Old Town Crier March 2014

Since 1988–Priceless

March 2014

From the Bay to the Blue Ridge

Grapevine

RAPPAHANNOCK CELLARS

Where Family, Friends & Wine Come Together Personality Profile

MARTIN WHITE

Irishman, Restaurateur, Dad Dining Out

GERANIO RISTORANTE

An Elegant, Old Town Favorite Business Profile

FERGUS KENNEDY

Hobnobs & Tayto Crisps Across the Bridge

HOT IN THE HARBOR The Pepper Palace

oldtowncrier.com

Landini’s

Setting TheZAGAT Standard In Old Town For2006 Over 37 Years AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

AND THE PAST 15 YEARS

115 King Street Old Town Alexandria 115 King Street 703-836-8404 Old Town Alexandria landinibrothers.com 703-836-8404

G -11 pm N I RK :30

PArday 5 T E AL atu

V y&S a

Frid

Valet Parking Friday & Saturday 5-11 pm

Franco and Noe welcome you!

COME FOR THE FUN, STAY FOR THE FOOD!

Old Town’s Favorite Raw Bar Featuring the Freshest Shellfish in Virginia

Fish Market has continued to rise above the tide with its winning recipe for success–good, fresh seafood, excellent service and a great location. Such dedication to high quality and customer service has helped launch Fish Market as an Old Town landmark since 1976!

105 & 107 King St. Old Town Alexandria

703.836.5676 fishmarketva.com

Eat Fish, Drink Beer, Live Longer!

march’14 22

A Division of Crier Media Group 112 South Patrick Street Alexandria, Va. 22314 phone: 703. 836. 0132 office@oldtowncrier.com oldtowncrier.com Published the first week of every month.

Worth waiting for!

PUBLISHER Bob Tagert

SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE Laura Parker DESIGN & PRODUCTION Electronic Ink 9 Royal Street, SE Leesburg, Va. 20175 CONTRIBUTORS Chris Anderson Vincent Arrunategui Peggie Arvidson Sarah Becker F. Lennox Campello Steve Chaconas Doug Coleman Ashley Denham Busse Jaime Elliott Doug Fabbioli Nicole Flanagan Lani Gering Elizabeth Jones Frances Killpatrick Miriam Kramer Genevieve LeFranc Laura Parker Julie Reardon Chester Simpson Bob Tagert Carl Trevisan Ryan Unverzagt Lori Welch Neil Williamson Molly Winans

38

20

MARKETING & ADVERTISING Lani Gering Bob Tagert

A Bit of History After Hours Art & Antiques Behind the Bar Business Profile Caribbean Connection Chef’s Special Civil Discourse Dining Guide Dining Out Exploring Virginia Wines Financial Focus

8 11 15 32 5 18 35 9 28 30 36 6

First Blush Fitness From the Bay… From the Trainer Gallery Beat Get Your Irish On Go Fish Grapevine High Notes National Harbor On the Media On the Road

43 42 22 41 14 26 40 38 10 46 2 1

Personality Profile

4

Pets of the Month

13

Points on Pets

12 2

Publisher’s Notes Road Trip

20

Single Space

45

Spiritual Renaissance

44

The Last Word

17

To the Blue Ridge

24 7

Urban Garden

© 2014 Crier Media Group, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The Old Town Crier is published monthly and distributed to selected Alexandria residents, hotels, restaurants and retail shops. Also distributed in the Annapolis, Fredericksburg, Blue Ridge and Washington, DC areas as well as St. John, USVI.

On the road with OTC Follow US on Facebook

at facebook.com/oldtowncrier

Old Town Crier

Robyn Stewart (left) and Lauren Mendell, our very own Thelma and Louise, took a girls trip to Ottawa, Canada and couldn’t resist taking a copy of our "Love" edition to one of the honeymoon capitals of the world—Niagara Falls!

If you would like to see your picture here, take the OTC with you on your next trip, snap a high resolution photo and send it along with information for the caption to office@oldtowncrier.com.

March 2014 | 1

PUBLISHER’S NOTES BOB TAGERT

I

know … you are probably wondering why we feature a lamb on our cover this month.

It’s not because of St. Patrick’s Day and lamb stew, but because we long to see this dreadful winter end. Maybe it’s our sacrifice to the gods or maybe, after 26 years, we are running out of cover ideas.

Whatever the reason, at least we can find comfort in the hope that March will go out like a lamb, and warmer weather returns. Hope springs eternal!

Speaking of hope and eternal I must talk about my friend Rob Grogan. Rob was a writer, and in the late 90s he wrote an article for us about drifting in his canoe along the Rappahannock River through his beloved town of Fredericksburg. He asked me how to write it and I replied, “Write how you feel.” Boy, did he nail it! His words put you in the canoe with him. You could feel the breeze, hear the water, and smell spring in the air.

Shortly after that, Rob asked me to start a Fredericksburg Town Crier and he could run it. We gave it some

ON THE MEDIA LAURA PARKER

N

etworking events are a fantastic opportunity to meet with your fellow industry leaders, make new connections, and positively promote your brand.

However, before you even think about handing out your personally branded pen, buyer beware – put the pen down. In the age of new world creativity, boring promotional products simply won’t do.

Whenever one of my client’s asks for network event marketing advice, I always tell them that, “while their business card might fit neatly in a box, their promotional product needs to reinvent the box altogether.” And

2 | March 2014

thought but realized we would spread ourselves too thin, and besides, we didn’t like to work that hard. Rob had other ideas, and in 1997, on his dime, he started his own Rob Grogan publication, Front Porch, Fredericksburg. We were pleased to see him take our concept and make it his own—good news, good people—and he nailed it! Starting and running your own publication is not glamorous, it’s hard work. In the beginning you often question your sanity, but after surviving about three years you reach the “make it or break it” point. Rob made it. He and the Front Porch became the fabric of downtown Fredericksburg.

Last week my friend passed away after a battle with cancer. He was only 61.

A life taken way too soon. Rob leaves behind his wife Virginia and daughter Lexi, but more than that, he leaves a huge void in Fredericksburg. May the angels watch over you my friend. These tears are for you! You did well!

On a much lighter note, we hope you enjoy this month’s issue! It's pretty much a tribute to most everything Irish! Martin White, first generation Irishman and this year’s photo: Ryan Toe Grand Marshall in Old Town’s popular St. Pat’s parade, is featured in the Personality Profile and Fergus Kennedy of “Mostly Irish Things” is the subject of our Business Profile!

In the spirit of the season, I leave you with this famous Irish sentiment: My the road rise to meet you, May the wind be at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, May the rains fall soft upon your fields, And, until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Networking Event?

Don’t hit the snooze button with boring promotional products so, without further ado, here are a few creative promotional products that are sure to get your gears spinning.

Picture Frame

What better way to hand out your business card, than by including it in a small picture frame? The back of the frame could be customized with your branding information.

The name, date, and location of the networking event could be engraved onto the front of the frame. In this fashion, your recipients will associate your brand with a positive networking experience.

Coin Pouch

The coin pouch offers a unique branding opportunity. It is likely to be used on a daily basis and seen by multiple eyes throughout the day.

Did I mention that it could be used as a gift card carrier and conveniently your business card could be placed inside? Subtle branding combined with a colorful design make the coin pouch a creative promotional product that is sure to shine at any networking event.

Customized Headphones

Customized headphones are a fun promotional product that is rarely seen at networking conventions

(unless of course you are in the tech industry). Statistically speaking, people probably use headphones at least once a week, if not every day.

This means that your subtly branded promotional product will be in regular use. Given its creative practicality this particular item has a strong likelihood of inspiring a positive brand impression on recipients.

Laura Parker is a full-time freelance writer and marketing guru. For more marketing tips or to schedule a marketing advice session please contact her at parke425@gmail.com

Old Town Crier

King’s Jewelry is celebrating our Reopening and our 59th Anniversary!

Fine Jewelry 20% to 50% off Once-a-year Sale

Watches* up to 20% off

Sale Prices and Surprises. Come in to Win! No Purchase Necessary.

Drawing to be held April 1, 2014

We have created a beautiful showroom for your shopping pleasure. Come take a look.

703-549-0011 KingsJewelry.NET

609 King Street Alexandria Mon-Sat 10a-6p Closed Sundays

*Discount does not apply to Rolex watches, Swiss Army watches and our already competitively priced diamond engagement rings. Sale ends March 31, 2014.

Crier March ad.indd 1

2/23/14 10:55 AM

Local Farmers Markets Old Town Farmers Market

Market Square • 301 King Street Saturday 5:30 - 11 a.m. • year round free parking in Market Square garage during market hours People who come to Alexandria on Saturday mornings find themselves in a busy plaza where local farmers and artists have been selling their products since 1753. Old Town Alexandria’s Market Square is thought to be one of the nation’s oldest continually operating farmers markets, serving as a

primary source of meat, dairy, fish, fruits and vegetables for Alexandrians. George Washington sent his produce from Mount Vernon to be sold here. Today, the market offers folks a way to reconnect to the past, while participating in an ongoing local and national tradition.

Del Ray Farmers Market

Corner of East Oxford Avenue & Mount Vernon Avenue Saturday 8 a.m. - Noon • year round The Del Ray Market is producer grown, with fresh vegetables and fruits in season. All year round this market offers meats,

Old Town Crier

eggs, fresh pasta and sauces, Amish cheese, yogurt, bakery goods, eggs, jams and jellies, fancy nuts and bakery goods.

March 2014 | 3

Personality profile Laura Parker

M

artin White is perhaps the nicest, most jovial, and craziest (more on this later) person that I have ever had the pleasure of interviewing. In his words he is “a little bit nuts.” In fact, you have to be just a little bit crazy to enter into a lifelong career as a restaurateur. But, before getting into the amazing details of Martin’s career, I want us to first explore his journey to the States.

It all started in 1986, when Martin White made the trek from Ireland across the ocean to the United States.

As a young 21-year-old lad, Martin came to the Alexandria area on a tourist visa. It should come as no surprise that this charming man met his future wife on his very first day in Alexandria. Two children and many years later, the two are still happily in love and looking forward to Martin’s next big restaurant adventure.

Martin’s love of the restaurant industry began as a 14-year-old boy in Dublin, Ireland, where he worked in food service on the trains.

When Martin came to the U.S. he started working as a food runner at a Hamburger Hamlet owned restaurant. Hamburger Hamlet was the enormously successful joint venture of actor Harry Lewis and his girlfriend turned wife Marilyn Lewis. The chain first opened its doors in Los Angeles in 1950 and soon spread to multiple locations across the country. When Martin White joined the team, he was attracted to the chain because of their dedication to their employees.

According to Martin, “Marilyn Lewis was a genius and ahead of her time.”

She understood that a restaurant should be more than a place to have good food. “A restaurant needs to look after its staff. After all, the best restaurants become a home away from home for both patrons and employees,” Martin White.

After a decade of learning from the best and climbing the corporate ladder, Martin left Hamburger Hamlet to open his own restaurants. King Street Blues in Kingstowne, Alexandria was the first restaurant that Martin and his partner Doug Harvey opened. Martin licensed the concept from Ralph Capobianco, the owner of the original King Street Blues in Old Town, Alexandria. From 1998 – 2007 Martin and Doug opened a total of four King Street Blues locations: 4 | March 2014

Kingstowne, Crystal City, Stafford, and Courthouse. The Stafford and Courthouse locations have subsequently been sold, while the Crystal City location remains alive and thriving.

And when it comes to the Kingstowne location, let’s just say that it is getting an entirely new look and name!

That’s right, Martin White is at it again; only this time, he is finally fulfilling his life long dream of opening Fiona’s Irish pub. According to Martin, a proper Irish pub should be, “a place to have a casual drink and good home cooked meals.” All too often, Irish pubs in America have given a false representation of Irish cuisine. Fiona’s Irish Pub is going to change that image by serving locally sourced, traditional, home cooked meals. And if anyone knows good old-fashioned Irish cooking it is Martin White.

As a young child, Martin spent his summers on the Shores of Lough Arrow in County Sligo, Ireland at his grandparent’s farm. While on the farm, Martin watched as his grandmother lovingly kneaded dough into delicious homemade breads. Farm life taught Martin that good food

should be crafted from ingredients, which are readily available. “Classic seafood dishes come from Ireland.

Creativity comes from using what’s at hand.” Martin White.

With this concept in mind, Fiona’s Irish Pub is going to celebrate bringing a bit of Ireland to Alexandria. Not only is the pub going to serve delicious food and various brews, but it is also going to embody Martin’s love of the restaurant world. This industry has allowed Martin to interact with people from all walks of life. When people work in a restaurant they bring a bit of their culture with them. In Martin’s eyes, his restaurants represent, “good, solid, hard-working people.”

To this day, Martin believes that his success has been due to his ability to see employees as more than just numbers on the screen. Through this dedication Martin has helped to create more than 500 jobs in the restaurant industry. It is with bated breath that the residents of Alexandria and the surrounding areas await the March 2014 opening of Fiona’s Irish Pub – a place where friends can meet, strangers can become new friends, cultures can be embraced,

and the Irish tradition of good home cooked meals can finally make its journey across the ocean and straight to your plate.

From tourist visa to green card to becoming a citizen on St. Patrick’s Day in 1996, Martin White has truly lived the American Dream. Be on the look out for Martin White as he performs his duties as Grand Marshall at the annual Old Town St. Patrick’s Day parade. Given that this year’s theme is a celebration of immigrants from all cultures, it is particularly fitting that the honor of Grand Marshal should be bestowed upon Martin White, who believes that, “societies aren’t built on one particular heritage. Alexandria is a community city; I am proud of the things that I have done to help this community and I am excited to serve as Grand Marshall.”

Martin White

Irishman, Restaurateur, Dad

Old Town Crier

business profile ELIZABETH jones

I

am fortunate to meet some really interesting people through my work with the Old Town Crier, and I have heard some stories along the way. Most businesses we highlight are just around the corner where you can drop in and check them out for yourself. This edition, in honor of the Irish and St. Patty’s Day, we are lifting the curtain and introducing the man who provides the fine foods we enjoy at local restaurants around Alexandria, Washington, DC, and Maryland. I had the pleasure of meeting with Fergus Kennedy, owner of Kennedy MTI (Most Things Irish). A true gentleman, Fergus and I met for a beverage at O’Connell’s in Old Town.

I imagine our conversation could have gone on for much longer had I not had another commitment, and there would have likely been some cheese tasting involved. In the short time I spent with him, I had the chance to learn about his passions—his business, his music, and his family. I’m sure anyone who knows Fergus would agree, that he is authentic, smart, and can attribute his great success in business to the relationships he has formed along the way.

Fergus founded Kennedy MTI in 2005.

With a passion for fine food and years of experience in the wholesale food industry, he was determined to source products of quality and value to this community. Born and raised in Strabane, Ireland, Fergus has carried his family’s Irish traditions overseas to American restaurants and some of our favorite local spots. It is his priority to provide great tasting fine food “from their family to yours.” I learned in our conversation that he means that very literally. When I mentioned my Dad, who lives Old Town Crier

nearby, and is more of a smoked salmon fan than I am, he kindly offered to bring him some of his finest product.

Fergus and his team will go the distance to meet the needs of their clients. Although, going the distance doesn’t sound like such a bad deal when it means visiting Ireland a couple times a year. Kennedy MTI provides a vast range of foods, specializing in Irish and Scottish awardwinning smoked salmon, a variety of fine cheeses from “old world European” to fresh domestic, and traditional Irish meats from the butcher’s block.

Whether it is the kosher, all-natural, never frozen salmon, or the a-la-carte cheese selection, Fergus and Kennedy MTI can help you impress any guest for your St. Patty’s Day or March Madness event (which is quickly approaching). The food is straight from local farms to your table—as promised!

Many of you may already know Fergus through his music or because you’ve been fortunate enough to hang out with him around town.

When he is not working or with family, you will likely find him playing shows with his band, Brendan’s Voyage. Slated to play at O’Connell’s on March 1 after Old Town’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, they are ready to help the community celebrate and get into the Irish spirit! On March 15 Brendan’s Voyage will be playing at Chataeu O’Brien, a local winery in Markham, Va. from 12 to 5pm. Staying close to home for the holiday?

Celebrate with them at The Dubliner on Capitol Hill March 16 to March 22, and have a very happy St. Patty’s Day! To learn more about Fergus and the products offered by Kennedy MTI visit www.

KennedyMTI.com and follow them on Facebook.

Most Things

Irish

Taytos, hobnobs, salmon and more

Fergus’s band—Brendan’s Voyage

photo: Chester Simpson

March 2014 | 5

FINANCIAL FOCUS carl m.trevisan, cfp© & stephen m. bearce

Dealing with the Risks of Investing

W

orried about the risks of investing?

Understand different types of risk and strategies to manage market risk, interest rate and credit risks, and the risk of not meeting your goals.

Investment risk comes in many forms, and each can affect how you pursue your financial goals. The key to dealing with investment risk is learning how to manage it.

This three-step process will show you how.

Step One: Understand Risk

Fear of losing some money is probably one reason why people may choose conservative investments, even for long-term savings.

While investment risk does refer to the general risk of loss, it can be broken down into more specific classifications. Familiarizing yourself with the different kinds of risk is the first step in learning how to manage it within your portfolio.

Risk comes in many forms, including: • Market risk: Also known as systematic risk, market risk is the likelihood that the value of a security will move in tandem with its overall market. For example, if the stock market is experiencing a decline, the stock mutual funds in your portfolio may decline as well. Or if bond prices are rising, the value of your bonds may also go up.

• Interest rate risk: Most often associated with fixedincome investments, this is the risk that the price of a bond or the price of a bond fund will fall with rising interest rates.

• Inflation risk: This is the risk that the value of your portfolio will be eroded by a decline in the purchasing power of your savings, as a result of inflation.

