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EDITORIAL & OPINION 10
Staying the Course, Together The Cruelest Month
We Know How to Keep D.C. Safe
THE VILLAGE 11
Georgetown Heritage Canal Day Community Calendar
BUSINESS 12
Ins & Outs
FEATURE 13
Meet DC Chamber Prez & CEO Chinyere Hubbard
COVER 14-15
Culture Capital
LE DECOR 16
Art of Autumn Living
REAL ESTATE 17
Auction Block
FOOD & WINE 18-19
Cocktail of the Month
The Latest Dish
ARTS SCENE 20-21
KITTY KELLEY BOOK CLUB 22
‘The Club: Where American Women Artists Found Refuge in Belle Epoque Paris’
ON THE COVER
PUBLISHER
Sonya Bernhardt
DIRECTOR OF CONTENT & ADVERTISING
Kate Oczypok
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
Peggy Sands
FASHION & BEAUTY
DIRECTOR
Allyson Burkhardt
Lauretta McCoy
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Katie McKenney
Heather Harris Roemer
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Philip Bermingham
Bill Starrels
COPY EDITOR
Richard Selden
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
“The Newspaper Whose Influence Far Exceeds Its Size” — Pierre Cardin
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 2025.
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Janelle Gill Trio: Janelle Gill-Paino, Michael Bowie-Bass, and Lyle LinkSaxophone performing at the Kreeger Museum for The Georgetowner’s celebration of the Cultural Leadership Breakfast series, now in its second decade.
Photo by Greg “Fritz” Blakey.
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ART ALL NIGHT ELECTRIFIES THE AVENUE BY ROBERT DEVANEY
Georgetown Art All Night returned to Wisconsin Avenue on Friday, Sept. 12 — and was an uplifting sight to see and be a part of.
SAWASDEE DC: A TASTE OF THAILAND IN THE HEART OF D.C. BY MIA PECH
The annual Sawasdee DC Thai Festival on the National Mall returned to Washington, D.C. this weekend, bringing cultural performances, culinary experiences and community celebration to the heart of the city.
ANN SATTERTHWAITE DIES AT 94 BY GRACE BATEMAN
At the founders day celebration in October 2021: Meg Hardon, president of Friends of Georgetown Waterfront Park, Rock Creek Park Deputy Superintendent Frank Young and Ann Satterthwaite, co-founder of the group.
A ‘SOUND OF MUSIC’ NEEDED FOR THESE TIMES BY PEGGY SANDS
It’s been a long time since I left a theater with such happiness, filled with music and almost dancing to my car.
BOWSER, MENDELSON, SCHWALB QUIZZED BY CONGRESS BY PEGGY SANDS
Mayor Muriel Bowser, District Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb appeared before the House Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for five hours on Sept. 18.
9/11, 24 YEARS LATER BY KATE OCZYPOK
Today marks 24 years since our world changed forever. In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Twin Towers, Pentagon, and in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, our country experienced a surge of national unity and patriotism.
Long Agenda Takes ANC 2E Meeting
Past Midnight
BY PEGGY SANDS
The “October” meeting of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission for Georgetown, Burleith and Hillendale, held on Monday, Sept. 29, began at 6:30 p.m. and didn’t gavel down until about 1 a.m. Besides the many agenda items (see below), there was a surprise, high-jolt visual presentation about an ongoing issue: medical waste near Medstar Georgetown University Hospital.
REPORTS FROM DISTRICT OFFICIALS
Officials from the mayor’s office and Council reported that public safety would continue to be a top focus. Under a “Peace DC Omnibus Bill” introduced by Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto and passed this summer, the District will expand its law enforcement agents and take on measures to “reduce recidivism,” according to Pinto.
Ward 2 Board of Education representative Allister Chang reported that the reading scores of D.C. students are going up — a nearly 10-percent rise in the last year. He expects the increase to continue with the “evidence-based” reading system now in place. Still, D.C. ranks among the lowest in the country (compared to states), with
36.5 percent of public school students reading at grade level. “But we’re going in the right direction,” Chang said.
Department of Transportation planner Ted Randell reported that city officials and representatives of licensed companies that rent motorized scooters and bikes are negotiating a solution to the problem of parked vehicles blocking sidewalks. Part of the problem is that the District is essentially a dock-free community. He urged flexibility and patience as policies are worked out.
PROJECTS IN GEORGETOWN PARKS
After years of delays, long-planned construction projects are underway in three of Georgetown’s parks and recreation areas, closing them down until at least the spring of 2026, possibly into 2027. Quick updates, with promises to get back with further details, were given by Department of Parks and Recreation official Tommie Jones. Duke Ellington Field: The entire playing field and track surface has been dug up and replaced and now is in its final phase of resurfacing. Neighbors are urging that the track be done first, with finishing the field, landscaping and fieldhouses renovations to follow. The top concern is the installation of very tall lights around the field, that some neighbors say were not tested and approved
before finalization. Guarantees about hours of usage are also wanting, they say.
Volta Park: Following a year of delays due to unexpected drainage problems and other issues, the baseball field at Volta Park has been fenced off and construction equipment put in place to begin its refurbishment. Some commented that things seem to have suddenly stopped. “I’ll look into it,” said Jones. Pinto announced that funds for new playground equipment have been secured
Recreation Center: After almost seven years of planning meetings, town halls, permit and contract previews and design meetings, the Jelleff project’s “final design” was announced by DPR and presented at a Sept. 24 meeting with little advance notice. In 2024, the budget had gone from an initial $7 million for required ADA improvements to $28 million for a full renovation, a sum that was maintained in the 2025-26 budget. But in that time the costs have also gone up substantially. Two major expectations were therefore cut from the final plans: the second gym
— which had been the focal point of the project when it was first expanded — and a second activities area for the Boys and Girls Club that had been considered essential. Also cut were renovations to the swimming pool.
Several ANC commissioners shared with The Georgetowner their disappointment and frustration that these final decisions were made without conferring with Georgetown stakeholders and officials involved for years in the planning. “The lesson here is not to delay things after funding is secured,” said one commissioner (off the record). “Now let’s just get it done.”
The Jelleff area is being fenced off and permits for demolition are being secured. The Boys and Girls Club has moved to the old Filmore School at 1801 35th St. NW, despite complaints that there is no playing field. The club will share the building with Georgetown Village, which, some commissioners noted, could develop into meaningful intergenerational activities.
FINAL STANDARDS FOR STREATERIES
A final report regarding streatery standards is near completion by the Georgetown Business and Improvement District and various District departments. The regulations include some for appearance and upkeep. Once the standards are set, four or five of Georgetown’s some 16 streateries, including those with “tents,” may require requests for special consideration.
Jelleff
A mid-2021 rendering of the future Jelleff Community Center. Courtesy Perkins Eastman.
A JOLTING PRESENTATION
Around 9:30 p.m., during the comment period, a Burleith neighbor handed out “gift packages” to all the commissioners. Inside each was a collection of medical garbage including used bandages and wraps, syringes, needles and even some surgical equipment. The packages were, as one commissioner put it, a very graphic reminder of a rather gross problem: medical trash left by individuals in the residential neighborhoods adjacent to MedStar Georgetown Hospital. “We have been working on this problem for years,” noted Burleith Community Association President Eric Langenbacher.
