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What Happened to the Late, Great Citronelle Restaurant? UPDATED AGAIN

THE COSMOPOLITAN AT CITRONELLE BAR

UPDATE AS OF  1/20/14: Here's the news from New York, which I wrote for Washingtonian, and here's my analysis, which I wrote for New York Social Diary. 

UPDATE OF 1/5/14

You are welcomed to read this whole post, meaning various "updates" below, but the answer is now clear: Citronelle is gone and gone for good. It's former Georgetown home, The Latham Hotel, in disrepair and in need of rehab, reportedly will be or was sold to a group who plan to create "tiny" apartments (a trend started in Japan). This supposedly means apartments of 250 to 400 square feet. Maybe it will be mixed used, and maybe that will include a restaurant, but there's no indication it would be the late, great Citronelle.

As for chef Michel Richard, he headed to New York and opened a restaurant in the old Le Cirque space at the Palace Hotel. Read the clever review of Villard Michel Richard  by Tom Sietsema in The Washington Post. He notes that Richard is "mulling" another run in Washington. We'll see. Hope so. We wish him success up north but few DC chefs go to NY and succeed. It's a tough and unfriendly market. They usually come back to DC and an enthusiastic reception. For now, we have Central, Richard's bistro on Pennsylvania Avenue. It's an excellent concept. (Would love to see the same in Georgetown.) Most of all (and I'm not alone in this) it would be awesome to have a revival of the Citronelle bar. A great gathering spot and the best bar menu ever.  The very popular bartender, Angel, is now at the bar of the Capella hotel, only two blocks over on 31st. 

Again, everything below was written much earlier. I could delete, but maybe you'll find it interesting. 

                                                                                                ~~~~

UPDATE: Yesterday, Saturday, I talked to a man who told me an interesting story. He said he was friends with a woman who represented a company that wanted to buy The Latham Hotel a few years ago. Her company spent a year doing their due diligence, he said, surveying the building from top to bottom and to each corner. At the end, they walked away, because they felt the foundation was in "questionable" condition, that the hotel would need a wildly expensive structural renovation. Granted this is hearsay, but it backs up some of the other scuttlebutt out there. He said the last time he talked with the woman she said, "the building needs to be torn down." That's funny, because it's not that old. About the same age as The Four Seasons, meaning circa late 70s, early 80s.  I remember when there was a gas station in that location. But there's nothing new about relatively new buildings in DC aging too fast. 

One block over, the Capella Georgetown hotel is going up at seemingly record speed. Their target opening date is January 2013, which makes sense: Inauguration! What interests me is the planned rooftop pool. I've never understood why all Georgetown hotels didn't build with rooftop pools. It won't have a lot of rooms and they will be expensive. At the sister hotel in New York, The Setai, room rates today begin at $545 for a standard. Earlier there were rumors that Citronelle would move to the Capella, but they got shot down by Michel's very own people. 

And then there's the dear old Monticello, in the same block as The Latham. It is undergoing a major renovation and hopes to reopen in December in a much more upscale mode. I say hooray all around. Maybe this competition will inspire The Four Seasons to soften its edges and The Ritz to step it up with their handsome public rooms and the potential for a statement restaurant, which is the piece that's missing in Georgetown's most authentic feeling and best looking hotel. 

UPDATE: Tuesday I received this email from Citronelle: Hey Carol,  Saw your Tweet about Citronelle this morning.  Please let me refer you to Chris Daly, of Daly Gray Public Relations, who handle the communications for the Latham Hotel. Also copied here is Michael Damian, the General Manager of the Latham Hotel.  They may be able to give you more information about the status of the building.

I replied: I want to see the "extensive flooding" damage. Can we make a date?

I'm still waiting for that date.

Also, an FB'r wrote to say she'd heard Citronelle signed a deal to move to Washington Harbor. My initial reaction? If true, ugh, because Washington Harbor has never amounted to much, especially in the culinary department, except for the brief time Warner Leroy was there. It's a meat market. Beautiful views wasted on barely average restaurants. That said, in the right space, removed from those other places, Citronelle could give the waterfront some high end cred. 

EARLIER REPORT:

What happened to Citronelle restaurant, now closed and in a closed hotel? That's a very good question, and I've been asking a lot of people if they can give me any intel. It's just too strange a situation to be exactly as it's being sold to the public - plumbing issues. Something else is going on, but what? It's a culinary mystery in need of a foodie sleuth. 

