ARTS & SOCIAL

“Trois Rêves” — Elenaluisa Alvarez and Alison Bartels. Photo by Jeff Malet.

On With the Dance! Bowen McCauley Celebrates Final Season at the Kennedy Center The Washington Ballet Kicks Off 45th Season

BY JEFF MALET

In its first performance in over a year, Arlington-based Bowen McCauley Dance Company was granted permission to perform in front of a live audience at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater on May 26. It was an important step for the venue, as the performance was the Kennedy Center’s first event since its closure in 2020, though the invite-only gathering was restricted to just 25 percent of room capacity. The program was also simulcast live. Late last year, BMDC’s founding Artistic Director, Lucy Bowen McCauley announced that this — its 25th Anniversary Season– will be the company’s last. For more information about the Sept. 14 finale performance at the Kennedy Center, or the Dance for PD program, visit www.BMDC.org. See full story and more photos of this event at Georgetowner.com.

Dry clean those dresses and suits, gowns and tuxedos — the D.C. social scene is back! The Washington Ballet kicked off its 45th season post-Covid with its annual gala on June 4. The black-tie event at the Kennedy Center was the first of its kind in over a year. Masks were optional, but everyone in attendance was required to submit a proof of vaccine card or negative Covid test to attend. There were lots of happy smiles, hugs, air kisses and more, according to the Washington Post. Gala co-chair Lisa Barry told the crowd, “The show has indeed gone on!” Cheers to many more parties to come.

The guest list included Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), former House speaker Paul Ryan, NPR’s Diane Rehm, Fox News anchor Bret Baier and his wife Amy and more. Reggie Van Lee, Chief Transformation Officer at the Carlyle Group was presented with the Lois H. England Philanthropy Award. Lee was nominated as the new chairman of DC’s arts commission.

Philanthropist Reginald Van Lee accepts the Lois England Philanthropic Award from Washington Ballet Artistic Director Julie Kent. Van Lee is a former Washington Ballet trustee and played a pivotal role in bringing Kent to TWB. Photo by Tony Powell. Diane Rehm and Kevin Chaffee at the Sulgrave Club, one of 26 diplomatic and private dinners held in honor of the Washington Ballet’s 2021 Gala. Photo by Tony Powell.

BY KATE OCZYPOK

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Medio Pollo Al Carbon at dLeña WoodFire Mexican Cocina & Mezcaleria.

Cocktail of the Month JUNE BUG

BY JODY KURASH

The celebrated season of summer is upon us. And while many people’s plans may seem rather humdrum, such as seeing an outdoor concert, playing a game of mini-golf at the shore and visiting family and friends, this year these everyday activities will take on a feeling of a joyous “Hallelujah!” after more than a year of isolation.

As more and more Washington area residents are vaccinated, people are gradually venturing freely outside and the light at the end of the Covid tunnel suddenly seems within reach. Even mundane activities, like taking public transportation, making small talk on the street or trying on clothes are no longer stressful propositions. Women who have gotten their “jabs” are ready to ditch the pajamas, get their hair done in a salon and put on lipstick others may actually see.

Now that people can feel comfortable actually lowering their masks outside their home, it’s time to sip on a celebratory cocktail. This summer is going to feel more like an escape than any summer since you finished school. Even though there’s still a long road ahead, June 2021 may be the most excellent month we’ve had in a long time.

What better way to catch the spirit than an over-the-top tropical libation -- the type of fruity tiki tipple you’d be sipping on the beach in Martinique if it weren’t closed to U.S. travelers. I like to think, however, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one sip. With June being a turning point in the pandemic, what a great idea to toast the month with a June bug cocktail.

The June bug, which gets its moniker from the common insect that emerges in the Eastern U.S. during the first month of summer, is exactly what a coming-out drink should be – bright, sweet and full of sunny flavors. This extra-sweet summer calls for an extra-sweet cocktail.

Forged from melon liqueur, crème de banana liqueur, coconut rum, pineapple and lime juice, this concoction has a vivid green hue that conveys a feeling of renewal and the components represent a plethora of sultry fruit goodness. Let’s face it, this summer is not the year for a subdued maxidress with a matching mask, but rather a Carmen Miranda like get-up complete with a visible smile.

Like many frou-frou drinks, the June bug can be overly cloying, but if made with quality ingredients and fresh juices it makes for a jubilant refresher. The key component is melon liqueur, which should be Midori, an emerald-hued Japanese spirit. Cheaper melon elixirs can be found, but they don’t have the complexity and subtle tartness of Midori. Second, many recipes for the June bug call for canned pineapple and bottled sour mix. Going natural with fresh pineapple and lime juice will make the difference between something fun and something resembling a spiked 7-11 Slurpee.

