Capitol File - 2014 - Issue 6 - Holiday by Niche Media Holdings, LLC

WHERE TO EAT, DRINK & BE JOLLY WASHINGTON’S BEST HOLIDAY GUIDE

BACK TO YOU, BOB THE CBS ICON REFLECTS ON HIS CAREER AND FACE THE NATION TURNING 60

ON THE TOWN WITH WASHINGTON CAPITALS JOHN CARLSON & KARL ALZNER PLUS WHY THE BREAKOUT STAR OF NBC’S HIT DRAMA THE BLACKLIST HAS PLENTY TO BE HAPPY ABOUT THIS HOLIDAY capitolfile-magazine.com

NICHE MEDIA HOLDINGS, LLC

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FRONT RUNNER President John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy attend the White House Christmas party in 1962, one year after the first lady began the tradition of a themed Christmas tree.

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum

Holiday traditions may feel timeless, but they have to start sometime and somewhere, and be shaped along the way. The White House hosted its first “official” Christmas tree in 1929, when First Lady Lou Henry Hoover formally decided that her duties included trimming the White House tree. While the tradition was certainly born that year, according to many historical accounts, First Lady Caroline Harrison decorated the debut tree in 1889. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy started a tradition of her own by selecting a theme for the tree in 1961. Indeed, a long line of first ladies has had an elegant hand in building the tradition of the White House Christmas tree as we know it today. As we mark its 85th year, we reflect on the central roles that not only the first ladies but also the first family and the White House play in rallying together the American people to celebrate and showcase the best of the country’s creativity and talent during the holiday season. From my time as deputy White House social secretary, I can attest that it is a beautiful—albeit, exhausting—process. Preparation at the White House for the holidays usually begins mere weeks

4 capitolfile-magazine.com

after the prior season ends. The social secretary works directly with the first lady to explore themes, designs, and of course, holiday parties, which routinely number in excess of 23 (often requiring two on any given day). It is a demanding month for the Social Office, which must coordinate and execute each event from start to finish, a time line that includes building a guest list and working with a calligrapher to design invitations. But watching visitors and guests arrive and experience the natural grandeur of the White House—somehow magically enhanced by the holiday décor—is worth the sleep deprivation. Beginning with the horse-drawn arrival of the White House Christmas tree and the influx of hundreds of volunteers from across the nation to assist in decorating the mansion, to the unveiling of the Gingerbread White House designed by the White House pastry chef, to the concert and lighting of the national Christmas tree on the Ellipse, the joy and positive spirit of the nation are exemplified in the traditions, both old and new, that brighten 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue every holiday season. cf

photography courtesy of Kennedy Library archives/newsmaKers

85 years after the White house hosted its first official christmas tree, decorating it has become a symbol of americans coming together and shoWcasing their creativity. by ebs burnough

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contents

Holiday 2014

Handbag guru Danielle DiFerdinando marries elegant design with business savvy to create statement bags—for under $100.

// front runner

20 // letter from the editor-in-Chief

22 // letter from the publisher

24 // ... Without Whom

this issue Would not have been possible

26 // the list 71 // invited

style 31 // haute handbags Maryland native Danielle DiFerdinando debuts a new collection just in time for the holidays.

34 // in detail The must-have party pieces of the DC gala season pack an enchanting pop of precious stones.

38 // demoCraCy

40 // style spotlight Order in beauty services with Veluxe; Topshop fnally comes to DC; candy apple-red handbags.

8 capitolfile-magazine.com

photography by marc lemoine

of diamonds

Today’s watchmakers are using classic diamonds in modern and sophisticated ways—and Washington women are taking note.

Twinkling Magic Alhambra Necklace, white gold and diamonds.

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Holiday 2014

Event planner extraordinaire Julie Shanklin is known for the intricate and creative details of events that fall perfectly into place.

Giuliana and Bill Rancic’s RPM revs up for a DC arrival.

culture

people

47 // a family that sings together

57 // everyman

Marie Osmond dishes on her famous holiday special with brother Donny, which comes to the National Theatre this December.

As he marks the 60th anniversary of Face the Nation, Bob Schieffer—the genial uncle of Sunday morning talk who specializes in the curveball question— has plenty of his own stories to tell.

50 // mother and muse The National Museum of Women in the Arts’ new exhibit looks at depictions of Mary through the ages and how they refect the times in which they were created.

Washington Capitals Karl Alzner and John Carlson hit Bourbon Steak for a guys’ night out.

10 capitolfile-magazine.com

anchorman

60 // gourmet on-demand

Ryan Hansan celebrates two years of locally sourced and ready-to-cook gourmet meals with Scratch DC.

52 // culture spotlight

62 // party maven

The Botanic Gardens goes nautical for the holidays; CityCenterDC starts a new tree lighting tradition; Washington Ballet’s all-American Nutcracker turns 10.

A bright star on the DC event scene, Julie Shanklin gears up for a busy holiday gala season.

64 // a place at the

table for everyone

Martha’s Table commemorates 35 years of nourishing Washingtonians who need it most with their annual beneft, Sips & Suppers.

photography by abby greenawalt (shanklin, dish)

contents

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1006 wisconsin avenue

contents taste 81 // a taste of home Bryan Voltaggio’s Family Meal offers up comfort food classics at two new locations.

84 // gather ’round the hearth

As temperatures drop, these sizzling restaurants invite guests to cozy up near blazing freplaces.

Holiday 2014

With the second season of her hit show well underway, Megan Boone goes from The Blacklist to the A-list. Coat, Hermès ($4,300). Tysons Corner, 703-5064546; hermes.com. Dress, Adam Lippes ($1,750). adamlippes.com. Brass round reverse choker, Jennifer Fisher ($200). Barneys New York, 3040 M St. NW, 202-350-5832; barneys.com

86 // get your bubbles on Washingtonians are ringing in the season with new grower-producer Champagnes.

88 // taste spotlight Grab-and-go gourmet feasts; RPM revs up for a DC arrival.

90 // dinner on ice Washington Capitals Karl Alzner and John Carlson discuss food, friendship, and the future of DC’s favorite hockey team.

features 96 // boone boom The Blacklist star Megan Boone talks Peewee Herman, holiday recipes, and what it feels like to inspire a Twitter hashtag. By Elizabeth Thorp Photography by Nigel Parry

102 // art deco the halls These vintage-inspired jewels are the perfect accent for a glittery Washington affair. Photography by Bill Diodato

108 // a royal estate Paul and Bunny Mellon’s estate preserves the legacy of two luxurious lives well lived. By Stephanie Green

114 // washington

winter wonderland

120 // cannabusiness Colorado and Washington were the frst states to green-light marijuana for recreational use. How many will follow? By Erin Lentz

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photography by nigel parry

Five local tastemakers on how to make the most of DC’s magical holiday season. By Melanie Fonder Kaye

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contents

Holiday 2014

138

Home renovations in newly desirable neighborhoods are turning neglected abodes into high-end habitats—and fast.

haute property 131 // million dollar baby

It takes an eye for detail and luxury to double the resale value of a home in an emerging neighborhood.

134 // living on the edge Long-ignored stretches of land between DC’s most sought-after neighborhoods are being revitalized, a few blocks at a time.

138 // renovation station Old homes in newly thriving neighborhoods are getting makeovers to match.

freely speaking 152 // party planning Fêting in style—and in compliance— with Congress.

Megan Boone Photography by Nigel Parry/CPi Styling by Chloe Hartstein Hair by Seiji Yamada/The Wall Group Makeup by Quinn Murphy/The Wall Group Video by Orlando Ferreyra Gown, Reed Krakoff ($2,190). Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, 301-6579000; saks.com. “Heritage” earrings featuring diamonds set in 18k yellow and white gold, Van Cleef & Arpels (price on request). Neiman Marcus, Tysons Galleria, 703-761-1600; neimanmarcus.com Shot on location at the Loews Regency Hotel, 212-759-4100; loewshotels.com/Regency-Hotel Loews Regency Hotel celebrates the first anniversary of its reopening in January 2015. The reimagined 379-room hotel launched six Signature Suites last fall, which marked the culmination of the hotel’s $100 million transformation.

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photography courtesy of Lock7deveLopment (Living room)

on the Cover:

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JOIN US ONLINE at capitolfle-magazine.com

We have the inside scoop on Washington’s best parties, real estate, and more. vacation

WINTER STAYCATION IDEAS As holiday stress sets in, we’ll show you where to relax and recharge without leaving DC.

SEE THE LATEST FROM LAST NIGHT’S EVENTS Couldn’t attend? Browse the newest photos from the most exclusive parties in Washington, DC.

real estate

DC HOMES WITH GORGEOUS FIREPLACES You’ll want to warm up by the fireplace at these luxurious homes once winter hits.

Malibu • Newport Coast • Laguna Los Angeles • New York City • Palm Beach www.HesperaDesigns.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARLA DAWN STUDIO (VACATION); GEARSHIFT.TV, WIREIMAGE, KRIS CONNOR (WRIGHT); BLINDFIRE (REAL ESTATE)

photos

ELIZABETH E. THORP Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor OUSSAMA ZAHR Art Director ALLISON FLEMING Photo Editor REBECCA SAHN Associate Editor AMY MOELLER Senior Fashion Editor LAUREN FINNEY Copy Editor NICOLE LANCTOT Contributing Researcher KAREN MCCREE

SUZY JACOBS Publisher Associate Publisher MEREDITH MERRILL Account Executive FENDY MESY Director of Event Marketing LAURA MULLEN Sales Assistant ELENA SENDOLO

NICHE MEDIA HOLDINGS, LLC Senior Vice President and Editorial Director MANDI NORWOOD Vice President of Creative and Fashion ANN SONG Creative Director NICOLE A. WOLFSON NADBOY Executive Fashion Director SAMANTHA YANKS ART AND PHOTO

Senior Art Director FRYDA LIDOR Associate Art Directors ANASTASIA TSIOUTAS CASALIGGI, ADRIANA GARCIA, JUAN PARRA, JESSICA SARRO Senior Designer NATALI SUASNAVAS Designers AARON BELANDRES, SARAH LITZ Photo Director LISA ROSENTHAL BADER Photo Editors KATHERINE HAUSENBAUER-KOSTER, JODIE LOVE, SETH OLENICK, JENNIFER PAGAN Senior Staff Photographer JEFFREY CRAWFORD Senior Digital Imaging Specialist JEFFREY SPITERY Digital Imaging Specialist JEREMY DEVERATURDA Digital Imaging Assistant HTET SAN FASHION

Fashion Editor FAYE POWER Fashion Assistants CONNOR CHILDERS, LISA FERRANDINO Entertainment and Bookings Editor JULIET IZON COPY AND RESEARCH

Copy and Research Manager WENDIE PECHARSKY Copy Editors DAVID FAIRHURST, JULIA STEINER Research Editors LESLIE ALEXANDER, JAMES BUSS, JUDY DEYOUNG, AVA WILLIAMS EDITORIAL OPERATIONS

Director of Editorial Operations DEBORAH L. MARTIN Director of Editorial Relations MATTHEW STEWART Editorial Assistant CHRISTINA CLEMENTE Online Executive Editor CAITLIN ROHAN Online Editors ANNA BEN YEHUDA, TRICIA CARR Senior Managing Editors DANINE ALATI, KAREN ROSE, JILL SIERACKI Managing Editors JENNIFER DEMERITT, MURAT OZTASKIN Shelter and Design Editor SUE HOSTETLER Timepiece Editor ROBERTA NAAS ADVERTISING SALES

Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing NORMAN M. MILLER Account Directors SUSAN ABRAMS, MICHELE ADDISON, GUY BROWN, CLAIRE CARLIN, KATHLEEN FLEMING, VICTORIA HENRY, KAREN LEVINE, NORMA MONTALVO, ELIZABETH MOORE, GRACE NAPOLITANO, JEFFREY NICHOLSON, DEBORAH O’BRIEN, SHANNON PASTUSZAK, MIA PIERRE-JACQUES, VALERIE ROBLES, JIM SMITH Account Executives SUSANA ARAGON, MICHELLE CHALA, MORGAN CLIFFORD, JANELLE DRISCOLL, ALICIA DRY, VINCE DUROCHER, IRENA HALL, SARAH HECKLER, CATHERINE KUCHAR, JULIA MAZUR, MARY RUEGG, ERIN SALINS, LAUREN SHAPIRO, CAROLINE SNECKENBERG, JACKIE VAN METER, JESSICA ZIVKOVITCH Advertising Business Manager RICHARD YONG Sales Support and Development EMMA BEHRINGER, ANA BLAGOJEVIC, EMILY BURDETT, BRITTANY CORBETT, DARA HIRSH, KARA KEARNS, KELSEY MARRUJO, MICHELLE MASS, NICHOLE MAURER, RUE MCBRIDE, STEPHEN OSTROWSKI, ALEXANDRA WINTER MARKETING, PROMOTIONS, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations LANA BERNSTEIN Vice President of Integrated Marketing EMILY MCLINTOCK Director of Integrated Marketing ROBIN KEARSE Integrated Marketing Manager JIMMY KONTOMANOLIS Director of Creative Services SCOTT ROBSON Promotions Art Designers KAITLYN RICHERT, CARLY RUSSELL Event Marketing Directors AMY FISCHER, HALEE HARCZYNSKI, MELINDA JAGGER, JOANNA TUCKER, KIMMY WILSON Event Marketing Managers ANTHONY ANGELICO, JUDSON BARDWELL, CHRISTIAMILDA CORREA, CRISTINA PARRA Event Marketing Coordinator BROOKE BIDDLE Event Marketing Assistant SHANA KAUFMAN ADVERTISING PRODUCTION

Vice President of Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX Director of Positioning and Planning SALLY LYON Positioning and Planning Manager TARA MCCRILLIS Assistant Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY Production Manager BLUE UYEDA Production Artists ALISHA DAVIS, MARISSA MAHERAS, DARA RICCI Distribution Manager MATT HEMMERLING Assistant Distribution Relations Manager JENNIFER PALMER Fulfillment Manager DORIS HOLLIFIELD Traffic Supervisor ESTEE WRIGHT Traffic Coordinators JEANNE GLEESON, MALLORIE SOMMERS Circulation Research Specialist CHAD HARWOOD FINANCE

Controller DANIELLE BIXLER Finance Directors AUDREY CADY, LISA VASSEUR-MODICA Director of Credit and Collections CHRISTOPHER BEST Senior Credit and Collections Analyst MYRNA ROSADO Senior Billing Coordinator CHARLES CAGLE Senior Accountant LILY WU Junior Accountants KATHY SABAROVA, NEIL SHAH, NATASHA WARREN Accounts Payable Coordinator NADINE DEODATT ADMINISTRATION, DIGITAL, AND OPERATIONS

Director of Operations MICHAEL CAPACE Director of Human Resources STEPHANIE MITCHELL Executive Assistant ARLENE GONZALEZ Digital Producer ANTHONY PEARSON Facilities Coordinator JOUBERT GUILLAUME Chief Technology Officer JESSE TAYLOR Desktop Administrators ZACHARY CUMMO, EDGAR ROCHE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

J.P. ANDERSON (Michigan Avenue), SPENCER BECK (Aspen Peak [Acting], Los Angeles Confidential), ANDREA BENNETT (Vegas), KATHY BLACKWELL (Austin Way), KRISTIN DETTERLINE (Philadelphia Style), LISA PIERPONT (Boston Common), CATHERINE SABINO (Gotham), JARED SHAPIRO (Ocean Drive), SAMANTHA YANKS (Hamptons) PUBLISHERS

JOHN M. COLABELLI (Philadelphia Style), LOUIS F. DELONE (Austin Way), DAWN DUBOIS (Gotham), ALEXANDRA HALPERIN (Aspen Peak), DEBRA HALPERT (Hamptons), GLEN KELLEY (Boston Common), COURTLAND LANTAFF (Ocean Drive), ALISON MILLER (Los Angeles Confidential), DAN USLAN (Michigan Avenue), JOSEF VANN (Vegas)

Managing Partner JANE GALE Chairman and Director of Photography JEFF GALE Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer JOHN P. KUSHNIR Chief Executive Officer KATHERINE NICHOLLS Copyright 2014 by Niche Media Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved. Capitol File magazine is published six times per year. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material and it will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication subject to Capitol File magazine’s right to edit. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, photographs, and drawings. To order a subscription, please call 866-891-3144. For customer service, please inquire at capitolfile@pubservice.com. To distribute Capitol File at your business, please e-mail magazinerequest@nichemedia.net. Capitol File magazine is published by Niche Media Holdings, LLC., a division of Greengale Publishing, LLC. T: 202-293-8025 F: 202-293-8022 niche media holdings: 100 Church Street, Seventh Floor, New York, NY 10007 T: 646-835-5200 F: 212-780-0003

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e s t. 1 8 1 8

g e o rg e town

c o n n e ct i c u t ave n u e

tys o n s c o r n e r c e n t e r b ro o k s b rot h e rs.c o m

chevy chase

a n n a p o l i s town e c e n t r e at pa ro l e

Letter from the editor-in-Chief

I’m wrItIng you, dear Capitol File readers, from

the Acela train heading back to DC after interviewing our gorgeous cover girl, Megan Boone. Unless you’ve been living under a rock or have been held hostage by the mysterious Berlin, you will know Megan from NBC’s hit The Blacklist, an FBI crime drama set in Washington. Not only is she a gifted actor—taking on venerable costar James Spader in many gripping scenes—she’s also whip-smart (check out her vocab), very silly, and makes a mean salted caramel pudding. It’s a decadent dessert that I will be claiming as my own and taking to many holiday parties—you can, too (see page 98 for the recipe). The holiday season in Washington

is particularly jovial. Why? Because the mid-term elections are behind us, the fiscal year is closing, members of the House go on recess mid-December, luxury lifestyle magazines are closing their issues—cough—and there seems to be a collective sigh of relief. Busy Washingtonians are finally able to slow down and relish the things we’ve been moving too fast to appreciate. Spend your lunch hour enjoying the “Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea” exhibit at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, go holiday shopping at CityCenterDC or in Georgetown, bake gingerbread with the kids, indulge in a long lunch at Le Diplomate, or attend a holiday matinee. Eat. Drink. Be Merry.

Cozying up to our beautiful and fun cover star, The Blacklist’s Megan Boone. elizabeth e . thorp

Follow me on Twitter at @elizabethethorp and on capitolfile-magazine.com.

20 capitolfile-magazine.com

photography by paul morigi (motion picture association); © logan mock-bunting (spacey); Joyce boghosian/getty images (meridian ball); nigel parry (boone)

from left: At the Washington premiere of Kill the Messenger at the Motion Picture Association with the film’s director, Michael Cuesta, and its star and producer, Jeremy Renner; with Kevin Spacey at his second annual Kevin Spacey Foundation event in DC—the concert and party raised over $700,000 for arts mentoring and scholarships; it was double-date night at the 2014 Meridian Ball with my husband, Almus, and House of Cards actors Jayne Atkinson-Gill and Michel Gill.

alor.com

CHAS SCHWARTZ & SON MAZZA GAlleRie 5300 Wisconsin ave. nW 202.363.5432 THe WillARd HOTel 1400 F. street nW 202.737.4757 chasschWartz.com

letter from the Publisher

from left: With event designer Hillary Miko; coming together with Board of Visitors’ Kim Trundle and Anne Polk and Mulberry’s Memo Faraj for the Care for Kids kick-off; celebrating the release of our annual

Men’s Issue with Michael Gallagher of ESA.

and the many opportunities to put on a new party outfit: ’Tis the season for glam and glitz! But it’s also a good time to remember our mission: to connect, captivate, and celebrate with consciousness. While pursuing this mission, we don’t ever want to forget those who don’t feel much like celebrating at the moment. Throughout the seasons, we aim to connect our passions—for food, fashion, the arts, and the vibrancy of DC—with our goal of being more conscious of those around us in need. In the case of fashion, we were privileged to partner this year with a number of amazing charities to meet this goal. This past spring, Capitol File was honored to

collaborate with C. Wonder for an afternoon of shopping to benefit Skyler’s Gift Foundation, a charity that helps families who have lost premature babies. We love sponsoring the Children’s National Medical Center’s Board of Visitors Care for Kids Card shopping program, which brings merchants, restaurants, and DC residents together to benefit the hospital. Mulberry in Tysons Galleria kicked off this year’s Care for Kids Card program, and Sara Campbell Boutique, Ann Hand, Michael Kors, and many others also held events to promote the worthy cause. More fashion philanthropy was on stage at Neiman Marcus, Mazza Gallerie, where Brunello Cucinelli showcased its fall collections at a benefit for St. Jude Children’s

Research Hospital. And we were very proud to be the media sponsor of Luke’s Wings Hero Gala: Where Fashion Takes Flight, raising money and awareness for the organization, which brings family and loved ones to the side of wounded soldiers during hospitalization and rehabilitation. These and many other causes motivate us to be more conscious. With the holiday season upon us, I ask you, Capitol File readers, to think about the stories and causes that move you, and to be conscious today of a cause or a person who could use a little extra celebration. Doing so may end up being a gift not only to others, but also to you. Happy Holidays, and thank you for all of your support of Capitol File this year.

suzy jacobs Follow me on Twitter at @suzyjacobsdc and visit capitolfile-magazine.com.

22 capitolfile-magazine.com

photography by tony brown

We here at Capitol File love our holiday season

Introducing New Tommy Bahama Compass

Available at Macyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and macys.com, Tommy Bahama Stores and tommybahama.com

Ebs burnough writer The former political director to First Lady Michelle Obama and onetime deputy White House social secretary, Ebs Burnough is the president of EBSI, a communications and brand strategy firm. Burnough, who splits his time between Chicago, Washington, and New York City, wrote this issue’s Front Runner (page 4).

