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The GeorGeTowner is published in print monthly with an online newsletter supplement posted twice per week — On Mondays we highlight news and on Thursdays goings on about town. The opinions of our writers and columnists do not necessarily reflect the editorial and corporate opinions of The GeorGeTowner newspaper. The GeorGeTowner accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. The GeorGeTowner reserves the right to edit, rewrite or refuse material and is not responsible for errors or omissions. Copyright 2024.
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Chefs Sébastien Giannini of L’Avant-Garde and Jacques Pépin with his dog, Gaston, at the legendary chef’s home in Madison, Connecticut. Photo by Tom Hopkins.
Held on April 28, the “May” meeting of ANC 2E, the Georgetown-Burleith-Hillandale Advisory Neighborhood Commission, was a mixed bag of news and notices.
Beginning with the police report, Metropolitan Police Second District Cmdr. Tatjana Savoy said how much she appreciated tips and help from Georgetowners. The biggest concern continues to be theft from autos in parking areas around Safeway and S Street — as well as Water Street at night.
Savoy confirmed an attempted break-in at the Potomac Boat Club last week. Still, violent crime in the District is down 40 percent from last year.
Drag racing on K Street at the waterfront continues to be irresistible to young men who want to race, do wheelies and vroom their engines under the echo provided by the Whitehurst Freeway.
Commissioner Mimsy Lindner said, “It’s like ‘Grease’ all over again,” adding that it does not help that there’s no dead-end sign at the 34th and K intersection. Nor does it help
that enforcement is complicated by some jurisdictional confusion between the U.S. Park Police and MPD. But any increased police presence, whether in a car on a bike or a motorcycle, helps curb the behavior, Lindner commented.
Also noted was the rash of continued package thefts. One TV news producer who lives on R Street near 28th had a box containing a journalism award stolen from in front of her home.
Lindner also referred to the continuing noise pollution from music played on boats docked two-to-four-deep at the Washington Harbour, a perennial summer problem. Boats must depart the dock by midnight. Again, jurisdictions are complicated. For one thing, the National Park Service controls the dock area and MPD the sidewalk area — and the offenders are on the water.
Observers have recommended that a harbor master be appointed.
Representatives of Mayor Muriel Bowser and Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto
Officials Speak, Awards Presented at CAG Annual Meeting
BY ROBERT DEVANEY AND STAFF
In a double tribute to the legendary D.C.born composer, the Citizens Association of Georgetown, Washington’s oldest civic organization, held its 2025 annual meeting on April 29, Duke Ellington’s birthday, at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.
President Amy Titus and Executive Director Brittany Sawyer greeted the hundreds of attendees in the school’s auditorium.
Titus outlined the association’s purpose as follows: “CAG advocates for sound policies and practices to guide the evolution of historic Georgetown, provides information
and services to support residents with everyday public health and safety needs and brings residents together through a range of community events and activities.
“The Citizens Association of Georgetown is supported by our many hard-working volunteers and generous community donors. Together, we are committed to protecting Georgetown’s historic heritage and promoting the vitality of its community experience.”
Titus continued with CAG’s 2025 goals of “advocate — provide — bring”:
• Strongly advocate for improvements to our streets, sidewalks, transportation, parking and other public-space concerns by engaging with the D.C. Council, ANC, DDOT and other departments to voice our position and concerns on your behalf;
• Bolster the block captain program and provide public health and safety services and information;
• Continue our focus on historic preservation and offer education for residents to learn more about historic preservation; and
• Strengthen our community by bringing residents together to celebrate Georgetown.
addressed the 2025 D.C. budget snafu and the budget cuts on the horizon. Pinto’s “Peace DC” plan was mentioned, as well as her support of a phone ban in public school classrooms.
Fixing the brick sidewalks? It’s another perennial problem being solved too slowly, according to commissioners.
Regarding the Ellington Field construction, “soon” is the operative word … again. There is no firm date for the construction of bathrooms and installation of drinking fountains. It’s possible that the track will be open in the summer and the field in the fall. The intensity of the lighting remains a point of contention.
Mayor Muriel Bowser spoke at the Citizens Association of Georgetown’s annual meeting at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts on April 29. Courtesy CAG.
Former advisory neighborhood commissioners Monica Roache and Ron Lewis, a CAG awardee.
Photo by Bill Starrels.
Metropolitan Police Second District Cmdr. Tatjana Savoy, a CAG awardee, with CAG President Amy Titus and MPD Chief Pamela Smith. Courtesy CAG
Rock Creek Parkway
The promise is that the lights will be turned off by 9 p.m., with few exceptions.
Commissioner Kishan Putta is trying once again to get a final commitment on plans. “It’s been four years,” he said. “We started with the first town hall meeting in April 20, 2021.” ANC 2E Chair Gwen Lohse warned that everything must be in writing.
Lohse also issued a resolution against the National Park Service’s plans to revoke Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway’s rush-hour lane restrictions (DDOT agrees with her). The new plan would keep the four-lane road permanently at two lanes north and two lanes south. Lohse said constituents were worried about traffic spilling over into neighborhoods adjacent to the parkway.
The parkway would lose its reversible rush-hour lanes, which NPS has said creates a “racetrack environment.” For decades, all four lanes have run southbound during the a.m. rush hour, then northbound during the p.m. rush hour. On weekdays, all traffic is directed southbound toward downtown
between 6:45 and 9:30 a.m. and northbound between 3:45 and 6:30 p.m. NPS is still accepting public comment.
A list of renewals of alcohol and cannabis licenses was routinely on the meeting’s agenda. However, a possible brouhaha is brewing with Apéro restaurant on P Street, which appears not to be obeying its settlement agreement with the ANC and the Citizens Association of Georgetown. Neighbors have complained about the late hours and noise. Lohse said she would speak with the business owner.
Upcoming events: The Rose Park Farmers Market has opened and runs every Wednesday through October. On June 7, Friends of Volta Park will hold a 30th Anniversary Cocktail Party & Field Day.
The next ANC 2E meeting will be on Monday, June 2.
To eliminate one of several challenges faced by Washington, D.C., restaurant owners, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced on May 5 that her fiscal 2026 budget proposal would include repeal of the Increase Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees Measure. The ballot initiative — known as Initiative 82, I-82 for short — was approved by three-quarters of those who voted for or against it in the Nov. 8, 2022, election.
The stepwise process of I-82’s implementation has nearly doubled the minimum hourly wage for tipped workers to $10. That hourly wage is due to rise to $12 in July and to continue upward until it matches the standard minimum, currently $17.50, in 2027.
When workers’ tips fail to make up the difference, the business owner is required to do so, although “wage theft” is known to occur. On the other hand, if their improved wages discourage tipping, servers in upscale establishments may see their formerly
substantial tip income drop (and perhaps leave the District for greener pastures nearby).