RESOLUTIONS
Commissioners also considered three repeat advisory resolutions to be sent to the appropriate government bodies. They all contained urgent requests for increased transparency concerning Georgetown projects. Resolutions included a request to implement and make accessible recordings of Old Georgetown Board hearings and meetings; and a repeated appeal for improvement in the collection of fall leaves throughout Georgetown this year, so that the failures of the program in 2024 are not repeated.
Graham/Ein House Renovations Begin?
BY ROBERT DEVANEY
The lengthy dispute over proposed renovations to one of Georgetown’s treasured historic houses — formerly owned by George Washington’s great-grandnephew; by Col. William “Wild Bill” Donovan, who ran the OSS, precursor to the CIA; and by Katharine Graham of the Washington Post — appears to be resolved. Work on the property at 2920 R St. NW, currently owned by Mark Ein, has begun. The fierce and weird fight over the empty mansion caught the interest not only of
Georgetown residents but of outsiders, thanks to write-ups in The Georgetowner as well as in the Post, Washingtonian, the New York Times and the Daily Mail.
The Beaux-Arts-style home was remodeled over the years, lastly by the Grahams, who bought it in 1946. Katharine Graham died in July of 2001. Ein, a businessman and partowner of the Washington Commanders, bought the house in 2002. More than 10 years later,
Ein and his wife Sally presented plans to the Old Georgetown Board — which controls the look and use of Georgetown exteriors — for modernizing and expanding the house.
At the time, neighbors Calvin and Jane Cafritz (he a real estate developer and she an attorney), who shared the driveway with the property, objected to Ein’s plans for additions, a garage, a retaining wall and landscaping. The OGB swatted down the Ein plans several times.
Last month, the Commission of Fine Arts, of which OGB is a part, approved Ein’s most recent concept submission: “No objection to concept design for addition at side, single-story ‘garden room’ addition at rear, underground addition and garage, and driveway ramp, per supplemental materials received 22 August 2025, PROVIDED Option B is used for the general design and massing on the north elevation with the Option A windows, the roof height of the hyphen on the north elevation is lowered, Option B is used for the design of the garden room at the rear, the design of the garage door is restudied, and great thought is put into landscaping and replanting of trees to soften appearance of new retaining wall. File permit submission at DOB, with detailed and dimensioned drawings, engineering drawings for underpinning, complete demolition plan, and condition assessment, for review by the Commission.”
The Georgetowner will report more fully on the renovations in the weeks ahead.
2920 R St. NW.
October News Bytes
BY HAILEY WHARRAM
GU HOLDS STEADY IN U.S. NEWS RANKING
On Sept. 24, U.S. News and World Report released its 2026 Best Colleges list, ranking Georgetown University as the 24th best college in America. GU tied with Emory University for the second consecutive year. The publication once again — 15 years running — crowned Princeton as the nation’s top college. The update comes on the heels of Georgetown’s fall from 13th to 17th in Niche’s 2026 Best Colleges ranking.
GEORGETOWN LAW REPORT FLAGS DNA COLLECTION
Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy & Technology published a report titled “Raiding the (U.S. Citizen) Genome” on Sept. 23. The report revealed that, between 2020 and 2024, the Department of Homeland Security collected DNA from an estimated 2,000 detained U.S. citizens. Though they were not necessarily arrested for, charged with or convicted of crimes, these individuals had their genetic information uploaded to the FBI’s national
policing database, CODIS. Federal law does not authorize DHS to extract DNA from U.S. citizens under these circumstances, notes the report.
TOMBS’ COVER CHARGE SPARKS STUDENT BOYCOTT
When storied Georgetown restaurant and bar the Tombs, 1226 36th St. NW, introduced a $5 cover charge in early September, students pushed back with a swift boycott. From penning a petition that garnered over 700 signatures to creating an Instagram account chronicling the saga, the protest had a clear goal: to leave the Tombs as lifeless as its name. On Sept. 16, the charge was dropped, scant weeks ahead of GU’s 100th annual homecoming celebration, set for Oct. 3 and 4.
THOMPSON BOAT CENTER LOOKS WORSE FOR WEAR
Since opening in 1961, this Potomacperched boathouse has become home to over a dozen D.C. rowing teams at the high school, college and club level. But in recent years, the Thompson Boat Center has exhibited signs of substantial deterioration. From troubles with running water to a seawall that’s nosediving into the river, the building is desperately in need of repairs. According to the Washington Post, the National Park Service is fully
GHOSTS OF GEORGETOWN TOUR UNCORKS THE BOOS
DC by Foot is offering a family-friendly Ghosts of Georgetown walking tour for those looking to get into the Halloween spirit. Despite the company’s url being freetoursbyfoot.com, the 90-minute tour — which explores the neighborhood’s spookiest spots, from historic haunted houses to the uber-creepy Exorcist Steps — isn’t free; tickets start at $39. The tours set off from the Old Stone House, 3051 M St. NW.
KIDS
Aerial view of Georgetown University.
Citizens Glow in Sequoia Sunset
BY ROBERT DEVANEY
party-goers enjoyed the sunlit Georgetown spot for a spectacular sunset on the river with dancing, food, drinks and good conversation.
New BID CEO Introduced at Annual Meeting
BY PEGGY SANDS
Georgetown Business Improvement District CEO Deborah Kerson Bilek, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Mimsy Lindner and BID Vice President John Wiebenson. Photo by Bill Starrels.
The Georgetown BID Clean Team: DeAndre, Carl, Dwayne and Willie. Photo by Bill Starrels.
Event Co-Chairs Adrienne NolanSmith, Claire Wilder and Puja Parekh.
Photo by Daniel Schwartz.
Carole and Bassam Al-Kahouaji.
Photo by Bill Starrels.
Avery Miller, Anita Kulkarni, M.D., Chip Dent and Puja Parekh. Photo by Bill Starrels.
Tara Sakraida Parker, former CAG president, with CAG President Amy Titus and Helen and Jeff Hartgen.Photo by Bill Starrels.
Luke Russert and Lauren Lomeli Russert. Photo by Bill Starrels.
District Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto.
Photo by Bill Starrels.
Georgetowner Publisher Sonya Bernhardt with her nephew Stefan, niece Elisa, sister Susan and brother-in-law Tam Bayoumi, CAG vice president.
Photo by Bill Starrels.
Claire Wilson and Teddy Sullivan of Georgetown Ministry Center with Rachel Shank of Georgetown Main Street. Photo by Bill Starrels.
Jennifer Rodrigues of Destination DC, Tony Mosca of the Rosewood and Marc Bromley of the Four Seasons. Photo by Bill Starrels.
Bill Verno and Michael Summey of the Georgetown BID with the National Park Service’s Shaun Lehmann. Photo by Bill Starrels.
The Georgetown Business Improvement District held its annual meeting at the Four Seasons on Sept. 18, introducing new board members and new CEO Deborah Kerson Bilek,
The Citizens Association of Georgetown (CAG) hosted its annual fundraiser cocktail party on Sept. 18 at Sequoia. More than 250
Staying the Course, Together
Our Business Ins & Outs column is what many readers turn to first. Georgetown residents love getting the scoop when a top retailer or a chef’s latest venture is headed our way (the Ins). The news that it’s time to bid a local business farewell may draw an “Oh well” or even an “Oh no!” (the Outs).
Since 1954, this publication has reported on a multitude of changes to Georgetown. But every now and then, it seems only right to expend some congratulatory ink on our fellow enterprises of long standing.
First and foremost in Washington’s oldest neighborhood: Georgetown University, the oldest Catholic institution of higher education in the United States, established in 1789.
