Volume 62 Number 6
December 16 , 2015- January 12, 2016
RED
Speaks Makeup for the New Year
Georgetowners of the Year Freer Gallery Set to Close Chaka Khan on New Year's Eve Kitty Kelley Celebrates Sinatra's 100th
POTOMAC, MD $7,995,000
Extraordinary 52-acre private estate features a breathtaking contemporary residence, heated pool, separate pool house, extensive rear terraces and mature gardens, grass tennis court, 5-car garage, and service and run in barns. The residence has numerous large-scale entertaining rooms.
PHILLIPS PARK $4,100,000 Built in 2015, this Greek Revival is an original Phillips Park home designed by Jones & Boer Architects. Encompassing more than 6,500 square feet, this home offers six bedrooms, a chef’s kitchen with La Cornue range, and generously proportioned public rooms with high ceilings.
MICHAEL RANKIN +1 202 271 3344
MICHAEL RANKIN +1 202 271 3344
GEORGETOWN $1,795,000 Fantastic semi-detached Federal townhouse with a separate cottage. Main house features light-filled rooms with original wide plank wood floors, four fireplaces, and a double parlor living room. Large landscaped garden with brick terrace leads to a 290 sq ft est cottage with tremendous potential.
COLONIAL VILLAGE $1,295,000
CHEVY CHASE, DC $1,195,000 This classic colonial offers excellent natural light throughout, hardwood floors, 3 fireplaces, 3 bedrooms with 2 bathrooms on the second floor, plus a bonus room on third floor. Eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances, and separate formal dining room. The lot features a spacious patio and a creek. 1-car attached garage and driveway.
MAXWELL RABIN +1 202 669 7406 JONATHAN TAYLOR +1 202 276 3344
JONATHAN TAYLOR +1 202 276 3344
PENN QUARTER $489,500
GEORGETOWN $16,500/month Located on Cooke’s Row, this residence boasts numerous architectural details including the grand 3-story curved staircase. This home is graced with 13-foot ceilings on the main level, seven bedrooms, five full bathrooms, five fireplaces and off-street parking with garage.
RUSSELL FIRESTONE III +1 202 271 1701
OBSERVATORY CIRCLE $525,000 Beautifully renovated 1 bedroom, 1.5 bath unit offering 1,222 sq ft of space. Kitchen with breakfast nook, beautiful balcony overlooking greenery. Garage parking and extra storage included. Pool, doormen, front desk, guest parking, gardens, fitness center. JULIA DIAZ-ASPER +1 202 256 1887
This handsome 1930’s stone colonial is sited on a large elevated corner lot. Features include gorgeous refinished wood floors, 2 fireplaces, and a classic layout with a large living room, separate dining room, powder room, and sunroom, plus 5 BR and 3 BA upstairs. A sunny level yard is located off the main level. Lower level with full bath, and two-car attached garage.
Newly priced! Beautifully renovated, rare 1 BR, 1.5 BA unit with floor-to-ceiling windows and private balcony in “The Pennsylvania.” Fabulous roof deck and monument views. Features a new kitchen, new granite baths, pristine hardwood floors, gorgeous plantation shutters. Building also offers 24hour concierge, gym, and guaranteed rental garage parking.
JAN M. EVANS +1 301 873 3596
GEORGETOWN $2,700,000 Sited steps away from parks, shops, and restaurants, this three bedroom, three bathroom and den contemporarydesign townhouse offers the pinnacle of luxurious and tasteful living. The exacting construction was just completed by renowned architect Rudi.d. The oversized windows and high ceilings offer an abundance of light. JULIA DIAZ-ASPER +1 202 256 1887 MICHAEL RANKIN +1 202 271 3344
JULIA DIAZ-ASPER +1 202 256 1887
GEORGETOWN BROKERAGE | +1 202 333 1212 DOWNTOWN BROKERAGE | +1 202 234 3344 McLEAN, VA BROKERAGE | +1 703 319 3344 ALEXANDRIA, VA BROKERAGE | +1 703 310 6800 CHEVY CHASE, MD BROKERAGE | +1 301 967 3344
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©MMXV TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, licensed real estate broker. Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. Equal housing opportunity. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Price and availability subject to change. Date Source: MRIS (Sales, 12/1/12+, Legal Subdivision: Georgetown)
NE W S 4 5 8
BODY & SOU L Calendar Town Topics Editorial/Opinion
ALL T H I N GS MED I A 9
Not Just Discs Spinning
BUSI N E S S 11 12
Tax Time Ins and Outs
RE AL E S TAT E 10
Featured Property
HOLI DAY F E AT U R E 13 14
Holiday Cheer High-End Shopping
24 24
A N T I Q UES AD D I CT 25
Red Speaks
FOOD & WI N E 22 23
Evolution of Utensils
I N C OUN TRY 26
Quick NYE Getaways
V I S UAL AR T S 28 28
Art for the Holidays Freer Gallery Closing
P E R F ORM ANCE AR T S 29
Chaka Khan
S OC I AL SCEN E 30
COV E R 18
Murphy’s Love Fitness Resolutions
31
CityCenter Debut, Ol’ Blue Eyes, Business Hall of Fame Bob Woodward, Opera Camerata’s 25th
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ON TH E C OV E R Photography by Angie Myers. Models: Flavia Dias, Emma Sliwinski and Elle Einwaechter at THE Artist Agency. Makeup: Soo Park at THE Artist Agency. Hair Styling: Darrell Thompson at THE Artist Agency.
THE GEORGETOWNER is published every other Wednesday. The opinions of our writers and columnists do not necessarily reflect the editorial and corporate opinions of THE GEORGETOWNER newspaper. THE GEORGETOWNER accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. THE GEORGETOWNER reserves the right to edit, rewrite or refuse material and is not responsible for errors or omissions. Copyright 2015.
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up & coming December 16 Cookie Baking at Via Umbria
December 19 Homemade Eggnog at Capella
January 6 At the Spy Museum: JFK’s Forgotten Crisis
Chef Dorrie Gleason leads an interactive cookie-baking class in the Via Umbria demonstration kitchen to help participants roll over the holiday cookie-swap competition. Admission is $60. For details, visit viaumbria.com/events. To reserve a spot, email feedme@viaumbria.com. 1525 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
The Capella Washington invites the public to get in the holiday spirit at the hotel’s free homemade eggnog bar in the lobby. For details, visit georgetowndc.com. 1050 31st St. NW.
During the most dangerous days of the Cold War, President Kennedy was dealing with a war that has largely escaped history’s attention: the Sino-Indian conflict. Bruce Riedel, director of the Intelligence Project at the Brookings Institution, will share letters, diaries and memoirs of key players. For details, visit spymuseum.org/calendar. 800 F St. NW.
December 17 ‘A Very Jerry Christmas’ at Gypsy Sally’s
January 8 and 9 DC Shorts ‘Laughs’
Calendar
Gypsy Sally’s celebrates the holidays with the music of the Grateful Dead in a show featuring Cris Jacobs, Mookie Siegel, John Ginty, Dave Markowitz and Ed Hough. Tickets are $20 ($16 in advance). To purchase tickets, visit gypsysallys.com. 3401 K St. NW.
DC Shorts will present its favorite comedy films of 2015 in 90-minute shows, with the films paired with live performances by the area’s top stand-up comics. Tickets (not including fees) are $20 for one show and $30 for the Saturday double-header. For details, visit laughs.dcshorts.com. U.S. Navy Memorial, Burke Theatre, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.
December 18 ‘Improv Actually’ Drawing inspiration from the 2003 movie “Love Actually,” this Washington Improv Theater show introduces an eclectic mix of Washingtonians who are falling in love, falling out of love and quite possibly falling back in love again. Tickets are $15 ($12 in advance, $30 for reserved seating). For details, visit witdc.org. Source, 1835 14th St. NW.
December 23 Holiday Caroling in Book Hill Pâtisserie Poupon invites area residents to join Études Piano Studio to spread cheer by singing carols around the streets of Book Hill in Georgetown. The caroling begins with hot chocolate at the store. 1645 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
January 9 Jamie Stiehm on Abolitionist Lucretia Mott Jamie Stiehm, Creators Syndicate columnist and contributor to USNews.com, will visit the Georgetown Library to give a free talk about Quaker abolitionist Lucretia Mott (1793-1880) and her journey to Washington to speak out against slavery. For details, email jerry.mccoy@dc.gov. Georgetown Neighborhood Library, Peabody Room (3rd floor), 3260 R St. NW.
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For more information on the DC College Savings Plan, please go to DCCollegeSavings.com, call 800.987.4859 (800.541.1524 for Telecommunications Device for the Deaf), or contact your financial advisor. An investor should consider the objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of an investment carefully before investing. The District of Columbia College Savings Trust Program Disclosure Booklet contains this and other information. Read it carefully before you invest or send money. An investor should also consider, before investing, whether the investor’s or designated beneficiary’s home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available to residents of that state. An investment in another state’s 529 college savings plan may not offer comparable benefits. The government of the District of Columbia does not guarantee investments in the program. Investment involves risk, including possible loss of principal. The DC College Savings Program is underwritten and distributed by Calvert Investment Distributors, Inc., member FINRA/ SIPC, and subsidiary of Calvert Investments, Inc. AD10067-201510G
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The Barnard Medical Center celebrates its grand opening by offering “Food for Life,” a free cooking-class series designed to help Washington residents lose weight, boost metabolism, curb cravings and reach optimal health with a plant-based vegan diet. The five classes, on consecutive Tuesday nights, follow this introductory lecture. For details, visit pcrm.org/barnardmedical. Physicians Committee, 5100 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
January 14 ‘Equus’ Pay-What-You-Can Preview Amber McGinnis Jackson directs Constellation Theatre Company’s production of Peter Shaffer’s classic psychological drama “Equus,” in which troubled teenager Alan Strang’s dangerous obsession with horses leads him to commit an unspeakable act of violence. For details, visit constellationtheatre.org/equus. Source, 1835 14th St. NW.
January 15 Bollywood Orchestra at Wolf Trap
Fronted by one of India’s most influential musicians, Falu’s Bollywood Orchestra performs the music of Bollywood’s golden age in an inventive modern style. Falu (also known as Falguni Shah) sings with an ensemble that includes both Eastern and Western instruments. Tickets are $22 and $27. For details, visit wolftrap.org. Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, Virginia.
EVERYTHING YOU’RE LOOKING FOR . . . NOTHING YOU’RE NOT
www.DCCollegeSavings.com 202.529.PLAN (7526) Sponsored by The Government of the District of Columbia ©2015
January 12 ‘Food for Life’ Cooking Classes
When it comes to auto repair, auto service, finding a new mechanic, or simply getting an oil change in Georgetown, Washington DC, you are looking for honest, fair, friendly, clean, and professional . . . with great customer communication. Right? That is what we are all about at Georgetown Shell. We won’t be adding on a bunch of extra and unnecessary items to your work request. If we see something else that we think needs attention we’ll tell you about it, how serious we think it is and give you an idea of how long we think you can–or should–wait to address it. Fair enough? RIGHT THE FIRST TIME OR WE’LL MAKE IT RIGHT. This is our pledge to you.
