Monday, July 13, 2009

Be Sure to Hit the Lights On the Way Out

While the rest of the M Street shops are opening up for lunch today, Nathan's will remained closed as the bank repossess the Georgetown institution. Probably renowned more for former journo, current socialite, and now former owner Carol Ross Joynt's Q & A sessions and connections than the menu, Nathans was equal parts power lunch hot spot and collegiate (including yours truely's) stomping ground. It will be missed.

We've been expecting this day to come for sometime now, but Joynt gave it a solid effort to keep the eatery on life support just a few years past it's expiration date.
 
After 40 years of serving millions of happy and loyal customers, and opening its doors 365 days of every year, Nathans will close at last call on Sunday, July 12.  This ends an era of delicious, interesting and often outrageous moments at what Zagat called "the quintessential Georgetown saloon."

       We hope over the next week you will find the time to come in and enjoy a last drink and meal with us, especially "Last Call" on July 12.  We wish we could give it away, but economic reality is that we need your dollars.  Also, if I may, I urge you to please be generous with the staff.



       With a heavy heart and much gratitude,

       Carol Joynt

 "You gotta know when to hold 'em
        know when to fold 'em
           Know when to walk away ...."
We host our last Q & A Cafe at Nathans tomorrow. A bittersweet occasion, of course. The Q&A Cafe was created in October 2001 as a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. From there it took on a life of its own, giving me an opportunity to stay in journalism, giving Georgetown a fixture in the city's chief industries - politics, media, policy, law - and gave a wonderful group of regulars the opportunity to enjoy a unique weekday lunchtime salon.

I mean, Nathans may be the Titanic, but The Q&A Cafe - proudly - lifts off the deck a certified success, and a legitimate TV show on DC Cable. I may have failed with Nathans but I succeeded with my little show and want very much for it to find a new home and to remain on television. After my book is done, I could see the program as my future. Plus other stuff. Some people suggest I become a marketing consultant, others a dominatrix. I could be happy running a marina, smuggling rum, hanging with pirates. We'll see.

Couldn't be happier that our last Q&A Cafe at Nathans features a good friend, and Georgetowner, author Jane Stanton Hitchcock. Many of you were at my last interview with Jane at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. You know she's loaded with amusing dish, an interesting life story, and practical understanding of the publishing industry. This will be a goody. I hope you have your reservations. Please reconfirm or book with Jon Moss at 202.338.2000. Georgetown Cupcake is making a special "Mortal Friends" GC. Yum. Think gold and dangerous.

We welcome all the town's strippers, too, since they are prominent in the book. One prominent character, Jim Kimsey, will be among us. Another, Catherine Reynolds, has not responded to my invite. I'm a character, too, Joy Croft. Haha. All good fun. Some of you are probably in there and don't know it. We will have books for sale and Jane will gladly sign.

You've been a great audience. I'm grateful. I'll have a new website in a week where you can keep track of The Q&A Cafe, and me, and more. A lot of you ask how I'm doing. Thank you. I'm fine. I'm mellow. Eager for what's next.

See you tomorrow,

Carol

Here's who has appeared at The Q&A Cafe:

