Jordan Hellmuth • September 12, 2013

Luigi Parasmo Salon, co-owned by Luigi Parasmo and Javier Calvo, gave guests with the royal treatment June 10 at their one-year salon celebration in Georgetown. Dressed to the nines, Luigi and Javier wore all black suits, completing their evening looks with just the right amount of hair product as they greeted more than 150 guests. “This was the biggest dream of my life,” said Parasmo. “Luigi’s dream is my dream,” added Calvo. [gallery ids="101344,152190,152173,152186,152180" nav="thumbs"]

Jordan Hellmuth •

Mad Fox Taproom announced Aug. 12 that it expects to open in Glover Park by first quarter 2014. It will be Mad Fox Brewing Company’s first expansion from Falls Church, Va., to the District.

Mad Fox Brewing Company just celebrated the third anniversary of its Fall Church location in July and now has another reason to celebrate. Madden is hoping to took over the property at 2218 Wisconsin Ave., NW, where Mayfield & Pine once was, in September.

Mad Fox CEO and executive brewer Bill Madden and business partner Rick Garvin started Mad Fox in 2007 and since have become very active in the craft beer and brewpub community.

Falls Church will remain the hub of the whole operation, as all of the beers will be brewed there in its 16-barrel brewery. The new location will showcase Mad Fox’s award-winning handcrafted beers with draught and English-style cast service, including up to 24 draught and cask options.

“We have plenty of capacity in our brewery and we’ll be able to serve all of our Falls Church fans, wholesale clients and the Glover Park tap room without any compromises,” said Madden.

Just like the original in Falls Church, Mad Fox Taproom will provide guests with not only handcrafter beers, but also with a full menu including appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, salads and small plate options.
“Though the spotlight will be on our beers, our food is a key part of our concept and will help the taproom evoke a brewpub environment,” said Madden.

“I can’t wait to bring the Mad Fox atmosphere and experience to the iconic city of Washington, D.C.” said Madden.

Jordan Hellmuth • September 9, 2013

Walking into Teddy & the Bully Bar on 19th Street, NW, is like entering the Roosevelt World for “a robust & refined experience.” Preceded by sister restaurant, Lincoln, Teddy joins the Presidential Restaurant Group family and makes its inaugural debut June 24.

Owner Alan Popovsky of Presidential Restaurant Group brings Theodore Roosevelt’s cowboy persona to life through savory shared plates, sweet cocktails, and the restaurant’s very fitting décor. Bar consultant and mixologist John Hogan, who also perfected Lincoln’s cocktail program will bring complementary cocktail flavors to Teddy’s.

Artist and interior designer Maggie O’Neill of O’Neill Studios personally provided all wall art for Teddy’s new humble abode. Take a walk into the women’s restroom and look into mirror to read a rewritten “Pledge of Allegiance,” beginning with, “I pledge allegiance to all of the badass women of America,” inspired by Alice Roosevelt, Teddy’s eldest daughter, a Washingtonian.

In honor of Roosevelt being the 26th President of the United States, the very American cocktail menu features 26 day barrel aged old fashioneds, among with new favorites that Teddy would love.

The Strawberry julep brings a new twist on an age-old favorite. It features Woodford Reserve bourbon, strawberry ginger shrub, fresh mint, and comes in a julep cup to keep the sweet flavors nice and cold. First made popular as a mint julep, it was popularized at the Round Robin Bar of the Willard Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue during the 1800s, making the Kentucky Derby look like it just ran its first race.
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Jordan Hellmuth •

Fresh off his newest album, “All That Echoes,” which debuted at number one on the Billboard charts, Josh Groban has been selling out shows all over the country, from three sold-out nights at the Hollywood Bowl to a special show with the Colorado Symphony at Red Rocks. His August 16 show at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap will be no exception; it is sold out.

Known for smooth tenor sound in his 2005 Grammy nominated single, “You Raise Me Up,” Groban released his sixth studio album, “All That Echoes,” in February.

Recently, PBS has begun re-broadcasting Groban’s television special “Josh Groban: All That Echoes,” the taping of his live concert at Lincoln Center in February.

Be on the lookout for tickets to Groban’s show through alternate ticket outlets.

Jordan Hellmuth •

Free visitor passes will be available on request for D.C. residents, but officials such as Ward 3 councilmember Mary Cheh fear that such passes may be misused.

Some believe passes may be sold to the highest bidder for coveted parking spaces. Temporary visitor parking permits have been regularly obtained from local Metropolitan Police Department precincts.

Through a previous pilot program, free passes were mailed to all households in certain neighborhoods. Now residents of all areas that are required to buy a street-parking permit will be able to request a free visitor pass from the department. Those who want a visitor pass must request it.

“The whole thing was supposed to be thought through. That has not happened,” Cheh told The Washington Post.

While not all details regarding the new passes have been released, the D.C. Department of Transportation has said that they will be valid from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2014. They must be used inside the boundaries of the passholder’s advisory neighborhood commission.

Cheh requested a delay in the expansion of the free parking passes from the transportation department. She believes, “We’re not ready to make this change, and the change we’re making doesn’t link up with…how we deal with parking in general.”

Jordan Hellmuth • August 9, 2013

As summer comes to a close, you can always find ways to keep the season going in your home. Turquoises and driftwood add beachy décor necessary to keep you loving summer even as the breeze and the temperature get a little cooler. Summer never truly goes out of style. [gallery ids="101411,154873,154849,154869,154855,154865,154860" nav="thumbs"]

Jordan Hellmuth • August 1, 2013

The wait is over. Georgetown residents and visitors can now indulge in the “good stuff” that Spike Mendelsohn’s Good Stuff Eatery brings.

The M Street location is the third of the franchise; the first one is located at Capitol Hill.