The public word is a flood. The management company's website refers to "extensive flooding." A flood can close a kitchen for 24 to 48 hours. We had one at Nathans in a monsoon-like storm, when water backed up in the streets and then spilled into our basement, 4-5 inches deep. We had the water out in a day. Kitchen staffs are good about getting floods cleanen up fast. There are companies that do that, too. Carpet can be pulled up and replaced in a week. If the floor underneath needs fan drying, add another week.

However, I peeked in the street level windows of Citronelle, aiming my eyes down at the lower level kitchen and dining room. It looks like it would look if it had just been closed after dinner service and everyone went home. Completely normal. The carpet looks fine. It certainly has not been torn up. Nor were there signs of water stains. What I could see of the kitchen also appeared routine. Realistically, it would have had to have been one helluva flood to make it up the stairs to the bar and then up a few more stairs into the lobby of The Lapham and then up another set of stairs to La Madeleine. This flood would have been epic. It would have made the news. 

If only in Citronelle, why close La Madelaine and the whole hotel???

Here's all I know: the closing was sudden and all-encompassing: the Latham Hotel, Citronelle and La Madelaine. Closed. On the spot. The closing was announced same day to staff, and the announcement came from the hotel management company, not Michel Richard (which makes me think he may not have been too happy about it).  The hotel is for sale, and has been for a while. Staff were given 2.5 months pay, but no guarantees of jobs ... now or in the future. While there had been some talk of water issues, none of it ever seemed big enough to warrant the equiavlent of a midnight closing, according to some who worked there. (Note: Most restaurants in older buildings have water issues.) Midnight closings happen to fly-by-night and sketchy bars and restaurants, not to one of the city's most acclaimed. 

THE BEST FRIED CHICKEN, AL FRESCO AT CITRONELLE 

In other words, if you are a hotel management company, and there was a serious water issue, and your jewel in the crown is one of the city's top restaurants, wouldn't you roll out the closing? Provide some substantive information. Not just DO IT? And wouldn't you make sure there was a suitable perch for the restaurant while repairs were underway, especially since the estimate is at least 6 months of repair work. 

This reminds me of Citronelle rumors I reported a few months ago, that Michel was looking for a new location. I wonder if A is related to B? It may be that Michel knew this was coming and wanted to try to get out before the guillotine fell. When I asked if Citronelle would, in fact, be reopening, I was told not at The Latham. I would have to hear that from Michel to believe it 100 per cent. 

MICHEL'S MOJITO, MADE WITH A SPECIAL SECRET INGREDIENT

Employees say there was no discussion of a re-opening in six months. The general manager, Jean-Jacques, is reporting for work at Michel's restaurant in Atlantic City. I popped into the Daily Grill yesterday to say hello to Angel, one of Citronelle's bartenders. There wasn't much he could tell me beyond what I already knew, but I'm hoping someone will come along with helpful information. 

Why? Because I really liked Citronelle bar, and having it closed is a big loss for Georgetown. There is no comparable. 

Howard Fineman At The Q&A Cafe, Talking Presidential Politics

 

DOUBLE CLICK TO VIEW IN FULL

This interview with MSNBC's Howard Fineman was taped Thursday, July 26, at The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown. Our next show is Friday, August 17, when the subject will be national security and national intelligence, with "The Watchers" author, and Washingtonian senior writer, Shane Harris. 

Richard McCooey, A Georgetown Favorite, Surprised at F. Scott's

Why is this man laughing? It's because he's Richard McCooey and a crowd of his Georgetown friends and former colleagues had just surprised him with a 50th anniversary party at F. Scott's. The anniversary marked when he opened 1789 Restaurant and then The Tombs. We were there. Here's the story: McCooey's Surprise Party at F. Scott's. Photo courtesy of Jim Weaver. 

GWEN IFILL: A Profile Interview from The Q&A Cafe Archives

 

Gwen was such a good guest, and had such a good personal story to tell. This particular show has proved to be very popular with audiences. I hear about it more than most. I think we taped this in 2010. It was among the first at the new location, the Ritz Carlton-Georgetown. 

