Five finalists announced for 2026 Heart of Del Ray award
Voting open through Thursday to recognize the business that best serves as the heart and soul of the neighborhood
The Del Ray Business Association announced five finalists Saturday for its annual Heart of Del Ray Award, with community voting now open through noon Thursday.
The finalists are The Dairy Godmother/Just Fine Donuts, Del Ray Hardware, La’Baik, Matt & Tony’s All-Day Kitchen + Bar and Piece Out. The winner will be announced Friday and receive a large heart-shaped award displayed on their business for Valentine’s Day weekend.
The Dairy Godmother/Just Fine Donuts, owned by Russell Parsons, was praised by nominators for donating thousands of donuts to neighborhood events including school mornings, the tree lighting, the Halloween parade and Art on the Avenue.
Del Ray Hardware, owned by Jay and Edea Portlance, was credited with saving the neighborhood’s hardware store when it was in danger of closing. Nominators called it “a neighborhood hub where advice is free, help is personal, and relationships matter.”
La’Baik, a Mediterranean restaurant owned by Mohammad Abel-Hay, drew praise for its warm hospitality and family recipes.
Matt & Tony’s All-Day Kitchen + Bar, owned by Matt Sloan, was recently named one of Yelp’s Top 100 U.S. Restaurants for 2026 but was recognized by nominators for retaining its neighborhood commitment.
Piece Out, led by Larry and Christine Ponzi, was lauded for its community fundraisers and for supporting federal workers who lost jobs last year through a partnership with Volunteer Alexandria.
Voting is available here. Last year’s winner was Gustave Boulangerie.
Disclosure: The Alexandria Brief is a member of the Del Ray Business Association.