• Credit risk: This type of risk comes into play with bonds and bond funds. It refers to a bond issuer’s ability to repay its debt as promised

Carter & Coleman Attorneys at Law

Serving Virginia, maryland and DC for over 20 years 703. 739. 4200 cartercoleman.com 602 Cameron Street alexandria, Va 22314

when the bond matures.

International investments also involve additional risks, including the possibility of fluctuating currency values (currency risk) and the risk that political and economic upheavals may affect a country’s markets.

Step Two: Diversify1

The process of diversification, spreading your money among several different investments and investment classes, is used specifically to help minimize market risk in a portfolio.

Because they invest in many different securities, mutual funds may be ideal ways to diversify. Selecting more than one mutual fund for your portfolio can help further reduce risk.

Also consider the potential benefits of selecting investments from more than one asset class: When stocks are particularly hard hit due to changing conditions, bonds may not be affected as dramatically. In part, that may be because bond total returns may be tied more to income (which can cushion a portfolio) than price changes.

Step Three: Match Investments to Goals

Before you can decide what types of investments are appropriate from a risk perspective, you need to evaluate your savings goals.

Is your goal preservation of principal, generating income for current expenses, or building the value of your principal over and above inflation? How you answer 1

6 | March 2014

“

The key to dealing with investment risk is learning how to manage it.

this will enable you to find an appropriate balance between the return you hope to achieve and the risk you are willing to assume.

Examine your time horizon for meeting your goals, and consider how comfortable you may be riding out shortterm losses in the value of your investments. Remember, the longer your time horizon, the more volatility you may be able to tolerate in your portfolio.

By devoting time to examining your goals, conducting some research, and working with a financial professional, you can learn how to manage risk in your portfolio by choosing appropriate investments.

Because of the possibility of human or mechanical error

by S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications or its sources, neither S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications nor its sources guarantees the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or availability of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. In no event shall S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications be liable for any indirect, special or consequential damages in

connection with subscriber’s or others’ use of the content. © 2013 S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications.

All rights reserved. This column is provided through the Financial Planning Association, the membership organization for the financial planning community, and is brought to you by Carl M. Trevisan, a local member of FPA and Stephen M. Bearce. McLaughlin Ryder Investments, Inc. and McLaughlin Ryder Advisory Services, LLC and their employees are not in the business of providing tax or legal advice. These materials and any tax-related statements are not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used or relied upon, by any such taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties. Taxbased statements, if any, may have been written in connection with the promotion or marketing of the transaction (s) or matter(s) addressed by these materials, to the extent allowed by applicable law.

Any such taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayer’s particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. Securities offered

by McLaughlin Ryder Investments, Inc. and investment advisory services offered by McLaughlin Ryder Advisory Services, LLC.

Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.

Old Town Crier

THE URBAN GARDEN LANI GERING

The Lamplighter Our staff has 3 generations of experience to assist you in your lamp and lamp shade needs!

1207 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703.549.4040 www.lamplighterlamps.com Haircuts $13 Shampoo, Cut & Blow Dry $16 (extra charge for long hair) Scissors Cut $17+up

A Very Good Price!

Color $38+up Permanent $43+up (including haircut & conditioner)

Good Haircut!

Beautiful Perm!

Long Lasting Color!

Van’s Hairstylists 107 North Washington Street (near corner of King & Washington streets)

703-836-1916

How to Grow a

Monday-Friday 9 am-7 pm • Saturday 9 am-6 pm We care and will give you only the best!

Biolage • Vital Nutrient • Socolor • Matrix Perm • Paul Mitchell • Nexxus

Shamrock!

I

n the spirit of the month of March and one of the Old Town Crier’s favorite celebration days – St. Patrick’s Day – we thought you would like to know the secret to growing these lucky plants!

Stories have it that shamrocks won’t grow any place other than in Irish dirt. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. The word, "shamrock" is the English form of the Irish word "seamrog," which means "little clover" and clover is something that grows just about everywhere. If you’d like to grow shamrock, also known as "white clover," you’ll find it to be a fun and flowering, low maintenance plant. Read on to learn how to grow shamrock: 1. Select a good plant by looking for one with new growth, a few flower buds just opening and more ready to bloom. You can grow shamrock from seed, but starting with a plant is much more reliable.

2. While it can be grown outside, it does best indoors. Shamrock needs bright light (not full sun) and moist, well drained soil until its twoor three-month dormancy period in the winter.

That’s when you’ll need to keep the plant in a cool, dry area and the soil barely moist until spring when watering should resume.

3. Place plants in trays or flower boxes for best results. Shamrock grows from the tip by Old Town Crier

sending out runners that take root. Being in containers allow the tips to make contact with the soil to produce the runners.

4. Keep your plants cool at night, about 50 to 65 F and don’t let them get any warmer than 70 to 75 F during the day. Plants habitually exposed to warmer environments will go dormant quicker.

5. Fertilize your shamrock once a month during the winter and spring growing periods.

A liquid or water soluble fertilizer works best.

When the plant stops growing, fertilize every other month until it goes dormant.

6. Protect your shamrock against the occasional attack of aphids or whitefly. A natural and safe insecticidal spray can be made at home by chopping up onions and chilies, simmering them together. Shamrock is fairly disease free, susceptible only to root rot if you keep them too wet.

Warning: Be careful where you place your shamrock plant because if it is ingested by pets, it can cause them to suffer kidney failure or worse.

Publishers Note: Credit for this article is given to contributors from ehow.com. To read more on How to Grow a Shamrock log on to the following link: http://www.ehow.com/how_2156526_ grow-shamrock.html#ixzz1EWkJuDbZ

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From the Bay to

the Blue Ridge

January 2014

Road Trip

FROM THE BAY RIDGE TO THE BLUE in Review 2013

Personality Profile

BOB HARVEY in A Legend His Own Mind

Grapevine

ALBEMARLE CIDERWORKSConcerns

A Place with Pressing

oldtowncrier.com

Business Profile

THE HOUR

Vintage Cocktailware in Old Town

Across the Bridge

NATIONALtheHARBOR New Year Ringing in

monthly fix March 2014 | 7

a bit of history sarah becker

Suffrage and the Woman’s Bible

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, above, and Caroline Hallowell Miller, right

8 | March 2014

I

n 1895 Democrat Grover Cleveland was in the White House; the US Supreme Court ruled that the Sherman Anti-trust Act applied only to monopolies involved in interstate commerce, and the Populist Party collapsed. Cuban insurgents revolted against Spanish rule, American women rode bicycles, and suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton published part one of The Woman’s Bible. Stanton, born in 1815, had been advocating for women’s rights since before the Civil War. “From the inauguration of the movement for woman’s emancipation the Bible has been used to hold her in the ’divinely ordained sphere,’ prescribed in the Old and New Testaments,” Stanton age 80 wrote.

“The canon and civil law; church and state; priests and legislators; all political parties and religious denominations have alike taught that woman was made after man, of man, and for man, an inferior being, subject to man. Creeds, codes, Scripture and statutes are all based on this idea.

The fashions, forms, ceremonies and customs of society, church ordinances and discipline all grow out of this idea.”

“If from this hour we cheerfully and honestly abandon all sectional prejudice and distrust, and determine, with manly confidence in one another, to work out harmoniously the achievements of national destiny,” President Cleveland said in his first inaugural address, “we shall deserve to realize all the benefits which our happy form of government can bestow.” After years of struggle, suffragists had little to show.

In July 1848 Elizabeth Cady Stanton, together with Quaker Lucretia Mott assembled more than 300 men and women in Seneca Falls, New York to discuss the women’s Declaration of Rights and Sentiments. Stanton, the primary author, was desperate for reform. As a young woman Stanton was denied a university education: “He has denied her the facilities for obtaining a thorough education - all colleges being closed against her.” As a married woman she was denied entry to a British antislavery convention.

Formerly enslaved black males

achieved the right to vote in 1870.

Amendment 15, Section 1 of the Bill of Rights: The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude.” Women remained without, beginning with the 1868 passage of the 14th Amendment’s privileges or immunities clause.

“No reform has ever been started but the Bible, falsely interpreted, has opposed it,” Stanton explained. Two of the grievances listed in the women’s Declaration of Rights and Sentiments related to Scriptures. Stanton, unlike cohorts Susan B. Anthony and Carrie Chapman Catt, defined the woman’s dilemma broadly.

“So perverted is the religious element in her nature that with faith and works she is the chief support of the church and clergy; the very powers that make her emancipation impossible,” Stanton wrote. “When in the early part of the Nineteenth Century, women began to protest their civil and political degradation they were referred to the Bible for an answer. When they protested against the unequal position in the church, they were referred to the Bible for an answer. This led to a…critical study of the Scriptures.”

“All reforms are interdependent, and that whatever is done to establish one principle on a solid basis, strengthens all,” Stanton said. “Reformers who are always compromising have not yet grasped the idea that truth is the only safe ground to stand upon.”

“We have many women abundantly endowed with capabilities to understand and revise what men have thus far written,” Stanton concluded, “but they are all suffering from A BIT OF HISTORY > PAGE 16

Old Town Crier

civil DISCOURSE DOUG COLEMAN

Kilpatrick’s Raid on Richmond The Battle of Walkerton and the Four Burials of Ulric Dahlgren

A

s February 1864 closes, a cavalry detachment of 4000 troopers commanded by Judson Kilpatrick and Ulric Dahlgren breaks camp in Culpeper.

Their objective: to hit the Confederate prisons at Belle Isle and Libby in Richmond hard and fast in the hope of freeing Union prisoners. It gets better – then they would arm the freed prisoners, attack Richmond from within, bringing down the government and ending the war in one terrible swift stroke. There were two prongs to the attack. Kilpatrick will attack from the north. Dahlgren, at 21 the youngest colonel in the army, will sweep around and come up from the south. Of course, things don’t always go as planned.

On February 29th, the raiders reach Louisa County. Dahlgren splits off with an advance force of 500 troopers and begins tearing up the rail lines to Richmond. By March 1st they are nearing Goochland. Heavy rain slows them and by now the locals know they are coming. They lose further time as they stop to pillage the estates of Confederate Secretary of War Alexander Seddon and others.

Dahlgren ignores Mrs. Seddon’s pleas for civilized conduct. Former governor Henry Wise, now a general, is in the neighborhood too, but his daughter and grandchild distract Dahlgren on the front porch; Wise escapes into the woods and speeds to Richmond with news that Dahlgren is no gentleman. Dahlgren squanders more time burning Dover Mills and some boats on the James River canal.

Having adequately terrorized the local civilians, Dahlgren turns his attention to crossing the James. His

Old Town Crier

guide is a freed slave named Martin Robinson, who grew up in the vicinity.

There is no ford, likely because the heavy rain has swollen the river.

But an angry Dahlgren concludes Robinson has betrayed him and hangs him on the spot. Now Dahlgren lacks a guide and is committed to attacking the prisons from the north after Wise has given plenty of warning he is coming.

Kilpatrick reached the outskirts of Richmond with the main force on March 1st and skirmished on the line of the outer defenses. Legendary cavalryman Wade Hampton counterattacks Kilpatrick on March 2nd near Old Church; Kilpatrick’s troopers skedaddle for the protection of Federal infantry at New Kent Courthouse. The main event fizzles; Union prisoners at Libby and Belle Isle must endure or die.

Dahlgren is even less lucky. Now under pursuit, his 500 troopers have drifted east to King and Queen County, even today a sparselypopulated tangle of woods and swamps (the late Mr. Robinson might have been of use here). Then his command breaks up. On March 2nd, Dahlgren and his remaining 100 men ride into an ambush at Walkerton, where there is a bridge over the Mattaponi. A detachment of the 9th Virginia cavalry and local home guards tear into the intruders. They hit the right guy, blowing Dahlgren out of the saddle with five wounds.

Most of his remaining men do find their way to Libby and Belle Isle, but not as liberators. They are lucky not to be hung, as Seddon urges; Lee, whose son Rooney is a prisoner of war, personally intervenes to save their necks. Nonetheless, they are

“punished” by being assigned black cellmates. A Union gunboat searching for Dahlgren rescues four troopers and his personal servant on March 7th.

It gets worse. A thirteen-year-old boy in the home guard finds papers in Dahlgren’s pocket. Dahlgren’s orders to his men reveal the intent to assassinate Jefferson Davis and his cabinet and burn Richmond – pretty much in keeping with the original plan to free the prisoners and go wild. The Confederate press lost no time in publishing Dahlgren’s orders, leading to the “Dahlgren affair” – in the 19th Century, murdering one’s governing counterpart simply was not done, hence international shock and scandal; see http://www.nytimes. com/1864/06/03/news/col-dahlgrens-orders.html. The North responded that the papers were a forgery, just cheap propaganda. The question is debated even now. Nonetheless, they are consistent with Dahlgren’s mission and ends-justifies-the-means approach to warfare. Richmonders nick-name CIVIL DISCOURSE > PAGE 13

March 2014 | 9

HIGH NOTES CHRIS ANDERSON

Sam Roberts Band & Guided By Voices Sam Roberts Band: Lo-Fantasy

Over the course of fourteen years and five albums, the Sam Roberts Band has gone from being a bedroom fantasy of the group’s namesake to becoming one of Canada’s most important independent bands. Their latest release, Lo-Fantasy, builds upon their prior work while also taking advantage of their increasing momentum. Much of this record has a sort of space-age disco feel, especially in the brilliant opener, “Shapeshifters”.

The album’s first single, “We’re All In This Together”, has a slippery sort of Jane’s Addiction groove, with the kind of chorus that will no doubt electrify any room they play, while other songs like “Metal Skin” and “Too Far” sound almost like a more upbeat Dr. Dog. While there is a dearth of the 60’s rock that informed such classic tracks as “The Gate”, “Love At The End Of The World”, and “Detroit ’67”, there is a unity to this material that makes this album sound more like a complete thought than many of Sam Roberts’ albums have. The closest they come to true rock-out mode is “Human Heat”, which almost borders on punk, but even that is layered with nuances that make it fit perfectly within the frame of this album.

10 | March 2014

“Angola” takes the dub-influenced post-punk of The Clash and sends it barreling into the 21st century, something they continue on “The Hands Of Love”, possibly the greatest song that OMD never recorded, while “Never Enough” is perhaps the closest the Sam Roberts Band has ever come to a lighter-in-the-air anthem.

There are flirtations with electro-pop all over this album, nowhere more prevalent than on the full-on synth of “Chasing The Light”. In the hands of a lesser band, this would have been a mess. Sam Roberts, however, has such a distinctive writing style that it just doesn’t matter. Now, I am sure if this song were to make it to the live stage, it would be a big, guitar-driven number, but here it’s cool.

Album Number Five is usually the point where most artists make a conscious effort to move past what is generally expected of them and, you know, shake up the formula a little bit. Sometimes, as in the case of U2 (#5: The Joshua Tree), REM (#5: Document), and Bob Dylan (#5: Bringing It All Back Home), the results are miraculous. And sometimes, as in the case of My Morning Jacket (#5: Evil Urges), Rilo Kiley (#5: Under The Blacklight), and Dave Matthews Band (#5: Everyday) … well the results are disastrous.

Fortunately, the Sam Roberts Band fits into the former. Now is their time.

Guided By Voices: Motivational Jumpsuit

GbV continues to make up for lost time with their fifth new album since reuniting, just two years ago, and it is probably the best of the bunch. The opener, “Littlest League Possible”,

proves that Bob Pollard knows exactly his place in the pantheon of Rock Icons – he has seen success but his popularity is still very limited to a core group of overly-obsessive fans. “To be the biggest fish in the smallest pond” pretty much sums it up.

To call any Guided By Voices album “bad” is to kind of miss the point.

That said, I can’t say that I was all that enthralled with last year’s English Little League. To me, it lacked hooks and it seemed as if Bob was starting to save his best material for his solo albums, instead of the other way around. He even hinted at it being last GbV album. Fortunately he was just blowing smoke, because now we have Motivational Jumpsuit and it could be one of those classic GbV albums like Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes. All the elements are there, down to the fact that most of the songs are less than two minutes long, and are filled with hooks and clever lyrics and all those other things that make a good Pollard release.

Bob Pollard has, on many occasion, preached the virtue of the “Four P’s” – pop, punk, psych, and prog – and this album delivers all. The hilariouslytitled “Writer’s Bloc” is about as prog as Bob gets, while “Child Activist” almost sounds like it should have been destined for Bob’s tripped-out Circus Devils band. Classic GbV gets highlighted on songs like “Planet Score” and “Vote For Me Dummy”, both of which could have easily gone on some secret post-Alien Lanes album. “Alex And The Omegas” closes the album out with some classic rawk while elsewhere, that lo-fi acoustic HIGH NOTES > PAGE 11

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HIGH NOTES FROM PG 10

sound creeps up on songs like “Go Without Packing” and “A Bird With No Name”, which also features a healthy dose of noise. “Zero Elasticity” rocks really hard and could have, in another life, been a heavy hitter in the early-2000s version of the band, but here is performed with that sort of gritty gusto that fits it just the same.

What makes this newly-reactivated GbV so great is that it includes Tobin Sprout, who has been churning out some great material on these five albums, the best of which is found here. “Jupiter Spin” has a mid-60’s, trippy feel to it, making it worthy of its status as being his first song to ever grace the a-side of a Guided

By Voices single. “Calling Up Washington” is

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a neat little slice of jangle-pop, while “Some Things Are Big (and some things are small)” is about as epic as a Toby song can get, starting out gentle and acoustic before exploding into full band glory.

Much of this album recalls the “classic” period of the band, that era of fuzzy pop masterpieces that ran from 1993’s Vampire On Titus til 1996’s Under The Bushes Under The Stars, those records that made this band the greatness that it is. That point is driven home in the cover collage, which features some kid looking on longingly at the sleeve of GbV’s iconic 1995 “Tigerbomb” EP. This return to form is something that they have been striving for since reuniting and, finally, they seem to have it nailed.

Shout Out TO Local Musicians!

