Volume 60 Number 14
april 23 – MAY 6, 2014
New Faces Old Facades The 83rd Georgetown House Tour
Helen Hayes Awards Chef Maziar Farivar Men's Style: Georgetown Blues Fred Maroon's 'Far out fashions'
DC SCENE
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Photos and Text by Jeff Malet www.maletphoto.com 1. Jerry Luftan of Bristow, Va as the Hulk was one of 40,000 visitors at the Awesome Con DC comic book and sci-fi convention on April 18. 2-3. Cherry Blossom Festival Parade particpants: Bubba of the Shriners Hospital for Children, KeenaKlowns; Nick Clemens, Drum Major of the Beckman High School Patriot Marching Band of Irvine Ca. - on April 12.
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4. The Emancipation Day Parade featured baloons representing the giants of the civil rights movement, on April 16. 5. Emily Young as Sylvia in Shakespeare’s “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, playing at the The Folger Elizabethan Theatre, from April 17 to May 25. 6-7. President Obama and The First Family hosted the 136th White House annual Easter Egg Roll on April 21. 8. US Coast Guard Seaman Sherri Helgoe pours water from the Seven Seas & Great Lakes into the surrounding fountains of the U.S. Navy Memorial, “charging” them to life at the “Blessing of the Fleets” ceremony on April 12.
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9. Dancers Christin Arthur and Alvaro Palau of the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company during the world premiere of “Confluence” at the National Portrait Gallery on April 19.
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21 A Quintessential Experience
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The Georgetowner
Helen Hayes Awards
The world’s most desired luxury homes — brought to you by Long & Foster and Christie’s.
FA S HION 29
Haute & Cool: Men’s Fashion
S oc ial Scen e 30
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On the cover
Co-chairs of the Georgetown House Tour, Barbara Wolf and Colman Riddell stand in the Grill Room of the George Town Club, which underwent renovations last year and is renewed with new members. The 83rd Georgetown House Tour is on Saturday, April 26. Photo by Paul Simkin
The Georgetowner is published every other Wednesday. The opinions of our writers and columnists do not necessarily reflect the editorial and corporate opinions of The Georgetowner newspaper. The Georgetowner accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. The Georgetowner reserves the right to edit, re-write or refuse material and is not responsible for errors or omissions. Copyright 2014.
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UP & COMING The Georgetown House Tour Celebrating its 83rd year, the Georgetown House Tour is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious house tour, giving locals and outof-towners an opportunity to visit 18th- and 19th-century homes graciously opened for the event. Nine historic residences are on this year’s tour, which runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For details, visit www.georgetownhousetour. com. St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3240 O St., NW. Move Me Festival A free, family-friendly celebration of the arts and culture, the 5th annual Move Me Festival promotes healthy lifestyles through movement and the arts. The festival culminates with a performance by Arlington’s own Bowen McCauley Dance. For details, visit www.bmdc. org/outreach/move-me-festival. Kenmore Middle School, 200 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington, Va. Who Rocked It Best?! - Spring Edition Who Rocked It Best?! is a fashion-face off in which participants create an ensemble based on a selected item that merits style recognition. Judges will choose three winners who Rock It Best. For details, and to purchase the unisex bow tie from American Apparel, visit www.styledtrue.com. Marrakech Lounge, 2147 P St., NW. Open Studios Preview at Jackson Art Center Georgetown’s Jackson Art Center invites
families to its Open Studios Preview from 3 to 5 p.m. Kids 7 and under can make Mother’s Day and Father’s Day cards and older children can participate in a watercolor demonstration. The Art Center’s main Open Studios day is Sunday. For details, visit www.jacksonartcenter.com. 3050 R St., NW.
APRIL 26-27
Christ Church Art Show and Sale The Annual Christ Church Art Show and Sale exhibits the work of local artists, photographers and ceramicists. Show hours are Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Christ Church Georgetown, 31st and O Sts., NW. Science & Engineering Festival Book Fair Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) authors – including Rebecca Klemm, the Numbers Lady, and Yahoo! Tech columnist David Pogue – talk about their adventures and autograph their books at the USA Science & Engineering Festival’s Book Fair, hosted by Anderson’s Bookshop. For details, visit www.usasciencefestival.org. Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Pl., NW.
APRIL 27
“Tango! Soul and Heart” Highlights of the performance “Tango! Soul and Heart” include “Lamentations of Jeremiah,” a sacred a cappella motet by Alberto Ginastera, and “Misa Tango,” a mass with
Photograph by David P. Sloane
Georgetown St. John’s Church
House Tour
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tango rhythms by Luis Bacalov. Tickets are $15-75. For details, visit www.choralarts.org. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St., NW.
APRIL 29
Washington Harbour Blood Drive D.C. residents are urged to make an appointment online to donate lifesaving blood for the patients at Children’s National Medical Center, the only exclusive provider of pediatric care in the Washington metropolitan area. The mobile blood drive at Washington Harbour runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For details, visit www.cnmcblooddonor.com. 3050 K St., NW.
APRIL 30
Poetry Out Loud National Finals The National Finals for Poetry Out Loud, a competition created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation to help teens learn about classic and contemporary poetry, will take place from 7 to 9:15 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. For details, visit www.poetryoutloud.org. George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St., NW.
MAY 2
Spring Art Walk: Book Hill Galleries The Georgetown Galleries on Book Hill present a Spring Season Art Walk from 6 to 8 p.m., with each of the six galleries – Addison/Ripley, Robert Brown, Susan Calloway, Heiner Contemporary, Maurine Littleton and Neptune – launching an art exhibition and
hosting an evening stroll. For details, visit www.georgetowngalleries.com. 1662 33rd St., NW. Opening Reception: “Relativity” The opening reception for “Relativity,” an exhibition of paintings by Daniel Calder and Colin Taylor, is from 6 to 8 p.m. The show will remain on view through May 31. For details, visit www.callowayart.com. Susan Calloway Fine Arts, 1643 Wisconsin Ave.
Calendar
APRIL 26
MAY 4
Chanticleer at St. John’s This season’s Georgetown Concert Series at St. John’s Episcopal Church concludes with a performance by Chanticleer, the GRAMMY® award-winning, San Francisco-based ensemble that The New Yorker has called “the world’s reigning male chorus.” Tickets are $40. For details, visit www.stjohnsgeorgetown.org. 3240 O St., NW.
MAY 8
Quintessa Wine Dinner at Capella’s Grill Room Larry Stone, general manager and master sommelier at Quintessa Winery, will headline this wine dinner at the Capella hotel. A four-course menu of food pairings has been curated by the Grill Room’s executive chef, Jakob Esko. Tickets are $180. For details, visit www.thegrillroomdc.com. 1050 31st St., NW.
Hello, Georgetown, We’re Open for You. Once again, the village has its Shell service station back at a familiar corner. We are pleased to continue that history and are ready and honored to serve you. The seasoned professionals at Georgetown Shell specialize in domestic and foreign vehicles. Our capabilities range from regular maintenance, preventative maintenance, factory-authorized maintenance services, to diagnostic repairs, such as check engine lights, ABS faults, electrical failures. We are equipped with the latest preventative maintenance machines, diagnostic tools and scanners.
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ticket information
GeorgetownHouseTour.com Funds raised through the Georgetown House Tour and Tea and the Patrons’ Party allow St. John’s Church, Georgetown to provide volunteer service and grant dollars to local charitable organizations, including those that serve the homeless, the unemployed, at-risk families, and other persons in need. Funds also support the church’s historical structures, which allows St. John’s to provide much needed meeting space at no cost to a wide range of civic and non-profit organizations daily.
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TOWN TOPICS
TOWN TOPICS
Security Administration, although a passport will be accepted.
Half-Million New IDs; DMV Opens April 29
DMV will notify those whose IDs will become obsolete, Babers said, and assign appointment times to come to the DMV center to revalidate. Baber said DMV has issued 541,000 driver or non-driver IDs.
The Georgetown office of the Department of Motor Vehicles will open for business April 29. The new 12,000-square-foot space has 150 seats and twice the area of the old center. On average, the Georgetown DMV has handled 500 persons per day; the new center will be able to handle at least 600 per day. The office is located in the Georgetown Park retail complex at 3222 M St., NW. The entry for the DMV center, on the lower level, is the one at the western M Street entrance by Washington Sports Club. Hours are 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. At the April 14 ribbon-cutting for the Georgetown DMV with Mayor Vincent Gray, council members Jack Evans and Mary Cheh and advisory neighborhood commissioner Bill Starrels, DMV director Lucinda Babers repeated the news on the requirements for DMV-issued identification cards. DMV will begin issuing Real ID licenses May 1. On Oct. 1, updated federal IDs will be required for entry into all federal buildings – a particularly acute need for those who work and live in D.C. The Real ID Act will require revalidation of all driver’s licenses across the U.S. in the years ahead. By April 1, 2016, old IDs regardless of expiration date will not be acknowledged for air travel by the Transportation
Dock on the Canal? The National Park Service and the Georgetown Business Improvement District are exploring ways and locations to place a dock at the C&O Canal to help boaters put canoes or kayaks in the water. Georgetown BID CEO Joe Sternlieb and BID destination manager Maggie Downing are looking to improve the canal and people’s use and enjoyment of it. The BID is also working with NPS to raise $1 million for a new canal boat after the demise of the Georgetown boat, popular with tourists for many years.
G.U. Busy Building Dorms, Athletic Center, Pub Georgetown University reports that it will begin construction on several projects this summer, including the Northeast Triangle residence hall, the former Jesuit residences – in historic Ryan Hall, Mulledy Building and Gervase Building – next to the Quadrangle and the Intercollegiate Athletics Center, pictured left, to be named for its most famous coach, John R. Thompson, Jr. Slated for completion in 2016 at a cost of $60 million, the 144,000-square-foot,
four-story athletics center will be built between McDonough Arena and the southwest dormitories, where tennis courts now stand. The Northeast Triangle residence hall will open in fall 2016 with housing for 225 students. The former Jesuit residences will be renovated and open in fall 2015 with housing for 160 students. The Thompson Intercollegiate Athletics Center, scheduled to open in summer 2016, will provide new practice and training facilities for varsity athletes. Meanwhile, construction is underway at New South Dormitory on a campus pub, cafe and dance studios, all part of the new Healey Family Student Center, which will add more than 44,000 square feet of student-centered space on campus. The university also completed its renovation of Dahlgren Chapel in the Quadrangle behind Healy Hall.
Community Calendar Friday, April 25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – The 11th Annual Georgetown French Market: Book Hill’s signature European open-air market and sidewalk sale, Wisconsin Avenue between P Street and Reservoir Road. Monday, April 28, 6:30 p.m. – Monthly meeting (for May) of Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission (2E), Founders Hall, Georgetown Visitation Prep, 35th Street and Volta Place, NW. Wednesday, April 30 at 7 p.m. – The Citizens Association of Georgetown will meet at Renwick Chapel at Oak Hill Cemetery, 3001 R St., NW. Superintendent David Jackson will talk about the restoration project at the Renwick Chapel as well as its fascinating history. He will talk about “engineering marvels – old and new.” Thursday, May 1, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Spring Cocktail Reception for the Georgetown Senior Center at the home of Penny Farthing and Andrew Miller on 35th Street. Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – The Georgetown Garden Tour. Christ Church, 31st and O Streets NW, will serve as headquarters for the tour.
GU’s new Intercollegiate Athletics Center named after famous coach, John R. Thompson, Jr.
Thursday, May 15, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. – Trees For Georgetown 25th Anniversary Celebration at the home of Susan and Mike Pillsbury.
Georgetown Garden T
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T I C K E T S $35
Online: www.georgetowngardentour.com Tickets can be purchased the day of the tour at Christ Church 31st and O Streets, NW Washington, DC
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TOWN TOPICS
Georgetown Senior Center Receives Donation
CHANTICLEER
SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2014, 5:00 pm
The GRAMMY award-winning ensemble Chanticleer, based in San Francisco, is known around the world for its seamless blend of 12 male voices and original interpretations of vocal works from Renaissance to jazz and from gospel to venturesome new music. ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, GEORGETOWN PARISH 3240 O ST. NW, WASHINGTON, DC TICKETS: $40.00 STUDENTS: $25.00 www.stjohnsgeorgetown.org
Jill Altman, Barbara Downs, Joe Clarke of EagleBank and Wendy Erlanger
The Georgetowner, in partnership with EagleBank, presents the Georgetown Senior Center with a check representing the proceeds of this past year’s Holiday Pop Shop. As the beneficiary, the Georgetown Senior Center received $5,000. Don’t miss its upcoming Spring Cocktail Reception on May 1. For more information visit stantonparkdc.com/georgetownseniorcenter.
