Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ May 15-21, 2008 ❖ 1E

Outdoors Page, 3

Jazzy DayEnjoy the 31st annual Memorial

Day Jazz Festival.

Gazette PacketAlexandriaAlexandria

Arts ❖ Entertainment ❖ LeisureArts ❖ Entertainment ❖ Leisure

Local EateriesFood & Drink, Page 2

Art in the AreaCalendar, Page 4

Toast of TimeOutdoors, Page 2

Jazzy DayEnjoy the 31st annual Memorial

Day Jazz Festival.Outdoors, Page 3

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2E ❖ Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ May 15-21, 2008

Food & Drink

Staff

Editor: Rebecca HalikPhoto Editor: Louise Krafft

Film: Matthew RazakStaff Writers: Michael Lee Pope,

Chuck Hagee, Brad Hathaway, Mary AnneWeber.

Photo by Louise Krafft/

Gazette Packet

ON THE COVER: Juanita Will-iams performed onstage withthe Fred Hughes Trio at lastyears Memorial Day JazzFestival.

By Chuck Hagee

Gazette

Campagna Center’s 38th annual“Toast to Alexandria,” gourmetfood and wine tasting event will

be held Sunday, May 18, from 4 p.m. to 7p.m. at Collingwood-on-the-Potomac, 8301East Boulevard Drive, Mount Vernon Dis-trict.

A wide array of area eateries, vineyardsand brewerieswill be repre-sented offeringtheir specialties.Some of thoseparticipating in-clude: Ben &Jerry’s IceCream, Bitter-s w e e t ,Chadwicks, DelMerei Grille,Dishes of India,Hard Times Cafe,M u r p h y ’ s ,Overwood, Res-taurant Eve,Bombay CurryCompany, Buzz,C a l a b a s h ,R u s t i c o ,Southside 815, Indigo Landing, TastefulAffairs, Majestic Cafe and Stardust.

Entertainment will be provided by Wil

Gourmet For A Good Cause

Gravatt. Proceeds from the event,one of the Center’s primaryfundraisers, co-chaired this yearby Nicole Palya and Brandi Gra-ham Pensoneau, benefit the vari-ous programs of the CampagnaCenter.

Various ticket options, whichcan be purchased by visitingwww.campagnacen te r. o rg/en/84/default.aspx or calling 703-549-0111, are

Rick Taylor serves up chili from Hard Times, while on the leftClay Sumner wears a hat made in St. Lucia.

available:* Patron $85 each includes parking on the

grounds and a Patron bag* General Admission $55 per person in

advance or $65 at the doorRaffle tickets are available at $10 each or

3 for $25. Parking and a complimentaryshuttle is provided at Aldersgate UnitedMethodist Church, 1301 Fort Hunt Road,located at the corner of Collingwood andFort Hunt roads.

What’s In A Name?By Julia O’Donoghue

The Gazette

Naming their business is one ofthe most important decisionsa restaurant owner makes.When picking a name, many

take into consideration where it would fallin the phone book and whether customerscan remember it easily.

For several, the decision is also more in-timate, according to Ishi Patterson, the Res-taurant Association of MetropolitanWashington’s member services director.

“A lot of people name restaurants person-ally after either themselves or family mem-bers,” she said.

Here is what some local business leadershad to say about the names of their ownAlexandria restaurants:

Bookbinder’s, 109 S.Saint Asaph St.

Bookbinder’s has nothing to do with bind-ing manuscripts. According to managerDonny Whitcomb, the Old Town restaurant

See Restaurants, Page 6

Alexandria restaurateurs explain the names of their eateries.is named after the original location in Phila-delphia, which was opened by Samuel andSarah Bookbinder in 1865 to feedwatermen.

“It has become a Philadelphia traditionand we are carrying on that name,” saidWhitcomb.

He added that he was unsure if the Book-binders’ ancestry were ever involved inmaking books themselves.

“Many people do mistake us for some sortof bookstore. We get phone calls with allsort of questions aboutwhat types of books wesell or bind,” he said.

CedarKnoll Inn,9030 LuciaLane

When Beatrice Floresbought the Cedar KnollInn 14 years ago, it already had its name.Flores said she is not quite sure why thename was chosen when the restaurant

opened in 1935 but she does know that thename has stayed with the restaurantthrough several owners.

“I don’t have a lot of research but theysay it was because they had cedar treesaround it. There are still a couple of cedartrees but they are old. There are not a lot oftrees like their used to be,” she said.

Eamonn’s DublinChipper (728 King

St.), RestaurantEve (110 S. PittSt.)

When Meshelle and CathalArmstrong were trying to come upwith a name for their upscale finedining restaurant four years ago,their three-year old daughter Evesuggested they name the restaurantafter her.

Around Town

Historic ToursOn Sunday May 18 from 2-4 p.m., en-

joy this twice-a-year opportunity to visitHistoric Huntley, 6918 Harrison Lane, aFederal-style unrestored villa built in1825 for Thomson Francis Mason, agrandson of George Mason. Children ofall ages will enjoy the puppet show fea-turing Thomson Francis Mason andsome of his family. Free Admission. Rainor shine. Light refreshments. 703-768-2525.