Adding to diners’ confusion and, often, resentment are the surcharges some restaurants have imposed to cover the rising minimum wage for tipped workers. One wonders: Does that surcharge go to my server? Am I supposed to tip 15 or 20 percent on top? Maybe, maybe not.
Pizzeria Paradiso’s message reads: “We apply a service charge of ... 20% plus tax for dine-in purchases. This is not a tip. We no longer participate in the traditional tip system, allowing for more equitable and stable compensation for all of our staff. The service charge is used for general operations expenses including staff wages and benefits. Additional tips are no longer expected — yet always appreciated — and go directly to the staff working that day.”
“There’s no clear roadmap,” says 1310 Restaurant & Bar’s Jenn Crovato, a member of RE: Her, a national nonprofit group of women restaurateurs. “Nobody knows how to make this work, number one. And number two, everybody’s doing something different.”
Bowser’s budget proposal would fix the tipped minimum at $5.95 beginning Oct. 1. Approval by the District Council is both necessary and by no means certain. I-82 (and its predecessor, repealed by the Council in 2018) was advanced by the national organization One Fair Wage, which advocates on behalf
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
TAKE OVER THE BAR
Wednesday, May 14
This month’s event in the Citizens Association of Georgetown’s Take Over the Bar Series will be at Billy Hicks, 3277 M St. NW, from 5 to 7 p.m. The Take Overs are free to attend, with participants responsible for their own beverages. Visit cagtown.org.
BIKE TO WORK DAY
Thursday, May 15
The Georgetown Business Improvement District and BellRinger are raising money for Georgetown University’s cancer center. The first 18,000 cyclists who register and show up between 7 and 9 a.m. at the Georgetown Waterfront Park “pit stop” get a T-shirt. Visit georgetowndc.com.
SPRING CONCERT IN THE PARK
Sunday, May 18
CAG is hosting a Spring Concert in the Park at Rose Park Baseball Field from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., weather permitting. Picnickers can dance to ’90s cover band Stacy’s Dad. Also on hand: food trucks, bubble wands and activities for kids. Visit cagtown.org.
ANC 2E MONTHLY MEETING
Monday, June 2
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E, representing Georgetown, Burleith and Hillandale, will hold its next meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, 1524 35th St. NW, and via Zoom. Visit anc.dc.gov.
OLD GEORGETOWN BOARD
Thursday, June 5
The Old Georgetown Board–Commission of Fine Arts will meet at 9 a.m. at 401 F St. NW, Suite 312. The filing deadline is May 15. Meeting documents are posted on the Monday afternoon prior to the meeting. Visit cfa.gov.
of all tipped workers (delivery drivers, hairdressers, etc.), and opposed by Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, which drew on testimony from servers as well as from owners.
The day after the mayor’s announcement, Ward 1 Council member Brianne Nadeau joined a rally by union workers against the initiative’s repeal on the steps of the Wilson Building. Bussers and dishwashers, who generally make far less from tips than the front-of-house staff, are more likely to support I-82.
In contrast, Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto told The Georgetowner: “I have a responsibility as an elected official in our city to realistically evaluate the policy environment in the present day and pursue the best path forward for our city. Since the passage of Initiative 82, many workers have lost their jobs, consumers are regularly confused by higher prices and fees or priced out of dining experiences altogether, and our restaurants are struggling as a result of the changing landscape. I’ve attended hearings and met with countless stakeholders from workers to owners to associations to residents and have come to the view that the status quo cannot be maintained.”
“We are a hospitality-based economy,” declared Bowser, quoted in the Washington Post. With Congress blowing a billion-dollar hole in the District’s current budget and DOGE
taking a chainsaw to the federal workforce, the mayor seems to be refocusing on private business, sports and tourism in particular.
“The economy that we’re dealing with right now and the environment for restaurants is vastly different than the economy and the environment that restaurants were operating in when this ballot measure was advanced,” she said.
Clearly, restaurants have been battered by a perfect storm: distanced and less-frequent dining out, a spike in working from home and rising food costs due to inflation, bird flu and tariffs. Is the fresh spate of announced closures in D.C. (by Lucky Buns, Brookland’s Finest and Tail Up Goat, among others) a warning sign or just going-out-of-business as usual?
To what extent are these losses attributable to I-82, which some owners blame for staff reductions if not for shuttering altogether.
The most recent alarm sounded on May 6, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showed up at more than a handful of D.C. restaurants, including Clyde’s in Georgetown — a close-to-home reminder of the impact the Trump administration’s high-profile deportation campaign is having on agriculture, food processing and, yes, the hospitality industry.
“To come in with guns, raid style, it’s so unnecessary,” commented Crovato, whose restaurant was not targeted on May 6. “You can conduct an audit.”
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GU TO REDUCE BUDGET, FREEZE HIRING, CUT SPENDING
“Georgetown University will take steps to limit expenses and increase revenue, including a temporary hiring freeze for faculty and staff and pause on merit salary increases, as the federal government makes significant cuts to higher education,” reports the Hoya newspaper.
The cuts, which interim GU President Robert M. Groves announced in an April 29 email to faculty, will take place through Dec. 31, after which the university will reassess its budget, according to the Hoya. Groves said the university is also seeking additional budgetary reductions in response to President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting universities.
The university will also seek to increase graduate and nondegree certificate enrollment, reallocate restricted gift funds to support ongoing university activities and seek additional philanthropic support, according to the email. The university previously announced a 10-percent reduction on graduate program tuition for current students, recent graduates and displaced federal workers.
Groves said shifts in federal policy and reductions in federal funding have undermined the university’s financial stability.
“Federal actions that have harmed our operations so far include reductions in research funding and the elimination of graduate fellowship programs,” Groves wrote in the email. “Other potential actions could affect student loans and increase the taxes on university endowments.”
According to Groves, federal research funding accounted for $195 million of the university’s $1.8-billion budget for the 2024 fiscal year. The university also received $267 million in federal funds to support student financial aid, including through direct loans, Pell Grants and federal work-study offers.
Groves added that the university is concerned about how higher costs could impact international student enrollment, according to the Hoya.
“As the federal actions taken to date are impacting the national and global economy, we are also monitoring potential indirect effects — including the possibility of declining enrollment of international students and losses of philanthropic support,” Groves wrote. “Any or all of these factors could threaten our mission through significant financial losses.”
The university will continue to honor any formal employment offers, but will cease to fill vacancies not considered “missioncritical” positions — such as student services, health and safety or strategic needs — unless directly cleared with senior administrators, according to a document attached to Groves’s email. The changes will not affect timelines for tenure promotions.
The university will also direct administrators
to reduce nonessential spending, including the budget for travel, catering and events, and delay nonessential capital projects, according to the document.
Likewise, neighboring George Washington University is tightening up. The Hatchet newspaper reported: “GW to slash FY2026 expense budget by 3 percent, pause merit increases.”
