White House Correspondents Insider

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

Washington Media Women Toast Tina Brown

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Time Warner’s Carol Melton and Gail MacKinnon from the Motion Picture Association lead a toast to Superstar editor and author Tina Brown at The Jefferson Hotel in Washington DC. Photo courtesy Haddad Media

Journalist, entrepreneur and author Tina Brown delighted the crowd gathered at the Jefferson Hotel in Washington Tuesday evening, dishing about her experiences as a magazine editor-in-chief, highlighted in her newest book, The Vanity Fair Diaries.

Connie Milstein, Carol Melton, Andrea Mitchell, Hilary Rosen, Gail MacKinnon, Rachel Pearson and Kathy O’Hearn hosted the book party. The biggest applause of the evening came during the Q&A session led by Tammy Haddad, where she was asked her working around men accused of sexually harassing women, including Harvey Weinstein.

“The answer to creepy men is to kind of be the boss, right?… [T]he more women in power, the more women who are leading, the more women on that team, the less of these creepy, stalking harassers you’re going to encounter… I’ve been hassled in other ways, in terms of feeling like so many women feel: cut out of the action that I wanted to be in or underestimated or demeaned or whatever. I’ve had a lot of that in my career,” Brown responded.

Guests included Chris and Lorraine Wallace, former House member Jane Harman, Mac McLarty, Kevin Baron, Megan Smith, Craig Gordon, John Coale, Martha Slagle, Peter Baca, Lloyd Hand, John Phillips, Linda Douglass, Robin Sproul, and Jordanian Ambassador Dina Kawar.

“You’ll all be in my next ‘Diaries,’” she toasted party attendees near the end of the evening. “So watch out!”

You can read more about Tina’s book and the event in the Washington Post’s write-up of the celebration here.

Brown’s newest book, The Vanity Fair Diaries, was named one of the best books of 2017 by Time, Amazon and The Guardian.  It is available in print, Kindle or audiobook on Amazon.

Production for Final Season of “Veep” Postponed, Accommodating Louis-Dreyfus’ Cancer Treatment

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Chris Godsick, MPAA Chairman Chris Dodd, Senator AL Franken, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Richard Plepler and Frank Rich. Photo courtesy Haddad Media

Production for the final season of HBO’s smash comedy Veep has been postponed, as six-time Emmy Award winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus undergoes treatment for breast cancer.

“Julia is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and we’re obviously postponing production of the show — we were supposed to have started now – while she’s in treatment,” executive producer Frank Rich said on SiriusXM’s Press Pool. “But the expectation is that we will shoot again. We have one more season we’re doing, which we’re incredibly excited about. Rather impressively, while we wait for her to gather her full strength, around her treatment, we’ve been having with the cast in Los Angeles, table reads of scripts for the final season as they’re ready.”

Louis-Dreyfus announced in September – just one day after tying the record of legendary actress Cloris Leachman for most Emmys won by a performer – she had breast cancer.

“1 in 8 women get breast cancer. Today, I’m the one,” Louis-Dreyfus told fans in an Instagram post. “The good news is that I have the most glorious group of supportive and caring friends, and fantastic insurance through my union.”

Rich said that he had just seen Louis-Dreyfus on set 10 days before, as he “watched her just be hilarious playing Selina Meyer. With the cast all around her playing the assorted group of idiots that Selina has to deal with on a weekly basis on the show. So she’s got a great support system. She’s a very strong person and we can’t wait to welcome her back at full speed.”

Cafe Milano’s 25th Anniversary Bash

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Photo courtesy Haddad Media

Cafe Milano, the legendary DC restaurant famous for being the haunt of politicians, dignitaries, celebrities, and the media elite, celebrated 25 years in the spotlight Friday evening with a fantastic fete.

Maureen Dowd and Michael Jordan. Photo courtesy Ryan Williams

Scores of politicians, dignitaries and celebrities joined in the celebrations at Café Milano, with the massive gathering shutting down an entire block of Georgetown.

Well-wishers and guests throughout the evening include Maureen Dowd, Michael Jordan, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Louise Linton, Maureen Scalia, Wolf and Lynn Blitzer, Sally Quinn, Mark and Sally Ein, Bob Johnson, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Susan Rice, Betsy Fischer Martin and Jonathan Martin, Buffy Cafritz, Heather Lauer, Vernon Jordan and Kathleen Biden, Ret. Gen. Jim Jones, Raul Fernandez, Hilary Rosen, Kelley McCormick, Tammy Haddad, Jack Evans, Coach Kathy Kemper, Carl Hulse, Anne Brady Perron, Rick Powell, Robyn Bash, Bret and Amy Baier, Steve Clemons, Patrick Steel, Fred Ryan, Kevin Cirilli, Ryan Williams, Howard Fineman, Teresa Davis, Greta Van Susteren and John Coale, Amb. Yousef Al Otaiba, Lyndon Boozer, Dr. Tony Fauci, Tim and Anita McBride, Connie Milstein, Melissa Sowerwine, and Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

Friends of Cafe Milano suprirsed Nuschese with a 13-minute tribute video, including cameos by Hillary Clinton, Greta Van Susteren, Bob Woodward, Ellen Tauscher, Tucker Carlson, Bret Baier, Newt, Sally Quinn, Charlie Rose, Terry McAuliffe, Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush, Norah O’Donnell, Dave Chappelle, and Bo Derek.

