TBD feted by The Georgetown Dish at Martin's

Over 100 Washington journalists and friends toasted Robert Allbritton’s TBD Blog Community Network and its Georgetown media partner, The Georgetown Dish, Tuesday evening at Billy Martin’s Tavern in Georgetown.

About the future of community news and entertainment, TBD editor Erik Wemple was eager to engage the crowd. “We love to link,” he explained.

D.C. Councilmember Jack Evans, a few blocks from home, almost delayed his entrance to change into business clothes, but, prodded by The Dish, came in during the last yards of his daily five-mile run. After all, as he said, “I need to check The Georgetown Dish every day to see what they’re saying about me.”

Evans was in good company. Wemple often jogs home through Georgetown from TBD headquarters in Arlington. "It's just three miles," he says modestly.

Georgetown resident and renowned auteur Sally Quinn stopped by to congratulate TBD General Manager Jim Brady, former head of washingtonpost.com, and Steve Buttry, in charge of the community blog network. Dozens of TBD writers, contributors, and new media staff attended.

Georgetown business leaders Rokas Beresniovas, Nathan Winstead, Leslie Wheelock of Georgetown Farmer's Market, Ada Polla of Alchimie-Forever, Jeffrey Wingate of Restaurant Associates, Mel Davis of Michel Richard Citronelle, Patti Cumming, journalists Steve Gottlieb, Pamela Sorenson, Catherine Featherston and Tom Newberg, the USO's Lynly Boor and Em Hall, Karen Szulgit, Hollywood on the Potomac's Janet Donovan, the Washington Business Journal's Jennifer Nycz-Conner, Robert Devaney, and Biznow's Mary-Kate Rasa and Byrd's Eye View's Mary Bird were also there to party.

Buttry pointed out that one of numerous brainstorming sessions in search of a name for the new media juggernaut took place at Martin's. Gracious host and fourth-generation owner Billy Martin was there at Martin's Tavern Tuesday to oversee the latest step in TBD's evolution.  TBD owner Robert Allbritton lives a few blocks away.