Tracy sEfl writer

nigEl Parry photographer

Tracy Sefl is a strategic communications consultant and senior advisor to the Ready for Hillary SuperPAC. She works with advocacy groups, think tanks, and candidates, and splits her time between Washington, DC, and Chicago, where her husband is a professor at Northwestern University medical school. For this issue, Tracy wrote Behind the Scenes (page 62).

Parry began his career in London before moving to New York City in 1994. Since then, he has been commissioned by distinguished publications and entertainment companies worldwide and became the first portrait photographer invited to exhibit at the Cannes Film Festival. He shot this issue’s cover star, Megan Boone (page 96).

How do you spend your time when you’re not writing for Capitol File? We recently adopted a rescue dog. She would prefer to have 100 percent of my attention, 100 percent of the time. What’s your proud-

est career moment? Favorite memory of holidays at the White House? One year, the florist created a large replica of Bo, the White House dog. As the children streamed through the halls with their families, it was a delight to see them respond so well. The most challenging part of writing this? Trying to put it all into 350 words! Holidays at the White House are filled with such joy and tremendous work—there is far too much to talk about. In DC, we can find you… I love Off the Record at the Hay Adams—it’s so homey, and you’re sure to have a wonderful cocktail—but I also enjoy the occasional hot dog and cheesy fries from Ben’s Chili Bowl. Favorite wintertime meal? Roast chicken, potatoes, and a little steamed kale on a cold winter night. Most inspiring person you’ve worked with? Ambassador Capricia Marshall, a great friend and mentor, has always been generous in imparting her knowledge and expertise to me.

24 capitolfile-magazine.com

// holiday 2014

Working with the Ready for Hillary organization. We have proven that politics can still be positive. Favorite DC haunts? I’m a sucker for fireplaces. The Jefferson, Barcelona, Room 11, the Georgetown Ritz, Tabard Inn. What is your

must-see event in DC this time of year? I was a classical musician in a past life. The holidays aren’t complete without taking in the NSO’s performance of Handel’s Messiah.

What was the best part of photographing Megan Boone? As usual, when meeting TV and movie personalities, it’s the fact that you get a chance to meet the real person and not the character. And you get to find out the inside scoop on what’s going to happen in the series! And the most challenging part? When his or her filming schedule eats into your shoot time and you have to work double-quick. Of which

career moment are you proudest? Being able to photograph all the presidents that have been in power since I’ve lived here over 20 years. Whom do

you consider a mentor? Tom Ford always has the best advice—both visual and sartorial!

MElaniE fondEr KayE writer Melanie Fonder Kaye is a strategic communications consultant and former director of communications to Dr. Jill Biden, second lady of the United States. Prior to that, Melanie was vice president at the communications firm GMMB, and she is also a former political reporter for The Hill newspaper, among other publications. For her Capitol File debut, Melanie penned “Washington Winter Wonderland” (page 114).

What was the best part about writing this piece? Washington can be a grind, so I loved being reminded of how the city comes alive around the holidays—it really is magical. Whom do you consider a mentor? Dr. Biden. I feel incredibly lucky to have worked with someone so inspiring—in her public life, as a lifelong educator, and in her personal relationships with family and friends. She sets a high bar! This holiday

season you’ll be sure to… I can’t wait to take my older daughter to the musical The Gift of Nothing at the Kennedy Center.

photography by Victor Jeffreys (burnough)

...wiThouT whoM this issue would not have been possible

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the list holiday 2014

Leona Agouridis

Yo Matsuzaki

Patrick Maloney

Frank Gruber

Barry Koslow

Amb. GĂŠrard Araud

Barry Redler

Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky

Kim Trundle

Oscar de la Renta

Ned Muskie

Mark Shriver

Jennifer Pham

Jeffery Wilkins

Sally Stephens

Amy Selco

Kirsty Welch

Chris Dunn

Trish Yan

Dave Franco

Sam Fox

Ivory Zorich

Mary Streett

Claudia Birkahn

Dr. Andrew Weil

Miguel Toullier

Wayne Skinner

Victoria Fulkerson

Senator Chris Dodd

Andrew Gerstel

Shana Glickfield

Jeff Feige

Ari Wilder

Hope Scibal

April Delaney

Krysta Paradis

Felix Bighem

Paul Trible

Micah Wilder

Peter Eramo Jr.

Vanessa Casas

Monica Jones

Greg Blake

Hannibal Buress

Vikram Sunderam

Dr. Arleen Lamba

Anthony Burchard

Jean Homza

Cedric Maupillier

Sab Shad

Ed Silver

Courteney Monroe

26â&#x20AC;&#x192; capitolfile-magazine.com

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Danielle DiFerdinando, in her New York studio, designs sophisticated bags sold at high-end retailers—while keeping the price under $100.

Tucked away on New York’s historic Fashion Avenue, on the same city block as offices for Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, sits the Danielle Nicole showroom. A sea of chic, on-trend bags greets each visitor; with custom hardware and materials sourced from across the globe, they look like high-end investment pieces, but they retail for a fraction of the cost. Creative Director Danielle DiFerdinando founded her namesake brand in 2008 at the age of 18, offering a fresh perspective nonetheless rooted in classic design. The continued on page 32

capitolfile-magazine.com 31

Style tastemaker

clockwise from left:

Danielle DiFerdinando takes inspiration from art and contemporary fashion for her designs; style variations on a palette theme; the Eva clutch, available at CUSP by Neiman Marcus Georgetown.

young designer describes her current holiday collection as “city bella.” “My muse for this collection is a chic Tribeca art gallery owner, and [the design] exudes modern style with a polished, sleek, and sophisticated look.” Born and raised in Columbia, Maryland, the designer honed her craft at an early age by sewing handbags and ties for friends and family, before enrolling at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Just like the two fashion and lifestyle titans she now calls her neighbors,

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DiFerdinando’s talent was first noticed by a high-end retail buyer. During an internship at Bergdorf Goodman, she was asked to create a line of cosmetic bags for the store. She entered the market as a purveyor of high-end handbags, but quickly adjusted her business model in light of the recession. These days her collections—carried at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Piperlime, and Amazon— have a luxe look at an affordable price point. “The entire line retails for

under $100!” enthuses DiFerdinando, who keeps costs down by developing her own leather-like materials. “I work very closely with my suppliers to achieve the soft and luxurious hand feel and texture of leather.” Colors are pulled from contemporary collections to keep the bags current, and the shapes are inspired by small boutiques scattered throughout Europe and Asia. “I combine what I see in both art and contemporary collections for my color story, and this is how the bag hues are developed,” she says.

The daily schedule of a young handbag designer is a whirlwind of business calls and production and design team meetings. DiFerdinando herself visits sales associates, and most nights, before catching a cab home, she closes out the day with evening events that range from buyer dinners to charity fêtes. She sits on the Board of Associates for Ronald McDonald House New York and has raised funds for the American Heart Association, among other charities.

When the handbag maven visits DC, which is often, she finds herself in Georgetown, where her neighborhood haunts include CUSP by Neiman Marcus, Pizza Paradiso, and of course, Georgetown Cupcakes. Ultimately, DiFerdinando plans to develop Danielle Nicole into a lifestyle brand. “The brand continues to grow season after season and will begin to expand into new product categories,” she says. “This is a very exciting time, and I look forward to sharing it!” CF

photography by Marc LeMoine (diferdinando, sheLves)

“My Muse for this collection is a chic tribeca art gallery owner, and [the design] exudes Modern style with a polished, sleek, and sophisticated look.” —danielle diferdinando

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STYLE Accessories HEAVY DUTY Bold metals and feminine crystals create the perfect contrast. Embellished sleeve with removable leather glove, Rochas (price on request). rochas. com. Lanvin Dahomar snake link and crystal necklace, Lanvin ($3,990). Neiman Marcus, Tysons Galleria, 703-7611600; lanvin.com

IN DETAIL

The musT-have parTy pieces of The Dc gala season pack an enchanTing pop of precious sTones.

ProP styling by brenda barr for Mark edward inc. Manicurist: kiyo okada at garren new york for chanel le Vernis Model: christina aMbers

photography by bill diodato fashion styling by faye power

34â&#x20AC;&#x192; capitolfile-magazine.com

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STYLE Accessories 1

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GLOVED PERFECTION

Icy blues make sleek decorative accents.

Luxe leather and vintage embellishments are a perfect match.

GOLDEN RULE

CAGED GEMS

Gilt details offer a timeless touch.

Glittering crystals adorn this season’s must-haves.

1. Emerald Pearl and Rhinestone Bubble necklace in brass, Balenciaga ($4,950). Barneys New York, 3040 M St. NW, 202-350-5832; barneys.com. Hangisi pump, Manolo Blahnik ($965). Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., 301-657-9000; saks.com. 2. Leather embellished gloves, Dolce & Gabbana ($3,995). Nordstrom, Tysons Corner, 703-761-1121; nordstrom.com. 3. Faceted floral and pearl embroidered box clutch, Marchesa ($2,495). Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 301-657-9000; saks.com. Crystal feather necklace, Oscar de la Renta ($1,195). Neiman Marcus, Tysons Galleria, 703-761-1600; oscardelarenta.com. 4. Green crystal open Horsebit bracelets ($1,650 each) and green crystal Horsebit bracelets ($1,350 each), Gucci. The Collection at Chevy Chase, 301-986-8902; gucci.com. Metal and crystal floral minaudière, Ralph Lauren Collection ($4,500). 1245 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-965-0905; ralphlauren.com

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STYLE Time Honored

Democracy of Diamonds

today’s Watchmakers are using classic diamonds in modern and sophisticated Ways— and Washington Women are taking note.

By RoBeRta Naas photogRaphy By Jeff CRawfoRd

There is undeniable truth in the statement “diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” Watchmakers are well aware of this and have created diamond timepieces to reflect the wishes and lifestyles of women who want to sparkle this season. These watches offer everything from a touch of diamonds on the bezel to go easily from day to night, to pieces enrobed in diamonds, from dial to case to bracelet—perfect for making a scintillating statement. Not your mother’s watches, these diamond timepieces offer a variety of modern design options and a hint of sex appeal with sophisticated black and white designs. For more watch features and expanded coverage go to capitolfile-magazine.com/watches. CF

the Bohème Date ($3,945) is part of a collection made expressly for women. The classically elegant watch is crafted in stainless steel with a diamond bezel. Montblanc at Tysons Galleria, 2001 International Dr., McLean, VA, 703-734-5101; montblanc.com This Fendi Chameleon Diamonds watch ($2,895) is crafted in steel and features a lustrous black

38 capitolfile-magazine.com

enamel inlay ending at the bottom of the case, with the Fendi logo set with 106 diamonds. Bloomingdale’s at Tysons Corner, 8100 Tysons Corner Center, McLean, VA, 703-556-4600; fendi.com From Rado, this HyperChrome ladies’ quartz watch ($3,575) is crafted in ceramic with 56 diamonds around the bezel. Diplomatic Duty Free, 1818 North St. NW, 202-466-4239; rado.com

styling by terry lewis

from top: All new from Montblanc,

STYLE Spotlight Beauty broker Susanna Quinn, whose new app allows users to book a bevy of services online.

baubles

SEA SPARKLERS

A Personal Entourage

Beloved British import Topshop adds another outpost to its roster with the opening of its newest location at Springfield Town Center. The 5,000-square-foot store boasts its signature, hip women’s clothing, footwear, makeup, and accessories. Springfield Town Center, 6500 Springfield Mall, Springfield, 703-8228091; us.topshop.com

Candy apple-colored handbags brighten up crisp winter DC days.

Valentino Garavani ($1,275). Nordstrom, Tysons Corner, 703-761-1121; nordstrom.com

Gucci ($895). Tysons Galleria, 703-506-6804; gucci.com

Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane ($1,990). Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 301-657-9000; saks.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF CRAWFORD (VALENTINO BAG); REILLY FOLSOM (VELUXE)

Custom-designed, handmade ring with cultured pearl and diamonds, Jorge Adeler ($6,898).

PAINT THE BAG RED

40 CAPITOLFILE-MAGAZINE.COM

Paint, wallpaper, and color expert Farrow & Ball opened its ﬁrst Washington, DC, showroom this fall in Friendship Heights. The 2,300-square-foot space offers the full range of the brand’s stylish papers and eco-friendly exterior and interior paints—all of which are made in Dorset, England—as well as its color consultancy program, in which retail and trade customers can interact with color, paint, and ﬁnish. 5221 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-479-6780; farrow-ball.com

FAST, FUN FASHION

When writer, entrepreneur, and socialite Susanna Quinn realized there were beauty services she wanted but didn’t have the time for, the DC native and her partner, Monica Spaller, created a solution for on-the-go Washingtonians. Enter Veluxe, the duo’s mobile app, launching this holiday season in the Washington area. The app allows users to instantly book a bevy of services online, including blow-outs, mani-pedis, makeup application, and personal training, which are then conducted in the user’s home or office, to “make everyone from a Congressional staffer to an investment advisor to a stayat-home mom feel like a movie star, in the comfort of their own space,” says Quinn. We’ll take it. veluxe.com

Tory Burch ($350). 1211 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-337-1410; toryburch.com

WONDER WALL

WITH THE NEW APP VELUXE, BUSY WASHINGTONIANS CAN ORDER IN BEAUTY SERVICES FROM HOME.

Marc Jacobs ($1,350). Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 301-657-9000; saks.com

Internationally known local jeweler Jorge Adeler brings yet another beautiful piece into his Great Falls flagship location. This exclusive ring features a cultured pearl that served as its inspiration. Adeler showcases the stone’s natural elegance in a diamond surround and yellow-gold setting. The Argentinean-born designer, who has had a presence in the area since 1975, also debuted a men’s collection earlier this year inspired by ancient Rome. 772 Walker Road, Great Falls, 703-759-4076; adelerjewelers.com

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CULTURE Hottest Ticket

A Family That Sings Together

MARIE OSMOND DISHES ON HER FAMOUS HOLIDAY SPECIAL WITH BROTHER DONNY, WHICH COMES TO THE NATIONAL THEATRE THIS DECEMBER. BY AMY MOELLER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ABBY GREENAWALT

“The blueberry pie—shut up, so good.” When I first meet Marie Osmond in the Helen Hayes Gallery at the National Theatre, where she is being photographed for Capitol File, she’s raving about the lunch she just had at Joe’s Seafood, just a few blocks away. Warm and upbeat, she seems excited to talk about the tour—dotting sincere conversation with playful jabs at her brother—and she’s as gracious as you’d imagine, happy to chat with a couple of fans along the way. For the first and likely last time ever, The Donny & Marie Christmas Tour is coming to DC this holiday season, where the duo will play seven shows in six days. In between photos, we chat about the show, the holidays, and what she loves about DC.

After a personal tragedy in 2010, Marie and Donny Osmond created an ever-evolving holiday show to take on the road each year.

You and Donny have been performing at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas five nights a week since 2008. You grew up doing original family holiday TV specials in the 1970s, and then did your own Christmas shows for years. How did the idea for this holiday show, now in its fourth season, come about? Once I had my children, Christmas was always sacred. The actual truth of how this show happened: My son passed away [in 2010], and I didn’t want to be home for Christmas. I said, “I’m going to go out and do a show,” and Donny said, “Well, let me do it with you.” We went and did a show on Broadway in New York, and it got really nice reviews. And my children loved it, because they didn’t want to be home either, so it’s become our tradition now. The show has evolved since the first year, but that’s how it started. CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

CAPITOLFILE-MAGAZINE.COM

CULtURe hottest ticket Ms. OsMOnd GOes tO WashinGtOn

This season, Donny and Marie Osmond bring their three-stop-only holiday show to Washington for the first time.

“The National Museum of American History. I especially love the exhibit with the frst ladies’ clothes. I love to go, and my husband loves it because I can’t buy any of them. [Laughs] It’s so fun to take your children. There are so many incredible things to see. There’s such incredible history here, and our children need to know. Every time I’m here, you can’t get me to enough places to see.”

You use old footage as part of the show. How reminiscent is it of the Christmas TV specials? Well, you can’t create snow outside and horses pulling a sleigh, right? But we have video that some will remember, and video that no one has seen before. It’s holiday-based, but we won’t have all Christmas numbers because I think some people want to hear “Puppy Love” and “Paper Roses,” things like that. I sing many styles of music, so I’m putting in some opera pieces, soprano, country, pop… Maybe a jazz piece. Over five decades I’ve challenged myself to learn different styles of singing. Donny can only sing one way. [Laughs] I’m so horrible! You only play a handful of cities each year. We’ve only played a few markets—this is the first time we’ve been here in DC—and we don’t go back. We’ve been up in Canada, we’ve played in Los Angeles, Detroit. We only play [a few places] because we only have four weeks [of the holiday season]. And of course, you know, with Donny, he’s so old… [Laughs] No! He looks great! Tell us about the audience. People come from all communities, all walks of life. One family said, “This is our Christmas present to each other. We don’t want gifts; we want something that we can sit and talk about.” I read the tweets after the show. People say, “We went out to dinner after… we laughed and talked about when we were kids to our kids… we just bonded.” At a meet-and-greet in Las Vegas, this 27-year-old girl said, “I grew up hearing about the Osmonds from my mother, and she took me to the Christmas show in Los Angeles, [where] I became a fan. So for her birthday, I bought her tickets for a mother-daughter trip to Las Vegas.” I think Donny and Marie [spans the generations]. You love the idea of experiences in lieu of gifts. To me, especially as a mom, you can give stuff, or you can

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give meaningful gifts. I like it because it’s an event. These shows don’t come around often, and the one thing I can honestly say is this: People leave happy. They really get a respite from life. They get to go back to something that’s like apple pie and comfort food, and it’s a time out. You have to take time for family. You have to take time for friends. Speaking of family, you must have great holiday traditions. We worked together all the time, so the biggest tradition over the holidays was that we didn’t want to see each other. [Laughs] A tradition with my children that really started with my mother is pajamas. We open one present on Christmas Eve, and it’s always pajamas. We usually stay in them all day. And you know they’ll never wear them again, but my kids look forward to it, it’s so cute. Also, I needlepoint a stocking—petit point—for all my kids, and they love that. The stockings are a big deal in our house. One of the things I really like to do on Christmas Eve—if we can do it, it depends on where we are—is feed the homeless. I think it’s important for children before they’re blessed, to serve. Do you have a favorite Christmas memory? Before we had families, when we were siblings at home, Donny and I rented out a storage facility and decorated it. [Laughs] Then we got this big U-Haul truck; we tweaked it with pillows and lights, and we played Christmas music. We went to everybody’s house and picked them up and their kids, and then we all went out to this storage unit. It had like five Christmas trees, all the presents, couches; we had it catered, and we all stayed there all night long and helped the kids with the toys, and it was just really fun. We had to get a storage unit, because there’s nothing else big enough to hold all of us! Donny & Marie: Christmas at the National hits the stage December 2–7 at the National Theatre. For tickets and other information, visit donnyandmarietour.com. cf

last trip to DC: “I was the Grand Marshal for the [National] Cherry Blossom Festival in 2012.”

aDDing to the Family: “[After the Cherry Blossom Festival,] I went to the Washington Humane Society’s beneft Fashion for Paws… and I adopted a dog, George. He’s defnitely a politician—he works the family. We love him. His name was Jorge, and I thought, well, how perfect. My dad’s name was George, and [there’s] George Washington, so we named him George. He’s so cute.”

photography by Larry Marano/getty IMages (perforMance); hugh taLMan/the natIonaL MuseuM of aMerIcan hIstory (MuseuM); ManDeL ngan/afp/getty IMages (cherry bLossoMs); KrIs connor/getty IMages (fashIon for paws)

Favorite DC spot:

I N 1 9 2 8 H A R RY WA R D M A N D E V E L O P E D H I S M O S T I C O N I C BU I L D I N G A N D E S TA B L I S H E D A S TO R I E D L E G AC Y I N WA S H I N G TO N ' S H I S TO RY.

I N 2 0 1 5 T H I S L A N D M A R K E D R E S I D E N C E W I L L R E O P E N I T S D O O R S TO U N V E I L D E B O R A H B E R K E PA RT N E R S ' L AV I S H R E S TO R AT I O N O F 3 2 H I S TO R I C H O M E S.

SALES BEGIN THIS WINTER

WA R D M A N T O W E R . C O M

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of us policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or sources of income.

culture Art Full

Mother and Muse

Rest on the Flight into Egypt, also known as Madonna of the Cherries, by Federico Barocci, 1570–73.

