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IN THIS ISSUE
ON THE COVER
Welcome back to school!
Dr. Anthony Fauci poses in front of a building on the campus of Georgetown University. As of July 1, Fauci became a Distinguished University Professor in the School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases. He also has an appointment at the university’s McCourt School of Public Policy. The University Professor rank is Georgetown’s highest professional honor. Photo courtesy of Georgetown University.
PUBLISHER
In our July 17, 2024 print issue, The Georgetowner incorrectly laid out the auction block column. The introduction was from a previous issue and The Potomack Company’s painting featured had the wrong description. You can read the correct column online at https://georgetowner. com/articles/2024/07/17/july-2024-auction-block/.
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The GeorGeTowner is published in print monthly with an online newsletter supplement posted twice per week — On Mondays we highlight news and on Thursdays goings on about town. 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, rewrite or refuse material and is not responsible for errors or omissions. Copyright 2024.
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OAK HILL CEMETERY GATE CRASHER APPREHENDED BY KATE OCZYPOK AND FORBES DUDLEY
The damage to the historic gate of Oak Hill Cemetery. Photo by Paul Williams.
JAMES BALDWIN AT 100 BY RICHARD SELDEN
Still from Karen Thorsen’s 1989 PBS documentary, “James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket.”
GEORGETOWN’S “DOG DAYS” OF SUMMER: MARISSA NISSLEY AND SMALLS BY HAILEY WHARRAM
Meet Marissa Nissley and her guide dog Smalls, a 3-year-old Labrador retriever. Photo by Marissa Nissley.
GEORGETOWN’S ICONIC BANK DOME TO BE RESTORED BY ROBERT DEVANEY
PNC Bank at Georgetown’s famous intersection of M Street and Wisconsin Avenue. Photo by Bill Starrels.
REAL ESTATE: INFAMOUS GEORGETOWN WALL LISTING REMOVED BY THE GEORGETOWNER
The Georgetown wall, which was listed for $50,000 last year, has since been removed. Georgetowner photo.
GMS VIGNETTES: WHERE OBSESSION MEETS THE PLATE BY JULIA KEY
and Tony. Courtesy Baked and
Crackdown on Illegal Pot Shops
BY PAULINA INGLIMA
On July 16, D.C. medical cannabis retailers were given reason to hope that the District’s Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration was taking long-awaited action on unlicensed marijuana shops.
Mayor Muriel Bowser signed emergency legislation allowing the ABCA to padlock and confiscate merchandise from stores that had not complied with cease-and-desist orders. At press time, 12 unlicensed shops had been issued such orders and 55 had received formal warnings.
So far, zero stores have been padlocked.
According to a statement to The Georgetowner from ABCA Director Fred Moosally: “ABCA follows a tiered enforcement schedule.” This means that, when an unlicensed store is first
investigated, it receives a written warning. If the store does not comply, the ABCA can issue a cease-and-desist order to immediately cease all illegal cannabis operations at the risk of civil and criminal penalties.
Although medical cannabis is legal in D.C., the selling of recreational or adult-use cannabis is not, due to legislative riders put in place by Congress. However, store operators are able to maneuver around the restrictions thanks to Initiative 71, commonly called I-71, which allows the gifting of under one ounce of cannabis to those over 21. So-called “gifting stores” include cannabis with the sale of a token item.
Grace Hyde, director of commercial and production operations for medical cannabis
establishment District Cannabis, told The Georgetowner that five medical cannabis stores have closed in the last year.
“It’s impossible to compete with the I-71s, where you don’t have to pay for a medical card,” said Hyde. “They can offer a lot of products that we can’t offer, things that we are not legally allowed to sell.”
D.C.’s medical cannabis market is valued at roughly $38 million, while the illegal market is worth around $600 million.
In 2022, the ABCA announced that, to shrink the number of illegal operators, I-71 stores would be allowed to transition to licensed medical cannabis stores. Transitioning involves restrictions on what products the stores can sell and who they can sell them to, along with an increase in taxes and fees. After multiple rounds of applications, including a social equity round, about 76 out of 200 have applied to transition.
One store that successfully transitioned is Green Theory. Co-owner Caroline Crandall told The Georgetowner that the transition has not been as smooth as ABCA led them to believe.
“We, as I-71 operators, were basically promised by ABCA that by transitioning we would be operating in the only available market in D.C.,” Crandall said. “However, that obviously isn’t happening, because enforcement has been a little bit lacking.”
To challenge a cease-and-desist order, store operators can request an expedited hearing, to be held within 10 days of the request. To date, four businesses have done so. After the hearing,
the ABC Board must issue a decision within 30 days. Operators that continue in business but fail to request a hearing in a timely manner are at risk of being padlocked.
Eight businesses ordered to cease and desist have not requested a hearing, putting the time limit into question; for three of them almost a month has passed, and for another more than a month. While they await a hearing, it’s business as usual.
The ABC board has only issued one decision so far. All The Buzz DC, on Georgia Avenue NW, had its cease-and-desist lifted based on a promise to end all cannabis sales. But according to Hyde, the products are still on the store’s website.
“After yesterday’s [July 22] hearing where they canceled the cease-and-desist without doing any due diligence into looking at their online menu, I don’t have a lot of confidence that the [ABC] Board is really up to the task of holding people accountable,” Hyde said.
Crandall believes that many I-71 operators are hesitant to switch to medical cannabis because there are only six ABCA-approved marijuana cultivators. The concern is that there will not be enough product to go around if a large number of stores transition.
“The market is in really bad shape,” said Hyde. “If things don’t change in the next few days, I think we’re going to continue to see business closures, and there’s not that many licensees left. So the future of the market is really in jeopardy.”
Many tobacco and vape shops have also served as cannabis “gift” shops in D.C. Reddit photo.
New Apartments: Weavers Row
BY DAVID EDWARDS
Weavers Row, a luxury apartment building located on Prospect Street NW, is set to open in Georgetown this fall. Construction began in October of 2022 on what was once a parking lot across the street from Cafe Milano. Owner Mike Weaver and Property Manager George Travis expect to finish construction this month. They hope to welcome the building’s first residents in September or October.
“We have about 30 [units] leased right now out of 115, almost a third of the building,” Travis said.
Weavers Row will primarily offer onebedroom apartments, according to Weaver, with a number of two-bedroom units available. Every apartment will include an in-unit washer and dryer, the latest kitchen appliances, a fully updated luxury bathroom and access to all the building’s amenities.
These amenities include an on-site fitness center, a resident lounge, a bike room and 25 parking spots.
Weaver and Travis expect Weavers Row to attract a wide variety of residents, with the building benefitting from all that the neighborhood has to offer, on top of its own high-end facilities.
“M Street is a big highlight for residents. Georgetown’s a very exclusive neighborhood in D.C., it’s very trendy, you have the best restaurants,” Travis said. “Georgetown’s a huge advantage.”
He noted that Cafe Milano and Peacock Café are directly across the street from Weavers Row, with more restaurants and storefronts right around the corner.
While Georgetown is known more for townhouses and row houses than apartment buildings, Travis said Weavers Row has been well received. “It’s been a welcome addition to the Georgetown neighborhood. People
are very receptive to the building. We’ve heard nothing but great comments about the building, the units — how nice they are — and the option to pick something new.”
