business

Venetian Mask with Your Cigar?

By Alexandra Varipapa

June 2008

Gabriele Cecamore, or Franco as friends know him, is a perfectionist. This is evident in his meticulously detailed masks that he makes in the traditional Venetian style. Masks have been crafted in Venice for centuries and create mystery by putting everyone on the same level—whether you are rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, friend or stranger. For 25 years Franco has been making masks in Venice and these masks are now available at Georgetown Tobacco on M Street. Franco designs under the label Si Lucia, a company that has helped to make his masks more easily available to the public. Dave Birkabile, owner of Georgetown Tobacco, first saw masks at a gift show and thought they would be a good addition to the store.

The masks are traditionally worn during Carnevale in Venice, a tradition that has spread to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, among other places. In the 18th century Venetians would wear masks for months at a time for Carnevale, this has gradually shortened to a weeklong celebration. Franco also designs masks based on the elaborate make-up of the Cirque du Soleil performers. You can get a reproduction of their look with one of Franco’s masks, which can be bought in the Cirque du Soleil’s gift shop. You will be able to find Franco’s work at KOOZA, Cirque du Soleil’s newest show, which will be opening at the National Harbor October 30.

Apart from the make-up of the Cirque du Soleil acrobats, many things inspire Franco including the ancient cultures of the Maya and Inca. He also makes masks based on the animals in Aesop’s Fables. Franco also loves to work with feathers, when he started it wasn’t as common to see feathered masks as it is now, he noted.

Venice has a strong tradition of mask making, and Franco is one of the few master mask makers left in Venice. He still makes the masks in the same way they would have been made in the 1400s. The masks are made out of papier-mâché coated with plaster. To make a mask, Franco takes a mold of a person’s face and uses this to make a negative mold, which he then coats with two or three layers of papier-mâché and plaster. A layer of gauze is used to line the inside of the mask. The mask is then put into an oven to harden. Next, Franco trims the edges and hand paints a beautiful animal or creature, some with elaborate beaks or feathering.

The masks can be purchased at Georgetown Tobacco on 3144 M Street or online at www.gttobacco.com.

J. Paul’s and Filomena’s Celebrate Their 25th

By david roffman

June 2008

It seems like only yesterday: Twenty five years ago I was sitting at the bar at Nathans restaurant when a young man came up to me and introduced himself as Paul Cohen. “I’m going to open a restaurant here in Georgetown,” he told me. “It’s going to have the very same bar that Al Capone’s used to sit at in Chicago.”

It is safe to say that two and a half decades later, J. Paul’s, 3218 M St., is Washington’s quintessential turn-of-the-century American Dining Saloon, and the original is still located in the heart of Georgetown, sitting in a historical building over 100 years old and is now one of D.C.’s most popular watering holes.

And that Paul Cohen kid? Well, he went on to form a partnership called Capital Restaurant Concepts which went on to open several of DC’s more popular restaurants, including Paolo’s, Georgia Brown’s, Neyla’s and Old Glory, in addition to J. Paul’s.

Another Georgetown favorite for the past twenty five years has been Filomena’s Ristorante, 1063 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., just around the corner from J. Paul’s. Here is one of Washington D.C.’s premier restaurants  offering outstanding Italian cuisine with exceptional quality service.

At Filomena we always feel like we’ve come home to an Italian Grandma. And we’re not alone. There is a long list of names from the stage, screen, and even heads of state who routinely journied to Filomena to reminisce in old Italy while they watch the “mamas” make pasta from scratch. Anthony Quinn, Dustin Hoffman, Charlton Heston, George Bush Senior, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan ... all loved Filomena’s.

Tom Bryan Elected To Head GBA

By david roffman

June 2008

Tom Bryan and Billy Martin, Jr.

The Georgetown Business Association held its 2008 annual meeting on June 18 at the City Tavern Club, an 18th-century structure on M Street, where GBA President Billy Martin, Jr., introduced the business group’s new president-elect, Tom Bryan.

The Art Schultz Communitarian Award was presented by Paul Cohn of Capital Restaurant Concepts to Denise Cunningham of the Citizens Association of Georgetown as well as the ANC 2E Commissioners: Tom Birch, Charles Eason, Ron Lewis, Jenna Lowenstein, Bill Skelsey, Ed Solomon and Bill Starrels.
Business Person of the Year was awarded to Terry Bell of ILO Spa, who said, “Small businesses are the heart of Georgetown.” (Bell said he has been in business for 28 years.) Ella Pozell presented the Joe Pozell Public Safety Award to Officer Mark Lee of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Outgoing GBA head Billy Martin leaves the group stronger -- and as Linda Greenan said, “Billy brought in new blood, new energy.” Martin, for his part, said he believes the GBA makes all of Georgetown more vigorous and then smiled: “Martin’s Tavern has been here for 75 years. I’m not leaving now.”