William Gloyd (Billy) Martin with the help of his father William S. Martin. William A. (Billy) Martin runs the place now.
The same age as The Georgetowner, 71, is a third-generation family business, Georgetown Floorcoverings, headed by Karen Ohri and 100-percent women-owned.
A relative youngster: Georgetown Tobacco, where David Berkebile, who set up shop on M Street in 1964, is still minding the store. Put that in your pipe and smoke it!
“They deserve our loyalty in good times and, even more, in this challenging leadup to the nation’s 250th birthday. Let’s stick together, as neighbors should.”
Others with decades of service include Snyder Properties, Salon ILO and Blues Alley, which turned 30 this year.
Brooke Pinto Running for D.C.’s Congressional Seat, Challenging Norton
BY ROBERT DEVANEY
On Monday, Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto announced her campaign for the District of Columbia’s congressional district.
Besides being the Ward 2 Council member, Pinto serves as the Chairwoman of the D.C. Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety. Among other neighborhoods, she represents Georgetown on the Council.
Her entire career, she says, “has been focused on serving District residents, building consensus across coalitions and across the city, and delivering solutions and results to D.C.’s most pressing challenges.”
The Citizen’s Association of Georgetown, known as CAG, traces its roots to 1878, when the Georgetown Citizens Association was founded as D.C.’s first civic group (the merger creating the modern organization occurred in 1963).
Can you name the neighborhood’s oldest continuing business? It’s Weaver Hardware, which began in 1889 as W.T. Weaver & Sons, now in its fourth generation of family ownership. Also in its fourth generation: Martin’s Tavern, opened on the corner of Wisconsin and N in 1933 by former Major League Baseball player
The Cruelest Month
And that, dear readers, tells you everything you need to know about the federal shutdown, the fourth under Trump and his fellow GOP travelers. It’s not about efficiency, government spending or deficit reduction. Instead, it’s all about revenge, spite and fear. (Also health care. More later.)
Who talks like that? I want to inflict pain on the workers who do the people’s business. I want to terrify citizens and immigrants alike. The Democrats are the enemy. I hate them.
As they say, the cruelty is the point. By coincidence, the shutdown began at midnight on Oct. 1, the eve of Judaism’s most sacred holiday. For many civil servants, the pain began well before then with the advent of the DOGE boys, who created chaos and unemployment to cover their theft of our private data.
So, what does this all mean? For the District
Think of how much your own life has changed in the past 30, 40 or 50 years (or more). These essential entities have stayed the course — at times having to struggle to survive, no doubt. Yet here they remain, constant presences, landmarks really, that contribute so much to the quality of life enjoyed by Georgetown residents, workers and visitors.
They deserve our loyalty in good times and, even more, in this challenging lead-up to the nation’s 250th birthday. Let’s stick together, as neighbors should.
joins another Council member, Robert White, in pursuing the Democratic nomination to become the non-voting delegate for District of Columbia’s at-large congressional district in the House of Representatives. Other declared candidates include D.C. State Board of Education President Jacque Patterson, Kinney Zalesne, former official at the Democratic National Committee, and Ward 3 Democrats Chair Deirdre Brown.
The 33-year-old Pinto is challenging 88-yearold Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), who has been in office since 1991. The only other D.C. delegate in modern times was Walter Fauntroy.
As for a new representative for Ward 2, if
Pinto wins, the angling has just begun. Her current term in office expires January 2029.
Pinto released the following statement upon her announcement:
“In this moment, D.C. residents across the city are asking ourselves how we can stand up for D.C., fight for our future, and fight for our values.
“I’m running for Congress to represent D.C. on Capitol Hill — to fight for our self governance, for a fair economy, for public safety, and for our families. We need leaders who are fighting for our city every single day and who have a proven track record of delivering tangible results for our residents. That’s what I’ve done on the Council, where I authored the most comprehensive public safety bill in our city’s history, where I championed the building of a first-of-its-kind transitional homelessness shelter, and where I delivered more funding for D.C.’s public schools to improve literacy.
“Washington, D.C., isn’t just our nation’s political capital — our city is a center for commerce, culture and education. We need a champion in Congress who knows that D.C.’s future is bright — and who knows that there are a myriad of opportunities we can accomplish for our city by working together with inclusivity, innovation and execution.”
“Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton has been an unparalleled champion for D.C. for decades and I want to build on her incredible legacy for which we are all grateful. I am eager to build a campaign and a movement that empowers our engaged and talented neighbors to be a part of the future of our city that is strong, fair, and safe. Let’s move our city forward, together; let’s fight for D.C.!”
Editor’s note: A guest column submitted by Brooke Pinto to The Georgetowner last week can be found at Georgetowner.com.
itself, not a lot, unless you’re a furloughed worker. (You can file for unemployment, and you will get back pay once you return to work.) Home Rule, which itself is at risk, ensures that schools remain open; Metro runs; the mail’s delivered.
On the other hand, the whole country cannot operate safely without the dedicated employees who handle what the New York Times calls “the day-to-day mechanics of American life.”
marketplace. If they are allowed to expire, premiums will increase exponentially, further burdening families facing higher prices at the grocery store and the fuel pump.
“I want federal employees to be traumatized, I want to put them in trauma, I want them to not want to come to work.”
- Russell Vought, OMB director
And why is this happening? Health care. That pesky Obamacare just won’t die, no matter how many times the GOP tries to take it down.
Now the fight is over tax credits that reduce the cost of policies bought on the ACA
Additionally, the Democrats want to restore the Medicaid funding that had been cut in the Big Beautiful Bill enacted this summer. More important, they want to make
sure that the president doesn’t impound these funds or claw them back, something he is wont to do. He is also threatening to withhold funding for blue state (Democratic-run) projects, in another attempt to extort cooperation.
Without a majority in either house, the Democrats are stymied. They can only
withhold their votes to deny passage of this noxious Project 2025-inspired budget. Thus, the standstill.
Already the lies and misinformation are flowing. In AI-manipulated out-of-office messages and memes posted on social media and government websites, unwary visitors will see a variation of the following: “The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government. [Agency] will use available resources to help Americans in need.” Seriously?
The previous shutdown, which lasted 35 days in 2018-19, cost our city nearly $56 million. That was untenable then, and more so now. We can’t afford these juvenile, unpatriotic games.
As of press time, the Trump administration was threatening to not give back pay to federal workers.
Pinto
Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto. Courtesy Brooke Pinto for Congress.
Oldest unchanged building in D.C., with retail space since early 1800s (3051 M St NW).
• HOLY TRINITY CATHOLIC CHURCH — 1787 Oldest Catholic parish in D.C. (3513 N St NW).
• GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY —1789
At 225 years it’s the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in the U.S. founded by John Carroll, first Catholic bishop of the U.S.
• GEORGETOWN VISITATION PREPARATORY SCHOOL — 1799
Among the nation’s oldest Catholic girls’ schools (1524 35th St NW).
• MOUNT ZION CEMETERY / FEMALE UNION BAND SOCIETY CEMETERY — 1808
Historic African American burial ground (2501 Mill Rd NW).
• TUDOR PLACE HISTORIC HOUSE & GARDEN — BUILT BETWEEN 1794 AND 1815
• FEDERAL-ERA MANSION DESIGNED BY WILLIAM THORNTON, NOW A MUSEUM (1644 31ST ST NW).
