Let’s Do Lunch: Blue Duck Tavern
• April 24, 2013

For lunch, we ventured to the Blue Duck Tavern at the Park Hyatt at 24th and M Streets in the West End. Just east of Georgetown and Rock Creek, the neighbor- hood’s name recalls when D.C. was divided into Washington City and Old Georgetown and other locales. Today, it’s an easy walk to the West End, which was until the late 1980s a nondescript place except for Blackie’s House of Beef. Opened in 2006 by chef Brian McBride, the Blue Duck Tavern along with other restaurants and hotels reflect the upscale change in this part of Washington.

While in the ground floor of a hotel, the restaurant nevertheless works for both guest and neighbor. It contains different sections with Shaker-inspired tables and chairs, whether at the patio, near the open kitchen (sometimes noisy), along the M Street windows or at the very back, where we sat for lunch.

Executive chef Sebastien Archambault and chef de cuisine John Melfi continue Blue Duck’s culinary commitment to fresh, regionally sourced ingredients that become simple, care- fully prepared, flavorful meals for the pleasure of eye and palate. But the taste is in the details and “cannot be controlled by law,” as Thomas Jefferson reminds on the menu, which indicates whence main ingredients arrived. Our attentive waiter was helpful, succinct and likable, and it was time to order.

Chilled lobster salad frisée, avocado, blood orange honey citrus vinaigrette (from Viking Village, Maine): “tasty.” Mushroom tart, mixed greens salad, hazelnut oil vinaigrette (from Kennett Square, Penn.): “mustardy but delicious.” Jumbo lump crab cakes frisée and fennel, coral aioli (from Chesapeake Bay, Md.): “perfect, a total balance.” Wood oven roasted confit of duck leg, roasted baby vegetables, red wine apple butter (from Grimaud Farms, Calif.): “sauced up, moist, fell off the bone.” Crispy skin salmon, clam chowder, bacon, uni emulsion (from Skuna Bay, B.C.): “succulent.” Swordfish carbonara, egg, Parmesan cheese (a special that afternoon): “Unique, laced with complementary flavors.” For dessert: the highly regarded Apple Pie (“oh, man, yes”); the roasted pear, sun-dried cherries and pistachio crumble (“great”); and the honey vanilla ice cream with maple syrup (“the best … it’s a gift to be simple”). The starters averaged around $15; main dishes, $25; desserts, $9.

Get yourself and friends to the Blue Duck Tavern for straight-up American dishes that are memorable and live up to the Zagat’s compliments. Not bad for a street that once boasted a greasy-spoon dive called the Pumpkin Shell.?

Reservations for dinner and brunch recom- mended. The Blue Duck Tavern, 24 & M Streets, NW — (202) 419-6755 — BlueDuckTavern.com — BlueDuck.Tavern@Hyatt.com.
[gallery ids="101255,147631,147614,147626,147622" nav="thumbs"]

N Street Village Gala: ‘Addicted to Life’
•

N Street Village held its annual gala at the Ritz Carlton in the West End April 10. The D.C. non-profit helps homeless and low-income women turn their lives around and work toward self-reliance. It honored N Street Village success stories — Patricia Birk, Shevanda Brantley and Lolita Mitchell — with the Steinbruck Award. Honored with the Founders’ Award: Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and wife Abigail Blunt as well as Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., for their support of the efforts of N Street Village. Brantley summed it up: “I’m addicted to life!” The gala raised more than $675,000 for N Street Village. [gallery ids="119271,119283,119279" nav="thumbs"]

Ballet’s ‘Moveable Feast’ Gala Gets Everyone Moving
• April 23, 2013

The Washington Ballet celebrated the world premiere of Septime Webre’s “Hemingway: The Sun Also Rises” with the Moveable Feast: Hemingway in Paris Ball at the Library of Congress in the Jefferson Building April 12.

One of D.C.’s premier fundraising events, the annual gala celebrated ballet’s deep ties with the community and raises critical funds for the ballet’s training and outreach programs. Moveable Feast: The Hemingway in Paris Ball was chaired by Jackie Clegg Dodd and former Sen. Chris Dodd with honorary chair Mariel Hemingway and the Washington Ballet’s board of directors. Among the thanks was a big one for Councilman Jack Evans who made sure ballet programs got D.C. government funding.

After dinner by Susan Gage Caterers, guests enjoyed performances by the ballet’s professional dancers and students of TWB@THEARC and joined in for some dancing themselves as DJ Pitch One got everyone out on the dance floor in the central hall of the beautiful Jefferson Building.
[gallery ids="101245,146479,146485,146493,146499,146506,146513,146519,146526,146473,146467,146555,146550,146441,146544,146447,146539,146453,146460,146533" nav="thumbs"]

Bouvier House Sells for $8.6 Million
• April 19, 2013

An O Street house, built in 1874 and once owned by the mother of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, has sold for $8.6 million. It also has been owned by Armistead Peter, Laughlin Phillips and Louis Mackall. Janet Lee Bouvier and High Auchincloss owned it in the 1960s.