Though it meshes with the neighborhood’s general character, Weavers Row does indeed feel newer than most buildings in Georgetown, because it is. Its site allows the complex to be built from scratch with the most contemporary finishes and features, without having to worry about fitting them into an existing building’s plumbing or electrical system.
And according to Weaver, the transition from parking lot to apartments offers benefits to the neighborhood. “This is going to add residents to Georgetown, and that’s good for the street, that’s good for our neighbors,” he said.
The hope is that the restaurants and stores that attract tenants will then benefit from those new residents, some of whom will become regular customers.
Although construction has continued apace — with the building set to be finished in under two years — the process has not been entirely frictionless. “There are still supply chain issues,” Weaver said. “Periodically, you know, they can’t find an electrical part, and they tell you it’s going to be six months. You have to then change that part and get it approved, because it’s in the permit.”
Weaver and Travis both emphasized the importance of patience and a steady hand during the process. Whether in dealing with a short supply of critical parts and having to make changes on short notice, or designing and delivering a contemporary luxury apartment to new residents, Weavers Row has been crafted to fit naturally into the broader neighborhood while bringing something new and exciting to the table.
Mike Weaver and George Travis in the kitchen of a Weavers Row model apartment.
Crime Report
BY ROBERT DEVANEY AND MARK MARTINKOV
The week of July 15 saw unusually high levels of criminal activity in Georgetown. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District rapidly mobilized to address the shortterm spike in crime head on with a significant increase in officer presence and the ongoing dispatch of its Mountain Bike Unit.
MPD Cmdr. Tatjana Savoy, Capt. Darren Haskis and Lt. John Merzig have been extremely responsive to community groups, such as the Citizens Association of Georgetown, ensuring that the neighbors and other community stakeholders are aware of any updates in real time. Community groups are working with MPD to support additional safety measures to deter, prevent and prosecute criminal activity.
ONE DEAD AFTER GEORGETOWN SAFEWAY STABBING
A stabbing in the parking garage of the Georgetown Safeway at 1855 Wisconsin Ave. NW resulted in the death of one man and the injury of another. MPD reported that the altercation, which occurred at noon on Wednesday, July 17, started as a fight between multiple delivery drivers, who all knew each other. It escalated, ending with one individual stabbing two others. Both victims went to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. The decedent was identified as Anvar Guliyev, a 36-year-old man from Fairfax, Virginia; the second victim, who suffered critical injuries, was identified as Ahmad Seyfullah Ahmadova.
MPD Response: On Thursday, July 18, less than 24 hours after the incident, a 34-year-old man from Alexandria, Virginia, Khalil Khalilov, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed and assault with intent to kill. Cmdr. Savoy held regular discussions with community leaders regarding the developing situation until the investigation was closed.
ASSAULT, ROBBERY ON 1000 BLOCK OF WISCONSIN AVE.
At 12:30 a.m. on July 19, at 1080 Wisconsin Ave. NW, a victim was assaulted and had her purse taken. After leaving a bar, two females were approached by another group of two females who asked to use their phone. When they declined, the suspects assaulted the victim, pulling her to the ground and stealing her bag. The suspects were last seen fleeing in a gray sedan with tinted windows and Texas license plates (unknown tag number).
suspects’ vehicle parked along Water Street and placed the suspect under arrest. Lt. Merzig reached out to members of the community to provide an update on the arrest and ensure that neighbors knew this was no longer a threat.
ROBBERY ON 3000 BLOCK OF O ST.
On Tuesday, July 16, on the 3000 block of O Street, police responded to a robbery. Victims 1 and 2 were approached by Juvenile Suspects 1 through 3, who brandished handguns and demanded their property. The victims complied with the suspects’ demands, after which Suspects 1 through 3 fled the scene in a black Honda Accord with heavily tinted windows bearing Virginia license plates.
MPD Response: The Second District team reached out to local community members, including CAG’s block captains, for any evidence related to the investigation
MPD Response: Several hours after the incident was reported, MPD located the
52 YEARS
Every Sunday 8AM to 4PM
1819 35th St NW
of this crime. This investigation is ongoing. (Neighbors who spoke to The Georgetowner said it appeared that the group knew each other and that no residents were involved in this incident.) Anyone who may have additional information about this shooting is asked to contact MPD at 202-727-9099 or text the department’s tip line at 50411.
STALKING SUSPECT ARRESTED
Community members were made aware of ongoing stalking issues occurring in and around Georgetown. Specifically, a victim reported a suspect stalked her on multiple occasions between July 5 and July 21. The incidents occurred in Georgetown and Foggy Bottom. With the help of community members, the suspect was identified, located and placed under arrest.
MPD Response: On Sunday, July 21, 39-year-old Delonta Deon Spriggs of
Northeast D.C. was arrested and charged with stalking. Detectives continue to investigate similar offenses that occurred nearby. Anyone with any information on this case is urged to call the MPD at 202-7279099 or text 50411.
ARREST MADE IN 2022 BURGLARY
Police announced a suspect has been charged in a burglary that occurred in Northwest D.C. in 2022. On Monday, July 4, 2022, at approximately 2:48 a.m., the suspect entered an occupied residence in the 3000 block of West Lane Keys NW. Once inside, the suspect took property then fled the scene.
MPD Response: On Monday, July 15, 39-year-old Kevin Stoutamire of Northeast D.C. was arrested by U.S. Park Police. He was charged with first-degree burglary pursuant to a D.C. Superior Court arrest warrant.
A D.C. forensics team records positions of empty retail boxes on the 3000 block of O Street NW on July 16. Georgetowner photo.
DNC Delegates Go To Chicago
BY PEGGY SANDS
The excitement and joy were contagious at a dinner at Martin’s Tavern with former Georgetown Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Monica Roaché and wellknown community leader Christine Warnke, just days before they were to travel to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention. The convention will be held Aug. 19 to 22 in the United Center.
“It’s my first time getting to go to the national convention — and then as a delegate,” Roaché said, clearly excited. “We’ll be there five days, and I want to take advantage of every minute.”
“There is so much to do, so many activities,” added Warnke. This convention will be the eighth she has attended in various capacities, including as a superdelegate. “We’re just now getting schedules of the official events,” she said. “There will be dozens of gatherings at the convention that we can attend as well.”
Many of the most anticipated DNC events will happen in the evening, starting around 7 p.m. Events often go past 10 p.m., with invitation-only events taking place afterward. One of the most anticipated is the formal roll call, where each spokesperson gets a chance to laud his or her own state’s attributes, prior to proclaiming the delegation’s choice of presidential candidate.
This year, in order to meet early ballot printing deadlines in some states, the official
News Bytes
PAULINA INGLIMA
FAREWELL, CIRCULATOR! DDOT SHARES TERMINATION TIMETABLE
The timetable for the termination of DC Circulator bus service was shared by the District Department of Transportation. Service will begin to wind down on Oct. 1 of this year and end on Dec. 31. The downsizing and shutdown are part of the District’s fiscal 2025 budget and financial plan.
“We greatly appreciate the valuable service DC Circulator provided to the District over the past 18 years.” said Acting DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum. “We are grateful for the employees who supported the program and the riders who chose Circulator as part of their commute.”