EPIPHANY TO MARK 100 YEARS WITH SOLEMN MASS ON MAY 18
Epiphany Catholic Church is celebrating 100 years. The parish was founded in 1923, when — due to the bigotry and segregation of the times — about 300 Black parishioner families left Holy Trinity Catholic Church to form their own community. Two years later, the church at 2712 Dumbarton St. NW was canonically established and constructed, featuring a stained-glass window depicting the Epiphany.
“There are at least two families descended from the original founders still active with Epiphany today and who will help us celebrate the 100th anniversary,” the Rev. Stefan Megyery, pastor of Epiphany Church, told The Georgetowner. “And the parish is growing — slowly, but in a surprising way. It appears that a good proportion of the daily and Sunday mass attendees are young professionals in or near their 30s. Even for morning Masses and confessionals there has never been a day when no one showed up.”
Some of that growth may be due to Epiphany’s tradition of diversity. While Masses are held in English every morning, there is a Sunday Mass in Korean — and in Lithuanian once a month. There are also Latin Masses on the first Saturday of the month. From 1962 until 2015, the parish comprised a large French-speaking congregation.
“Different communities, different cultures, different languages — but united in the same purpose: to meet and to worship Jesus Christ, following thereby in the footsteps of the three Wise Men,” Megyery wrote.
A solemn centenary Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 18, by Bishop Roy Edward Campbell Jr. Following the Mass, there will be a parish feast and social gathering to continue the joyous milestone with gratitude, fellowship and prayer.
Rev. Stefan Megyery — aka Father Stefan — pastor of Epiphany Church. Photo by Jaclyn Lippelmann/Catholic Standard.
Tech Painting: First Biz Stakeholder of The Georgetowner!
When Scott Burr was going through college, he was on the work-study program and became friends with the woman who handed out the jobs. The painting ones always tended to pay the most, and Burr would often receive them from his friend. He remembered fondly helping his dad out with painting his own home as a child, so he happily took the jobs.
Post-college, Burr and some friends moved to Cape Cod in Massachusetts to continue their love of surfing. They started a paint company in the afternoons; in the mornings, Burr would work at a local grocery store’s bakery department.
Fast-forward some years and Burr found himself at a job at Colonial Parking as manager of its Northern Virginia garages. He soon met a co-worker who painted on the side and eventually realized he was making more money painting than working for the parking company.
Burr and his co-worker branched off. He also brought on Jim Nicolson, who is now the vice president of residential sales for the company the three founded: Tech Painting Co.
Ironically, one of the first structures the company painted was a parking garage!
The company also has a commercial sales division that has done work for the Washington Nationals, Audi Field, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, BWI Airport and more.
In addition to commercial sales, much of Tech Painting’s success has been built on the residential side — especially through referrals. The company got its start on Capitol Hill and has been a trusted presence in that neighborhood, as well as in Georgetown, for over 35 years.
“If you’re inviting us into your home, there has to be an incredible level of trust,” Burr said. “Sometimes homeowners are present while the crew is working, sometimes they’re not — but either way, they can feel confident knowing our
team is made up of full-time employees who have been thoroughly background-checked. We treat every home with the same care and respect as if it were our own. That trust, and the longterm relationships we’ve built in the community, are what truly set us apart.”
Tech Painting Co. is also unique in that it is not like a typical painting company that hires subcontractors that are not on payroll or lack insurance.
“Our guys are full-time, paid, have 401(k)s and health insurance,” Burr said. “We don’t hire them when it gets busy in the spring then fire them all in the fall.”
The company has had employees that have been with the company for decades, with one individual recently retiring after 32 years.
Burr grew up with parents who volunteered and encouraged him to volunteer and get involved with his community. That is one of the main reasons the company has chosen to become The Georgetowner’s very first business stakeholder.
“You guys are Georgetown. You represent what we hope to be and try to be every day, the organization that represents the community,” Burr said.
It was critically important for Burr for The Georgetowner to allow Tech Painting Co. to become its first business stakeholder. “I don’t know how else we would be there and say that we’re part of the community without being a part of what you guys do,” he added.
More information on Tech Painting Co. can be found by visiting the company’s website at techpainting.com.
Want to become a business stakeholder with The Georgetowner? Email advertising@ georgetowner.com for details.
INS & OUTS
BY ROBERT DEVANEY
IN: STAUD ON M
Women’s clothing store Staud has opened at 3025 M St. NW, formerly an Outdoor Voices. Did someone write, “Using shopping as a method of healing”? Another added: “The beaded bags omg.” We get it.
Co-founded by Sarah Staudinger in 2015, the celebrity brand has a serious following and interesting connections. Staudinger’s mother is a fashion designer, her godmother is Cher and her brother-in-law is Rahm Emanuel.
IN: IKE BEHAR OPENS IN FAIRMONT HOTEL
Ike Behar has returned to Georgetown, sort of. The new shop is now open at the corner of 24th and M Streets NW in the West End hotel Fairmont Washington D.C., Georgetown. Located at 2900 M St. NW since 2014, the men’s clothing store was forced out two years ago on account of the 2900 M project.
CEO Alan Behar welcomes his Georgetown friends and clients to walk on over, see the new collection and get a glass of Champagne in the lobby. Also in the works: accessories shop Sterling & Burke may be joining Ike Behar at the Fairmont, 2401 M St. NW. ”
IN: TRUMP CLUB TO OPEN IN FORMER CLUBHOUSE
It’s the talk of the town for some: Donald Trump Jr. is opening an exclusive club named Executive Branch in Georgetown. The invitation-only, private club will open in the former Clubhouse on the lower level of Georgetown Park, near the park garage entrance, at 1070 Wisconsin Ave. NW., as first reported by Eater DC.
“The new invitation-only club reportedly costs $500,000 to become a member, but the name raises concerns it will sell access to business and tech moguls looking to nurture relationships with the Trump administration,” according to Fortune.
“The president’s son is joining forces with business partners from his 1789 Capital investment firm and sons of Trump’s chief peace envoy, Steve Witkoff, also a real estate mogul. Membership fees are $500,000 ...”
COMING: AUTHENTIC GREEK ICE CREAM
Chrys Kefalas plans to open in Georgetown what he believes could be the nation’s first authentic Greek ice cream shop, according to the Washington Business Journal: “Kefalas, a former candidate for U.S. Senate in Maryland, has leased about 1,208 square feet at 3143 N St. NW for the new venture.”
Yala Greek Ice Cream will open on Friday, July 4, in the space formerly occupied by a bakery and, before that, an EagleBank branch. WBJ added: “Kefalas has retained interior designer Maggie O’Neill, project architect Amelia Decker of Ritter Norton Architects and Nick Michail of Soma Wood Studio to design and renovate the space, expected to cost around $500,000 to get up and running.”
