What: The Washington Business Hall of Fame Dinner

Where: The Marriott Wardman Park

When: Tuesday, November 28, from 6 p.m. to 9:30.

Who: Honored and presenting over the course of the evening were NBC4's Jim Vance, dinner chair Ed Cohen (Lerner Enterprises), Ed Grenier (Junior Achievement), John Finneran (Capitol One), Ralph Reid (Sprint), John "Chip" Akridge (John Akridge Co.), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandra Armstrong (Armstrong, Fleming, & Moore), Linda Rabbit (RAND), Jeong Kim (Lucent), Ted Leonsis (AOL),  B.F. Saul II (Chevy Chase Bank), Daniel Callahan (Cafritz Foundation), Kenneth Sparks (Federal City Council) and Terence Golden (Bailey Capital). Also present were City Councillors Jack Evans and Carol Schwartz, and, in theory, Mayor-Elect Adrian Fenty but he failed to appear during his introduction.

Food: Dijon chicken in puff pastry Hors D'oeurves, lobster cilantro butternut squash soup, a semi-forgettable filet of beef as the main course, and spice cake with butter pecan ice cream for dessert.

Drink of Choice: Red wine.

Scene: With 1,300 of the region's top business leaders in black tie, the money and clout were almost palpable (and no, not only because parked prominently on the Wardman Park's drive was a yellow Porsche Boxster with the plate YLLWBOX). The evening, which was about 80 percent male, raised $1.4 million for Junior Achievement and the program's participants were a central part of the evening: The kids, all gussied up, greeted people arriving for the dinner, and someone introduced each honoree. Each of the Hall of Fame inductees (Armstrong, Kim, Akridge, and Sparks) was honored with a short video highlighting their careers and lives.

On display over the course of the evening also was the difference between businessmen and politicians. Unlike most of the area's media/politics dinners that can drag on late into the night, this one wrapped up within ten minutes of the scheduled end time.

Interesting Fact of the Night #1: Jeong Kim, who sold his company to Lucent in 1998 for $1.1 billion at 37, drives a 1995 Acura with 142,000 miles.

Interesting Fact of the Night #2: A proud Orangeman, Sparks was teased by Golden about how, in addition to legends like Ted Koppel, Syracuse University boasts among its alumni Jeffrey Skilling (Business School), Jeffrey Dahmer (Culinary School), and Dr. Kevorkian (Medical School). That's not actually true. And by "actually" we mean "not at all."

Moving Moment of the Night #1: During one of the few moments when the crowd quieted, Vance gave an inspiring speech about how difficult it is to read bad news about the region night after night on television and how he saw hope for the future in the work of JA.

Moving Moment of the Night #2: John Tydings made a special presentation to Ellie Merrill, widow of Washingtonian Publisher Phil Merrill, thanking him for his work with the Hall of Fame.

Gift of the Night: Anna Esobedo Cabral, the U.S. Treasurer, handed a crisp autographed dollar bill to Kaylin Cage, a freshman at UMD and JA's Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Ratings:

Bold Face Names: 4 (out of 5)
Swankiness: 4 (out of 5)
Food/Drinks: 3  (out of 5)
Exclusivity: 4 (out of 5)

Total Score: 15 (out of 20)

More photos from the night below.

What: Welcome to Marriott reception for Kathleen Matthews

Where: The Ritz-Carlton in the West End

When: Monday night, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30ish

Who: Guest lists don't get much better than this in Washington without the President or a Hollywood star. Everyone from her WJLA colleagues (Gordon Peterson, Maureen Bunyan, Leon Harris, et al.) to local business leaders (Jim Kimsey) to other media friends (Fox's Chris Wallace, CNN's Ed Henry, NBC's Norah O'Donnell) to local publicists, city officials, Marriott executives, and nearly the whole Marriott clan packed the Ritz's holiday-themed ballroom to wish Matthews well after 30 years at WJLA and in her new post as head of communications and government affairs for the locally based hotel giant. Representing the political realm the incoming senate majority leader, Harry Reid, briefly stopped in. Nearly the city's entire social press turned out, from the Reliable Source's Amy Argetsinger to Capitol Leader newcomer Anne Schroeder to the not-really-retired Chuck Conconi.