Jack Coelho
Call Us: 202.965.1999 • Open 7 Days A Week • 1576 Wisconsin Ave NW,Washington, DC 20007
town topics
NEWS By robert devaney
Liquor License Moratorium Said to End by Spring The Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission is set to vote on the fate of the Georgetown liquor license moratorium, in effect since 1989 and due to expire Feb. 3, 2016. The Georgetown ban is the last active moratorium in the District. After deciding not to take up the issue at a prior meeting, the ANC is expected to agree to vote at its Jan. 4 meeting to let the ban expire by spring, according to a source close to the negotiations. The meeting will be held at Georgetown Visitation Prep, 1524 35th St. NW at Volta Place. Two months ago, the Georgetown Business Improvement District gave its official support to ending the moratorium. Weeks later, the Citizens Association of Georgetown agreed in principle. The next step is for the three groups to discuss matters of implementation with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, possibly at the board’s February meeting. In the meantime, the BID produced a “Georgetown Settlement Agreement Template,” a document that applicants for a liquor license would enter into voluntarily, imposing more
stringent restrictions on hours of operation, noise levels, trash removal and so on than those otherwise in effect. While in favor of ending the moratorium, the Georgetown Business Association released a statement that does not support either an extension on the moratorium or a standard agreement that goes beyond citywide regulations: “The Georgetown Business Association opposes the liquor moratorium and we don’t believe the extension is necessary. We rely on the clout of the ANC to review applications for permits and to use discretion on settlement agreements.” Negotiations to arrive at a document on which the BID, the ANC and CAG (if not the GBA) can agree are ongoing. The BID and CAG are expected to vote up or down on the final version on Jan. 21. At press time, The Georgetowner learned that the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board reviewed and approved a resolution from ANC 2E to extend the moratorium 60 days beyond its expiration of February 3, 2015. The moratorium is now set to expire on April 3, 2015.
ANC Scolds DC Water for Sloppy Work; P Street Gets Paved ress of the water work, digging and repaving. P Street resident and commissioner Monica Roache criticized DC Water representatives, who said they were also frustrated and wanted the pace of work quickened — and put the blame on their contractors. Roache and her neighbors got the noise and parking restrictions reduced. After months of disruption, streets around 27th and P were fully paved and smooth this week.
DC Water is working with community groups to make sure the word gets out about its Green Infrastructure and projects as well as its street work in D.C. neighborhoods. Its outreach included a Dec. 8 tour of the DC Water First Street Tunnel Project, part of the DC Clean Waters Project, which involved several Georgetown community leaders. Photo by John Lever. At the Nov. 30 meeting of the GeorgetownBurleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission, representatives of DC Water, also known as the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority, stood in front of a table of commissioners and were scolded like schoolboys. What was the problem? If you live or drive along P Street on the east side of Georgetown, you have no doubt experienced the slow prog-
Cardinal Donald Wuehl, Archbishop of Washington, was the main celebrant of the Dec. 6 Mass, that formally installed the 52nd pastor of Holy Trinity Church, Rev. C. Kevin Gillespie, S.J. Founded in 1787, Holy Trinity on 36th Street NW is the oldest Catholic parish in Washington, D.C. Formerly the president of St. Joseph’s University, Gillespie also taught religious studies and coached baseball at Gonzaga College High School and Georgetown Prep.
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town topics
DentalBug Cosmetic, Implants, Sleep Apnea, Sedation
Georgetowners of the Year Leslie Buhler Leslie Buhler stepped down as executive director of Tudor Place after 15 years of what the historic house and garden non-profit called, “transformational leadership.” Buhler arrived in 2000 and made sure one of Georgetown’s crown jewels was maintained to the highest standards and included a master preservation plan of restoration and upkeep. She also made the historic home at 31st and Q Street more accessible to all — from children to preservationists to neighbors. She leaves Tudor Place in a perfect place for its bicentennial next year. For all this and more, Leslie Buhler is a Georgetowner of the Year for 2015.
The late Austin Kiplinger, champion of Tudor Place, with retired Tudor Place Executive Director Leslie Buhler, who spoke at Kiplinger’s Dec. 11 memorial service at the Kennedy Center.
Father Rick Curry and Connie Milstein
Monica Roaché
Monica Roaché is one of the newIf ever there was a bakery est members of the that’s more than a bakery, it’s Georgetown-Burleith Dog Tag Bakery on Grace Advisory Neighborhood Street, where a lot of grace goes Commission 2E, but on at a daily basis. The bakery, her family has been part of Dog Tag Inc., has as one here for many years. As of its slogans “baking a difpart of this town’s origference.” The enterprise operinal African-American ates a six-month training profamilies, Roache is gram aimed squarely at “driven, a fifth-generation entrepreneurial-minded woundGeorgetowner who ed veterans and their spouses.” has always promoted The bakery is run and worked this part of our hisby wounded veterans. Its foundtory — from the book, ing heart and soul are its co“Black Georgetown founders, philanthropist Connie Remembered,” to the Milstein and Rev. Rick Curry, October dedication of S.J., of Georgetown University. Monica Roaché, an advisory neighborhood commissioner and fifth-generation the Rose Park tennis A developer and lawyer, Georgetowner. court to black tennis Milstein is committed to helpstar sisters, Margaret Peters and Roumania ing veterans. Blue Star Families is one of her Peters Walker. The Peters sisters taught tennis projects, and she has opened several non-profit and life lessons to Roache and many other chilbakeries in New York, all of which show her dren. For all this and more, Monica Roaché is a commitment to helping veterans. She is in the Georgetowner of the Year for 2015. top ranks of philanthropist-business leaders in Washington, D.C., providing leadership on the boards of cultural D.C. mainstays like Ford’s Theater, the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera. Milstein and Father Curry, a Jesuit priest who brings compassion and experience, form the perfect partnership for the bakery. Curry founded and headed the National Theater for the Handicapped, a non-profit theater and training institution for persons with physical disabilities for three decades. He is also the author of two books, “The Secrets of Jesuit Soupmaking” and “The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking.” Their partnership has resulted in a do-good, feel-good Georgetown institution that’s already become a go-to place for locals and does Georgetown proud. For all this and more, Father Rick Curry and Connie Milstein are each a Georgetowner of the Year for 2015.
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EDITORIAL/OPINION Evans Report Let the Liquor License Jack Year-end Assessment Moratorium Die BY JACK EVANS
Enough is enough. Look forward, not backward. What began in 1989 to squash a boisterous Georgetown playground, the Georgetown liquor license moratorium has accomplished its mission and now outlived its usefulness. If no action is taken, it will expire April 3, 2016. Times and styles have changed. People are better educated about food and wine. Restaurant-goers want quality and ambience. Celebrity chefs may have their TV shows, but they are also responsible business owners and partners in their neighborhoods. Present liquor and drunk driving laws are sufficient. While Georgetown’s community groups are about to agree on a list of standard operating procedures for bars and restaurants, it seems irrelevant. We are far beyond dive bars and watering holes. Rhino Bar is now a Club Monaco. The old Nathan’s space is now owned by Under Armour. Of the nearly 2,000 restaurant or tavern licenses in D.C., Georgetown has limited itself to 68. All agree that the moratorium has stifled the creation of new restaurants, erecting unfair barriers for quality players. Town House Restaurant, of John and Karen Urie Shields fame, abandoned its proposed Potomac Street location, still empty two years later. Retail expert Iraklis Karabassis, who helped launch Café Milano, has faced obstacles to opening his own Prospect Street restaurant. Meanwhile, the rest of the city has exploded with new eateries, including Rose’s Luxury on Capitol Hill, Bon Appetit’s 2014 Restaurant of the Year. Georgetown is well aware of its high-end competition, including CityCenter and the $6 billion Wharf development on the Southwest waterfront. Certainly, we are and want to be seen as welcoming to new businesses (Buongiorno, Via Umbria!). The next puzzler is: Where are the spaces for destination restaurants? South of M Street? The empty Benetton space? The Powerhouse? The former Neams/Marvelous Market property? Almost 27 years later, the moratorium has beome a serious impediment to Georgetown’s economic growth — and therefore the quality of retail life here. Let it go, and let’s foster the future.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year We wish you and your family a very happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year. Our printed edition will return on January 13, 2016. Stay in touch with us at georgetowner.com, now and always.
President Obama and the first family at the National Christmas Tree lighting. Photo by Jeff Malet.
December 16, 2015 GMG, INC.
Jack Evans is the District Council member for Ward 2, representing Georgetown and other neighborhoods since 1991.
In This Time, In This Season
BY GARY TISCHLER We are living in a time when certain politicians who shall remain nameless (for once) advocate closing America’s borders to members of a religion that is not Christianity. We are living in a time when radical, extreme members of that religion are advocating, encouraging, inspiring and committing killings in the name of that religion. All of this is happening in the time in which we live, and we see it, hear it, read it on all the things that we carry in our pockets, that we set up in restaurants or in our homes. All of this is happening with increasing intensity in a season in which we celebrate the opposite of the mindsets that lead to atrocities and inflammatory rhetoric. We are celebrating a season that notes the birth of a child, a season that embraces love and hope and a possible future that would accentuate peace and human kindness. In this time. We should think about that birth and that event for a moment. On its face and as an event, it was a small thing, noted only, if you believe so, in prophecies and by those who happened to witness it either by choice or happenstance. It happened in the smallest of towns in what is now Palestine, home now to still-warring factions, but home then to mostly its Jewish residents, and an occupying Roman Empire, ruled by a local king who paid tribute and political obeisance to Rome, personified by its first emperor, Augustus Caesar, who would become the first emperor-god of Rome. The baby’s name was Jesus, and his earthly parents were Mary and Joseph, the latter a carpenter. In that time, there were as yet no Christians or Muslims; as yet, no Communists or Democrats or Republicans or Americans. The world as a whole was mostly
unmapped, but it contained even then multitudes of different kinds of people, most of whom were unaware of each other. Jesus was born a Jew and would die on a cross and, in the end, by his life and actions — by noted miracles and by preaching a gospel that showered the least of us with love and compassion, by spreading hope that made suffering on earth bearable as a passing thing, that made even poverty seem blessed with dignity. He talked in parables and stories, and it was said at the time and so passed on into gospel that hundreds if not thousands were fed at one of his sermons in the countryside. That night, he was a mewling baby, blessed nonetheless. He was as small as humans get, and as frail, and his presence would inspire fear in a king and in the rest a spirit of love and humility and kindness that we all wish for. His presence on this day remains in the hearts and minds of many who long in this time of a kind of madness for peace and understanding, for gracious thoughts and compassion that remind us that there are millions out there living in worse places than a stable. In the town of Bethlehem, as the story has it, there was not room at the inn, and so Mary and Joseph made their place in a stable, where the child, who was named Jesus, was born, no doubt crying as newborns do. It was a clear night sky, made clearer by a star, and by the baby itself, which was the light of the world. It was probably chilly that night. Joseph and Mary and Jesus, at that time of the beginning of Jesus, were known to no one. Shepherds came that night, prodded by celestial beings and not a little awe and curiosity and love. Later, three kings arrived from exotic places bearing exotic gifts and giving homage to the child. They arrived with the star.
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CONTRIBUTORS
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Peter Murray Ari Post Gary Tischler
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Mary Bird Pamela Burns Jack Evans Donna Evers John Fenzel Michelle Galler Amos Gelb Wally Greeves
Robert Devaney
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breaks that the council agreed to in 2014. On both the personal and business tax side, I’m proud to say I was successful in pushing the District to be a more affordable place to live and start a business. I’m proud of bills that I introduced this year that have passed the council, including to help expand N Street Village, an organization that provides safe housing for vulnerable or at-risk women; to end the practice of suspending or expelling pre-K students; to provide for the testing of newborns for congenital heart defects; and to allow for the filling of 12 months of contraceptive medication at once. There are several bills and issues that are high priorities for me as the calendar turns to 2016. We received funding for modernization of schools in Ward 2, but a couple are still short of their total expected funding levels. I introduced legislation to expand the homestead deduction, incentivize more wheelchairaccessible taxis, increase the number of police, fire and school employees who live in the city, among others that I will keep pushing to achieve. On the WMATA front, it seems like we will pass a budget without a fare increase, a critical action as we work to restore confidence in the system. In closing, my family and I, as well as my staff, would like to wish you and yours a happy holiday season. This is always a wonderful time to spend with friends and family and to be thankful for all the blessings we enjoy. This is the last Georgetowner for the year. Happy New Year, and we will see you again in January.