COMING: FAST-CASUAL SPRINGBONE KITCHEN
The New York fast-casual restaurant Springbone Kitchen is set to open this month at 1426 Wisconsin Ave. NW. It touts its bone broth, too. This will be the company’s first location outside New York and New Jersey.
“At Springbone we believe in the power of real food,” the owners write. “That means minimal grain and sugar, more vegetables and better meat. No processed foods, refined sugar or seed oils, ever. We are also 100-percent gluten-free.”
COMING: ON RUNNING FROM SWITZERLAND
Footwear company On Running is heading to 1211 Wisconsin Ave. NW, formerly a pop-up for French fashion brand Sézane and, before that, a Tory Burch store for years. Founded in 2010, On Holding AG is a Swiss athletic shoe and sportswear company with a much-misunderstood logo.
COMING: CURRENT BOUTIQUE CONSIGNMENTS
Current Boutique plans to move into 1068 31st St. NW, for years the site of Ristorante Piccolo, which shut down in June of 2023 due to a fire. Founded in 2007 by Carmen Lopez, the consignment store has three other locations: on 14th Street NW and in Virginia on Wilson Boulevard in Arlington and on King Street in Alexandria.
COMING: SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL
Replacing one Austrian brand with another (see below), “Swarovski is returning to the District, roughly five years after the Austrian crystal designer and manufacturer shuttered its last store in the city,” reports the Washington Business Journal.
The company has signed a five-year lease for about 948 square feet at 1234 Wisconsin Ave. NW, with plans to open in late 2025.
OUT: WOLFORD VACATES 1234
Shuttered last month, Wolford, the Austrian “skinwear” brand, opened its first Washington, D.C., boutique in Georgetown in January of 2023 at 1234 Wisconsin Ave. NW. It was Wolford’s 23rd U.S. store at the time.
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Chrys Kefalas plans to open Yala Greek Ice Cream on N Street by July 4. Courtesy Laura Evans Media.
The Trump private club will open at 1070 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Courtesy MLS.
Staud’s Tommy Beaded Bag, California Aster. Courtesy Staud.
AUCTION BLOCK
BY KATE OCZYPOK
This month’s Auction Block includes a porcelain vase, a restored Porsche 911 and a diamond ring worth half a million dollars.
WESCHLER’S
GERHARD HEILMANN FOR ROYAL COPENHAGEN GLAZED PORCELAIN VASE
Estimate: $200–$400
Sold for: $2,200
BONHAMS
1990 PORSCHE 911 CLASSIC TURBO
CHRISTIE’S BROWN-PINK MODIFIED DIAMOND RING
Sold for: $$1.68 million
Estimate: $300,000–$500,000
Sold for: $567,000
Depicting a school of fish, this Royal Copenhagen porcelain vase was made around 1896 by Danish artist and paleontologist Gerhard Heilmann (1859-1946). The piece, 15½ inches high, has a few pronounced stretches of deterioration and some minor abrasions from handling over the years.
Part of Bonhams’ recent Miami auction, this 1990 Porsche 911 is the first example from Singer’s Classic Turbo restoration services to be offered for public sale. It includes a 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged, sixcylinder “Mezger” engine capable of over 500 brake horsepower. Underpinning the vehicle is a bespoke suspension system.
This 18-karat rose gold ring, size 5½, was part of a Christie’s Jewels Online auction. It features a light brown-pink, pear-modified, brilliant-cut diamond measuring nearly 19 carats (18.72 to be exact), with many small round diamonds along the band. The ring’s gross weight is 10.2 grams.
DOYLE THE LATIN GRAMMAR OF TOULOUSE-LAUTREC
Estimate: $15,000–$25,000
Sold for: $70,350
Artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) made hundreds of penand-ink drawings in the margins of this Latin-French dictionary while he studied for his baccalaureate. Then a bored schoolboy of 16, the famed painter and illustrator of the Parisian demimonde sat for the exam in 1880.
THE POTOMACK COMPANY ‘GREGO HATES BOMBS’ BY BURHAN CAHIT DOGANCAY
Estimate: $30,000–$60,000
Sold for: $60,000
Deaccessioned by Mary Baldwin University, this acrylic, collage and mixed media work is by Turkish American artist Burhan Cahit Doğançay (1929-2013). Born in Istanbul, Doğançay served in Turkey’s Ministry of Commerce and developed his abstract artistic style while living as a diplomat in New York in the early 1960s.
GARDEN REVERIE A SPRING NIGHT’S DREAM
BY DONNA LEANOS
As May unfolds, Georgetown’s private gardens begin to hum with quiet elegance—a blend of clipped boxwood, Grecian statuary, and the kind of restraint that lets a single urn hold court. A proper Georgetown garden doesn’t shout; it suggests. A tucked-away topiary, a marble bust among peonies—each element whispers sophistication. These aren’t just green spaces but living compositions where design, history, and horticulture meet. Elizabeth Taylor’s former garden, with its tulip-lined path and apple, fig, and cherry trees, is a reminder that drama and dignity can coexist—an enduring lesson in quiet opulence.
1 PHOTO OF GARDEN TOUR “SECRET GARDEN” (Background Photo)
** More details and links to shops at Georgetowner.com
GRACE HILL
he held executive chef roles at the St. Regis, Watergate and Four Seasons hotels. In 2024, he ascended to helm L’AvantGarde, bringing with him a Riviera-inspired culinary identity rooted in seasonal produce.
At the 90/90 dinner, Giannini presented five courses of French classics with a modern twist. Leaving diners slack-jawed, the menu celebrated Pépin’s legacy with such dishes as lobster and chicken vol-auvent and duck à l’orange.
Giannini also embodies Pépin’s spirit by acting as East Coast president of Les Disciples d’Escoffier, an organization that helps rising culinary talents prepare for a career in the industry. He first met Pépin in 2019 for a dinner at which they joined forces at the Watergate Hotel.
can stroll along the streets to go shopping and stop at a café for a nice meal or glass of wine.”
Giannini recently connected with the celebrated chef at Pépin’s farm in Madison on the Connecticut shoreline. Their families frolicked on the lawns and played pétanque, a French counterpart to bocce.
Following the Georgetown foray at L’Avant-Garde, the District’s 90/90 celebrations continued on April 27, moving to Amy Brandwein’s Centrolina, located at 974 Palmer Alley NW in CityCenterDC.
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, on May 20.
In addition to the chef-hosted dinners, anyone can step up to support the foundation’s work by hosting a Home Cook Celebration. As described on the Celebrate Jacques website: “Create a menu inspired by your favorite recipes from Jacques or make it easy and host a potluck or a picnic.”
