Mr. (& Mrs.) Gates Goes To Washington

"If you came for the hockey game, you need to go across the street. If you came for Shakespeare, you need to come another night." But we were at the right place, at the right time. Last night, I joined some 250 diplomats, hill staffers, administration officials and other guests at Harman Hall to hear Bill & Melinda Gates present The Living Proof Project.

The Gates went to Washington to urge lawmakers to continue spending money on global health initiatives despite the economic crisis and the soaring deficit. Describing themselves as "Impatient Optimists" they shared with us success stories of people whose lives have been changed thanks to U.S. investments in global health initiatives. They drew on history to illustrate that diseases - smallpox for example - can be eradicated and spoke of the terrific progress made in the fight against malaria. A picture speaks a thousand words and the presentation was interspersed with beautiful footage of "living proofs:" a father in Nicaragua whose child was saved by having access to the Rotavirus vaccine or an orphan in South Africa whose life was prolonged when she got access to AIDS medicine.


While they touted the success stories, they also highlighted how far we still need to go and how slow progress can be at time. Millions of lives have been saved, improved and empowered because of the investments in global health made by the U.S. and its partners around the world. But there are millions more "living proofs" yet to come and the pace of progress is often slower than it should be...

We were treated to an acapela performance by Vocal Motion 6, a PEPFAR funded Namibian group that educates it audience about HIV through music. It also ended with an appeal by Bill & Melinda gates to share these Living Proofs with others. So I am taking a quick break from D.C. food and culture to ask you to view this compelling presentation in its entirety one the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation website.

Warrior Diplomacy

D.C. is rolling out the red carpet to welcome 15 very special visitors. They are not dignitaries, though they do come from a foreign land. They are not celebrities but draw huge crowds everywhere they go. They are 15 life-sized terra cotta warriors from the thousands of statues that used to guard the tomb of China’s first emperor Qin Shi Huang.

The 1974 excavation of the terra cotta army by local farmers in the town of Xi'an was a great archeological discovery. For those unable to make the journey to China to see them, 15 warrior ambassadors have kindly been dispatched to the U.S. From November 19, 2009-March 31, 2010, they will establish residence at The National Geographic Society, their final stop in a 4-city American tour. To build on the buzz around the exhibit, a number of cultural venues, restaurants and hotels have developed China-themed events and programs. Here are my top picks:

Ten Penh
Throughout the course of the exhibit, the Pennsylvania Avenue restaurant will offer special Terra Cotta menus. In addition to Terra Cotta Pot lunch specials, the restaurant will “spice up” the exhibit by offering an Emperor’s Choice three-course prix fixe dinner focusing on a different spice prominent in Chinese cooking each week. To wash it down, the bar will also offer a special cocktail, the “Immortal,” blending ginger, green tea and a mystery liqueur.

On November 21st, from 11am-1pm, Ten Penh is also bringing in noted Chinese chef and cookbook author Susanna Foo for a cooking class where foodies and diners can learn more about Chinese cooking techniques and ingredients. The costumed mascot of the exhibition, ‘The Warrior,” will be present at the cooking class in November for photo opportunities (and to protect all diners.)

Mie N Yu
Mie N Yu will be offering a $49 four-course Terra Cotta tasting menu featuring regional Chinese flavors. Guests who purchase the menu will receive a gift certificate that can be redeemed for a ticket to the National Geographic Museum’s Terra Cotta Warriors exhibition.

Willard InterContinental Washington
The hotel’s famous Peacock Alley is adding a Chinese twist to its traditional afternoon tea experience. Tea-goers are treated to a multi-sensual experience inspired by Chinoiserie. Guests can sample European and Chinese flavors, incorporated into items such as ginger, Mandarin mousse and green tea meringues, along with traditional tea offerings like Lapsang Souchong, organic Dragonwell and Thousand Days Red Jasmine. Tea service will be accompanied by music from Guzheng master Alice Kan. $39, $49 with glass of champagne. Nov. 14-Dec. 3: service daily at 1 PM; Jan. 2-Feb. 14: Fri.-Sun. at 2:30 PM.

The Ritz-Carlton Washington, DC Lobby Bar
The Lobby Bar honours the Terra Cotta Warriors’ arrival by serving up Chinese rolls with prawns, ginger, mint and sweet soy; glazed duck satay skewers with hot chili sauce and the “Ancient Warrior” cocktail, a refreshing blend of Domain Canton ginger liquor, firefly raspberry tea vodka, Chambord and Sprite. Available Oct.-Dec., Tues.-Fri. 5-10 PM, Sat. 11 AM-11 PM, Sun. 11AM-5 PM.

Asia Nine is jumping into the Terra Cotta Warrior action with a just announced special Chinese Feast. On December 2nd, Chef Boonrod Yotmanee will treat guests at the Chinatown eatery to a $50-three course meal that kicks off with a 210 BC cocktail and wraps up with a The Sweet Warrior Lotus paste bun. Reservations must be made by Nov. 29th at 202.629.4355.