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BUSINESS
Applicants Camp Out for 4 Liquor Licenses in Georgetown BY R OBE RT DEVANEY Restaurateurs waited overnight to submit their applications for a liquor license in Georgetown to the D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration April 10. The small line-up of tents in front of the Reeves Center at 14th and U Streets, NW, looked like people were waiting to buy concert tickets or the latest electronic device. Applicants had to line up because of ABRA’s policy of “first come, first served.” Within the Georgetown Historic District, there are three restaurant liquor licenses and one tavern liquor license available. D.C. law allows six tavern licenses and 68 restaurant liquor licenses in Georgetown. There has been a liquor license moratorium in Georgetown since the 1990s. A tavern license allows an establishment to have a smaller percentage of food to alcohol sales. Ben Conniff, vice president of Luke’s Lobster, which has one of its seafood restaurants on Potomac Street, arrived yesterday to pick up the proper paperwork from ABRA and decided to stay at the Reeves Center in the line. “A co-worker brought me a tent for the evening,” said Conniff, who was fifth in line. One of those in front wanted a tavern license. IN-HOUSE PERIODONTIST
So, being at least fourth in line, Conniff said he was hopeful of getting a restaurant liquor license. Of the available licenses, Amir Yeroushalmie told a TV reporter on the scene, “I believe we’re going to get one.” He wants to open an upscale sushi restaurant on Wisconsin Avenue. Another person in line wants to open a crayfish restaurant. Liquor licenses rarely become available through ABRA in Georgetown. When Gypsy Sally’s recently obtained a tavern license, it had been 20 years since such an opening. In an earlier Georgetowner report, advisory neighborhood commissioner Bill Starrels, who heads the Alcohol Beverage Committee, said the newly available licenses were “not performing” and said he was “absolutely appreciative of what ABRA is doing here. It showed due process.” Some licenses can sit for years before put back in circulation, so to speak.
GBA Learns About C&O Canal and Justice Douglas The Georgetown Business Association held its monthly networking reception at Carr Workplaces Georgetown April 16. The terrace of the historic Foundry building overlooks the C&O Canal, and a bust of canal booster Supreme Court Justice William Douglas is
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nearby at Lock 3. Michael Nardolilli, president of the C&O Canal Trust, spoke to the group of efforts launched by Douglas, who walked the length of the canal from Cumberland, Md., to Georgetown in 1954. This historic treasure now supports more than 1,000 jobs, and the need continues to “keep the towpath open for everyone to enjoy.” GBA members and guests enjoyed libations and appetizers showcasing Luke’s Lobster’s delicious lobster and shrimp rolls.
Dixie Liquors Gets Star Rum Treatment Here’s something that doesn’t happen often in D.C.: former adult star Ron Jeremy visited Dixie Liquors last week to promote a new rum from Panama – Ron de Jeremy. Proprietor Sean Clark was impressed by the celebrity event. “He is charming and very witty,” Clark said. Jeremy posed with customers and staff and autographed several bottles of rum. He even played “Dixie” on the harmonica.
Business INs and OUTs IN: A new Thai-style restaurant has opened in the old Garrett’s space at 3003 M St., NW – i-Thai Restaurant and Sushi Bar. Note this introductory discount: i-Thai will take 50 percent off all bills from April 25 through April 30, when you dine there. OUT: Lost Boys, the men’s clothing store at 1033 31st St., NW, will close within two weeks. After six years, owner Kelly Muccio is heading to New York City to take part in a dance competition . . . apparently. OUT: As expected, Bergerie Upholsterers at 3343 Prospect St., NW, has emptied and decamped to suburban Maryland. The retail space at 34th and Prospect Streets will soon house a yoga studio. OUT: Juicy Couture on M Street will close April 29.
HABLAMOS ESPAÑOL
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Michael Nardolilli, president of C&O Canal Trust, Riyad Said, president of Georgetown Business Association (GBA) and Annie Rinker of Carr Workplaces at the April 16 reception.
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PATIENT OF THE WEEK Alex Papanicolaou with Dr. Tsaknis
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EDITORIAL/ OPINON
The City Ever Evolving
P
eople in Washington – but probably in every city in the world – are always talking about change. Hop into a cab and you get into a lively conversation with a cab driver from Ethiopia about change: the city landscape, the lack of parking, the difficulty of getting around, too much traffic, bicycles and bicycle riders, how expensive it is. All of us do it, not just cab drivers. And besides, when you hop into a cab now, you get talk-show snippets and credit payments and the cabs are uniformly identified on top. Not so, even a few years back. But it’s true, the city’s changing. In the last political campaign nobody talked much about that. We heard about affordable housing, but real estate has shot ahead so fast – the bursts of gentrification, the rise of so-called pop-ups and the tornado of condo building –
that whatever might have been affordable is no longer affordable by the people who were meant to afford it. Whole neighborhoods have changed. Look at the area around the ballpark in southwest, a fairly recent change, and what’s about to happen along the harbor. Most of us would agree that a lot of this change isn’t catastrophic or bad. (Remember the 14th Street Corridor from P Street to U Street and the entire downtown area?) Ailing neighborhoods have gotten better, but in the process the city has lost longtime residents.
But people weren’t prepared for this much change, seemingly overnight. So when you go downtown or closer by and find long-standing fixtures – a restaurant, a gas station, a car wash, a deli or a mom and pop restaurant – simply gone, it’s unsettling. It’s not that we don’t have city planners, or life planners or day planners. Change is now fast, and some people get furious. The landscape is changing, the weather is changing, the politics are changing. Still, it’s the same blue sky, the same face of your neighbors, the same good mornings and howyoudoins. Washington will always be the city of trees, the city of statues and – who knows? – maybe even the city of free museums and zoos. It’s still our town and our neighborhoods and our neighbors. After all, we live here together in our neighborhoods, even as they are changing daily.
Public Works Floods the Town With Trash Containers
D
.C.’s Department of Public Works has delivered new trash and recycling containers to residents in Georgetown. But you knew that -- and saw that. Georgetown is awash in old and new trash and recycling containers, some of which make no sense for those who in rowhouses that have no side alleys. One resident looked bemused and annoyed and said, “I am not taking that through my living room.” Georgetown already enough trash and recycling boxes or barrels hanging around its sidewalks and front steps. There will be time to express yourself at the April 28 meeting of the local advisory neighborhood commission at Georgetown Visitation Prep on 35th Street. Jeff Jones of the ANC offered the following advice: First, read and follow the instructions in the pamphlet provided with the new containers. If you plan to keep the new containers: Please remove them from public space.
Containers are to be placed on the point of collection during DPW collection hours only. Generally, public space in Georgetown starts at the exterior wall (or very close to) most all of the rowhouse-type dwelling. Therefore, placing them on the sidewalk up against your home, is likely not within code. Note: disabled or elderly may obtain a waiver to have DPW collect from private space on a case by case basis. Please place the yellow stickers on your old container(s) for removal by DPW, and the current process requires you to call 311 to have those picked up.
PUBLISHER
Sonya Bernhardt EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Robert Devaney Please send all submissions of opinions for consideration to: editorial@georgetowner.com
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Gary Tischler Ari Post
BY JACK EVANS
I
wrote in my last column about the mayor’s budget proposal and several of my ongoing priorities, such as public safety, affordable housing, tax policy and funding for the arts. I am also very interested in supporting our transition to a new chief financial officer this year. Before the budget proposal was released, we undertook the performance oversight process. In an effort to inform the initial budget proposal, I sent a number of questions to the agencies under my purview to determine what is working and what is not. With the proposal in hand, I recently sent another round of questions to all the agencies. These were specific questions arising from the proposal itself. The largest agency falling within the oversight framework of my committee is the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. This agency includes a number of component offices: Tax and Revenue, Finance and Treasury and Revenue Analysis, to name a few. Some of the questions I will ask of this agency are higher profile, such as how the Office of Tax and Revenue will administer a real property tax lien sale this year, given that the initial budget proposal would not fund my reform legislation until the fall. Since the tax sale is typically held in July, I will be working closely with the CFO and my colleagues to implement as much reform as possible prior to any sale held this year. I will also closely oversee the sale itself to make sure that our residents in need are not treated unfairly.
If you do not want the new containers: Most of the residents contacting me prefer this option, due to the larger size of the recycling container, making it more difficult to store on private space. You may place the stickers on one or both of the new containers, and call 311 to have them picked up. Continue using your current container(s) and if you would prefer you may purchase a container from a private vendor. Again, please only place the containers to the POC during collection hours only.
Jack Evans Report Questions on the Budget Proposal
ANC2e is working with DPW in attempt to schedule a wholesale old and/ or new container pickup date, but this has not been confirmed. This would negate the current requirement to call 311 for pickup, however please follow the instructions on the pamphlet in the meantime.
WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA
Charlene Louis ADVERTISING
Evelyn Keyes Kelly Sullivan Richard Selden GRAPHIC DESIGN
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Some of the questions are more technical in nature, such as whether the budget is in fact structurally balanced. As you may know, the District is required to prepare a four-year balanced budget annually. For those of you who review our budget online, you can see on pages 2-8 and 2-9 of the introduction that $100 million of the 2014 surplus is being shifted to 2015 to make that year’s budget balance. Further, fiscal year 2016 is balanced on the assumption that certain efficiency savings will be realized. I am all for efficiency, but after witnessing our government pass the largest budget in the city’s history each successive year – despite the financial downturn – it is hard for me to believe that these savings will come to pass. Thanks for your engagement in this process, and please don’t forget to reach out to me and my colleagues with any feedback you have on the budget.
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CONTRIBUTORS
Corrie Dyke
Susan Lund Richard Selden
Mary Bird Pamela Burns Linda Roth Conte Jack Evans Donna Evers John Fenzel Amos Gelb Lisa Gillespie Wally Greeves
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Tim Riethmiller Philip Bermingham Jeff Malet Neshan Naltchayan
INTERNS
Serafine George Nicole Cusick Paulina Phelps
Jody Kurash Stacy Notaras Murphy Walter Nicholls David Post Alison Schafer Richard Selden Shari Sheffield Bill Starrels
BUSINESS
Fred Maroon’s ‘Far Out Fashions’ at Artist’s Proof
BY N ICOL E CUS ICK
Fred Maroon might be famous in D.C. for his notable photographs around the Capitol and Georgetown, but how many know that he traveled the work to produce spectacular fashion editorial spreads? Peggy Sparks, owner of Artist’s Proof, is currently working with her team on an exhibition of Maroon’s editorial work at the intimate gallery, located just off M Street in Cady’s Alley. The show, “Far Out Fashions: An Exhibition of Fashion Photography by the Late Fred J. Maroon,” will be open to the public from May 16 to June 1. “We try to create a space for artists from around the world to come and share the stories they so very strongly put into their art,” said Sparks. She believes that Artist’s Proof is a place where the public can step into these stories. Maroon’s story began when he was sweettalked by the editor of London’s Weekend Telegraph Magazine in 1966. This first series was meant to highlight the cashmere wool made from the underbelly of Mongolian goats. Maroon traveled to the outskirts of Mongolia for the shoot. Look magazine (which stopped publishing in 1971) also bought the photos. The New York Times even dedicated half a page to displaying these ambitious photos
of models in elaborate wool outfits in snowy landscapes. Maroon’s next destination was Leningrad. However, the clothes the group had brought with them could not be used. Maroon was only allowed to take the photos with a Soviet woman as the model and clothes from a Moscow designer. He agreed, and produced the series “Furs in Russia.” Afghanistan was next, with a feature on the native silks of the region. A local prince who took a liking to a model granted them access to temples and religious locations where the group would not ordinarily be allowed to photograph. The photos from this trip are also important because they document locations that no longer exist, a result of the country’s war-torn recent history. Several feature models walking in lush green fields, an image of Afghanistan unfamiliar to most Americans. One of Maroon’s final international stops was Japan, when he shot in several different temples and more remote regions. Maroon worked to record contemporary Japan and its natural features, avoiding the stereotyped, “Madama Butterfly” conceptions of the country. Fred’s wife, Suzy, and his son, Mark, both Georgetown residents, were the ones who approached Artist’s Proof with the idea of displaying his unpublished editorial work.
The current plan is to display different series of Maroon’s photographs, according to Sparks. Old Town Editions of Alexandria is printing the enlarged prints. Patrick McMahon, co-owner of the studios, said that he is excited about the project and aims to create prints with colors as close as possible to the original slides. Since the photos were originally published in magazines and newspapers, the work is being displayed as it has never been before. The larger-than-life prints will allow the public to see the world through Maroon’s lens with a fresh perspective, said Sparks. Look for the opening of the Maroon exhibit on May 16 and check out the other works, events and artists displayed at Artist’s Proof at www. aproof.net.