Over the years, Pépin has had many connections to the nation’s capital. Last October, he was in D.C. for the 10th annual Smithsonian Food History Weekend at the National Museum of American History. At
for a photo session after the cooking demo, his personal security lost him, prompting a lockdown by White House security to locate the culinary star.
Previously, Pépin — who famously turned down an offer to cook for President John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy — had visited the White House during the George W. Bush administration, spending time with first lady Laura Bush.
“PÉPIN HAS BEEN A GUIDING LIGHT FOR SO MANY OF US IN THE KITCHEN… HIS DEDICATION TO CRAFT, TEACHING AND THE JOY OF COOKING HAS SHAPED GENERATIONS OF CHEFS.” — CHEF RUBÉN GARCÍA
“I really enjoyed cooking with him and appreciated how kind and generous he was. He gave me some great advice,” says Giannini. “When the JPF team reached out to me I did not hesitate.” He adds: “Pepin is a living encyclopedia. He knows every single product, every recipe that he’s ever made. He is about classic French cooking, leaving a legacy of simple, elegant food.”
As for the dinner, “The event sold out very quickly and the ambiance in the restaurant was very special. It felt like a big dinner party with friends, all gathered around an extraordinary meal for a good cause.”
“There is a great community in Georgetown,” notes Giannini, commenting on the neighborhood’s European feel: “You
Then, on May 12, the Square, the West End’s newish food hall at 1850 K St. NW, was the site of a unique dine-around experience. At that dinner, anchored by the Casa Teresa restaurant, chefs popped up at various stalls to prepare and serve dishes inspired by Pépin’s recipes.
“Pépin has been a guiding light for so many of us in the kitchen,” said chef Rubén García of Casa Teresa. “His dedication to craft, teaching and the joy of cooking has shaped generations of chefs. It’s an honor to celebrate his 90th birthday by bringing our culinary community together and supporting the next generation through the Jacques Pépin Foundation.”
The final D.C. dinner will take place at Fabio Trabocchi’s Fiola DC, located at 601
the event, cookbook author Joan Nathan presented restaurateur Alice Waters with the Julia Child Award. Also active as an artist, Pépin, the award’s first recipient, handpainted the menu card.
In 2011, the chef visited the Obama White House for the Easter Egg Roll. In a breezy tent, alongside his daughter and grandchild — and under the admiring gaze of journalists Kelly Ripa and Al Roker
— Pépin prepared delicate French crepes with berries and vegetables sourced from Michelle Obama’s garden. Toward the end of the cooking demo, the first lady joined in, marvelling at Pépin’s deft pan-handling.
“This is good stuff,” she joked.
During the visit, Pépin caused a bit of controversy. Heading into the White House
Pépin also counts Patrick O’Connell of Virginia’s Inn at Little Washington as a friend; they have known one other for more than 30 years. In 2014, he stopped by the inn to inspect a suite named for him and featuring his artwork. Pépin also visited the inn in 2023 on his book tour for “Art of the Chicken: A Master Chef’s Paintings, Stories and Recipes of the Humble Bird,” an event that included an exhibition of Pépin’s paintings and a four-course menu inspired by the book.
As the 90/90 campaign noshes through the rest of the year at restaurants across the U.S., it fortifies the foundation’s goals: to preserve, protect and promote Pépin’s legacy; and to empower people facing barriers to employment through its culinary education initiatives, including the Community Kitchens Support program.
“These parties are really special and show just how generous chefs are with their time. I’m very touched by what everyone is doing,” says Pépin.
Chefs Jacques Pépin and Sébastien Giannini.
The Giannini family — Sébastien and Anina Belle Giannini and their children Pierre and Valentina — with Jacques Pépin at his home in Madison, Connecticut. Photo by Tom Hopkins.
The Latest Dish
BY LINDA ROTH
Adam Shulman, a maestro of evening entertainment when he was director of nightlife and events for MGM Resorts International, will debut his own show when he opens Lobby Bar at 224 7th St. SE, where Boxcar Tavern used to be. It will feature 18 bar seats inside plus booths, outdoor patio seating and a communal table for larger parties. Shulman tapped Pratt Standard Cocktail Co.’s Tory Pratt to orchestrate the cocktail program. She is working with local vendors and farmers from directly across the street at historic Eastern Market. An opening early in the second quarter is planned.
Dean Mosones and Mark Minicucci of Rhythm & Eats plan to open Bar Chinois at 244 19th Court S. in Arlington, Virginia, introducing their fusion style of Chinese cuisine with French influences to National Landing. The design will resemble their flagship Bar Chinois on Eye Street NW.
From the Popal Group, who brought you Pascual, Lutèce and Lapis, comes Maison Bar à Vins, slated to open at 1834 Columbia Road NW in Adams Morgan with executive chef Matt Conroy at the helm, joined by chef
de cuisine Jason Chavenson ( Frenchie in Paris, Reverie in D.C.) and Lutèce’s Advanced Sommelier Chris Ray. A launch late in the second quarter is targeted.
Massachusetts-based Life Alive Organic Café, backed by Ron Shaich of Panera Bread , is slated to expand into Ballston, Virginia, at 818 N. Quincy St., where Bruegger’s Bagels used to be, late in the third quarter. Another unit is due to open in the Alexandrian Hotel at 400 King St. in Old Town Alexandria. The first café opened in D.C.’s West End.
Quick Hits: Sam Shoja will open Jinya Ramen at the Wharf in Southwest D.C., where Lucky Buns was. It has 200 seats with a big bar and patio … Tim Ma will open Taco Cat at 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in Western Market food hall early in the second quarter … Elias Taddesse is slated to open Mélange Foods in the second quarter in Shaw at 2108 8th St. NW, the Atlantic Plumbing Building, where Roy Boys used to be ... Also in the second quarter, New York-based Springbone Kitchen is slated to open in Georgetown at 1426 Wisconsin Ave. NW, where Shouk used to be. It will be the first of many planned for the DMV … Another second-quarter opening: From the folks who brought you Balos comes Bar Angie, at 2300 N St. NW in D.C.’s West End, a bistro that offers jazz ... And on May 21, New York-based Fireman Hospitality Group will open Cafe Fiorello at 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, where Tadich Grill and Ten Penh used to be. Their first restaurant in the DMV, Fiorella Italian Kitchen, opened at National Harbor in 2011.
Linda Roth is the founder and CEO of Linda Roth Associates, a D.C.-based public relations and marketing firm that specializes in the food service and hospitality industries. Follow her at: @LindaRothPR, #LindaRothPR or lindarothpr.com.
Dirty Martini @The Lobby Bar
Photo by Nina Palazzolo
Lobby nuggets @The Lobby Bar
Photo by Nina Palazzolo
The Butterfly Effect: FASHION’S FLIGHT OF FANCY
BY ALLYSON BURKHARDT
The butterfly is flourishing throughout the fashion world. It is a symbol of refinement and new beginnings, an inspiring theme for spring. Designers have long had a fascination with the ethereal creature. The mosaic wing patterns, vibrant colors and fluttering movement create a dreamlike aesthetic that translates beautifully into fabric prints, embroidery and artful accessories.
