Welcome to LITON EVENTS Washington D.C. BLOG. This blog was created with the intent to inform you of the latest nightlife,restaurant, cultural and fashionable events in and around the metropolitan area.( Visit us at www.litonevents.com )
You heard it first here, some of you may be shocked the next time you visit Marc Barnes newest creation the The Park on 14TH. You may notice that a $20 cover charge has now been established for those not on the list.
Also for all you chronic bottle poppers and table service devotees. The prices have gone up for table reservations on all 3 levels of Park. No reason has been given for the resent hike in prices at the venue.
The Park at 14TH, which has begun hosting with the amazing Cat, the weekly after party for Mark Ein's Washington Kastles. If you attended the soiree last Tuesday you know its was a beautiful and well healed crowd.
Currently Thursdays nights are going strong with a heavy happy hour crowd, transitioning into what used Earth at Dream...do remember those days. We know you do, we get deja vu every time we come to Park..same crowd, similar music set up - with top notch Deejays on the top floors spinning house with your regular club anthems and hip hop favorites on the lower floors. Ala LOVE/Dream.
Which might mention is reportedly on the market for a rumoured cool...13 Million dollars. Way to go Marc Barnes, can we let cat out the bag about the plans for his new venue, sorry not yet. Along with that he might have a new neighbor as Platinum/H20 owner is slated to open a new venue in the abandoned Hechts building on New York Ave. As some may know the South West waterfront area is scheduled for a major renovation with involves demoliton of the 800 Water St. H20 location.
Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner Dance Monday evening the October 6th 2008 Mandarin Oriental (DC)
Grand Ballroom - 1330 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, District of Columbia *Black Tie * Washington Life Magazine Media Sponsored Event* (WTOP) Covered Event
Evenings Festivities: The 2008 "Dare to Dream Gala" " Dancing and Dining for Dyslexia": will bring together Washington DC's political, business, celebrity, and national leaders in dyslexia education for a one-of a kind signature fundraising event. Recognizing the visionaries of today, and giving hope to the visionaries of tomorrow.
*Special Guest Michael Bacon (from the Bacon Brothers Band http://www.baconbros.com/ ) will be joining us to celebrate and support our dyslexic children.
Hosted by: Dyslexic Dreams Foundation and the Merritt Dyslexia Education Center (The Friendship School/Margaret Byrd Teacher Training Institute).
5:00-6:30 Corporate Meet and Greet VIP reception 6:30-7:30 cocktail & hors d’oeuvres reception for guests / silent auction (Featuring Portraits of Possibility-both children working hard to reach their dreams, and adult dyslexics who have achieved success thru their struggles and challenges) 7:30-8:30 award ceremony (Keynote speakers)/ Three course dinner prepared by Mandarin Orientals award winning chefs DINNER 8:30 - Live entertainment/dancing (Georgie Swan UK Pop Artist) (MattCusson-currently touring with Brian McKnight) http://www.mattcussonfans.com/
*Auction Items throughout the night*A portion of contributions are tax deductible according to IRS regulations.
Honorees Harvey Hubbell V (Captured Time Productions) Producer/Director of “Dislecksia: The Movie" - Mr. Harvey Hubbell V has won the Gold World Medal for Comedy at The New York Festivals and three Emmys for Outstanding Entertainment Program, Individual Achievement for Directing, and Program Writing. Harvey Hubbell V is an “itinerant filmmaker” – he has shot from the high-rise roofs of Warsaw to the banana boats of Peru. His documentaries have won more than 50 film and video festival awards, including four Emmys.
Billy Blanks (World Martial Arts Champion/Tae-Bo Creator) You had fourteen brothers and sisters and the did not have learning problems. You had trouble concentrating, you skipped words and read backwards. By seventh grade, you were placed in special education.When you were twelve you built yourself up physically as well as mentally. You worked part-time as a garbage man to pay for karate lessons.
Yourmother and father had always guided you to work hard to make something of yourself. By 1991, you had won seven international karate titles. Then working out to the sound track from “Rocky”. You began kicking, punching, and dancing to the music. And you created this phenomenon – fusion of boxing, tae kwon do, and dance called Tae-Bo, now the rage of the Western World. You are empowering others to do better, to be better, as you empowered yourself to become a champion. http://www.billyblanks.com/
Georgie Swan (Live performance by UK Pop Artist) - musician Georgie Swan, fought dyslexia at school and triumphed with his voice. Comparisons to George Michael and being hailed in the press as "the voice of an angel". He has performed with National Eisteddfod of Wales and was the first male vocalist to join the Billericay School's 70 piece Studio Orchestra and went on to perform with them at the opening of Euro Disney. Steve Norman fellow musician had this to say “"I saw Georgie perform a song accapella at a recent soccer six charity dinner and you could have heard a pin drop... In short, Georgie is an immensely charming, talented and likeable guy who has a story to tell regards his dyslexia".
