived at Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary, Waldman’s refuge for animals in a residential neighborhood of Potomac. Waldman, who became a vegetarian at 19, was in her early 50s and living outside of San Francisco when she first visited an animal sanctuary, a safe place for animals, including those typically used for their meat, milk or eggs. “I started learning some real horrors of some factory farming, especially in the dairy and the egg industry,” she says. “I decided to become vegan.” Waldman, who sees human patients as a psychotherapist, says learning how animals are treated put her in a “despair state” and she needed to take action, so she started volunteering at sanctuaries. The joy she felt from helping the animals sparked an idea to open a sanctuary of her own. Waldman relocated with her husband and two sons, who are now teens, to Potomac
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in late 2020 for her husband’s job. A neighbor later agreed to subdivide his property and sell her 5 acres with three barns and a house, and Waldman dove into learning about farm animals, opening Rosie’s as a nonprofit in 2022. Roughly 50 animals now call Rosie’s home. Tours of the sanctuary are offered for visitors of all ages for a small fee. “The goal is to inspire people and to educate people about these beautiful animals and how relational they are, how they have best friends, and they have their favorite activities, and they have personalities, and just to teach compassion,” Waldman says. She hopes that after meeting the residents at Rosie’s, visitors “will change their eating, their diets, and leave here just feeling more connected to themselves, to the planet, to animals.” Waldman is intentional about having a mix of animals. She has rescued sheep, goats and cattle from the dairy industry. Some of the sheep at Rosie’s came from a lamb farm, and some of the chickens
PHOTOS BY KATHY MILANI
6/11/26 10:59 AM
A DVE RT IS E M E N T
from the poultry industry. There are also pigs and turkeys that have been found on the street, and a sheep from a research facility, plus two horses that were on the property when Waldman bought it. The tale of rescuing the two largest residents at Rosie’s, Mickey and Moose, a young male Ayrshire, is told in a documentary released in May. Cow Trip starts when they were calves in Vermont in 2022. Joanna Zelman, a D.C.-based filmmaker, and her father made a trip to bring them to Potomac in the back of an SUV lined with hay. By early June, the 27-minute film had more than 200,000 views on YouTube. The property at Rosie’s is divided into sections to keep harmony among the
Selling Your Medical Practice: What to Know Before You Exit BY: KAREN SHAPIRO, BUSINESS ATTORNEY After decades building a practice, the decision to sell is one of the most significant - and complex - of your career. Whether you're approached by a hospital system, a private equity-backed group, or a fellow physician, understanding the transaction before you sign can mean the difference between a successful exit and years of regret. Know what you're worth - and why it matters. Practice valuation in healthcare isn't straightforward. Buyers will scrutinize your patient volume, payor mix, revenue cycle, and referral relationships. Having independent legal and financial counsel to review and negotiate the valuation methodology helps you maximize the value of your practice. Earn-outs sound good - until they don't. Many deals include deferred payments tied to future performance metrics. These provisions can be deeply problematic if the buyer changes staffing, billing practices, or operational priorities after closing. Negotiate the benchmarks and post-closing protections carefully, or push for more cash up front. Non-competes can follow you. Post-sale restrictive covenants in Maryland and Virginia are enforceable when reasonable in scope, duration and geography. Before you sign, understand exactly where you can - and cannot - practice when the deal is done. Your patients deserve a plan. Ethical obligations don't disappear at closing. Proper
Waldman and Marigold animals. Still, there is mingling. Gloria, a white-feathered turkey who came to Rosie’s after being found walking along the side of the road outside of turkey farms in eastern Maryland, has made a best friend, Marty. “When we got [Gloria], we didn’t have other turkeys, and so she spent all her time with the potbelly. She is pretty sure she’s a pig,” Waldman says. Along with dozens of volunteers and five part-time contractors, Rosie’s has one employee, Sanctuary Manager Victoria Prasad, who lives in the house on the farm with her fiance, three cats and a dog. Sonali Motha, who works for Montgomery County Public Schools and lives in Northwest D.C., visited Rosie’s when her son wanted to go to an animal sanctuary for his birthday in December 2023. What she learned on the tour led her to
transition planning includes patient notification, continuity of care protocols, and records transfer - all of which should be addressed contractually.
Selling a medical practice is a legal transaction as much as a professional one. 11ze right ad,;isors make all the difference.
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BANTER ANIMALS
Sanctuary Manager Victoria Prasad with pig Lucille
switch from being vegetarian to vegan. After volunteering and giving tours, she was hired by Waldman to manage an internship program called LEAP (Leaders for Ethics, Animals and the Planet), which is part of a program for high school students at sanctuaries nationwide. The interns learn “about the animal agriculture industry and then [do] hands-on health checks and other activities with the animals,” Motha says. Waldman named the sanctuary after Rosie, the golden retriever she adopted from PetConnect Rescue, an animal welfare nonprofit in Potomac. Rosie, who had been used for breeding at a puppy mill, was traumatized at first, Waldman says, but transformed after a month into a happy dog. “This is named after the spirit of Rosie, that with enough love and care all beings can thrive,” says Waldman, who helps support Rosie’s financially with her husband and also seeks donations and grants. Waldman says the patients she works with in her psychotherapy practice have experienced serious trauma and PTSD. “It’s pretty heavy work,” she says. At the end of a long day, she always comes over to the farm. “When I’m here, I’m in my sanctuary for me,” she says. “A goat ate my card. And so … I completely forgot what I did today. How can you be upset when a goat steals your envelope?”
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Waldman with Moose, one of the stars of the recent documentary Cow Trip
Mira (short for Miracle)
PHOTOS BY KATHY MILANI
6/11/26 11:00 AM
Dentists
PR OF IL E S
MICHAEL VENTURA
Special A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
Smiles of Chevy Chase SEE PROFILE PAGE 51
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Ensor, Johnson & Lewis SHAILJA DHIR ENSOR, DDS | TIMOTHY JOHNSON, DMD | L AUREN LEWIS, DDS J E N N I F E R M AT E L I S , D D S | K AT I E S TA U B , D D S | C H A R M Y P AT E L , D M D | D R S . E N S O R J O H N S O N & L E W I S ( E J L D E N TA L ) EJL Dental offers comprehensive dental and orthodontic care for every age and ability under one roof, backed by more than 50 years of community trust. Families choose the practice for its personalized expert care that feels warm and unhurried. 11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 101 Rockville, MD 20852 301-881-6170 info@ejldental.com EJLDental.com
Q Why choose EJL Dental? A Families choose EJL Dental for the trust and connection that come from more than 50 years of caring for this community. It’s a great privilege to treat multiple generations—grandparents, parents, children—and those lasting relationships continue to shape a more personal, thoughtful approach to care. With comprehensive dental and orthodontic services for every age and ability under one roof, we deliver convenient, expert care with genuine compassion. Patients know they’ll always be heard, never rushed, and can feel confident they’re in experienced, attentive hands.
Q What is the biggest misconception people have about visiting the dentist or maintaining dental health?
A That dentistry has to be stressful, uncomfortable, or only necessary when something hurts. Oral health is part of whole-body health—healthy teeth and gums support nutrition, sleep, confidence, and overall wellness—so prevention and early intervention when warranted matter far more than most people realize. With today’s modern approach and the right team by your side, taking care of your oral health can also be comfortable, proactive and confidence-building rather than something to dread.
Q What’s your approach to making even the most apprehensive patient feel at ease?
A We listen first. We explain each step, never rush trust and create a calm, compassionate environment where patients feel respected, informed and in control.
Q What’s the most common thing patients put off that they really shouldn’t?
A Small changes: sensitivity, bleeding gums, crowding, worn teeth, or a smile that they are reluctant or embarrassed to share. Addressing concerns early often means simpler, faster and easier treatment.
Q What advice would you offer someone considering cosmetic dental MICHAEL VENTURA
work for the first time?
A Start with a conversation. Whether you’re considering whitening, Invisalign aligners, veneers, restorative care, or any combination of treatments, our goal is a healthy, natural smile you’d be proud to show off. A confident smile changes how you laugh, speak, take photos and present yourself. A smile transformation can be genuinely life-changing.
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Maryland Oral Surgery Associates (MOSA) BETHESDA MALINI IYER, DMD, MD MOSA’s award-winning doctors offer the full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery and continually rank among the highest quality. With eight locations throughout Maryland, patients can schedule appointments at their convenience.
10401 Old Georgetown Road, Suite 206 Bethesda, MD 20814 Additional locations in Annapolis, College Park, Crofton, Frederick, Laurel, Rockville and Silver Spring 1-844-459-MOSA bethesda@mosa4os.com MOSA4OS.com
Q What brings you the most satisfaction in your work? A My father taught me that it isn’t work if you love what you do. The opportunity to use my skills and experience to help people every day is most rewarding; I can’t imagine doing anything else. At MOSA Bethesda, I relish the entire process of meeting a patient, understanding their needs and concerns and addressing them. I enjoy getting to know my patients and connecting with them on a personal level, allowing me to provide a holistic experience and customized treatments that result in optimal outcomes. Q What is an example of a time you helped a patient that you’re particularly proud of?
A I remember taking care of a young child who was rushed to the emergency room with facial swelling due to an untreated dental abscess related to multiple carious teeth. Working closely with the pediatric anesthesia team to secure the airway, drain the abscess and treat the infection in an expedited manner made me truly appreciate the importance of the service we provide and the difference we can make in people’s lives. I will never forget the look of gratitude in the parents’ eyes.
H I L A R Y S C H WA B
Q What is the one thing that your patients should know about you? A Empathy was the driving force in my decision to become an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. I truly believe in treating every patient the same way I would treat one of my own family members. B E T H E S D A M A G A Z I N E . C O M | J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 6 4 9
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Prestige Periodontics D U A N E B E N N E T T, D D S M S D ARJUN SAGGU, DMD, MMSC K AREN JO, DDS, MS The award-winning, board-certified doctors at Prestige Periodontics offer ethical, minimalistic treatments with maximum results and transparent communication. Their premier service is available to all, regardless of insurance status. And they collaborate closely with patients' general dentists to deliver comprehensive, expert care. Locations in Rockville, Silver Spring and Bowie Prestige-Perio.com
Q Why choose Prestige Periodontics? A Dr. Bennett: Proudly serving our
Q What is your educational background? A Dr. Bennett: I earned my DDS degree
patients across three locations, we offer flexibility and convenience for both referring doctors and patients. As a fully digital practice, we use cutting-edge technology like 3D X-rays and lasers to provide conservative and effective treatments. We also prioritize clear communication, ensuring every new patient receives a comprehensive treatment plan outlining procedures and anticipated costs. Dr. Saggu: We excel in personalized patient care, ensuring every individual feels heard, valued and empowered in their journey toward optimal oral health. Dr. Jo: Our diverse backgrounds and experiences enable us to combine our expertise to deliver the best dental care tailored to each patient. We also treat our patients with the same kindness and commitment we would show our family members.
from the University of Michigan and completed my post-doctoral training in Oral Biology, Periodontology and Implantology at Indiana University. Prior to living in D.C. I practiced in Seattle and taught at the University of Washington. Dr. Saggu: After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, I completed three years of periodontics training at Harvard, serving as Chief Resident. While there, I also got my MMS in oral biology; I was a 2020 American Academy of Periodontology national clinical research finalist. Dr. Jo: I received my DDS from the University of Maryland Baltimore School of Dentistry, followed by a general practice residency at UNC Chapel Hill and periodontal specialty training at UAB. I also completed a postbaccalaureate program in cancer research at the NIH.
H I L A R Y S C H WA B
Special A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
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Dentists
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Smiles of Chevy Chase DESPINA M MARKOGIANNAKIS, DDS SUZ ANNE MCSHANE, DDS LUIS BARR, DDS Whether patients want a healthier smile, a complete smile makeover, or relief from years of dental anxiety, Smiles of Chevy Chase provides expert cosmetic, implant, Invisalign, sedation and family dentistry in one trusted location. Led by Drs. Markogiannakis, McShane and Barr, the practice is known for personalized care, advanced technology and beautiful, confidence-boosting results. 5454 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 810 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-652-0656 SmilesOfChevyChase.com
Q What makes Smiles of Chevy Chase a premier destination for dental care?
A We believe dentistry is about more than treating teeth—it should improve confidence, comfort and overall well-being. That’s why we’ve built a practice where patients feel genuinely cared for, fully informed and excited about their results. Drs. Markogiannakis, McShane and Barr lead an experienced team offering comprehensive care, including cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, Invisalign, TMJ Botox therapy, sedation dentistry, smile makeovers and advanced general dentistry, all under one roof. Patients appreciate having one trusted team they can rely on for everything, delivered with advanced technology and a deeply personalized touch.
Q How do you create an experience that patients actually look forward to?
A We’ve designed every part of the patient experience around comfort, trust and convenience. From our warm environment and private treatment rooms to flexible scheduling and a compassionate team, patients feel the difference the moment they walk in. For those with dental anxiety, we offer sedation dentistry to ensure complete comfort during treatment. Advanced technologies, like 3D imaging and digital scanning, provide more precise diagnoses, faster treatment and less discomfort—often reducing the need for multiple appointments.
MICHAEL VENTURA
Q What do you want people to know about dental implants? A Dental implants can truly change lives. Whether someone is missing one tooth or several, implants offer a permanent, natural-looking solution that restores your smile, your ability to eat comfortably and your confidence. At Smiles of Chevy Chase, we listen carefully to patients’ concerns and goals before creating a customized treatment plan to restore full function and achieve seamless, natural results that last.
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Dentists Special A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
GER ALD M. MARLIN, DMD, MSD Elite Prosthetic Dentistry provides precise implant, cosmetic and reconstructive dentistry focused on long-term function and natural aesthetics. Treatment is performed in collaboration with an in-house laboratory, combining digital precision with skilled craftsmanship to deliver consistent, durable results. Recognized as a “Top Dentist” by Bethesda Magazine and Washingtonian. 4400 Jenifer Street NW, Suite 220 Washington, D.C. 20015 202-244-2101 concierge@EliteProstheticDentistry.com EliteProstheticDentistry.com
Q What is unique about your practice?
A We provide comprehensive implant and reconstructive care in one setting, from bone grafting and implant placement to final restorations. Many patients we see have had extensive prior dental treatment or are considering significant care. Working closely with our in-house laboratory, we combine technology with craftsmanship to create results designed to last. With more than 3,900 implants and a success rate exceeding 97 percent, our focus is long-term stability, function, and natural aesthetics.
Q How do you employ new technology
aesthetics before treatment begins, improving accuracy and predictability.
Q What is one thing your patients should know about you?
A As a prosthodontist, I specialize in complex care, including full-mouth reconstruction and advanced implant restoration. I focus on understanding the underlying problem and developing a clear, lasting solution. Many patients come to us after previous treatment has not met expectations. Our goal is to resolve those issues with a thoughtful, comprehensive approach supported by an experienced team.
to help your patients?
A We use advanced imaging and digital design to plan treatment precisely and guide implant placement. This allows us to control positioning, function, and
H I L A R Y S C H WA B
Elite Prosthetic Dentistry
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Dentists
PR OF IL E S
Special A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
Modern Haus Dental KRISTY LEE, DDS Named a “Top Dentist” by Bethesda Magazine and Washingtonian Magazine in 2026, Dr. Kristy Lee and the Modern Haus Dental team are proud to care for families across generations—from grandparents to grandchildren— offering comprehensive general and emergency dentistry, Invisalign, cosmetic services and more. Dr. Lee served five years in the U.S. Air Force, including an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency. 5530 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 710 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-986-4814 hello@modernhausdental.com ModernHausDental.com
Q Is there a story behind the name of your practice, Modern Haus Dental?
A Yes! I wanted something that stood out but also meant something. “Modern” reflects our commitment to staying current with the latest advances. Dentistry is moving fast, and so are we. “Haus” means home. We want you to make this your dental home—a place where you feel at ease coming for all your oral health needs, where we don’t take shortcuts or allow insurance or profitability to dictate care and where we always do right by the patient.
Q What do you hope patients take away from their first visit?
A That going to the dentist doesn’t have to be something you dread. Dental anxiety is real, and I take it seriously—my goal is for that feeling to get a little smaller every time you walk through our doors. I want patients to feel genuinely heard and cared for, confident they’re in good hands, and to leave feeling better than when they came in.
MICHAEL VENTURA
Q How has technology changed the patient experience? A We’re able to provide care that is more precise, more comfortable and less overwhelming. Bite assessments are faster and pain-free with our iTero Lumina scanner. We use NIRI infrared technology to detect cavities without X-rays and leverage AI for our X-rays to enhance diagnostic accuracy. We also offer air polishing for cleanings, a revolutionary Swiss technology that removes bacterial biofilm and can even remove old, stubborn staining. Technology should improve the patient’s experience, not just the doctor’s, and that’s how we approach it.
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Dentists Special A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
L E O N A R D A . M E R L O , D M D , FA C S & MOAIAD H. SALOUS DDS Drs. Leonard A. Merlo and Moaiad Salous are board certified by the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. Washington Oral & Facial has been serving the DMV community for more than 30 years. The doctors are certified to deliver IV anesthesia in the office and adhere to strict standards and state-ofthe-art science. Offices in Rockville, MD and Washington, D.C. 301-468-0020 | 202-223-3391 md@dmvoralsurgery.com dc@dmvoralsurgery.com DMVOralSurgery.com
“This is not simply about replacing teeth; it’s about restoring comfort, function and confidence in a predictable and efficient way.”
Q What makes your practice
different from other oral surgery offices? A Missing teeth, failing dentures, or severe dental problems can affect every part of a person’s life, from eating and speaking to smiling with confidence. What sets our practice apart is our focus on advanced full-jaw construction using state-of-the-art dental implants, digital planning and surgical techniques. We can correct a lifetime of cosmetic and functional issues and give you the look you want. Your smile can be any shade, size and shape we design with your input. This is not simply about replacing teeth; it’s about restoring comfort, function and confidence in a predictable and efficient way.
Q What makes your full-mouth restoration approach unique?
A Because the ALL-ON-X hybrid bridge is a one-piece restoration, we can use fewer implants and achieve an incredibly strong, beautiful result with less surgical time, cost and risk. We focus not only on the restoration, but the foundation. Using advanced grafting techniques, we build a strong foundation in the jaw during the procedure, so the investment lasts forever. The goal is to perform this once and eliminate all the time and expense of future unforeseen dental care. Using advanced digital planning, anesthesia expertise and precision surgical care, we’re able to make these transformations safe, efficient and often same day. The goal is simple: help you eat better, smile confidently and live fully again.
H E AT H E R F U E N T E S
Washington Oral & Facial Surgery
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Jason A. Cohen, DDS In addition to a comprehensive dental hygiene program and oral cancer exams, patients come to Dr. Cohen’s practice for bonded fillings, porcelain crowns and veneers, teeth whitening, and Invisalign clear aligners. 5530 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 560 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-656-1201 drcohen@cosmeticdds.com CosmeticDDS.com
Q How would your patients describe you? A Words and phrases we see about me and about the practice include knowledgeable, attentive, communicative, gentle, thorough and caring. Our favorite is when a patient writes “actually makes going to the dentist fun.” Our practice mantra is “We Treat Your Family Like Family,” and we live by that philosophy every day. From the moment someone calls to schedule their first appointment, we start taking care of them as if they are a family member. This means ensuring they get the most efficient, comprehensive and outstanding personalized care. From simple aesthetic bonding to complex implant dentistry, my goal is always to preserve, protect and enhance my patients’ long term dental health and beautiful smiles through the kind of care that meets their individual needs and desires.
Q How do you employ new technology to help your patients? A Our modern office allows us to provide the safest, most
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relaxing dental experience using the latest tools and technology available. We use digital radiography, photography and scanning with computer-assisted technology that makes our process as comfortable and as accurate as possible. Additionally, my team and I are committed to continuing education, making sure we stay at the forefront of the latest developments in dentistry and make appropriate investments in equipment.
Q What is one thing your patients should know about you? A I appreciate that modern dentistry combines art with science, and I truly embrace the creativity we can employ to assure that our patients get the most ideal aesthetic results from their time with us.
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Dentists Special A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
John Savukinas, DDS J O H N S AV U K I N A S , D D S 14812 Physicians Lane, Suite 262 | Rockville, MD 20850 301-738-1155 | JohnSavukinasDDS.com
and a strong commitment to service. I spent 25 years on the faculty at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry while developing a general practice centered on restorative, cosmetic and implant dentistry. I am a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. My humanitarian work has taken me to Thailand (2008-2019), Jenkins, Kentucky (2021-23) and Antigua, Guatemala (2024-26), as well as helping with the Rotary outreach program in Baltimore providing care in underserved communities. We are recognized as a top-rated practitioner by Washington Consumers’ Checkbook and consistently named a “Top Dentist” by Washingtonian and Bethesda Magazine. Our practice emphasizes innovation and patient value— leveraging iTero digital scanning for accuracy and clarity, while our office manager, Sharika, helps patients maximize insurance benefits and minimize out-of-pocket costs.
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Q What is your professional/educational background? A My experiences integrate clinical practice, academic teaching
Schneider Family Dentistry “We offer the kind of care associated with “the good old days”—honest, relationship-driven and never corporate.” 22 Montgomery Village Ave. Gaithersburg, MD 20879 240-654-3555 SchneiderDentists.com
Q What is unique about your practice? A For 85 years, Schneider Dentists have been caring for our community. We stay current with the latest technology and techniques, but what really sets us apart is how we appreciate patients. Our values—integrity, honesty, and personal attention—show up in every visit. Many patients have been with us for decades, bringing their children and grandchildren, which speaks to the trust we’ve built.
above all else. As one reviewer shared, we offer the kind of care associated with “the good old days”—honest, relationship-driven and never corporate. We recommend appropriate and customized treatments and deliver them with expertise and compassion.
SKIP BROWN
Q What is the one thing patients should know about you? A Patients should know that we prioritize their best interests
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Dentists
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Special A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
DC Pediatric Smiles and The Ortho Suite DEREK BL ANK, DDS ROMA GANDHI, DMD ROBIN CHOI, DDS Awards & Honors Voted Best Pediatric Dentist, Bethesda Magazine Readers' Poll 2025; Voted Top Dentist, Orthodontist, Washingtonian Magazine 2025; Voted Top Dentist, Pediatric Dentist,
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Washingtonian Magazine 2025 5640 Shields Drive Bethesda, MD 20817 301-363-9026 DCPediatricSmiles.com TheOrthoSuite.com
Q What makes your pediatric dental practice unique? A DC Pediatric Smiles was crafted with a vision to help kids love going to the dentist and look forward to their next visit. Our bright, coastal-inspired space is the perfect setting for a comfortable introduction to dentistry. Kids love to find their name on our chalkboard wall, pick out colorful sunglasses and begin their visit on a positive note. Here, visiting the dentist is fun for kids of all ages. While providing a team approach to dental care, Dr. Derek Blank and Dr. Roma Gandhi channel an enthusiasm that puts children at ease and helps motivate them to establish healthy dental habits. Our team provides positive, individualized solutions to each patient’s unique dental needs. We find it most
rewarding when families who join our practice recognize our attention to detail, clear communication and thoughtfulness throughout the new patient experience.
Q What is The Ortho Suite? A With the success of DC Pediatric Smiles, we wanted to create the same positive, relaxed experience to help our patients smoothly transition into the world of braces and Invisalign. With that purpose in mind, we recently added The Ortho Suite, a newly built space devoted to orthodontic care for kids and adults. Our experienced orthodontist, Dr. Robin Choi, shares our passion for positive vibes and loves learning about each family’s goals. Parents particularly value Dr. Choi’s careful, conservative approach to dental care. Let The Ortho Suite's talented team guide you to achieve your perfect smile!
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Dentists Special A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
Pristine Smiles | Dr. Dhaliwal 11300 Rockville Pike #1013 Rockville, MD 20852 301-231-9100 PristineSmilesMD.com
create a comfortable experience while delivering advanced care. We use advanced technologies like CBCT imaging, digital X-rays, iTero scanners and laser dentistry to support earlier diagnosis and precise treatment planning. Our approach is comprehensive and personalized, incorporating medical history, lifestyle, gum health, bite function and long-term stability into every treatment plan. I place a strong emphasis on balanced occlusion because long-lasting dentistry depends just as much on proper function as appearance. One case that stands out involved a patient with severely worn teeth and an unstable bite from years of gradual breakdown. Through comprehensive full-mouth rehabilitation, we restored her bite, smile and oral health—with results that remain healthy and functional years later.
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Q What is unique about your practice? A Every detail of our practice is intentionally designed to
Stiles Dentistry DRS. DENNIS A ND M A RIE T IGA NI S T ILE S, DR. ELIZ A BE T H W IL COX “We strive to make every patient feel comfortable, respected and genuinely cared for from the moment they walk through our doors.” 33 Main St. Kentlands Gaithersburg, MD 20878 301-947-6900 StilesDentistry.com
teeth — it’s about restoring confidence and hope. When someone walks in anxious, in pain or embarrassed to smile, our goal is to help them leave feeling seen, understood and genuinely better. We care about people as people first, and that shapes everything we do. We never stop learning, because dentistry is always evolving, and so are the ways we can help. We also understand the deep connection between oral health and overall health, from sleep to inflammation to long-term wellness. What keeps us going after 40 years is simple: building trust, improving lives and helping patients feel like themselves again with confidence and hope every step of the way.
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Q Why should a new patient choose your practice? A We’ve learned over decades that dentistry is not just about
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Harmony Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics H E AT H E R S H O L A N D E R , D M D , M S MADELEINE GOODMAN, DMD Dr. Goodman is an orthodontist and president-elect of the Middle Atlantic Society of Orthodontists. Dr. Heather is a pediatric dentist and a Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.
LISA HELFERT
They have been practicing together in
Q What makes you stand out as dentists? A Teamwork: Over the years we’ve developed a shared philosophy that treating the patient as a whole is more beneficial than the traditional specialty approach. It takes a team to help a child grow to his or her full potential. This includes not only a collaborative ortho-pediatric approach but also working with other specialists like speech therapists and pediatricians and most importantly, the child’s family. We strive to create an environment where we get to know each family individually and focus on their specific needs.
the area for over 10 years.
Q What is unique about your practice? A Supporting others: Harmony has
4818 Del Ray Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814 301-664-4220 smile@harmonybethesda.com HarmonyBethesda.com
partnered with a wonderful non-profit called City Blossoms that develops kidfocused green spaces that supply food, community and the opportunity to learn
through creativity and play. For every new patient, we support this cause by donating plants to help these gardens grow because we believe that health starts from the ground up!
Q How do you employ new technology to help your patients? A Innovative techniques: We are both board-certified specialists who strive to create a standard of care by integrating technology, research and experience. It is a running joke in Dr. Goodman’s house that Facebook is where you go to look at teeth and Dr. Heather’s kids think research articles are a normal Saturday morning read. We have incorporated state-of-the-art technology into our practice such as a digital scanner (no more yucky impressions) and a dental laser which allows us to fill most cavities without anesthesia!
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Annie Yu, DDS, MAGD AVA NT DENTIS TRY 5454 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1035 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 240-743-4421 AvantDentistry.com
Q What drew you to dentistry? A I come from a family of physicians, so I always felt destined
Q What makes your patient experience unique? A I believe everyone deserves a dentist who truly knows them. New patients spend about two hours with me on their first visit—no rushing them through a revolving door. Investing in real, trusting relationships leads to better care and transformative smiles people are genuinely proud of.
MICHAEL VENTURA
for a career in healthcare. But while shadowing in a dental office, a quiet, timid young girl came in with a chipped tooth. After a quick bonding fix, she left beaming, excited to show off her smile at school. Something clicked—I immediately knew that was the kind of difference I wanted to make. Two decades later, creating those moments of unbridled joy still drives everything I do.
North Bethesda Periodontal Group KH A LID CHOUDH A RY, DD S, MS & JOA N HOWA NIT Z , DD S, MS “Every step is guided by accuracy, safety, comfort and a smooth recovery.” 11921 Rockville Pike, Suite 407 Rockville, MD 20852 240-483-0775 contact@northbethesdaperio.com NorthBethesdaPerio.com
Our husband-wife team of surgeons has practiced together for more than 20 years, working closely with referring restorative doctors and dental specialists, ensuring you receive the best possible results. Modern care should be gentle and precise. That’s why we use periodontal lasers and 3D imaging to support minimally invasive procedures whenever possible. Every step is guided by accuracy, safety, comfort and a smooth recovery. We know visiting a periodontist can be stressful. That’s why we do our best to foster a pleasant, relaxing environment. Plus, we’re respectful of every patient’s unique situation, involving you in your treatment planning to ensure your needs, goals and comfort are met.
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Q Why choose North Bethesda Periodontal Group? A We strongly believe great care starts with a true team approach.
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L E F T T O R I G H T: D R . M E H R A N R O U H A N I A N , D R . M O H A M M A D A B D U L AT E E F, D R . M A N I S H R A O , D R . A R LY N L O G A N
Bethesda Dental Specialists Dr. Mehran Rouhanian is the Clinical Director of Bethesda Dental Specialists and Quince Orchard Dental Care. Over the past two decades, he has become known for a patient-centered approach that prioritizes long-term relationships, accessible care and collaboration among providers. He integrates advanced dental technology with comprehensive treatment planning to support long-term
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health and well-being.
6931 Arlington Road Suite T200 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-654-3011 BethesdaDentalSpecialists.com
“Dentistry is about trust, relationships and people—not just teeth.”
Q What makes your approach to dentistry different? A My approach is grounded in one simple idea: dentistry is about trust, relationships and people—not just teeth. I take time to listen, understand each patient’s needs, meeting them where they are, so they feel comfortable, informed and cared for. Caring for my own community makes the work even more meaningful. These are not just patients—they’re neighbors, families and people I see regularly. That connection shapes the way we practice, from reducing barriers to care and ensuring we offer accessible treatment options. I’m also passionate about making dental care easier for families. When parents and children can receive care in one location with the right specialists, it makes prioritizing dental health far easier. Patients often avoid dental care not because they don’t value it, but because they
feel overwhelmed, anxious or unsure where to start. Our goal is to help patients feel comfortable asking questions, understanding their options and trusting our team.
Q What is unique about your practice?
A We built the practice around a simple idea: making it easier for people to access the level of care they deserve. That means bringing together a full team—pediatric dentists, orthodontists, general dentists and other specialists—so patients can receive comprehensive care in one place. For families, that coordination and continuity truly matter. It saves time, reduces stress and allows us to develop lasting relationships with patients. What ultimately defines the practice is the intention behind it: creating a space where patients feel known, supported and genuinely cared for.
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Charlie O. Coulter C O U LT E R & C A S P E R P E D I AT R I C D E N T I S T R Y 5225 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite 604 Washington, D.C. 20015 202-966-0045 PediatricDentalDC.com
Q How would you describe your practice? A It’s a happy place! We try to make dentistry fun and allow our patients and parents to relax. We provide a playful, kidfriendly environment to teach children oral hygiene habits in a positive way that produces lifelong benefits. Nervous little ones have nothing to fear—our gentle dentists know how to comfort even the most apprehensive patients.
dentist—and even get excited to come and see us! Our highly trained staff teach children how to brush and properly care for their teeth. Every patient is important to me, and I truly love what I do.
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Q What brings you satisfaction in your work? A I enjoy helping children get over the fear of going to the
Saba Lakhani, DDS, FAGD
Q What would you say to encourage someone who’s been hiding their smile for years to take that first step? A That they’re not alone, and there’s never any reason to feel embarrassed—there’s absolutely no judgment here. And honestly, dentistry today is a completely different experience from what most people imagine. Technologies like our iTero Lumina Pro scanner, which eliminates goopy impressions; our GBT AirFlow system, which makes cleanings faster and virtually painless; and Pearl AI, which helps patients actually see and understand what’s happening on their X-rays. We take time to listen, educate and create personalized treatment plans so you feel informed and supported by a team you can trust. That first step can be genuinely life-changing, and our goal is simply to help you achieve a healthier smile you’re truly proud of.
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4416 East-West Highway, Suite 202 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-652-5445 info@bethesda-dds.com BCCSmiles.com
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Inna Kost, DMD “My “secret ingredient” is love—creating a warm, welcoming environment where patients feel comfortable.” Dr. Inna Kost is a graduate of Temple University School of Dentistry and NYU’s implant program. She is an active member of the ADA, MSDA, AGD and ICOI. Recognized as a Top Dentist by Bethesda Magazine and Washingtonian, she delivers conservative, patient-centered care with advanced training in cosmetic and implant dentistry. 10401 Old Georgetown Road, Suite #103 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-530-6195 BethesdaDentistdMD.com
Q What advice would you offer someone just starting out in your profession?
A Always remember that we are treating human beings, not just teeth. The principle of “do no harm” should guide every decision. Dentistry is about trust, compassion and responsibility. When you combine strong clinical skills with genuine care, you create an experience where patients feel safe, respected and truly cared for.
Q What is the one thing that your patients should know about you?
A I truly care about my patients as people, not just cases. I make an effort to remember their birthdays, their families and important moments in their lives. My practice is built on the idea that we treat your family like our own. My “secret ingredient” is love—creating a warm, welcoming environment where patients feel comfortable, heard and valued every time they walk through the door.
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Q What brings you the most satisfaction in your work? A An opportunity to give back to underserved communities is deeply meaningful to me. Since the beginning of my practice, I have provided pro bono care to Holocaust survivors. As the granddaughter of a survivor myself, this work is very personal. Being able to help, even in a small way, is incredibly fulfilling. It reminds me that dentistry is not just about treatment—it’s about compassion, dignity and making a difference in people’s lives.
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ImplantsDC Implants & Periodontics 5454 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1550 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-652-0939 ImplantsDC.com
technology and personalized attention to provide the highest level of care in a comfortable, relaxing environment. Drs. Israel Puterman and Chris Barth offer expertise in a wide range of periodontal and implant dentistry needs, from dental implants to treatment for gum recession, gum disease, gummy smiles or simply offering their expert opinion. We use the latest trusted technology, including 3D microscopes, digital guided surgery, laser periodontics and minimally invasive techniques to deliver optimal results with minimal discomfort. Patients can also rest comfortably with IV sedation. Perennially voted “Top Dentists” by their peers, Drs. Puterman and Barth are committed to delivering world-class periodontics and implant dentistry in a welcoming atmosphere where patients feel cared for every step of the way.
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Q What makes Implants DC unique? A At ImplantsDC, we offer an unparalleled blend of cutting-edge
David J. Schlactus & Dr. Steven Hoffer “I deeply value the trust patients place in me and take great pride in caring for multiple generations of families over the past 30 years.” 5812 Hubbard Drive Rockville, MD 20852 301-881-9040 DrSchlactus@drschlactus.com
comprehensive approach that preserves natural tooth structure and minimizes invasive procedures. My associate since 2022, Dr. Steven Hoffer, and I are committed to delivering smiles that are not only beautiful, but also healthy. Recognizing the mouth as a gateway to overall health, we consider the bigger picture, addressing underlying issues to promote long-term well-being. Using the most up-to-date technology, we offer a wide range of services, including implants, veneers, sleep appliances, periodontics, endodontics, orthodontics, white fillings, crowns and bridges, to ensure patients receive the best personalized treatments tailored to their needs. I deeply value the trust patients place in me and am incredibly proud of the community practice I’ve built over 30 years, treating multiple generations of the same
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Q What makes your practice unique? A We prioritize overall health through a patient-centered,
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Dentists
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Special A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
Taff & Levine DDS, PA F R O M L E F T: D R . M A Z E N S A A D , D R . J A N I C E G R O S S M A N , D R . M A R K TA F F, D R H I L A R I DUNN, DR. BRAD LEVINE Our goal is to provide state-of-the-art, first-class dental care that’s affordable to everyone. No insurance? No problem. Join our VIP dental plan for a low monthly fee and receive a discount on all our services.
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7811 Montrose Road, #300 Potomac, MD 20854 301-530-3717 TaffandLevine.com
Q What makes your dental practice unique? A We’re a multigenerational practice committed to full-service dental care in a relaxing atmosphere, surrounded by compassionate doctors and staff. We’re honored to have been named a Top Dentistry Practice in Bethesda Magazine and to be recognized consistently in the community. And we’re proud to be celebrating our 50th anniversary this year! Our modern, state-of-the-art Potomac office has HD TVs in every treatment room, allowing us to show patients oral issues that need attention right there on the television screen. With our in-house 3D CAT scan equipment, we can diagnose a multitude of conditions more accurately. Our intraoral digital scanner can take photo impressions of teeth, eliminating the need for messy and uncomfortable impression trays.
We can also offer crowns in a day with our “one-visit Cerec-crown” treatment, making additional visits a thing of the past. While our goal is to deliver firstclass dentistry, we’re conservative in our approach, offering traditional treatments that may be just as effective when more expensive, technologically advanced treatments are unnecessary.
Q What brings you the most satisfaction in your work? A We always strive to make the patient experience in our office like no other–– relaxing, affordable and with great results. It’s a wonderful feeling to see a patient who thought that quality dentistry was out of their reach transform into a person with a vibrant, healthy smile. That, more than anything, brings us tremendous gratification.
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Dentists Special A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
Fallsgrove Center for Dentistry M I C H E L L E L . S N Y D E R , D D S ; S TA C I A M . K R A N T Z , D D S , M A G D ; T O D D C . WA S S E R M A N , D D S , FA G D 14955 Shady Grove Road, Suite 200 301-610-9099 info@fallsgrovedentistry.com FallsgroveDentistry.com
community with high-quality, personalized dental care for more than 30 years—many of our staff and patients have been with us for decades! Our practice stands out for its convenient and comprehensive multidisciplinary team approach. We pride ourselves on our commitment to warm, attentive, individualized care and keeping current on cuttingedge treatment utilizing modern technologies. Striving to exceed patients' expectations at every turn, we are honored to be recognized as "Best Dentist" by Bethesda Magazine. Visit Fallsgrove Center for Dentistry and discover the impact of personalized, distinctive dental care.
