As many people know, life is always sweeter when you have a great buddy by your side and Best Buddies Virginia’s Chef Buddy pairs will prove that at Life is Sweet, a culinary tasting event, on Tuesday, March 24, 2015, while raising funds to support the Best Buddies programs. Long-time partner CSC will host the event at their headquarters located at 3170 Fairview Park Drive in Falls Church, Virginia from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with sponsors to include SAP NS2 and Exelis.
Guests will have the opportunity to taste savory treats and decadent desserts created by many of the best chefs in the area. Each chef has been partnered with a Best Buddies participant, and all of the pairs will showcase their treats throughout the evening. This event provides a wonderful example of the work-life opportunities that exist in our community, while showcasing the abilities of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“This is one of my favorite events of the year,” said Life is Sweet Chair Susan Wallace, Executive Pastry Chef of BlackSalt Fish Market and Restaurant. “I really enjoy sharing my passion of pastry with my Buddy Chef and shining a light on such a worthy cause.”
“Exelis is pleased to support and contribute to the mission of Best Buddies,” said Bob Edmonds, Exelis Vice President and Best Buddies Virginia Advisory Board Member “Exelis is committed to bringing diversity to the workplace, building upon its history of civic engagement, and continuing to provide opportunities for the disability community. We are honored to join Life is Sweet as a sponsor this year.”
Guests will sample delicious creations from culinary artists including Chef Chris Hutcheson of District Commons, Suga Chef’s Padua Player, Ruth Gresser of Pizzeria Paradiso, Eurest Catering and Chef James Foley, Swiss Bakery’s Chef Bethany Drake, Chef Susan Wallace, and George Fassiadis of the Weston National Harbor to name a few. Highlights of the evening will include a silent auction running throughout the tasting, and a live auction scheduled to take place at 8:00 pm. Featured auction items include restaurant certificates, hotel accommodations, sports memorabilia, an all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, a stay in a luxury apartment in Buenos Aires, an In-Home Cooking Demo for up to 10 people with Executive Chef Gregory Booth and Pastry Chef Padua Player, and much more.
Tommy McFly, host of 94.7 FRESH FM, will be the emcee for the night, and Miss District of Columbia USA, Miss District of Columbia Teen USA, Miss Virginia USA and Miss Teen Virginia USA will also be present to support the cause. Tickets can be purchased at www.bestbuddiesvirginia.org/lis
For more information, contact Chris Hammond by phone at (703) 533-9420 or email ChristopherHammond@bestbuddies.org.
WHAT: SMITHSONIAN at 8—The Smithsonian’s premier 21+ after-hours event series for young professionals—and Francophonie DC present “La Grande Fete”
WHEN: Friday, March 27, 7 to 11 p.m.
WHERE: La Maison Francaise, Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Road, Washington, DC
Get ready for a #SMITHSONIANat8 spectacular party with a French accent. The annual Francophonie Cultural Festival spotlights the music, art, literature, film, cuisine, and customs of French-speaking countries and regions from across the globe, and its closing celebration is alwaysmagnifique. This year’s bash will be no exception.
Beginning at 7 p.m., launch into a world tour of francophone cultures. Sample food and drink from more than 30 embassies as you explore each nation’s unique attractions and traditions. There will be plenty of giveaways for you to take home as souvenirs. Don’t forget to Instagram your experiences and dishes throughout the night using #at8enfrancais for a chance to win prizes.
Emeline Michel will perform from 8 to 9 p.m. This captivating performer and versatile vocalist is one of the premier Haitian songwriters of her generation. She has recorded and appeared on concert stages throughout the Caribbean, Europe, and North and South America for over 20 years. Singing both in French and Haitian Creole, she has catapulted into international acclaim.
DJ Princess Slaya spins music from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and plenty of destinations in between. At 9 p.m., she pumps up the sounds as the evening’s dance party begins.
Don’t miss this chance to experience the best of the French-speaking world—all without leaving home #NoPassportNeeded.
Participating organizations and embassies include but are not limited to: Alliance Francais de Washington, Belgium, Benin, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Commonwealth of Dominica, Cote d’Ivoire, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Hungary, Laos, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Monaco, Niger, Republic of Congo, Romania, Senegal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Togo, and Tunisia.
#SMITHSONIANat8 #at8enfrancais #NoPassportNeeded
General Admission $40. (includes admission and food and drink samples from 7 to 9 p.m.) Cash bar starting at 9 p.m.
Tickets must be purchased in advance (no sales at the door).