Submit your CD for possible mention in an upcoming Old Town Crier High Notes column. Send your latest accomplishment(s) with contact information to: Old Town Crier Regional Magazine Attn: High Notes 112 South Patrick Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Old Town Crier

March 2014 | 11

POINTS ON PETS ASHLEY DENHAM BUSSE

King Street Cats Adoption Calendar march 2014 For details & MORE INFO website: www.kingstreetcats.org email: contact@kingstreetcats.org King Street Cats is looking for foster homes! You provide the spare room and TLC and we provide food, litter and all vetting. Please email for our Kitten Fostering FAQ at: contact@kingstreetcats.org King Street Cats 25 Dove Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Every Saturday & Sunday 1:30–4:30 pm Pro Feed Bradlee Shopping Center 3690 King Street Alexandria, VA 22302 Every Saturday & Sunday 1–4 pm PETCO UNLEASHED AT PENTAGON ROW 1101 S. Joyce Street Arlington, VA 22202 Saturday, March 1 Saturday, March 15 Sunday, March 16 1–4 pm DOGMA 2772 S. Arlington Mill Drive Arlington, VA 22206 Sunday, March 9 1–4 pm Petsmart Willston Shopping Center 6100 Arlington Blvd Falls Church, VA 22044 Sunday, March 23 1–4 pm

12 | March 2014

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

W

ell, sometimes, the answer to that question, “Can’t we all just get along?” might seem to be “No.” Just as with humans, pets don’t get along all the time. There are a few scenarios where you might encounter interpersonal (or should we say “interfeline”) issues. The good news is that in most cases there are solutions.

You Can’t Teach an Old Cat New Tricks

Let’s say you’ve just brought a kitten home and he’s terrorizing your older cat; chasing him, biting him, just generally pushing your older cat to the limit. What to do? First off, remember that your kitten is just a baby (or toddler): he’s got lots of energy to expend, and your older cat is probably past that stage and just looking for a chance to snooze in peace.

Make sure you give your older cat plenty of attention and love, one on one. And provide lots and lots of other stimulation and exercise for your kitten so that he doesn’t take his energy out your older kitty. Get a cat tree or other climbing station; make or buy toys that require your kitten to run and chase and pounce, such as toys on strings (but make sure not to leave her alone with them because she may ingest the string). Also, there are lots of interactive toys for cats such as puzzles and toys with treats that must be found and accessed. Offer her chew toys, too: they are helpful for teething kitties as well as providing an outlet for some of that energy.

Off My Turf

Another problem you might run into with multiple cats are turf wars. Since cats are territorial animals, each with their own area (which is much larger than you might think), sharing a small space such as a house can sometimes be a challenge.

If your cats aren’t spayed or neutered, do so. Make sure each cat has his own litter box, toys, sleeping space, and area to reduce competition. Ensure there are plenty of safe, quiet spaces or perches for each cat to retreat to or hide in when needed.

The Thrill Is Gone

What if your two cats all of a sudden stop getting along? If this happens, make sure that one of them hasn’t developed a health problem that is making him anxious, irritable, or fearful. If both cats seem to be otherwise healthy, you might try separating them for several days—and this means keeping each confined to his own room or group of rooms. Put their food bowls on opposite sides of the same door so they can be near each other without seeing or touching each other. Switch them to each other’s rooms every other day so they can get used to each other’s scent again. After a week or so, try reintroducing them in short intervals, but distract them during this time with treats or playing, and keep these makeup sessions brief, relaxed, and supervised.

If they seem to be going okay, you might try rubbing something tasty on each’s face, head, and ears, like tuna or salmon juice.

This will encourage them to groom and thus keep them from interacting too much.

Some cats may even groom each other in

order to get at the tasty smell, and in this way they may reestablish their bond.

Biting the Hand That Feeds You

What if your cat is or begins to be aggressive toward you or other people?

There are a variety of reasons this kind of aggression may occur, and in fact there are a variety of types of aggression that can cause this. If your cat is sore or ill, he may lash out in self-defense. If his aggression has been aroused and you interfere (say he’s watching a bird outside the window and you come up behind him to pet him, at which he lashes out), this is simply re-directed aggression.

Another instance may be play aggression, where your cat starts playing too rough.

The trick here is to learn the signs of when your kitty is going to start biting or scratching, and cease the play before that starts, or play in ways that don’t involve physical contact (by using toys instead). You can reward gentle play with treats and simply walk away or ignore your cat when he plays too rough; this will teach him the consequences of hurting you. Finally, your cat may act aggressive because of fear—a change in routine or place, the arrival of visitors, or any number of events can cause stress and make your cat lash out. For the most part, removing humans from her space is the most helpful in reducing her stress. Don’t try to console or reward her when she acts out in fear; don’t show fear yourself, either—both of these actions will only reinforce negative behavior and teach her to continue it.

POINTS ON PETS > PAGE 13

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POINTS ON PETS FROM PAGE 12

The best way to reduce aggressiveness in your cat is to have either a spray bottle of water or something loud on hand (such as a canister of coins you can shake; you can even clap loudly), catch the aggressive behavior as soon as it starts and curtail it by spraying water or making a loud noise without touching your cat, since physical discipline only increases agitation or aggressiveness.

And rewarding positive behavior with attention and treats will encourage your cat to act the way you want.

Parting Advice

Don’t assume cats will work it out on their own all the time.

Sometimes this may be the case, but often you may need to intervene. And don’t let them “fight it out”—a fight can escalate to the point where one or both cats can be seriously injured.

Help them help themselves, so everyone can live in peace!

Ashley Denham Busse has worked for Doggywalker.com since 2006. Doggywalker.com is a professional pet-sitting company located in Old Town Alexandria, celebrating more than 13 years of providing daily walks and customized in-home pet care. Visit doggywalker.com or email info@doggywalker.com.

CIVIL DISCOURSE FROM PAGE 9

him “Ulric the Hun.” The disposition of Dahlgren’s corpse is a story in itself. First, he was buried near where he was killed, at the fork of two roads near Stevensville and Mantua Ferry. Then his remains were removed to Richmond, where he was viewed by numerous people. A finger had been severed to secure a gold ring and a gunshot wound was noted in the forehead. Protocol was to send bodies of Union officers home, but Jefferson Davis gave explicit instructions to make an exception in this case. The next day the body was conveyed to Oakwood Cemetery and reburied without ceremony – “a dog’s burial.” The colored gravediggers were sent away so that the disgraced occupant of the unmarked grave would remain anonymous until “the trump of doom”, as the Richmond papers crowed. However, one of the gravediggers, curiosity excited, watched the burial from the woods and deduced that it was Dahlgren, as there had been much talk of how to dispose of the war criminal’s remains.

Dahlgren’s father was a famous admiral—Dahlgren

naval station on the Potomac was named after him, as was Battery Dahlgren on Shuter’s Hill in Alexandria. A number of Union men in Richmond determined to locate his grave so that he might be returned to his family. A Mr. Lipscomb found the gravedigger who had spied on the burial and enlisted his cooperation with a $100 bill. Appreciating the danger, the gravedigger dropped a stone on the grave as he went about his chores, with the Union men watching at a distance.

Promised an even richer reward of $1500 (a soldier’s pay was $13 a month), on the rainy pitch-black night of April 6th, the gravedigger met the Union men at the cemetery to exhume Dahlgren. The Unionists waited outside the cemetery in a cart while the grave digger and two assistants “resurrected” Dahlgren. The shoddy coffin fell to pieces just short of the cart and the body tumbled out onto the ground.

It was identified by the missing finger and a leg lost in the Gettysburg campaign; like a Catholic saint, Dahlgren’s body had not decayed.

The Unionists drove through the city of Richmond to the house of William Rowlett until a proper coffin could be found. The next day

they smuggled the body out of the city concealed in a wagon beneath a load of fruit trees, arriving at the farm of Robert Orricks, a Unionist living in Henrico County. At Orrick’s, the body was reburied under an apple tree in a field, as burial in the family graveyard might excite inquiry. Orrick travelled north some months later, found Commander Dahlgren, and let him know his son had been looked after.

When Richmond fell, the Unionists dug Dahlgren up one last time and sent the body to Washington. Most of him found a final resting place in the Dahlgren family plot at Laurel Hill cemetery in Philadelphia. His leg, lost in a skirmish at Hagerstown in the pursuit of Lee following Gettysburg, had previously been sealed inside the wall of the Dahlgren foundry at the Washington navy yard.

Interred with full military honors, it is still there. Alas, the finger lost at Walkerton remains unaccounted for.

The Yankees returned to avenge Dahlgren and punish the residents of King and Queen County, burning the settlement at King and Queen Courthouse. The courthouse, still in use, now stands alone in a clearing— the village was not rebuilt.

Some believe the last

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Well, hi there! You don’t mind if I just plop right down and check you out, do you? I’m Miranda, and there’s nothing I like better than exploring my surroundings and getting to know new people...especially someone who might want to scratch my head while I purr in their lap. And double, triple, quadruple extra-like if they might want to make me their very own kitty! You see I don’t have a human of my own right now—one of the staff found me crying outside the shelter in a storm drain. I’m definitely better off here than out there by myself, but a real home would still be better! I’m lovely and charming, about a year old, and I love toys and games. I’m not one of those lie-around-and-lookdisdainful cats! (not that there’s anything wrong with that,

Sources: D. Schultz, The Dahlgren Affair: Terror and Conspiracy in the Civil War; Col. Dahlgren’s Leg, http://allenbrowne.blogspot. com/2012/05/col-dahlgrensleg.html; Harper’s History of the Great Rebellion; Col. Ulric Dahlgren; Curious Story Regarding the Disposition of his Remains, http://www. nytimes.com/1865/08/13/ news/col-ulric-dahlgrencurious-story-regarding-thedisposition-of-his-remains. html?pagewanted=2; Doug Coleman is an attorney and amateur historian in Alexandria; comments and corrections are welcome at dcoleman@cartercoleman.com.

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chapter of this tale was written in April of 1865. Dahlgren’s orders changed the rules of engagement – now presidents and their cabinets are legitimate targets. Thus on April 14th President Lincoln, who had personally approved the raid, is assassinated, Secretary Seward is stabbed, and Vice President Johnson escapes only because his assassin is over-served at a tavern. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

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March 2014 | 13

GALLERY BEAT F. LENNOX CAMPELLO

clockwise: Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, Joan Jett, Debbie Harry and Robbie Robertson.

photos: Chester Simpson

I Love Rock ’n Roll …

Chester Simpson, photographer

P

hotography is one of those skill sets that every once in a while deliver great generic photographers, such as the great Lida Moser, who are able to just about point the camera at anything and seemingly make magic happen.

The magic that happens when a talented photographer can find a special niche is also quite warming to the solar plexus of the mind.

The exhibition of great classic Rock and Roll photos at Jeffrey Winter Gallery (here in Old Town at 110 A South Columbus Street) has work by Chester Simpson, which is a perfect example of what I am talking about —the breathtaking magic that can be delivered by a photographer armed with a camera and facing the talent in front of his lenses.

Most musicians are by nature “posers.” I mean that in a positive 14 | March 2014

sense, not in the pejorative sense of the word. Part of their genetic make-up (with rare exceptions) is to react when they see a camera, by posing.

Posing can sometimes be a fatal enemy to a photographer, especially if the aim is to capture a fleeting moment that also manages to snag something personal about the subject.

And it is precisely Simpson’s almost routine ability to capture his subjects, not as a pose but as an insight into their craft, or person, or personna, that makes his photographs remarkable and somewhat unique in the field of Rock & Roll photography.

But he goes beyond that; even when the subjects stop and look into the camera, when they split time to hold a breath or a pose awaiting for the click of the button, there is something loose and trusting in the event. There is Joan Jett looking somewhat longingly at Chester from a mirror reflection—her

look is simple and open, and yet full of that feral ferocity that made her music so striking—Simpson has managed to record that even in a soft, tired pose.

Other Artsy News

Capitol Arts Network, the Washington area's fastest-growing organization for professional and emerging artists, had for its February show DMV artist Pam Rogers, whose work focused on the relationship between people and nature.

The organization’s monthly exhibition, which was titled “Tokens and Sentiments,” was set to coincide with the Valentines season, and it also included several theme-related offerings by artists from across the National Capital region in a show that was billed as “a unique, real-world take on love and romance that is not necessarily the greetingcard version of the story,” according to Capitol Arts Network Executive Director

Judith HeartSong.

I like it when visual arts organizations step outside the box to make things work. John Pancake, the last Arts Editor of the Washington Post, once told me that running an art gallery was a “heroic act” and he wasn't too far from the truth. In February, those artists were encouraged to “think outside the box with florals, designs, poetry and more to offer their real-life version of a Valentine in this modern age.” My kudos.

Trawick Prize

Finally, the application process for the 2014 Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards is now open. This competition, produced by the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, awards one of the largest cash prizes given to a visual artist, with a top prize of $10,000. The competition's founder, the amazing Carol Trawick GALLERY BEAT > PAGE 15

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(we all wish we had another dozen folks like her around the DMV), is committed to annually honoring visual artists with this award. The deadline to apply is April 7.

The awards are as follows: Best in Show $10,000 Second Place $2,000 Third Place $1,000 Young Artist* $1,000 *Young Artist whose birthday is after April 7, 1984 may be awarded this prize.

Artists who are 18 years of age or older and permanent, full-time residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, DC, are eligible to submit an application. For additional eligibility requirements and to access the application please visit their website at www.bethesda.org/bethesda/trawick-application.

The jury will select up to 10 finalists who will be invited to display their work in a group exhibition at Gallery B in downtown Bethesda in September 2014.

The three judge panel includes: Tom Ashcraft, visual artist, founding member of Workingman Collective and Associate Professor and the head of Sculpture in the School of Art at George Mason University, Laure Drogoul, interdisciplinary artist, Director of The 14Karat Cabaret and Co-organizer and Curator of the Transmodern Festivaland Jeremy Drummond, media artist and Assistant Professor of Art in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Richmond.

March 2014 | 15

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A BIT OF HISTORY FROM PAGE 8

inherited ideas of their inferiority; they do not perceive it, yet such is the true explanation of their solicitude, lest they should seem to be too self-asserting…So long as tens of thousands of Bibles are printed every year, and circulated over the whole habitable globe, and the masses in all English-speaking nations revere it as the word of God, it is vain to belittle its influence.”

The Woman’s Bible became a best seller.

Its success fractured the suffrage movement.

Suffragists, especially younger members of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, feared the loss of elective support.

The problem was more than the Bible’s sexist title. It was the ’cult of domesticity;’ Virginia Minor’s unsuccessful 1875 US Supreme Court challenge, and the 1878 defeat of US Senator A.A. Sargent’s Susan B. Anthony suffrage amendment.

“You say ’women must be emancipated from their superstitions before enfranchisement will be of any benefit,’” and I say just the reverse, that women must be enfranchised before they can be emancipated from their superstitions,” Anthony age 75 told Stanton.

In January 1896 the National American Woman Suffrage Association held its 28th annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The Association rejected The Woman’s Bible stating “that the Association is nonsectarian, being composed of persons of all shades of religious opinion, and that it has no official connection with the so-called ’woman’s bible.’”

is about medium height and over middle age.

She was dressed with Quaker simplicity [and] spoke with much emphasis. Born and reared in a Virginia town noted for its slave pens and its intense conservatism….”

“Yet in that town she had seen women stripped to the waist and brutally beaten in public by order of the law,” the Alexandria Gazette continued. “Their only offence was impertinence to young snips of dry goods clerks, whose improper conduct provoked the impertinence. Reared in such a cradle she yet, through the blessings of a good home, was able to appreciate the efforts of Susan B. Anthony and the other leaders of the great cause in behalf of women.” Caroline Hallowell Miller organized the Maryland Woman Suffrage Association in 1889.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, perturbed by public criticism, published part two of The Woman’s Bible in 1898. Neither she; Caroline Hallowell Miller nor Susan B. Anthony lived to revel in the 1919 passage of the women’s suffrage amendment. It was twice widowed Carrie Chapman Catt and Quaker Alice Paul, founder of the 1916 National Woman’s Party, who led the final charge. Catt served as President of the National American Woman Suffrage Association from 1915 until 1920.

“To get the ’male’ in effect out of the Constitution cost the women of the country 52 years of pauseless campaign [1868-1920],” Carrie Chapman Catt recounted. “During that time they were forced to conduct 56

824 King Street Old Town Alexandria, Virginia 703.299.0655 Mon-Fri 7:30 am-7 pm • Sat 9 am-5 pm “You say ’women must be emancipated

from their superstitions before enfranchisement will be of any benefit,’” and I say just the reverse, that women must be enfranchised before they can be emancipated from their superstitions.”

Susan B. Anthony “I have worked 40 years to make the [women’s suffrage] platform broad enough for atheists and agnostics to stand upon, and now if need be I will fight the next 40 years to keep it Catholic enough to permit the straightest Orthodox religionist to speak or pray and count her beads upon.” Anthony declared.

Association member, Anthony ally, and meeting attendee Caroline Hallowell Miller agreed.

Miller, born in Alexandria, D.C. in 1831, was the daughter of Alexandria Quakers Benjamin and Margaret Hallowell. The Hallowells were accomplished educators. Margaret Hallowell, at the request of Quaker Mary Stabler, opened the city’s first school for girls. Caroline also started a girls’ school; in Sandy Spring, Maryland.

“Her strongest characteristic was a love of justice, and this was what made her a champion for women’s enfranchisement,” the Friends’ Intelligencer wrote.

“At Wednesday’s meeting of the [1883] National Woman Suffrage Convention, now in session, in Washington, Miss Susan B. Anthony introduced Mrs. Caroline Hallowell Miller,” the Alexandria Gazette reported. “Mrs. Miller

16 | March 2014

campaigns of referenda to male voters, 480 campaigns to get Legislatures to submit suffrage amendments to voters, 47 campaigns to get state constitutional conventions to write woman suffrage into state constitutions; 277campaigns to get State party conventions to include woman suffrage planks, 30 campaigns to get presidential party campaigns to include woman suffrage planks in party platforms and 19 campaigns with 19 successive Congresses.”