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Gracing cathedrals and canvases the world over, the Virgin Mary is an immortal muse. A subject of inspiration for artists since the sixth century, her image is iconic and universally seen as a symbol of womanhood and maternity, devotion and eternal love. An exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, “Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea,” looks through the lens of Mary’s likeness to reveal the influences of her image by bringing together more than 60 Renaissance- and Baroque-era masterpieces—many on view for the first time in the United States—on loan from the Vatican Museums, Musée du Louvre, and other museums, churches, and private collections. Visitors to the exhibition may immediately recognize Mary as a metaphor for spirituality, though the museum hopes viewers will discover the layers of political and social significance, even in well-known works by greats such as Botticelli or Michelangelo. “One of the things I think the exhibition is going to do is deepen our understanding of the works we know and love,” says Kathryn Wat, chief curator at NMWA. “I hope that visitors to ‘Picturing Mary’ will appreciate the depth of content and meaning in these works. While they are beautiful and familiar, they also convey a very profound idea about womankind.” For the first time, the museum created an online exhibition to complement the in-gallery experience, showing a “global Mary,” Wat says. The site illustrates, through an interactive map, how the image of Mary has been adapted around the world, including the Virgin of Guadalupe and Black Madonnas from Europe and the Caribbean. Wat and exhibition curator Monsignor Timothy Verdon, director of Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, also studied the difference between how men and women artists have depicted Mary. The exhibition features four women artists—Sofonisba Anguissola, Artemisia Gentileschi, Orsola Maddalena Caccia, and Elisabetta Sirani—at an institution that typically only shows the work of women artists. Wat explains that “Picturing Mary” is part of an ongoing program of ambitious, large-scale loan exhibitions organized by NMWA that “study the humanist view of womankind… and this exhibition extends that focus.” December 5–April 12, 1250 New York Ave. NW, 202-783-5000; nmwa.org CF

photography © MUSEI VatICaNI/goVErNatorato SCV

The NaTioNal MuseuM of WoMeN iN The arTs’s new exhibit looks at depictions of Mary through the ages and how they reflect the tiMes in which they were created. by kristin guiter

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CULTURE Spotlight LIGHT UP

Festive Foliage

exhibit

THE US BOTANIC GARDENS GOES NAUTICAL FOR THE HOLIDAYS. From November 27 through January 4, the US Botanic Gardens once again presents a unique holiday display, which Washingtonians and visitors from all over the world have come to adore. This year’s seasonal exhibit invites guests to explore the seven seas, and, by the gleam of more than a dozen lighthouses, discover sea creatures, mermaids, and a pirate ship, all crafted by plants. In addition to the “nautical wonderland,” visitors can also check out the elaborate toy train in action. On Tuesday and Thursday evenings in December, enjoy extended hours, children’s activities, and live holiday music. US Botanic Garden Conservatory, 100 Maryland Ave. SW, 202-225-8333; usbg.gov/plan-your-holiday-visit

// be heard //

Holiday light lovers, rejoice! If you missed the lottery for the National Christmas Tree Lighting tickets, don’t fret. In its first official holiday season, CityCenterDC has you covered—and it’s totally ticket-free. On Saturday, November 29, guests are invited to attend the lighting of the inaugural CityCenterDC holiday tree—which is rumored to tower more than 70 feet tall—and enjoy live music, sparkling décor, and delicious treats in the complex’s Rockefeller-Centermeets-DC pedestrian area, also known as The Park. While you’re there, get a little holiday shopping done, and grab pre- or post-lighting dinner and drinks at DBGB Kitchen and Bar, one of the Center’s dining partners. CityCenterDC, 825 10th St. NW, 202-289-9000; citycenterdc.com

LIFT YOUR VOICES

One of the city’s most beloved Christmas rituals, the Messiah Sing-Along at the Kennedy Center has been a mainstay of the DC holiday season for more than four decades. This season, conductor Barry Hemphill leads the Opera House Orchestra and professional soloists, along with an enthusiastic audience, in Handel’s Messiah on Tuesday, December 23, in the concert hall. The two-hour event is free but requires tickets, which can be picked up beginning at 6 PM on the day of the performance. John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW, 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org

CAPITOLFILE-MAGAZINE.COM

// MUST SEE // 1

AN ALL-AMERICAN NUTCRACKER

For many, a production of Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker is the quintessential holiday experience, with its visions of the Land of Sweets and the enchanting beings who reside there, from the Spanish and Arabian dancers bearing chocolate and coffee to the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier dancing an exquisite pas de deux. But Washington Ballet’s much-admired production, which turns 10 this year, transports the audience to a very different time and place—the United States throughout its 238-year history, with notable stops in the revolutionary and Victorian eras. Artistic director Septime Webre’s clever concept puts a red, white, and blue spin on the fantastical adventures of every generation’s favorite Christmas toy, complete with Washingtonian nods such as cherry blossoms and an 1882 Georgetown setting. Noteworthy historical characters make cameos, as well, including George Washington as the Nutcracker, who does battle with King George III, instead of the usual Rat King. ’Tis the season to continue old traditions—or put a twist on them. Warner Theatre, December 4–28, 513 13th St., 202-397-7328; washingtonballet.org

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHUTTERSTOCK (CHRISTMAS TREE); TONY BROWN/COURTESY OF THE WASHINGTON BALLET (NUTCRACKER); CAROL PRATT (KENNEDY CENTER)

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PEOPLE View from the Top

EvEryman anchorman photography by daniel bedell

As he mArks the 60th AnniversAry of Face the NatioN And 45 yeArs At CBs, BoB Schieffer—the geniAl unCle of sundAy morning tAlk who speCiAlizes in the CurveBAll question—hAs plenty of his own stories to tell. by steve clemons Out of thousands of interviews he’s done in four and a half decades at CBS, the gleefully wry Bob Schieffer confesses that one of his favorites may not be appropriate for primetime capitol File. Testing my nerve, just as his was on live TV, Schieffer says that when he tactfully tried to raise the question of anatomical disclosures made by alleged Bill Clinton dalliance Paula Jones during a Face the nation spot with Clinton’s lawyer, Bob Bennett, Bennett responded, “The President is

normal in size, shape, and direction!” “I almost slid under the table,” Schieffer recalls. “So stunned that I forgot to ask the obvious follow-up, ‘How did he know?’” While wildly successful news pop-ups like Vox, Buzzfeed, and Vice are knocking down yesterday’s media giants, Schieffer’s brand seems undiminished—as iconic as Walter Cronkite—after 23 years hosting Face the continued on page 58

capitolfile-magazine.com 57

PEOPLE View from the Top

Nation, now celebrating its 60th anniversary. While Schieffer and his predecessors on Face the Nation—eminences like Howard K. Smith, Paul Niven, and Lesley Stahl—have asked the tough questions of every US president since Dwight D. Eisenhower, along with America’s pantheon of the powerful, Schieffer has kept his humor and his head, entertaining and informing millions of Americans. He defies the self-serious lugubriousness of many of his top-tier peers, tacking snickers and earthy quips onto his tough-edged queries that somehow make him the most human of America’s political media elites. Of his secret life, he says, “I’ve always loved writing poetry—most of it bad, I guess—but I decided bad poetry makes good country music.” And sure enough, in a band he anchors called Honky Tonk Confidential and on an album, Road Kill Stew and Other News, his Texas twang and ode to the everyman yield these lines in the self-deprecatingly fun “TV Anchorman”: Well I left this job that I just took, Started practicing my “sinceeere” look, They said I had the face of a man with heart. They wrote me some lines, taught me to smile, drew a happy face on the script where I should smile, and the key demographics went right off the chart…. Selling tractor hats and pumping gas, That’s all part of my long ago past, Now I just sit there and read the news. He became a TV anchorman! Like pork fat on ribs, it’s tough to get it out of your head.

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“The besT poliTician i ever knew was The firsT one ThaT i knew—lyndon Johnson. he knew how To geT Things done in washingTon, which has become a losT arT.” On the more serious side, Schieffer shares his ratings of presidents. “The best politician I ever knew was the first one I knew—Lyndon Johnson. He made a terrible mistake on Vietnam, but his achievements on civil rights were monumental. He knew how to get things done in Washington, which has become a lost art…. The president I liked most personally was Gerald Ford, just one of the nicest people I ever met in public life—and the most normal.” Schieffer started at CBS in 1969 and says that the Kennedy assassination and 9/11 are the hardest stories he ever covered. “I knew 11 people who were killed or who lost close relatives [on September 11]. When Kennedy was killed, we didn’t know if it was the beginning of World War III or what it was— nothing like that had ever happened in our lifetime,” says the newsman. “That awful weekend in Dallas changed America forever. I am not sure we are over it. It is one of the biggest stories that I

ever covered, and it is one of those stories that I want everyone to know about and learn from.” Along those lines, Schieffer says that the show he was most proud of was the Emmy Award-winning program CBS did for the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. Schieffer still considers Lee Harvey Oswald the interview he would most liked to have conducted— not that he’s complaining. “If my life ended tomorrow, I would not feel shortchanged,” he says. Asked what question he’s always wanted to answer but never been asked, he replies, “I have been a reporter for more than half a century now.... I think I have been asked every question you could possibly be asked.” Schieffer offers plenty of other gems, including a bit of advice to up-and-coming journalists. “You have to work a lot of Christmases… and when the phone rings, answer it. It may be your big story.” cf

photography by JEWEL SaMaD/aFp/gEtty IMagES (DEbatE); Zach FrEEMan photography (banD); KarIn coopEr/aFp/gEtty IMagES (face the nation)

from far left: Bob Schieffer moderates the final campaign debate between Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama in 2012; Schieffer performs with his band, Honky Tonk Confidential; the Face the Nation host shares a laugh with President Bill Clinton in an interview from 1997.

PEOPLE Talent Patrol

Ryan Hansan’s Scratch DC offers dinner kits with high-quality ingredients and short prep time— delivered straight to your door.

Gourmet on-DemanD

Now, as part of his development plan, Hansan has hired Katie Haughey, a It has been a very good year for Ryan Hansan. L’Academie de Cuisine– trained chef who’s had stints at Blue Duck Tavern The 28-year-old founder of Scratch DC is in the process of moving his dinand Fiola Mare. He’s hoping Haughey can lead his kitchen staff from prepner kit empire into an 8,000-square-foot facility in Northeast Washington, a ping and delivering 600 to 800 deconstructed, ready-to-cook meals a week, space he has gutted and renovated to include a huge commercial kitchen. to thousands. Hansan envisions expanding the company’s service area to When we meet at the beginning of October, the handsome entrepreneur is cater to busy professionals in Richmond, Philadelphia, beaming—and flaunting a shiny new wedding band, having and beyond, but he keeps mum on the details, saying only just days before married his college sweetheart, realtor INSIGHT he’s “working on an innovative and exciting new distribuLisa Lamont, whom he affectionately calls “Scratch DC’s best of both worlds: tion technology to bridge the gap between the magic of chief unofficial taste tester.” “I was very much blessed with my the growing, web-based convenience economy and the The couple plans to spend the month of December on mother’s culinary acumen. And my dad, real-world realities of delivery.” their honeymoon abroad, taste-testing together on a culia pretty successful businessman here Asked about other popular dinner kit websites such as nary tour of India. In his absence, Hansan leaves his in DC, taught me a lot of invaluable Plated or Blue Apron, he insists he’s not competing. two-year-old company in the hands of his 20-something entrepreneurial lessons.” Rather, Hansan considers Scratch DC to be higher-end, staff, even as the business is on the verge of expansion. with boxes, or “bundles” (portioned for 2 servings), full of It’s the same relaxed, yet self-assured attitude that has led fresh, locally sourced ingredients delivered on the day they’re assembled. the Reston native and American University graduate to his current success. In the short-term, the company will add Friday delivery to its current Hansan boasts no culinary background, but until now has unabashedly develMonday-through-Thursday line-up, and is looking into weekend-brunch bunoped all of Scratch DC’s well-reviewed recipes himself. “I never worked in a dles along with beer and wine pairings, giving Washingtonians even more restaurant,” says Hansan, “and I think that has actually helped significantly, reason to skip the trip to the grocery store. 202-549-1421; scratchdc.com cf because I look at things from the eyes of a home cook.”

60 capitolfile-magazine.com

photography by abby greenawalt

Native WashiNgtoNiaN Ryan Hansan celebrates tWo years of locally sourced aNd ready-to-cook gourmet meals With scratch dc. by virginia coyne

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PEOPLE Behind the Scenes “With each job We did, based on the reputation of What We Were providing for the clients, We kept getting more Work.” —julie shanklin

Party Maven

a bright Star ON thE DC EVENt SCENE, JULIE SHaN LIN gEarS UP FOr a bUSY hOLiDaY gaLa SEaSON. by tracy sefl When Julie Shanklin launched a new event-planning business in 2005, she had a three-person staff—including her daughter, who was right out of college—and just one client on her roster. But it was enough to develop momentum. “With each job we did, based on the reputation of what we were providing for the clients, we kept getting more work,” she recalls. Nearly a decade later, her company, Syzygy Events International, is designing the Washington gala circuit at warp speed. Syzygy—which refers to the rare and nearly perfect way in which the sun, moon, and Earth align to create a solar or lunar eclipse—is known for the intricate and creative details of events that seem to fall perfectly into place. The company’s showstoppers have included a Christmas tree created out of

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carved Lucite panels for the Four Seasons Hotel, along with a 100-foot, reverse-Kabuki drop at the 125th anniversary gala for National Geographic at the National Building Museum, where guests’ tables were individually carved with topographic maps. One of Syzygy’s highest-profile achievements is the majestic, 28-foot-tall, ruby-red AIDS ribbon that has graced the North Portico of the White House annually for the past seven years. In fact, the final AIDS ribbon to appear at the Obama White House will be archived in the Obama presidential library, securing Syzygy a place in Washington history. “It looks like people have bigger budgets this year,” Shanklin observes. “Budgets have been growing over the last three years, since the economy had been down. And this year we’re hearing from people much earlier—usually clients come in around Thanksgiving, but right now we are already deep into proposals.” Syzygy’s designers and producers strive to make their productions memorable for DC’s discerning gala regulars, but Shanklin is every bit as proud of her company’s pro bono work. “Every year we pick a few charitable events— there are so many—to produce,” she says. “It’s important to us that the money the charities are raising actually goes to help that charity.” She donates design work each year to the Lupus Foundation of America’s gala at the Mellon Auditorium. “My daughter has lupus. It feels so good to give back to something that someday may hold a cure,” she says. She also mentions the Fashion for Paws Runway Show for the Washington Humane Society; two of the napping dogs in her office were rescued at a Fashion for Paws event. And what about Syzygy’s own holiday party? “We make that one much, much more homespun,” she laughs. “It’s not in our nature to relax at [our clients’] events, so we keep ours simple!” cf

photography by abby greenawalt

Julie Shanklin of Syzygy Events International takes a moment to unwind in between producing high-profile, dazzling events around town.

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PEOPLE Spirit of Generosity Martha’s Table CEO Patty Stonesifer talks with pre-K students at the nonprofit’s Child Development Center, which offers a bilingual program based on the dictum “learn through play.”

A Place at the Table for Everyone

The holidays are a time of bounty for families in our area gathering around the table to feast as they build memories and traditions. But there are still so many in our community who go hungry. During this giving season, and indeed all year round, Martha’s Table is a part of the critical safety net for disadvantaged children and working families. Our range of programs begins as early as infancy, providing the environment and resources necessary so that children grow up confident, healthy, and prepared to achieve success, with a heavy focus on healthy eating habits to be carried through life. A very important event for Martha’s Table is coming up in January: Sips & Suppers. Now in its sixth year, Sips & Suppers began as the brainchild of renowned chef and author Alice Waters to raise awareness around homelessness and hunger in the nation’s capital, and to promote efforts to develop

64 capitolfile-magazine.com

sustainable and local solutions to these challenges. It has grown from an intimate event featuring one supper in a private home into an incredible weekendlong fundraiser. Proceeds from that weekend support the DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table, and we have been floored by the generosity of our city. Often I am asked why and how I moved from

“i have always found one issue to be pervasive, persistent, and relatively unmoved: child poverty.” —patty stonesifer

working at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which grants over $3.6 billion a year to organizations around the globe, to Martha’s Table, which has a yearly operating budget of just over $6 million and focuses solely on low-income children and working families in DC. For me, the move is logical. I grew up one of nine children in a Midwestern family with a strong commitment to social justice. I went on to be a young working mother in school (and later dropping out), while trying my best to provide for my children. I was lucky enough to enter the tech industry at a point in which someone with a wealth of grit and commitment—but few qualifications—could have the opportunity to move up the ladder. When I moved from working at Microsoft to focusing full-time on philanthropy with Bill and Melinda, our first intentionally impactful project was to increase continued on page 66

photography by Eva russo for The WashingTon PosT via gEtty imagEs

AS MARTHA’S TAbLE PREPARES TO COMMEMORATE 35 YEARS nOuRiSHing WASHingTOniAnS WHO nEED iT MOST, OPPORTuniTiES TO SuPPORT AbOunD, inCLuDing THE AnnuAL ALiCE WATERS–HELMED bEnEfiT, SiPS & SuPPERS. by patty stonesifer

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KENNEDY CENTER HONORS Join The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as they recognize singer Al Green, actor and flmmaker Tom Hanks, ballerina Patricia McBride, singer-songwriter Sting, and comedienne Lily Tomlin at the 37th annual national celebration of the arts. When: December 7 Where: The Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW Contact: 202-416-8366; 202-636-8748; kennedy-center.org

WASHINGTON WINTER ANTIQUES SHOW above:

Patty Stonesifer, Joan Nathan, Alice Waters, and Mike Curtin speak at a Sips & Suppers fundraiser at the Newseum in 2013. below: Children participating in Martha’s Table programs receive nutritional, family, and educational support.

66 capitolfile-magazine.com

When: January 9–11 Where: The Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW Contact: 202-248-7159; washingtonwintershow.com

NUTCRACKER TEA Join the Washington Ballet in celebration of the holiday season for a performance of The Nutcracker with a tea-party reception to follow at the JW Marriott Hotel. Now in its 30th year, proceeds from the event support the Ballet’s artistic and educational programs that reach over 800 DC public school children in the community. When: December 14 Where: Warner Theatre, 513 13th St., 202-783-4000 Contact: Elizabeth Sizer, 202-274-4518, esizer@washingtonballet.org; washingtonballet.org

CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON’S ANNUAL HOLIDAY CONCERT AND GALA

private homes throughout the city, followed by important discussion surrounding hunger in the District. I invite you to participate in Sips & Suppers this year—and to be part of the solution for ending hunger by raising the critical resources we need to move the needle on hunger and child poverty in DC. Sips, January 24, 7 pm, at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; tickets start at $95. Suppers, January 25, 6 pm, at 29 homes throughout the DC metro area; tickets are $600; sipsandsuppers.org cf

As the Choral Arts Society celebrates 50 years, catch the holiday spirit at A Capital Christmas, their 34th annual Christmas gala. Enjoy a concert at The Kennedy Center, with a cocktail reception and silent auction to follow on the Terrace level. All proceeds of the event will go toward artistic programs and community outreach supported by the Choral Arts Society. When: December 15 Where: The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW Contact: Patricia Kramer, 202-244-3669, pkramer@choralarts.org; choralarts.org

photography by tyroe turner (children)

knowledge access for all by bringing the Internet to all libraries in the US. Of course, we went on to build the foundation, and our work provided critical service and support throughout the world. So when I stepped down from the Gates Foundation, it was intuitive for me to apply for a job at Martha’s Table, a local institution with a long history, a great brand, and a commitment to providing programs with opportunity, dignity, and social justice in mind. Throughout and beyond my time at the Gates Foundation, I have always found one issue to be pervasive, persistent, and relatively unmoved: child poverty. In the US, the “needle” on child poverty has remained unchanged throughout my life. Martha’s Table runs programs for DC neighbors from birth to adulthood—but I truly believe the solution lies in transforming the experiences and outlook for our youngest neighbors. I have also found in my work that none of the barriers to leading healthy and successful lives can be divorced from one another—hunger affects the ability to succeed in school, low-paying jobs impede parents’ abilities to buy healthy groceries and to eat healthy, and the need to pay rising housing and childcare costs narrows the amount of time in a day low-income parents and children can spend improving health and nutrition. Our work at Martha’s Table isn’t just logical—it’s essential. This winter’s Sips & Suppers is proudly hosted by celebrated chefs José Andrés, Joan Nathan, and Alice Waters. The weekend kicks off on Saturday, January 24, with Sips at the Newseum, celebrating the contribution young people make to feeding and supporting their community. That Sunday, Suppers will feature some of the country’s finest chefs preparing meals in

Help support the Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys, St. John’s Community Services, and THEARC at the Annual Washington Winter Antiques Show. With this year’s “Ports of Call” theme, you’ll be sure to fnd exquisite nautical antiques while making contributions to three deserving charities in the greater Washington area.

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On October 17, 2014, Meridian International Center hosted the third annual Global Leadership Summit in partnership with Gallup and the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. More than 200 infuential business leaders, policy makers, subject matter experts, diplomats and members of the media gathered for a high level forum featuring thoughtprovoking dialogue on the current and future state of global leadership. We would like to thank our speakers and sponsors who contributed to the success of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Summit.

tHanK you to tHe MeriDian GLoBaL LeaDerSHiP SuMMit SPeaKerS:

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Jon cLifton

Hon. Stuart w. HoLLiDay

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Managing Director, Gallup World Poll

President and CEO, Meridian International Center

Jennifer ryan crozier

H.e. ritva KouKKu-ronDe

Partner and Chair Emeritus, Government Affairs Practice Group, DLA Piper

Vice President of Global Citizenship Initiatives, IBM

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Deputy Special Representative for Global Partnerships, U.S. Department of State

anDrew f. GeLfuSo

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Chairman, Meridian International Center and Chair of Albright Stonebridge Group

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President and Chief Executive Officer, Enbridge

H.e. LiBerata MuLaMuLa

Ambassador of Finland to the U.S.

Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to the U.S.

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Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State

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Thank You To our Chairs, sponsors and CommiTTee members, as well as The embassies who hosTed pre-ball dinners, and all who aTTended The 46Th annual meridian ball.

