Washington Life - Summer 2013

>> SWISS STAR MARTINA HINGIS JOINS THE TEAM TENNIS CHAMPION KASTLES!

SPECIAL FEATURE

a capital grand slam >> PRO SPORTS SCORE A WIN IN WASHINGTON

S U M M E R 2 01 3 s $7.9 5

PA RT PAIES! RT PA IE RT S! IE S!

WASHINGTON LIFE

AT HOME WITH TOP CHEF MIKE ISABELLA BRUNCH BREAKDOWN: A MINI GUIDE TO SUNDAY FEASTING FASHION: LOOKING POSH IN OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA ON THE RED CARPET: CHANNING TATUM, JAMIE FOXX AND MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL

28 26

22 '328)287 SUMMER 2013

14

SPECIAL FEATURE

28

A SPORT FOR EVERY SEASON

EDITOR'S LETTER ................................

FYIDC INSIDER'S GUIDE .....................................

GLITTERATI Pointed Perfection ........................

THE DISH .................................................

WASHINGTON SOCIAL DIARY AROUND TOWN TryYour Luck........................

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington Tim Russert Dinner..............................................

Diaghilev and the Ballet Russes Opening....................

WPAS Gala.......................................................

POLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC AFI Docs Opening 'Letters to Jackie' .........................

'White House Down' Premiere.................................

Book Party for Donald Rumsfeld ..............................

EMBASSY ROW Embassies Go Green ................

Book Parties for Vali Nasr .......................................

Foundation for Preservation of Art in Embassies Dinner ..

Honoring Carole King ...........................................

OVER THE MOON Winner's Circle...................

Woodrow Wilson House Annual Garden Party .............

Tudor Place Garden Party........................................

Zoofari ..............................................................

GWU Honors Russ Ramsey ..................................

42

Jenn Crovato Book Signing ...................................

Book Party for Janie Bolero ...................................

HOME LIFE INSIDE HOMES Mike and Stacy Isabella's Chinatown residence ........................................

LIFESTYLES

OPEN HOUSE Summer Sale .............................

FASHION Old Town Interlude .......................... REAL ESTATE NEWS In Full Swing ..................

TREND REPORT Nautical by Nature............... MY WASHINGTON Art Smith's favorite places........

ON THE COVER Martina Hingis at the 2006 French Open (Photo by Fred Mullane of Camerawork USA) TOP FROM LEFT Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Laura Ingraham at Mr. Rumsfeld's book party (Photo by Kyle Samperton); Redskins Quarterback Robert Griffin III at the 2012 NFL Draft (AP Photo/Tomasso DeRosa); Tom Liljenquist and Erin Kilday at the Gershwin Prize for Carole King (Photo by Tony Powell) ABOVE TOP KENNETH JAY LANE Agate and gold-plated and spike necklace ($345); kennethjaylane.com; BOTTOM RIGHT KATE SPADE NEW YORK Maise striped twill satchel ($318); Saks Fifth Avenue, saksfifthavenue.com

6

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

T H E I N S I D E R’S G U I D E TO P OW E R , P H I L A N T H R O PY, A N D SO C I E T Y S I N C E 1 9 9 1

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Nancy Reynolds Bagley EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Anne Kim-Dannibale MANAGING EDITOR

Alison McLaughlin SENIOR EDITOR

Kevin Chaffee ASSISTANT EDITOR

Laura Wainman COLUMNISTS

Janet Donovan, Roland Flamini, Patrick D. McCoy,Vicky Moon, Stacey Grazier Pfarr and Donna Shor

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

J.C. Suarès GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Matt Rippetoe CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Tony Brown, Ben Droz, Alfredo Flores, Martin Lourd Philippe,Tony Powell and Kyle Samperton

PUBLISHER & CEO

Soroush Richard Shehabi ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

John H. Arundel ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Kaitlin Froelick, Sheila Menn and Christina Salek-Raham BOOKKEEPER

Trina Hodges WEB TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT

iStrategyLabs LEGAL

Ackerman Brown PLLC INTERNS

Kelly Barnes, Alexandra Bryant, Kelsey Edelmann, DaRio Hall and Aysia Woods FOUNDER

Vicki Bagley CHAIRMAN, EXECUTIVE BOARD

Gerry Byrne Washington Life magazine publishes ten times a year. Issues are distributed in February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, November, and December and are hand-delivered on a rotating basis to over 150,000 homes throughout D.C., Northern Virginia, and Maryland. Additional copies are available at various upscale retailers, hotels, select newstands, and Whole Foods stores in the area. For a complete listing, please consult our website at www.washingtonlife.com. You can also subscribe online at www.washingtonlife.com or send a check for $79.95 (one year) to: Washington Life Magazine, 2301 Tracy Place NW, Washington D.C., 20008. BPA audited. Email us at info@washingtonlife.com with press releases, tips, and editorial comments. Copyright ©2011 by Washington Life. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial content or photos in any manner without permission is strictly prohibited. Printed in the United States. We will not be responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.

EDITOR’S LETTER

All Together Now I

t was touch and go as the mercury level rose and dipped in June, but now that temperatures are staying steady in the 90s — it’s definitely summer. As if on cue, our readers are packing up and migrating to cooler climes.

For those left behind, there is one major reason to endure the heat and humidity — professional sports.

If you haven’t noticed, the nation’s capital has experienced a revival of the athletic sort.

That means the Nats, Skins, Wizards, Caps and Kastles and yes, even our own franchise for that “beautiful game” — D.C. United. In recent years, the teams’ efforts to recruit the best players have ignited a huge following in a town of transplants whose allegiances often remain strongly connected to their home town. All that’s changing now, as assistant editor Laura Wainman reports in our special feature “A Sport for Every Season,” which includes a special contribution from former Washington Post sports reporter Len Shapiro.

There’s much more to explore. Our fashion crew took a quick trip to Old Town and the Alexandria Waterfront for this month’s fashion excursion. You’ll see why they drew crowds along the cobblestone streets when you come to our “Old Town Interlude” feature.

Photographer Martin Lourd Philippe captured beautiful resort fashion plus all that Alexandria has to offer for easy getaway jaunts.

Summer wouldn’t be complete without long, lazy weekend mornings, preferably spent at table. Washington’s ever-bustling restaurant scene offers a multitude of brunch options from the much-buzzed-about Le Diplomate to Daikaya among many others.

We know you’ll appreciate our mini-guide of where to go and what to order there.

One can’t talk about restaurants without mentioning chefs, and in this issue we have two. Mike Isabella — one of the country’s hottest culinary stars — generously invited us into the Penn Quarter home

10

he shares with his wife and Chihuahua to talk about life outside (and yes, inside) the kitchen. No surprise: the tattooed chef ’s what-you-see-is-what-you-get point of view comes through loud and clear.

Art Smith also took time out of his busy schedule to talk about Oprah and share his inspiring story of beating type 2 diabetes as well as his favorite places in this month’s My Washington.

There was plenty to report on this season’s social season, which included Carole King’s Gershwin Prize, Boys & Girls Clubs Tim Russert Congressional Dinner, and book parties for both former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies’ Dean Vali Nasr, to say nothing of the opening of the National Gallery’s spectacular Diaghalev and the Ballets Russes exhibit, Tudor Place’s annual garden party, and the Zoofari extravaganza.

We’re looking forward to September when our in-depth guide to balls and galas will help you decide what events you simply can’t afford to miss.

Nancy R. Bagley Editor in Chief

Readers wishing to contact Nancy Bagley can email her at nbagley@washingtonlife.com

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

FYIDC The Insider’s Guide to Washington

Civics Lesson

MARCH ON WASHINGTON’S TH

A Little Night Music

‘LA TRAVIATA’ Soprano Corinne Winters returns to Wolf Trap Opera Company (where she trained in the exclusive Filene Young Artist program) to take on the lead role of Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi’s tragic love story. Benjamin Bliss joins the cast as Alfredo with Grant Gershon conducting the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington Chorus. “La Traviata,� July 19, Wolftrap’s Filene Center, $20-$70, www.wolftrap.org.

12

Cultural Collage

SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL The 47th iteration of this popular multicultural educational treat highlights the history, arts and cultural traditions of numerous countries. This year’s focus includes endangered languages and the results of a ďŹ ve-year study on African-American style. Smithsonian Folklife Festival, July 3-7, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily, free, National Mall, between 7th and 14th streets NW.

By the Numbers

JULY TH — UNLEASH THE FIREWORKS

$218.2 million

value of fireworks imported from China in 2012

$11.7 million

value of U.S. fireworks exported in 2012

amount awarded to contractor for show at Monument

17 minutes for the whole shebang to bang on The National Mall

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

S M I T H S O N I A N F O L K L I F E F E S T I VA L P H O T O B Y J E F F T I N S L E Y. A L L O T H E R S C O U R T E S Y. B Y T H E N U M B E R S S T A T S F R O M U . S . C E N S U S B U R E A U , T H E W E E K LY S T A N D A R D A N D N A T I O N A L P A R K S E R V I C E .

On a hot and humid August day in 1963, people from across the country descended on Washington to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s now historic “I Have a Dream� speech. This August, the Newseum marks this half-century milestone with “Make Some Noise: Students and the Civil Rights Movement,� which opens Aug. 2 and focuses on young activists of the era.

Standouts from the exhibit include a section of the infamous F.W. Woolworth lunch counter where black college “Make Some Noise� students launched the civil rights movement and a bronze casting of the Birmingham jail cell door where King penned his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.� Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 202-292-6100, www.newseum.com.

And, don’t miss the National Museum of Women in the Arts’ own remembrance of that era through the eyes of artist Faith Ringgold, whose work in the exhibit “American People, Black Light� has drawn raves since it was shown in 2010 at the Neuberger Museum of Art in Purchase, N.Y. Now showing through Nov. 10, the exhibit features 45 rarely seen paintings that capture the racial and gender politics of the 1960s. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW, 202783-5000, www.nmwa.org.

FYIDC | GLITTERATI

ASHLEY PITTMAN Dark Quill-bead necklace ($645); neimanmarcus.com

ANITA KO Gold spike stud earrings ($395); anitako.com

PAMELA LOVE Five spike sterling silver earrings ($200); pamelalovenyc.com

LUV AJ Mini pyramid stud tennis bracelet24-kt. gold ($99); luvaj.com

43-28)(

4)6*)'8-32

CANDY BEADS JEWELRY Regal peacock hoop earrings in 18-kt. gold ($875); candybeadsjewelry.com

Get caught on summer’s sharpest styles.

EDDIE BORGO Pavé crystal rose gold cone-stud earrings ($240); neimanmarcus.com

KATE SPADE NEW YORK Pueblo tiles multi-strand necklace ($248); saksfifthavenue.com

TINY JEWEL BOX Chocolate shagreen pyramid bracelet ($345); tinyjewelbox.com

JOOMI LIM Spike ring ($80); saksfifthavenue.com

JOOMI LIM 16-kt. Gold-plated chain & spike choker ($225); saksfifthavenue.com

PAMELA LOVE Turquoise and bronze spike earrings ($360); pamelalovenyc.com 14

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

OSCAR DE LA RENTA Triangle Swarovski earrings ($450); oscardelarenta.com

EDDIE BORGO Small rose gold cone bracelet ($525); saksfifthavenue.com

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

FYIDC | THE DISH

A BRUNCH OF NEWBIES Seven newly debuted brunches east of Dupont to explore this summer B Y L A U R A WA I N M A N

This Spring saw the opening of more than 50 area restaurants from del campo to b. too, azur and the red hen.

That can only mean one thing: it’s time to get our brunch on. From Southern classics like chicken and wafes to outthere chicken livers and beef tongue, here are seven new brunches that Washington Life personally tested for you.

It was a tough job, but someone had to do it.

Daikaya (Photo by Daniel Swartz)

AMBAR ďš™ th Stďš’ SEďš” ! - "#-#!#%ďšš Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $35 “bottomless brunchâ€?

ORDER: Brioche French toast, oxtail gravy and biscuits, bacon.

DRINK: Skip the bloody mary and opt for the prosecco-based mimosa.

