Robert Devaney • August 7, 2013

One of Georgetown’s best-known and best-loved restaurants is celebrated its 50th anniversary this year — and it is time for everyone to join the party. The District Council will proclaim Aug. 12 “Clyde’s of Georgetown Day” to celebrate the landmark restaurant’s 50th anniversary. In honor of the festive occasion, this D.C. mainstay will offer specials throughout the entire day. Beginning 8 a.m., Aug. 12, Clyde’s of Georgetown will kick off the festivities by serving a special breakfast, free of charge. Patrons are invited to drop in and enjoy popular egg dishes, juice and coffee in the Omelette Room until 10 a.m. Following the breakfast, Clyde’s will keep the day fun-filled by bringing back special menu items served at Clyde’s that were popular in the 1960s and 1970s. With dishes such as London broil, filet béarnaise, and beer-battered shrimp, as well as drinks including sidecar and cir royal, guests will be transported to the era when the restaurant first opened. Menu items are priced between $5 between $25. Clyde’s of Georgetown is located at 3236 M St., NW.

Robert Devaney • August 5, 2013

Georgetown University’s mascot bulldog will not return for the fall semester, the school announced July 31. The unexpected news surprised students and campus observers and was the talk of the town during these dog days of summer.

After 15 months, mascot-in-training Jack, Jr., is out as the live bulldog to represent Hoya mania at sports and other events. It appears that the young J.J. could not put up with large crowds and loud noises. J.J. was to succeed Jack the Bulldog, who still lives on the main campus and who underwent surgery for a torn ACL. Jack retired in March.

Students were upset about the sudden nature of J.J.’s departure and not being consulted on the decision.

“I did not see this coming,” Neve Schadler, head of the Jack Crew, told the student newspaper, the Hoya. “If a student were to have been consulted, it would have been me. If it’s specifically about J.J., I’m not sure why this is happening.” Schadler has cared for J.J. since the dog showed up on campus in April 2012 as a gift from Janice and Marcus Hochstetler, whose children attend the university.

J.J. lived with the older bulldog Jack and Rev. Christopher Steck, S.J., in New South dormitory. Steck did not comment to the campus media on J.J.’s departure.

With J.J. gone and Jack retired, the university will have no live bulldog as its mascot when school starts within a month. Nevertheless, already some Georgetown residents are happy to assist with any substitutions.

One such neighbor is Thomas Gerber, who has owned bulldogs and previously subbed his dog for the mascot a few years ago. Gerber said his bulldog Reuben is up to the task and happy to help with any events. “Reuben is a calm, people dog,” he said.

Here is Georgetown University’s statement on the matter from spokesperson Rachel Pugh:

In April of 2012, our community welcomed Jack, Jr. (J.J.) to Georgetown as mascot-in-training. We housed the young puppy while consulting with trainers and experts to ensure that he was adjusting to life on campus.

Since that time, J.J.’s caretaker and walkers have worked to orient him to campus and train him for mascot duties. We also worked with professional trainers to help J.J. learn about life on a busy college campus. Recognizing that the lifestyle of a mascot is exciting and hectic, involving many people, thousands of screaming fans, and regular appearances at events both on and off-campus, we wanted to ensure that our puppy would be happy with this unique lifestyle.

After 15 months of monitoring and training, in consultation with these experts and the breeder, we determined that returning to a home environment is what is best for J.J.

We cannot express enough our gratitude to the Hochstetler family for their gift to our community. We are also grateful to Rev. Christopher Steck, S.J., and the Jack Crew for providing care and training for J.J. and Jack the Bulldog (Jack, Sr.). We look forward to working with them and members of our community as we make plans for our next live mascot.

While Jack, Sr.’s official mascot duties ended last year, he will continue to live on campus. The tradition of a bulldog mascot at Georgetown is a cherished one, and it will continue.

Robert Devaney •

The Mexican restaurant Bandolero has lost its star chef, Mike Isabella, who with others opened the “Day of the Dead”-themed eatery of small tacos, other small plates and fancy tequila drinks in late May 2012 on M Street.

Isabella announced July 31 that he was ending his management agreement with the business owners, Jonathan and Bethany Umbel, who also own Tackle Box next door. Bandolero is in the space once occupied by Hook, a seafood restaurant, closed because of a fire two years ago. Umbel’s Pure Hospitality is fighting a lawsuit — which Isabella has nothing to do with — from the property owner of that space.

Isabella has other places in D.C., such as Graffiato and the sandwich spot, G Grab and Go. Last month, he opened a Greek restaurant on 14th Street, Kapnos.

In a prepared statement, Isabella explained his decision: “I am no longer part of Bandolero. I own all my other restaurant concepts. And with the opening of G Grab and Go, Kapnos and G this year, it’s time for me to focus on those concepts. I am very proud of the modern Mexican concept my team and I put together, but it’s not 100-percent my restaurant … It’s time for me to focus on the restaurants where I have full operational control.”