“Georgetown is the place to be,” said Ryan Helfer of Good Stuff Eatery.

Good Stuff Eatery was drawn to Georgetown’s sense of community and its proximity to all of the universities.

“We wanted to be in the hippest, coolest party of town,” said David Greenberg of Good Stuff Eatery.

Not only is Good Stuff known for being a local brand, but it also brings in local talent and ingredients. Good Stuff is open seven days a week, and believe it or not, fresh ingredients are delivered six days a week.

After two years of anticipation and excitement, Good Stuff has begun its new journey on M Street. Georgetown’s Good Stuff Eatery marks Mendelsohn’s second D.C. location of Good Stuff. The third is located in Crystal City, Virginia.

The top three selling burgers are the Prez Obama Burger, Colletti’s Smokehouse, and the Free Range Turkey Burger.

“This was always where we wanted number two to be,” says Greenberg. “We plan to be here for a very long time,” added Helfer.

Jordan Hellmuth • July 2, 2013

There are many ways to serve up “Paula Deen.” Food Network prefers fried, and Smithfield will take her smoked. No matter how you’ll have it, Deen’s endorsements are going down the drain due to recent allegations of racial discrimination. Her brother Earl “Bubba” Hiers is also being sued for racial as well as sexual discrimination.

Deen has cleared up confusion about an age-old saying: You really can’t have your cake and eat it too. The celebrity chef’s reputation for being the cute little old lady cook with a southern accent has been thrown out of the kitchen window with the sink. Dealing with a racism scandal is no picnic, but if you think that anyone over the age of 50 has never used the N-word, then I challenge you to think again. They may not have used it in the past 20 years, but I assure you it was as common (at one point in time) as Deen putting butter in a dish.

The N-word faces no unfamiliarity in today’s generation either. I went to a high school in the first part of this decade, where I, as a Caucasian female, was a minority. My African-American and Hispanic-American peers used the N-word loosely and profusely.

Despite the loss of her partnership with Smithfield, Deen is hamming it up in front of cameras, posting not one but two videos online, apologizing for what she calls “mistakes.”

Not all partners have thrown in the towel just yet. The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show is welcoming Deen back as the southern belle of the ball. Deen will be presenting at MetroCooking Shows in Houston, Dallas and Washington, D.C., relishing in MetroCooking’s believing in second chances. Food Network was incredibly quick to pull the plug on Deen, and Deen was quick to defend herself. She made an appearance on the Today Show Wednesday morning where she was politely yet sternly grilled by Matt Lauer.

Deen is continuing to receive tremendous support from her hometown, Savannah, Ga. President of “Visit Savannah’’s tourism organization, Joe Marinelli, tweeted his support for the southern sweetheart under scrutiny, saying, “she’s part of our @Savannah family and I’m here to support her.”

How can Paula get out of her pickle? She should take a page out of Martha Stewart’s cookbook and take some time to herself. I reckon some of her supporters may even welcome her back with a party. Given her fame, there will always be those who want to throw a pie in her face. Let whoever hasn’t made a racist remark cast the first pastry.

Jordan Hellmuth, who attended Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, Va., is a Virginia Tech student and a writer at the Georgetowner.

Jordan Hellmuth • June 18, 2013

From June to October 2012, Washington, D.C., writer Elliott Smith compiled his first book, “Beltway Boys: The Rise of the Nationals.” In a matter of months, first-time book author Elliott Smith was able to capture the rise of the Washington Nationals, outline the history of the Montreal Expos and highlight two current principal players in doing so.

The Washington Nationals are one of many professional baseball teams to exist in Washington. One of the most famous was the Washington Senators. The Senators eventually were moved to Minnesota, becoming the Minnesota Twins. The second chapter of the Washington Senators fell to having a losing record 10 out of its 11 years. When the second Senators’ team failed, it was moved in 1972 to Arlington, Texas, where it became the Texas Rangers.

In 2004, Major League Baseball announced that the Montreal Expos would leave Montreal, Quebec, to become the Washington Nationals, leaving the Toronto Blue Jays the only Canadian MLB team. The Nationals officially became the new face of D.C. baseball in 2005. After rough patches during the Nationals’ first few seasons, star players emerged the bullpen and the dugout alike to bring baseball glory back to Washington, starting in 2010.

Drafted in 2009, Stephen Strasburg made his MLB debut for the Nationals on June 8, 2010, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Having been one of the best collegiate pitchers for San Diego State University, Strasburg become starting pitcher for the Nats, after being deemed “most-hyped pick in draft history” by ESPN in 2009.

In 2010, Bryce Harper was drafted by the Nats. Although he didn’t make his MLB debut until April 28, 2012, and worked his way up the minor-league ladder, Harper was indeed drafted when he was 17. On May 6, 2012 against the Phillies, Harper became the first teenager to steal home plate in more than 45 years. Now almost 21 years old, Harper has a batting average of .274, 187 hits, and 34 home runs.

Author of “Beltway Boys,” Smith, a Northwestern University journalism alum, has always held sports close to his heart.

“I always knew I wanted to be a sportswriter,” Smith said during his June 8 book signing at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

Covering baseball games as a freelance writer, Smith was able to use information gained for stories as material for his book. He had access to almost unlimited resources, as he has written for the Washington Post Express, the Washington Times, MLB.com and more. He was able to ask questions during coverage and use that coverage for his book, and even talked to Strasburg’s high school coach to gain insight on the star pitcher’s journey to the MLB.

“Beltway Boys” is meant for original and latest Nats fans alike. “It’s an interesting book for people who want to learn more about the franchise,” said Smith, “It’s a great entry point for fans.”

Smith has a lot of confidence in the team he consistently covers. “This is just the first chapter,” he said.