WE LOVED: The twist that the lemon biscuits added to the oxtail dish. The citrus cut the creaminess of the gravy and fat from the oxtail and the peppery radish sprouts gave the dish a nice kick. The bacon, ordered on the side, is a thing of beauty. The pork comes from a farm in Tennessee, but Beuchert’s cures and smokes it in-house for five to seven days before slicing it paper thin in an old-fashioned manual slicer.

WANT TO TRY: Lamb prosciutto on potato latkes, beignets, breakfast sammie (roasted pork, cheddar, fried egg and latkes).

CAUSE ďš™"% * %th Stďš’ NWďš” ! - - !ďšš Sunday, noon-4 p.m. Entrees $9 to $16, “adult cerealsâ€? $10, bottomless bloody marys or mimosas $15 Cheese pie at Ambar (Photo by GORANFOTO)

Brunch is one of our favorite weekend pastimes, but a Balkan brunch was new to us. When Ambar announced it would be revamping its menu to include unlimited small plates and freeflowing cocktails, we simply had to try it. The aesthetically pleasing, adventurous small plates are a tasty introduction to Balkan cuisine.

ORDER: Bread basket (particularly the sourdough), Balkan salad, mezze platter, fried chicken sandwich, cheese pie, roasted mushroom crepe, fried apple rings.

DRINK: The bloody marys were disappointingly generic for a supposedly cutting-edge restaurant. We recommend the Ambar mimosa made with Champagne, peach purĂŠe and blood orange.

WE LOVED: The rustic, chic and somehow feminine decor. And did we mention the sourdough cinnamon roll?

When we heard that U Street’s “philanthropub� was serving up cereal soaked in alcohol-laden milk mixtures, we were intrigued, but not convinced that the concept would translate well from paper to bowl. Though we arrived as skeptics, we left as converts vowing to return for more traditional brunch dishes such as the Tuaca French toast or huevos rancheros.

ORDER: Hangover hash, Campfire Crispies, Cinnamon Girl, omelet au poivre WE LOVED: That 100 percent of the profits from our boozy brunch would be donated to charity and that one dish on the menu combines everything we love about brunch: sausage, potatoes, fried eggs, cheese and really great grilled bread.

WANT TO TRY: The rest of the adult cereals, paricularly Cuckoo for Cause.

Hangover hash at Cause (Photo by Nick Vilelle)

WANT TO TRY: Strawberry waffle with Nutella, pear waffle with caramel sauce.

The desserts are calling our names.

BEUCHERTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SALOON ďš&#x2122;* # Pennsylvania Aveďš&#x2019; SEďš&#x201D; ! -:##-"# <ďš&#x161; Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Entrees $7 to $19; bottomless mimosas $9

Farm-to-table dining may be enveloping the Washington food scene, but Beuchertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Saloon is taking the concept to a whole new level: they own the whole farm. This is reflected in a carefully curated brunch menu that offers up brunch classics with casual farm-fresh twists.

16

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

GOLDEN BROWN DELICIOUS GBD ďš&#x2122;"# # Connecticut Aveďš&#x2019; NWďš&#x201D; ! - <- "!ďš&#x161; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. All entrees $10; pair any entree with a doughnut and coffee/tea for $12; $15 bottomless mimosas or Brunch Punch

The name of this Neighborhood Restaurant Group spot applies to both its sweet and savory offerings, as the restaurant dishes up tender, crispy chicken and delicately fluffy doughnuts.

So it comes as no surprise that everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite dish, by far, on the brunch menu is that Southern staple: chicken and waffles. The mix-and-match vintage mugs, brown paper boats in place of plates and cartoons playing on TV give you the feeling of a good-old-fashioned breakfast at grandmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house.

Chicken and waffles at GBD (Photo courtesy Neighborhood Restaurant Group)

ORDER: Chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy (when offered anything with a biscuit at GBD nod vigorously and accept), Gala apple fritter with cinnamon glaze.

push your boundaries just a bit. Think poached egg and Chesapeake korokke with warm mayo and tonkatsu sauce on an English muffin or a â&#x20AC;&#x153;hapa loco mocoâ&#x20AC;? that comes with a â&#x20AC;&#x153;hambaguâ&#x20AC;? patty, fried egg and rice with gravy. The guy in your party who wants something â&#x20AC;&#x153;normalâ&#x20AC;? can stick to this dish.

ORDER: Chicken and waffles, lox and â&#x20AC;&#x153;bagelâ&#x20AC;? and a few of the regular menu items including chicken livers just for fun.

DRINK: Calpi-motxo (Daikayaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take on Sangria with red wine, Mexican coke, Calpico with a splash of absinthe) and Suika Solstice, which is surprisingly unsweet for a watermelon-mint-based cocktail.

WE LOVED: The eclectic menu and Chef Katsuya Fukushimaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adventurous spirit, despite a few kinks on the brunch menu that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re certain will be worked out this summer.

WANT TO TRY: Bloody Mari, sisig (weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve yet to see this on anyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s menu, brunch or otherwise) and the intriguing croissant with uni butter and shoyu eggs 63 scramble.

TABLE ďš&#x2122;%!# N Stďš&#x2019; NWďš&#x201D; ! - - !!ďš&#x161; Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $34 three-course prix fixe, including pastries, starter and entree, mimosas $10 per glass or $14 for bottomless

DRINK: The seasonal Brunch Punch. When we went it was gin, grapefruit and other fruit juices.

WE LOVED: That the chicken and waffles werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t drenched in syrup, so the dish struck a balanced note between sweet and savory. The chicken was flavorful without being too greasy. Plus, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll take an apple fritter doughnut any day.

WANT TO TRY: Potato and leek quiche, ranchero wrap and the next Brunch Punch.

LE DIPLOMATE ďš&#x2122;"*!" "<th Stďš&#x2019; NWďš&#x201D; ! -## -####ďš&#x161; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Starters $9 to $18.50, entrees $11 to $28, cocktails $9 to $12

We, along with the rest of Washington, have become fans of Stephen Starrâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first D.C. outpost. No matter what time of day you frequent this French brasserie, a meal there never fails to please. From the madedaily bread selections, to the light, yet rich, foĂŻe gras parfait, classically prepared egg dishes and surprisingly satisfying house coffee, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll feel like you just stepped into a Parisian cafe. Even the notoriously hardto-please Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema said he was more impressed with the food here than many of his meals in Paris.

ORDER: Croissant, foĂŻe gras parfait, mushroom tart, poached eggs Basquaise, eggs Norwegian, quiche Lorraine, breakfast pastries and/or the house bread basket.

DRINK: Josephine, Pamplemousse Presse, coffee.

WE LOVED: The buzzing, but not ear-splittingly loud, atmosphere, attentive service and refreshing flavors of our dishes.

DAIKAYA ďš&#x2122;:! *th Stďš&#x2019; NWďš&#x201D; ! - %-"*!!ďš&#x161;

Stuffed French toast at Table (Photo by Jennifer Cubas)

From the handwritten menus in composition notebooks to the changing hue of the door leading to the rooftop, the devil is in the details at this Shaw eatery. The same can be said of food that arrives with elaborate presentation. Think stuffed French toast dusted with a light layer of powdered sugar, finished with slivers of banana and filled with gooey peanut butter; a simple, yellow omelet not cluttered on the outside, but oozing sharp cheddar, bechamel, thick cuts of ham and hearts of palm once it is cut. Table is an upscale dining destination, where the social set is sure to gather.

ORDER:Smoked salmon, stuffed French toast, croque monsieur omelet.

WE LOVED: The kitchen being in the center of the restaurant, creating a sortof chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s-table-for-all vibe, the Nutella-filled brioche pastry and Chef de Pueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seasonal menu, meaning each visit will feel brand new.

Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Brunch dishes $8-11, cocktails $8 to $12

The name alone should alert diners that this ramen/izakaya joint is not going to be dishing up comfort food, but rather asking you to

WANT TO TRY: Warm duck salad, poached Laughing Bird shrimp, baked egg en cocotte.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; With additional reporting by Anne Kim-Dannibale, Alexandra Bryant, Aysia Woods and Kelsey Edelmann.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

17

POLLYWOOD The Nexus of Politicsďš? Hollywoodďš? Media and Diplomacy | Embassy Rowďš? Book Parties for Vali Nasr and Donald Rumsfeld and more!

Channing Tatum and Director of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano at the â&#x20AC;&#x153;White House Downâ&#x20AC;? premiere in Georgetown (Photo by Tony Powell)

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

19

POLLYWOOD

HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC

TO THE LETTER AFI Docs opener ‘Letters to Jackie’ stirs ‘Camelot’ memories S T O R Y A N D P H O T O S B Y J A N E T D O N O VA N

Christy Scott Cashman

Ina Ginsburg

T

he eternal flame at the gravesite of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery may be the ultimate symbol of the lasting legacy of “Camelot,” but writer/director Bill Couturie’s “Letters to Jackie: Condolences From a Grieving Nation” based on the book by Ellen Fitzpatrick is the ultimate written legacy of a grieving nation.

The long forgotten art of letter writing is captured by the documentary, presented by AFI Docs at The Newseum on the approaching 50th anniversary of the president’s death, which features Oscar-winning actors reading letters written to the grieving first lady.

“After he died I was asked to write condolence letters because I speak several languages and many of them had to be sent out to international places,” remembered Ina Ginsburg, a long-time AFI trustee, Andy Warhol’s confidante and Washington editor of Interview Magazine as well as an honorary trustee of The Kennedy Center. She knew the Kennedys and played tennis with the president.

“This film is a wonderful idea,” she said.

Gretchen Lundstrom Farwell, a retired

20

Gretchen Lundstrom Farrell, Bill Couturie, Janis Hirsch and John Clarke

AFI sponsor Audi lined up and ready for the red carpet.

librarian, remembers writing as a 20-year-old student at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. “I felt so hopeless — the whole campus felt so hopeless,” she recalled. “I don’t think I ever told anybody. I don’t even remember if I told my family that I wrote the letter. I sent it in and had no idea what happened to it.” We wondered of course how it ended up in the book. (It turns out that Fitzpatrick hired genealogists who found Farwell on the Internet.)

Janis Hirsch’s letter was culled from a collection of about 800,000. “I wrote the letter when I was 13. I had polio and spent a lot of time home alone away from my schoolmates and had a broken hip at that particular time so I was laid up in a full body cast,” the Los Angeles resident said. “I listened to musical comedy. It got me through a lot, so I suggested to Mrs. Kennedy that she listen to musical comedy, especially ‘Damn Yankees,’ ‘You’ve Gotta Have Heart.’” Hirsch went on to become a sitcom writer for such hits as “Murphy Brown” and “Will and Grace.”

The continuing fascination with the Kennedy story can make it difficult to find something new. “The trick was trying

to find a story that hasn’t been told,” Couturie noted. “In ‘The Letters,’ I found this fascinating story about Kennedy’s relationship to the civil rights movement and how Governor [George] Wallace pulled him into it against his will, but also learned how his death helped Lyndon Johnson pass the Civil Rights Act.” Couturie noted that a quarter of a million letters are housed in the Kennedy Library; all that’s left from two million that came into the White House over two years.

Couturie read a small portion of the letters — the 20 best, he says. “Ellen read hundreds of thousands of letters. I read the book.”

We were curious to know if Couturie ever wrote a letter to Jackie. “I didn’t,” he told us.

“I have written lots of letters [but] nothing that’s worth making a movie out of.”

So here’s the irony: In a world where the art of letter writing has all but vanished — replaced by the speed and ease of emails — it was through the Internet that researchers were able to track down the original letter writers that brought both the book and the movie to life.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

POLLYWOOD

Vincent De Paul and Maggie Gyllenhaal Roland Emmerich Joey King and Channing Tatum

Mack and Donna McLarty WL EXCLUSIVE

‘WHITE HOUSE DOWN’ PREMIERE Loew’s AMC Georgetown | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL GEORGETOWN GLITZ: The worldwide premiere of Roland Emmerich’s summer action flick “White House Down” was a Hollywood-style rollout that harkened to the days of Errol Flynn and Rita Hayworth. Stars Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx and Maggie Gyllenhaal arrived to ear-piercing shrieks from the nearly 1,000 fans waiting at the AMC Georgetown. “I’m the luckiest person in the world, because I get to work in action movies, the highest make-believe stakes there are,” Tatum said. DASH OF D.C.: The buzz drew Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano and Secretary of the Navy John Dalton. “I’m here tonight because I think it will be a fun movie,” Napolitano noted.