School ArtThe second annual T.C. Williams High

School Student National Art Honor So-ciety Member Exhibit will be on displaythrough May 18 at the Del Ray ArtisansGallery at the Nicholas Colasanto Cen-ter, 2704 Mount Vernon Ave. For moreinformation, contact the T.C. WilliamsArt Department at 703-575-3411.

Bike To Work The City of Alexandria annually rec-

ognizes national Bike to Work Day. TheCity of Alexandria’s pit stop will takeplace from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at Mar-ket Square (301 King St.).

For more information and to registerfor Bike to Work Day, visitwww.alexandriava.gov/localmotion orcall the City’s Department of Transpor-tation and Environmental Services at703-519-3400.

Book EventsThere are a variety of book events hap-

pening in Alexandria and Mount Vernonlibraries over the next few days. Of noteare:

* Monday, May 19: Mystery Group.7 p.m. at Martha Washington Library,6614 Fort Hunt Road. Adults discuss“Edge of Midnight” by Charlene Weir.Free. 703-768-6700.

*Monday, May 19: Book Discus-sion. 7 p.m. at Duncan Library, 2501Commonwealth Ave. Discuss “TheZookeeper’s Wife” by Diane Ackerman.Free. 703-838-4566.

*Tuesday, May 20: Mother-Daugh-ter Book Discussion. 7 p.m. at JohnMarshall Library, 6209 Rose Hill Drive.Enjoy a lively book discussion on“Janitor’s Boy” by Andrew Clements. Callfor title. Ages 9-11. Free. 703-971-0010.

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Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ May 15-21, 2008 ❖ 3E

Music Festivals

By Michael Lee Pope

Gazette Packet

The lush outdoor amphitheaterat Fort Ward Park will featurea wide array of jazz musiciansnext weekend for the 31st an-

nual Memorial Day Jazz Festival, everythingfrom big band and swing to world and con-temporary styles. The annual festival is oneof the city’s longest running and most popu-lar, with a hostof food vendorsand children’sactivities. Theconcert is from1 p.m. to 7 p.m.,but organizerssay those whowant a front-row seat shouldshow up aboutan hour early.

“People start ambling into the parkaround noon to find a good spot,” saidSheryl Lawrence, special events supervisorwith the city government. “It’s a really nice

All That Jazz Bring a picnic basket to Fort Ward Park onMemorial Day for an afternoon delight.

and relaxing afternoon in the park.”The Difficult Run Jazz Bank will kick off

the show, supplying a up-tempo assortmentof big band and swing favorites. Next onthe list is the Larry Brown Quintet, one ofthe most popular straight-ahead jazz quin-tets in the Washington region. They’ll befollowed by the Sandra Johnson Quintet,and the festival will conclude with the AlWilliams Quartet.

“The band shell at Fort Ward Park createsa very nice setting fora jazz festival, and it’sa great time of theyear,” said LarryBrown, whose quin-tet won two“Whammy” awardslast year from theWashington AreaMusic Association forbest jazz group andbest jazz recording.

“It’s free jazz! How can you top that?”Tom Grooms, radio personality with

Smooth Jazz 105.9, will host the event andprovide quick lessons about different kinds

Steve Tyrell will be performing at theBirchmere on Monday, May 19. Hedraws inspiration for his music from

music greats like Quincy Jones, FrankSinatra and R & B singers from the 60s. HisCD “Back to Bacharach” comes out on June24. For more, visit www.birchmere.com.

Introduce yourself:Hey, my name is Steve Tyrell.

How did you get your start inmusic?

I started singing in two bands when I wasa teenager in high school in Texas and mademy first recordings when I was 15 years old.

How were your musicians chosen?Being a veteran record producer most of

my life, I have been exposed and haveworked with some of the greatest musiciansof all time. I try and use this experiencewhen I’m making my albums. On my firstsix albums, I have tried to blend some ex-tremely talented young musicians withmusic legends like Clark Terry, Plas Johnson,Toots Thielmans, Quincy Jones, Dr. John,Sweets Edison, Chris Botti, and Dave Koz.

How long have you been perform-ing?

As I said earlier, I started singing in myfirst bands when I was 15 years old.

What is it that you love aboutperforming?

I feel it’s a privilege to be able to playyour music live for people, and that inter-action between me and the audience (whichchanges every night from one show to theother) is my favorite thing about playinglive. I also love the idea that, in a lot ofcases, I am bringing the Great AmericanSongbook to young audiences that mayhave never experienced this music before.

What is your best memory when itcomes to music?

There have been a few: Producing andworking in the studio with Ray Charles,singing at the Hollywood Bowl with QuincyJones the night Frank Sinatra was inductedinto the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame, andplaying last Monday night with the NewYork Pops Orchestra at Carnegie Hall at therequest to the Steinbrenner family in a trib-ute to my favorite team— the New YorkYankees.

Where is your favorite place toplay, either publicly or personally?

Wherever I’m playing that particular

night.

Best compliment about a per-formance?

Nancy Sinatra waving her arms at theHollywood Bowl telling me that myversion of her Father’s classic song “FlyMe To The Moon” that I had just sungwas great.

What is your favoritepiece of music and why?

Almost any Ray Charlessong.

Who would you love toplay with? Why?