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Special gueSt Jeremy renner joinS Capitol File for Kill the Messenger Screening. Capitol File and the Motion Picture Association of America hosted a private screening of Kill the Messenger with actor Jeremy Renner and director Michael Cuesta on September 23 at the MPAA theater. Following the screening, Jeremy Renner and Michael Cuesta sat down for a Q&A with MSNBC Hardball’s Chris Matthews. Notable attendees included CNN chief Congressional correspondent Dana Bash; The Hill COO Sheila Casey; The New York Times Pentagon correspondent Helene Cooper; Senator and MPAA Chairman and CEO Chris Dodd; Politico COO Kim Kingsley; Technology Policy Institute President Tom Lenard; The New York Times national security correspondent Mark Mazzetti; Time Congressional correspondent Jay Newton-Small; and White House Visitors Office Director Ellie Schafer.

photography by paul morigi/getty

CoNTiNued oN page 72

Jeremy Renner at the screening of his new movie Kill the Messenger.

capitolfile-magazine.com 71

INVITED

Wendy Adeler Hall and Matt Craine

Lauren A. Reamy and Amelia Wang

Heather Rothenberg and Ellie Schafer

Dana Bash, Edie Emery, and Jay Newton-Small

Sen. Chris Dodd and Ned Muskie

Hollyn Schuemann, Stacey Dansky, and Todd Flournoy

Jeremy Renner sits with Chris Matthews during a Q&A.

Director Michael Cuesta

Anna Finnerty and Rena Jabbour

Angela Sitilides, Hillary Curtin, Stephanie Abraham, and Jeniffer Adeii

Joanne Turner and Mid Montgomery

Kathryn Key and Michelle Schoenfeld

DAVID YURMAN: ENDURING STYLE CAPITOL FILE AND David Yurman celebrated the exclusive debut of

the Fall 2014 campaign and a retrospective of 10 years of collaboration with Kate Moss and Peter Lindbergh on September 16 at the Tysons Galleria location. Hosted by friends of Becky’s Fund—a nonprofit dedicated to preventing domestic violence—a portion of the proceeds from the evening’s sales were donated to the organization. Kristin Cecci, Micky Farivar, Angela Steever, and Jennifer Harlow

CAPITOLFILE-MAGAZINE.COM

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HUGO BOSS MEN’S ISSUE DINNER

Hugo Boss showcasing its women’s fashion.

CAPITOL FILE AND HUGO BOSS toasted the

featured gentlemen of the Late Fall Men’s Issue on October 1 at an intimate seated dinner at Long View Gallery. Models lined the gallery donning Hugo Boss’s fall styles as guests were invited to enjoy a three-course, black-and-white-themed dinner by Windows Catering and styled by Syzygy Events.

Guests smile for the camera in the Criswell Maserati photo booth.

Sim Khan and Grant Oines

Gwen Holliday and Amb. Stuart Holliday

Justin Herman and Natalie Andrews

Ashley Arias and Kenny Cook race at the ESA gaming station

James Harris and Gianna Kellee

CAPITOL FILE 2014 MEN’S ISSUE CELEBRATION CAPITOL FILE CELEBRATED its annual Men’s Issue on October 1 with the

Entertainment Software Association and Criswell Maserati at Long View Gallery. The chic soirée, styled by Syzygy Events, featured the Entertainment Software Association’s gaming stations offering Forza 5 and FIFA 2014, and a Criswell Maserati photo booth. The sophisticated crowd enjoyed gourmet hors d’oeuvres by Windows Catering and Belle Isle Moonshine cocktails as DJ Gavin Holland kept the music going late into the night. Eduardo and Nikki De Pandi

CAPITOLFILE-MAGAZINE.COM

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Rachel James, Doug Kammerer, and Jocelyn Greenan

HEART OF FASHION

RIGHT: A Fall/ Winter look from Brunello Cucinelli.

A STYLISH CROWD gathered at Neiman Marcus Mazza Gallerie for the annual Heart of Fashion runway show and benefit for St. Jude’s Hospital. Co-chairs Rachel James and Jocelyn Greenan welcomed guests to an exclusive fashion presentation of Brunello Cucinelli’s 2014 Fall/Winter collection. Attendees then had the opportunity to bid on exciting items in the silent and live auction emceed by NBC4’s Doug Kammerer, raising funds for the children’s organization.

Davide Baroncini, Elif Gezgec, Danielle Codel, and Bonnie Chang

Craig McCullough and Taylor Wolfson Heather Shaw Menis and Silva Lalayan ABOVE: The runway featured tailored sportswear.

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Elinor Steele and Yolanda Londano

Rick Goings and Kiana Knolland

Lucy Calautti, David Lipsey, and Mary Ripley Sen. Barbara Mikulski receiving the Alice Award from Debby McGinn

Jean Baderschneider, Jeanne Mitchell, and Susan Carter with Hon. Doris Matsui Sen. Susan Collins

FINDERS of KEEPERS.

ALICE AWARDS THE SEWALL-BELMONT HOUSE & Museum celebrated its

Alice Award Luncheon on September 17 at the Washington historic property. The annual event honored Senator Barbara Mikulski with this year’s Alice Award along with Rick and Susan Goings as the recipients of the 2014 Voice for Women Award.

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taste this Issue: Cozy Up Bryan Voltaggio brings elevated—but still recognizable—comfort food dishes, including deviled eggs (pictured), to his Family Meal restaurants.

A TAsTe of Home

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FAMILY MEAL

BRYAN VOLTAGGIO’S FAMILY MEAL, WHICH OFFERS COMFORT FOOD CLASSICS DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON, OPENS NEW LOCATIONS IN ASHBURN, VIRGINIA, AND BALTIMORE. by nevin martell It’s a sunny Friday morning in early October. Bryan Voltaggio is sipping a mug of coffee at the counter of his deluxe diner, Family Meal, in Frederick, Maryland. Plates brimming with bourbon-glazed sticky buns, crab-packed waffles gussied up with Benedict fixin’s, and biscuits drenched in sausage gravy come out of the kitchen regularly. Later in the day, the menu focuses on hearty heartland favorites, such as mama’s-style meatloaf, deviled eggs, and fried chicken. “It’s approachable, recognizable food that you can feel good about feeding your family,” says Voltaggio. “Better yet, you don’t need to do any work at home.” Dressed in jeans, a plaid shirt, and an insulated vest to ward off the snappy fall air, the 38-year-old chefrestaurateur could be mistaken for a customer fueling up before heading to the office. Though he still spends a lot of time in chef whites at his establishments—including modernist flagship Volt nearby in Frederick, the sweeping European market-style Range in Chevy Chase, and its restaurant-within-a-restaurant Aggio—he is spending a growing amount of time expanding his epicurean empire. continued on page 82

capitolfile-magazine.com 81

taste

clockwise from left: Bryan

Voltaggio; fried chicken with buttermilk biscuits, pickles, and sides, including braised collard greens; a garden grows outside a Family Meal restaurant.

His latest efforts include debuting a bevy of new Family Meal locations, which will all be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, just like a classic roadside diner. Ashburn, Virginia, and Pier 4 in the Baltimore Harbor are set to open by the end of this year, while an outpost in Richmond, Virginia, is coming in early 2015. There are further plans to open another on DC’s waterfront, but the particulars haven’t been finalized. “Family Meal hits a sweet spot for everyone,” he says. “My goal is to create a chef-driven brand that works in the suburbs and can be an everyday restaurant for a variety of people.” It’s a concept rich with nostalgia—and not just for the days of slurping milkshakes while listening to Buddy Holly on the jukebox.

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“The American family is not getting to the dinner table as much as it used to anymore,” explains Voltaggio, “so I’m trying to create a spot where people get to do that again. When [business partner] Hilda [Staples] and I were talking about what we wanted this restaurant to be, we believed we were creating these restaurants for our families, because we are so busy ourselves.” Menus will contain a set number of standard dishes complemented by regionally and seasonally inspired fare. Voltaggio is quick to say that he isn’t trying to create a chain restaurant, though he fully admits he is trying to compete with them. “I can’t do a three-course dinner for $9.99 like they do,” he says, “but you do know you’ll get a better product when you come here.” To hone the menu, he has

“The AmericAn fAmily is noT geTTing To The dinner TAble As much... so i’m Trying To creATe A spoT where people geT To do ThAT AgAin.” —bryan voltaggio

been vigorously recipe testing with his team of chefs in the kitchen at Range. “Every dish, we’re dissecting it, ripping it apart, and putting it back together to make sure that it’s the best we can do,” he says. Part of the reason he is expanding Family Meal now is because he has a robust staff on his payroll, including many people who have been with him since the days when he only owned Volt. “I have the chefs that are going into

all of them,” he says, “so I can knock all these new locations out with people I know and trust in charge of them.” Perhaps when these new spots are up and running, Voltaggio will be able to take a step back and enjoy some well-earned time with his family. Until then, there’s work to be done. He takes a last sip of coffee, says his good-byes, and heads out into the autumn day. 880 N. East St.,

Frederick, MD, 301-378-2895; voltfamilymeal.com CF

You need a professional culinary degree to make most of the dishes in Bryan Voltaggio’s frst cookbook, Volt Ink (Olive Press, 2011). The Top Chef Masters star’s latest project is the exact opposite. Home: Recipes to Cook with Family and Friends (Little, Brown and Company, April 2015) focuses on homey comfort food. Think glazed bacon biscuits and chicken potpie fritters. It’s the kind of fare Voltaggio puts out at Family Meal or when he has an actual family meal. Not that the busy toque has many chances to sit down for supper with his wife and three kids. While overseeing the photography for the cookbook, he did spend some time in the kitchen with his seven-year-old son, Thacher, who created a dish on the fy—CocaCola-braised potatoes. “They tasted good,” says the proud father. “They were seasoned well. I was foored.”

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FAMILY MEAL

the recipe for a great family meal

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taste Cui-scene The John Carroll Room, tucked away in the back of 1789 Restaurant, boasts a roaring fire in a timeless setting.

Gather ’Round the Hearth

AS TEMPERATURES DROP, THESE SIZZLING RESTAURANTS INVITE GUESTS TO HAVE A VIP EXPERIENCE COZYING UP NEAR BLAZING FIREPLACES. By NeviN Martell A Colonial Affair There are six antiquebedecked dining rooms at 1789, a storied Georgetown institution (1226 36th St. NW; 202-965-1789; 1789restaurant.com). However, only the John Carroll Room boasts a fireplace. “You can’t beat the ambience; it’s something special,” says general manager Rich Kaufman, who recommends requesting table 14 or 15 directly in front of the flickering flames. Celebs and political heavyweights are a common sight. When Julianne Moore stopped in,

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she was so smitten by the hearth that she asked for a corner seat close by.

Licensed to Thrill Vintage maps decorate the walls of the private dining room tucked away in the rear of Nopa Kitchen + Bar (800 F St. NW; 202-3474667; nopadc.com). London, Paris, and Florence—three of restaurateur Ashok Bajaj’s favorite cities—are all represented. The snug Gallery Room space sports just six tables, each with a great view of the roaring fireplace. “It adds a lot of romance to the place,” says

Bajaj, who noted that the room is a hot spot on Valentine’s Day. The American–accented brasserie attracts A-listers year round: Pierce Brosnan, Bill Maher, and Nancy Pelosi have all supped there.

Sparks Fly Under the Stars The aroma of a blazing bonfire and wisps of smoke escape Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant (1622 14th St. NW; 202-588-5500; barcelonawinebar.com) into the night air. The source? An oak-fueled fireplace in

the first-come, first-served open-air courtyard. “It creates an atmosphere that attracts people, sometimes from blocks away,” says director of design Rocco Di Leo, who had the hearth forged out of concrete and steel to match the surrounding industrial aesthetic. The crackling hot wine bar is FLOTUS-approved— Michelle Obama was seen there last year.

A Night to Remember The lights are low and the shadows of flames dance high in the tasting room at

Iron Gate (1734 N St. NW; 202-524-5202; irongate restaurantdc.com). Tucked away beyond the carriage house bar—where ’N Sync’s Lance Bass was spotted enjoying a cocktail—and the alfresco garden patio, the backroom is the perfect rendezvous point for lovebirds. “We wanted to create a place that was warm and romantic, but still comfortable,” says chef-partner Tony Chittum. To win some serious points on date night, put in a special request for table eight directly in front of the vintage brick fireplace. CF

photography by greg powers (nopa kitchen + bar); courtesy of 1789 restaurant (1789); anthony istrico (barcelona)

above: With only six tables, Nopa Kitchen + Bar’s Gallery Room offers a well-tended fireplace in an intimate space. left: Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant keeps an oak-fueled fire going in its open-air courtyard.

202.638.6600 | WWW.HAYADAMS.COM | OFF THE RECORD BAR AT 16TH & H STREETS NW | WASHINGTON DC 20006

taste Cheers! Champagnes of ChoiCe Le Diplomate’s Erik Segelbaum recommends bottles of bubbly with high value for the price and multilayered flavors. brut force:

“Of all the bigger Champagne houses, Perrier-Jouët’s Grand brut NV ($35–$45) consistently delivers higher quality and more drinking enjoyability relative to comparable non-vintage Champagnes within a similar price point.” rosé-coLoreD GLasses:

“bruno Paillard is a fantastic grower. The ‘Première cuvée’ brut rosé ($50– $65) is very complex and heady with wonderful aromas

of berry pie (think blackberry, strawberry, and vanilla pie crust), backed with orange zest and citrus blossom notes.” DraWING a bLaNc:

“There are very few Blanc de Blancs Champagnes better than taittinger ‘comtes de champagne’ blanc de blancs 2004 ($125–$160), and certainly none of them even close in price and value. The texture and bubble are rich with wonderful brioche and toffee notes, carrying the wine to a long and elegant fnish.”

Get Your Bubbles On

champagne lovers have a lot to celebrate this season with new grower-producer varietals popping up across the city. by kayleigh kulp ’Tis the season for bubbles. Just the sound of a cork being sabered is enough reason for Washingtonians to celebrate year-round—DC is one of the 10 top Champagneconsuming cities in the country, according to the Wine Institute—but the holidays give even more excuse to pop brut and vintage bottles... and lots of them. “In DC, there is a special affinity for status and stature,” says Le Diplomate (1601 14th St. NW, 202-332-3333; lediplomatedc.com) sommelier and beverage manager Erik Segelbaum. “People holding Champagne smile a little brighter.” Since more than 40 percent of Champagne is sold from October through the year’s end, says Sam Heitner, director of the Dupont Circle–based Champagne Bureau, now’s the time to take advantage of well-stocked wine lists and inventories and try something new. “We’re seeing huge growth in by-the-glass lists,” Heitner says. “There are many more labels, brands, and producers in every store. You’ve never had more choices.”

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Champagne’s “versatility is appealing,” explains Inn at Little Washington (Middle and Main Streets, 540-6753800; theinnatlittlewashington.com) sommelier Bill Harris, who features an impressive roster of purveyors like Champagne Peters, Vilmart & Cie, Geoffroy, and 15 varieties from the “Special Club,” a group of récoltant-manipulants, or grower-producers, focused on promoting Champagne’s diverse expression of terroir (that is, the specific environmental factors that impart to the wine its distinct flavors). Champagne can be made with up to six grapes, Segelbaum says. It can be highly acidic or cloyingly sweet, buttery, round, or mineral, making it pair harmoniously with all types of food. Non-vintages, which demonstrate a wine style by blending various harvests, and blanc de blancs, which are made with chardonnay grapes, especially complement the seafood and oysters Washingtonians love so much. Uniquely defined by their “house style,” or the spin each producer puts on the process, Champagne brands achieve loyal followings no matter the grape used. For example, Krug’s longer fermentation of all varietals in oak results in a creamier, richer mouthfeel with smaller bubbles, along with notes of toffee, brioche, and pound cake, Segelbaum says. In addition to grower-producer varieties this season, the driest varieties, brut nature—or zero dosage—are on the rise. But don’t knock others such as rosé, which now make up more than 16 percent of all Champagne sold here. They aren’t all supersweet, thanks partly to the ability of winemakers to blend red and white wines to achieve them, offering more control over flavors. Want to get the true essence of any Champagne? Let the wine go flat before tasting, since the bubbles make you perceive it as drier and more acidic than it actually is, Harris says. Then forgo the Champagne flute for a regular wine glass, which allows the notes to blossom better. CF

photography by Eric StrifflEr

Beyond Veuve Clicquot: An eclectic variety of Champagnes has been descending upon DC, including those made with rosé, whose festive color makes it perfect for the holiday season.

10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!

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DECEMBER 4–28 at the historic WARNER THEATRE tickets available at washingtonballet.org or *includes $2 Warner Theatre preservation fee. Pictured: Ariel Breitman and Maki Onuki by Dean Alexander

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TASTE Spotlight // CONTEMPORARY CUISINE // 1

feel-good eats

LOCAL CHOCOLATE

order

THESE FESTIVE GOURMET MEALS ARE READY FOR PICKUP. BY AMY MOELLER Enjoy the best of both worlds this holiday season by gathering the family for a delicious meal at home, while leaving the cooking and prep to someone else. Blue Duck Tavern and BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant are offering traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts to-go this year. At BDT, the six-to-eight-person menu for both occasions is $350 and includes a roasted, free-range turkey, two freshly baked breads, and four traditional sides, plus pies for dessert. BlackSalt’s menus are à la carte and feature turkeys, oysters, soups, sides, pies, and more. Order early—both restaurants require reservations in advance. Blue Duck Tavern, 9101 24th St., 202-419-6755; blueducktavern.com; BlackSalt, 4883 MacArthur Blvd. NW, 202-342-9101; blacksaltrestaurant.com

// cool stuff //

RPM Italian, the Chicago restaurant that is the brainchild of celebrity couple Giuliana—a Washington–area native—and Bill Rancic and their partners, is coming to Washington. Under the umbrella of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, which owns seven other DC–area restaurants, including Joe’s Seafood and Wildﬁre, the modern Italian restaurant, which was still under construction at print time, will open at 601 Massachusetts Avenue near Mount Vernon Square in 2015.

CANDY APPLE 2.0

Fiola pastry chef Tom Wellings’s intricate take on the holiday staple is a blown-sugar sphere ﬁlled with apple espuma and served on buckwheat dentelle with cider-poached Honeycrisp apples, warm gingerbread, and vanilla gelato. 601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 202-628-2888; ﬁoladc.com

SWEET EXPANSION DC favorite Dolcezza adds a sixth store to its ice cream mini-empire.

What started in a 300-square-foot kitchen in Georgetown 10 years ago has blossomed into a DC dessert staple. Dolcezza, the small-batch and made-fresh-daily gelato that locals have come to treasure, is opening a new location in December

88 CAPITOLFILE-MAGAZINE.COM

RPM REVS UP FOR DC ARRIVAL

at CityCenterDC. Just in time for the holidays, the company’s sixth shop—other locations include 14th and P, Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Bethesda Row, and Fairfax—offers seasonal flavor favorites as well as coffee and espresso. Give the gift of

gelato this year with the company’s Nostalgic Wintertime pack ($60), which includes one pint each of Pistachio Siciliano, Georgia Butter Pecan, Nocciola del Piemonte, and Peanut Butter Stracciatella. 904 Palmer Alley NW; dolcezzagelato.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PARK HYATT WASHINGTON (BLUE DUCK TAVERN KITCHEN); ANJALI PINTO (RPM ITALIAN); MIA DESIMONE/TAA PR (FIOLA APPLE); JOSH COGAN (DOLCEZZA)

Effortless Holiday Feasts at Home

This holiday season, gift chocolate—and keep it local. A hidden gem in the Washington area, SPAGnVOLA Chocolatier gourmet chocolates are made from sustainably sourced premium cocoa and are handcrafted right in our backyard at the SPAGnVOLA chocolate factory in Gaithersburg. In addition to prioritizing quality control, the brand’s ingredients are harvested through sustainable farming practices that offer economic and empowerment opportunities for farmers. Take a tour of the Kentlands factory and boutique or pop into the outpost at National Harbor. 181 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill, MD, 240493-4609; factory tours are free but require reservations, 360 Main St., Ste. 100, Gaithersburg, 240-654-6972; spagnvola.com

taste On the town

WASHINGTON CAPITALS DEFENSEMEN ARL ALZNER AND JOHN CARLSON DISCUSS FOOD, FRIENDSHIP, AND THE FUTURE OF DC’S FAVORITE HOCKEY TEAM OVER DINNER AT BOURBON STEAK. by amy moeller

clockwise from above:

Best friends Karl Alzner and John Carlson unwind on the patio at Bourbon Steak before dinner; the steakhouse boasts one of the best single-malt Scotch lists in the city; Bigeye Tuna Rossini with pommes dauphinoise and summer truffle.