Jamie Foxx

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Donald Rumsfeld, Susan Pillsbury and Dick Cheney WL EXCLUSIVE

David Sproul, Emily Lenzner, Terry Lenzner, Donald Rumsfeld and Robin Sproul John Podesta

DONALD RUMSFELD BOOK PARTY

Lynne Cheney

Michael and Susan Pillsbury Residence, Georgetown | PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON RUMMY’S RULES: Donald Rumsfeld says the advice he compiled over a lifetime in “Rumsfeld’s Rules: Leadership Lessons in Business, Politics, War and Life,” was “collected from people a whole lot smarter than I am,” but few of the guests — and yes, it was a bipartisan crowd — were buying it. A^er all, the former congressman, White House chief of staff and defense secretary’s book was on best-seller lists right from the start. WORDS OF PRAISE: Former veep Dick Cheney told the crowd that it was filled with “great anecdotes woven together with real world experience” a^er noting that the author was a tough boss when he worked for him in the Nixon and Ford administrations.

“He wasn’t the kind of guy who pa`ed you on the back and said ‘good job.’”

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

22

Sen. Orrin Hatch WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Michael Pillsbury and Jim Woolsey

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

POLLYWOOD | EMBASSY ROW

Embassies Go Green Big foreign spenders, uniformed royals and ‘borrowed’ books returned

BY ROLAND FLAMINI

HOW GREEN WAS MY EMBASSY?: The OVERDUE BOOKS: A recent ceremony at Embassy of France, which has the Italian embassy focused attention had a greening program in place on another of those footnotes to the since 2009, hosted a reception history of World War II. In 1943 the last month to show off its new, U.S. Army formed a volunteer unit 10,000-square-foot green roof. of museum directors, curators and art What used to be a bare, flat surface experts (men and women) and sent over La Maison Française has been them to Europe to protect historic converted into le jardin Française, a buildings from being vandalized and newly verdant area. Because plants to rescue paintings from neglect and absorb heat, green roofing — now from theft by the retreating Nazis.The trendy in Georgetown — lowers unit’s official name was the Monuthe interior temperature, reduces ments, Fine Arts and Archives Section Italian Amb. Claudio Bisogniero with author Robert Edsel (Courtesy Photo) storm water runoff, and halves (MFAA), but its staff became known maintenance costs. The French Embassy is one of 169 foreign missions on the local economy as the “Monuments Men.” of several foreign missions that are members of in 2001 was estimated at $510 million. They Today what’s left of them belong to the the D.C. Greening Embassies Forum, an envi- employed 9,681 workers with a total payroll of Monuments Men Foundation for the Preserronmental effort that includes the state depart- $296.5 million (a fifth of it going to foreigners vation of Art, which is mainly the brainchild ment and the Earth Day Network, with the assigned to the embassies). Fuller’s report esti- of Robert Edsel, who wrote the book about mated consumer spending by their employees at them that will shortly become a motion city partially subsiding costs.

Ambassador François Delattre said the $52.4 million, and non-payroll spending by the picture directed by and starring George Clooney. The foundation recently handed greening effort was “an ongoing program” respective embassies at $257.7 million. mandated by the French government. The Today there are 193 ambassadors accredited over to Amb. Claudio Bisogniero eight rare embassy plans to cut greenhouse gas emis- to the U.S. (although a few are non-resident), books that were taken from the University of sions by 50 percent by 2015, in part by making not to mention the missions to the Organiza- Naples by an American soldier in the war.

The books include a 1533 copy of “Elegia electric bikes available to staffers to get about tion of American States,World Bank and other di Madonna Fiammetta,” a novel by Giovanni instead of cars, and to reduce energy by 40 international financial institutions.

Boccaccio; sonnets by Petrarch; and an illuspercent over the same period by switching to energy efficient lighting and other measures.

SOLDIER PRINCESS: Greeting guests at Jordan’s trated copy of “The Universal Conchologist — national day celebration along with Amb. Alia 1789.” The G.I., who is now 96, used the good MISSIONS INVISIBLE OR ALMOST: The Embassy Hatoug Bouran was the embassy’s military offices of the foundation to return them.

Greening program is a somewhat rare example attaché, Major Gen. Princess Aisha Bint Alof the District interacting with one of its large Hussein, who just happens to be King Abdulsources of income and cultural influence — the lah II’s 45-year-old sister. The daughter of foreign missions. It’s a measure of the degree King Hussein and Princess Muna Al-Hussein, to which the missions are taken for granted by she was the first Middle Eastern woman to Washington that a reliable, up-to-date assessment train at Sandhurst Military Academy, after which she studied Middle East History at of their economic impact seems non-existent.

And yet it’s considerable. According to Oxford and graduated from National Defense a survey by economist Stephen Fuller of University at Ft. McNair. But this mother George Mason University a decade ago (and of two has also served with Jordan’s special Maj. Gen. Princess Aisha Bint Al-Hussein of Jordan (Courtesy Photo) not updated since), the total economic impact forces, and trained as a parachutist.

24

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

Bill Nitze, Marina Martin and Brazilian Amb. Mauro Vieira

Lady Westmacott, Oliver Westmacott and Vali Nasr

French Amb. François Delattre, Jim Hoagland and Ann Nitze William and Ann Nitze Residence PHOTOS BY ALFREDO FLORES

Ali Reza Vahabzardeh, Paul Nitze and Jane Kucera

Princess Saba Selassie, Susan Pillsbury and Prince Ermias Selassie WL EXCLUSIVE

VALI NASR BOOK PARTIES INSIDE SCOOP: It was no surprise that an informed crowd of Washington insiders turned out at two major book parties to fête Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies Dean Vali Nasr upon publication of his recent book “The Dispensable Nation.” Hosts Bill and Ann Nitze and Liaquat and Meena Ahamed knew their guests would want to hear more about the author’s efforts to reveal how Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her key ally, the late Richard Holbrook, were thwarted in their efforts to reshape U.S. foreign policy in ma`ers related to Asia and the Middle East.

Italian Amb. Claudio Bisogniero and Japanese Amb. Kenichiro Sasae

Walter Cutler and C. Boyden Gray

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Shuja and Seema Nawaz with Liaquat Ahamed

Margaret Warner and Robin Wright

Liaquat and Meena Ahamed Residence PHOTOS BY ALFREDO FLORES

Darya and Vali Nasr with Meena Ahamed

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

Husain and Farah Haqqani with U.A.E. Amb. Yousef Al-Otaiba

25

POLLYWOOD

Attorney General Eric Holder and Sharon Malone

Carole King Arturo Sandoval and Patti Austin WL EXCLUSIVE

HONORING CAROLE KING Library of Congress | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

Morgan Caillat, Colbie Caillat and Annaliese Wolverton

Susan Eisenhower and Morton Kondracke

MOVING TRIBUTE: “Her songs became our songs,” host Michael Feinstein said of legendary songstress Carole King, whose lyrics have been sung by hundreds of artists and whose albums have sold in the multimillions. The concert to honor the latest recipient of the library’s Gershwin Prize for Popular Song featured tributes by Arturo Sandoval, Pa i Austin and other performers that included “It’s Too Late,” “I Feel the Earth Move,” and other platinum hits wri`en by the artist during her 50-year career.

FITTING FINALE: King ended the show with a raspy rendition of “You’ve Got a Friend” that had everyone in the crowd, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and A`orney General Eric Holder, joining in.

Elijah Wells, Hayden Wells and Louise Goffin

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

David Rubenstein and Jo Carole Lauder

Renée Fleming and Tim Jessell Agnes Gund

Artist William Wegman presents “View Point” to Secretary of State John F. Kerry

WL EXCLUSIVE

Suellen Estrin

FOUNDATION FOR ART AND PRESERVATION IN EMBASSIES DINNER Diplomatic Reception Rooms, U.S. Department of State | PHOTOS BY MARY HILLIARD LATE BUT GREAT: Secretary of State John F. Kerry may have kept guests waiting for nearly an hour at his first official FAPE dinner, but his comments commending donors’ efforts to beautify 65 U.S. diplomatic properties abroad were certainly taken to heart. The group’s gi^ of an antique-framed copy of the Declaration of Independence to be hung in every embassy is “the best single inspiration foreign service officers could have.” DULY HONORED: “It’s the first thing people will see when they walk into an embassy,” philanthropist David Rubenstein added before accepting FAPE’s Annenberg Award for Diplomacy Through the Arts.

26

Damian Woetzel, Terry Winters, Hendel Teicher and Heather Watts WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

% 74368 *36 ):)6= 7)%732 For decades, the Washington sports scene meant cheering on the Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s burgundy-and-gold titans, often with disappointing results. With the arrival of countless headline-making stars and far more Ws across the Washington books, the seasonal constraints on sports are fading into year-round optimism.

A P P H O T O /A A R O N M . S P R E C H E R

B Y L A U R A WA I N M A N

28

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

% 74368 *36 ):)6= 7)%732

W

hen reporter Juan Williams first arrived in Washington in 1976 as a wide-eyed intern for the Washington Post, he was a die-hard New York fan with a particular affinity for the Knicks. As a kid growing up in Brooklyn, some of his earliest memories included walking through the snow with his brother to pick up dinner for the family, all huddled together listening to Giants games on the radio. He was a New Yorker through and through, but a pure love of the game ran deep in his blood. Later, when he was offered tickets to the Washington Bullets, now the Wizards, as part of the Post’s employee incentive program, he had no qualms about accepting. After all, basketball was basketball. Within two years, the Bullets would become champions after defeating the Seattle SuperSonics to bring a professional sports championship back to Washington for the first time since 1942.

“Watching the Bullets win that championship is burned into my memory,” Williams says. “I was instantly converted into a lifelong fan.”

Thirty-five years later, if you try to make plans with Williams on a night when the Wizards are in town he will politely tell you he has an unbreakable date with his wife.The Fox News political analyst has been a season ticket holder since 1987 and an avid fan since that first and only NBA Championship in franchise history;Williams and his wife have used Washington basketball games as their date night ever since.

“We don’t miss these games, because they are more than an athletic outing, they are our nights together and they have added significant value to our 35-year marriage,”Williams says.

In 1978, Williams a New York-turned-Washington fan, was the exception; Washington was, and still is, a town of transplants with very few people who view themselves as Washingtonians. Inevitably, it led to a sports culture where the visiting team was better represented by fans than the home team, as the locals held fiercely to their hometown loyalties.Williams remembers the days when the best advertising strategy for the Wizards, Nationals or Capitals was to promote the visiting team with the expectation of drawing Celtics, Phillies or Rangers fans who lived in the District but had left their hearts — and sports allegiances — in the Big Apple, Philly or Bean Town.

Thanks to an in influx of big-name players, teams trending toward winning seasons and accessible stadiums, Washington sports across the board are in the middle of a major boom. Though the Redskins have always reigned supreme, with 45 consecutive home sell-out seasons, their counterparts on the ice, diamond and courts are catching up. From the record attendance numbers to the emergence of a plethora of sports talk radio stations, Washington is becoming a true sports town — not just a football town — that can compete with the big boys.

“D.C. is a town full of transplants from all over the country and even the world, [but] the sports teams bring us together,” NBC News correspondent Luke Russert says. “It’s great going to a Nats game and cheering next to a family of four where the dad is from Colorado, the mom from Michigan, who met in D.C., and they’re all there with red curly W hats on.”

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

Bryce Harper (Larry Goren/Four Seam Images via AP Images)

Robert Griffin III (AP Photo/Aaron M. Sprecher)

29

Martina Hingis (Fred Mullane of Camerawork USA)

Stephen Strasburg (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

30

>>HEADLINING REAL ESTATE Washington may not have 100 years of tradition on its side like Boston and New York when it comes to generating fan loyalty, but it has learned several lessons from studying sports power houses, the first being that the fastest way to fill seats is to recruit buzz-worthy players.The nation’s capital lives and breathes the news while staying current on every political happening of the moment, and if you give the city a player whose name gets splashed across the headlines every morning, fans do take notice.