DDOT is working with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to minimize the impact on the public of the service’s winding down.
The following route adjustments will be implemented on Oct. 1:
• The Rosslyn-Dupont Circle route will be terminated.
voting by Democratic Party delegates took place from Aug. 1 to 5 via an online platform operated by the DNC. Vice President Kamala Harris received some 95 percent of the delegates’ votes for president. She announced on Aug. 6 that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz would be her running mate. The formal roll call is expected to confirm that vote.
Other evenings at the convention will feature speeches and presentations by party leaders and elected officials, with lots of floor scenery, music, costumes and hoopla.
State delegates usually stay in hotels together, often meeting in the morning to talk policy. The District of Columbia will be sending 20 pledged delegates and 29 unpledged delegates to Chicago.
The D.C. issue that Roaché and Warnke want to highlight most among delegates and political leaders from across the U.S. is District statehood. The two agreed that it is always amazing to see how many politically savvy people don’t really know that the nearly 700,000 D.C. residents have no senator or representative — only a nonvoting delegate. It’s D.C. Dems’ perennial issue. “But we’re getting closer each year to Congressional approval,” said Roaché.
“I also want to go to as many of the afternoon caucuses as I can,” she said. Every afternoon, the DNC organizes meetings around specific interest groups and issues.
“I look forward to meeting Democrats to gather party talking points that I can share with D.C. residents about how Democrats plan to address concerns, especially about Blacks and education,” said Roaché, an Arlington, Virginia, school principal and a fifth-generation resident of Washington and Georgetown.
Warnke also wants to attend caucuses, especially of ethnic interest groups. A Greek American, she founded the D.C. Hellenic American Women’s Council and was recently a director of international affairs for D.C. government.
Besides wanting to try a real Chicago deep-dish pizza, the two hope to get in some
• Late-night service on the Woodley ParkAdams Morgan and Georgetown-Union Station routes will be eliminated.
• The Woodley Park-Adams Morgan, Georgetown-Union Station, Congress Heights-Union Station and Eastern Market-L’Enfant Plaza routes will end service at 9 p.m. daily, rather than at midnight.
• The remaining routes will operate on 20-minute headways, a 10-minute increase from the current arrival times.
DISTRICT WORKER WITH 2ND FULL-TIME JOB FINED $25,000
A D.C. government deputy director resigned this week after a probe by the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability revealed she had been working an undisclosed second fulltime job, resulting in a fine of $25,000.
According to the probe, Caroline Lian made $175,000 per year as deputy director of the District Department of Buildings, a position to which she was promoted in October of
sightseeing. Roaché will visit the headquarters of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, of which Harris is a member. “All the sisters will be wearing our special [apple] green to recognize each other,” she said.
The grand finale is the speech by the presidential nominee. Roaché and Warnke foresee coming away from the convention energized and inspired. But they must not get overly confident, noted both. “There are still some 90 days before the election,” Warnke observed.
“At this point, it looks like a very tight race,” Roaché said. “No one really knows right now who is going to win the presidency.”
2023, after a year as chief operations officer. However, she was making an additional six figures throughout the period as a third-party risk management director for Freddie Mac, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. Lian was a hybrid employee at both jobs. At the Department of Buildings, she was in the office on Monday and Friday and was supposed to be working from home Tuesday through Thursday. At Freddie Mac, she had the opposite schedule.
Additionally, in January of 2022, Lian was elected to the city council of Falls Church, Virginia, for a four-year term, for which she was paid $9,200 annually. She has since resigned and is under investigation by the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church, according to NBC News.
Although she disclosed her position as a Falls Church council member to the District, on more than 10 occasions, Lian reported a full workday for the Department of Buildings when, in reality, she attended a council meeting. She also filled out her financial disclosure statement incorrectly, reporting that she earned $0-1,000 per year as a council member and leaving out her Freddie Mac position completely.
Lian told the Falls Church News-Press that the investigation is “very petty,” stating: “I’ve corrected the form, paid the fine, and now I am moving on.”
Christine Warnke and Monica Roaché prepare for exciting, busy days at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Aug. 19 to 22.
DC Circulator bus.
Joint Letter to BID on Streateries
Dear Faith and Joe:
An Ode to Joy on the Campaign Trail
It’s amazing what a little hope can do — not to mention “ope,” as Tim Walz and his fellow Minnesotans would say. In just a few short weeks, the political world has seen enough twists and turns to rival the most challenging of Simone Biles’s vault routines. And it’s been nearly as breathtaking.
If money is a metric of success, then the Harris-Walz ticket would be solid gold. Since President Biden courageously passed the baton, per Vox the campaign has raised over $310 million, with 66 percent of the donations coming from first-time contributors. After Walz joined the team, the Democrats’ coffers were enriched by an additional infusion of $36 million. By comparison, Trump received $137 million in July. (That we’re seeing such eyepopping sums for a presidential race is itself obscene, and perhaps the subject of another editorial, another time.)
Harris is beating Trump in crowd size, too, which has got to be a sore point for the ratingsobsessed Former Guy.
Schadenfreude aside, it’s the Democrats’ promise that inspires hope, excitement and, yes, joy. More Four Freedoms and Beyoncé than “American carnage.” In place of dystopia
We’re
Still Here —
Let’s
and Project 2025, we have a platform that puts people first, whoever they are, whatever they need: healthcare, voting rights, reproductive autonomy and respect for the individual to do what’s best for them. Most refreshing, it’s a platform unencumbered by the meddling sanctimony and MAGA “weirdness” that seek to define and divide.
Also cats!
For women, who have been down and scared so long, seeing a woman candidate in the number-one spot is a gift. The pent-up desire for just this moment — to provide a model for our daughters — is exhilarating. And to see her running mate happy in his own skin shows just how far we can go with the right people in the job.
If nothing else, this very abbreviated campaign proves you don’t need to start the next horse-race cycle two and a half years in advance. Four months is more than enough.
The Democratic National Convention will take place in Chicago from August 19 to 22. Until then, do your happy dance and wal(t) z away. There may be plenty of tough days ahead, but for now it feels good to be a joyful warrior for democracy.
Keep It That Way!
In case you have not heard, we are celebrating 70 years — seven decades — of this publication on October 7th, 2024. The Georgetowner is a proud survivor, a prime example of a form of journalism in grave danger: local journalism.
On the scene, our experienced and trustworthy local reporting fills an important need. The Georgetowner continues to be the neighborhood’s essential source for providing news on ANC decisions; insight into local organizations like the Georgetown BID, CAG, GU and D.C. government; breaking business news on restaurants, retail and real estate; and profiles of the most influential Georgetowners, past, present, and future. Also: regular reviews from talented writers like Kitty Kelley., editorials and contributions from neighbors like Chip Reid and a lot more.
For at least the last decade, local news has seen a steep decline due to companies like Google and Facebook — both of which are known to spread misinformation. What’s more, they don’t pay writers for content; only true news outfits do. Ad sales, which once accounted for about 80 percent of local papers’ revenue, have fallen by that amount. Most recently, the onset of AI has allowed more
and more of the remaining publications, many owned by non-news organizations like financial institutions, to slash costs by laying off reporters and editors.