I would love one day tohave a concert with AliciaKeys. Her music is fresh andsoulful, but yet she is rootedin the tradition of the GreatAmerican Music of the past.I loved the way she openedthe Grammy’s this year withthe Frank Sinatra Song. Thatshows what I am talking about. I alsolove Amy Winehouse, Diana Krall, andTony Bennett.

Describe your sound:Most everything I do has some blues in-

fluence whether it be pop music, R&B, orCountry. So I would say my sound is rootedin the blues.

Biggest musical influences:

Ray Charles, and Frank Sinatra,plus the great R&*B singers of theearly 60’s: Ben E. King, ChuckJackson, Jerry Butler SamCooke, and Otis Redding.

Where have youtoured?

I have touredvirtually allover theworld, andnext month Iam going backto Asia and Ja-pan for thesecond time.

Anythingspecialabout theupcomingshow at theBirchmere?

I will be pre-miering songsfrom my latestalbum “BackTo Bacharach”

which I am ex- tremely proudof as I was a part of the creation of thatmusic in the first place. Burt Bacharach, HalDavid, and Dionne Warwick were my men-tors in pop music.

— Rebecca Halik

Tyrell Channels Music GreatsSteve Tyrell has performed at many differenthot spots in the country and is bringing hismusic to Alexandria.

A Jazzy AfternoonThe 31st Annual Memorial Day Jazz Fes-

tival will be on from 1 to 7 p.m. on May 26at Fort Ward Park at 4301 W. BraddockRoad. For more information about the fes-tival, call the city’s special events hotline at703-883-4686.

of jazz and the history of the distinctlyAmerican art form.

Parking will be available on both sides ofWest Braddock Road, and additional park-ing will be available at the Minnie HowardSchool, located at 3801 West Braddock

Road. In case of inclement weather, the fes-tival will be relocated to the Lee Center’sKauffman Auditorium, at 1108 Jefferson St.For more information on Alexandria’s an-nual Memorial Day Jazz Festival, call thespecial events hotline at 703-883-4686.

Clown entertains at last year’sfestival.

File Photo

4E ❖ Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ May 15-21, 2008 Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ May 15-21, 2008 ❖ 5E

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Everysurvivalkitshouldincludea senseofhumor.

Children up to age 5 can bring a lunchand listen to stories. Free. 703-971-0010.

B is for Books. 10:15 a.m. at SherwoodRegional Library, 2501 Sherwood HallLane. Children ages 2-5 can enjoystories and activities to celebrateChildren’s Book Week. Free. 703-765-3645.

Music Performance. 12:15 p.m. atMarket Square, 301 King St. Featuresstudents from local and visitingschools. Free. 703-883-4648.

Book Sale. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at BarrettLibrary, 717 Queen St. Browsethrough a variety of books. 703-519-6000.

Time For 2s. 10 a.m. at Beatley Library,5005 Duke St. For children ages 24-36months. Free. Registration required,703-519-5900 ext. 4.

SATURDAY/MAY 17 Pancake Breakfast. 7-10 a.m. at

United Methodist Church, 100 E.Windsor Ave. Enjoy an all you can eatbreakfast. $5/adult; $3/child. E-mailoffice@delrayumc.org or 703-549-2088.

Family Day. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Lee-Fendall House Museum, 614 OronocoSt. Take part in arts and crafts, toursand more. Adults are free withchildren, children ages 5-17 $2.Children under 5 free. Visitwww.LeeFendallHouse.org or 703-548-1789.

Artist Reception. 4-8 p.m. GalleryWest, 1213 King St., presents“Nature’s Journey” from May 7through June 1. The exhibit showcaseslandscapes, lotus and flowers byDarlene Kaplan. Free. Visitwww.gallery-west.com or 703-549-6006.

Hand Dance Social. 8 p.m.-1 a.m. atHoliday Inn Hotel, 625 First St.,Alexandria. Enjoy cash bar, live music,dancing and more. $20/advance; $25/door with non-perishable food beingaccepted. Visit www.ktsvacations.netor 703-772-4023 .

Paint Alexandria. The Art League willlead demonstrations and instructionalsessions for any artist from 10 a.m.-5p.m. at various events aroundtown. $40/unlimited sessions.Visit www.theartleague.org formore.

Spring Wine Festival andSunset Tour. 6-9 p.m. atMount Vernon Estate, 3200Mount Vernon MemorialHighway. $30/person. Enjoywine from 16 wineries, musicand more. Visitwww.mountvernon.org or703-780-2000.

Family Day. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. atLee-Fendall House, 614Oronoco St. Families canenjoy arts and crafts, tour, costumes,author signing and more. Adults freewhen accompanied by children. $2/child. Visit www.leefendallhouse.orgor 703-548-1789.

Del Ray House Tour. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.Tour 11 houses in the original Townof Potomac. $15/advance; $20/day.Visit www.delraycitizen.org for more.

Celebrate Asian Heritage Month.10:30 a.m. at John Marshall Library,6209 Rose Hill Drive. Families canlisten to a paper crane story and thenmake origami paper cranes. Free. 703-971-0010.

Puppetopia. 3 p.m. at MarthaWashington Library, 6614 Fort HuntRoad. All ages can enjoy tales for booklovers. Free. 703-768-6700.