In the last five years, the Redskins, Nationals and Wizards have had opportunities to select the first or second pick of their respective drafts, leading to such crucial roster gains as Heisman winner Robert Griffin III (“RGIII”), star pitcher Stephen Strasburg, superstar teen Bryce Harper and SEC player of the year John Wall.The Capitals also picked up three-time Hart MVP trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin as the first overall draft pick in 2004.The Kastles, newcomers to the Washington sports scene, followed suit by packing their roster with studs from their inaugural season, signing tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams, Martina Hingis and Leander Paes.

Top draft picks and star quality players routinely draw national attention, and find themselves as the center of discussion well beyond their local papers. Harper was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in June 2009, at the ripe age of 16, a full year before he was chosen in the first round by the Nationals and declared by veteran Sports Illustrated reporter Tom Verducci to be “the most exciting prodigy since LeBron.”

His mug was spotted on newsstands again this February as Sports Illustrated featured the now 20-year-old as their cover story for the second time, with Verducci forecasting the possibility of an MVP award for Harper. Teammate Strasburg joined him in the two-time Sports Illustrated cover club; first in June 2010 after only his second major league start with Albert Chen declaring him a “National Treasure” and again this March accompanying a bold cover proclamation that “the Nationals will break through and win the World Series.” ESPN called him the “most-hyped pick in draft history.” RGIII snagged serious SI real estate himself, with a cover appearance in April 2012 discussing his impending draft status and again in September to commemorate his record-breaking NFL debut. Sisters Serena and Venus Williams have been featured a combined four times- Serena most recently in 2010.

Washington professional players have graced the cover of Sports Illustrated (SI) nine times in the last five years, including former Wizards center Jason Collins’ (May 2013) after becoming the first active male athlete in professional sports to come out as openly gay, and former Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell (August 2009).

Prior to that, the magazine had not featured a Redskins, Nationals, Capitals or Wizards player since 1992 — with the exception of Michael Jordan’s four covers during his time with the Wizards.

Although the Caps have yet to be featured there, star players Alexander Ovechkin, Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom have been mentioned in more than 60 SI articles since 2005.

“The way you get invested in a team is by following them in the paper, tracking their successes every morning over your coffee,”Williams says. “After being in Washington for more than 30 years, the teams I am

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

% 74368 *36 ):)6= 7)%732

spotlight

reading about are no longer the Knicks,Yankees or Giants, but the Wizards, Nats and ’Skins.”

Williams is not alone in wanting to get behind the boys in the headlines, as the Capitals just finished their fourth consecutive year of selling out every home game, setting a club record of 181 consecutive sellouts (including playoffs) dating back to the 2008-09 season, with an average attendance of 98.8 percent capacity over the last five years. The Redskins concluded their 2012 season with a playoff loss to Seattle in front of an 84,435-person crowd, largest to see a Redskins postseason home game in team history, and extending their consecutive home sellout streak to an NFL-high 377 games.

The Kastles have averaged 92 to 94 percent capacity, attracting between 16,500 and 17,000 fans per season.The Nationals have yet to break into the 90 percent capacity attendance bracket but have been significantly on the rise, including a leap from 54.2 percent in 2009 to 72.3 percent in 2012, and 81.7 percent at this point in the 2013 season.They are ranked sixth of the 30 teams in terms of average capacity attendance. The Wizards are still building up their following, but have hovered around 82 percent capacity attendance in the last five years, with their highest averages since Jordan’s days coinciding with John Wall’s arrival in Washington.

“I’ve been a season ticket holder to the Wizards since I moved from U. Penn seven years ago, so I had a pretty immediate relationship with the team, but RGIII got me to buy season tickets to the Redskins,” Georgetown University sociology professor Michael Dyson says. “John Wall’s comeback this year and RGIII’s debut are the favorite Washington sports memories of my time here.”

Many of Washington’s celebs have been converted to Washington fans based on their interaction with the players. Mike Isabella — a former “Top Chef ” contestant, the man behind D.C. hot spots Graffiato and Bandolero and a New Jersey native — places RGIII just behind President Barack Obama on his list of Washingtonians he wants to cook for and considers himself “100 percent a Washington fan” after nearly seven years here. He admits the Yankees hold a place in his heart but actively roots for the Caps over the Rangers and the Redskins over the Giants,. He attends Nation-

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

the washington kastles

The Washington Kastles (Photo by Vithaya Phongsavan)

D

espite the increased fan support and sports buzz permeating throughout town, Washington has not enjoyed a national championship win in the four major franchises since the Redskins’ 1991 Super Bowl victory. If you stroll down to the Waterfront one July night you may just catch a whiff of Washington’s winningest team: the Washington Kastles.

Established in 2008 as part of the Mylan World Team Tennis (WTT) professional league, the Kastles have won 32 straight games heading into their 2013 season, including two consecutive undefeated seasons in 2011 and 2012. Their July 8 season opener will give them a chance to make history as they strive to tie the LA Lakers for the longest winning streak in U.S. pro sports history.

“Two perfect seasons — I don’t think you can really get your hands around how amazing that is. That is remarkable and the start of a dynasty,” says Greg O’Dell, CEO of Events DC. The secrets to the Kastles’ success, which includes three WTT Championships in their five seasons, are star-studded rosters and superior coaching. Tennis legend Serena Williams, who has been ranked as World No. 1 in singles six times in her career, was with the Kastles for their inaugural season and for two championship seasons in 2009 and 2011. She was replaced in 2010 by her sister Venus Williams, who ranked World No. 1 on three occasions and helped lead the Kastles to their 2011 and 2012 championship perfect seasons. Venus returns to the 2013 roster along with Leander Paes, Bobby Reynolds, Anastasia Rodionova, Kevin Anderson and Kastles newcomer Martina Hingis. Combined, the 2013 Kastles players have won 50 Grand Slam championships.

“On paper, this is the best team the Kastles have ever assembled,” Coach Murphy Jensen says. “I also see it as the best team ever put together in WTT.” Hingis, the youngest-ever World No. 1 and the reigning WTT female MVP, comes to the Kastles from the New York Sportimes, where she posted a combined 20-4 singles record and defeated 12 current Top 200 players including Serena Williams during a match against the Kastles in 2011.

“Martina will bring variety and an all-court game that drives her competition nuts,” Jensen predicts. “She moves on the court in much the same way that Gretzky skates on the ice — effortlessly.”

While Hingis says she is excited to join the team due to the legacy the team and owner are building, she notes that she is also looking forward to Washington’s “fantastic fan base.” And Hingis is not the first to appreciate the diverse fans who loyally support the newcomers of the Washington sports scene.

“When you come to a Kastles match, you see variety in the seats, and this is a way of bringing people of seemingly different and varied backgrounds together around a common cause … watching great tennis and rooting for our team,” says Mayor Vincent Gray.

31

Did you know that...

President Taft’s autographed first pitch ball from 1910 (AP Photo/Robert Clover) The ceremonial first pitch originated in Washington when President Taft threw out the first pitch at the Senators’ opening day game in 1910 at Griffith Stadium.

The Washington Redskins franchise played their home games at Fenway Park as the Boston Redskins from 1933 until they relocated to Washington in 1937, sharing Griffith Stadium with the Washington Senators.

Michael Jordan (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Michael Jordan came out of retirement in September 2001 to proudly don a Washington Wizards jersey for two seasons, leading the team to an 18-win improvement in 2001-2002 from the 2000-2001 season.

Venus Williams (AP Photo/Nick Wass) Tennis great Venus Williams has been a member of the Washington Kastles since 2010 and helped lead her team to two World Team Tennis (WTT) championships.

The longest home run in history was knocked out of Griffith Stadium by Yankees’ slugger Micky Mantle.

32

als games whenever he can.

“Some of the Caps guys will come over to Graffiato after games, and we’ll have a drink together,” Isabella says. “I’ve thrown out a first pitch at Nationals Park and met some of the athletes. I’m connected to the people here, and these are my teams.”

Isabella loves seeing the young talent of Washington teams, from 20-year-old Harper to 23-year-old RGIII and 27-year-old Ovechkin.

Working with kids just out of culinary school is one of his favorite aspects of his job due to the sheer energy, talent and passion they exude, and he sees the same assets in young Washington athletes.

“In some cities you get the feeling that you are far removed from the players and their lives, but here you feel intimately connected with them, especially when you see guys like Pierre Garcon or RGIII out at other games around town,” Dyson says. >>MORE WS PLEASE There are few things that Washingtonians love more than the pursuit of power, and in sports power is derived from a legacy of championships. Simply put, Americans love winning; they rarely enjoy following a losing team.

“I’m drawn to the finality [of sports],” Russert says. “There’s a winner and a loser and how that point is reached is played out in front of you, usually over the course of a few hours.

In those few hours there’s strategy, the unforeseen, true grit — much like life.”

The Redskins have become a bit of an anomaly as their incredibly loyal fans have put up with decades of blunders and still appear en masse to pack FedExField.

“When the Redskins’ sellout streak began, they weren’t a good team,” says Redskins General Manager Bruce Allen, son of Hall of Fame coach George Allen. “Whereas a poor sports team in Boston or New York wouldn’t have fans in the seats, let alone a sellout season, our fans were just as diehard in 2011 when we were in last place as they were this year when we clinched the NFC East Division title.”

Attendance numbers generally rise as the Ws increase and repeat wins foster a culture of excitement. With the Kastles on an impressive 32-game winning streak, the Capitals making

the playoffs every season since 2008-09, the Redskins snagging their first NFC East Championship since 1999 last season and the 2012 Nationals becoming the first Washington-based baseball team to appear in post-season play in 79 years, fans have more reasons than ever to invest time in their home teams.

“The Caps have been knocking on the door of a championship for a while now and they will knock it down in the next few years,” Allen says. “The Nats drew national attention last year with the late season surge and playoff run and the Wizards played well at the end of their season — they’ll be in the hunt next year.With the winning teams developing here,Washington has no doubt become a sports town.”

The possibility of a championship, even one that isn’t imminently on the horizon, can keep some fans coming back season after season. Though the Caps, Nats and Redskins have all made playoff runs of late, the unofficial Washington sports motto has long been “there’s always next year.”

“I have a lifetime of memories at Washington games, that are intertwined,” says former Northern Virginia congressman Tom Davis, a loyal Washington patron since 1956, “but I want to see World Series and Stanley Cup victories. That’s what I’m living for now.” >>ON THE LINE In a city with nearly 40 percent of workers age 16 and over commuting to work via public transportation, Metro access to entertainment venues and central city placement, are critical. Until 1997, the only Washington teams located within city limits were the Redskins and the D.C. United soccer team, both of which played home games at RFK Stadium. The Wizards (then still the Bullets) and the Capitals shared the suburban Capital Centre in Landover, Md. until both teams moved to the Verizon Center (formerly the MCI Center) located downtown by the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro. Though Capital Centre was walking distance from the Largo Metro stop, it was a considerable hike out to the last stop on the blue line — 13 stops removed from Metro Center.

“The downtown location allows gamegoers to enjoy dinner and drinks before the

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

% 74368 *36 ):)6= 7)%732

Alexander Ovechkin (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

game for a full night out in the city experience, even if they are coming from Maryland or Virginia,” Williams says.

This reporter happened to be riding Metro home after a Nationals game on the same April night that the Capitals clinched the Southeast Division title and couldn’t believe how similar the experience was to riding “The T” after a Red Sox game. Exuberant fans packed themselves into the Chinatown station and couldn’t have cared less that they would be waiting 30 minutes for a train.

Victory chants began pulsing through the cars as Nats and Caps fans joined together to rock the red, whether of the “curly w” or starred variety.

Longtime Washington Post columnist George Will penned a tear-inducing tribute column last year on the 40th birthday of his son, who happens to have Downs Syndrome, while praising both Metro and the Nats. “Two things that have enhanced Jon’s life are the Washington subway system, which opened in 1976, and the Washington Nationals baseball team, which arrived in 2005. He navigates the subway expertly, riding it to the Nationals ballpark, where he enters the clubhouse a few hours before game time and does a chore or two.”

Will’s May 2012 column reiterates the fact that without Metro accessibility to the Verizon Center, Nationals Park and Kastles Stadium at The Wharf (walking distance from both L’Enfant and Waterfront), many Washingtonians would be excluded from the game-going experience, — including his son who now can spend

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

take me out to the ball game

Rep. David McKinley, Rep. Diana DeGette and Rep. Jeff Denham (photo by Leisa Forbes) t a time in history when compromise seems to be the dirtiest of dirty words for politicians, getting 30 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle together for anything is a monumental feat. But what better time to set aside politics than during an outing to America’s (original) favorite pastime: a night at the ball park.