Four years ago, at the start of the pandemic, The Georgetowner launched its stakeholders’ campaign. Now, with many businesses on the road to recovery, we are asking you to consider becoming a stakeholder. There are many opportunities to help. You can sponsor an intern, a news story important to you or our Cultural Leadership Breakfast Series. It would help tremendously to have some of our printing, postage or general overhead underwriten. You can even leave The Georgetowner a legacy gift. We are open to ideas and welcome your support and love of Georgetown.
Print is not dead, and neither are local newspapers. The truth is, we’re still here. We first want to thank those of you that have already helped us and encourage you to join in and help too. Use the QR code to make your donation and help us continue to thrive.
We write to express our continued concern with the Georgetown Business Improvement District’s (BID) Widened Sidewalk and Streatery Pilot Project. The project is doing worse, not better, in terms of maintenance and aesthetics.
Please see the CPS instagram (@cpsgeorgetown) for recent photos showing the poor state of the sidewalks, planters and barriers. There are serious maintenance issues, some of which have become safety issues, as well as dying/dead plantings, bike racks haphazardly placed and continued loading and unloading issues.
Since the beginning of the year, the BID has been collecting additional fees from all establishments that use the Public Space permitted to the BID. We expected these additional fees would allow the BID to improve the project, but alas the conditions haven’t improved - they’ve only further deteriorated.
We support outdoor dining and there are a handful of locations in Georgetown where it is well done, but the vast majority of the streateries and sidewalk extenders are unacceptable – or seem to be moving away from your goals - for one of the nation’s premier urban historic centers.
The Georgetown Coalition for Public Spaces and Citizens Association of Georgetown urges BID to take the month of August to make much-needed aesthetic, maintenance and operations improvements. We hope to see these changes before the next Old Georgetown Board Quarterly report.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Miller Stefanie Scott Georgetown Coalition for Public Spaces
BID Response
Stephanie Bothwell Carol Truppi Citizens Association of Georgetown
“We’re aware of these concerns and are bringing on a consultant and working with DDOT to address them, while continuing to update the community on the status of the streateries. Our goal is to implement a new design that improves upon the look and feel of the streateries while preserving what people love about the program.”
Lauren Boston, Communications Director Georgetown BID
Courtesy Georgetown Coalition for Public Spaces.
Thank You, Georgetowner Interns
SOPHIA HALL
Sophia Hall represented her hometown of Washington, D.C., as the 2023 Youth Poet Laureate. A rising sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, she has taught creative writing workshops at D.C. public libraries and at Politics and Prose. She even performed at the Kennedy Center. Her favorite Georgetown memories: walking along the waterfront and the C&O Canal, paddleboarding on the Potomac and exploring hidden alleys.
HALEY WHARRAM
From Richmond, Virginia, Hailey Wharram is a rising senior at Georgetown University, majoring in English with minors in journalism and film and media studies. In addition to writing for The Georgetowner, Hailey is also the leisure executive editor at The Georgetown Voice. She loves songwriting, theater, playing guitar, cafe-hopping around D.C. and scribbling in the margins of all her books.
FORBES DUDLEY
Forbes Dudley will graduate from William & Mary next spring with a B.A. in English. Prior to her internship, Forbes was a research assistant for author Elizabeth Beller on her new book, “Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.” She has also worked at Barnes & Noble and at Georgetown Cupcake. Writing book reviews, traveling, taking photos and practicing yoga are her favorite pastimes.
PAULINA INGLIMA
Born and raised in D.C., Paulina Inglima is a rising sophomore at Georgetown University, majoring in classics with a minor in journalism. Besides her work for The Georgetowner, Paulina is senior features editor for The Hoya and Georgetown Chapter manager for the Spoon University food blog. When she’s not writing, Paulina loves to participate in theater, run in Rock Creek Park and explore museums.
The Georgetowner would like to take a moment to recognize our talented group of summer interns. Many thanks to the Shining Six for all your help — best of luck with your future endeavors!
JULIA KEY
Julia Key is a rising second-year student at Penn State, majoring in journalism. Interning for a publication so close to where she grew up and lived has been a fun and unique learning experience for her. Julia called it inspiring to work alongside Sonya, Kate and Robert and see how the staff of The Georgetowner contributes significantly to the community with their fresh perspectives and innovative ideas.
DAVID EDWARDS
David Edwards recently completed a B.A. in English at Georgetown University. He was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, but loves the District and hopes to remain here. The editor in chief of The Georgetown Heckler as an undergraduate, he has published poetry with the Academy of American Poets. In his free time, David enjoys reading a good novel, exploring the parks of D.C. and trying out new recipes.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
SUMMER RESTAURANT WEEK Through Aug. 18
During Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week, lunches and brunches are available at hundreds of area restaurants for $25 and $35. Dinners go for $40, $55 and $65. Visit ramw.org.
GEORGETOWN VILLAGE SQUARE DROP-IN
Wednesday, Aug. 21
Neighborhood residents are invited to swing by 1801 35th St. NW between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to chat, relax and enjoy the new communal space. Visit georgetown-village.org.
CARPE LIBRUM POP-UP BOOKSTORE
Sunday, Sept. 1
Thousands of books, CDs, DVDs and vinyl records priced under $6 will be offered from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Chase Bank parking lot on the corner
of Wisconsin Avenue and P Street in Georgetown. Proceeds benefit Turning the Page DC. Visit turningthepage.org.
ANC 2E MEETING
Tuesday, Sept. 3
Following its August hiatus, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E, representing Georgetown, Burleith and Hillandale, will reconvene at 6:30 p.m. at Georgetown Visitation School, 1524 35th St. NW, and via Zoom. Visit anc.dc.gov.
OLD GEORGETOWN BOARD
Thursday, Sept. 5
The next meeting of the Old Georgetown Board will start at 9 a.m. at 401 F St. NW, Suite 312. Meeting documents are posted the Monday afternoon before the public meeting (or the next business day if Monday is a federal holiday). Visit cfa.gov.
MedStar’s Verstandig Pavilion
An Interview With Dr. Lisa Boyle
BY PAULINA INGLIMA AND HAILEY WHARRAM
Seven years ago, if someone walked by the back entrance of Georgetown University, they would have seen a dining hall to the left and a sprawling asphalt parking lot to the right.
Today, on five and a half acres of green space — a treasured commodity on Georgetown’s tightly packed urban campus — they might see students picnicking, dogs running and Frisbees flying in front of the Verstandig Pavilion, MedStar Georgetown’s new 477,000-square-foot hospital, which officially opened on Nov. 30 last year.
“It was really important from the aesthetic perspective that we create a very warm and welcoming northern entrance to the campus,” said Dr. Lisa Boyle, president of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and senior vice president of MedStar Health, interviewed by The Georgetowner.
The Verstandig Pavilion houses top-notch facilities — 156 private patient rooms, 31 operating rooms, 32 emergency exam rooms and a rooftop helipad — and state-of-theart technology. It is named for entrepreneur Grant Verstandig, who donated $50 million to MedStar Georgetown in 2021, among the largest philanthropic gifts to health care in the District to date.
Though construction began in 2017, the extensive design process began three years prior. Incorporating different perspectives in the process was key for Boyle, who joked: “I said to myself early on, I will not be that person who does this whole project, and you bring this thing online, and everybody walks in and says, ‘Well, what idiot designed this?’”