• OAK HILL CEMETERY — 1849
22-acre landscaped cemetery, designed by James Renwick Jr. (3001 R St NW).
• CITIZENS ASSOCIATION OF GEORGETOWN (CAG) — 1878
Oldest civic association in Washington, D.C.
Georgetown Heritage Canal Day, Oct. 19
BY THE GEORGETOWNER
Mark your calendars: Georgetown Heritage is celebrating the C&O Canal with a free day of festivities in the Mule Yard — as well as on board the canal boat — on Sunday, Oct. 19, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine.
In the Mule Yard, the family-friendly event will feature lawn games and live bluegrass music from Hollertown. At Lock 3, where
the National Park Service’s Junior Ranger Program will be on hand, attendees can assemble and decorate a model boat, testing it in a mini “canal” during a canal boat regatta.
A donkey named Lucy and a mule named
Kismet will be at the boat, where children’s music group Jam with Jammie will perform at 11 a.m., followed by a puppet show at noon. At 1 p.m., Council member Brooke Pinto will lead a storytime on the boat.
Maman, Say Cheese and 7th Street Burger are providing treats and the Rocklands Barbeque truck will be parked nearby.
Co-chaired by Samantha Ring and Alexis Wetzler, the host committee includes Tracy and Philip Chadwell, HOK, Peter Lichtenbaum, Frank and Florence Marshall, Bill and Tracy Moroney, Christie Pelley, Luciana Valdiviezo and Anthony Aminoff and Ellen Waugh.
For the last 11 years, Georgetown Heritage’s mission has been to celebrate and elevate the history, heritage, arts and culture of Georgetown through educational programs, events and partnerships.
Having spearheaded a long-term plan for the one-mile section of the C&O Canal that runs through Georgetown, the organization has brought canal boat tours back to Georgetown and reopened the NPS Visitor Center. Hopedfor projects in future years include a visitor and education center, canal path improvements and additional installations, pop-ups and events.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
ANCHOR FUND BENEFIT
Thursday, Oct. 9
The Anchor Fund supports survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area with funding to eliminate urgent financial constraints. The event will be held at 6 p.m. at City Tavern, 3206 M St. NW. Tickets are $200. Visit anchorfund.org.
C&O CANAL COMMUNITY DAY
Saturday, Oct. 18
The C&O Canal Trust invites area residents to volunteer to paint park structures, clean up trash and remove invasive species from 9 a.m. to noon. Meet in the grassy yard behind the Georgetown Visitor Center, 1057 Thomas Jefferson St. NW. Visit canaltrust.org.
GEORGETOWN FALL MARKET
Saturday, Oct. 18, & Sunday, Oct. 19
The Georgetown Fall Market, featuring specials at cafes, restaurants and shops, live music and autumnal fun, runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wisconsin Avenue from Prospect to R Streets. Visit georgetownmainstreet.com.
ANC 2E MEETING
Monday, Nov. 3
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, Nov. 6
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 Oct. 16. Meeting documents are posted on the Monday afternoon prior to the meeting. Visit cfa.gov.
STILE ANTICO CONCERT
Sunday, Nov. 9
Stile Antico, a 12-voice British ensemble celebrating its 20th anniversary season, will perform Renaissance choral favorites at 4 p.m. at Dumbarton United Methodist Church, 3133 Dumbarton St. NW. Tickets are $60. Visit dumbartonconcerts.org.
Courtesy Georgetown Heritage.
INS & OUTS
BY ROBERT DEVANEY
IN: FLORERÍA ATLÁNTICO, BRASERO ATLÁNTICO
Cocktail bar Florería Atlántico and restaurant Brasero Atlántico, run by Renato “Tato” Giovannoni and Alex Resnik, have set up in the old firehouse near the C&O Canal at 1064-1066 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Founded in Buenos Aires in 2013, the business has locations in Spain and Bahrain. Its next U.S. location will be Beverly Hills. The place contains a flower shop that also sells wine until 2 a.m., but it’s the downstairs bar with its top-drawer cocktails that’s the spot to check out. Next door is a 55-seat restaurant with an open-flame grill and a mural of hand-drawn mythological sea creatures.
IN: HOLT BUILDING, V-TECH, DRIPBAR
Last week, the Bowser Administration joined V-Tech Solutions and community leaders to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary and the grand opening of the newly renovated Holt Building at 1720 Wisconsin Ave. NW. The building will house V-Tech Solutions’ corporate headquarters; the Dripbar, a new health and wellness venture; and the Holt Family Foundation, which supports education and workforce development in the District.
IN: AMANDA HAGERMAN JEWELRY
Amanda Hagerman Jewelry opened last month at 3259 Prospect St. NW, next to the Elliott and near La Bonne Vache. “A year ago, we decided to make that vision a reality. My husband Adam and I searched for the perfect spot in the D.C. area and set our sights on Georgetown,” Hagerman tells us. “I’m beyond honored and excited to join the Georgetown small business community!”
IN: ORNARE
Ornare, the Brazilian brand recognized for its custom cabinetry and luxury interior solutions, opened its newest showroom — and first in Washington, D.C. — on Sept. 25 at 3340 Cady’s Alley NW. “Opening a showroom in Washington, D.C., is a major milestone for us,” said Ornare founder and CEO Murillo Schattan.
IN: THE LOBBY LOUNGE
Boasting a cocktail lounge with small bites and a backyard patio, the Lobby Lounge opened in a row house at 1660 Wisconsin Ave. NW, on the corner of 33rd Street.
MOVED: IZZY SALON, NOW ON 31ST
Izzy Salon, formerly at 2903 M St. NW, has opened a new beauty salon at 1510 31st St. NW. The locale, once known as Village Hair Salon, was owned by Maria DiMartini. Now, after more than two decades cutting and styling hair, Isabelle Goetz celebrates her new location. Goetz has been recognized as transforming the hairstyle of Hillary Clinton, who remains a client today. In 2010, Women’s Wear Daily dubbed her “Washington’s leading celebrity stylist.”
CHEVY CHASE FLOOR
COMING: MONOS LUGGAGE
Monos Travel Luggage is set to open at 3124 M St. NW, previously a store for Atmos sneakers.
COMING:
COTTAGE HOUSE
Cottage House, an Ethiopian restaurant, is coming to 1529 Wisconsin Ave. NW, which most recently housed City Sliders — and, before that, Zannchi, Yummi Crawfish and Puro Cafe.
COMING:
FLAVOR HIVE ON M
The popular Northern Virginia food truck Flavor Hive is looking to construct a brickand-mortar location at 3287½ M St. NW in the former Harmony Cafe space, reports the Washington Business Journal.
OUT: WASHINGTON HARBOUR STARBUCKS
Another underperforming Starbucks takes a hit. The coffee shop at 3050 K St. NW, long a staple at the Washington Harbour, closed this week. The remaining Georgetown Starbucks is at 1810 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
OUT: HOME COURT
Home Court, a luxury designer buy-selltrade clothing store at 1363 Wisconsin Ave. NW, is closing — and having a sale. Need some newish sneakers?
OUT: LITTLE WORDS PROJECT
Little Words Project, the playful bracelet shop at 1246 Wisconsin Ave. NW, closed last month. The business “aims to inspire and encourage people to be kind to themselves and to pay that kindness forward, one bracelet at a time.”
OUT: SOLBIATO SPORT
The clothing line and multi-label designer boutique at 1511 Wisconsin Ave. NW has closed, but remains an online store.