On June 5, about 30 members and 400 or so congressional staffers gathered at Nationals Stadium for a “Bipartisan Baseball” game. Brought together by Republican David McKinley and Democrat Diana DeGette, who have become friends during their time together on the Energy and Commerce Committee, the group set aside work for an evening of camaraderie and patriotism, as they stood in unison to applaud the wounded warriors in attendance that evening, and old-fashioned American fun.

A

33

charter franchises, establishing their current name in 1908 and playing at Fenway since 1912. The Rangers began play in the 192627 season, and became the first NHL franchise to win the Stanley Cup in their second season. The Boston Celtics, along with the New York Knicks, are among the inaugural members of the NBA, and Boston still holds the record for franchise championships with 17 wins, with 11 from the 1957 to 1969 years of Boston domination. Outside of the Redskins, who celebrated their 75th year in Washington last season, Washington teams arrived late at the party.

Basketball came to the DMV in 1973, hockey in 1974 and the

“D.C. IS

A TOWN FULL OF TRANSPLANTS

FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND EVEN THE WORLD, [BUT] THE SPORTS TEAMS BRING US TOGETHER.” - LUKE RUSSERT

John Wall (AP Photo/Richard Lipski)

“81 spring, summer and autumn [nights] ... [as] just another man, beer in hand, among equals in the republic of baseball.”

Again, the Redskins are an exception to the rules of Washington sports. Their fans have proven they will battle any travel difficulties to cheer on their beloved burgundy-and-gold heroes. In the same year that the Caps and Wizards chose to move their stadiums from the Maryland suburbs to the downtown Verizon Center, the Skins exited the city. Their 1997 move from RFK Stadium in the District to FedExField in Landover increased Redskins attendance capacity by more than 40 percent, and the club has sold out all 159 preseason, regular and post-season contests held at FedExField since the move. While fans continue to complain about the headache of traveling to FedEx, they routinely show up in record numbers knowing full well what traffic nightmares await them upon departure.

“For years the Redskins reigned supreme in Washington and the other teams were all a distant third; there was no second,” Williams says. “Now we are seeing very passionate fans, particularly for the Nats and Caps, and their locations have been a huge part of that.” >>WHAT LIES AHEAD The biggest strike against Washington becoming a dominant sports town like Boston or New York in the immediate future is an unchangeable factor: time. What sports-crazed cities like Boston and New York have over Washington is the enduring legacy of their teams. The Red Sox were one of the American League’s eight

34

Nationals (in current form) in 2005.

Is this to say that Washington can never catch up to championship-laden cities that had quite the head start? Absolutely not, but the journey may be longer and the ride bumpier. It will take generations of families raising their kids on Washington sports from childhood as Fox News host Bret Baier has done.

“I want my boys to grow up supporting the local teams, because that is an important part of being an active member of your community,” Baier says. “And if I want to instill the fandom in them, they need to see me rooting for the home teams, which is why my loyalty to Atlanta and New York teams has faded over the years. I am raising the next generation of Washington fans and judging by the jerseys hanging in their closets, the future is bright.”

It will take hot dog-filled summers spent at Nats Park with the kids, and winters at Verizon Center “rocking the red.” Russert, who was raised in Washington, is a perfect example of the next generation of influencers supporting the local teams, as he is currently a season ticket holder to both the Nats and Wizards.

“When you say Boston, people think Red Sox, when you say New York, people think Yankees and when you say D.C., people think the U.S. Capitol,” Russert says. “I do believe, however, with more success we can instill a deep love of D.C. sports in the next generation of fans, so maybe someday when I have kids they’ll grow up in a city where Nats Park is filled every night and the Verizon Center shakes as loud as RFK used to in the 1990s.”

Most importantly, it will take a healthy dose of faith, patience and love as our teams continue to carve out their places on the national landscape. Even if results aren’t seen right away, the knowledge that the foundations have been laid will be enough to push through to the next season, a skill Redskins fans have spent decades perfecting. And remember, Washingtonians, RGIII’s come to those who wait.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

% 74368 *36 ):)6= 7)%732

special report

From the Sidelines Forty years covering Washington’s sports scene left Len Shapiro with more stories than he could ever dream of sharing in print.

Now, after four years of retirement, Shapiro reflects on the evolution of local sports and his predictions for the franchises’ future.

BY LEONARD SHAPIRO

Len Shapiro (photo by Vicky Moon)

Oh, what a time to be hired as a young sportswriter at the Washington Post; that magical year in 1969 when Hall of Famer Ted Williams became the manager of the old Washington Senators, when mythical Vince Lombardi stunned the NFL by leaving Green Bay to coach the Washington Redskins, when flamboyant foot-stomper Lefty Driesell showed up in College Park and proclaimed he was about to turn Maryland’s basketball program into “the UCLA of the East.”

Sadly, within a year, Lombardi would die from colon cancer after only one season on the Redskins sidelines. Within two years, the Senators (and Williams) would move from the Nation’s Capital to Texas. And despite attracting some of the nation’s finest high school prospects over the years, Driesell never could win a national title before losing his job in 1986 in the wake of the drug overdose death of Len Bias.

Along those same topsy-turvy lines, over the last five decades, the Washington sports scene I frequently covered was filled with all manner of ecstasy and agony, not to mention some intriguing shifts in attitudes toward our favorite teams and athletes.

Still, make no mistake, despite the frequent reign of error under the direction of often impetuous team owner Daniel Snyder, the Redskins remain by far the most popular team in town. And quarterback Robert Griffin III already may well have exceeded the exalted status once bestowed on the likes of Hall of Famers Slingin’ Sammy Baugh and Sonny Jurgensen.

The Redskins have always ruled, selling out every game since the mid-1960s and winning three Super Bowls in a glorious 12year reign under Joe Gibbs, The First. But now, at least there is some competition for our attention.

Though they break our collective hearts with an almost annual playoff swoon, the Washington Capitals continue to fill their build-

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

ing and draw impressive television ratings despite never having won a Stanley Cup. And the 2012 Washington Nationals clearly captured the town’s collective imagination a year ago with a late season surge and thrilling playoff series ended by the ignominy of botching a six-run lead in a decisive final playoff game. They’re off to a slow, semi-mediocre start this year, but baseball is finally back, with a whole new generation of fans whose parents and grandparents had to get their hardball fix from Baltimore.

There have been other delightful developments. D.C. United has been a dominant soccer team at times, just not this time in 2013. Some of us still have our memories of those Wes Unseld/ Elvin Hayes/Bobby Dandridge 1978 Bullets, the only time a Washington team ever won the NBA championship. The Wizards haven’t contended for anything in years, and that may not change for many more.

It took a Maryland graduate, Gary Williams, to finally erase the stigma of the Driesell downfall by coaching his Terrapin team to the NCAA national basketball title in 2002. And it took a big man on campus, native Washingtonian John Thompson at Georgetown, to provide another national championship in 1984, with many years of top ten and twenty appearances in the national rankings.

Does the Nation’s Capital have a chance to become a Titletown, USA of multiple yearly champions any time soon? Probably not. But with the likes of young stars like RGIII and Alfred Morris on the Redskins, Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg with the Nationals and Alex Ovechkin with the Capitals, at least we should have a grand time watching them try.

Leonard Shapiro retired from the Washington Post in 2009 after 40 years as a reporter, editor and columnist on the paper’s sports staff.

35

OSCAR DE LA RENTA sleeveless jewel-neck dress ($1990.00), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase MD 20815, 301-657-9000; DIOR vintage 1930s ivory silk chiffon hat ($140.00), Uesa Goods Vintage, uesagoods@hotmail. com; EVREN KAYAR silver and lemon quartz necklaceâ&#x20AC;? from the Constellation Collection, ($665.00), Take 5 Boutique, 4920 Fairmont Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814, 301-500-0132.

LIFESTYLES

30( 83;2

-RXIVPYHI "" 8LMW WYQQIV XEOI E WEVXSVMEP NSYVRI] EGVSWW XLI VMZIV

4,383+6%4,= 1EVXMR 0SYVH 4LMPMTTI [[[ QEVXMRPSYVHTLMPMTTI GSQ ;%6(63&) 7XEVE 4I^IWLOMER JSV 8 , ) %VXMWX %KIRG] ,%-6 .EQEP )HQSRHW EWWMWXIH F] +EVE %YWPIV [[[ NEQEPIHQSRHW GSQ 1%/)94 *PEQMRME +EVMSRM EX (EZMH 6MSW 7EPSR [[[ J]YFM GSQ 1%2-'96) 7LEI .EGOWSR ERH 1EOIHE .ERMJIV ,EZIR &IEYX] 0SYRKI [[[ LEZIRFIEYX]PSYRKI GSQ 13()0 7XITLERMI 7QMXL JSV 8 , ) %VXMWX %KIRG] )(-836-%0 (-6)'836 %RRI /MQ (ERRMFEPI %77-78%28 )(-836 0EYVE ;EMRQER )(-836-%0 %77-78%287 /IPWI] )HIPQERR ERH %]WME ;SSHW 4LSXSKVETLIH EX 8LI %VX 0IEKYI %PI\ERHVME ;EXIVJVSRX %PI\ERHVME 7IETSVX *SYRHEXMSR ERH 0ERHMRM &VSXLIVW -RG [MXL WTIGMEP XLEROW XS XLI 8SVTIHS *EGXSV] %VX 'IRXIV ERH %PI\ERHVME 'SRZIRXMSR :MWMXSVW %WWSGMEXMSR

CELINE tuxedo vest ($2250), CELINE cropped bell shape pants ($1080), GUCCI colorful shawl ($416.50) and PRADA leather strappy sandals ($890), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-657-9000; LORD & TAYLOR SALON vintage 1960s pearl white silk organza ruched turban ($75), Uesa Goods Vintage, uesagoods@hotmail.com; EVREN KAYAR carnelian on fine silver big ring from the Constellation Collection ($332.50) and EVREN KAYAR carnelian on fine silver small ring from the Constellation Collection($245), Take 5 Boutique, 4920 Fairmont Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814, 301-500-0132.

OSCAR DE LA RENTA silk threequarter-sleeve jacket ($2590.00), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-657-9000; EVREN KAYAR onyx on fine silver big ring from the Constellation Collection ($332.50) and EVREN KAYAR onyx on fine silver small ring from the Constellation Collection ($245.00), Take 5 Boutique, 4920 Fairmont Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814, 301-500-0132; YVES ST LAURENT vintage hat ($135), Uesa Goods Vintage uesagoods@ hotmail.com.

PRADA satin raso flower dress ($2481.00), PRADA baroque round sunglasses ($290.00) and CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN spike cap toe pumps ($725.00), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave. Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-657-9000; EVREN KAYAR crystal quartz and onyx on fine silver rings from the Constellation Collection ($265.00 each), Take 5 Boutique 4920 Fairmont Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814, 301-500-0132.

CAROLINA HERRERA rose print party dress ($3290) and CELINE retro rose sunglasses ($340), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-657-9000; EVREN KAYAR big silver with lemon quartz ring from the Constellation Collection ($332.50) and EVREN KAYAR small silver and lemon quartz ring from the Constellation Collection ($245), Take 5, 4920 Fairmont Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814, 301-500-0132.

