Author Archives: Chuck Gregory
Kirsten Murdock was showing everyone the money. It was a good cause after all raising funds for the Courage Cup.
Event host Andrea Rodgers in the swanky penthouse at AKA The White House which graciously donated the space for the evening. The brie was delicious!
Realtor Tanya Lynn Sabel (the blonde in the middle) with DJ Seyhan Duru's Parisian girlfriend who just moved to the US to be with Duru and enjoy the Washington social scenery.
Cheryl P. Ibanez, Community Affairs Coordinator, Public Affairs, GEICO (2nd to right) had five and then some minutes to kill with her recessionistahs.
Lot's of classy couture and cocktails throughout the evening.
Co-organizers Andrea Rodgers and Mike Carson, Owner & Social Media Producer, Mike Carson Creative basking in the glow at the event. Kudos to Rodgers for pulling off the fab affair even after the swing band canceled at 5 pm fearing rain. She quickly substituted with DJ Seyhan Duru who was out for a drive when he got a SOS call from Rodgers and agreed on the spot to DJ the party! (see below)
Laid-off-lobbyist Kara networked with Bruce Boxer, Systems Engineer, DoD Intelligence Support Services, General Dynamics (r) and a friend.
Josh Hedrington, Corporate Sales Manager for AKA White House with a volunteer made sure the penthouse was swanky for the sizzle. Josh tells us AKA White House, a extended stay hotel, has over 75% occupancy and rooms rent from $235 to $345. Guess whatä They still have rooms available for the Fourth of July and with the top-floor deck watching the fireworks could be amazing! Contact Josh and tell him we sent ya!
DC Girls in the Know co-founders Chris Jacobs (l) and Julie O'Brien (r) were ensconsed by Andrea Rodgers. The girls travel in pairs and almost missed the party. Better late than never!
Wine needs to breathe. So do you. During the Cleveland Wine Festival, taking place on Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27, 2009, why not take a couple of days to wine, dine and unwind with the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center's new “Sip, Savor and Sleep” Cleveland hotel deal. The property was recently named the event's host hotel in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
Presented by Giant Eagle, the annual festival provides attendees the opportunity to sample more than 220 wines from around the world. Wine seminars and cooking demonstrations by event sponsors, area chefs, exhibiting wineries and restaurateurs will be showcased. Local musical talent will also be performing live each day.
A portion of the proceeds from the Cleveland Wine Festival will be donated to the Bright Side of the Road Foundation, which aims to help find a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
The “Sip, Savor and Sleep” Package includes:
— Concierge room Cleveland, Ohio accommodations (one king or two double
beds) with stunning city and lake views
— Complimentary valet parking
— A featured bottle of wine
— Admittance for two to the festival
— Complimentary festival tasting at the Marriott Downtown at Key Center
booth
— Breakfast for two the following morning
— Rates from $219
— Valid through June 28, 2009
A private DJ at the Sky Vodka Lounge on the first hole teed things off to some groovy music and some Playmate-wannabes.
Sky Lounge in DC had a booth where they mixed heady cocktails and passed out $10 gift cards for comp meals at the hot lounge in DC. If you'd like one of those gift cards, contact us.
Marriages may be made in heaven but bliss could be had on the golf course! Just ask Chris Moore, Publisher of The Observer Newspapers in Herndon who was a pint away from divorce. (His digital cell phone saved him as he kept texting his wife pictures and sweet nothings of all the no-good he was upto! Or maybe was just just sexting!)
Publisher Lak Vohra shared the 'rough life' with ex-Redskins great Ricky Irwins who has a mean swing but doesn't drink not smoke (don't pay any attention to the guy shooting the picture.)
The ladies who worked the hospitality rounds during the game cleaned up pretty good for the dinner reception and awards ceremony.
That's Jennifer E. Lewis, National Events Manager, TAJ LLC, the group that organized the Playboy Golf Tournament nationwide with one of the trophies for the evening.
Redskins' greats Brian Mitchell and Ricky Irwins all smiles at the after-party and ceremony.