PUBLISHER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Please send all submissions of opinions for consideration to: editorial@georgetowner.com
December is always a great time to look back on the year and assess what went well and where can we redouble our efforts in the coming year. This December is particularly good for this type of reflection as it is not yet the end of a Council period, so legislation that I’ve introduced is still under Council review. The biggest issue we faced in the District this year was the alarming increase in the number of murders. While this was part of a national trend, we have to continue to focus on public safety in 2016. I introduced a bill to require enough resources to keep 4,000 police officers on the force in the face of a coming retirement bubble. We have been successful in expanding patrols with our current force, increase rewards for notifications of illegal guns, targeting synthetic drug operations and authorizing the purchase of body-worn cameras for police officers. While more police officers and aggressively tackling illegal drugs and guns on the street will help address crime, there are larger societal issues that I’m proud to have worked on this year. On the jobs front, we agreed to an economic development plan with the Advisory Board Company to remain in the District and create 1,000 new well-paying jobs for D.C. residents. Additionally, the city will work with the Wizards to build a sports and entertainment complex in Southeast Washington that will create hundreds of jobs and bring vitality to residents and a part of the city that have not enjoyed all of the recent success we’ve seen in D.C. I was also able to fight to maintain the second round of tax
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It’s Not Just the Discs Spinning By A m o s G elb
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h, the drama to end the year. The stuff of “Desperate Housewives of Wherever,” it’s all happening right here in D.C. But nobody seems to have noticed. Not D.C. politics, nor our not-quite sports teams. I am talking about Cumulus radio station WRQX, better known as 107.3. The second-largest radio group in the U.S. (454 owned and operated stations reaching 245 million listeners with more than 8,200 affiliated stations), Cumulus has been buffeted for at least the last two years. Would such turbulence within the Murdoch empire go unnoticed? But such is radio, a medium declared dead more than 50 years ago that continues, like James Bond, to refuse its fate. The saga began in the spring of 2013. At that point, the station was anchored by morning DJ Jack Diamond, né Harvey Fischer. For 24 years, he had enlivened his audience’s mornings bantering with various sidekicks, the last two being Jimmy Alexander and Erica Hilary. Then, one morning, they were gone. No warning, no graceful hand-off. One of the brothers who founded and controlled Cumulus was quoted at the time as saying that the audience had spoken through declining ratings. Other reports had it that Diamond was offered a healthy bonus to transition to his former sidekick Bert Weiss, but wanted none of it. Nice things were quoted,
but Diamond was unceremoniously replaced by Weiss’s syndicated show out of Atlanta. And then, a year later, just as suddenly, Bert and his crew were gone too. Management reportedly decided they needed a more local host. In stepped afternoon DJ Marco to handle duties until a new cast appeared: Sarah, Ty and Mel — two former sidekicks from the rival 99.5 Kane show: Sarah Fraser and Melanie Glazener, joined by Ty Bentli who moved down from New York. Promising a new kind of show, the three found a unique voice. And while the morning callers suggested they were getting traction, the all-important ratings apparently never reached management’s threshold for success. So last month the revolving door spun again. The new crew was gone and Jack, the man who stormed out in a huff, is back. Diamond commented that you can indeed go home (a fact proven by numerous college graduates). But it was not just Jack. The station also reversed the change in name and format that started the whole ruckus, moving back to a Hot AC (hot adult contemporary) mix from the Contemporary Hits Radio format (the subtle differences in music programming escape us) and reverting to Mix 107.3. Just like that, forward to the past. Sarah, Ty and Mel handled the clear disappointment of their midnight execution with the stoicism of people who know better than to burn bridges in the very small radio world. Ousted
Sarah Fraser penned the well-worn euphemism of “the station is moving in another direction.” It was announced that she would move to a noon slot to go with an all-Christmas music lineup. But head to the Mix 107.3 website (as of deadline) and there’s no Fraser. In fact, there are no names other than Jack Diamond. The Xmas music never appeared either. Slate cleaned. High drama in Radioland. But that was just the surface waves. Underwater, there has been just as much turmoil. It is hard to get an accurate count, but it seems that RQX had four program directors since Diamond strode out the door, the last ejection being that of Jan Jeffries, the person who engineered Diamond’s return. Current program director Louie Diaz paused when asked to remember whether he had actually begun at the Jennifer Street studio before Diamond’s reappearance. Even bigger, after a failed venture and declining stock, RQX’s owner, Cumulus, pushed aside the founding brothers and brought in a magazine turn-around artist. So can you ever truly go home? The time between Diamond’s departure and return has seen perhaps more changes in the media landscape than his entire previous two-decade reign. Facebook today is a premium content distributor. Podcasts are hot and audience time-shifting is the norm rather than an anomaly. But people still commute, so there may yet be an audience for Diamond.
Jimmy Alexander, Erica Hilary and DJ Jack Diamond. Photo coutesy WRQX. Diaz says the format reversion was driven by the realization that while a younger audience was tuning in to the new format, the older Mix audience wasn’t sticking around. The numbers just weren’t working, he explains, and it was time for the station to get back to what worked before (ignoring the ostensible reason Diamond was ousted). According to Diaz, it is a new Jack Diamond, with a far livelier program that includes new segments and increased listener interaction and engagement. (We don’t recall an issue with Diamond’s audience engagement.) Diamond did not reply either to emails or attempts to reach him by phone. He has no small mountain to climb. The current ratings put the station at half the listenership of main rival Hot 99.5. Diamond says you can go home. Cumulus has bet he is right. Stay tuned and we’ll all get to find out. Amos Gelb is director of the Washington Media Institute.
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Business
Tax Time — It’s Either You or Your Uncle
Reverse Mortgages
By John E. G i ro ua rd
D
id you know that if you pay $10,000 in taxes this year it could easily amount to over $26,000 in wealth over 25 years? Far too often I see clients who unnecessarily give away money, both in taxes and lost earnings that could have earned them a sizeable rate of return over their lifetimes — and a sizeable fortune for many investors. As the end of the year approaches, now is the last chance for many to reduce their 2015 tax burden. Unfortunately, many investors focus on getting a one- or two-percent higher return on their portfolio or perfecting the target price on their stock while leaving the 20 to 30 percent of what they can control on the table for their accountant to handle. We all know we can’t control the markets, interest rates, the economy or numerous other life events that can wreak havoc on our portfolios. But what we can control is how many of our hard-earned dollars we give away each year to Uncle Sam — and our ability to control this typically diminishes as we age. There are many lists and articles out there extolling the top five things you can do to reduce taxes by year-end, such as maximizing retirement contributions, paying January’s mortgage payment in December, bunching medical deductions in one year and tax-loss harvesting. But here are a few other suggestions
that may be new to you. • If you have inherited a Roth IRA or an IRA and you don’t take a required minimum distribution like those individuals over 70, you will be subject to a 50-percent penalty. • Medical expense deductions have risen to 10 percent of your adjusted gross income versus 7.5 percent for certain income groups (other than retirees). • If you are a military family, you are eligible to put your Servicemembers Group Life Insurance benefits in a Roth IRA. • If you have lost a family member who was receiving a federal government pension, your unrecovered after-tax contributions are deductible in the year of death. This is a huge benefit commonly overlooked, especially in our community. • If you have made a statement of charitable intent or a promised future gift, consider setting up a charitable gift fund in a high-income year, even though the gift can be made over time. • Finally, beware of the hidden tax inside your mutual funds. In a volatile year like 2015, many investors will see their portfolio lose value, then wake up April 15 to a surprise: a tax liability.
A reverse mortgage is a loan available to homeowners ages 62+ who occupy the home as their primary residence. Homeowners receive access to funds they can use for any purpose. You do not need income or good credit to qualify. quali There is never a risk of losing the home.
“The hardest thing to understand is the income tax,” said Albert Einstein. About this, and so many other things, he was right. So this holiday season, take a few minutes to seek out the help of a professional — or go online and look up “overlooked tax mistakes.” Because once it’s gone, it’s gone. Author of “Take Back Your Money” and “The Ten Truths of Wealth Creation,” John E. Girouard is a registered principal of Cambridge Investment Research and an Investment Advisor Representative of Capital Investment Advisors in Bethesda, Maryland.
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BUSINESS
Business Ins and Outs BY RO BERT DEVANE Y A ND P E TE R MURRAY
Club Monaco Returns
According to the company, the new Georgetown store “reflects the art, architecture and culture of its neighborhood,” with its townhouse-inspired interior, custom-designed Cherry Blossom wall coverings, and southern-inspired furniture and decor. The first floor houses the women’s shop and the second the men’s. The new shop opens as the brand seeks to broaden its appeal among younger shoppers, who value the experience of shopping as much as they do the apparel they buy, according to retail analysts.
Club Monaco is back in town with a fresh concept at the renovated former Rhino Bar site at 3295 M St. NW. The new store marks the return of the Ralph Lauren-owned, prepfocused retailer to the area after stores in Georgetown and at Pentagon City were shuttered over four years ago. The new store opened Dec. 4, and Club Monaco plans on opening another outlet in Tysons Corner next year.
‘Georgetown Glow’ Lights Up Canal, Grace Chruch
IN: Postmodern Foods
The Georgetown Business Improvement District launched its second annual public light-art exhibition for Christmastime. It’s titled “Georgetown Glow” and runs 6 to 10 p.m., through Dec. 20. There are five site-specific illuminated artworks along or near the C&O Canal. For specifics, visit GeorgetownGLOWDC.com.
Postmodern Foods, “an organic food & drink company,” opened at 2920 M St. NW last week in the former Graphix space. Owner Denise Hicks, who was raised in the Washington area, returned three years ago to start Postmodern and soon opened a store in Great Falls, Virginia, Former employee Summer which supports the Simon and Postmodern Georgetown locale. owner Denise Hicks. Photo Postmodern offers by Robert Devaney. cold-pressed juices, smoothies, salads, savories and desserts — and includes online orders and office delivery.
Coming: Kit and Ace At the Dec. 11 Georgetown Glow reception at Canal Square and Sea Catch Restaurant, Georgetown Glow artists: Herve Orgeas, Wired People Project: “The Lovers”; Lee-Su Huang, “Intrescapes”; Jakob Marsico, “Intrescapes”; Hiroshi Jacobs, “iGlow”; Laia Cabrera, “Shifting Gaze”; Isabelle Duverger, “Shifting Gaze”; Arthur Gallice, Wired People Project: “The Lovers.” Photo by Bill Starrels.
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Already in Shaw and Bethesda, Kit and Ace plans to open in May in the Levi’s Store at 3263 M St. NW, located next to Lululemon. The high-end clothier with washable “technical luxury” is expanding and arrives with connections to the Vancouver, Canada-based Lululemon Athletica, Inc., family — co-founders are J.J. Wilson and Shannon Wilson.
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HOLIDAY FEATURE
Yoga With Attitude
Holiday Cheer Lights Up the District of Columbia Georgetown businesses and folks love to get dressed up and celebrate. Photographer Jeff Malet selected a few of his recent photos showing our village (and beyond) dressed to the T in holiday cheer. Clockwise from top left: Revelers at Santarchy DC march across the city on Dec. 12. Photo by Jeff Malet; Ella-Rue decked in holiday lights. Photo Erin Schaff; participants in the lighting of the National Menorah. Photo by Jeff Malet; Georgetown’s Wisconsin Avenue. Photo by Erin Schaff.
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HOLIDAY FEATURE
High-End Slumming Outside Georgetown BY P E T ER MURRAY
The 14th Street Corridor. Photo by Ted Eyton.
G
eorgetown used to be the only game in town when it came to retail in D.C., touting easy walkability, historic charm and a diverse array of shops with broad appeal to customers. New retail hubs are starting to compete with that model though as large-scale redevelopments sweep over the rest of the District. Some of these new retail centers are the result of decades of planning. Others reflect the natural evolution of gentrification in dense, central corridors. And some are just now being unveiled. Each one offers something different: interesting shops or food choices, or extra activities outside of shopping. But they’re all worth exploring.