You guys could have picked anywhere in the city for this dinner. Why Bourbon Steak? Karl Alzner: I’ve never been—first-timer. John Carlson: The first time I came here was for brunch—we stayed here after my wedding—and I’ve been here one or two other times for dinner. It’s a great location with good food, and I wanted to come back. John, you just got married in September, and Karl, you’re having a baby girl in December. Congratulations! JC: Thank you! KA: Thank you! I’m so excited. Can’t wait. December 17. We play only four home games that month, so I’m a little nervous that I’m going to have to fly back from wherever we are. And we have this streak… we haven’t missed many games. You haven’t missed any, right, in four years? KA: Yeah, so I’m a little bit nervous about the timing. If [having a baby] is what does it, it’s going to be funny. JC: He’s always jabbing me about sitting one out just in case. Tell me about the first time you met. KA: [Laughs] It’s not quite like the first time you meet your girlfriend or eventual wife. JC: We were kind of thrown together. Our first summer camp. KA: We’d go to Cold Stone Creamery quite a bit. JC: We built a pretty good friendship eating. KA: I know his Cold Stone order. It’s “All Lovin’ No Oven” [cake batter ice cream and chocolate cookie dough with whipped cream and fudge]. JC: Best one there is. A server walks by with the complimentary trio of duck fat fries. KA: That’s what we need right there. That’s what we order on the road all the time. I love French fries. Sometimes, depending on the meal we’ll have, it does not fit at all, or the menu is set, but all of a sudden comes a plate of French fries. A sommelier comes by to determine the bottle for continued on pAge 92

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photography by abby greenawalt

Dinner on ice

Washington Capitals John Carlson, 24, and Karl Alzner, 26, haven’t missed a game in four years. A leading blue line duo, they’re such a pair, in fact—they room together on the road, and even their wives and dads are friends—they have earned the nickname Carlzner. At the start of this season, the Capitals’ 40th, speculation soared that the duo might split up after the team acquired two new defenders, Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik. But despite a break—at least on the ice—Carlson and Alzner couldn’t be more excited for what the season has in store. When I meet up with the pair at Bourbon Steak, they’re looking ever so dapper, sipping Scotch on the patio by a fire.

taste On the town

Bourbon Steak’s Chesapeake chowder with poached oysters, crab, and smoked potato confit. left: Karl Alzner and John Carlson discuss rookie dinners—when the newbies treat their team to a decadent meal—over bigeye tuna and a glass of a 2001 Château Olivier Bordeaux.

“This is The besT dinner i’ve ever had. iT’s like a rookie dinner.”—karl alzner

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JC: We order a nice meal, nice drinks, enjoy the finer things that we would never otherwise—except on a super special occasion. Waiter brings over the fries and explains the different seasonings and sauces. JC: The ultimate taste test. I think this one is mine, right here—the Creole seasoning. KA: All the sauces are really good. John orders the eight-ounce rib eye, medium rare. karl orders the bone-in new York strip, medium. The two decide to start with the tuna tartare and Chesapeake chowder soup, and to share the brussels sprouts and truffle macaroni and cheese. Do you have to keep a

special diet when you’re in season? JC: You picked a great time to ask that. KA: There are some guys who are super strict, and some guys who don’t care at all. We fall in between. When we need to, we eat clean, but at the same time, we enjoy ourselves. I think that’s what you need for durability—you need to be able to bounce off guys and not have straight muscle. [Points to the black truffle butter rolls.] Those are unbelievable. JC: Buttery. They are served a 2001 Château olivier bordeaux. How’s the wine? JC: Awesome.

KA: [Takes a picture of the bottle with his phone] We have this app, Vivino—you snap a pic of your wine and the app shares it with others you follow. We’ve been so into it since last year. It gives you a breakdown of the wine, too. This is the 40th anniversary for the Caps, and there have been so many changes for this season. JC: Forty years is cool for the organization, but I think the new changes mean a lot more to the players, just to see what’s next for us. We’ve always had good teams, always been talented, but we never really succeeded the way we should have. Always left behind. Now I think

everyone feels really good about the direction we’re heading in. KA: I’m excited about it, seeing it all happen, seeing it all come together. CF

Food For ThoughT WHAT:

a guys’ high-end steakhouse dinner WHEN:

a brisk autumn night WHERE:

bourbon steak at the Four seasons, 2800 Pennsylvania ave. nW, 202-944-2026; bourbonsteakdc.com

photography by abby greenawalt

the evening. KA: This is the best dinner I’ve ever had. It’s like a rookie dinner. JC: Those are the best. What’s a rookie dinner? KA: The rookies treat the whole team to a meal and a night out. My rookie dinner? I still have the receipt; it’s that long [indicates length with hands]. One of the things on there: Brazilian lobster tails. Nine of them for $900. JC: It does seem like a lot, but the next year, you’ll get to enjoy it. KA: When you think about it, it’s a big waste of money, but it’s tradition. Some guys get away with it much lighter than others.

Photo: Greg Powers

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Gown, Donna Karan New York ($3,895). Nordstrom, 7111 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda, 301-365-4111; nordstrom.com opposite page: Coat, HermĂ¨s ($4,300). The Shops at Fairfax Square, 703-506-4546; hermes.com. Dress, Adam Lippes ($1,750). adamlippes.com. Brass Round Reverse Choker, Jennifer Fisher ($200). Barneys New York, 3040 M St. NW, 202-350-5832; barneys.com

Boone Boom Megan Boone, star of the breakout crime drama The Blacklist, talks Pee-wee Herman, family, holiday recipes, and what it feels like to inspire a Twitter hashtag. by elizabeth thorp photography by nigel parry capitolfile-magazine.comâ&#x20AC;&#x192; 97

hen Megan Boone appeared on the Today show this past September to promote the second season of her hit NBC show, The Blacklist, she told Al Roker that she had a surprise for him. She cued the producers to roll footage of Today’s coverage of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from the year before, wherein Roker introduced a young, still-unknown Boone—who was there to boost her brand-new crime show—and called her “Megan Brooke.” The Today cameras cut back to Boone for the punchline: “Right after that, he pronounced [castmate] Diego Klattenhoff’s name perfectly.” It’s not a mistake that people will be making again. The Blacklist—in which Boone stars as tough rookie FBI agent Elizabeth Keen opposite James Spader’s fedora-wearing criminal mastermind Raymond “Red” Reddington—was the breakaway hit of NBC’s 2013 pilot season. The crime drama, set in Washington, DC, is dark and full of unexpected twists, but it also focuses on the unlikely partnership of its heroine and anti-hero. “Our relationship working together was analogous to the two characters working together,” says Spader. “There was this anticipation. I was very curious about her. And I think just the mix of age and experience has been great—the balance of that between the two of us. I am certainly older than she is and have been doing this for a long time. But she is very facile. And I think that mirrors the character. It’s proving to be great fun. We’re becoming friends just like in the show.” We spoke with the 31-year-old Florida native at The Loews Regency in New York, not too far from where she was filming that day with Spader and new villainous cast member Paul Reubens (otherwise known as Pee-wee Herman). Two hours past call time—thanks to a grueling filming schedule—she arrives. She greets everyone, apologizing for being late, and introduces herself to the cadre of people present for the photo shoot, including the hired guns guarding the jewelry. Boone oozes charm and friendliness. One of the tough guys mouths to me, his eyes widening, “Oh, my God. The Blacklist?” The Blacklist, wow! You’ve always been a working actress, but do you feel that your recognition boomed overnight with this role? How has life changed for you? It has in a lot of ways, but to say I’m some overnight success—if that were true, it has been a long night. Go on. I’ve worked really hard, just like most people who aren’t born into the nepotistic side of the industry. I had a hard time finding a toehold in the industry; it’s very impenetrable for the most part. I am not very social in Hollywood—I didn’t go out and schmooze people. Interesting. I recently interviewed Jeremy Renner, who talked about the parallels between DC and Hollywood—the ambition, the lobbying. There’s that same kind of hierarchical social atmosphere, and there is definitely always something that someone has that can benefit you, and it’s hard to put it out of your mind when socializing. That’s why I prefer to live in New York rather than Los Angeles. I don’t know that I will ever be able to successfully navigate the political side of my business. So you like the East Coast? I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m in the same time zone as my family now, and that’s a very important part of my life, and it has become even more important as life has become more demanding. Being successful is always much more enjoyable when you’re near family. With such a busy work schedule, are you dating anyone? I’m a very social creature, and I try to go out on the weekends with friends. I love going to a dinner party where I don’t know everyone, and I get to know people. There are a lot of really interesting and intelligent people in New York City doing amazing things—or at least proclaiming to do them—and I love hearing the stories. As far as my personal life, so much of my time is spent on the show that I feel like that social atmosphere is where my vested interest is right now. Now that I have a handle on it, I’m open. Life is good? I’ve found it to be a much more palatable life than the one I was living prior to this. I found it

CAPITOLFILE-MAGAZINE.COM

SWEET THANKS Megan’s Thanksgiving plans include spending the day with friend (and Blacklist guest star) Mary-Louise Parker at her country home. Never one to arrive empty-handed, she says she’ll bring her salted caramel pudding, with handwhipped cream, in tow. Naturally, we had to have the recipe.

SALTED CARAMEL PUDDING (MODIFIED FROM JOSEPH LEONARD) Ingredients: 1 qt. whole milk 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped 1½ oz. corn starch 8 oz. sugar ½ tsp. salt 3 eggs 8 oz. unsalted butter, chopped into chunks

In a medium-size bowl, combine cornstarch, eggs, and two tablespoons of the sugar. Whisk until thoroughly incorporated and the starch and sugar are dissolved. In a second, larger bowl, combine milk, vanilla bean, and salt. Mix well. Place a heavy-bottomed saucepan on the stove over medium heat and add the remaining sugar. Continuously stir until the sugar caramelizes and is an even, amber-brown color. Be careful not to burn it! Remove from heat. Slowly temper the milk mixture into the saucepan, a little at a time, to dissolve as much of the caramel as you can. Return to the stove and simmer on medium-low and stir until all the caramel is dissolved. Add the butter and stir the mixture until the butter has completely melted. Remove from heat. Whisk a little of the heated mixture into your bowl of eggs and starch, just to warm them up, then add the entire contents to the saucepan and whisk well. Once it cools a bit, adjust the taste with your favorite sea salt and pour into ramekins, small canning jars, or whatever you like. Refrigerate to set. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Dress, Burberry ($2,395). 970 I St. NW, 202-463-3000; burberry.com. “Snowflake” necklace featuring diamonds set in platinum, Van Cleef & Arpels (price on request). Neiman Marcus, Tysons Galleria, 703-761-1600; neimanmarcus.com

“To say I’m some overnight success—if that were true, it has been a long night.”

Beaded gown, Naeem Khan ($13,995). Saks Jandel Bridal Salon, 5510 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, 301-652-2251; thebridalsalonatsaksjandel.com beauté: Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in #5 ($62), Smooth Silk Eye Pencil in #12 ($30). Clé de Peau Brilliant Enhancer ($64). Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita ($25). Neiman Marcus, Mazza Gallerie, 202-966-9700; neimanmarcus.com. Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray ($42). see above. Bumble & Bumble Thickening Hairspray ($28). Sephora, 3065 M St., NW, 202-338-5644; sephora.com

Photography by Nigel Parry/CPi Styling by Chloe Hartstein Hair by Seiji Yamada/The Wall Group Makeup by Quinn Murphy/ The Wall Group Video: Orlando Ferreyra Shot on location at the Loews Regency Hotel, 212-759-4100; loewshotels.com/Regency-Hotel Loews Regency Hotel in Manhattan celebrates the first anniversary of its reopening in January 2015. The reimagined 379-room hotel launched six Signature Suites last fall, which marked the culmination of the hotel’s $100 million transformation.

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perplexing and daunting. I remember at a certain point I said to a dear friend of mine, “I don’t know how to take what’s good in me and put it into the world anymore.” And now that I have this show… I feel like I have a place where I am needed. What living on the East Coast represents to me is being a person that is of use to something that millions of people around the world are entertained by. When you first got this script, how much did you know about government work or the FBI? In the past I’ve played police officers and prosecuting attorneys, and I’ve shadowed police officers and the DA. I was not able to sit in on everything, but I still felt like I had great access. But with the FBI, that doesn’t happen. I don’t get to shadow an FBI agent, so it’s guesswork for me. I can’t follow an agent, but I can at least understand the dynamics of her relationships, the situations that she’s entering into. At the end of last season, I felt empathy for Liz Keen, all alone in her empty house in Arlington after allegedly killing her hot husband. Yes, but I think in that loneliness she gained an independence she never had before. Hopefully the pendulum will swing for her, and she’ll learn to trust people again and be less autonomous in her decision-making, more trusting of the people in her task force, like Ressler and Aram. There’s some good fighting between you and your crazy fake husband, but he’s a cute fake husband to have. He’s one of my closest friends. I love Ryan [Eggold] so much. But his transition from the bookish teacher to the spy was brilliant. It was interesting how the female population actually liked him more when he was a jerk. I’m sensing a little sexual tension between Liz and Ressler. I think it’s just a bond, like a partner bond. Or because you’ve almost died with each other 20 times over? The producing director of our show is a military man, so he really brings a lot of insight on how soldiers bond during times like that. He helps us understand that brotherhood and play it out in little ways throughout the scenes. The Blacklist shoots in New York instead of DC, but have you been to Washington? We went to DC one day during the pilot to shoot the scene where Ressler finally corners Zamani, and Zamani jumps off the rooftop. I think they were able to get an exterior of the Washington Monument, but they found it so hard to get the historical architecture because everything had zoning restrictions. It was really hard to film there, unfortunately, so we shoot in New York. Can you give us any hints or insight about this season? I’m sure you know there are message boards and superfans rewatching and dissecting every part of the show. I know! Well, there’s a big secret that’s going to be revealed about Elizabeth Keen; she has a source for information and that source is going to be revealed. Also, you will see we’re going to have everything disbanded by the end of the season. I think we’re going to lose the structure of the tactical unit being a unit, but I say that with hesitance. Not because it’s too big of a spoiler, but because

it’s subject to change; our writers are so responsive to social media. How does the process work? I noticed last season that current events were woven in and references added to the dialogue to make it very timely. I really think that social media has changed the medium of television in a huge way. We are in the golden age of television. The interesting thing about network TV is that we are developing and shooting episodes at a much faster rate [than cable or streaming], so that means our air date and our wrap date are very close. When we get a response from our fans, we’re able to almost instantly respond to that within our story. Within a couple of episodes, fans will see something play out that they wished for, or something that they noticed will be somehow woven into the story. That’s very cool. I’m going to tweet that you should weave Capitol File into your story line. [Laughing] It’s very cool! Because Cheers certainly wasn’t experiencing that. Were you even alive when Cheers was on? I binge-watched Cheers. I had a big crush on Ted Danson last year. Well, really, who doesn’t? But I mean like, Cheers’s Ted Danson—no offense to current Ted. Do you watch The Blacklist in real-time on Monday nights? I get a feed the week before of a cut that I watch. Mondays are a little late for me, actually, because— not to sound like a dullard—I have to work really early in the mornings. So you’re not staying up until eleven at night? No, but everyone else should! Megan Boone and Let’s talk about James Spader—such an icon. James Spader form an unlikely alliance in What did you think when you first signed on NBC’s The Blacklist. and learned he was your costar? He wasn’t signed on when I first signed up! Really? I didn’t know who Red was going to be for a while, and then he signed on. I was already in New York ready to shoot. They said, “We think we might get James Spader.” And I thought, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” And then I got the text from [director] Joe Carnahan, “Babe, Spader’s in. It’s about to get weird.” And it has gotten weird! Was his character written with the hat, or is that his own flair? I feel like he brought that himself… You know, I think he fought for it because they have this rule in network TV for some reason: no hats and no short hair on women. They definitely fought him on that, but he was like, “Nope, I’m doing it!” I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about Pee-wee Herman. I know! I love Paul. We’re friends now! We e-mail, and we talked on the phone for 20 minutes the other day. Stop it! And we’re getting lunch the next time I’m in LA. I’m weirdly and completely jealous. It’s so weird, right? What a difference a year makes. I feel so lucky this year because Elizabeth Keen is a very strong, fierce woman, and people on social media respond very positively to that, and they are giving me all this love. There’s even a hashtag #loveformegan. It’s really sweet. cf

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Art Deco the hAlls This seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vintage-inspired platinum and diamonds are the perfect accent for a glittery Washington affair. photography by bill diodato styling by betim balaman

Les Plumes Brooch, Breguet ($66,600). Liljenquist & Beckstead, Tysons Galleria, 703-448-6731; breguet.com opposite page: 18k white gold diamond five-column design earrings ($35,000) and diamond dome platinum ring ($59,000), Adeler Jewelers. 772 Walker Road, Great Falls, 703-7594076; jorgeadeler.com

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White gold, black diamond, Akoya cultured pearl, and black lacquer Lueur d’un Soir earrings, Chanel ($90,000). chanel.com. White gold, black onyx, and diamond Intarsio necklace, Bulgari ($18,800). The Collection at Chevy Chase, 301-986-8610; bulgari.com opposite page: Platinum, tsavorite,

sapphire, and 2.12 carat Lucida diamond ring, Tiffany & Co. ($74,000). The Collection at Chevy Chase, 301-657-8777; tiffany.com. 18k white gold onyx and pavé diamond Diva ring, Bulgari ($13,300). The Collection at Chevy Chase, 301-986-8610; bulgari.com. 18k white gold onyx diamond and chrysoprase Panthère de Cartier ring, Cartier ($67,000). The Collection at Chevy Chase, 301-654-5858; cartier.us. Macklowe Gallery emerald-cut diamond ring, Macklowe (price on request). 1stdibs.com

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18k white gold Une Journée à Paris collection diamond “Etincelles” necklace, Van Cleef & Arpels (price on request). Neiman Marcus, Tysons Galleria, 703-7611600; vancleefandarpels.com opposite page: 18k gold Kwiat

Vintage Collection diamond and blue sapphire earrings ($86,500) and bracelet ($33,200), Kwiat. Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 301-657-9000; saks.com. Platinum and gold French Art Deco sapphire and diamond link bracelet, Macklowe (price on request). 1stdibs.com

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One of the three heated greenhouses on the Mellon estate in the Virginia countryside.

estate

a royal

The estate of Paul and Bunny Mellon is on the market, preserving the legacy of two luxurious lives well lived.

opposite page and this page: photography courtesy of washington fine properties

by stephanie green

achel “Bunny” Mellon was a woman who loved simple luxuries. When she died this past March at the age of 103, she was surrounded by the most coveted and expensive of luxuries: privacy. Her Virginia estate, with its vast vistas, pastoral settings, and solemn quietude, was where she and her husband, the late Mellon banking scion Paul Mellon, created their own oasis of natural beauty and serenity—and now it’s on the market for $70 million. But could the next owner possibly live up to the legacy of the Mellons, perhaps the country’s most elegant couple? “We’ve been talking to a number of potential buyers already,

inside and outside the market,” says Thomas B. Anderson, president of Washington Fine Properties, which is managing the sale, expected to be the largest ever in the Mid-Atlantic region. “Just as important as the buyer’s ability to purchase the farm is his or her appreciation of the mystique of this extraordinary property—and the [people who built it].” She was a world-class gardener and horticulturist whom Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis looked to as her guiding light on all matters of style. Bunny’s friend architect I.M. Pei praised her as a rare amalgam of “sensitivity and imagery.” Paul, whom Bunny married in 1948, was the formidable horseman and art collector who put the National Gallery of Art on the map.

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Bunny and her first husband, Stacy Barcroft Lloyd Jr., were friends with Paul and Mary, and they would often socialize together as young couples. Bunny “was very kind and understanding over my distress,” Paul wrote about Mary’s death. “Mary had always admired Bunny for her warmth and intelligence. The consequences of the war [World War II] had left Bunny sad about her marriage. She was devoted but bewildered by the changes in Stacy’s attitude brought by his long absence overseas. It was clear that their marriage had come to an end.” Oak Spring represented a new chapter for both of them and the opportunity to pool their mutual passion for beauty in its simplest forms. A brochure for the sale describes Oak Spring as “the closest thing to the English Cotswolds, with lush, green pastures lined with stone walls and board fencing with distant views of three mountain ranges: the Blue Ridge, Cobbler, and Bull Run Mountains.” Paul Mellon had been buying up land in Northern Virginia around 1935, on a prescient quest of early conservation. “The preservation of land in large estates has effectively, so far, prevented the countryside from being ruined through development in spite of its proximity to Washington,” he wrote. Oak Spring’s 2,000 acres was used by the Mellons to indulge in outdoorsy pursuits such as horse breeding, horse racing, cattle raising, and fox hunting. A giant bronze of Sea Hero, Paul’s Kentucky Derby winner, stands on the field at Oak Spring. “I don’t think there is anyone who enjoys racing [horses] more than I do,” he wrote, “or the sight of mares and foals grazing in green fields, or yearlings running wild and throwing themselves about. The sights and sounds of the countryside, as well as the color and action and excitement are what turn me on.”

photography by getty images (bunny mellon). opposite page: courtesy of washington fine properties (oak spring); ap photo (rokeby stables)

aul and Bunny’s homes, especially their primary residence, Oak Spring Farm in Upperville, which encompasses thousands of acres of horse country, were mirrors of their own character: regal, yet humble. “I always chuckle when people say they went to parties there, because probably it never happened,” explains Anderson. The Mellons did make some exceptions to their low-key attitude on entertaining—throwing one of the largest debutante balls and entertaining Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip—but mostly they were satisfied living the lives of quiet Virginia country residents, even producing their own cheese at their property’s dairy, Oak Spring Dairy, which is still sold in local grocers today. “One of the most engaging features in all our houses is their friendliness,” Paul Mellon wrote in his memoir, Reflections in a Silver Spoon, published in 1992, seven years before he died. “Major works of art live side by side with small objects of art, children’s drawings, and bronzes of favorite horses. Bunny’s quest for comfort and informality has been nurtured with care; a little natural shabbiness in an old chair cover is sometimes purposely overlooked. The result, I think, is that the houses feel lived in and loved. More important to me than anything else, they are cheerful.” This cheerfulness is due in large part to the woman Mellon took as his second wife in 1948. Rachel Lambert Mellon, always known as “Bunny,” was like her future husband, to the manor born, as the heiress of the Listerine fortune. Their wealth, however, could not protect Bunny, born in 1910, and Paul, born in 1907, from the pain of their parents’ divorces—still a taboo subject from their childhoods—or from unexpected tragedies: Bunny’s sister died in a plane crash and Paul’s first wife, Mary, suffered a fatal asthma attack.