Isabella — a “Top Chef” alumnus — was the subject of a Georgetowner feature in June 2012.
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Robert Devaney • July 29, 2013

Steven Alan, the casual fashion boutique for both men and women, is set to open its first D.C. location in September in Cady’s Alley within the courtyard that features Kafe Leopold and L2 Lounge. The 670-square-foot store will be located in retail space, once occupied by Muleh and, before that, Alessi.

Begun in New York City in 1994, Steven Alan showcases first-time designers and launched its own line in 1999.
As a leader in casual wear, the business offers “modern versions of classic ready-to-wear standards for both men and women,” it says.

“Steven Alan is one of the more innovative urban retailers we have recently met,” said Philippe Lanier, vice president of EastBanc, Inc., which along with Jamestown Properties, announced the leasing deal. “The store’s interest in becoming a component of Cady’s Alley helps solidify our desire to enhance and complement the design focus of the block with innovative retailers developing a brand and culture around their customer. We believe that shoppers will find the Steven Alan experience one that they visit often.”

The Steven Alan lease agreement adds to the growing style mix of such Georgetown west side retailers as Babette, Bonobos, Calypso St. Barth (opening early spring 2014), CB2, City Sports, Intermix, Relish and West Elm.

Robert Devaney • July 22, 2013

A documentary which premiered this week about TWA Flight 800 on the 17th anniversary of the airplane disaster echoes some of Pierre Salinger’s argument about the tragedy. He spoke and wrote about the 1996 mid-air explosion in several outlets, including the Georgetowner newspaper in 1999.

Among his many accomplishments, Salinger is best known as President John F. Kennedy’s press secretary. A World War II Navy veteran, Salinger was appointed a senator from California, serving for five months. Living in Europe, he also distinguished himself as a journalist for ABC News, winning an Emmy. Salinger is also known for his accusations that a missile took down TWA flight 800 off Long Island on July 17, 1996, killed all 230 persons on board. Despite first referring to an unsubstantiated document found on the Internet which caused some embarrassment, Salinger stood by his claim.

On July 17, the premium TV network Epix premiered “TWA Flight 800,” a documentary about the Boeing 747 that exploded just 12 minutes after taking off from JFK International Airport. It questions the conclusion by National Transportation Safety Board that the airplane’s fuel tank exploded because of an electrical spark inside the plane and argues that a missile hit the aircraft. The documentary features interviews with key members of the original TWA 800 investigation team, including retired NTSB senior accident investigator Hank Hughes, retired chief accident investigator for TWA Bob Young and Air Line Pilot Association representative and investigator James Speer. Film co-producer and investigator Tom Stalcup along with Hughes filed a petition urging the NTSB to reopen the matter in June.

The NTSB has reaffirmed its original conclusion which had come after four years of an investigation that used the resources of 19 federal agencies. A year after the accident, the FBI said no terrorism was involved. The NTSB went so far as to hold a press conference last month in Asburn, Va., to go over the evidence one more time.

Salinger died in October 2004 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. A Salinger museum in Le Thor, France, is managed by his fourth wife Nicole “Poppy” Salinger Le Cesne at her bed-and-breakfast, La Bastide Rose. A large photo of Salinger in the Oval Office with President Kennedy, senior staffers and John Kennedy, Jr., hangs on the wall in the publisher’s office at the Georgetowner in Washington, D.C.

Pierre Salinger was a columnist for the Georgetowner from 1998 to 2001. During the 2000 presidential campaign between George Bush and Al Gore, Salinger famously wrote in his column, “If Bush wins, I’m going to leave the country and spend the rest of my life in France.” And he did.

The following is an abridged May 27,1999, Georgetowner column by Pierre Salinger:

TWA 800: The Truth Is Out There; Tell It

It is very sad that almost three years after TWA flight 800 exploded over Long Island, the United States government has not come out with a final solution on what happened to that plane.

I am also very sad about what happened to me. When I announced in November 1996 during a speech in Cannes in southern France that TWA 800 had been shot down accidentally by a U.S. Navy missile, my life was cut back by the FBI. The U.S. media said that I had told a lie and that I had lost my credibility. It is now clear that many people around the U.S. who are investigating TWA 800 have discovered that the plane was shot down by a missile. Both the FBI and the media had no right to attack me. At that time, Jim Kahlstrom, the FBI regional director who was leading the TWA 800 investigation, was still saying daily that it was possible a missile had shot down the plane. And, in retrospect, I think the media had no right to attack me because I have been an experienced journalist for 35 years, involved in the important stories of our times. I still do some journalism from time to time.