Images: Left: Japan – green pants suit, 1969 Right: Afghanistan – blonde braid, 1968
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Real Estate
Time To Shop the Big Banks for a Mortgage D By BIL L STAR R EL S
uring the refinance boom, the largest banks with the largest portfolios were simply overwhelmed. Simply put, they had more clients and business than they were able to process. To add to the burden, federal mortgage regulators stiffened the rules and targeted big banks for audits during the boom. All this combined to make the process of getting a loan less than efficient.
In today’s marketplace, refinancing has cooled down. Though still burdensome, the regulatory environment has become a constant. What this means to the consumer is that the large banks have the capacity to handle today’s level of business as efficiently as smaller institutions. With the implementation of the Dodd-Frank rules on mortgage lending, which went into effect in January of this year, all mortgage companies, big and small, have to underwrite to the same rules. Gone are the days of the “nimble” underwriting standards of the smaller mortgage players. If you have significant deposits in an institution, you may be entitled to meaningful discounts offered to good customers. These can range from discounts on the bank fees on closing
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costs to discounts on the rates and points.
Large institutions also have money to lend. They have billions of dollars in deposits that they can lend out as jumbo mortgages – generating excellent spreads for the banks and excellent rates for consumers. Some of the smaller banks cannot offer the same rates on jumbo money. Smaller intuitions may not even offer jumbo fixed-rate mortgages. Another advantage of having a mortgage at the institution where one banks is the convenience of having all the information on the bank’s website. One can transfer money to pay a mortgage and keep track of escrows, balances and the like. The large institutions also tend to hang onto the servicing rights. Most people like the peace of mind that comes from knowing that their mortgage will not be sold and resold again. The bottom line is that the environment has evolved and one should take a look at the larger institutions when shopping for a mortgage.★ Bill Starrels is a mortgage loan officer (NMLS#485021) and lives in Georgetown. He can be reached at 703-625-7355
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Located in the heart of the East Village, this one-of-a-kind Federal townhouse with dark wood floors and large windows embodies Georgetown’s history and elegance. Occupying 6,713 square feet – with four levels, five bedrooms and four baths – the house is ideal for a large family and for entertaining. The kitchen, equipped for a gourmet chef, is dinner-party-ready. French doors lead from the kitchen to an elegant private garden and pool. In the solarium, one can soak up vitamin D on cooler sunny days. In addition to the garden and pool, exterior features include a screened porch, an outside shower, a terrace and a play area. $5,850,000 ReMax 100 Herbert Riggs 703-642-3380
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REAL ESTATE Jeffrey and Elizabeth Powell, hosts of the Patrons’ Party. Their house, known as the Foxhall House, is on Dumbarton Street.
NEW FACES, OLD FACADES
Our Home Stories: The 83rd Georgetown House Tour, April 26 BY R OBE RT DEVANEY
Each spring, Georgetown greets the season by freshening up its homes and yards in anticipation of one of the neighborhood’s signature events: the Georgetown House Tour. “The house tour is a crown jewel” of Georgetown, says Trish Yan of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, the tour’s main sponsor. “It is amazing to see more than 1,800 persons visiting neighborhood homes.” It certainly gets people thinking about Georgetown houses, home design, history and boldface names – both the younger set like Robert Allbritton, Bill Dean, Mark Ein, Kevin Plank and Michael Saylor and the established types like Jack Evans, Valerie Jarrett, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi and Bob Woodward. While some downtown neighborhoods have gotten new attention, Washington’s oldest neighborhood smoothly retains its premier status. Indeed, with the house tour in mind, the Washington Post ran an article last week that asked: “As Washington development moves east, what does Georgetown represent today?” An alternate headline for the same piece tellingly read: “Georgetown’s quiet boom: As other parts of Washington get the hip restaurants and slick condos, this enclave prospers, too.”Whatever your assessment of the neighborhood, Evans’s stump speech sums it up: “Today is Georgetown’s golden age.” Over the past five years, Georgetown has experienced a youthful kick: its own baby boom. The place is more family-focused, sometimes to the puzzlement of the older crowd that recalls a livelier – perhaps wilder – nightlife along its commercial streets. Meanwhile, younger residents are taking over and renewing many of Georgetown’s organizations and places. The 2014 co-chairs, Colman Riddell, 45, and Barbara Wolf, 50, understand the pull of the house tour, which benefits social programs at St. John’s Church on O Street. “The house tour continues to interest residents as well as visitors because of the unexpected surprises behind every door,” Riddell says. “Whether it’s a secret garden, incredible architecture or design, the houses in Georgetown never disappoint. No matter how long you’ve lived here, there is always a house on the tour you’ve never seen.” Riddell is a chemotherapy nurse turned designer, whose 33rd Street home was on last year’s tour. She lives with her husband, Richard, and her son and daughter in a converted carriage house and stable. The 1,700-square-foot home – with its expanded lighting, neutral colors and artifacts on display – and its designer were featured in the Washington Post last year. Riddell grew up in Georgetown and went to Madeira School and Georgetown School of Nursing. The 34th Street home of her parents,
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Charles and Betsy Rackley, has been on the tour. As for Wolf, who lives in Falls Church, she and her husband, David, were married at St. John’s Georgetown. She loves her parish and says, “I feel very married to it.” Her two boys were christened there, and her parents are also parishioners.
About 15 years ago, Burling – now chairwoman emerita and 98 years old – gave the tour a heightened energy and status. She started the Patrons’ Party, held at another home a few days before the tour. First up as hosts were such iconic Georgetowners as Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn and Kitty Kelley.
Thanks to the influential and beloved Frida Burling, Wolf – for two decades a chief development officer and chief advocacy officer for several youth-focused nonprofits – got involved with the house tour. “St. John’s is the heart of the community for so many of its residents,” says Wolf. “We like to say, ‘We value open hearts, open minds, open arms, faith, staying rooted and staying current, and discussion that allows for mutual respect.’ The tour speaks to this and to our commitment to Georgetown and all its citizens.”
The party itself ranks high on the social calendar for what might be called its “house wow” factor. Last year, it was at the P Street home of Tom Anderson and Marc Schapell of Washington Fine Properties. This year’s venue is the Foxhall House on Dumbarton Street, owned by the Powell family.
In the same spirit, Georgetowners answer the call to be on the tour. Many helping out with the tour have shown their homes. It is not always an easy decision to invite crowds to march through. Sometimes the houses are newly redone, and others might be about to go on sale. But most on the tour are occupied by longtime residents who are here to stay. Architect Christian Zapatka showed his place two years ago. “The best thing about being on the tour was that it forced me to complete my own house renovation. Which is, of course, agony for an architect,” he says.
Built by Henry Foxhall in 1819 for his daughter, Mary Ann, who married Samuel McKenney, the Foxhall House (also known as the McKenney House) is now the home of Elizabeth and Jeffrey Powell and their two children. Foxhall was a mayor of Georgetown and munitions manufacturer during the War of 1812. Foxhall Village and Foxhall Road are named for him. The original gardens were designed by Rose Greely, the first woman landscape architect licensed in D.C. Before moving to Dumbarton Street in August, the Powells had lived around the corner. Elizabeth had passed and admired the house for quite a while. In addition to their own, all lovers of Georgetown have a favorite house (or several). Some are well known and others, not at all.
REAL ESTATE
1689 34th St., NW
2906 P St., NW
3102 P St., NW
THE 2014 GEORGETOWN HOUSE TOUR, APRIL 26 Following are details about the nine properties on this year’s tour, provided by the Georgetown House Tour. 1689 34th St., NW
This house and the surrounding townhouses on 34th Street and Reservoir Road were built around 1951 on the site of the extensive gardens and pool of Friendship House, the last of the large estates owned by Evalyn Walsh McLean, heiress and socialite. McLean is best known as the last private owner of the 44.5-carat Hope Diamond, now on exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. This brick, colonial-style, semi-detached home has four levels. The current owners purchased it in 1998, when they combined households from England, South Africa and Virginia. They immediately embarked on a series of renovations allowing for a more open floor plan, finished the top floor, upgraded the carriage house and, most recently, renovated the original 1951 kitchen in the English basement. Almost all of the main floor and lower level is the owners’ design. Much of the built-in cabinetry and furniture in the basement was handmade by them. The mature wisteria, planted in 1998, was the owners’ first addition to the garden. The carriage house is an architectural gem and serves as the guest room of first resort.
2906 P St., NW
This charming house, on a large lot set back from the street, was originally built sometime between 1844 and 1865, when the frame structure that forms the heart of the house (a double parlor on the first floor and two second-floor bedrooms) was erected. Sometime later, a rear addition was built, comprising the kitchen on the first floor and an additional bedroom suite on the second floor. During the 1960s, the house underwent a major renovation, which
For Riddell, one is “a white-painted brick firehouse” on the east side of N Street, close to Kesher Israel Synagogue. For Wolf, it is simple: “The rectory at St. John’s. It’s a lovely, large home with a warm front porch and open space on both sides. It has sentimental value for me.” For Yan, her favorite is the Beall-Washington House at 30th and R Streets, once the home of Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham and now Mark and Sally Ein’s house. As a director of business development for TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, Yan attends 80 to 100 events for the company annually through its different offices. She wanted to get the Georgetown office more
involved with the house tour, “especially as a number of agents live in Georgetown.” Yan formerly worked with Nancy Taylor Bubes of Washington Fine Properties, who put her 31st Street home on the tour last year. “I learned from her,” Yan says of Bubes. Another good call on favorites comes from Zapatka, who says, “Without a doubt, the finest house in Georgetown is Tudor Place. Its setting and its classically composed garden elevation, complete with temple portico, make it a vision out of the English countryside.” There is one house missing. Call it the most famous lost home of Georgetown. It is fitting to recall it this year, the 200th
included altering the curved stairs in the main part of the house and an addition to the front at the west side of the property to include a garage, an indoor pool and a second-floor artist studio connected by a spiral staircase. The current owners purchased the property in 1999 and later began another major renovation within the existing footprint to expand the kitchen, open up several smaller rooms and add the back staircase and French doors leading to the side and rear gardens. The renovation, designed by architect Outerbridge Horsey and executed by contractor John Richardson, transformed the indoor pool room into a family room and added a lower-level playroom to accommodate the family’s three children.
3102 P St., NW
The current homeowners purchased the house four years ago, when they moved to Georgetown from New York. They removed walls on the lower level to create a small theater room for family movie-watching and redid the lower foyer with blue slate flooring and white beadboard cubbies to accommodate the sporting activities of their four children. Outside, notice that the bay window that matched those of the three neighboring houses was removed in the 1980s so that the garage could be added. In the entryway is a striking green and white Kelly Wearstler wallpaper. The Lucite waterfall console table coupled with the fauxbamboo mirror maximizes the use of the narrow space.
anniversary of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” “When I think about Georgetown homes, the one that comes most readily to mind – and is my favorite – is a house that no longer exists: the Francis Scott Key House that stood at 3516-18 M Street,” says Jerry McCoy. McCoy is special collections librarian at the Georgetown Public Library’s Peabody Room, which acts as Georgetown’s historical archives. “Constructed in 1795 by Thomas Clark and occupied by Francis Scott Key and his family from 1808 to 1828, it was from this address that Key departed for Baltimore and into the pages of American history,” says McCoy. “The desire was there to save the
structure, but it failed, and what remained of it was taken down in 1947. Had this home been preserved, visitors from all over the world would have made the pilgrimage to see where the man lived who penned ‘O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.’ ” Finally, here’s a little secret about the Georgetown House Tour. It’s not about houses and design but about people: our neighbors past, present and future. Histories of these homes often have surprising connections to people one would never suspect walked the streets where we live. You see, Georgetown is still a village after all.
April 23, 2014 GMG, INC.
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3114 O St., NW
3254 O St., NW
3141 O St., NW
This distinguished townhouse, built between 1957 and 1959, was once the home of F. Joseph Donohue, a District Commissioner from 1951 to 1953. The site dates back to the early 19th century, when it was a livery stable on what was then Beall Street, a few doors down from the legendary Connecticut-Copperthite Pie Baking Company on the corner of today’s Wisconsin Avenue and O Street. The current owner has renovated the house, aspiring to “take the 1960s out of the house” and “create the ambience of a Paris apartment,” she said. The exterior is a contemporary adaptation of the Federal architectural style. The offset door, a departure from rigid Federal symmetry, allows for a modern necessity: a full-size garage. The spacious garden was completely redesigned for LB Design by local landscape architects Fritz & Gignoux. It has been nearly doubled in size by converting what used to be a back alley into a croquet lawn with an attractive water fountain and a stone seating area.