14th Street Restaurants, retail and condos have risen quickly and concurrently on 14th Street NW between Thomas Circle and W Street over the past decade. A slew of new luxury retail players has diversified the mix and brought added draw to the corridor. First, there’s Shinola. The Detroit-based watch, bicycle and leather brand moved into a massive, sun-soaked historic space on 14th and R streets NW earlier this year. Even if you’re not interested in buying a watch, bike or fine leather football, the store is worth entering, just to look around. Anyone in need of gifts for the outdoorsy
men in their life should visit Filson, right down the street. Inside the small store you can expect to find Barbour-esque leather jackets, bison wool gloves and hats, and plenty of flannels. Be sure to feel the moleskin shirt, an incredibly soft and warm layer for winter. There’s more menswear on the northern part of the strip at Federal, which shares a space with skate shop Palace 5ive. Head to Federal for hip clothing, outerwear and wallets, or to Palace 5ive and grab a stylish pair of Vans for someone on your list. For the hip chicks in your life, Treasury and Current Boutique are two high-end vintage shops where you need to be, on 14th between S and T streets NW. Need something for the house? There are at least a dozen home décor and furniture stores on the strip for small gifts like scented candles or big ones like a new couch. The best part about shopping on 14th Street though is access to some of the city’s best food. With Le Diplomate, Barcelona, Kapnos and other restaurants nearby, you’ll never get hungry while scouring the corridor for the perfect gift.
Above and right: The exterior of Momofuku in CityCenter. Photo courtesy Momofuku. Their smoked chicken ramen. Photo by Flickr user lam_chihang.
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“Unfailing Goods” from Filson. Photo courtesy Filson.
The Nitrogen Cold Brew from Compass Coffee near the Shay in Shaw. Photo courtesy Compass Coffee.
CityCenter From afar, CityCenter looks much like the rest of downtown D.C. The development is square, glass, imposing and pretty much lacking in personality. A Christmas tree, an LED screen walkway and music playing do lend some holiday cheer, but make CityCenter even more reminiscent of a run-of-the-mill vacation destination shopping center, like Disney World or Honolulu. But what CityCenter lacks in charm, it makes up for in high-end shopping. And we are talking the highest of the high. Big names in fashion — Gucci, Hermes, Burberry, Hugo
HOLIDAY FEATURE
The mostly online Warby Parker’s brick-and-mortar eyewear shop at the Shay in Shaw. Photo courtesy Warby Parker. Frank & Oak, also moved in over the past few weeks. The Montreal-based company is known for its reasonably priced, fashionable menswear, which is designed in-house, and has been expanding its brick-and-mortar operations over the past few years with store openings in Chicago, Boston, Toronto and Montreal.
Other highlights at the Shay include a newly opened Compass Coffee and a huge, window-front space for Kit and Ace, a new brand from the family that owns Lululemon. Much of the relatively hip apparel is made with what the company calls technical cashmere, a machine-washable blend of fabrics that mimics cashmere but requires little maintenance.
The lighted Christmas Tree at CityCenter. Photo courtesy CityCenterDC. Boss, Louis Vuitton — are there. Outerwear giant Arc’teryx has a shop for anyone going skiing this winter. And if you don’t have good luggage, check out the premium products at Tumi. But Loro Piana and Paul Stuart, two lesser names, are the standouts for their winter wear designs and the high-quality materials used to make them. A big part of CityCenter’s appeal, though, is the food. Try out Momofuku’s world famous ramen or some of famed chef Daniel Boulud’s recipes at DBGB. For something more low key, grab some Crack Pie ice cream or a cookie at Milk Bar, Momofuku’s bakery concept. Or try something healthier, like a salad or smoothie at Fruitive, a new vegan concept that uses fresh, organic ingredients.
The Shay Stores are rolling open at the Shay, a new development in Shaw that packs a retail punch along with the nearby Atlantic Plumbing development. Just across the street from popular gay sports bar Nellie’s is Warby Parker, the eyewear brand that opened its first D.C. store at 3225 M St. NW in Georgetown. The space is a bit larger than the Georgetown store, and has a more modern aesthetic and a bright, nearly neon mini-marquee that shouts the brand’s name from the corner of 9th and U streets NW. A few doors down from Warby Parker, Chrome Industries, an outfitter specializing in durable apparel and messenger bags, opened last week. Another formerly online-only retailer,
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The world’s most desired homes — brought to you by Long & Foster and Christie’s.
Mass Avenue Heights, Washington, DC
$3,900,000
Palisades, Washington, DC
$3,200,000
Potomac, Maryland
$2,499,000
Completely remodeled and updated 5BR, 4FBA, 2HBA home on private road with forest views. Chef’s kitchen with large addition to kitchen. Great entertaining space inside and out. Large, private terrace. Two-car garage. First to be for sale in 60 years! Vassiliki Economides/Georgetown Office 202-345-2429/202-944-8400
Immaculate from top to bottom, this 6BR, 5.5BA home has 6,550 SF, lots of light, high ceilings and views of the Potomac. Gourmet kitchen, two-car garage, elevator, exercise room, pool. Located on private road. Great location for accessing downtown, MD and VA. Jennie McDonnell/Miller Bethesda Office 202-744-7192/301-229-4000
Exquisite, 11,000+ SF custom-built 9BA, 7FBA, 4HBA home adorned with fine finishes & equipped w/every amenity. Lavish MBR. Chef’s kitchen. 2 Offices. Theater, gym, game room. Elevator. 4-Car garage. Pool. Close to Potomac Village and DC/VA. Mehrnoosh Neyzari/Georgetown Office 202-421-8979/202-944-8400
Stevensville, Maryland
SW Waterfront, Washington, DC
16th Street Heights, Washington, DC
$1,895,000
$995,000
$989,500
Secluded Chesapeake Bay waterfront retreat on 2.75 acres with grand living space! 5BR, 4.5BA. Chef’s kitchen. Pool & hot tub. Over 180 ft of waterfront, deep water dock with boat lift and private beach. Spectacular views of Bay Bridge & the Chesapeake Bay. Salley Widmayer/Georgetown Office 202-215-6174/202-944-8400
Renovated 3BR, 2BA + family room with extra storage & parking. Spacious 1,968 SF – no other like it for this price, in this condition, in this location. Only 3 blocks to Marina/Wharf & Metro. 7 blocks to US Mall – center of DC. Must see this exquisite home. Friendship Height Office 202-364-5200
Dream maker – 50-ft from the edge of RC Park on a tree-lined cul-de-sac. 4 fin levels w/2-car gar, high ceilings, FP, large well-proportioned rms. Kit open to FR w/slate flrs, brkfst bar, SS appl, 5BR, 3.5BA, Rec Rm, 2 zoned cooling & deck. Denise Champion/Chevy Chase Office 202-215-9242/202-363-9700
Forest Hills, Washington, DC
Wesley Heights, Washington, DC
Cathedral Heights, Washington, DC
$535,000
Sunny, corner, upper floor 2 bedroom, 2 bath with balcony & garage parking. One of the bigger (1,470 SF) two-bedroom floorplans. Pretty light floors, new kitchen (2012). Updated baths & tons of closets. Susan Van Nostrand 301-529-1385 Chevy Chase Uptown Office 202-364-1300
$515,000
Spacious 2BR, 2BA surrounded by trees in The Towers. PARKING and all the amenities of a full-service bldg. including market, salon, gym, pool, tennis, tailor and Metro bus at the front door. Shops & restaurants just up the street. Mary Jo Nash/Foxhall Office 202-363-1800
$462,000
Spacious 2BR, 2BA + office alcove, with expansive balcony. Custom built-ins and moldings. Newly renovated kitchen. Convenient location, close to shopping and transportation. Lisa Takesuye 202-360-7050 Georgetown Office 202 944-8400
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December 16, 2015 GMG, INC.
Find your agent at — www.LongandFoster.com/LuxuryHomes
Forest Hills, Washington, DC
$2,395,000
Sun drenched residence w/superb floor plan. Living room w/high ceiling, bank of windows/doors to garden & patio. Large Country Kit w/breakfast area & fam rm. MBR w/double baths, large closets. 3 add’l BR & 2BAs. Ground level gym, BR w/BA, 2nd fam rm w/patio. Stephen Vardas/Georgetown Office 202-744-0441/202-944-8400
Kalorama, Washington, DC
$899,000
Charming 1936 Federal-style brick townhouse with 4 levels, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 2 half baths, near Embassy Row w/2 fireplaces, original hwd floors, library/family room, bedroom w/large sitting room, built-ins, DR, fenced-in patio, separate garage. Miller Spring Valley Office 202-362-1300
Cathedral Heights, Washington, DC
$425,000
1BR, 1.5BA, 1,250 SF corner apt with custom built-ins. Spacious balcony, eat-in kitchen, walk-in pantry, renovated bathrooms. Garage parking. Small pets ok. Near shops and restaurants. Kent Madsen/Foxhall Office 202-363-1800
Chevy Chase, Maryland
$1,950,000
Quintessential Chevy Chase Colonial combining the formal rooms of the 1930s with large open spaces for today’s living. This home features 7 bedrooms with 4.5 bathrooms. Nathan Carnes/Miller Chevy Chase Office 202-321-9132/202-966-1400
Alexandria, Virginia
$700,000
Price Reduced – classic expansive Colonial features an open floor plan with a two-story foyer, 9’+ ceilings, front porch, 5BR, 4.5BA, stone FP, granite countertops, maple cabinetry, hwd flooring, huge MBR w/sitting area, large basement & two-car garage. Miller Spring Valley Office 202-362-1300
Adams Morgan, Washington, DC
$329,000
The Cathedral views alone will make you swoon! Nothing like it in DC for sunlight & feeling of solitude above RC Park. Top floor, pet friendly, hwd floors, 11 Pella windows, 2 HUGE closets + extra & bike storage. Near shopping, restaurants, parks, & 2 Metros. Mitchell Story/Woodley Park Office 202-270-4514/202-483-6300
y pp a H
s y a d i l o H May your holidays glitter with unforgettable moments of happiness, laughter, and good cheer. Long & Foster Georgetown
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE • COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE • MORTGAGE • TITLE • INSURANCE • PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • RELOCATION SERVICES
LongandFoster.com 866-677-6937 GMG, INC. December 16, 2015
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By Soo Park | Photography by Angie Myers ’Tis the season to decide to be naughty or nice. What looks are in for 2016 holiday makeup? Bold lips or light gloss? The holiday season is the best time to play, so here is your guide — whether naughty, nice or somewhere in between. Red lips are, of course, a classic and instant way to party up your mood for the holidays. There are several ways you can enjoy this look. 1. Bold red lips speak for themselves. This season, leave the matching colored lip liner in your makeup bag. Applying red lip color without lip liner gives you a more modern and fresh feel. Using a lip color pencil is the ultimate easy way to create “unlined” lips — it doubles as the liner and the lip color, providing foolproof easy application (and easy to touch up when out and about). 2. Stained lips (applying lip color to your finger and then dabbing it onto your lips) is a subtle way to enjoy bold colors on your lips. Apply your choice of lip color on the inside of your natural lip lines and then clean up with cotton buds along the rim of your natural lip line. You can also use your finger to smudge and soften the color. 3. New to the red or still scared of the red color? Fear not! Tinted gloss is an effortless way to dazzle with your lips. It requires less touch-up and less precise application. Whichever choice you make with your red lips, make it joyful and have fun under the mistletoe!
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GMG, INC. December 16, 2015
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Classifieds/Service directory Tennis Lessons
tutor/Lessons
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2C MonthLY Meeting monday, January 11, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. at MLK Memorial Library Dream Lab 901 G Street Washington, DC ANC 2C P.O.Box 51181 Washington, DC 20091
$25 for a private 1 hour lesson (DC/MD/ VA) or willing to meet you at your closest metro station for an extra $5.00. Excellent with beginners, intermediate and children. Mark 202 333 3484
French Language Private Instruction Beginner, intermediate, advanced level and conversation classes offered. Emphasis on composing a customized curriculum and structure of classes to best accommodate students achieve their individual goals. Over 7 years of teaching experience. Washington DC. Contact: getfrench@gmail.com, website: www.getfrench.net. 202-270-2098
lease/Rent
babysitting or house sitting
Carr Work Places Coworking for professionals – directly above the Farragut North metro! Promo code GEORGETOWNER for 1 month free with 12 month contract. 866-436-9214 or FarragutNorthTeam@carrworkplaces.com.