Former Republican President Teddy Roosevelt’s 1912 Progressive [or Bull Moose] Party was the first national party to embrace woman’s suffrage.

Amendment 19, Section 1 as ratified in 1920: The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” In 1917, for reasons of accelerating process, more than 70 suffragists were imprisoned in the Occoquan Workhouse, then part of the Lorton Prison System. Their crime: picketing Woodrow Wilson’s White House. Maryland ratified the 19th Amendment in 1941; Virginia in 1952.

Email: abitofhistory53@gmail.com

Old Town Crier

THE LAST WORD MIRIAM R. KRAMER

The Goldfinch

I

n Donna Tartt’s novel The Goldfinch, disparate strands weave into an untidy, wonderful and compulsively readable tale that wends its way around a Dutch painting from the seventeenth century. Its intrinsic merit and complicated joy lie in its tapestry as seen from afar, knotted, threadbare and completely destroyed in sections, but retaining a beauty and ability to satisfy the eye that is only completely seen through a long-focus lens or the ability to approach a work of art over years—a way to achieve a certain transcendence amidst the confusion and pain of adolescence and its potential heartbreaks.

Theo Decker is a thirteen-year-old boy living on the Upper West Side in New York when the story starts. By chance and inclination, he and his mother kill time at the Metropolitan Museum before a conference about his suspension from school. An avid art history lover, his mother takes him to see an exhibit of Dutch artists that includes Rembrandt and his student Carel Fabritius, whose painting The Goldfinch is a rarity in the exhibit.

Fabritius, killed from an explosion at a gunpowder factory in Delft, has left behind a tiny but extraordinary body of work. Theo’s mother sees The Goldfinch as the most important work in the exhibit, a painting that she came to cherish as a girl when studying a reproduction in a book.

As she explains to him what it means to her, and how the Dutch painters expressed life’s uncertainty through their symbols of mortality, Theo sees an unusual girl his age who catches his eye and distracts him with her offkilter look. This moment is a lovely snapshot of his carefully observed teenage world before it changes in one instant, a moment preserved in amber before his already somewhat unstable existence smashes into unrecognizable flotsam and jetsam, the world tumbling head over bloody heels before his uncomprehending eyes.

Theo Decker struggles to survive Old Town Crier

a journey through adolescence that takes him back and forth from the culture and beauty of New York to the bankruptcy and obscene glitter of Las Vegas and the northern light of Holland. This is the light that nourished the painter Fabritius and gave birth to his exquisite painting of a tiny, watchful bird sitting on a perch, delicately chained to prevent it from flying away.

Theo is highly flawed, acting out and trying to dull his pain in whatever way he can. He is often unlikeable, and yet his complicated personal journey carries the reader along. At school in Las Vegas he meets a fascinating drifter named Boris, someone whose father moves around the world for work after several months or years in each place. Boris’s PolishUkrainian-Russian roots inform his fatalism and blunt honesty, and his natural ebullience keeps him afloat. He becomes Theo’s best friend and companion in exploring the lawlessness and rootlessness of the dislocated world they inhabit while finding connection within it.

The Goldfinch serves as both a literary novel of merit and an unlikely page-turner. Tartt’s writing has a smooth, tumbling, and carefully unwieldy cadence. Her dark narrative takes a reader through compelling plot twists and discoveries. As a narrator Theo is worth one’s time, despite and because of his difficult nature. He seeks love and truth in complicated places, buoyed by the idea of a painting he has come to cherish as a symbol of his mother and of something wordless he is seeking. He finds help and forgiveness in the human connections he makes through this painting as he tries to forgive himself for his mistakes and find salvation.

Ultimately, The Goldfinch

compassionately explores the ways in which an adult can find redemption in the uncontrollable and often corrupt world of the twenty-first century. It believes in the work

of art as a way to find and cherish immortality amidst ephemerality and connection amidst alienation. Donna Tartt creates Theo as a typical teenager growing into a young man suffering from emptiness, a hole in his soul that he tries to fill in typical self-destructive ways. Yet he, like any of us, can be consoled for life’s hardships through the truths that a magnificent piece of art and the people he has come to love present.

March 2014 | 17

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION JAIME ELLIOTT

From Pirates to Caneel Rockefellers Bay Resort still enchants

18 | March 2014

A

lthough the earliest signs of habitation in the area date to around 600 A.D., today Caneel Bay Resort on the North Shore of St. John is better known for powder sand beaches and vacationing superstars than raiding Caribs and marauding pirates, but they used to stop by those very same shores.

With 166 rooms, Caneel Bay Resort is nestled on a 170-acre peninsula within the Virgin Islands National Park and boasts seven stunning beaches on its property, one more beautiful than the next. This stretch of land has been catering to rum-sipping vacationers since at least the 1930s, but it enjoyed a colorful history way earlier than that.

The first known inhabitants were the peaceful Taino Indians who plucked fish out of the teeming waters and farmed the land until around the 15th century, when Carib Indians from the Lesser Antilles sailed up, raided and essentially depopulated the island.

What followed were about 200 years of sparse settlement of the Caneel Bay peninsula by pirates and fugitives, passing fishermen and the odd bootlegger. Finally by the early 18th

century, a Dutch planter had carved out a sugar plantation on the land and built a mill and factory.

After the plantation’s decline, the land was mainly used for cattle grazing until the West India Company of St. Thomas purchased the peninsula and welcomed the first sun-seeking guests to its shores. Adventurous vacationers accessed the property via a narrow wooden dock after sailing over from St. Thomas, stayed in one of three cottages and relied on a well-stocked commissary for essentials.

In the 1940s, the peninsula was bought by the Trigo brothers of Puerto Rico, who built several more cottages on the land and ran the resort for more than a decade before listing the 500acre property for sale for $75,000.

The modern era of Caneel Bay began in the 1952 when the grandfather of preservation himself, Laurance Rockefeller, bought the property.

Caneel Bay Resort opened on the same day as the 7,000-acre Virgin Islands National Park, December 1, 1956. For its first 30 years, the hotel was operated as one of the beloved RockResorts CARRIBEAN CONNECTION > PAGE 19

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Photography: Rolando Garces

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CLIFFHANGER

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION FROM PAGE 18

and hosted Laurance and his family during regular visits to the island.

Rockefeller envisioned Caneel Bay to be a place where people could get away from the stresses of the real world and enjoy nature in its all its beauty. Sitting under a tree on the alabaster shoreline of Caneel Bay beach, it’s easy to fall under that same spell. The sound of the waves lapping the shore is disturbed only by my waitress asking if I would like a tropical cocktail. I could easily get used to this.

RockResorts, which is no longer in existence, eventually sold the resort and today it is owned by CBI Acquisitions. It was managed by Rosewood Resorts from 1993 until 2013 and is now run independently as Caneel Bay Resort.

From those halcyon RockResort days, Caneel Bay has always billed itself as a sanctuary of sorts. The property utilized unobtrusive lighting so as not to interfere with stargazing and offered a palette of neutral colors to blend into its surroundings.

The resort still largely adheres to that ethos today as well. While there is wireless internet access, you won’t find an HD TV in your room, or even a telephone. What you will find are simply breathtaking vistas of azure water and sugar sand beaches lined with rolling green lawns dotted with roaming deer and donkeys.

The stone ruins of that sugar mill are home to the wildly popular Italian restaurant ZoZo’s at the Sugar Mill while the charming Turtle Bay Estate House, nestled on a commanding point on the peninsula, offers an impressive buffet for lunch and steak house concept for dinner with plenty of local seafood options.

There is also a gelato and coffee shop at Caneel Bay, where you can grab a sandwich to bring down to the beach where you’re friendly waitress will deliver freshly made piña coladas as you wiggle your toes in the sand.

If you’re on island, be sure to stop by this unique property.

There is a $20 parking fee at Caneel Bay Resort, but if you spend that anywhere on the property—which is not difficult—you can validate that parking ticket.

And if you prefer a different kind of stargazing, you never know how you might see at Caneel Bay …yesterday I spotted Mario Batali!

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March 2014 | 19

ROAD TRIP BOB TAGERT

HISTORIC ST.GEORGE’S ISLAND in SOUTHERN

MARY

LAND L

ast months’ road trip took us to visit Virginia wineries to enjoy their beverages by the fire. With recent temps hitting the sixties, I thought it a good time to head for the quiet waters of southern Maryland. Checking the weather channel, this decision might be premature— but no worries—St. George’s Island is a great road trip no matter what time of year.

Although I now keep my sailboat in Solomons, Maryland, I have sailed the lower Potomac River for the better part of 15 years. My boat was berthed at a marina on Herring Creek about four miles from St. George’s Island, so clearly I am familiar with the area. When I set out on my road trip I was unaware how much things had changed. Hurricane Isabella had wiped out three restaurants—Oakwood Lodge, Evan’s Seafood and Swann’s. These were throw back restaurants and bars dating back to the 50s— casual is an understatement.

But just like in nature, out of ruin springs new life. Where Evans used to be now stands the new Island Inn & Suites and the Ruddy Duck Seafood and Ale House. Out on the point beyond where the Oakwood Lodge stood, the Piney Point Lighthouse and Museum breathes new life. Before venturing on to St. George’s Island itself, lets’ take a visit

20 | March 2014

to Piney Point Lighthouse and Museum.

Piney Point Lighthouse and Museum

When I first discovered Piney Point Lighthouse the property had only been deeded to St. Mary’s County by the Federal government in 1980 and the first preservation work began in 1990. Back then there was just the lighthouse, a keeper’s quarters, and a small building which, in the day, was a petty officer’s quarter. When I first located my boat in the area I became friends with a couple who lived in the petty officer’s quarters. Butch and Joanne hung out at the marina where I kept my boat.

Since that time the small house has been torn down and an extensive renovation project has been ongoing for years, with the latest facelift ending this past fall. The lighthouse was built in 1836 along the Potomac River about 14 miles from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and the light had a range of 10 nautical miles, or about 11 and one half miles. The lamp was replaced in 1855 with a Fresnel lens, upgrading the range to 11 nautical miles or a little over 12 and half miles.

The Piney Point Lighthouse Museum houses museum exhibits and the Lighthouse Lens Museum Store. Museum exhibits focus on the

construction and operation of the lighthouse, lighthouse keepers, the role of the United States Coast Guard, and the story of the Black Panther U-1105 German submarine sunk in the Potomac River that now serves as Maryland’s first historic shipwreck dive preserve. The U-1105, a modified Type VII-C German submarine was launched on April 20, 1944.

U-1105 was one of fewer than ten submarines produced during the war outfitted with an experimental synthetic rubber skin designed to counter Allied sonar devices, the forerunner of stealth. The black rubber coating had earned it the nickname “Black Panther.” After the war the sub was studied by the U.S. Navy and ultimately ended up being sunk in 95 feet of water in the Potomac River off Piney Point in 1949. A team of sport divers from Virginia rediscovered the wreck on June 29, 1985.

Also housed on the property is the Potomac River Maritime Exhibit with its collection of four historic wooden vessels on loan from the Paul Hall School of Maritime Training and Education. The collection is comprised of a 67-foot skipjack Joy Parks, and 84-foot bugeye Dorothy A. Parsons, a log canoe, and Potomac River dory boat. The exhibit focuses on the life of the watermen who sustain a livelihood working the waters of the Potomac for crabs, fish and oysters.

Old Town Crier

opposite page: View of the Potomac River at sunset from the steps of Ruddy Duck; The pier between Island Inn & Suites and Ruddy Duck for fishing and boatlanding; Ruddy Duck's all lump crab cake sandwich platter; Back of Ruddy Duck this page: Camp Merryelande; Piney Point lighthouse and keeper’s quarters; Climbing the iighthouse

St. George’s Island

To get to St. George’s Island, continue south on Route 249. As soon as you cross the bridge at Straits Point you are on the island. The Potomac River is on your right and St. George’s Creek on your left. With the prevailing winds coming out of the northwest, there is usually good wave action on the river. With the island breaking up the fetch (distance wind travels across water), the waters of the creek are usually calm. As you drive down the island the scenery is breathtaking. New and older homes are either built on the bay or river side guaranteeing a beautiful sunrise or sunset every day, and I will tell you, southern Maryland along the water has some of the most beautiful sunsets anywhere. If you travel to the end of the island and take Thomas Road to the right, you will come to Camp Merryelande, a family-oriented campground with beach cottages, beach activities, picnic tables, and beautiful views of both the Potomac and St. Mary’s rivers.

This is a great place to bring the family for an overnighter.

If you want to avoid the crowds and kids, head back up the island to the Ruddy Duck Seafood and Ale House. This restaurant is the St. Mary’s cousin to the popular Ruddy

Old Town Crier

Duck Brewery & Grill in Solomons. The tap room serves the award winning beers that are brewed in Solomons. The restaurant is new and well appointed. Not too fancy and not too rustic. Maybe in 20 or 30 years it may settle into that classic watering hole and weathered restaurant look, but now the place is just too new. The restaurant side has large window views of St. Georges Creek. There is also a deck for your dining pleasure that touches the water’s edge. The bar and casual dining area has views of both the Potomac River as well as St. Georges Creek. This time of year is a good time to visit. The air is crisp which makes for blue skies and incredible sunsets. The tap room also boasts a large gas fireplace to enjoy those cool nights.

I didn’t try the menu, but I did have their award-winning crab cake sandwich. True to the hype, this southern Maryland specialty is all lump crabmeat and plenty of it. When I go back I will order the platter—the bun just gets in the way of this delicious meal.

The pineapple slaw and French fries were great but proved too much for me to eat.

This serving is a lot of food. The secret of the restaurant is that everything they serve is made from scratch. I was lucky because the seafood delivery truck arrived the same time I did and the crabmeat I ate was, in

all likelihood, swimming the rivers the day before. All of their foods are locally sourced with the oysters from 150 feet off the beach.

Now that is fresh! In addition to the regular menu, the Ruddy Duck also offers nightly specials. Even in these cold months the Ruddy Duck showcases some of the best local and regional musical talent to round out the evening.

If you are too tired to drive home, right next-door is the Island Inn & Suites. Like the Duck, this boutique hotel is new and has all the comforts you desire, not to mention a balcony that provides for a sunset or sunrise over water—your choice. Too bad that Valentine’s Day has come and gone— this would make for a killer trip. Well, go anyway…every day is Valentine’s Day! Check out the hotel online for rates and see what kind of deals Kyle has going on any given day. The rates are notoriously wellpriced and worth every cent.

To get to Piney Point and St. George’s Island take Maryland Route 5 from the beltway, through Leonardtown to Callaway, Maryland. Here, make a right turn on Route 249 and go to land’s end where the St. Mary’s River and the Potomac meet.

March 2014 | 21

FROM THE BAY… MOLLY WINANS

Two Must-Attend Annapolis Events If you’ve been itching to get your fix of the Chesapeake Bay, there’s no need to wait until summer is in full swing. Two terrific spring events welcome anyone and everyone who likes to hang out along the water and do as the locals do.

Oyster Roast and Sock Burning

let it burn!

B

ecause we can see skin peeking through the worn heels of our socks. Because the stinky things itch. Because the spring equinox is as good a day as any for a ritual. Because Mother Nature has been extra cruel this year. Because we set up a little stone fire circle on the beach, or a decent backyard fire pit, or heck, even a bucket. And we like to set stuff on fire… and drink a beer with our friends and watch the smoke and sparks drift up to the sky. Because we can.

Because life is short, and winter is long. After breaking weather records and paying out the nose on heating bills and having to call off work because the kids didn’t have school again and watching hockey players and iceboaters fly by along rivers that haven’t frozen for decades, the bloody groundhog predicted six more weeks. No duh.

Because our bike tires are flat; our paddle boards are locked up; and our kayaks crawl with spiders. Because this winter made us cranky. We’ll go nuts if we don’t get back out on the water soon. Burning stuff will make us feel better.

Taking off these gnarly socks and placing our soft feet on the cold gravel, as we awkwardly walk to the fire pit and throw 22 | March 2014

them in the flames, is a feeling we remember, one that makes us a little giddy, gives us that sensation of almost there.

Because sailors love an excuse for a party. Because it’s a tradition in Chesapeake Country and a working man’s tradition at that. Show up just before sunset. Gather around a modest fire. Burn your socks. Lift your beer (it’s supposed to be a long-necked Bud), make a toast to spring with friends. Watch the smoke and sparks drift up to the sky. Go home at sunset.

Because, finally, officially, for real, on the SpinSheet calendar, as on the international evening news, it’s spring.

Because that’s what we sailors do. Burn our socks at the equinox. Bring it.

The spring equinox unfolds at 12:57 p.m. EDT Thursday, March 20.

Molly Winans is the managing editor of SpinSheet and PropTalk magazines. Save the date for her free Start Sailing Now seminar Sunday, April 27, at 3 p.m. in Annapolis.

On March 22, from noon to 4 p.m., all are welcome at the Annapolis Maritime Museum in the Eastport section of Annapolis along Back Creek for its annual sock burning, oyster roasting extravaganza, with live music with local favorites Them Eastport Oyster Boys. Show your shucking prowess in the oyster shucking contest, take a skipjack ride, or just drink beer and burn your wintry socks on the beach.

General admission costs $25; People’s choice tickets cost $50 (sample oyster dishes from eight area restaurants and vote for your favorite); skipjack rides $20. Click to amaritime.org or call (410) 295-0401 for tickets.

SpinSheet Crew Party and Start Sailing Now Q&A

For 18 years in a row, the folks at SpinSheet, the Chesapeake Bay’s sailing magazine, have hosted a crew party to help sailors of all skill levels find boats to sail on for the upcoming season. The event is free and open to the public. Come on down to the Annapolis Maritime Museum Sunday, April 27, from 4-6 p.m. and enjoy free beverages, live steel drum music, and a lot of sailing talk. Newcomers to the sport should show up on hour early, at 3 p.m., for a lively Start Sailing Now Q&A with local sailing experts, who will share all they know about how to get started in the sport. SpinSheet editor and OTC contributor Molly Winans will moderate the discussion. Visit spinsheet.com/ crew-parties or call (410) 2169309 for more information.