3254 O St., NW
This detached residence sits on a large lot that includes a detached brick carriage house at the back. The property was first conveyed in 1770 to Caspar Shaff. The original structure was built in the 1830s. Subsequent owners included both George and William Beall, who bought it in 1841 for $10 and sold it in 1853 to the Vestry of St. John’s Church for $100. In 1860, the house was enlarged by the creation of the front living room and a formal Federal façade was added in front. Notice the mounting block outside the front gate and the original ironwork stairs. The current owner is an architectural and interior designer and real estate agent. She has spent the past 15 years improving and updating her home while preserving its many period details, such as the original heart-of-pine, random-width planked floors. The entryway suggests coziness, but the house is actually of substantial size with multiple bedrooms and a lower-level guest suite that offers a serene garden view.
3417 P St., NW
Think of 3417 P Street as two independent structures combined into a single home. The heart of the residence, to the east, was build in 1852 as a carriage house and stables by William Herron, a local contractor, to serve his large 35th Street home (seen on previous house tours). In 1951, Wesley Steele, acclaimed organist for St. John’s Church in Lafayette Square, purchased the carriage house and later added to the property, building the two-story guest house and garden area. The house was featured in the 1967 Georgetown House Tour, when visitors were invited to inspect Steele’s personal pipe organ. A sensitive recent renovation, overseen by the current owner and architect Dale Overmeyer, restored beams in the living room, moved the kitchen to the garden level by the pool, re-landscaped the garden and created a harmonious flow, the better to integrate the two structures into one home. Approaching from the east along P Street, note the original carriage doors and well-preserved brick carriage tracks.
3413 P St., NW
This house’s bright yellow brick and deep green shutters cannot be missed as one walks along P Street. Behind this facade lies an appealing private garden spanning the entire side of the house and offering seclusion from the public street. This garden was among those featured in Adrian Higgins’s 1994 book, “Secret Gardens of Georgetown.” Glass-paneled doors along the side of the house give one the feeling of living in the garden. The layout of the house is linear, the front room being the living room, behind which the hall provides the
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3417 P St., NW
entryway from the garden. Next comes the dining room and kitchen, with a doorway to the rear of the garden. For all that comfort has been the owners’ top priority, on display in the house are many antiques, interesting and unusual objects and family heirlooms. These include paintings by Mr. Knight’s great-grandfather, Daniel Ridgway Knight (1839-1924), and grandfather, Louis Aston Knight (1873-1948). The frames that hold these artists’ paintings have been expertly restored by Bill Adair. Mrs. Knight is herself a talented and accomplished artist.
3026 Q St., NW
This grand four-story mansion, built around 1850, has passed through many hands since it was first sold in 1871 for $4,500. The property was added to during the early 1970s, when land was excavated to create a garage and driveway (something much coveted in Georgetown), and the rear gardens were replaced by a 15-foot-wide swimming pool. The present owner has narrowed the pool to make way for a terrace for entertaining and outdoor reading, a particular passion of the owner, who has made sunny reading nooks on all four levels, both inside and out. The house is full of fine original millwork, particularly near the entrance. A sumptuous archway frames the staircase and hall, which leads to the kitchen overlooking the pool. Note the dark oak hardwood floors throughout and the owner’s choice of an impressive if unusual palette of blue and purple, intended to convey an air of serenity. While the 1970s addition is restrained in appearance, the double-high dining room with skylights is spectacular. Visible through the glass atrium, a star magnolia and a weeping cherry soften the more modern rear exterior.
The Georgetown Club 1530 Wisconsin Ave., NW The George Town Club is an elegant city dining club providing a warm retreat for its members, with fine cuisine, privacy and friendly, gracious service. Formed in 1966, the club brings together leaders from the business, professional, social, philanthropic, political, social, cultural, academic and diplomatic sectors. The club occupies 18th-century frame buildings. Club founders extensively renovated the run-down historic building, adding the brick entryway, excavating the lower level and importing European wood paneling. The wrought-iron work by Samuel Yellin was rescued from the demolition of the original Morgan Guaranty Trust Company building in New York. Over time, two adjacent brick townhouses were incorporated into the club premises. On the second floor, the extraordinary oak paneling in the main dining room was created in the style of Robert Adam, England’s premier architect in the late 1700s. At either end of the sideboard are large fishing-vessel figureheads, framing a leaded-glass demilune that was originally a feature of J. P. Morgan’s private office. In the past year, the interiors of the club’s main-floor rooms have been substantially updated, preserving historical architectural features. Light sisal floor coverings have replaced the worn dark rugs, and some parts of the walls have been upholstered in a light neutral linen fabric to offset the extensive dark wood paneling. The most dramatic change has been the complete renovation of the Grill Room. The updating of the club’s decor was a collaboration of interior designers Andrew Law and Debbie Winsor, both Georgetown residents and club members.
3413 P St., NW
3026 Q St., NW
Frida Burling
tissues of Georgetown, the people that live here, the homes, the cobbled streets, red brick and the way the seasons are felt here, as well as the idea of history long lived and carried forward.
Heart & Soul of the House Tour If you want to find the heart and soul of the annual Georgetown House Tour, you don’t have to go very far. They reside on the 1300 block of 29th St., NW, where Frida Burling lives.
“I think the tour is a very special thing, and I’m still a part of it,” she said. “I’ll be a part of it for as long as I live.” Her home – which she shared with her husband Edward Burling, who passed away at the age of 92 in 2002 – has been on the tour itself. “I wouldn’t mind doing that again, but it might be a little difficult.” Don’t be too surprised if that doesn’t happen anyway.
She has been a guiding power behind the house tour for decades, acting as chairman, booster, chairman emeritus, marketer, the tour’s most consistently visible and articulate champion and innovator. If you’re going to this year’s Patrons’ Party, you’re going to a Frida Burling invention. When you talk to Burling – even now when you get her on the phone for a brief time – you get the voice of one of Georgetown’s greatest interpreters. We talked to her this week about the house tour. She’s 98 now, but still articulate and strong in her views. “When people go on the house tour, they see Georgetown in all of its aspects, its many looks and facades and people. They see and get a feel for Georgetown history, in the variety of the homes.” The tour has been around for 83 years, and it has grown into a major village and city event – thanks in large part to Burling. People tend to think of her as the patron saint of the tour, and to some degree of Georgetown itself, a social icon.
The Georgetrown Club, 1530 Wisc. Ave., NW
VOLUME 53, NUMBER 14
Since 1954
APRIL 19 - MAY 3 , 2006
Our Town House Tour Special
5 3 Ye a r s R u n n i n g
Go Fish! Kids Festival at Fletcher's
Open Studios at Jackson Jackson
She’s something a little more than that. She personifies in her daily life, in her character and bearing, the words that often come up when people think of or talk about Georgetown: grace, humor, the idea of living well, certainly, but also of community participation, of being part of the connected
Artist's Vision
April 2006 cover with Rick Rickertsen
How the House Tour Helps Others St. John’s Georgetown directly supports seven major programs with funds received from the Georgetown House Tour. St. John’s most long-standing grant commitments include Jubilee Jobs, the Georgetown Ministry Center, Bright Beginnings, the Salvation Army’s Grate Patrol Program and the American Near East Refugee Aid program. Jubilee Jobs, Inc. has operated since 1981 in Mount Pleasant with a mission to move the most vulnerable non-working poor from the condition of severe poverty to employment. Since it began, Jubilee Jobs has placed more than 24,000 individuals get work. Services—free to applicants and employers—include counseling and assessment, mock interview training, workshops and follow-up mentoring for stability and advancement. Several St. John’s members volunteer regularly at Jubilee Jobs. Recently released 2013 statistics show that 1,430 applicants initiated the job process in 2013. In 2013, the job retention rate was 84 percent and includes two years of follow-up support. Georgetown Ministry Center has been working to end homelessness since 1987. Through its seven-days-a-week daytime shelter, located in Grace Episcopal Church on Wisconsin Avenue and South Street, GMC provides shower and laundry facilities, computer stations, mini-workshops, mail reception and lunch prepared by volunteers. Guests also receive assessment and care from a staff psychiatrist, general practitioner, and case management. The GMC medical team also conducts street outreach in Georgetown, Foggy Bottom and West End. During the winter, GMC operates a small winter shelter with collaborative local churches in which volunteers cook, serve and eat dinner with the residents. In fiscal 2012, the center served more than 1,000 individuals and provided unique service
contacts to nearly 14,000 persons. Bright Beginnings, Inc. was established 20 years ago by the Junior League of Washington as a high-quality developmental childcare program exclusively devoted to the special needs of children and families struggling with homelessness. Each year Bright Beginnings serves upwards of 150 children at no cost to their families. Its daycare program is an approved Head Start and Early Head Start program providing highly recognized child development and family strengthening services at its main center on M Street, N.W. The program is about to build a second center in Ward 7 or 9, closer to where its main clientele lives and has a waiting list of more than 150 children. The Grate Patrol Van is a mobile, homeless feeding program operated every night by the Salvation Army for more than 25 years. The van circulates Washington’s downtown streets, stopping at nine different gathering places where warmth escapes the grate vents of federal and corporate office heating plants. For at least 20 years, members of St. John’s church have prepared the food packets and staffed the van through the full rounds of delivery. American Near East Refugee Aid has operated for more than 40 years to deliver programs to the most vulnerable children in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. With the growing challenges, particularly the closure of Gaza, ANERA continues to upgrade preschools, train teachers, support arts and music education, cultivate hunger-alleviating family gardens, and deliver vital medicines.