Large 1 bd/1bath apt in the heart of Georgetown with 2 balconies and 1 terrace. Entire top floor of an iconic bldg, high ceilings, 10 large windows, lots of closet space, original wood flrs with views of the Washington Monument. Unfurnished. Available immediately. Contact John at johnayersc@aol.com
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apartment for rent
G-Land Uniforms, Inc. EMBROIDERY & SCREEN PRINTING
1516 Wisconsin Ave NW. 1516 Wisconsin Ave NW. Washington, Washington, D.C. 20007 D.C. 20007 Tel:202-333-3583 Fax:202-333-3173 Tel:202-333-3583 Fax:202-333-3173
Hours: Monday-Friday 10-7; Saturday 9-6; Sunday Closed Men’s Hair Cut: $20 and up Women’s Hair Cut: $30 and up
Wednesdays 10% Discount for Seniors and Students
Georgetown 1 bedroom apartment with a fireplace and garden. Available for $2,030 per month. Please call 202-333-5943.
www.g-landuniform.com www.g-landuniform.com g-landinc@hotmail.com G-Land Uniforms, Inc. g-landinc@hotmail.com EMBROIDERY & SCREEN PRINTING
Space Wanted
1516 Wisconsin Ave NW. Washington, D.C. 20007
Tel:202-333-3583 Fax:202-333-3173 Your Garments are welcome For Your Garments are welcome For your LOGO or LETTERS, www.g-landuniform.com your LOGO org-landinc@hotmail.com LETTERS, Space wanted suitable for small art studio in
Welcome the Your Garments are welcome your LOGO or LETTERS, Welcome the small oFr or lsmall arge quantity
Georgetown/Glover Park vicinity. Need only 300-500 square feet. 202-333-8077.
or large quantity
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We1997 are since 1997 in cross P st We are since in Georgetown We are since 1997 in Georgetown cross P st Georgetown cross P st
1518 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007 202.338.3116
Looking for babysitting or house sitting over winter break? Claire Parker is a college freshman who will be home for break and available to house sit or babysit days, evenings or overnight, from December 16th through January 16th. Contact Claire at claireparkerdc@gmail. com or 202-680-0366.
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Reporter Wanted Georgetown Media Group is in search of a news reporter. Responsibilities include coverage of community meetings and civic events, business news, city news, university news, and breaking news -- all with urgency and accuracy. The goal is to always be first to report important developing news on all our platforms. Must be competitive and dedicated to accuracy to allow for building a “mustfollow” brand. Have knowledge of social media and how to engage fan base on digital platforms. Exceptional cross-platform storytelling skills, core journalism skills (reporting, producing, editing, writing, spelling, grammar, AP style. Photo and video skills are a plus. Able to multi-task and excel under deadline pressures, be able to apply innovative, creative thinking to support the company’s goals and have great organizational skills. Pay is commensurate with experience. Apply by sending your resume and writing samples to: sonya@ georgetowner.com
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December 16, 2015 GMG, INC.
Your Dining Guide to Washington DC’s Finest Restaurants
1789 RESTAURANT 1226 36th St., NW 202–965–1789 1789restaurant.com
With the ambiance of an elegant country inn, 1789 features classically-based American cuisine – the finest regional game, fish and produce available. Open seven nights a week. Jackets suggested. Complimentary valet parking.
DAS Ethiopian 1201 28TH ST., NW
202–333–4710 dasethiopian.com DAS Ethiopian offers you a cozy twostory setting, with rare outside dining views and al fresco patio dining. DAS is located at the eclectically brilliant historic corner of the internationally renowned shopping district of Georgetown. A tent under which all come to feast is the very Amharic definition of DAS. From neighborhood diners, nearby students and journalists to international visitors and performers, all enjoy the casual but refined atmosphere that serves up the freshest Ethiopian dishes from local and sustainable food sources.
Bistro Francais 3124-28 M St., NW 202–338–3830 bistrofrancaisdc.com
THE GRILL ROOM 1050 31ST ST., NW 202-617-2424 thegrillroomdc.com
A friendly French bistro in the heart of historic Georgetown since 1975. Executive chef and owner Gerard Cabrol came to Washington, D.C., 32 years ago, bringing with him home recipes from southwestern France. In addition to daily specials, our specialties include our famous Poulet Bistro (tarragon rotisserie chicken), Minute Steak Maitre d’Hotel (steak and pomme frites), Steak Tartare, freshly prepared seafood, veal, lamb and duck dishes and the best Eggs Benedict in town.
Tucked up along the historic C&O Canal, a national park that threads through the Georgetown neighborhood, The Grill Room at Capella Washington, D.C., specializes in hand-cut, bone-in, artisan meats, bracingly fresh seafood and tableside preparations. Framed with a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows and fluid geometric lines, the ambiance is one of relaxed refinement.
ENO Wine Bar
Filomena Ristorante
Visit ENO Wine Bar and enjoy wine flights, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate & seasonal small plates. ENO offers 100 bottles under $50 & 45 wines by the glass starting at $9. The Cellar is an intimate lounge perfect for a date night or private events. Monthly ENOversity: Sunday Wine Classes $50 & Wednesday meet local producers for free tastings. Happy Hours: Sun-Thur from 5pm7pm with a extended hour on Sunday starting at 4 pm along with nibbles and select wines on tap for $5 Mon-Thursday 5pm-11pm , Fri-Sat4pm-12 am, Sunday 4pm-11pm
Filomena is a Georgetown landmark that has endured the test of time for over 30 years. Our old-world cooking styles and recipes brought to America by the early Italian immigrants alongside the culinary cutting-edge creations of Italy’s foods of today executed by our Executive Chef and his team. Open 7 days a week 11:30am11:00pm. Free salad bar with any lunch entrée Mon-Sat and try our spectacular Sunday Brunch Buffet complete with carving stations, pasta stations!
2810 Pennsylvania Ave., NW 202–295–2826 enowinerooms.com
Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Brunch Sat.-Sun. 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
1063 Wisconsin Ave., NW 202–338–8800 filomena.com
CAFE BONAPARTE
1522 Wisconsin Ave., NW 202–333–8830 cafebonaparte.com Captivating customers since 2003, Cafe Bonaparte has been dubbed the “quintessential” European café, featuring award-winning crepes and arguably the “best” coffee in D.C.! Other can't-miss attractions are the famous weekend brunch every Saturday and Sunday until 3 p.m. and our late-night weekend hours serving sweet and savory crepes until 1 a.m. We look forward to calling you a “regular” soon!
Clyde's of Georgetown 3236 M St., NW 202–333–9180 clydes.com
This animated tavern, in the heart of Georgetown, popularized saloon food and practically invented Sunday brunch. Clyde’s is the People’s Choice for bacon cheeseburgers, steaks, fresh seafood, grilled chicken salads, fresh pastas and desserts.
Grill from Ipanema
Malmaison
Family-owned restaurant serving authentic Brazilian food in Washington, D.C., for more than 23 years. Our Executive Chef, Alcy de Souza, cooks with the heart and soul. Live music on Thursday nights is a romantic blend of bossa nova, jazz, samba, choro and forró.
Malmaison opened in June 2013 and features elegant French dining in Washington D.C’s historic Georgetown waterfront. Housed in a majestically refurbished industrial warehouse reminiscent of NYC’s Meatpacking District, the modern restaurant, pastry shop and event lounge features the culinary talents of legendary 2 Michelin Starred French Chef Gerard Pangaud and Pastry Chef Serge Torres (Le Cirque NYC).
1858 Columbia Road, NW 202-986-0757 thegrillfromipanema.com
Monday – Thursday 4:30 to 10:30 pm Friday 4:30 to 11:30 pm Saturday noon to 11:30 pm (brunch until 4 pm) Sunday noon to 10 pm (brunch until 4 pm) Parking validation available for breakfast, lunch and brunch.
3401 K ST.,NW 202–817–3340 malmaisondc.com
Advertise your dining MARTIN’S TAVERN
1264 WISCONSIN AVE., NW 202-333-7370 martinstavern.com Fifth generation Lauren Martin learns about the family business from her dad, Billy Martin, Jr. Since 1933, the warm atmosphere of Martin’s Tavern has welcomed neighbors and world travelers looking for great food, service and years of history within it’s walls. Fourth generation owner Billy Martin. Jr. continues the tradition of Washington’s oldest family owned restaurant. Serving Brunch until 4pm 7 days a week!
SEA CATCH Restaurant
1054 31st St., NW 202–337–8855 seacatchrestaurant.com Overlooking the historic C&O Canal, we offer fresh seafood simply prepared in a relaxed atmosphere. beautiful fireside dining available Join us for Happy Hour, Mon.-Fri. from 5 to 7 pm, featuring $1 oysters and halfpriced drinks. Book your holiday parties now. Available for 20-300 people. Lunch Mon.–Sat. 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Dinner Mon.–Sat. 5–10 p.m.
THE OCEANAIRE 1201 F St., NW 202–347–2277 theoceanaire.com
Ranked one of the most popular seafood restaurants in D.C., “this cosmopolitan” send-up of a vintage supper club that’s styled after a '40’s-era ocean liner is appointed with cherry wood and red leather booths, infused with a “clubby, old money” atmosphere. The menu showcases “intelligently” prepared fish dishes that “recall an earlier time of elegant” dining. Lunch Mon.–Fri. 11:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Dinner Mon.–Thu. 5–10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5–11 p.m., Sun. 5–9 p.m.
TOWN HALL
2340 Wisconsin Ave., NW 202-333-5640 townhalldc.com Situated just north of Georgetown on Wisconsin Ave, Town Hall has been a neighborhood mainstay in Glover Park since 2005. Whether you’re popping in for dinner, drinks, or weekend brunch, Town Hall is the spot you’ll want to call home to Gulp, Gather & Grub. Free parking is available nightly after 7PM, and during warmer months, our outdoor courtyard is one of DC’s best kept secrets.
specials in our dining guide Contact:
advertising @ georgetowner.com GMG, INC. December 16, 2015
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FOOD & WINE
Beauty Between the Bread: Tim Ma’s Chase the Submarine
BY ARI P OS T here is a vitality and subtle whimsy at the heart of Tim Ma’s restaurants that make any experience at one of his tables a gratifying experience. As a chef, Ma is a tinkerer, and the food he prepares is fresh, bold and always a little playful. His menus traverse between culinary traditions of East and West, classic and contemporary, finding a refreshing balance of flavor and style in unlikely places. Right now all eyes are on Kyirisan, his first restaurant in the District, slated to open in Shaw early next year, which he is currently developing with his wife and business partner Joey Hernandez. However, just this month, he quietly opened the doors of his newest venture in his own neighborhood of Vienna, Virginia. Chase the Submarine is a cozy sandwich shop, café and boutique market, which might be serving the best sandwiches anywhere that Metro can reach. Tucked in among a row of storefronts off the main drag of Vienna's downtown, just blocks away from his flagship restaurant Maple Ave (of which he has relinquished creative control to pursue other projects), Chase the Submarine looks from the outside like a standard suburban lunch spot. But all comparisons with the ordinary stop as soon as you walk through the door. But the sandwiches steal the show at Chase. For his starting lineup of subs, Ma exercised the same tireless grit that you would expect him to exert over a full restaurant menu. Have you ever
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seen a deli counter with a full kitchen, an industrial gas range and six cooks on staff? “We started with restaurants, and now we have a sandwich shop,” Ma says. “We’re sort of working backwards in that sense. And we’re bringing all those resources and practices, everything from our restaurant’s kitchen, and cramming it into this totally different environment.” Chase has the standards: an Italian sub, a pastrami, a chicken salad, a Cubano (sort of) and a stacked vegetarian portobello. But Ma has remastered these classics in his own unique way and brought them back to life for 21st-century foodies. I don't even like steak and cheese (sorry, Philly), but with thin-sliced rib eye finished perfectly on the grill, this sandwich was crazy good. The Pork and Pickle is a sort of updated multicultural Cubano, with pineapple-braised pork shoulder, Dijon mustard and gooey Gruyère, topped with pickled apples, dill pickles and (get ready for this) lychee. It is about the most ingenious and tasty combination of flavors you can imagine, and I could eat one every day for the rest of my life. And the pastrami is something you will wake up thinking about. To make it, Ma house-smokes Wagyu beef brisket, primes the bread with a blend of crème fraîche and mustard and tops it with carrot sauerkraut and pickled shallots. “We have to start curing the brisket about a week ahead,” Ma says. “Then we smoke it, chill it, slice it and touch it on the grill before serving. So you could say it takes seven days to make this sandwich.”