RAG & BONE
All Over Butterfly T-Shirt $128. Rag & Bone Georgetown.
Several high-fashion houses have editorialized the colorful insect into their latest collections. Carolina Herrera is embroidering gilded 3D butterflies onto featured looks of the maison’s Resort runway. Gucci is known for its exploration of the icon, most often displayed within iterations of its signature garden prints. Butterfly-inspired frames have been crafted
FLEUR DU MAL
Butterfly Embroidered Bra & Thong $226. Sultre Boutique.
18K
into Chloé’s luxury eyewear. The enchanting emblem can be found objectified in creative ways throughout handbag designs, statement jewelry and home décor.
The beautiful bugs have proven to have wide appeal. Their delicate nature and transient beauty make them a prominent symbol of grace and femininity in fashion and art. Are you looking to bring the
butterfly effect into your personal style? Here’s how to capture its whimsy as we burst into spring.
Allyson Burkhardt is the founder of Let’s Get Dressed! Image & Style Services. Visit letsgetdresseddc.com to put your best foot forward.
18K Gold-Plated & Enamel Drop Earrings $75. Neiman Marcus.
Cut out this page — or bookmark it if you’re reading it online — for the perfect summer 2025 D.C. arts checklist.
1. “PORGY AND BESS” AT THE KENNEDY CENTER
As the song says, it’s “summertime, and the livin’ is easy.” The popular Gershwin classic will be performed by Washington National Opera, May 23 to 31.
2. SUMMER FILMS AT THE REACH
At sundown on Friday evenings from May 30 to Aug. 29, enjoy movies at the Kennedy Center’s Reach campus. This summer’s lineup has something for everyone — “The Lion King,” “Chicago” and “Black Panther,” to name a few.
3. WORLDPRIDE INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL
Celebrate WorldPride with choral events from May 22 to June 8. Highlights include a Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington AIDS Memorial Quilt Panel Dedication on May 22 and a June 8 International March on Washington with L.O.V.E. Chorus.
4. “INSIGHT: PHOTOS AND STORIES FROM THE ARCHIVES” AT NMAI
The National Museum of the American Indian presents “InSight: Photos and Stories from the Archives,” opening May 23. The exhibition features images selected from over a half-million in the museum’s collection.
7. “GUERRILLA GIRLS: MAKING TROUBLE” AT NMWA
Anti-discrimination artists and activists the Guerrilla Girls celebrate 40 years this year. An exhibition showcasing the group’s work is at the National Museum of Women in the Arts through Sept. 28.
8. “BOTIQUÍN DE BOLEROS DE COLUMBIA HEIGHTS” AT GALA HISPANIC THEATRE
Dubbed a “musical mosaic,” this immersive, cabaret-style show, running from June 11 to 29, brings anecdotes about Columbia Heights Bolero Bar patrons to life.
9. “KIM’S CONVENIENCE” AT OLNEY THEATRE CENTRE
Running from June 27 to July 27 in Olney’s Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab, this show, inspired by the Netflix series, introduces a Korean immigrant family, the Kims. There’s a lot of humor in what happens between assimilated Janet and her parents when they face a possible sale of the family’s store.
10.“SENSE AND SENSIBILITY” AT THE AMERICAN SHAKESPEARE CENTER
Spend part of your summer immersed in the world of Jane Austen’s classic characters with “Sense and Sensibility,” running through Aug. 2 in ASC’s Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, Virginia.
The contemporary musical about family, relationships, baseball, bar mitzvahs and AIDS plays at the
through June 15.
This
to
20.
11. “JARDIN INTERIEUR” AT TRANSFORMER DC Through June 14, check out local artist Marie B. Gauthiez’s solo exhibition, exploring the themes of identity and time.
12. “LIVE FROM THE LAWN” AT STRATHMORE
Enjoy a variety of musical performances in July and August on the lawn at Strathmore. Bring your own food or purchase some at the barbecue truck. Highlights: Yellow Dubmarine’s reggae spin on Beatles’ hits and eclectic folk trio Rainbow Girls.
13. A SUMMER OF JAMESES AT WOLF TRAP
Three Jameses stand out on Wolf Trap’s packed summer calendar: Arthur, Blunt and Taylor. James Blunt will perform on June 18, James Arthur on July 2 and James Taylor on Aug. 21, 23 and 24.
14. ENDA WALSH FESTIVAL AT SOLAS NUA
Tony Award-winning Irish playwright Enda Walsh will be at Solas Nua on June 20 and 21 for film screenings and discussions.
15. SUMMER CONCERTS AT GLEN ECHO PARK
The free Thursday-evening concerts — great kickoffs to the weekend — run through most of the summer. Don’t miss the U.S. Marine Band’s Latin Jazz Ensemble and brass band Black Masala.
16.“FROM SHADOW TO SUBSTANCE” AT THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Opening June 20, this exhibition explores the National Portrait Gallery’s extensive collection of early photography, including daguerreotypes of former Vice President and U.S. Senator John C. Calhoun, Papal Nuncio Gaetano Bedini and others.
17. ISAAC MIZRAHI AT SIXTH AND I
Multi-hyphenate Mizrahi will be at Sixth and I with his comedy cabaret on May 17, fronting a six-piece jazz band.
18. “LGBTJEWS IN THE FEDERAL CITY” AT THE CAPITAL JEWISH MUSEUM
Opening May 16, this exhibition is the first to explore the interconnectedness of Jewish history, D.C. history and LGBTQ+ history. Expect lots of photographs and posters, along with oral history stations.
19. “VIVIAN BROWNE: MY KIND OF PROTEST” AT THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION
This summer exhibition, opening June 28, explores the 30-year-plus career of artist Vivian Browne through paintings, prints and works on paper.
20.“YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND: WOMEN POP SONGWRITERS” AT SIGNATURE THEATRE
For just nine days in July, Signature Theatre will celebrate women songwriters in pop music. Featured artists include Brandi Carlile, Adele, Sara Bareilles, Alicia Keys, Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton and Carole King.
21. GEORGETOWN’S FETE DE LA MUSIQUE RETURNS
The Georgetown BID, Georgetown Heritage and the Embassy of France-Villa Albertine have partnered for the second annual Fete de la Musique on June 21. The event will feature over 40 acts performing throughout Georgetown.
22.JANE MONHEIT AT BLUES ALLEY
If you’re a jazz fan and have yet to see Jane Monheit in person, her weekend shows at Blues Alley on July 26 and 27 are mustsees. Monheit’s interpretation of the Great American Songbook is simply breathtaking.
The two superstars will be at the Anthem on June 5 as part of D.C.’s WorldPride celebrations.
