FYIDC
Dining
GOURMET
GEM IN
MIDDLEBURG
Chef Hump Astorga may
just have the perfect background
for opening a restaurant.
A former interior designer,
Astorga then turned to his other
love, cooking, and coupled it
with his fiery passion for a great
dinning experience and developed
Aster, a restaurant located
in Middleburg. His attention to
detail is meticulous and makes
every aspect of Aster shine, from
the food to the décor and service.
Aster’s progressive menu
has impressed many discerning
critics with its nuevo cuisine,
which includes dishes such as
seared halibut with pickled fennel,
summer squash strudel and
baked jumbo lump crab laced
with basil. Astorga designed the
quaint restaurant to evoke feelings
of comfort and anticipation,
resulting in a very inviting
atmosphere. The Aster is open
for dinner Tuesday through Sunday,
and is well worth the drive.
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Fashion
FERRAGAMO OPENS
LUXURY BOUTIQUE
Salvatore Ferragamo, the
Italian luxury designer,
opens its first store in the
Washington area in Tysons
Galleria in McLean this month
although it will continue to sell its
products through fine retailers such
as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth
Avenue. The 2,200 square foot
space will showcase both men’s and
women’s leather items, including
shoes, handbags, belts, briefcases,
signature silk ties and scarves, as
well as select ready-to-wear pieces.
Designed by New York architects
Janson Goldstein, the store’s design
reflects the new worldwide image
of Ferragamo and includes natural
walnut contrasts with high tech
corian and metal and pearlized
leather sofas and chairs. It follows the
successful inauguration in September,
2003, of the flagship store located
on Fifth Avenue in New York (which
earned Goldstein the 2003 VM+SD
Design Award).
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Music BALTIMORE
SYMPHONY’S
MAJOR FIRST
In an unprecedented move, the
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
(BSO) named Marin Alsop the twelfth
music director of the BSO. Starting
with the 2006-2007 season, Aslop
will be the first female conductor
ever to lead a full-time, full-sized
orchestra. The board approved
Aslop’s nomination with “an
overwhelming majority.” Originally
from New York, Aslop was taken
under famed Leonard Bernstein’s
wing as a young musician. At the
time, she formed her own ensemble
so she could have the opportunity to
conduct. She has worked with most
of the major orchestras in the United
States, as well as in England. Her
interests lie in more contemporary
artists, such as John Adams, though
her Brahms recordings with the
London Philharmonic have been
highly praised. Since its origins, the
BSO has earned a reputation for
world-class music and has a devoted
national following. With the opening
of the Music Center at Strathmore,
the BSO becomes the nation’s first
major orchestra with year-round
venues in two metropolitan cities.
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Culture YEARS OF OPERATIC JOY
This fall, the Washington National
Opera celebrates 50 years of
bringing great opera to the
nation’s capital. On
September 17, the
excitement of
the golden
anniversary
season begins
with a new
production
of Giuseppe’s
Verdi’s rarely
performed
treasure, “I Vespri
Siciliani.” The grand opera
of passion and revenge stars Maria
Guleghina and Franco Farina, and is
masterminded by director/designer
Paolo Miccichè with Maestro Plácido
Domingo conducting.
Beginning September 24, Domingo
will step onto the stage for six performances
to celebrate the second
important anniversary of the season— his tenth year as the Opera’s general
director. He will sing some of his most
beloved roles in a “Trilogy” of acts
from “Fedora,” “Otello” and “The
Merry Widow,” opposite
sopranos Mirella
Freni and Barbara
Frittoli, with
music director
Heinz Fricke
conducting.
On October 29,
the Opera will
treat Washington
to the company’s
very first “Porgy and
Bess.” George Gershwin’s
classic American stage work evokes
the world of Catfish Row with songs
that have become part of our musical
heritage: “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty
O’Nuttin,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” “My
Man’s Gone Now” and “Bess, You is
My Woman Now.” Renowned director
Francesco Zambello will stage the new
production. For tickets call (202) 295-
2400, or visit www.dc-opera.org |
In the news
RAMMY AWARDS
In honor of D.C.’s growing and trendy
restaurant scene, the Restaurant
Association Metropolitan Washington
presented its highly regarded
RAMMY Awards in early summer to
an audience of local restauranteurs,
chefs, managers and other interested
guests. It’s no surprise that Café Milano took home “power spot of the
year” or that CityZen at the Mandarin
Oriental was dubbed “new restaurant
of the year.” Georgetown’s Mie N Yu
was named “favorite restaurant” and
up-and-coming Café Saint-Ex was
named “neighborhood gathering
place of the year.” The black tie/blue
chic theme was chosen in honor of
Washington’s national reputation as a“cool restaurant scene.”
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