LETITIA BALDRIGE,  BOB WOODWARD, COKIE ROBERTS, DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, TOM BROKAW, DEB JOHNS, DAVID VISE, JACK EVANS, DAN TANGHERLINI, JOHN RIGGINS, FRED SMITH, LESLIE COCKBURN, CHRIS MATTHEWS, DR. TINA ALSTER, MPDC CAPT. PETER NEWSHAM, SALLY QUINN, MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS, ADRIAN HIGGINS, CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS, C. DAVID HEYMANN, SOPHY BURNHAM, SKIP NEWCOMB, HARRY SHEARER, BOB BALABAN, MICHAEL McKEAN, MARK PLOTKIN, ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, KATHLEEN MATTHEWS, CHRIS WALLACE, ANA MARIE COX, DR. RICK LEVY, BILL PLANTE, SEPTIME WEBRE, DR. WAYNE CALLAWAY, AMBASSADOR H.E. DEVINDA SUBASINGHE, DAVID HUME KENNERLY, TONY TAVARES, FRIDA BURLING, EDITH SCHAFER, MICHAEL ISIKOFF, DR. WILLIAM HASELTINE, MATT COOPER, KENNETH FEINBERG, BARBARA CHILDS-PAIR, DAVID GREGORY, CRAIG CRAWFORD, TORIE CLARKE, SANFORD AIN, ERICA JONG, MARION BARRY, ROXANNE ROBERTS, GEN. BERNARD E. TRAINOR, KATHERINE (KATIE) TARBOX, DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA, FRED THOMPSON, GEORGE STEVENS, JR., SUSAN ISAACS, GORDON PETERSON, DR. MICHAEL HOCKSTEIN, ANN HAND, DC Police Chief CATHY LANIER, JEFF GANNON, HARLAN K. ULLMAN, DEBORAH JEANE PALFREY, MARK SHIELDS
DAVID BURD, DAN RATHER, HOWARD FINEMAN, MARK WARNER, SHEILA JOHNSON, MICHAEL HERRRALD, AMY HOLMES, SAM DONALDSON, CARL CANNON, JONATHAN ALTER, PHILIPPE COUSTEAU, STAN KASTEN, SCOTT SIMON, DOUGLAS FEITH, THEODORE SORENSEN, CHUCK TODD, MICHELLE RHEE, ROBERT BENNETT, BRENT GLASS, ROBIN GIVHAN, CHRISTOPHER GUEST, C.Z.GUEST, GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, MALCOLM “MIKE” PEABODY, ANDREA MITCHELL,WALTER ISAACSON, EPISCOPAL BISHOP JOHN CHANE, MICHEL RICHARD, DAVID CORN, TERRENCE SMITH, BOB SCHIEFFER, JACK VALENTI, LLOYD GROVE, DR. MARILYN BENOIT, HELEN THOMAS, ANDREW COCKBURN, ELLEN SANFORD, DAVID KELLER, MARK BUSCAINO, CHUCK VANCE, ADEL AL-JUBEIR, AMBASSADOR JAN ELIASSON, RABBI BARRY FREUNDEL, MPDC LT. PAT BURKE, JANE LYNCH, JOHN ZOGBY, JOHN MICHAEL HIGGINS, DAN SNYDER, SALLY BEDELL SMITH, TINA BROWN, BOB COLACELLO, JOSEPH WILSON, FRED GRAHAM, KITTY KELLEY, TIM RUSSERT, AMBASSADOR H.E. KASIT PIROMYA, ARUN GANDHI, NANCY TAYLOR BUBES, SHELDON COHEN, JOHN DEGIOIA, MARSHA J. EVANS, ANTHONY LANIER, JANE STANTON HITCHCOCK, ANDREW KOHUT, RICK KAPLAN, CAROLE RADZIWILL, PATRICIA DUFF, DAVID C. LEVY, LINDA FAIRSTEIN, NEIL LIVINGSTONE, JAMES CANNON, MAURY POVICH, CONNIE CHUNG, AMY ARGETSINGER, VERNON E. JORDAN, JIM ARSENEAULT, CHARLIE COOK, JIM LEHRER, CARLY FIORINA, JIM VANCE, DR. PETER LEVIT, KENNETH ADELMAN, GEORGE MICHAEL, JONATHAN TISCH, JOHN F. HARRIS, MONTGOMERY BLAIR SIBLEY, PETER GREENBERG, FRED GRANDY, CONNIE SCHULTZ, ROBERT FRANK, VALERIE PLAME WILSON, ROBERT NOVAK, AMB. PIERRE VIMONT, DAN GLICKMAN, MARTHA JOYNT KUMAR, DAVID BALDACCI, BOB RYAN, DR. MICHAEL JACOBSON, LEONARD DOWNIE, JR., RICHARD MOE, TUCKER CARLSON, MARK PENN, TED LEONSIS, LT. ANDREW BALDWIN, QUINN BRADLEE, JONATHAN CAPEHART, HUGH NEWELL JACOBSEN
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