Washington Fine Properties managed the deal for owner Donald Roth of EMP Global, who bought it in 2001 for $3.7 million. WFP agents Kimberly Casey and Daryl Judy represented the buyer, while Willliam F.X. Moody, Robert Hryniewicki and Adam Rackliffe represented Roth.

Bill and Hillary Clinton looked at the corner house at 3044 O Street, across from Christ Church, in 2000 but instead chose to move to the most secluded Whitehaven Street.

Bonhams Offers Appraisals, Auction Highlights, April 27, 28
•

As if the last week in April were not busy enough, Bonhams will exhibit auction items and offer free appraisals during its the Spring Exhibition Weekend, April 27 and 28, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown.

Coinciding with the annual White House Correspondents Dinner weekend and other receptions, Bonhams will present major highlights from its spring auctions in London and New York, letting attendees preview some of the items coming up for auction worldwide this year.

Fine paintings on offer by such luminaries as Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Mel Ramos and Eastman Johnson will grace the walls of the event space, complemented by displays of fine jewelry, rare books and decorative arts, including fine Chinese snuff bottles.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to bring their own treasures for a complimentary evaluation by Bonhams international roster of specialists.

Bonhams has a track record of achieving top results with auction items sourced in the Washington area. Notable local discoveries include a James Carol Beckwith painting found in Virginia and sold at Bonhams New York for $236,000 as well as a “Shanbodong” jade figure of Pindola by Yang Yuxuan from the Qing Dynasty found in Washington, D.C., and sold at Bonhams Hong Kong for $495,200. A world-record was achieved at Bonhams London for a Vasili Dmitrievich Polenov painting from Virginia, which sold for $6,366,450.

The exhibition is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, April 27; noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, April 28. Also, available vintage motorcars will be on display in the entryway of the Four Seasons, including a 1923 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Complimentary appraisals are available on April 27 by appointment. Contact Martin Gammon, Vice President of Business Development and Museum Services at Bonhams, at 202-333-1696. 

Emancipation Day Celebrates African-American History and More
• April 18, 2013

Despite concerns about public security after the Boston Marathon bombings, D.C.’s Emancipation Day parade and celebrations went off without a hitch April 16.

The parade moved along Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, from 4th Street to 14th Street. There were also workshops and a battle of the bands at Freedom Plaza — at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue across from the District Building — as well as prayer breakfast. There was even a “Great Debate” at the Lincoln Theater on April 14 that looked at issues affecting African Americans today. The day’s events were coordinated by Councilman-at-large Vincent Orange, who is the chair of the oversight committee for Emancipation Day.

“It’s the only time in history that the federal government paid $1 million in 1862 to free the slaves,” Orange told ABC News. “Clearly, that was part of Lincoln’s strategy to win civil war.”

The idea to alter the celebrations for the 151st anniversary of D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act, which officially abolished slavery in the nation’s capital in 1862, nine months before the Emancipation Proclamation, was never considered.

On Monday evening, after the news of the Boston bombings, Mayor Vincent Gray issued a statement: “While at this time there is no information regarding any specific credible threat against targets in our region, we have plans in place to address these types of incidents. We are currently implementing those plans. While at this point I cannot go into significant detail about specific response actions and deployments, I can say that the District government is well-prepared to protect the safety of all those who live, visit and do business in the nation’s capital.”

Emancipation Day celebrations were capped with a fireworks display at Freedom Plaza. At 6:45 p.m., Friday, April 19, at 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, the Washington Ringing Society will perform a ringing of the Congress Bells in the Old Post Office Tower in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the dedication of these bells and to commemorate the 151st anniversary of D.C. Emancipation Day.
[gallery ids="101248,147028,147003,147021,147010,147017" nav="thumbs"]

Capella So Luxe It Requires Several Debuts
• April 11, 2013

A few floral ribbon-cuttings later, the Georgetown Capella is settling into its intimate spot on 31st Street, next to the C&O Canal. The 49-room boutique hotel aims for the top, as it touts its service, restaurant, amenities and architecture. It already has made a splash with several invitation-only parties and has been open since March 22.

A March 29 debut brought out Mayor Vincent Gray, other notables and business investors. An April 3 reception also invited the media and neighborhood leaders to see the rooms and sample some bites.

The Capella touts its Grill Room and Rye Bar with chef Jakob Esko. The canal-front patio with tables is a standout. Each guest gets a personal assistant; rooms look like perfectly appointed condos.

Founded by former Ritz Carlton COO Horst Schulze, the company has other Capella hotels and resorts in Singapore, Dusseldorf, Ixtapa and Cabo San Lucas. The company has plans for hotel openings in Sochi, Russia, Riviera Maya, Mexico, and Bangkok.
[gallery ids="101227,145298,145292,145286,145280,145274,145311,145268,145314,145262,145320,145255,145326,145304" nav="thumbs"]

Jack’s Boathouse Will Close, Owner Says
• April 10, 2013

“At some point, you can’t fight the Feds,” said Jack’s Boathouse owner Paul Simkin. “We [Jack’s Boathouse] will not be there. We know when we’ve been beaten.”