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GET YOUR IRISH ON!

THE SHAMROCK

CORNED BEEF

The shamrock, which was also called the “seamroy” Each year, thousands of Irish Americans gather with their by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it loved ones on St. Patrick’s Day to share a “traditional” meal of corned symbolized rebirth and Spring. By the seventeenth beef and cabbage. Though century, the shamrock had become a symbol cabbage has long been an Irish of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English food, corned beef only began to began to seize Irish land and make laws against be associated with St. Patrick’s the use of the Irish language and the practice Day at the turn of the century. of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the Irish immigrants living on The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in Boston in 1737. shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their New York City’s Lower East heritage and their displeasure with English rule.

Side substituted corned beef Saint Patrick was not Irish by birth; he was a Romano-Briton Christian for their traditional dish of missionary born in England. His true given name was Maewyn Succat.

MUSIC Irish bacon to save money.

Music is often associated with St. Patrick’s Day— They learned about the less St. Patrick’s Day did not become a national holiday in Ireland until 1903 and Irish culture in general. From the ancient days expensive alternative from and the first parade wasn’t held in Dublin until 1931. of the Celts, music has always been an important their Jewish neighbors. part of Irish life. The Celts had an oral culture, Roughly 13 million pints of Guinness will be consumed on where religion, legend and history were passed from THE LEPRECHAUN St. Patrick’s Day, according to a Guinness spokesman. one generation to the next by way of stories and The original Irish name songs. After being conquered by the English, and for these figures of folklore is The color originally associated with St. Patrick was blue; forbidden to speak their own language, the Irish, “lobaircin,” meaning “smalllike other oppressed peoples, turned to music to bodied fellow.” green became associated during the 19th century. help them remember important events and hold Belief in leprechauns probably on to their heritage and history. As it often stirred stems from Celtic belief in Saint Patrick was known for banishing dangerous animals from Ireland, emotion and helped to galvanize people, music was fairies, tiny men and women particularly snakes, according to legend. outlawed by the English. During her reign, Queen who could use their magical Elizabeth I even decreed that all artists and pipers powers to serve good or evil.

St. Patrick’s celebrations were originally religious festivals. were to be arrested and hanged on the spot. Today, In Celtic folktales, leprechauns traditional Irish bands like The Chieftains, the were cranky souls, responsible There are 36.5 million U.S. residents who claim Irish ancestry— more Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem have gained for mending the shoes of the than eight times the population of Ireland itself (4.5 million). worldwide popularity. Their music is produced other fairies. Though only with instruments that have been used for minor figures in Celtic folklore, There are four places in the United States named Shamrock: West centuries, including the fiddle, the uilleann pipes leprechauns were known for (an elaborate bagpipe), the tin whistle (a flute-type their trickery, which they often Virginia, Texas, Indiana, Oklahoma. There are nine Dublin's—Dublin, instrument that is actually made of nickel-silver, used to protect their muchCalif. and Dublin, Ohio are the most populous. brass or aluminum) and the bodhran (an ancient fabled treasure. type of framedrum that was traditionally used in Leprechauns had nothing More than 100 St. Patrick’s Day parades are held across the U.S. warfare rather than music). to do with St. Patrick or the New York City and Boston are home to the largest celebrations. celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, THE SNAKE a Catholic holy day. In 1959, It has long been recounted that, during his mission Walt Disney released a film in Ireland, St. Patrick once stood on a hilltop (which called Darby O’Gill & the Little is now called Croagh Patrick), and with only a wooden staff by his side, banished People, which introduced America to a very different sort of leprechaun than the all the snakes from Ireland. In fact, the island nation was never home to any cantankerous little man of Irish folklore. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a snakes. The banishing of the snakes was really a metaphor for the eradication of purely American invention, but has quickly evolved into an easily recognizable pagan ideology from Ireland and the triumph of Christianity. Within 200 years of symbol of both St. Patrick’s Day and Ireland in general.

Patrick’s arrival, Ireland was completely christianized.

26 | March 52 | March 2012 2014

Old Town Crier

O’CONNELL’S IN MARCH! CELELBRATE WITH US

LIVE MUSIC RUGBY

MARCH SCHEDULE

ALL GAMES LIVE!

Sat 8 Sat 8 Sun 9 Sat 15 Sat 15 Sat 15

Ireland v Italy 9:30 am Scotland v France 12:00 pm England v Wales 10:00 am Italy v England 8:30 am Wales v Scotland 9:45 am France v Ireland 1:00 pm

Sat Sun Fri Sat Sun Fri Sat Sun Fri Sat Sun Fri Sat Sun

1 2 7 8 9 14 15 16 21 22 23 28 29 30

10p 10p 10p 10p 10p 10p 10p 5p-1a 10p 10p 10p 10p 10p 10p

ST. PATRICK’S DAY Sara Gray Trio Magic Bus Duo Alex Vans & The Hide Away Pete Baker Brian Gaffney Practically Einstein Practically Einstein Danny Burns & Friends Kara & Matty D Danny Burns Band Judge Smith Band Magic Bus Human Country Jukebox Ronan Kavanagh

Every Monday, as always, The Grand Irish Session

MONDAY MARCH 17th MUSIC By AINE ANd FRIENdS dURINg THE dAy MUSIC By dAvId ANdREW SMITH TRIO 8 pM - CLOSE SpECIAL MENU FEATURINg ALL yOUR FAvORITE IRISH FARE!

RESTAURANT & BAR

112 King St. • Old Town Alexandria • 703.739.1124 • danieloconnells.com

“The Finest Lebanese Cuisine” –Washington Post, 2001 Family Owned & Operated Come and Enjoy a Cozy Candlelit Dinner Carry-Out Available • Free Delivery Open 7 Days for Lunch & Dinner

719 King St. Old Town Alexandria 703.684.9194 • thepitahouse.com

dine out!

Old Town Crier

March 2014 | 27

American BILBO BAGGINS 208 Queen St. 703-683-0300 BITTERSWEET 823 King Street 703-549-2708 CARLYLE CLUB 411 John Carlyle St. 703-549-8957 CHADWICK’S 203 Strand St. 703-836-4442 chadwicksrestaurants.com An Old Town tradition since 1979 and an original Georgetown pub and restaurant since 1967.

CHART HOUSE One Cameron St. 703-684-5080 CLYDE’S 1700 N. Beauregard St. 703-820-8300 clydes.com

DUTCH’S GRILL (Holiday Inn) 2460 Eisenhower Ave. Alexandria, VA 703-960-3400

INDIGO LANDING #1 Marina Dr. Washington Sailing Marina 703-548-0001

THE GRILL RESTAURANT/ PIANO BAR AT MORRISON HOUSE 116 S. Alfred St. 703-838-8000

IRELAND’S OWN 111 North Pitt St. 703-549-4535 irelandsownpub.com

EVENING STAR CAFÉ 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-549-5051

JACK’S PLACE 222 North Lee St. 703-684-0372

FAST EDDIE’S BILLIARD CAFE 6220 Richmond Hwy. 703-660-9444

JACKSON 20 480 King St. 703-842-2790

FIN & HOOF 801 N. Saint Asaph St. 703-836-4700

JOE THEISMANN’S 1800 Diagonal Rd. 703-739-0777

FINN & PORTER AT MARK CENTER 5000 Seminary Rd. 703-379-2346

KING STREET BLUES 112 N. St. Asaph St. 703-836-8800

FIRE FLIES 1501 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-7200

COLUMBIA FIREHOUSE 109 S. St. Asaph St. 703-683-1776

FLAT IRON STEAK & SALOON 808 King St. 703-299-0777

Dining Guide

FOSTERS GRILLE 2004 Eisenhower Ave. 703-725-1342 GADSBY’S TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288 HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050

RED MEI 602 King St. 703-837-0094

MALAYA 1019 King St. 703-519-3710

THAILAND, ROYAL ST 835 N. Royal St. 703 535-6622

MAI THAI 9 King St. 703-548-0600

TOKYO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 66 Canal Center Plaza 703-683-8878

BRABO Tasting Room 1600 King St. 703-894-5252

TEMPO 4231 Duke St. 703-370-7900 temporestaurant.com Northern Italian, French provincial and American cuisine featuring fresh seafood, meats and pasta served in a contemporary, romantic atmosphere.

Caph’e Ban’h Mi’ Vietnamese 407 Cameron St. 703-549-0800 Sang Jun Thai 300 King Street 571-312-3377

NOTTING HILL 1106 King St. 703-299-4590 RESTAURANT EVE 110 S. Pitt St. 703-706-0450 CEDAR KNOLL INN GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-799-1501

LA MADELEINE 500 King St. 703-729-2854

CHEZ ANDREE 10 East Glebe Rd. 703-836-1404

LE REFUGE 127 N. Washington St. 703-548-4661

TWO NINETEEN RESTAURANT 219 King St. 703-549-1141

LA BERGERIE 218 N. Lee St. 703-683-1007 labergerie.com

FONTAINE’S CAFFE & CREPERIE 119 S. Royal St. 703-535-8151

YVES’ BISTRO 235 Swamp Fox Rd. In the Hoffman Center 703-329-1010

28 | March 2014

PORK BARREL BBQ 2312 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-822-5699

MONROES AMERICAN TRATTORIA 1603 Commonwealth Ave. 703-548-5792

RAILSTOP GASTROPUB 901 N. Fairfax St. 703-683-8793

MOUNT VERNON INN Mount Vernon, Va 703-780-0011

RAMPARTS 1700 Fern St. 703-998-6616 rampartstavern.com

T.J. STONES GRILL HOUSE & TAP ROOM 608 Montgomery St. 703-548-1004 tjstones.com American cuisine with libations from around the world. Bar specials Mon-Fri, 4-7 PM. Brunch served Sat & Sun.

LAPORTA’S 1600 Duke St. 703-683-6313 LIGHT HORSE RESTAURANT 715 King St. 703-549-0533

NICKELL’S AND SCHIFFLER 1028 King St. 703-684-5922

MAJESTIC CAFÉ 911 King St. 703-837-9117

NINA’S DANDY Potomac Party Cruises Zero Prince St. 703-683-6076 dandydinnerboat.com

MANCINI’S 1508 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-838-FOOD MANGO MIKE’S 4580 Duke St. 703-370-3800

BERTUCCI’S 725 King St. 703-548-8500 BUGSY’S PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313 bugsyspizza.com FACCIA LUNA 823 S. Washington St. 703-838-5998

FRENCH BASTILLE 1201 N. Royal St. 703-519-3776 bastillerestaurant.com

SOUTHSIDE 815 815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222

REYNOLDS STREET CAFÉ 34 S. Reynolds St. 703-751-0830 RIVER BEND BISTRO 7966 Fort Hunt Rd. Hollin Hall Shopping Center 703-347-7545 ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274 SAMUEL BECKETT’S IRISH GASTRO PUB 2800 S. Randolph St. Villages of Shirlington 703-379-0122

O’CONNELL’S RESTAURANT & BAR 112 King St. 703-739-1124 danieloconnellsrestaurant.com

GERANIO RISTORANTE 722 King St. 703-548-0088 geranio.net Still Old Town’s highest-rated Italian restaurant (Zagat). Discerning Old Towners flock here for refined cuisine in this comfortable, yet sophisticated restaurant. With entrees from $14, there is no reason not to enjoy a selection from their Wine Spectator awardwinning list, while being attended by the friendly staff of seasoned professionals. Reservations recommended and casual attire welcomed.

IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833 LA STRADA 1905 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-2592 SAPORE D’ITALIA RISTORANTE & PIZZERIA 1310 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-683-9680

LANDINI BROTHERS 115 King St. 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com Elegant, classical Italian cuisine served in a lovely historical setting. Fresh veal, homemade pastas, and fresh fish are some of the daily choices. An extensive list of wines and champagnes served in a sophisticated and friendly atmosphere.

OLD CHICAGO PIZZERIA 2245 Huntington Ave. 703-960-1086 PARADISO 124 King St. 703-837-1245 PINES OF FLORENCE 1300 King St. 703-549-1796 RED ROCKS FIREBRICK PIZZA 904 King St. 703-717-9873 VILLA D’ESTE 600 Montgomery St. 703-549-9477

TRADEMARK 2800 Jamieson Ave. 703-253-8640 TRADITIONS (Holiday Inn) 625 First St. 703-548-6300 UNION STREET PUBLIC HOUSE 121 South Union St. 703-548-1785 unionstreetpublichouse.com Old Town’s favorite neighborhood tap & grill. Distinct southern style menu, fine steaks, fresh seafood. Sunday brunch, private parties, happy hour.

VERMILLION 1120 King St. 703-684-9669

SHOOTER MCGEE’S 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266

VIRTUE GRAIN & FEED 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669

SOCIETY FAIR 277 S. Washington St. 703-683-3247

THE WAREHOUSE BAR & GRILL 214 King St. 703-683-6868

italian • pizzErias

CONTINENTAL BRABO

by Robert Weidmaier 1600 King St. 703-894-3440

OVERWOOD 220 North Lee St. 703-535-3340

MURPHY’S IRISH PUB 713 King St. 703-548-1717 murphyspub.com Old-world Irish pub featuring a roaring fireplace, serving a variety of imported, domestic and non-alcoholic beers in a friendly atmosphere. Serving robust American-Irish meals at fair prices.

Favorites include fish and chips and Irish stew. Irish-style entertainment nightly.

asian ASIAN BISTRO 809 King St. 703-836-1515

McGINTY’S PUBLIC HOUSE 3650 S. Glebe Rd. Potomac Yard Located at Market Square in the Eclipse next to Harris Teeter on Rt.1 703-414-3555

MEDITERRANEAN LA TASCA 607 King St. 703-299-9810 “Spring into Spain and Feast Like a King.” Offering unlimited tapas at lunch and dinner. Choice of dessert included. Lunch 11:30-4:30 for $20.07; dinner 4:30-close for $30.07. Eat a little, drink a little, have a lot of fun!

LAYLA 907 King St. 703-684-3288

CASABLANCA 1504 King St. 703-549-6464

PITA HOUSE 719 King St. 703-684-9194 thepitahouse.com Family owned and operated; carry out available and free delivery.

TAVERNA CRETEKOU 818 King St. 703-548-8688 tavernacretekou.com

DELIA’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 209 Swamp Fox Rd. Alexandria, VA 703-329-0006

LAS TAPAS 710 King St. 703-836-4000

seafood Hank’s Oyster Bar 1026 King St. 703-739-HANK RT’S RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 FLYING FISH 815 King St. 703-600-FISH flyingfishdc.com Traditional American and fancy seafood specializing in sushi.

FISH MARKET-CLINTON 7611Old Branch Ave. Clinton, MD 301-599-7900 ERNIE’S ORGINIAL CRABHOUSE 1743 King St. 703-836-0046

FISH MARKET-OLD TOWN 105 King St. 703-836-5676 fishmarketoldva.com Internationally known and locally owned! We serve shrimps, a few crabs, tall people and lots of nice people, too! Live music and lively food!

THE WHARF 119 King St. 703-836-2834 wharfrestaurant.com "It’s All About the Seafood," traditional and creative coastal cuisine.

MEXICAN • LATIN SOUTHWESTERN AUSTIN GRILL 801 King St. 703-684-8969 LOS TIOS GRILL 2615 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-299-9290 LOS TOLTECOS 4111 Duke St. 703-823-1167 TAQUERIA POBLANO 2400-B Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-TACO (8226) INDIAN DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd.

703-660-6085

Old Town Crier

G GERANIO RISTORANTE Redefining Italian Cuisine in Old Town Alexandria Dinner Entrees from $14 722 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703.548.0088 www.geranio.net

Fine

WWW.MURPHYSPUB.COM

Wines

Fine

Dining Casual

Style

Eight Glorious Days to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Saturday, March 1 - St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Doors open at 9:00 a.m. with live music starting at 10:00 a.m. by the Havers, Ronan Kavanaugh and Pat Carroll.

Tuesday, March 11 - Irish Trivia

Join your friends for food, fun and prizes. Trivia starts at 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 12 - A Taste of Ireland

Join us from 5-9 p.m. to sample the five brands of Jameson (Jameson 12 & 18, Redbreast 12 & 15 and Middleton) paired with Irish appetizers. $15 per person, please see your server for details.

Thursday, March 13 - Perfect Pint Contest Can you pour the perfect pint? Contest starts at 5:00 p.m.

Friday, March 14 - Weekend Kickoff

Pat Garvey will start off the celebration with music at 4:00 p.m. followed by Pat Carroll and The Havers at 9:00 p.m.

Wine Tastings every Saturday 2 - 4 pm 7966 Fort Hunt Road

(In the Hollin Hall Shopping Center)

703-347-7545 RiverBendBistro.com Plenty of FREE parking Old Town Crier

Saturday, March 15 - Music and Dancing

Live music starting at 12:00 p.m. Come and listen to Pat Carroll and the Havers.

Irish Dancing by the Boyle School of Irish Dance at 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 16 - St. Patricks Day Eve

Irish Brunch with doors open at 10:00 a.m. Live music starts at 2p.m. Pat Carroll followed by the Havers

Monday, March 17 - St. Patricks Day

**No Cover Charge** Doors open at 9a.m. Live music starts at 10a.m. Music by Pat Carroll, Rocky, Ronan and the Havers. Irish Dancing by the Boyle School of Irish Dance at 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Murphys Irish Pub • 713 King St. Alexandria, VA • 703-548-1717 March 2014 | 29

DINING OUT VINCENTARRUNATEGUI

Geranio Ristorante Sublime Italian cuisine in Old Town GERANIO RISTORANTE With a history that spans almost 40 years on King St., Geranio Ristorante has seen a few operator exchanges.

While this Italian staple has had its fair share of highs and lows it would be impossible to ignore their consistently good offerings and amicable service thanks to the diligent work of the Clayton family.