The menu also lets loose with outstanding Asian-inspired numbers, like a Vietnamese bánh mì made with braised pork belly, local ham, pickled daikon and jalapeño oil, and a Korean bulgogi sub with rib eye marinated in Asian pears, topped with kimchi puree and roasted scallions. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the fried veal sweetbreads, served on a long bun with Korean chili paste, pickles and cabbage, is out of this world. The average price of a sub at Chase is about $9.50. If he wanted to, Ma could remove the bread from most of these sandwiches, stack the ingredients on a plate and serve them as entrees at his restaurant for more than double the price. He probably knows this, but he obviously doesn't care. Chase the Submarine is a reflection of where he is in his life, who he cares about and how he thinks. “You can get a little sick of the pretentiousness of fine dining,” he says. “I have three kids now, and Joey and I can't really take them to any of my other restaurants. Chase is a familyoriented place, a place for parents to come after work and get a bite to eat and beer, and their kids can run around and get something to eat from the kids menu. It's for everyone, but it's also just sort of a neighborhood thing.” The magic of this place is that Ma so effortlessly blends obvious greatness with a “nothing special” modesty. He seems hardly aware of the ambition with which he has already fueled his little sub shop. Already there are off-menu
items on a regular basis, showcasing his endless culinary experimentation. “I'm always making something back there,” he laughs. “Just ask.” He has plans to sell rare ingredients from the back: “Things I use in the kitchen that are hard to get at the grocery store — homemade stocks, unusual cuts of meat, that sort of thing.” Come spring, he plans to run a CSA out of Chase with weekly proteins and vegetables. There is a butcher’s-block tasting table toward the back of the bar, where he will soon debut a twice-weekly five-course tasting menu for groups of six, with wine pairings and food “inspired by the deli.” I guess we will have to find out what that means, but I’m sure it will be a hell of an adventure. Chase the Submarine (132 Church St. NW, Vienna, Virginia) is open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Photo courtesy Pork and Pickle.
FOOD & WINE
Eat, Drink and Dance About Town On New Year’s Eve
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here is more pressure figuring out where to go on New Year’s Eve than on any other holiday, and eating out on New Year’s Eve usually means looking through list upon list of special dinners that every spot in town seems to offer. We compiled some of the best New Year’s Eve dinners to catch our eye this year, just to make your last meal of 2015 a memorable one (but make sure to call ahead for reservations).
Bar Dupont Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Bar Dupont (1500 New Hampshire Ave. NW) at their annual party. Guests will ring in the New Year with a throwback to the 60s Mad-Men style, with specialty handcrafted cocktails, a Belvedere Ice Bar, cigar rollers and DJs spinning late into the night. Light bites will also be served. Bar Dupont’s location in the center of Washington’s lively Dupont Circle neighborhood and its floor-to-ceiling windows make it a great destination to see and be seen on New Year’s Eve. For more information, call 202-797-0169.
Bistrot Royal Head to Bistrot Royal (1201 N Royal St., Alexandria, Virginia) and enjoy a threecourse prix-fixe dinner for $55 per person. The restaurant will offer a variety of options including roasted beet salad with goat cheese croquette, lettuces, brioche croutons and a shallot vinaigrette, a bouillabaisse with gently simmered market seafood in a saffron-shellfish broth with fennel and potatoes topped with rouille aioli. Finish the meal with Buche de Noel with hazelnut dacquoise, giandjua filling, chocolate ganache and espresso ice cream. For reservations, visit opentable.com/bistrot-royal or call 703-519-9110.
Meet Me at Midnight: Cafe Milano’s New Year’s Eve Bash Join Cafe Milano (3251 Prospect St. NW) for their New Year's Eve bash: Meet Me at Midnight. For $160 per person, treat yourself to a special five-course prix-fixe tasting menu and dance the night away. The main event is 9 p.m. until the New Year. A special holiday à la carte menu will be available from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. For reservations, call 202-333-6183.
New Year’s Eve Rooftop Party at Capella D.C. Bid farewell to 2015 in exquisite style with a multi-course champagne dinner in The Grill Room at Capella (1050 31st St. NW) hosted by executive chef Frank Ruta. With grand cru champagnes from Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot and Ruinart, each sumptuous course will be accompanied by premium champagnes. Then dance the night away under the luminous night sky at the Rooftop New Year’s Eve Party, complete with a Veuve Clicquot champagne
On 24 December, at Sunset to honor those who came before us and in the spirit of Christmas bagpipe players will perform at Oak Hill Cemetery in remembrance of the hundreds of Scottish & Irish Americans buried in Oak Hill Cemetery who fought in the Civil War, the Spanish War, The Great War and WWII who served their newly adopted country. These people were police officers, firefighters, shopkeepers, laymen & labors, statesmen, & community leaders all who helped make up the fabric of our society. The Pipe Major will lead a procession of all who wish to join in along R Street from Oak Hill Cemetery to High Street (Now Wisconsin Avenue) and then down to St. John’s Episcopal Church along Beall Street (O St.) where the parishioners of the Church will greet the bagpipers a little after 5:00 PM, following the service, with a reception and music of the Season.
bar and a signature cocktail. Toast to the New Year at midnight with a champagne toast while DJ Charles and a percussionist keep the festivities going until 1 a.m. Dinner is $350 per person. Rooftop Celebration is $100 per person when booked with dinner. Just the Rooftop New Year’s Eve Party is $150 per person. For more information and to make reservations, contact The Grill Room at 202-617-2424 or email thegrillroom.dc@capellahotels.com.
An ENOrmous New Year’s Eve Celebration at ENO Wine Bar ENO Wine Bar (2810 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) is hosting their ENOrmous NYE Celebration from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wind down 2015 and ring in the New Year with champagnes from around the world. This ticketed celebration includes: a wine flight from a variety of options, a champagne toast at midnight, choice of a bruschetta flight, including prosciutto di Parma, cherry tomato, mushroom, or bean and kale, or stuffed mushrooms filled with rich, cheesy goodness and so much more. To learn more, visit enowinerooms.com/hotspots/georgetown-d.c.
See The Pimps of Joytime and The Ron Holloway Band at Gypsy Sally’s NYE Show Come out to Gypsy Sally’s (3401 K St. at Water Street NW) and celebrate New Year’s Eve with The Pimps of Joytime. The show also features The Ron Holloway Band. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $30 in advance, $38 day of show. To purchase tickets, visit gypsysallys.com.
RiverBash 2016 New Year’s Eve Party Come ring in the New Year at the Georgetown Waterfront with Tony & Joe’s (3000 K St. NW) and Nick’s Riverside Grill (3050 K St. NW). Celebrate at #RiverBash2016, the biggest New Year’s party in Washington D.C. Tickets include a five-hour top shelf open bar, two heavy appetizer buffets and entertainment by Josh Burgess Band, DJ VIBzzz and DJ Reuben Vibes. Tickets start at $90 per person. To learn more, visit tonyandjoes.com or email Brett@nicksriversidegrill.com to receive a group promo code.
On Christmas Eve 1846, Henry Clayton Copperthite was christened
at Saint John’s on Antigua. Shortly thereafter, his parents, who were indentured servants made their way to America. During the Civil War, Henry was stationed at Georgetown College as a 14-year-old Wagon Driver for the 79th Highlanders of NY. Penniless but a newly minted American Citizen, he returned to Georgetown and with his wife, Johanna O’Neil Copperthite. Along with family he established the largest Pie Baking concern in the Country. By 1914 the Connecticut~Copperthite Pie Baking Company of Georgetown employed 15,000 workers nationwide, had 230 wagons, 600 horses, and were turning out over 50,000 pies a day. Henry worked to build the Speedway, now part of the Mall and West Potomac Park, co-founded the Humane Society, and helped restore St. John’s Church as well as many other historic landmarks in the city. He was an inventor and an advocate for worker rights, and he built one of the finest Trotting and Pacing Race Tracks in America at Burke Station, Virginia. Presidents, Politicians, and people from all walks of life came to the Copperthite Stock Farm for County Fairs, Horse and Motor Races, Dances and Social Events, and of course…for our Pies! Every Year we honor Henry and all of those citizens of this the greatest city in America and ask you to remember and pay tribute to those who came before us to the Nation’s Capital!
Please join us to remember those who came to American and to Georgetown to become citizens and to help build this great City & Nation!
The Connecticut~Copperthite Pie Baking Company of Georgetown Baking the Finest Pies the World Has Known for Over 125 Years!
GMG, INC. December 16, 2015
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BODY & SOUL
Murphy’s Love: Being Patient With Your Holiday Self
BY STA CY NOTA RAS M U R P H Y Dear Stacy, It’s December and once again, I am here in the middle of the holidays feeling completely overwhelmed. I have a busy job, a busy family and a tendency to be busy all the time. I usually like things that way, but it never seems to fail me that I get to feeling really stressed out and frustrated during this time of year. It always sets me up for a New Year’s resolution about “making space for peace” (words from my therapist), but nothing ever lasts. My husband is fed up with my complaining, and so am I. Do I just thrive on stress? Should I embrace that? Is there anything I can do to make things better? — Seasonal Stress Dear Seasonal: I think we all might feel some of your pain right now. Agonizing about holiday busy-ness seems to be a national pastime, particularly for those of us who acknowledge we have a “tendency” (read: preference or addiction) toward being busy all the time. But you really do sound like you are truly pained by this, and that’s the litmus test that shows us when stress stops being a motivator and, instead, becomes a physiological and psychological problem. While I am a total fan of your therapist — making space for peace sounds awesome — I
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can see that you are not turning her words into a usable mantra, at least not at this time of year. So let’s invoke another tried-and-true stress-relief trick: taking things one day at a time. I know this may not be the sexy answer you might have been hoping for, but it works. Sometimes patience with self is the only thing that does. Make that to-do list and work it. Crossing small things off is still crossing things off. Give yourself credit for taking out the garbage as well as finishing your handmade Advent calendar (ahem…they do sell these online with free shipping). Prioritize, even if that means you might disappoint someone. Take small bites and celebrate them. Be gentle with yourself when you aren’t as productive as you thought you might be. Remember: you’re raising kids who will share your tendencies — toward being stressed out or, with some thoughtful choreography, toward being kind to themselves before, during and after the holidays. Stacy Notaras Murphy is a licensed professional counselor in Georgetown. Visit her on the web at stacymurphyLPC.com. This column is meant for entertainment only and should not be considered a substitute for professional counseling. Send your confidential question to stacymurphyLPC@gmail.com.
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December 16, 2015 GMG, INC.