Oak Spring represented a new chapter for both of the Mellons and the opportunity to pool their mutual passion for beauty in its simplest forms.

clockwise from above: Jacqueline

Kennedyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guesthouse at Oak Spring; the estateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extensive library; Paul and Bunny Mellon at their Rokeby Stables in Virginia.

“It’s important that [the buyer has] an appreciation of the mystique of this extraordinary property—and the [people who built it].” —thomas b. anderson

opposite page: photography courtesy of washington fine properties. this page: photography by ap photo (kennedy and mellon); courtesy of washington fine properties (sea hero)

he property’s sale includes numerous paddocks, “Old Yearling Barn” with its 24 stalls, examining and tack rooms, and a Round barn for storing hay and equipment. Bunny also set about putting her mark on the place the best way she knew how: with flowers “from tiny plants in little pots and jars to large informal arrangements. In fact, informality and lightness are the keynotes, which may be seen in everything from the bright, printed fabrics and colorful rugs to the softly painted walls and woodwork,” Mellon wrote. This effect is what Georgetown novelist Jane Stanton Hitchcock calls Bunny’s “orchestrated neglect.” “She loved simplicity,” says Hitchcock, who got to know Bunny when she married a Mellon cousin, visiting the farm often. “Everything was downplayed. She was all about non-pretension. She didn’t need any pomp or circumstance. You would never know she was one of the richest women in America.” Bunny Mellon oversaw Oak Spring’s three heated greenhouses, planting workrooms, planting and cutting gardens, and an orchard of fruit trees, in addition to a one-of-a-kind collection of books and manuscripts on gardening, now protected by her foundation. In January 1961, in one of their first social events, the Kennedys called on Bunny “to bring not only the flowers from Oak Hill, but her garden supervisor and maid to create arrangements in the informal style of a Flemish still life, quite unlike the previous stiff florists’ displays,” Sarah Bradford wrote in her biography of Onassis, America’s Queen. “now the white house is a home,” rang the headlines the following day. Later, Bunny became responsible for the White House Rose Garden and for selecting the floral arrangements for President Kennedy’s funeral. Hitchcock, who also was a friend of Jackie’s, said the two women “were friends who complemented each other because they shared a passion for the history of beautiful things. Bunny was the shadow behind Jackie’s sun.” Bradford writes that Jackie, like Paul and everyone who knew her, leaned on Bunny as “an arbiter of good taste, a perfectionist with an unerring eye for beauty.” Like the Mellons, Jackie was a voracious rider of horses, especially during hunt season, when she would stay in one of the many Mellon guest cottages at Oak Spring. The Log House, which Bunny created for Jackie, is one of more than 20 homes at Oak Spring included in the sale. It was easy for the Mellons to receive out-of-town guests with the milelong airstrip, with its own waiting lounge, one of the highlights of the sale, Anderson says. “Rarely do you see an airstrip of that size on a private property, especially in the middle of the countryside.” Guests, like Jackie, could ride, meander the property, reflect by the ponds, or swim in the pool with a pool house. The neo-Georgian mansion, the Brick House, was designed in 1941, and became a virtual museum for the Mellon’s expansive collection of British art, like paintings by Sir Alfred Munnings, a Mellon favorite for his impressions of horses. In November, in a separate sale managed by Sotheby’s in New York, the Mellons’ vast art collection is being auctioned. A Pissarro, “unframed, like a flea-market find,” as one art writer put it, will be sold along with larger works by Rothko and van Gogh, as well as quaint antique porcelains of vegetables, demonstrating Bunny Mellon’s quirky aesthetic. The collection of paintings, drawings, jewelry, and other personal items is expected to draw $10 million at the nine-day sale, where all nine floors of Sotheby’s will be used to display the thousands of gems. Anderson says that the people who are drawn to Oak Spring and everything in it see it as an “American treasure. It’s just like when you go to an auction of things owned by Princess Diana or Mrs. Onassis. You want to be the custodian of something that can never be recreated. You want to carry that mystique forward.” CF

above: Good friends

Jacqueline Kennedy and Bunny Mellon step into the lobby of the Colonial Theatre in Boston during intermission of Noel Coward’s musical Sail Away in 1961. below: A bronze statue of Sea Hero, Paul Mellon’s Kentucky Derby–winning horse, stands near the road at Oak Spring.

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photography by shutterstock

A wintertime view of the Jefferson Memorial along the Tidal Basin.

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washington

winter

wonderland

DC does holiday magic like few other places, so we asked five local tastemakers to give us their insider tips on how to make the most of the seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from holiday dining and festive outings to must-see musicals and spa retreats. by melanie fonder kaye

Hot CHoColate tasting

an insider’s itinerary Lead concierge at the iconic Jefferson hoteL, Chris ADCOC guides visitors and LocaLs aLike through Washington’s Winter Wonders.

ifelong DC native Chris Adcock says that his deep love for the city translates directly into the best part of his day—sharing some of DC’s best-kept secrets with guests at the Jefferson Hotel. When pressed to narrow down the “best of” list for DC around the holidays, the Clefs d’Or – certified concierge begins with the US Capitol Building Christmas Tree (capitolchristmas tree.com). “The People’s Tree, as it is named on the US Capitol grounds, is decorated by craftsmen, artisans, and elementary school students from the state chosen each year,” says Adcock, noting that this year’s tree is from Minnesota.

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He also points to another of his much-loved seasonal traditions, the 10th annual Downtown Holiday Market (November 28 to December 23, centered at 8th and F Streets NW, 202-215-6993; downtownholiday market.com). The market is filled with “handcrafted items from small, independent merchants,” with something new every year. From jewelry and candles to toys and hand-knit items, there is something for everyone on your gift list. Lights are a festive must, and for Adcock, there are three essential stops on any local holiday lights tour: ZooLights (The National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-633-4888; nationalzoo.si.edu);

King Street in Old Town Alexandria (703-746-3301; visitalexandriava.com); and the Mormon Temple Grounds in Kensington, Maryland (9900 Stoneybrook Dr., 301-587-0144; dctemplelights.lds.org). The ice-skating rink inside the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, where visitors can enjoy works by Joan Miró, Sol LeWitt, and Roy

above:

Dolcezza’s hot chocolate.

Lichtenstein in between figure eights, is “a personal favorite” (202-216-9397; pavilioncafe.com/ ice_rink.html). Still, there’s nothing quite like a beautiful blanketing of snow to put one in the holiday spirit, so Adcock recommends a wintertime walk on the National Mall (nps.gov/nama). “Washington is very peaceful during the winter, especially when it snows,” he says. “Strolling on the mall is amazing!”

“the city is very peaceful during the winter, especially when it snows. strolling on the mall is amazing!” —chris adcock

photography by andrew harrer/bloomberg via getty images (capitol); Josh cogan (hot chocolate)

A blanket of snow lends an air of magic to the Capitol Building around the holidays.

Whether it’s après skiing, skating, or shopping, Jefferson Hotel concierge Chris Adcock’s top choices for a mug of hot cocoa begin with Oyamel’s Chocolate Caliente, a spicy blend of Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla bean, and cloves (401 7th St. NW, 202-628-1005; oyamel .com). He also suggests Dolcezza—but don’t let the gelateria’s reputation for fab frozen treats fool you: They brew an excellent cup of cocoa with Valrhona dark chocolate (multiple locations, 202-333-4646; dolcezzagelato.com). Artfully Chocolate’s range of Belgian hot chocolates— white, milk, dark, bittersweet—accounts for its reputation as a “chocolate destination” well worth the trip to Old Town Alexandria (506 John Carlyle St., Alexandria, 703-575-8686; thecocoagallery.com).

A Festive FeAst Washington Post food writer DaviD HageDorn recommends the best places to go for a high-end holiday meal.

photography by Mia DeSiMone/taa pr (fiola)

hen asked to name his number-one recommendation for a holiday dinner, David Hagedorn, a chef and restaurateur turned author and columnist, doesn’t need a moment to think. “Chef Fabio Trabocchi’s Fiola in Penn Quarter and Fiola Mare, with its stunning Potomac River view of the Kennedy Center, are the ne plus ultra destinations for Christmas Eve dinner,” he says. “At the former, the Feast of the Seven Fishes includes Belon oysters, osetra caviar, baccalà, barbecued eels, Nantucket bay scallops, Nova Scotia lobster, Japanese Madai snapper, and halibut with truffles. Expect rarified ingredients at Fiola Mare, where shavings of fresh Alba white truffles can be added to anything upon request.” (Fiola, seven-course dinner for $160, premium wine pairings for $110, 601 Pennsylvania Ave., 202-628-2888; fioladc.com; Fiola Mare, 3050 K St. NW, 202-628-0065; fiolamaredc.com) If a more traditional Christmas dinner is a must, Hagedorn suggests the “amazing” feast at the Inn at Little Washington (309 Middle St., Washington, VA, 540-675-3800; theinnatlittle washington.com). If the first thing you want to do Christmas morning after opening presents is eat, then his recommendation is Blue Duck Tavern in the Park Hyatt (1201 24th St. NW, 202-419-6755; blueducktavern.com). This year, newly appointed Executive Chef Ryan LaRoche and Chef de Cuisine Brad Deboy will offer a three-course holiday menu from 11:30 am to 9 pm. For those looking to create their own DIY holiday feast using everything DC has to offer, Hagedorn points to Union

Market (1309 5th St. NE; unionmarketdc.com), “which gives you a really good idea of how far Washington has come to be a food town.” It’s the place to go, he says, for bubbly from Cordial Fine Wine & Spirits; cheeses from Righteous Cheese; oysters from Rappahannock; charcuterie and tomahawk steaks from Red Apron Butchery; lobster from The District Fishwife; and chocolates and hot chocolate sticks from Co Co. Sala. For those entertaining guests over the holidays, Hagedorn recommends the dim sum brunch on Saturday at Wolfgang Puck’s The Source (575 Pennsylvania Ave., 202-637-6100; wolfgangpuck.com), “a total Washington insider destination”; sunset cocktails on the roof of the W Hotel (515 15th St. NW, 202-661-2400; wwashingtondc.com); and oysters in the Oyster Bar at Old Ebbitt Grill (675 15th St. NW, 202-3474800; ebbitt.com).

above:

The spider-glass chandeliers at Fiola add a touch of effervescence to the space. below: Patrons flock to Red Apron Butchery in Union Market for its charcuterie and tomahawk steaks.

Jingle on destination dc’s atE Gibbs tells us wheRe to go and what to see foR the best family enteRtainment this holiday season.

When Kate Gibbs is in the mood for a sumptuous small-group outing, she and her friends head to the Willard interContinental’s afternoon tea, served in the refned Peacock Alley corridor. With live harp music and delightful pastries— think pistachio fnanciers and blackcurrant short cake—served on elegant, three-tiered silver trays, it’s no wonder that the InterContinental has been holding teatime for more than a century. $45 per person, $59 with Champagne, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave., 202-628-9100; washington .intercontinental.com

Holiday tea service at the Willard InterContinental.

White house– Worthy

Residence manageR and social secRetaRy foR Vice PResident joe biden and the second lady, Carlos Elizondo assembles holiday affaiRs with local flaVoR.

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“W

very year, dozens of friends and family members volunteer over Thanksgiving weekend to help put up the lights, hang the stockings, and trim the eight trees that transform Vice President Joe Biden and Second Lady Jill Biden’s home for the holidays. The stockings on the living room mantle are hung annually for their five grandchildren, as well as their dog, Champ. From room to room, Carlos Elizondo infuses local touches from across America into every year’s theme. His entertaining and decorating advice is simple. “Holidays are all

The first family at the 2012 lighting of the National Christmas Tree. bottom left: Francesca Zambello’s well-traveled production of The Little Prince, which has appeared in London, San Francisco, and Houston, lands in Washington.

premiere of Andy Mitton’s musical The Gift of Nothing (November 19–December 28, appropriate for ages 4 and up), based on the best-selling book by Patrick McDonnell, in which a cat searches for the perfect present for his best friend, the dog who has everything. For the grown-up crowd, Gibbs recommends the eye-popping, Tony-winning revival of Pippin at the National Theatre (December 16–January 4, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave., 202-628-6161; thenationaldc .org), which mixes Broadway belters with aerialists and acrobats.

about family and tradition,” Elizondo says. “People can look around their own home and be creative.” Elizondo likes to find innovative ways to use everyday items—such as creating a tree entirely from books to showcase the Bidens’ love of reading. Think of how to incorporate your family traditions into your celebrations, Elizondo says. For holiday décor, Elizondo works with Rachel Gang, co-owner of Helen Olivia Flowers (128 N. Pitt St., Alexandria, 703-548-284; helenolivia flowers.com). Each summer, Elizondo meets with Gang to plot out the

holidays, from designing spectacular magnolia-leaf garlands to repurposing sheet music into holiday wreaths. Elizondo also went antiquing at The Old Lucketts Store in Leesburg, VA, a treasure trove about an hour northwest of the city, where dozens of vintage and antique dealers set up shop. (42350 Lucketts Road, Leesburg, VA, 703-779-0268; luckettstore.com) Elizondo takes care with selecting menus, which are often provided by the renowned Susan Gage Caterers (7411 Livingston Road, Oxon Hill, MD, 301-839-6900; susangage.com). The social secretary has collaborated with

photography by george hixson (the little prince); Mark Wilson/getty iMages (tree lighting)

HigH TEaTimE

ashington is synonymous with meaningful family entertainment—and so much of it is free,” says Kate Gibbs. “What’s happening at the holidays really magnifies what goes on in the Washington area throughout the year, both for visitors and for locals.” She calls the annual National Christmas Tree lighting on the Ellipse “a traffic stopper” (December 4; thenationaltree.org). Those who didn’t win the ticket lottery can still visit the tree daily from dusk until 10 pm , or start a new tradition with Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon, a holidaythemed fireworks show in its inaugural year (3200 Mt. Vernon Memorial Hwy., Mt Vernon, 703-7802000; mountvernon.org). For theater-going families, Gibbs points to two stage adaptations of beloved children’s books at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St. NW, 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org): Rachel Portman’s The Little Prince at Washington National Opera (December 19–21; kennedycenter.org/wno); and the world

below:

The relaxation room at the Mandarin Oriental Spa.

Luxe ReLaxation Naked BotaNicals fouNder aNd spa regular Mary ong-DeVito tells us where to go for some much-Needed Breaks from holiday stress.

M Gage herself for years and appreciates “how creative she is and how she tries to mix it up.” In particular, during the holidays, Elizondo opts for the signature individual chicken potpies—“a phenomenal comfort cuisine.” To keep the youngest Biden contingent happy, Elizondo calls in Washingtonian Raeanne Hytone of Rae Bakes (202-333-4967; rae bakes.com), whose creative cookies always surprise and suit the occasion. Finally, what holiday party is complete without the sounds of the season? The vice president’s residence often hosts military musicians

and local school ensembles, and in the past, Elizondo has drawn talent from Washington’s Best, a consortium of musicians who represent a range of styles, from jazz trios and swing bands to solo violinists, and who are available by the hour for parties and events. (Prices vary by ensemble, 202-232-4942; washbest.com) Many of the most memorable moments of Elizondo’s work have taken place during the holidays. “The best part is sharing the magic of the vice president’s residence with so many people at the holidays.”

ary Kong-DeVito of Naked Botanicals—and the original “Girl” on popular DC blog Girl Meets Food—has been playing with skincare products and essential oils for more than a decade. After a full day of holiday shopping in Georgetown, she recommends sneaking away to The Boutique Spa at the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown. “The nice thing about the RitzCarlton Georgetown is that you feel like you’re away from the hustle and bustle,” she says. “It’s a nice escape from the stress of holiday shopping.” The Historic Chimney Stack Couple’s Retreat features a 70- to 110-minute aromatherapy couples’ massage beneath a 130-foot smokestack, finished with private time to enjoy strawberries, Champagne, and the stunning views. (Starts at $900, 3100 South St. NW, 202-912-4100; ritzcarlton.com) The Mandarin Oriental Hotel’s extensive, customizable menu is perfect for large groups of visiting family and friends. “It’s a

real crowd-pleaser,” says KongDeVito. “Everyone’s going to find something they love.” Soak up the scents of the season with a specialty holiday package: The Peppermint Scrub and Massage includes full-body exfoliation with a peppermint stick scrub and a customized full-body massage. ($215, 1330 Maryland Ave. SW, 202-554-8588; mandarinoriental.com) “People who are very conscious of the environment and just conscious of what they put on their skin,” says Kong-DeVito, will want to try the country’s first LEED Gold–certified spa, Nusta Spa. A specially curated two-hour holiday package, Scents of Winter, features a custom aromatherapy massage oil blend, rose sugar body scrub, wrap, facial mask, face massage, scalp treatment, and full-body massage. Guests also enjoy warm spiced cider and complimentary take-home products—the perfect happy ending. ($240, 1129 20th St., 202-530-5700; nustaspa.com) CF

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by erin Lentz with additionaL reporting by doug brown

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cannabusiness

120â&#x20AC;&#x192; capitolfile-magazine.com

opposite page: photography by tom schierlitz/trunk archive (leaf). this page: illustration by luke wilson (portrait)

Nearly half of all states have legalized medicinal marijuana, with Colorado and Washington serving as bellwethers for recreational use, and the US is seeing the end to a prohibition on par with that of alcohol. But just how will the Green Rush grow? And why is it attracting some surprising advocates among doctors, entrepreneurs, politicians, attorneys, and businesspeople?

eed. Ganja. Marijuana. Pot. During the opening session of the heady 2014 Aspen Ideas Festival, held in June of this year, references to the potent plant were the keynote kicker. An intellectual with enviable wit, David G. Bradley, owner of Atlantic Media Company, delivered an opening monologue that imagined some 250 type-A festival speakers, high on Colorado cannabis, enlivening a crowd of CEOs, politicians, doctors, and thinkers with fictional scenarios such as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pulling her tempted husband into a car with an allusion to her memoir: “We’re making hard choices, Bill.” But all jokes aside, this international platform—which eventually staged a very serious conversation on marijuana between Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado and Katie Couric—is illustrative of an escalating national debate about medical marijuana and its rapid-fire industry growth. And for many close to the cause, weed is no laughing matter, posing hard choices indeed. Pot chatter is pervasive in the US, from dinner parties to the floor of Congress. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and CNN’s chief medical correspondent, who was once vocally antipot, passionately discusses the benefits of cannabis in his second documentary film, Weed 2: Cannabis Madness. In Nevada, Congresswoman Dina Titus and State Senator Tick Segerblom are championing bills that support research into marijuana as a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder and that protect the rights of legal users. In Los Angeles, Ricki Lake is producing a new documentary, Weed the People, about cancer-stricken children and the use of cannabis as medicine. In Denver, Tripp

Keber, founder and CEO of Dixie Elixirs and Edibles, is launching his latest edible marijuana product, Dixie One. And a 20-minute drive from Keber’s new 40,000-squarefoot Colorado headquarters, Governor Hickenlooper has repeatedly been quoted as stating that we are in the midst of one of the “great social experiments of the 21st century.” On late-night talk shows and in countless jokes, the enduring dope-fiend stereotype propagandized in the 1936 film Reefer Madness continues to be perpetuated, but in fact the growth of the marijuana industry is predicted to outpace that of smartphones: A projected $2.34 billion worth of legal weed will be sold in the US in 2014, according to the State of Legal Marijuana Markets (2nd Edition), produced by ArcView Market Research. The same report projects a whopping $10.2 billion market by 2018. In 1996, California voters passed Proposition 215, a milestone ballot initiative that legalized cannabis for medicinal use. Since that time, more than half of all US states have either followed suit—in July, New York became the 23rd state to sanction medical marijuana—or taken steps to decriminalize the substance, making possession of a small amount on a par with a traffic violation. And referenda on legal recreational use of marijuana have been cropping up on ballots nationwide since voters in Washington State and Colorado approved the practice in 2012. In fact, residents of Oregon, Alaska, and the US capital voted to legalize marijuana on November 4, as this issue was going to press. In the case of DC, the measure in question garnered nearly 65 percent of the vote. Initiative 71 legalizes adult (at least 21 years old) possession of up to two ounces of cannabis in addition to in-home husbandry of up to six marijuana plants for personal use. It’s merely the latest move in cannabis’s swift campaign through the city: DC legalized medicinal marijuana in 2010 and opened its first medical

DaviD Rheins Founder of Seattle’s Marijuana Business Association On Marijuana PrOhibitiOn: “We’ve had the discussion about prohibition. We’ve given it well past its due with 80 years of a war on not drugs, but on people, in a culture where pharmaceuticals are every other commercial and ad page.” FOunding the Mjba: “We chronicle and promote the industry. The best way to build a sustainable industry is by providing reliable information and the network of experts and folks that every small and start-up business needs. [They] just happen to also have an extra layer of compliance and regulation to contend with.” tax talk: “We’re told we can’t afford to fund teachers in schools, to fx the roads, to clean the air, to develop alternative energy. The reality is that with these extra dollars, we can apportion this in such a way that we can say, ‘Yes, let’s address these social issues.’ I would rather pay a higher tax to fx the economy and reinvigorate these communities and stop the senseless prosecution and the wasted lives that are victims of this war on drugs.”

