Party Pictures (What A Night Out Looks Like)

JUSTICE SAMUEL ALITO

I go out. Among many other endeavors, it is what I do. Every now and then it's special, as tonight at the Italian Ambassador's residence, where Claudio Bisogniero and his wife, Laura, hosted a dinner where the guests of honor were basically $35 million in violins. Violins made in the 16th and 17th centuries. Violins made by Stradivari. They were played by members of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society. Wow, in sum, a splendid way to wrap up a long week. 

THE INVITED GUESTS, PRE-SHOW

AN ELEGANT GESTURE FROM THE BELGIAN AMBASSADOR

DVORAK ON CENTURIES OLD INSTRUMENTS IN TALENTED HANDS

SUCH JOY. KENNETH SLOWIK BRANDISHES HIS ANCIENT, MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR GEMS

DINNER, CHEZ BISOGNIERO

A GUEST GETS TO TRY OUT THE FEEL OF A STRADIVARI

After dinner, my friend Jim Spellman and I went to Cafe Bonaparte for a nightcap. It was so pleasant. After we took our seats at the bar we were soon joined by three people who said they were  Romanian. I told them I'm half Romanian on my mother's side. The bartender, below, said, "I'm Russian." Jim said, "I'm Irish." So, there you have it: Washington in 2013. We played with my iPhone photo apps.

THE RUSSIAN BARTENDER

THE ROMANIANS

WITH MY IRISH FRIEND, JIM SPELLMAN

There will be so much more about this evening on Monday on Washingtonian.com.