Resolutions: In One Year and Out the Other BY JOSEF BR AN D EN BURG
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he new year is great for my industry, because losing weight and/or getting fit is the number-one resolution in the U.S. Though it’s not in my best interest, I’m actually encouraging you not to make New Year’s resolutions, because I don’t think they work. Resolutions are generally what psychologists call vows: solemn, often emotionally intense promises. For example, “I will work out more this year” or “I will eat better this year.” These kinds of resolutions fail at least 88 percent of the time. What to do instead? Reflecting on your life and goals is very important — this is a great time of year for that — and I believe your health and fitness should always be high on your priority list. Here are three keys to successfully changing the course of your health and fitness in 2016. 1. Doubt yourself. Research on smokers shows that those who are the most confident in their ability to quit are paradoxically the least successful in doing so. This is because they don’t think through what to do when they’re tired, stressed or having insane cravings. Quitting cigarettes is hard, and working out consistently — even if it’s “only” three times a week — is no different. You have an unlimited number of things competing for your time and money, and everything is more urgent than being proactive about your health and fitness. The good news is that acknowledging reality empowers you to set up strategies to
keep the tired and stressed self of the future on track. 2. Make it concrete. Again according to research, the key to follow-through is writing down the answers to four questions: What? When? Where? How? For example: On Monday and Friday at 6 p.m., I will work out with a coach at True 180 Fitness, and on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., I will sprint the hill at 34th Street for 30 minutes after a warm-up. 3. Get accountability. Can you lean on a friend who is already consistent? Sticking to his or her schedule can change your life. But please don’t team up a friend who is also struggling to work out — you are likely to support each other in not changing. A good personal trainer can also be very helpful in holding you accountable. (Just don’t expect to be able to outsource your health and fitness to a personal trainer. He or she is only with you one to three hours per week.) Have you heard some or most of this before? Probably, but hearing and doing are two very different things. Don’t wait until Jan. 1 — that’s the same old song and dance. Stop what you’re doing and invest 10 minutes to write out your concrete plan right now. A best-selling author and fitness expert, Josef Brandenburg owns True 180 Fitness in Georgetown. Information about his 14-Day Personal Training Experience may be found at true180.fitness.
LIFE TRANSITIONS MATTER If you are in the midst of separation or divorce, do you: · · · ·
Understand your financial future and have a plan for it? Act as the best parent and co-parent you can be? Use your attorney effectively to conserve resources for your future? Act as your best self in the midst of this chaotic and stressful life transition?
Call or email for a free consultation with, Cherie Morris, CDC Certified Divorce Coach at: cmorris@lifetransitions.com 301-928-4695 Also, check out www.Deardivorcecoach.com where you can find Tools for Empowerment in Separation, Divorce and Beyond. Cherie Morris, Certified Divorce Coach E: cmorris@lifetransitionsmatter.com
P: 301-928-4695 W: www.lifetransitionsmatter.com
ANTIQUES ADDICT
The Utensils: From Eating to Dining BY MICHE L L E GAL L E R arly Americans were close to medieval in their dining habits. Even though people have been sharing communal meals with their families and friends from the beginning of civilization, early meals in Colonial America were more a matter of crude survival. Most foods in the colony-building 17th century consisted of one-pot dishes like stews, porridges and puddings, meals that are suited for cooking over an open fire. Tableware and dining utensils were scarce; hence, meals were eaten from shared utensils, bowls and wooden cups, called noggins, passed from mouth to mouth. Although using communal tableware was borne of necessity, it was also customary, as the Puritan ethic espoused frugality and simplicity. It was related that a newcomer to one New England town brought individual trenchers for each member of his family and was admonished by the town magistrates for being too extravagant. A typical family ate off trenchers, a 10- or 12-inch rectangular block of wood about three inches thick with a bowl shape carved into it. After the main course, the trencher was turned over and dessert was served on the clean side. A poor, rural family might eat from a trencher that was actually a table of sorts made from a long block of wood with a “V” shaped trough cut through the center into which the stew was poured and shared by all. Some families dispensed with trenchers altogether, and ate “spoon meat,” roasted meat served on thick slices of bread. Prior to the American Revolution, most Americans ate with spoons made from shell, horn, wood or gourds. Sharp knives, also used as weapons, were initially used less to cut meat, than to anchor it down while people tore off a piece with their hands and shoved it into their mouths. The blunt-tipped knives
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imported to the colonies were the precursors to the fork and often food was brought to the mouth on the flat edge of the knife. Until the late 18th century, forks were still uncommon in the colonies and deemed a curiosity. Since the new blunt knives made it difficult to spear food, the two-prong fork was used to hold meat while being cut — but still not so helpful for holding bites of food. By the middle of the 18th century, early Americans began to acquire more wealth and mass-produced dining utensils were becoming more available and affordable. A sign of refinement was the appearance of individual place settings. The simple fork significantly refined table manners, as hands were no longer used to reach for food and greasy fingers no longer wiped on the tablecloth. Although forks had been used by the French court as early as the 14th century, they were used only when eating exotic foods or foods that could easily stain the hands. By the 17th century, travelers had spread the word about this eating invention. It became commonplace throughout Europe, but the colonies still refused to use the fork. They looked upon it as an effeminate and useless curiosity. Finally, by the early 19th century, the three- and four-prong forks, developed in England and Germany, were becoming the primary eating utensil in America and marked the real beginning of civilized dining by Americans. Meanwhile, fewer middle and upper class folk ate from a common serving bowl. Pewter plates began replacing wooden trenchers, and many affluent households did not use woodenware at all. However, people living far out in the newer settlements, away from transportation centers used it for about 200 years. China first made an appearance in the early 18th century, but was found only in wealthier
Early utensils evolved through the cultures and the ages. Courtesy Reitz Collecton of Food Technology, San Francisco.
households — and it rarely came out of the china closet. By the middle of the 19th century, dining in America was not just about eating. Victorians, with their love of making any simple gathering an event, were the first to identify a specific room for dining. They introduced a bewildering assortment of silver flatware, a far cry from the simple knives of their ancestors. There was a specialized utensil for every conceivable use. There was a spoon for cream soup, a special spoon for clear soup, luncheon knives, dinner knives and coffee spoons, dinner spoons,
dessert spoons and so on. There were so many dining accoutrements that it seemed there was scarcely room on the table for the food. Even though the United States was one of the last regions to adopt spoons and forks, we still tuck into great fried chicken using our most efficient eating tools — those located on the ends of our arms. Michelle Galler (antiques.and.whimsies@ gmail.com) is an antiques dealer, design consultant and realtor based in Georgetown. Her shop is in Rare Finds, in Washington, Virginia.
Wooden trenchers were early communal eating bowls. Courtesy Kulturhistorisk Museum, Oslo.
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IN COUNTRY
New Year’s Getaways: St. Michaels to Middleburg BY PET E R MURRAY
Orchestra is playing a special New Year’s Eve concert at Christ Church, starting at 6 p.m. Tickets range from $60 to $85 and can be purchased by calling 888-846-8600. 111 South Harrison St., Easton, Maryland. As for accommodations, try the sumptuous Inn at 202, which has rooms starting at $290 per night and open dinner reservations early on New Year’s Eve. 202 E Dover St., Easton, Maryland. Or try the Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond, with rooms starting at $585 for New Years Eve. It’s in St. Michaels at 308 Watkins Lane. The Inn at Perry Cabin located in St. Michaels. Photo by Angie Myers.
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ooking for something to do outside the city for New Year’s and the night before? We have you covered with a rundown of the best In Country holiday celebrations. Easton and St. Michaels Get away to the bay on New Year’s Eve with a trip to Easton or St. Michaels, Maryland. The two charming towns are a
scenic 20-minute drive apart and have a lot to offer this New Year’s. In Easton, the town celebrates the coming of the New Year with First Night Talbot, a big event in Easton Town Centre that includes food, musical performances and fun activities for kids. The night concludes with the Crab Drop, a play on the famous Times Square countdown to the New Year — with a six-foot-tall papier-mâché crab. Also in town, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony
Annapolis Annapolis is bustling with food and hospitality options for New Year’s Eve. The capital city celebrates the occasion with two firework displays (at 7:30 p.m. and midnight) and live music on the city dock in the heart of town. Try one of Annapolis’s renowned restaurants like VIN 909, a wine bar offering Italian and new American cuisine, or something more casual with views of the water, like Dock Street Bar and Grill. For accommodations, the Chez
Chez Amis B&B is located in historic downtown Annapolis near the Naval Academy. Photo courtesy Chez Amis.
Amis B&B is the number one recommendation by Trip Advisor, and is centrally located in the historic district of Annapolis. But as I write this, there is only one room left, and it’s going for $175 on New Year’s Eve. VIN 909: 909 Bay Ridge Ave. Dock Street Bar and Grill: 136 Dock St. Chez Amis: 85 East St.
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IN COUNTRY
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Goodstone Inn & Restaurant has won many awards for its fine dining. Photo courtesy Goodstone.
Middleburg, Virginia sprawling Salamander Resort and Spa. Your New Year’s plans can be a bit more Salamander hosts its Toast to the New Year relaxing in the Virginia countryside where Celebration from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., and offers great artisanal foods, sweeping meadows and all of its regular activities, like horseback a number of delightful inns await. There’s rides and massages, on Jan. 1 so you can treat the Goodstone Inn, which has rooms with a yourself for the New Year. Check in on Dec. view starting at $335. Their New Year’s Eve 30 to make the most of your stay. Rooms is celebrated over fresh cuts of meat from start at $473. Goodstone Inn: 36205 Snake nearby farms along with some of Virginia’s Road. Salamander Resort and Spa: 500 T & T_Georgetowner_12.2015_B_Layout 1 12/9/15Hill 1:32 PM Page 1 finest wines. Or, celebrate the occasion at the N Pendleton St.
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visual arts
Art for the Holiday Season By Ar i Pos t
Freer Gallery to Close for Renovations, Jan. 4
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he Freer Gallery of Art, the oldest of the Smithsonian Institution’s art museums, will be closed for renovations from Jan. 4 through the spring or summer of 2017. The Sackler Gallery, to which it is linked underground — forming a bicameral museum of Asian art — will remain open. Along with its extraordinary Asian holdings, the Freer is the home of a major collection of works by American expatriate artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler, of “Whistler’s Mother” fame (that painting, formally known as “Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1,” is owned by Paris’s Musée d’Orsay), including his stunning Peacock Room. On the third Thursday of the month at noon, the Peacock Room shutters are opened, allowing its flamboyantly colored and decorated walls and ceramics-packed shelves to be bathed in natural light. The last opportunity to experience this for a year and a half is this Thursday, Dec. 17. Jan. 2-3 is “Say Goodbye to the Freer” weekend, with many family-friendly activities from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Julian Raby, director of the Freer-Sackler since 2002, was the speaker at Georgetown Media Group’s Nov. 5 Cultural Leadership Breakfast at the George Town Club. In his remarks, Raby brought to life the beginnings of the Freer Gallery of Art, dedicated in 1923 and spawned by the ideals of its founder, Charles Lang Freer, a full-cloth American self-made man.
“There was no silver spoon in the mouth of Charles Lang Freer,” he said, noting his beginnings as a maker and developer of railroad cars, which made him nearly a billionaire and allowed him to retire at age 47. He also had the good fortune, spurred by an interest in art collecting, to meet and be associated with Whistler, from whom he at first bought just a modest etching. “The relationship was an extraordinary match,” Raby said. “Whistler was choleric, quixotic, and Freer was an extremely thoughtful man. It was a match that would lead to the acquisition of 1,300 works which formed the foundation of the collection and started a passion in Freer, and even obsession, with Asian art and culture, prints and screens and with China.” “Imagine,” Raby said, “a relationship somewhat like what Velázquez might have had with the hidalgos” (a phrase you won’t hear every day). The complex history of the Peacock Room, created for British shipping magnate Frederick Richards Leyland and setting off a bitter feud between patron and artist, is currently the subject of a special Sackler Gallery exhibition, “Peacock Room REMIX.” The show’s centerpiece is “Filthy Lucre,” a recreation of the room in ruins by painter Darren Waterston. Regarding the original Peacock Room, says Raby, “when we open the windows and let the light in, it’s still spectacular.”