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN Puglia 100 striped canvas espadrille slingbacks ($595); Barneys New York, barneys.com

LIFESTYLES | TREND REPORT

REBECCA TAYLOR Striped demi pep tee in red stripe ($150); rebeccataylor.com

BY MALENE BIRGER Silk anchor-print cropped straightleg pants ($375); Saks Fifth Avenue, saksfifthavenue.com

BY MALENE BIRGER Bodissa printed cotton T-shirt ($95); shop. bymalenebirger.com

TORY BURCH Stacked T east/west striped tote ($295); Saks Fifth Avenue in Chevy Chase, saksfifthavenue.com

REBECCA TAYLOR Pleated shorts in cement ($225); rebeccataylor.com

BOY. BY BAND OF OUTSIDERS Printed silk crepe de chine shirt ($315); Barneys New York, barneys.com

NAUTICAL

BY NATURE

JUICY COUTURE Coral Gloss Wide Brim Straw Sun Hat ($85); Juicy Couture, 3034 M St. NW, juicycouture.com

Stay cool this summer by taking a sailor sartorial approach

BY ALISON MCLAUGHLIN

C. WONDER Striped Nylon Easy Tote ($88); C. Wonder at Tysons Corner, cwonder.com

EQUIPMENT Whirlpool anchors print reece shirt ($254); Bloomingdales, Bloomingdales.com

BY MALENE BIRGER Chambray-trimmed striped blazer ($595); Saks Fifth Avenue, saksfifthavenue.com

TORY BURCH Kailey leather wedge sandals in navy ($275); Saks Fifth Avenue in Chevy Chase, saksfifthavenue.com

42

EQUIPMENT Liam north sails silk tee ($248); Saks Fifth Avenue, saksfifthavenue.com

EDA Esmerelda striped bikini top ($165) and briefs ($120); edaswimwear.com

J.CREW Indigo polka-dot linen and cottonblend shorts ($60); J. Crew store in Georgetown, jcrew.com WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

BOY. BY BAND OF OUTSIDERS Wool sailboat sweater ($219); Saks Fifth Avenue, saksfifthavenue.com

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

WASHINGTON S O C I A L D I A R Y Around Townďš? Woodrow Wilson House Garden Partyďš? Over the Moon and More!

Jean-Marie Fernandez, Jack Davies and Cindy Jones at Jenn Crovatoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book signing (Photo by Kyle Samperton)

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

43

AROUND TOWN

Try Your Luck An online lottery of a Picasso painting raises funds for Save Tyre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

BY DONNA SHOR

RISK EUROS WIN A MILLIONDOLLAR ARTWORK Picasso would

CELEBRATIONS: Nicole dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Amecourt and Gary and Rose Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal Akin hosted

have loved it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everything innovative interested him,â&#x20AC;? Olivier Widmaier-Picasso said of his grandfather while speaking of the French government-authorized lottery that will award Picassoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Homme au Gibusâ&#x20AC;? (Man With a Top Hat) to a lucky winner.

The 100 Euro ($130) per chance lottery is a novel way to finance two major socio-cultural projects to help restore the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre in Lebanon, a UNESCO site. Your chances are good, as lottery odds go. Only 50,000 tickets will be sold worldwide for the drawing to be held at Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paris office on December 18. For tickets, the website is: www.1picasso100euros.com.

This was announced in Washington at a press conference and a dinner by philanthropist and longtime political hostess Esther Coopersmith, president of the American National Committee for Tyre.

A former U.S. delegate to the United Nations and longtime official goodwill ambassador for UNESCO, Coopersmith gave a dinner that included Lebanese Amb. Antoine Chedid, Ina Ginsburg, Georgie Anne Geyer, Finlay and Willie Lewis and Connie Coopersmith.

At her side was Maha El-Khalil Chalabi, president and founder (in 1980) of the sponsoring International Society to Save Tyre, who is traveling and working ceaselessly for the effort.

Why? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am a daughter of Tyre,â&#x20AC;? she answered, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and Tyre is an historic and beautiful city that needs repair now, urgently, before it is lost to us.â&#x20AC;?

Cited in both the Old and the New Testaments, the historical record of Josephus also indicates that Tyre was

a birthday gathering of 60 guests for the Dowager Princess (Selene) Obolensky, who is Alabama-born and a trained opera singer. (Her sister, Martha Rountree, by the way, was the originator and first moderator of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Meet the Press.â&#x20AC;?) â&#x20AC;Ś Hogan and Lovellsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Chris Warnke threw a poolside party when son John graduated from Washington Latin charter school, celebrating the only public school in the city where every graduate had a college acceptance â&#x20AC;Ś At the American Institute of Wine and Food Crabcake Competition at Wolfgang Puckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Source, people were sampling â&#x20AC;&#x153;Picklebacksâ&#x20AC;? and downing shots of Jamesonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Irish whisky followed by a â&#x20AC;&#x153;brinebackâ&#x20AC;? (a slurp of vinegared brine from a pickle jar as a chaser). The bartender said the fad started in New York, and is spreading across the country. Really?

A dubious use of good whiskey, but the crabcakes were fabulous.

44

Maha El-Khalil Chalabi and Esther Coopersmith at the dinner for Save Tyre. (Photo by Tony Powell)

visited by Jesus, and later by his disciple Paul on a missionary trip. The city was conquered by Alexander the Great and achieved maritime prominence thanks to the harbor he helped create, was captured in the Crusades, became part of the Ottoman Empire and has been badly damaged by modern wars as well as by time itself.

The Picasso that will help raise needed funds to preserve and spread awareness of Tyreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Phoenician culture has historical value as well. Created during the artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cubist period, it helped open the way for the Surrealist movement and has been authenticated by the family-controlled Picasso Administration.

Olivier Widmaier-Picasso is the grandson of Marie ThĂŠrèse Walter, who met the painter when she was 17 and he was 45. She was his muse from 1927 to 1935. Their daughter Maya, Olivierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother, was painted by him (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maya with Dollâ&#x20AC;?) as was the blonde Marie-ThĂŠrèse in some of his best-known paintings.

Picassoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Homme au Gibusâ&#x20AC;? (Man With a Top Hat) will be auctioned in December. (Photo by Tony Powell)

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

Katie Rost and Rynthia Rost

Alex Humphries and Luke Russert DeMaurice Smith, Pandit Wright and Stanley Porter WL SPONSORED

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER WASHINGTON TIM RUSSERT DINNER Bobbi Barrasso and Sen. John Barrasso

Michelle Freeman

Marriott Hotel | PHOTOS BY ALFREDO FLORES STANDARD BEARERS: Legendary NBC broadcaster Tim Russert may have passed from the scene, but his spirit lives on at the annual Boys & Girls Clubs Tim Russert Congressional Dinner, now emceed by his son Luke Russert, the network’s congressional correspondent. This year the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington honored Michelle Freeman, Chet Burrell and DeMaurice Smith and saluted outgoing chairman Rynthia Rost. “Coming of age in desegregated Savannah, there was nothing more important than the Boys & Girls clubhouse in our neighborhood,” Rost said. “And li`le gives me more fulfillment today than giving back to the club which put me on my way in life.”

Anita Hall and Nikolai Nedd

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Brent Johnson, Alana Johnson and Henry Lopez

Carmen Player, Tamika Joyner and Tory Myles

Jane Rodgers, Kevin McCartney and Allie Pisching

Chuck Reifel and Janie Kinney WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Roger Moskowitz and Chet Burrell

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

Tina Hamilton, Tom Tucker and Niquelle Allen 45

Darya Ermolina and Olga Grischenko

Michel Richard WL EXCLUSIVE

DIAGHILEV AND THE BALLETS RUSSES OPENING National Gallery of Art | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ

Max Berry and Pamela Thomas with May and Andrew Robison

NO FIRST NAMES NEEDED: Hard-to-impress art world denizens couldn’t help name-dropping at the opening of “When Art Danced With Music” and no wonder. The spectacular exhibit devoted to the Russian ballet impresario who revolutionized the world of dance features breathtaking costumes, paintings, sculptures and theatrical backdrops by the likes of Picasso, Matisse, Rodin, Cocteau and de Chirico alongside film clips of the 20th century’s greatest dancers — Pavlova, Nijinsky, Nureyev and Baryshnikov — directed by Balanchine and Massine with dancing to scores by Stravinsky, Debussy, Prokofiev and Ravel.

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Diana Prince and Rusty Powell

Lauren Friedman and Merribel Ayres

46

Dodge Thompson and Linda Kaufman

Geoffrey Marsh and Jane Pritchard WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

Irish Amb. Michael Collins and Marie Collins

Arne and Ruth Sorenson Hallie Friedman and mom WPAS President Jenny Bilfield

WL SPONSORED

WASHINGTON PERFORMING ARTS SOCIETY GALA

Andrea and Steve Weiswasser

The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL SOME ENCHANTED EVENING: The new jolt of energy might have had something to do with Jenny Bilfield’s recent appointment as Washington Performing Arts Society’s new president. There was plenty of elbow-rubbing as a capacity crowd jostled for silent auction items — even Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg got in on the action, making a beeline for a beaded Japanese clutch. Later, the crowd filed in for an Irish-themed program courtesy of the event’s diplomatic chairmen, Irish Amb. Michael Collins and his wife Marie, that began with traditional folk dancing and ended with a toe-tapping concert by “Glee” star Ma hew Morrison, who had the entire room jumping to classic jazz and musical theater favorites. All told, the evening raised some $880,000 for WPAS’ many programs.

Reggie Van Lee, Gwendolyn Bluemich and Carl Colby

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Charlene Drew Jarvis and DeMaurice Moses

Catherine Leggett and Carol Trawick

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Arturo Sarukhan, Annie Totah and Veronica Valencia Sarukhan WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Lyndon Boozer and Karen Anderson with Julia and Danny O’Brien

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

The Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance

Trent Lott and Anita McBride

Josephine Cooper and Daren Thomas

Chris and Kathleen Matthews

47

OVER THE MOON

Winner’s Circle Maryland Hunt Cup winner feted at ‘Berrywick,’ land conservation supporters gather at ‘Ayrshire Farm’

BY VICKY MOON

At the retirement party for the 2013 Maryland Hunt Cup winner Professor Maxwell: jockey Mark Beecher, Janet Elliot, owner Jacqueline Ohrstrom, trainer Richard Valentine and Tate Shaw. (Photo by Lauren Giannini)

GOLDEN GELDING: Here’s what’s so different about Middleburg. Your dogs (yes, plural) are welcome at the coffee shop, for lunch almost everywhere and dinner at the home of friends. So, a garden party for your horse is not uncommon.

Such was the case recently when Jacqueline Ohrstrom invited guests to her home, “Berrywick,” for the retirement party of her great steeplechase horse, Professor Maxwell.

The big bay gelding capped off his career last spring by winning the coveted $75,000 Maryland Hunt Cup, where the jumps are a horrific 5-feet-plus.

A victory in this race had eluded her late husband, George Ohrstrom, and so it was particularly sweet for rider Mark Beecher and trainer Richard Valentine, who brought the horse to the front lawn. “It was a happy retirement party,” Ohrstrom noted. “We led him near the ha-ha wall.”

Lisa and Zohar Ben-Dov, whose horse, Sand Box Rules, placed second to Professor Maxwell, joined in the celebration along with Rose Marie Bogley, Cathy and Tad Zimmerman and Cricket Bedford and Neil Morris.

48

ONE PROUD MOTHER: Jacqueline Mars

ventured in to the big city with a group of friends to offer kudos to her son, Stephen Badger, producer of the film “Muscle Shoals,” recently screened at the National Museum of American History. It was part of the American Film Institute’s Doc Festival to honor “excellence in filmmaking, diverse voices and free expression of independent storytellers and celebrates the power of documentary film to improve our understanding of the world.”

The 111-minute production, also shown earlier this year at Sundance, chronicles the musical heart of the Alabama locale along the Tennessee River, which has offered inspiration for generations of talent.

HALLOWED GROUND: Guests gathered at

majestic “Ayrshire Farm” in Upperville for a summer gala to benefit the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership. Founder and president Cate Magennis Wyatt and husband Steve Wyatt greeted all as the evening progressed from cocktails, silent and live auctions, and dinner to dancing with the 11-

piece Fabulous Bel-Airs.

The ever-attractive Lynn Wyatt flew in from Houston. Others spotted at the party included David Williams, chairman of the board, and his wife Cary, Susan and Cab Grayson, George Grayson and Maria Tousimis, Rep. Frank Wolf and Caroline Wolf and Scott Kasprowicz.

Mimi Abel-Smith and Hope Porter, recently honored as Conservationists of the Year by the Land Trust of Virginia at the Arundel family’s “Merry Oaks,” was spotted at the Ayrshire celebration. Jean Perin, who hosted the Virginia League of Conservation Voters at her stunning home, “Edgewood,” the prior weekend, also attended.