Book Discussion.10:30 a.m. atSherwood RegionalLibrary, 2501Sherwood HallLane. Discuss“Breath, Eyes,Memory” byEdwidge Danticat.Free. 703-765-6700.

E-mail announcements to the Gazette,gazette@connectionnewspapers.com.Photos and artwork are encouraged.Deadline is Thursday at noon for the fol-lowing week’s paper. Call Rebecca Halikat 703-917-6407 with questions.

ONGOING Bike Ride. Every Sunday at 2 p.m. at

Cameron Run Regional Park Parkinglot, 4100 Eisenhower Ave. Come rideon the Holmes Run Greenway. Anyonecan ride, children under 18 must beaccompanied by an adult. Free. Rideeither 5.6 miles or 6.9 miles. Visithttp://bike.meetup.com/288 or callSusan Schneider, BikeWalkAlexandria, at 202-403-1148.

Visit George Washington’s Distillery& Gristmill through Oct. 31 from 10a.m.-5 p.m. See how whiskey gotstarted. $4/adult; $2/child. Getdiscounts with admission to MountVernon Estate. Visitwww.mountvernon.org for more.

Take a seasonal walking tour from 10a.m.-5 p.m. at Mount Vernon Estate.This 30-minute tour explores a varietyof contributions. Free. Visitwww.mountvernon.org for more.

Green Spring Garden, 4603 Green SpringRoad, is holding a children’sgardening program every Mondayfrom 2-4 p.m. through May 19.Children between 8-12 years old canget garden lessons, do hands-onactivities, and grow your own gardenwith help from Green Spring staff andMaster Gardeners. $70/student. Call703-642-5173 to register.

Every Tuesday and Thursday throughOctober from 5- 8 p.m. at HotelMonaco Alexandria, enjoy DoggieHappy Hour. Enjoy doggie treatsand human treats.

Join City archaeologists and trainedvolunteers for an exciting program forkids of all ages at AlexandriaArchaeology Family Dig Days. Bepart of the fascinating archaeologicalinvestigation and discover firsthandthe hidden clues left behind by thepeople who lived and worked therehundreds of years ago, by helpingscreen excavated soil. Monthly FamilyDig Days will be held from 1:30 p.m.to 3 p.m. on the grounds of the GeorgeWashington Masonic NationalMemorial, 101 Callahan Drive, inAlexandria. The 2008 dates are onSaturdays: May 31; June 14; July 12;Aug. 16; Sept. 20 and Oct. 18. $5/person and spots fill up fast. Call 703-838-4399 or visitwww.alexandriaarchaeology.org toreserve a spot.

FRIDAY/MAY 16 Music Performance. The Mount

Vernon Swing Band will perform from7:30-9:30 p.m. at Hollin Hall SeniorCenter, 1500 Shenandoah Road. $4/person. 703-765-4573.

May Fete Celebration. 6-8:30 p.m. atAquinas Montessori, 8334 MountVernon Highway. Enjoy food,entertainment, theatre performanceand more. 703-780-8484 forreservations.

Music Performance. 7:30 p.m. atBishop Ireton High School. The UnitedStates Air Force Band will perform afree concert featuring Alexandrianative SMSgt Bill Marr. Visitwww.usafband.af.mil or 202-767-5658.

Spring Wine Festival and SunsetTour. 6-9 p.m. at Mount VernonEstate, 3200 Mount Vernon MemorialHighway. $30/person. Enjoy winefrom 16 wineries, music and more.Visit www.mountvernon.org or 703-780-2000.

Lunch Bunch. Noon at John MarshallLibrary, 6209 Rose Hill Drive.

Mesa Verde Murder. 7 p.m. SherwoodRegional Library, 2501 Sherwood HallLane. Meet southwestern characters,gather evidence and find outwhodunit. Adults. Free. 703-765-6700.

Plant Sale. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at GreenSpring Gardens, 4603 Green SpringsRoad. The Old DominionChrysanthemum Society hosts thissale. Free. Visit www.odcsmums.org or703-560-8776.

Kinship Care Family Cookout. 11a.m.-1:30 p.m. atGum SpringsCommunity Center,8100 Fordson Road.Grandparents, aunts,uncles and othersraising a child foranother familymember and childrenages 3-12 can participate in this freeevent. 703-324-3517.

All Alexandria Reads. 10 a.m. atDuncan Branch Library, 2501Commonwealth Ave. Get clickertraining or enjoy pet massages at 11a.m. and noon. Free.

Book Sale. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at BarrettLibrary, 717 Queen St. Browsethrough a variety of books. 703-519-6000.

Saturday Stories. 10:30 a.m. Time For2s. 10 a.m. at Beatley Library, 5005Duke St. All ages. Free. Registrationrequired, 703-519-5900 ext. 4.

Puppy Puppets Craft. 2-5 p.m. atBurke Library, 4701 Seminary Road.Free. For children ages 4-12. 703-519-6000.

Yard Sale. Deer Run Crossingcommunity will be holding a yard salefrom 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. Free. Browsethrough toys, goods, books and more.

Walk For the World.2 p.m. at Belle HavenMarina Park, 1100 BelleView Blvd. Families andpets can participate.

Donations encouraged. Visit wfp.orgor fighthunger.org for more.