To promote transparency and community engagement, MedStar Georgetown also consulted the Georgetown Community Partnership, a collaboration of Georgetown University, MedStar and residents from the surrounding neighborhoods of Foxhall, Burleith and Georgetown.
“I just want to take the opportunity to express extraordinary gratitude to our local community and specific members who really were incredibly valuable in providing the voice of the community, because they are not only potential patients but they are our neighbors, right? So we want to be good neighbors,” Boyle said.
All that collaboration and thoughtfulness paid off in spades. Rejuvenating natural light streams through the building’s 999 windows and each patient room is completely private, outfitted with a futon couch on which loved ones can rest while visiting.
Another element was that MedStar Georgetown offers clinical opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in the Schools of Medicine and Nursing. According to Boyle, one of the design goals for the new pavilion was facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration among these students, resulting in team meeting spaces and computer rooms, along with a newly built lounge and study area in the main hospital.
“They have all kinds of collaborative spaces, so it really is an enhanced learning environment,” she said.
In terms of recruiting patients and doctors, one of the new pavilion’s greatest strengths
is its technological prowess. “We wanted to design and build state-of-the-art operating rooms that offered cutting-edge technology. And that advantages obviously to our patients, but also our team members, to include our students,” Boyle said.
An integration system in the operating rooms features inline cameras that stream into auditoriums in the medical facility, allowing students to watch surgeries live with high-resolution imaging, even for laparoscopic procedures.
“From a learning and education perspective, that technology, that integration, to be able to integrate all types of inputs, is just transformational, and our teams really love it,” Boyle added.
Another technology transforming patient care is MedStar Georgetown’s Intraoperative MRI System, the only machine of its kind in the region. In most cases, patients must be moved to an MRI machine, but the IMRIS moves to the patient during delicate neurosurgeries. This makes it a destination service for patients with brain tumors and movement disorders.
Boyle acknowledged that, for every day patient in the D.C. area, there are a plethora of hospitals to choose from. The metro region is home to seven general hospitals, plus specialized options for groups such as children, veterans and psychiatric patients. According to surveys, the most common reason D.C.-area patients did not choose MedStar Georgetown was transportation difficulty. The neighborhood lacks a Metro stop and the newly adopted Better Bus Network will reduce service. Ways to make MedStar Georgetown more accessible, including ambulatory care sites for nonemergent patients in other locations, are being actively explored, according to Boyle.
“They have choices, and so we want them to choose us,” she said.
Noting that, over the last 25 years, Georgetown University Hospital has grown from a small community hospital into a destination medical center, Boyle said the Verstandig Pavilion exemplifies that transition.
“We really do take care of some of the sickest patients with some of the most complex clinical problems. And you know, I’m just extremely proud of the fact that we’re able to do so in such an incredible manner,” she said. “I feel like we now have a facility that essentially matches or is equivalent to the high level of complex care that we’ve always delivered.”
Dr. Fauci Is Glad to Be at His Second Home:
BY KATE OCZYPOK
Georgetown
Talking one-on-one with Dr. Anthony Fauci is more like chatting with your highly intelligent, well-traveled grandfather. While the physician, scientist, immunologist and public servant directed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for 38 years, his warm, conversational tone was evident throughout our chat. It perfectly matched where he is now in his career. There are no airs about Dr. Fauci.
As of July 1, Fauci, 83, began serving as a Distinguished University Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases of the Georgetown University School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine. He has an additional appointment in the McCourt School of Public Policy.
Rather than teach courses, Fauci has given lectures, seminars and fireside chats for undergrads and for students and others from the School of Medicine, School of Health, School of Public Policy, Law Center and Walsh School of Foreign Service. He has also made himself available for one-on-one meetings.
“It’s been a lot of fun and an investment of time,” Fauci said. “It’s different than just teaching a single class. It’s essentially spreading yourself out among multiple components of Georgetown University.”
His memoir, “On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service,” was published in June. While he wrote a lot of the 480-page tome over a period of years, after stepping down from the National Institutes of Health in December of 2022, he spent most of last year completing and editing the book.
Fauci said his initial tendency was to describe every meeting he had with presidents. He has worked with seven, beginning with Ronald Reagan. Instead, he chose one or two representative meetings with each to give a feel for his relationship with them.
“I occasionally get a phone call from President Obama. I’m in touch with George W. Bush. Prior to his death, I was in pretty good contact on a regular basis, at least once
“Some people look at it and shake their heads and say, ‘My God, how could you possibly endure conspiratorial attacks on you by people as high-ranking as senators and congressmen?’”
Violent threats against Fauci and his family have necessitated armed protection for them for the past four years. “It’s really crazy when you think about that, what a public health official has had to go through. It’s unprecedented, at least in recent memory,” he remarked.
or twice a year, with George H.W. Bush,” Fauci said. “I see both Hillary and Bill Clinton at different functions I go to, so I get a chance to chat with them.”
With decades of connections to the area, Fauci is an avid lover of Georgetown, both the university and the neighborhood. While he lives in Wesley Heights, he can jog to campus in 10 minutes or less. He and Christine are avid joggers, who over the years have trained for marathons and 10Ks along the C&O Canal.
“I like the fact that you can be in a sophisticated city, and yet minutes away from beautiful nature,” he said.
Fauci eats at Chef Geoff’s often and — calling owner Franco Nuschese a good friend — at Café Milano a fair amount.
While he had offers to go to many other universities when he stepped down from NIH, he ultimately decided on Georgetown University because it “felt like a second home.”
Fauci collaborated with an unnamed individual with a background in journalism and writing, learning, he said, “that you can’t really include everything you think is important in a memoir, because then it becomes too long and might be boring to some people.” He added: “I made [the memoir] an easy read, because I very carefully edited it.”
The book is arranged in five parts, the first being “From Bensonhurst to Washington,” and the last, of course, being “COVID.” The rest touch on Fauci’s contributions to helping those with HIV and AIDS live long, active lives; the wars on terror and disease; and expecting the unexpected.
Fauci’s longstanding relationship with Joe Biden began during Biden’s eight years as vice president. He was chief medical advisor to President Biden in 2021 and 2022.
“I’ve been very privileged to have had those kinds of relationships with different presidents,” he said.
One chapter in Fauci’s book is entitled “Illegitimi Non Carborundum,” a mock Latin aphorism that means “Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down.” During our interview, referring to the turbulent initial phase of the pandemic, he cited his wife of 39 years, Christine, as “the major anchor that got [him] through those times.”
“I’m very close friends with [Georgetown University President] Jack DeGioia, who had been trying to get me to come to Georgetown for years,” said Fauci. “My wife was an undergrad and got her Ph.D. at Georgetown, we were married at Dahlgren Chapel, our three children were born at Georgetown University Hospital — it was an easy choice for me.” For those on the fence about pursuing medicine, Fauci had this advice: “If someone feels that they might have a liking going into medicine and science and public health, it’s an incredibly gratifying field, because accomplishments that you make, although they can be personally gratifying, they also help other people. The reason I became so attracted to the field of medicine and science is because I always wanted to do things that somehow helped other people. One of the ways you can help people is through medicine and science, but it’s not the only way. I can attest to the fact that, having been doing it now for well over half a century, that it can be a phenomenal source of fulfillment and gratification.”