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Q What is unique about your practice? A Fallsgrove Center for Dentistry has proudly provided our
Dr. Jay H. Samuels R E S T O R AT I V E | C O S M E T I C | I M P L A N T D E N T I S T R Y C A R E E S T H E T I C S | N AT U R A L FA C I A L E S T H E T I C S 11140 Rockville Pike, Suite 510 North Bethesda, MD 20852 301-881-4200 DrJSamuels.com
Q What makes you different than other dentists? A I believe modern dentistry should be viewed as not just teeth, but as an important part of overall health and wellness. Our practice focuses on personalized care, oral-systemic health, restorative and cosmetic dentistry, airway and wellness-oriented care, regenerative approaches, and helping patients—from families to athletes— perform at their best. We combine advanced techniques with a patient-centered philosophy to support long-term health, function, confidence and natural aesthetics through comprehensive care.
evaluations and regenerative therapies to deliver minimally invasive, more precise and personalized care. I am excited to expand our CARE Esthetics platform, integrating natural facial aesthetics with regenerative wellness-based therapies designed to enhance outcomes and the overall patient experience.
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Q How do you employ new technology to help your patients? A We utilize advanced digital imaging, 3D diagnostics, airway
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Dentists
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Kazemi Oral Surgery & Dental Implants Drs. Ryan Kazemi and Siri Sarva provide modern oral surgery and dental implant care in Bethesda with a focus on minimally invasive tooth extractions, dental implants, bone and soft tissue grafting and other oral surgery procedures. Their practice emphasizes advanced digital technology, exceptional patient experiences and
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compassionate, patient-centered care. 4825 Bethesda Ave., Suite 310 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-654-7070 FacialArt.com
“Our goal is to help patients feel whole again—restoring comfort, confidence and long-term oral health.”
Q What brings you the most satisfaction in your work? A What brings me the greatest satisfaction is helping people feel whole again, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Many patients come to us during stressful moments involving pain, infections, damaged or missing teeth, failed dental work or fear surrounding surgery. Our goal is to create an experience that feels calm, personal and genuinely supportive from the moment they walk through our doors. What matters most to us is creating an environment where patients feel cared for, informed, respected and genuinely supported throughout their treatment. When patients tell us they regained confidence, overcame fear or finally feel comfortable smiling and eating again, those moments are deeply meaningful to our team.
Q What makes your practice unique? A What makes our practice unique is the combination of advanced surgical care with an unusually thoughtful and seamless patient experience. Our highly trained team prioritizes comfort, attentiveness and respect while using advanced digital technology and a collaborative team approach with restorative dentists and specialists to create the best possible outcomes. We also created the Smile Studio, a walkin educational experience where patients can learn about dental implant therapy with no appointment needed, no consultation fees and complimentary imaging. Our goal is to make it easier for patients to receive information and guidance in a welcoming, pressure-free environment.
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THE BEST PHOTO COURTESY TALBOT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM/BY MARK SANDLIN
From outdoor adventures to waterside dining, we’ve rounded up the top ways to soak up summer on the Eastern Shore
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OF THE BAY What’s Inside
PHOTO COURTESY THE INN AT PERRY CABIN
EASTON...................................P 70 CAMBRIDGE.............................P 72 TILGHMAN ISLAND...................P 74 CHESTERTOWN........................P 76 ST. MICHAELS..........................P 78
CHESTERTOWN
ST. MICHAELS EASTON
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Best of
EASTON BY ERIN GIFFORD
BEST DATE NIGHT DESSERT STOP
Bonheur Pie & Ice Cream brings Parisian flair, starting with a name that means “happiness.” And yes, it delivers. Inside, it’s equal parts fashion-house chic and Alice in Wonderland whimsical, with couturelike pleated lampshades and colorful elephants that paper the powder rooms. Bonheur is open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, but it’s best known for its desserts. A menu of smallbatch ice creams rotates, but banana caramel coconut and coffee toffee crunch are the cat’s pajamas, as are housemade pies such as chocolate mousse and mocha latte. Outdoor bistro seating seals the deal. Elle Decor magazine once asked, “Is Bonheur the chicest ice cream shop in America?” To that, we say oui. Bonheur Pie & Ice Cream, 5 Goldsborough St., 410-464-7879, bonheureaston.com
BEST FREE ARTS EXPERIENCE
For a small historic town, you’ll find seriously big art energy at the Academy Art Museum, which packs more than 1,700 works—from European masters
to modern-day creative icons— into its galleries. Think Picasso, Cassatt, Dali and Rauschenberg. Through mid-October, an exhibition captures Mexico’s history, landscapes and culture through vintage photographs. Beyond the galleries, there’s always something happening, from kid‑friendly art classes to adult workshops, live concerts and lectures. Admission is free. Academy Art Museum, 106 South St., 410-822-2787, academyartmuseum.org
BEST ‘MARYLAND PROUD’ SOUVENIRS
Already have a crab magnet? Silver Linings gives Chesapeake Bay souvenirs a serious glow-up. The longtime Eastern Shore favorite—there’s also a St. Michaels location—carries an extensive collection of nautical and sea life-inspired jewelry. Crab mallets, ship’s wheels, sand dollars, whale tails—all are elegantly rendered as wearable pieces. Alongside signature creations, look for designer lines including Belle Étoile and Kit Heath. Don’t miss the can’t-findit-anywhere-else pieces: Maryland blue crab earrings, a waterman’s boot necklace, a mallard duck pendant created for the town’s annual Waterfowl Festival (set for Nov. 13-15). Trust us, they’re unmistakably Maryland. Silver Linings, 7 N. Harrison St., 410-443-0217, silverliningsmd.com
BEST FAMILY-FRIENDLY GREEN SPACE
Pack snacks and plan to stay awhile. Idlewild Park is the go-to, family-friendly escape, and honestly, who can say no to screen-free fun? The star attraction of this 15-acre green space is the sprawling community-built,
nautical-themed playground with forts, slides, climbing structures and swings. Beyond that, you’ll find ball fields, sports courts, flower gardens and a gazebo, plus picnic tables and grills. As a bonus, the park connects to the 3-mile Easton Rail Trail, a mellow stroller-friendly path. If you’re looking for a spot where kids can run wild and parents can relax in the shade, this is the place. Idlewild Park, 115 Idlewild Ave., eastonmd.gov
BEST BOUTIQUE HOTEL
Check in, then head out on the town. The Tidewater Inn has been welcoming
LEFT PHOTO COURTESY ACADEMY ART MUSEUM; ABOVE PHOTO BY STEVEN WALTRICH
EASTON DELIVERS SMALL-TOWN CHARM with upscale style. It’s compact and walkable and a place where it’s easy to get your bearings. Historic streets, art galleries and restaurants are all within a few blocks. In recent years, entrepreneur Paul Prager has helped transform Easton into a culinary and cultural hub, opening a string of stylish restaurants, cafes and shops. The vibe still leans polished yet relaxed, drawing couples, families and art lovers, especially during Plein Air Easton, an outdoor art festival held each July.
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PHOTO COURTESY BAS ROUGE/BY SCOTT SUCHMAN
guests since 1949. This stately Colonial revival-style stay blends historic pedigree with Eastern Shore charm, steps from the art deco-style Avalon Theatre. The hotel’s interiors are classic but unpretentious. Rooms mix traditional style with modern comforts, including plush robes and luxe linens. On the main floor, Hunters’ Tavern serves up Chesapeake Bay favorites, from crab-stuffed quiche to pan-seared scallops. Reboot at the Terrasse Spa with a massage, facial or signature body treatment. Past guests reportedly include icons Bing Crosby, Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.
Tidewater Inn, 101 E. Dover St., 410-822-1300, tidewaterinn.com
BEST DINING SPLURGE
Owned by Paul Prager, Bas Rouge is the Eastern Shore’s most polished splurge. Executive Chef Harley Peet, the first chef on Maryland’s Eastern Shore to take home a James Beard Award, leads the kitchen. The menu at this restored Federal Street building sits at the crossroads of European fine dining—think Wiener schnitzel and Scottish salmon—and Chesapeake Bay seafood, pasture-raised meats
and locally grown produce. The wine list? Well over 1,200 labels are drawn largely from France, Austria, Germany and Italy. Expect white tablecloth dining and artful plating. If you can swing it, opt for the four-course menu. Bas Rouge is built for lingering over dinner, not a quick bite. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Bas Rouge, 19 Federal St., 410-822-1637, basrougeeaston.com
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CAMBRIDGE BY CLAUDIA ROSENBAUM
PHOTO BY JILL JASUTA
LOCATED ON THE SOUTHERN BANK of the Choptank River, Cambridge is a charming city rich with history, outdoor adventures and wildlife. Scenic murals painted on the sides of buildings tell its story of being one of the oldest cities in the state and of its connection to the Underground Railroad’s Harriet Tubman. Small but colorful, Cambridge deserves a visit with time to wander through eclectic vintage shops, embark on a kayak river adventure, or duck into its wild pirate-themed tropical gastropub—a destination worthy of a trip all on its own.
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BEST BAKERIES
Black Water Bakery, a family-owned cozy cafe in the heart of downtown, is great for fueling up, offering freshly baked pastries such as strawberry cheesecake turnovers, cinnamon buns, oatmeal cream pies and banana bread. For something more substantial, try the loaded breakfast fries, acai bowls, or a crab omelet topped with cheddar and hollandaise. If you’re a doughnut-holic, head over to Bay Country Bakery, which specializes in an endless variety of over-the-top doughnut creations, including coconut cream, Fruity Pebble and strawberry lemonade. Black Water Bakery, 429 Race St., 443-225-5948, black-water-bakery.com Bay Country Bakery, 2951 Coastal Highway, 410-228-9111, thebaycountrybakery.com
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: PHOTO COURTESY BAY COUNTRY BAKERY/CODY JONES; PHOTO COURTESY EMILY’S PRODUCE; PHOTO COURTESY HARRIET TUBMAN UNDERGROUND RAILROAD STATE PARK AND VISITOR CENTER
BEST LOCAL BREWS
Ever since the brewpub RaR opened its doors in 2013, it has been an integral part of the small city’s revival. Co-owner Chris Brohawn, who grew up in Cambridge, started out as a home brewer, then created RaR with a simple mission: to serve good food and great beer. After transforming an 80-year-old pool hall and bowling alley into an expansive brewpub, RaR, which stands for Real Ale Revival, serves a rotating lineup of draft brews, with many made on-site. But it’s more than the beer that keeps customers coming back. The menu delivers crowdpleasers such as ”Drunken” tater tots, crab-topped jumbo Bavarian pretzels and Nashville hot chicken sandwiches. RaR, 502 Poplar St., 443-225-5664, rarbrewing.com
BEST QUIRKY BAR FOR WALKING THE PLANK
A nautically themed bar, The Dive Club by the owners of RaR is full of unexpected, spooky surprises—think a mash-up of Disney World’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride meets Trader
Vic’s. The rooms are “haunted” with fixtures that move, lights that flicker, unexplained noises and sudden thunderstorms for a truly immersive experience. The eerie atmosphere is the perfect escape for savoring over-thetop tropical drinks. If you dare, order the Captain’s Treasure, a flight of four smoking specialty cocktails served in a literal treasure chest and enjoyed dockside at the bar next to a skeleton pirate. The ocean-themed menu is equally impressive, with crab cheese wontons, crab soup, conch fritters, freshly shucked oysters, tuna poke bowls and Polynesian chicken ramen. All ages are welcome—so gather your hungry and thirsty buccaneer crew and set sail. The Dive Club, 501 Poplar St., 443225-4066, rarbrewing.com/location/ the-dive-club
BEST FARM STAND
Emily’s Produce is a great place to load up for a picnic. The familyowned farm stand offers fresh local produce and gorgeous flowers along with locally crafted cheeses, peanut butter, honey and fresh-baked bread. Round it out with such homemade delectables as deviled eggs, fruity chicken salad, potato salad, carrot cake, coconut meringues and their signature strawberry and cherry pies. Emily’s Produce, 2214 Church Creek Road, 443-521-0789, emilysproduce.com/our-story
BEST PLACES TO EXPLORE
Just a short drive from downtown Cambridge, the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge with its overgrown marshes is known as the “Everglades of the North.” The 50-square-mile refuge is home to more than 250 species of birds that nest and migrate here, including bald eagles, white pelicans, ospreys and great blue herons. The 4-mile Wildlife Drive, which travels through the park, is the best way for first-timers to take in the wetlands and marshes, whether on foot or by car or bicycle. Frequent stops along the route offer overlooks and short trails. Afterward, and just a mile down the road, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center tells the remarkable story of Tubman’s life—from her years of enslavement, to her courageous escape to freedom, to her tireless return trips to lead others out of bondage. Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, 4068 Golden Hill Road, Church Creek, 410-228-2677, fws.gov/ refuge/blackwater Harriet Tubman Center, 4068 Golden Hill Road, Church Creek, 410-221-2290, nps.gov/hatu/index.htm
BEST HOTEL THAT CHECKS ALL THE BOXES
Water lovers are well covered at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina with options including an outdoor infinity pool overlooking the Choptank River, a pool with a fun waterslide, hot tubs and an indoor pool. Other ways to unwind include an 18-hole golf course and a full-service spa on-site. Head to the hotel’s waterfront, where Blackwater Adventures (blackwateradventuresmd.com/hyatt) offers kayaks, paddleboards, jet skis, powerboats and catamarans to rent. At the end of the day, grab a seat by the hotel’s outdoor grand fireplace to roast s’mores and enjoy a cocktail. The hotel is dog-friendly, so bring the whole family. Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina, 100 Heron Blvd., 410-901-1234, hyatt.com/hyatt-regency/en-US/ chesa-hyatt-regency-chesapeake-baygolf-resort-spa-and-marina
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TILGHMAN ISLAND BY RENEE SKLAREW
TILGHMAN ISLAND IS A BAYSIDE BEAUTY at the tip of western Talbot County. Bordered by the Chesapeake Bay, Choptank River and Harris Creek, British seafarers first settled here in the 1650s, establishing boat-building and seafood businesses. Even today, many of Tilghman’s 700plus residents make a living on the waterways. You’ll find this close-knit community is welcoming to visitors, who can stay in a mix of accommodations from cozy vacation rentals to casual resorts while enjoying the island’s nature, boating and biking experiences.
processed by Tilghman Island Seafood. Gina’s at the Bridge, 6136 Tilghman Island Road, 410-886-1096, ginasatthebridge.com
BEST HERITAGE MUSEUM
Tilghman Watermen’s Museum celebrates the legacy of this watermen’s village dating back to the mid-1600s. Located inside one of Tilghman’s iconic W-shaped houses (an architectural style that captures the bay breezes), the museum is operated by volunteers, including local watermen and boat builders. The exhibit on Sharps Island Light Station illuminates Tilghman’s unsung role in military history, while the permanent collection features Tilghman’s seafood industry and displays artifacts from the Indigenous tribes of the Eastern Shore. Open weekends from May
Expect to find few cars on the flat roads around Tilghman Island, making bike rides here fun for all ages and experience levels. Eat breakfast at Two If By Sea, then ride 22.2 miles on an up-and-back route that takes you outside of town to Claiborne Landing, a historic village with a public beach and fishing pier. For a shorter option, choose the 3.6-mile ride from Tilghman Watermen’s Museum to the entrance of Black Walnut Point Natural Resources Management Area and back. Free bikes are available to guests of the Wylder Tilghman Island, a waterside resort, or you can rent and have bikes delivered to your vacation rental from Shore Pedal & Paddle in nearby St. Michaels. Two If By Sea, 5776 Tilghman Island Road, 410-886-2447, twoifbysearestaurant.net Claiborne Landing, 23014 Claiborne Landing Road, Claiborne Tilghman Watermen’s Museum, 6031 Tilghman Island Road, 410-886-1025, tilghmanmuseum.org Black Walnut Point Natural Resources Management Area, 4787 Black Walnut Point Road, 410-820-1668, dnr.maryland.gov Wylder Tilghman Island, 21551 Chesapeake House Drive, 410-886-2121, wylderhotels.com Shore Pedal & Paddle, 500 S. Talbot St., St. Michaels, 410-745-2320, shorepedalandpaddle.com
BEST COCKTAILS WITH A VIEW
Pull up a barstool at Gina’s at the Bridge to watch vessels pass under the Knapps Narrows Bridge. The Tilghman Island drawbridge is raised and lowered often to accommodate larger boat traffic crossing from the Chesapeake Bay to Harris Creek. The indoor space at Gina’s offers panoramic views, and the lower deck is a waterfront Tiki bar with picnic tables and bar games. Don’t miss Gina’s margaritas or the native catfish, caught and
PHOTOS COURTESY TALBOT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM/BY MARK SANDLIN
BEST BIKE RIDES
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through October. Admission is free. Tilghman Watermen’s Museum, 6031 Tilghman Island Road, 410-8861025, tilghmanmuseum.org
BEST WAY TO GET ON THE WATER
Rent a kayak from Tilghman Island Marina to explore Tilghman Island’s waterways. From the marina, you can follow the 2½-mile Three Creeks Trail into the peaceful waters of Back Creek.
Hearty kayakers can add 2 additional miles by passing under Knapps Narrows Bridge and paddling into Dogwood Harbor and back. You’re likely to see wildlife, such as schools of fish, rays and waterbirds along the way. Tilghman Island Marina, 6140 Mariners Court, 410-886-2500, tilghmanmarina.com
BEST EASTERN SHORE SUNSET
The Talbot County Fishing and Parking Area adjacent to Black Walnut Point Natural Resources Management Area is one of the only locations on the Eastern Shore with public views of the Chesapeake Bay and Sharps Island
Light Station. Bring chairs and binoculars and watch a panoramic sunset; come stocked with goodies from Tilghman Island Country Store (we recommend the buffalo chicken wrap and fresh-baked cookies). You can also hike the 1-mile Nature Trail through a shady forest and back, keeping an eye out for ducks, eagles and osprey. Black Walnut Point Natural Resources Management Area, 4787 Black Walnut Point Road, 410-820-1668, dnr.maryland.gov Tilghman Island Country Store, 5949 Tilghman Island Road, 410-8862777, tilghmanislandcountrystores.com
BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO COURTESY MARYLAND PORT ADMINISTRATION (MPA)
BEST NATURE TOUR
Sign up for the Poplar Island Tour to see terrapin and cormorant nesting sites on an isolated nearby island. In the early 20th century, Poplar Island was home to about 100 residents, but the 1,100-acre island in the Chesapeake Bay eventually was reduced to about 4 acres by erosion and abandoned. In 2001, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began dredging sediment from Baltimore’s shipping channels to rebuild the island habitat. Today, Poplar Island is a flourishing nature sanctuary and unique place to see preservation in action. The 2½-hour weekday exploration begins with a boat ride to the island and continues in a vintage school bus. The boat departs from a Tilghman Island dock. Reservations are required. Maryland Environmental Service’s meeting place is at 21548 Chicken Point Road, Tilghman Island, 240-444-4025, poplarislandrestoration.com
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CHESTERTOWN BY AMY BRECOUNT WHITE
PHOTO COURTESY SULTANA/BY CHRIS CERINO
HARKENING BACK TO 1706, Chestertown on the Chester River is one of America’s best preserved Colonial ports, with many Federal, Queen Anne and Victorian structures still intact. This small college town (the population is less than 6,000) is walkable, with High Street as its main drag. Visitors can enjoy the pedestrian- and bike-friendly trails and opportunities to get river-top views from kayaks and boats. Artisans of glass, grains and canvas have found this a welcome spot to set up shop. The town buzzes on its many festival weekends, including a tea party reenactment (according to local legend, Chestertown re-created the Boston Tea Party after hearing that Boston Harbor had been closed), a downrigging weekend with tall ship cruises, and a “Dickens of a Christmas” holiday celebration.
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BEST TOURS OF THE TOWN
Take the town’s self-guided walking tours separately or simultaneously. The eclectic Peter and Hanna Woicke Collection boasts 23 modern outdoor sculptures to admire and ponder. Finding each can be like a scavenger hunt for all ages to relish. (The map is online and at local businesses.) Pick up the Historical Society of Kent County’s selfguided, 29-stop tour outside the Bordley History Center to dive into Colonial, African American and more recent local history. If you schedule two weeks out, the society offers guided history tours and ghost walks for groups ($20 per person). It also offers tours on festival weekends. Peter and Hanna Woicke Collection, chestertownpublicarts.com Bordley History Center, 301 High St., 410-778-3499, kentcountyhistory.org
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: PHOTO BY PAMELA COWART-RICKMAN; PHOTO BY STEPHANIE SOMERS; PHOTOS BY MODERN STONE AGE
BEST OVERNIGHT ELEGANCE
Brampton 1860, a stately brick manor built in, yes, 1860, also offers cottages (two are dog-friendly) and 35 acres of gardens and meadows to stroll through, not far from town. A stay includes a full gourmet breakfast and afternoon tea with freshly made sweet and savory treats. Great Oak Manor features 15 acres to explore with a private beach where Fairlee Creek meets the Chesapeake. Its farm-to-table breakfasts and lunches are open to guests, and gourmet dinners now welcome the public. On special weekends, top chefs from around the country offer immersive cooking demos, talks and intimate meals. In town, check out the recently refurbished White Swan Tavern. Brampton 1860, 25227 Chestertown Road, 410-778-1860, bramptoninn.com Great Oak Manor, 10568 Cliff Road, 410-778-5943, greatoakmanor.com White Swan Tavern, 231 High St., 410-778-2300, whiteswantavern.com
BEST ARTS TO ADMIRE (AND SHOP)
At the stunning Hegland Glass gallery, ooh and aah at the carefully crafted and colorful bowls, platters and other pieces of kiln-formed, award-winning glass art. The husband-and-wife team of Dave and Patti Hegland is often on hand to answer questions, and they offer intimate twoday classes to help you create a glass masterpiece. Nearby, the Chestertown RiverArts gallery showcases pieces from local potters, painters and jewelry designers. RiverArts also sponsors regular classes and art-focused events to spotlight the vibrant talents hereabouts, including First Friday Opening receptions (all year) and seasonal open studios. Hegland Glass, 315 High St., 410-870-5432, heglandglass.com Chestertown RiverArts, 343 High St., 410-778-6300, ctownra.org/events
BEST GALLERY
Art enthusiasts should check out Carla Massoni’s gallery, MassoniArt, which presents many accomplished mid-Atlantic artists, along with D.C.area talents. An arts proponent for more than 35 years, Massoni changes her gallery exhibitions often and features award-winning landscape artists, printmakers and sculptors. A local favorite and frequent exhibitor, Marc Castelli’s Eastern Shore-focused painting subjects include log canoes (which are raced locally), Chesapeake area workboats and images from past downrigging weekends. MassoniArt, 113 S. Cross St., 410-708-4512, massoniart.com
BEST BITES
Head to the cozy Evergrain Bread Co. for your morning jolt with a brown sugar latte or a Nutella hot chocolate. Its rotating offerings of freshly baked goods might include mouthwatering apricot ginger scones, fresh baguettes or a pistachio brioche. A newer kid on the block, Modern Stone Age focuses on traditional culinary methods and is known for its wild sourdough fermentation, local ingredients and practicing the nose-to-tail whole use of animals. Bill Schindler co-owns the restaurant/ bakery with his wife, Christina, and is an associate professor at Chestertown’s Washington College and author of Eat Like a Human. Check out the Friday night pizzas (red, white and meat lover) with fermented french fries. Evergrain Bread Co., 201 High St., 410-778-3333, evergrainbreadco.com Modern Stone Age, 236 Cannon St., 410-996-4776, modernstoneage.com
BEST RIVER ADVENTURES
While riverside, check out the impressive Sultana, a reproduction of a 1768 British schooner, that resides here. Focusing on Colonial history and environmental education, the nonprofit Sultana Educational Foundation offers twohour, hands-on sails aboard the tall ship on select weekends through the summer and into fall ($40; $20 for ages 5-12). To learn about local ecosystems, take the foundation’s 2½-hour guided kayak tours along the river and its tributaries through the summer and into fall ($45 for age 12 and older only). The Chester River Packet Co. offers two-hour themed cruises aboard a 1920s-style tour boat from April through November that include a “casual cuisine” evening meal or Sunday brunch ($50; $25 for ages 4-10) and shorter guided tours on Saturday afternoons. Sultana, Chestertown Marina, 207 S. Water St., 410-778-5954, sultanaeducation.org Chester River Packet Co., High Street Town Dock, 410-625-0312, chesterriverpacketco.com/public-cruises
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ST. MICHAELS BY MELANIE D.G. KAPLAN
BEST FAMILY EXCURSION
Seafarers and landlubbers alike will enjoy the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, which recently opened a special exhibition on Frederick Douglass. A longtime favorite activity is climbing the steps of 19th century Hooper Strait Lighthouse for a spectacular view of the harbor. Enjoy a cruise on a historic six-passenger workboat or aboard the 149-passenger Patriot (don’t miss weekend live music cruises), or join a full moon or Saturday guided paddle (rent a kayak or BYO kayak, canoe or stand-up paddleboard). Every Sunday through 2026, children 17 and younger receive free museum admission and free tickets on Patriot narrated historical cruises. Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, 213 N. Talbot St., 410-745-2916, cbmm.org
BEST LAND TRAIL
The St. Michaels Nature Trail hugs the western edge of town and provides a haven for runners, strollers and four-legged sniffers. The flat 1.3-mile paved path runs along an old railroad corridor, through the woods, past farmland
and historic homes, and across a covered wooden bridge above San Domingo Creek—a classic spot for sunset viewing. A 1¼-mile trail extension, which will end at Perry Cabin Park, is expected for 2027. If you work up an appetite early, head to Carpenter Street Saloon (a few blocks from the north end of the trail) for breakfast—one of the locals’ faves. Trail parking is available across the street from the Bay Hundred Community Pool, 911 S. Talbot St., traillink.com/ trail/st-michaels-nature-trail Carpenter Street Saloon, 113 S. Talbot St., 410-745-5111, carpenterstreetsaloon.com
BEST ANALOG READING SPOT
You’ll recognize Book Hounds by its hot-pink door and the sense that you’re stepping into a bookworm’s dream. For starters: the resident dog, Willie Nelson, who shares his dog beds with visiting pups; the Alice in Wonderlandinspired mushroom wallpaper and mushroom stools in the children’s room; the pink typewriter; and the comfy chairs and window seats. The 2-year-old shop hosts Silent Book Club on the third Thursday of each month and offers author talks, a writing club, BYO craft nights and book-bedazzling events (decorating covers with sparkly crystals
LEFT PHOTO COURTESY CHESAPEAKE BAY MARITIME MUSEUM; TOP RIGHT PHOTO BY KEYANNA BOWEN
ABOUT HALFWAY BETWEEN WASHINGTON, D.C., and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, set along the Miles River, St. Michaels beckons weekend visitors. Established in the 1670s as a shipbuilding town, St. Michaels still celebrates its maritime roots at every turn while offering a classy spin on coastal life. (At a bar, you’re as likely to be chatting with a crabber just off their workboat as a magnate just off their yacht.) Of course, there’s no shortage of activities on the water, but one of the town’s charms is that it’s compact and walkable—only about 1.2 square miles—and lovely even for a day trip. The year-round population is fewer than 1,500, but during the water season visitors flock to town to stroll past shops, enjoy live music and explore side streets lined with historic homes.
BEST SPA, SAILING AND SERENITY
The Inn at Perry Cabin, set on 26 acres at the north end of town, is the dog-friendly luxury resort immortalized by Wedding Crashers 21 years ago. Rooms start at about $715 during the high season, but many of the inn’s activities (and hence the elegant grounds) are also accessible to nonguests: the spa; two restaurants; the Stanley Norman, a 1902 skipjack; and the rest of the inn’s fleet (take a sailing lesson or cruise on Five Star, a Hinckley yacht). Complimentary for guests: bikes, kayaks and paddleboards, guided tours on land or water, and workshops, including glass etching, oyster decoupage and monkey knot tying. The Inn at Perry Cabin, 308 Watkins Lane, 410-745-2200, innatperrycabin.com
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and gems). Don’t miss the bookish-themed candles, temporary tattoos of skateboarding dogs, and curated kitchenware. Book Hounds, 104 N. Talbot St., 410-745-8070, bookhoundsmd.com or Instagram @bookhoundsmd
BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO COURTESY INN AT PERRY CABIN; TOP RIGHT PHOTO COURTESY FOXY’S HARBOR GRILLE
BEST WAY TO SEE ST. MICHAELS
St. Michaels Museum, an all-volunteer museum with programming for adults and children, offers walking tours every Saturday, May through October. Frederick Douglass tours, with stops including the St. Michaels church Douglass attended and the home where he reconciled with his former owner, take place on the first Saturday of each month. (Douglass was born in Talbot County and spent 11 years enslaved in St. Michaels and on nearby farms.) The Historic St. Michaels tour—which stops at water-
men’s cottages, the Edward Willey house and shipyard, and the Cannonball House (which was struck by a cannonball during the War of 1812)—is offered on all the other Saturdays each month. All tours are 90 minutes and $15 (free for children younger than 18; adult supervision required), starting at 10 a.m. at the museum; registration is not required. A 37-stop, self-guided walking tour can be downloaded from the museum’s website. For evening tours, check out Chesapeake Ghost Tours. St. Michaels Museum, 201 E. Chestnut St., 410-745-9561, stmichaelsmuseum.org Chesapeake Ghost Tours, 443-735-0771, chesapeakeghosts.com
BEST WATERFRONT DRINKS
In St. Michaels, a friend quipped, you drink on the water and eat on the street.
If that’s true, there’s no better place to imbibe than Foxy’s Harbor Grille. The waterfront eatery offers a trivia night, live music five days a week all summer and a Margaritaville vibe—well past happy hour (margaritas are $6 after 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday). The “street” destinations offer great dining options: Ava’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar for delish pizza and a lovely dining patio; Gina’s Cafe for eclectic and vegfriendly Tex-Mex; and Ruse, a special occasion spot at the Wildset Hotel with an oyster bar, seasonal menu and James Beard Award-nominated chef. Foxy’s Harbor Grille, 125 Mulberry St., 410-745-4340, foxysharborgrille.com
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A Way With
Words The short stories and essays that took the top prizes in our annual writing competition Bethesda Magazine and the Bethesda Urban Partnership sponsored the 2026 Short Story & Essay Contest for local writers. The judges pored over 165 short stories and 217 essays to select the winners, who were recognized at a ceremony at The Bethesdan Hotel in Bethesda in March. First-, second- and third-place writers in the contest and honorable mentions were awarded cash prizes ranging from $50 to $500. The work of the first-place winners appears on the pages that follow. Read the stories and essays by the runners-up online at BethesdaMagazine.com.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY MATTIA RIAMI
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1st Place Adult Short Story
Past Tense Michael Norton LIVES IN:
Silver Spring
OCCUPATION:
“I’m a writer. I like to write fables and fairy tales and short stories with talking animals and talking objects, though the story in this magazine features neither. I used to be a playwright.”
HOW HE GOT THE IDEA FOR THE STORY: “The idea for the story came from a bat and beaver pontoon boat cruise on Little Seneca Lake (canceled due to inclement weather), an exhibit I saw a few years ago at the Yale University Art Gallery about Thomas Wilfred’s lumia, the awfully plastic phrase “reduction in force” and seeing Hitchcock’s Vertigo at AFI Silver Theatre.”
RECOMMENDED READING:
“I love all sorts of sci-fi, magical realism and folklore. Ursula K. Le Guin endlessly interests me. So do Kurt Vonnegut and Italo Calvino and Anton Chekhov. A couple books I’ve read in the past year that still stick in my mind are Margaret Kennedy’s The Feast and Penelope Mortimer’s Daddy’s Gone A-Hunting.”
UP NEXT:
“I would like to continue writing short pieces and get them into magazines. Once I have a tidy pile of stories, perhaps I’ll tie them up with a red ribbon and make them into a collection. I would like to keep listening to the objects and animals of our world to see what they have to say.”
W
hile waiting for an old friend at the edge of a reservoir, imagining us watching the bats and beavers in the dusk and recalling to each other how our lives had been plodding along, I picked up a speckled rock, considered keeping it forever, reconsidered, and tossed it into the reservoir, which I was told provides emergency drinking water to the city. I didn’t like thinking about what sort of emergency would necessitate that, so instead I watched the concentric rings of the splash form and fade, and it reminded me of a job I once had as a security guard in an art museum. It was a hulking concrete building plopped in the middle of a field and filled with expensive curiosities from the last century. My job was to stand in a gallery. I was only there for two months, not because of any fault of my own, but because of funding issues—a security guard job with no security. When I told my mother I had been RIF’d, she wasn’t sure what that meant. My brother thought it sounded like a sci-fi concept, a rift in space-time sucking me into another dimension. I explained to him that the word was RIF, a reduction in force. I didn’t bother explaining it to my mom. I just assured her that I’d find something else, something better; I’ve almost managed to find something better. For those two months, I stood in one corner of a gallery, and in the center was what appeared to be a normal lamp atop a wooden table. It wouldn’t have looked out of place in your grandmother’s living room. The table was made of dark stained wood without decoration. The lamp was just as plain. I was so bored at that museum that I read every placard over and over, so that now, though I struggle to remember the birthdays of my oldest friends or the plots of books I once loved, I remember the finer points of pointillism, the names of deceased art
donors, and that the lamp was called The Luminar. From the top of the lamp shot beams of colored light that danced across the ceiling in a slow ballet, colors shifting and swirling. The table hid the mechanism of rotating reflectors and painted glass panels. Sometimes the light resembled an aquatic scene: gentle waves, seaweed caught in a current, ripples in a reservoir. Sometimes it looked like outer space: the birth or death of a star, pink and green radiation crisscrossing the cosmos, a black hole widening. From the placard, I learned that the artist, Thomas Wilfred, would have hated these interpretations. He hated all interpretations of his light art, “lumia” as he named it. Lumia was intended to be a new art form, free of connotation, narrative, drama, emotion. An art free of humanity, light for light’s sake. He wanted it to be slow; he wanted people to just sit there and resist the cloud-gazing urge to point up and say, “Look! There’s a bunny! There’s a castle! There’s a jellyfish!” It was an old exhibit, more mausoleum than museum. Guests entered the gallery, looked at the light, tried to figure out how it worked, tried to figure out what it meant, got bored, and then left. There were a few long, low, faux leather couches so guests could theoretically sit or lie down and soak up the lumia, but hardly anyone did. As dictated by the artist, there was no music in the gallery to corrupt his piece, and the lights were kept dim. The gallery became a hallway leading to the popular Hopper painting in the next room. The only person who ever sat on those couches for more than a minute was a young woman. The first time I saw her, I assumed she was there for an assignment, sent by some college professor to seek out obscure art, since she was attempting to capture the fleeting light display on a sketch pad. She came equipped with colored pencils. It was
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BY MICHAEL NORTON
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my job, technically speaking, to watch people at the museum, to make sure they didn’t touch the art, to make sure they didn’t drink or eat in the gallery, but I was always uncomfortable with it. I had been taught that staring was impolite. I didn’t want to make people feel uncomfortable. So I averted my gaze; I read the placards. But still, you notice things in your periphery. I noticed that this woman became a daily visitor to the gallery, always sitting quite still, only her hand moving the pencils across the page. I made no friends at the museum. The curators and admins looked down on security guards as beneath them, and I found the other guards aloof and a bit beneath me, though I’m embarrassed to admit that. The woman with the colored pencils was the only person I saw at the museum who didn’t have negativity spiraling around her. Once I’d been RIF’d and told I had two weeks left, and after considerable rehearsing, I took it upon myself to close the gap between two familiar strangers, careful to find the words that would come across as not threatening, not odd, not too nosy. I don’t remember if I was driven more by sheer boredom or an earnest need for human connection, but I do remember that my opening lines were bad. I said to her, “Excuse me, I couldn’t help but notice you really like that piece. I’ve seen you before.” “I would hope a security guard sees everything,” she replied without looking at me, swirling the tip of a deep blue pencil around and around to mimic the light, “and just because someone is trying to understand something doesn’t mean they like it.” I had not rehearsed for this response, so I jumped several lines forward in my imaginary script. “It’s just … you’ve reminded me of that character in Vertigo who goes to look at the same museum portrait every day. Though that was, if I remember correctly, a sort of deception, a sort of …”
“Don’t do that. Don’t assume I’ve seen what you’ve seen. Don’t spoil a movie. What a nasty urge: to feel superior in that way. To show off some trivial knowledge,” she scolded. “It’s been out for like 50 years.” “So? I haven’t seen it.” “Do you want to?” “Not really.” “All I meant was …” and then I realized I didn’t know what I had meant by bringing up Vertigo, a movie I had mostly forgotten. Luckily, I didn’t scare her away and she returned to the gallery the next day and then the day after that. At first, I
didn’t say anything to her. But we would acknowledge each other with head nods and small smiles. When the gallery was about to close—she tended to stay there most of the day—I would inform her in a casual, friendly tone, not the authoritative script my manager had told me to repeat. We had micro-conversations. Once, I offered to get her something from the cafe since she had been in the gallery all day without eating, and she answered, “No, thank you.” Another day, she told me my shoe was untied, and I replied, “Oh!” One time, I was tempted to compliment her crocheted scarf, curious if she had made it her-
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self, but that felt like overstepping, so I just asked, “Is it cold outside?” and she told me, “Yes, it is.” I took this as a golden opportunity and continued the conversation with, “It’s been a chilly fall,” to which she retorted, “Though not as cold as last year.” I never learned her name, and I’m unsure if she ever saw mine on the little tag on my uniform, but names are just one part of a person, and quite a small part. Eventually, curiosity conquered, and I asked her what she was doing with her pencils. I don’t recall the exact words I used, probably because they were clunky and unrehearsed. But I do remember how she answered. “My sister likes this art. She likes the blues in it,” she uttered with such a force of finality that I just nodded. It was the first detail about her life I knew, and my mind raced. Should I tell her I have a sibling, too? Should I tell her I like blue? Does everyone like blue? While I was contemplating this, she continued, still craning her neck upward, “I had a dream last night. I don’t sleep a lot. When I do, I don’t dream. But last night, I did. The whole scene was bathed in this light. I was in our old cul-desac, and you were there, too, and also a dog with the eyes of an owl, and it wanted to hurt me, and I saw its belly, and I …” “Don’t do that. Don’t assume I want to hear about your dream. Don’t spoil a dream. What a nasty urge: to show off some trivial knowledge of your own unconscious,” I teased. She looked at me, the lumia shifted from blue to green above her, and then she smiled. She must have recognized that I had actually listened to her when she was reprimanding me the other day. “You know, I’m glad I don’t dream often. Dreams are stupid,” she said. I wanted to argue against that point, but I didn’t. Instead, I asked, “Why are you drawing the lights?” “My sister likes this art,” she whispered with a wistfulness that stopped me from inquiring further. That was the limit of rehearsal. I didn’t know what to say or do next, and she must have sensed that, because she
She looked at me, the lumia shifted from blue to green above her, and then she smiled. She must have recognized that I had actually listened to her when she was reprimanding me the other day. went on: “There was a scientist once, in the 1800s I think, who studied memory by making up a bunch of three-letter nonsense syllables like MIP and WEX and ZOG, and then he tried to commit them to memory. When he tested himself later, he found that he forgot over half of the words in only nine hours. When I read that, it made me really sad. But I don’t cry. I’ve never really been able to. Sadness just turns into a headache. It feels like right before a storm, when the pressure drops and everything just feels wrong.” “RIF is a good three-letter nonsense word,” I joked. She smiled. “So are RIX and RIN and REP.” “Rep is a real word, though,” I said, “repetition.” “Or representative,” she added. “I hate that we forget so much.” “So, you hate forgetting and you hate dreams and you hate spoiled movies, but you like lumia.” “I don’t like it. My sister did. She liked this museum. Blue was her favorite color.” The past tense hung there like a dark cloud. I watched it floating around the room and she noticed my noticing, and then we sat in the silence, as the artist intended. “She always told me I should come here to look at the lights. But I was a kid then, and I found museums boring. I still do. I would get scared in the night and I’d go into her room, and she would let me sleep beside her. I was beside her every night. She pretended to hate it, but I knew she didn’t. I don’t like telling people this. When you speak a memory out loud, it changes on a physical level in your brain. She liked these lights a lot, and I made fun of her for it. She had a heart condition.