We snapped Playboy's Miss June Candice Cassidy with Ajay Pathak, Founder & COO, Playboy Golf enjoying each other's company at the after-party.
And- the final line-up:
Cute volunteers at the sign-in (including the bobblehead!).
When all the wine ran out prematurely, everyone flocked to Country Vittner's Doug Mohr who kept the taste pours to a minimum and the crowds to the maximum. Can't go wrong when labelled like that!
All the volunteers from the different teams with the participating chefs for the evening.
Publisher Lak Vohra with Roll Call's Ali McSherry, Washington Blade's Amy Cavanaugh and fans.
P. Kevin Smith of LTU Technologies chairs the board for the charity and posed with Betsy Dahm whose husband Paul runs the Brainfood charity; along with Bethany Potter, Client Relations Manager for Open Table. Potter has been repping for OpenTable locally for over a year now and says the online reservation system is doing quite well despite the downturn and currently has over 432 local restaurants in its system. Impressive!
John Butt, General Partner, Conduit Ventures, flew down from London to attend the event and do vodka tastings with his friend Irina Filippova, International Commercial Director, 2degrees.
Husband-wife duo having the time of their life. Jonathan D. Taylor, Managing Partner, TTR Sotheby's International Realty with his better-half who also co-owns the realty business at the event.
That's Clarice M. Dionot, daughter of the famous Patrice & Francois Dionot who started L'Academie de Cuisine. She's now managing the business.
Last but not the least, anchor-emcee for the evening Leon Harris of ABC-7 with Ralph Rosenberg, Partner, Stir Food Group and Bryan Moscatello of Zola restaurant.
Movie Night Scoop Box
Give a film-buff Dad a couple of movies and snacks when you select this Movie Night Scoop Box. The tall theater popcorn box is stuffed with classic movie munchies including fresh-buttered popcorn, red licorice twists, malted milk balls and a Blockbuster® gift card so Dad can select the movies of his choice. No red-carpet budget required.
http://www.thepopcornfactory.com/movie-night-scoop-box.product.250660.
Range Bucket and Golf Balls
The search for a perfect golf-themed gift ends with the Range Bucket and Golf Balls filled with the tastiest of treats: mini pretzels, Almond Pecan corn, chocolate chip cookies, sour stars, Jelly Belly® beans and a popcorn ball. You're sure to score a hole in one when Dad sees the centerpiece – a sleeve of Titleist® golf balls.
http://www.thepopcornfactory.com/range-bucket-and-golf-balls.product.254285.
For the Dad that’s fascinated by Crossword, Sudoku or World Jumbles, send him a puzzle-tin filled with a choice of snack combos ranging from fresh buttered, robust cheese, caramel, or white cheddar popcorn, buttermilk ranch or alphabet pretzels. A Sharpie® pen is included to ensure that his snack time intellectually stimulating as well. Make it a family activity, since two gallons or more of macho goodies are likely to be shared.
Crossword Puzzle Tin
http://www.thepopcornfactory.com/2-gallon-crossword-3way.product.1000769.
Soduku Puzzle Tin
http://www.thepopcornfactory.com/sudoku-2-gallon-3way-popcorn.product.1000924.
This is a description of puzzle tins filled with family snacks
http://www.thepopcornfactory.com/2-gallon-sudoku-family-pack.product.1000590.
Word Jumble Tin
http://www.thepopcornfactory.com/word-jumble-2-gallon-4way-popcorn.product.1000768.
Quadcopter
Domino's Pizza, the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, heats up the summer with its new Fiery Hawaiian pizza, the newest addition to its popular Domino's American Legends specialty line, and hot new commercials featuring Domino's franchisees.
The Fiery Hawaiian pizza is for those who like it hot with spice in every bite. It's made up of sliced ham, smoked bacon, juicy pineapple, roasted red peppers, hot sauce, jalapenos and mozzarella cheese on a cheesy parmesan crust. "All Domino's American Legend pizzas are packed with so much bold taste, and 40 percent more cheese than a regular Domino's pizza," said Russell Weiner, Domino's Chief Marketing Officer.