24.“LITTLE BEASTS: ART, WONDER, AND THE NATURAL WORLD” AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY
Starting May 18, National Gallery of Art visitors can explore nature through the eyes of artists, checking out art depicting animals and insects alongside actual specimens.
25.DC JAZZFEST
Close out summer 2025 with the DC JazzFest over Labor Day weekend. Expect five days with back-to-back appearances by the best jazz musicians in the country.
23. GRACE JONES AND JANELLE MONAÉ AT WORLDPRIDE
5. “FALSETTOS” AT THE KEEGAN THEATRE
Keegan Theatre
6. “A WRINKLE IN TIME” AT ARENA STAGE
adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s classic young adult novel has its world premiere at Arena from June 12
July
Follow Meg, Charles and Calvin as they travel into the fifth dimension.
Washington National Opera’s “Porgy and Bess.” Courtesy Kennedy Center.
Thommy Mestokosho (Innu, 1937-2016) playing guitar, Quebec, Canada, 1959. Photo by William Stiles. Courtesy NPG. Courtesy American Shakespeare Center.
James Taylor. Courtesy Wolf Trap.
Participants in the National March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay & Bi Equal Rights & Liberation, April 1993. Courtesy Capital Jewish Museum.
Jane Monheit. Courtesy Blues Alley.
Marie Bucoy-Calavan of Choral Arts Is May 22 Breakfast Speaker
BY RICHARD SELDEN
On Thursday, May 22, The Georgetowner’s Cultural Leadership Breakfast Series will present a talk by Dr. Marie Bucoy-Calavan, artistic director of the Choral Arts Society of Washington. Admission to the event, at 1310 Kitchen & Bar, 1310 Wisconsin Ave. NW, is $40, payable in advance at georgetowner.com or via Eventbrite.
One of three symphonic choruses in the nation’s capital, the Choral Arts Society of Washington was founded in 1965 by the late Norman Scribner. Dr. Bucoy-Calavan, who became artistic director last September, made her Choral Arts debut in 2023, guestconducting the “O Night Divine!” Christmas program. On Sunday, June 15, to mark the organization’s diamond jubilee, she will lead a performance in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall by the Choral Arts Symphonic Chorus and Orchestra titled “The Choral Legacy: 60 Years of Creating Stories Through Voice.”
Since 2014, Dr. Bucoy-Calavan has been director of choral studies at the University of Akron in Ohio, conducting the choirs and teaching conducting and choral literature.
Earlier, she served as chorus director for the Akron Symphony and artistic director of Akron’s Summit Choral Society. She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from California State University, Fullerton, and a doctor of musical arts degree in choral conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
At the May 22 breakfast, Dr. Bucoy-Calavan will discuss her innovative approach to choral programming and share her plans for future Choral Arts initiatives.
Photos and Stories from
Opening May 23 | National Mall
Each photo has a story to tell. See a selection from more than a half million images stewarded by the museum giving an intimate view of Indigenous lives across the Western Hemisphere and across time.
AmericanIndian.si.edu
Eva
Dr. Marie Bucoy-Calavan, artistic director of the Choral Arts Society of Washington, will speak at The Georgetowner’s May Cultural Leadership Breakfast.
‘Frida: Beyond the Myth’ at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
BY SHEILA WICKOUSKI
While movies, documentaries and books tell the story of legendary Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, “Frida: Beyond the Myth” — at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond through Sept. 28 — reveals how Kahlo created not only iconic art but her own identity.
Born in Coyoacán, part of Mexico City, on July 6, 1907, Kahlo would later change her birth year to 1910, aligning her birth with the Mexican Revolution. She was close to her father, Guillermo Kahlo, a photographer. In his portrait, “Frida at Age 18” of 1926, Frida sits carefully posed with a serious expression, wearing a fine dress and holding a book in her lap.
Kahlo married painter Diego Rivera in 1929. Over the next two decades, they had many affairs with others, divorced, then remarried and were together at the end of her life in 1954. Their complex relationship is depicted in her work “Diego and Frida 1929-1944,” in its original frame of painted shells. Kahlo shows them united as one person, each with half of a face: his in a smile and hers sad.
Like many artists of the time, both were
committed communists. While the exhibition does not go into the history of their politics, a 1933 photograph by Lucienne Bloch, “Frida in Front of the Unfinished Communist Unity Panel, New Workers School,” shows Kahlo posed before Rivera’s depiction of Vladimir Lenin.
A work noted for the controversy that ensued is “The Suicide of Dorothy Hale” of 1938. Kahlo was commissioned by Clare Boothe Luce to create a recuerdo (a portrait of remembrance) for the mother of the actress, who took her own life by jumping from a high-rise apartment building. Kahlo’s graphic depiction of the suicide, which shows Hale’s body on the ground and in midair, falling, incensed Luce, who wanted to destroy it. The exhibition includes newspaper clippings, a postcard of the building, New York’s Hampshire House, and other related materials.
Perhaps the most heart-stopping picture in the exhibition is Bloch’s 1932 black-andwhite photograph “En Route from Detroit to Mexico.” In the photo, Kahlo is going home after an abortion to recuperate in Mexico, where her mother will die following surgery. She looks
STARTS JUNE 12
Frida Kahlo. Courtesy VMFA.
out of the window, her face devoid of any posed expression, as in her self-portraits.
Throughout the exhibition, there are moments that give pause, like a 1944 photograph, “Frida in Thought,” by Sylvia Salmi — an unexpected pose with half her face covered by her hand, her eyes closed. There are paintings that connect to other artists, like “Magnolias” of 1945, inspired by a work by her friend Georgia O’Keeffe, whom she met in the U.S.
Also on display are Kahlo’s painting of her favorite pet dog, Mr. Xolotl, and “Frida Facing Mirror with Two Hairless Dogs” by Kahlo’s friend Lola Álvarez Bravo, the first Mexican woman photographer and one of the most significant of the 20th century. In this candid image, Frida is looking in a mirror, showing that there were indeed “two Fridas.”
Representing her last decade, the exhibition explores both her expanding fame and her physical decline.
One of Kahlo’s late self-portraits is “SelfPortrait with Lose Hair” of 1947. Painted following an unsuccessful spinal operation,
the work shows her without adornment, long hair uncombed.
Kahlo’s final works were created when she was restricted to her bed or in a wheelchair.
“Still Life (I Belong to Samuel Fastlicht)” of 1951 features a colorful array of fruits and vegetables, along with a statue of a clay Itzcuintli dog (a hairless Mexican breed). Fastlicht was her dentist at the time; notably, she never shows her teeth in her self-portraits.