One of those ones that you don’t know about until … she died in her sleep. They said it was peaceful. I’m not sure. I woke up next to her. I’m sorry. You don’t need to know all this.” While I struggled to find the right thing to say, she snatched up her drawings and pencil box and left. I wanted to chase after her, but I wasn’t allowed to leave the gallery, and anyway, it’s clear when someone doesn’t want to be followed. I spent the rest of my shift rehearsing what I would say to her the next day, but when I was leaving the museum that evening, I saw that the trash can by the exit was overflowing with torn sketch pad pages, each covered in delicate swirls of lumia blue. The pencils were there, too, and one was sticking up like a pole left by an Arctic explorer in the wasteland, the flag long ripped off and taken by the wind. She didn’t return to the gallery the next day, and by the end of the week I was RIF’d. I wanted to find her, but I knew nothing about her except for a dream she once had and the worst moment in her life. I tried to find her sister’s obituary with the scant details I had until I realized I was being foolish and distracting myself from finding a new job, finding something better. The ripples in the reservoir disappeared as I thought about those lights on the ceiling and seeing that trash can full of her sketches, and I realized my friend was very late, a bad habit of hers, and that the bats had already flown across the water and that the beavers had already retreated into their dams to sleep. I wasn’t angry at my friend. We had planned this little rendezvous last minute. It’s easy to forget to remember.
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1st Place Adult Essay
I’m Greedy BY JOYCE B. SIEGEL
W
hile looking out a window of my condo one day, I saw a woman walking by who appeared to be 30-ish. She had a sprightly gait and was dressed for the summer heat: short shorts, bare midriff, flip-flops. I didn’t begrudge her the outfit, but I did envy her obvious youthful look (relative to my 92 years). I envied her confident stride and perfect posture, neither of which I possess. Once, maybe. Not now. At my advanced age, I’m using a walker. I have a wheelchair to use on an as-needed basis. My longest self-propelled walk is in my unit, from the kitchen to the bedroom. Most of what I want is on shelves that are now too high for me (I’ve shrunk). Grocery shopping, restaurant dining and theatergoing, almost everything I used to do regularly, have become more difficult. With restaurants, it’s the crowded seating. The walker is always in someone’s way. Theater seating involves another problem since there are usually stairs and I need to be near an aisle because of the walker. It’s easier to just stay home. I look in the mirror and don’t recognize me. When about and around, my all-gray hair, my walker and my stooped posture announce “old” to everyone. Most people open doors for me and let me get ahead of them on lines. Some even help me unload my groceries from the shopping cart to the car. Thinking about all of this and that young woman I saw from my window, I think about when I was around her age. I think of things I wanted to do but didn’t, about the trips I didn’t take and the books I meant to read, once or once again. I feel greedy, even though I’ve had my turn. I feel greedy, although I’ve done rewarding work and received
Joyce B. Siegel
retired after nine years as a commissioner at the Housing Opportunities Commission and nine years on staff there as community relations officer.”
looking out the window, saw a young woman and started to think about my current situation, being in the years people refer to as ‘dotage.’ I felt a tinge of jealousy thinking about how I am in the last part of my life. Jealousy tinged with gratefulness for a life with my wonderful children and grandchildren.”
HOW SHE GOT THE IDEA FOR THE ESSAY: “I actually was
“I’ve enjoyed reading
LIVES IN: North Bethesda
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OCCUPATION: “I am
RECOMMENDED READING:
more than enough recognition for it. Certainly I feel grateful, too, especially grateful for my loving, attentive family, including my eight beloved grandchildren. That gratefulness extends to my home. Unlike the majority of our earth’s population, I live in a secure, comfortable home, temperature seasonally adjusted. There’s a full fridge and artwork I enjoy on the apartment’s walls. I feel blessed. But “blessed” is tempered by reality. The daily news is full of horror and despair. Anyone with an ounce of empathy must feel saddened and anxious in these troubling times. So along with my blessings, I worry about what’s ahead for my incredible grandchildren and for that 30-ish, snappily dressed woman I saw from my window. They’ll all have to figure out how to deal with what’s ahead. They’ll have to face their inevitable aging. I envy them their problems. I’m greedy for more of that precious and so often taken for granted element: time.
Middlemarch (twice), but especially like biographies. I loved the bio of Steve Jobs. I enjoy The New Yorker, although the weekly issues seem to pile up, and I enjoy the humor of Calvin Trillin and anything by John McPhee.”
UP NEXT: “I am working on a book about my volunteer work for the Scotland community on Seven Locks Road. I coordinated
the efforts of hundreds of volunteers, residents of Scotland, neighbors and other good-hearted people. After 100 homes were built to replace housing that had no heat, water, sewage or trash collection, I sort of ‘retired’ from my volunteer role. I sat down with an old typewriter to tell the 50-plus year story, which is almost complete with the help of a co-writer, Paul Tukey.”
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1st Place High School Short Story
Rye O Ainsley MacSlarrow LIVES IN: Potomac
SCHOOL:
2026 graduate of Winston Churchill High School
HOW SHE GOT THE IDEA FOR THE STORY:
“While taking a walk with my mom and dog, I saw a hill covered in orange pine needles, and it made me think of a tall animal walking away toward the sunset. I began to picture a young girl whose external fears and experiences were reflected by her imaginary friends, one of whom was the hill animal, and the rest of the story quickly came together.”
RECOMMENDED READING: “A few authors whose work I have greatly enjoyed are Rick Riordan, Brandon Mull, Shannon Messenger and Cassandra Clare. Some books that have had a particularly large impact on me are Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd, and The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine by Katherine Marsh.” UP NEXT: She plans to major in English at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. “I hope to become a high school English teacher after graduating. In the future, I dream to one day publish a novel.”
n the other side of the creek, an elephant wearing a rugged cape of dried tree needles plodded away toward the sinking, spitting sun. Rye watched it with a somber expression that looked odd on a 9-yearold’s face; she repeatedly swung her heels against the legs of her porch chair. The door to the cottage opened, and Hannah appeared, carrying a hot mug in each hand. She shut the door softly behind her by pulling the knob with the crook of her elbow. The cottage was getting older, built 50 years ago in 2046, and the door’s hinges squeaked like mice. Rye sniffed her mug. It was tea. She wrinkled her nose. Hannah, sinking into the rocking chair beside her, noticed her expression. “Dr. Copeland recommended it. Ginger tea. It might help with the nausea.” Rye scrunched her face but tried a small sip. “It’s spicy,” she said. For a few minutes, the two sat drinking their tea in silence, watching the sun slowly set behind the pine forest and the humping orange hills. “When do I have to go back to the doctor?” Hannah took a long draught of her tea and replied, “We have another round of chemotherapy in two weeks.” “I hate chemotherapy.” Two birds took flight from atop the elephant’s sun-touched back. They circled distantly up into the sky, like raindrops falling in the wrong direction. Rye took another sip of tea. “Hannah, why are we always the only ones when we go to the doctor?” “I suppose it’s the time we schedule our appointments. Most people are at work or school on Tuesday mornings.” Hannah drained the last of her tea before getting to her feet. “I’d better get dinner started.” “Hannah?” Rye asked. “Did my parents have red hair, too?”
“No, child. Your parents both had brown hair.” “Is my red hair why I got cancer?” Hannah sat back down. She placed the palm of her hand against the side of Rye’s head and gently brushed the springy red curls out of her eyes. “Your hair is beautiful, Rye. Everything about you is beautiful.” In the silence, the faraway twittering of the two birds drifted back on the wind. “Red hair does not cause cancer. Sometimes when a body creates red hair it also creates skin in a way that makes it easier for the skin to get sunburned. Sunburns can lead to skin cancer. It’s possible your skin is more vulnerable to sunburn, and it’s also possible that’s why you got melanoma, but we don’t know anything for sure.” Hannah stood up and went again to the door. But she was still looking at Rye, her eyes warm, like the tea heating Rye’s hands. “I think I’ll unfreeze some of that lemon cheesecake for dessert.” She disappeared into the house. The elephant suddenly wasn’t an elephant anymore. It was a boring, sun-warmed, dry leaf-covered, red pine needle-strewn hill. After dinner, Rye wanted to play dressup. She knelt on the red, handsewn carpet in Hannah’s closet and pawed through a thicket of hanging dresses, fancy sweaters and coats that were popular in the 2070s. An emerald gown slipped from its hanger and crumpled on the floor. Rye scooted forward to pick it up, ducking underneath the hanging clothes, but as she drew the green dress aside, her fingernails clattered against something metal. She pulled out a small tin box. For an eternity of a split second, Rye stared at her finding. It was obviously Hannah’s private possession. It would be wrong to open it. But so many questions had recently bothered Rye: Why did they only go to the doctor when there were
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no other patients around? Why did they live so far away from the village? And why had Rye’s parents never come to visit her? Rye lifted the lid. A bundle of envelopes was wrapped in a rubber band. On top of the bundle, another envelope lay haphazardly, as if it had been read recently and hastily replaced. Hannah could enter at any moment. It would be a betrayal of Hannah’s trust to read any of these. Rye picked up the unbundled envelope. It was addressed to Hannah in slanted handwriting. Rye carefully slid the letter out and unfolded it; the paper was worn with time and with handling. At the top, a date showed it had been written nine years ago. Dear Hannah, I was both delighted and horrified to receive your last letter. It was wonderful to hear from you, but the story you shared is sickening.
As a history professor, I unfortunately know much about societal “othering” in history and in our world today. I am aware of the discrimination red-haired individuals face. Despite this, I can hardly fathom the story you brought to my attention. The idea that any mother and father would be repulsed by their first child simply because that child possesses red hair is abhorrent. The thought that those parents would then attempt to drown that red-haired infant for fear of being persecuted by society themselves … I have no words. Rye touched one of her own ruby curls. It’s a different red-haired baby, she thought, my parents wouldn’t do that. Hannah had told her that her parents were wonderful people, that the only reason Rye had never met them was because they’d been unable to take care of her and had moved to a different village when she was just a baby. I am so very sorry, Hannah, for what you
and the child have endured. All I can say in comfort is this: You were an excellent midwife, and you will be an even more excellent guardian. The idea of you saving the baby’s life, leaving everything behind, and purchasing a lonely cottage in the hills to raise the child away from discrimination is extraordinary and heartwarming. I hope you know what a courageous, humane and truly inspirational thing you have done. Sincerely yours, Alan Rye folded the letter along the creases, slid it carefully into the envelope, tucked the envelope back on top of the bundle, latched the box and placed it on the floor of Hannah’s closet. She stood. The legs that obediently unbent, the feet that planted, the thin, pale hands that smoothed the rumpled skirt seemed to belong to someone else, someone far away. She looked around dazedly, feeling as if she might fade into mist and seep through the cracks of the wooden door. The next time she breathed, she was in the forest, the moon weakly shining through the shadowy leaves. Somehow, she had made it out of the house and across the meadow without Hannah noticing. Rye wondered briefly why she was in the forest, then realized she already knew: She needed to find her parents. She needed to confirm that the professor was wrong. She needed to confirm that she was born to wonderful people. She was determined. She would walk to the village and ask people if they knew where her parents had moved. Surely someone could point her in the right direction. Her feet began to move. For a long, long time, she walked, the moon a steady light directly above her. In the hissing wind, the leaves rustled menacingly, and she tried her best not to look at them because they tilted into terrifying shapes when she did. After a while, she realized there was a ghostly girl her exact height treading serenely beside her. “Hello,” Rye said. She knew who it was. The girl had gathered all of the pieces of Rye that were strewn around—bits of hair and fingernails, forgotten thoughts, abandoned teddy bears, and most of all, footprints— and had woven them into something resembling a clear, glassy, Rye-shaped pond with a twinkling jewel at the center.
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“Hello,” the pond girl said. A breeze shook dry leaves down on their heads, and Rye flinched, but the girl didn’t even blink. “Doesn’t the wind make you scared?” Rye asked. “No,” said the pond girl. “The night wind isn’t any different from the day wind, except maybe a little colder.” Rye thought this over and decided it was sensible. Another question occurred to her: Why would people think red hair causes cancer? She was remembering a poster she’d noticed lying wet in the gutter on a village street. On the left side of the page was an image of a red-haired girl with the caption “RED HAIR.” An arrow connected this to an image of a girl with blond hair falling in clumps out of her head, labeled with the word “CANCER.” Rye explained this to the pond girl, then added, “Hannah says red hair doesn’t cause cancer.” The pond girl seemed to contemplate this deeply. She watched her soundless feet step through the rising mist. “You can trust Hannah,” she finally said. “Hannah’s probably the one who’s right.” They walked in companionable silence for a while, listening to the not-so-scary wind hum among the branches. After what must have been a long time, Rye realized the pond girl was gone. Rye looked forward. Surprise shook her gently to her roots. Ahead was a small clearing ringed by the wide trunks of pine trees. In the center, three people clustered around a fire. A child in a puffy blue coat leaned sleepily against a tall woman Rye thought was his mother. Two older children, perhaps brothers, hunkered together on a log with their backs to Rye, roasting things on sticks. Rye lingered by the trees, watching, not wanting to go any farther. All of them had thick brown hair. Suddenly, the child in the puffy coat moved his head, and his gaze met Rye’s. His eyes widened. “Look!” The brothers swiveled around. The mother narrowed her eyes. Her fingers tightened, whitened, on her youngest son’s shoulders. “Redhead,” she muttered, and Rye thought her voice sounded like the hissing of the wind when it was frightening. The mother raised her voice. “Go away, now. Clear out!”
Rye wondered why she was frozen solid to the ground, because it wasn’t cold enough for ice. She wanted to open her mouth, to ask for directions to the village, because it was now clear to her that she had been wandering aimlessly and was lost. But her mouth was frozen shut. “Did you hear me?” the mother said, still louder. “We don’t want trouble. My boys are too young for cancer.” The ice suddenly seemed to melt, and Rye’s feet were free. Quick as anything, she ran, and the tree branches blurred above her head. By the time she finally stopped, she was panting heavily. She looked around. Ahead, there was a gnarled, twisted old tree with a smiling face. It beckoned, kindly, and Rye tucked herself, hearing her own faint sobs, into the oval gap in its trunk. It fluttered across her mind that there might be spiders, or snakes, or beetles, but then she was distracted by the tears storming from her eyes, and she had to rub them away vigorously and bury her face in her arms. The sweater knitted by Hannah months ago scratched against her face, and she realized she missed Hannah terribly and wanted more than anything to be with her. This only made the crying worse; for quite a while she sobbed, pressed trembling against the soft bark of the tree. By the time the tears stopped, Rye was wrung out. She leaned against the inside of the tree and listened to the silence. A distant voice calling reached Rye’s ears, and a bouncing, sharp light cut through the trees. Rye thought she must have cried out, because the next thing she knew, Hannah was running toward her, flashlight hanging limply in her hand, calling “Rye,” and Rye started crying again. “Oh, Hannah,” Rye sobbed, “I’m sorry, I opened your box and read your letter and it said my parents tried to kill me because of my red hair, so I went to find them, but then there was a family, and the mother shouted at me to go away, and she said not to give them cancer, and I remembered a poster I saw on the street that said people with red hair can give other people cancer, but you said it’s not true …” Hannah scooped her up, tear-soaked sweater and all, and carried her the whole way home.
They did not talk about the box for two days. Hannah made a lot of raisin bread, which she did when she was worried. Rye helped a little with the stirring, but she mostly played with pond girl or looked for the orange elephant or read one of the chapter books that Hannah bought for her after every round of chemotherapy. Then, during dinner on the second day, Rye suddenly started crying again. Hannah rushed to get tissues, and once the tears were done, they talked about the letter from Alan and the family in the forest. Hannah told her that people tended to wrongly, disgustingly hate redheads (turning “redhead” into a derogatory term) and blame them for things nobody could control, like cancer. Rye asked if her parents had really tried to drown her, and Hannah told her yes. Then Hannah got them each two slices of raisin bread—because one is never enough, she insisted—and said Rye was perfect and beautiful, that anyone who said otherwise didn’t know what they were talking about, and that she, Hannah, wouldn’t choose any other life—even one as a famous millionaire, Rye asked, and Hannah confirmed, even one as a famous millionaire—if it meant she couldn’t live with Rye. When Rye looked out the window at the rolling orange hills, she saw with a wave of joy that the elephant had returned. Months passed, and Rye turned 10, and visits to the doctor became more frequent, and hair clogged the shower drain five times before chemotherapy stopped working, and Hannah made so much raisin bread that she had to start giving loaves away in the doctor’s office, and one day, everything stopped. Even the raisin bread stopped. Many years later, Hannah made the slow walk to a specific hill visible from the porch that Rye had once imagined was an elephant, and she knelt on the orange pine needles. The setting sun cast a shifting light on a gravestone, which read, “Rye Jamali, a most beloved girl, July 5, 2088 to Nov. 19, 2098.” Hannah settled flowers around the grave, and then she sat and simply looked at it. She drew in a heavy breath and let it out softly. After a time, she rose and returned to the cottage, to bake raisin bread and write a letter.
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1st Place High School Essay
The Weight on the Bench BY NOLAN CHEN
I
sit on the black bench, my hands poised above the stretching field of keys. Golden rays of summer sunlight illuminate the room in hazy shades of comfort. As my fingers begin to run across the piano, the weight on the bench shifts: a silent presence joins me. I pause to look down at him. Deaf as he was, he somehow still listened along to my practice. When I stumbled through sight reading in October, he was there, meowing loud enough for the neighbors to hear. I’d lightly scold him before resetting my hands and trying again. He was there when I completed a Liszt piece in January, stoically sitting nearby. He’d walk around me on the bench, inconveniently switching sides. And again, in May, as I nervously dressed for competitions, he watched me distantly from the cushioned armchair. He’d been there for it all, and I’d never questioned it or considered what it meant. By the end of spring, he was still there. Still switching sides on the bench, still meowing loudly. I didn’t know then that these would be some of our final moments together, nor did I think to savor the weight of him beside me. Summer arrived more quickly than expected. He had aged significantly, his movements sluggish and pained. I sadly watched him adjust his stride to match his fatigued body, watched him struggle to stand up. Each day, I lost a little more of him, until there was nothing left to lose.
At first, I didn’t feel much. The house was quieter, but I continued through my daily routines, unchanged. Thick clouds fogged my mind, keeping me aloft in undesired ignorance. Gradually I noticed the little things—his empty food bowl, quiet and cold; the medicine unused; his fish plush, still on his bed. Each remembrance stacked upon the other, pummeling the clouds until they finally broke. I’d thought the memories would comfort me, that they would bring me solace and peace. I was wrong—I’d never hear his meow again, never feel his roughened fur, and most of all, the bench would remain still, never shifting with the added weight. Today, as I walk to the black bench, I open the curtains. Orange-yellow afternoon sunlight, reminiscent of better days, pours through. Yet the walls are illuminated without comfort. I sit again, and I close my eyes. Somewhere, I can faintly feel his presence, can still hear his distant meows. The piano sounds the same, the notes feel the same. The rhythm, too. But it somehow feels empty, as if a piece is missing. The bench no longer shifts. He couldn’t hear a single note I played, yet he made the music matter. I once thought that musical perfection was everything, that practice, skill and talent were all it took to be the best. Skill means nothing without someone to share it with.
Nolan Chen
RECOMMENDED READING:
LIVES IN: Clarksburg SCHOOL: Rising junior at
COURTESY PHOTO
Poolesville High School
HOW HE GOT THE IDEA FOR THE ESSAY: “I wrote the essay as
a tribute to my cat, Haqian, who passed away at 20 years
old. My English teacher Mr. McMullen had encouraged the entire class to participate in this writing contest. I nearly gave up on the essay; my grandfather passed away while I was still drafting and it was quite difficult to concentrate. I would like to thank Mr. McMullen for all his guidance and support.”
“One of my favorite books is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I particularly enjoyed the book for Bradbury’s symbolism and vivid imagery, which I drew on in some of my writing. I am considering reading some historical novels to broaden my perspectives on historical events and
differing sides.”
UP NEXT: “Aside from writing,
I enjoy painting, and I’m currently working on a selfportrait. In the past, I’ve made paintings of my cats, family members and landscapes. Similar to writing, painting is a creative outlet for me to convey feelings or process memories.”
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CONTEST INFORMATION
Bethesda Magazine and Bethesda Urban Partnership work together to honor local writers through the short story and essay contests. Short stories are limited to 2,500 words, and authors must be residents of Montgomery County or Upper Northwest
D.C. (20015 and 20016 ZIP codes). Essays are limited to 500 words and writers in the adult contest must live in Washington, D.C., or select counties of Maryland (Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard and Frederick) or Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax,
Loudoun and Prince William); high school writers must be residents of, or attend a school in, Montgomery County or Washington, D.C. Keep an eye out for next year’s contest details at BethesdaMagazine.com/ forms/essay-and-short-story-contest.
The runners-up Adult Short Story
High School Short Story
Aniko Albert, Rockville, second place Sarah Boone, Silver Spring, third place Erica Clark, Silver Spring, honorable mention Bob Greenberg, Bethesda, honorable mention Naomi Walker, Silver Spring, honorable mention
Midori Golike, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, second place Sean Carvin, James Hubert Blake High School, third place Leah DMello, Bullis School, honorable mention Evie Hall, Richard Montgomery High School, honorable mention Rey Landoll, Richard Montgomery High School, honorable mention
Adult Essay
High School Essay
Kristin O’Keefe, Kensington, second place Diego Tovar, Chevy Chase, third place Holly Mason Badra, Clifton, Virginia, honorable mention Joy Einstein, Bethesda, honorable mention Tara Prakash, Chevy Chase, honorable mention
Nila Amin, Walter Johnson High School, second place Annabel Taylor, Walt Whitman High School, third place Abigail Araya, Thomas S. Wootton High School, honorable mention Andrea Chen, Thomas S. Wootton High School, honorable mention Cooper Gregg, Walt Whitman High School, honorable mention Anesu Pimhidzai, Winston Churchill High School, honorable mention
THE judges Jim Beane is a fiction writer whose stories have appeared in numerous online and print literary journals and the anthologies DC Noir and Workers Write: Tales from the Construction Site. He is the winner of the 2017 Tillie Olsen Award for Creative Writing and his work has appeared in O-Dark-Thirty, the literary journal for the Veterans Writing Project. He has published a fiction chapbook, By the Sea, By the Sea... He owes much to the Virginia Center
for the Creative Arts and The Writer’s Center in Bethesda. Jim is a native Washingtonian and lives in West Friendship, Maryland. Caroline Bock is the author of the new novel, The Other Beautiful People, a workplace love story inspired by her twodecade career at AMC, Bravo, IFC and IFC Films. She is also the author of the young adult novels Lie and Before My Eyes, as well as the short story collection Carry Her Home. She is the co-president/prose editor at
the Washington Writers’ Publishing House. She lives in Potomac with her family. Sara Goodman Confino is the bestselling author of six novels: Don’t Forget to Write, Behind Every Good Man, She’s Up to No Good, For the Love of Friends, Good Grief and Off the Record. After spending more years than she’s willing to publicly admit teaching high school English and journalism, she is currently writing full time and trying to make a living off of the crazy stories in
COURTESY PHOTOS
Adult Short Story Judges
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her head. She lives in Montgomery County with her husband, two sons, two miniature schnauzers and a goldfish that seems to be vying for the world record of longest living fish.
High School Short Story Judges Jarvis Slacks is the chair of English and reading at the Rockville campus of Montgomery College. Jarvis has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing/fiction from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. When he’s not teaching writing and working with students, he’s working on fiction projects. Kristina Tabor is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. Her work appears in the anthology America’s Future: Poetry & Prose in Response to Tomorrow (Washington Writers’ Publishing House, 2025) and several literary journals including Cease, Cows, Ghost Parachute, Fractured Lit and The Molotov Cocktail. She’s also a regular essay contributor to the Substack Wisdom of Crowds. Her debut micro-chapbook, Memory's Ebb, was released in 2025 by ELJ Editions. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Randolph College, where she started a humorous novel— which is still in progress. She calls Washington, D.C., home.
John Wang was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and grew up in Los Angeles. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley. He has taught English to junior high, elementary and kindergarten students in Matsusaka, Japan. He has a Master of Arts degree in English/creative writing from the University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and a doctorate in English literature/creative writing from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Wang’s fiction and poetry has appeared in such journals as Cimmaron Review, Quarterly West, Hobart and Barcelona Review. He resides in Darnestown.
Adult and High School Essay Judges Andrew Bertaina is the author of the essay collection The Body Is a Temporary Gathering Place (Autofocus, 2024), the booklength essay Ethan Hawke & Me (Barrelhouse, 2025) and the short story collection One Person Away From You. Bertaina has a Master of Fine Arts degree from American University.
Ariel Felton is a writer and editor with a decade of experience in feature writing, travel writing and copywriting. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, Vogue, The New Yorker (Shouts & Murmurs), The Washington Post, Bloomberg, The Bitter Southerner, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Savannah Magazine and more. Her essay “A Letter to My Niece,” first published in The Progressive, was listed as notable in The Best American Essays 2020. Kerry Folan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Dickinson College and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing (nonfiction concentration) from George Mason University. She teaches composition, literature and creative writing at George Mason University. She is also the founder and director of Shore Lit, an organization that brings literary events to the rural Eastern Shore of Maryland, where she lives.
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On a Mission
TO
HEAL GRAPHICS BY ADOBE STOCK
Meet five medical workers from Montgomery County who have volunteered to treat patients in other countries BY OLIVIA YASHAROFF
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TOP: For the past three years, Dr. John Savukinas has gone on annual missions to Guatemala. BELOW: Savukinas provides dental care for a patient.
“Returning to the same community is one of the most meaningful parts of mission dentistry.”
—Dr. John Savukinas
SOMETIMES A SMILE REALLY can be the best medicine. At
least that’s what Dr. John Savukinas, a dentist with his own practice in Rockville, subscribes to. For the past three years, Savukinas has been going on annual humanitarian missions to the small Guatemalan city of Antigua with Global Dental Relief, a Denver-based nonprofit. During his trips to Antigua, Savukinas mostly treats children, filling cavities or extracting teeth. Savukinas, 60, who lives in North Potomac, says he recognizes local staff members each time he returns, and some patients even recognize him. “Returning to the same community is one of the most meaningful parts of mission dentistry because it shifts the experience from short-term relief to continuity of care,” he says. During his 2024 mission, Savukinas and his group of 14 other volunteers saw more than 500 patients in just nine days, he says. During his most recent trip this March, he says the team provided the equivalent of $153,665 worth of dental care. A practicing dentist for more than 30 years, Savukinas prioritizes preventive care among young patients abroad, calling it the “foundation” of treatment.
COURTESY PHOTOS
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Dr. Bill Chester, right, with author Kuki Gallmann at a clinic they helped establish in Kenya
“You learn a lot in the process about what you’re capable of without all the bells and whistles.”
—Dr. Bill Chester
HAVING BEEN ON ABOUT 70 missions over the past 41 years,
Dr. Bill Chester, 67, tells each doctor who joins him that they will learn as much from their patients abroad as the other way around. “This is not a one-way street,” he says. Many of his team members return from trips “more tame and less arrogant,” he says. “It’s like, wow, look how much you can do without all the things that we do have [in the United States] and depend on, and get really pissed if we don’t have in an operating room. You learn a lot in the process about what you’re capable of without all the bells and whistles, and frankly all the money that we spend here in medicine.” Chester, who lives in Dickerson, is an anesthesiologist at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville. He has been to more than 15 countries on medical missions, but the one that sticks with him the most is Kenya. In 1993, Chester read Italian Kenyan author Kuki Gallmann’s
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book I Dreamed of Africa about the deaths of Gallmann’s husband and son. Chester was immediately moved to write a letter to her, sparking a yearslong friendship. Chester set up the Paul Chester Children’s Hope Foundation in 2004 in memory of his son, who died in a car accident in 2003 at the age of 16. The foundation aims to provide “life-changing surgery for children in need,” according to its website, and its first mission in 2005 was to Kenya. During that trip, Chester and Gallmann worked together on a clinic that was being built. He continues to collaborate on projects in Kenya with Gallmann’s daughter who has two daughters of her own, he says. Chester’s foundation usually does one medical mission a year. This year they’re going to four sites. Teams have already returned from trips to Ukraine and Honduras. In April, Chester went on his sixth mission in Morocco in the past five years. Chester and his team will return to Kenya this July.
COURTESY PHOTOS
6/11/26 11:18 AM
“You make such a difference in little things.”
—Madeleine Caughey A MOTHER IN JAMAICA believed her young
son refused to listen to her. It turned out he wasn’t being purposefully disrespectful or rebellious; his ears were filled with wax that hindered his hearing. An ear cleaning by family nurse practitioner Madeleine Caughey, who was on a grassroots trip to the island nation in 2017, and “Voilà, he could hear Mom yelling at him now,” Caughey says. Caughey, 66, who grew up in Kensington and lives there now, works in orthopedic oncology at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in D.C. She says going on medical missions makes you feel better about what you do for a living and appreciate what you have. During a 2019 mission to Ethiopia, Caughey met a man suffering from foot pain. The leather shoes his family recently had bought for him from the United States were causing blisters “all over.” Caughey discovered this was because he never before had worn a full shoe, only sandals. She trimmed his nails, cleaned up his feet and suggested he admire his new shoes from a shelf and not wear them so much. “You make such a difference in little things,” Caughey says. She hopes to return to Ethiopia next year, although she says she has concerns about traveling to the East African country. “They’ve had a lot of civil unrest, so it’s just hard,” she says.
On a trip to Ethiopia, Nurse Practitioner Madeleine Caughey entertained a patient’s daughter by making her pipe cleaner glasses (above left) and took care of patients with a range of symptoms.
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“It gives you perspective of the privilege that we have.”
—Dr. Aseem Balhara
DURING PREVIOUS MISSIONS TO Thailand
and the Dominican Republic, Dr. Aseem Balhara learned the importance of strategic planning. Now 41, he’s preparing to lead his first mission, a fall trip to Peru. Balhara, the medical director for hospital medicine at Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center in Silver Spring, says the upcoming trip has been “a dream” of his. Despite his excitement, Balhara is also aware of the controversy surrounding mission trips— including views that they can do more harm than good by focusing on volunteer experience rather than locals’ needs—which he says can beg the question, “Are you really doing it for them or are you doing it for yourself?” Balhara believes in the importance of leveraging the already existing health clinics in the area to establish a good relationship with the community and avoid any animosity. “Everyone’s well intentioned, but sometimes you do more harm than good, so you have to plan well,” says Balhara, who lives in North Bethesda. This fall, Balhara and a group from White Oak Medical Center will travel by boat into the upper Amazon jungle, where access to healthcare is limited, to provide primary care, medical education and preventive services to communities in need. He is currently preparing a team of more than 20 doctors, most of whom have never been on a mission trip, for what they might encounter in Peru, including diseases such as malaria, chikungunya and leishmaniasis—things Balhara says you “wouldn’t see within the Bethesda area.” “You see some things you’ve never seen in your life. The stuff you see in textbooks,” Balhara says. “Those unique experiences stick with you.” Balhara looks back on his trip to Thailand as an “almost life-altering experience.” He says all 90 children at an orphanage had lice, and a majority had scabies. The clothes and bedding of all the children had to be treated at the same time so they would avoid getting scabies again. “It gives you perspective of the privilege that we have, the easy life that we live comparatively,” Balhara says.
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FROM TOP: Dr. Aseem Balhara (far right) at the intake area in the Dominican Republic; Balhara acts as a patient while teaching local nurses how to use an ophthalmoscope in the Dominican Republic; Balhara’s group entertained waiting patients in Thailand.
COURTESY PHOTOS
6/11/26 11:19 AM
Dr. Jason Nellis on a mission trip in Nicaragua
“We speak the common language, which is helping people.”
—Dr. Jason Nellis
DR. JASON NELLIS, a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon
at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., and Suburban Hospital in Bethesda—first got involved with community service projects as a student at the University of Maryland. He helped start a group called Terp Corps, promoting homelessness awareness in D.C. In his residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, his passion for service led him to do mission work in Nicaragua in 2017, taking care of children with cleft lips and palates, as well as adults who had nasal deformities from having untreated clefts when they were younger. “Even though we may speak different languages, we speak the common language, which is helping people,” say Nellis, 38, who lives in Bethesda. “I think it’s something that gives meaning to what we do every day.” Nellis says it’s necessary on medical trips to make the most out of what you have. “In the U.S., we sort of have an infinite sup-
ply it almost seems like, but on mission works, you can only use what you bring,” he says. That’s why Nellis emphasizes the importance of organization: “You know the destination you want to get to, but you gotta make sure that you pack all the supplies to get there and that you’re heading in the right direction. All those things collate to do important work.” Nellis has arranged missions to Central America and Nepal, but more recently he has gotten involved with the Ukraine Facial Reconstruction Initiative. In collaboration with American and Ukrainian surgeons, the organization created a comprehensive webinar series specializing in craniofacial combat trauma reconstruction to share information with other doctors. “It’s pretty cool to see this organization has emerged to help these patients not just through surgery, but education,” Nellis says.
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Top Doctors 2026 Looking for a doctor, stat?
Here are more than 460 physicians in 56 specialties from adolescent medicine to vascular surgery who practice in Montgomery County and Upper NW D.C. (ZIP codes 20015 and 20016). All were nominated by their peers and have been screened by the research company Castle Connolly. Doctors are listed in alphabetical order by specialty, along with up to three hospital affiliations. Note: While some physicians work in more than one office, we have listed their primary location. An online version of this guide at BethesdaMagazine.com/business-category/ top-doctors includes enhanced doctor listings, practice addresses, websites and up to five hospital affiliations for each doctor.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY ANNELISE CAPOSSELA
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Top Doctors 2026
FROM CASTLE CONNOLLY WITH MORE THAN 30 years of experience
researching, reviewing and selecting Top Doctors, Castle Connolly is a trusted and credible healthcare research and information company. Its mission is to help people find the best healthcare by connecting patients with best-in-class healthcare providers. Castle Connolly’s physician-led team of researchers follows a rigorous screening process to select top doctors on both the national and regional levels. Its online nomination process is open to all licensed physicians in the U.S., who may nominate physicians in any medical specialty and in any part of the country, as well as indicate whether each nominated physician is, in their opinion, among the best in their region in their medical specialty or among
ADOLESCENT MEDICINE Lawrence D’Angelo Children’s National Friendship Heights Washington, D.C.; 202-895-3860 Children’s National Hospital, MedStar Washington Hospital Center Kirsten Barry Hawkins MedStar Health Pediatrics and OB/GYN Washington, D.C.; 202-243-3400 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Dana Kornfeld Pediatric Care Center Bethesda; 301-564-5880 Children’s National Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring David Reitman MedStar Adolescent Medicine Washington, D.C.; 202-295-0547 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
the best in the nation in their medical specialty. Then, Castle Connolly’s research team thoroughly vets each physician’s professional qualifications, education, hospital and faculty appointments, research leadership, professional reputation, disciplinary history and if available, outcomes data. Additionally, a physician’s interpersonal skills, such as listening and communicating effectively, demonstrating empathy, and instilling trust and confidence, are also considered in the review process. The Castle Connolly Doctor Directory is the largest network of peer-nominated physicians in the nation. Physicians selected for inclusion in Bethesda Magazine’s “Top Doctors” feature may also appear online at castleconnolly. com, or in conjunction with other Castle
Y. Howard Pung Capital Allergy, Asthma & Immunology North Bethesda; 301-770-7756 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Suburban Hospital Mark Scarupa Institute for Asthma and Allergy Wheaton; 301-962-5800 Rachel Schreiber Schreiber Allergy Rockville; 301-545-5512 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center D’Jahna Thomas Alpha Allergy & Asthma Associates Silver Spring; 301-879-7700 Carla Mosby Ward Institute for Asthma and Allergy Wheaton; 301-962-5800
ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY
BARIATRIC SURGERY
Huamin Li Institute for Asthma and Allergy Wheaton; 301-962-5800
John Brebbia MedStar Montgomery Medical Center—General and Bariatric Surgery Olney; 301-774-8962
Connolly Top Doctors databases online and in print. Castle Connolly is part of Everyday Health Group, a recognized leader in patient and provider education, attracting an engaged audience of more than 82 million health consumers and more than 900,000 U.S. practicing physicians and clinicians to its premier health and wellness digital properties. Its mission is to drive better clinical and health outcomes through decision-making informed by highly relevant information, data and analytics. It empowers healthcare providers and consumers with trusted content and services delivered through Everyday Health Group’s world-class brands. For more information, please visit castleconnolly.com.
MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, MedStar Washington Hospital Center
CARDIAC ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY Alexander Asser Cardiac Associates Rockville; 240-449-1100 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital Edward Healy Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Bethesda; 301-897-5301 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE Anees Ahsan Silver Spring; 301-891-3338 Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center Catherine Bennet CardioCare Chevy Chase; 301-656-5050 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital
Edward Bodurian Sibley Memorial Hospital—Johns Hopkins Cardiology Washington, D.C.; 202-960-1500 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Robert DiBianco Cardiac Associates Rockville; 301-670-3000 Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center Maureen Fennell Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Rockville; 240-238-3760 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Daniel Fernicola Jr. Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Rockville; 240-238-3760 Suburban Hospital Jack Flyer CardioCare Chevy Chase; 301-656-5050 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Aaron Kenigsberg Johns Hopkins Community Physicians
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Lawrence Green Aesthetic & Dermatology Center Rockville; 301-610-0663 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, George Washington University Hospital
Bethesda; 301-897-5301 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Thomas Odar Cardiac Associates Rockville; 301-670-3000 Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center Richard Rubin CardioCare Chevy Chase; 301-656-5050 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Peter Sabia Associates in Cardiology Silver Spring; 301-681-5700 Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring Reza Sanai CardioCare Chevy Chase; 301-656-5050 George Washington University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Ankit Shah Sports & Performance Cardiology LLC Chevy Chase; 240-892-7070 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Suburban Hospital Scott Shapiro MDVIP Chevy Chase; 301-654-1059 George Washington University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Viral Ras Sheth CardioCare Chevy Chase; 301-656-5050 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital William Weigold III Adventist HealthCare Cardiac Associates Silver Spring; 240-637-7000 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center
Ali Hendi Dr. Hendi & Associates Chevy Chase; 301-986-1006 Anita Iyer Epiphany Dermatology Bethesda; 301-530-8300 Richard Weinstein MedStar Health Cardiology Associates Olney; 301-570-7404 MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital Joshua Yamamoto Foxhall Medicine Washington, D.C.; 202-243-0271 Sibley Memorial Hospital
CHILD NEUROLOGY Marc DiFazio Children’s National Montgomery County Rockville; 301-765-5400 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Children’s National Hospital
COLON & RECTAL SURGERY Vincent Obias Washington Endometriosis and Complex Surgery Washington, D.C.; 771-210-4437 Vivek Patil Maryland Oncology Hematology Rockville; 240-487-7522 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Suburban Hospital
DERMATOLOGY Melissa Abrams U.S. Dermatology Partners Rockville; 301-681-7397 Jay Barnett Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery Rockville; 301-990-6565 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
Nashida Beckett Epiphany Dermatology Bethesda; 301-530-8300
Mark Jaffe Anne Arundel Dermatology Bethesda; 240-833-7305 Suburban Hospital
Brenda Berberian Chevy Chase; 301-656-7660 George Washington University Hospital
Matthew Katz Anne Arundel Dermatology Rockville; 301-881-4124
Paula Bourelly Olney Dermatology Associates Olney; 301-260-9202 MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Martin Braun Braun Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center Washington, D.C.; 202-816-7557 Washington Hospital Center Amy Cole U.S. Dermatology Partners Rockville; 301-681-7397 Edward Cowen U.S. Dermatology Partners Rockville; 301-681-7397 National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Alison Ehrlich Ehrlich Dermatology Chevy Chase; 202-838-3016 Eleanor Ford Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center Silver Spring; 301-753-8836 Walter Giblin Anne Arundel Dermatology Rockville; 301-216-2980 Kavita Goyal Goyal Medicine and Dermatology Silver Spring; 301-598-4500
Allison Larson MedStar Health Dermatology Chevy Chase; 301-951-2400 MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, MedStar Washington Hospital Center Ann Lindgren Anne Arundel Dermatology Bethesda; 240-833-7305 Suburban Hospital Benjamin Lockshin U.S. Dermatology Partners Rockville; 301-681-7000 Andrew Montemarano Anne Arundel Dermatology Bethesda; 301-564-3131 John O’Neill Jr. Anne Arundel Dermatology Bethesda; 227-240-6049 Suburban Hospital Tania Peters Capital Laser & Skin Care Chevy Chase; 301-381-2652 Brendan Pillemer Epiphany Dermatology Germantown; 301-444-0153 Ronald Prussick Washington Dermatology Center Rockville; 443-993-8939 Suburban Hospital
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Top Doctors 2026 Geeta Shah Capital Laser & Skin Care Chevy Chase; 301-381-2652 Saurabh Singh U.S. Dermatology Partners Silver Spring; 301-681-7000 Maral Kibarian Skelsey Dermatologic Surgery Center of Washington Chevy Chase; 301-652-8081 George Washington University Hospital, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital Margaret Sommerville Chevy Chase Dermatology Chevy Chase; 301-656-7546 Pantea Tamjidi Tamjidi Skin Institute Chevy Chase; 301-652-4828 Elizabeth Tanzi Capital Laser & Skin Care Chevy Chase; 301-798-9699 George Washington University Hospital Samantha Toerge Chevy Chase Dermatology Center Chevy Chase; 301-951-7905 Sunny Walia Aesthetic & Dermatology Center Rockville; 301-610-0663 Mark Welch Anne Arundel Dermatology Bethesda; 301-564-3131 Thomas Yu Epiphany Dermatology Bethesda; 301-530-8300
DEVELOPMENTALBEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICS Chuck Ng Potomac Psychiatry Rockville; 301-984-9791
DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY Jonathan Bowles Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Rockville; 240-864-1100 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center
Douglas Jones Johns Hopkins Medical Imaging Bethesda; 301-897-5656 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Maya Reiser Community Radiology Associates Rockville; 888-601-0943 Alex Wurm Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Rockville; 301-315-3785 Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center
ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES & METABOLISM Dagmar Arnold MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Olney; 301-774-8882 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, MedStar Washington Hospital Center David Brown Rockville; 301-977-9272 Beatriz Chanduvi Capital Diabetes & Endocrine Associates Silver Spring; 301-899-7713 Michael Dempsey Endocrine and Metabolic Consultants Rockville; 301-770-7373 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Anurag Gupta Advanced Endocrinology Rockville; 301-297-3330 Helena Rodbard Endocrine and Metabolic Consultants Rockville; 301-770-7373 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center
FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY/ OTOLARYNGOLOGY Brian Driscoll Maryland ENT Associates Silver Spring; 301-989-2300 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Suburban Hospital
Jennifer Parker Porter Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgery Bethesda; 301-652-8191 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Suburban Hospital Philip Schoenfeld Renu by Dr. Schoenfeld Chevy Chase; 301-652-7368 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital Christopher Sinha The Centers for Advanced ENT Care—Montgomery Otolaryngology Division Gaithersburg; 301-963-6334 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center
FAMILY MEDICINE Christina Council Amazon One Medical North Bethesda; 888-663-6331 Joanna Delaney Amazon One Medical Chevy Chase; 888-663-6331 Anna Thuy Anh Ford MedStar Health Primary Care at Gaithersburg Gaithersburg; 301-926-3095 MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Seth Garber Amazon One Medical Chevy Chase; 888-663-6331 Kevin Gil MDVIP Rockville; 301-610-0500 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Bradley Hunter MDVIP Rockville; 240-728-2378 Suburban Hospital Avni Jain Potomac Wellness Medical Center Rockville; 301-500-0261 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Uma Jayaraman Amazon One Medical Chevy Chase; 888-663-6331 Adolph Johnson Jr. Associates in Family Practice Silver Spring; 301-368-0038 Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center
Steven Schwartz Amazon One Medical Chevy Chase; 888-663-6331 Rosie Singh Montgomery Family Medicine Associates Silver Spring; 301-989-0193 Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center Kahsu Tsehay First Medical Associates Silver Spring; 301-515-2901 Charles Umosella Cullen, Umosella, Cullen and Cullen Bethesda; 301-951-0420 Sibley Memorial Hospital Kimaya Vaidya First Medical Associates Germantown; 586-800-3678
GASTROENTEROLOGY M. Aamir Ali Capital Digestive Care Chevy Chase; 240-531-2832 Sibley Memorial Hospital Ajay Bakhshi Bethesda; 301-530-5142 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Suburban Hospital Lawrence Bassin Capital Digestive Care Rockville; 301-340-3252 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center George Bolen Capital Digestive Care North Bethesda; 240-737-0085 Sibley Memorial Hospital Erica Cohen Capital Digestive Care Chevy Chase; 240-531-2832 Sibley Memorial Hospital Robert Finkel Capital Digestive Care Olney; 301-593-2002 MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Mark Gloger Capital Digestive Care Rockville; 301-251-1244 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Frederick Health Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital— Silver Spring
104 JULY/AUGUST 2026 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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Capital Digestive Care congratulates our
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Jonathan M. Koff, Jessica D. Korman, MD
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Steven Zeddun, MD
Welcoming new patients at over 12 office locations www.capitaldigestivecare.com
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Top Doctors 2026
Albert Steren Maryland Oncology Hematology Rockville; 240-238-3552 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
HAND SURGERY Richard Barth Washington Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Chevy Chase; 301-657-1996 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Zilla Hussain Capital Digestive Care Rockville; 301-251-1244 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital David Jager Capital Digestive Care Rockville; 301-340-3252 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Toufic Kabbani Kaiser Permanente—Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group Rockville; 800-777-7904 Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring Samuel Kallus Capital Digestive Care Chevy Chase; 240-737-0085 Sibley Memorial Hospital Kathryn Kirk Capital Digestive Care Chevy Chase; 240-737-0085 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Olanma Okoji Capital Digestive Care Rockville; 301-340-3252 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Eric Pollack Capital Digestive Care North Bethesda; 240-737-0085 Zaifi Shanavas Capital Digestive Care Germantown; 301-593-2002 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Manish Singla Capital Digestive Care Chevy Chase; 240-737-0085 Sibley Memorial Hospital Steven Zeddun Capital Digestive Care Chevy Chase; 240-737-0085 Sibley Memorial Hospital
GERIATRIC MEDICINE
Sunjay Berdia The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics Rockville; 301-251-1433 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Suburban Hospital Edward Bieber OrthoBethesda Bethesda; 301-530-1010 Suburban Hospital Mahidhar Durbhakula OrthoBethesda Bethesda; 301-530-1010 Suburban Hospital Peter Fitzgibbons The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Maryland Orthopedic Specialists Bethesda; 301-515-0900 Suburban Hospital Mustafa Haque The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Summit Orthopedics Bethesda; 301-657-9876 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital
Brian Kirsh Capital Digestive Care Chevy Chase; 240-737-0085 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Michael Grady Washington, D.C.; 202-686-0813
Jonathan Koff Capital Digestive Care Chevy Chase; 240-737-0085 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Margaret Alexander Oncology for Women Bethesda; 301-564-4966 Suburban Hospital
Jessica Korman Capital Digestive Care North Bethesda; 240-737-0085 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Mildred Chernofsky Sibley Center for Gynecologic Oncology and Advanced Pelvic Surgery Washington, D.C.; 202-243-5295 Sibley Memorial Hospital
David Moss District Orthopaedics Chevy Chase; 301-882-2000 George Washington University Hospital, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital
Andrew Saltzman Kaiser Permanente—Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group Silver Spring; 301-905-3506 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
Leo Rozmaryn The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics Rockville; 301-251-1433 Adventist HealthCare Shady
Leigh Lurie Capital Digestive Care Rockville; 301-340-3252 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center
GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY
Alison Kitay The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Summit Orthopedics Bethesda; 301-657-9876 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Grove Medical Center, Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center Joseph Shrout Shady Grove Orthopaedic Associates Rockville; 301-340-9200 Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Harrison Solomon The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Maryland Orthopedic Specialists Chevy Chase; 301-949-8100 Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE MEDICINE Angela Lee Sibley Memorial Hospital— Palliative Medicine Washington, D.C.; 202-537-4000 Sibley Memorial Hospital
INFECTIOUS DISEASE Sameh Aly Metro Infectious Disease Consultants Rockville; 301-605-7468 Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Suburban Hospital Ramani Reddy Maximed Associates Silver Spring; 301-460-6664 MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
INTERNAL MEDICINE Meena Andrew Bethesda Internal Medicine Partners Bethesda; 301-388-8858 Satish Angra Silver Spring; 301-593-3400 Susan Baruch Bethesda Medical Associates Bethesda; 301-493-8487 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Suburban Hospital Brent Berger Bethesda Medical Associates Bethesda; 301-547-0560 Suburban Hospital
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Congratulations! Chesapeake Urology physicians were named as Bethesda Magazine’s 2026 “Top Doctors” in Urology At Chesapeake Urology, our mission is to deliver the highest level of care and exceptional experience to every patient. This commitment shapes everything we do and inspires us to continually raise the bar. We’re so proud to once again to be recognized on this year’s annual list and deeply honored that our physicians have gained the trust and respect of their peers.
Our Physicians
Our Locations Bethesda — Champlain Building 6410 Rockledge Dr. Suite 503 Bethesda, MD 20817
Dr. Spencer K. Craven
Dr. Gary S. Friedlander
Dr. Michael A. Isaacson
Dr. Juan P. Litvak
Dr. Melissa Mendez
Dr. Roberto Pedraza
Dr. Mark Rosenblum
Dr. Anup A. Vora
Dr. Katherine A. Walker
Holy Cross Germantown 19851 Observation Dr. Suite 445 Germantown, MD 20876 Rockville 9420 Key West Ave. Suite 420 Rockville, MD 20850 Silver Spring 3801 International Dr. Suite 310 Silver Spring, MD 20906
Scan the QR code to learn more or schedule an appointment. 855-405-7100
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Top Doctors 2026 Melissa Blakeman Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Rockville; 240-314-7080 The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Suvarnarekha Kammula Bethesda Internal Medicine Partners Bethesda; 301-388-8858 Suburban Hospital
Dave Chen Bethesda Internal Medicine Partners Bethesda; 301-388-8858 Suburban Hospital
Andrea Karp Bethesda Internal Medicine Partners Bethesda; 301-388-8858 Suburban Hospital
Brent Cole Bethesda Internal Medicine Partners Bethesda; 301-388-8858 Suburban Hospital
Daphne Keshishian Bethesda Medical Associates Bethesda; 301-493-9328 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Suburban Hospital
Assil Saleh Foxhall Internists Washington, D.C.; 202-362-4467 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital
Thomas Pinckert Greater Washington Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Genetics Rockville; 301-279-6060 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
Collin Cullen MDVIP Washington, D.C.; 202-966-2828 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Robert Marshall MD2 Chevy Chase Chevy Chase; 301-507-9114
Lakshmi Sastry Bethesda Internal Medicine Partners Bethesda; 301-388-8858 Suburban Hospital
Sarah Poggi Sibley Memorial Hospital— Maternal Fetal Medicine Washington, D.C.; 202-660-7180 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Aimee Seidman Rockville Concierge Doctors Rockville; 301-545-1811
MEDICAL ONCOLOGY
Dennis Cullen Cullen, Umosella, Cullen and Cullen Bethesda; 301-951-0420 Sibley Memorial Hospital John Dooley Foxhall Internists Washington, D.C.; 202-362-4467 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital Julie Fox MDVIP Silver Spring; 301-681-3667 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring Helene Freeman MDVIP Washington, D.C.; 202-686-0812 Sibley Memorial Hospital Rebecca Musher Gross Amazon One Medical Chevy Chase; 888-663-6331 David Hansen Foxhall Internists Washington, D.C.; 202-362-4467 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital Kweku Hayford PrimeDoc Primary Care Bethesda; 301-701-6060 John Hughes Sibley Memorial Hospital Washington, D.C.; 202-537-4400 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Lucy McBride Ackerly McBride Group Washington, D.C.; 202-953-0990 Wayne Meyer Adventist HealthCare Rockville; 301-251-9503 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Shama Mittal Adult & Pediatric Clinic Rockville; 240-453-0000 Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Brad Moore Complete Concierge Care Washington, D.C.; 202-244-9300 George Washington University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital Alan Morrison Morrison Membership Practice Washington, D.C.; 202-966-0622 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital T. Lydel Newsome Adventist Medical Group Silver Spring; 240-637-7100 Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center Ana Paunovic Complete Concierge Care Bethesda; 301-923-1338 David Plotkin MDVIP Olney; 301-570-7633 MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
Karen Rabin Kaiser Permanente—Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group Kensington; 800-777-7904 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Kaiser Permanente Kensington Medical Center Noelia Rodriguez CloseKnit Gaithersburg; 240-224-8374
Rajshree Thaker Bethesda Internal Medicine Partners Bethesda; 301-388-8858 Suburban Hospital Andrew Umhau Foxhall Internists Washington, D.C.; 202-362-4467 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital
INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY Dennis Friedman Cardiac Associates Rockville; 301-670-3000 Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center Eric Lieberman Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Rockville; 240-238-3760 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital
MATERNAL & FETAL MEDICINE Dennis Amini Kaiser Permanente—Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group Kensington; 301-929-7044 Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Richard Broth TLC Perinatal Silver Spring; 301-681-0004 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring Rita Driggers Sibley Memorial Hospital Washington, D.C.; 202-660-7180 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Kashif Ali Maryland Oncology Hematology Silver Spring; 301-933-3216 Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring Paul Bannen Maryland Oncology Hematology Olney; 301-774-6136 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Ralph Boccia The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders Bethesda; 301-571-0019 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Suburban Hospital Karim Boudadi Sibley Memorial Hospital—Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Washington, D.C.; 202-660-6500 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Nicholas Farrell Maryland Oncology Hematology Rockville; 301-424-6231 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Suburban Hospital
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Top Doctors 2026 Kashif Firozvi Maryland Oncology Hematology Silver Spring; 301-933-3216 Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center Ari Fishman Maryland Oncology Hematology Bethesda; 301-424-6231 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Suburban Hospital Henry Fox Chevy Chase; 202-296-2440 George Washington University Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital— Silver Spring Carolyn Hendricks Maryland Oncology Hematology Bethesda; 301-424-6231 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Suburban Hospital Nelson Kalil Rockville; 240-467-5888 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Bruce Kressel Sibley Memorial Hospital— Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Washington, D.C.; 202-660-6500 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital Benjamin Levy Sibley Memorial Hospital— Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Washington, D.C.; 202-660-6500 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital
Syed Shahid Mahmood Maryland Oncology Hematology Germantown; 301-424-6231 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Suburban Hospital
George Sotos Maryland Oncology Hematology Rockville; 301-424-6231 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Suburban Hospital
Shannon O’Connor Maryland Oncology Hematology Rockville; 301-424-6231 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Suburban Hospital
John Wallmark Maryland Oncology Hematology Rockville; 301-424-6231 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Suburban Hospital
Channing Paller Sibley Memorial Hospital—Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Washington, D.C.; 202-660-6500 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital
NEONATAL-PERINATAL MEDICINE
Victor Priego The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders Bethesda; 301-571-0019 Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Suburban Hospital Chitra Rajagopal The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders Germantown; 301-571-0019 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Frederick Smith Maryland Oncology Hematology Chevy Chase; 301-657-4588 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital
Sharon Kiernan Community Neonatal Associates Silver Spring; 301-754-7490 Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
NEPHROLOGY Farzad Assar Potomac Nephrology Germantown; 301-528-3580 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital Raymond Bass Montgomery Renal Associates Wheaton; 301-942-5355 MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, Suburban Hospital Steven Burka Chevy Chase; 301-654-3803 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Jeremy Marcus Washington Nephrology Associates Chevy Chase; 202-337-7660 George Washington University Hospital, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Sibley Memorial Hospital Jeffrey Perlmutter Nephrology Associates of Montgomery County Rockville; 301-231-7111 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, Suburban Hospital
NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY Joshua Ammerman Washington Neurosurgical Associates Washington, D.C.; 202-966-6300 George Washington University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital
Matthew Ammerman Washington Neurosurgical Associates Washington, D.C.; 202-966-6300 George Washington University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital Louis Chang Johns Hopkins Neurosurgery Bethesda; 301-896-6069 Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Suburban Hospital Shih-Chun Lin Johns Hopkins Neurosurgery Bethesda; 301-896-6069 Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Suburban Hospital Nathan Moskowitz Rockville; 301-309-0566 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, The Johns Hopkins Hospital
NEUROLOGY Kathleen Burger MedStar Health Medical Center at Chevy Chase Chevy Chase; 202-444-8766 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center Ezra Cohen The Neurology Center Rockville; 301-562-7200 Aneesa Keya Olney Medical Group Olney; 301-774-5260 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Pavel Klein Mid-Atlantic Epilepsy & Sleep Center Bethesda; 301-530-9744 Ratnavali Kolla Capital Neuro Care Gaithersburg; 301-869-2358 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Nirjal Nikhar Neurology Clinic of Washington Olney; 301-260-7600 Tricia Ting MedStar Health Medical Center at Chevy Chase Chevy Chase; 301-215-9420 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
110 JULY/AUGUST 2026 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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In a region full of hospitals, only one is just for kids. Kids deserve care built just for them. At Children’s National Hospital, our pediatric teams support kids at every stage, from checkups to complex conditions. Ranked the #1 children’s hospital in DC, Maryland and Virginia by U.S. News & World Report*, we are here for every milestone and every brave step forward. Kids Are Our Everything.
*highest U.S. News ranking in the DMV
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Top Doctors 2026 NUCLEAR MEDICINE Peter Herscovitch NIH Clinical Center—Positron Emission Tomography Department Bethesda; 301-451-4248 National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY Tara Abraham Dr. Tara Abraham, Gynecology & Wellness Washington, D.C.; 202-919-6287 Sibley Memorial Hospital Darryn Band Capital Women’s Care Silver Spring; 301-681-9101 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring Richard Beckerman Foxhall Women’s Health Washington, D.C.; 202-243-3500 Sibley Memorial Hospital Karen Blackburn Pearls Women’s Health Care Bethesda; 301-897-0945 Sibley Memorial Hospital Kathleen Bren Bloom OB/GYN Washington, D.C.; 202-449-9570 Sibley Memorial Hospital Rachael Cleberg Capital Women’s Care Rockville; 301-897-9817 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center
Diane Laurin Capital Women’s Care Bethesda; 301-530-2235 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Dorothy Lee Capital Women’s Care Rockville; 301-897-9817 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Connie Liang Kaiser Permanente—Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group Kensington; 800-777-7904 Kaiser Permanente Kensington Medical Center James Robinson III Shady Grove Fertility Rockville; 301-340-1188 Madelaine Rosche-Scott Kaiser Permanente—Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group Kensington; 703-359-7878 Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Kaiser Permanente Kensington Medical Center Gayle Skinner Capital Women’s Care Silver Spring; 301-681-3400 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring Meagan Slate Rockville Gynecology Rockville; 301-330-7007 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center
Tamara Coates Capital Women’s Care Silver Spring; 301-593-8101 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
Carolynn Young Rockville Gynecology Rockville; 301-330-7007 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center
Vivian Fraga Chevy Chase; 301-654-2182 Sibley Memorial Hospital
OPHTHALMOLOGY
Alin Ionescu Kaiser Permanente—Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group Kensington; 800-777-7904 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
Marwa Adi Washington Eye Physicians & Surgeons Chevy Chase; 301-657-5700 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Lori Kaler Pearls Women’s Health Care Bethesda; 301-897-0945 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Lamees Ashker Montgomery Eye Physicians & Surgeons Rockville; 301-881-5888
Stephen Lakner Capital Women’s Care Rockville; 301-897-9817 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center
Melanie Buttross Eye Associates of Washington DC Washington, D.C.; 202-686-6700 MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Sibley Memorial Hospital
Omar Chaudhary Champlain Ophthalmology Bethesda; 301-493-9600
Aziz Khanifar The Retina Group of Washington Silver Spring; 301-495-2357
Haoxing Chen Montgomery Eye Physicians & Surgeons Rockville; 301-881-5888
Won Kim Eye Doctors of Washington Chevy Chase; 301-215-7100
Thomas Clinch Eye Doctors of Washington Chevy Chase; 301-215-7100 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Sandra Lora Cremers Visionary Eye Doctors Rockville; 301-896-0890 Gregory Fu The Eye Center Rockville; 301-279-9696 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Reena Garg Visionary Eye Doctors Rockville; 301-896-0890 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Washington Hospital Center Lauren Gavaris Eye Associates of Washington DC Washington, D.C.; 202-686-6700 MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Sibley Memorial Hospital Todd Goodglick Chevy Chase; 301-841-6595 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Sibley Memorial Hospital Andrew Hammer Visionary Eye Doctors Rockville; 301-896-0890 Jordan Heffez Retina Consultants Bethesda; 301-530-5200 Suburban Hospital James Heltzer Champlain Ophthalmology Bethesda; 301-493-9600 Mark Hendrix Rockville Eye Associates Rockville; 301-231-5088 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Harry Huang Harry H. Huang MD PA Bethesda; 301-897-3322
Michael Lai The Retina Group of Washington Chevy Chase; 301-656-8100 J. Alberto Martinez Visionary Eye Doctors Rockville; 301-591-1763 Fadi Nasrallah Retina Consultants Bethesda; 301-530-5200 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Suburban Hospital David Parver Capital Eye Care LLC—Retina Consultants Bethesda; 301-530-5200 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Suburban Hospital Kevin Perman Center for Eyelid & Facial Plastic Surgery Bethesda; 301-571-0000 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital Jewel Sandy Eye Doctors of Washington Chevy Chase; 301-215-7100 Daniel Sarezky Visionary Eye Doctors Rockville; 301-591-1763 Kenneth Schor Eye Doctors of Washington Chevy Chase; 301-215-7100 Deepika Shah Eye Doctors of Washington Chevy Chase; 301-215-7100 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Michael Tigani Metropolitan Ophthalmology Associates Chevy Chase; 301-657-4171 Sibley Memorial Hospital Lisa Tom Washington Eye Physicians & Surgeons Chevy Chase; 301-657-5700
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CONGRATULATIONS! When it comes to finding the perfect location for your practice, we thank you for putting your trust in us. It’s a privelege providing worldclass service for world-class physicians.
LOOKING FOR A NEW OFFICE LOCATION FOR YOUR PRACTICE OR RENEGOTIATING YOUR LEASE? CALL US AT 301.235.1300 OR VISIT GZREALTY.NET THE GZP DIFFERENCE - We connect the needs of your practice with our knowledge of the market. From expanding your practice to deciding to buy, lease, or sell; we’re your ideal partner. With more than three decades of experience, we know the medical market better than anyone.