GMG, INC. April 23, 2014
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A dashing Colonial on R Street in Georgetown’s fashionable East Village. Completely renovated w/ 3BR/3.5 BA great for entertaining. Tasteful crown moldings, millwork & gleaming wooden floors. Elegant LL w/ family rm, guest rm w/bath, laundry. Garage. Margaret Heimbold/Georgetown Office 202-812-2750/202-944-8400
Jewel of a house in Historic Georgetown! This home has been totally renovated w/2BR ,2BA! Stunning living rm, eat-in-kit, formal dining rm w/French doors to private garden & beautifully landscaped front yard. Maija Budow 202-415-4067 Georgetown Office 202-944-8400
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE • COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE • MORTGAGE • TITLE • INSURANCE • PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • RELOCATION SERVICES
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Your Dining Guide to Washington DC’s Finest Restaurants
1789 RESTAURANT
1226 36th St. NW With the ambiance of an elegant country inn, 1789 features classically based American cuisine – the finest regional game, fish and produce available. Open seven nights a week. Jackets suggested. Complimentary valet parking. www.1789restaurant.com
3000 K St. NW (One block from Georgetown AMC Loews Georgetown 14) Georgetown introduces Washington’s first “Dumpling Bar” featuring more than 12 varieties. Come and enjoy the new exotic Thai cuisine inspired by French cooking techniques. Bangkok Joe’s is upscale, colorful and refined. Absolutely the perfect place for lunch or dinner or just a private gathering. www.bangkokjoes.com
(202) 965-1789
(202) 333-4422
CHADWICKS
CLYDE’S OF GEORGETOWN
3205 K St. NW A Georgetown tradition for over 40 years, this friendly neighborhood restaurant/saloon features fresh seafood, burgers, award-winning ribs and specialty salads & sandwiches. Daily lunch & dinner specials. Late night dining (until midnight Sun.-Thu., 1am Fri.-Sat.) Champagne brunch served Sat. & Sun. until 4pm Open Mon.-Thu. 11:30am - 2am Fri.Sat. 11:30am - 3am. Sun 11am.2am. Kids’ Menu Available. Overlooking the new Georgetown Waterfront Park
3236 M St. NW This animated tavern, in the heart of Georgetown, popularized saloon food and practically invented Sunday brunch. Clyde’s is the People’s Choice for bacon cheeseburgers, steaks, fresh seafood, grilled chicken salads, fresh pastas and desserts. www.clydes.com
ChadwicksRestaurants.com (202) 333-2565
(202) 333-9180
MALMAISON
MARTINS TAVERN
3401 K St. NW
Malmaison opened in June 2013 and features elegant French dining in Washington D.C’s historic Georgetown waterfront. Housed in a majestically refurbished industrial warehouse reminiscent of NYC’s Meatpacking district, the modern restaurant, pastry shop, and event lounge features the culinary talents of legendary 2 Michelin Starred French Chef Gerard Pangaud and Pastry Chef Serge Torres (Le Cirque NYC). www.malmaisondc.com (202) 817-3340
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BANGKOK JOE’S
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BISTRO FRANCAIS
BISTROT LEPIC & WINE BAR
CAFE BONAPARTE
3124-28 M St. NW A friendly French Bistro in the heart of historic Georgetown since 1975. Executive chef and owner Gerard Cabrol came to Washington, D.C. 32 years ago, bringing with him home recipes from southwestern France. Our specialties include our famous Poulet Bistro (tarragon rotisserie chicken), Minute steak Maitre d’Hotel (steak and pomme frit¬es), Steak Tartare, freshly pre¬pared seafood, veal, lamb and duck dishes and the best Eggs Benedict in town. In addition to varying daily specials. www.bistrofrancaisdc.com
1736 Wisconsin Ave. NW Come and see for yourself why Bistrot Lepic, with its classical, regional and contemporary cuisine, has been voted best bistro in D.C. by the Zagat Guide. And now with its Wine bar, you can enjoy “appeteasers”, full bar service, complimentary wine tasting every Tuesday and a new Private Room. The regular menu is always available. Open everyday. Lunch & Dinner. Now Serving Brunch Saturday and Sunday 11-3pm Reservations suggested. www.bistrotlepic.com
(202) 338-3830
(202) 333-0111
(202) 333-8830
FILOMENA RISTORANTE
I-THAI RESTAURANT AND SUSHI BAR
www.filomena.com
I-Thai Restaurant and Sushi Bar offers a taste of authentic Thai cuisine and Thai noodle dishes, where quality is never compromised. Using only the freshest ingredients, each dish is carefully prepared by our talented house chefs. With their extensive knowledge and expertise they are able to transform each dish with the perfect blend of herbs and spices into a delightful experience with the boldest and most genuine flavors possible. Sun-Thurs 11:30 am-10:30 pm Fri-Sat 11:30-11:00 pm
(202) 338-8800
202-580-8852
SIMPLY BANH MI
THE OCEANAIRE
DAS Ethiopian 1201 28th ST NW
DAS Ethiopian offers you a cozy two story setting, with rare outside dining views and al fresco patio dining. DAS is located at the eclectically brilliant historic corner of the internationally renowned shopping district of Georgetown. A tent under which all come to feast is the very Amharic definition of DAS. From neighborhood diners, nearby students, journalists, to international visitors and performers, all enjoy the casual but refined atmosphere that serves up the freshest Ethiopian dishes from local and sustainable food sources. www.dasethiopian.com
(202) 333-4710
1264 Wisconsin Ave NW,
SEA CATCH RESTAURANT
Don't let the beer fool you, it's a compliment to your dining experience. See what Chef Martinez has cooking for the spring! Since 1933, the warm atmosphere of Martin’s Tavern has welcomed neighbors and world travelers looking for great food, service and years of history within its walls. Fourth generation owner Billy Martin, Jr. continues the tradition of Washington’s oldest family owned restaurant. www.martinstavern.com (202)333-7370
Overlooking the historic C&O Canal, we offer fresh seafood simply prepared in a relaxed atmosphere. Outdoor dinning available. Join us for Happy Hour Monday - Friday from 5:00pm-7:00pm featuring $1.00 Oysters and half priced drinks Lunch: Mon-Sat 11:30am-3:00pm Dinner: Mon-Sat 5:00pm-10:00pm COMPLIMENTARY VALET PARKING www.seacatchrestaurant.com (202) 337-8855
1054 31st St. NW
1063 Wisconsin Ave., NW Filomena is a Georgetown landmark that has endured the test of time and is now celebrating 30 years. Our old-world cooking styles & recipes brought to America by the early Italian immigrants, alongside the culinary cutting edge creations of Italy’s foods of today, executed by our award winning Italian Chef. Try our spectacular Lunch buffet on Fri. & Saturdays or our Sunday Brunch, Open 7 days a week for lunch & dinner.
1624 Wisconsin Ave, NW
1522 Wisconsin Ave. NW Captivating customers since 2003, Cafe Bonaparte has been dubbed the “quintessential” European café featuring award winning crepes & arguably the “best” coffee in D.C.! Other cant miss attractions are the famous weekend brunch every Sat. and Sun. until 3 p.m. and our late night weekend hours serving sweet and savory crepes until 1 a.m. We look forward to calling you a “regular” soon! www.cafebonaparte.com
3003 M Street NW
Simply Banh Mi - Vietnamese Sandwiches and More! GRAND OPENING APRIL 25-26 GEORGETOWN FRENCH MARKET FESTIVAL This family owned deli features classic and modern banh mi sandwiches, fresh spring rolls, Vietnamese iced-coffee, and more. Like delicious food and saving money? Mention this ad, get 10% off. www.simplybanhmidc.com
1201 F St. NW Ranked one of the most popular seafood restaurants in D.C., “this cosmopolitan” send-up of a vintage supper club that’s styled after a ‘40’s-era ocean liner is appointed with cherry wood and red leather booths, infused with a “clubby, old money” atmosphere. The menu showcases “intelligently” prepared fish dishes that “recall an earlier time of elegant” dining. What’s more, “nothing” is snobbish here. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30am-5pm. Dinner: Mon-Thur 5-10pm, Fri & Sat 5-11pm, Sun 5-9pm. www.theoceanaire.com
(202) 333-5726
(202) 347-2277
FOOD & WINE
What's Cooking, Neighbor? Maziar Farivar, Peacock Cafe BY WALT ER NICHOL L S In 1991, two brothers with limited savings pooled their resources to open a cute, 12-seat eatery on Prospect Street. With only the aid of a hot plate and a convection oven, Maziar Farivar, the older of the two, prepared the pasta salads and sandwiches on the short menu. Younger sibling Shahab managed the front of the house, waiting tables and handling take-out sales. Both charmed and nourished all who entered Peacock Cafe. And when, in 1998, these natives of northwestern Iran moved a few doors down, expanding their operation into an airy full-service restaurant, contemporary in décor, the fans followed. Maziar's modern American, Mediterranean-influenced menu – at the same time sophisticated and familyfriendly – has something for everyone. Kids can have their meatloaf and mashed potatoes while the adults at the table dig into a whole bronzino with fennel-butter sauce. From the bar come made-toorder fresh vegetable and fruit juice drinks, as well as killer cocktails, 24 wines by the glass and a heady selection of craft and imported beers. The chef's addition of exceptional Persian dishes has not gone unnoticed. "They are so well received, I'm doing more and more," he says. Borani is a thick purée – bright tasting and spicy – of caramelized onion, sautéed spinach and yogurt with a touch of cumin and chili oil, a yummy spread for crisp flatbread. I adore the creamy and smooth, sweet-scented pistachio soup enlivened with a sour note of Seville orange. The fruit-and-nut theme continues in an entrée of delicate Atlantic cod atop a compote of apricots, figs, sour cherries and shaved almonds. Sun-dried limes are the secret to the explosion of flavor in qaymeh – a stew of tender chunks of lamb, yellow split peas and tomatoes, topped with a tangle of tiny golden-brown potato sticks. Last summer, Maziar created a healthier version of one of his favorite dishes, Cajun-style shrimp and grits. His inspiration was “Fit for Hope,” the American Cancer Society's 12-week chef weightloss and fitness competition. "This was a real challenge for chefs with girth," says Maziar, who lost 22 pounds and raised $2,000. "Adding coconut milk is my little twist."
Cajun Shrimp with Coconut Cauliflower 2 servings
INGREDIENTS 1 head of cauliflower, outer leaves removed 7 ounces unsweetened coconut milk 1/4 cup provolone cheese, shredded Salt and pepper to taste 10 large shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning mix 1/4 cup dry white wine 4 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley 1 lemon, cut in wedges
DIRECTIONS Cut the cauliflower into florets and then into 1-inch cubes. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, bring the coconut milk to a simmer and add the cubed cauliflower. Cook until fork-tender, about five minutes. Off heat, strain the cauliflower, removing and saving the coconut milk. Then transfer the cauliflower to a blender and add the salt, pepper and shredded cheese. Pulse until the mixture resembles lumpy mashed potatoes, adding back the reserved coconut milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, for desired consistency – smooth or chunky. Cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, dust the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning mix. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until pink, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine, stirring, and reduce the liquid by half, about one minute. Remove from heat. To serve, mound the cauliflower on a plate or a platter and arrange the shrimp on top. Garnish with the parsley and lemon wedges. Peacock Cafe 3251 Prospect St., NW 202-625-2740 peacockcafe.com What's Cooking, Neighbor? visits with wine, food and entertaining professionals who work in the Georgetown area. Georgetowner dining columnist Walter Nicholls is the food critic for Arlington Magazine and a former staff writer for The Washington Post Food section.
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FOOD & WINE
Latest Dish BY LINDA ROT H CONT E Where could four D.C. culinary superstars – Carla Hall, Ruth Gresser, Gina Chersevani and Jeff Tunks – all work together? Reagan National Airport, aka DCA, where they will be taking off without leaving the ground. They are among the food professionals involved with the 10 new restaurants coming to Terminal A in 2015. OTG and BMG, the concessionaires tapped by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, plan an expanded lineup of food, beverage and retail options (including a full-service spa!) in the nine-gate terminal. MWAA is also partnering with Cohn’s Kitchen to provide job opportunities for underserved young adults training for foodservice careers. Chef/owner Dean Gold is opening a rustic Italian restaurant, Dino’s Grotto, on 9th Street, NW, in the Shaw neighborhood. A new incarnation of his first restaurant in Cleveland Park, it will have 120 seats on two floors. One of the main themes is sustainability, with handmade pastas and products from local and organic farms and sustainable fishers and butchers. Expect local craft brews as well as artisan Italian beers and ciders on tap. The plan is to open by the end of April. Christophe and Michelle Poteaux plan to open a new restaurant in Alexandria’s North
Old Town neighborhood, not far from their popular Bastille restaurant in Old Town. They are referring to it as Bastille 2.0. Bastille will be renamed Bistro Royal (since it is on North Royal Street) and revamped. Michelle will be able to show off her pastry skills to a greater extent at the new, 100-seat restaurant, which will serve lunch and dinner. There will be a private dining space, an outdoor patio and a wine bar. Mark Slater will run the wine and beverage program at both restaurants, which should be ready by early 2015.
Dino's Grotto
Lot 31 is the new buzz in Bethesda. Passion Food Hospitality is planning its second PassionFish restaurant there, its first in Maryland, part of a luxury residential and retail development at the corner of Woodmont and Bethesda Avenues. The original PassionFish is in Reston, Va. This will be the eighth restaurant for Passion Food Hospitality (Jeff Tunks, David Wizenberg, and Gus DiMillo). More about Lot 31: Bob Giaimo will also open a new upscale version (2.0) of Silver Diner
at Lot 31. It’s abbreviated, in that the name is Silver. Farm-to-table – check. It will be slightly smaller and more urban, with more bar business focused on local craft beers and wines. Silver Diner’s signature chrome will be replaced by a warmer wood-and-stone look. Ch-Ch-Changes: If you cannot recall the last time you went to Italian classic restaurant Da Domenico in Tysons Corner, you won’t recognize the place – from décor to menu to bar – when it completes its transformation. The 22-year-old restaurant was bought by Syed Hussain, who has a few more surprises in store. He and his son plan to reintroduce it to the community by this summer.The 22-yearold restaurant was bought by Syed Hussain, who has a few more surprises in store. He and his son plan to reintroduce it to the community by this summer. When the Marriott Marquis Washington, D.C., opens across from the Washington Convention Center, it will feature two restaurants and three bars. Anthem, a 215-seat restaurant, will serve breakfast and lunch, including a few classic items from Marriott's old Hot Shoppes (including the “Mighty Mo” burger). The other restaurant, to be announced, will be run by a well-known operator from outside the D.C. area. Executive chef at the Marriott Marquis is Matthew Morrison, who most recently hails from The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner. On the bar side: The Dignitary (upscale), seating 99, with an outdoor patio; High Velocity, an 184-seat sports bar with 48 beers on tap; and a 139-seat Lobby Bar in the atrium. A May opening is planned.
3251 Prospect St. NW. Washington, DC 20007
Rendering of High Velocity
Chef John Paul Damato will head up the kitchen at Compass Rose, slated to open in Logan Circle where Collage used to be. Damato previously worked at ThinkFoodGroup and at Restaurant Nora. Compass Rose is owned by world travelers and husband-and-wife team Rose Previte and NPR’s David Greene, so it follows that globally sourced and inspired foods, wine, beers and cocktails will be on the menu. What was once Michel Richard’s Michel at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, then Entyse Bistro, will now become America Eats Tavern from José Andrés. The original location was in Penn Quarter. America Eats Tavern will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, offering an American classics menu with products from local Virginia farms. Quick Hits: Tony Tomelden of The Pug on H Street in North East D.C. plans to open Brookland’s Finest Bar & Kitchen nearby on 12th Street, NE. Expect comfort food and an early May opening. . .Robert Wiedmaier’s empire continues to grow. His Belgium-themed Brasserie Beck at McPherson Square gets a 20
April 23, 2014 GMG, INC.
