Try the grilled salmon served atop a Caesar salad, or order the crab cakes-voted the best in Annapolis by Southern Living magazine last year. Benches were recently installed and trees and flowers planted to give the neighborhood a fresh look. Then begin in Alexandria's Old Town, where several antique shops feature the sort of classic objects you see in decorative arts museums. If it hasn't been sold, check out the English mahogany dining table circa 1790-1800. On the southern edge of Old Town, Sumpter Priddy III, Inc.
Many pricey antiques find a home in the huge estates that dot the surrounding countryside.
If you share these upscale tastes, you're in luck. A meal presented by costumed staff at Gadsby's Tavern. Owner Joanne M. Swift is particularly fond of English bamboo furniture from the mid- to late 1800s, and she may have the finest array in the States. About 25 dealers, selected by owner Julie Ford, display porcelain, costume jewelry, furniture, antique books, linens and textiles. Rare Oriental artworks fill one nook.