Bill (Gates) & Sharon (Stone) & Anderson (Cooper) & Nancy (Pelosi)

BILL GATES EMBRACES SHARON STONE AT SATURDAY NIGHT'S amfAR DINNER

For those of you who don't partake of this sort of thing, let me clue you in on a behind the scenes detail of so-called "events" in Washington: attending them as a labeled member of the "media" can often be humiliating and frustrating -- but, most of all, humiliating. The organizers treat people who write and shoot pictures for a living as an alien race who must be controlled and segregated, at all times, from the superior humans, which often, in addition to assorted A, B and C entertainment and business celebrities plus tax-payer paid public servants, include fellow members of the Washington media, who want to be celebrities. Oh, Lord. You know who they are. Reporters on one side of the rope are expected to interview and photograph reporters on the other side. It's a bizarre phenomenon of DC.

SHARON AND BILL AND ANDERSON BEFORE THE SCRUM

That's just the beginning of the whackness. I've been to events where even media spawn are presented as celebrities for the "scrum" to report upon -- and, sadly, they do. 

BILL GATES AND ANDERSON COOPER, AMIDST THE WINE AND CUPS AND THE OTHERS

So, what does that have to do with tonight's otherwise honorable dinner on behalf of AIDS, embodied  by amfAR? Not much, except it was celebrity studded (STUDDED!!!) and there were, at the outset, lots of rules for the branded and segregated media (really, the PR abuse has reached a level where slapping an "M" on reporters' clothing would accurately reflect the discrimination doled out). Nothing to do with the amfAR people exactly. The funny thing was they managed the evening in a loosey-goosey manner, and I was appreciative. For every rule they enforced they let another be forgotten. Here's a funny contrast: working photographers, with serious camera muscle, got pushed back by handlers protecting Bill Gates and Anderson Cooper, while those of us with our iPhones were able to move in close.

Exactly! 

NANCY PELOSI SHOWS UP FOR A PIC WITH COOP AND BILL

What knots my knickers? Getting kitted out on a Saturday night, schlepping to an "event," and then finding my seat is with other writers, who (btw) feel the same as I do. We may get along but we didn't come out on a Saturday night to sit at a round table and stare at each other. Dear Event Planner:  How, oh, how, do we write about your givers and believers and awesome staff and great accomplishments if we're seated on the sidelines at a table of people who have nothing to do with your cause? I've never, ever understood this logic and generally just get up and leave. I didn't tonight, because ... who knows why. Maybe because it was early. Maybe because that hot man item, Bill Gates, was in the room.

FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB

But seriously. Dear Event Planners, do you think this is anything but work for me? It's not. It's work. I enjoy the work, or I wouldn't be there, and especially when I'm given the privilege of experiencing the event, but If you want interesting and useful coverage you will seat me in the warm, moist center of your cause....because that is the story. This is not my social life. It's your social life, and the social life of your guests arrayed around the room, the paying customers, the folks who would like to talk about why they are there.  Mix me up with them. Unless, of course, you want me to write a story about The New York Times, Huffington Post, The Washington Post, Washington Life, Capitol File, Bloomberg, Agence France Presse, Associated Press....etc. In other words, my table mates. 

The good event planners and hosts understand, but the good are few.

JUST AFTER NANCY PELOSI EXITS THE BILL GATES AIR SPACE KATHLEEN SIBELIUS MOVES IN TO OCCUPY

Further, if you want good pictures, stop with those assinine backdrops. Stop fencing in the photogs. I can tell you, the public are weary of the tedious & endless same-same and boring photos shot before a "step and repeat." Be the first to kill it.  You would get such better shots of your paying principals if you invited the photogs, the good ones, to roam during the cocktail hour and the seating of dinner. People look better in candids. For one thing, they look alive.  The reading and viewing public are drawn to "real" moments. A backdrop photo is just about as original and fresh and unique as last night's lap dance. 

THEN, BILL AND COOP GET BACK TO WHATEVS

So, I hope you've enjoyned my guerilla pics from tonight, in which Bill Gates mostly seemed to want to talk to Anderson Cooper, but politely got up as needed to be honored, to be photographed, and to wrap his arm around Sharon Stone. He did not wrap his arm around Nancy Pelosi, who smartly moved in for a prime photo at a prime moment. I know this because I got up from my table on the outer border of the dinner and walked over to where the action was, the Gates-Cooper-Stone table, to observe the goings on with my own two eyes. That's what made the amfAR people cool. They didn't deck check me. 

