Vola Lawson was a woman who loved Alexandria so much that she devoted nearly half a century to it in public service roles. She was best known as the first female City Manager of Alexandria, and during her time in this role, Vola fought for all kinds of different issues—including redeveloping the Potomac River waterfront. She's a big part of the reason Vola's Dockside Grill even exists, which is why it bears her name.

Grab a table with a panoramic view of the Potomac and dig into fresh, local seafood. The conch fritters are a popular way to start a meal, served deep-fried with key-lime mustard sauce and chipotle cocktail sauce on the side. After nibbling on an appetizer, order something from the raw bar, a sandwich or taco filled with fresh fish, or an entree like the crab cakes with pickled jalapeño tartar sauce. Will you be stopping by soon?

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr ralph and jenny