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Top Doctors 2026 Edward Tsoy Visionary Eye Doctors Rockville; 301-591-1763 G. Vike Vicente Eye Doctors of Washington Chevy Chase; 301-215-7100 Children’s National Hospital, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Cuong Vu The Retina Group of Washington Silver Spring; 301-495-2357 Howard Weiss Washington Eye Physicians & Surgeons Chevy Chase; 301-657-5700 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Washington Hospital Center Thomas Yau Silver Spring Eye Silver Spring; 301-587-1220 David Yeh The Medical Eye Center Germantown; 301-528-4500 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center
ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY Zohair Alam The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Montgomery Orthopaedics Chevy Chase; 301-949-8100 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, MedStar Washington Hospital Center Evan Argintar Elite Ortho Silver Spring; 888-746-1665 Steven Bernstein The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Summit Orthopedics Bethesda; 301-657-9876 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Steven Bleckner The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Summit Orthopedics Bethesda; 301-657-9876 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital
Barry Boden The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics Rockville; 301-251-1433 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Robert Buber OrthoBethesda Bethesda; 301-530-1010 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Suburban Hospital Christopher Cannova OrthoBethesda Bethesda; 301-530-1010 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital John Christoforetti II The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Maryland Orthopedic Specialists Bethesda; 301-515-0900 Marc Connell Washington Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Chevy Chase; 301-657-1996 Sibley Memorial Hospital Sridhar Durbhakula OrthoBethesda Bethesda; 301-530-1010 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Suburban Hospital Korboi Evans Greater Washington Orthopaedic Group Silver Spring; 301-589-3324 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring Joel Fechter Mininberg & Fechter Silver Spring; 301-681-7100 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Suburban Hospital Kenneth Fine The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics Rockville; 301-251-1433 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, George Washington University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital Ira Fisch OrthoBethesda Bethesda; 301-530-1010 Suburban Hospital
James Gardiner Jr. The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Maryland Orthopedic Specialists Bethesda; 301-515-0900 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center James Gilbert Metro Orthopedics & Sports Therapy Potomac; 301-588-7888 Holy Cross Germantown Hospital Michael Goldsmith The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Summit Orthopedics Bethesda; 301-657-9876 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Antoni Goral The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Montgomery Orthopaedics Chevy Chase; 301-949-8100 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring Brett Hampton Shady Grove Orthopaedic Associates Rockville; 301-340-9200 Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center David Higgins Maryland Sports Medicine Center Olney; 301-232-1050 Suburban Hospital Clifford Hinkes The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Montgomery Orthopaedics Chevy Chase; 301-949-8100 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring John Keeling The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Montgomery Orthopaedics Chevy Chase; 301-949-8100 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring John Klimkiewicz District Orthopaedics Chevy Chase; 301-882-2000 Bruce Knolmayer MedStar Orthopaedic Institute Olney; 301-774-8958 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
Derek Kram Greater Washington Orthopaedic Group Silver Spring; 301-589-3324 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring David Levin The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics Rockville; 301-251-1433 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Craig Miller OrthoBethesda Bethesda; 301-530-1010 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Suburban Hospital Douglas Murphy Metro Orthopedics & Sports Therapy Potomac; 301-588-7888 Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Emily Niu Fight For Children Sports Medicine Center Silver Spring; 202-476-2112 Children’s National Hospital Denis O’Brien The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Potomac Valley Orthopaedic Associates Olney; 301-774-0500 Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Joseph O’Brien OrthoBethesda Bethesda; 301-530-1010 George Washington University Hospital, Suburban Hospital Phillip Omohundro The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics Silver Spring; 301-364-9292 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring David Perim Greater Washington Orthopaedic Group Silver Spring; 301-589-3324 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
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Mark Peterson Shady Grove Orthopaedic Associates Rockville; 301-340-9200 Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Brett Quigley Shady Grove Orthopaedic Associates Rockville; 301-340-9200 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Christopher Raffo The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Maryland Orthopedic Specialists Bethesda; 301-515-0900 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Marc Rankin The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Summit Orthopedics Bethesda; 301-657-9876 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Jonas Rudzki District Orthopaedics Chevy Chase; 301-882-2000 Sibley Memorial Hospital Kurt Schluntz OrthoBethesda Bethesda; 301-530-1010 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Suburban Hospital Philip Schneider The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Montgomery Orthopaedics Chevy Chase; 301-949-8100 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring Navinder Sethi OrthoBethesda Bethesda; 301-530-1010 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital Gautam Siram The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Summit Orthopedics Bethesda; 301-657-9876 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Steven Svoboda MedStar Health Orthopedics Wheaton; 301-287-2327 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Washington Hospital Center James Weiss Orthopaedic & Sports Rehab Center Germantown; 301-540-4791 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Victor Wowk Greater Washington Orthopaedic Group Rockville; 301-589-3324 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
OTOLARYNGOLOGY
Wojciech Mydlarz Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Bethesda; 301-896-3332 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Suburban Hospital
Valerie Asher Maryland ENT Associates Silver Spring; 301-989-2300 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Suburban Hospital
Liesl Nottingham Maryland ENT Associates Silver Spring; 301-989-2300 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Suburban Hospital
David Bianchi II Maryland ENT Associates Silver Spring; 301-989-2300 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Suburban Hospital
Seth Oringher The Centers for Advanced ENT Care—Feldman ENT Division Bethesda; 301-652-8847 Sibley Memorial Hospital
John Bosworth Jr. The Centers for Advanced ENT Care—Siegel, Bosworth and Sorensen Division Rockville; 240-361-9000 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center
Murugappan Ramanathan Johns Hopkins Health Care and Surgery Center Bethesda; 443-997-6467 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital
Mark Dettelbach The Centers for Advanced ENT Care—Feldman ENT Division Chevy Chase; 301-652-8847 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Jessica Shen The Centers for Advanced ENT Care—Feldman ENT Division Chevy Chase; 301-652-8847 Children’s National Hospital, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital
Vaninder Dhillon Johns Hopkins Health Care and Surgery Center Bethesda; 443-997-6467 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Natalie Earl The Centers for Advanced ENT Care—Feldman ENT Division Bethesda; 301-652-8847 Sibley Memorial Hospital Leslie Hao Chevy Chase ENT Chevy Chase; 301-656-8630 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Jack Williams The Centers for Advanced ENT Care—Feldman ENT Division Chevy Chase; 301-652-8847 Sibley Memorial Hospital Thomas Winkler Chevy Chase ENT Chevy Chase; 301-656-8630 Sibley Memorial Hospital
PAIN MEDICINE Akshay Garg Capital Interventional Pain & Spine Center Rockville; 301-841-6600 Ramani Peruvemba Pain Management Specialists Rockville; 240-453-9182 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring Kamran Saraf Vein Treatment Clinic Bethesda; 301-900-6334 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
PEDIATRIC ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY
Michael Siegel The Centers for Advanced ENT Care—Siegel, Bosworth and Sorensen Division Rockville; 240-361-9000 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center
Hemant Prashad Sharma Children’s National Montgomery County Rockville; 202-476-3016 Children’s National Hospital
Pete Sorensen The Centers for Advanced ENT Care—Siegel, Bosworth and Sorensen Division Rockville; 240-361-9000 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center
Douglas Sobel MedStar Health Pediatrics and OB/GYN Washington, D.C.; 202-243-3400 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital
PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY
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Top Doctors 2026 PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY Ali Bader Children’s National Montgomery County Rockville; 202-476-3032 Children’s National Hospital Mariastella Serrano MedStar Health Pediatrics and OB/GYN Washington, D.C.; 202-243-3400 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
PEDIATRIC OTOLARYNGOLOGY Rahul Shah Children’s National Montgomery County Rockville; 202-476-2159 Children’s National Hospital
PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY Maria Bautista MedStar Health Pediatrics and OB/GYN Washington, D.C.; 202-243-3550 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Samuel Rosenberg Children’s National Pulmonary Medicine Rockville; 301-765-5400 Children’s National Hospital
PEDIATRIC UROLOGY H. Gil Rushton Jr. Children’s National Montgomery County Rockville; 301-765-5400 Children’s National Hospital
PEDIATRICS Victor Abdow Jr. Abdow Friendship Pediatrics Rockville; 301-468-6171 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Promise Ahlstrom Chevy Chase Pediatrics Bethesda; 202-363-0300 Howard Bennett Chevy Chase Pediatrics Bethesda; 202-363-0300 Leah Brasch Friendship Pediatrics Chevy Chase; 301-656-2745 Children’s National Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital
Virginia Cohen Pediatric Care Center Bethesda; 301-564-5880 Children’s National Hospital, The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Victoria Lee Olney Pediatrics Olney; 301-774-4100 MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
Dinea DeSouza Children’s National Pediatricians and Associates Gaithersburg; 301-926-3633 Children’s National Hospital
Jessica Long Spring Valley Pediatrics Washington, D.C.; 202-966-5000 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Daniel Finkelstein Capitol Medical Group Chevy Chase; 301-907-3960 Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center, Sibley Memorial Hospital Robert Gancayco Pediatric Health Partners Germantown; 301-515-5414 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Alan Gober Silver Spring; 301-933-4210 Leila Hall Next Generation Pediatrics Bethesda; 301-832-6049 Joseph Hsu THH Pediatrics Germantown; 301-540-0811 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Nancy Kadowitz Capitol Medical Group Chevy Chase; 301-907-3960 Amy Kaplan Potomac Pediatrics Rockville; 301-279-6750 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Bertha Koomson Capitol Medical Group Chevy Chase; 301-907-3960 Panayiota Koroulakis Kaiser Permanente—Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group Kensington; 800-777-7904 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Kaiser Permanente Kensington Medical Center Giorgio Kulp Metropolitan Pediatrics North Bethesda; 301-230-2280 Children’s National Hospital, The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Mallory Lostumbo Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Rockville; 301-881-7995 The Johns Hopkins Hospital Robin Madden Discovery Pediatrics Silver Spring; 301-681-7020 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring Ana Markovic Capitol Medical Group Chevy Chase; 301-907-3960 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Nandini Thillairajah Coleman Pediatrics Rockville; 301-468-9225 Jill Troilo Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Rockville; 301-881-7995 The Johns Hopkins Hospital Elizabeth Valois Kaiser Permanente—Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group Kensington; 800-777-7904 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Kaiser Permanente Kensington Medical Center Caroline Van Vleck Spring Valley Pediatrics Washington, D.C.; 202-966-5000 Sibley Memorial Hospital Monika Walters Bethesda Pediatrics Potomac; 301-299-8930
Francis Palumbo Spring Valley Pediatrics Washington, D.C.; 202-966-5000 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
Peter Warfield Spring Valley Pediatrics Washington, D.C.; 202-966-5000 Children’s National Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital
Katherine Saina Kaiser Permanente—Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group Kensington; 800-777-7904 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
Gail Warner Growth & Wellness Pediatrics Bethesda; 240-630-8882
Melissa Schwartz Olney Pediatrics Olney; 301-774-4100 MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Joanna Sexter Spring Valley Pediatrics Washington, D.C.; 202-966-5000 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Paul Weiner Pediatric Care Center Bethesda; 301-564-5880 Children’s National Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION Inder Chawla Silver Spring; 301-891-5393 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Reva Snow Capitol Medical Group Chevy Chase; 301-907-3960
Mark Klaiman Point Performance Bethesda; 301-493-8884
J. Apple Sussmann Pediatric Care Center Bethesda; 301-564-5880 Children’s National Hospital, The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Jeffrey Rabin Montgomery County Outpatient Center Rockville; 202-476-3094 Children’s National Hospital
Amy Sweeney Foxhall Pediatrics Washington, D.C.; 202-537-1180 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital
Terrence Sheehan Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation Rockville; 240-864-6007 Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center
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John Toerge Rockville; 301-377-2661 Stephanie Van Johns Hopkins Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Bethesda; 443-997-5476 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital
PLASTIC SURGERY Kelly Bolden Cultura Dermatology & Plastic Surgery Washington, D.C.; 202-251-6787 Howard University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital C. Coleman Brown Bruno & Brown Plastic Surgery Chevy Chase; 301-215-5955 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital James Bruno Bruno & Brown Plastic Surgery Chevy Chase; 301-215-5955 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Mary Ella Carter Washington, D.C.; 202-363-6844 Sibley Memorial Hospital Wendy Chen Sibley Memorial Hospital— Johns Hopkins Surgery Washington, D.C.; 443-997-9466 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital Stephane Corriveau Affiliates in Plastic Surgery Rockville; 301-232-3000 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center Kasandra Dassoulas Dassoulas Plastic Surgery Chevy Chase; 301-500-2147 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring Jules Feledy Jr. Belmont Plastic Surgery Chevy Chase; 301-654-5666 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Douglas Forman Plastic Surgery Institute of Washington North Bethesda; 301-881-7770 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital
Kathy Huang Plastic Surgery Institute of Washington North Bethesda; 301-881-7770 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital
Joseph Dougherty The Ross Center Washington, D.C.; 202-363-1010
A. Dean Jabs Cosmetic Surgery Associates Bethesda; 301-265-5242 Suburban Hospital
Daniel Lieberman Daniel Z. Lieberman MD LLC Rockville; 240-259-3354 George Washington University Hospital
Sheilah Lynch Lynch Plastic Surgery Chevy Chase; 301-652-5933 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Keshav Magge Cosmetic Surgery Associates Bethesda; 301-493-4334 Suburban Hospital Joseph Michaels Michaels Plastic Surgery Rockville; 301-468-5991 George Washington University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Franklin Richards Cosmetic Surgery Associates Bethesda; 301-493-4334 Suburban Hospital Mark Richards Ageless Impressions Plastic Surgery Institute North Bethesda; 301-468-3458 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Adam Tattelbaum Washington Plastic Surgery Group Rockville; 301-656-6398
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE Scott Kahan National Center for Weight and Wellness Chevy Chase; 202-223-3077
PSYCHIATRY Sushila Chelliah Kaiser Permanente—Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group Rockville; 800-777-7904 Marc Dalton Washington Interventional Psychiatry Washington, D.C.; 202-525-5123
Bruce Kehr Potomac Psychiatry Rockville; 301-984-9791
Melissa Monson The Ross Center Washington, D.C.; 202-363-1010 Guillermo Portillo Jr. Potomac Psychiatry Rockville; 301-984-9791 Mary Salcedo The Ross Center Washington, D.C.; 202-363-1010 Alexis Wesley Washington Center for Women’s & Children’s Wellness Bethesda; 301-881-9464
PULMONARY DISEASE Peter Hamm Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Chevy Chase; 301-656-7374 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Steven Kariya Pulmonologists Kensington; 301-942-2977 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Suburban Hospital Carlos Picone Premier Medicine Chevy Chase; 301-637-5555 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Michael Solomon Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Chevy Chase; 301-656-7374 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital
RADIATION ONCOLOGY Neha Bhooshan Maryland Oncology Hematology Rockville; 301-309-6765 Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center
Victoria Croog Sibley Memorial Hospital— Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Washington, D.C.; 202-537-4788 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital Stephen Greco Johns Hopkins Health Care and Surgery Center Bethesda; 410-502-8000 Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital Aditya Halthore Sibley Memorial Hospital— Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Washington, D.C.; 410-955-8964 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital Rachit Kumar Sibley Memorial Hospital—Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Washington, D.C.; 410-955-8964 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital Sheela Modin Associates in Radiation Medicine Wheaton; 301-681-4422 Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY/INFERTILITY Oluyemisi Famuyiwa Montgomery Fertility Center Rockville; 301-946-6962 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Suburban Hospital Jeanne O’Brien Shady Grove Fertility Rockville; 301-340-1188 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Lauren Roth Shady Grove Fertility Rockville; 301-340-1188
RHEUMATOLOGY Grace Ahn Arthritis and Rheumatism Associates Rockville; 301-942-7600 Ashley Beall Arthritis and Rheumatism Associates Rockville; 301-942-7600
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Adey Berhanu Arthritis and Rheumatism Associates Silver Spring; 301-942-7600 Rachel Kaiser Arthritis and Rheumatism Associates Chevy Chase; 301-942-7600 Anu Sharma Center for Rheumatic Diseases & Osteoporosis Rockville; 301-230-5888 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Suburban Hospital Evan Siegel Arthritis and Rheumatism Associates Rockville; 301-942-7600 David Wolfe Arthritis and Rheumatism Associates Chevy Chase; 301-942-7600 Angus Worthing Arthritis and Rheumatism Associates Chevy Chase; 301-942-7600 Louisa Ziglar Arthritis and Rheumatism Associates Rockville; 301-942-7600
SPORTS MEDICINE Meagan Lewis MedStar Health Orthopedics Wheaton; 202-877-1621 MedStar Washington Hospital Center Daniel Pereles The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics—Montgomery Orthopaedics Chevy Chase; 301-949-8100 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
SURGERY C. Francisco Espinel MedStar General Surgery Olney; 301-260-3292 MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center Dawn Leonard Holy Cross Health Cancer Center Wheaton; 301-681-4422 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
Cynthia Plate Maryland Oncology Hematology Silver Spring; 301-933-3216 Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center James Robey Sibley Memorial Hospital—Johns Hopkins Surgery Washington, D.C.; 202-895-1440 Sibley Memorial Hospital Glenn Sandler Advanced Surgery PC Rockville; 301-251-4128 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center
Nicholas Constantinople Foxhall Urology Washington, D.C.; 202-364-3434 Sibley Memorial Hospital Spencer Craven Chesapeake Urology Rockville; 301-258-1919 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Suburban Hospital Edward Dunne Jr. Foxhall Urology Washington, D.C.; 202-364-3434 Sibley Memorial Hospital
Thomas Zorc Chevy Chase Surgical Associates Chevy Chase; 301-656-6700 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital
Gary Friedlander Chesapeake Urology Rockville; 301-258-1919 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital
SURGICAL ONCOLOGY
Michael Isaacson Chesapeake Urology Rockville; 301-258-1919 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital
Marie Fernicola Pennanen Chevy Chase Breast Center Chevy Chase; 301-656-9010 MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital
THORACIC SURGERY Stephen Broderick Sibley Memorial Hospital Washington, D.C.; 202-660-7509 Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital Nyen Chong Kaiser Permanente—Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group/Holy Cross Hospital Physicians Office Building Silver Spring; 800-777-7904 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
UROGYNECOLOGY/FEMALE PELVIC MEDICINE & RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY Mary DuPont DuPont Institute Chevy Chase; 301-835-2959
UROLOGY Compton Benjamin Jr. Kaiser Permanente—Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group Gaithersburg; 800-777-7904 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring
Thomas Jarrett Sibley Memorial Hospital Washington, D.C.; 202-660-5561 George Washington University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital Juan Litvak Chesapeake Urology Bethesda; 301-530-1700 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Suburban Hospital Melissa Mendez Chesapeake Urology Silver Spring; 301-598-9717 MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Roberto Pedraza Chesapeake Urology Germantown; 301-933-9660 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital Mark Rosenblum Chesapeake Urology Bethesda; 301-530-1700 Holy Cross Hospital—Silver Spring, Suburban Hospital
Rachel Rubin Rachel Rubin MD PLLC Bethesda; 202-888-6731 Timothy Schneidau GW Medical Faculty Associates Bethesda; 202-741-2323 George Washington University Hospital Anup Vora Chesapeake Urology Silver Spring; 301-598-9717 MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Katherine Walker Chesapeake Urology Bethesda; 301-530-1700 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Suburban Hospital
VASCULAR & INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY Andrew Akman Suburban Hospital Bethesda; 301-896-3202 The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital William Nghiem Horizon Vascular Specialists Germantown; 301-762-0277 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Frederick Health Hospital
VASCULAR SURGERY Shan-e-Ali Haider Horizon Vascular Specialists Germantown; 301-762-0277 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Frederick Health Hospital Andrew Schulick Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Bethesda; 301-896-7619 Suburban Hospital Richard Silva Horizon Vascular Specialists Germantown; 301-762-0277 Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Frederick Health Hospital
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Ikon Plastic Surgery and Medical Aesthetics SEE PROFILE PAGE 127
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Dr. Kamran Saraf V E I N T R E AT M E N T C L I N I C Dr. Saraf has built his practice around identifying what others miss.
MICHAEL VENTURA
6903 Rockledge Dr., Suite 470 Bethesda, MD 20817 227-998-3403 VeinCentersMD.com Most patients who walk into Dr. Kamran Saraf’s office say the same thing: “I thought this was normal.” Leg heaviness at the end of the day. Swelling that doesn’t fully go down. Aching, cramping, or visible veins that seem to worsen over time. These are often dismissed as cosmetic concerns or simply part of aging, but in reality, they are early signs of chronic venous insufficiency, a progressive medical condition that requires proper evaluation and treatment. Dr. Saraf has built his practice around identifying what others miss. Many of his patients have already seen multiple specialists before arriving at his office, often feeling unheard or misdiagnosed. His approach is intentionally different. He starts by listening, evaluates thoroughly, and treats the root cause, not just the visible symptoms. Using minimally invasive, ultrasoundguided procedures, Dr. Saraf treats vein disease at its source, relieving symptoms like heaviness, swelling and discomfort while restoring normal circulation. Treatments are performed in-office, require little to no downtime, and are designed to get patients back to their daily routines quickly, often with a noticeable improvement in both how their legs feel and how they look.
Just as important, these treatments are not cosmetic. In most cases, they are covered by insurance, including Medicare, making care more accessible than many patients expect. Dr. Saraf’s philosophy of care has been shaped by years of rigorous training at various prestigious universities, from Georgetown to Texas Medical Center, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, but also by the patients themselves. As he notes, being heard is often just as important as being treated. That belief drives a highly personalized experience where patients are given time, clarity and direct access to their physician throughout their care. In an increasingly fast, technology-driven healthcare landscape, Dr. Saraf remains committed to something simple: a direct, human connection. It is why patients travel from across the region, and in some cases across the country, to seek his care. Because when vein disease is properly diagnosed and treated, the outcome is not just cosmetic. It is the ability to move comfortably, feel confident, and get back to living without limitation.
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Horizon Vascular Specialists We offer advanced outpatient endovascular, minimally invasive procedures to treat complex conditions. This includes peripheral artery disease (PAD), leg pain, non-healing ulcers, varicose veins, aneurysms, dialysis access, carotid interventions including TCAR, uterine fibroid embolization, genicular artery embolization, hemorrhoidal artery embolization, headache management, cancer treatment, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) management and much more. Rockville 9715 Medical Center Drive, Suite 105 301-762-0277 Olney 18111 Prince Philip Drive, Suite 226 301-762-0277 Germantown 20410 Observation Drive, Suite 100 301-762-0277
COURTESY PHOTO
Frederick 1003 W. 7th Street, Suite A 240-529-1414 HorizonVascularSpecialists.com Horizon Vascular Specialists is a premier vascular and interventional medicine practice serving the DMV since 1974. Widely recognized for clinical excellence, innovation and compassionate patient care, Horizon has established itself as a regional leader in minimally invasive vascular treatment, delivering advanced therapies that improve outcomes while reducing recovery times and surgical risk. They provide comprehensive care for a wide range of vascular and interventional conditions, including PAD, carotid artery disease, aneurysms, DVT, pulmonary embolism, chronic wounds, varicose veins, uterine fibroid embolization, hemorrhoidal artery embolization, migraine treatment and fertility-related disorders.
Horizon is especially known for its sophisticated outpatient-based endovascular procedures, state-of-the-art vascular diagnostics and rapid consultation capabilities that allow patients to receive prompt evaluation. The physician team includes: Richard A. Silva, MD, FACS, RPVI recognized as a Washingtonian “Top Doctor” since 2004 and respected for his expertise in complex open vascular surgery and advanced endovascular techniques. Patients consistently describe him as reassuring, knowledgeable and deeply committed to individualized care. Shan-e-Ali Haider, MD, FACS, RPVI is highly regarded for minimally invasive treatment of PAD, varicose veins and limb preservation procedures. Patients praise his exceptional bedside manner, professionalism and life-changing surgical outcomes—helping countless people walk without pain. Jeffrey Y. Wang, MD, FACS, RVT is recognized as a leading authority in DVT and pulmonary embolism treatment and serves as Director of Vascular Research at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital. His leadership in vascular innovation and advanced endovascular therapies has positioned Horizon at the forefront of modern vascular medicine. Dustin Y. Yoon, MD, MS, FACS, RPVI is known for his “Patients First” philosophy, advanced minimally invasive vascular techniques and extensive academic achievements, including research fellowships and teaching awards from leading institutions such as Johns Hopkins and Northwestern University. Patients frequently commend his attentiveness, technical expertise and commitment to patient education. William X. Nghiem, MD, CAQ is nationally recognized for his expertise in interventional oncology and women’s health, with a focus on uterine fibroid embolization, pelvic congestion syndrome treatment and minimally invasive hemorrhoid treatment. Patients value his educational, compassionate approach and focus on helping patients avoid invasive surgery while restoring quality of life.
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D R . J O H N C H R I S T O F O R E T T I , M D , FA A O S ; D R . G A R Y F E L D M A N , D P M , FA C FA S ; DR. PETER FIT ZGIBBONS, MD; DR. JAMES GARDINER, MD,; DR. CHRISTOPHER R AFFO, MD
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Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics MARYL AND ORTHOPEDIC SPECIALISTS DIVISION “Exceptional care begins with a simple but powerful belief: every patient deserves to be heard, understood and treated as an individual.” Maryland Orthopedic Specialists delivers concierge-level care covered by most major insurance plans. Patients benefit from 24/7 online scheduling at mdorthospecialists.com, with same-day or next-day appointments frequently available. This is expert orthopedic care without the wait, and without the out-of-pocket cost of a concierge practice.
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Offices in Bethesda, Germantown and Rockville 301-515-0900 MDOrthospecialists.com Patient’s individual goals are central to every decision at The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics: Maryland Orthopedic Specialists Division, where exceptional care begins with a simple but powerful belief: every patient deserves to be heard, understood and treated as an individual. It is a philosophy captured in the practice’s hallmarks of expertise, access and trust. The practice brings together five board-certified physicians whose world-class orthopedic expertise is a result of collective depth of training that spans the full spectrum of orthopedics and sports medicine. Dr. Christoforetti, a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip preservation and sports medicine, is known for his ability to make even the most complex diagnoses feel approachable. Dr. Feldman has expertise in foot and ankle care. Patients of all ages appreciate his warm, reassuring manner. Dr. Fitzgibbons specializes in hand, wrist and upper extremity conditions, and takes time to ensure every patient fully understands their path to recovery. Dr. Gardiner, who focuses on sports medicine and orthopedic surgery, has a gift for putting patients at ease from the very first conversation. Dr. Raffo is a sports medicine orthopedic surgeon whose thoughtful, patient-centered approach transforms even anxious visits into confident ones. What distinguishes Maryland Orthopedic Specialists is not just the clinical credentials behind each physician’s name, but the rare cohesion among them. These physicians are not simply colleagues; they are genuine friends whose relationships extend well beyond the walls of their practices. That personal bond translates directly into a collaborative, unified approach to care that patients can feel from the moment they walk through the door in any of the three locations.
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MONTGOMERY COUNT Y A comprehensive, one-stop destination for women’s health, offering in-office ultrasound, lab services, and advanced procedures. Patients benefit from innovative options like Pronox and access to world-class minimally invasive gynecologic surgeons— delivering seamless, high-quality care from routine visits to complex surgical treatment in one convenient, patient-centered setting.
9420 Key West Ave., Suite 415 Rockville, MD 20850 301-897-9817 and 12800 Middlebrook Road, Suite 333 Germantown, MD 20874 Opening late 2026: 14995 Shady Grove Road, Suite 400, Rockville, MD 20850 Dmvobgyn.com
At Capital Women’s Care, patients experience something truly meaningful: expert women’s healthcare delivered with a personal, patient-centered approach. Capital Women’s Care – Montgomery County brings together a team of highly experienced providers dedicated to delivering advanced, personalized, compassionate care to women throughout the region. Drs. Rachael Cleberg, Dorothy Lee and Stephen Lakner collectively have more than 75 years of experience in obstetrics and gynecology, providing patients with a depth of knowledge and clinical expertise that is both reassuring and exceptional. They’re part of a collaborative team that includes additional physicians and nurse practitioners, ensuring patients have access to comprehensive care at every stage of life. At Capital Women’s Care, patients experience something truly meaningful: expert women’s healthcare delivered with a personal, patient-centered approach. While the Montgomery County division continues to grow, it remains grounded in a strong commitment to quality, collaboration and individualized care.
With services ranging from routine wellness exams and preventive care to advanced gynecologic treatments and obstetrical care, the practice simplifies the healthcare journey by offering coordinated care under one roof. “What makes our practice special is the continuity of care,” says Dr. Rachael Cleberg. “We’re able to support women through every stage of life, often over many years. That connection to our patients and our community drives everything we do.” A dedication to connection sets this team apart. Providers take the time to listen, educate and build lasting relationships, creating an environment where patients feel supported, informed and confident in their care. At Capital Women’s Care – Montgomery County, patients are more than appointments, they are individuals. And every member of this team is proud to walk alongside them every step of the way.
SKIP BROWN
Capital Women’s Care
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Ikon Plastic Surgery and Medical Aesthetics I’m deeply committed to this community. I grew up in Bethesda, trained at Georgetown, practiced in the D.C. region my entire career and chose Chevy Chase specifically because it sits at the center of the patient population I’ve always served — Bethesda, McLean, Potomac, Georgetown and beyond. Opening here feels like coming home in the truest sense.
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2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 615 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-800-7762 IkonPlasticSurgery.com @dreconomides @ikon.plasticsurgery Ikon Plastic Surgery and Medical Aesthetics was founded by board-certified plastic surgeon James M. Economides, MD, FACS, who has spent his entire career practicing in the Washington, D.C. region. The name “Ikon” comes from the Greek word eikon, meaning image or likeness, reflecting his philosophy of helping patients refine and restore their appearance rather than fundamentally change who they are. A Bethesda-native, Dr. Economides trained at Georgetown and built a strong surgical reputation in Arlington, Virginia, before opening his Chevy Chase practice. Every aspect of Ikon, from the space and technology to the team and patient experience, was intentionally designed to reflect the standard of care he would want as a patient himself. His approach is rooted in honesty and transparency, even when that means telling patients something they may not want to hear. He avoids overpromising or recommending procedures when someone is not an appropriate candidate and would rather decline surgery than risk a poor outcome or disappointment. Patients work directly with Dr. Economides throughout their entire journey—from consultation to surgery and followup—ensuring consistency, accountability and continuity. His practice is intentionally boutique, so each patient receives focused attention and time. His signature procedure is the deep plane facelift, which he describes as repositioning facial structure rather than simply tightening skin, producing natural and long-lasting results. He also performs breast augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction, body contouring, abdominoplasty, mommy makeover and nonsurgical aesthetic treatments including neuromodulators and dermal fillers. At its core, Ikon is built on helping patients feel heard, supported and confident, with results that align their outer appearance with how they feel inside.
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The physicians at the Plastic Surgery Institute of Washington are honored to be recognized as Bethesda Magazine Top Doctors. Known for natural-looking results and personalized care, the team has expertise spanning facial rejuvenation, breast surgery, body contouring and non-surgical aesthetics, all guided by a philosophy centered on refinement, balance, and patient trust.
11210 Old Georgetown Road N. Bethesda, MD 20852 301-881-7770 PlasticSurgeryNow.com
The practice has built a reputation for combining advanced surgical expertise with a highly personalized approach to aesthetics. The physicians at the Plastic Surgery Institute of Washington are honored to be recognized as Top Doctors by Bethesda Magazine, a distinction that reflects their shared commitment to exceptional patient care, surgical excellence and natural-looking results. Led by board-certified plastic surgeons Douglas Forman, Kathy Huang and Daniel Tran, the practice has built a reputation for combining advanced surgical expertise with a highly personalized approach to aesthetics. While each physician brings a distinct perspective and specialty focus, they share a common philosophy: helping patients feel confident through thoughtful, refined enhancements that remain true to the individual. Dr. Forman is known for his patientfirst philosophy and emphasis on honest guidance and long-term relationships. Dr. Huang values thoughtful decision-making and helping patients navigate aesthetic options with clarity and confidence. Dr.
Tran prioritizes connection and individualized treatment planning, believing the best outcomes begin with listening carefully to each patient’s goals. Together, the physicians offer expertise across facial rejuvenation, breast surgery, body contouring and non-surgical aesthetic treatments. Their guiding principle, “You, but better,” reflects an approach centered on balance, harmony and natural-looking outcomes rather than dramatic transformation. Patients also benefit from the comprehensive experience provided by the The MedSpa at PSIW and the Ambulatory Surgery Center of Bethesda, the practice’s fully accredited on-site surgery center. From advanced injectables and laser technologies to surgical procedures performed in a private, state-of-the-art environment, the team remains dedicated to delivering safe, sophisticated and individualized care to patients throughout the DMV region and beyond.
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Plastic Surgery Institute of Washington & The Medspa at PSIW
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Errol Keith Douglas, MD, FAACP G O L D P E D I AT R I C S L L C A board-certified pediatrician, Dr. Douglas earned his medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine. He completed his pediatric internship and residency training at Children’s National Medical Center and post-doctoral training in Adolescent Medicine at Yale University. His new book, Olivia and The Angels –a story about family and faith—will be available on Amazon and at Gold Pediatrics in August 2026.
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15005 Shady Grove Road, Suite 450 Rockville, MD 20850 301-517-9710 GoldPediatricsLLC.com When Dr. Douglas was a child, he had no shortage of career aspirations, but there was always a pull toward medicine—and that became his mission in life. He learned at a young age that not every family has access to the care they deserve, and wanted to do something about it, so he dedicated his career to the most vulnerable patients of all: children and the families who love them. Some of Dr. Douglas’ patients are the children of previous patients, who didn’t think twice when it was time to choose a pediatrician for their own children. It’s a clear sign families feel at home at Gold Pediatrics, and perhaps the most meaningful measure of something that can’t be taught in medical school: trust, built one family at a time. Dr. Douglas says, “It can be a sobering responsibility knowing the impact I can have on a young person’s health and life. But I love what I do, and I take it very seriously.” That commitment to families is palpable at Gold Pediatrics, where he and his team provide premium and compassionate care to patients from birth through age 21. Families describe the experience as warm, unhurried and genuinely attentive. One parent credits Dr. Douglas with saving her newborn’s life at their first visit. For parents navigating modern parenting, Dr. Douglas offers a steady voice. “I try to help parents be parents, unapologetically. Because, if there is one thing that helps make healthy children, is having healthy, confident parents.” B E T H E S D A M A G A Z I N E . C O M | J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 6 1 2 9
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The Institute for Asthma and Allergy physicians include Athena Economides, MD, Huamin Henry Li, MD, Michelle C. Crank, MD, Mark D. Scarupa, MD, Carla Ward, MD, Daniel Rosloff, MD, Alan Koterba, MD, PhD, FACAAI, FAAAAI, Elena Perez, MD, PhD, FAAAAI, Paula Mohyi, MD, Sadia Hayat, MD, Elisabeth Hodara, MD and Inessa Bachove, MD.
2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 250 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-962-5800 11002 Veirs Mill Road #414 Wheaton, MD 20902 301-962-5800 Additional locations in Falls Church, Virginia, North Palm Beach and West Palm Beach, Florida. AllergyAsthma.us
For more than 30 years, the Institute for Asthma and Allergy has provided comprehensive, patient-centered allergy, asthma and immunology care to the Washington metropolitan community. With convenient locations in Wheaton, Chevy Chase and Falls Church, the practice is committed to making high-quality specialty care accessible to patients throughout the region. Its team of board-certified allergists and immunologists cares for both children and adults with a wide range of conditions, including seasonal and environmental allergies, asthma, food allergies, eczema, chronic sinus issues, hives and immune disorders. The Institute is proud to combine evidence-based medicine with a compassionate, personalized approach that focuses on building long-term relationships with patients and families. The Institute for Asthma and Allergy is also home to a specialized Center for Urticaria and Angioedema, providing breakthrough treatment options for patients
with chronic hives and swelling disorders. In addition, it provides Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) for food allergies, a state-of-the-art diagnostic laboratory, and a brand-new infusion center offering advanced, lifechanging therapies. As the practice continues to grow, it has welcomed several new physicians to its team, further expanding access to care across all five office locations. This growth reflects their ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of the community while maintaining the exceptional level of care our patients have come to expect. At the Institute for Asthma and Allergy, their mission remains simple: to help patients breathe easier, feel better and live healthier lives.
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Institute for Asthma and Allergy
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Capital Laser & Skin Care E L I Z A B E T H TA N Z I , M D ; G E E TA S H A H , M D ; TA N I A P E T E R S , M D Voted the "Best Dermatology Practice" and “Best Practice for Medical Aesthetics” by Bethesda Magazine readers every year since 2018, Capital Laser & Skin Care specializes in cosmetic and non-invasive treatments to enhance and maintain skin health and beauty. Drs. Geeta Shah, Tania Peters and Elizabeth Tanzi have been named Bethesda Magazine "Top
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Doctors" every year since 2019. 5471 C2 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 200 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-798-9699 CapitalSkinLaser.com
Capital Laser & Skin Care is a world-renown center of excellence dedicated to delivering the most advanced, effective dermatologic treatments in a warm and welcoming environment. Board-certified dermatologists, Drs. Geeta Shah, Tania Peters and Elizabeth Tanzi use state-of-the-art technology and innovative techniques to truly customize each treatment plan, maximizing outcomes and patient satisfaction. Each dermatologist is fellowship-trained in dermatologic laser surgery and aesthetic procedures with years of experience treating patients. As an aesthetic dermatology research clinic and beauty industry liaison, the Capital Laser & Skin Care team has access to the most sophisticated, cutting-edge tools and routinely evaluates novel technology. Drs. Shah, Peters and Tanzi focus on noninvasive treatments to deliver naturally radiant and elegant results that emphasize and enhance personal features without creating an overdone look.
With a patient-centered approach, the entire Capital Laser & Skin Care team is dedicated to providing exceptional patient care. Through comprehensive consultations, transparent and reliable communication, customized skin care recommendations and individualized treatment plans, Drs. Shah, Peters and Tanzi exceed patient expectations at every turn, from their first phone call through treatment follow-ups and beyond. With such exclusive patient benefits as complimentary skin cancer screenings, neurotoxin touch-ups and laser treatments for post-injectable bruising, Capital Laser & Skin Care goes the extra mile to ensure your experience with the practice is as pleasant as it is rewarding. Setting the bar for clinical excellence and attention to detail, Capital Laser & Skin Care stands out as the Washington metropolitan area’s premier aesthetic dermatology practice.
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Ageless Impressions Plastic Surgery Institute MARK RICHARDS, M D Nationally recognized, Dr. Richards’ expertise has been praised in U.S. News & World Report and other national media. He served as the plastic surgery consultant for The White House and recently authored a book, “Nobody Wants You Healthy: Achieving Better Health by Avoiding the Corruptions in Modern Medical Science,” to benefit both doctors and patients.
Patients describe Dr. Mark Richards as a caring, knowledgeable and skillful artist. “Supporting clients during recovery while exceeding their expectations is always the goal at Ageless Impressions Plastic Surgery Institute,” says Dr. Richards. Honest communication with patients is as important as the proper analysis of their appearance. Each individual has unique concerns. Dr. Richards’ professional joy comes from happy patients who love their natural looking enhanced appearance. This happens when skillful, creative solutions are used to achieve well defined goals. While the latest technology may elevate the quality of obtainable results, technology alone is not the answer. For the best results, your doctor needs wisdom and experience combined with the appropriate technology and techniques. It is important to remember that all treatments require some healing, and this healing process can vary greatly between patients. In private practice for more than 30 years, Dr. Richards has been an innovator of new surgical techniques and new ways of thinking about the components that create a naturally attractive appearance. His improved surgical techniques have been published in plastic surgery journals and presented nationally and internationally at conferences. He doesn’t believe in patenting the techniques he developed and would rather all surgeons and patients benefit from improved methods without restriction. His plastic surgery residency training in Boston took place at the Lahey Clinic and Harvard affiliated hospitals. In private practice, he has devoted time to training Georgetown and Johns Hopkins plastic surgery residents in aesthetic surgery and analysis.
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11300 Rockville Pike, Suite 912 North Bethesda, MD 20852 301-468-3458 DrMarkRichards.com
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The Orthopaedic Center A DIVISION OF CAO Rockville 14995 Shady Grove Road, Suite 350 Rockville, MD 20850 301-251-1433 Germantown 12850 Middlebrook Road, Suite 307 Germantown, MD 20874 301-972-4752
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Washington, D.C. 2112 F St. NW, Suite 305 Washington, DC 20037 202-912-8480 TheOrthoCenterMD.com
Since 1984, The Orthopaedic Center in Rockville, Maryland, has proudly provided specialized orthopedic care to patients throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region, maintaining a deep commitment to the local community. Guided by seven respected partners—Dr. Leo Rozmaryn, Dr. Barry Boden, Dr. Sunjay Berdia, Dr. Kenneth Fine, Dr. David Levin, Dr. Joseph Hanna and Dr. David Engorn—the practice is widely recognized for its outstanding patient care, clinical expertise and contributions to research. For more than four decades, The Orthopaedic Center has remained dedicated to helping patients regain function and enhance their quality of life through a combination of experience, innovation and compassionate treatment. Beyond providing advanced orthopedic services, the practice also offers full physical and occupational therapy programs at its Rockville, Germantown, and Washington, D.C. locations, giving patients convenient access to rehabilitation services close to home. The therapy team includes eleven
physical therapists, six occupational therapists, and four physical therapy assistants who collaborate closely with physicians and physician assistants to deliver coordinated, high-quality patient care. Serving communities across the DMV area, The Orthopaedic Center is supported by a team of 87 professionals, many of whom have dedicated more than 20 years to the practice. Their expertise and long-term commitment help ensure exceptional medical, therapeutic and administrative support, as well as seamless continuity of care. Built on decades of experience and dedication, The Orthopaedic Center remains committed to advancing orthopedic care and serving the community for generations to come. Specialties: Shoulder and elbow surgery; hand and upper extremity; orthopedic surgery of the spine; hip; knee; foot and ankle; sports medicine; pediatric orthopedic surgery; total joint replacement; sacroiliac joint fusion.
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Adam G. Tattelbaum, MD WA S H I N G T O N P L A S T I C S U R G E R Y G R O U P After medical school at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Tattelbaum became chief resident at New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center. He completed his plastic surgery training at Georgetown and Harvard. Double board certified, he’s on the clinical faculty at Georgetown, and is an attending physician at many regional hospitals.
“Success is a happy patient who is prepared, informed and has realistic expectations,” says Dr. Adam Tattelbaum, who has been recognized and awarded multiple times by Washingtonian and Bethesda Magazine. With more than three decades of experience, Dr. Tattelbaum prioritizes making a connection, developing trust with his patients. He considers it an honor to treat his patients through surgery and does not take the trust they put in him for granted. His love of teaching is evident in his detailed consultations, blogs and websites. It is important to him to help patients feel “normal” again. “Sometimes you just can’t make the changes you want or tighten loose skin despite your best efforts,” he says. “That’s where I come in.” Because each patient’s needs are unique, he works with each person to formulate a common sense plan that will realize their goals. He thinks that it is just as important to point out when a particular procedure would not be appropriate for a patient as when they would benefit from it. In cosmetic surgery, he believes that simple is often best and looks the most natural. “The best result is often the work no one knows you have had,” he says. “I only make the kind of recommendations to patients that I would make to someone dear to me.”
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3203 Tower Oaks Blvd., Suite 200 Rockville, MD 20852 301-656-6398 Pei@washingtonplastics.com ATCosmetics.com DCBreast.com DCTummyTuck.com DCAfterWeightLoss.com @drtattelbaum
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Karly Lorbeer, MD G R E AT E R WA S H I N G T O N O R T H O PA E D I C G R O U P, PA Specializing in operative and non-operative treatment of the hand, wrist, forearm, elbow and shoulder, Dr. Karly Lorbeer earned her medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. She completed her residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her hand and upper extremity fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh.
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Locations in Rockville, Silver Spring and Germantown 301-589-3324 GWOG.com When asked if she, like many orthopedic surgeons, grew up playing sports, Dr. Karly Lorbeer can’t help but chuckle. No, she says—she was a flutist, not an athlete. But a month-long rotation in medical school changed everything. She was immediately drawn to the “puzzle” of taking something that appears irreparably broken on an X-ray and, within hours, restoring it, helping patients regain function and improving their quality of life. That instinct—to take something that’s broken and piece it back together—is central to her practice at Greater Washington Orthopaedic Group, PA (GWOG), where she specializes in conditions of the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder. Dr. Lorbeer’s patients range from elite athletes to the grandmother who abandoned her knitting needles to the dad who winces opening a jar—anyone whose pain disrupts daily life. She treats everything from carpal tunnel and trigger finger to arthritis, nerve compression, tendon conditions and shoulder injuries, with a conservative-first approach. “Surgery is a great tool, but it’s not necessarily the starting point,” Dr. Lorbeer says. When it is, many procedures can be performed under local anesthesia alone. Either way, she prioritizes involving patients in the decision-making process. “I want to be a good partner to my patients—everyone’s goals are different, and I want to make sure treatment reflects that.” Dr. Lorbeer is also launching a bone health program at GWOG. Too often, she says, women, especially those 60-plus, who sustain osteoporosis-related fractures never receive followup treatment. The program offers evaluation, treatment and ongoing support to improve bone health and reduce the risk of further injury.
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Summit Orthopedics The Summit Orthopedics team includes board-certified physicians, Drs. Steven H. Bernstein, Jr., Steven A. Bleckner, Philip D. Bobrow, Michael E. Goldsmith, Mustafa A. Haque, Eve Hoffman, Alison Kitay, Marc E. Rankin, Ryan D. Scully, and Gautam Siram, physician assistants Caroline Brown, Carl Durias, and Cortney Tanner, and nurse practitioner Sarah Trandel, working collaboratively to deliver personalized care.
7500 Old Georgetown Road, Suite 301 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-657-9876 Summit-Orthopedics.com
For more than 30 years, Summit Orthopedics, part of The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics, has been a trusted leader in comprehensive, patient-centered orthopedic care throughout the Washington metropolitan area. Its team of board certified orthopedic surgeons, physician assistants, nurse practitioner, and physical therapists are dedicated to achieving optimal outcomes through personalized care that helps patients restore mobility, reduce pain and return to the activities they love. Summit Orthopedics delivers expert care across a full spectrum of orthopedic specialties, including joint replacement, spine care, sports medicine and conditions of the hand and upper extremity. Its providers begin with conservative treatment whenever possible—casting, bracing, physical therapy and other non-surgical options tailored to each patient. The team also offers corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid injections for inflammation and joint
lubrication, and, when appropriate, regenerative therapies such as Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)—which uses the patient’s own blood cells to repair damaged tissue— and StemWave, a non-invasive acoustic wave treatment that stimulates healing at the cellular level. When surgery is necessary, its surgeons utilize state-of-the-art technology and minimally invasive techniques to optimize outcomes and recovery time. The Summit Orthopedics team starts every appointment by listening attentively to patients’ concerns and goals. After conducting a thorough examination, they walk patients through their findings and treatment options, answering questions and collaborating with patients to decide the best path forward. All treatment plans incorporate prevention strategies to help reduce the risk of future issues. At Summit Orthopedics, the goal is simple: helping every patient move forward with confidence and strength.