OUT: SMOOTHIE KING
Smoothie King has left 3122 M St. NW after two years. Founded in Kenner, Louisiana, in 1973, Smoothie King is now South Koreanowned, with 1,000 locations worldwide.
OUT (TEMPORARILY): OLIVIA MACARON
Macarons in a dozen flavors and gourmet coffee are the specialties of this upscale, elegant bake shop, located at 3270 M St. NW in the Georgetown Park retail complex.
CONGRATULATIONS: 5 YEARS FOR VIOLET SALON
Violet Salon, at 1513 Wisconsin Ave. NW, celebrated a very special anniversary on Sept. 27, reports our correspondent Peggy Sands. It’s been five years since the full-service beauty salon opened — then had to close a few weeks later in 2020 due to Covid restrictions. But the new shop found ways to offer services to home customers and free cuts and treatments to first responders. Violet was the first salon to reopen in the summer of 2020, with special protective shields and other safety precautions. It continues to sponsor local donation campaigns and beauty services for community causes, especially during the holidays.
The champagne party also celebrated the decision of five of the beauty professionals to join up as a team with Violet’s owner, Mesut Ozaydin, who had operated the business alone for 17 years. The happy atmosphere in the shop is noticeable. “I hit gold,” says Ozaydin. “Business is good.”
Owners Renato “Tato” Giovannoni and Alex Resnik. Courtesy Florería Atlántico.
Amanda Hagerman at her new Prospect Street shop.
Celebrity stylist Isabelle Goetz.
The Violet family is on a first-name basis: Ny, Benedict, Jim, Marcella, Patricia, Messut, Jonathan and Robert. Courtesy Violet Salon.
At the center of the Holt Building’s Sept. 26 ribbon cutting: Rian and Victor Holt and Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto. Photo by Total Reset Productions.
A New Era at the Chamber: Meet President & CEO Chinyere Hubbard
BY KATE OCZYPOK
“Improving the life of all Washingtonians is in my DNA, and something I’m very passionate about,” said Chinyere Hubbard, president and CEO of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce.
Throughout her career, Hubbard, a native Washingtonian, has been committed to efforts to uplift the city and protect businesses. She spent the past 25 years building bridges across the public, private and nonprofit sectors, holding roles in strategic communication, economic development, fundraising and advocacy, as well as storytelling.
Prior to joining the Chamber, Hubbard’s career included stints at EventsDC and the Greater Washington Partnership. “I’ve been in the business ecosystem for a very long time, so this was the perfect right step for me at this time,” she said.
Coming from a family of small business owners, Hubbard takes pride in the Chamber’s mission to champion inclusive prosperity, calling it a passion “close to her heart.”
When Hubbard spoke with The Georgetowner, the Chamber had just completed its State of the Region Conference. The State of Business Report — titled “Investing in Growth,” with insights about the city’s economy — was also released.
are in what Hubbard called “dynamic times.” Leaders are looking to sustain economic growth and job creation for everyone. The Chamber is working to do so through public grants and loans for startups and existing businesses, through job training partnerships, by promoting the hiring of D.C. residents and by supporting apprenticeship programs, particularly ones targeting youth in emerging communities.
The Chamber is also working closely with government partners to streamline regulatory and licensing processes: “We’d like to remove a lot of those barriers.”
The topic of public safety also came up.
“Public safety is a huge priority for residents and for business owners,” commented Hubbard, “and I definitely see us making huge strides from where we were in the ’80s, when I was growing up. As a chamber, we really applaud our public safety partners and the mayor for all the hard work she’s doing.”
As a child living in Northwest D.C., Hubbard attended Horace Mann Elementary School and Shepherd Elementary School, then went to a private Catholic middle school. For high school, Hubbard started at Banneker High School. Wanting to get more involved in sports, she transferred to
Hubbard specifically mentioned the Council’s recent vote to bring the Washington Commanders back to the District, at the site of the current RFK stadium.
“That’s a huge, transformative decision and project for the city, our residents and the business community,” she said. “What that can do for jobs, for green space, for revitalization in an area that really needs it. And so the Chamber is a partner with the Commanders to ensure that businesses can really leverage that project and those opportunities.”
D.C. and other places around the country
Wilson High School (now Jackson-Reed) in Tenleytown, where she ran track.
“Growing up, there were a lot of chain restaurants that I remember going to all the time,” Hubbard said. “Now we’ve got chefs from New York, from Europe, coming here to set up and open some amazing restaurants in our city.”
“I love exploring all parts of the city, all across eight wards,” she said, noting that neighborhoods like Navy Yard and the Wharf didn’t even exist when she was young. D.C., she added, is “one of the most beautiful and safest cities in the country.”
Chinyere Hubbard.
Culture
67 Arts Leaders and Counting: The Georgetowner’s
BY RICHARD SELDEN
“To me, this is the most challenging time to be making theater in the country. It’s the absolutely best time. It’s the best place for the expression of important feelings and beliefs,” declared Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith in June of 2019. (If it was true then, think how true it is now.)
Smith, who retired in 2023 after a 25-year tenure, was speaking at The Georgetowner’s 35th Cultural Leadership Breakfast.
On Sept. 16, a drizzly Tuesday, roughly a third of the 67 speakers to date turned out for the series’ 11th anniversary cocktail party at the Kreeger Museum, where they schmoozed among the Monets and Picassos to the sounds of a trio provided by DC Jazz Festival President and CEO Sunny Sumter.
Just a handful of George Town Club members, Georgetowner staffers and arts-minded D.C. residents were present at the creation, on January 27, 2014, when University of Chicago Professor Emeritus Neil Harris spoke about his book, “Cultural Capital: J. Carter Brown, the National Gallery of Art, and the Reinvention of the Museum Experience.” Attendance would have been greater if the National Gallery of Art hadn’t belatedly decided to host the author shortly before his Georgetown appearance.
Sixty-four breakfasts, 66 speakers, seven venues (the Capella/Rosewood hotel, Jenn Crovato’s1310 Kitchen, the Tabard Inn, the Four Seasons, Evermay, the Woodrow Wilson House and Dupont Underground), close to 12
years and one pandemic later, it was high time to celebrate the series, thank the speakers and sponsors and relive some of the D.C. arts scene’s ups and downs.
In 1950, when Zelda and Tom Fichandler and Edward Mangum founded Arena Stage, it was the only presenter of its kind in the nation’s capital. There are now nearly 20, about half of which have been represented in the series by one or more of their leaders: Smith’s successor Hana Sharif, Michael Kahn and later Simon Godwin of Shakespeare Theatre Company, Howard Shalwitz and later Maria Goyanes of Woolly Mammoth, Rebecca Medrano and later Gustavo Ott of GALA, Ari Roth after he left Theater J to found Mosaic, Roth’s successors Hayley Finn at Theater J and Reg Douglas at Mosaic, Matthew Gardiner of Signature, Tim Nelson of In Series and Julianne Brienza of Capital Fringe, who noted in 2022 that “so many of the smaller black-box theaters have closed.” She and several of the others, along with 2016 speaker Amy Austin of Theatre Washington, were on hand at the Kreeger party.