Scene: There aren't that many events in Washington that require a receiving line. At last night's soiree, though, guests were greeted by Marriott's outgoing  and incoming new PR executives, Charlotte Sterling and Matthews, along with their spouses (i.e. MSNBC's Chris), and Mr. Marriott himself. After an hour of mingling and munching, Sterling and one of the Marriotts took the stage to welcome Matthews, who gave a gracious speech that made it sound like she'd been delivering Marriott talking points for decades. A video of Matthews' career highlights showed her over the years through many hair styles on many continents and also learning the ropes in her new Marriott post.

Food: Plentiful. Would you prefer one of the two Maryland crab cake stations or the two roast beef cutting stations? Perhaps the sweet potato fries or the dessert table and hot fudge sundae bar would be more your style? If you'd prefer to just stand in one place while the trays of snacks were circulated you could dine on coconut shrimp, caviar, or puff pastries.

Drink of Choice: Trays of white wine satiated guests in the receiving line. For pickier drinkers, three open bars and a massive table of coffee options provided beverages.

Interesting Pairing of the Evening: Kimsey and talk show host Laura Ingraham.

Overheard: The discussion among several in the crowd was the main challenge facing Matthews, a stand-out on the local news anchor desk, is that she'll be managing a massive operation with scores of staff in her new gig. In news, she's never been a manager—now she's stepping into a giant role.

The quote of the evening, though, came from one guest eyeing the bountiful trays of dessert with an empty plate and the nearby presence of the Washington Times' gossip columnist: "I need Kevin Chaffee to move away from the dessert table."

Gift Bag: Each guest was handed a plush 15-inch Marriott Bear, which benefits America's Second Harvest.

Ratings:
Bold Face Guests: 4 (out of 5)
Swankiness: 4 (out of 5)
Food/Drinks: 4 (out of 5)
Overall Exclusivity: 3 (out of 5)

Total Score: 15 (out of 20)

A t-shirt from Gap's Red Campaign with Bono.

Who: Arnold Schwarzenegger

Where: J Crew on M Street in Georgetown

When: Saturday, November 25 at about 3 PM

What: The Austrian body builder turned Governor of California was spotted this weekend shopping in Georgetown with one of his daughters. The tanned, buffed Schwarzennegger was smiling and shaking hands with well-wishers while browsing J Crew's men's department. He was wearing a fitted red Gap T-shirt stamped with the word "Inspired," part of the Red Campaign launched by U2 frontman Bono to support the global fight against AIDS. Along with his t-shirt, the Governator sported a brown tweed blazer, khaki pants, and white high-top sneakers.

Overheard: While checking out at the cash register, "Ahnold" said in his trademark accent, "Forget the papers. Just put it in the bag."

What: A special screening of Freedom’s Fury, a documentary that explores the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 through the eyes of the Hungarian Olympic water polo team as they prepared to play at the Melbourne Olympics.  This event marked the 50th anniversary of the Revolution.

Where: The Uptown Theater

When: Friday night, 7-9 p.m.

Who: Celeb enthusiasts who came to the theater early to see executive producer Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels, Lucky Number Slevin, Kill Bill: Vol. 1) were a bit disappointed, as she was fashionably two hours late. Arriving on time were the brother-sister filmmaker duo known as The Sibs, Colin Gray and Megan Raney.  The Ambassador of Hungary, Andras Simonyi, who was a young child in Hungary during the Revolution, called the film honest, decent, and passionate in a post-screening speech.  Also in attendance were Secretary of Commerce Carlos Guitterez and Mrs. Guitterez, President Bush’s Cuba Transition Coordinator Caleb McCarry, Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, and the former Ambassador to Hungary and Founder of the Susan G. Komen Foundation Nancy G. Brinker.

Scene: The marquee was lit and the red carpet was unfurled, giving the Uptown Theater the feel of a legitimate Hollywood premiere, albeit on a much smaller scale. After the big names posed for pictures and talked to reporters on the carpet, the guests were herded into the massive theater boasting the largest movie screen in DC for the showing. A wave of excited whispers arose when Liu was finally ushered in about 20 minutes before the movie’s end. She stood with the Sibs and Simonyi after the screening, where Simonyi presented her with the 1956 commemorative coin issued for the 50th anniversary of the Revolution—one, he said, of only a handful that have been distributed since the beginning of the year. The Sibs were both given the Knights Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary. Guests were asked to stay seated at the end of the event so Liu could get out of the building without difficulty. That was the end of Liu.