Atmosphere: Congenial, flexible Service: Timely Wine Bottle: $20-58 Hours: Monday-Friday 11:30 am – 10:30 pm Saturday 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm Sunday 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm Plates: $15-26 Reservations: 703-548-0088

30 | March 2014

I

seldom begin any of my reviews describing the end of a meal, but in this case after sharing a humorous and wild evening with my editor, girlfriend, and Alexandria’s quirkiest publication founder, I was hit with a rush of satisfaction I have not stopped thinking about since. I guided my spoon through the rich chocolate mousse laid out in front of me, only yielding a small sliver, and actively searched for a glazed raspberry on the plate, digesting all the wonderful food and conversation that was had earlier in the evening. This rare moment of nirvana is when the hedonist in my head conquers the health-nut

in another battle in my masochistic culinary consciousness. I had no choice but to indulge in my almost non-existent sweet tooth’s desires at the end of a fantastic night at Geranio Ristorante. Time almost stood still and suddenly the whole evening seemed to disappear into thin air—the mark of a wonderful meal.

When we first took our seats at 722 King St. I was discouraged to hear the waiter explain that there was no list available for pre-dinner cocktails.

Between the dim lights, romantic Old World style upstairs bar and smartly dressed wait staff I figured there would be one enthusiastic mixologist on staff. The waiter, however, nodded

positively when I asked if he had the bitter Campari to make a predinner Negroni. It always saddens me whenever restaurants are both capable and eager of putting together unique and interesting offerings but fail to market them properly on the menu.

After looking over their even-keeled Italian dinner menu, which includes a healthy helping of risottos and pastas I asked to see the wine list. It was well balanced including a large portion of domestic whites and Italian reds. I was most excited about the Chiantis and Tuscanas, which were fairly priced and confidently endorsed by our waiter.

I was first drawn to the potato and DINING OUT > PAGE 34

Old Town Crier

SM

opening this spring in Kingstowne (Alexandria)

Like us on Facebook (Fiona’s Irish Pub Kingstowne) for updates leading up to the grand opening.

Sign up for our newsletter at FionasIrishPub.com

“I am looking forward to sharing fresh, authentic Irish fare, fine drinks and good times with new & old friends.”

– Martin White, Proprietor & Alexandria Old Town Parade Grand Marshal

5810 Kingstowne Center #160, Alexandria, VA 22315

Old Town Crier

March 2014 | 31

BEHIND THE BAR CHESTER SIMPSON

How did you get started in the Bartending business?

Bartending and the service industry in general, was never something that crossed my mind when I thought of a career path. About a year and a half ago I applied as a simple hostess at Flying Fish Restaurant, but after only a few short months (and with a lot of encouragement from my coworkers) I started serving tables. Then I learned to be a cocktail waitress and that gave me the opportunity to see some of Old Town’s most amazing bartenders in action. I was hooked. I began with asking them questions, such as how they pour, drink ingredients and how they each deal with customers in their own way. I was very lucky to have multiple points of view and bartending styles to guide me through this process of learning. After a while I felt comfortable enough to ask for official bar training. I am very happy that I watched and asked questions first, it truly helped me to feel more comfortable in those first few months

32 | March 2014

and now I’m happier behind my bar than just about anywhere else.

photo: ©2014 Chester Simpson

Hannah Blackerby

Hannah is serving a, "Peachy Lychee." She is behind the bar Monday through Thursday, 5 pm to midnight.

What is your bartender pet peeve? drinks to people who use lines. You Obviously most bartenders have a don’t have to ask for it, be good to your lot of pet peeves in common. We don’t bartenders and they’ll be good to you. want to be snapped at, treated rudely, or under tipped but all those things are What’s the most memorable pickup things that we can’t let ourselves get line you’ve heard? upset about because they happen every So….a guy walks into a bar and sits day. For me I think the biggest pet peeve down next to a lovely lady. He orders I have is when I run out of a necessary a drink and sips on it for a moment. item, ingredient, or liquor and there is When the bartender comes back no more to be found. “Sorry, no mojito around he asks for one cube of ice and for you. All the mint has vanished.” proceeds to finish the rest of his drink That being said, have found that the very quickly. The bartender looks at number of pet peeves I put up with in him kind of funny as he strategically a day are greatly outweighed by the places the ice on his awesome people I get to beverage napkin, and meet, great conversations hannah blackerby the next thing you know and the environment of IS BEHIND THE BAR AT he slams his empty glass constant learning. flying fish down on the ice and 815 king street crushes it all over the What’s the best line old town alexandria bar. The lovely lady turns somebody has used to get and looks at the man in a free drink from you?

703-600-fish shock, and he says, “So I don’t really give free flyingfishdc.COM now that I’ve broken the

ice, can I get your name?”

Can you tell me an interesting story?

The same one I tell everyone who asks me to tell them a story...this is a story about an ugly duckling.

There once was an ugly duckling.

He was so ugly that everyone died.

The end.

Who would you want to have a drink with and why?

My dad. I haven’t seen him in about four years and I miss him a lot. He always has the coolest things to say and I would love to sit down at a bar with him, share some good scotch and introduce him to the woman I have grown up to be.

If you would like to see your favorite mixologist featured here, send contact information to chester@chestersimpson. com.

Old Town Crier

Always Enjoy Responsibly. ©2013 Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A., Stella Artois® Beer, Imported by Import Brands Alliance, St. Louis, MO

A cut above.

Old Town Crier

Brand: SA "Cut Above" Item #:PSA201310537 Job/Order #: 260106

Closing Date 2.25.14 QC: CS

Publication: Old Town Crier

Trim: 10.75" x 15.25" Bleed: none Live: 9.125" x 13"

March 2014 | 33

taste original. try rye.

At Copper Fox we malt our own barley, gently kiln dry the grain with soft sweet apple wood and cherry wood smoke, and pot-still in small batches, one barrel at a time.

Sip it. Mix it. Love it.

TM

DISTILLERY ENTERPRISES, L.L.C. SPERRYVILLE, VIRGINIA

Tours daily. Go to www.copperfox.biz

DINING OUT FROM PG 30

leak soup, a special on the evening’s menu. It was served with a dash of oil and still piping hot after our waiter offered fresh pepper. The star of the first course, however, went to my girlfriend’s choice of antipasto. It was perfectly assembled with homemade mozzarella, prosciutto, and a splendid marinara sauce that I could not get enough of. I honestly could have eaten more of this and called it a night, especially after our wine was poured and conversation intensified around the table.

The next crowd-sourced favorite we were served was the lobster risotto, which had an impressive presentation and pleasing portion size. I did not try the risotto, however, as I believe Christopher Hitchens quote about the four most overrated things in life has a bit of truth to it and went for the seared shrimp linguini. Served with garlic, chilies, tomatoes, and tarragon it was smothered in a creamy sauce that almost begged to be mopped up with the freshly baked bread the waiters earnestly brought to the center of our 34 | March 2014

table throughout the meal. Each dish was not perfectly matched with our Tuscana, which was chosen by our group and not the staff, but was delicious in its own right. With hardly any space left I decided to sample the ovenroasted swordfish, which I would have gone excellently with an Arneis or Pinot Grigio. A generous portion of seasoned swordfish atop a polenta cake, paired with roasted peppers and fresh corn cream—characteristics of Northern Italian fare expressed in a fine American execution.

A night out with family, friends, or just a loved one at Geranio Ristorante is a very sufficient call for anyone looking to share a bottle of wine and robust plates. The staff is eager to please and the kitchen cooks in a timely fashion. I personally would love to see more specials and possibly a cocktail list but will be happy to return. Next time, however, I will remember to save some space for the chocolate mousse.

Old Town Crier

CHEF’S SPECIAL CHESTER SIMPSON

Max Tangjaitaweesuk When did you first become interested in cooking? Why did you decide to pursue a culinary career?

When I was 22, I had a chance to work in my uncle’s restaurant.

I learned a lot when I was there including cooking. I really enjoyed and totally in love with this career.

What do you do to insure the quality of the food going out to customers?

The freshest of ingredients, following the restaurant recipes, training all the cook staff to be knowledgeable about what they are doing—all are key.

photo: ©2014 Chester Simpson

If any chef in the world could prepare Who has been the biggest inspiration you a meal, who would it be? for your career?

Sushi Chef Jiro Ono. My Uncle. He is a He is an 87 year old sushi max Tangjaitaweesuk successful restaurateur master. He is the first IS THE chEF of who has three restaurants sushi chef in the world zento restaurant in Washington, DC to receive three Michelin 693 N washington STREET (Sushi AOI, Haadthai stars. I wish I would have old town alexandria Restaurant and Noodles had the opportunity to on 11). I hope to be eat his food before he 703-566-3695 successful and ready for retired. zentorestaurant.com my second restaurant in the near future.

What is your guilty food pleasure?

What dish on the menu are you most White Tuna Sashimi with spicy Yuzu curious to see how it is received by sauce—I can eat it all day! patrons?

Recently I put the Tako Yaki (Fried If you would like to see your favorite Octopus dumpling) on our menu. chef featured here, send information to: Tako Yaki is not a popular dish here in chester@chestersimpson.com. the United States but in Japan you can find it everywhere. I really want to see how people will like it.

Chef Max with a Spider Roll and Japanese Firecracker Roll.

Owner and chef Max Tangjaitaweesuk making a Spider Roll: Tempura battered jumbo soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber, kaiware sprouts, and eel sauce.

Old Town Crier

March 2014 | 35

EXPLORING VIRGINIAWINES DOUG FABBIOLI

Failure to Plan Means Planning to Fail

T

his has been quite the winter. Plenty of snow and cold to restrict our fieldwork as well as our customers coming out. I will give VDOT credit for taking good care of our road and

even salting it a couple of times after the ice storms.

Word is that salting a gravel road will break down the road base a lot quicker. Often times, they will plow the big snows and just leave the light snows to melt or get packed down. Well, enough about the

Experience the Authentic.

Open Daily Noon–Sunset

36 | March 2014

snow.

We are deep in planning for the grapes this year.

Between plans for planting new vineyards, taking care of established vineyards and contracting for purchasing fruit in the fall, we have a lot on our plates. At Fabbioli,

the deer fence has been moved and we are preparing to lay out the rows for the grapes that will be planted in April. Most of our plantings will be Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. We will be planting a few rows of odd varieties as well; Barbera, Sagrantino and Noire. In addition to planting about 4.5 acres on our property, we will be helping others plant as well. Currently we have 13 acres scheduled up to plant with clients. They are going through the same process of ordering posts, wire, hardware, bamboo and grow tubes. Â The challenge will be in spreading my crew out to do all the things that need to be done this spring.

We currently have three vineyards and an orchard to manage. We are looking to pick up two more vineyards to manage. I have realized that some of our fruit shortage in Virginia is based on the fact that some of the smaller vineyards are not managed well. The owner has a day job and the labor commitment has not been as strong. If these vineyards are managed under a more professional operation, there can be more fruit of better quality coming from the acreage. This is one more step in decreasing the grape shortage in Virginia and across the east coast.

In order to have enough wine to fill the bottles we will sell in the future, I need to set up contracts now for grapes to purchase in the fall. We

will sell a little of our fruit to some other wineries, but we will buy fruit from both Virginia and California in order to meet our production needs. As the vines that we are planting now start to produce crop in 3 years, we can then back on our outside purchases.

Most all of the other wineries are going though the process of solidifying contracts at this point. It is rather challenging to do as we do not know how much fruit will be on the vines come fall.

Some of the wineries have enough grapes planted, so they will not purchase fruit.

This is the best position to be in as you can sell extra fruit if you have it. As far as I can tell, most all of the fruit is spoken for in Virginia. We have maintained some good relationships over the years and am very pleased that we, most generally, get what we need in local fruit.

I am fortunate enough to be appointed to the Virginia Wine Board. The board has some financial power to help the wine industry grow in a positive direction. I will be applying my knowledge gained over the last 33 years in the industry to help address some of these needs and how we can grow sustainably.

I am happy to serve the Commonwealth in this role and welcome thoughts from consumers about your Virginia wine industry.

Old Town Crier

VIRGINIA WINE Trail Profiles

Kite flight!

MArch 22

Bedford County Wine Trail bedfordwinetrail.com The Bedford Wine Trail in the Central Virginia region includes five vineyards and wineries surrounding Bedford.

Blue Ridge Wine Way www.blueridgewineway.com The Blue Ridge Wine Way features eight wineries and vineyards in the spectacular mountains of the Northern Virginia region.

Botetourt County Wine Trail botetourtwinetrail.com The Wine Trail of Botetourt Country features 3 wineries in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Eastern Shore Wine Trail esvatourism.org The Eastern Shore of Virginia Wine Trail hosts three wineries along the Land Between Two Waters. This area is a unique rural coastal environment. Hundreds of miles of Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay shoreline provide a wealth of recreational opportunities for beachlovers, fishermen, and boaters in addition to wine lovers.

Fauquier County Wine Trail fauquiertourism.com/wineries.html Fauquier County is home to 16 wineries and vineyards —each with its own unique flavors. Enjoy awardwinning Virginia wines, wine tastings and tours.

Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail svwga.org The Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail is an association of six vineyards and wineries.

Loudoun Wine Trail visitloudoun.org Loudoun’s Wine Trail in Northern Virginia takes you through Virginia’s hunt country to 23 participating wineries.

Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail chesapeakebaywinetrail.com The Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail, in the Chesapeake Bay region, highlights six different wineries.

Heart of Virginia Wine Trail www.hovawinetrail.com The Heart of Virginia Wine Trail in Central Virginia presents several events throughout the year at four wineries located in the central region of the state.

Tasting Room Hours - Open Year Round Thursday-Saturday, & Monday 11-5 pm • Sunday 12 pm (noon)- 5 pm

Join Us fororoUr 6ththis AnnUAl Kitea flight MArch 22 tasting • Bring AforKite! pM • prizes Mention bring ad for complimentary two• JUdging through1-3 12/23/2010 10100 Three Fox Ln. • Delaplane, VA • 540-364-6073

Taste the Altitude!

Climb the Mountain— Stone Mountain Vineyards

GOVERN2006 O GOLD MR’S CUP E WINNE DAL R

Blue Ridge Wine Trail blueridgewinetrail.com The Blue Ridge Wine Trail features five wineries and vineyards in the spectacular mountains all within minutes of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

General’s Wine & History Trail thegeneralswinetrail.com In 2009, 10 wineries banded together to form a new type wine trail experience. The new wine trail experience was to tie our rich wine heritage with our rich historical heritage and thus the General’s Wine & History Trail was born.

Call: 434-990-WINE

Monticello Wine Trail monticellowinetrail.com The Monticello Wine Trail leads to 24 wineries from its hub in Charlottesville.

Source: Virginia Wine Marketing Office

1376 Wyatt Mountain Road Dyke, Virginia 22935

www.StoneMountainVineyards.com

info@stonemountainvineyards.com

Town Crier Ad 1/4 page ad 6"w x 6.5"h 6/07

Visiting Virginia’s Wine Country

It’s always a good idea to call before visiting. Many Virginia wineries are small, familyowned operations and may be closed during the time you are planning to visit. If you are a group of eight or more, call ahead to help the winery prepare for your visit and to make sure they can accept groups. Most of our wineries have grape cluster highway signs within a ten-mile radius pointing the way to the winery. Many of these signs also tell you how many miles to go before reaching the winery.

Old Town Crier

A small, family winery focused on quality, sustainable farming and our community Visit us and other quality wineries on the Loudoun Wine Trail–www.loudounfarms.org Serving your local red wine needs since 2006 Open Daily 11am - 5pm Educational wine events

Fabbioli Cellars Douglas Fabbioli Colleen M. Berg 15669 Limestone School Rd Leesburg 703-771-1197 www.fabbioliwines.com

March 2014 | 37

GRAPEVINE NEIL WILLIAMSON

RAPPAHANNOCK CELLARS Keeping It Real in Hume

O

ften when a small business enjoys success and grows it loses that special touch that helped create its good fortune. A recent tasting trip to Rappahannock Cellars proved that Founder and Executive Winemaker John Delmare and his family have not only stayed true to their old world wine making philosophy but also retained one of the warmest and welcoming tasting bars in the Commonwealth.

Founded in 1998, Delmare makes no bones about why he chose to build his winery in,Virginia “What we found in the Blue Ridge Mountains that Virginiahad it all; a burgeoning wine industry, a great community, and regional beauty that rivals the best. It Santa Cruz MountainsVirginiahappens to be uniquely situated in the midAtlantic region, capable of producing the highest quality wine grapes; no region is better than what we found here in the Virginia Piedmont.Blue Ridge Mountains” Delmare is also very proud of his family’s significant involvement in the enterprise. “Most wineries brag about being family owned and run, but not many can brag about their young children (ages 9 to 14 at the time,) working joyfully on their hands and knees, planting our original 15 acres of Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The vineyard has been tended in the past by my six oldest children; it is currently tended by three in the 38 | March 2014

middle; and it awaits the youngest three, who can’t wait to give it a try.

And yes, if you’re counting, that is twelve kids,” Delmare wrote. Indeed both his marketing director son, Allan, and his Tasting Room Manager daughter, Kelly, continue to build on John’s original vision.

With an annual production of between twelve and thirteen thousand cases, one might think the craftsmanship of the wines has been reduced as the quantity increased; nothing could be further from the truth. Delmare, working with Winemaker “Theo” Smith, has expertly managed the growth of the volume of wine while maintaining a handcrafted feel.

In last year’s prestigious Governor’s Cup wine Competition Rappahannock’s 2010 Meritage not only won a Gold Medal it was also selected as a part of the Governor’s Case [representing the best 12 wines in the competition]. Back in 2006, the winery won the ultimate prize The Governor’s Cup with their Viognier.

As I write this the 2014 Governor’s Cup competition is underway, don’t be surprised if by the time this issue hits the streets, Rappahannock has added another Gold medal (or trophy) to its long list of awards.