The Honorable Congressman Kendrick B. Meek (FL-17)Representative Kendrick B. Meek is Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. A former state trooper and eight-year Florida legislator, Meek waselected to Congress in 2002. He serves as the lone Floridian on the House Ways and Means Committee, and is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Meek is also a member of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which sets the overall policy agenda for the House Democratic Caucus, and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, an inter-parliamentary organization of legislators representing NATO Member and associate countries. He is married to Leslie A. Meek, an administrative law judge for the District of Columbia’s Department of Employment Services and they have two children, Lauren and Kendrick Jr. http://kendrickmeek.house.gov/index.shtml
Gloria Mayfield Banks - For Gloria Mayfield Banks, failure was never an option. It didn't matter that she grew up in the inner city of Detroit, struggled with dyslexia, suffered through a domestic violence situation, and became the target of scrutiny from her peers and family for her career decisions. Banks was introduced to the business world through special college courses in high school and was later accepted into Harvard Business School, where she eventually became associate director of admissions. Twenty years ago this month, she started selling Mary Kay, eventually leaving her safe job at her alma mater to sell cosmetics full time. Today, Banks, an independent elite executive national sales director, is one of the company's top revenue producers. Over the last two decades, she's brought in more than $24 million in cosmetics sales, earnings. Ms. Banks is also considered an expert in the field of Motivation, Self-Esteem and Sales Training. She often works with children, motivating them to get a jump-start in school and in their personal lives. She is known for her dynamic story-telling ability and uses creative humor to impact her audience. Her enthusiasm is contagious! A communications consultant and one of the founding partners in Charisma Factor. Gloria Mayfield Banks is best described as “Energy in Motion!” Her accomplishments have been recognized in Black Enterprise, Glamour, Working Women an twice in Fortune Magazine. And recently, Ms. Banks was featured on the covers of Turning Point and CYH Magazines. Ms. Banks received a Bachelors degree from Harvard University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University.
Please Join us for this one of a kind Dyslexia Signature Event in DC at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in DC. Helping to raise dyslexia awareness and funding for dyslexic children. More surprises to come, stay tuned...
Inidivual tickets $350 per person. Tables for 10 can be bought at $3500. Corporate sponsorship avail. Please call Jami Schwartz/President of Dyslexic Dreams Foundation at 301-528-0056 or email jami@dyslexicdreams.orghttp://www.dyslexicdreams.org/ If you are interested in coming make sure you list yourself on the confirmed list.. This will be a sold out event. We will be sending out 3000 hard copy invites and 5000 online evites. Hope you can join us. Eracing dyslexia illiteracy on a national level, supporting families and children in financial need through the "Power of an Education". Help our children live out their "Dreams".
It's that time again…summer! That means Kandyland - An Evening of Decadent Dreams is back and sweeter than ever the third time around!
Kandyland is sure to be one of the most talked about, outrageous and hard rockin' events of the year and Golden Tickets are selling out faster than ever this year.
Expect Kandyland to be the ultimate sight and sound experience – think Willy Wonka meets Alice in Wonderland. We transforming the Playboy Mansion with dazzling lighting effects, florals, huge mushrooms, enormous lollipops, giant kandies, hearts, cool fuzzy cotton kandy textures, kandy cane poles for our Kandy Dancers, chocolate bars, Skittles, M&Ms, toys, kandy kane lane, surprises and much more.
THE DETAILS: -> Ladies can apply to be selected for complimentary Golden Tickets courtesy of Karma by creating profiles at http://ladies.kandyevents.com/.
-> Gentlemen can currently purchase Golden Tickets at http://www.karmakandyland.com/ for $1,000 each (prices will be going up quickly).
Use VIP Invitation Code: EL1133
For Hotel Reservations call the Roosevelt Hotel @ 800-950-7667 (mention Karma Foundation for preferred room rates).
There are weekend events at the Roosevelt are for guests staying at the Roosevelt. Also many afterparties are going to take place at the Roosevelt we hear..soo get your last minute room now.
On July 24th, come some Eco-Fashions from Barney's Co-Op at the this "Dress Responsibly with Style" event held at Barney's in Georgetown. The event will start at 6pm and go till 8pm, during that time shop for some hot summer deals at Barney's with a percentage of proceeds going to the Nest charity.
Browse the latest fall fashions and snag summer deals while sipping cocktails by SurReal Vodka and nibbling on delicious treats!
Highlighting Barney's eco-fashion designers and celebrating the launch of FFP's 2008 "Dress Responsibly." campaign.
