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dishes and impressive decor. Fiola in Penn Quarter has earned a Michelin star.
SOCIAL / CULTURE FOOD MUSIC THEATER ART & RELIGION José Andrés Founder, ThinkFoodGroup Franco Nuschese Owner, Café Milano Fabio and Maria Trabocchi Owners, Fiola Restaurant, Fiola Mare, Del Mar, Sfoglina and Casa Luca
Until a few years ago nobody came to Washington for the food, but, once here, they had to eat. Today, it’s gourmet heaven and the best known Washington monument may well be José Andrés, with his smorgasbord of creative, high quality eating places and his two stars in the Michelin Guide (for Minibar). The other side to the Spanish-born chef (now a proud U.S. citizen) is his food-based global activism and philanthropy. In March, he was saluted on stage at the Academy Awards for his disaster relief efforts hurricane-ravaged areas like Puerto Rico where he was first on the scene serving 100,000 meals a day to deprived survivors. Franco Nuschese’s Café Milano is Washington’s live Mount Rushmore, where a frieze of political leaders and celebrities provides a nightly spectacle of some of the most powerful and best known jaws in the country working through traditional Italian dishes. Members of Trump’s Cabinet had settled in at Franco’s even before they could find their way to the White House. The Trabocchis’ Fiola Mare in Georgetown competes with Café Milano for prestige dining, and the couple’s five high-end, high quality restaurants ref lect their respective homelands: Chef Fabio is Italian, and Maria is from Spain. Their newest concept Del Mar at the Wharf has gained national attention for its supremely executed
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Anne Midgette Classical music critic, Washington Post Tom Sietsema Food critic, Washington Post “Anne Midgette plays an increasingly important role in helping someone decide where to spend their free time and cultural dollars; her reviews could have an impact on the opera box off ice.” So says Michelle Krisel, former special assistant to Placido Domingo at the Washington National Opera, and lately genera l and ar tistic director of the Charlottesville Opera. Midgette came to the Post in 2008 from the New York Times. At the Post, her remit extends to all forms of classical music but, given the rising cost of mounting an opera production, it is her WNO reviews that are anticipated with greater anxiety. Midgette brings wide musical knowledge to the job but has been known not to pull punches. Tom Sietsema may not be the only food writer in town, but given the power of his newspaper he is without the question the most widely read, and has the greatest clout. He has been with at the Post since 2000 and the impact of his reviews has grown with Washington’s importance as a restaurant town. Gianandrea Noseda Musical Director, NSO The Nat iona l Sy mphony Orchestra’s eighth musical director – and the first Italian – in its 86-year existence is one of the most sought after conductors of his generation. Equally at home conducting orchestral concerts and opera, he has a reputation for re-interpreting familiar music in the repertoire to give it new force and freshness, and conducting it with athletic f lourish. As musical director of the Teatro Regio of Turin since 2007 Noseda has propelled the opera company to one of the best in Italy, and the hope is that he will have the same success with the NSO.
Earl (Rusty) Powell Director, National Gallery of Art In a way, this entry is more about past inf luence because Powell will retire in 2019. “I’ve had a pretty good race here, and it seemed like a logical time [to retire],” said Powell, who turns 75 later this year. “I still have some gas in the tank, and I’m not particularly interested in sitting on the porch looking at sunsets.” Powell became the NGA’s fourth director in 1992. His tenure has been marked by growth in every aspect from the size of the collection and the restoration of the gallery to the number of visitors – 122 million since he took over. Deborah Rutter President, Kennedy Center Three years into the job, Rutter has put her stamp on what many regard as the n a t ion’s bi g g e s t c u lt u r e complex, with its multiple performing areas, opera company, resident orchestra and ballet group. The sound of many top Kennedy Center executives from the old management slamming the door as they departed raised some eyebrows in establishment Washington, but Rutter wanted her own team in place to advance her plans for making the iconic center f lourish in uncertain times. Big name performers including cellist Yo-Yo Ma, soprano Renée Flem ing, world class conductor Gia na nd rea Nosed a, ja zz trumpeter Terence Blanchard and rapper/ producer Q-Tip (if you can believe it) add their luster, and the opening later this year of the $120 million extension will add f lexibility to the Center in the form of smaller performing areas and more rehearsal space. David Skorton Secretary, Smithsonian Institution Skorton oversees 19 museums and galleries, 20 libraries, the National Zoo and numerous r e s e a r ch ce nt e r s . He i s responsible for an annual budget of $1.3
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