The vineyard is nurtured by long time vineyard manager, Tom Kelly.

Kelly monitors vine health year round focusing on fruit condition and soil health. In addition to growing great wine, Kelly strives to do so as environmentally sustainable Old Town Crier

as possible. Kelly is proud of the composting of the winery waste (grape seeds, skins, and stems) and the use of such repurposed waste to replenish the soils on the farm. Composting in the vineyard allows Kelly to dramatically reduce the amount of chemical fertilizers needed to use to feed the vines as well as improve soil structure and health. AlexandriaRappahannock Rappahannock’s tasting room calls to visitors with its large open porch.

Walking inside and shaking the cold off in the foyer, the tasting room beckons on the left. A large room surrounded by tasting stations at different style bars. While incredibly efficient, it was rather busy when we arrived, however Rappahannock makes visitors feel like they just stepped into their living room.

The hospitality extends beyond

just architecture and it is clear the employees at Rappahannock the winery want visitors to enjoy and learn more about their wines. Tasting with Anita, I was struck not only by her positive demeanor but also the friendly manner she shared her significant wine knowledge.

Longtime Grapevine readers know of my negative reaction to most Virginia Rosé. Anita patiently explained the blend of Rappahannock’s 2012 Rosé (49.5% Cabernet Franc, 27.5% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Sauvignon) while I explained my issue with what is often a wimpy wine. Once I did get to taste I found a lovely, bright vibrant vintage filled with watermelon and strawberry notes. While not my favorite, it clearly is one of the best Virginia Rosé’s I have ever tasted.

VirginiaRappahannock is well

known for its ability to grow Cabernet Franc of distinction. The sandy loamy soils of area Rappahannockproduce exceptional fruit. In the 2012 Cabernet Franc, a full 25% of the wine is actually Cabernet Sauvignon.

Such blending allows the winemaker to boost and round the flavor profile of the Franc while maintaining the varietal designation. Brick red in the glass, this wine features a full bodied, albeit young, nose with cherries, white pepper and coffee. The midpalate expands nicely to expose dark fruit highlights and a touch of anise. The finish is supple and memorable with hints of spice. I believe this wine, while drinking nicely now, will hit its stride in about nine to twelve months.

In what is best described as largely “old world” style. Delmare embraces the challenges of vintage to vintage variation and celebrates them as strength. To that end the Tasting Room is also pouring the 2011 Cabernet Franc which can best be described as a sibling of the 2012 version. While they are stylistically the same the flavor profile is very different. The blend again includes 25% Cabernet Sauvignon but the appearance is much lighter and the aromas are more muted. I actually purchased both Cabernet Francs because of their delightful differences.

I will pair the 2012 with heartier fare such as braised beef while saving the 2011 for lamb or pasta.

John Delmare, his family and his passionate employees have nurtured Rappahannock Cellars to the elite of the Virginia wine industry. With their steadfast commitment to excellence in the vineyard, winery and tasting room, the future is as bright as the vineyard snow on a sunny day.

Neil Williamson is chairman of the Virginia Wine Club tasting panel and editor of the Virginia Wine Journal.

Reach him at editor@vawineclub.com.

WINEMAKER THEODORE ’THEO’ SMITH of RAPPAHANNOCK CELLARS Hometown Halifax, Nova Scotia Item always in your refrigerator Cherry peppers Most challenging wine pairing and how you solved it Fish with red wine. Paired pan seared trout with 2008 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir.

Worked brilliantly.

Best thing about the Virginia wine industry Burgeoning. A young industry that is still realizing its potential. With an increasingly better understanding of what grows well here and how to grow it (Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Merlot) our ability to make world class wines from these varietals has taken off.

Worst thing about the Virginia wine industry Humid Virginia summers Comfort food My wife’s Coq au Vin Most embarrassing moment I assume you mean within the wine industry: Accidentally hard bunging a barrel of Norton while it was going through ML. It is quite difficult to temper the violent nature of Norton through primary and secondary fermentations. The bung eventually blew, now the cellar ceiling is stained blue.

Favorite quote Patience is the companion of wisdom.

Favorite wine 1990 Domaine Romanee Conti

Old Town Crier

March 2014 | 39

GO FISH STEVE CHACONAS

Emcee to

Ice Kellogg’s pro Dave Lefebre with a nice yellow perch!

A

fter spending six weeks packing and planning for a six-day trip to Raleigh, NC and then to Erie, PA, I awoke to freezing rain. Will my flights be late or cancelled? Airlines are on time just about as often as a teenager to an algebra class right after lunch. Hard to imagine why my airline advertises 80% on time performance.

If anticipation of traveling 6 days wasn’t enough, how do I pack dual-climatized garments for balmy Raleigh and Erie’s frozen ponds? Guys have no problem packing shoeless. Wear what you’ve got on. Fit over fashion! Pounding show pavement or walking on thin ice requires wearing comfy shoes and packing boots. Even stuffed with socks they become an issue.

A rather ambitious trip for me, the much

Bassing IN march Potomac River

Water in the 50-degree range. Fish are moving.

Water clarity is key. Look for emerging grass. Cover water with suspending Lucky Craft Pointer 78 jerkbaits and Bevy Shad crankbaits in clear water. Allow these baits to pause, then twitch. With some stain, try covering water with Lucky Craft LV-500 in craw patterns. Use 12-pound test GAMMA EDGE fluorocarbon line and slowly drag this lipless crank on the bottom. If

40 | March 2014

less than frequent flyer. Airport prepared, plastic belt buckle, small tube of toothpaste and shoeless, of course I was chosen for a suitcase search. Just once I’d like to put some wet underwear for them to feel, likely resulting in a less than comfortable search. To say I dislike flying, especially with today’s unfriendly skies, is akin to a toddler rejecting broccoli. The first travel leg was to Raleigh to emcee a two-day Bass University with top bass pros. The last time I attended one of these events they used overhead projectors, placing items on lighted screens to cast a shadow image. Nowadays, younger polished presenters employ advanced Power Points and videos! Anglers pay $100 a day to hear 3 pros conduct two seminars each.

Departing Raleigh at 0600, I was headed to GO FISH > PAGE 41

you find grass, stay there and snap baits free from it.

Slowly retrieve Mann’s Classic 3/8-ounce gold Indiana/Colorado blades and white skirt through bottom cover. Fish these close to wood cover and on shallow flats with a nearby drop off. For shallow wood cover at higher tides, try Mann’s Baby X crankbaits. All retrieves should be slow! Bump cover and hesitate. Shad colors in clear water and dark reds in stained. Carolina rigs with Mann’s HardNose soft plastics soaked in Jack’s Juice garlic will get fish to hold on longer.

For cold front days good baits on 6-8 pound test GAMMA Copoly: Punisher Hair jigs, Mizmo tubes with insert heads, small Texas rigged worms with a 2/0 Mustad Ultra Point hooks. Pitch to deeper dock pilings and near drop-offs. Work very slowly and let these baits sit. Soak in Jack’s Juice too!

Old Town Crier

FROM THE TRAINER RYAN UNVERZAGT

T

the bosu burpie

his month’s exercise is called the Bosu Burpie. This exercise is designed for general conditioning and keeping the heart rate elevated. It’s a more enjoyable version of the traditional burpie in that you get to utilize the Bosu in a non-traditional manner.

Each Bosu exercise that I’ve covered so far in this column has required the flat side to be on the floor. The round side is down this time.

To start, grab the Bosu by its edges and assume a pushup position with your shoulders over top of the hands (Fig 1). Quickly jump the feet toward the Bosu so that they land underneath your hips (Fig 2). Keep hold of the Bosu because you will pick it up as you stand and lift it above the head with straight arms (Fig 3). This counts as one repetition.

To finish, reverse the order of movements. Squat down to set the Bosu back on the floor. Your body weight should shift to the hands as you jump the feet back into the push-up position. If you’re looking for more of a challenge, add a push-up between each burpie or count how many burpies you can do in one minute. Try at least two sets of ten reps with a minute rest between sets.

❶

Unverzagt holds a BS in Wellness Management from Black Hills State University and is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). He is an active member of the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA).

❷ GO FISH! FROM PG 40

Erie, PA for ice fishing. I was lost in the concept of walking onto frozen water to drill a hole, waiting for frozen fish to bite. I expected to reel in Mrs. Paul’s. FLW Kellogg’s pro Dave Lefebre took me from the airport straight to the ice.

I layered up in his Suburban, put on my boots and mentally prepared myself for a new fishing frontier. Dave lent me strap-on Stabilicers ice spikes to be sure-footed on a frozen Lake Erie Bay, called Misery!

With plenty of traction I became the beast of burden, dragging the Otter sled with a pop-up thermal shelter to our spots. This sled was loaded with everything: food, water, fishing rods, lures, electric auger, and electronic devices.

After lining up his secret spots, that happened to be close to everyone else’s secret spots, Lefebre relied more precisely on the Lowrance Endura Safari hand-held GPS to put us on the spot!

Onto the ice Lefebre told me that, during the War of 1812, American Naval crew members with smallpox, Old Town Crier

❸ but still alive, were tossed overboard with stones tied to their feet. His history lesson was interrupted by a strange sound. He said it was only ice cracking and not to look down. At this time he also shared I should avoid cracks coming together. Now he tells me, as we drag our sled several hundred yards onto the ice, to “walk lightly” whatever that meant! Not alarming enough? Just when I felt a little bit confident the ice would support us 400 yards from shore, Dave drilled holes around me.

An electric StrikeMaster ice auger created fishing holes.

Dave hopped from hole to hole with two electronic assistants. MarCum’s ice fishing flasher and underwater video camera determine the depth, location and fish species. These tools enabled us to get lethargic fish to come off the bottom to bite. Lures on the screen teased fish to slowly move off the bottom.

Bringing baits up just a bit, fish would bite before they got away. Weighing less than 1/50th of an ounce, dimesized vibrating, rattling,

jigging Rapala lures come in various styles and colors with Trigger X soft body attachments. Jigging Raps jumped when jerked.

The lightest line I normally use for bass is 6-pound test.

For ice fishing, Dave produced 1-pound test Suffix Ice Line on a variety of ice rods and reels. In addition to spinning reels, icefishing specialist “13 Fishing” has round reels and bait-casting

style reels to pair up with rods with different actions for hook size and lure weight.

I enjoyed trying something new and catching a bucketful of crappie, bluegill, and yellow perch. Several rainbow trout, a brown trout and some largemouth bass warmed me up! But hanging with a pro angler and some outdoors writers made this Ice Force trip memorable. So now when

asked about ice fishing, I’ll no longer respond…How do you keep the cubes on the hook?

Capt. Steve Chaconas is a Potomac bass fishing guide, and a BoatUS “Ask the Expert” (http://my.boatus. com/askexperts/bassfishing/) Potomac River reports: nationalbass.com. To book trips/purchase gift certificates: info@NationalBass.com.

March 2014 | 41

FITNESS

H

ealthy herbs have long held an important place in our wellness.

Prized since ancient times, today we even more depend on them to purify our body, mind, and soul! Of course, we all use herbal parts in our daily lives, one way or the other, whether for their fragrance, for their healing power, or in lovely recipes. Herbal benefits are many; be it for spiritual reasons or to spice up your taste buds, or as a home remedy for ailments like a cold, or sore throat … herbs are handy for each need!

Although, herbs have been in use in our diet since antiquity, only recently have they taken the center-stage of nutrition in the scientific world for their potential health benefiting and detoxification properties.

Why Herbs in Our Diet?

Herbs contain unique anti-oxidants, essential oils, vitamins, phyto-sterols and many other plants derived nutrient substances, which help equip

Healthy Herbs our body to fight against germs, toxins and to boost immunity level. Herbs are, in fact, medicines in smaller dosages.

Essential oils in herbs have been found to have anti-inflammatory function by inhibiting the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX), which mediates inflammatory cascade reactions in the body. The enzymeinhibiting effect of essential oils in herbs makes it an important remedy for symptomatic relief in individuals with inflammatory health problems such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and inflammatory bowel conditions like ulcerative colitis.

Many unique compounds in the herbs have been found to reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics.

Controlledepidemiological studies have shown that certain compounds in

garlic like those that thiosulfinates (allicin) can bring significant reduction in total cholesterol and in blood pressure and thereby helps prevent coronary artery disease and reduce stroke risk.

Curcumin, together with other antioxidants in the turmeric, has been found to have anti-amyloid and antiinflammatory properties. Thus, it is thought to be effective in preventing or at-least delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The volatile oils, vitamins, and antioxidants in the herbs have cytotoxicity action against prostate, pancreatic, colon, endometrial etc., cancer cells.

The chemical compounds in the herbs have been found to be anti-spasmodic, carminative, diaphoretic, analgesic, aphrodisiac, deodorant, digestive, antiseptic, lipolytic (fat and weight loss action),

stimulant and stomachic actions when taken in appropriate dosage.

Culinary Herbs

Herbs are a great addition to food, not just because, they add special flavor and spicy taste to our food, but also they contain many anti-microbial substances that help keep our food protected from these agents. Healthy herbs are used in small amounts while preparing recipes; actually, they provide flavor rather than substance to food.

Fresh leaves are being used in the preparation of soups and herbal sauces. Chopped, fresh herb leaves can impart richness to vegetable as well as fruit salads. Along with other spicy items, selective healthy herbs are being used to enhance the flavor and taste of vegetable, chicken, fish and lean meat dishes. Also, some herbal leaves and plant parts are increasingly being used as popular flavor drinks.

Publisher’s note: This column provided courtesy of nutrition-and-you.com.

Herbs To Support Health Three-Part Series

Certified Nutritionist and Herbalist Tricia McCauley

Will be exploring ways that herbs can support the three systems of the body. Join her for a three-part series at The Spice & Tea Exchange® of Alexandria.

March 12: Herbs To Support The Immune System March 19: Herbs To Support Digestion March 26: Herbs To Support The Nervous System $18 per class or $45 for the series. Hurry, space is limited!

To RSVP call 571-132-8505 or email alexandria@spiceandtea.com

The Spice & Tea Exchange® of Alexandria 320 King Street | 571-312-8505 alexandria@spiceandtea.com

Herbs to Support Health 1.indd 1

42 | March 2014

2/17/2014 3:02:13 PM

Old Town Crier

FIRST BLUSH GENEVIEVE LEFRANC

LuLu Sage iS proud to introduce Marina FranciS, Liz norton, and anciLL McdonaLd the neweSt MeMberS oF our teaM

On the Cheap!

Drugstore Junkie, Part II

E

very now and then it’s perfectly ok to splurge on products like a luxury fragrance or that sublime foundation you’ve been coveting, but most of us can’t realistically sustain exorbitant makeup spending habits. It never hurts to break your standard beauty regimen for the more affordable drugstore versions of your favorite must-haves. The only thing better than falling in love with a great new product is falling hard for a total bargain.

Don’t let the affordability fool you—the shelves at your neighborhood drugstore (or even grocery store) are packed with beauty products that are on-par with their higher priced counterparts. And because they’re easy on your wallet, these cheap-chic steals allow for guilt-free experimentation and why-not-try-it impulse buys.

Now, don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying to abandon your beloved Sephora or department store cosmetics counter; the trick is to make concessions where you can in your beauty bag. Seems like everyone could use a few extra bucks here and there, so it’s just plain smart to explore what worthwhile products your local drugstore offers. Whether your bank account is dwindling slowly (read: quickly) or you’re holding out for payday, drugstores are your saving grace with a plethora of high-performing, low-cost beautifying products.

The mass-market brands have come a long way and nearly all of them have some seriously high-quality products in their ranks.

To help you navigate all the budget beauty out there, we’ve compiled an extensive list of our favorite cheapie picks for hair, skin, and makeup.

Scrounge up the loose change in your sofa cushions or skip

Old Town Crier

that morning latte and you’ll be good to go. Rich colors, sumptuous textures, delicate scents — they’re all here, they’re all wellpriced, and they’re all you need to feel gorgeous on any budget. Read on for a handy guide in helping you make some beautifully economic decisions.

Hair

• Batiste Dry Shampoo, $8 • PSSSSST! Instant Dry Shampoo, $5.99 • Sally Hershberger Shagg Layer Spray, $12.99 • Mark Hill Miracoilicious 2 Minute Intensive Treatment, $11.99 • Creme Of Nature Strength & Shine Leave-In Conditioner, $5.26 • Clairol Nice ’n Easy Perfect 10 Hair Color, $13.99 • Herbal Essences Smooth Collection Shampoo, $3.97 • Clairol Nice ’N Easy Permanent Haircolor Root Touch-Up, $6.99

Skin

• Aura Cacia Natural Skin Care Grapeseed Oil, $4.99 • Aquaphor Healing Ointment, $5.99 • Yes to Blueberries Age Refresh Smoothing Daily Cleanser, $8.99 • Burt’s Bees Fragrance Free Body Lotion, $7.99 • SheaMoisture Argan Oil & Raw Shea Hand & Body Scrub, $10.29 • Alba Botanica Good & Clean Pore Purifying Mini Peel, $8.99 • Essie Cuticle Oil, $8.39 • Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Night Creme, $14.49 • Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil for Hair, Body & Face, $5 • Neutrogena Ultra-Gentle Hydrating Cleanser, $8.49

• Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment 6.99 • Eos Shave Cream 3.99 • L’Oreal Skin Expertise Collagen Moisture Filler Day/Night Cream, $11.49 • Aveeno Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub, $5.27 Boots Expert Instant Matte, $5.99 • Lemon Drop Smooth Sphere Lip Balm with SPF 15 by EOS, $3.49

Makeup

• L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara, $8.95 • NYX Extra Creamy Lipstick, $4 • e.l.f. Essential Eyelid Primer, $1 • Bourjois Little Round Pot Blush, $11 • Maybelline New York Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Balm, $2.97 • Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayon, $7.59 • e.l.f. Studio Eyebrow Kit, $3 • Sonia Kashuk Star-Studded Seven-Piece Brush Set, $24.99 • Essie Sleek Stick Stickers, $9.99 • Neutrogena Oil-Free EyeMakeup Remover, $5.99 • Neutrogena Crease Proof Eyeshadow, $8.99 • Sonia Kashuk Eye Quads, $12.99 • Kiss 4-Way Ultra Shiner Nail Shaper, $1.69

Book an appointment with one of these talented stylists or esthetician and receive 15% off your first service.