The Movie: The Sibs make a clever parallel between the Hungarian Revolution and the Olympic water polo match of Hungary versus the Soviets, often called the “Bloodiest Game in Olympic History.” After a successful uprising against the Soviet Union’s totalitarian rule in 1956, Hungary was reinvaded 12 days later, leaving 5,000 dead and even more homeless, having fled the country. Just three weeks later, the Hungarian water polo team was set to play the Soviets at the Melbourne Olympics. Hungary’s victory that day has forever been a symbol of the passion that Hungarian citizens possessed in their quest for freedom. The film weaves archived film footage with some re-created scenes as well as current interviews with the members of the Hungarian and Soviet water polo teams.  When it was released in Hungary, the film was No. 1 for a week, and is now in limited release in the U.S., although they’re looking for a wider release to roll out soon.

The Food: Popcorn and soda, anyone?

Highlight of the night: Having the chance to speak with one half of The Sibs team, Raney, who called her experience on the red carpet “Crazy, because I’m just a camera operator.” Friendly and seemingly humble, she said that seeing the positive reactions of the Hungarians has been one of the greatest rewards she has felt since the release of the documentary.

Ratings:

Bold Face Guests: 3 (out of 5)
Swankiness: 4 (out of 5)
Food/Drinks: 1 (out of 5)
Overall Exclusivity: 4 (out of 5)

Total: 12 (out of 20)

What: The Launch of Prada Beauty Treatments at The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown

Where: The Brickyard Room at The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown

When: Thursday, November 16, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Scene: Visitors passed through The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown's cozy fireplace lobby and headed downstairs to the Brickyard Room, a small meeting room that was outfitted with a full bar and cocktail tables dressed up with candles and Prada Beauty product displays. In the back corner of the room, a model was receiving a Prada facial, one of the new treatments this soiree was put together to introduce. A Prada spokesperson gave a brief explanation of the partnership between Ritz-Carlton and Prada—in January of this year, Ritz-Carlton Hotels across the country began offering facials and full-body treatments that use Prada Beauty's care products. Although Georgetown is the twelfth Ritz-Carlton Hotel to offer the treatments, it's the first one that's not in a resort location.

Visitors also got a tour of the boutique spa right around the corner. I had a hard time returning to the cocktail party after getting a glimpse of the four massage rooms—one of which is designed especially for couples massages and has two head-to-head massage tables—gym, sauna, and steam room.

Who: This media preview wasn't open to the public so the crowd of about thirty people consisted of mostly Ritz-Carlton and Marriott employees and members of the press.

Food: Waiters passed out pomegranate, scallion, and basil shooters, chicken satays with peanut sauce, sundried tomato and goat cheese crisps, and grilled vegetable skewers.

Drink: Despite a full bar, most patrons sipped on the two signature drinks of the evening—pumpkin martinis and blueberry gimlets.

Gift Bag: The evening highlight came when I picked up the gift bag which contained an array of Prada Beauty products: seven miniature lip glosses in a rainbow of colors, eau de parfum, purifying gel, reviving eye cream, moisturizer, and night cream. The biggest surprise was the complimentary 90-minute Prada Beauty treatment, valued between $275 and $375. As one guest giddily proclaimed, "Oh my God! It's like Oprah!"

What: Friends of Cancer Research 10th Anniversary Benefit

Where: Four Seasons Hotel

When: 6:30 p.m. until around 11

Who: A mix of Hollywood and Washington, including evening honoree Senator Arlen Specter, Reps. Deborah Pryce and John Dingell (with wife Debbie), and Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, the acting commissioner of the FDA. Also present were ABC newsman and emcee Sam Donaldson, NewsHour correspondent Susan Dentzer, Lisa Paulson, and production super couples Janet & Jerry Zucker (First Knight, Airplane!, The Naked Gun, Ghost, and My Best Friend’s Wedding) and Lucy Fisher & Doug Wick  (Gladiator, Stuart Little, Girl Interrupted, and Memoirs of a Geisha). Other notable's were Pfizer VP Peter Brandt, FOCR founder Ellen Sigal and FOCR President Marlene Malek.