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Jennifer Parker Porter, MD, FACS Dr. Jennifer Parker Porter is a Diplomate of the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, and a Clinical Associate Professor at Georgetown University Medical Center. A Castle Connolly Top Doctor, she has been named Best Cosmetic Surgeon by Bethesda Magazine and contributes to medical textbooks and expert panels.
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7201 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 515 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-652-8191 ChevyChaseFace.com Patients travel from across the globe to Bethesda, Maryland, to sit across from double-board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Jennifer Parker Porter—not for a whole new face, but to look refreshed and to feel more comfortable in their own skin. For more than 27 years, she’s helped thousands of patients turn back the clock, delivering refined, natural results that enhance their inherent beauty. “My goal is to help patients look like the best version of themselves,” says Dr. Porter, who founded Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgery (CCFPS) in 2003. “No drastic changes—just subtle, stunning results that enhance the natural harmony of your features while preserving the characteristics that make you, you.” For Dr. Porter, facial plastic surgery is the ideal intersection of art and science. Specializing exclusively in the face and neck, she brings a highly focused understanding of facial anatomy and aging—and the nuance required to achieve results that feel authentic and balanced. Her expertise spans rhinoplasty, including revision rhinoplasty, face and neck lifts, blepharoplasty and nonsurgical enhancements. With meticulous attention to detail and a deeply personalized approach, Dr. Porter customizes every procedure to each patient’s unique facial structure, skin type and aesthetic goals. Specializing in nonsurgical treatments like injectables, lasers and Morpheus8 skin tightening, CCFPS aesthetic nurse practitioner Meghan Fay is recognized as a Top 1 Percent Morpheus8 Provider in Maryland—Top 10 percent in North America. Whether addressing visible signs of aging or getting ahead of future concerns, Dr. Porter’s philosophy stays the same: enhance what is already there, so patients can move through the world looking—and feeling—like their best selves.
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Mary Ella Carter, MD, FACS, LLC PL ASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY
Dr. Carter is a Board-Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon recognized for her expertise, artistry and patient-centered care. As an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, she leads a thriving women-led private practice based at Johns Hopkins Sibley Memorial Hospital. With years of experience in both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, Dr. Carter has built a reputation for delivering natural, refined results while ensuring every patient feels understood, confident and cared for throughout their journey. Dr. Carter performs a wide range of procedures, including facial rejuvenation surgeries, blepharoplasties, body contouring procedures, as well as non-surgical treatments like Botox and dermal fillers. She is also highly experienced in complex reconstructive procedures, particularly skin cancer reconstruction and melanoma-related care, serving a diverse patient population with compassion and precision.
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Johns Hopkins Medicine Sibley Memorial Medical Building, Suite 430 5215 Loughboro Road, NW Washington, D.C. 20016 202-363-6844 DrMaryEllaCarter.com drmaryellacarter@gmail.com
Wink Eyecare Boutique RACHEL COHN, OPTOMETRIST J E N NIF E R K A R MI O L , O P T O M E T R I S T
Stressed eyes need a caring touch. Amid the endless Zoom calls, screen strains, dryness and now summer allergies, too, award-winning Wink Eyecare Boutique in Potomac offers the relief you seek. With cutting-edge lens technology, unique eyewear and the latest dry eye and allergy treatments, Drs. Rachel Cohn and Jennifer Karmiol have helped hundreds of patients see, feel and look their best. Founded by Dr. Cohn in 2006 to provide a patient-centered, personalized approach to eyecare, Wink blends innovation with fashion and premium customer service. From comprehensive eye exams to chic handpicked frames that perfectly fit your face and prescription and match your style, visit Wink Eyecare for the care you—and your stressed eyes—deserve.
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1095 Seven Locks Road Potomac, MD 20854 301-545-1111 Wink.net
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Physicians
PR OF IL E S
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The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics M O N T G O M E R Y O R T H O PA E D I C S D I V I S I O N Board-certified orthopedic surgeons at Montgomery Orthopaedics are Fellows of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and consistently named Top Doctors by their colleagues in Washingtonian magazine and Castle Connolly. Call for same-day or next-day appointments, and enjoy convenient online scheduling, easy
MICHAEL VENTURA
access and ample parking.
8401 Connecticut Ave., Suite 800 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-949-8100 MontgomeryOrthopaedics.com
CAO Montgomery Orthopaedics is one of the area’s largest and most respected surgical and physical therapy practices, with a 40-year history of serving the community. The practice brings together leading orthopedic surgeons with world-class physical therapy and hand therapy services. Their highly trained, compassionate physicians take a conservatively efficient approach to care, always starting with the simplest, most effective path to healing. At the heart of it, their goal is straightforward—help patients heal and get back to doing what they enjoy most as quickly and safely as possible. Because pain and injury can’t wait, the practice prioritizes timely access, often seeing patients the same day and welcoming walk-in visits for acute injuries with no appointment needed. As part of a larger orthopedic network, CAO Montgomery Orthopaedics also coordinates seamlessly across imaging, diagnostics, surgery and rehabilitation.
The practice recently welcomed two new physicians. Laura Keeling, M.D. specializes in sports medicine and arthroscopy. She completed her undergraduate education at Princeton University followed by medical training and residency at Georgetown University. She then completed a sports medicine fellowship at the prestigious University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. A native of Bethesda, Dr. Keeling has enjoyed returning home and caring for the community. Andrey Zuskov, M.D. is a board-certified, fellowship-trained hip and knee replacement surgeon with extensive experience in the surgical and non-surgical treatment of hip and knee arthritis. He specializes in advanced techniques including direct anterior total hip arthroplasty, robotic joint replacement and rapid recovery protocols. Dr. Zuskov is a graduate of New York University and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
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PR OF IL E S
Physicians Special A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
Dr. Yvonne Bennett BCC AUDIOLOGY
At BCC Audiology, hearing care is personal and compassionate. Dr. Bennett provides comprehensive hearing care for patients aged 4 and older, including hearing tests, hearing aid fitting, central auditory processing assessments and tinnitus management. She takes the time to talk to you, unlike a busy Big Box retailer. She can help with over-the-counter “first-time” hearing devices, sound protection and swim molds. Her approach is shaped by her 15-year research career at the NIH, University of Pennsylvania and Syracuse University, where she studied inner ear function, sound exposure effects and hereditary hearing loss. As a woman- and veteran-owned practice, BCC Audiology was borne out of her mother’s 50-year journey with hearing aids. Dr. Bennett is dedicated to helping patients reconnect with conversations, confidence and the sounds that matter most.
MICHAEL VENTURA
7625 Wisconsin Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814 202-302-6573 BCCAudiology.com
Jules Feledy, MD BELMONT PL ASTIC SURGERY
Dr. Feledy’s most important tool is not in the operating room— it’s the consultation. A board-certified plastic surgeon with more than 25 years of experience, Dr. Feledy is known for a personalized approach that begins with listening. Every treatment plan is designed around the individual, focusing on natural, refined results that help patients feel confident, refreshed and comfortable in their own skin. Consistently recognized among the Washington, D.C. area’s top plastic surgeons by Washingtonian, Northern Virginia Magazine, U.S. News & World Report and Castle Connelly, Dr. Feledy specializes in reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, including breast reconstruction, breast augmentation, facelift, body contouring, skin cancer reconstruction and tummy tuck. Belmont Plastic Surgery’s advanced MedSpa services support long-term skin health and rejuvenation. “The best outcomes happen when patients feel heard, understood and still completely themselves,” says Dr. Feledy.
H I L A R Y S C H WA B
5530 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 814 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-901-3262 BelmontPlasticSurgery.com
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Community Radiology Associates Community Radiology Associates (CRA) is home to one of the region’s largest teams of dedicated breast radiologists. As a leader in advancing accessible and accurate breast imaging, CRA combines specialized clinical expertise with state-of-the-art technology to provide comprehensive, accurate and compassionate care.
H E AT H E R F U E N T E S
888-601-0943 CommunityRadiology.com
Drs. Janet Storella and Tahira Ahmed lead a team of 10 specialized breast radiologists dedicated to advancing early breast cancer detection through expert clinical care and innovative technology. Together with skilled technical staff, they are committed to setting the standard for accurate diagnosis and compassionate patient care. They are experts in all breast imaging techniques, including screening mammography, evaluation of common symptoms like breast lumps and the most advanced breast biopsy techniques, some of which Dr. Storella pioneered in the region. “Our approach supports individualized risk awareness, early detection and continuous improvement in imaging quality,” says Dr. Storella. One of the features that distinguishes their practice is the ability to offer patients the benefits of artificial intelligence enabled Enhanced Breast Cancer Detection (FDA-Cleared.) technology. This FDA-
cleared tool assists the radiologist who reads your mammogram by identifying potentially suspicious areas for review. Drs. Storella and Ahmed emphasize that artificial intelligence enhances rather than replaces clinical expertise—serving as an additional set of eyes that has been shown to improve breast cancer detection rates. The breast imaging team is committed to making care more precise, accessible and patient-centered. Through ongoing innovation, close collaboration with breast cancer specialists across the region and a deep commitment to the health of the communities they serve, they continue to advance early detection, improve outcomes and provide compassionate care at every step of the patient journey.
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Physicians Special A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
Coleman Brown, MD, FACS PL ASTIC SURGERY 5454 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1210 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 8100 Boone Blvd., Suite 730 Tysons Corner, VA 22182
The best plastic surgery results are the ones no one can quite put their finger on; they simply know you look amazing. For nearly 25 years, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Coleman Brown has built his practice around that philosophy, combining technical precision with a creative eye. The results speak for themselves: a natural, refreshed look that has made him one of the most sought-after practitioners in the area. Dr. Brown specializes in a comprehensive range of procedures including deep-plane facial rejuvenation, eyelid surgery, Preservé minimally invasive breast enhancement and mommy makeovers. His practice offers a boutique surgical setting with a state-of-the-art, AAAHC-accredited operating room and board-certified anesthesiologists, delivering hospital-level safety in a private, comfortable environment.
COURTESY PHOTO
301-241-8611 ColemanBrownPS.com @DrColemanBrown
Center for Cosmetic and Clinical Dermatology
The highly experienced board-certified specialists at the Center for Cosmetic and Clinical Dermatology (CCCD) are committed to finding the best treatment tailored to each patient. Through their personalized, patient-centric approach, they deliver the highest standard of dermatologic care. "There are usually several options to treat a skin condition," says Dr. Andrea C. Steel, "but not every treatment is the right fit for every patient." Prioritizing patient education and empowerment, the CCCD team "encourages patients to take an active role in choosing their treatment," says Dr. Anne E. Rothman. "It's important to us that they understand their conditions and feel comfortable with their treatment." Dr. Roni W. Ford adds, "We schedule ample time per patient visit to explain diagnoses and treatment options clearly and address any questions or concerns."
COURTESY PHOTO
18310 Montgomery Village Ave., Suite 700 Gaithersburg, MD 20879 301-977-2070 CCCDerm.com
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PR OF IL E S
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Jewel Sandy, MD E Y E D O C T O R S O F WA S H I N G T O N Dr. Jewel Sandy, a Castle Connolly and Bethesda Magazine Top Doctor, is a Board-certified and fellowship-trained Oculofacial Plastic Surgeon specializing in eyelid and orbital surgery. She’s known for her technical excellence, clinical judgment, and steadfast commitment to every individual in her care. Beyond her clinical work, Dr. Sandy leads medical missions to regions across the globe, providing sight-restoring care and training local providers.
MICHAEL VENTURA
Chevy Chase Metro Building 2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 500 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-215-7100 EDOW.com In a field where the smallest details make a visible difference, Dr. Jewel Sandy has built her reputation on a rare combination of surgical precision, global perspective and genuine warmth. A board-certified Ophthalmologist with fellowship training in Oculofacial Plastic, Reconstructive and Orbital Surgery, she has established herself as a leading authority on Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery. At the Eye Doctors of Washington, she specializes in blepharoplasty, ptosis repair, brow lifts, lower eyelid surgery and non-surgical facial rejuvenation (Botox, facial fillers...)—offering patients bespoke care with elegant, natural-looking results. Originally from Sierra Leone, West Africa, Dr. Sandy came to the U.S. as a teenager and trained at some of the country’s most rigorous programs, including an ophthalmology residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Callahan Eye Hospital—a premier level-1 ocular trauma center—and fellowship training in Ophthalmic Plastic, Orbital and Reconstructive Surgery at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. Her path to the D.C. metro area has taken her all over the world, to places like Nepal, Eswatini and China, experiences that continue to inform how she thinks about access, resourcefulness and patient care. Whether they need a complex eyelid reconstruction, to address functional concerns or are simply seeking a subtle change—something that feels more like a return to themselves—patients appreciate Dr. Sandy’s calm confidence and compassion as much as they do her technical excellence, consistency and expertise. “I care deeply about doing things the right way,” says Dr. Sandy. “I combine precision and sound clinical judgment with a genuine connection to my patients, keeping their safety at the center of every decision.”
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6/10/26 12:53 PM 6/1/26 2:58 PM
Our guide to the most respected dental professionals in Montgomery County and Upper Northwest D.C., as chosen by their peers ILLUSTRATIONS BY JAMES O’BRIEN
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Top Dentists 2026
This list is compiled and provided by topDentists (Copyright 2010-2026 by topDentists, Augusta, Georgia) a database of dental professionals who have been selected as “tops” by vote of their peers. The complete database is available at usatopdentists.com. For information email help@usatopdentists.com or visit usatopdentists.com.
METHODOLOGY From topDentists: “If you had a patient in need of a dentist, which dentist would you refer them to?” This is the question topDentists asked thousands of dentists to determine who makes its list. Dentists and specialists are asked to take into consideration years of experience, continuing education, manner with patients, use of new techniques and technologies and, of course, physical results. The nomination pool consists of dentists listed online with the American Dental Association, as well as all dentists listed online with their local dental societies, thus allowing virtually every dentist the opportunity to participate. Dentists may also nominate other dentists who they feel should be included in
ENDODONTICS
our list. Voters are asked to individually evaluate the practitioners on their ballot whose work they are familiar with. Once the balloting is complete, the scores are compiled and then averaged. The numerical average required for inclusion varies depending on the average for all the nominees within the specialty and the geographic area. Borderline cases are given consideration by the editors. Past awards a dentist has received and status in various dental academies can factor into our decisions. Once the decisions have been finalized, the included dentists are checked against state dental boards for disciplinary actions to make sure they have an active license and are in good standing with the board.
Renie Gross Endodontic Specialists Silver Spring 301-593-4400 silverspringendo.com
Naghmeh Latifi D.C. Endodontics Washington, D.C. 202-364-0234 dcendodontics.com
Sumesh Potluri Silver Spring Endodontics Silver Spring 301-754-0500 silverspringendodontics.com
Tony Hsu Bethesda Endodontics North Bethesda 301-881-6882 hsurootcanal.com
Young Lee Endodontic Specialists Silver Spring 301-593-4400 silverspringendo.com
Christopher Jin Endodontic Associates of Greater Washington Rockville 301-231-0744 endogroup.com
Anastasia Mischenko Bethesda-Chevy Chase Root Canal Specialists Chevy Chase 301-654-6077 endocc.com
Michael Ribera Advanced Endodontic Associates Chevy Chase 301-654-1818 advancedendo.com
Marc Jiorle RCT Endodontics Silver Spring 240-696-7208 rctendo.com
Sasan Moghaddame-Jafari North Bethesda Endodontics Rockville 301-984-3636 nbendo.com
Jason Fields Jason P. Fields, DMD Gaithersburg 301-519-9555 fieldsendo.com
George Jong Bethesda-Chevy Chase Root Canal Specialists Chevy Chase 301-654-6077 endocc.com
Adam Orgel RCT Endodontics Silver Spring 240-696-7208 rctendo.com
Edward Gamson Endodontic Care North Bethesda North Bethesda 301-493-4496 gamsondds.com
Ana Kim Prostho Endo Dental Group North Bethesda 301-377-8306 prosthocosmeticdentistry.com
Farah Assadipour Advanced Endodontic Associates Rockville 301-984-3800 advancedendo.com Ali Behnia Fallsgrove Endodontics Rockville 301-340-9494 fallsgroveendo.com Wing Chan Rockville 301-963-6087 drwingfchan.com Reza Farshey Chevy Chase Endodontics Chevy Chase 301-907-2931 ccendo.net
Tu Phan Olney Endodontics, PA Olney 301-774-1181 olneyendodontics.com
Yaser Roumani Endodontic Associates of Greater Washington Rockville 301-231-0744 endogroup.com Fredric Simon Advanced Endodontic Associates Rockville 301-984-3800 advancedendo.com Joseph Son Capital Endodontics Microsurgical Center Bethesda 301-530-1131 endocapital.com
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Ronald Taylor RCT Endodontics Silver Spring 240-696-7208 rctendo.com
William August Family Dental Associates Germantown 301-869-5090 familydentalassoc.net
Ian Walker Endodontic Associates of Greater Washington Rockville 301-231-0744 endogroup.com
Eduardo Avila Sublime Smiles Rockville 301-330-1400 sublimesmiles.com
Constance Wentworth Capital Endodontics Microsurgical Center Bethesda 301-530-1131 endocapital.com Chetan Yelamanchi Endodontic Associates of Greater Washington Gaithersburg 301-869-3900 endogroup.com
GENERAL DENTISTRY Erika Adachi Family Smile Dental Center Germantown 301-515-9600 familysmiledentalcenter.com Donna Afshar PIA Dental Washington, D.C. 202-244-6650 piadental.com Ali Aghaee Montgomery Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Rockville 301-417-6957 healthyteethandsmile.com Shazaad Ally Choice Dental Care Silver Spring 301-562-6020 choicedentalcare.net Harold Aniya Family Smile Dental Center Germantown 301-515-9600 familysmiledentalcenter.com Corey Anolik Totally Smiles Dental Group Gaithersburg 301-948-8838 totallysmiles.com
Taylor Cole Ball Wyngate Dental of Bethesda Bethesda 301-530-8008 wyngatedental.com Marie Banzon Bethesda 301-581-9494 Alice Charland Bassford ASE Dental Group Silver Spring 301-593-5500 silverspringdmd.com Michael Bauer Washington, D.C. 202-966-4050 chevychasedds.com Jennifer Beitler Rockville 301-972-0260 jenniferbeitlerdds.com David Black David K. Black DDS, PA Gaithersburg 301-740-8488 Carol Blake Blake Dental Group Washington, D.C. 202-966-0620 blakedentalgroup.com Ellen Brodsky MegaSmiles of Bethesda Bethesda 301-564-4991 megasmilesofbethesda.com Jane Brodsky Dr. Jane Brodsky and Associates North Bethesda 301-493-8333 drjanebrodsky.com Charles Broring Jr. Bethesda 301-652-1440
Sharon Brown Washington Center for Cosmetic and Family Dentistry Washington, D.C. 202-363-2500 amazingdentistry.com David Bugden Silver Spring 301-681-4241 Usa Bunnag Bunnag Comprehensive Dentistry Bethesda 301-896-0633 drbunnag.com Cheryl Callahan Callahan Dental Rockville 301-948-1212 cherylcallahandds.com Valerie Cassis Health 360 Dental Chevy Chase 301-686-5255 health360dental.com Joseph Catanzano III Foxhall Smiles Washington, D.C. 202-244-1601 foxhallsmiles.com Ivonne Giuliana Centty Hillandale Smiles Silver Spring 301-439-7878 hillandalesmiles.com Eric Chai Colesville Dentistry Silver Spring 301-384-6000 colesvilledentistry.com Kevin Chai Colesville Dentistry Silver Spring 301-384-6000 colesvilledentistry.com Susan Chang Wildwood Bethesda Family & Cosmetic Dental Bethesda 301-530-5909 bethesdadental.com Christina Cho Bethesda Dental Associates Bethesda 202-931-7021 bethesdadentalassociates.com
Arthur Choi Gaithersburg 301-948-0404 achoidds.com Shri Chopra Dental Design of Wheaton Wheaton 301-944-1001 shrichopradds.com Andrew Cobb Andrew C. Cobb, DDS Gaithersburg 202-313-2504 sleepandtmjdentalsolutions.com Jason Cohen Chevy Chase 301-656-1201 cosmeticdds.com John Conaghan Capital Dental Bethesda 301-654-1777 bethesdamddentist.com John Corrigan Capital Dental Bethesda 301-654-1777 bethesdamddentist.com Patricia Cuervo North Bethesda Dentistry North Bethesda 301-231-6383 nbdentistry.com Ivelisse Cuevas Bethesda Family Dentistry Bethesda 202-932-8482 bethesdafamilydentistry.com Shoba Daney Care Soft Dental Rockville 301-869-7733 caresoftdental.com Zohra Darwish Dental Aesthetic Arts Washington, D.C. 202-506-1976 Alan Dechter Dechter & Moy Dentistry Silver Spring 301-949-5400 dechtermoy.com Peter DeMizio DeMizio Dental Center Bethesda 301-652-3888 demiziodental.com
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Navneet Dhaliwal Pristine Smiles Rockville 301-231-9100 pristinesmilesmd.com Robert Donahue Dr. Robert G. Donahue, DDS Washington, D.C. 202-966-4050 chevychasedds.com Charles Doring North Bethesda Dental Associates Rockville 301-881-7646 nbda.dentist
Norma Fox Gentle Dental-Care Relaxation Clinique Silver Spring 301-589-5644 visitdrfoxsmiles.com
David Gordon Gordon Center for General and Advanced Dentistry Gaithersburg 301-258-1998 gordondentalcare.com
Joseph Frew Joseph E. Frew, DDS Silver Spring 301-585-3800 drfrew.com
Leonard Gordon Gordon Center for General and Advanced Dentistry Gaithersburg 301-258-1998 gordondentalcare.com
Ronan Freyne Ronan Freyne, DMD Chevy Chase 301-986-0700 docronan.com
Austin Drewyer Drewyer Dentistry Burtonsville 301-635-1601 drewyerdentistry.com
Jason George Perkins & George Silver Spring 301-989-3400 colesvilledentist.com
Douglas Drewyer Drewyer Dentistry Burtonsville 301-635-1601 drewyerdentistry.com
Eugene Giannini Giannini Gray Schwartz Dental Partners Washington, D.C. 202-244-4111 smiledc.com
Dan Eisenberg Olney Dental Olney 301-250-1057 olneydental.com Ashley Emam Rockville Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Rockville 301-424-8100 rockvilleemamdentistry.com
Keith Gilbert North Potomac 301-527-0775 Elizabeth Gladnick Gladnick Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Rockville 301-963-0800 gladnickdentistry.com
George Gotsiridze Bethesda Chevy Chase Advanced Dentistry Chevy Chase 301-652-1545
bethesdachevychasedentistry.com
Brian Gray Giannini Gray Schwartz Dental Partners Washington, D.C. 202-244-4111 smiledc.com Bernard Greenbaum Bethesda 301-530-3600 greenbaumdds.com Priya Grewal Spring Valley Dental Washington, D.C. 202-244-5900 springvalleydentaldc.com Scott Gritz Gaithersburg 301-926-2700 Daniel Grosberg Grosberg Family Dental Care Silver Spring 301-384-8788 grosbergdental.com
Emine Erkmen Shady Grove Dental Center Rockville 301-610-7724 drerkmen.com
Thomas Gladnick Gladnick Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Rockville 301-963-0800 gladnickdentistry.com
David Eskow David Eskow, DDS Olney 301-774-2000 myolneydentist.com
Larry Goldbaum Goldbaum & Rosenberg Dentistry Rockville 301-770-1555 golrosdds.com
Anne Gunn Swedish-American Dental Concepts Chevy Chase 301-652-8282 swedishamericandental.com
Christine Foster Silver Spring Smile Designs Silver Spring 301-593-7500 silverspringsmiledesigns.com
Nahal Golpayegani Smiles Elevated Chevy Chase 301-465-9066 smileselevated.com
Brian Handelman Silver Spring Smile Designs Silver Spring 301-593-7500 silverspringsmiledesigns.com
H. Brandt Foster Chevy Chase 301-986-8804 bethesdachevychasedentist.com
Parvati Gopalan Capital Dental Washington, D.C. 202-244-5792 capitaldentaldds.com
Shawna Hawk Washington, D.C. 202-362-7726 shawnalhawkdds.com
Robert Herman Bethesda Dental Care Bethesda 301-718-2929 bethesdadentalcare.com Iris Hirschfeld Bethesda Smiles Bethesda 301-656-6800 bethesdasmiles.com Susan Ho Kensington Natural Smiles Kensington 301-933-3903 susanhodds.com Erick Hosaka Health 360 Dental Chevy Chase 301-657-2225 health360dental.com Sandra Hsieh All Smiles Bethesda North Bethesda 301-984-9646 allsmilesbethesda.com Richard Hunsinger Jr. Bethesda 301-652-3997 richardhunsingerdds.com Mina Jassam Rockville Dental Rockville 240-813-7040 rockvilledental.net Steven Joe Bethesda 301-229-4333 stevenjoedds.com Anett John Chevy Chase 301-652-3317 ajohndds.com Archana Johnson Archana M. Johnson, DDS, PC Olney 301-774-0795 olneyjohnsondental.com George Joncas Family and Cosmetic Dentistry Washington, D.C. 202-363-5840 joncasfamilydentistry.com Akanksha Joshi Smiles By Joshi Olney 301-774-4543 smilesbyjoshi.com
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Glen Kan Silver Spring 301-585-7766 drglenkandds.com Srotalina Khanna Bethesda Family Smiles North Bethesda 301-530-0700 bethesdafamilysmiles.com Christine Lee Kim Silver Spring Family Dentistry Silver Spring 301-649-4197 silverspringfamilydentistry.com Randolph Kim Randolph Kim, DDS Cosmetic & Family Dentistry Potomac 301-299-5450 randolphkimdds.com Nadim Kodsi North Potomac Smiles Rockville 301-926-4408 northpotomacsmiles.com Inna Kost Smiles Bethesda Bethesda 301-530-6195 bethesdadentistdmd.com Emona Kraja Kraja + Sidhu Dental Silver Spring 301-495-9222 ksdental.com Stacia Krantz Fallsgrove Center for Dentistry Rockville 301-610-9909 fallsgrovedentistry.com Saba Lakhani Bethesda-Chevy Chase Smiles Bethesda 301-652-5445 bccsmiles.com Jason Lam Three Creek Dentistry Derwood 240-207-4077 threecreekdentistry.com Harold Landis Jr. Silver Spring 301-681-7061 David Lee Lee Dentistry Silver Spring 301-605-1123 cosmeticdentistsilverspring.com
Gloria Lee Advances in Dental Care North Potomac 301-519-3455 advancesindentalcare.com
Jennifer Matelis Drs. Ensor, Johnson & Lewis Rockville 301-881-6170 ejldental.com
Kristy Lee Modern Haus Dental Chevy Chase 301-986-4814 modernhausdental.com
Robert Mazziotta Bethesda Dental Group Bethesda 301-530-2212
Jonathan Leung All Smiles Bethesda North Bethesda 301-984-9646 allsmilesbethesda.com
Matthew Moy Dechter & Moy Dentistry Silver Spring 301-949-5400 dechtermoy.com
Jake Levine Bethesda 301-530-4502 jlevinedds.com
Kate Nematollahi Bethesda Family Dentistry North Bethesda 240-221-3602 bethesdafamilydentistry.com
Arlyn Logan Bethesda Dental Specialists Bethesda 301-654-3011 bethesdadentalspecialists.com
T. Anh Nguyen Wheaton Dental Partners Kensington 301-946-8444 wheatondentalpartners.com
Joshua Lomke Smile Designs of Olney Olney 301-260-0700 olneyfamilydentistry.com
T. Kim Nguyen Wheaton Dental Partners Kensington 301-946-8444 wheatondentalpartners.com
Mitchell Lomke Smile Designs of Olney Olney 301-260-0700 olneyfamilydentistry.com
Aaron Nicholas Endres Dental Care Burtonsville 301-989-0088 endresdentalcare.com
Philip Jay Magpantay Gaithersburg 301-519-3232 kellydds.com
Jacob Nix Nix Dental Silver Spring 301-588-3333 nixdental.com
E. Denise Malcomson Malcomson Dentistry Bethesda 301-656-1588 malcomsondentistry.com Despina Markogiannakis Smiles of Chevy Chase Chevy Chase 301-652-0656 smilesofchevychase.com John Martin III Washington, D.C. 202-966-1900 Pamela Martin Ngoc Q. Chu, DDS, PA Bethesda 301-530-2622
Bruce Nouri Montgomery Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Rockville 301-417-6957 healthyteethandsmile.com Dmitry Nurminsky Bethesda 301-951-5244 dndentist.com Dennis O’Leary Family and Cosmetic Dentistry Washington, D.C. 202-966-8108 dennisolearydds.com
Yutaka Okamoto Supertooth Bethesda 301-679-7811 supertooth.com Catherine Palandjian Bethesda Family Dentistry Bethesda 202-683-9165 bethesdafamilydentistry.com Brian Park Park Dental Office Silver Spring 301-587-2800 parkdentaloffice.com Stephen Park Park Dental Office Silver Spring 301-587-2800 parkdentaloffice.com Clementina Perez-West North Bethesda Dental Associates Rockville 301-881-7646 nbda.dentist Jeffrey Perkins Perkins & George Silver Spring 301-989-3400 colesvilledentist.com Michael Pollack Michael S. Pollack, DDS Silver Spring 301-587-1610 michaelpollackdds.com
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Top Dentists 2026
Michael Pollowitz Washington Center for Cosmetic and Family Dentistry Washington, D.C. 202-363-2500 amazingdentistry.com Catherine Pulse Washington, D.C. 202-363-6177 nwwashingtondentist.com Ramy Radmanesh Radmanesh Dental Bethesda 301-493-6550 radmaneshdental.com Antoinette Ramdath The Smile Atelier Silver Spring 301-593-5211 thesmileatelier.com Soheil Rashidchi Rockville Dental Care Rockville 301-545-0060 rockvilledentalcare.com Venkat Reddy North Bethesda 301-530-4300 bethesdasmilecenter.com Peter Rinaldi Artisan Dental Chevy Chase 301-652-1100 artisandentist.com Ronald Rosenberg Goldbaum & Rosenberg Dentistry Rockville 301-770-1555 golrosdds.com Philippe Rouchon Rouchon Dental Kensington 240-669-4684 rouchondental.com
Mehran Rouhanian Bethesda Dental Specialists Bethesda 301-654-3011 bethesdadentalspecialists.com
L. Daniella Perez Simon Dynamic Cosmetic Dentistry North Bethesda 301-770-2223 dynamiccosmeticdentistry.com
Marc Rubinstein Rubinstein Dentistry Rockville 301-963-3333
Amrita Singh The Smile Effect Bethesda 240-630-4299 dentistinbethesda.com
Jay Samuels Jay H. Samuels, DDS, PA Rockville 301-881-4200 drjsamuels.com Ali Sarkarzadeh Congressional Dental Care Rockville 301-770-5400 congressionaldental.com John Savukinas Rockville 301-738-1155 johnsavukinasdds.com David Schlactus Rockville 301-881-9040 drschlactus.com Adam Schneider Schneider Family Dentistry Gaithersburg 240-654-3555 schneiderdentists.com Luke Schwartz Giannini Gray Schwartz Dental Partners Washington, D.C. 202-244-4111 smiledc.com Adam Sherman Sherman Family Dentistry Rockville 301-840-0600 dradamsherman.com Jay Siddiqui Radiant Dental Care Chevy Chase 301-652-2222 radiant-dental.com
Paul Singh Promenade Dental Care Bethesda 301-530-7383 paulsinghdmd.com Johnathan Slate Slate Dental Washington, D.C. 202-686-5222 slatedentaldc.com Michelle Snyder Fallsgrove Center for Dentistry Rockville 301-610-9909 fallsgrovedentistry.com Andrew Sorkin Andrew Sorkin, DMD, LLC Rockville 301-309-0707 andrewsorkindmd.com Vadim Spivak Executive Dental Arts Rockville 240-242-4737 executivedentalarts.com A. Mark St. George Kensington 301-530-2772 markstgeorgedds.com Dennis Stiles Stiles Dentistry Gaithersburg 301-947-6900 stilesdentistry.com Marie Tigani Stiles Stiles Dentistry Gaithersburg 301-947-6900 stilesdentistry.com Christine Sullivan Bethesda Family Dentistry North Bethesda 240-221-3602 bethesdafamilydentistry.com Richard Sun Sun Dental Associates Gaithersburg 301-921-6338 sundentalcare.com
Marcus Tappan Tappan Comprehensive Dentistry Silver Spring 301-565-8212 tappan-dentistry.com Paymaan Christopher Tavakoli Fusion Dental Bethesda 301-652-2123 fusiondentalgroup.com Dorienne Taylor-Bishop Bishop & Bishop Dental Silver Spring 301-608-9270 bishopdental.com Namita Thapar-Dua Senior Smile Germantown 301-875-7477 ntcdental.com Mellanie Thompson Silver Spring Dental Arts Silver Spring 301-384-6776 silverspringdentalarts.com Robert Tilkin North Bethesda Dental Associates Rockville 301-881-7646 nbda.dentist Jennifer Tipograph Natural Dentist Associates Rockville 301-770-2270 naturaldentistassociates.com Lev Tomashevsky Gaithersburg 301-948-0058 kellydds.com Peter Tong Rockville Smiles Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Rockville 301-424-8888 rockvillesmiles.com Vinh Trinh Three Creek Dentistry Derwood 240-541-5317 threecreekdentistry.com Mehr Tucker Rockville Advanced Dentistry Rockville 301-963-8900 rockvilleadvanceddentistry.com
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Viviana Urban Star Brite Dental Rockville 301-770-1070 starbritedentalrockville.com
Pamela Vranis Vranis Dental Chevy Chase 301-771-5000 vranisdental.com
Rachel Wilson Wilson Family Dentistry Gaithersburg 301-926-1511 wilsonfamdentistry.com
Shakila Usman Gaithersburg 301-519-8887 shakilausmandds.com
Ho Wang Woo Wang Dental Gaithersburg 240-683-3833 woowangdental.com
Alan Wolcott Hillandale Smiles Silver Spring 301-439-7878 hillandalesmiles.com
Todd Curtis Wasserman Fallsgrove Center for Dentistry Rockville 301-610-9909 fallsgrovedentistry.com
Edmond Woo Woo Wang Dental Kensington 301-933-1833 woowangdental.com
Jessica Morgan Weber Kensington Family Dentistry Kensington 301-946-5600 kensingtonfamilydentistry.com
Kenneth Woo Woo Wang Dental Kensington 301-933-1833 woowangdental.com
Treva Willis Smile Design Studio Bethesda 301-907-8201
Maria Wood Smiles Elevated Chevy Chase 301-913-0072 smileselevated.com
Stephen Varney Capital Dental Bethesda 301-654-1777 bethesdamddentist.com Adam Vitelli Vitelli Comprehensive Dentistry Germantown 301-972-1400 vitellidentistry.com Tamdan Vodinh Utter Dental Care Clarksburg 240-261-4368 utterdentalcare.com
smiledesignstudioofbethesda.com
A Silver Spring Tradition of Trusted Dental Care
Jay Yi Kensington & Columbia Dental Designs Kensington 301-946-5464 jayyidds.com Susanna Yoon White Flint Family Dental Rockville 301-881-5233 whiteflintfamilydental.com Annie Yu Avant Dentistry Chevy Chase 240-743-4421 avantdentistry.com
ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY Jarred Abel Bethesda Chevy Chase Oral Surgery Chevy Chase 301-656-9565 bccoralsurgery.com
Welcome to Hillandale Smiles At Hillandale Smiles, we’re all about making dental care easy, comfortable and convenient. Our expert team of doctors and hygienists bring you the latest in modern dental care all in one location. We’ve designed our office to be welcoming and comfortable in a stress free environment. With plenty of free parking and same-time appointments for families, we make sure your visit is as quick as possible. To get the smile you always wanted, we offer dental implants, tooth whitening, tooth-colored fillings, all-ceramic crowns, porcelain veneers, Invisalign®, traditional braces and more. Thanks to our cutting-edge technology, including digital radiographs, in-office CT scans, and 3D imaging, we’re able to offer Same Day Implants. At Hillandale Smiles, we believe in keeping things simple and clear. In easy-to-understand terms we’ll walk you through all your treatment options, making sure you’re comfortable and confident every step of the way. Then we will create a plan that fits both your needs and your budget.