Please check Lulu Sage’s website for March specials.

610 Madison Street, Suite 100 Old Town Alexandria, Virginia 703.894.0709 • lulusagesalonandspa.com

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Genevieve LeFranc holds a BA in writing, rhetoric and communication from James Madison University. She researches and writes about the beauty and fashion industries.

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11:49 AM

SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE PEGGIE ARVIDSON

What If the Universe Wants Me to Fail?

T

here’s a fine line between trusting the Divine (or whatever word you choose for the energy of All That Is) has your back when it comes to earning money, building your business, caring for your love life and taking action to create that life you dream of.

I bridge the worlds between the metaphysicians, intuitive, spiritually-focused people and the hard-tacks, show me

the money intellectuals of the everyday world. I’m glad to say that more and more these are not either/or camps but rather folks are coming in with a strong sense of intuition AND a real need to be present in the mundane, physical world.

Still, as you start your journey into things beyond the realm of the practical (whether it’s Tarot, Reiki, dowsing, Angels or A Course In Miracles) it gets a little

interested in living your purpose at work & beyond?

Check out PeggieArvidson.com where you’ll find: • Live and virtual workshops • Private coaching opportunities • Personalized hand analysis readings • And discounts on services for newsletter subscribers

For more information contact : Peggie@peggiearvidson.com 44 | March 2014

confusing. On one hand, you’re being told that the Universe will take care of you – so you don’t need to sweat the small stuff. You’re encouraged to hand over the reins to the Divine and simply find a way to be grateful for the journey. On the other hand, you’ve got a mortgage to pay, dogs to be walked and kids that are throwing parties when you’re out of town.

Does your new found spiritual tug mean you should simply drift away and let the pieces fall where they may?

Not exactly.

You’ve heard the joke about the guy who prayed for help during a big flood, right?

Here’s the gist of it: Fella recognized the flood warnings, and starts praying for help. A family in an SUV drives up to his door and says, “Get in! We’re heading to higher ground.” The Fella says, “No thanks, I’ve been praying, God will take care of me.”

Next day, the neighborhood is a river and a man comes by in a row boat. He shouts, “Come! Get in the boat, we’ll head to higher ground.” Fella says, “Nope, God has me covered.”

Third day, Fella’s house is flooded, he stands on his roof, still praying. A helicopter comes by, drops a ladder and the pilot shouts, “Grab on, we’ll take you to safety!” Fella says (you guessed it!) “No thanks!”

Poor Fella drowns and finds himself at the Pearly Gates.

When St. Peter greets him, he’s a little ticked off, “What the freak happened?! I had complete FAITH that God would take care of me and still, I died!”

St. Peter cocks his head and replies, “God sent you an SUV,

a boat and a helicopter, what more did you want?!”

This story illustrates our responsibility to use the tools that are given to us as we embrace our spiritual path.

You were born for a reason and part of that reason is to balance the calling for Joy and Love with the banality of dirty bathrooms, not enough money at the end of the month and people who refuse to see things your way!

If you’re trying to figure out how to attract more clients to your business use practical tools to make that happen. Praying, meditating, or creating a vision board is not going to make new clients appear consistently.

Spending time and money with psychics, healers and energy shifters alone won’t lift the blocks either.

To attract more clients to your business it’s imperative that you: • Act like the CEO; • Figure out where those clients are, and create a plan to attract them; and • Go out of your comfort zone and network and take consistent action.

Once you’ve gained clarity, taken action and committed to consistently showing up for your business it’s time to turn it over to the Divine. The Divine works in collaboration with the energy you put forth, but if it doesn’t see you taking action, it’s not so sure you’re really in the game.

Here’s what I mean, while you are focused on networking with a particular group each week, you might start to get frustrated that you haven’t received any referrals in three weeks. This

makes you doubt your entire path, your business plan and whether or not the Divine wants you to succeed at all.

While you’re grudgingly going through the motions to head to this week’s meeting an email comes in from a woman in Portugal who wants to hire you. Within a month she’s hired you and referred you to three of her colleagues and you’re on target to hit your financial goals for the quarter.

When you ask how she found you, it turns out she did a quick internet search and she found your old, old, old website and then reached out.

That is how the Divine works in most of these practical cases. You take action and make it clear that you’re on board, and then the Divine kicks in.

So, next time you’re tempted to toss your hands in the air and say “If the Universe wants me to succeed, I will” take a minute to take real, practical action too!

Peggie Arvidson is the Money Mindset Coach for Healers.

She helps healers charge what they’re worth and get it by helping them break the pattern of self-doubt so that they can attract their perfect clients.

One of the hardest things for those in healing professions is to recognize the monetary value of the services they provide, so they can keep their businesses thriving and stop struggling to pay their bills.

Peggie walks them through the five steps they’ll be able to apply, using their genuine strengths. to bring them a steady flow of perfect clients for their practice. You can learn more at GrowYourMoneyMojo. com Old Town Crier

SINGLE SPACE LORI WELCH

I’

ve always been on the fence about Valentine’s Day—love the cute pink hearts and chocolate, but as a single woman, there were many years when I wanted to grab that stupid arrow out of Cupid’s chubby little hands and stab myself with it. I realize now, however, why some genius at Hallmark overcommercialized and capitalized on it—we need that burst of color and hope of love and happiness plunked down in the middle of the cold, dreary days of February. I guess that’s why CVS puts out Easter stuff on February 15, next to the Valentine’s clearance rack. We need something to propel us forward through March—something to look forward to besides pretending to be Irish and drinking our faces off on March 17. By March 17, who isn’t ready to belly up and drink themselves into oblivion?

Luck of the Irish be damned— we are tired of boots and

Old Town Crier





Tween Time 

shovels and mittens and scarves and salt and chafing skin. Cheers to flip flops and margaritas and boogie boards.

In this ’tween’ time, we have high hopes for doing constructive, productive things like cleaning out our closets, finally getting around to doing something with those stacks of baby photos before the kids go off to college, painting the kitchen and joining Weight Watchers (who doesn’t want to look like Jennifer Hudson?).

It’s hard, however, to muster the kind of energy that involves anything other than carbs or couches.

I’m counting down the days to our wedding, and every day I tell myself that this is going to be the day that I start getting into shape and staring the scale down, but then the sweet siren song of the pantry begins to gently grab hold of me.

Damn her.

The bright side is that I have lots of tween tasks that provide me an excuse to spend countless hours on Pinterest, etsy, and Wedding Wire, which makes my couch happy.

I keep telling myself that as soon as Spring joins us, I’ll really kick things up a notch and do more than wave at my sneakers as I walk past them to grab my Ugg slippers out of the closet.

Maybe I’ll sign up for a race or half marathon. Maybe I’ll grab my laptop and research upcoming races. That’s progress, right? Actually, maybe this tween time is supposed to be about mental preparation and rest. This is a good time to set your goals, create your plans, and make your lists.

Then, when the time is right, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running.

For me, that will be—literally—hit the ground running. For now, I’m cruising Athleta.com and Zappos for the right attire and perfect shoes. If I get a burst of energy, I may jump in the car and head to Pacers. Whew! I’m exhausted just thinking about it. I did manage to set up my FitBit so I can start measuring my progress. Hopefully, steps to the fridge count towards my goal.

Personally, I think tween time is supposed to include some down time.

I think that is why God invented snow storms and the flu, frankly. Both are meant to keep us on the couch. Picture God’s hand reaching out to give you a little thump on your forehead.

“Hey, you. I tried a little dusting of snow to keep you inside.

Instead, that inspired you to call up ten friends and invite them over for Jello shots, chili and a case of Corona. Now how about I throw in some cold sweats, coughing and body aches? Will that keep you down

so you can get some rest?” I keep telling myself that this tween time is meant to rejuvenate and refresh, and I still have plenty of time to do and accomplish. I’m a procrastinator, however, so that is my life’s mantra— there’s always tomorrow! When tomorrow comes, I’m a furious producer and crammer. Works great for exams and Old Town Crier deadlines, but less good for things like getting in shape and/or losing weight.

Sigh.

The other lesson in the tween time is acceptance. Accepting things for how they are; but more importantly, accepting yourself how you are in this moment. I keep reminding myself that XXL loves me exactly as I am.

He doesn’t care how many alterations I need to fit in my dress. I put that pressure on myself, and coincidentally, I put that same pressure on him.

Instead of focusing on all the things we’ve accomplished to get to this moment, I find myself focusing on what I haven’t done. (Self-flagellation, anyone?). It’s a hard lesson and one —at least for me—that requires daily practice. A friend of mine recently got married and her words of wisdom to me were to enjoy the moment. She had a beautiful wedding, but she said one of her regrets was that at times she felt mired down by her ’to do’ list so much so that she often lost sight of her own happiness. Hmmm. So maybe balance is the key. I’ll focus on my lists and balance it with downtime. Focus, balance and rest.

Hey—anyone seen my yoga mat?

How many calories can I burn with a downward dog?

I’m going back in my cave until Spring; I’ll come out when I hear the whirl of blenders.

If you would like to comment or suggest a subject for my column, contact me at mysinglespace@aol.com February 2014 | 45

A S

M F

S F

! y l l a r e t i hot in the harborL

PEPPER PALACE 112 waterfront ST 240-416-8358 pepperpalace.com

C S

C S

A S

D S

W S

WATERFRONT DINING

Loc Riv Wil from and Ale Mt. from

Manager Derrick Pressley ´

NationalHarbor.com

T

his month we are featuring one of the newest kids on the block here at National Harbor—The Pepper Palace!

Where They Came From

By Lani Gering Founded in 1989 by Craig Migawa, the Pepper Palace started out as a kiosk in a popular mall in Wisconsin. Priding themselves on being the “one stop shop” for everything spicey, they soon opened two retail stores and operated out of them for the next eight years. Deciding it was time to move “down south,” Pepper Palace debuted its first location in Gatlinburg, Tenn. with a store right on the edge of town. To this day Gatlinburg is home to the Pepper Palace empire. With a 3000 square foot retail space in the Mountain Mall in downtown Gatlinburg, Pepper Palace is the largest specialty spicy-themed store of its kind in the nation.

How They Got Here

National Harbor store manager, Derrick Pressley, told me that the owners are always on the look out

46 | March 2014

1-877-NATLHBR

for new opportunities and felt that opening another retail outlet in the Harbor was a good move. Having only been open for a little more than four months, they are still working on making their footprint on Waterfront Street. I have a feeling that by the time the summer rolls around, they will be a destination for locals and visitors alike.

What They Do

As their motto says, this is a onestop shop for everything spicey.

The store here in the Harbor is jam packed with all sorts of sauces, salsas, oils, spices and rubs, bloody mary mixes and jerky….and don’t forget the “spicey” t-shirts! They are proud of their Pepper Palace brand and display it prominently but they also offer good old standbys with the likes of Tabasco and some of your other favorites. You can tell by the photos that there is something for everyone!

They even have a hot sauce from UVA (and several other universities) for

FAC

you Cavalier fans out there. I was, however, disappointed that they don’t have a hot sauce from my alma mater, University of Wyoming— maybe I can put in a request!

How They Do It

When Pepper Palace incorporated in 2006, they started their private label. The distribution center/ warehouse opened in Sevierville, Tenn. in 2007 and they began to expand to other states. They have stores in Myrtle Beach, SC and St. Augustine, Fla. They opened two franchise locations in 2011—one in Branson, Mo. and the other in Gatlinburg at The Village; and now at National Harbor.

I have always been a proponent of “a picture is worth a thousand words” so hopefully the few published here will give you a sense of what Pepper Palace has to offer locally! You won’t be disappointed when you stop there during your next trip to the Harbor.

Old Town Crier

CRAB&BEER MENU $5 oFF

CoME tRy oUR NEw CRAB & BEER PAIRINGS! Yuengling & Mini Crab Cake Sliders Blue Moon & Spicy Crab Roll Fat Tire & Crab Dip Heineken & Crab Fritters Peanut Butter Porter & Open Faced Crab Melt

Happening at the Harbor!

By Lani Gering

C

onstruction on the new 175-foot Observation Wheel is underway and progressing mighty quickly. It really does look like it will be up and running on its projected May opening date. Take a walk down the main pier the next time you are at the Harbor and check it out.

Don’t forget to get your Irish up at Harrington’s Pub and Kitchen on St. Patrick’s Day—they have all sorts of fun things planned on the day when everyone is Irish! Public House is getting all geared up for March Madness and offering some pretty great beer and appetizer deals. McLoone’s Pier House will be starting their new crab and beer

pairings this month as well. Just thinking about crab and beer makes me yearn even more for the warm weather. See these fine establishments’ ads in this section.

In April, the Gaylord is hosting a very fun Easter package. The Resort has partnered with PEEPS and Company to present the “sweetest” overnight family getaway in the region on Saturdays, April 5 and 19. With this package, guests enjoy one night accommodations at the resort, a $50 resort credit, a PEEPS craft activity, a PEEPS Easter Egg Hunt that includes the opportunity to win PEEPS prizes, a $10 gift card to the PEEPS retail store in National Harbor and a welcome PEEPS treat bag. The package starts at $239. They will also be doing an Easter brunch on April 20 featuring the PEEPS character.

301.839.0815 mcloonespierhousenh.com 141 National Plaza • National Harbor, MD

NATIONAL HARBOR DINING GUIDE AROMA D’ITALI 156 National Plaza 301-839-3492 BAJA FRESH MEXICAN 186 Waterfront Street 301-839-1377

Opens April 1st

BOND 45 149 Waterfront Street 301-839-1445 CADILLAC RANCH 186 Fleet St. 301-839-1100 cadillacranchgroup.com All-American cuisine ELEVATION BURGER 108 Waterfront Street 301-749-4014 FIORELLA PIZZERIA E CAFFE 152 National Plaza 301-839-1811 GRACE’S MANDARIN 188 Waterfront Street 301-839-3788 Harrington’s Pub and Kitchen 177 Fleet Street 301-909-2505 harringtonspubandkitchen.com Enjoy traditional Irish fare and more!

McCORMICK & SCHMICK 145 National Plaza 301-567-6224

Old Town Crier

wHen YO BRing in THiS aD u !

McLOONE’S PIER HOUSE 141 National Harbor Plaza 301-839-0815 mcloonespierhousenh.com NATIONAL PAST TIME SPORTS BAR & GRILLE Gaylord Hotel 301-965-4000 OLD HICKORY STEAKHOUSE Gaylord Hotel 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com PIENZA ITALIAN MARKET Gaylord Hotel 301-965-4000 POTBELLY SANDWICH WORKS 146 National Plaza 301-686-1160 PUBLIC HOUSE 199 Fleet Street 240-493-6120 publichousenationalharbor.com Whether it’s lunch, happy hour, dinner or a late night party, we can meet your needs.

ROSA MEXICANA 135 Waterfront Street 301-567-1005 SAUCIETY AMERICAN GRILL 171 Waterfront Street 240-766-3640 THAI PAVILLION 151 American Way 301-749-2022

March 2014 | 47

Discover Paradise at Your Doorstep Who said luxurious spa treatments are only available on the Islands? Introducing Relâche™ Spa & Salon – a spa unlike any other in the region. Our professional therapists will provide you with the latest treatments and personalized service to refresh and rejuvenate your body and soul.

Discover for yourself with our special Spa Escape Package:

Your choice of ONE of the following Spa Treatments: Relâche Signature Massage or Relâche Allure Facial or Tropical Island Glow Body Exfoliation & Your choice of ONE of the following Salon Treatments: Pedicure Classique or Hydrating Almond Manicure Royale Your package also includes: One lunch entrée from our spa menu, three hour complimentary self-parking, a complimentary glass of champagne during your salon treatment, full use of spa facilities including steam room, sauna, whirlpool, and the Riverview Relaxation Lounge

Package price: $210 To book today, call (301) 965-4400 Relâche™ Spa & Salon – 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD Minutes away from downtown D.C. & Old Town Alexandria.

Couples Treatment Room

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48 | March 2014

*20% service charge not included in price. May not be combined with any other discount or promotion.

May not substitute treatments. Relâche™ Spa & Salon services are subject to a standard 20% service fee.

Appointment must be canceled at least 24 hours in advance of scheduled appointment time or guest will be charged full amount of service. Based on availability. Blackout dates and other restrictions apply.

5/20/13 10:43 AM

Old Town Crier

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Money Market Account between $2,500 to $250,000 in new money with John Marshall Bank and earn up to

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To qualify for this special rate simply open a new John Marshall Checking or Interest Checking Account with $1,000 or more.

Alexandria Branch Grand Opening!

You know us. We know you. Our team of Erik, Charlie, Ted and Pam has been serving the personal and business banking needs of Alexandrians for generations. Being friendly and helpful is natural for this dynamic foursome. Stop by our new branch and let us show you why so many others have made John Marshall Bank their bank. We make banking fun.

For more details or to open an account, call or stop by today! *APY is annual percentage yield. APY is quoted with an average daily balance of $2,500 or more as of November 18, 2013 and is subject to change at any time after April 30, 2014. If the average daily balance falls below $2,500, APY will be .50%. The APY of 1.0% applies only to balances of $2,500 or more up to a maximum of $250,000. The APY on balances of more than $250,000 will be .50%. Fees may reduce earnings on this account. Withdrawals of more than six (6) per month are subject to a $10.00 excess transaction fee. If the average daily balance in the related checking or interest checking account opened with this account falls below $1,000, we reserve the right to convert this account to a regular John Marshall Bank Money Market Account. This is a limited time offer and the availability of this account may be withdrawn at any time without notice.

640 Franklin Street Alexandria, VA 22314 703-289-5950 JohnMarshallBank.com

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