Downtowner 10/26


Neighboring Governors Meet With Mayor
Mayor Muriel Bowser, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe got together in D.C. Oct. 12 at the Washington Hilton. At this first regional meeting, the triumvirate got a Metrorail update from Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority GM Paul Wiedefeld and a briefing on D.C.-area opioid and substance abuse.

Cuba Libre Gets Habanero Chef
Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar on 9th Street NW has a new executive chef: Angel Roque, a habanero (native of Havana). Cooking since childhood, Roque began his culinary career as a courier. He was previously executive chef at the prestigious Restaurante Café del Oriente in Havana. In the Cuba Libre kitchen, Roque will be reunited with his old friend, porteño (native of Buenos Aires) Guillermo Pernot.

Kelsea Ballerini to Break Out at 9:30 Club
Tennessee-born country pop star Kelsea Ballerini will perform in D.C. at the 9:30 Club Nov. 10. Ballerini, 23, was named Country Music Television’s Breakout Artist of the Year Oct. 20. She was also nominated for two CMA Awards, which will be presented Nov. 2.
Last of the Red King Crabs
Did you know that Alaskan king crab is one of the most prized species of crab in the world? The mammoth crustaceans are rare because of their limited harvesting period. Luckily, Ocean Prime on G Street NW will receive one more shipment of red king crabs from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, today, Oct. 26. So grab some crab, but don’t forget your wallet — they’re priced at $80 per pound.

Cabaret Comes to Mr. Henry’s
Capitol Hill welcomed the debut of a new cabaret series Sunday, Oct. 23, at Mr. Henry’s Restaurant near Eastern Market. D.C.-based singer and actor Barbara Papendorp joined singer and pianist Amy Conley onstage. Special guests included performing arts contractor Aaron Reeder and D.C. theater actor Harv Lester. Among the highlights were performances of Noël Coward’s “A Room With a View” and “Mad About the Boy” and Cole Porter’s “Let’s Do It” and “Night and Day.”

Sweetgreen Rolling Out Bruner-Yang Bowl
Hometown fast, casual and healthy chain Sweetgreen is partnering with Maketto chef Erik Bruner-Yang to offer a warm dinner bowl of roasted chicken, tofu, wild rice, cashews and ginger cabbage slaw, with a variety of spices and flavors. Inspired by Bruner-Yang’s recent trip to China, the bowl will be available for a limited time beginning Nov. 3.

Community Meetings on MLK Library Modernization
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, D.C.’s central library on G Street NW, will close next spring to undergo a complete modernization. Meetings at area libraries in November and December will give residents a chance to see the latest designs, view the construction timeline and learn how and where library services will be offered during the three-year closure.

Alleged Franklin Park Shooter Arrested by Park Police
The U.S. Park Police arrested a 32-year-old Washington man named Kerwin Leon Bowman last week after an Oct. 12 shooting in Franklin Park near McPherson Square. Four shell casings were found in the park, a gun was recovered and witnesses said they saw Bowman leaving the area in a blue sedan. He was charged with felony possession of a firearm.

Nora Is Selling Her Restaurant and Building
Vienna-born chef Nora Pouillon of Dupont’s Restaurant Nora, said to be the nation’s first certified organic restaurant, is looking to retire. She plans to sell the 37-year-old, dinner-only restaurant and the building housing it, the Washington Post reported. Restaurant Nora got a mention in D.C.’s first Michelin Guide, released earlier this month.

D.C. Council Advances Right-to-Die Bill
The D.C. Council will discuss legislation permitting doctors to prescribe drugs to enable terminally ill patients to end their lives, the Washington Post reported. The Council opted to put the matter on its agenda for Nov. 1, when it will hold the first of two required votes on the bill.

Flying Bach Will Touch Down at the Warner
The Red Bull Flying Bach, an adaptation of Bach’s “The Well-Tempered Clavier,” the classic collection of keyboard preludes and fugues, is coming to D.C.’s Warner Theatre Jan. 6-8. Featuring b-boy crew Flying Steps and conductor Christoph Hagel, the baroque-meets-hip-hop performance is said to break down barriers between high society and urban culture.

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