WELL, YOU KNOW, HELLO BILL, WHASUP?

Funny observation: When Bill and Sharon got up to talk and moved elsewhere, and Anderson was left with no one on his immediate left or right, he had only William Cohen, and they did their best to hit it off in the same way as Coop and Gates and Gates and Stone. At least Sharon's jacket was still there on the chair between them, suggesting something ... but what?

DASHING MICHAEL ELLIOTT, ON THE LEFT, AND BARBARA BUSH, IN RED

Before the political speeches began -- meaning the speeches by politicians -- I drifted from the big dinner only a few steps to a much smaller party nearby. It was for ONE, another foundation, created by Bono and supported by Bill and Melinda Gates, and where my friend Michael Elliott is CEO and President.

I ran into Michael almost immediately. He's an O.G. We met long ago over dinner at the N Street home of Trish and Mark Malloch Brown, another O.G. Mike was with Time at the time, and we had that in common,  but now he's with Gates and Bono, two more O.G.'s. You choose. Also at the smaller ONE party was Barbara Bush, looking summery and comfortable in a tomato red dress. That small group were soon off to an AIDS concert at the Eisenhower Theater, joned by the folks from the larger Gates-Stone-Cooper dinner, which also included a bearded John Corbett.... and other celebs too numerous to get into right now. This will all be covered in full on washingtonian.com on Monday! You betcha.

Leonard Downie: A Washington Post Blast From Its Glorious Past

 

Another favorite from the archives. We taped this show in 2008 at Nathans right after The Washington Post, on Leonard Downie's watch, scored big with the Pulitzers. As executive editor he was on a roll and in a good mood. I look back on it now and wonder if it marked the end of an era for the newspaper. At the end of the interview, we talk about a novel-in-progress. "The Rules of the Game" was published by Random House after he left the Post. 

Watch this and you'll think he should get back in the daily journalism game.

Ted Sorensen, Kennedy Speechwriter, From The Q&A Cafe Archives

 

This interview is a good example of why I love to do The Q&A Cafe. Ted Sorensen was someone I knew of since childhood, who I studied in school, read about in countless histories of the Kennedy presidency, but I never thought I would meet him or, especially, have the chance to interview him. The Q&A Cafe brought me that opportunity. He died almost two years ago. This interview happened in 2008, when "Counselor: A Life at The Edge Of History" was published. His eyesight had become very poor, but his mind was sharp and every word was interesting. 

Coral Beach (Bermuda) 360 - One of the World's Best Beaches

 A gorgeous, pink powder stretch of beach on the south shore of Bermuda, in Paget. At one end is the Elbow Beach Hotel (begging for a remake of "The Shining") and at the other end is the Coral Beach Club, a nearly perfect island retreat. A bit of trivia: The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore reported from this beach during Hurricane Irene in 2010. This video was shot with my iPhone 4S on July 18 2012.

Virtual Beach Time; Coral Beach, Bermuda

 One minute that will calm whatever gives you angst (unless it's being on this beach). Free transportation to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the middle of the Gulf Stream, the big blue, where the big fish live. The nearest hotel is Coral Beach Club.   (For full screen, click the upper left)

Meet Roland Celette of The French Embassy (but quickly, he's leaving!)

ROLAND CELETTE

From the first time I met him I was impressed with Roland Celette, the cultural attache for the French Embassy. I think it was during arrangements for the French Film Festival several years ago. We had lunch at La Maison Francaise on Reservoir Road. Then, I started to see him everywhere: dinners at the ambassador's residence, cultural events all over town, and even in Richmond, at the opening of a spectacular Picasso exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. 

So, while I was saddened to learn he has given his notice and plans to return to France, I was delighted when he accepted my invitation for lunch and an interview. He's one of those people who everyone in Washington should know about. Please take a moment to read the resulting story: Who Is Roland Celette? 

Sunday Poached Salmon Supper In a Heatwave

SALMON, JUST AFTER POACHING

It's tough to get one's appetite up in 100+ temperatures and also tough to figure out a menu. A classic that seems to fit in the hottest weather is cold poached salmon. It used to be standard on restaurant Sunday lunch menus, but largely went away with the advent of "brunch," which favors salmon smoked and sliced or in an omelette or a variation on Eggs Benedict. But good cold poached salmon is in a league of its own, especially when served with a fresh Hollandaise or Dijon cream sauce. 