5% of all purchases will benefit Nest. To attend RSVP at rsvp@sinpr.com
World's Largest Premium Denim Sample Sale is making it’s debut in Washington DC
1 Day Event Features Top Designer Brands at Up to 80% Off Retail Prices.
WASHINGTON, DC -- Designer Denim lovers will unite on Tuesday, July 15th, when The Warehouse Sale, the world's largest premium denim sample sale, lands at the Four Points by Sheraton Downtown. This bi-annual shopping extravaganza features cult favorites such as True Religion, Rock and Republic,Citizens of Humanity, Ed Hardy Shirts and others all for up to 80% off retail prices. Launched in 2004, by entrepreneur Jimmy Tung, The Warehouse Sale attracts thousands of denim enthusiasts to events in over 40 cities world-wide.
"Designer denim is rarely if ever sold at a discount, so it's really exciting to bring all these great brands together in one place at below wholesale prices," says Tung. With racks and racks of organized inventory, group fitting rooms and a helpful staff, Tung wants to ensure high end shoppers still get what he calls "a real shopping experience and not the typical sample sale free-for-all" Tung has even been known to overnight product to locations around the country from their LA Warehouse if things ever look "skimpy." "People mark their calendars for this event so they can stock up; we're constantly putting out new merchandise throughout the day to keep up with the demand." Complete with a live DJ and swag style gift bags, "It’' really a big party." Tung explains. "We want people to leave our events feeling like they got a great deal and had a good time."
The Warehouse Sale will take place at the Four Points by Sheraton Downtown, 1201 K Street N.W. Shopping hours are Tuesday July 15th from 12 noon till 8pm.
Frozen Yogurt Wars - Several Frozen Yogurt Eateries Set Up Shop
The Tart Frozen yogurt craze is now in full swing in the Washington area after making its way from the west coast. With the opening of Tangysweet on P street and Sweetgreen in Georgetown. The local restaurants are now battling it out for DC's frozen yogurt fans. With Pinkberry and Red Mango already battling it out on the west coast for their share of the $4.1 billion frozen treat market. Yes that's B for billion, DC was bound to be one the their prime expansion markets.
We had the pleasure of visiting Tangysweet a few weeks ago, and it was brimming with the young 20-30 professional set. Everyone was eager to try and see what all the hype was about. Based on the comments of a few everyone seemed to be enjoying their frozen treat. Our first impression were the place reminded us more of Lotus Lounge than a frozen yogurt. With interior design duties handled by Kube Architecture, this venue should mesh will the surrounding area. With lines rapidly approaching our favorite DC Cafe, you would have thought the yogurt was free. Hardly the case lots of folks have been talking about the price of the yogurt and the wide variety of fruity toppings. Owner Aaron Gordon is very happy about the popularity of the location so far and is even hinting at opening additional locations.
Apparently another new frozen yogurt place named Iceberry is opening in Georgetown. Iceberry already has locations in Reston Town Center, Chantilly and Springfield. The Georgetown location is going to be on the corner of 30th and M.
Next up is Mr. Yogato (1515 17th St., NW), DC's newest tart-style frozen yogurt shop in East Dupont. Is it just me or is that every time I hear this name I think of the 80's jam by STYX - Mr. Roboto, maybe I am just a lil loony.
Also Red Mango which started the trend in South Korea, are actively scouting for locations to open their DC area location according to chief executive Dan Kim.
Another location Sweetgreen is already planning a second location after customers have fallin in love with their frozen yogurt selection.
Here is copy of the latest Washington post article on the craze.
Washingtonians Line Up as Tangy Frozen Yogurt Shops Move In By Ylan Q. Mui
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 9, 2008; D01
A piece of advice for the uninitiated: The snowy white swirl of "classic" frozen yogurt at Dupont Circle's Tangysweet is anything but vanilla. Crisp and tart, the taste is closer to lemonade and designed to appeal to a grown-up palate. A line of 20- and 30-somethings snakes out of the door and down the block many nights. After just one month in business, owner Aaron Gordon is already thinking about a second, and maybe even third, location.
"Their first image is 'Wow, this is very tart,' " Gordon said of new customers. "It's almost like introducing the city to a new style of yogurt." Tart frozen yogurt has finally made its way from the West Coast to Washington, and several new businesses are tussling for your taste buds as the summer heat settles in. In addition to Tangysweet, the past year and a half has also brought Sweetgreen, Mr. Yogato and Iceberry to the nation's capital. And Red Mango, the granddaddy of them all, which claims to have popularized the trend in South Korea, is scouting for locations.
Though statistics for restaurants were not available, national retail sales of frozen yogurt grew 3.5 percent, from $171 million in 2005 to $177 million last year, according to market research firm Mintel. Ice cream still dominates, with more than half of the market for frozen treats, but sales in the same period fell 2 percent, to $4.1 billion.