John Blee, “Poet’s House — Octavio Paz.” Courtesy of the artist. John Blee at Cross MacKenzie For John Blee, painting is poetry and color is its language. “Color determines the voice of each painting,” he says. “It can never be exactly repeated. So when I find the right colors in the process of painting, they are like keys that open the works for me.” His recent work, on view at Cross MacKenzie Gallery, 1675 Wisconsin Ave. NW, expands his “Orchard” series, which began in 2007. These lush, atmospheric environments of color and delicate shapes are a sensory envelopment, recalling the painterly geometric abstraction of Hans Hofmann and the alluring garden scenes of Pierre Bonnard. Yet Blee finds much of his inspiration in poetry. The origin of this series is connected to the late French poems of Rainer Maria Rilke, specifically his collection “Vergers,” (French for “Orchards”). Regardless, his paintings are for those among us who adore the secret life of paint itself. They are for those who lean in close to explore the trails of the brush, tracing its path and listening for the echo of colors scratched gently across the taut canvas. For this writer, paintings do not get much better. These are paintings I would like to live with. Wolf Kahn at Addison/Ripley and Gallery Neptune & Brown Wolf Kahn is one of the greatest living American landscape artists, able to evoke with
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his soft, exuberant palette the fleeting essence and particularities of time and place in nature. His work is beloved because he so beautifully communicates his own love for the world so clearly. Born in Stuttgart in 1927, Kahn came to the U.S. in 1940. He studied painting with Hans Hofmann in New York before venturing across the country on his own, beginning to distill his visions of nature. Kahn’s current work at Addison/Ripley Fine Art, 1670 Wisconsin Ave. NW, is a continuum of his steadily unfolding oeuvre. There are trees, hills, fields and skies, painted and drawn in colors that feel as if they were plucked right out of the sky at dawn. The exhibition at Gallery Neptune & Brown, 1530 14th St. NW, presents Kahn’s limited editions and unique monotypes, suitable for seasoned collectors and recent devotees alike. It includes both early and recent works on paper that display his iconic use of gestural line, compelling composition and ever-evolving mastery of color and light. Dana Westring at Susan Calloway Dana Westring looks for the beauty found in timeless forms. Interpreting the grand, aweinspiring ruins of Cambodia and Angkor Wat, his watercolors and drawings are meticulously created, with rendering both gestural and precise. Westring’s work, on view at Susan Calloway Art, 1643 Wisconsin Ave. NW, aims to draw us into shadows, scattered across the mysterious terrain of a lost history.
The shutters in Whistler's Peacock Room at the Freer Gallery of Art will open at noon on Thursday, Dec. 17. Courtesy Freer-Sackler.
PERFORMANCE
Chaka Khan: Swimming in Every Musical Ocean BY GARY T IS CHL ER
Chaka Khan. Photo by Tim Fielding. Courtesy Kennedy Center.
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hinking about the life of Chaka Khan so far is like trying to read a really thick, epic novel in an hour. It’s some life, that life. “More like two lives,” said the woman once dubbed the Queen of Funk in a recent phone interview. “Probably more than two.” Khan will share some of the musical highlights of that life when the 10-time Grammy award-winning singer makes her solo debut in the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall on Dec. 31, kicking off the center’s New Year’s Eve celebration. When you’re in the middle of thinking thoughts about the past, present and future, you could do worse than letting Khan’s songs wash over you. She and the songs, especially those from her rise to big-time stardom with the group Rufus — “I’m Every Woman,” “I Feel For You,” “Do You Love What You Feel,” “Tell Me Something Good” — are instantly recognizable. They filled the disco air at Mike O’Harro’s legendary Tramps in Georgetown, and everywhere else in the land of America, for nights on end. The life is a Chicago girl’s. Born Yvette Marie Stevens in Hyde Park, she was influenced by a grandmother who loved jazz. “I heard lots of Ella around the house,” she said. She formed an all-girl singing group, the Crystallettes, in the neighborhood at age 11. By the early 1970s, she was working with Chicago groups like Baby Huey and the Babysitters, then was spotted by a member of the rising funk band Rufus. The rest, you could say, is history. But, really, it’s just the beginning. Throw in two marriages, three children, acknowledged bouts with addiction, a kind of diva status that rivaled the other queens of the times (Aretha, Patti LaBelle, Whitney Houston), stints of living in Germany and England and enough awards to blind even the most modest eyes. On paper, it sounds ritzy and glitzy, and probably justifiably dramatic. At its center, though, is always the music — all kinds of music, almost every kind that’s out there (except perhaps polka), including country, funk, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, Motown, jazz, folk and, yes, “I have too done classical music.” Divas are, of course, notoriously difficult to deal with, yet Khan has managed to collaborate with countless top musicians in a variety of genres: Robert Palmer, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder (that’s him playing the harmonica on “I Feel For You”), Ry Cooder and a host of others. She swims in every musical ocean. The woman on the phone doesn’t sound regal. She has all the attributes of someone deliciously contradictory: accessible, articulate, warm, funny (with a little salty sailor talk in her), down to earth. Asked to define “funk,” she laughed and said, “I have no idea,” but then expressed the all-embracing notion that funk is wide as a wing of wonder, about motion and moving, rhythm and a certain flamboyant style. If you go on that magical musical time machine called YouTube, she’s represented at all phases of her career, a fabulous presence — her famous blossoming crowns of hair, those freckles on a beautiful face, the stylings, all sorts of songs. There’s the spectacular “I’m Every Woman” duet with Whitney Houston, for instance. “That whole thing, she and her daughter, such a tragedy. I know how that happens, what it can do to you, believe me,” said Khan. “You know, you start out, and all of that being young, and the songs. And I’ve always wanted just to do the music justice, even if, well, like that song ‘I’m Every Woman.’ And I thought, ‘I’m every woman? What the hell do I know? But if you give it everything you have, that’s what I tried to do.” Her songs, for me, have always been there, on the radio, on the jukeboxes, but I never thought of her broad range until recently. One time, my neighbor in Lanier Heights, Mickey Collins, and I were talking about the song “My Funny Valentine.” While we both agreed that the song was one of the greatest jazz-fueled love songs ever, we disagreed about its best interpreter. I proffered the usual suspects: Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and others. “Naw,” Mickey said. “It’ll come to me.” A few days later, he came out of his door and said, “Two words: Chaka Khan.” I have to agree after hearing and seeing her version. I shared the story with her. Truth is, jazz is something special for and to her. You can hear it like a sneaky foray into scatting on some of her hits, and especially on the amazing video of her singing Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” with the Funk Brothers from the movie “Standing in the Shadows of Motown,” bridging the road between jazz and funk. “Jazz is my heart. Nobody scats much any more. It’s pure, it’s hard to do and it’s free and disciplined at the same time.” On New Year’s Eve, you’ll be able to hear part of her musical life — and parts of ours. Who knows, maybe she’ll do “My Funny Valentine.”
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Social Scene
Kitty Kelley Toasts Sinatra’s 100th
David Yurman Fetes CityCenter Debut With Georgetown Cupcakes
By Robert Devaney David Yurman’s first boutique in Washington, D.C., celebrated its grand opening Dec. 8 with Georgetown’s own cupcake queens, the Kallinis sisters and in partnership with Hope for Henry, a portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit the organization. It joins Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Carolina Herrera, Paul Stuart, Salvatore Ferragamo and others at CityCenter, where holiday shopping is a must at D.C.’s newest top boutique headquarters.
A lighted reindeer greets guests in the middle of CityCenter.
Heather Podesta with Georgetown Cupcake’s Katherine Kallinis Berman and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne.
Cece Coffin and Kate Yakimtsova of David Yurman flank Timothy Lowery, general manager of CityCenter.
By Neschan H. Naltchayan Author Kitty Kelley celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of America’s greatest crooner by signing copies of her reissused 1986 book, “His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra,” with hundreds of her friends Dec. 9 at Ristorante i Ricchi on 19th Street NW. “Who would’ve thought that we’d be here tonight celebrating the 100th birthday of Frank Sinatra?” asked Kelley, who added that she was sued by the singer before she’d written a word. “The day he hit me with his $2 million lawsuit was the day I fully understood what the First Amendment was all about.” Writers’ and journalists’ groups stepped up to support her. “For me, the best part of tonight is that the life story of a man with only 47 days of education before he dropped out of high school in Hoboken, New Jersey, will benefit Reading is Fundamental,” said Kelley, raising her champagne glass to toast both Ol’ Blue Eyes and the First Amendment. Chef Christianne Ricchi chose Italian immigrant food as light fare, ranging from sausages and mozzarella sticks to meatballs in spaghetti nests. And, yes, Sinatra dropped that lawsuit.
Kitty Kelly and chef Christianne Ricchi.
Business Hall of Fame Shines at Building Museum
By Erin Schaff The 28th annual Washington Business Hall of Fame was held at the National Building Museum Dec. 2. About 1,100 attended the black-tie event, founded by Greater Washington Board of Trade, Junior Achievement of Greater Washington and Washingtonian magazine. A record $1.3 million was raised for Junior Achievement. Five laureates were inducted into the Hall of Fame for their professional and philanthropic contributions to the Washington region: Seth Goldman, Sheila Johnson, Joe Rigby, John Toups, and Scott Wilfong. News anchor Leon Harris of WJLA-TV/ABC7 emceed with some help from caped JA Superheroes Vivian Poe and Kennedy Cawley.
Event chair Jerry Carlson and 2015 Washington Business Hall of Fame laureate Seth Goldman, co-founder of Honest Tea.
2015 event chair Jerry Carlson, KPMG LLP; James Dinegar, Greater Washington Board of Trade; Cathy Merrill Williams, Washingtonian magazine; and Edward J. Grenier III, Junior Achievement of Greater Washington.
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Carol Rigby and Debbi Jarvis of Pepco.
The benefit took advantage of the beautiful setting and highlighted the Building Museum’s architectural glory with strategically placed lighting.
Social Scene
Bob Woodward Discusses ‘The Last of the President’s Men’ By mary bird
Bob Woodward, Washington Post editor and Georgetown resident, was interviewed at Carol Joynt’s Dec. 11 Q&A luncheon at the George Town Club. Woodward said he thought he had finished writing books on Nixon until he ran into Alexander Butterfield, who revealed the White House taping which led to the president’s resignation. He called the Watergate hearings a cultural event, which brought to light Nixon’s paranoia in feeling the need for “sanitization” of White House staff offices displaying a photograph of President Kennedy. Nixon was “rude and condescending” toward Butterfield, “borderline abusive” in his relationship with first lady Patricia Nixon and played “ego games with Kissinger.” Woodward lauded the “mind on, hands off” approach of Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham during his and Carl Bernstein’s investigation and her determiBob Woodward and Carol Joynt. nation to have the truth come out.
Opera Camerata’s 25th Anniversary Gala — and ‘Tosca’
By mary bird A sold-out crowd of opera aficionados from Boston, New York and Washington celebrated Opera Camerata of Washington’s 25th anniversary Dec. 5 at the residence of Ambassador of Colombia Juan Carlos Pinzón and his wife. The black tie evening featured a cocktail reception and elegant dinner buffet. Guests enjoyed a superb production of Puccini’s “Tosca,” featuring local singers Olga Orlovskaya in the title role and Jose Sacin, as Scarpia. An 18-piece orchestra was conducted by Peruvian Esparto Lavalle Terry, who arrived in D.C. especially for the event. Guests included Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Ambassador of Japan Kenichiro Sasae and his wife, Nobuko Sasae, Bishop Mario Dorsonville and Ambassador Paul Hare.
Opera Camerata Vice President Liz Sara, Ambassador of Colombia Juan Carlos Pinzón, Michelle Krisel and Ambassador Paul Hare.
Ambassador Juan Carlos Pinzon and Maria Pilar de Pinzón with Bishop Mario Dorsonville.
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GEORGETOWN, WASHINGTON, DC Elegant 1 bedroom, 1.5 bath, located in the Flour Mill, on Georgetown’s historic C&O Canal. Gourmet kitchen, sunny living room and dining room with balcony, master suite with plenty of storage. Parking available for rent. $525,000 Jamie Peva 202-258-5050