Ayrshire’s current owner, Sandy Lerner, was not present. A strong supporter of all conservation causes, she frequently makes the 42-room, circa 1917 field stone manor house available. (It is currently on the market for $30 million.) Lerner is a co-founder of the successful computer network Cisco Systems and later started the punk type cosmetics venture, Urban Decay.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

Fritz Brogan and Brooke Henderson Stephanie Meeks and Ken Woodcock

Mike and Ashley Gula with Brittany Prime and Will Rabbe Patricia Packard

Betsy Holleman and Tim Thomas WL SPONSORED

WOODROW WILSON HOUSE GARDEN PARTY Woodrow Wilson House | PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES: The presidential house museum’s annual garden party featured a variety of Washington notables in a`endance as well as the usual parade of elaborate hats — always the best part of this particularly popular fête. Lauren Wynns, author of the blog Necessary and Proper, judged the annual contest whose winners were Brooke Henderson, Victoria Brademan, Tim Thomas, Patricia Packard, Tyson Gilpin and Liz Davis from such categories as “Downton Abbey-tude” and “Gentleman’s Classic.” This year’s gathering celebrated several milestones: the centennial of Wilson’s first inauguration, the 50th anniversary of the opening of his home to the public and the 25th year of the Perennial Garden Party.

Jennifer Fisher and McClain Bryant

Rhoda Septiclici,Robert Enholm and Tehmina Khan

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Simon and Nancy Sidamon-Eristoff Ellen Charles and Austin Kiplinger WL SPONSORED

Bobby Schwartz, Page Evans, Tom Evans and Mary Page Evans

Frank Babb Randolph and Michelle Evans

TUDOR PLACE GARDEN PARTY Tudor Place, Georgetown | PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON

William Moody, Ruth Noble Groom, Braxton Moncure and Dana Landry

RITE OF SPRING: True Washington “Cave Dwellers” wouldn’t dream of missing the annual garden party at Tudor Place, the historic Georgetown house museum that was built in the early 1800s for Martha Custis Peter, the granddaughter of Martha Washington. Nearly 500 benefactors and guests turned out in colorful a`ire (many be-ha`ed) to stroll the five-and-a-half-acre grounds and enjoy a sumptuous cocktail buffet while raising a record $250,000 to support operating costs. DISTINGUISHED ADVOCATE: Phillips S. (“Phil”) Peter, a descendant of the original owners, was honored for his leadership role as a trustee, former chairman and president emeritus.

D.C. Councilman Jack Evans, Leslie Buhler and Phillips S. Peter

Ruth Buchanan and Sidney Lawrence VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

49

Todd Gray

Alison Reed and Roger Marmet

Eun Yang and Matt Glassman Maeghan Adams,Amy Neal and Addie Kim

WL SPONSORED

ZOOFARI The National Zoo | PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON

Will Going

Lamont Johnson and Suzan Lumpkin

Cathleen and Brian Gormley

WILD DINING: Humans rarely get to eat alongside wild animals, but once a year Washingtonians flock to the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park to sample cuisine from more than 100 area restaurants. About 3,000 supporters a`ended the annual “Zoofari” fundraiser, which raised more than $500,000 for the zoo’s conservation and education programs. Celebrity chefs, including Todd Gray, Bart Vandaele, Michel Richard, Mike Isabella and Huda Mu’min, made appearances throughout the night.

Gray and Vandaele served as judges for the Sweet Eats Challenge, where students from the Art Institute of Washington competed to create the best zoo-themed cake. Guests enjoyed slices cut from the winner of course! We even heard one patron ask a baker if she could replicate the cake for her wedding the following weekend.

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Marcy Cohen, Chris Tavlarides and Norma Ramsey Sen. Mark Warner

Russell Ramsey and Terry McAuliffe

Diane Knapp, George Washington University President Steven Knapp and Steven Hills WL EXCLUSIVE

RUSS RAMSEY HONORED

Eric Ramsey and Linda Camalier

Cheryl Masri, Jim Kimsey and Majida Mourad

GWU’s Smith Center | PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON

FOND FAREWELL: Educators and students gathered to salute retiring George Washington University board chairman

Russell “Russ” Ramsey for his many achievements, including

Jack Davies and Kay Kendall with John and Heather Fahey

the creation of the Foggy Bo`om Campus plan and the establishment of an investment office and Ramsey Student Investment Fund. Guests stayed on to enjoy drinks, nibbles and live music by South Side Johnny.

Joe Ruzzo, Todd Gambill, Leah Gansler, Tim Watkins and Barry Dixon

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

50

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

Julius Genachowski and Raul Fernandez

Jean-Marie Fernandez,Jocelyn Quinn and Susanna Quinn Jenn Crovato Diane Jones and Bret Baier

WL EXCLUSIVE

JENN CROVATO BOOK SIGNING Jean-Marie and Raul Fernandez Residence | PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON

Amy Baier and Karen Donatelli

Carolina and Jonas Furukrona with Lana Orloff

HEALING WITH FOOD: Straight-forward, satisfying and healthy dishes are all the rage right now, and the book signing for Jenn Crovato’s cookbook “Olive Oil, Sea Salt & Pepper” was all the evidence we need to know the trend isn’t ending anytime soon. More than 125 people came to Raul and Jean-Marie Fernandez’s home in Potomac to celebrate the success of the author, whose current book printing is now sold out, and learn the background of the cookbook. Crovato began writing down recipes when she was helping to take care of the late Joe Roberts, to whom she had been a personal chef for many years, during his multi-year ba`le against brain cancer. As a tribute to the man who was the inspiration behind her book, she is donating 10 percent of the proceeds to his charity Fight For Children, now run by Raul Fernandez.

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Bernard Aronson and Raul Fernandez Page Evans, Kay Kendall and Sissy Yates Jack Davies and Jack Evans

Septime Weber and Joanie McDonell

WL EXCLUSIVE

BOLERO BOOK PARTY Jack Davies and Kay Kendall Residence | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ

INTRIGUE IN GEORGETOWN: An intimate group gathered at the Georgetown residence of Jack Davies and Kay Kendall to meet the author of “Bolero,” the first mystery novel in a trilogy that chronicles the adventures of private investigator Nick Saylor (who lives on a barge in the Hudson River). Author Joanie McDonell held her audience in rapt a`ention as she read an excerpt that began: “Beauty is my weakness, so breaking a few rules to spring a beautiful woman from being unjustly commi`ed to a notorious psychiatric facility felt like a good deed. But it was not a good idea.”

Myra and Toby Moffett

Conrad Cafritz with Barbara and Robert Liotta VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

51

HOME LIFE Real Estate News and Open House I Inside Homes and My Washington Real Estate News and Open House | To come

'SSOMRK 9T E ,SQI Mike and Stacy Isabella met in the restaurant industry, so it is only fitting they have spent years refining their recipe for a well-decorated apartment.

BY LAURA WAINMAN PHOTOS BY TONY BROWN

HOME LIFE | INSIDE HOMES

A

t first glance, “Top Chef ” alumnus Mike Isabella appears to be your signature tough guy: heavily inked forearms, spiked hair, thick Jersey accent and confidence to match. Step inside his spacious Chinatown apartment, however, and you’ll start to see the real Mike — a man who adores his wife, Stacy, cuddles with his 10-pound Chihuahua and craves the comfort of simplicity. From the trademark pepperoni sauce he dishes up at his first restaurant, Graffiato, to the edited décor of his home, Mike knows what he likes. The rest he can do without.

The Isabellas gravitate toward an industrial-modern-chic vibe, with the aim of keeping all their spaces comfortable and livable. Plants and herbs are scattered throughout to keep a homey atmosphere and appear in abundance on Stacy’s favorite item in the apartment: a distressed metal pinwheel shelf that houses several cacti, dried roses and other plants along with a vintage watering can. A liquor cabinet and rolling kitchen cupboard, both made by her father, add down-to-earth touches to the sparse kitchen.

“Decorating has been an ongoing process for us,” Stacy says. “We didn’t move in and go get everything all at once, but we find little pieces we like here and there and go from that.”

Fans of Graffiato and Bandolero know that Mike loves an open kitchen, and his home is no exception. Finding a spacious apartment with a lot of windows and a spacious kitchen were his main priorities.

“It is awkward to be in the house with your wife and not be able to see her when you are talking, so an open kitchen allows us to maintain contact. Windows give you that true city feel if you can wake up to the noisy, hustle bustle of your city,” Mike says.

Anyone welcomed into the Isabella home would find a few surprises. First, the fact that Mike, the soon-to-be chef/owner of five restaurants, is actually home in time for dinner most nights, and second, that he isn’t helming the

54

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

OPPOSITE PAGE, Clockwise from top left: Mike and Stacy Isabella love having a view of the bustling city life but wish they could take advantage of their rooftop deck more often; Surprisingly, Stacy is the main chef in the Isabella household, but Stacy admits she loves Mike’s gravy; The shades are never drawn at the Isabellas’ home because they love bright, sunny spaces; A pinwheel shelf and rolling cabinet are among Stacy’s favorite items in the apartment because they add a homey touch.

THIS PAGE, FROM TOP: Mike spends most of his time at home on this couch — except when the family is entertaining; Stacy kept the purple color scheme in the bedroom’s linens and artwork.

(The piece above the bed was the first art she and Mike bought together as a couple, as they were both drawn to the paneling depths and the peacock design); Along with a killer view, the roof also features a full-length lap pool, an abundance of lounge chairs and several grills for summer cookouts.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

kitchen whipping up culinary treats for the family.

“Stacy does the cooking, and it is all fantastic,” he says.

“She likes to mix it up and try new things, but her ethnic cuisines are always very flavorful. And she knows if I’m not in the mood for anything, pasta is a safe bet.”

Although the restaurateur admits that he isn’t home every night when he is in the middle of opening a new place — which at press time was the Kapnos and G Sandwich Shop — he can typically be found plopped on the couch with pup Santino watching TV. But don’t assume that means the Isabellas are homebodies. Quite the opposite in fact, since both Mike and Stacy emphatically agreed that their favorite Washington activities include testing newly opened joints such as Del Campo and Daikaya, frequenting neighborhood favorites like Proof and Poste, and pulling up a stool at quite a few bars around town. When the Nats or Caps are home you might even catch Mike rooting for his adopted teams.

“I am 100 percent a Washington fan, even though my New Jersey friends rib me a bit for it,” he says. “But we plan on being here for the rest of our lives. This is my home, and I’m going to root for our teams.”

While President Barack Obama is still at the top of Mike’s list of Washingtonians he’d love to cook for, Redskins Quarterback RGIII isn’t far behind.

“He’s a national phenom right now. Who wouldn’t want to cook him a meal, sit down, eat with him and just shoot the shit?”

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

55

HOME LIFE | OPEN HOUSE

Summer Sale Spectacular properties on the market

LANGLEY FOREST

DOUGLASS DRIVE MCLEAN VA

ASKING PRICE $3,195,000 LISTING AGENT: Russell A. Firestone, III, 202-2711701; TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Located in sought-after Langley Forest, this custom-built 8,000-square-foot residence includes five bedrooms and four and a half baths. The interior features a grand, twostory foyer leading to its great room and a formal living room with a fireplace. High ceilings and abundant wall space are particularly well-suited to display artwork. The property’s additional features include a home theater, large pool and three-car garage.

CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGEVIEW LANE STEVENSVILLE MD

ASKING PRICE $34,500,000

LISTING AGENT Even the extraordinary is surpassed in this 23,000Michele Sinclair, 410square-foot concrete and steel turnkey manor, 451-5014; Long & Foster sited on 16 acres of waterfront property.The house Real Estate, Inc. includes eight bedrooms and seven full and three half-baths.With exquisite, uncompromised quality, detail and furnishings, this stateof-the-art gated Smart House offers a full gym and deluxe theater room, massage center, two offices and parking for 25 vehicles.

CHEVY CHASE ELMWOOD ROAD CHEVY CHASE MD

ASKING PRICE $3,385,000

LISTING AGENT: This 7,000-square-foot Colonial-style manor includes W. Ted Gossett, five bedrooms, six full baths and two half baths. After 703-625-5656; a meticulous renovation, the house boasts a brick and Washington Fine stone exterior and slate roof. The interior features high Properties ceilings, two fireplaces, outstanding woodwork, a mainlevel master bedroom and his-an-her baths. This stunning house is also equipped with a tasteful kitchen, large eating area, back staircase, au-pair or in-law suite, recreation room and office with an outside entrance. The property is enhanced by an award-winning yard, gazebo, flagstone terrace and two-car garage.