The Verstanding Pavilion at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Photos courtesy of Georgetown University.
INS & OUTS
BY KATE OCZYPOK
Starting this month, you can get a facial, take a cardio class and grab a breakfast burrito. Also, a big congrats to Lutéce and Apéro, winners at this year’s RAMMYS.
IN: GLOWBAR OPEN
Need a facial? You’re in luck: a new option is available. The ribbon cutting for facial membership studio Glowbar’s first D.C. location, at 1533 Wisconsin Ave. NW, took place on Aug. 2, with founder and CEO Rachel Liverman on hand. The new spot is number 14, with others located in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
IN: GOLD’S GYM OPEN
Get your sweat on at Gold’s Gym, now open in Georgetown Park, just below the DMV office at 3270 M St. NW. Besides the standard gym equipment, Gold’s offers weekly classes in Vinyasa yoga, Bodypump and other routines. Pre-sale memberships are currently available for $39.99 bi-weekly with a one-year agreement and $49.99 bi-weekly on a month-to-month basis. Both include access to over 20 area locations.
Now open in Georgetown: Gold’s Gym.
IN: MONSTERA
Sometimes, you just need a breakfast burrito. Monstera, a West Coast-inspired burrito joint, is operating inside Grace Street Coffee at 3299 K St. NW. The shop will be dishing out breakfast burritos and some lunch options Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Start at the top of the menu with the Breakfast Boi: housemade chorizo, bacon, barbacoa or cumin-roasted aubergine, scrambled egg, peppers and onions, cheese, salsa fresca, crema Mexicana, crispy fries and salsa verde. Salivating yet?
OUT: HOBO BAGS
COMING
SOON: RIMTANG
Thai street food eatery Rimtang is opening soon in Georgetown at 1039 33rd St. NW. Chef Saran “Peter” Kannasute is known for sushi hotspots Kyojin in Cady’s Alley and Yume in Arlington, Virginia. Expect to see food like spring noodles, curries and stir fries, with dinner priced between $35 and $55 and lunch around $25.
and
CONGRATULATIONS, LUTÉCE AND APÉRO
Salmon belly carpaccio by Rimtang’s Saran Kannasute. Instagram photo by Alexa Burch.
The female-founded, family-run bags
One of Monstera’s tasty breakfast burritos.
BY KATE OCZYPOK
JOE BOWSER, MAYOR’S FATHER, DIES AT 88
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is mourning the loss of her father, Joe Bowser, 88, who died on Aug. 2. In a statement, Bowser said she owes her career in public service to her dad. “He was the first person to take me to a community meeting. The first person to teach me that if something needs to be fixed, then step up and fix it — and finish any job you start.”
AG SCHWALB TO STUBHUB: SEE YOU IN COURT!
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb has filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court against ticket resale site StubHub. Schwalb is claiming that StubHub violated the District’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act, using misleading pricing to con D.C. residents out of $118 million over almost a decade. More information on the suit is available at oag.dc.gov.
D.C. WOMAN REPEATS WORLD’S TOUGHEST FOOTRACE
Kelaine Conochan, a 41-year-old D.C. resident, recently completed the Badwater 135, considered the world’s toughest footrace, for the second time. The 135-mile “ultramarathon” in California goes from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, with a 48-hour time limit. Conochan’s first race was in 2021. After a period of recovery and training, she went back to complete the race again last month.
UNION MARKET REVS UP FOR IMMERSIVE RACING
Just the fourth of its kind, a new arcade is coming to D.C.’s Union Market area in
mid-October. F1 Arcade will be a place for racing enthusiasts, complete with virtual racing, themed cocktails and Grand Prix watch parties. In the immersive experience, racing simulators allow “drivers” to feel the vibration of their “cars.” Other locations are in London, Birmingham (the one in England) and Boston.
D.C. BOARD OF ELECTIONS PUTS INITIATIVE ON NOV. BALLOT
Initiative 83, a two-part Board of Elections proposal regarding District voting procedures, will be on the November ballot. If passed, part one will allow primary elections to be opened to voters registered as Independents. Part two will implement ranked-choice, which
lets voters rank up to five candidates in order of preference, helping ensure that the winner gets at least 50 percent of the votes.
QUADRUPLE SHOOTING IS PART OF A VIOLENT WEEKEND IN D.C.
A quadruple shooting along M Street NE early Saturday morning, Aug. 3, left two dead: Antonio Williams, 33, and Terrell Osbourne Jr., 18. Two others survived gunshot wounds. Neighbors at first thought the shots were fireworks. As of press time, police are searching for a 2019 Honda Accord as part of an ongoing investigation. The shooting was one of five such incidents that took place over a violent weekend in the District.
MacMahon (703) 609-1905
MacMahon (540) 454-1930
(703) 609-1905
(703) 609-1868
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s father Joe died on Aug. 2.
The Boston F1 Arcade. Courtesy F1 Arcade.
Fall Gala Guide
BY KATE OCZYPOK
Here’s our guide to the cream of the crop of Washington’s fall galas and events. Remember to check in at georgetowner.com, where others will be added as they are announced.
AUGUST 2024
SATURDAY, AUG. 24
OPERA IN THE OUTFIELD
6:30 p.m., Nationals Park
Washington National Opera presents a free broadcast of Giacomo Puccini’s “Turandot” at Nats Park.
SEPTEMBER 2024
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7
2024 HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN NATIONAL DINNER
5 p.m., Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Allen Y. Lew Place NW
The Human Rights Campaign’s annual event celebrates advancements in the fight for full LGBTQ equality.
MONDAY, SEPT. 16
CAPITAL JEWISH MUSEUM INAUGURAL GALA
6 p.m., La Maison Française at the Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Road NW
The Capitol Jewish Museum’s inaugural gala will honor Sen. Ben Cardin and Mrs. Myrna Cardin.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 20
CITIZENS ASSOCIATION OF GEORGETOWN’S FALL FUNDRAISER
6 p.m., Coolidge House, 3425 Prospect St. NW
The Georgetowner will mark its 70th anniversary at this CAG fundraiser, a tribute to our neighborhood’s vitality.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 21
DIM ALL THE LIGHTS: THE 2024 WOLF TRAP BALL
7 p.m., Filene Center, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, Virginia
An evening of dinner and dancing on the Filene Center stage, transformed into a glamorous nightclub and disco.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25
PREVENT CANCER FOUNDATION’S 30TH ANNUAL GALA
Time and location to be announced
More than 1,000 guests will attend this year’s gala, celebrating the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s friendship with the U.K.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 28
NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA SEASON OPENING GALA
4:30 p.m., Kennedy Center Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW
The National Symphony Orchestra is kicking off its 94th performance season, its eighth under Music Director Gianandrea Noseda.
OCTOBER 2024
SATURDAY, OCT. 5
THE 37TH ANNUAL BARK BALL
5:30 p.m., Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave. NW
Area residents and their canine companions will cheer on the people and animals of our community at the Bark Ball, benefiting the Humane Rescue Alliance.
TUESDAY, OCT. 8
THE SPIRIT OF GEORGETOWN 2024
6 p.m., Home of Jessica and Ezra Glass, Georgetown
At this year’s Spirit of Georgetown, Georgetown Ministry Center will honor longtime GMC volunteer Abbe Lowell.