"Customers looking to spice things up will love the addition of the Fiery Hawaiian pizza. "In addition to the new pizza, we wanted to do something different in this round of commercials for Domino's American Legends line," Weiner continued.
"Since the pizzas are inspired by legendary American tastes, we thought featuring Domino's Pizza franchisees associated with pizzas from their respective hometowns would be a fun and cool way to show off these specialty pizzas to America."
In addition to the new Fiery Hawaiian, six other tasty Domino's American Legend pizzas are available at .99 for a large or .99 for a medium:
— Philly Cheese Steak–Steak, onions, green peppers and mushrooms with provolone and American cheeses on a cheesy provolone crust
— Pacific Veggie–Roasted red peppers, spinach, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and black olives, with feta, mozzarella and provolone cheese on a cheesy parmesan crust
— Honolulu Hawaiian–Sliced ham, smoked bacon, juicy pineapple, and roasted red peppers with provolone and mozzarella cheese on a cheesy parmesan crust
— Cali Chicken Bacon Ranch–Chicken breast, white sauce, smoked bacon, tomatoes and parsley with provolone cheese and mozzarella cheese on a cheesy provolone crust
— Memphis BBQ Chicken–Chicken breast, barbeque sauce, onions, and parsley with provolone, mozzarella and cheddar cheese on a cheesy cheddar crust
— Buffalo Chicken–Chicken breast, Buffalo hot sauce, onions and parsley with provolone and American cheese on a cheesy cheddar crust
Domino's American Legends are available at all continental U.S. stores, with promotional support from America's dairy farmers in cooperation with Dairy Management Inc.
Order at http://www.dominos.com
That's the legendary Doc Hayes (extreme right gold necklace) with his posse from the Erikka A. Hayes Foundation. Shows Inc., the event organizers, worship him, because the Man makes all the permits happen. And if you're dealing with alcohol, you know how much a connection like Doc is worth. He had a booth as soon as you came in and they were raising funds for a good cause in the name of Mojitos!
Diagonally across from Doc was the Watermelon Lady! Of all the things one can pedal, there's always watermelon! So that's Jessica Haden (in tiara) the 2009 Maryland-Delaware Watermelon Queen with Candice Hales whose real job is to push watermelons for a living. Yeah, she actually works for the Mar-Del Watermelon Association.
Taking a stab at some business at the winefest was a knife-wielding purveyor of Hammer Stahl knives which you can get at different sites as all-knives.org and others.
A few doors down we ran into Nichole Benolken, General Manager of aloft Washington National Harbor, a stylish new hotel property envisioned by the W Hotel chain. When we told Nichole about our last weekend getaway at Gaylord National Resort & Conference Center and the resulting press, she said she couldn't wait to invite us back to the man-made island so we could check out her hot property. We're gonna take her up on her invite and our readers will only be as proud!
An unusual contraption at the winefest was being served/sold by George A. Papendick who fronts for a company called Soiree. So, what is this test-tube babyä It helps aerate your wine by bringing the pour in first contact with Oxygen and than your glass, a process called double-decanting. Go figure!
Not too clear on the double-decanting, we double-dipped on the Vodka – Svedka Vodka, we were reminded by Larry Brookman (left) who promised to send us some of the V-decanters. Hopefully, he won't recant!
Before we were accused of abandoning the wines, we found ourselves in the "Black Box" lounge with some Hollywood-types. That's Heather Ackroyd in the black and white dotted dress with Publisher Lak Vohra. Heather is the niece of Dan Ackroyd, repping for VinOne, a Constellation Brands company, that handled many of the big box brands in town for the festival. Heather tells us Uncle Dan has happily branched out into the wine, vodka and horror regalia business. She's got the family look, doesn't sheä
Chilling in the Black Box wine lounge three unidentified patrons. No wine, just cameras!