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Ricki Lake, who was introduced to a young fan with cancer during her stint on Dancing with the Stars, is flming a documentary with director Abby Epstein about ailing children, including a cancer patient named Sophie, and the effects of medical marijuana. GettinG involved: “[Pot] was not something that I did. I looked at it like a gateway drug. I didn’t want to be paranoid, out of it, like a couch potato. I was really turned off to it. I fell in love with this girl via social media, and I went on this quest for her, to heal her.” Cannabis Curve: “I’m still learning with cannabis—the ratio, the dosing, the CBD versus THC and what kills the cancer cells and what keeps the bad side effects at bay. But it’s fascinating to me. I want to know more, and I want the public to know more. A whole new world opened up to me because [before], I was sheltered and judgmental.” Her Film: “It shows a lot of amazing characters who are all relatable, particularly Tracy and her daughter, Sophie. Baby Sophie [represents] our biggest fear with our own children. And this mother will do anything to get her baby healthy and to keep her from suffering. We have great results from the last scan. Hopefully, we will see continued cell death in the tumor.” ProCeed witH Caution: “There are a lot of people in this industry that take advantage, and that is really scary. There are people selling cannabis oil to desperate families, but you have got to know what you are getting and you need to test, and that takes money. There are so many advantages, but I think people still need to take a lot of precautions.” vision Quest: “I would love to be able to prove that cannabis is killing cancer cells. It’s so much better than doing a talk show. We have more than enough people who want to be documented and are willing to tell their stories.”

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Weed 101

and possession of marijuana. Thus the national debate on this botanical’s potent power began as a murmur, which has since evolved, at times, into a screaming match. Today, although new state laws are being enacted rather quickly, on the federal level cannabis remains a Schedule I substance, a designation for “the most dangerous” drugs, “with no currently accepted medical use.”

ReefeR Madness & PRohibition Prior to 1906, the federal government had yet to regulate any psychoactive drug. In that year, Congress enacted the Pure Food and Drug Act, the first legislation that included cannabis among the ingredients that had to be noted on a product label. In 1914, the Harrison Act tightened narcotic control, stating that a nonmedical user could not possess cocaine or opiates; with this, the first line was drawn in the sand between medical and recreational drug use. Although alcohol prohibition occurred all at once on the national level, marijuana prohibition was enacted in stages. By the mid1930s, cannabis was regulated as a drug in every state. It was around this time that Harry Anslinger helmed the newly created Federal Bureau of Narcotics, a post he held for 32 years. Anslinger was both idolized and villainized, with many alleging that his antimarijuana campaign was fueled by a desire to increase his department’s budget: If he could successfully vilify weed, his bureaucratic power would result in further funding for the bureau. There are also scores of reports that pot prohibition was fueled by big business, a premise referred to as the “hemp conspiracy theory.” It’s been reported that the Hearst and DuPont empires felt threatened by hemp, worried that it would compete with their wood-pulp paper and nylon products, and that belief played a major role in campaigns and propaganda against pot in all its forms. Love him or hate him, Anslinger was central to the American public’s perception of the plant. He coined the term “devil’s weed,” championed such antipot propaganda as Reefer Madness (today a cult comedy often watched ironically by college students as they get high, along with its 2005 musical parody version), and was instrumental in the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act, which heavily regulated the plant and served to drastically limit doctors’ ability to legally prescribe cannabis. Today, many physicians, including the outspoken Gupta, are realizing that this little green plant could have a huge impact across several medical fields. “This is legitimate medicine,” Gupta argues.

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The preferred scientific term for this lauded and condemned botanical is “cannabis,” from the Greek word kánabis. It relishes sunlight, is an annual, and can flourish in nearly any environment, thus the slang, “weed.” According to Martin A. Lee’s book Smoke Signals, most scholars agree that cannabis arrived in our neck of the woods during the 16th century. Ships carrying slaves, explorers, and immigrants were outfitted with rope, sails, and netting made of hemp, while slave passengers also carried seeds for marijuana (hemp’s psychoactive cousin) in their pockets. Lee notes that “Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, and Sir Francis Drake all sailed ships equipped with hemp products. And in 1619, eight years after colonists first planted hemp in Jamestown, the Virginia assembly passed a law requiring every household in the colony to cultivate the plant because it had so many beneficial uses. Hemp farming and processing played an important role in American history (as evidenced in the name of towns from the Atlantic coast to the Midwest, such as Hempstead and Hempfield). Several of our Founding Fathers, in fact, were hemp farmers, including George Washington.” By the 1850s, hemp was the third-largest crop behind tobacco and cotton. As the plant made its way across the globe in many forms—and was ingested via inhaling, tinctures, and medical experiments among various social ranks—it gained a particular stronghold in Mexico, where, according to Lee’s research, farmers discovered the power of “Rosa Maria.” During the Mexican Revolution, smoking weed was prevalent in small Texas towns like El Paso, which in 1914 became the first city to ban both the sale

Several of our Founding Fathers, in fact, were hemp farmers, including George Washington.

the LittLe PLant that CouLd: MediCaL MaRijuana “I am not backing down on medical marijuana; I am

film still courtesy of cnn; illustration by luke wilson (portraits)

Ricki Lake Celebrity, producer of Weed the People

marijuana dispensary three years later. Earlier this year, the DC council replaced the criminal penalty for possession of small amounts of marijuana with a $25 fine, which the Washington City Paper pledged to pay for the first five people who contact the publication. Although all indications point to full legalization of cannabis (the ballot initiative did not include retail sales), all laws passed in Washington, DC, must be submitted to Congress for approval. “Congress can undo our laws, essentially,” DC Councilmember David Grosso told National Journal. Many observers and supporters believe Initiative 71 is screaming for Congressional intervention. One thing is certain. We are witnessing the end to a prohibition on a par with that of alcohol. As Keith Stroup, founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, says, “It is the most exciting political change I’ve seen in my lifetime. You almost can’t keep up with the change that’s going on.” But first, the power of a plant.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta with Josh Stanley at Stanley’s family’s booming Colorado grow house, in a still from Gupta’s new documentary Weed 2.

congreSSwoman dina tituS Nevada, District 1 PtSD & Pot: “As a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee and the ranking member of the subcommittee on benefts, I began to hear more and more about the potential of medical marijuana for treating PTSD. I am circulating now to get signatures that will go to the US Department of Health and Human Services, asking them to lift the limitations on studying the effects of marijuana. It’s very restrictive now. We need to study it just like any other kind of medicine, or any other kind of drug.”

doubling down,” proclaimed Gupta in a March CNN column. When asked to explain his 180-degree turn on the benefits of cannabis, he’s quick to explain, “The tipping point was when I started to look at the research coming out of other countries and smaller labs. [When] I started to spend time with patients who were convinced it was helping them, I realized it was a very large group of patients who seemed to be getting objective benefits. And that’s what really started getting me researching it again.” His research led him to Charlotte Figi, the central figure in his provocative 2013 film, Weed. Charlotte, who was 6 years old at the time, had been plagued with complex seizures—nearly two an hour—since she was an infant, and the film follows her family on a harrowing journey to save her life after she was diagnosed with Dravet syndrome. Also known as severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy, this rare and catastrophic form of epilepsy was at one point causing Charlotte 300 grand mal seizures a week. As a last resort, the Figi family turned to medical marijuana, pitching Charlotte into the center of a national debate as the youngest medical marijuana applicant in Colorado. And although Charlotte’s story has become known across the country, what many may still not fully understand, Gupta explains, is that young patients such as Charlotte are not getting intoxicated. “This isn’t getting them high,” he says. Particular strains of medical marijuana “are highCBD concentration; they may become a little bit sedated, like they would with other antiepileptic drugs. The biggest misconception is that kids are getting stoned or high or psychoactive.”

Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the principal psychoactive component of marijuana, the element responsible for highs, whether it’s smoked or ingested via edible products. On the other hand, cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of at least 60 active cannabinoids identified in cannabis; when isolated, CBD can have a wide scope of medicinal uses and does not get patients high like THC. Charlotte Figi was given a very specific, highly concentrated CBD strain cultivated by the Stanley brothers—one of Colorado’s largest marijuana growers—at their Garden of Eden grow house. The six brothers crossbred marijuana with industrial hemp, and the resulting strain, Realm Oil (which Charlotte would ingest under her tongue in an olive oil blend, not as smoke), was renamed “Charlotte’s Web” by the Stanleys. It was so successful in combating her seizures that families with similar stories have relocated to Colorado in order to legally obtain medical marijuana. Today, Charlotte is reported to have about three to four seizures a month. The Stanleys have since created Realm of Caring, a nonprofit that provides free or low-cost cannabis therapies to families in need. It’s not just celebrity doctors such as Gupta who are championing the potential of medical marijuana. Ed Bernstein, a prominent Las Vegas attorney and talk-show host, has applied for a dispensary license for La Casa Verde Operating, in which he has a 33 percent stake. As a successful businessman, he sees opportunity, but the impetus for this new venture is his 25-year-old daughter, Dana, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 3. “She’s had about 200 hospital day trips,” says

BuDS & Banking co-oPS: “I have signed on as a co-sponsor to [Colorado Rep.] Ed Perlmutter’s bill that will change the banking laws so that we could have legitimate marijuana businesses operating through bank accounts.”

nevada State Senator tick Segerblom Author of SB 374, which allowed the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries Why Senate Bill 374?: “People didn’t have the ability to actually purchase medical marijuana that they were entitled to use under the state Constitution.” touriSt tokeS: “Las Vegas is going to be the Amsterdam of the West. Everyone is going to want to have their picture taken in front of a marijuana dispensary.” allocating tax revenueS: “Education. The money frst goes to offset administrative costs, then to police costs, then it goes to education.” PoliticS & Pot: “Support for medical marijuana is at 90 percent. It’s incredible.”

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Cannabis ConneCts: “There are cannabis receptors in the body. So it’s more natural than a lot of drugs, which simply inhibit the transmission of neurons cell to cell. This binds to something that already exists in the body.” Farming For the FUtUre: “You are going to have the CBD strains become more in demand as a medicine. It’s harder than people realize to breed these plants up to specifc strands of CBD versus THC. But there is going to be higher demand, and it will continue to be very necessary.” on reCreational Use: “This is legitimate medicine, and I wouldn’t take it away from people because of the concerns of recreational use.”

Keith Stroup Founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws smokers’ rights: “As long as it was a crime, there wasn’t a lot you could argue for consumer rights. Now we’re beginning to focus on the real consumer issues. If a private employee tests positive for THC, even though there is no indication you were impaired on the job, they can fre you. What they need is an impairment test, not a test that says, ‘Have you smoked in the last six weeks?’” the DUi Debate: “We all agree that we don’t want people driving while impaired. But THC adheres to your fatty tissues and can be detected days or even weeks after smoking. We’ve got to convince legislators to use science so we test impairment.”

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Use & AbUse: The NexT GeNerATioN As the medical benefits of CBD strains are further researched, there’s still considerable apprehension among medical experts (Gupta included), law enforcement authorities, and politicians surrounding marijuana and young users. Now that teens have easier access to the drug, the potential for abuse and the effects on the young brain are particular concerns.

Tripp Keber at Dixie Elixirs and Edibles.

A groundbreaking study published by The Journal of Neuroscience in April is the first to show that frequent use of marijuana is related to major brain changes. Researchers—including experts at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital—conducted MRIs on 40 people: 20 recreational users who smoke an average of 11 joints per week and 20 nonusers. The scientists found that the shapes and sizes of two neural regions essential to motivation and emotion were significantly altered in users. Concerns about marijuana’s negative effect on the growing brain have spurred leaders to create forums— such as the Valley Marijuana Council, begun by Sheriff Joe DiSalvo of Colorado’s Aspen Pitkin County—to discuss its impact and warn young users of its dangers. Although he supports the legalization of both medical and recreational pot, during an address to the annual NORML Legal Seminar in Aspen, DiSalvo stated, “Marijuana is not a product for brains under construction. The message we are giving students is ‘delay, delay, delay.’ The longer you delay, the better your chances of not compromising a brain under construction. We want to increase awareness and lower adolescent drug use.” Governor Hickenlooper is in agreement. “We have a moral responsibility to regulate it properly,” he says. “That means making sure kids under 21 don’t get it.

photography by theo stroomer (keber); illustration by luke wilson (portraits)

Dr. Sanjay Gupta Neurosurgeon, CNN chief medical correspondent

Bernstein. “She’s had a couple dozen surgeries. Over the years, she’s had her intestines removed. She is in constant pain, 24/7.” While living in California during high school, Dana applied for a medical marijuana license and discovered that the drug significantly decreased her pain. Now a Nevada resident, she has had difficulty obtaining marijuana for medicinal use, thus her father’s quest to fight for her rights and open a dispensary. “Medical marijuana has been legal here for a number of years, but there was no way to access it,” he says. “So we immediately looked into getting a dispensary here.” Bernstein hopes to open a boutique that features quality medical marijuana, a shop “that has a welcoming environment, that can offer the very best strains scientifically possible. You want to be able to have strains of the highest CBD and variances of those strains that work well with different medical conditions. We are going to focus on doing research with the strains, with universities, with hospitals. My partners all have the same interest in helping people who suffer.” Both Bernstein and Gupta are quick to point out the harmful side effects of conventional painkillers (in Dana’s case, the opioid Dilaudid). “The abuse of pain medications is the most tragic thing in our country,” says Gupta. “Someone dies every 19 minutes from an accidental prescription-drug overdose. It’s now the number-one preventable cause of death in the United States.” Gupta also notes that epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and pain are particularly responsive to cannabis-based medicines. Another hot topic in both medical and political circles is the effect of medical marijuana on post-traumatic stress disorder. “We are following the trial of marijuana for PTSD among veterans,” says Gupta. “I think the initial research will be promising. Survivors of the Holocaust are being treated for PTSD with cannabis right now. It’s the initial drumbeat, and very positive.”

[Neuroscientists say] if they smoke high-THC-content pot, it can hurt their memories. But kids think because it’s legal, it’s less dangerous. We are arguing caution.” So just how does the industry tackle potential abuse among young users, and even adults? Certainly there are scores of medical marijuana licenses issued to “patients” who are in fact using the license simply to get high. As with alcohol—or any substance that enters the body, for that matter—abuse is almost inevitable. To navigate this minefield, most advocates suggest extensive educational outreach. In August, the Colorado governor’s office launched a controversial public education campaign titled “Don’t Be a Lab Rat,” in which human-size rat cages were dropped around Denver in an effort to warn teens that Colorado is a testing ground for marijuana legalization and there is still uncertainty about pot and its effects on the young brain.

The MighTy edible “The only thing consistent in this industry is change,” says Tripp Keber. “It’s at hyperspeed.” Standing in what will soon be the sleek reception area of his new 40,000-square-foot headquarters in Denver, the founder and CEO of Dixie Elixirs and Edibles has recently received plenty of attention himself on shows such as 60 Minutes and HBO’s Vice. Keber says the booming marijuana business has experienced “hockey-stick growth”: from flat to straight on up. While leading a private tour of his impressive new facility, he candidly explains, “We are not marijuana people. We are businessmen and -women that have applied what we have learned professionally to the cannabis space. There has never been a nationally branded line of THCinfused products like Dixie. Our intention is taking this company not only national, but potentially public.” A successful entrepreneur who served in the Reagan administration, Keber has been called the Gordon Gekko of ganja. But nicknames aside, he helms a serious, and seriously lucrative, business, squarely in the spotlight of edible entrepreneurs (the industry is moving so fast that at a recent Las Vegas “cannabusiness” convention, one business proposal was a Domino’s-style pot delivery service). Founded just four years ago, Keber’s Dixie Elixirs has grown from a 400-square-foot office and two employees making one product (an orange elixir) into his new industrial marijuana mansion, which currently has some 50 employees and serves as the assembly line and grow house for Dixie’s more than 40 THC-infused products and 100 different SKUs. Most cannabis sold in Colorado dispensaries comes in one of four forms: as the buds of the plant; as liquid

extractions meant to be used in vaporizer pens; as edibles, such as gummy candies, chocolates, and sodas; or as salves and lotions for rubbing into sore muscles and joints. The latest Dixie Elixir? Dixie One, a soda that, unlike most edible products, offers a single, measured five-milligram dose of THC. Which raises the question: As the edible business booms, how does one properly package and regulate dosages? This growing debate among edible entrepreneurs, marketers, and state legislators was thrust into the national spotlight when New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd alleged in her “Don’t Harsh Our Mellow, Dude” column back in June that she, unaware of its potency, accidentally ate too much of a THC-infused candy bar, resulting in a panic-stricken hotel stay in Denver. Dixie’s chief marketing officer, Joe Hodas, responded with an op-ed piece in the Times, and Keber adds, “Dosing is the single greatest focus that we should be looking at as an industry. Now you have your average soccer mom from Ohio, who may or may not have had a relationship with cannabis in 20-plus years, and [today] cannabis is dramatically different. What was previously 3 or 4 percent is now 23 or 24 percent [THC].” As a potential answer to the growing concern about the packaging and marketing of dosages, Keber and his team developed Dixie One to eliminate the guesswork: One soda, one dose. Keber touts his new HQ’s state-of-the-art security, a necessary feature when few banks are willing to provide accounts and other services to marijuana businesses (due to the drug’s federal Schedule I classification) and most dispensaries have to conduct business in cash. He notes that two dispensaries in his area were recently robbed. But his sometimes risky business also means serious tax revenue—numbers, he opines, that cannot be ignored by the government at both the state and federal levels, given the money’s potential for funding education, city infrastructure, additional medical research, and much more. And headway is being made, particularly in Colorado, with regard to banking institutions and the marijuana industry, as politicians and banking co-ops quickly realize that reform is necessary and inevitable. In February of this year, Governor Hickenlooper stated that the taxes and fees from recreational and medical marijuana sales in Colorado would total $134 million in the coming fiscal year. And although some may criticize his choice of industry, Keber says, “You cannot argue with taxes and jobs. The revenue reported from April [2014] was up 17 percent from the month before, and up 53 percent since the month of January.” There’s no doubt he believes in the industry’s skyrocketing potential. “You are seeing this real steep growth. Sometimes we feel like we have the tiger by the tail.” CF

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DC’s ballot measure to legalize pot possession garnered nearly 65 percent of the vote on November 4.

ed bernsTein Las Vegas attorney and talk-show host daughter dana & crohn’s disease: “When she smokes medical marijuana, oftentimes before going to the hospital and going through that cycle with the Dilaudid, it takes the edge off her pain.” Betting on Business: “The law is still unsettled regarding lawyers and doctors and their professional licenses around dispensaries. But legislators in our state are very positive about medical marijuana. The voters certainly are.” gateway drug: “A lot of people don’t understand the medical benefts and have been so brainwashed about marijuana being the gateway drug that they are not in favor of it. In the past, to buy it you had to go underground, dealing with people who are selling cocaine, crack, marijuana, and heroin. Legalizing marijuana will have the opposite result. If you have a legal, safe place to purchase medical marijuana, you will not come into contact with the stereotypical pusher.”

Tripp Keber Founder and CEO of Dixie Elixirs and Edibles tie-dyed Businessman: “This is not a fool’s business. You have to be intellectually charged, committed, and funded to succeed, because you can’t go to the bank and get a loan.” a kinder drug: “There may be two [marijuana-related] deaths in Colorado since January. How many hundreds of alcohol- or opiate-related deaths are there?” Potent Packaging: “We as manufacturers have to set the tone, to make sure that the packaging is not attracting children. Our products are designed to look like a luxury consumer packaged brand.”

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january 9–11, 2015 45 o u t s ta n d i n g d e a l e r s • g u i d e d wa l k s & d e a l e r ta l k s • s p e c i a l e v e n t s

PORTS OF CALL Thursday, January 8 Preview Night Friday, January 9 Lecture & Luncheon Saturday, January 10 Appraisals • Lecture Saturday Soirée

The Katzen Arts Center at American University Washington, dc

the 2015 washington winter show benefits children and families through services provided by bishop john t. walker school for boys, th earc, and the founders board of st. john’s community services

Exhibitors AS OF OCTOBER

15, 2014

A BIRD IN HAND ANTIQUES MARK AND MARJORIE ALLEN PRISCILLA BOYD ANGELOS ARTEMIS GALLERY BECKS ANTIQUES AND BOOKS DIANA H. BITTEL ANTIQUES BRENNAN AND MOUILLESEAUX DAVID BROOKER FINE ART CARLSON & STEVENSON DUBEY’S ART AND ANTIQUES, INC. J & R FERRIS ANTIQUES, LLC FLETCHER/COPENHAVER FINE ART E. & J. FRANKEL JAMES GALLAGHER GATES ANTIQUES, LTD. THE HANEBERGS ANTIQUES WM HUTCHISON JOHANNA ANTIQUES CHRISTOPHER JONES AMERICAN ANTIQUES ARTHUR GUY KAPLAN KELLEHER FINE ART JAMES KOCHAN FINE ART AND ANTIQUES JAMES M. LABAUGH ANTIQUES LEATHERWOOD ANTIQUES ROBERT LLOYD JAMES WM LOWERY ANTIQUES AND FINE ART NEWSOM AND BERDAN THE NORWOOD’S SPIRIT OF AMERICA ORIENTAL RUGS, LTD. JANICE PAULL THE PHILADELPHIA PRINT SHOP, LTD SUMPTER PRIDDY III, INC. CHARLES EDWIN PUCKET RUSSACK AND LOTO BOOKS SAJE AMERICANA SALLEA ANTIQUES W.M. SCHWIND, JR SEARS AND TITHER G. SERGEANT ANTIQUES SPENCER MARKS, LTD. SOLOMON SUCHARD PHILIP SUVAL, INC. EARLE D. VANDEKAR OF KNIGHTSBRIDGE, INC. MARIA AND PETER WARREN ANTIQUES WHITE’S NAUTICAL ANTIQUES

eugène boudin, yacht basin at trouville-deauville, (detail ) ca. 1895/1896 courtesy national gallery of art, washington dc

For tickets & more info: washingtonwintershow.org or 2o2.248.7159

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Haute ProPerty News, Stars, and trends in real estate

Million Dollar BaBy

It takes an eye for detaIl and luxury to double the resale value of a home In an emergIng neIghborhood. by james servin

A newly renovated home on 9th Street NW in Shaw, which sold in 2006 for $370,000, is on the market now for nearly $1 million.