SATURDAY, OCT. 12
THE ANNUAL VIRGINIA FALL RACES
12:30 p.m., Glenwood Park, Middleburg, Virginia
The fall races have been a must-attend event since 1955.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16
ROCK CREEK CONSERVANCY GALA
6 p.m., Rock Creek Park Nature Center, 5200 Glover Road NW
The gala celebrates progress in restoring Rock Creek’s forests, building community around the Carter Barron Amphitheater and nurturing current and future Rock Creek stewards.
THURSDAY, OCT. 17, THROUGH SUNDAY, OCT. 20
2024 MIDDLEBURG FILM FESTIVAL Middleburg, Virginia
Narrative and documentary films — festival favorites, world and regional premieres, foreign films and Oscar contenders — will be screened in intimate theater environments and followed by conversations with filmmakers, actors and other guests.
SATURDAY, OCT. 19
BREAK THE CYCLE: SOME’S ANNUAL GALA
6 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Break the Cycle celebrates the successes of So Others Might Eat, the triumphs of its clients and the recipients of its highest honors.
MONDAY, OCT. 21, THROUGH SUNDAY, OCT. 27
THE WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOW
Prince George’s Equestrian Center, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
The famed show will be held over seven days and nights in the Show Place Arena at Prince George’s Equestrian Center.
FRIDAY, OCT. 25
2024 FAIR CHANCE BUTTERFLY BASH
7 p.m., National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW
The Butterfly Bash supports Fair Chance’s vision of a world where every child succeeds.
SATURDAY, OCT. 26
THE 49TH ANNUAL NATIONAL ITALIAN AMERICAN FOUNDATION GALA
5:30 p.m., Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St. NW
NIAF’s 49th Anniversary Washington, D.C. Gala will celebrate the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
NOVEMBER 2024
SATURDAY, NOV. 2
BLUE HOPE BASH
6:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW
The Blue Hope Bash benefits patients and caregivers served by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.
THURSDAY, NOV. 7
MARCH OF DIMES HEROINES OF WASHINGTON
6 p.m., The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner Heroines of Washington recognizes and honors women in the D.C. metro area for their dedication to community service.
DECEMBER 2024
SUNDAY, DEC. 8
47TH ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS
Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW
This year’s honorees: Francis Ford Coppola, the Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, Arturo Sandoval and the Apollo.
FRIDAY, DEC. 13
BRITISH CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON GALA
12 p.m., The Fairmont, 2401 M St. NW
The British-American Business Association is hosting its 28th annual Christmas luncheon this year.
CULTURAL
Artistic Director of Signature Theater
Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024
8:30 to 10 a.m.
The President Woodrow Wilson House 2340 S St. NW
Admission $40
Advance payment at georgetowner.com or Eventbrite
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Cocktail of the Month
The Coco Kamala
BY JODY KURASH
People are going nuts — coconuts, to be specific — for Kamala Harris.
Ever since President Biden passed the torch to Vice President Harris, the internet has exploded with coconut memes and coconut tree emojis. What’s the meaning behind these cryptic tropical messages?
They stem from a 2023 speech Harris gave at an event about advancing opportunities for Hispanic Americans. In it, she referenced a
saying her mother used when she was younger: “She would say to us, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?’”
Laughing, Harris followed that up with her own bit of wisdom: “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.”
Republicans immediately jumped on the quip and tried using it against her. Apparently, they found it more offensive than “Grab them by the [P-word].”
When members of the KHive (pronounced KAY-hive), a play by Harris supporters on Beyoncé’s BeyHive, embraced this coconuttery, it took on an organic life of its own. Everyone — pop stars, politicians, Gen Zers, childless cat ladies — seems to have adopted the saying. Google searches for “coconut tree” skyrocketed and the related memes have gone viral.
As another saying goes, when a tree falls in the forest, it’s not certain that anyone hears it. But when the spunky former California senator talks about falling out of one, it gets blasted all over the Web.
So how does this meme resonate with a cocktail writer? When God gives you coconuts, it’s time to make piña coladas!
It’s not known if Harris fancies cocktails, though Maya Rudolph has sported frozen drinks and martinis during her impressions.
THE LATEST DISH
However, our veep is a wine drinker and favors vineyards from her home state. The San Francisco Chronicle reported she was a member of the wine club at the (now-closed) Rock Wall winery in Alameda. And back in 2017, when Harris made a bet on the World Series with Sen. Ted Cruz, she paid her debt with two bottles from Sonoma County’s Ramey Wine Cellars.
Were I to create a cocktail for our glass ceiling-breaking VP, it would definitely include coconut, and also pay homage to her diverse background.
Since her father is from Jamaica, I would start with some tasty Jamaican rum. The island’s rums are characterized by their assertive fruitforward flavor and strong nose.
Her mother’s homeland, India, is more of a whisky-drinking nation (note Scottish spelling), but Amrut, India’s first distiller of single malt whisky, also makes rum.
Much like Harris, Amrut’s Two Indies rum series is an Indian-Caribbean combination. First, Amrut distills two rums, one from Indian sugarcane juice and the other from jaggery (unrefined sugar, traditionally used in Indian desserts). These are then aged in American oak barrels and, when finished, blended with rums from Jamaica, Barbados and Guyana.
I nstead of going with a bloated, oldfashioned piña colada, I would create a limebased drink to add some tang and sass, embodying Kamala’s sharp wit. Fresh mint would represent the brightness and vigor she’s thrown into the 2024 campaig n.
The hue from these elements will match the
From the Bayou to Bolivia: New Restaurants to Discover
BY LINDA ROTH
Carla Sanchez and brother Juan relocated Casa Kantuta from Adams Morgan to 1355 U St. NW, below Space DC. The plan is to integrate the vibrancy of the colorful Bolivian festival called Carnaval de Oruro into Casa Kantuta’s speakeasy environment. In addition to singani-centric cocktails, the bar has an expanded menu of traditional Bolivian dishes. Quick Hits: Compass Coffee plans to open at 1827 Adams Mill Road NW in Adams Morgan, where Philz, then Foxtrot, used to be … Singing Tiger, a noodle den and karaoke bar, is slated to open in the new Hotel Nell (formerly the Union Market Hotel) in Northeast D.C.’s Union Market ’hood, early in the fourth quarter … In 2025, Will Strozier and Rob Zahn of Proper 21 plan to open Proper Bar, a less sports-focused version of Proper 21, in Mount Vernon Triangle’s The Crosby, at 300 K St. NW … In the third quarter, Pepe Moncayo is slated to open Arrels, a modern Spanish restaurant (arrels means roots in Catalan), in the Arlo DC, at 333 G St. NW … Cork Wine Bar & Market’s new executive chef is Cicile Mendy, former sous chef at Et Voilà! in D.C.’s Palisades.
Just Opened: David Guas of Bayou Bakery recently opened Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen at 6641 Old Dominion Drive in McLean, Virginia … Erik Bruner-Yang, Pedro Tobar and Daniel Gonzalez opened Providencia at 1321 Linden Court NE in D.C.’s H Street corridor, featuring ingredients from their home countries (Taiwan, Mexico and El Salvador) … Immigrant Food opened its fourth location at 4245 N. Fairfax Drive in Ballston, Virginia, in the Nature Conservancy’s global headquarters. With a nod to the landlord, sustainable construction practices were used and there is a recyclable materials’ carry-out and catering program … Thompson Restaurants opened Hen Quarter Prime in the Capitol Riverfront — at 2121 First St. SW in Buzzard Point — serving Southern fare with Southern charm. It seats 200 with two private dining rooms and a 24-seat outdoor patio.