Food: Live piano music provided the backdrop as guests mingled around candle-lit tables, nibbling on hors d’ oeuvres like chicken on sugarcane with pineapple chutney, olive and tomato crostini, curried chicken salad, potato bellini with apple sauce, spinach in philo dough, and asparagus in a pastry crust.  

The meal's highlight was a tasting of three soups: a cream-less golden beet with cider vinaigrette and miniature cheese biscuit, cream-less butternut squash with miniature corn muffin, and roasted parsnip and white truffle with cheese straw. Next was a roasted, sambal marinated prawn salad on vegetables and seaweed.

Drinks: Gin and tonics and vodka tonics were popular during the reception, which boasted four open bars.  During dinner, each course came with an accompanying drink, including Bass English Ale, Gekkeikan Sake, Chianti Coltibuono Classico, and Canella Brut Rose.

Scene:  Music by Enya set a tone of elegance as guests found their assigned tables in the marble-floored ballroom, which was decorated in white and earth tones with centerpieces like palm leaves and white lilies floating in glass bowls.  The delightfully eccentric Donaldson formally began the evening, noting that he joined the cancer-survivors club “melanoma division” in 1995.  The pace seemed to drag on at times; soup was long gone before the salad and dessert was similarly elusive, leaving plenty of time to get acquainted with one’s table-mates as waiters struggled to navigate the labyrinth of chairs and purse straps stashed beneath them.  Senator Specter received a lifetime achievement award between soup and salad, and called for a million-person march on the National Mall and stressed the need to inflate the NIH stem cell research budget, a sentiment oft opined throughout the night.

Evening Highlight: On the sentimental side, it was touching to see so many people in such strong support of Ellen Sigal and her cause. On the hilarious side, the almost Larry David-esque Jerry Zucker–clearly in the entertainment industry– somehow still managed to be funny at a Cancer benefit, opening his speech by saying: “It’s a thrill for me to meet Sam Donaldson’s hair.  I hear he’s donating it to the Smithsonian.”

Gift Bag: A three disc edition of Gladiator and Ghost on DVD, a Four Seasons chocolate heart on a stick, a Friends of Cancer reading light, and two tickets to the opening night of Legends: A Comedy About Big Stars and Bigger Egos, starring Joan Collins and Linda Evans.

Edwards has gathered dozens of recollections of "home."

Event: John Edwards Reading

Place: Borders, Downtown, 18th and L

John Edwards was right at home Wednesday in front of the microphone in Borders to promote his book of the same name.

In Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives, the syrupy-talking Southerner who spent the last several months campaigning for Democratic candidates in nearly every state, asked dozens of politicians, celebrities, comedians, athletes, chefs and everyday people to write about the places where they grew up.

The vignettes and accompanying pictures of "A-frames and split-levels and mansions and ranches and apartments" are fascinating in their differences but remarkable in the similarities of what turns a house into a home. Actor Danny Glover grew up in the top floor of a house in Haight-Ashbury, a world away from social worker Robert Carr's mud-floor hut on a reservation in New Mexico, but both families ate meals together, divvied up chores among family members, balanced laughter and discipline, and were defined by an intense sense of optimism and support.

Yet as poignant as were the passages the senator read—one from Hank Azaria and the other his own—the people in the packed house wanted to talk politics.

Wearing a "Save Darfur" wrist band, Edwards reported on his trips to Sudan and Uganda. He suggested starting direct talks with North Korea and Iran. He spelled out a loose plan to withdraw troops from Iraq in 12-18 months. In short, Edwards, one of the front runners for the Democratic nomination for president in 2008, positioned himself Wednesday as a politician with a global perspective whose focus is on restoring America's power and moral authority in the world.

The common criticism he faced in 2004 dealt with his lack of experience dealing with international issues. Since his stint as John Kerry's 2004 running mate, Edwards, the lawyer and one-term North Carolina senator, has run a center for poverty studies at the University of North Carolina.

In front of the microphone in the bottom floor of Borders, he at least spoke like a seasoned leader and diplomat. The question remains—will the people here at home trust his rhetoric over his resumé?