Dino's Grotto
sister operation in Gaithersburg when it takes over the O’Donnell’s Sea Grill space. . .Everlasting Life Vegan Restaurant in Capitol Heights is opening a second location next to the Takoma Metro station serving lunch and dinner. Also planned is a bakery half a block away. . .California-based Blaze Pizza plans an early summer opening at Westfield Montgomery Mall.
Lupo Verde
Chef Update: Benjamin Lambert was named executive chef for 701 Restaurant in Penn Quarter, taking over from Tony Conte, who was overseeing both the Oval Room and 701. Lambert formerly worked at D.C.’s Restaurant Nora as well as at Goodstone Inn in Middleburg. . .Med Lahlou and Antonio Matarazzo of the Lalou Group announced that Domenico Apollaro would be chef de cuisine at their 100-seat Italian restaurant Lupo Verde, on 14th and T Streets. A native of Italy, Apollaro was previously executive chef at Eat's Easy in Milan. . .Matt Hill has been named executive chef for Arlington’s The Liberty Tavern, Lyon Hall and Northside Social. He most recently served as chef de cuisine at Range at Chevy Chase Pavilion in D.C. Prior to Range, Hill worked with the Charlie Palmer Group, first at Aureole, then at D.C.'s Charlie Palmer Steak. Miljohn Dimaano was promoted to chef de cuisine at The Liberty Tavern. . .Daniel Singhofen is chef de cuisine at Blue Duck Tavern at the Park Hyatt in D.C.’s West End. Previously, he was at Eola in Dupont Circle. Osiris Hoil, owner of District Taco, plans to open his next location at 20th & M Streets in Dupont Circle, where Cosi used to be. Though it started out as a taco cart in Rosslyn, there are now restaurants in Arlington, Metro Center and Capitol Hill. The Dupont store will also offer full coffee service. A May opening is targeted. Osiris is scouting Northern Virginia for his next District Taco location. Linda Roth is president of Linda Roth Associates, a public relations and marketing firm that specializes in the hospitality industry. Reach her at Linda@LindaRothPR.com or 703-417-2700. www.lindarothpr.com
FOOD & WINE
A Quintessential Experience BY SHA RI SHEF F IE L D
Well, if you were despairing that you won’t get a chance to experience the swanky new Georgetown Capella hotel's $3,500-per-person “Once In A Lifetime” wine dinner that was postponed indefinitely, you are in luck! There’s a new opportunity to visit the hotel for something special. Executive Chef Jakob Esko and the hotel's Grill Room restaurant have announced their revised wine-dinner concept. On May 8, guests will take part in a quintessential experience featuring the wines of Quintessa winery of California and food pairings handpicked by Chef Esko. Capella plans to host several wine dinners throughout the year. The Quintessa estate, located in Napa Valley, is a favorite of the hotel's sommelier, Will Rentschler. In addition to its stellar reputation for producing amazing red wines, Quintessa prides itself on sustainable growing methods. This excellence in producing wonderful tasting wines, as well as environmentally conscious organic farming, has endeared Quintessa to many a lover of fine wines. When I spoke to Rentschler and Esko about the upcoming event, their excitement to share the winery's new releases – and show how well they complement the cuisine of the Grill Room in an intimate setting – was evident. Quintessa's own Larry Stone, wine director and educator, will be on hand to highlight what makes each of the wines a standout. Chefs usually create food, with wine just an accompaniment. However, this night will be different. Chef Esko has designed four great seasonal dishes around the Quintessa wines. At the dinner, you will be led through four food and wine courses:
QUINTESSA ILLUMINATION SAUVIGNON BLANC, 2012 Paired with diver scallop carpaccio, served with cucumber, radishes and soft goat’s cheese.
QUINTESSA PROPRIETARY RED BLEND, 2010 Paired with herb-roasted quail, served with rosemary and potato gnocchi, chorizo and parsley.
QUINTESSA PROPRIETARY RED BLEND, 2005 Paired with bison strip loin, served with wild mushroom ragout, black truffle and spring peas.
FAUST CABERNET SAUVIGNON, 2011 Paired with dark chocolate Black Forest cake roll. Capella's Grill Room typically showcases creative seasonal dining. Diners enjoy views of the picturesque C&O Canal, with outdoor seating available. The Quintessa Wine Dinner four-course menu is priced at $180 per person (excluding tax and gratuities). To make a reservation, call 202-617-2424 or visit www. thegrillroomdc.com. Think of the Grill Room's upcoming wine dinners as “Once in a Couple of Months” wine experiences. Once you have had your fill tasting the new Quintessa releases, why not head back to the hotel's Rye Bar for a nightcap, go up to the rooftop infinity pool and look out over Georgetown or check in to one of the 49 luxury guest rooms and suites? You'll make it your own quintessential evening. Cheers! Shari Sheffield is a wine, food and lifestyle writer as well as a Wine Educator and speaker. She can be reached at shari@sharisheffield.com or www.sharisheffield.com.
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IN COUNTRY
Touring the Trails of Virginia Wine Country BY C ORRIE DYK E An up and coming wine destination unlike any other, Virginia’s deep wine history dates back to Jamestown and the settlers who each tended 10 vines. Vintner Thomas Jefferson made it his life mission to produce a successful vineyard and their experimental harvesting now yields the region’s award-winning wines. Last October, the seventh edition of The World Atlas of Wine by Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson featured Virginia wines for the first time. Time Magazine’s article on the book even named Virginia the “newest chapter in American wine history” calling Boxwood Estate’s merlot blends “wines that California would have to respect”. With more than 230 wineries spanning the Commonwealth, there is no better way to take in the vino, scenery and historic sites than through the many trails and tours. The array of routes allow for a fun, educational day experiencing multiple wineries with two or 20 people. Meet the winemakers, visit a part of the countryside you otherwise wouldn’t and most importantly grow in your knowledge of Virginia wines. Here are a number of trails and tours to check out this season, visit VirginiawWine.org for a statewide list. Cheers! The Great Skedaddle: Wine on 29 Pearmund Cellars, Vint Hill Craft Winery and Winery at Bull Run make up this wine trail formed along Route 29, the path of The Great Skedaddle, a term used to describe the unorganized retreat of Union troops back to Washington after their unexpected defeat at the first battle of Bull Run in 1861. The Blue Ride Wine Way The Blue Ridge Wine Way is recognized as Virginia's premier wine region featuring five counties in the Northern Virginia region. Wineries include; Gray Ghost Vineyards, LaGrange Winery, Mediterranean Winery, Molon Lave,
Narmada Winery, Oasis Winery, Pearmund Cellars, Rappahannock Cellars and Unicorn Winery. This trail is just under an hour drive from D.C. BlueRidgeWineWay.com Northern Neck/Chesapeake Bay Trail The Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail features nine wineries which include; Oak Crest Winery, Ingleside Vineyards, Belle Mount Vineyards, General’s Ridge Vineyard, Vault Field Vineyards, Athena Vineyard and Winery, Jacey Vineyards, Good Luck Cellars and The Dog and Oyster. April 26 is the 2nd Annual Spring Oyster Crawl on the Wine Trail. Visit ChesapeakeBayWineTrail.com for more information. Loudoun County Wine Trail The wine trail of Loudoun Country is so large it is broken into five clusters; Loudoun Heights, Waterford, Potomac, Mosby, Harmony and Snickers Gap. Find the complete list of more than 30 wineries at VisitLoudoun.org and look for the developing LoudounWineTrail.com 211 Scenic Vino Trail The Vino Trail on Route 211 leads to Shenandoah National Park and runs beside the quaint village of Little Washington. Along the way sit five wineries; Unicorn, Magnolia, Gray Ghost, Narmada, Gadino, Little Washington and Quievremont. 211winetrail.com Monticello Wine Trail The wineries on the Monticello Wine Trail were inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s vision of winemaking and claim the birthplace of American wine. This Charlottesville trail holds 30 wineries. MonticelloWineTrail.org
April 23, 2014 GMG, INC.
Divine Wine Tours of Virginia Fairfax 855-384-6382 divinewineva.com Dominion Wine Tour Catharpin, Va. 571-330-5406 dominionwinetours.com Point to Point Limousines Catharpin, Va. 703-771-8100 PointToPointLimo.com
Grey Ghost Winery
Reston Limousines Reston 703-478-0500 restonlimo.com Chariots for Hire Sterling, Va. 703-639-4957 chariotsforhire.reachlocal.com Boomerang Tours D.C. 202-217-2055 RideTheBoomerang.com Fairfax Limo Wine Tours Sterling, Va. 703-229-5057 Fairfax-limo.com
keswick, virginia 202.390.2323 www.castlehillcider.com events@castlehillcider.com
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Area Services and Guided Tour Companies
Dog and Oyster Winery
IN COUNTRY
Middleburg Spring Races BY LEO NARD S HAP IR O It was a perfectly precious afternoon in the country for the Middleburg Spring races on April 19--mostly blue skies, mild temperatures and some fiercely competitive steeplechase events at glorious Glenwood Park.
There was some fine dining all around as well at a wide variety of tailgates. Best in show for the day according to the judges was a magnificent and all home-cooked buffet produced by Middleburg’s Robin and Gordie Keys.
On the day before Easter, some in the crowd were already previewing big, beautiful bonnets, and the people-watching, as usual, was just as much fun as trying to pick the winning horse and jockey. A perfectly legal bookmaker was on the grounds with a chalkboard and a fistful of dollars to handle any wagering.
In the featured $50,000 Temple Gwathmey, Decoy Daddy prevailed with jockey Carol-Ann Sloan in the irons. The horse is owned by Irvin S. Naylor and trained by Cyril Murphy. The Middleburg Hunt Cup went to Cornhusker in a thrilling finish. He was ridden by Kieran Norris, trained by Alicia Murphy and owned by Armata Stables.
Images from left to right. Top: Former Carter White House staffer Meg Mullery; George Chester (left), Loki van Roijen and Bill Janes. Bottom: Maxine Janes; Peter Hansen and his sister, Whitney; Washington architect Andrew Diem, Dr. Wesley Price and Barbara Price
Escape to the Country. Keswick Hall Less Than 2 Hours From DC
701 Club Drive | Keswick, VA | 22947 | 434-979-3440 | 866-679-4619 | Keswick.com
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CLASSIFIEDS / SERVICE DIRECTORY EMPLOYMENT Publication Design Internship Georgetown Media Group, publisher of The Georgetowner and The Downtowner is thrilled to announce an internship opening with our Publication Design department. This exceptional opportunity suits a career minded student seeking exposure to the fast paced world of print media. We are a bi-weekly tabloid boasting a circulation of 40,000 in D.C., Virginia and Maryland. Key Responsibilities include: • Assist head designer in layout of both publications • Photo editing and correction Contact sonya@georgetowner.com
LEASE/RENT/ SALE OFFICE SPACE
Available now in Rosslyn: offices and suites accommodating up to 5. Promo code GEORGETOWNER for 1 month free with 12 month contract. 571-384-7900 or RosslynTeam@ carrworkplaces.com.
CATHEDRAL AREA
Attractive studio in secure building with roof deck and Near bus stop. Hard wood floors and a garden view $1225 plus electricity. Call 202 686 0023
CARR WORK PLACES:
Live in Georgetown? Work here, too! Private offices, coworking, meeting rooms. Promo code GEORGETOWNER for 1 month free with 12 month contract. 202-465-8100 or GeorgetownTeam@carrworkplaces.com.
TUTOR/ LESSONS TENNIS LESSONS
$25 for a private, 1-hour lesson in Foggy Bottom. Or willing to meet at your closest metro station for an extra $5.00. Excellent with beginners, intermediate, and children. Mark 202-333-3484
FRENCH, SPANISH INSTRUCTION Planning a trip to Paris? Madrid? Latin America? Pick Genevieve! French native. MA, Ph.D Romance Languages, MS Spanish & Linguistics. Private sessions to suit your needs. Evening, weekend sessions available. Call 202-333-2666
LUCAS CUSTOM TAILOR
FRENCH LANGUAGE TEACHER French Language Private Instruction. Classes structured to accommodate beginner, intermediate and advanced levels and determined by each student’s individual goals. Instructor is very enthusiastic, patient and committed to success. Over 15 years of teaching experience. Wash,D.C. Contact: getfrench@gmail.com, or visit www.getfrench.net
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TUTORING/TEST PREPARATION
Is your child anxious or worried about a standardized test or difficult subject in school he or she will have to take this fall? Odyssey Tutors provides elite, one-on-one in-home tutoring for students in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. We are committed to delivering superior educational outcomes and steadfast in our belief that tutoring has the power to radically transform the academic trajectory of a student. Please e-mail us at nday@odysseytutors.com to learn more
PATIENT PIANO TEACHER
Experienced with beginners, young and old, And with those returning to the piano. Student Parking at my home in NW D.C. Metro access. 202-234-1837
JOIN OTHER SATISFIED CUSTOMERS and place an ad in the classified or service directory, email advertising@georgetowner. com or call 202.338.4833
Thomas Designs and Construction, Inc. Quality Renovations and Improvements • Interior Renovations • Kitchens / Baths • Porches / Sunrooms • Finished Basements
Free Estimates Licenses in DC, MD and VA.