Workshop. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. atCalvary Presbyterian Church, 6120 N.Kings Highway. Partake in a workshopon solutions to fight global hunger.Register at www.bread.org/rsvp or 1-800-82-BREAD.

Del Ray House and Garden Tour. 11a.m.-5 p.m., tour 11 of Del Ray’shistoric homes and gardens. $20/person on the day of the tour. Visitwww.delraycitizen.org for more.

Yard Sale. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at ParklawnCommunity. Browse toys, books and

more. Visitwww.parklawncommunity.org formore.

Home Run Derby and Family Day.10 a.m.-3 p.m. atDarsey Field andHollin Hall Fields.Includes races,photos, moonbounces, food and

more. Benefits Fort Hunt LittleLeague. Free.

SUNDAY/MAY 18 Music Performance. Focus Inn

presents John Flynn with SpencerBates at 7 p.m. at Church of theResurrection, 2280 N. Beauregard St.$15/general; $12/member. Visit

www.focusmusic.org or 703-380-3151.

Paint Alexandria. The Art League willlead demonstrations and instructionalsessions for any artist from 10 a.m.-5p.m. at various events around town.$40/unlimited sessions. Visitwww.theartleague.org for more.

Spring Wine Festival and SunsetTour. 6-9 p.m. at Mount VernonEstate, 3200 Mount Vernon MemorialHighway. $30/person. Enjoy winefrom 16 wineries, music and more.Visit www.mountvernon.org or 703-780-2000.

Tea with Martha Washington. 3 p.m.at Gadsby’s Tavern, 134 N. Royal St.Enjoy tea, food,and dancingwith Mrs.Washington.Party attirerequested. $20/person.Reservationsrequired,www.gadsbystavern.org or 703-838-4242.

Bridge Club. 4 p.m. at SherwoodRegional Library, 2501 Sherwood HallLane. Children and adults 12 and upcan learn how to play. Beginners andadvance players welcome. Free. 703-765-3645.

Historic Huntley Open House. 2-4p.m. at Historic Huntley, 6918Harrison Lane. Enjoy a puppet showfeaturing Thomson Mason and hisfamily. Free. Enjoy light refreshments.703-768-2525.

Toast to Alexandria. 4-7 p.m. atCollingwood-on-the-Potomac, 8301 E.Boulevard Drive. Taste wines, foodand more from local restaurants andvineyards. For tickets visitwww.campagnacenter.org. or 703-549-0111. Proceeds benefit CampagnaCenter.

Calendar

The woodwind quartet will perform on Friday, May 23 at 8 p.m. at Masonic Memo-rial. Free.

Music Performance. 3 p.m. atWashington Street United MethodistChurch, 115 S. Washington St.Features music by the Chancel Choirand more. Free but canned goodsaccepted. Visit www.wsumc.com or703-836-4324.

Memorial Ride. 2 p.m., families canenjoy an 8-mile casual bike ride. Meetat Jones Point Parking lot. In memoryof Ellen Pickering. Free.

Music Performance. Natalya Shkodawill perform at 3 p.m. at the Lyceum,201 S. Washington St. She willperform music by Viktor Kosenko.$20/person.

MONDAY/MAY 19 Writer’s Group. 7 p.m. at Kingstowne

Library, 6500 Landsdowne Centre.Adults can read material aloud forfeedback. Free. 703-339-4610.

Mystery Group. 7 p.m. at MarthaWashington Library, 6614 Fort HuntRoad. Adults discuss “Edge ofMidnight” by Charlene Weir. Free.703-768-6700.

Little One-Ders. 10 a.m. or 10:45 a.m.at Beatley Library, 5005 Duke St. Forchildren ages 12-23 months. Free.Registration required, 703-519-5900ext. 4.

Family Story Night. 7 p.m. at BeatleyLibrary, 5005 Duke St. Free. 703-519-5900 ext. 4.

Book Discussion. 7 p.m. at DuncanLibrary, 2501 Commonwealth Ave.Discuss “The Zookeeper’s Wife” byDiane Ackerman. Free. 703-838-4566.

Mother Goose Time. 9: 30 a.m. atBarrett Library, 717 Queen St. Forchildren ages 12-24 months. Free.703-838-4555.

TUESDAY/MAY 20 Mother-Daughter Book Discussion.

7 p.m. at JohnMarshall Library,6209 Rose Hill Drive.Enjoy a lively bookdiscussion on“Janitor’s Boy” byAndrew Clements.Call for title. Ages 9-11. Free. 703-971-0010.Fantastic Me. 10:30a.m. at Kingstowne

Library, 6500 Landsdowne Centre.Children ages 13-23 months can enjoystories and more. Free. 703-339-4610.

Time For 2s. 10 a.m. at Beatley Library,5005 Duke St. For children ages 24-36months. Free. Registration required,703-519-5900 ext. 4.

Story Time. 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. atDuncan Library, 2501 CommonwealthAve. For children up to age 4. Free.703-838-4566.

Tuesday Tots. 11 a.m. at Burke Library,4701 Seminary Road. Free. Forchildren ages 2-3. 703-519-6000.

Mother Goose Time. 9: 30 a.m. atBarrett Library, 717 Queen St. Forchildren ages 12-24 months. Free.703-838-4555.

