| |  | Fans of Jackie O are in for a treat. The first citywide culturaltourism initiative, “Jacqueline Kennedy’s Washington- A Citywide |
| Celebration” is coming in June. Dozens of unique Kennedy-related programs arebeing offered in partnership with art galleries and historymuseums, performing arts centers, and historichouses, demonstrating Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy’simpact on the D.C. cultural scene. In addition to walkingtours, poetry programs, and tea at the Women’sDemocratic Club, restaurant week kicks off atCitronelle on Jackie’s birthday, July 28, with D.C.restaurants featuring Jackie Kennedy food and desserts.Organized by the Washington, D.C. Conventionand Tourism Corporation (WCTC) and D.C. Heritage Tourism Coalition, the program ispackaged with hotel accommodations, transportation, andtickets to Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Yearsat the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and will be in town June – August.
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Photo courtesy of John F. Kennedy
Museum and Library, Boston
| | Checkpoint D.C. Guess who rode into D.C., not on a rail, butinto Union Station as part of ‘Gumball 3000’? The 3,000-mile car rally started at the Plaza Hotel in New York, makingstops for parties and checkpoints each day. Checkpoint D.C.was followed by stops in Opryland, Graceland, Dallas,Santa Ana Pueblo, Las Vegas, and L.A. at theRenaissance Hollywood Hotel (the finish), with an evening finishparty hosted by Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion.Two hundred cars, including over 85 Ferrari’s, Aston Martin’s,Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Porsches, a Blues Brothers Police Car,the ‘Kiss’ car, and a DKNY chequered taxi entered the race;participants included Matthew McConnaughy, TheBaldwin Brothers, Nicolas Cage, Johnny Knoxville,boxing champ Chris Eubank, and models Amy Wessonand Jodie Kid. The six-day event in late April raised funds forthe Twin Towers Fund. ‘Gumball 3000’ is being made into amovie with a projected release date of late summer 2002.
| | After three nights of private tastings, TheWashington Harbour Club Restaurant andLounge made its grand debut along the scenicGeorgetown waterfront to 700 guests on May 2. Butnot before Justin, Lance, Joey, Chris and JC (theboys of ‘N Sync), Blink 182, and some of theirhip twenty something friends partied there. Othernotable pre-opening guests: Michael Jordan,Secretary of State Colin Powell, and Rep. DickGephardt. The 12,000 square-foot restaurant features a classicAmerican menu with a Southeast Asian twist by ChefWeerapon “Wee” Ouyporn, who formerly served as nightchef for 13 years at The Palm. Wee grew up in Bangkok,where he learned all aspects of running a first-class restaurant athis family’s Continental-style Paris Steakhouse. The eatery’s interiorresembles an exotic coral reef; a 3,000-gallon salt-water fishtank with 50 varieties of tropical fish and coral sits in the moreformal dining room, there are floor-to-ceiling windows offeringspectacular views, and there’s a state-of-the art open kitchen.Owner/founder Cecile D. Baker owns and operates a restaurantand a nightclub wherever he has a home, including SouthBeach, Florida, St. Maarten, Monte Carlo, Barbados,Las Vegas, and New York.
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| | A woman’s place is in the restaurant. Members of WomenChefs and Restaurateurs (WCR) were among the nomineesand finalists for two major culinary awards - the prestigiousJames Beard Foundation Awards and the International Association of Culinary Professionals(IACP) Cookbook Awards. Among the WCR nominees for theJames Beard award was Washington, D.C. chef AnnCashion of Cashion’s Eat Place for American Express Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic.
| | Sofitel Lafayette Square will open its doors at 15th and HStreets, N.W. in June. Award-winning designer Pierre-YvesRochon designed the interior. He also designed the elegantSofitel New York and counts the Four Seasons HotelGeorge V in Paris, the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisboain Portugal, the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, and the Hotel deParis- Societe Des Bains de Mer in Monaco among hisrecent projects. Expect bold jewel-tone colors, polishedmahogany, and elegant fruit wood to accompany marble,chrome, and original works of art throughout the 237-roomhotel. Rochon was recently cited as one of the greatest interiordesigners by Hotels and Restaurants International. Inconjunction with the opening of the International SpyMuseum, the Sofitel is introducing the “Spy Who Loves Me,”and “You Spy Too,” packages (limited to availability).
| | Top area interior designers David Herchik andRichard Looman have teamed up with Joe andCynthia Bruno to open “Hunters &Gatherers,” along Kensington’s Howard Avenue.In addition to antiques, H & G offers interior designservices, art, accessories, Frette linens, custompainted furniture, custom fabrication of window treatments,slipcovers, and upholstery, and a “wish book”where desires may be located by the hunters andgatherers. The shop has a network of “pickers” inFrance, Italy, England, and Scotland, scouting toH &G’s specifications. The thrill of the hunt!
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| | You can add Cady’s Alley, a 150,000 square-foothistoric redevelopment in the heart of Georgetown at the 3300Block of M Street, to the list of must visit destinations for homefurnishings and accessories.
| | According to the non-partisan, nonprofit organizationCommittee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a global pressfreedom crisis is taking place, precipitated by the September11 attacks and subsequent war on terrorism. An alarming totalof 37 journalists have been killed worldwide as a direct resultof their work in 2001, an increase from the 24 killed in 2000.The increase stems largely from the war in Afghanistan. Over600 cases of media repression in 137 countries are cited in“Attacks on the Press in 2001,” the annual CPJ survey ofpress freedom conditions around the world.
| | After the recent closing of The Foundry, and beforethat, the Biograph, Key, Circle, and Avalon moviehouses, fans of independent, foreign language, andclassic films should be heartened by the arrival ofthe eight-plex Bethesda Row Cinema, locatedin the heart of downtown Bethesda. Owned byLandmark Theatres, Bethesda Row, whichopened in early May, will be devoted exclusively toAmerican independent, foreign language, andrestored classic films. The 35,000-square-foot cinemafeatures stadium seating and wall-to-wallscreens with the latest digital technology sound systems.Fortunately, Visions Theatre on FloridaAvenue near Dupont Circle also shows the samegenre films and you can watch while drinking a coctail and eatingtheir yummy spinach dip among other healthy delights.
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| | Flora and fauna don’t always mix. Despite attempts by theGreen Party, the “Party Animals” are here. Green Partysteering committee member Michael Piacsek filed an injunctionagainst the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities inlate March, requesting that the Green Party’s symbol, the sunflower,be included along with the elephants and donkeys.However, a federal judge threw out the request. After eight ofthe animals made their grand debut on April 23 at FreedomPlaza at a ceremony officiated by First Lady Laura Bush andMayor Anthony Williams, the entire menagerie of 200 werelet loose downtown. Party animal guide maps detailing thelocation of the sculptures are available at Metro stations.Maybe the Green Party should consider adopting a new symbol,one of the fauna variety?
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