About Dan About Town
Party photographer Dan Swartz’s diary of bashes, benefits, and galas.
Some 50 of Fox News anchor Bret Baier‘s closest friends, family, and colleagues took over the private top floor dining area of Georgetown’s Cafe Milano on Thursday evening to toast his tenth anniversary at the helm of top-rated TV program “Special Report.”
Co-hosted by his wife, Amy Baier, and restaurant owner Franco Nuschese, last night’s unofficial theme was the same as his show: “Fair, balanced, and unafraid.” From the current administration to the Hill, that meant reaching across both aisles to ensure a diverse mix of Democrat and Republican guests would be in attendance. Nuchese jokingly said as much when he attributed Milano’s cuisine to Italy, but sense of hospitality to Switzerland, during his remarks at dinner.
The party began with informal cocktails around the room before turning into a gourmet, sit-down affair boasting a four-course menu of Cafe Milano’s greatest hits, such as lobster risotto, Wagyu beef tenderloin, and Alaskan black cod. A surprise, celebratory cake modeled after the rotunda of the United States Capitol rounded-off the meal, with Senator Roy Blunt ceremoniously receiving a special added dessert in honor of his actual birthday.
Yesterday’s rare example of comity harkens back to a simpler time in Washington, before the dawn of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, when members of opposing political parties in the city set aside their professional differences at the end of the day and could often be found socializing together after hours in the spirit of friendship and mutual respect. This probably was not lost on Donald Graham, one of the evening’s guests, who’s mother, Katharine, led the Washington Post for more than two decades and frequently hosted bipartisan dinner parties at her home just a few blocks away (the current owner of that historic house, private equity investor Mark Ein, was also in attendance last night).
“Amy and Franco put together an amazing evening,” said Baier. “I was honored by the people who attended from both sides of the aisle and all corners of Washington life. I said to Amy, ‘This is a lot for ten years in the anchor chair.’ And she told me, ‘You need to celebrate the milestones; plus it’s a good excuse to throw a dinner party.’ And it was a great one.”