Schedule your appointment at HillandaleSmiles.com
Family & Veteran Owned & Operated Family & Veteran Owned & Operated Dr. Alan Wolcott | Dr. I. Giuliana Centty | Dr. Cecile Poupard-Toner
No Insurance? Save with our ‘In Office Membership’ We accept most major dental insurances. BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | JULY/AUGUST 2026 151
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Top Dentists 2026
Ralph Alman Jr. Rockville 301-881-8803 dentalsurgerymd.com I-Ling Chen Affiliated Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of Maryland Olney 301-774-6200 sfpcoms.com Lisa Cohen Maryland Oral Surgery Associates Silver Spring 301-593-8077 mosa4os.com William Dzyak Boyds 301-916-8680 drdzyakomfs.com Gary Funari Affiliated Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of Maryland Rockville 301-990-8400 sfpcoms.com Leonard Goldman Silver Spring 301-622-2700 drlgoldman.com Nicholas Brannon Hill Chevy Chase Implant & Oral Surgery Chevy Chase 301-652-8555 omsusa.com Amir Itani Maryland Oral Surgery Associates Rockville 301-241-6955 mosa4os.com Malini Iyer Maryland Oral Surgery Associates Bethesda 301-984-9111 mosa4os.com H. Ryan Kazemi Kazemi Oral Surgery & Dental Implants Bethesda 301-654-7070 facialart.com Timothy Kunkle Chevy Chase Implant & Oral Surgery Chevy Chase 301-652-8555 omsusa.com
Leonard Merlo Washington Oral and Facial Surgery Rockville 301-468-0020 dmvoralsurgery.com Cyrus Mistry Modern Oral & Facial Surgery Rockville 301-610-3918 modernofs.com
Sivakumar Sreenivasan Dental Implant Center of Rockville Rockville 301-294-8700 drsreeni.com
Christine Chen North Potomac Orthodontics North Potomac 301-977-1441 bracesbych.com
Mitchell Stark Maryland Oral Surgery Associates Rockville 301-241-6919 mosa4os.com
Robin Choi DC Pediatric Smiles and The Ortho Suite Bethesda 240-233-6887 theorthosuite.com
Jay Nokkeo Integrative Oral & Facial Surgery Gaithersburg 301-926-4800 iofsurgery.com
Anis Tebyanian Center for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Olney 301-579-0865 olneyoralfacialsurgery.com
Kris Paik Integrative Oral & Facial Surgery Gaithersburg 301-926-4800 iofsurgery.com
Niven Tien DC Surgical Arts Washington, D.C. 202-360-4032 dcsurgicalarts.com
Charlie Park Chevy Chase Implant & Oral Surgery Chevy Chase 301-652-8555 omsusa.com
Richard Williams Georgetown Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Washington, D.C. 202-364-9400 georgetownoralsurgery.com
Neel Patel Bethesda Chevy Chase Oral Surgery Chevy Chase 301-652-7372 bccoralsurgery.com
Mathew Woodward Germantown Oral & Facial Surgery Center Germantown 301-916-0486 germantownoralsurgery.com
Kashif Poshni Affiliated Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of Maryland Olney 301-774-6200 sfpcoms.com
Kenneth Wu Germantown Oral & Facial Surgery Center Germantown 301-916-0486 germantownoralsurgery.com
Brian Robinson Maryland Oral Surgery Associates Rockville 301-340-0101 mosa4os.com Gregory Romanow Greater Maryland Oral Surgery and Dental Implants Silver Spring 301-681-7500 gmoralsurgery.com Surbhi Sehgal Affiliated Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of Maryland Rockville 301-990-8400 sfpcoms.com
ORTHODONTICS Curtis Abigail Abigail Orthodontics Bethesda 301-907-2990 abigailorthodontics.com Atefeh Boroun Fallsgrove Orthodontics Rockville 301-424-0136 fallsgroveorthodontics.com
Katie Clark Bird Smiles Orthodontics Washington, D.C. 202-686-2108 birdsmiles.com Lisa DeMarco Drs. DeMarco, Tilkin & Powers Orthodontics Silver Spring 301-593-6363 demarcotilkinortho.com Frederick Fritz Rockville 301-330-9550 fritzortho.com Eduardo Gerlein Gerlein Orthodontics Chevy Chase 301-951-4114 gerleinorthodontics.com Madeleine Goodman Harmony Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics Bethesda 301-664-4220 harmonybethesda.com Gordon Groisser Village Orthodontics Gaithersburg 301-515-4300 drgbraces.com Linda Hallman FitBite Orthodontics Chevy Chase 301-781-7745 fitbiteortho.com
Jill Bruno Dr. Jill Bruno Orthodontics Chevy Chase 301-656-3310 brunosmiles.com
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Alan Heller Heller Orthodontics Bethesda 301-654-5433 hellerorthodontics.com
Edwin Lee SMD Orthodontics Rockville 301-977-4200 smilesmadebeautiful.com
Mehdy Rad Rad Orthodontics Potomac 301-939-0642 radsmile.com
Richard Shin Shin Orthodontics Potomac 301-770-7770 shinorthodontics.com
Wayne Hickory Bethesda Dental Specialists Bethesda 301-654-3011 bethesdadentalspecialists.com
Christopher Liang Liang Orthodontics Potomac 301-983-3132 str8smile.com
Negaar Sagafi Bethesda Orthodontics Bethesda 301-656-0600 bethesdaorthodontics.com
Dalia Shlash Shlash Orthodontics Olney 301-924-2405 shlashorthodontics.com
Jean Hong The Silver Spring Orthodontist Silver Spring 301-236-0600 thesilverspringorthodontist.com
Lara Minahan Minahan Orthodontics Olney 301-260-2030 minahanorthodontics.com
Viney Saini Clarksburg 301-540-0102 clarksburgortho.com
Sonia Talley Bird Smiles Orthodontics Washington, D.C. 202-686-2108 birdsmiles.com
Timothy Johnson Drs. Ensor, Johnson & Lewis Rockville 301-881-6170 ejldental.com
Chelsea Murphy Friendship Heights Orthodontics Washington, D.C. 202-978-6865 friendshipheightsortho.com
Kelly Labs Kelly Orthodontics Bethesda 301-530-7718 bethesdaorthodontists.com
David Rad Rad Orthodontics Bethesda 301-656-1600 radsmile.com
Stuart Scott Scott Orthodontics Silver Spring 301-589-8191 scottorthodontics.net Debra Shin Shin Orthodontics Potomac 301-770-7770 shinorthodontics.com
Stephen Tigani Washington, D.C. 202-362-0072 tiganiorthodontics.net Nancy Tilkin Drs. DeMarco, Tilkin & Powers Orthodontics Silver Spring 301-593-6363 demarcotilkinortho.com
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are woven into daily life.
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Chris Tsintolas Gaithersburg 301-948-7513 drtorthodontics.com Robert Yu Yu Orthodontics Gaithersburg 301-948-7660 dryuorthodontics.com
PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY Eric Armakan Dentistry for Children Potomac 240-600-0954 dentistry4childrenmd.com/ locations/potomac Bana Ball Shady Grove Pediatric Dentistry Rockville 240-848-7074 shadygrovepediatricdentistry.com
Reza Beheshti SmileLand Pediatric Dentistry Silver Spring 240-752-8822 smilelandpd.com Karen Benitez Chevy Chase Pediatric Dentistry Chevy Chase 301-272-1246 chevychasekids.dentist Derek Blank DC Pediatric Smiles and The Ortho Suite Bethesda 301-363-9026 dcpediatricsmiles.com Jessica Chorvinsky Dr. Camps Pediatric Dental Center Silver Spring 301-989-8994 funsmiles.com Claudia Conerly Age One Pediatric Dentistry Silver Spring 301-565-3536 age1dentist.com Charlie Coulter Coulter & Casper Pediatric Dentistry Washington, D.C. 202-301-2376 pediatricdentaldc.com
Liliana Cuervo Liliana Cuervo, DDS Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry Montgomery Village 301-869-5437
montgomeryvillagekidsdentist.com
Shailja Ensor Drs. Ensor, Johnson & Lewis Rockville 301-881-6170 ejldental.com Jena Fields Dr. Camps Pediatric Dental Center Silver Spring 301-989-8994 funsmiles.com Roma Gandhi DC Pediatric Smiles and The Ortho Suite Bethesda 301-363-9026 dcpediatricsmiles.com Tiffany Gavin-Walker Dr. Camps Pediatric Dental Center Silver Spring 301-989-8994 funsmiles.com Andrew Horng Rockville Pediatric Dental Rockville 301-881-0220 rockvillepediatricdental.com Alan Kuwabara Washington, D.C. 202-244-6111 drkuwabara.com Lauren Lewis Drs. Ensor, Johnson & Lewis Rockville 301-881-6170 ejldental.com Thomas Orlando Orlando Pediatric Dental Care Bethesda 301-581-1100 orlandopediatricdental.com Roya Pilcher Smile Valley Pediatric Dentistry Washington, D.C. 202-237-2833 smilevalleypediatricdentistry. com Tannaz Poursaeid Kids Smile Dental Germantown 301-972-4224 kidssmiledental.com
Jessica Rubin Capital Kids Dentistry Washington, D.C. 202-545-7200 capitalkidsdentistry.com
Elbert Chang Rockville Perio Rockville 301-881-4867 rockvilleperio.com
Saba Sarraf Dr. Camps Pediatric Dental Center Silver Spring 301-989-8994 funsmiles.com
Charles Chen ZCYW Perio Implants Bethesda 301-656-0331 zcywperio.com
Elizabeth Shin BCC Pediatric Dentistry Bethesda 301-941-7374 bccpediatricdentistry.com
Khalid Choudhary North Bethesda Periodontal Group Rockville 240-483-0775 northbethesdaperio.com
Heather Sholander Harmony Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics Bethesda 301-664-4220 harmonybethesda.com
Roy Eskow District Dental Surgery Bethesda 301-450-5422 districtdentalsurgery.com
Yuka Tanabe Yamagishi Pediatric Dentistry at North Bethesda Rockville 240-669-8647
pediatricdentistrynorthbethesda.com
PERIODONTICS Yousuf Al-Aboosi Shady Grove Periodontics & Implants Rockville 301-869-5595 shadygroveperiodontics.com Augusto Araujo Chevy Chase Periodontics Chevy Chase 301-652-8886 chevychaseperiodontics.com Christopher Barth Implants DC Chevy Chase 301-652-0939 implantsdc.com Duane Bennett II Prestige Periodontics Silver Spring 301-681-4812 prestige-perio.com Gerard Boquel Perio1 Periodontics & Implants Gaithersburg 301-869-8884 perio1.net
Joan Howanitz North Bethesda Periodontal Group Rockville 240-483-0775 northbethesdaperio.com Lili Leon North Potomac 301-527-4343 leonperio.com Madjid Matin Chevy Chase Dental Chevy Chase 301-656-6424 chevychasedental.com Eugenia Prokopets Chevy Chase 202-851-2346 prokopetsperio.com Israel Puterman Implants DC Chevy Chase 301-652-0939 implantsdc.com Arjun Saggu Prestige Periodontics Silver Spring 301-681-4812 prestige-perio.com David Schneider Periodontal Partners Chevy Chase 301-652-9295 Ashley Seals Premium Periodontics Silver Spring 301-375-0645 premiumperio.com
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Tassos Sfondouris Prestipino Dental Group Bethesda 301-652-2300 pdgdentistry.com Raymond Van Gennip Silver Spring 301-565-8030 silverspringperiodontics.com Cho Yi Wong ZCYW Perio Implants Bethesda 301-656-0331 zcywperio.com
PROSTHODONTICS Lauren Bolding Dental & TMJ Specialists of Greater DC Bethesda 301-493-9500 greaterdcspecialists.com Monica Chandran Olney Advanced Dentistry Olney 240-454-5718 olneysmiles.com Ngoc Chu Ngoc Q. Chu, DDS, PA Bethesda 301-530-2622
C. Alec Yen ZCYW Perio Implants Bethesda 301-656-0331 zcywperio.com
Carl Driscoll Dental & TMJ Specialists of Greater DC Bethesda 301-493-9500 greaterdcspecialists.com
Edward Zupnik ZCYW Perio Implants Bethesda 301-656-0331 zcywperio.com
Kambiz Fotoohi Chevy Chase 301-652-5666 drkazfotoohi.com
Sarit Kaplan Dental & TMJ Specialists of Greater DC Bethesda 301-493-9500 greaterdcspecialists.com Gerald Marlin Elite Prosthetic Dentistry Washington, D.C. 202-244-2101 eliteprostheticdentistry.com Flavio Rasetto Chevy Chase Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry Chevy Chase 301-652-9717 cccid.net Robert Sanker Rockville 301-463-4232 drsanker.com Peter Savramis Chevy Chase 301-718-8885 petergsavramisdds.com
Cord Schlobohm Bethesda 301-656-8788 bestbethesdasmile.com Dongjin Shin Prostho Endo Dental Group North Bethesda 301-377-8306 prosthocosmeticdentistry.com Michael Singer Dental & TMJ Specialists of Greater DC Bethesda 301-493-9500 greaterdcspecialists.com Daniel Sullivan Jr. Washington, D.C. 202-362-5596 lenzsullivan.com Michael Wright Smile Design Studio Bethesda 301-907-8201
smiledesignstudioofbethesda.com
DISCOVER OVER 40 RESTAURANTS ANDY’S PIZZA NAN XIANG SHIKI FUSHION Visit westfield.com/montgomery
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4TH ANNUAL
WOMEN WHO
INSPIRE LUNCHEON
SAVE THE DATE
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
11:30 A.M.–2:00 P.M. MARRIOTT BETHESDA DOWNTOWN Celebrate the women who move our community forward. Honor the trailblazers featured in the next issue by joining us at the WOMEN WHO INSPIRE LUNCHEON.
see photos from last year's luncheon
GOLD SPONSOR STEIN SPERLING
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Dining
Your guide to eating and drinking well
The souffle-like pancakes at Okaeri Japanese Cafe in Rockville come in this strawberry version. PAGE 160
PHOTO BY BRENDAN MCCABE
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DINING TABLE TALK
Worth the Wait
A new Bethesda restaurant opens after long delays and doesn’t disappoint
For a time there, it seemed that Six
Ways to Sunday was destined to be a perpetual rumor, never a reality. When Satang Ruangsangwatana and Lekki Limvatana—who made their names with the Fat Nomads food truck, pop-up and supper club— signed a lease in downtown Bethesda in November 2023, they had no idea how tortuous the road ahead would be. Four months after signing, the chef-partners took to social media to announce, giddily, the news of their imminent launch. But that spring 2024 debut never happened. Summer came
and went. The space was ready to go— curiosity-seekers could peek through the plate-glass windows and see the plum-colored walls—but on a routine preopening visit, inspectors commanded the chefs to install new grease traps. A simple-sounding fix, except that the only way they could conform to code was to gut an already-built kitchen. From there, everything bad only compounded. The delay meant no imminent income, which meant the chefs had to take on piecemeal consulting work to keep money coming in to pay for the renovation, which
BY TODD KLIMAN
Shrimps Kari Rice at Six Ways to Sunday
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moved forward in fits and starts. Investors and partners, having grown frustrated, bailed, setting the project back even further. All the while, the delay seemed only to whet the public’s appetite, which Ruangsangwatana sought simultaneously to stoke and to suppress. This kind of tease can be carried out only for so long before an audience goes from eager to skeptical, and by the end of 2025 many area food lovers were prepared to suspend their belief in the Six Ways project. Fortunately, the restaurant opened in April, and even more fortunately, the willthey, won’t-they is no longer the most compelling story here. Service in the early days had its issues, the cocktails are on the skimpy side, and the dining room is infernally loud when it’s Chef and co-owner packed, but there’s no one cooking like this Satang Ruangsangwatana in the area. in the kitchen Six Ways calls its cuisine Sino-Siamese, but that descriptor doesn’t begin to convey just how distinctive these dishes are. To call them “authentic” (that oft-cited but much-misunderstood word of culi- springy, chewy Cantonese noodles), which is merely good, not nary and cultural expression) is a misnomer, because as much great: The meat isn’t luscious enough for having slow-cooked as they’re rooted in traditional approaches and, in some cases, in its own fat. A tataki of beef, grilled and served in strips, is inspired by family recipes, they’re also highly personal state- sliced too thick and cooked too long but the sauce is a marvel: ments, sharp with idiosyncrasy and sneaky with surprise. At its delicate, complex and umami rich. best, the cooking here constitutes a category all its own. In general here, the saucier the dish, the better. I tell you that There are a number of familiar sights on the menu, among because it’s likely that some of these dishes won’t be there when them the shumai, the chili wontons and the Odean satay (skew- you go, as the chefs refine their roster. So look for those plates ers of long-marinated grilled pork and a zesty, coconut curry that are flanked with a dip, or that have been long-marinated, or that promise to be blanketed. sauce). All worthwhile, but they’re not why you’re here. As striking as this food is—not just in mixing Thai and Chinese approaches at the stove but in You’re here to submit to the unfamiliar—to the Lobak Dumplings, for instance, which use taking street food principles and adapting them to bean curd skin as wrappers and taste like a cross fine, or finer, dining—the space makes no less of between shrimp toast and fried chicken. Or to the a statement. In a Bethesda awash in slick, imperShrimps Kari Rice, whose astonishment is not the sonal concepts, it’s wonderfully downscale, and I shrimp alone (quick-blanched in hot oil to give mean that in the best way possible. Ruangsangthem a barely poached quality) but the curried egg watana and Limvatana have conjured, with their paste, a fluffy mix of whipped eggs, roasted chili floral wallpaper, wainscoting and antique wooden jam, soy sauce and butter, that animates every bite cabinets, an authentically homey, almost grandof the steamed white rice beneath it. Or to the Beef motherly vibe. The soundtrack, which shifts from Chu Chi, made with slow-cooked shanks given a crusty sear and Leon Bridges to Jane and the Boy, is delightfully aberrant in conserved atop a panang-like curry (minus the peanuts) built with text, and the most conspicuous concession to contemporaneity. three forms of coconut (coconut cream, coconut milk, coconut Oh, and how’s this for an even more throwback touch? At a sugar). It might look, in the dim light, like every other red curry time when many restaurants have primed us to expect that a you’ve had, but (and permit me to indulge my synesthesia) it tastes starter should cost $20 and an entree $50, nothing on the menu as if all the knobs on the soundboard have been turned all the way goes for more than $24 (though, to be fair, most of these dishes up (hat tip to the assertive use of kaffir lime leaves). Remember are sized between a starter and a main course). That’s the best that moment of revelation you experienced the first time you ever kind of retro, and all the more reason to rejoice in the too-long delayed arrival of this delicious charmer of a restaurant. dove into a bowl of Thai red curry? This dish will bring it back. Where the kitchen stumbles is in sometimes relying on a meat to carry too much of the load in a dish—as in Five Cups Six Ways to Sunday, 8003 Norfolk Ave., Bethesda, 202-770-5578, Duck Confit (a confited duck quarter atop a nest of marvelously sixwaystosundaymd.com
IN GENERAL HERE, THE SAUCIER THE DISH, THE BETTER.
PHOTOS BY DEB LINDSEY
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DINING TABLE TALK
A Japanese Gem Puffed pancakes, egg salad sandwiches and bubble tea shine at this cafe in Rockville BY TODD KLIMAN
Everyone knows that Rockville Pike is,
essentially, one endless strip mall, but did you know that there are malls behind the malls? That’s where Okaeri Japanese Cafe sits, in a concealed cluster of shops in back of a small, street-facing strip. It takes some patience to find it—yes, even with the aid of a GPS. But wait, you’re not done. You walk into a space that feels almost antisuburban, a dark lair that’s not even remotely slick, filled in the front with Pokémon cards, anime dolls and toys. This is it? No. Keep walking, and in the adjoining room is the kind of cafe that you’d expect to stumble across in a city alley—faintly industrial, and with a mix of different kinds of tables and chairs. There’s no table service—you amble up to a bank of touchscreens and tap in your order. Well, actually, first you read. And read. As you scroll through page after page of categories and options, you might think that you’d unearthed a kind of diner, a place with range, versatility and the confidence to presume that it can meet just about any need. But Okaeri, the second location of a popular Virginia restaurant, is not that place. It’s a pit stop for a light bite before or after a movie, or for a midday snack or pick-me-up. A pit stop that, alas, isn’t all that quick— you’re going to wait awhile for your order to come. But that’s not a complaint. This is real food, made in the moment. Besides, waiting gives you a chance to study the cooks at work in the open galley kitchen, which, if you’re lucky, means getting to watch them make pancakes. Since when, you might be thinking, is pancake-making special?
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Norino Borders with chocolate and strawberry Japanese pancakes
Give it time. This is a show. Unlike the standard American pancake, Japanese pancakes are made mostly with egg whites, and are steamed as much as pan-fried, which accounts for their enormous, souffle-like rise. These are so fluffy as to be nearly insubstantial, with a texture (and color) more akin to that of meringue. But I defy anyone to not turn Christmas morning-giddy in their presence—or to eat them slowly. Weight, as it were, comes in the form of the various adornments—chocolate syrup and bananas, ube, strawberry, matcha. All good, but also all tangential. You’re here for the texture. Which could also serve as a handy thumbnail for Okaeri itself. All these dishes are, in one way or another, excursions into texture, and if you’re game for exploring, you’ll have fun—especially if you appreciate variations on soft and runny (like the omurice, a lightly held together omelet draped over an inverted bowl of ketchupy rice). There are several curries, and—to call back to texture—the style is thin, not rich and creamy; you’re meant to scoop the accompanying rice into it, both to give the dish some bulk and to neutralize some of the saltiness. There are also several variations of udon, which won’t wow, but which, on a rainy day, are dependably restorative. Apart from the pancakes, the other must-get is the Japanese egg salad sandwich. For some, this would qualify as an experience in anti-texture, but softness is a texture, too; I love the way the thick but airy bread gives way to the smooth, pâtélike texture of the egg salad, which is made with great gobs of Kewpie mayo and includes, for fun, a cross-section of hard-boiled egg in the center. Rockville Pike is strewn with bubble tea spots, but don’t miss the bubble teas here, particularly the yuzu, which eschews the sweetness of many shops and, thanks to its tapioca pearls, adds a soft, yielding chew that fits in perfectly alongside your pancakes and egg salad sandwich. Okaeri Japanese Cafe, 1701 Rockville Pike, Rockville, okaerijapanesecafe.com
PHOTO BY BRENDAN MCCABE
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DINING TABLE TALK
Fit to Be Thai The dishes at this Gaithersburg spot are packed with exciting flavors BY TODD KLIMAN To understand why HomMali Thai is so
good, and such a long overdue addition to the area’s food scene, I have to take you back in time. So, yes, a little history lesson to get us started—but a brief one, I promise. A generation ago, Thai restaurants lorded over the area’s Asian food scene, supplanting Chinese food in the minds of many suburbanites as the more attractive option for dumplings, noodles and stirfries. At a time when many of those Chinese restaurants had become drab and dull, Thai restaurants offered up an electrifying alternative: colorful and often garish-looking dining rooms, lacquered, inlaid tabletops, and dishes so vivid they seemed to have been snatched from a magazine photo shoot. The ubiquity of the interiors and the striking sameness of the menus (tom yum soup, kanom jeep, larb, duck in red curry, mango sticky rice) turns out to have been the handiwork of the government of Thailand, which (look it up) undertook a soft diplomatic mission to spread Thai culture to the West by providing would-be restaurateurs a start-up kit to succeed. But tastes change and scenes evolve, and somewhere in the mid-teens, that government-issued model began to feel generic, predictable, interchangeable. At the same time, a slew of alternatives appeared and many diners turned elsewhere—to Korean, to Vietnamese, to Burmese, to Laotian, to Japanese izakaya (or tavern) cooking—knocking the Thai restaurant from its lofty perch.
Koi Nua features raw beef, red onion, scallion, cilantro, roasted rice powder, chili lime dressing and a soy-cured egg yolk.
This is the context that HomMali Thai, which opened in January in Gaithersburg’s Quince Orchard Plaza, has stepped into, and it hasn’t stepped unknowingly. It seems keenly aware that the task before it—indeed, before any Thai restaurant—is to inject new life into a stale concept. The space is cozy but capacious and gorgeously conceptualized. But the most striking feature is not what’s in the room but what isn’t: cliche. That pulsating orangeyellow-purple palette that ruled Thai restaurants for a generation? Nowhere to be found. You’ll likewise search in vain for neon or anything retro-kitsch. The light is honeyed, the accents are a burnished brown and everything feels poised, mature and sophisticated, as if the brashness of yesteryear has moderated into something more settled. Even the tropically themed cocktails eschew look-at-me flamboyance. Best of all is that the kitchen is intent on providing diners an authenticity that Thais themselves insist upon. That means that, while you can count on the heat to be dialed up when it needs to be, chile is used just as often to open the palate to other trailing flavors. It means that dishes don’t shy away from tang and pop. It means that you’ll turn up hints of funk and, sometimes, bitterness. The owner, Ben Arbuarat, who runs Thai Thyme in Chantilly, Virginia, has logged a quarter century in the business, first at Raku in D.C., then as a bartender at Bethesda’s Matchbox (now closed). He told me his aim was to balance his wants (to stay faithful to his mother’s recipes and to his “own ideas” for what a restaurant should be) with his needs (to not alienate the majority of diners). So you can expect to find many of the suburban Thai standards, but they’re brought off here with a degree of detail and precision that lifts them a notch (and sometimes more than a notch) above the competition. The duck larb is vivid, sharp and refreshing. The kanom jeep (those stand-up dump-
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lings that bundle pork and shrimp into a pleated wonton skin) are unexpectedly soft and light (and come with a miniature pitcher of soy sauce for dainty pouring). And the massaman curry is optimally balanced between savory and sweet. If there’s a must-have among the standard-issue Thai dishes, it’s the chili-glazed chicken wings—braised, breaded and then fried until the meat slips free from the bone. The crispy whole pompano is not bonefree, and that’s exactly what you want here; the fun is in extracting bits of tender, moist flesh from on and around the fish’s vertebrae and dipping them in the vivifying tamarind-vinegar sauce. As good as these dishes are, I suspect that if Arbuarat’s pockets were deeper, or if the restaurant were in the city and not a suburb, the menu would lean in more to the lesser-known dishes that give it distinction, such as the Esan specialties that you have to hunt to find. Esan is in the north of Thailand and
shares more than just a border with Laos; it also shares an affinity for pinging, pungent flavors. A plate of Esan sausages will set your mouth to tingling and offers a multitude of contrasts, most notably between the subtle pop of the exterior and the soft, yielding interior, and between the rich, almost unctuous porkiness and the intense herbaceousness in the form of kaffir lime leaf and mint. Another great Esan specialty is a thricecooked pork, in which you fold long jerkylike strips of meat into a flattened mound of sticky rice and dredge the bite through a green chile paste. Pork is the protein, but the star is the paste. Its rough, variegated texture tells you that the mixture— now spiky with heat, now sharp with vinegary bite, now wild with herbs—was worked in a mortar and pestle and not a food processor. The best dish is Koi Nua, a take on steak tartare: ruby-hued cubes of uncooked beef tossed with pulverized rice, shiso, shallots and garlic. The won-
der is that a mound of raw beef could be so refreshing and even light, and that the meat is, ultimately, not the matter but exists mostly to show off the range of flavors and textures of its accents. There are three dessert options to end the meal but only one to save room for: the sticky rice with mango. The rice is sticky but not in the least clumpy, the mango (which resembles a Dali clock in its languorous draping against the rice) is fragrant and delicate, and the coconut cream tastes more coconutty than actual coconut. It’s one of the best renditions of the dish I’ve ever come across. I could say much the same about HomMali itself, which didn’t just feed me beautifully but also, and more thrillingly, restored my faith in the Thai restaurant as a place of excitement and discovery. HomMali Thai, 614 Quince Orchard Road, Gaithersburg, 301-309-7904, hommalithaidining.com
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Results Matter. Relationships Matter More.
#1 Agent - Compass DMV For Michael Matese, real estate has never been about transactions. It’s about helping people make smart decisions, navigate important life changes, and feel supported every step of the way. Known for his hands-on approach, thoughtful guidance, and unwavering commitment to his clients, Michael has earned the trust of buyers and sellers throughout the DMV. More than three decades later, he remains the first call clients make before, during, and long after the sale.
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9825 Kendale Road, Potomac, MD
8009 Greentree Road, Bethesda, MD
mike@michaelmatese.com m: 301.806.6829 | o: 301.304.8444
Compass is a licensed real estate brokerage that abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Compass is licensed as Compass Real Estate in DC and as Compass in Virginia and Maryland. 7200 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 100, Bethesda, MD 20814 | O: 301.304.8444
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Home
Everything you need to create a beautiful space
A Bethesda real estate developer who created a dreamy escape on Kent Island shares tips for turning a second home into a rental. PAGE 168
PHOTO BY HEARTBEAT BRANDING
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HOME HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS
1
Game On
Everything you need for a fun and successful game night at home with family and friends BY CAROLYN WEBER
1 Good Bones
If dominoes is your family’s game, invest in a beautiful set to enjoy and display. The Luxe El Tren (Mexican Train) double-12 set includes 91 two-tone, tournamentsize tiles. A chic acrylic storage box features a handsome solid walnut sliding lid that doubles as a playing console and holds eight colored markers. $300 at Crate & Barrel, 4820 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 202-3646100, crateandbarrel.com
2 Bright Idea
3 Super Setup
The Riviera Étoile Game Table measures 36 inches square, which is perfect for four players. It has a wood frame and a handwoven rattan and resin top with a tempered glass inlay. The matching bistro chairs are available in four color combinations: white/natural, coastal blue/natural, olive/natural and earth/natural. $1,398 for just the table and $2,698 for a table and four chairs at Serena & Lily, 7121 Bethesda Lane (Bethesda Row), Bethesda, 240-531-1839, serenaandlily.com
4 Solid Foundation
A mahjong mat is a must-have for regular players. It provides a defined play area, helps with noise reduction and protects tabletops. This Serengeti mat is adorned with a whimsical jungle-inspired design. It measures 33-by-33-inches, has a smooth, easy-to-clean neoprene surface and comes rolled in a canvas drawstring bag. $90 at Red Orchard, 10259 Old Georgetown Road (Shops at Wildwood), Bethesda, 301-571-7333, redorchard.com
2 5 On the Side
Crumbs or a spilled drink will put a damper on the party, so set the hors d’oeuvres and cocktails aside on a sweet and stylish little table. A scallop-edged marble top makes the Flower accent table a unique piece. It’s small but sturdy, made of steel, aluminum, fiberboard and marble with an antique brass finish on the base. $199 at Pottery Barn, 4750 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda, 301-6541598, potterybarn.com
6 Backgammon Is Back
This centuries-old pastime is regaining popularity, so get into the game with this set by Addison Ross. It’s elegant and decorative, with mother-of-pearl chips, leather-and-suede shakers and a sleek lacquered exterior. Choose from several colors and patterns, including floral, plaid and orange (shown). $325 at Anthropologie, 4801 Bethesda Ave. (Bethesda Row), Bethesda, 240-345-9413, anthropologie.com
COURTESY PHOTOS
Shed a little light on nighttime game parties with this diminutive lamp that won’t take up much space or interrupt play. It’s cordless, has a rechargeable battery, an LED bulb and is good-looking, with an antique brass-finished base and a white pleated shade. Lightweight and portable, it’s 14 inches tall, has three settings and comes with a USB-C charging cable. $59.99 at World Market, 12266 Rockville Pike (Federal Plaza), Rockville, 301-816-2480, worldmarket.com
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HOME SECOND HOMES
C HESAPEAKE BY JENNIFER BARGER
CHIC
HOW A BETHESDA R E A L E S TAT E D E V ELO PER C R E AT E D A N EASTERN SHORE R E N TA L W I T H NAUTICAL APPEAL
PHOTO BY HEARTBEAT BRANDING
Real estate developer Jenna Jacobson and her son Cody, 4, enjoy the sandy beach near her rental property.
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The 1995 colonial Jenna Jacbson bought and updated sit on Chews Creek, a tidal inlet on Kent Island. A jumbo dining table in the great room accommodates larger rental groups.
W
HEN BE THE SDA RE AL E STATE
LEFT PHOTO BY HOMETRACK REAL ESTATE; RIGHT PHOTO BY HEARTBEAT BRANDING
developer Jenna Jacobson purchased a 1995 four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom colonial in Stevensville, Maryland, last summer, she envisioned filling it with nothing but guests by transforming it into a vacation rental. “I’ve worked in both residential and hospitality development, and I’ve been wanting to create a place that was super fun and easy for parents and kids to escape to,” she says. The 2,932-square-foot, two-level house boasted an enviable position on 1.25 acres of waterfront property that backs out to Chews Creek, a tidal inlet on the Eastern Shore’s Kent Island. The Chesapeake Bay and a sandy beach are just two blocks away. “I fell in love with the property—the land, the water, the location,” Jacobson says. She purchased the place in July 2025 with intentions of converting it into a comfortable luxe rental for families. This is Jacobson’s first go at playing host, but her plan is to convert several homes on the Eastern Shore into short-term accommodations.
“I aimed for every detail to make family travel feel special, easy and enjoyable for both parents and kids,” Jacobson says. She and her husband, Michael Jacobson, a lawyer, bring their two sons— Cody, 4, and Carter, 7—out to stay some weekends. “The boys have been market researchers, opening boxes and testing out the child-sized furniture.” Jacobson is part of a larger trend that’s seen D.C. area residents wanting to own— or rent—a piece of the laid-back waterside lifestyle. “Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many second-home buyers and investors have been attracted to coastal Maryland,” says Joanna Dalton, the Annapolis-based real estate agent who listed the Stevensville house. “I think the water, the space and
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Heron wallpaper and a canopy bed add coastal flair to the primary bedroom.
A pantry became a coffee bar with a butcher-block countertop.
how relaxing this area feels appeals to them, whether they want property for their own getaways or to play host.” Though the structure and grounds were shipshape, Jacobson knew she wanted to give everything a breezy update. The interiors felt a tad basic: white walls in most rooms, dated oak-finish cabinets in the kitchen, and discordant terra cotta-hued walls in the great room facing Chews Creek. And she didn’t think the redbrick exterior suited the waterfront setting. Jacobson hired Beltsville, Maryland’s IMS Home Improvement to do the painting, woodwork and construction projects her vision required. “I wanted a light and airy mood so you immediately feel like you’re on vacation,” says Jacobson, who christened her property with a seaworthy name, The Landing at Kent Island. Over the next three months “we shifted the home’s palette to reflect the coastal nature of the property—and to connect it with the stunning water views,” she says. The key to going Chesapeake chic? Redoing walls and other surfaces in beachy blues, creams and grays, and filling the rooms with serene-yetwhimsical furnishings and accents, some with a nautical bent. By November, she was renting the house to families, including one group that stayed over Christmas. Jacobson handles bookings via Airbnb, Vrbo and her website: landingkentisland.com. “In the beginning, I visited several times a week to do quality control checks and ensure everything looked great for guests,” she says.
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Now she comes out a couple of times a month and employs a local caretaker, handyman and cleaning crew. “I video chat with the cleaning team after each clean so I can look over everything remotely,” Jacobson says. “Then my caretaker does a final walkthrough before new guests arrive.” Jacobson used PowerPoint to plot out the interior designs herself. “I layered in every element, testing out 50 different throw pillows or paint colors,” she says. “Then I created 3D renderings and started ordering furniture, wallpaper and
PHOTOS BY HOMETRACK REAL ESTATE
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The great room furnishings cater to families, including a spacious sectional and a kids tent.
accessories.” Jacobson sourced products from multiple stores and websites (Homesense, Macy’s, Maisonette, Etsy), trying to keep the style and functionality high and costs reasonable. The exterior brick was painted in Romabio Masonry Flat in a pale white. “I thought it gave the place a statelier look,” Jacobson says. That paint “provides a more natural texture and holds up better long term.” The green shutters were redone in a driftwood-y gray (Magnolia Home’s “Sunday Stroll”) and the front door was brightened with a robin’s-egg blue (Benjamin
‘I WANTED A LIGHT AND AIRY MOOD SO YOU I M M E D I A T E LY F E E L L I K E Y O U ’ R E O N V A C A T I O N .’ —owner Jenna Jacobson
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Cody sits poolside on a pint-size lounger.
A fish-wallpapered upstairs bunk room holds nautical-themed toys and books.
Moore’s “Intuition”). Dinky brass-and-glass sconces flanking the front door were replaced with a pair of Sean Lavin’s jumbo “Galena” lanterns from Visual Comfort. “They’re nearly 3 feet tall,” Jacobson says. “That larger size worked better with the scale of the exterior facade.” The seaworthy vibe flows into the interiors. In many spaces, Jacobson and her construction crew added wainscoting or moldings painted in Benjamin Moore’s creamy “Chantilly Lace.” “Architectural details and millwork add so much traditional character,” she says. The foyer was wallpapered in York Coverings’ “Annapolis Light Blue Crustacean” crab pattern. Toward the rear of the house, Jacobson kept the existing kitchen’s generous floor plan and nearly new white quartz countertops, but had the oak cabinets sanded and repainted in Benjamin Moore’s “Santorini Blue.” The existing chrome cabi-
net hardware was replaced with brushed brass pulls. Jacobson purchased small appliances (a teakettle, a waffle iron) in a pale blue mimicking the cabinet paint. At check-in, guests find a gift bag of waffle mix and syrup near the waffle iron. Jacobson drew on her own hospitality expertise to lean into hosting. Experts point to a few things that can help make a home appeal to renters. Kaitlyn Collins of Easton, Maryland-based High Tide Staging & Design (which helps second-home owners prep their houses for renting) says comfortable, durable furniture and broadly appealing decor is key. “Unlike a primary residence, you’re designing for a rotating audience, not one specific lifestyle,” Collins says. “We focus on pieces that are comfortable, easy to maintain and able to withstand frequent turnover. Function is just as important—ample seating, durable dining surfaces and practical storage all make a big difference for short-term stays.” Another welcoming change? A coffee bar Jacobson created by removing the doors from a small pantry adjacent to the kitchen. Her contractor assembled a Wayfair wooden cabinet and topped it with a custom butcher-block counter, mimicking the look of a built-in. The nook’s back wall was covered in a blue striped wallpaper and kitted out with a neon sign reading “but first, coffee” and floating shelves to store mugs. “The coffee bar really expanded the kitchen storage and made the whole space feel bigger,” Jacobson says. Adjacent to the open kitchen, a dining area holds a table seating eight from Bob’s Discount Furniture paired with white
LEFT AND TOP RIGHT PHOTO BY HEARTBEAT BRANDING; BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO BY HOMETRACK REAL ESTATE
The dining area off the open kitchen seats eight guests.
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a fresh look for seaside living
structure.