• Additions • Decks • Garages • In-Law Suites 703-752-1614
www.thomas-designs.com
A Cleaning Service Inc Since 1985
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703.892.8648 - www.acleaningserviceinc.com
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April 23, 2014 GMG, INC.
Murphy’s Love: Advice on Intimacy and Relationships
BODY &SOUL
BY STA CY NOTA RAS M U R P H Y
DEAR STACY: My cousin has been divorced for two years (after a 15-year marriage) and is starting to date again. Her ex-husband is already remarried with a baby. Their youngest daughter, age 11, is having a very hard time with mom dating again and won’t acknowledge, look at, talk to or spend time with new boyfriend. Mom is upset because her daughter is having such a hard time, and the boyfriend’s feelings are hurt, but he is trying to be understanding. Mom is concerned, but also wants to be able to live her life and meet someone and move on, romantically. She is between a rock and a hard place. Thoughts? – Looking Out for Cousin DEAR LOOKING OUT, First, let’s be grateful that amid so much bad judgment Mom has you as a concerned cousin. She’s lucky to have a supportive figure in her life. While I’m sure you have been the encouraging, helpful sounding board we all need during difficult transitions, I do hope you will be open to sharing some conflicting ideas with her, even though it might be hard to do. Boyfriend and Youngest have no business spending time together. Yes, some kids take well to the new loves in their parents’ lives (or at least
it looks that way), but Youngest has made her feelings known. There is no value in forcing a relationship that is unwelcome. It won’t “teach her a lesson” other than the devastating both-myparents-ignore-my-needs lesson. It won’t ruin her life if she has no relationship with Boyfriend. Yes, it will make things inconvenient for Cousin, but she’s the mother of a preteen, so she should be used to putting her own needs behind those of her children.
trated that she doesn’t “get to” start over, too. Another short answer: get over it. Cousin can date, of course. She just needs to protect her daughters’ feelings about that dating and not use their approval – which will always be compromised as long as they are under the age of 22 – as affirmation of her choice of Boyfriend. Just because Ex-Husband didn’t take that approach doesn’t mean Cousin gets to be reckless as well. Divorce with children is a messy, uncomfortable, long-term experience. Daughter needs at least one parent to put her needs first.
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Stacy Notaras Murphy (www.stacymurphyLPC. com) is a licensed professional counselor and certified Imago Relationship therapist practicing in Georgetown. This column is meant for entertainment only and should not be considered a substitute for professional counseling. Send your confidential question to stacy@georgetowner.com.
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Short answer: get over it. She is a parent whose children have no business taking care of her feelings, not to mention Boyfriend’s feelings.
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VISUAL
American Culture, Personalized ‘American Cool’ at the National Portrait Gallery and ‘Making Their Mark’ at the National Archives BY ARI POS T
To put aside sweeping metaphors for a change, this past winter was miserably cold. It walloped us with sub-zero temperatures at the dawn of the new year, bursting our pipes and spiking our gas bills, and held our city in its freezing craw without relenting for even a day before spring. Its vestiges are still felt in the sharp, hard rainfall and the slowly softening dirt, the blusters of early-morning wind and the swiftness of the evening chill. One of the few things that warmed this author’s spirit during the final freezing weeks of the late-winter offensive were those flitting little press emails from our museum and gallery community, announcing upcoming spring and summer exhibitions. The major fair-weather exhibitions are making their way to town, and some have already arrived. “Made in the USA” at the Phillips Collection is a worthy and thrilling example, while “Degas/Cassatt” at the National Gallery of Art will have its highly anticipated opening on May 11. However, before our paper gets to the major coverage this season, it’s important to remember some other wonderful exhibitions popping up around the city. Here are two offerings to take in while warding off those final chilly weekends.
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“American Cool” at the National Portrait Gallery The cultural notion of ‘cool,’ while wildly subjective and defiantly broad, is a decidedly American phenomenon. The origins of the word are rooted in African-American culture. Curator Joel Dinerstein quotes jazz musician Lester Young explaining: “it meant I’m keeping it together in here against invasive social forces.” Through photographs of 100 iconic individuals who embody and define the ‘cool’ – in some cases before it was of real or known value – the National Portrait Gallery’s thought-provoking “American Cool,” on view through Sept. 7, tackles this most ambiguous, volatile and alluring concept in American culture. It is a concept that transcends wealth, power, strength and sometimes even popularity. To help define the parameters of ‘cool,’ curators Dinerstein and Frank H. Goodyear III measured each representative figure – from the 19th century through today – against a fixed set of criteria: He or she must have made an original artistic contribution, been rebellious in some way, achieved iconic status and left some kind of cultural legacy. Seemingly arbitrary, these parameters draw out an intriguing semblance of commonality from those on the walls.
Buster Keaton and Benicio del Toro, Jimmy Hendrix and David Byrne, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday and Dizzy Gillespie, Elvis Presley and Patti Smith, Walt Whitman and Frederick Douglass. “American Cool,” states the exhibition text, comprises individuals who have contributed an original artistic vision to American culture, symbolizing a given historical moment. Stare into the cool eyes of Marlon Brando as he looks past you into the distance in his striped shirt. It is a very cool perspective, and one that you likely won’t want to contradict. For more information, visit www.npg.si.edu.
“Making Their Mark: Stories Through Signatures” at the National Archives “A signature gives you a window into an event you think you already know,” says Jennifer N. Johnson, curator of “Making Their Mark: Stories Through Signatures” at the National Archives. Featuring original signatures from the Archives’ extensive nationwide holdings, the exhibition, on view through Jan. 5, illustrates the many ways that people have placed their signature on history, from signing policy into law to creating a signature style. The works on display showcase both the important role of the National Archives in
preserving history and the power of original records: a letter of diplomatic gratitude written by the Dalai Lama to President Lyndon Johnson, the registration card of Harry Houdini, signed photographs by famed Depression-era photographer Dorothea Lange. The exhibition also addresses how technology has changed the ways we leave our mark. One section is devoted to President Bill Clinton signing the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act on June 30, 2000 – using digital-signature technology, no less. ‘Signature’ encapsulates much more than the typical John Hancock (though the exhibition includes the statesman’s iconic signature). Among the objects on view are signature cowboy boots made exclusively for President George W. Bush and documents from Walt Disney’s copyright infringement case that depict his signature character, Mickey Mouse. “Making Their Mark” draws from billions of government records at the National Archives to offer a rare collection of signatures and tell the fascinating stories behind them. It offers a perspective on American history both personalized and personable. Don’t miss it. For more information, visit www.Archives.gov. Above images, left to right: Billy Holiday, Marlon Brando, Jimi Hendrix, Humphrey Bogart, Debbie Harry
PERFORMANCE
Soloman Howard’s Wizardry in WNO’s ‘Magic Flute’ BY GARY T IS CHL ER
Scenes from Washington National Opera’s “The Magic Flute”
Here’s a hot tip: “The Magic Flute” is coming. Mozart’s last opera was a big hit at its 1791 premiere at the Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna, where it ran for an unheard-of 100 performances, though Mozart himself did not live to see that milestone. It’s been a hugely popular opera ever since, with the whole-family appeal of its stirring fairy-tale story: a brave prince named Tamino, with the help of the Queen of the Night, attempts to rescue her daughter, Pamina, from the evil sorcerer Sarastro. Magic stuff indeed. It’s cliff-hanging adventure, fantasy, comedy and romance tonight, with the musical gifts of Mozart on display in full force. So the news that Washington National Opera will be staging “The Magic Flute” would perhaps not be big news ordinarily. But the WNO production of “The Magic Flute,” which runs May 3-18, is no ordinary project or production. Perhaps most importantly, this production of “The Magic Flute” will be sung in English, in line with Artistic Director Francesca Zambello’s initiative to broaden the WNO’s audience base. It’s a boon for fresh audiences and a challenge for singers, and it adds a new dimension to the opera, usually sung in German. That especially concerns bass Soloman Howard, the Washington-born-and-raised bass who sings the part of Sarastro. “It’s a part I’ve always wanted to do,” he said. “Singing in English is a challenge, and it’s the kind I like to face, but having the opera done
in English, well, it’s a step that should bring in people who don’t normally go to the opera, or find it too intimidating. It makes things accessible, and this opera as a story, and a look and design, is already something everyone can embrace. Kelley Rourke, our dramaturg, did this new version in English, and she works with all of us singers. You have to find how to stretch or not different vowels, how low or high you can go with a word, a feeling in English, as opposed to German.” Soloman is in his third and last year in the WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. In June, he will appear in the world premiere of “An American Soldier,” composed by Huang Ruo with a libretto by playwright David Henry Hwang, the season-ending American Opera Initiative production. The biggest news is that he has signed a contract with the Metropolitan Opera Company to sing the part of The King in their fall production of “Aida.” “I’ve been very fortunate, and it’s a great honor to get something like that,” he said. “But I’ve grown here, being able to perform here, getting out into the community, working with children in the area where I grew up. I’m going to miss it – the company, the director, all the people you work with. It’s like a family.” Soloman, who has a phenomenal lower range that appears to come straight out of the ocean floor, has made big impressions and big strides here. He got to sing “Old Man River” in Zambello’s production of “Showboat,” he was a stirring and moving Muhammad Ali in
the powerful “Approaching Ali” produced for the WNO’s new commissioning program for contemporary opera and he was a roaring lion in the wonderful WNO children’s production, “The Lion, the Unicorn and Me.” “To me, seeing kids and going to the schools here is a way to make a difference. They see me, and they maybe recognize there’s all sorts of avenues out there,” he said. When we talked with him about Ali, he recalled his own growing up going to high school in Suitland, Md. “People wondered about why I was doing classical music. They’d say, Why aren’t you doing pop, or gospel or blues? Well, I can do that, I suppose. But the challenge is what’s important.” Solomon is joined in the youthful “Magic Flute” cast by newcomers to the WNO Maureen McKay and Eri Nakamura as Pamina, Kathryn Lewek and Anna Siminska as the Queen of the Night, Joseph Kaiser and Paul Appleby as Tamino, Joshua Hopkins and David Pershall as Papageno, Jordan Bisch as Sarastro, John Easterlin as Monostatos and Ashley Emerson as Papagena. WNO Music Director Philippe Auguin will direct the WNO orchestra and Harry Silverstein, who directed a popular “Marriage of Figaro” here, is directing the production. Of particular interest are the costumes and sets designed by the brilliant Japanese-American set and costume designer Jun Kaneko, who has created a unique, high-tech look and environment that includes the use of projections. There will also be a special exhibition of his artwork
in the Hall of Nations through May 19. Opening night of “The Magic Flute” on May 3 will be part of the WNO’s popular and popularizing “Opera in the Outfield” program, in which the opera is broadcast live to the highdefinition NatsHD scoreboard at Nationals Park beginning at 7 p.m. Admission is free and the gates open at 5 p.m. As part of the ballpark program, there will be pre-game entertainment in the form of Taiko drumming, a meet-and-greet with Ms. Brown (“Chief Chocolate Officer” of M&Ms), photo ops with the living statue of Babe Ruth, cutouts of characters from “The Magic Flute” and a costume trunk. On May 5, there will be a free preview performance of musical highlights from “The Magic Flute” at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, performed by members of the DomingoCafritz Young Artist Program and other artists from the production. In addition, there will be pre-performance education events called Opera Insights prior to every performance in the Opera House.
Performances for “The Magic Flute” are May 3 and 5 at 6 p.m., May 7 at 6:30 p.m., May 8 at 6:15 p.m., May 10 at 6 p.m., May 11 at 1 p.m., May 15 at 6:30 p.m, May 16 at 6:30 p.m., May 17 at 6 p.m. and May 18 at 1 p.m.
