By: Kate Michael
The Washington National Cathedral was lit — literally — in splashes of rainbow spotlight for the 7th annual Chefs for Equality last night.
“Deliciously Defiant” according to the invitation, is the sold out event that featured the Capital region’s top chefs, pastry chefs, and mixologists coming together for an evening of food, cocktails, music, and auctions.
Hundreds of foodies and cause-driven participants spent hours circling the exciting new event venue, tasting bites from so many of their favorite local chef notables. Drink masters kept the packed house well hydrated with equally creative and coveted cocktails.
Amaryllis Floral + Event Design set the Cathedral awash in multicolored lights and floral arrangements, setting the tone for an evening of acceptance and love… for all things edible.
By design, eleven personal chef tables were the centerpiece to the dinner. These pricey places provided guests an opportunity to dine with select celebrity chefs for a lavish five-course meal in the middle of the event’s action and were one of the night’s biggest boons to fundraising for the Human Rights Campaign, Chefs for Equality’s beneficiary.
Each table sat 16 guests, matched with the likes of Amy Brandwein (Centrolina), Caitlin Dysart (Centrolina), Kevin Tien (Himitsu), Robert Wiedmaier (Marcel’s), Gerald Addison (Maydan, Compass Rose), and Christopher Morgan (Compass Rose), among other favorites.
Another of the evening’s popular side enterprises was its 5/10/15 Speed Dinner: five dishes and 10 chefs in 15 minutes. Participating guests had a quarter of an hour to enjoy a specialty cocktail and a mini five-course tasting menu prepared and served by five pairs of celebrity chefs. For diners, it was a rush of excitement; for the chefs, the heat was on!
Some of the evening’s general admission favorites were Rose’s Luxury’s Rainbow Pasta, The Royal’s Roasted Cauliflower and Apple Salad, Duke Grocery’s Short Rib Sliders, Federalist Pig’s Barbecue, Jack Rose’s bulleit bourbon #drinkforacause “Just Like Grandma Used to Shake,” and the ever popular Georgetown Cupcakes. And because guests couldn’t handle even one more bite, to-go boxes of even more delectable desserts were offered along with swag bags. Chefs for Equality was truly a fun event.