WEDNESDAY/MAY 21 Fashion Show. Thomas Jefferson High

School, 6560 Braddock Road, will holda fashion show to benefit the AutismSociety of America. 7-9 p.m. $6/advance; $8/door. Visitwww.tjhsst.edu/fac or 703-750-8300.

Small Wonders. 10:30 a.m. at JohnMarshall Library, 6209 Rose HillDrive. Stories, fingerplays andactivities. Children ages 13-23. Free.703-971-0010.

Book Discussion. 7:15 p.m. at JohnMarshall Library, 6209 Rose HillDrive. Enjoy a lively book discussion.Adults. Free. 703-971-0010.

6E ❖ Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ May 15-21, 2008

Now! 1,000s ofpictures of sports,graduations, currentevents and more—never published,but posted on theWeb. Free forevaluation, availablefor prints.

ConnectionNewspapers.com

Food & Drink

From Page 2

“At first, we all laughed. Then, it just fit with all ofus. This is our labor of love. Why shouldn’t we giveit that name?” said Meshelle Armstrong.

After having named one restaurant for their daugh-ter, the Armstrongs decided they should open a sec-ond place to name after their son. So two and halfyears after starting Eve, they opened the casual,walk-up eatery Eamonn’s.

“It is noisy, kind of like my son,” said MeshelleArmstrong of the chipper.

Armstrong said naming their businesses after theirchildren has a few other perks. Both staff and pa-trons really understand how important and specialtheir restaurants are to the owners.

Los Tios Grill, 2615 MountVernon Ave.

In Spanish, “los tios” means “the uncles.”“I was trying to find a easy and short name for the

restaurant. …Maybe I pickedthe name becauseI have too manyuncles,” said res-taurant ownerGerman Mejia.

Mejia’s fatherhas six brothers and nine sisters. The restaurantowner is also an uncle himself, with six brothers andfour sisters of his own.

“My uncles were everywhere when I was a kid. Ihave a very close family,” said Mejia, who said manyof his uncles live near the Salvadorean and Tex-Mexrestaurant and visit it frequently.

Mejia said he has also sought to create a family-friendly atmosphere at Los Tios, which is reflectedin the name.

Overwood, 220 N. Lee St.Ryan Duncan was considering investing in a new

restaurant when he visited a “great little restaurant”called Underwood in California’s Sonoma Valley.

Duncan was attracted to the name because it hadincorporated “wood” in its title.

“The reason it sort of caught my ear is because weuse wood cooking. We have a wood-fired grill andwood-fired oven,” said Duncan, who is a partner inOld Town’s Overwood.

Duncan also thought the name would reflect thesimplicity of the American cuisine he hoped to pro-duce at the new restaurant.

“We wanted a one-word name if we could find one.It would reflect the simplicity of the food,” he said.

In the end, Duncan found through a Google searchthat several restaurants were already namedUnderwood but he could not find another one thatwas called Overwood.

Royal Restaurant and Ca-terers, 735 N. Saint AsaphSt.

Royal Restaurant may be on Saint Asaph Street nowbut for the first 60 years of its lifetime, the ca-sual American eatery was located on RoyalStreet. The Royal turns 104 years old this yearand has only been at the Saint Asaph locationfor the last 44 years.

“We were on Royal Street next to City Halluntil 1964. That is how the Royal got its name,”said Chris Euripides, the restaurant’s manager.

Tempo, 4231 Duke St.Restaurant owner Wendy Albert and her husband

Cerge were originally interested in naming their Ital-ian-inspired restaurant after a close friend, Yannick.Unfortunately, few people could pronounce the namecorrectly and it would place them at the end of thelist in the phone book, said Wendy Albert.

After they abandoned their first name selection, theAlberts decided to look restaurant names that startedwith the letter “t.”

Cerge Albert had spent several years working atTerrazza and Tiberio restaurants, which are run byGiulio Santillo. All of the Santillo’s restaurant namesstart with the letter “t” and Cerge Albert wanted toallude to his work at Santillo’s businesses by alsonaming his restaurant with a “t.”

“We finally settled on Tempo. It meant contempo-rary modern cuisine but it did not really label usstrictly Italian,” said Wendy Albert, whose eatery fea-tures Northern Italian and French cuisine.

Restaurant Names

Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ May 15-21, 2008 ❖ 7E

Early Spring Specials

Dover Sole • Bouillabaisse Frog Legs • Beef Wellington Coq au vin • Soft Shell Crabs

Chef Specials • Cold Salmon Platter

127 N. Washington St., Old Town • 703-548-4661Smoke Free Restaurant

www.lerefugealexandria.com

Old Town’s most authentic countryFrench restaurant since 1983

OLD TOWN’S FAVORITE

COUNTRY FRENCH RESTAURANT

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Monday - Homestyle NightBeef Stew & Fresh made from scratch1 ⁄ 2 Lb. Burgers

Tuesday - Big Fat Greek Specials NightAthenian Chicken Roast Leg of Lamb andBaklava for Dessert

Wednesday - All-AmericanMeatloaf, Milk Shakes and Apple Pie

Thursday - Italian NightCalamari and Lasagna

Friday - South of the Border SpecialsThe Best Quesadillas Made w/Chicken,Seafood or Spinach

Saturday - Steak and Chop NightBest of the Grill - Prime Rib, Chicken andtender Pork Chops

Yes, we take

We're close to you!We have

ample free parkingCarry out – Call

ahead and itwill be ready.