The exhibition concludes with photographs, such as Florence Arquin’s “Frida Wearing Plaster Corset” of 1951, in which Frida looks down at her upper body cast, painted with a red hammer, sickle and star. “Frida Painting ‘Naturaleza Viva’” of that year, by an unidentified photographer, shows her in bed as Rivera sits by her side. The “living nature” work she is painting features beings who are fully alive, an affirmation of life.
At the end is Bravo’s “Frida Kahlo’s Death Portrait” of 1954. Kahlo’s last words in her diary were: “I hope the leaving is joyful and I hope never to return.”
House Tour Patrons’ Party Luxuriates at Larz Anderson House
The Patrons’ Party for the Georgetown House Tour was held April 23 at the Lanz Anderson House. House Tour Chair Azali Kassum and Patrons’ Party Chairs Malcolm Dilley and Alexander Ragonese presented Katherine Berman and Sophie LaMontagne of Georgetown Cupcake with the Frida Burling Award.
Donna Leanos, Amy Titus, Susan Bernhardt, and Stephanie Bothwell.
‘Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons: The Lives of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt’
REVIEWED BY KITTY KELLEY
Canadian author Charlotte Gray spent her pandemic lockdown examining the lives of two American mothers previously disregarded by male historians as mere accessories to their world-conquering sons. The result is a feminist take on the women, who’ve been derided and diminished for decades: Jennie Jerome Churchill, once depicted as a fashion-crazed flibbertigibbet, and Sara Delano Roosevelt, dismissed as a wealthy harridan.
“They’ve been shoehorned into harmful stereotypes,” writes Gray, “and rarely been portrayed in a sympathetic light since their deaths. In fact, their sons’ biographers often disparage them — it is as though the Great Men of History must spring like Athena, fully formed from the head of Zeus, without tiresome interventions from their mothers.”
Most of those who’ve examined these so-called “great men” are themselves men, including respected Churchill biographers William Manchester and Andrew Roberts; and Roosevelt biographers Alan Brinkley and H. W. Brands.
Now comes a reassessment of both by Gray, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada who’s written 12 literary nonfiction books, in “Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons: The Lives of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt.”
Both women were unicorns, each one of a kind but complete opposites of each other. Jennie Jerome, who wed Lord Randolph Churchill, was the most famous American heiress to cross the Atlantic and marry a title during the Gilded Age. As Lady Churchill, she kept her status through three marriages while enjoying numerous dalliances with paramours, said to include a Serbian prince, a German nobleman, several British aristocrats and the Prince of Wales, who admired American women because “they are livelier, better-educated and less hampered by etiquette … not as squeamish as their English sisters.”
Jennie became a favorite of the latter, the future King Edward VII, and used her golden contacts to enhance her son’s prospects. As Winston said, “She left no wire unpulled, no stone unturned, no cutlet uncooked.”
Once Winston married, his mother lost her premier place in his life. But whereas Jennie loathed the role of grandmother, Sara Delano Roosevelt reveled in it. On one occasion, when FDR’s two youngest sons were disciplined by having their pony taken away, Sara bought each little boy a horse. As Eleanor Roosevelt wrote years later, “As it turned out, Franklin’s children were more my mother-in-law’s children than they were mine.”
Also unlike Jennie Churchill, Sara Roosevelt enjoyed lifetime access to elite society and did not color outside the lines of proper protocol. Following her husband’s death, the dowager aristocrat donned widow’s weeds and never considered remarriage. Living like a vestal virgin, Sara dedicated herself to her only child, the future American president, following him to Harvard and living near campus so she could see him for dinner once a week.
When Franklin married, his mother enlarged her homes at Campobello, in Manhattan and at Hyde Park to accommodate his growing family, providing them with nannies, maids, laundresses, cooks and drivers. She even advised her son professionally, counseling him after he won his first political appointment: “Try not to write your signature too small … so many public men have such awful signatures, and so unreadable.”
Spoiled and indulged by adoring mothers, Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt possessed galloping self-confidence that bordered on arrogance and made each insufferable to colleagues. Not surprisingly, each of these two egoists had little regard for the other. As FDR told Joseph Kennedy after appointing him ambassador to the Court of St. James, “I have always disliked [Churchill] since I went to England in 1918 [as assistant secretary of the Navy]. He acted like a stinker then, lording it over all of us.”
Fortunately, their relationship changed when Churchill became prime minister of Great Britain, Roosevelt was U. S. commander-in-chief and the world was at war. But their closeness — and, indeed, FDR’s prominent place in history — might never have evolved had it not been for the fierce intervention of Sara Delano Roosevelt.
Returning home from London in 1918, Franklin had come down with Spanish flu exacerbated by double pneumonia. His mother and his wife met his ship in New York and had him carried on a stretcher to Sara’s home on East 65th Street. As the orderlies struggled to make Roosevelt comfortable, Eleanor began unpacking his suitcases and there found love letters from Lucy Mercer. Devastated, she marked that moment as life-changing: “The bottom dropped out of my world.”
Tearfully confronting her husband — as
did his mother — Eleanor offered to grant him a divorce. Sara roared back in horror. Furious at her son’s moral lapse, yet fearing the shame a divorce might bring to the family, she declared that if he left his wife, he’d be leaving her as well — and that included Sara’s vast fortune, which supported him, his five children and his future political prospects. Franklin made the pragmatic decision to remain in the marriage; Eleanor permanently moved out of their bedroom.
Back in London, after years of being chased by unscrupulous moneylenders and litigious creditors, Jennie Jerome Churchill died a grotesque death in 1921. At age 67, she fell down a staircase while wearing a new pair of high heels. Within days of breaking her ankle, gangrene set in, necessitating amputation of her leg above the knee. Lady Churchill soon slipped into a coma and expired, leaving Winston inconsolable.
Sara Roosevelt, however, lived a long and enviable life. She saw a beloved son crippled by polio rise to become president three times. At his third inauguration, she proudly proclaimed herself “a mother of history,” saying that few mothers ever lived to see their sons elected once. “Why, when you read history it seems as if most of the Presidents didn’t have mothers, the way they fail to appear in the accounts.”
At the age of 86, Sara wrote to her son: “Perhaps I have lived too long, but when I think of you and hear your voice I do not ever want to leave you.”
Alas, Roosevelt’s adoring mother took her final leave on Sept. 7, 1941, and within four years, as he was starting an unprecedented fourth term as chief executive, her “precious son” would follow her at the age of 62.
In this provocative biography, Charlotte Gray bestows revisionist interest on two “passionate mothers” whose “powerful sons” proved themselves worthy of the maternal love and devotion showered on each.
Kitty Kelley is the author of seven number-one New York Times best-seller biographies, including “Nancy Reagan,” “Jackie Oh!” and “The Family: The Real Story Behind the Bush Dynasty.” On the board of the Independent, she is the 2023 recipient of Biographers International Organization’s BIO Award, given annually to a writer who has made major contributions to the advancement of the art and craft of biography.
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