Of course, this isn't frozen yogurt's first swirl around the block. It enjoyed popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when chains such as TCBY and I Can't Believe It's Yogurt offered a sweet, low-fat alternative to ice cream before their appeal began to melt away. Then in 2005, Los Angeles-based Pinkberry introduced U.S. consumers to a tart version of frozen yogurt that bears little similarity to its creamy cousin. The taste has generated long lines and plenty of buzz -- earning Pinkberry yogurt nicknames such as "frozen heroin juice." It now has 45 stores in California and 13 in New York. Rival Red Mango arrived in L.A. last year and has nearly 30 stores in several states."The one thing I know about Americans is we love new versions of the things we already know," said Harry Balzer, vice president of consumer behavior research firm NPD.
The success of the two chains has spawned several imitators, and Gordon is admittedly one of them. His older sister introduced him to Pinkberry while he was living in Santa Monica, Calif., and he found himself returning day after day. A District native and entrepreneur, he decided to bring the concept to his home town.
His basement shop features modern decor, including distinctive color-changing arm rests that Gordon has dubbed "tangy tables." It serves only three flavors -- classic, pomegranate and green tea -- but a wide variety of toppings ranging from kids' cereal Trix to mango. Gordon said he used his own capital, coupled with a few credit cards, to open the store in early June. A line of about 40 people waited outside when he threw open the doors, Gordon said. "It really hasn't let up since then," he said. A few blocks away, Steve Davis works his own frozen yogurt shop, named Mr. Yogato, a sly reference to the 1983 song "Mr. Roboto" by the band Styx. The store, which opened late last month, serves up the same type of tart yogurt as Tangysweet but in a decidedly more playful atmosphere. Cartoon berries are painted on the walls, the trash can is shaped like a rocket, and one set of table and chairs is Smurf-blue.
"We're not cool and hip," Davis said. "We are fun and goofy."Actually, Davis is a rocket scientist who is still employed full time with space exploration and technology company Spacex. He moved to the Washington area about a year ago from the company's L.A. office, where he and his buddies would go to Pinkberry for lunch almost every day. Once in the District, Davis and his friends suffered tart yogurt withdrawal and decided to launch their own store.
They pooled their cash and brought on a few more friends and relatives as investors. The hardest part, Davis said, was coming up with the recipe. They cycled through more than 100 batches before hitting what would become "original tangy." The store also sells a traditional, sweet frozen yogurt flavor and has two rotating flavors each week.
Meanwhile, other competitors are ramping up operations. Red Mango chief executive Dan Kim said the chain is "aggressively" seeking locations in Tysons Corner, Reston, Bethesda and Georgetown and hopes to secure its first site in the next month. In Virginia, Iceberry has opened stores in Reston, South Riding, Springfield and Chantilly, with another in Georgetown planned for the end of summer. Sweetgreen, which sells salads and tart yogurt, is planning a second location in Dupont Circle after nearly one year in business in Georgetown.
"Even if it's pouring rain or snowing, people will run in to get their yogurt," said Nicolas Jammet, who founded the store with two friends during his senior year at Georgetown University. But beware: The buzz can bite back. Pinkberry was hit with a class-action lawsuit last year from customers who claimed that its tart frozen yogurt didn't live up to its name. California law requires yogurt to be made off-site, rather than in stores. Pinkberry now mixes its product in a dairy and settled the suit in April, agreeing to donate $750,000 to charity and list ingredients online.
There are no Food and Drug Administration guidelines dictating the ingredients for frozen yogurt, but plain yogurt is made by culturing milk or cream with the lactic-acid-producing bacteria Lactobacillusbulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. The FDA generally defines ice cream as made by freezing pasteurized milk or cream and flavoring it with sweeteners. American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Katherine Tallmadge, who has indulged in Tangysweet, said that the new tart yogurts are healthier than ice cream, healthier even than most traditional frozen yogurt -- but that doesn't make them health foods. A half-cup of Red Mango's original flavor has 90 calories and contains 260 milligrams of potassium, 15 grams of sugar and three grams of protein. The same serving of skim milk yogurt, however, delivers only 63 calories and nine grams of sugar, and packs 288 mg of potassium and seven grams of protein. "It's a treat. And I'm not against treats," Tallmadge said of the tart frozen yogurts. But she added: "It's not as good as eating fruit. Nothing is as good as eating fruit or vegetables as your snack."
Despite the current craze, frozen yogurt orders at restaurants are still about one-tenth of what they were during its peak nearly two decades ago, according to Balzer of NPD. And it still has a long way to go before sales even begin to come close to those of ice cream. One ice cream shop has that has withstood the test of time is Gifford's Ice Cream and Candy, one of Washington's oldest scoopers. It is planning to open its sixth store soon, in Hyattsville. The chain also is also seeking franchisees and hopes to open another 25 locations between Baltimore and Richmond. "We're sort of the anti-trend," said Neal Lieberman, chief executive. "I think they've done a nice job with some of the packaging. It's sort of a unique taste. But we feel like there's plenty of room for us."
The Prices are Rising at the Park at 14Th
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