But Kahlstrom had done some very wrong things. He had cut off 375 witnesses who said they had seen missiles going into the air when TWA 800 went down. He said there was no Navy ship in the area that could have shot down the plane. And yet, we have now a tape where he is talking to someone else and where he said there were three Navy ships in the area which could have shot down the plane.

The most important thing that happened early last year was when former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Thomas Moorer came out with a statement on TWA 800. He was not covered by any of the important newspapers in the United States. This is what he said: “All evidence would point to a missile. All those witnesses who saw a streak that hit the airplane – you have to assume it was a missile. It absolutely deserves more investigation, a lot more.” He called for a new Congressional hearing into TWA 800. Late in 1998, Moorer ran a full-page ad in the New York Times, but that wasn’t covered by the press, either.

A little more than two weeks ago, on May 10, the Senate formally investigated the matter. The senate judiciary subcommittee, chaired by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), released testimony that a bomb or missile had downed the plane. Grassley said that the FBI crash investigation was “a model of failure, not success.”

Meanwhile, another important person, retired Navy commander William Donaldson has also come out with a new view: TWA 800 was shot down by a missile – fired not from a Navy ship but a terrorist group.

What is interesting is that a majority of Americans and French believe that what I said was true. I am constantly congratulated for what I said about how TWA 800 was shot down…
…Of course, the United States government has not yet come out with a solution to what happened to TWA 800. With the FBI no longer investigating, the National Transportation Safety Board continues to look into the case. In November 1997, it held a five-day conference in Baltimore, which looked into the possibility that it was a fuel tank explosion. There is a lot of information which refutes this hypothesis. The TWA pilot, who flew the aircraft in question from Athens to New York before TWA 800 started on its final flight from New York to Paris, had done an extensive test of the fuel tank and had concluded that it was in great shape and could not have exploded.

[After speaking at a meeting in Atlanta regarding a future Olympics site] I learned that TWA 800 had crashed. I immediately went back to the hotel and watched television for five hours. Each of the TV shows was showing that it was a missile that had shot down TWA 800. Later, they did not again run those tapes they had shown—probably at the request of the FBI.

Let us now arrive at a government solution, once and for all, so that the surviving family members of the 230 people who died on TWA 800 will finally get the truth.
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Robert Devaney • July 18, 2013

Georgetown University continues its search for additional campus space. This week, it will appear before a local advisory neighborhood commission July 18 to present its potential use of the remaining area of the now-closed Walter Reed Army Medical Center, as explained by its COO, provost and medical school dean.

On 16th Street, NW, Walter Reed was located at 6900 Georgia Ave., NW. In August 2011, it moved its operations to Bethesda Naval Hospital. Part of the land is now used by the State Department, but the District controls 66.5 acres fit for redevelopment for offices, housing, shopping — and school buildings.

Developer Forest City Washington is partnered with the university and will make the pitch to the ANC that involves graduate programs and other uses, such as working with non-profits.

The following is the university’s statement by Christopher Augostini, senior vice president and chief operating officer; Robert Groves, executive vice president of main campus and provost; Howard Federoff, M.D., executive vice president for health sciences and executive dean of the School of Medicine:

Over the past year, Georgetown University has been engaged in a comprehensive master planning process. While recognizing that our historic main campus has limited space, we believe that future growth is necessary for our institutional health and sustainability.

Our integrated master planning process includes carefully looking at our options for growth as we develop a strategic vision for the future of our academic programs.

Opportunities are arising for growth and development in various parts of the District of Columbia and the surrounding metro area. We believe it is essential for us to position ourselves to look carefully at every opportunity for growth as we continue to learn and clarify our future needs. Our goal is to understand more about these opportunities as they become available, even as we clarify the activities we might undertake on future.

We believe Georgetown University is positioned to be a strong partner in meaningfully contributing to Washington in these coming years. We are engaged in constant conversation with the District about how we can best partner with them as they redevelop properties across the city that were once home to large federal programs and agencies.

As we move forward, you will likely hear that we are engaged in exploring various sites around the District. One such opportunity is the redevelopment of Walter Reed Army Medical Center in upper northwest Washington. There, the District has announced that the State Department will occupy part of the space and is soliciting development partners to re-imagine the remaining space. This is a tremendously important project for the District of Columbia and a possible development opportunity with many benefits for the university to explore.

The District has solicited developers to make presentations for Walter Reed. Forest City Washington has asked Georgetown University to partner on a proposal that includes exploring the possibility of expanding the university’s graduate education activities, research facilities, collaborations with private sector firms, and potentially other non profit and government entities to both accommodate growth and provide a catalyst for broader collaborations. This site has the potential to be a campus for innovation that could combine our institutional strengths with private sector, non-profit and other institutional entities, all focused on developing ideas and solutions for next generation global problem-solving.