That's a familiar family! John A. Harrington (who assembled his family for the festival) has known us for over a decade and all this while he's been loyal to Trefethen Family Vineyards of Napa. One family sticking with the other. We like that. Go John!
Lot's of foodie luminaries from around the nation descended at the festival. Caught taking a break with her entourage was Barbara Fairchild, Editor-in-Chief of Bon Appetit magazine.
We saved the last word for the Robert Mondavi Pavilion – by far the coolest winetrap we have ever seen in ages perched high above the festival asphalt in cool climes resembling an African safari mission. As you can see, the hourly tastings and special demonstrations had standing room only with local chefs pairing mini-meals with Mondavi wines. The sessions were led by Nick Padula, Area Manager, VinOne (holding the microphone). The pavilion fatured hi-def flat screen TVs and very chic serving stations run by flight-attendants-by-day-and-wine-pourers-by-the-hour damsels (above) who made khakis a word you could keep rolling around your tongue around dreaming of flights you couldn't have enough of. Salud!
There's a lot to be said and done about National Harbor.
The man-made fantasy island just short of Johnny Rockets can be a teenager's bliss with plenty of curves and carousals, but it's the grown-ups who inhabitate this island and a rich island do they make. Frankly, it's gawkers paradise, with plenty of surf and turf for the ride, and weekends can be jampacked between the burgeoning restaurant corridor, off-the-cuff festivals, discovery creeks and pathaways, a gigantic hotel called Gaylord, and a grand finale of asphalt strip that leads to the river where weekend stalls and booths cajole the mood for some public good.
Last weekend we were in such a mood, thanks to Publicist Carlyle Fairfax Smith who shadows Gaylord National Resort & Conference Center when in-house PRshrink Amie Gorell is trailing the big guns. We had been invited for an overnight courtesy which included a luxurious suite, dinner at the Moonbay Coastal Cuisine followed by drinks at the uber-risque Pose Ultra Lounge. Breakfast the next morning was heralded at Pienza Italian Market.
As soon as we arrived in National Harbor, what struck us was how close this was to our usual surroundings as locals, yet how distant it seemed to our travel buds – and as soon as we took ourselves off the ramp, we were in a new man's land and among other welcomes, there it was – a new plaque announcing that Disney had arrived – or was planning to arrive as the announcement had just been made in screaming headlines just days ago that the Disney operatives had finally landed a lucrative landing spot in the nation's capital (for those who have been is Disneyland Paris all these years, the giant tried to get into town through the backdoor of Virginia's countrywide but those DisneyDollars were met with DomesticDisdain and a mini-revolt was quelched).
Taking a walk in the Gaylord National Resort & Conference Center is like cruising on a ship. It balloons in proportions and looking into the courtyard can be dizzying heights from the premium, atrium-view guest suite we were in. Of course it's a hotel, but if course it's a conference center. But where does one begin and the other end, that's hard to say.
Where else could you fathom a walk-way that reminds you of work and pleasure both at the same time to make you feel guilty that you may be indulging in one while neglecting the other (the photo below shows the pathway one must take if going to a convention or just indulging in the spa, or vice versa, and its a reminder alright)
Even though it's a large property, the staff is very pleasant and service is extra-ordinary. Since we had arrived a bit early than the usual check-in, we were compensated for our early tidings with complimentary drinks at the bar thanks to the Front Desk.
So we hung out at the National Sports Bar and Grille – its the biggest and most opulent sports bar we have ever seen with a 30-foot video wall plastered with wall-to-wall HDTVs (see below).
After downing a pint, we decided to go for a stroll in the lower-level atrium of the hotel which is lined with trees and fountains and zigs-zags through eateries, a bakery, a coffee shop and a sundry store. Aptly, they even have a store named Pajama Party (below) for those looking for a late night , last-minute hook up (and this would be the place for it).
Once you've decided you've had enough of the indoor sunlight the place has to offer, and you want to actually be on the water, that's when discovery island fun has just begun.