58

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

WASHINGTON LIFE PHOTOS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!

CONNECT with WASHINGTON LIFE and get the INSIDE SCOOP on FASHION, PARTIES, POLITICS, PHILANTHROPY and much more!

Visit www.washingtonlife.com and click on “photos” to download your favorite picture ... or buy a print, T-shirt, canvas painting, and more! Hundreds of photos from events are available online.

Washington Life’s website is the only place you can purchase professionally shot photos from the city’s exclusive A-List events.

You could even win tickets to exclusive VIP events!

HOME LIFE | REAL ESTATE NEWS

In Full Swing Recent house sales offer a revealing view of the hottest real estate market in the nation

BY STAC E Y G R A Z I E R P FA R R

THE DISTRICT Donald and Karine McCall sold P STREET NW in Georgetown for $3.5 million.

Karine Clark McCall is the granddaughter of Montana â&#x20AC;&#x153;Copper Kingâ&#x20AC;? William Andrews Clark, a noted senator and the donor of many of the works on display at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Mrs. McCall is a painter and writer while Mr. McCall is a cellist and former member of the Lenox String Quartet in the U.S. and the DaVinci String Quartet in Europe. The four-level 1820s East Village beauty is brimming with light and has been impeccably designed and restored. The house features a double parlor, six fireplaces and a garden-level gourmet kitchen opening to a private garden. The sellers were represented

by Julia Diaz-Asper of TTR Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s; the purchasers were represented by Carroll Dey and Greg Gaddy of TTR Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

The residence of the late Arthur H. Keyes at ST STREET NW sold for $2,290,000 with the help of TTR Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Realtyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s John Mahshie. Keyes, a renowned architect, spent years under the tutelage of Walter Gropius and Frank Lloyd Wright, references to which are clearly evident in his work on the design of the Massachusetts Avenue Heights house he built for his family in 1949. Keyes founded the Washington architectural firm Keyes Condon Florance, which contributed to the renovation of the National Gallery of Artâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s West Wing and the Torpedo Factory arts center in Alexandria.

The mid-century Modernist property boasts 5,000 square feet, including four bedrooms, an open living/dining arrangement and luminous kitchen plus a studio, library and tiled solarium.

The house has its own spa containing a swimming pool, sauna and changing room, all with spectacular views.

Jeffrey and Jessica Kimbell bought FOXHALL ROAD NW from Stuart Kurlander

60

A descendant of the original benefactor of the Corcoran Gallery of Art sold 2928 P Street NW in Georgetown for $3.5 million.

for $3,375,000. Kimbell is president of Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates, a medical lobbying firm. Kurlander is a Health Care and Life Sciences partner in Latham & Watkinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Washington office. The 78-year-old renovated and expanded Berkley Colonial, once owned by a member of the du Pont family, is over 8,000 square feet and sits on close to an acre of meticulously manicured private grounds with a flagstone terrace, pool and parking for 10 cars.

The living space includes a family room with stone floors and walls of windows, a gourmet kitchen, lower-level recreation room, gym and au pair suite. Washington Fine Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Matt McCormick, Ellen Morrell and Nancy Taylor Bubes handled the transaction for both the buyer and seller.

Dori Phaff and Dan Raviv bought N STREET NW for $1,065,000. Mr. Raviv is a national correspondent for CBS news and the author of several books, including the 1990

best seller â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every Spy a Prince: The Complete History of Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Intelligence Community.â&#x20AC;?

Ms. Phaff works as an extra in TV shows and commercials. The 1912 English Regencystyle townhouse in Dupont Circle features an elegant floor plan with 9.5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;-foot ceilings on the main level, a living room with fireplace, three bedrooms and two baths, a rear patio, front garden, and one-car garage. Tyler Jeffrey of Beasley Real Estate was the buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agent and William F.X. Moody of Washington Fine Properties was the listing agent.

MARYLAND Former BET President Scott Mills and his wife, Iva, sold CURRY MANOR COURT for $2,425,000 to Seashell Place LLC. Mr. Mills is currently an executive for Viacom Inc. The gated manor-style six-bedroom house was built in 2000 for large-scale modern living. A gourmet eat-in kitchen, six fireplaces, solarium,

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

Real Estateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eric Murtagh represented the seller and Shelley Gold of Long & Foster represented the buyer in this transaction.

VIRGINIA

The mid-century Modernist house built by famed architect Arthur H. Keyes sold for $2,290,000 to an unnamed buyer.

master bedroom suite with kitchenette, wine cellar and a guest house are among its many comfortable amenities. The listing agent was Coldwell Bankerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jane Fairweather; the buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agent was Nancy Mannino of W.C. & A.N. Miller, A Long & Foster Company.

John Bentivoglio bought WALSH STREET in Chevy Chase from Frank Gomes

and Julia Ann Brown for $2,450,000. Mr. Bentivoglio is an attorney at the Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom law firm. The Arts and Crafts-style six-bedroom house was built in 2006 and features nine-foot ceilings in an open-style floor plan with an airy gourmet kitchen, breakfast room, library, finished attic, and luxe master suite. Evers & Company

FROME LANE in McLean was sold for $2.7 million to Amir and Azra Hadzimehmedovic.The seller was James Duffey Jr. Mr. Hadzimehmedovic is the manager at Ferrari Maserati of Washington while Duffey is secretary of technology for Virginia. This handsome California-style residence in Old Swinks Mill Estates is open and airy with a spacious flow between rooms plus an outdoor terrace, pool and pool house.The seven-bedroom house, built in 1995 by Horizon Builders, features five fireplaces, two master suites, a family room with a vaulted ceiling, cupola with skylights and a bar, and a five-car garage.

Washington Fine Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; William Gossett was the listing agent. RCV Real Estateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Roger Vasiliadis was the buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agent.

PROPERTY LINES POTENTIAL MEGA-MANSION?: Neighboring Kalorama mansions at S STREET NW and S STREET NW, which have housed Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Textile Museum for years, are currently on the market for $22 million. The house at 2320 was built by George Hewitt Myers in 1912 and was a repository for his extensive textile collection. Coldwell Banker, the listing agency, says the properties, which are currently connected by a walkway, could be combined for a palatial single family home, an embassy or private school.

The combined properties feature 27,000 square feet of space and an additional 7,000-square-foot formal garden plus a separate rear building once used as a garage and chauffeurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s living quarters.

The new textile museum will open in 2014 at 21st and G streets NW and will be affiliated with George Washington University.

SWANK ESTATE FOR SALE: Russell Ramsey, the co-founder of investment firm Friedman, Billings

62

Ramsey, listed his five-acre Great Falls estate for $7,995,000. Ramsey and his wife, Norma, enlisted the help of interior designer Barry Dixon to help renovate NEW ASCOT DRIVE five different times to include lacquered walls in the living and music rooms, a custom kitchen with limestone from France and 18th-century Waterford chandeliers.

The 12,000-square-foot Georgian residence boasts six bedrooms, a wine cellar with humidor, library, billiard room, au pair suite and media room. The property also includes a two-bedroom guesthouse, pool, outdoor kitchen, clay tennis court, a barn containing a golf simulator and a regulation-size basketball court.

TTR Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Penny Yerks is the listing agent.

NEVER TOO MANY CLOSETS: If you have a weakness for extra storage, be sure to take a peek at the Robert Gurney-designed house at QUINCY STREET in Chevy Chase which boasts, 23 (yes, you read that right) closets.

A TIE FOR THIRD: Moeen Qureshi, a World Bank executive and former prime minister of Pakistan, is selling what now holds the title (in a tie) for the third most expensive house for sale in the District: - BENTON PLACE NW for $10 million.

The 11-bedroom Mediterraneanstyle mansion sits on half an acre of grounds and was formerly two separate properties. The opulent dwelling sits between the vice GOLD COAST SPARKLER: presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residence and Rock Chain Bridge Bank director Paul Creek Park. The property is listed Shiffman is selling CREST by WC & AN Miller Realtors, a Long LANE in McLean for $7,750,000. & Foster Company. The other â&#x20AC;&#x153;third Shiffman is also a senior partner priciestâ&#x20AC;? is the speculative Travis and president of Shiffman & Ricci. Price-designed modernist house in The spectacular four-bedroom Massachusetts Avenue Heights at house sits on more than three TH STREET NW. (The acres overlooking the Potomac. price includes the lot, an extensive The propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extravagant features set of plans, and budget for include walls of windows, soaring construction). Long & Fosterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Marc cathedral ceilings, a two-story stone Fleisher is the listing agent. fireplace, an impressive indoor heated pool and ample guest parking for 35 cars. Washington Send real estate news to Stacey Fine Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mark McFadden Grazier Pfarr at editorial@ is the listing agent. washingtonlife.com.

Owner Ted Peterson is selling the four-bedroom house, which was built in 1943 and renovated in 2007, for $2,495,000. The property features floor-to-ceiling doors, an open kitchen and master bedroom featuring a glass transom below the ceiling. TTR Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Realtyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Michael Ranking and Corey Burr are listing agents.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

MY WASHINGTON Art Smith, author/chef, Art and Soul Restaurant

WHAT DOES OPRAH LIKE TO EAT? Anything that’s fresh. She’s all about farms but always says “nothing with a face on it.”

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH RECIPES THAT STILL REFLECT YOUR SOUTHERN COOKING STYLE IN YOUR NEW BOOK, ‘HEALTHY COMFORT’? I went back to my youth in Jasper, Fla., where we only cooked on the farm with what was in season and kept it simple. I also eliminated frying which was a staple of my upbringing.

Dusting catfish in cornmeal doesn’t mean you have to fry it. Baked in a hot oven will get similar results without the extra oil.

2

HOW DID YOU LOSE OVER 100 POUNDS AND BEAT YOUR TYPE 2 DIABETES INTO REMISSION? Once you’ve made your mind up, you’ve got to be able to ask for advice. That’s why I went to my doctor and made a plan because the more you know, the less you fear.

BEST ADVICE YOU RECEIVED TO GET HEALTHY? When the doctor tells you your chances for a long life are short, it’s a wake up call.

4

5

MY TOP SPOTS 1. My dear friend from “Top Chef” Spike Mendelsohn’s Good Stuff Eatery (303 Pennsylvania Ave. SE) is just a few blocks from my restaurant. His whole family is involved and you feel welcomed the minute you walk in the door. I crave his burgers but really have fun with the handspun shakes and the condiment bar.

2. You will often see me and other local chefs enjoying late-night bites at Chef Mike Isabella’s Graffiato (707 6th St. NW).

The charred octopus is a must, but so is anything out of his wood-burning oven.

3. Fiola (601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) is my favorite for Italian. Of course Chef Fabio is very well known for his outstanding Italian cuisine, but don’t forget to order a salad. It is as if someone went to the garden as I placed my order and picked every piece of lettuce.

4. Diplomatic Reception Rooms, U.S. State Department This is a must if you can get a tour. You can actually touch history there.

5. One of my favorite things to do is to jog around The Mall. I always seem to run farther because I get caught up in all of the historic buildings and striking architecture. I have the best view of the U.S. Capitol day or night from Art and Soul. But I have to say there is nothing better than seeing it all lit up at night from New Jersey Avenue.

6. Chinatown. I am always game for the ultimate early morning Chinese breakfast with good friends.

7. 2Amy’s (3715 Macomb St. NW). The Neapolitan-style pizza with the thin crust that bubbles on the edges is a beautiful sight and an outstanding bite! But don’t forget to enjoy the small bites … you may just forgo the pizza once you get started on these delights.

6 66

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| S U M M E R | washingtonlife.com

ART SMITH PHOTO BY KIPLING SWEHL A PHOTO GRAPHY. CHINATOWN FRIENDSHIP ARCH PHOTO BY JOSHR915 VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS .

MALL PHOTO BY RAUL6 5 4 VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS . GRAFFIATO PHOTO BY GREG POWERS . ALL OTHERS COURTESY.

WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF BEING A CELEBRITY CHEF? Being asked to help support people with my challenges. I have a platform and the ability to talk to them and they respect me. That’s why I’m on a mission with Taking Diabetes to Heart [a healthy eating program with Merck]. Probably one of my accomplishments is to work with children, creating Common Threads. We taught 30,000 kids how to cook last year. It’s nice to be known not just for being Oprah Winfrey’s chef, but also the chef who is teaching kids how to cook.