IDs will be checked at the door. Those under 21 will not be served alcohol
For tickets and further information the public may call 202-633-3030 or visit www.SMITHSONIANat8.com
Notable DC Chefs Duel Out Colon Friendly Cuisines for
3rd Annual Eat4Life
Chef Challenge & Vendor Show Set for March 31st
March kicks off National Colon Cancer Awareness Month and national non-profit the Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation today announced it will host its 3rd Annual Eat4Life chef challenge event on Thursday, March 31st. Local chefs from the Washington DC metropolitan region will participate in the chef cook-off hosted by the Chris4Life’s Young Professional Board. Chefs are given a list of approved colon friendly ingredients in which they will participate in a challenge in preparing cancer friendly dishes – providing guests healthy meal options while helping raise funds and awareness for the foundation. The event will consist of stations and each chef will have the opportunity to discuss preparation of the item being served and why they choose to cook their particular colon friendly cuisine. Guests vote on the winning dish. For the past two years, Scott Drewno, Executive Chef at The Source has one this event.
The event will be emceed by Nycci Nellis, editor popular foodie site The List Are You On It and host of the Foodie and the Beast Show on 1500AM. The evening will also feature inspirational speaker Teri Griege, a stage IV colon cancer survivor, ironman tri-athlete, and founder of the “Power of Hope” Foundation, who has been recognized as a leading expert on resilience and has been featured on The Today Show and ESPN.
The 2015 Chefs:
- Scott Drewno, Executive Chef – The Source by Wolfgang Puck (2013 & 2014 Eat4Life Champion)
- Enrique Ayala, Executive Chef – Scion Dupont and Scion Silver Spring
- Matt Baker, Executive Chef – City Perch Kitchen and Bar
- Carlos Gonzales, Chef du Cuisine – Taco Bamba
- Erick Jiron, Executive Chef – Crios Modern Mexican
- Patrick Robinson, Executive Chef – Table DC
- Tyler Scholfield, Executive Chef – NaiNai’s Noodle and Dumpling Bar
Healthy Lifestyle Pop-Up Market:
- Pure Barre
- Zengo Cycle
- Slender Seven
- Chups
- Apinya Thai Food Co.
Chris4Life is behind the successful national awareness campaign titled ‘Love Your Butt’, giving attention to how important it is to get screened.
Tickets for the Eat4Life event range from $30-75. For more information about the event and the Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation, visit www.chris4life.org.
EVENT DETAILS
What: 3rd Annual Eat4Life Chef Cook-Off
Presented by: Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation
When: Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Where: Longview Gallery, 1234 9th Street NW, Washington, DC
Time: 6-9PM
Website: www.chris4life.org/eat4life
Twitter: @chris4cure #eat4life #loveyourbuttC4L
Over the past weeks, Washington City Paper readers have voted for their favorites in more than 300 categories ranging from “Best Place to Take a Foodie” to “Best Cultural Festival” to favorite “Place to Buy Vinyl.” The results of this year’s poll will be revealed in theApril 9th issue of the paper, with winners feted during the annual Best of D.C. Celebration later that evening at the Carnegie Library (801 K Street NW).
“With thousands of votes cast each year in our Reader’s Poll, the Best of D.C. issue is always one of our most popular issues,” says publisher Amy Austin. “We’re excited to toast all the winners at the celebration on April 9th and invite the public to join us!”
The Best of D.C. Celebration will feature bites from 50 area restaurants, a beer tent, cocktails from 10 of the region’s best mixologists, food trucks, live music on multiple stages and puppies! VIP ($100) and General Admission ($65) tickets for the cocktail affair are available for purchase online at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/events/bestofdc.
industree’s popular series, Launchology, returns on April 13th from 11AM to 4:30PM at Penn Social, located at 801 E Street NW, Washington, DC, 20004. Moderated by heavy hitters such as Jeff Black of Black Restaurant Group, Bonnie Benwick of The Washington Post and Mark Haidet of Orderly, this multi-panel event will feature candid conversations, real stories and unfiltered advice needed to be successful in the food & beverage industry.
Hear from the #bestinthebiz on restaurant operations, the business behind the food, construction and design, top trends in technology and the looming topic on everyone’s mind… Media. For the first time this year, learn how to handle bad reviews, cultivate healthy press relations and use social media to your restaurant’s advantage.
Panelists include Shannon Jones (Idea Sandbox), Brian Miller (Edit Lab by Streetsense), Jag Bansal (Improvonia), Nick Mautone (CohnReznick), Tom Dailey (Potomac Construction Services), Kosta Dionisopoulos (Delta Produce), Ayeshah Abuelhiga (Mason Dixie Biscuit Co.), Kim Roth (Studley-Savills), John Valentine (Swipely), Sara Hill Isacson (Bullfrog Bagels), Dave Hansen (Hansen-Daye, LLC), Riley Lagesen (Davis, Wright, Tremaine, LLP), Johnna Rowe (Johnna Knows Good Food), Jill Collins (Jill Collins PR), Kimberly-Mae Van (Yelp), Ian Gleason (NCR/Aloha), Noelle McEntee (Square) and more.