We spent over 24 hours just discovering what National Harbor was all about and why the fuss was so real that it was making everyone in Alexandria, and DC, nervous.
A few minutes of jaywalking, and we figured out why. This place is being built strategically (Tommy Bahama Rum posters on restaurant windows inviting you to the life and beyond) and at a frenetic pace that would have even given Reston Town Center a run for its money in its heydays. In just two short blocks, there is so much to do, so much to eat, so much to drink, and so much to see – and gawk.
For starters, the weekend we were there there was a casual flea market on Saturday and a major schmoozer-casual United States Yacht Show.
We snapped Coral Anika Theill of Stafford, Virginia who is a regular at the flea market with her Honeycomb Keepsakes, which sells 100% pure beeswax ornaments and candles.
A few doors down was the monkey-business boat show and we couldn't help but take in some of the million-dollar yachts so puritanical in look and feel that you'd just want to stare.
The inside cabin of a million yacht that was yours for the asking only if you didn't say recession.
Lending some cultural cringe to the theory of a boat show in these times was the tall and characteristic Miss Ann which was moored for the evening and also hosted the after-party for the yacht show. Seen here are newly-minted owners and brothers Frank and Guy Schroff who entertained guests at the party and wanted everyone reading this article to know that they just bought the boat (for a steal) from the owner of The Tides Inn in Irvington, Virginia and that she was available for private charters and they were taking reservations for a private sail for the 4th of July Weekend. (Contact Guy if you want to take Miss Ann for a ride.)
So, having sailed our minds away, and before we cocooned back to our room, we decided to take one last lap of luxury to see what other things were happening at the National Harbor when we saw a few folks buzz by on those human-wheelers called Segways so we poked around and found one of the few official Segway stores in the DC area which was a cool find. We also had a chance to learn more about Intrepid boats and their benefits.
Before we headed back to homeland, we ate at the Pienza Italian Market and guess who we found in the buffet assembly line on Sunday morning?
Former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder with a lady squeeze was seen hobknobbing the buffet the morning we ate.
Shaking Wilder's hand and taking his picture, it hit us:
We had finally arrived. And so had Gaylord's National Harbor.
Brainfood, a nonprofit that uses cooking to teach life skills and healthy living to DC youths, announced today that its annual Brainfood Grill-Off competition will be held on Thursday, June 11, 2009 from 6:30pm to 9:30pm at the Decatur House in Washington, DC.
Advised by Brainfood program graduates and top local chefs — including Teddy Folkman, a finalist on The Next Food Network Star — teams of amateur chefs compete to be the Grill-Off champion.
Several chefs nominated for the 2009 RAMMY Rising Culinary Star award are also participating, including Cedric Maupillier, Central Michel Richard; Daniel Giusti, 1789; Shannon Overmiller, The Majestic; and Tony Chittum, Vermilion.
“The Brainfood Grill-Off was inspired by a competition that caps off the graduation celebration for every Brainfood after-school and summer program,” said Paul Dahm, executive director of Brainfood. “This is an opportunity to bring the Brainfood experience to the local DC community, while raising vital funding for our programs. Brainfood plays a critical community role by providing a safe and healthy environment in which young people can learn, grow and have fun. But programs like ours require a constant resupply of food, which makes cooking on a budget a daily reality.”
Competing Grill-Off teams have one hour to create two original dishes from a surprise pantry of fresh ingredients. Dishes are judged by a panel of foodies, including Clarice Dionot, L'Academie de Cuisine; Amanda McClements, Metrocurean.com; Mark Michael, Occasions Catering; and Mark Kuller, Proof. During the competition, event attendees will enjoy food, wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, open bar, and a live auction featuring one-of-a-kind experiences.
Thanks to the generosity of Reznick Group, the law firm of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker and other sponsors, 100 percent of ticket sales will support Brainfood programs. The purchase of a pair of tickets will cover the cost of food supplies for one participant for the entire summer program. Tickets are $75 and are available online at www.brain-food.org.
