White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of one of the most powerful clubs in America.

New York Times Names Cafe Milano Among Top Restaurants for DC Power Dining

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Clint Hill, Franco, Nuschese, Marcello Muzzatti and Daniel DeSimone at Cafe Milano, Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

Clint Hill, Franco, Nuschese, Marcello Muzzatti and Daniel DeSimone at Cafe Milano, Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

A New York Times story out Wednesday, October 19th named Franco Nuschese’s Cafe Milano among the top restaurants for power dining. According to the Times’ Shivani Vora, “with the presidential election just weeks away, the scene has been heating up throughout town.”

Cafe Milano has hosted numerous celebrities and politicos. Frequenters include President Obama and First Lady Michelle. Vice President Joe Biden celebrated his granddaughter Finnegan’s 18th birthday there.

Also on the list of top power dining include Georgetown’s Fiola Mare, 14th Street institution Le Diplomate, Centrolina, and NoMa newcomer Masseria.

For more on the DC power dining scene, check out Vora’s article here.

Franco Nuschese Hosts World’s Leading Virus Doctors

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Cafe Milano hosts Global Virus Network Annual Dinner

Cafe Milano hosts Global Virus Network Annual Dinner December 10, 2014

While Washington’s 1%ers enjoyed Cafe Milano’s legendary Branzino and Wagyu beef on the main floor, upstairs in a private room top doctors and health care professionals from around the world celebrated Time Magazine’s Man Of The Year Award that went to their colleagues and friends fighting Ebola.

The Annual Dinner of the Global Virus Network brings together the virologists who work with countries to create and execute protocols to protect and prepare the world’s populations from viruses that quickly spread. As alway, Dr. Robert Gallo and Dr. Billy Hall, GVN co-founders, updated the crowd on progress. Other GVN guests included Dr. Sharon Hrynkow, President of GVN; Tim Moynahan, Chairman of the Board of Directors; and Dr. Erica Saphire, Co-Director of the GVN Center of Excellence at The Scripps Research Institute and one of the leading researchers on Ebola in the United States.

Mathew Evins, a member of the Board of Directors, moderated questions from audience that included Gina Adams, Corporate Vice President Government Affairs, Fedex, and member of the Board of Directors of GVN, the Washington Post’sRoxanne Roberts and FishbowlDC’s new editor Damon Marx.

Kennedy Secret Service Agent, Clint Hill, Relives Nov. 22, 1963 at Cafe Milano

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Clint Hill at Cafe Milano

Franco Nuschese hosted one of the most memorable people in modern history at his Georgetown restaurant, Cafe Milano, on Sunday, November 24, 2013. Clint Hill is the Secret Service agent, assigned to Jacquie Kennedy, who jumped on the back of President Kennedy’s car when he was shot in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963. Franco Nuschese introduced Mr. Hill and co-author Lisa McCubbin, to talk about the 50th Anniversary of the assassination of President John Kennedy and their new book, Five Days in November. He told the story to the rapt crowd that included White House aides Jeremy Bernard, Ellie Schafer, and the State department’s Evan Ryan. Media stars Jim Lehrer, Wolf Blitzer, Polson Kanneth, Jonathan Capehart and Ruth Marcus lined up to shake the hand of the man who tried in vain to save President Kennedy’s life. The Vice President’s son, Hunter Biden, former congresswoman Ellen Tauscher, former protocol chiefs Ambassador Lloyd Hand and Lucky Roosevelt, and Diane Jones watched the video of the iconic photos as Mr. Hill described each second.

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The crowd was meserized by his personal heartfelt recitation of that day and the days after. Agent Hill was assigned to protect Mrs. Kennedy and he demonstrated some of the same grace that she showed the world on that terrible day.

He told the story of how Mrs. Kennedy had asked the secret service agents to teach John John how to salute and how he would not use his right hand. Before the funeral a Marine colonel was asked to help entertain the young boy and he taught him to salute with his right hand a his father’s funeral, a moment no one can ever forget. The president and first lady promised John John that he would have a birthday day party when they returned from Dallas, so after the funeral she gathered their close family and had a party for him. Mr. Hill has not given interviews prior to this year and the pain and suffering he felt all these years was palpable to the respectful crowd.