(703) 548-1616Dine In orCarry out

N. Washington Street

N. Saint Asaph734 North Saint Asaph St.

Alexandria, Va. 22314The Royal

WE ARE HERE

7 blocks North

OldTown

Mad

ison

St.

King

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eet

We Have What’s For Dinner

Thanks for coming in!Dinner hours 2:30 - 9:30 P.M.

by Brad Hathaway

THE CONNECTION

The four-character musical “Glory Days”which made history by transferring intactfrom the Signature Theatre in Shirlingtonto Broadway simply didn’t capture the

fancy of either the New York critics or the Broadwayticket buyers.

The show, which had its world premiere in Janu-ary at Signature Theatre, was a one-act, one-set, fourperson show about the night when, after their firstyear of college, four young men who were buddiesin high school reunite and discover how they havebegun to grow apart as they mature at different rates.It was well received by critics and theatergoers alikeduring its scheduled one-month run here inShirlington.

After two weeks of poor attendance at previewperformances in the 623-seat the Circle in the SquareTheatre in New York, the musical had its officialopening on Tuesday evening, May 6 after which theproducers, considering both the lack of ticket salesand a host of negative reviews, decided to close the

show.The record books will document that the show had

17 previews and one official performance - the open-ing, which turned out to be the closing performance.It was the first Broadway credit for three of its fourcast members, Steven Booth, Adam Halpin and JesseJP Johnson. Andrew C. Call had previous credits in-cluding another short run musical, “High Fidelity,”which lasted only two weeks on The Great WhiteWay.

It was the second Broadway show for SignatureTheatre’s artistic director, Eric Schaeffer, who directedthis production and also directed the revue ofStephen Sondheim material “Putting It Together,”which ran for three months with Carol Burnett head-ing the cast in 1999.

“Glory Days” marked the Broadway debuts for itsyoung writers from Montgomery County, James W.Gardiner who wrote the script, and Nick Blaemirewho wrote the songs. Blaemire is also making hisBroadway debut as a performer this season as a mem-ber of the cast of the musical “Cry-Baby” whichopened at the Marquis Theatre just five blocks fromthe theater where “Glory Days” has now closed.

Signature’s ‘Glory’Lasts One Day

Stage

Broadway doesn’t take to intimate musical.

Know of something missing from ourtheater listings? E-mail listings to Alexan-dria and Mount Vernon Gazette atgazette@connectionnewspapers.com.Deadline is 2 p.m. the Thursday beforepublication. Call Rebecca Halik at 703-917-6407 with any questions.

Other News Act III Theatre Company is hold-

ing auditions for “A Year with Frog andToad” for men and women ages 15 andup on June 2-3 from 7-9 p.m. at ThomasJefferson Community Theatre, 125 S.Old Glebe Road. 703-548-1154.

Just Starting Keegan Theatre presents “Clos-

ing Time” through June 7 atTheatre on the Run, 3700 Four Mile RunDrive. Showtimes are Thursdays-Satur-days at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.$20/person; $15/student, senior. Visitwww.keegantheatre.com for more.

The Children’s Theatre presents“Winnie the Pooh” from May 30through June 8 at Thomas JeffersonCommunity Theatre, 125 S. Old GlebeRoad. Performances are Fridays andSaturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdaysand Sundays at 3 p.m. $10/adult; $8/child, student, senior. Reservations rec-ommended, 703-548-1154.

Ongoing Events See “Richard III” through May

24 at the Nannie Lee Center, 1108Jefferson St. Performances are Fridaysand Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundaysat 2 p.m. $13/senior and student; $15/adult. Visit www.tapestrytheatre.com orwww.tapestryrichard3.net or 703-960-3398.

Local Theater

8E ❖ Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ May 15-21, 2008

nd Note

Michael K. Bohn

The Gazette

Compliance audits. Cash flowanalysis. Financial perfor-mance assessments. Form 990and 990-T return preparation.

These are a few of the tasks that JohnLangan, CPA, confronts every workday athis accounting firm. Regulations, logic, andnumbers—zillions of numbers—drive hisworkday. After dinner, at home in his base-ment, he turns to a parallel world, one filledwith music, emotions, and words. There, apiano is his accompaniment, not a com-puter, as he tinkers with lyrics for a newsong:

Baby on my radioYou coming through real strongIn our favorite songAnother haunting memoryAnd it’s reminding me a love like oursOnly comes alongSometimes. ©

If there is a good example of man’s rightand left brain distinctions, it’s Mount Vernonresident John Langan. By day, John is amild-mannered accountant, albeit a mod-ern one without the green eyeshade. Atnight, he’s Johnny, a prize-winning coun-try music songwriter. Not quite Clark Kentand Superman, but certainly a study in con-trasts.

Langan is the principal in charge of thenon-profit and government services groupof LarsonAllen, the nation’s eighteenth larg-est public accounting firm. He supervises150 professionals, who serve 2,500 clients.He assumed the position last year when hemerged his own company, Langan Associ-ates, with LarsonAllen.