With partners Andrew Dana and Daniela Moreira, Chris Brady of Timber Pizza Co. plans to expand outside of D.C. and Virginia by the end of the third quarter with a 30-seat location at 192 West St. in his hometown of
lime green color of Charli XCX’s smash “brat” album cover. When the pop diva posted on X, “Kamala IS brat,” the post garnered over 50 million views in less than a week, sparking the color’s adoption by the Harris campaign.
My cocktail tribute to Kamala would consist of: two portions of rum (to represent how woman must work twice as hard to get recognized), lime, mint and coconut shavings. Essentially, it would be a coconut mojito.
Finally, rather than topping it off with soda, I would add some sparkling California Champagne … for an early victory toast!
THE COCO KAMALA
INGREDIENTS
• 1 OZ. APPLETON ESTATE JAMAICAN RUM
• 1 OZ. AMRUT TWO INDIES WHITE RUM
• 1 OZ. LIME JUICE
• 5 SPRIGS MINT
• 1.5 TEASPOONS SUGAR
• CALIFORNIA SPARKLING WINE
• 1.5 TABLESPOONS FRESHLY GRATED COCONUT
INSTRUCTIONS
Muddle mint with sugar in a glass. Add lime juice, rum and ice, then stir. Top with sparkling wine to 1/8 inch from the rim and spoon on a layer of coconut shavings.
Annapolis, Maryland.
Openings Update: Modan, a modern sushi restaurant offering omakase, is now targeting the early fourth quarter to open in Virginia at 1800 Chain Bridge Road in McLean’s Heming project.
Linda Roth is the founder and CEO of Linda Roth Associates, a D.C.-based public relations and marketing firm that specializes in the food service and hospitality industries. Follow her at: @LindaRothPR, #LindaRothPR or lindarothpr.com.
Chris Brady of Timber Pizza Co. plans to expand outside of D.C. and Virginia with a 30-seat location in his hometown of Annapolis, Maryland. Courtesy Timber Pizza.
The Coco Kamala.
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Welcome to the new Verstandig Pavilion at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital where you’ll find:
• 31 state-of-the-art operating rooms
• Expanded and modernized new emergency department with 32 private rooms
• Access to the most advanced treatment technologies
• 156 private patient rooms with natural, healing light
‘The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt: The Women Who Created a President’
EDWARD F. O’KEEFE ARGUES THAT FIVE WOMEN PROVIDED THE BALLAST OF ROOSEVELT’S LIFE.
BY KITTY KELLEY
The huge granite sculpture startles tourists. Looming like a ferocious behemoth — intimidating, almost frightening — the 17-foot giant dominates the National Park Service space on the western bank of the Potomac River.
If not for the “Welcome to Theodore Roosevelt Island” sign, one might assume the black stone colossus towering above the cement-slab plaza — his right hand raised as if to acknowledge the homage of marauding troops — was some sort of warring commissar.
Yet spiraling out from the fearsome statue are 88 forested acres of majestic trees and woodland paths designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., paying tribute to the conservationist and naturalist who was the 26th president of the United States.
“T.R.,” or “Col. Roosevelt,” as he preferred, could not abide being called “Teddy.” According to one of his biographers, he believed that “physical bravery was the highest virtue and war the ultimate test of bravery.” All historians emphasize Roosevelt’s “warrior persona” and his “speak softly and carry a big stick”
ideology. As president, he destroyed the portrait of himself by Théobald Chartran because he felt it made him look weak, like a “meek kitten.”
Declaring himself “as fit as a bull moose,” T.R. gloried in fighting wars and shooting and killing wildlife. He donated several specimens bagged on hunting trips, including a snowy owl, to the American Museum of Natural History, which his father helped establish in 1869.
In fact, it’s hard to think of a more testosterone-charged president than Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), the “Rough Rider” who championed the “bully pulpit,” launched construction of the Panama Canal and brokered the end of the Russo-Japanese War, for which he won the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize, the first American to be so honored.
More than three dozen Roosevelt biographies are in print, including his own memoir — one of the 47 books he wrote, including “The Rough Riders,” “The Strenuous Life,” “African Game Trails” and “Theodore Roosevelt’s Letters to His Children.”
Now comes another biography: “The Loves
of Theodore Roosevelt: The Women Who Created a President,” by Edward F. O’Keefe, CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation, the group spearheading the building of T.R.’s library, currently under construction in the Badlands of North Dakota.
O’Keefe’s first book, “The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt” presents an astonishing thesis about the man whose rugged visage is carved on Mount Rushmore and who may be regarded as the exemplar of the XY chromosome. This biography proffers that “the most masculine president in the American memory was, in fact, the product of largely unsung and certainly extraordinary women.”
The author argues that five women provided the ballast of Roosevelt’s life and were the source of his greatest accomplishments: his mother, Mittie; his sisters, Bamie and Conie; and his two wives, Alice and Edith. Alice died in 1884, two days after their daughter, also Alice, was born. He had five more children — four sons and a second daughter — after marrying Edith in 1886.
These women were “the team who would guide his future for the next several decades and craft his legacy.” Indeed, O’Keefe writes, the two greatest mistakes T.R. made were when he acted on his own without the counsel of his female consortium.
“The biggest blunder of his political life was a pledge he would not seek what he called a ‘third’ term” as president. As vice president to William McKinley, T.R. assumed the presidency in 1901 when McKinley was assassinated and, in 1904, won election on his own. Then, without consulting his closest confidantes — Edith and his sisters — the newly elected president announced that he would not seek reelection at the end of his first term, a decision he sorely regretted.
Roosevelt’s second blunder, again made without consulting his wife and sisters, was to
announce William Howard Taft as his successor. Later, T.R. became so distressed by his lack of judgment that he founded the Progressive Party, popularly known as the Bull Moose Party, and ran, unsuccessfully, on a third-party ticket against Taft.
In researching Roosevelt’s life at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site in Oyster Bay, New York, O’Keefe discovered something that had eluded previous biographers. A small, blue velvet box with a silk-covered divider contained a secret keepsake: a photograph of T.R.’s first wife and 14 inches of her wavy, dark, golden blond hair. On top of it was a note in Roosevelt’s own hand, reading: “The hair of my sweet wife, Alice, cut after death.”
Roosevelt has been described as an opportunist, exhibitionist and imperialist. But O’Keefe presents a perceptive and persuasive argument that adds a sensitive dimension to the masculine persona of Theodore Roosevelt as a man indebted to the women in his life, proving, as 19th-century poet William Ross Wallace wrote: “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”
Georgetown resident Kitty Kelley has written several number-one New York Times best-sellers, including “The Family: The Real Story Behind the Bush Dynasty.” Her most recent books include “Capturing Camelot: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the Kennedys” and “Let Freedom Ring: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the March on Washington.” She serves on the board of BIO (Biographers International Organization) and Washington Independent Review of Books, where this review originally appeared.
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