Overheard at Lunch: D.C. Gossip Girl 12/7

Makeup Artist Weds, Sees Stars
Kym Lee, the celebrity makeup artist based in the D.C. area, married Dant’e King, founding pastor at Forward Church in Maryland, over Thanksgiving weekend. Lee’s wedding brought out some of the famous faces she’s made up over the years, including R&B singer Ledisi, motivational speaker Willie Jolley, Derek J from Bravo’s Fashion Queens and even Trump supporter Omarosa Manigault.

Give Trump a Chance, Says Shaq
Legendary basketball star Shaquille O’Neal stopped by the Hart Senate Office Building last week, causing many staffers to look up — and we mean way up — from their phones. The seven-foot-one NBA champ was in town to attend a briefing on dangerous driving hosted by Responsibility.org. He told reporters that President-elect Donald Trump won the election “fair and square” and Americans should give Trump a chance.

Right Before Ellen Is Recognized, She Isn’t
Even Ellen DeGeneres doesn’t get past White House security without a valid photo I.D. The talk-show host and do-gooder tweeted a photo right before the Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony where she was to be recognized; she was stuck frowning on a bench near the White House. Thankfully, she eventually got in and got her medal.

Want the ‘Madame President’ Newsweek? It’ll Cost You
Newsweek was supposed to get rid of the “Madame President” issue it printed with Hillary Clinton on the cover but, alas, there are still copies out there. The magazine designed two covers, one with Trump, the other with Clinton. The Hill reported that Clinton’s cover is going online for as much as $10,000.

Trump Hotel Reels In Another Restaurant
Despite ongoing legal battles with restaurateurs who dropped plans to open in his Pennsylvania Avenue hotel, Donald Trump finally has another eatery besides BLT Prime. Greenwich Village sushi spot Nakazawa will join the steakhouse in 2017. Chef Daisuke Nakazawa will be on hand to help open the restaurant next year. Fox News is reporting that it will be similar to the New York concept, with a $150 sushi bar experience and a tasting menu of 21 nigiri courses.

Metro Going Retro After SafeTrack
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority GM Paul Wiedefeld marked one year with Metro last month by speaking at the National Press Club about SafeTrack and the troubled system’s next goal: getting rid of the oldest and least reliable cars. According to Washingtonian, WMATA is calling the upcoming effort “Back 2 Good” — the same name as Matchbox 20’s 1996 hit. We can bet Metro was a lot more reliable 20 years ago when people were blaring “Back 2 Good” on their Walkmans.