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StructureCustomHomes.com �- custom built homes & renovations for a new generation -
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HOME SECOND HOMES
Navy-on-gray striped club chairs and Ballard Designs’ ikat-print curtains spice up the living room.
wooden chairs. “Since this house sleeps so many people, I wanted to be sure everyone had a spot at the table,” Jacobson says. It’s connected to a media-free den—Jacobson calls it “the Unplug Zone”—furnished with four rope-sided chairs and a round, low table—ideal for evening cocktails or playing a board game (the house provides plenty). A print of oyster shells in dreamy blues by Annapolis artist Kim Hovell hangs over the fireplace, anchoring the room. “You want to use a more refined, layered approach rather than leaning into obvious coastal themes,” High Tide Staging & Design’s Collins says. “Instead of overt nautical decor, incorporate subtle nods—natural textures, soft blues and greens, light woods and organic materials. The goal is to reflect the setting without competing with it, especially when the real highlight is the surrounding water and landscape.” Up the center staircase are four bedrooms—two with en suite bathrooms, two sharing a hall bath. The primary bedroom, which also boasts a small office space, was made over with a dramatic pale wood canopy bed positioned against a wall covered in Love vs. Design’s “Mod Herons” wallpaper in a custom blueish gray-and-white colorway. The pirate-themed
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W HEN DECOR AT ING A COSTA L REN TA L , ‘REFLECT T HE SE T T ING W I THOU T COMPE TING W I T H I T.’ —designer Kaitlyn Collins
kiddos’ room contains two bunk beds (sleeping four little buccaneers), a steerable ship’s wheel on the wall, and ocean-related books. A downstairs den with a pull-out sofa provides additional sleeping space. Downstairs, the family-friendly, big-group energy continues into the spacious great room at the rear of the house. Jacobson loved the existing vaulted, wood-paneled ceiling and dazzling views of the kidney-shaped outdoor swimming pool and Chews Creek. “It’s a beautiful room with stunning natural wood ceilings and windows on three sides,” Jacobson says. “But the walls were painted this burgundy red and the space had dated decor. I wanted it to have a wow factor.”
PHOTO BY HEARTBEAT BRANDING
6/9/26 5:41 PM
From Chevy Chase to the Choptank With nearly 37 years of industry experience, native Washingtonian Tom Williams is here to help you with all your real estate needs. Tom is an avid Eastern Shore enthusiast and property owner, bringing his extensive knowledge of the area to you. Whether you’re looking in Chevy Chase, along the Choptank or anywhere in between, he’s here to assist you in finding your perfect home.
Tom Williams 202 255 3650 tomwilliams@ttrsir.com Chevy Chase Brokerage 301 967 3344 Easton Brokerage 410 673 3344
Robert Morris Inn, 314 N Morris Street, Oxford, MD ACTIVE | $3,200,000
4361 Bachelors Point Road Oxford, MD SOLD-Represented Buyers | $2,750,000
4000 Underwood St, Chevy Chase, MD SOLD-Represented Buyers | $1,435,000
8507 Lynwood Pl, Chevy Chase, MD SOLD-Represented Buyers | $1,435,000
© 2026 TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. The Sotheby’s International Realty trademark is licensed and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice. Easton Brokerage, 17 Goldsborough Street, +1 410 673 3344
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HOME SECOND HOMES
Jacobson updated the exterior by painting the brick a creamy shade and the door in a sea blue.
Outdoor diversions at the property include cornhole.
Below: A print of oyster shells by Annapolis artist Kim Hovell anchors the “Unplug Zone.”
So Jacobson had two of the three great room walls redone in Benjamin Moore’s pale off-white “Swiss Coffee” paint and added Brewster Home Fashions’ “Mariko Blue Botanical” wallpaper on the remaining wall. She brought in a sculptural “Kayde” rubberwood and acacia dining table from Thomasville that seats 10, pairing it with wooden chairs painted—what else?—blue. A tweedy gray sectional sofa from Bob’s Discount Furniture provides lounging space for a crowd, while a kids corner with a wee French bistro table and a tiny tent appeals to pint-size beachgoers. A record player—with a stack of vintage LPs scored on Etsy—sits on a bar cart. Just outside the great room, dips in the pool and paddles in Chews Creek await (the house comes with two kayaks and personal flotation devices). Resort-like touches—a firepit surrounded by Adirondack chairs, kid-size lounge chairs, a jungle gym—up the appeal. There’s even a child-size metal jeep “bar” that can be set up with ice buckets for drinks or popsicles. “I just get such great feedback about gatherings around the firepit or memories of roasting marshmallows,” Jacobson says. “So many people say they plan to come back.” Jennifer Barger is a writer based in Washington, D.C., and the content director of Consumers' Checkbook. Follow her on Instagram @dcjnell or subscribe to her design-focused travel newsletter, The Souvenirist, on Substack.
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PHOTOS BY HEARTBEAT BRANDING
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Exceptional Service, Proven Results. Sell your home with confidence this summer. With a trusted team and a global network, we’re here to help you navigate the market and achieve the maximum net return! Carolyn Sappenfield 240.353.7601 carolyn@carolynhomes.com Licensed in MD, DC, & VA
Recent Bethesda & Chevy Chase Sales
7533 Pepperell Dr | Bethesda Sold | $1,640,000
6700 Fairfax Rd | Chevy Chase Sold | $2,500,000
7602 Glenbrook Rd | Bethesda Sold | $4,600,000 | Represented Buyer
6544 Wiscasset Rd | Bethesda Sold | $1,313,450
6204 Redwing Ct | Bethesda Under Contract | $1,495,000
4423 Walsh St | Chevy Chase Under Contract | $3,100,000
© TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. The Sotheby’s International Realty trademark is licensed and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. TTR Sotheby’s International Realty fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Bethesda Brokerage 4809 Bethesda Ave +1 301 516 1212
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HOME BY THE NUMBERS
APRIL’S MOST EXPENSIVE
SALE PRICE:
SALE PRICE:
LIST PRICE: $6.9 MILLION Address: 5042 Overlook Road NW, Washington, D.C. 20016 Days on Market: 1 Listing Agency: TTR Sotheby’s International Realty Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 7/2
LIST PRICE: $3.35 MILLION Address: 7805 Cayuga Ave., Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 92 Listing Agency: Compass Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 6/1
$6.65 million
A peek at one of the area’s most expensive recently sold houses SALE PRICE:
SALE PRICE:
LIST PRICE: $6.9 MILLION Address: 9431 Newbridge Drive, Potomac 20854 Days on Market: 207 Listing Agency: TTR Sotheby’s International Realty Bedrooms: 7 Full/Half Baths: 9/3
LIST PRICE: $3.65 MILLION Address: 2728 Rittenhouse St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20015 Days on Market: 0 Listing Agency: Compass Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 7/2
$6 million
SALE PRICE:
$5.78 million
LIST PRICE: $6 MILLION Address: 3033 University Terrace NW, Washington, D.C. 20016 Days on Market: 15 Listing Agency: Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 6/2
$3.67 million
SALE PRICE:
$3.55 million
LIST PRICE: $3.75 MILLION Address: 4209 Bradley Lane, Chevy Chase 20815 Days on Market: 20 Listing Agency: Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 5/1
SALE PRICE:
SALE PRICE:
LIST PRICE: $5.5 MILLION Address: 5033 Tilden St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20016 Days on Market: 143 Listing Agency: Compass Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 7/1
LIST PRICE: $4.2 MILLION Address: 11013 Riverwood Drive, Potomac 20854 Days on Market: 1 Listing Agency: Samson Properties Bedrooms: 4 Full/Half Baths: 3/1
$5.2 million
SALE PRICE:
$3.85 million
LIST PRICE: $3.85 MILLION Address: 3706 Bradley Lane, Chevy Chase 20815 Days on Market: 0 Listing Agency: Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 7 Full/Half Baths: 5/1
$3.4 million
SALE PRICE:
$3.38 million
LIST PRICE: $3.6 MILLION Address: 2 Piney Meetinghouse Court, Potomac 20854 Days on Market: 120 Listing Agency: Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 7 Full/Half Baths: 6/2
$3.35 million
SALE PRICE:
$3.2 million
LIST PRICE: $3.3 MILLION Address: 7113 Fairfax Road, Bethesda 20814 Days on Market: 33 Listing Agency: Compass Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 6/1
SALE PRICE:
$3.2 million
LIST PRICE: $3.3 MILLION Address: 5011 Fulton St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20016 Days on Market: 12 Listing Agency: Compass Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 5/1
SALE PRICE:
$3 million
LIST PRICE: $3.3 MILLION Address: 5208 Woodlawn Ave., Chevy Chase 20815 Days on Market: 13 Listing Agency: TTR Sotheby’s International Realty Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 4/2
SALE PRICE:
$2.97 million
LIST PRICE: $3.13 MILLION Address: 6145 31st St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20015 Days on Market: 0 Listing Agency: Long & Foster Real Estate Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 5/1
PHOTO BY OLEKS YAROSHYNSKYI
HOME SALES
Data provided by
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SALE PRICE:
SALE PRICE:
SALE PRICE:
LIST PRICE: $3 MILLION Address: 7017 Richard Drive, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 1 Listing Agency: RE/MAX Realty Services Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 5/1
LIST PRICE: $2.8 MILLION Address: 4812 Chevy Chase Blvd., Chevy Chase 20815 Days on Market: 116 Listing Agency: Rory S. Coakley Realty Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 6/1
LIST PRICE: $2.5 MILLION Address: 5120 Upton St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20016 Days on Market: 6 Listing Agency: Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 4/0
$2.97 million
SALE PRICE:
$2.95 million
SALE PRICE:
LIST PRICE: $2.99 MILLION Address: 7604 Hemlock St., Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 25 Listing Agency: Long & Foster Real Estate Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 6/1
SALE PRICE:
$2.8 million
$2.77 million
$2.58 million
LIST PRICE: $2.5 MILLION Address: 11117 Waycroft Way, Rockville 20852 Days on Market: 2 Listing Agency: Compass Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 6/1
SALE PRICE:
LIST PRICE: $2.8 MILLION Address: 7303 Honeywell Lane, Bethesda 20814 Days on Market: 2 Listing Agency: Compass Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 4/0
$2.57 million
LIST PRICE: $2.6 MILLION Address: 10105 Summit Ave., Kensington 20895 Days on Market: 10 Listing Agency: Compass Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 5/1
$2.56 million
SALE PRICE:
$2.5 million
LIST PRICE: $2.5 MILLION Address: 8512 Burning Tree Road, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 11 Listing Agency: Compass Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 5/1
SALE PRICE:
$2.5 million
LIST PRICE: $2.5 MILLION Address: 9825 Kendale Road, Potomac 20854 Days on Market: 0 Listing Agency: None listed Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 4/1
QUIETLY MODERN. REFRESHINGLY MEMORABLE. FOR THE CREATIVELY CURIOUS
MODE4ARCHITECTURE.COM
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HOME BY THE NUMBERS
BY ZIP CODE
REAL ESTATE TRENDS APRIL 2025 APRIL 2026
20015 (Upper NW D.C.) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
12 $1.62 Mil. 10 7 4 12
12 $1.63 Mil. 23 4 4 12
20016 (Upper NW D.C.) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
18 $2.61 Mil. 37 5 8 17
17 $2.6 Mil. 17 8 6 17
APRIL 2025 APRIL 2026
20832 (Olney) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
10 $854,700 4 5 3 3
20850 (Rockville)
Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
22 $1.05 Mil. 7 15 5 12
20814 (Bethesda) 20851 (Rockville) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
12 $1.96 Mil. 12 7 4 10
12 $1.9 Mil. 13 6 5 11
20815 (Chevy Chase)
Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
27 $2.1 Mil. 39 5 14 27
24 $1.64 Mil. 26 7 9 19
Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
6 $611,000 4 5 1 0
18 $1.7 Mil. 10 7 7 18
15 $1.49 Mil. 11 9 5 13
Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
20817 (Bethesda) 20854 (Potomac) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
32 $1.89 Mil. 26 15 13 30
36 $1.61 Mil. 23 14 12 29
12 $1.08 Mil. 7 10 2 6
11 $591,740 16 7 4 0
20852 (North Bethesda/Rockville) 17 $1.2 Mil. 10 11 3 13
20816 (Bethesda) 20853 (Rockville) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
11 $760,745 6 6 3 0
Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
15 $1.07 Mil. 20 5 4 7
28 $776,446 12 14 7 3
22 $664,750 19 14 7 0
45 $1.64 Mil. 20 25 13 41
51 $1.57 Mil. 25 25 16 47
20855 (Rockville) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
APRIL 2025 APRIL 2026
14 $726,692 7 11 1 0
20877 (Gaithersburg) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
4 $545,750 16 3 1 0
7 $800,857 11 4 2 0
5 $722,000 30 2 1 1
20878 (Gaithersburg/North Potomac) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
29 $1.12 Mil. 5 19 4 17
20879 (Gaithersburg) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
6 $741,233 52 1 3 0
20882 (Gaithersburg) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
11 $819,181 14 2 2 2
20886 (Gaithersburg) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
8 $647,050 22 3 3 0
29 $968,263 11 21 3 9
4 $769,975 27 2 1 1
13 $779,419 11 8 5 3
8 $651,187 26 4 3 0
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APRIL 2025 APRIL 2026
20895 (Kensington) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
13 $1.04 Mil. 6 7 3 5
20901 (Silver Spring) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
22 $694,477 25 11 8 1
22 $1.18 Mil. 60 5 14 12
18 $713,251 23 9 8 1
APRIL 2025 APRIL 2026
20902 (Silver Spring) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
17 $616,405 44 7 7 0
20903 (Silver Spring) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
17 $674,366 13 6 6 0
5 $638,949 22 2 2 0
9 $554,483 56 2 5 0
APRIL 2025 APRIL 2026
20904 (Silver Spring) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
22 $690,961 9 15 2 0
20905 (Silver Spring) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
6 $738,666 4 2 1 0
24 $750,729 25 12 8 2
11 $780,522 23 8 3 1
Information courtesy of Bright MLS, as of May 15, 2026. The Bright MLS real estate service area spans 40,000 square miles throughout the mid-Atlantic region, including Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Bright serves approximately 100,000 real estate professionals who in turn serve over 20 million consumers. For more information, please visit brightmls.com. This information includes single-family homes from April 1, 2026, to April 30, 2026, as of May 15, 2026, excluding sales where sellers have withheld permission to advertise or promote. Information should be independently verified. Reports reference data provided by ShowingTime by Zillow, a showing management and market stats technology provider to the residential real estate industry. Some sale and list prices have been rounded.
Congratulations to the 2026 Winners
of the Bethesda Urban Partnership and Bethesda Magazine
ESSAY AND SHORT STORY CONTEST
Essay Contest 1st Place Joyce Siegel, Rockville, MD 2nd Place Kristin O’Keefe, Kensington, MD 3rd Place Diego Tovar, Chevy Chase, MD Essay Contest – High School 1st Place Nolan Chen, Poolesville HS 2nd Place Nila Amin, Walter Johnson HS 3rd Place Annabel Taylor, Walt Whitman HS Short Story Contest 1st Place Michael Norton, Silver Spring, MD 2nd Place Aniko Albert, Rockville, MD 3rd Place Sarah Boone, Silver Spring, MD Short Story Contest – High School 1st Place Ainsley MacSlarrow, Winston Churchill HS 2nd Place Midori Golike, Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS 3rd Place Sean Carvin, James Hubert Blake HS Essay & Short Story Honorable Mentions Abigail Araya, Andrea Chen, Erica Clark, Leah DMello, Joy Einstein, Bob Greenberg, Cooper Gregg, Evie Hall, Rey Landoll, Holly Mason Badra, Anesu Pimhidzai, Tara Prakash, Naomi Walker
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Good Life Shopping, travel, wellness and more
The arcade at Asbury Park, New Jersey’s iconic Convention Hall houses shops and restaurants. PAGE 186
PHOTO BY ADOBE STOCK
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GOOD LIFE SHOPPING
A New Dawn At Bethesda boutique Sunset on Midsummer, a local mom offers tween and teen girls clothes to customize, DIY charm bracelets, fancy dresses and more BY JILLIAN LYNCH
Midsummer, is more than just a store; it’s about giving tween and teen girls options. Before the boutique opened in April in the Shops at Wildwood in Bethesda, Wolf invited a few young “influencers” to try on clothes and do a photo shoot. “Half the girls picked the teeniest, tiniest, tightest dresses and walked out of those dressing rooms like models and the other girls pulled hoodies and comfy pants and they were so happy,” says Wolf, 44, who lives in Gaithersburg and has two daughters, ages 12 and 15. Her fiance has two daughters, ages 9 and 11. Sunset on Midsummer carries everything from basic tees, jeans, skirts and pajamas to accessories and special occasion dresses in youth and junior sizes. Dresses cost from around $50 to more than $100. Wolf says she pays attention to trends and products that Lindsey Wolf at her store in the tween girls like, such as DIY charm braceShops at Wildwood in May lets, Kitsch beauty products, and squishy toys. “It’s bringing in all different brands, all different price points, things you may have heard of, things you maybe haven’t, higher quality items, peace signs, and the embroidery machine can create monothings that are lower price point but you’re not sacrificing grams, words or designs with up to 10 colors. that quality,” Wolf says. “I’m very texture-driven, so I love “I think in order to open a brick-and-mortar in today’s envithings that are super soft and comfy because I think kids ronment you have to bring something special and different appreciate that, too.” to the table. It needs to be more of an experience,” says Wolf, Sunset on Midsummer also offers a creative outlet: a “Make who has a background in marketing and event planning. She It Yours” area. Customers can choose from the shop’s “basics” offers birthday parties and events using the “Press It” and section of extra-soft skirts, tees, quarter zips and other items “Stitch It” stations after hours. in a rainbow of colors and use machines to customize the Wolf created a clothing line in 2016 called Harper + Hope with clothing with embroidery or heat transfer designs. Wolf says the encouragement of her husband, Sid Wolf. She says the brand she wanted her space to reflect the fun spirit of a boardwalk was successful, but there were drawbacks to being a wholesaler T-shirt shop but with elevated basics. Her shop has drawers and she decided to take a pause. Around 2021, she started thinkof transfers with fun designs such as pineapples, hearts and ing about doing more with fashion, but everything was put on
COURTESY PHOTOS
Lindsey Wolf says her business, Sunset on
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Here are a few picks for back-toschool shoppers from Sunset on Midsummer:
SUPER SWEET
Sunkissed Coconut chocolate chip cookie recipe embroidered hoodie, $79.99
PACK IT UP FAN FLAIR
Custom embroidered school spirit sets from assorted brands, quarter zip $65, pajama pant $45, embroidery begins at $15 per item.
hold in 2022, when Sid was struck by a car and killed. She says her neighbors, friends and family helped her get through. “I just took that time to figure life out and do some healing and take care of my family,” Wolf says. Eventually, she says, she started to get little signs that it was time to create something. In early 2025, when she heard that On Cloud 9, the longtime clothing store for girls in Potomac, was closing, she says she knew it was her moment. Wolf got the keys for her site, the former location of clothing store Sequel, in January. She added glittery panels into the ceiling that reflect the light from chandeliers she hung. She diffuses sweet candy fragrances in the space. Wolf says the name came from Midsummer Drive, the main road in her
Top Trenz pink retro stripe puffer backpack, $49.99
Washingtonian Woods neighborhood, and her love of sunsets. “I really wanted it to be a comfortable, sort of fun, welcoming environment,” Wolf says. “I find that all these girls are putting so much pressure on themselves with what they’re wearing, how they look. With social media, it’s more in-your-face with the pressure.” Sunset on Midsummer opened on April 18, the birthday of her late husband and one of their daughters. “It was just a really special day overall,” Wolf says. “There was a lot of emotion, just a lot of gratitude and happiness that we’re here and we have this and we know he’s around.”
Sunset on Midsummer, 10303 Old Georgetown Road (Shops at Wildwood), Bethesda, 301-697-9601, sunsetonmidsummer.com
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GOOD LIFE DRIVING RANGE
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Hot Mulligan performs at the Sea.Hear.Now music festival in 2025.
Back for the
ENCORE From glory days to ghost town, Asbury Park, New Jersey, makes a cool comeback BY CAROLE SUGARMAN
After a roller-coaster history, the seaside city of Asbury Park, New Jersey, is back on top. And my extended family was along for much of the ride. My father grew up there, and as a teenager in the 1940s worked summers at Palace Amusements, next door to my grandparents’ luncheonette. With a starting salary of 25 cents an hour, he ran the penny arcade, graduating to jobs at the Ferris wheel, magic carpet ride and fun house. He knew and loved the city inside and out. I was born in nearby Neptune Township, and although we moved to Philadelphia when I was 3, my childhood summers and holidays were spent visiting my grandmother and other relatives in Asbury. We’d play hours of Skee-Ball, jump waves in the ocean and eat fried clam strips at Howard Johnson’s.
Fast-forward several decades to a weekend last summer when my two brothers and I headed to Jersey. Much has changed in Asbury since we were kids. Together, we experienced its revival as a hip, walkable beach destination with a vibrant downtown, hopping music venues, good restaurants and breweries, and a lovely boardwalk. In short, we had a blast. Founded in 1871 by James A. Bradley, a New York City brush manufacturer who named it after Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury, the city would flourish. Broad tree-lined avenues, grand hotels, amusement pavilions, and three pretty lakes made it an appealing summer sojourn. On the boardwalk, elegantly dressed women strolled with their parasols past the majestic Casino and Convention Hall complexes, both built in the late
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Above: an aerial view of Asbury Park; Top right: a vintage postcard resembling the one on Bruce Springsteen’s album cover; Right: The Stone Pony venue; Below: The Beach Bar outside the historic Convention Hall
1920s and designed by the architects of New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. By the 1970s, however, Asbury Park became a decaying ghost town, due to a host of factors, including civil unrest, mismanaged city government, crime, drug trafficking and the transfer of patients from state psychiatric hospitals to the city’s boarding houses. The growth of shopping and entertainment destinations in the suburbs also drew visitors away. The city experienced an urban renewal about 20 years ago, jump-started by the region’s gay population. Pricey condos and renovated Victorians replaced the grand old hotels. The historic Steinbach department store— where grandma used to buy our birthday and holiday
gifts (and which closed in 1979)—now is home to businesses such as the Asbury Ale House, with loft-style apartments above. The HoJo’s has been transformed into The Robinson Ale House, serving fresh littleneck clams, not the fried ones, and Asbury Lanes, where we used to go on rainy days, has become a cool concert venue. There’s a modern diner on-site as well—serving boozy shakes—and you can still go bowling, as six lanes remain. Some things have stayed the same. Madam Marie’s, the longtime fortune teller booth on the boardwalk, remains. Starting in 1932 until her death in 2008, Marie Castello was a psychic fixture, befriending a young Bruce Springsteen who would later immortalize her in his song “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy).” We stopped by to find Sabrina Castello, Marie’s granddaughter, holding court inside the same small booth. We passed on the palm reading, despite assurances from Castello that patrons come back to confirm her predictions. (According to the condolences Springsteen wrote on his website after her death, Marie had predicted that his future looked pretty good.) Speaking of Bruce, die-hard fans may want to drop by Frank’s Deli & Restaurant, the diner that opened in 1960 where scenes for the 2025 movie Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere were filmed. And, of course, there’s The Stone Pony, the launchpad for Springsteen and bands such as Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, which is alive and well after 52 years in business. And while it may be the most well-known club, there are several others that offer a variety of live music, not to mention gigs in restaurants, hotels, parks and on rooftops. The crowning glory is the Sea.Hear.Now Festival, an annual two-day music, art and surfing fest; this year, the oceanfront event will feature
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: PHOTO BY ADOBE STOCK; PHOTO BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS; PHOTOS COURTESY NEW JERSEY DIVISION OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM
GOOD LIFE DRIVING RANGE
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ON SALE NOW! more than 25 bands on Sept. 19 and 20. Asbury has been a serious music mecca from its earliest days. Ragtime, gospel, jazz, and rhythm and blues took hold in the city’s Black community, with homegrown talent and well-known performers such as Count Basie and Billie Holiday performing in clubs on the West Side. A major effort has been underway, through organizations such as the Asbury Park African-American Music Project, to preserve and revitalize this rich era, including the ongoing renovation of Springwood Avenue’s historic Turf Club. (In the meantime, the AP-AMP holds free summer concerts at Blackbird Community Commons.) Palace Amusements, where Dad worked long ago and where we’d go as kids to collide on the bumper cars, is gone. The complex, built in 1888, was demolished in 2004, and Tillie, the creepy-to-me fun house face that famously identified the building, was put in storage. However, you can’t miss the Tillie replica that graces the exterior of the Wonder Bar, a live music venue near the boardwalk with a doggie Yappy Hour. The Beaux Arts Casino is now just a shell, but we were happy to see the beautiful carousel building intact although empty. The Wooden Walls Public Art Project, a collection of striking murals created by local, national and international artists, adds brightness to Casino area structures and to the Sunset Pavilion on the north end of the boardwalk. While there are many nice eateries and shops on the boardwalk, there’s still unrealized potential. Boardwalk development rights belong to one company, which has come under fire by city officials and others for falling short on its obligations to develop and maintain the historic properties. The Casino, Paramount Theatre and Convention Hall exhibition center all remain closed due to structural and safety concerns. Still, Dad would be overjoyed at the mammoth progress. An eternal optimist, he’d often say “someday it’ll come back,” even during Asbury’s darkest times. Dad, you were so right.
ALISON KRAUSS & UNION STATION Ft. Jerry Douglas
DIANA ROSS
JULY 16 + 17
AUG 19
JOSH GROBAN
JAMES TAYLOR
National Symphony Orchestra
& His All-Star Band
AUG 22
AUG 30, SEP 1 + 2
STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI IN CONCERT
TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE
National Symphony Orchestra
Mavis Staples The War And Treaty
JULY 9
JULY 18
A.R. RAHMAN
National Symphony Orchestra
KIDZ BOP LIVE
DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID IN CONCERT
CHANCE THE RAPPER
JULY 11
AUG 1
LINDSEY STIRLING
AND MANY MORE!
JULY 10
National Symphony Orchestra
PVRIS
JULY 31
Coloring Book
10 Year Anniversary Tour
JULY 14 Premier Sponsor 2026 Summer Season
© & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. Presentation Licensed by Disney Concerts in association with Warner/Chappell Music. Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts. ®All rights reserved.
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GOOD LIFE DRIVING RANGE AP Rooftop, part of McLoone’s Restaurants
If You Go THINGS TO DO
Rockers of all ages should head for the Transparent Clinch Gallery, a combination art gallery, store and pop-up music venue. Showcasing the decades-long work of photographer Danny Clinch, it contains wall-to-wall shots of dozens of his subjects, ranging from Springsteen to Bob Dylan, Brandi Carlile, the Foo Fighters, the Beastie Boys and many more. The small gallery also hosts periodic performances with touring
of The Red Badge of Courage, who lived there for part of his short life. Built in 1878, the home—on the National Register of Historic Places—also houses the headquarters of the Asbury Park Historical Society, to which my brother Joe donated more than 2,000 of Dad’s vintage Asbury Park postcards in 2013. They’re apparently in storage, but you can explore other displays about the city, such as dramatic photos of the SS Morro Castle, the luxury cruise ship that tragically caught fire off the New Jersey coast on its way from Havana to New York in 1934 and eventually beached next to Asbury’s Convention Hall. Cookman Avenue offers a funky mix of independently owned clothing and furniture shops, a couple of souvenir venues, art galleries and a packed antiques emporium. Don’t miss Paranormal Books & Curiosities, where the extensive reading material is organized by topic—afterlife, miracles, dreams, divination, etc. The shop
WHERE TO EAT, DRINK AND STAY For downtown eating, the area around Cookman and Bangs avenues is filled with options. Cardinal Provisions serves a near perfect version of home fries, and dog lovers will delight in the dachshund-shaped salt and pepper shakers. Toast is a perennial brunch and lunch favorite, offering everything from carrot cake pancakes to whipped ricotta toast. For pizza: the cozy Talula’s, which uses a sourdough starter for its crusts, or Catbird (not downtown, but it overlooks delightful Deal Lake). As for the boardwalk, an enclave of eateries owned by McLoone’s Restaurants, a New Jersey group founded by musician, philanthropist and sportsman Tim McLoone, dominates the Fifth Avenue Pavilion. The casual Iron Whale and The Robinson Ale House are good bets with something-for-everyone menus, and for Mediterranean chic, McLoone’s newest restaurant, AP Rooftop on the third floor, has a great view and vibe. Also on that thirdfloor beach and boardwalk overlook: the Arthur Pryor Bandshell, which stages summertime concerts.
and local artists, and famous past subjects are sometimes known to just drop by. A couple of weeks before we visited, Jackson Browne sang “Running on Empty” for the nine people in the gallery at the time. For literary and history buffs, the Stephen Crane House in Asbury Park offers a peek into the rebellious and bohemian author
also houses The Paranormal Museum, which can be toured by appointment only. You can sign up for a ghost tour, too. On the boardwalk, the arcade area in Convention Hall now houses tchotchke vendors (think “Born to Run” sweatshirts for toddlers), a coffee shop, seafood restaurant and gelato parlor.
Another newcomer getting a big buzz is Judy’s, opened in 2025 in the boutique St. Laurent Social Club. Helmed by Top Chef competitor and four-time James Beard nominee David Viana and his business partner, Neilly Robinson, Judy’s— named after Robinson’s mother—is Italian with some Jewish genes (e.g. ricotta matzo ball soup with dill pistou). Even a simple lunchtime salad with grilled shrimp was terrific.
FROM LEFT: PHOTO COURTESY NEW JERSEY DIVISION OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM; PHOTO BY MICHAEL PERSICO; PHOTO COURTESY AP ROOFTOP
With its music scene and eclectic sensibility, Asbury Park is a draw for teenagers and adults. By day, the wide beach (passes required) attracts families. And while there are no rides or amusements on the boardwalk, there’s a splash park, mini-golf, a small beach playground, and the must-visit Silverball Retro Arcade, with more than 150 pinball machines and other games, including Skee-Ball. Off the boardwalk, kids will love to ride on a swan-shaped pedal boat on Wesley Lake, a signature pastime that has thankfully been restored.
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For grab-and-go sweets, Confections of a Rockstar, opened by a female former drummer, makes a gigantic iced cinnamon roll and a soft chocolate chip cookie that three can share. At Cookman Creamery, get the lemon poppy seed ice cream if it’s available; brother Joe is still dreaming about the citrusy dessert. My brother Steve would point you toward late afternoon at the Asbury Park Brewery, where you can enjoy a refreshing Blonde lager or Sea Dragon IPA in a cool, low-key setting, before the evening bands and crowds arrive. The Asbury Park Distilling Co., the city’s first and only distillery since Prohibition, operates a small tasting room and produces artisanal spirits including espresso limoncello and an amaretto-like liqueur the company calls Pisam. Asbury Park has some distinctive high-end hotels. For Beaux Arts charm, many amenities and a guest history that includes Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland, opt for the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, opened in 1925. For a smaller hotel, also with a history, the boutique St. Laurent Social Club, operating as an inn since 1886, offers a casual and chic stay. Located on a quiet residential street, the walk-up has 20 rooms, each with a custom-designed bed that folds up and reveals a couch underneath. On the first level: a handsome bar called Harry’s, fabulous restaurant (see Judy’s, above) and outdoor pool. Hipsters will love The Asbury, with its lobby bar/live music venue, rooftop cantina, rooftop movies, pool parties and spare Scandinavian-style accommodations, including rooms with bunk beds. The sophisticated Asbury Ocean Club Hotel, situated in the 17-story Asbury Ocean Club residences, offers 54 rooms on the fourth floor, and hotel guests and residents share use of the facilities, including a restaurant, spa, fitness center, pool, and terrace overlooking the ocean. Carole Sugarman is a longtime writer living in Chevy Chase who still loves to play Skee-Ball.
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GOOD LIFE CELEBRATIONS
Their Next Chapter This Silver Spring couple’s happily ever after kicked off inside Baltimore’s Peabody Library reading room BY SOFIA APPOLONIO
THE COUPLE: David Shiffman, 41, is a marine conservation
biologist who studies sharks and wrote a book titled Why Sharks Matter: A Deep Dive with the World’s Most Misunderstood Predator (John Hopkins University Press, 2022). He’s originally from Pittsburgh. Eileen Cadel, 34, hails from Painted Post, New York, and is a biomedical engineer at the Food and Drug Administration. The couple met through a dating app in March 2023 and discovered they lived in the same Silver Spring apartment building at the time. They still live in Silver Spring.
THE FIRST DATE: David suggested watching a March Mad-
ness basketball game because he and Eileen had chatted about being big fans of college basketball but Eileen vetoed. “I pay attention to the games too much to actually be engaged in a date while that’s occurring,” she says. The two settled on a coffee date at Zed’s Cafe in Silver Spring.
THE PROPOSAL: In May 2025, David wanted the proposal
to take place during one of their favorite activities—pub trivia. He says he arranged with the trivia hosts at McGinty’s in downtown Silver Spring to make the last round of trivia about proposal and wedding traditions from around the world. “There were 10 real questions about that, because I would never interfere with the sanctity of trivia,” David says.
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GOOD LIFE CELEBRATIONS
connected to Johns Hopkins University, which published his book. Strings of fairy lights added an ethereal element to the room as Eileen and David exchanged vows under a chuppah adorned with white roses. The couple wanted a traditional Jewish ceremony and required their male guests to wear kippot custom-made for the event.
THE OUTFITS: The pair’s rings incor-
porated prehistory and family history. David’s wedding band contains bits of fossilized shark teeth, which the couple says are millions of years old. Eileen wore her fourth great-grandmother’s wedding band, which dates to the 1870s. “It’s a really old, historic wedding band for my family that is many, many gener-
Toward the end, the hosts called David up to ask one final question for Eileen, and that’s when he proposed.
THE CEREMONY: The couple wed on Jan. 31, 2026, at the George Peabody Library in Baltimore in front of 155 guests. The ceremony was held in the library’s grand reading room, a space that features multiple floors of shelves filled with books. David says he felt a connection to the library since it is 194 JULY/AUGUST 2026 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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ations old, which I just think is a beautiful sentiment,” Eileen says. She wore an ivory mermaid gown complete with an elegant train from Curvaceous Couture Bridal Collection in Columbia, Maryland. David wore a black tuxedo from Men’s Wearhouse.
THE RECEPTION: The couple flipped
the reading room space for the reception, with guests enjoying cocktail hour in the library’s exhibit gallery. Their love of books and libraries was a running theme throughout the event. David and Eileen used a card catalog cabinet from the library to hold place cards for their guests. Centerpieces featured books checked out from the couple’s local library, the Wheaton Library. The books were selected to match the hobbies and lives of the guests seated at each table. Eileen crafted paper flower decorations from used books that would have otherwise been discarded after the Peabody Library’s used book sale. Before everyone danced and ate the night away, the newlyweds did their first dance to a cover of “One More Pull” by The Longest Johns and The Wellermen.
THE FOOD: Eileen and David wanted
their reception to reflect their love of international cuisine. Cocktail hour offered charcuterie boards with focaccia and butternut squash soup with grilled cheese. For dinner, Eileen describes the meal as having “three different vignettes of stations.” The evening featured a slider station with smoked pit beef, a churrasco station with Argentine chicken and steak, and a surprise hit beloved by the couple—a mashed potato bar. After dinner, guests were invited to dance and enjoy cookies and brownies for dessert. Eileen and David cut a small Costco tuxedo cake in honor of their love for the wholesale chain.
THE HONEYMOON: The newlyweds
had a mini-moon at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., and are planning a longer trip on a cruise from Bali to Singapore in December.
VENDORS: Bartending/catering, Zeffert
and Gold; cake, Costco tuxedo cake; DJ, Maryland’s DJ; dress/boutique, Curvaceous Couture Bridal Collection; flowers, Scentsational Florals; hair, Down the
Aisle in Style; hotel block, Hotel Indigo Baltimore; kippot, Arielle Judaica; makeup, Esthetics with Nat (Natalie Sieminski Beauty); officiant, Rabbi Jake Rubin; photographer, DeRosa Photo Co.; string lighting, Event Dynamics; venue, George Peabody Library.
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5-12
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Spanish
GeorgetownHill.com
301-347-7234
None
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No
$54,970
$55,993
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TheSienaSchool.org
301-244-3600
None
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TheSienaSchool.org
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301-881-4100
None
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301-469-0223
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Pre-K: $14,000 Grades K-8: Catholic $12,300, Non-Catholic - $13,300
Catholic - $11,925; Non-Catholic $12,925
Spanish
DeChantal.org
301-530-1221
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GOOD LIFE CROSSWORD
Bay Watch BY MYLES MELLOR
ACROSS
DOWN 1. One of these manmade features historically linked Georgetown, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland 2. Saintly namesake of an Eastern Shore town 3. This lakefront area offers pedal boating 4. Pops 5. The annual Waterfowl Festival takes place here 6. Wonderland is one of these retailers
7. Sarah’s handmade offering, two words 8. Bird homes 11. Basketball’s Bias 14. Barbecue residue 15. Number cruncher, for short 16. Egg layer 19. Grab without asking 20. Secure 21. Plan out in detail 23. 21 singer 25. Compass point, abbr. 27. and the Bee 28. Bullis, Landon and Bethesda Elementary 29. Onion, for one 30. Lost at
31. Hoagies or grinders 32. Blue Maryland crustacean 33. Chesapeake Bridge 34. Knight’s title 35. Honey maker 36. Business degree, abbr.
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1. Home of the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center 7. Wedding Crashers filming locale, at Perry Cabin 9. WRC-TV network 10. Angler’s Inn 12. What a meteorologist might forecast in April 13. Worcestershire sauce, with Perrins 14. Jim Handly and Shawn Yancy 17. Ball carriers in football, abbr. 18. It’s mightier than the sword 19. Talbot County, Maryland, island accessible by drawbridge 22. Piña 24. Largest island in the Chesapeake Bay 26. It’s what one does in a kayak 30. Beachcomber’s find 32. Marylander’s orange drink 33. Bethesda Big Train sport 35. Flooring material 37. and flow 38. Knitting supply 39. Eastern 40. Benefits
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