We are extremely honored to join countless Washington diners and visitors from around the globe in congratulating Café Milano on 25 years of food, friendship, and comfort.  Our heartfelt wishes for many, many more!

#CafeMilano25

UPDATE:  Please check the event coverage from the Washington Post’s Roxanne Roberts!

 

Throwback Thursday: Café Milano Celebrates 25 Years as DC Institution

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Photo courtesy Cafe Milano

Washington’s landmark eatery Café Milano is celebrating 25 years as an oasis for politicians, dignitaries, celebrities and the media.

Franco Nuschese first opened his doors welcoming Washington to dine at Café Milano on November 3, 1992 — the same day Bill Clinton was first elected President of the United States. Since that time, both Bill and Hillary Clinton have regularly visited the landmark restaurant, even hosting the former Secretary of State’s 70th birthday earlier this year.

Café Milano serves over 3,750 authentic Italian meals every month, going through 50 pounds of tomatoes and 40 pounds of pasta every single day.

Their fabulous dishes are pure delights using fresh, authentic ingredients largely hand-crafted and flown in multiple times a week from local producers in Italy. The restaurant’s tomatoes are hand-bottled in glass jars in a small farm located in the Campania region, while their olive oil is produced in Tuscany with antique cold-press techniques. The delicate burrata cheese is imported twice weekly from Puglia, where the butter-like delight was born. Even the restaurant’s fantastic wines are brought in directly from Italy, crafted in both the southern Campania and central Toscana regions.

Restaurant owner Franco Nuschese shows incredible pride in his food, focusing on fresh and simple dishes that create smells and tastes similar to those from his home on the Amalfi Coast. One of Nuschese’s favorite meals is a simple pasta al Pomodoro, a pasta with tomatoes, olive oil and fresh basil.

Photo courtesy Cafe Milano

Scores of politicians, dignitaries and celebrities have dined at Café Milano over the past quarter century, including Michael Jordan, Alex Ovechkin, Yogi Berra, Danny DeVito, Sophia Loren, Quincy Jones, Catherine Zeta Jones, Bradley Cooper, Jon Voight, Eva Longoria, Morgan Freeman, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Renee Zellweger, John Kerry, Leonardo DiCaprio, Chris Matthews, Nancy Pelosi, Colin Powell, Valerie Jarrett, Newt Gingrich, Vice President Joe and Dr. Jill Biden, and Wolf Blitzer.

The restaurant also has served its delicious cuisine to the enjoyment of two popes – Benedict XVI when visiting the Washington, and Francis at the Vatican.

We are extremely honored and proud to join countless Washington diners and visitors from around the globe in congratulating Café Milano on 25 years of food, friendship, and comfort. Our heartfelt wishes the upcoming quarter century are as fantastic and memorable as the past.

Friends of Franco Nuschese put together a surprise tribute video to celebrate 25 Years of Cafe Milano!

Connie Milstein and Mark Dybul Welcome the Bush Twins Back to Washington

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Tammy Haddad, Jenna Bush, Connie Milstein, Barbara Bush, Mark Dybul. Photo courtesy Haddad Media

It was only one week ago that the posh Jefferson Hotel restaurant Plume was celebrating winning another Michelin star.  But Thursday night Connie Milstein, the hotel’s owner along with Dr. Mary Dybul, Anita McBride and Tammy Haddad welcomed Bush twins Jenna and Barbara back to DC to celebrate the publication of their new book, “Sisters First,” which already landed on the New York Times bestseller list.

Spotted: Josh Bolton, Ambassador Kim Darroch, Tim McBride, Bob Woodward, Elena Allbritton, Greta Van Susteren and John Coale, Bret and Amy Baier, Fred Ryan and daughter Genevieve, Jason Claire, Kasie Hunt, Howard Fineman, David Lane, Ambassador Pete Selfridge, Steve Clemons, Shailagh Murray, Evan Ryan, Stephanie Cutter, Jonathan Capehart, Juleanna Glover, Craig Gordon, Francesca Craig, Mark Ein, Tom Forrest, Ryan Williams, Laura Zelt, Samia Farouki, Sara Bonjean, Rachel Pearson, Matt Mowers, Matt Dornic, Dan Meyers, Robin Goldman, Heather Lauer, Kevin Cirilli, Lauren Pratapas and Susan Blumenthal.

Read more about this event in the Washington Post by clicking here.

Barbara Bush, Jenna Bush, Tammy Haddad. Photo courtesy Haddad Media

EASTON ART ACADEMY CRAFT SHOW

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Photo courtesy Easton Academy Art Museum Craft Show.

Fine artists from around the country are gathering this weekend on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay for the Easton Academy Art Museum Craft Show. Holly Fine, former 60 Minutes producer and award-winning documentarian, put the show together again, to raise awareness and money for this legendary art museum.

Click below to watch the video!