GMG, INC. April 23, 2014
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PERFOMNCE
30th Helen Hayes Awards: Spreading the Wealth BY GARY T IS CHL ER
No matter how much you change things, core things remain the same. That was the case with the 30th annual presentation of the Helen Hayes Awards, held last Monday. The changes were big-time, sometimes startling, even confusing. But in the end, it was still the same old story – not a fight for love and glory but a celebration of the Washington-area theater community. It’s a community that sometimes seems to be bursting at the seams, reflecting the almost boomtown growth of the city. But it’s also a community that seems to be coming more and more together in collaborative and identifiable ways. Here’s a change: the folks at Theatre Washington decided to hold the awards ceremonies at the National Building Museum. It’s a great space for what used to be called the biggest cast party ever, but not so much a theater space. The proceedings – more often than not held at the Warner Theatre or the National Theatre, followed by a trip to a hotel ballroom for the big shindig – were altered in a way that proved in the long run to be more efficient. The whole thing was over by 10 p.m. (although the partying went on). The set-up was three sessions of award-giving, with two very strict 20-minute intermissions. It began with food and drink, lots of both, and continued that way through the intermission. The effect was sometimes as if you were at a show on a cruise ship, which resulted in a lot of jostling, intermittent dancing and non-stop schmoozing. And the business at hand, the handing out of awards got done almost – but not quite – at a fast and furious pace, with merry singers shuffling recipients off the stage if they got too long-winded. During the intermissions, an ominous gong that sounded almost like a cannon called folks back from partying. As for the awards themselves, there were a few real surprises and a shock or two in the mix, but they seemed mostly about spreading the wealth, as opposed to honoring juggernauts. What you saw was a parade of talented, gifted, high-spirited, often funny actors, performers, directors, leaders, costume and sound and set designers get their just rewards in the spirit of being honored by their peers and being part of a greater whole. Having been to most of these affairs over the years – 30 years is a long time – this is the heart and soul of the awards. It’s what sets the Helen Hayes Awards apart from the Tonys or the Oscars, for instance. A play, after all, is always a collaborative effort, and so is a happening and celebration like this. Victor Shargai, the longtime chairman of the Helen Hayes Awards and Theatre Washington, received the Helen Hayes Tribute for nurtur-
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ing and helping to build and expand the group into one of the city’s major cultural forces. It is hoped that Shargai’s award is at least as much for his singular and original spirit and character, which was always on display, as for his achievements. The Aaron Posner-penned play “Stupid F***ing Bird,” a modernist take on Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” received numerous nominations, allowing every host on the stage to gleefully drop the F-bomb on a gathered multitude of close to a couple thousand people. E. Faye Butler, the not-ever-demure performer who really should be a Washington treasure even though she lives elsewhere, gave the title a full-throated bluesy note when she tackled it. And the winner for best resident play? You guessed it. “Stupid F***ing Bird.” Probably a bit surprising were the wins for ensemble cast and best resident musical by “Hello Dolly!” This joint production by Ford’s Theatre and Signature Theatre, staged at Ford’s, signals the rise of such projects. We saw it before in Arena Stage’s cooperative efforts with other companies in its O’Neill Festival and the citywide Shakespeare Festival a number of years ago. Kudos to Paul Tetreault at Ford’s and Eric Schaefer at Signature. We saw familiar faces march up there or mingle: Ted van Griethuysen for a supporting actor award for Studio’s “The Apple Family” and Rick Foucheux, best actor for Round House Theatre’s “Glengarry Glen Ross.” And we saw new faces in the crowd and on stage. The affair is always listed as black-tie, but from the beginning this has been an affair for young theater people, people who dress in bright colors, do outrageous dos, wear bowties that sparkle and shoes that have polka dots, and just generally dazzle with their high spirits. And they dance, they yell, they scream. This year, they had a longer time and a bigger playpen. Break a leg indeed.
THE RECIPIENTS OF THE 30th ANNUAL HELEN HAYES AWARDS OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR, RESIDENT MUSICAL Alan Paul, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” Shakespeare Theatre Company OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR, RESIDENT PLAY Mitchell Hebert, “Glengarry Glen Ross,” Round House Theatre OUSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY, RESIDENT MUSICAL Karma Camp, “Hello Dolly!,” Ford’s Theatre and Signature Theatre
Winners of this year’s Helen Hayes award “Gypsie” at Signature, above, and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” at Shakespeare Theater.
OUTSTANDING MOVEMENT, RESIDENT PLAY Irina Tsikurishvili and Ben Cunis, “The Three Musketeers,” Synetic Theater OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION, RESIDENT PRODUCTION Jon Kalbfleisch, “Gypsy,” Signature Theatre OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN, RESIDENT PRODUCTION Clint Ramos, “Appropriate,” Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN, RESIDENT PRODUCTION Andrew F. Griffin, “Henry V,” Folger Theatre OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN, RESIDENT PRODUCTION Merrily Murray-Walsh, “Mary T & Lizzy K,” Arena Stage OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN, RESIDENT PRODUCTION Eric Shimelonis, “Never The Sinner,” 1st Stage OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING PERFORMER, VISITING PRODUCTION Samantha Marie Ware, “The Book of Mormon,” The Kennedy Center OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS, VISITING PRODUCTION Rachel York, “Anything Goes,” The Kennedy Center OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR, VISITING PRODUCTION Christopher John O’Neill, “The Book of Mormon,” The Kennedy Center OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS, RESIDENT MUSICAL Erin Weaver, “Company,” Signature Theatre OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR, RESIDENT MUSICAL Bobby Smith, “Spin,” Signature Theatre OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS RESIDENT MUSICAL Diana Huey, “Miss Saigon,” Signature Theatre;
Jessica Vancaro, “A Chorus Line,” Olney Theatre Center OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR RESIDENT MUSICAL James Gardiner, “The Last Five Years,” Signature Theatre OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS RESIDENT PLAY Dawn Ursula, “The Convert,” Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company THE JAMES MACARTHUR AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR, RESIDENT PLAY Ted van Griethuysen, “The Apple Family Plays,” The Studio Theatre THE ROBERT PROSKY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR, RESIDENT PLAY Rick Foucheux, “Glengarry Glen Ross,” Round House Theatre OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE, RESIDENT MUSICAL “Hello, Dolly!,” Ford’s Theatre and Signature Theatre OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE, RESIDENT PLAY’ “Glengarry Glen Ross,” Round House Theatre THE CHARLES MACARTHUR AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY OR MUSICAL “Stupid F***ing Bird” by Aaron Posner, Woolly Mammoth Theatre OUTSTANDING VISITING PRODUCTION “The Book of Mormon,” The Kennedy Center OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION, THEATER FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES “Anime Momotaro,” Imagination Stage OUTSTANDING RESIDENT MUSICAL “Hello Dolly!,” Ford’s Theatre and Signature Theatre; “A Chorus Line,” Olney Theatre Centre OUTSTANDING RESIDENT PLAY “Stupid F***ing Bird,” Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
SOCIAL SCENE
Georgetown Blues
4
BY PAM E L A BURNS Men’s fashion is on the rise. Stroll the streets of Georgetown and you’ll find men’s stores popping up on every other corner. As more men polish their style and take the initiative to look their best, switching up your suit has never been more important. Whether suiting up for the office or the creative type that just lives in the building block of men’s style, you can create multiple outfits around one jacket. Focused on blue tones, here are a few ideas to suit swapping this spring.
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1. SUITSUPLY - WHITE SHIRT $79 2. Sunglass Hut - Ray Ban Blue/Black $184.95 3. ‘The James’, Regular Fit, Linen-Virgin Wool Plaid Sport Coat by BOSS, Open Grey, $595 4. The Frye Company Cameron iPad Sleve $148 5. BARNEYS NEW YORK Brick Sole Penny Loafer $195 6. Rolex Submarine - Price on request at area jewlers. 7. Ike Behar- Mini Diamond Silk Tie $115 8. Billy Reid BOLTEN BELT – BROWN $155 9. J. Crew - KENTON SUEDE WING TIPS $218 10. HUGH & CRYE NOBORI $85.00 11. 1969 straight fit jeans corsica wash $69.95 GMG, INC. April 23, 2014
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Social SCENE
Washington Ballet’s ‘Peter Pan’
By M ary b ird In his remarks to the Washington Ballet’s presentation of “Peter Pan” at the Kennedy Center, Septime Webre, who choreographed the ballet in 2001, said he was “happy to see it take flight again.” The audience was enchanted at the Apr.17 performance as Peter danced by Jonathan Jordan and Wendy danced by Maki Onuki took to the air and foiled the treacherous Captain Hook embodied by a dashing Luis Torres. The Darlings’ beloved pet Nana and the crocodile were scene stealers.
Tim and Shigeko Bork with Washington Ballet Artistic Director Septime Webre.
Mike and Faye Rokni
By R o b ert D evaney
The Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy marked the renewed park known as Georgetown’s “Secret Garden.” The group of community and environmental leaders enjoyed another Georgetown treasure, Evermay, on April 16.
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At the Ritz-Carlton April 11, the black-and-white formal theme underlined the benefit for the Children’s National Medical Center -- raising a record $10,734,300 at its eighth annual Children’s Ball.
Chefs Wolfgang Puck and Nobu Matsuhisa with staff.
Photos by Children’s National Health System
Elizabeth Taylor, Jared Nelson and Cyd Everett
Park Conservancy Fete
Ann Aldrich with Liza Gilbert and husband Shaun Donovan.
Children’s Ball Dazzles, Raises $10.7 Million
Yousef Al Otaiba, the United Arab Emirates’ Ambassador to the United States, his wife Abeer, Children’s National Medical Center CEO Kurt Newman, M.D., Amy Baier and her husband, Bret Baier of Fox News Channel.
Smithsonian Craft Show Preview Night
By M ary b ir d The Preview Night of this year’s Smithsonian Craft Show took place at the National Building Museum on Apr. 9. The several-day show is widely regarded as the country’s most prestigious juried show and sale of American sculptural object and design featuring over 120 artists. This year’s highlight was the presentation of the first Visionary Award to metal sculptor Albert Paley and furniture artist Wendell Castle as artists who have risen to the pinnacle in the world of sculptural arts and design. ★
Albert Paley, Ruth Conant, Wendell Castle, Mary Beth Nethercutt, G. Wayne Clough and Emily Willey.
Social SCENE
11th Annual Blue Jeans Ball Yet again the demin-focused food fest and party filled the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel April 13 -- all to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank.★
N Street Village Celebrates 40 Years
By R ob e rt D evan ey One of D.C. most effective and loved non-profits helping women get back on their feet and into life, N Street Village benefits with help from influential local and national leaders and everyday people. It was a joyful event April 9 with Sweet Honey in the Rock on stage.
L. Ward Orem, Keyona Mack, Syreeta Stephen, and Chris Alvear.
Evelyn Brenson, Schoeder Stribling, Ann Hill and Marshalle Gaither.
Jessica Tyann and Mathew Hebert.
Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., accepts award.
Event co-chairs Peter Schnall, Barry Scher with Nancy Roman, president & CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank and Scott Thuman of ABC7/WJLA-TV.
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., awardee Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., and Arnie Sorenson.
Photos by: Neshan Naltchayan Sally Cox of the Central Union Mission in her cowgirl jacket.
Washington Area Concierge Award at Malmaison By MA Ry b ird
Georgetown was the focus of WACA’s General Membership Meeting at Malmaison on April 15. WACA President Leslie Valtin thanked the Popal family for hosting. Julie Sanders presented the sixth La Lumière award to Jeff Morgan of the five-star Four Seasons Hotel. Morgan, a past WACA president, has been recognized as Concierge of the Year. Presentations included those made by the Georgetown BID, fourth-generation restaurateur Billy Martin of Martin’s Tavern, the Circulator and The Georgetowner editor-in-chief Robert Devaney. WACA’s annual gala will be held at the Hamilton on Aug. 17 with a theme of “A Night in Nashville.” ★
Fashion for Paws: 8th Annual Runway Show By M ary b ird
It was a fashionable evening for canines and their special people as they gathered at the Omni Shoreham on Apr. 12 to benefit the Washington Humane Society. WHS President and CEO Lisa LaFontaine noted that “we have touched the lives of 43,000 animals a year.” The event chaired by Dr. Ashley Gallagher with Co-Masters of Ceremonies Scott Thuman and Dr. Katy Nelson featured models who had raised a minimum of $5,000 each as they and their pooches paraded before a sellout crowd.★
WHS President and CEO Lisa LaFontaine with husband
At the April 17 Washington Area Concierge Association Award ceremony: David Sargent of Marriott Marquis, Shujaat Khan of Capitol Hilton, Michael McCleary of the Willard; Julie Saunders of the Four Seasons; Jeff Morgan of the Four Seasons; Dirk Burghartz, general manager of the Four Season; Lynn Jason of the Mandarin Hotel; Leslie Valtin of the St. Regis.
C C Christakos, Dr. Alex Naini, Will Thomas, Kate Michael, Stef Woods
Seyhan Duru, Teresa Foss and Mark Del Rosso
Jesse and Kim Sutton, Ludy and Joe Green April 23, 2014 GMG, INC.
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