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Photos from Cafe Milano's Inaugural Bash

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In case you were with us during Inauguration Day, Cafe Milano was still in full swing on Monday after Sunday’s Bipartisan Brunch. Hosted by
Robert Johnson (The RJL Companies), Gina Adams (FedEx) and Milano’s own Franco Nuschese. The Hill mentioned the event in their wrap-up of Inaugural activity. Georgetown Dish was there to hear Franco give a few Inaugural words to the packed room:

“Earlier today, we heard President Obama’s soaring words of inspiration. We now look hopefully for the most strident of the election rhetoric to fade and for all of our leaders of both parties to join in maximizing the greatness and opportunities of our country.”

Check out the slideshow above to see who else was at the Georgetown soiree.

Photos: The Daily Beast Bipartisan Brunch

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Over the Inaugural, The Newsweek Daily Beast Company did the impossible in D.C.: they got both the left and the right to compromise. Not at the Capitol, however, but at Café Milano in Georgetown thanks to brunch. The “Bipartisan Brunch” went toe-to-toe against a luncheon hosted Google, Elle and Center for American Progress‘”Leading Women in Washington,” featuring leading women including the top elected representatives and ABC‘s own soiree at the Top-Of-The-Hay.

Hosted by Daily Beast Editor-in-Chief Tina Brown, Presidential Inaugural Committee Co-Chair Eva Longoria, The Weinstein Company’s own Harvey Weinstein, Mark McKinnon and Pamela Thomas-Graham. Why do it?

‘It was just absolutely time that the sharks and the jet had a party,” Brown told Yeas & Nays, making her way through the packed restaurant.’

Other notables include actress Rosario Dawson, Piers Morgan,Andrea Mitchell,Kerry Washington,Gayle King and more are just behind our slideshow.

Cafe Milano Dinner for Robert Gates, U.S. Navy SEALs

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Roshi Mamdar, world renowned Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo, Alexandra de Borchgrave and Franco Nuschese

Cafe Milano’s Franco Nuschese welcomed guests to his Georgetown restaurant last night to honor former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at the Courage and Compassion Award Dinner. Fox News’ Bret Baier emceed the event which was held in support of U.S. Navy SEALs, highlighting the work of the armed forces and their families.

Nuschese called Gates “one of America’s finest patriots” and talked about the causes supported by the evening, including the Navy SEAL Foundation, the Light of Healing Hope Foundation and the Chief James E. Whitehead, Sr. (JROTC) Scholarship Foundation.

Vice Admiral Albert Calland III, USN (Ret.), Chairman of the Navy SEAL Foundation, and Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave, President of the Light of Healing Hope Foundation, were on hand to present the award to Robert Gates.  General James L. Jones, USMC (Ret.) accepted the award on Gates’ behalf, remarking that the Secretary would appreciate the compassion side of the award. “Since the end of world war II… it’s the compassion of men and women in uniform that have really contributed greatly to what this nation is today and probably will be tomorrow,” said Jones.

Keynote speaker Rear Admiral Garry J. Bonelli commented on how a great number of those enlisted today are either married or married with children, therefore creating new motivations and a “new operational imperative” which is family resiliency.  Bonelli says it’s important to do everything we can to take care of the the “other 50% of our fighting forces,” the spouses and families.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Navy SEALs, which were started by John F. Kennedy, and have since served on all major military campaigns. The SEALs’ mission is to remain unnoticed but they garnered worldwide attention this past year when SEAL Team 6 took down Osama bin Laden. Baier, who has covered both the Pentagon and the White House, stated that the Navy SEALs “have deployed more often, and fought more close fights, celebrated successes and mounted more losses than any other military unit that has seen combat action since the events of 9-11.”

A trailer of the new movie Act of Valor, which has characters portrayed by active duty Navy SEALs, was played for the crowd. Baier called the movie “very powerful…you see in there that each segment meets the actual Navy SEAL effort, the unconditional courageous compassionate dedication to duty not only for them, but their families.”

The night was topped off with a musical performance by world renown Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo, giving his first-ever performance of the Star Spangled Banner.  