The Folger Shakespeare Library
Visitors can get another taste of China at the The Folger Shakespeare Library, which will explore how trade and travel have shaped knowledge of Asia in a special exhibition: Imagining China-The View from Europe, 1550-1700. On view Sept. 17, 2009- Jan. 2, 2010, this exhibition displays the first book written in Chinese by a European, Matteo Ricci, founder of the Jesuit China mission, and other fascinating treasures.

The Freer & Sackler Galleries
Special tours of Chinese artifacts will be offered at these two Smithsonian Institutions focusing on Asian arts and culture.

Imagination Stage
Finally for the little ones, Imagination Stage in Bethesda is putting to life the story of Mulan, a young girl in traditional China who takes the place of her father when he is called up to fight against the Huns. Based on the 1998 Disney film Mulan and the story “Fa Mulan” by Robert D. San Souci, performances will run from November 24, 2009 to January 10, 2010.

Save the Date: Empty Bowls

While we ponder which new restaurant to try out this weekend (Masa 14? Taylor Gourmet...?), it’s easy to forget that not everyone in D.C. gets enough to eat every day. To shed light on the issue of hunger and remind us that there are some 600,000 empty bowls in the National Capital Region, the Capital Area Food Bank is hosting their 2nd annual Empty Bowls lunch.

The concept of Empty Bowl is simple and should satisfy any foodie looking to lunch for a good cause. This Wednesday, October 21, anytime between 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM, you just need to show up at DLA Piper (500 8th Street, NW) with $25 in hand. In exchange, you will receive a handcrafted bowl created by local artists filled with soup donated by local restaurants. The participating chefs and restaurants are Breadline, Panera Bread, the Capital Area Food Bank’s resident chef, Food and Friends, Café Atlantico, Clyde’s of Gallery Place and PS’7s among others. The bowls were generously donated by Jodi Walsh and House of Artistry; artists affiliated with the Torpedo Factory; Capitol Hill Art Workshop; and artist Maija Hay.

According to the Capital Area Food Bank, calls to its food bank’s Hunger Lifeline, an emergency referral system, increased 91 percent last year. So do something good for you and for others. Help Capital Area Food Bank know how many people to expect, by rsvping to richardsonj@capitalareafoodbank.org. Guests keep their bowls as a reminder that there are always empty bowls in our community that need to be filled. All proceeds from the sale of the art bowls go directly to the CAFB, the largest public, nonprofit food and nutrition education resource in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area.

French Can Can (of Red Bull)

Think of The Art of The Can as kind of a Project Runway challenge; instead of aspiring designers we have artists, some established and some amateurs. Their task: Create a work of art instead of an outfit using one difficult material - Red Bull cans! Some of the artists may have thought they were on Project Runway and created wearable gowns that could easily have been judged by Heidi Klum walking down a runway. Others were more of what you would expect to see in D.C.: a couple of portraits of Obama of course and "Common Ground", the elephant and donkey sculpture which was used to promote the exhibit.

The Art of The Can competition challenged artists to create pieces with or inspired by cans of Red Bull Energy Drink, Red Bull Sugar Free and Red Bull Cola. Six judges chose 56 pieces from the 300 aluminum entries submitted to be featured in the D.C. exhibit, which will run at Union Station from October 8th to 19th, 2009. The artists are creative types of all ages and occupations -- from students to industrial designers and sales professionals to sculptors.


Kathryn Beale, a sculptor from Texas, won the top prize of the competition for her very D.C. appropriate work "Common Ground." She took home bragging rights and all expenses paid trip to Art Basel, the world's leading modern art exhibit in Basel, Switzerland. Auf Wiedersehen and bon voyage Ms. Beale!

Windows into D.C.

If you've walked by the Walter E. Reed Convention Center recently you may have noticed that the previously empty retail windows and display spaces have suddenly turned into works of art. A little known fact about the Convention Center is that, with its 120 piece permanent art collection, the Washington Convention Center Authority holds the largest public art collection in Washington, D.C. Now a new exhibit called "Windows Into D.C." is giving local D.C. and Shaw artists a public canvas to depict their creative visions of the nation's capital and their neighbourhoods.

Windows into D.C. is a first-of-its-kind exhibit, sponsored by the Washington Convention Center Authority and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. With many of the storefront spaces around the Convention Center left unoccupied for years now, the area can feel a little desolate at time. The exhibit brings some much needed colour and vibrancy to the area while providing great exposure to local artists. The exhibit planners hope other buildings and property owners nearby will follow their lead and liven up their windows with art. "Windows Into D.C." will be open through March 2010.



The participating artists are Beth Baldwin, Jason Clark, Tim Conlon, Liani Foster, Amber Robles-Gordon, Eve Hennessa, Michael Dax Iacovone, Anne Marchand, Cory Oberndorfer, Michael Platt & Carol A. Beane, Kelly Towles, Aneikan Udofia, Colin Winterbottom and The New Community for Children, an afterschool program for 3rd and 4th grade students.