From the museum world, the series has featured (in alphabetical order): Melanie Adams, Jonathan Binstock, Gus Casely-Hayford, Melissa Chiu, Aileen Fuchs, Rachel Goslins, Judy Greenberg, Beatrice Gurwitz, Anthea Hartig, Mark Hudson, Peter Jakab, Farah Karim-Cooper, Kathryn Keane, Melanie Mathewes, Julian Raby, Jack Rasmussen, Kim Sajet, John Wetenhall and Michael Witmore, plus gallerists George Hemphill and Victoria Reis.
The dance speakers over the years have
Ana Harvey, President & CEO of the Dupont Underground looks at a piece of art at the Kreeger Museum.
Georgetowner’s Cultural
Capital
Leadership Breakfast Series
been Diane Coburn Bruning, Dana Tai Soon Burgess, Julie Kent, Edwaard Liang, Diana Movius and Septime Webre. Representing music organizations and venues, in addition to Sumter, were Jenny Bilfield, Ryan Brown, Marie Bucoy-Calavan, Christopher Eanes and Steven Fox (a double), Roberta Gasbarre and Greg Lewis (another double), Ángel GilOrdóñez, Monica Jeffries Hazangeles, Arvind Manocha, Deborah Rutter, Jace Saplan, Rita Shapiro, Scott Tucker, Martin Wollesen, Doug Yeuell and Francesca Zambello.
Speaking about their multipurpose venues were Yota Batsaki of Dumbarton Oaks, Katey Boerner of Glen Echo Park and Ana Harvey of Dupont Underground. Academics, besides Harris: George Washington University President Steven Knapp, Catholic University Dean Jacqueline Leary-Warsaw and Corcoran School Director Lauren Onkey.
At the party, series organizer Richard Selden shared “a few nuggets and shavings in chronological order” from event write-ups in The Georgetowner by the late Gary Tischler and himself. A sampling follows.
“We don’t have a venue,” noted Washington Performing Arts’ Bilfield in 2014. “That’s significant, and my first reaction, honestly, was relief. What we can do instead is interact with the whole community, its various strands, and venues that we do have, artists, groups, and bring them together.”
From the Washington Ballet’s Webre, soon after he announced his departure in 2016: “I’m really, really proud of what we’ve done here in this
city, which, when I got here, didn’t have what you could call a diverse arts community. The city was still a little quiet then, and truth to tell, the food wasn’t much either.”
“The hard question is: Are we overbuilt?” asked Woolly Mammoth’s Shalwitz in 2017. “I don’t mean to be too pessimistic, but I’m getting out at the right time.” Goyanes, his successor, recounted six years later how the last week of a run in February had to be canceled when an actor tested positive for Covid: “In that one moment, we lost upwards of $100,000.”
“Why has Washington lost so many galleries since the time I arrived?” wondered longtime gallerist Hemphill in 2018, offering some possible reasons. The following year, the National Museum of American History’s Hartig quoted James Baldwin: “American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful and more terrible that anything anyone has ever said about it.”
In 2022, Nelson of In Series pointed out an advantage of his company’s home city: “The great thing about D.C. audiences is they’re so smart.” Two years later, Dupont Underground’s Harvey said: “Artists come through almost every day. I never say, ‘No.’ I say, ‘Not yet.’” That fall, Signature Theatre’s Gardiner assured breakfast attendees that “theater is not going anywhere.”
The day after the Kreeger party, Boerner sent Selden and Georgetowner Publisher Sonya Bernhardt a thank-you email. The assembled cultural leaders were “an incredible group to bring together last night,” she wrote, adding: “the conversations were really interesting, and I think some collaborations may come out of it.”
(from left to right top to bottom) Allyson Burkhardt, Ryan Allen, Ana Harvey, Tom Ryan, Raymone Bain, Gail Daubert, Ángel Gil-Ordóñez, Annemarie Ryan, Steven Fox, Troy Riemer, Victoria Michael, Emma Moores, Gracie Richberg, Edwaard Liang, Helen Chasen, Marie Bucoy-Calavan, Diane Coburn Bruning, Kathryn Keane, Melanie Hayes, Jason Palmquist, Iesha Holy, Dana Tyson Burgess, Jameson Freeman, Katie McKenney, guest, Alla Rogers, Stefan Bayoumi, Julianne Brienza Breanna, Sonya Bernhardt, Timothy O’Leary, Sunny Sumter, Richard Selden, Louis Webre, Robert Devaney, Jenni Cloud, Katey Boerner, Diana Movius, guest, Donna Evers, Theresa Nielsen, guest, Lynn Golub-Rofrano, Donna Leanos, Arvind Manocha, Molly Smith, Ari Roth, Rebecca Medrano, Amy Austin, Monica Jeffries Hazangeles, Carlotta Hester, Chris Murray, Brittany Sawyer, Nishita Shah.
Janelle Gill Trio: Janelle Gill-Paino, Michael Bowie-Bass, Lyle Link-Saxophone performing at the Kreeger Museum. All photos by Greg “Fritz” Blakey.
THE ART OF AUTUMN LIVING
BY DONNA LEANOS
This is the season when homes embrace both the richness of color and the crispness of modern form—bold yet elegant. Picture matte black and deep neutrals against golden ochre, like fall leaves at their peak. The Lumens Tulip armchair adds sculptural presence, while a B&B Italia coffee table brings sleek Italian modernism. A fiery vermillion Jonathan Adler Snake Vase injects playful sophistication. This season is about layers: metallics that
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glimmer like late sunlight, geometric shapes that ground a space, and handcrafted touches that keep design soulful. Think of it as a dialogue between past and present—the gilt frame of a vintage quail painting conversing with bold cubes and sculptural seating. In fall, we crave warm and storied spaces where artful restraint meets bursts of exuberance, and every object tells a tale of luxury and life well-lived.
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AUCTION BLOCK
BY KATE OCZYPOK
A letter from Frank Sinatra about the kidnapping of his son sold for over $20,000. Other items: paintings by Alice Neel, Zeinab Al Sageny and Max Weyl; and a pair of diamond earrings by Harry Winston designer Jacques Timey.
BONHAMS
An Autographed Letter from Frank Sinatra About the Kidnapping of His Son
Sold for: $20,480
This six-page typed letter signed by Frank Sinatra, on his own letterhead, begins: “Dear Father Schmit, Mrs. Sinatra and I were disturbed by your letter of June 27, 1964, written on behalf of Barry Keenan and Joseph Amsler,” the convicted kidnappers of Frank Sinatra Jr. Smith, a prison chaplain, had requested that Sinatra forgive the pair. In a 2018 “Antiques Roadshow” episode, the letter was called the best Sinatra letter a specialist had ever seen.
FREEMAN’S
| HINDMAN
Harry Winston, Jacques Timey
Diamond Swirl Earrings
Estimate: $12,000–$18,000
Sold for: $23,040
These swirl-shaped earrings, each one inch long, display round diamonds weighing a total of 9 to 9.5 carats, pavéset in 18-karat yellow gold. From the collection of Phyllis and Fred Pressman, the earrings are stamped “WINSTON 750,” a maker’s mark of designer Jacques Timey, active in the 1960s and ’70s.
CHRISTIE’S
Dick Bagley’s Girlfriend
Estimate: $300,000–$500,000
Sold for: $571,500
Part of Christie’s “Post-War to Present” auction, this signed oil painting by Pennsylvania-born and -trained portraitist Alice Neel (19001984) sold for significantly above its high estimate. Acquired from the artist’s estate, the painting dates to 1946. Bagley was a Greenwich Village documentary cinematographer.