The June bug reached its popularity peak in the late 1990s, before the craft and classic cocktail movement exploded. It was part of a wave of colorful drinks like the woo woo, the cosmopolitan and similarly hued appletini that ruled the bar scene at the end of the century. A popular choice at TGIFridays, it remains so today. While this is hardly a testament to quality, as the pandemic continues to rage around us, the June bug is a nice flashback to the simpler days when our biggest worries were a stained blue dress and the y2k crisis that never materialized.

JUNE BUG

1.5 oz. Midori melon liqueur 1 oz. coconut rum ½ oz. banana liqueur 1 oz. fresh lime juice 2 oz. fresh pineapple juice Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Serve in a tall glass.

THE LATEST DISH

BY LINDA ROTH

Restaurants Are Open!

New & opened: The Point, opened by Greg Casten of Profish, at 2100 2nd Street, SW near Audi Field, where the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers converge. Chef Benjamin Lambert masterfully orchestrates the menu. What a sunset view at the 140-seat outdoor patio (280 seats indoors)…Richard Sandoval’s latest venture, dLeña Wood-Fire Mexican Cocina & Mezcaleria, at 476 K Street NW with executive chef Carlos Camacho at the helm…Truluck’s Ocean’s Finest Seafood & Crab at 700 K Street, NW across from the DC Convention Center, with Chef Laurence Cohen leading the kitchen. …Dauphine’s with Chef Kristen Essig bringing her New Orleans delicious flair to Midtown Center at 1100 15th Street, NW….the latest from Jose Andres: Spanish Diner at 7271 Woodmont Ave in Bethesda, where Jaleo was…. Luca Giovannini, Cesar Varela (both beverage gurus from Fabio Trabocchi Restaurants) and Noe Landini, are the powers behind a high-end cocktail bar, Donahue, at 1338 Wisconsin Ave., NW in Georgetown where Smith Point used to be.

Re-opened: Georgetown’s Green Almond Pantry, a café and market, emerges like a phoenix from the fire with an expanded menu and increased seating at its 3210 Grace Street, NW site with Chef/ owner Cagla Onal at the helm… Art & Soul restaurant within the Yotel (formerly Liaison Hotel) on Capitol Hill re-opened with a new chef, Danny Chavez, serving weekday lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.

Mike Friedman, with partners Colin McDonough, Gareth Croke and Mike O’Malley, plan to open Aventino restaurant and AP Pizza Shop at 4747 Bethesda Ave, where JBG Smith is headquartered. Aventino will be a full-service, 120-seat, Italian restaurant focused on Roman-style cuisine featuring dishes from Rome’s Jewish ghetto. It’s named after Aventine Hill, which is where Rome’s Jewish community had been based. AP Pizza Ship will be a casual takeout-centric version of All-Purpose. A 2022 opening is targeted.

Quick Hits: Harvest Tide Steakhouse, a Lewes, DE operation led by chef/ owner Danio Somoza, will open where Acqua al 2 was on 8th Street SE on Capitol Hill. He plans to turn the former upstairs speakeasy, into a new concept as well…. Compass Coffee at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center is now a La Colombe… Robert Maher plans to open Maison Cheryl in Clarendon at 2900 Wilson Boulevard , in Q3 2021…. Chef Jeremiah Langhorne and business partner Alex Zink plan to open Petite Cerise (“little cherry”), an all-day, Frenchinspired restaurant in Q4 2021 at 7th and L Streets, NW in Shaw…. Glory Days Grill sports-themed restaurant chain celebrates its 25th anniversary.

New York-based Drive Shack, which operates indoor-outdoor golf driving ranges similar to Topgolf, will open a mini-golf concept called Puttery at 800 F Street, NW in Penn Quarter where the Spy Museum was. The 20,000-sq-ft space will include an upscale food and beverage menu, which will include several bars and lounges, and music. Puttery will include three 9-hole golf courses with electronic auto-scoring technology. A Q3 opening is slated.

Taqueria Xochi, on U Street NW, plans to open a second location in Adams Morgan on 18th Street, NW. It will include outdoor seating (that I can see from my window). The plan is to offer a wider range of sweets from chef-owner Teresa Padilla, a trained pastry chef. The timing is perfect for an heladería, or ice cream parlor, and a market offering fresh tortillas, salsas, and Mexican ingredients.

Silver Diner will open in DC next to Nationals Park at Half and N Streets, SE by Q2 2022. Plans include an outdoor terrace and an upstairs Bar Silver, offering drinks and small plates. Silver Diner, the company, operates Silver — its upscale version of Silver Diner -- in DC’s Cathedral Heights neighborhood in NW.

Linda Roth is Founder & CEO of Linda Roth Associates (LRA), a DC-based public relations & marketing firm that specializes in the foodservice and hospitality industries. Follow her at: @LindaRothPR #LindaRothPR or www.lindarothpr.com