Additionally, Langan is a former boardmember of the American Society of Asso-ciation Executives and the Greater Wash-ington Society of CPAs. He chairs the audit

Accounting, Nashville Stylecommittee forWashington’s Boysand Girls Clubsand serves as thetreasurer of thePentagon Memo-rial Fund.

As his profes-sional career pro-gressed from anaccounting majorin college to finan-cial manager,Langan developedas a musician aswell, starting as aneleven-year-old pi-ano student inWest Hempstead,Long Island.

“My father of-fered to pay forthe first set of les-sons for any in-strument for meand my brothersand sister,” hesaid. “I chose thepiano and my in-structor taught atJuilliard. She held her students’ recitals atCarnegie Hall, so I achieved every seriouspianist’s desire early in my music life.”

As a teenager in the late 1970s, singer/songwriters Billy Joel and Elton John in-spired Langanaway fromclassical musicto pop. He alsodiscovered, asmany teenshave, that play-ing in a bandwas cool.While rehearsing Joel’s “Stranger” for theJunior Ring Dance at Maria Regina Catho-lic High School, Langan noticed girls drift-

ing into the auditorium andclustering near his piano. “Ifound that piano nerds couldget girls, and music gave meconfidence,” he confessed.

As a young auditor in theWashington office of the inter-national accounting firmArthur Anderson in the 1980s,he met another accountantand musician, Chuck Smith.They performed together atparties and became friends.Smith, who now lives inAshburn, has always been acountry music performer, andhis current group, Brandy StillsBand, plays country gigsaround the Washington area.

“‘Let’s write music, not justplay,’ John said to me one day,”Smith said. “Most local bandsand performers just cover

other people’s songs. John wanted to cre-ate, not just imitate.”

Why country? And why a Long Island guywith a lingering “New Yawk” accent?

“ C h u c ktaught methe beautya n dsubtletiesof countrym u s i c , ”L a n g a nsaid. “Ithad al-

ways been ‘three chords and the truth,’ or‘real stories about real people,’ but it’s stillabout getting a story across and movingpeople in three minutes. Besides, youngpeople listen to it now.”

“Also, there is a big crossover between popand country now,” Langan continued.“Country today is often just pop music witha steel guitar and a fiddle.” Langan said“pop country” arose in the late 1980s, cit-ing Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, and KennyChesney as top singers in the genre. “Listento them and you’ll get a feel for the music.”

After years of informal playing and com-posing, Langan and Smith began seriouscollaboration on country songwriting in2000. After a few years of experimenting,their routine has settled into an annual pro-cess.

“We write about twelve songs a year,”Langan explained. “We record “scratchdemos” for eight of them in either Chuck’shome recording studio or mine. We thenpick our four best and head to Nashville.”They book a recording studio, hire good“demo singers” and first class studio musi-

cians, who abound in Nashville, andprofessionally record the four songs.“We used to approach publishing com-panies ourselves with the demo record-ings, but now we use a part-time “songplugger” since both of us have to re-turn home to our day jobs.” Also, theyformed Rider Publishing, a company tofurther advance their songwriting en-terprise.

Still looking for their first recordedand released song, called a “cut” in thebusiness, Langan and Smith entersongwriting contests as one means ofpublicizing their work. They won the2004 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest coun-try silver award with “To Love,” and thatcontest’s 2005 country gold award for“Someone You Loved.” In the 2005Country Music Television/NashvilleSongwriters Association InternationalL i s t e n e r ’ sChoice compe-tition, theywon honorablemention for“She Rode theBull.”

More re-cently, the teamwas a finalistand runner-upin the 2008Country MusicTelevision con-test with“Sometimes.”“We are writingbetter songs,”Langan said.“ F e e d b a c kwithin the in-dustry is good,especially fortwo guys who don’t live in Nashville. AGrammy Award-winning countrysongwriter has encouraged us to con-tinue and helped us make high-levelindustry connections.”

Langan also performs, most often inthe dance band “Who’s Ya Daddie?”Neighbor and fellow accountant TomSouthard recruited Langan to be theband’s keyboard player. “We play mostlyrock and soul, songs from the 1960s,70s, and 80s,” Langan said. His playingis yet another part of his multi-facetedlife—spreadsheets, sheet music, andplay lists.

“Music is a great outlet for John,” saidhis wife Cindy. “I’m impressed with histalent and fully support what is obvi-ously more than a hobby.” The two metat Arthur Anderson, married in 1986,and have a son, Patrick, a JMU fresh-man, and a daughter, Mary, a freshmanat West Potomac. They live near theCedar Knoll Inn on the Mount VernonParkway. In addition to the keyboard,Langan also plays golf.

More InformationListen to Langan and Smith songs at

www.riderpublishing.com. Information about theirbands is at http://whosyadaddie.com/index.html andwww.brandystills.com.

At night, John Langan writes country music and plays inthe dance band “Who’s Ya Daddie?”.

Mount Vernon resident John Langan’s day jobis managing a division of the accounting andconsulting firm, LarsonAllen.

Photos by Michael Bohn

Also, there isa bigcrossoverbetween popand countrynow. Countrytoday is oftenjust popmusic with asteel guitarand a fiddle.”

— John Langan

Mount Vernon residentbalances work and music.