DOYLE
Untitled, circa 1973
Estimate: $4,000–$6,000
Sold for: $44,800
THE POTOMACK COMPANY
Little River from Rosslyn, 1912
Estimate: $10,000–$15,000
Sold for: $47.875
This untitled oil on panel, showing a woman rower, was painted around 1973 by Egyptian artist Zeinab Al Sageny, born in Cairo in 1930. The paintings of Al Sageny, who earned a Ph.D. in art education from Helwan University in 1978, typically depict mothers and children in rural Egyptian settings on or near the Nile.
This framed oil by Max Weyl (1837-1914) sold for well over twice its high estimate. Painted in 1912, it shows a south-facing view from the Rosslyn, Virginia, shore, across from D.C. At the time, the channel between Roosevelt Island and the Virginia shore was referred to as “Little River.” Weyl, who apprenticed as a watchmaker in Germany, immigrated to America in 1853 and opened a jeweler’s store on 7th Street NW in Washington, D.C., four years later.
KEIFFER COURT
Cocktail of the Month: Worldwide Flavors at Embassy Chef Challenge
BY JODY KURASH
Perhaps it caught your eye when you were sitting in a tavern looking at the selections behind the bar. At 18 inches tall, this decanter rises above the bottles that surround it. Elevated and slender, it looks a little bit classical and, with its bright sunny hue, a little like the golden spire of a Burmese temple. Did this unique vessel pique your curiosity?
What is this mystery elixir? Liquore Galliano L’Autentico — more commonly referred to simply as Galliano — is a sweet, bright yellow Italian liqueur with a vanilla-anise flavor. Its popularity surged in the 1970s, when you could spy it in most drinking establishments; now it’s generally found in old-school joints and classic cocktail spots.
The liqueur was created in 1896 by Tuscan distiller Arturo Vaccari, who named it in honor of Giuseppe Galliano, a hero of the First Italo-Ethiopian War. As for its uncommon vessel, according to Galliano’s website: “The slim fluted shape of the bottle with many tapered flat sides was inspired by the columns of the ancient temples of Rome and the mighty glory of the empire.” The
brilliant shade of its contents pays homage to the tens of thousands of Italian prospectors who flocked to California during the Gold Rush.
But what exactly is inside? Galliano is a liqueur forged from a plethora of natural ingredients: herbs, plants, roots, barks, spices and flower seeds. The most prominent flavor is vanilla, followed by anise, citrus, cinnamon, peppermint, musk yarrow and lavender. The overall sweetness distinguishes it from other herbal liqueurs like sambuca, raki and pastis.
It can be enjoyed on its own as an aperitif or as a cocktail mixer. Some notable tipples made with Galliano are the Yellow Bird (a Caribbean favorite) and the Golden Cadillac. However, it is most famous as the key ingredient of the Harvey Wallbanger. One of the most popular drinks of the disco era, the Harvey Wallbanger is basically a screwdriver (vodka and orange juice) with a float of Galliano on top. As with many cocktails, there are various tales regarding its invention.
The drink’s true origin likely lies with a 1966 marketing collaboration between McKesson, Galliano’s importer, and bartender Donato “Duke” Antone, who created a tipple known as “Duke’s Screwdriver.”
Difford’s Guide attributes it to a house party held in the mid-1960s in Newport Beach, California. One of the guests, Harvey, was found banging his head the next morning, complaining of the hangover this drink induced.
The tale on Galliano’s website is much more colorful: “In the 1970’s, a Californian surfer named Tom Harvey won an important surfing competition and went into a bar to celebrate this with his favorite drink. He apparently imbibed too much and, staggering out of the bar, banged his
surfboard from wall to wall. His friends nicknamed him ‘Harvey Wallbanger’. The nickname transferred itself to his favorite drink and a legend was born.”
The HW was promoted aggressively with a marketing campaign featuring a stressedlooking surfer cartoon character named Harvey Wallbanger, which helped make the drink a phenomenon.
This potent potable even inspired a baking craze of Harvey Wallbanger cakes, which were shaped like large doughnuts and included the signature cocktail components. But like disco and Bundt cakes, the popularity of both the cocktail and the dessert faded in the early ’80s.
Except in Milwaukee, where the 1982 Brewers were nicknamed “Harvey’s Wallbangers,” a tribute to manager Harvey Kuenn and to the team’s thrilling style of play. After capturing the American League pennant, the team faced St. Louis for the championship, nicknamed the “Suds Series” due to both cities being known for breweries. (St. Louis won.) With the Brewers back in the playoffs this fall, perhaps the HW is due for a revival.
Even if you’re not a baseball fan, there’s another good excuse to try this classic: Nov. 8 is National Harvey Wallbanger Day.
The Harvey Wallbanger
6 oz. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 oz. vodka ½ oz. Galliano
Stir the first two ingredients together with ice. Pour a float of Galliano on top. Garnish with an orange wedge (optional).
The Harvey Wallbanger. Pexels photo by Charlotte May.
The Latest Dish: International Culinary Appeal Is DMV’s Strength
BY LINDA ROTH
Realm Rooftop Bar & Lounge is slated to debut next month in Shaw at 899 O St. NW. The indoor-outdoor bar and restaurant will feature fire pits (outside option) and panoramic views of D.C. The menu, from executive chef Keem Hughley, will merge French culinary technique with Seychellois Creole cuisine.
Doubling down in Adams Morgan, the Popal Group plans to reopen The Berliner at its new property at 2436 18th St. NW (where The Jerk Pit used to be), serving a vast selection of beers, including the beer hall’s own beer, and housemade sausages. The opening is slated for the second quarter of 2026.
Manifest, a hip barbershop that made its debut in Adams Morgan, opens Manifest 002 in NoMa at 1242 3rd St. NE. It includes a coffee shop, (h)ours restaurant, a cocktail lounge and
a hidden speakeasy, with Erik Bruner-Yang (Providencia, Maketto) developing the menu.
Geoff Dawson (Astro Beer Hall, Highline RxR, Penn Social) and Curt Large (Continental Beer Garden) plan to reopen Buffalo Billiards at 1835 14th St. NW, where Source Theatre used to be, in the second quarter of 2026. The joint venture partners used to own a Buffalo Billiards and The Front Page in Dupont, which later became Swingers golf. Dawson and Large have also joint-ventured on Iron Horse Tap Room, Mackey’s Crystal City and Rocket Bar
Quick Hits: Steve Salis plans to open Federalist Pig in Barracks Row at 527 8th St. SE, a property he purchased, where used to be, by the end of the third quarter of 2026 … Rajiv Chopra anticipates a fourth-quarter opening this year for Taki Taki
modern South Asian food, and Rumba Rumba, a global tapas and cocktail lounge, at 713 8th St. SE, where Crazy Aunt Helen’s used to be …
Detroit Brick Pizza Co. is opening a 150-seat pizzeria at 1626 14th St. NW in Logan Circle, former home of the legendary Miss Pixie’s
Just Opened: Darren Norris’s Shibuya Eatery has relocated from Adams Morgan to 4461 Willard Ave. in Chevy Chase. Shibuya 2.0 has 45 seats and counter service … Rock Harper opened Hush Harbor at 1337 H St. NE, offering Southern-inspired dishes and a no-phones bar ... Vegetable-friendly Eunoia opened in Union Market at 320 Florida Ave. NE, featuring dishes from Mexico, Bulgaria and Japan … Also in Union Market, Desert 5 Spot, a country-western bar with live music, a DJ and a mechanical bull, opened at 400 Morse St. NE.
