Cochon555

North America’s most talked about culinary competition returns to DC on April 17 with a one-of-a-kind stand-up tasting reception featuring five chefs cooking five heritage breed pigs in a friendly competition for a cause. Upping its commitment to the good food movement, this year’s tour will benefit Piggy Bank, a genetic sanctuary that will provide free heritage breed pigs and business plans to emerging family farms. Celebrating its 8^th Annual 18-city tour, Cochon555 is dedicated to uniting 16,000 guests across the country with local farmers, renowned chefs, prominent winemakers, restaurateurs, craft brewers and distillers. Together, they are raising awareness for honest food producers, responsible farming and the first open-source agriculture platform. For an in-depth look at the Cochon555 movement, a series of stunning videos and tickets to this must-do culinary experience, please visit www.cochon555.com.

This year’s competing chefs include Jonah Kim of Yona, Marjorie Meek-Bradley of Ripple, Jennifer Carroll of Requin, Anthony Lombardo of The Hamilton and Host Chef Louis Goral of Rural Society Argentine Steakhouse. The five chefs will prepare a maximum of six dishes from one whole hog and their utilization will help them win votes from a crowd of hungry gourmands and celebrated judges. In addition to the 36 dishes prepared from locally-raised pigs, guests will feast on educational experiences featuring boutique wines and culinary cocktails paired with delicious bites. The winner of the regional event will be announced as the “Prince or Princess of Porc” and go on to compete for the national title of “King or Queen of Porc” at Grand Cochon, the tour finale, held at the Viceroy in Snowmass / Aspen on June 18^th.

On April 15, the weekend takeover commences with a pair of stunning guest chef dinners to benefit Piggy Bank hosted by past winners Mike Isabella and Scott Drewno. These unique dinners bring together chefs, world-renowned winemakers and beverage experts to create a multi-course, interactive dining experience where guests have the opportunity to interact with the participating chefs. On Friday, the tour will kick off with the Late Night Asian Speakeasy with Host Chef Scott Drewno of The Source by Wolfgang Puck in an all-inclusive feast paying homage to Chinese, Sichuan, Korean, Thai and Japanese after-hour establishments known to inspire great kitchens across the country. On Saturday, a refined three-hour culinary experience, the Chef’s Course Dinner Series hosted Chef Mike Isabella of Graffiato begins with a reception featuring a selection of passed hors d’oeuvres followed by a seated dinner and premium wine pairings. Both dinners will be limited to 40 seats each night, tickets are available online at $125 per person and 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit Piggy Bank. Additionally, ticket buyers are welcome to sign-up for Chef’s Course, Cochon555’s annual rewards program with over 100+ restaurants participating nationwide.

Guests of the main event Cochon555 can enjoy more culinary programming beyond the 36 competition dishes prepared by competing chefs at this fairy-tale pig event  including, the TarTare Bar with Creekstone Farms with last year’s Cochon555 winnner Danny Lee of Mandu, “Luxe Butter Bar” with Antica Napa Valley, the Artisan Cheese Bar with La Fromagerie featuring Cypress Grove Chevre, Coach Farm, Parrano, and 34º Crisps and a Seafood Shelf featuring Rappahannock River Oysters. Voters get a ticket to Taste the New Ramen Bar paired with the stunning Wines of Germany featuring Erik Bruner-yang of Maketto / Toki Underground and Sun Noodle followed by the Pop-Up Pie Shop right before the Awards Ceremony. Additionally, guests will have the opportunity to take home delicious heritage breed pork at the Pop-Up Butcher Shop, a retail experience raising money for Piggy Bank with the support of Williams-Sonoma and Hedley & Bennett. The beverage program includes Cochon555’s Punch Kings local barkeep competition featuring Breckenridge Distillery and “The Welcome Punch” reception featuring Buffalo Trace. Wine tastings are back in a big way in 2016 with the “Five Winemakers” including sought-after wines from Paul Draper (Ridge Wines), Rajat Parr (Sandhi Wines), Abe Schoener (Scholium Project), Jeff Pisoni (Pisoni Vineyards), Pax Mahle (Pax Wine Cellars) and special guest Matt Courtney of Arista Winery, and a spotlight Sommelier Smackdown featuring Azzurro Wine Company, Lake Sonoma Winery, Alysian Wines and Michael Mondavi Family Estate. The Perfect Margarita Experience includes a tasting of hand-crafted luxury tequilas from Don Julio including 1942 and the mobile Heritage Rum Cart featuring Rhum Clément and Plantation Rum will travel through the crowd while guests sip libations at the “TIKI BAR” featuring The Perfect Puree of Napa Valley. The “Chupito” Mezcal Experience returns featuring Don Amado, Fidencio, Mezcales de Leyenda, Koch el Mezcal, La Venenosa, La Niña del Mezcal and Mezcal Derrumbes. Bourbon lovers rejoice with the “Perfect Manhattan” featuring Eagle Rare and Buffalo Trace finished with Luxardo cherries with a special treat from Creminelli Fine Meats and the Smoked Old Fashioned featuring Breckenridge Bourbon with the support of Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao. Right before the awards, everyone is invited to experience “The Last Word” featuring Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur and Junipero. Low-proof favorites include Martinez Lacuesta’s Vermut Bar. DRY Sparkling is offering a non-alcoholic option with their lineup of culinary sodas. Don’t miss the chance to buy tickets to this fairy-tale heritage pork event as tickets are expected to sell-out to this all-inclusive stand up reception. Get a preview of the event by watching the flavor-packed video http://j.mp/Cochon555-Trailer.

“I’m excited about all the new partners in 2016 who support family farming and independent business. The Cochon555 Tour is now a movement, from hosting celebrated culinary events and dinners all over North America to reaching a global audience with the news of the first open-source agricultural model. The tour is dedicated to helping family farmers succeed, period,” stated founder Brady Lowe. “This doesn’t exist anywhere in the world, and for the first time in human history, a culinary tour has emerged to save endangered species on a global scale. Together, with some of the best chefs and partners in hospitality, we amplify the conservation of heritage pork once again, which for many is a ‘gateway’ to a larger appreciation of where our food comes from and the people that raise it, leading to more mindful eating and safer food choices for our youth. We can’t wait to for amazing weekend in DC with two dinners raising money for Piggy Bank, a 501(c)(3)project of the Giving Back Fund.”