Simkin responded to the Georgetowner, concerning the March 28 United States Court for the District of Columbia decision to dismiss Jack’s Boathouse case in which it claimed that the National Park Service did not have jurisdiction over the land where the boathouse sits. Jack’s Boathouse has been fighting its removal from the Potomac River shore at 3500 K St., NW, since December. The decision seriously damaged Simkin’s legal challenge to the NPS eviction.

Nevertheless, Simkin seemed at peace with his own decision to withdraw from the fight and praised the new boat rental company that will work at the old Jack’s site. He also claimed a certain moral victory.

“Our objective was to stay there and keep working for another 70 years,” Simkin said. “If that were not possible, we intended to keep out the big corporate operators as well as a big collegiate boathouse. Neither will come to pass because of our fight, our supporters and the visibility of the assorted shenanigans.”

On March 4, the NPS awarded B&G Outdoor Recreation of Boston the contract to operate on the site of Jack’s Boathouse.

“For me, the next best solution is that the new folks coming have a philosophy like ours,” Simkin said. “If the boathouse space cannot be under our leadership, I cannot think of a better fit for Georgetown than B&G. They are good people and love the water, and we ask our supporters and customers to support them. B&G has assured me that it will hire all of Jack’s former employees. And that makes me rest easier.”

Jack’s Boathouse has been renting canoe and kayaks since 1945 when it was opened by Jack Baxter, a former police officer.

“You win some,” Simkin said. “You lose some. In the end, we believe we have come out ahead.”

7-Eleven Designs for Wisconsin & O Store Criticized
•

Oh, thank heaven for . . . on second thought, go to . . . or, at least, design school, say critics of the proposed look of the 7-Eleven retail store slated for the vacant store at Wisconsin Avenue and O Street. It will occupy the space which housed Doc Dalinsky’s Pharmacy, a Georgetown history lesson in itself. O Street businessman and architect Robert Bell was one of the harshest critics of the 7-Eleven designs, when they were discussed at the Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting April 1.

“The concerns of myself and the merchants whom I have talked to on this block and on Wisconsin Avenue are both architectural and functional,” Bell told the Georgetowner after the Old Georgetown Board met last week, when it voted against 7-Eleven designs and ordered the store to have unobstructed windows.
 
“Many of the context architectural issues were addressed at the Old Georgetown Board,” Bell said. “Window design is critical to a vital Georgetown. OGB member Steve Muse was very succinct about the “dead space” created by many businesses on Wisconsin. He pointed out that the street should be a shopping street where the urban goal is to encourage ‘window shopping’ where the pleasures of walking in a historic district are enriched with shopping and eating.  The design by 7-Eleven eliminates that pleasure on a large section of the building by blanking off the windows and introduces a door design from a strip shopping center.  Most of the most onerous elements were rejected by the OGB which requested that 7-Eleven redesign the interior to place people instead of machines at the first and second floor windows.  We want the principles of eyes on the street from  ‘The Life and Death of American Cities’ by Jane Jacobs to be applied by 7-Eleven and all stores in Georgetown.   Every window in Georgetown is gift to the vitality of the community. Proper design inside and out is crucial to making this a great town.”   
 
Bell offered more design criticism for the town and its shopkeepers: “I was disappointed that the Old Georgetown Board and ANC approved back-lit aluminum signage.  Imagine if every building — the ones across the street and up and down Wisconsin Avenue — adopted this standard. It would completely change the character of Georgetown.  This type of signage is anathema to historical areas and their character.  The ANC and OGB should change their policy regarding this signage.  As an owner of buildings on O street, I have gone to a good deal of effort to integrate signage in the shop windows, Why would the board allow this degrading of the texture of existing brick buildings on this street while they would never think of doing the same for the other buildings on O Street?  The signs should be integrated in the windows.”

Manhole Cover Pops; Cupcake Shop Evacuated
•

A manhole cover exploded on 33rd Street near the C&O Canal and flamed briefly mid-morning March 25. As a Pepco crew attended to short-circuited wires, the smell moved up the street. At 33rd and M Streets, a customer at Georgetown Cupcake smelled smoke. D.C. Fire & EMS responded to the report with a show of force, calling out trucks from Georgetown, the West End and U Street. More than 10 fire department trucks, SUVs and a hook-and-ladder lined M Street. Police closed one lane to traffic.

“Maybe they burned the cupcakes,” said one passer-by at the intersection. A fire department official said neither smoke nor any gas leak had come from the bakery or buildings at the corner but was from the blown-out manhole down 33rd Street. Adding to the momentary excitement was NBC4 News’s Pat Collins, who was on the scene, looking for a story to tell. Meanwhile, a small line waited near the entrance of Georgetown Cupcake, where, by the way, Passover macaroons are available through April 2. Soon enough, it was all over, and the shop reopened.
[gallery ids="101210,144972,144943,144967,144951,144962,144957" nav="thumbs"]