On a quiet block in Shaw, a two-story home at 1521 9th Street NW stands out from its neighbors with its freshly pressed appearance, thanks to new cedar siding (necessary, due to the home’s designation as a historical landmark) and gleaming, energy-efficient windows. In January 2006, it sold for $370,000. Last February, the home landed on the market at $550,000. Now it’s listed at close to $1 million. “I don’t like to refer to this property as a ‘flip,’” says Jennifer Knoll, who is representing the home for Sotheby’s International Realty. “A lot of developers who flip homes will quickly go in, take out what’s there, put in stuff that’s nicer, but not that nice. This home was gutted to the studs, outfitted continued on page 132

capitolfile-magazine.com 131

haute property 1521 9th Street NW boasts a new roof deck with high-grade, maintenance-free materials and is outfitted for a wet bar.

It’s shaw tIme the Northwest neighborhood is in the midst of a major upgrade.

“I desIgn homes to be the way I’d want to lIve In them.” —michael crisci with new wiring, new plumbing, and high-end, quality finishes. No expense was spared.” Inside, brightly painted walls (at first glance they look white, but are actually a light gray by Duron) and four-inch red oak floors bring classic charm to the 1900 townhouse. A floor plan with flow, where the kitchen and living room occupy the first floor and three bedrooms are on the second, confers a feeling of spaciousness to the narrow, 1,500-squarefoot structure. In the kitchen, an island was avoided in favor of a rolling butcher block, so that the space could be completely open if desired. A 200-squarefoot roof deck has flooring and railings done in high-grade, maintenance-free Trex composite. Basic sink plumbing has been outfitted to the rooftop, should new owners want to install a wet bar. “Outside space in DC is hard to come by. I design homes to be the way I’d want to live in them,” says Shaker-style maple cabinets and a rolling butcher block create a light and spacious kitchen.

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Michael Crisci, owner of 202 Development, who says this property caught his eye because of its location in Shaw, “one of the hotter areas right now.” “A lot of other DC neighborhoods, like Trinidad, are starting to grow, but still have a long way to go to be considered hot. In Shaw, there are plenty of homes that are of good value.” A perusal of the 202 Development website (202development.com) reveals that Crisci favors the white wall, white cabinetry, wood floor look, an aesthetic that he refers to as “traditional modern.” A modern feel can be detected here in the gallerystyle, recessed ceiling lighting on the first floor and the custom steel stairway railings, Spark Fire gas fireplace, and 55-inch Samsung flat-screen TV in the living room (the two black rectangles stacked upon one another against a white brick backdrop resemble a Rothko painting). There are also highend KitchenAid appliances, not to mention home automation controls—for TV, lighting, music, and thermostat—that can be worked with a smartphone. A tankless hot-water heater stored in a closet is the size of a suitcase, says Knoll. “It heats water when you’re going to use it,” she says, “and because it’s instantly heating, you can take a shower for two days and it wouldn’t run out of water.” Traditional elements that balance the modern gadgetry include Shaker-style maple kitchen cabinets and white marble bathrooms. “Carrara marble is a timeless look that people were using 20 years ago and love to this day,” says Crisci. “I placed the tile all the way up to the ceiling, to give it a cleaner line.” But as much as Crisci redesigns to please himself, the goal is attracting a buyer and justifying a million-dollar price tag with quality finishes throughout. “I do these projects to make money,” he admits, “and this home, with what I think of as a transitional look—traditional modern, simple, clean, slim fixtures—is a style that better suits the masses.” CF

Renovating and reselling properties makes sense right now in Shaw, one of the fastestgrowing neighborhoods in DC, where restaurants (Cashion’s Eat Place, Bistro Bohem, Eat the Rich), nightlife (Dacha Beer Garden), and supergrocers (Giant) are plentiful and resale values are high. A 924-square-foot, twobedroom house at 923 West Street NW, on the market for $510,000, sold in 2003 for $305,000, a 67-percent increase (realtor: Giovanni Santa Ana, 571-482-4932). At 1507 Caroline Street, a three-bedroom with a freplace and a kitchen updated with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances is listed at $799,000, up 33-percent from its last sale of $600,000 in 2009 (and double its 2001 price tag of $400,000). “It used to be just Georgetown that was popular, and then Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, and the U Street Corridor; it keeps expanding,” says realtor Daryl Judy, who represents the Caroline Street property for the Kimberly & Daryl Team (202-361-3228). “Our city is the fastest-growing city in the United States.” Adds Jennifer Knoll of Sotheby’s International: “If you had been to the eastern part of Logan or Shaw ten years ago, you wouldn’t recognize it. There were a lot of dilapidated properties within a lot of vacant structures and empty lots. All of that is being flled in with higher-end real estate. There’s a lot of upgrading going on.” Case in point: A three-bedroom at 1406 Swann Street NW is listed by the owner on Zillow.com with an abundance of high-end extras—a six-burner Viking range, a home stereo system with in-wall controllers, an Internet-accessible security system, Vola faucets, a four-head shower, three skylights with motorized blinds, and fve freplaces. The listing price is $1.49 million, up 35-percent from $1.1 million, its selling price one year ago.

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thef leishergroup Marc Fleisher www.thefleishergroup.com 202.364.5200 x 2927 (O) ď&#x201A;§ 202.438.4880 (C)

haute property real estate repartee

Living on the edge The revitalization surge that has taken over DC has now reached such a fever pitch that developers are having to turn to smaller and smaller parcels to accommodate both retail and residential growth. Activity along the U Street Corridor, for example, has stretched all the way to 8th Street and into Shaw. In no time at all, what was formerly a no-man’s land between two neighborhoods has become a thriving, walkable community. This trend of a few square blocks becoming the connective tissue between two established neighborhoods is taking place in every quadrant all over the city—from within the H Street boundaries to Brookland, the Waterfront, Half Street, and NoMa/Eckington, just to name a few. But how does an in-between space transform into a beloved neighborhood? We talked to the experts to determine some of the key elements at play. Welcoming the Arts Most of these micro neighborhoods on the borders typically have one thing in common: The first people to move into the territory are from the arts community. Driven by the low rents in exchange for large warehouse-size spaces, everyone from dance troupes to musical groups is seeking out affordable buildings to do their work. Abdo Development was one of the first groups to bring a major investment of capital to the H Street Corridor, and company president Jim Abdo says not only was the existing arts scene a harbinger of potential, but he learned that they provide an untapped economic draw most people dismiss too quickly. “What people need to recognize is that the creative class and the arts community need to have a legitimate seat at the table as we develop transitional neighborhoods. It is not simply from an altruistic standpoint that I say it. I say it because I believe wholeheartedly it is good business.” Never Discount the Neighborhood Grocer Even though it starts with artists, a neighborhood’s transformation accelerates at a much faster pace once a grocery store moves in. But that doesn’t

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“The creaTive class and The arTs communiTy need To have a legiTimaTe seaT aT The Table as we develop TransiTional neighborhoods.” —Jim Abdo

mean it’s easy to get them there in the first place. “Grocers in the Washington market have taken some time to figure out what a successful urban store looks like,” says A.J. Jackson, senior vice president at the development company EYA. “As opposed to just saying, ‘Since we can’t have the box we’re used to in a more suburban location, we’re not going to go there,’ the stores have had to ask, ‘How do we operate a store in a smaller location with continued on page 136

clockwise from top left: Chancellor’s Row is a new townhome community in Brookland; Giant at City Market at O Street; the Duncan townhome offers a classic, traditional design.

photography by thomas arledge photography courtesy of eya

The long-ignored sTreTches of land beTween dc’s mosT soughT-afTer neighborhoods are being reviTalized, a few blocks aT a Time. by amy rose dobson

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haute property real estate repartee clockwise from top left: A Chancellor’s Row townhome is designed for comfort as well as maximum sunlight and views; colorful murals nod to Brookland’s creative arts scene; Capitol Quarter, a new development on the Capitol Riverfront, was once a shipbuilding hub and is now a bustling neighborhood and entertainment spot.

Embrace Authenticity In order to attract the big name grocery stores, both Jackson and Abdo agree developers have to prove they are changing the entire feel of an emerging block, or several blocks. Jackson calls this “creating a sense of place” and says EYA spends much of their planning phase thinking about what other types of retailers would best fit the incoming clientele. For example, EYA has seen success in working with Busboys and Poets to draw people to the new Arts District development in Hyattsville. “It’s about creating an environment that is unique and authentic and serves the needs of folks, as opposed to putting in a bank or a dry cleaners,” says Jackson. “Great urban planning,” continues Abdo, “has a dovetailing of all sorts of intermixed uses and people. You should go neighborhood to neighborhood to feel their cores and get a sense of the basic flavors of each one.” Any patch of land within walking distance of a major traffic route in the city is now a contender for a revitalization project, even if it means just a few small boutique condo buildings replacing the blighted structures that are already there. Despite the smaller scale of these projects, they have an impressive impact on the city since they bridge the gap between existing neighborhoods, create both construction and retail jobs, and establish long-term opportunities for revenue on square footage that was once just empty land. These emerging spaces might be micro, but they’re mighty all the same. cf

136 capitolfile-magazine.com

photography by thomas arledge photography, courtesy of eya

different loading and less parking?’” A further challenge Jackson mentions is the need to demonstrate that there will be a critical mass of customers. “No matter how big of a project you build—whether it’s one hundred or three hundred condo units above a grocery store—it is not going to make the economics work for the grocer.”

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

EASTON, MARYLAND Spectacular, waterfront Federalist-style home nestled on 3.88 acres with pool, nine bedrooms, and open foor plan offers almost 7,000 sq.ft. of living space. $2,975,000

WASHINGTON, D.C. Fully renovated with an addition, this elegant six-bedroom, four and a half bath is located in the Forest Hills area of Washington, D.C. just steps to the Metro and restaurants. $2,000,000

BETHESDA, MARYLAND Amazing 5 bedroom, 4+ bath Craftsman by Meridian Homes with luxury details throughout. Beautiful, spacious entertaining rooms, gourmet kitchen plus offce opens to the screen porch. $1,999,900

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ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA Classic 1920 brick center hall 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath colonial with grand room sizes, high ceilings, 2 freplaces, library and detached 3 car garage. $1,695,000

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CBMOVE.COM | COLDWELLBANKERPREVIEWS.COM Africa North America Central America South America Asia Australia Caribbean Europe Middle East South Pacifc © 2014 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Previews International, the Previews International logo and “Dedicated to Luxury Real Estate” are registered and unregistered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verifcation. Any affliation by you with the Company is intended to be that of an independent contractor licensed real estate sales associate.

clockwise from below: 1817 Riggs Place NW underwent a complete renovation by Lock 7 Development; 923 T St. NW in the U Street Corridor has seen its value soar; while not brand-new, 1221 12th St. NW offers high-end appliances and modern finishes.

Renovation Station

old Homes in newly tHriving neigHborHoods are getting makeovers to matcH. by amy rose dobson

Lock 7’s high-end renovation of 623 6th St. NE preserved many of the original details of the Victorian home.

138 capitolfile-magazine.com

A glance at the DC skyline reveals dozens of cranes marking new construction, but not all good real estate options right now are new builds. There are many viable options in burgeoning neighborhoods boasting a new look or new features. In areas where there were once only dilapidated developments, homebuyers are seeing a key trend in real estate: renovation. From repurposed spaces to fully gutted redos, these projects in newly desirable neighborhoods are turning onceignored abodes into high-end habitats—and fast. One only has to look at the streetscaping project along Columbia Heights’ Sherman Avenue, which turned several blocks of a major thoroughfare into a more neighborhood-friendly space, serving as a game changer for the surrounding real estate. Just one example is a nearly 2,000-square-foot condo; it took less than two weeks to find a buyer (2532 11th St. NW, $799,900). Outfitting the kitchen with commercial-grade appliances and adding spa-level bathroom fixtures were a few of the high-end alterations, as well as installing custom cabinetry and NEST thermostat technology that appeals to today’s tech-savvy clientele. David Gorman, principal at the firm Lock 7 Development, has worked on renovation projects in almost every emerging neighborhood in Washington and says one of his biggest challenges is creating as much square footage as possible. One secret Lock 7 relies on is installing space-efficient furnaces, so-called “pancake units,” above the bathroom so they don’t have to give up a closet for a more traditionally sized unit. The new furnaces are only 12 inches deep, making them perfect for narrow row homes. Lock 7 also buys all-in-one washer-dryers that fit underneath kitchen counters and uses short water heaters to maximize available space. Over on H Street NE, another locale on the upswing, a renovated Victorian sold for a tad over $1 million after going for $657,000 pre-renovation— proof of just how high the standard of living has increased. The home now meets all the modern standards without losing the original feel of the house; highlights include the updated kitchen and bathrooms that balance well with the exposed brick and subway tile, which maintain a classic feel. With the surging popularity of the U Street Corridor, spread as far east as 8th Street and beyond, it’s now common to see homes like a fourbed, three-and-a-half-bath townhouse with an asking price few would have seen around here 10 years ago (923 T St. NW, $1,125,000, James Downing, Real Living At Home, 703-244-3971). A half dozen or so emerging neighborhoods around our city are finally gaining some recognition as livable communities with great amenities, so it’s only natural that homes in those areas would follow suit. While everyone is wondering where the next big frontier will be, we can still take the time now to marvel at these new additions to the luxury scene. CF

photography Courtesy of LoCk 7deveLopment; trish hamiLton (623 6th st. ne)

Haute ProPerty estatements

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INVITED

Marguerite Thompson, Nora Pouillon, and Sharapat Kessler

Allison O’Brien, Lindsay Drewel, and Kate Hawken

JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION’S TASTE AMERICA

Ray Bialek and Shana Schwartzberg

Chase Pike and John Piedrahita with Whitney and Ryan Burns

THE ANNUAL NATIONAL dinner series from

the famous culinary organization, the James Beard Foundation, returned to Washington, DC, on October 17 for an evening of gourmet eats and charitable giving. Held at the Mandarin Oriental, guests nibbled on hors d’oeuvres from local chefs before sitting down to the four-course meal designed by Charles Phan and Rasika’s Vikram Sunderam. Bryan Rodriguez and Dave Kidney

Ed Scarpone and Katsuya Fukushima

White-Meyer Chairs Lindsay and Maxmillian Angerholzer arrive courtesy of Rolls Royce Sterling

Amb. Stuart Holliday with Susi and Eric Larsen

Pilar O’Leary, Gwen Holliday, and Septime Webre Shamin and Said Jawad

MERIDIAN BALL anticipated black-tie events, the Meridian Ball celebrated the culmination of the annual Global Leadership Summit on October 17. After a series of Ambassadorhosted dinners, guests descended on the historic Meridian House for a night of drinks and dancing. Lenore and Carroll Stewart with James Walker and Felix and Toni Bighem

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Jack and Michele Evans

Sen. Rand and Kelley Paul

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY BROWN

ONE OF WASHINGTON’S most

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A RenAissAnce chRistmAs DecembeR 16-23 Music of Flanders and Italy circa 1500 enjoy expressive seasonal melodies by enduring composers of the Renaissance. Featuring vocal quintet, winds, viol, and lute

Folger Consort early music ensemble in Residence at the Folger 202.544.7077 folger.edu/consort

the RoAD to cAnteRbuRy JAnuARy 9-10 At WAshington nAtionAl cAtheDRAl Music of Medieval England With vocal ensemble LIONHEART, medieval fddles, citole, lute, and winds

INVITED This year’s award was presented to Jocelyn Dyer

Sarah Kuhn and Alisa Schafer

Sharon Lockwood and Gay Truscott

Jocelyn Dyer and Deborah Winsor

Betsy Cooley, Eileen McGrath, and Dana Landry

Carter and Amanda Hood

GEORGETOWN MINISTRIES ON OCTOBER 16, Sarah Kuhn, Andrew Law,

Avery Miller, Deborah Winsor, and the Board of Directors of the Georgetown Ministry Center hosted its annual Spirit of Georgetown Benefit.

Gathered at the Georgetown home of Deborah Winsor, guests honored Jocelyn Dyer for her unwavering commitment as a board member for the organization.

Wendy Reyes, Page Evans, and Gunther Stern

Mr. Spacey performed to a sold-out crowd.

Lyndon Boozer, Catherine McDaniel, and John Tinpe

KEVIN SPACEY IN CONCERT

Nickie Currie and Rep. Aaron Schock

Rep. Steny Hoyer

ACADEMY AWARD WINNER and former CF cover star

Kevin Spacey performed big band classics like Frank Sinatra’s “You Make Me Feel So Young” and “New York, New York” at his eponymous foundation’s gala event on September 29, hosted by Adrienne Arsht, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, and Rep. Steny Hoyer. Attendees were treated to a concert by Mr. Spacey at the Shakespeare Theatre in the Harman Center before heading to a VIP after party at Poste. Adrienne Arsht

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Sam DePoy and Steve Winter

CAPITOLFILE-MAGAZINE.COM

Chris Matthews and Kevin Spacey chat at Poste.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALFREDO FLORES (GEORGETOWN MINISTRIES); KEVINSPACEYFOUNDATION.COM/LOGAN MOCK-BUNTING (SPACEY CONCERT)

Mert and Alev Bakan

GW LISNER PRESENTS

& JANUARY 30 | 8PM 20 YEARS OF FREEDOM: HUGH MASEKELA & VUSI MAHLASELA Co-presented with Washington Performing Arts

FEBRUARY 22

MULATU ASTATKE MARCH 6 ZAKIR HUSSAIN Celtic Connections Co-presented with Washington Performing Arts

MARCH 17

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INVITED Guests shopped at fashion pop-ups, including Hespera Jewelry Co.

Doug Kammerer, Adam Gorman, and Jason Pugh

Juliette, Pierce, and Joost Voorthuis with Samantha Steele

EMBASSY SUITES GRAND REOPENING CAPITOL FILE AND DESTINATION HOTELS celebrated the grand reopening of the Embassy Suites at the Chevy Chase Pavilion with a lively affair at the hotel’s newly renovated restaurant and bar, Willie’s, named in honor of their late long-time employee who lost his battle with ALS. Undergoing a $10.5

million renovation, the hotel now boasts a newly designed entrance and lobby, expanded restaurant and bar, and upgraded suites. Guests were treated to fashion pop-up shops from Ella Rue, Georgetown Optician, and Hespera Jewelry Co.

Johnna Rowe, Alicia Malone, and Ashil Kimenker

Stephanie Roma Brown and Stephanie Corcoran

Nina Arnold and Robert Arthur

Jeff Brainard

PHOTOGRAPH BY TONY BROWN

Aneta Kondratowicz and David Meit

Shana Lawlor and Katie Kleeblatt

Lloyd and Ligaya Ntuk

Kim Trundle and Anne Polk

Mark and Joy Price

Mulberry’s winter collection on display for the kick-off celebration.

CARE FOR KIDS KICK-OFF

ON OCTOBER 9, Mulberry welcomed guests to the official 2014 Board of

Mulberry’s Memo Faraj and Kirsty Welch

Visitors Care for Kids kick-off celebration benefiting Children’s National Medical Center. Attendees including cochairs Anne Polk and Kim Trundle and honorary cochair Housewives’ Mary Amons shopped the Mulberry Tyson Galleria store for the great cause.

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freely speaking Holiday 2014

Party Planning fêting in Style—and in ComplianCe—with CongreSS. by shari yost gold

In Washington, we can’t just have a party. We have to follow rules to have a party. Why? Because in Washington we live and work with Congress. And when dealing with Congress, we are dealing with rules. Otherwise, it might just appear unseemly to have a member of Congress and a lobbyist, who most likely used to work in Congress, sharing some holiday cheer in front of a political journalist (blogger), who depends on the very same Congressional offices for their political news (gossip). Make sense? Of course not! Regardless, there are rules you need to follow when throwing a fabulous shindig and angling for the all-important RSVPs of Congressional members, West Wing staffers, or Cabinet secretaries. Here, I leave you with a list of helpful hints for how to make sure your party is the talk of the town—and legal!

1. The event should be widely attended. This means a minimum of 25 people. Start with a member or two of Congress—adding wine and K Street will take care of the rest. 2. Follow the “toothpick rule.” To keep meals from appearing too lavish, stick to passed finger foods and make everyone eat standing up. 3. Pick a cause and call it a “benefit.” The legislative history of the party rule states, “an event may not be merely for the personable pleasure or entertainment of the member.” 4. Always know who’s coming to the party. This way Politico’s Mike Allen has plenty of time to get an anonymous “spotted” e-mail. Cheers! cf

illustration by daniel o’leary

For true Washingtonians, the day after Election Day is the unofficial start of the holiday season. Make that the holiday party season. That means eggnog lattes, obligatory office gifts, and Neiman Marcus’s desperate efforts to maintain a politically correct ratio of Christmas to Hannukah decorations. Hopefully, everyone has been to a great holiday party at least once in their lives. Partysavvy Americans generally follow the same blueprint when celebrating the season—lots of food, lots of drinks, beautiful decorations, and great music. There will always be one guy wearing a kitschy Christmas tie with a red and green sweater, while another is wearing a Black Watch plaid jacket, Hermès tie, and velvet shoes. There are no rules. Anything goes. Except, of course, if you happen to live in Washington, DC.

152 capitolfile-magazine.com