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.
The bar at Realm.
Keem Hughley, executive chef at Realm.
Wolf Trap Bollywood Ball Raises Record $2.3
Million
BY ALLYSON BURKHARDT
Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts celebrated the close of the 2025 summer season in Vienna, Virginia, with the Wolf Trap Bollywood Ball, held on Friday, Sept. 26. The evening spectacular raised a record-breaking $2.3 million to support Wolf Trap’s arts and education programs, which reach more than half a million people of all ages annually.
NSO Gala Raises Nearly $3.5 Million
BY THE GEORGETOWNER
On Sept. 27 Kennedy Center hosted the season opener of the NSO with 450 guests at the annual gala. This year’s gala raised $3.45 million.
“It was a highlight of my year to open the 95th season of the National Symphony Orchestra
last night, which also marked the beginning of my ninth season as music director,” said conductor Gianandrea Noseda.
A CABARET WITH A WINK AND A TEASE
(NSO)
Bollywood Ball Co-Chairs Sudhakar and Alka Kesavan and Shashi and Margaret Gupta. Photo by Karl Magnuson.
Conductor Gianandrea Noseda & Kennedy Center President Amb. Richard Grenell
Conductor Gianandrea Noseda
Ashley E. Davis, Founder & Partner, West Front Strategies
Joan Bialek, Founder & CEO of Bialek Environments and Jean Davidson, Executive Director of the NSO
Wolf Trap Board Member AJ Andreas with Artin and Anita Afsharjavan.
Photo by Tony Powell.
The Mayor’s Arts Awards Celebrates
The Big 4-0
BY CELIA SHARPE
The 40th annual Mayor’s Arts Awards, “A Night of Elegance and Inspiration,” took place on Sept. 25 at the National Theatre. It was everything a 40th anniversary should be — a celebration for all who create art to join with those who enjoy the arts. NBC4’s Tommy McFly hosted the stellar event, at which 15 awards were presented, interspersed with performances by many of D.C.’s favorite artists. Full article online with awardees.
ANONYMOUS WAS A WOMAN
Jae Ko | linn meyers | Joyce J. Scott | Renée Stout
Bold new works + powerful revivals by Tamas Krizsa, Alvaro Palau, Elvi Balboa & founder Diana Movius..
Office of Cable Television Film Music and Entertainment Director LaToya Foster. Photo by Alijah Jones.
Award for Distinguished Honor Gretchen Wharton with Mayor Muriel Bowser. Photo by Alijah Jones.
Award for Excellence in Community Arts Philanthropist Rahsaan Bernard and Reggie Van Lee. Photo by Alijah Jones.
Award for Excellence in Fashion and Beauty Industries Derrick Rutledge and Paul Wharton. Photo by Patricia McDougall.
‘The Club: Where American Women Artists Found Refuge in Belle Époque Paris’
REVIEWED
BY
KITTY KELLEY
Recalling a long-ago safe haven for
A few months ago, the New York Times published a piece titled “Pack Lightly, Learn the Customs, Join a Tour: Tips for Solo Women Travelers,” advising single females to limit where they go, where they stay, what they do and where they dine. Days later, a letter to the editor bemoaned the necessity of such an article in 2025, that even now, unaccompanied women need to “be aware of surroundings and be sure your whereabouts are known to others at all times.”
If only today’s solitary adventurers had access to “the Club” of yesteryear, where American women artists traveling on their own found elegant refuge in Belle Époque Paris. That era — 1871 to 1914 — represented the peacetime years between the Franco-Prussian War and World War I, known as La Belle Époque (The Beautiful Era). Those years were renowned for enlightenment, economic prosperity and cultural innovations, with Paris as the portal to it all, particularly for Americans.
For ambitious young women unable to vote in the U.S. or be taken seriously as artists, there was a stately residence at 4 rue de Chevreuse in the 6th Arrondissement, officially known as the American Girls’ Club, but lovingly called the Club and open only to American ladies studying the arts, primarily painting and sculpture.
Jennifer Dasal, host of the North Carolinabased “ArtCurious” podcast, has unearthed records of some of the women who left the U.S. in the early 20th century to pursue their creative ambitions in France. Entitled “The Club: Where American Women Artists Found Refuge in Belle Époque Paris,” her book purports to tell the story of an artistic nunnery that housed students on their junior year abroad, but it’s more of a paean to the philanthropist who made it all possible.
Elisabeth Mills Reid, the wife of Whitelaw Reid, who owned the New York Tribune, decided to underwrite construction of the Club when her husband was posted to Paris as President Benjamin Harrison’s ambassador to France (1889-1892). and experienced
Nurse Practitioner. Suzy French, MS, CRNP
Her personal fortune far exceeded her husband’s, and, with a sense of noblesse oblige, she set about recreating her own student experience in Paris for other young women. She found four buildings in the heart of what was then known as the “American corner of Montparnasse” and upgraded each to provide a cultivated environment that would shield her students from the bohemian demimonde. As she wrote to a friend, she longed to provide “women … their chance in life at my club.”
Dasal writes about the prejudice against American female artists and their “pretty little paintings,” citing the diaries and letters of some of the women who lived in one of the 40 rooms available in the Club. (With its tearoom, library and exhibition hall, the place was certainly more palace than pensione.) But not all women were welcome — only white ones. In fact, the most gifted artist of those cited in Dasal’s book was Meta Vaux Warrick, an African American from Philadelphia who was denied admission to the Club. She found a champion, however, in Auguste Rodin, the greatest sculptor of the age.
Dasal frequently punctuates her chatty text with burbling asides. “And mon dieu, what amazing works were on view at the 1900 exposition,” she writes of the Paris World’s Fair. “Quelle horreur!” she exclaims a few pages later, poking fun at a judge for denying an award to a female artist. Describing the glass dome designed in the 1870s by Gustave Eiffel, she informs readers, “(yes, that Eiffel).”
“[A]lmost all the women associated with the Club are unlikely to be familiar names to readers,” Dasal admits, citing the major weakness of her book, which documents two decades that the Club offered sanctuary to aspiring artists. None of those women achieved the fame or professional regard accorded to male artists of the era, such as John Singer Sargent, Paul Gauguin and Alphonse Mucha.
At the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, the Club emptied as Americans scurried to find passage home. Elisabeth Mills Reid offered her domain to the American Red Cross to care for wounded officers. Many years later, the Club was renamed Reid Hall and still exists today, housing Columbia University’s Institute for Ideas and Imagination.
One wishes Dasal had enlarged her canvas to tell the life story of Reid, whose philanthropies, not mentioned in ”The Club,” included supporting the New York Tribune and the Paris Herald after her husband’s death, as well as underwriting a sanitarium at Saranac Lake; financing St. Luke’s Hospital in San Francisco, plus another hospital in San Mateo to honor her parents; donating a stained-glass window in New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine; and establishing a London settlement house and an Episcopal residence in Manila. When Reid died in 1931 at the age of 73, Time “mourned the death of one of America’s authentically great ladies.”
A worthy subject awaits an appreciative biographer.
Kitty Kelley is the author of seven number-one New York Times Best Seller biographies, including “Nancy Reagan,” “Jackie Oh!” and “Elizabeth Taylor: The Last Star.” She is on the board of the Independent and is a recipient of the PEN Oakland/Gary Webb Anti-Censorship Award. In 2023, she was honored with 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.