Check out photos from the night here here:

Italy’s President Honors Café Milano’s Franco Nuschese

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Franco Nuschese with Arianna Huffington at her Washington, DC book party October 2010
Franco Nuschese with Arianna Huffington at her Washington, DC book party October 2010

The owner of Café Milano and president of Georgetown Entertainment Group has a new award to add to a long list he’s received, including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

Franco Nuschese was born in Minori, Italy on the Amalfi Coast and has spent more than 20 years building a successful business and working to improve the lives of people across the globe. Now, Nuschese can be called “Commendatore dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana,” the third of six ranks in the organization which is comparable to Britain’s Order of the British Empire.

“Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic” is a prestigious honor conferred by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano for promoting a positive image of Italians around the world. Past honorees include designer Giorgio Armani, race car legend Mario Andretti, tennis star Francesca Schiavone, and astronaut Dr. Umberto Guidoni. Nuschese was presented with his new title December 13th at a dinner hosted by the Italian Ambassador to the United States, Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata, at Villa Firenze, the Italian residence in Washington, D.C.

Guests included Nuschese’s son Gianfranco, a Georgetown University student; Supreme Court Justice and Mrs. Antonin Scalia; General and Mrs. Jim Jones; Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge; UAE Ambassador and Mrs. Yousef Al Otaiba; BET co-founder Bob Johnson; and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“I am grateful and humbled by this honor,” said Nushcese. “I will accept it as a tribute to my father, Giuseppe, who several weeks ago died in Italy after a long and wonderful life.”

When Nuschese opened Café Milano in 1992, it quickly became the place to spot politicos and celebrities alike. In 2008, Nuschese was so moved by being chosen to host a luncheon for the pope during his visit to Washington, D.C., he wrote about it for The Washington Post. The event for His Holiness Benedetto XVI happened to coincide on the pope’s 81st birthday and Nuschese left no detail unattended. President Bill Clinton was such a favorite regular at Café Milano, that Nuschese and legendary producer Quincy Jones were chosen to speak when Clinton was honored in May with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Service at the Sons of Italy Foundation’s 2010 NELA Gala.

Much like the former president, Nuschese has devoted himself to public service. He is the director of international relations for the Robert C. Gallo Foundation for AIDS and Virus Research, and is a member of the boards of the University of Maryland’s Institute of Human Virology, the Afghanistan World Foundation, the foundation for Georgetown University Hospital, the Washington National Opera, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

Congratulazioni, Commendatore Nuschese!

TYO hosts "A Night for Tomorrow's Youth" at Cafe Milano

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The day after Julia Roberts dined at Cafe Milano, its front facade was covered with the emblem of Tomorrow’s Youth Organization (TYO).  Terry McAuliffe and Hanri Masri greeted guests and shared their mission of TYO that works in disadvantaged areas of the Middle East, enabling children, youth and parents.  Steve Clemons of the New America Foundation, Christine Delargy of CBS and Fishbowl DC’s Matt Dornic were all in attendance.

Guests sampled calamari, buffalo ravioli and mushroom risotto while a DJ played music to the chic crowd.  Surprise guest was Representative Jim Moran.

McAuliffe introduced this powerful video about some of the problems faced in the Middle East and the hope that TYO has brought to the community.

Grove Attacks WH Press Corps: The View from Michael’s

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Former Washingtonian and Washington Post reporter Lloyd Grove has picked up the attack against White House correspondents launched by Ana Marie Cox last year.  Ana Marie, did you spend anytime with Lloyd at Michael’s when you visited your new GQ editors in NYC? Grove’s Daily Beast blog recently harrumphed against the hardworking, hard tweeting members of the most exclusive club in Washington journalism – the ones who report to work at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

While I enjoy Michael’s like the next media maven, what’s so wrong with covering the leader of the free world 30 feet from his office and home? Grove’s complaint about Robert Gibbs tweeting reminds of when we began putting Ross Perot and President Bush and a former governor by the name of Bill Clinton on Larry King Live in 1992.  Our newsroom colleagues lamented the end of journalism, but social media didn’t just start on the Internet; interactivity has always been an important part of journalism.

Ask Dan Pfeiffer, the president’s communications director, how much his press shop likes responding to the five reporters who call with follows on each White House reporters’ tweet.  Take a quick look at the stories and interviews done by NBC’s Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie as well as ABC’s Jake Tapper; you want them to pull back and tweet from Café Milano?

Tell WHC Insider what you think after reading Lloyd Grove’s column.