LID ON

LID OFF

The salmon I poached late this morning is Oregon wild Sockeye, which I got at Cannons. I made a broth of the gorgeous garlic from the Palisades Farmers Market, sliced celery, sliced carrots and equal parts water and Poully Fume white wine, plus salt and pepper. (I didn't, but adding chicken broth is an option, too.) A good sign: my son said, "wow, the kitchen smells good."

The poaching process lasted only about 8-10 minutes. The fish will chill until time for supper -- mid-afternoon -- and I'll serve it with the Dijon sauce, steamed and chilled green beans, and sliced Heirloom tomatoes (would be great with a scoop of Moorenko's tomato-herb sorbet). The wine could be the same Pouilly Fume, a light Provencal rose or very cold Champagne. Cherries and ice cream for dessert, followed by iced coffee. This meal keeps the temperature down. I swear.

Albrecht Muth, Viola Drath, and Murder In Georgetown

ALBRECHT MUTH, IN GEORGETOWN, JUST BEFORE HE WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH KILLING HIS WIFE.

Today I've been hearing from people about my encounters, back in the day, with Albrecht Muth and his wife Viola Drath, an interest fueled by a New York Times story on the odd couple.  She was found murdered last August, he was charged, and Muth is now at St. Elizabeth's, undergoing treatment and evaluation to determine whether he can stand trial. I've attended a couple of his court hearings and written about the hearings and Muth and Drath for Washingtonian. It's a sad story of DC social-climbing.  

Due to the curiosity, here is the story I wrote back when it happened: Albrecht Muth, Viola Drath, and Murder in Georgetown. 

CHEF ERIC RIPERT, from The Q&A Cafe Archives

 What's not to like about time spent with chef Eric Ripert, chef extraordinaire of New York's Le Bernardin. It was a treat. You'll enjoy it. It will leave you with your appetite ready to be satisfied by a good meal. 

TED LEONSIS, from The Q&A Cafe Archives

 

This is another one of the oldies but goodies, recorded in Nathans back room, the original home of The Q&A Cafe. Enjoy.

Fourth of July - Delicious, But Also Real Life

So far today I've enjoyed a hot dog with relish, fresh onions and mustard, assorted chips and dip, fresh fruit and Rocklands barbecued chicken, but what stands out is this very simple dish photographed above: assorted heirloom tomatoes from Palisades Farmers Market, sliced, topped with Burrata and pepper. Before serving I drizzled with Laudemio Frescobaldi Extra Virgin Olive Oil (which you can get at Dean & Deluca). All of this paired with icy cold Veuve Clicquot Champagne (courtesy of a friend) and Whispering Angel Provencal Rose (courtesy of me). It was on sale at Bacchus Wine on Wisconsin Avenue. 

It's been delightful having a mid-week day off. I got in a good walk, did some work, went to a party, but mostly kicked back. It feels like Sunday. Tomorrow will feel like Monday. Friday will feel like Tuesday and then, BOOM, the week will be over. 

Notably I write this seemingly carefree tra la la la post as someone who did not lose power or directly feel the pain of this storm. I have a number of friends who have been sweltering without power since the storm hit Friday evening and, more catastrotrophic, a girlfriend whose father was killed and mother critically injured on Friday night when they were electrocuted.  I'm sharing my relaxation because it's there and real, but I know how very close to me resides the also harrowingly real agony of loss and grief. There was a story in The Washington Post today about her father. This is how small the world is. I know her and her family, but a good friend is also a close friend of the next door neighbor who fought with him about the trees. 

Happy July 4th, Loyal Readers

Think of it this way: you're one of 500-600 people who visit this site every day, and I'm grateful. Wishing you all a good, delicious and (hopefully) power ON July 4th.

 

Bill Dean's July 4th Party Prevails in Storm-Tossed DC

FOURTH OF JULY AT BILL DEAN'S ANNUAL GEORGETOWN POOL PARTY( On the right, my son)

This July 4th was somewhat different from the usual in Washington, largely because of the Friday night storm but also it was mid-week, and with boiling hot. The hot was not so unusual, but combined with not having power and, well, some people who didn't have power may not have been in a party mood. Or maybe a party was the antidote to the reality. Or they had fun with a bitch at Pepco on Twitter.