While we are not far enough along in our master planning to determine specifically what programs and activities we would undertake at Walter Reed, we believe it is in the best interest of our institution to explore this potential partnership. As such, we will make a proposal with Forest City Washington to the District, which will be presented at a public meeting next Thursday at a meeting hosted by the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission near Walter Reed. Should we proceed in this process, we look forward to working with all of you to help invent and evaluate alternative uses of Walter Reed.

The city has also made clear their goal to develop areas in the south and the east of the District of Columbia. For example, the former St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is a site that may hold opportunity for consideration by Georgetown University. Additional opportunities east of the river may present in the future, and we will continue the conversation with the city regarding other development opportunities.

We wanted you to be aware of our engagement in these potential opportunities in the weeks and months ahead. We look forward to continuing our master planning work and are grateful for your continued participation and support in this important process. While all master planning activities require thinking far ahead of the easily foreseeable future, real decisions regarding academic uses of space must be taken with wide input from all the Georgetown community. We welcome your thoughts and comments at any time.

Robert Devaney •

Dog Tag Bakery, a unique non-profit bakery that teams with and trains veterans, is slated to open at 3206 Grace St., NW, once the location of Grace and Bamboo restaurant. It also plans to have a small cafe on the rooftop.

“We hope to open early February 2014,” says Adam Mortillaro, director of development and fundraising for Dog Tag Bakery, which is headquartered at the Jesuits’ residence, Wolfington Hall, on Georgetown University’s main campus.

The non-profit was begun by Rev. Richard Curry, S.J., who also founded the National Theater Workshop for the Handicapped. Curry also heads up Georgetown’s Academy for Veterans, a program which assists veterans returning to civilian life that combines performing arts, spirituality, medical care and learning. Born with a disability himself, Curry states the mission of Dog Tag Bakery: “To create a bold, new model for transition assistance and job training for veterans (and their care givers) with a service-connected disability who served in the U.S. Armed Forces.”

Dog Tag Bakery says it will “feature an assortment of baked breads, from Father Curry’s book, ‘The Secret to Jesuit Bread Making,’ as well as specialty, seasonal and holiday items. The bakery will also offer light fare for breakfast and lunch and a full service coffee and beverage bar. … will also produce homemade dog biscuits for our canine customers. These delicious dog biscuits are made with all natural ingredients and will be baked on-site and sold both in-store and online.”

Robert Devaney •

A plan for a new dormitory on the main campus of Georgetown University was shot down by the Old Georgetown Board, which asked for alternative plans and expressed concern about the loss of green space — and is also opposed by a student-alumni petition at Change.org.

In part, the petition reads: “Students and alumni were unanimous in their opposition to the uninspired, Eastern Bloc-like proposal, completely incongruous with Georgetown’s rich architectural heritage, in addition to taking up one of the last remaining green spaces on campus. The Old Georgetown Board agreed, asking the university to go back to the drawing board and produce alternatives for the next meeting in September.

“We understand that Georgetown is under time, land and budget constraints. Nonetheless, in the past few years, other schools such as Princeton, Notre Dame and Boston College have produced beautiful classical-style buildings (some of them in small lots, and yes, with LEED certification). It can be done, and it should be done at Georgetown.”

Georgetown University’s proposed Northeast Triangle Residence Hall is to be tucked between Reiss Science Building, Henle Village and the western walls of Visitation Prep. Along a main campus walkway, the seven-floor triangular building would be near the Leavey Center.

Georgetown University representatives presented concept plans to Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission July 1, describing a new 251-bed dormitory to be ready for occupancy by August 2015. The ANC unanimously approved the concept.

Robert Devaney • July 15, 2013

Spike Mendelsohn and his crew are about to open the third Good Stuff Eatery at 3291 M St., NW, next to Rhino Bar & Pumphouse. The two-story Georgetown Good Stuff Eatery expects to open within a couple of weeks, or at least by the end of the month, said Ryan Helfer of Good Stuff Eatery.

Helfer also said that while the new business has completed most of its hiring at the M Street spot there are still a few more slots to fill — Georgetown@GoodStuffEatery.com; 202-286-9125.

The five-year-old business offers “handmade burgers, hand-cut fries and handspun ice creamshakes,” it says, and is “committed to freshness, fellowship and friendliness.” It expects to average about 1,000 hamburgers per day at its new location. (We especially like the Prez Obama burger.)

The original Good Stuff Eatery is at Capitol Hill; the second in Crystal City in Arlington, Va. A fourth Good Stuff Eatery is slated to open in Philadelphia in a few months.

Other restaurants headed by Mendelsohn are We, the Pizza and Bearnaise, a steak frite place, which opened a week ago. Both are at Capitol Hill.

Mendelsohn is well known for his appearances at cable TV’s “Top Chef.” Other places that Good Stuff Eatery is checking out include China and Dubai, the head chef told the Eater blog a few month ago.