Half day and full day tickets range from $30-75 and current students are invited to purchase tickets at a discounted rate of $15-25. A limited number of tickets will be sold at the door. For full day attendees, registration begins at 11AM with La Colombe coffee and Bullfrog Bagels, and boxed meals packed with the District’s tastiest local eats will be provided at lunchtime. For half day attendees, registration begins at 1:30PM. Cocktails and mocktails will be flowing throughout the event. Check out the full schedule and purchase tickets here: http://
On Thursday, April 16th, Poste Moderne Brasserie will host some of DC’s top pastry toques for a battle benefitting Brainfood, DC’s leading non-profit youth development organization. Participating pastry chefs include: Casto Unson from Poste Moderne Brasserie; Caitlin Dysart of 2941 Restaurant; Meredith Tomason of Rare Sweets; Deborah Brown of Trummer’s On Main; and Carri-Anne Hamer of Pearl Dive Oyster Bar.
These top pastry talents will face off using one core connecting ingredient and judges, including Paul Dahm Executive Director of Brainfood, will vote for their favorite usage of the designated ingredient—roots, from culinary roots to community roots to literal roots. Attendees will be able to sample all desserts from the participating pastry chefs and vote for the dish they deem best for the crowd favorite category. Attendees can enjoy complimentary sparkling wine and bites from Poste Moderne Brasserie Executive Chef Kyoo Eom.
Where: The patio at Poste Moderne Brasserie 555 8th Street, NW DC
When: Thursday, April 16th 6 to 8 p.m.
Tickets: Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-sugar-showdown-benefiting-brainfood-tickets-16160797380. Net proceeds to be donated to Brainfood.
Event Details:
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2015
Time: 12:00-3:00 p.m.
Location: Ris DC
Tickets: On sale now http://bit.ly/Snail2015 Early Bird Tickets $40 end on March 22, 2015. Cost is $45. Ticket price includes a reception with food and a seasonal cocktail drink.
Join in to honor and celebrate the 2015 Snail of Approval winners! We have an exciting line up of chefs, farmers, brewers, distillers, vintners, and artisans to add to the growing roster. This unique event is an opportunity to mix and mingle with the individuals dedicated to shaping our food community. This year’s event will be held at RIS in DC, featuring a menu designed by Chef Ris using locally sourced ingredients, and a featured, specialty seasonal cocktail. There will also be a silent auction with fabulous gifts from local shops, artisans, and restaurants, some of which include items from Le Creuset, FreshFarm Markets, and the Port City Brewing Company.
Please visit us at:
http://www.slowfooddc.org/
Pearl Dive Oyster Palace and Black Jack will host “Boil on the Bayou,” a daylong, all-inclusive crawfish boil house party on Sunday, April 19, 2015. This will be the only crawfish boil hosted for the season. Two tiers of ticketing, one which will be inclusive of food ($55), and one which will include both food and drinks ($90), will allow guests to enjoy an afternoon of Louisiana crawfish boiled with corn and potatoes and traditional Cajun seasoning, prepared by Chef Colleen Conrad. A whole-roasted, sustainably raised suckling pig roasted on Pearl Dive’s patio in a “La Caja China”, with grilled oysters being fired on top, will also be available. In addition, crawfish hushpuppies, creamy cole slaw, pulled pork sandwiches on the restaurant’s famous Addie’s rolls, pork riblets, and a selection of Southern inspired desserts from pastry chef Carri-Anne Hamer will be on the menu.
Those with a drink inclusive ticket will enjoy unlimited beer from Louisiana’s Abita Brewing Company, as well as ‘Hurricane punch’ made by bar manager E. Jay Apaga. Select white and red wine will be available for the duration of the five-hour event.
A live zydeco band will provide a festive atmosphere throughout the afternoon, and food stations will be set up throughout Pearl Dive and Black Jack, with additional drinks available a la carte at the bar.
WHEN: Sunday, April 19, 2015 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pearl Dive and Black Jack will be closed to non-ticket holders during this time. Food-inclusive tickets can be purchased for $55 per person, and food and drink inclusive tickets can be purchased herefor $90. Ticket price does not include tax and gratuity. **Group tickets available for a 10% discount if purchasing eight or more.
WHERE: Pearl Dive Oyster Palace is located at 1612 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009. It is Metro accessible from the Red and Yellow and Green lines, located five blocks from the U Street/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo Station, and six blocks East from the Q Street exit of the Dupont Circle Metro Station. For additional information about Pearl Dive call 202-319-1612, or visit www.PearlDiveDC.com.