AT BILL DEAN'S PARTY THERE'S NOT MUCH CLOTHING AND EVEN LESS BODY FAT

My son and I stopped by the Dodge Mansion, the P Street home of our neighbor, Bill Dean, who each year tosses a memorable July 4th party. Memorable because it is quite simply over the top. Bill's philosophy is simple: he works hard as President and CEO of MC Dean, and therefore plays hard. Life can't be all seriousness, and his life has a lot of seriousness because he does a lot of work in war zones. While the guest list includes an array of attractive young women - a Playboy Playmate or two, several Redskinsettes, models - there are a lot of former and current military men (SEALS, Delta Force, Rangers). Add to that some of Bill's fellow mogul friends, like Michael Saylor. And he always invites the neighbors, because along with the huge buffet of July 4th foods, the backyard and rooftop bars stocked with Veuve Clicquot and premimum brands, and the pool games, there's a DJ and dancing.

THERE'S ALWAYS SECURITY AT A DEAN PARTY (LOOK TO THE LEFT IN THE BUSHES)Getting into a Dean party is not easy. One has to bring a "ticket" that is a computer print out (or on your app phone) with your photo (already acquired by them) a security code and number. That's shown at the door and cross-checked on a list. All the security men dress in the same black shirt and khaki pants combo used by current or former Secret Service. They are discreet, but everywhere - at the door, in the bushes, on each floor of the house, up on the spectacular rooftop deck.

NOTE: This party is not for the body insecure. Buff is the word, though mixed in with the buff are a few fellas who like like maybe they work at desks. The accountants? The lawyers? Possibly.

POOLSIDE AT BILL DEAN'S JULY 4TH PARTY

On Washingtonian.com Tuesday I posted a story that asks Is Washington Ready For July 4th? The National Park Service said, "Yes." It seems they were right.

Howard Fineman At The Q&A Cafe on Thursday, July 26 - Book A Seat NOW

I'LL BE INTERVIEWING HOWARD FINEMAN ON JULY 26. PLEASE BE THERE.

Howard Fineman, one of the nation's top political reporters and analysts, will be the guest at The Q&A Cafe on Thursday, July 26th at the Ritz Carlton Georgetown. This is a special "summertime" Q&A to mark the election year and to preview the presidential nominating conventions. Howard is the editorial director and chief political reporter for Huffington Post and a regular contributor to MSNBC. 

For the show, seating begins at noon. The fee is $35, all inclusive (a new low price), and for reservations please phone the hotel directly at 202.912.4110 or email Ozan Yalcindag.

While we're on the subject of Huffington Post, please check out my Washingtonian story of yesterday that reveals the entertaining Huffington Post email chain on the day the staff learned one of their own won the Pulitzer. Clearly they've got team spirit, and a gift for profanity and a tinge of superstition. Don't ask how I got it cause I won't tell. 

From The Q&A Cafe Archives: The Bradlees, The Salahis

The folks at DC Cable have posted two more Q&A Cafe greatest hits on the YouTube. One is with Ben Bradlee, Sally Quinn and their son Quinn Bradlee. This is a rare interview with the family all together. They are candid, intimate and interesting and reveal the family dynamic. It was taped at Nathans.

 The other Q&A Cafe episode that went up on YouTube last week is my interview with Tareq and Michaele Salahi. It's been highly controversial. A) because I interviewed them and B) because I interviewed them. Well, that's how interview programs work. The goal is to book the guest or guests who are most compelling at the moment, and at this moment -- between the White House gatecrashing episode and the debut of "Real Housewives of Washington DC" -- the Salahis were compelling. No apologies for this interview. In 11 years of shows, it was our most overbooked. In the smaller clips that were earlier on YouTube (this version is the whole show) there were thousands of views. This was taped at our new location, the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Georgetown. 

 

I'm proud of both of these interviews. Can you tell how nervous I am? Ha! In both, I was quite nervous. Usually, ten minutes in, the nerves begin to calm. 

Please book a seat at our next show: talking politics and political conventions with Howard Fineman of the Huffington Post and MSNBC, on Thursday, July 26,